Author Archives: thesouplady2

Red Mule Pub – great name, good Ruben sandwich – but you have to go to Brooksville, Florida to find it!


Consider the challenge – you are a tiny restaurant in a small town about an hour from Tampa – who is going to find you? Well I did, and I loved it.

There isn’t a lot to either the restaurant, or the menu – it’s the Ruben, silly. But they also have a few other sandwiches – Pastrami, Turkey, Salami, even Liverwurst. And a short but yummy dessert list – including my favorite – brownie with whipped cream.

I knew this place would be fun when we walked towards the front door. It wasn’t the ‘winner of the best…’ sign – I’ve learned those can’t always be trusted – it was the way they had taken a single strip mall entrance and turned it into a cabin in the woods. So cute I had to take a picture. But walking in convinced me that this place would be fun. There is ‘fun junk’ every where – from the words of Jimmy Buffet songs to cartoons, signed photographs (including one of Snow White – go figure), and bumper sticker slogan signs. The tables were adorable too – they’d taken ‘toys’ like lincoln logs and covered them with plexiglass – creating a conversation piece while you wait for your food.

All 4 of us ordered exactly the same thing – a Ruben Sandwich – your choice of bread, comes with a pickle slice and a small bag of chips. The sandwich was clearly the star – tons of great tasting corned beef, sauerkraut, melted swiss cheese, and a ‘special’ sauce. Just fine.

Was it the best Ruben I’ve ever had – nope. I prefer my bread toasted – puts some crunch into the sandwich – but maybe that’s an east coast thing where people have stronger teeth. Never-the-less – it was pretty darn good – and I ate the whole thing. Always a sign that they did a good job.

My dessert was sinfully simple – a rich brownie (no nuts, sorry) served with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Sometimes simple is best – and there is totally nothing wrong with a great Ruben followed by that chocolate brownie.

Sigh

Red Mule Pub on Urbanspoon

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Red Mule Pub Inc on Foodio54

If this is the best – I’m really sorry for Fort Myers Beach


I love a great breakfast – and I’ve had many. Unfortunately – that’s what I didn’t have this morning at Reece’s. Nope – this one was pretty crummy. Which happens – but what bugs me is that all over the restaurant were signs saying – “Voted best breakfast in Fort Myers Beach – 10 years in a row”.

So – what should I read into that. That folks in Fort Myers Beach have no taste? That Chez Cora needs to come down here and blow them away? That John G’s in Palm Beach doesn’t have to worry?

The location of the restaurant – which isn’t even on the beach – is in a strip mall – but then almost everything in Fort Myers is either in a strip mall or a hotel. The good news – the ‘balcony’ part overlooked a cute pond with turtles (over 25 according to the chatty waitress), a white ibis eating a delicious breakfast of freshly hatched tadpoles, and a rather odd spraying elephant fountain. And the waitress was super nice – too bad the food didn’t match her clever repartee.

My biscuit was doughy and tasteless, the grits needed butter (not supplied), the eggs weren’t cooked properly, and there wasn’t a piece of fruit anywhere on the menu. This is florida people – fruit should be a given. The best tasting thing was my foot long sausage – a tad greasy – but yummy none-the-less.

My husband’s breakfast was a country fried steak – his first – so while he couldn’t compare it – he did like it. And his poached eggs were fine – if lacking in salt. The gravy was a congealed glop that he didn’t taste, the fried potatoes were frozen and re-heated. The coffee was fine – a bottomless cup of Hazelnut. But you don’t go to breakfast to pick and choose between the good and the really not good.

Sorry people – maybe everyone else loved this place – but I thought it worse than forgettable.

Reese's Restaurant on Urbanspoon

El Gaucho Inca – Awesomely good – and they know it! (Fort Myers, Florida)


We ‘googled’ Best Seafood in Fort Myers – and the top restaurant according to Urbanspoon, Yelp – and Tripadvisor was a place called ‘El Gaucho Inca’. Interesting – the best restaurant isn’t a chain, it isn’t fancy, it isn’t expensive, it isn’t even well located. Sounds like my kind of place.

So we called to make reservations – and got told – we don’t take reservations after asking our name and phone number. Is that odd or what? But at least that meant we didn’t have to rush off the beach to get there. And given the distance from the beach (an over 35 minute drive) – that totally worked.

Location – it’s in a strip mall (no surprise there) – in what can be kindly called a residential area. Personally – I think it’s in the sticks – but you can call it what you want – this is not downtown. The current space is tiny – seating for just over 100 people – max. But the super friendly Peruvian waitress told us that they are moving in just 2 weeks to a larger location in the same strip mall – doubling their seating capacity to over 200.

Just a thought on this plan – can the chef keep up with twice as many diners? I’m thinking not without help from at least a couple of sous-chefs. Which will make for a different dining experience. Just a mutter there.

Our dinner was very very good. As other reviewers have said – the dipping sauce for the bread – a startling green – was positively yummy. We cleaned the bowl – and would have licked it if we’d been at home.

For appetizers we ordered the Conchitas a la Parmesan – it was amazingly good. Perfectly cooked Scallops served on the half shell with a three cheese melt on top. I ate every bite. I never eat every bit – just saying. My husband’s appetizer, while way too large – was equally delicious. It was the Ceviche del Inca – a trio of Ceviche – fish, shrimp and squid. He was offered a choice of spice level – and opted for medium. Plenty spicy for me I’ll tell you. I loved the fish ceviche – liked the shrimp version, and thought the squid was a tad on the chewy side. But the amount of flavor packed into each bowl was memorable. I really loved the two types of corn used as ‘decoration’. Surrounding the bowls were crispy corn nuts, and stuck on toothpicks were Latino corn nibblets that had been steamed. Definitely a winner – but reminder to self – next time just stick to the Fish Ceviche – less money and the better bet,

For main courses – I thought mine was far better than my husbands – and his was very good. When I was in Argentina several years ago – a butcher explained how they cut their meat – starting with a side of beef. I mention this because they use a completely different system, and the cutting changes the way the meat tastes. I ordered the ‘beef ribs’ after the waitress explained that the chef gets his meat flown in from Argentina. That meant that the cut would be the traditional one – and it was. And it was delicious. So unique.

My husband had the Pescado a lo Macho. At $16.99 – his one complaint was that the portion was too large. The poached fish was in a sauce very similar to that of butter chicken with lots of tomato and cream. There were mounds of shrimp and squid on top of the fish along with 3 delicious black mussels. For a starch, they added plain white rice. He ordered a side of pan-fried sweet plantains that were the best I’ve tasted in a long time.

For dessert we got the Peruvian Fruit cake – which other reviewers have loved, but I thought was overly sweet. I also ordered one of their Peruvian style cookies – which i adored. It was very similar to the Christmas Crescent Cookies our German friend used to make, a soft dough with a filling of dulce de leche and covered with powdered white sugar. A completely delicious way to end a very yummy meal.

El Gaucho Inca on Urbanspoon

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Denny’s – the America’s Classic Dinner Edition – Fort Myers, Florida


It’s been ages since I’ve walked into a Dennys – but it was late, we’d just flown in from Dallas – and it was open – and my husband was hungry. So Denny’s it was.

Driving up – I read with surprise their slogan – America’s Classic Dinner. Cool. The menu even featured a gal looking very 1950’s And walking in – with signs announcing free WIFI – it really carried the theme. Music from the 60’s – tin ceilings, glass bricks, booths with leather (well – I think it was just fancy plastic) covers – checkered floor, semi open kitchen.

Turns out that there are only a few of these ‘Classic’ Denny’s – and this one was the first – in 1998. They have been here for 16 years – which says – Ok – it’s been a really really long time since I’ve visited a Denny’s!

We were greeted warmly by Jayson – another surprise from previous experiences and shown a booth. Jayson – dressed Diner appropriate in a black t-shirt and pants – presented 3 – coun’t m – 3 menus. The main menu, the 3 month rotating special menu – featuring bacon, and the Dessert and Appetizers menu.

I actually was intrigued by the senior menu – 55+ and ranging from just $5.29 to $7.99. Most interesting – there were even light options – under 550 calories. At a Dennys. What has the world come to when even Denny’s thinks diet!

Can’t argue with the prices – $2 for a Cheese Quesadilla – up to about $9.99 for a steak or as a splurge $10.99 for a Pork Chop dinner. My husband opted for the Prime Rib Philly Melt for $8.99 with a side of Bacon Cheddar Red Skin Potatoes. He thought it was delicious. His only complaint – the Chiabatti bun wasn’t really crisp – but the meat was quite good, nice thick chunks of steak, generously topped with melted cheese.

The desert menu hadn’t changed – unless the addition of a Maple Bacon Milkshake can be considered a change. It’s still your basic food groups – chocolate and creme.

But even so – This Denny’s – like all Denny’s – isn’t trying to be anything but simple food, cooked fast, filling, inexpensive, decent quality for the price. And while I’d be unwilling to go out on the limb for all Denny’s – I willing to say that this Denny’s was a very very pleasant surprise.

We are planning to go back for breakfast – I want to try the waffles!

Address: 8031 Summerlin Center Drive, Fort Myers, Fl 33907

Denny's on Urbanspoon

Stuck at the Dallas Airport – Want to know what to eat? Just ask the Montreal Madame!


I don’t know what it is about the Dallas Airport – I mean I live in Montreal – why should I so often find myself here?

But here I am – and food I crave.

I have my favorite spot – In Terminal D – home to all the international flights – including the ones to Canada – I happen to be pretty fond of Cool River Cafe. It’s in a corner of one of those islands of food and shops that makes terminal D so neat looking – right near gate D27. The food is simple, but a step above the normal fast food fare, and it has table cloths and service. Winner.

But now I have a new competitor – Cantina Laredo. This restaurant is part of a small chain of restaurants – located in crazy places like Las Vegas, London, and the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Franchises are available if you are interested.

Cantina Laredo is located right around the corner from Cool River, opposite Gate D24 – It’s self-described as modern mexican. I don’t see that – I mean it looks like pretty standard Mexican to me – but it is yummy. And filling. And a nice change from the french cuisine of Montreal.

My husband ordered their Queso Laredo, a cheese dipping dish made with taco meat that while a bit liquid for my taste – more of a soup than a dip – it was deliciously yummy. And the chips were delightful – light and fresh and crisp. I do wish that the salsa had come in more than one flavor though – I’m used to some of the mexican restaurants in Park City with their 5, 6 or up to 10 different kinds of salsa to enjoy. Just one option seems skimpy.

I had my standard fare – a plain quesadilla. But it was a nice one, clearly made to order, toasted on both sides, a bit crunchy, and delicious. Service was a tad lacking – I asked for no sour creme, but that instruction clearly didn’t make it to the kitchen. And the salsa served with the quesadilla was just chopped tomatoes. But even so – if you have to eat in an airport – this is not a bad option. Not a great choice – but not a bad one either. Cool River Cafe can rest easy – it is still my go to place.

Of course – if you can get out of the airport – go directly to the Hard 8 – Texas BBQ at its messy best.

Hard 8 is the Best BBQ ever – Bad news – it’s in Dallas Texas!


You arrive in a strange city – and you are hungry. How do you find a great place to eat? Frommers? Fodor? Insight? My problem with guides is simple – they are by default dated. The reviewer went there – liked it – left, reviewed it, than a year – or more – later, it got published.

Zaggat, Yelp and Urbanspoon – which are on-line restaurant review sites are much better – but somehow – I always forget to check before I leave – and then arrive without internet access.

My go-to solution – ask a local. And my 2 favorite places to find those locals are either at gas stations (hey – gas station attendant have to eat too), or at the car rental counter. Actually – I prefer to ask the guy giving me the car. More often than not – I get good advice. And this time – the advice was amazing.

We’d just arrived in Dallas, TX – and it was lunch time. BBQ sprang to mind. Our question was – best BBQ that is not a chain. We’d rented thru Enterprise (Hi back at you guys) and the efficient Enterprise agent thought for a second – then asked if we wanted fancy. When the answer was no – we just wanted awesome BBQ – he said – Hard 8. He even ‘text’d’ the address to my husband’s cell phone. Now that’s service.

We followed the GPS to what must easily be the best BBQ I’ve ever enjoyed. We knew we were in the right place when we saw that the line stretched out the door!

Hard 8 is in a huge building – about 40% of which is devoted to the BBQ pits, and the smokers. You stand in line until you get your turn in front of the open-pit and are faced with a simply mouth-watering display of BBQ offerings. Signs everywhere warn against ordering too much – but the free taste of bacon wrapped BBQ chicken with a jalapeno Pepper put us in the mood for food.

Everything is cut and sliced to order – so you want Brisket? The pit boss will gesture at the brisket – and chop until you stay stop. Ribs? How many do you think you can eat. The only things not sold by the pound beside the roasted and steamed whole corn on the cab – were the BBQ chicken (1/2 or whole) and the pork chop. Both looked completely yummy – but I wanted ribs.

Of the 3 of us – my grand-daughter took the prize for restraint, just ordering some slices of home spiced and home smoked Kielbasa. I got ribs, my husband got carried away and ordered a bit of almost everything, from brisket to a sirloin kebab. They weighed our choices – then pointed us into the restaurant itself to get drinks, dessert, and add-on’s like mac and cheese or sweet corn with jalapeno’s.

From there – it’s on into the dining room. Well – dining room is a bit generous. More of a cross between a bar and a barn – with a huge heated ‘patio’. Tables are ‘the share with your neighbor’ variety – and on each section are rolls and rolls of paper towels – which speak to the messy nature of eating proper Texas BBQ.

There’s a boiling pot of ‘all you can eat’ beans, more BBQ sauce in case you feel the need – and stacks and stacks of to-go boxes. Yup – we probably aren’t the first – or last – that order too much!

I totally adored my ribs – and ate 2 of them – plus all my grand-daughters Kielbasa. She ate the rest of my ribs – and then gobbled up her share of the brisket that my husband got.The Mac and Cheese wasn’t great – but what were we thinking to even order it. I can’t say I liked the Kebab at all – but again – what were we thinking to order it in the first place.

The creamed sweet corn with Jalapeno was not particularly spicy – but it was sweet. Not nearly at the same – you MUST eat this – level as the ribs, bacon wrapped chicken or the Brisket, but very interesting.

How good was the ‘Hard 8’ – well – my husband is planning on going back today. Yes – that good.

So – if you find yourself in Dallas – and craving a no frills BBQ pit dinner – Hard 8 has definitely got you covered.

Hard Eight BBQ on Urbanspoon

Hard 8 BBQ on Foodio54

Dawson strikes out with “The Chorus of Disapproval”


I generally enjoy the productions at Dawson – it’s a very comfy theatre with good sight lines and clean toilets (yes – I have a fixation – what can I say. Grannies need toilets – and we prefer clean ones). But this time I was very disappointed.

First the facts – this production – unlike many of the Dawson presentations – features a huge cast (I counted 20 performers on stage at one time), and runs until April 27th. So you too can get tickets and be bored. And for Dawson – the tickets are pricy. $12 each is not a fortune, but it’s a waste if the production doesn’t keep you interested. My husband walked out at intermission – along with the couple sitting to our left. I stayed for the whole thing – and was glad I did – it did improve in the 2nd half.

My favorite piece – the bar room fight scene. Not completely believable – but pretty darn good I’ll tell you. They threw punches, rolled on the floor, and even got pulled apart by the other cast members. Nicely done.

I won’t bore you with the story, but I will explain what I think went wrong. Like “Trad” and “Cornered” – this is a British play – and the young actors were directed to use british accents. That’s ok – if they do it well. But I think they found getting the accents right so challenging that they forgot they had to act as well. The result – amateur acting and difficult to understand speech. How silly is that. Had they just been directed to forget about trying to be ‘british’ – their acting skills would have carried the day. Oh well.

Always looking for something good to say – I must tell you that aside from the fight scene, the musical parts were by far the highlights. The cast mostly forgot about faking the accents when singing – and the results were a great deal more pleasant to watch and a lot easier to understand.

The house was relatively full – and based on the applause, and extremely loud laughter from the gentleman to our rear – either friends or family of the players. As it was Opening Night – they served fruit, cheese, crackers and wine after the play. I’m sure they meant it to be a treat – I thought it was a way of rewarding you for sitting through the entire disaster.

Dawson – I know you know that you can do so much better.

Closer – Not for kiddies – but so very good


Saw a fantastic piece of Theatre at Mainline last night – and best of all – it’s on until the 27th of April. Plenty of time to get tickets. And you definitely want to see this one.

http://www.mainlinetheatre.ca/en/spectacles/closer

I generally enjoy the productions that happen at Mainline. Put on by tiny, yet professional companies that have a creative itch they must scratch – the plays are interesting, well rehearsed, and well produced. “Closer” (as in getting closer) is no exception. The story line – that of 4 people (2 men, 2 women) who meet, become lovers, find out information about each other that disappoints, and try again – is intensely disturbing, profoundly interestingly, well-presented and very well performed.

There’s a scene of an on-line ‘date’ that is extremely funny – particularly for the older generation (like me!). Karine Kerr – who plays the part of the stripper Alice – is strikingly beautiful, and while she never strips completely, she does strike the pose – and hold it extremely convincingly. I also found the 2 men very appealing, Alex Gravenstein is so attractively scruffy as Dr. Larry it’s hard not to want to reach out and ruffle his curly hair.

My complaints are very minor – I dearly wish that the ‘professional’ photographer had used a more appropriate camera. The one she uses is a joke – and for anyone with knowledge of photography, very distracting. No professional would use a camera like that, finding one that fit the role better surely wasn’t that hard. And I was rather alarmed at the very distinct lack of audience. I’ve never ever seen Mainline so empty – granted it was only the 2nd night, but still. This is a very good play – why weren’t there more people there to enjoy it?

And I have one caution – the topic revolves around sex – and while you don’t ‘see’ any – there are lots of pretty descriptive sections. So don’t bring your pruddish cap – come open-minded and you will truly enjoy yourself.

Montreal has a Croissant Festival – Amazing!


I love, love, love Croissants – I mean what can be wrong about these flaky pastries – beautifully browned and crusty outside, yummy inside, and the entire thing brimming with butter. Oh – if that doesn’t make you hungry – nothing will.

And – there is nothing more disappointing than lousy grocery store ‘croissants’. I hate to even use the term for those flat squishy lacking in flavor butterless creations. I can’t even imagine why anyone would waste calories (and money) on eating those things. Nope – if I’m going to indulge – I want to get the best.

So you can imagine my absolute delight to discover that Montreal has a Croissant Festival – organized by the artisanal bakeries that flourish in this city where food is King. This is  our chance to be at-home reviewers (the best kind) – and taste our way around the city.

The idea is the brain child of Franck Dury-Pavel of Fous Desserts – but he’s sharing the ‘stage’ with 13 other bakeries this year. So on Saturday – April 20, 2013 – all the participating bakeries are going to be discounting their astounding creations. Not free – alas – but either discounted, even to half price or the best bet – 2 for 1. I suggest quickly organizing a Croissant Taste-off for Saturday evening – or Sunday morning for the more traditional among us. Then – drive around on Saturday from shop to yummy shop – picking up Croissants. Label the bottom of the plates – and report back here.

Be sure to tell them I sent you – so they will know where to go to find out whose Croissant is King!

The Question: Who has the best Croissant in the City?

The Judges: You and your family

So let’s get shopping, eating, and comparing. Just please remember to come back her and let me know your results!

Participating bakeries are:

Montreal:
Arhoma – http://arhoma.ca/accueil/
Chouquettes et cie – http://www.chouquettesetcie.com/c/
Les Co’Pains d’abord – http://www.yelp.ca/biz/boulangerie-les-copains-d-abord-montreal
Fous Desserts – http://www.fousdesserts.com/acceuil.html
Mamie Clafoutis – http://www.mamieclafoutis.com/
Marius et Fanny – http://www.mariusetfanny.com/
Mr. Pinchot – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boulangerie-Mr-Pinchot/123627617717361
Petite boulangerie – http://www.lapetiteboulangerie.ca/

South Shore
L’Amour du pain – http://www.lamourdupain.com/
Chouquettes et cie – http://www.chouquettesetcie.com/c/
O Gateries – http://www.ogateries.com/index.php
Patisserie Aux Beaux Tilleuis – http://www.yelp.ca/biz/patisserie-aux-beaux-tilleuls-saint-lambert
Tartes et clafoutis – http://www.tartesetclafoutis.com/

Laval:
Marius et Fanny – http://www.mariusetfanny.com/

National Theatre school rocks Opera – Such a treat


Ok – first things first – if you want to catch this event – you must move quickly. Menotti’s “The Old Maid and the Thief” and “Amal and the Night Visitors” are only being performed twice more this year – once on Thursday (4/18/2013) and once on Saturday (04/20/2013).

http://www.operademontreal.com/en/shows/season-2012-2013/visitors

And I checked – there are still seats available, and they are well under $50 each. Which for opera at this level of expertise is a deal. So if you like opera – go. And if you’ve never been to an opera and think it a waste – now is the chance to find out if you are right or wrong. Go.

Ok – Now the review. First off – I have to say that I have a great fondness for the National Theatre School. The physical plant is just about perfect for theatre. There are 3 performing areas that I’ve been in – the Studio, the cafe, and the Theatre. The Theatre (where the operas are performed) is a classic of the old Style, with cushy red velvet seats, enormously high ceiling, good sight lines from everywhere – and wonderful acoustics. And they have lovely bathrooms. Never underestimate the importance of a nice bathroom.

The stage is large – and the stagecraft exhibited is top-notch. One can expect to be impressed – and I’ve never been disappointed. In this case – the first opera (the Old Maid and the Thief) was original written to be performed on radio – so the director literally had the stage crew build a radio station. The actors sit on the side waiting their cues; the narrator sits in a booth high above everyone’s heads, and occasionally part of the ‘sound stage’ crew move pieces of the set to create the illusion of another space. There is a wonderful sound guy in the orchestra pit doing the sound effects – rustling paper, creating the sound of rain, opening door noises. One complaint – I do wish he’d been more visible. I had to crane my neck to see what he was doing.

The singers were young, enthusiastic, and clearly in love with their ability to sing. Nothing is more likely to please me that a group of young people putting their heart and soul into the music. And sing like the world was ending they did. Just delightful. I won’t ruin the story for you – but I repeat – go. Definitely worth it.

The second Menotti opera (“Amal and the Night Visitors”) is so well-known, there’s nothing in the story to be ruined in the telling. But it is the parts of Amal and his mother that make or break this opera – and Frederique Drolet and Emma Char absolutely rock their parts. Both are young women – the shorter one (Frederique) does Amal – and almost convinces you that she is a he. Close – so close (but not quite). The part requires a wide-eyed innocence and joy that if done well, takes the audience into Amal’s world of big stars, fascinating animals, and wondrous events. And they do well. The final scene, when Amal’s mother is watching her son grow up and disappear out of her life is heart-rending – in a good way – Her pain is the pain of every parent. Joy that they are making their own way in the world, heartbreak that the cuddle at night is no longer going to happen.

And here’s the best news – these 2 incredibly talented young Canadians are doing it again – as Hansel and Gretel for next year’s Opera de Montreal season. Can’t wait to hear them a year from now – just to see how much they will have matured.

Have I convinced you to go yet? If not – why not? It’s not that expensive, it’s good solid opera with approachable story lines that make sense, it is young people friendly (my 12-year-old grand-daughter loved it) – and you don’t have to wait till the fat lady sings to know it’s over.

Go.