Two New Restaurants (and more)
Before I get to the latest new restaurants, I want to say I went through a bad time recently and I have come out okay. I did cancel my trip to Vermont in August, and I had to buy a new computer and washing machine and hot water tank and... Okay, enough bitching.
I like my new computer, and the showers are hotter and the clothes are cleaner. I did have a Doctor's appointment during this time of entropy, and I was rewarded with no new ailments and I did lose 7 pounds in 6 months. Not a lot but my Doctor was real happy about it.
I started walking on the beaches in the area again for exercise. I agree with Bobby Bicknell, there is an energy that you can pull from the crashing of the waves. I took this photo on my last walk of an osprey on the roof at the Crowne Plaza. I think there were some young ones up there too...
To loose weight, I have been eating healthier. I like snacking so I started making that my meals. I make my own chacuterie! I made this platter of French baguette, meats, cheeses, fruit and vegetables. I think there is too much sodium in the processed meats, but it was fun to eat. The pepperoni was turkey. The kale chips with hummus was my favorite and yes, one of those cheeses is a Vermont Cabot "Seriously Sharp" cheddar. BTW, what is with the price of Manchego cheese?
Drinking some wine instead of beer and rum...So, is it Real Sangria if it comes in a bottle, or do you have to put it into a punch bowl and add fresh fruit? It says on the bottle it is Real Sangria, doesn't really matter because it tastes great...
So what about the new restaurants? My first visit was so busy I did not take any photos. I tried the new Sushi Factory II on Wickham Road. It was 2 in the afternoon on a weekday, and it was still crowded. My mistake was to sit at the sushi bar and have to watch the two sushi chefs. They were working so hard it took away from the enjoyment of my lunch. They have an one price all-you-can-eat lunch and dinner. The lunch is a shorter menu and does not include my favorite, unagi (eel), so that was a minus. Plus they ran out of sushi rice and had to open a new pot I think was being made for the dinner hours. It was hot and steamy and these poor chefs were having to handle hot rice to make the nigiri and rolls. The food is great and the service was good. The chefs were excellent but I do not feel pressure as I eat, that is one of the reason I retired was to get away from tension. So I give the place a 2.5 (good to great). In the future I probably will go back to the original in Eau Gallie. A lot less crowded...
My second new restaurant, #14 for the year, was down in Melbourne Beach. The place is called Jake's Crab Shack and it located in the Publix shopping center on A1A, almost down to the Coconut Cove Cafe.
My bartender was Michelle and I was greeted as I walked in by a pretty lady who I think may be the owner. The place was empty but it was 5 PM on a Monday. There was a shark hanging over the bar which is where I sat. It is a big bar with about 40 stools. Some of them had what I think are permanent residents. The far wall was mirrors which I realized after complaining to Michelle that the old guy across from me was staring. (That was suppose to be a joke for those slower than the rest.)
I started with a cup of gumbo. It was not a typical New Orleans style gumbo, but surprisingly it had a great taste. There was white rice under that brown mess. AFter eating half the cup, I did ask for some tabasco to give it a little kick.
I finished my first beer and realized the shark was chasing a swimmer...
They do have seafood boils (called steam pots) but I went for the crab-stuffed shrimp which was served with rice and a vegetable. There were six fairly large shrimp, stuffed as I found out from Michelle, with the same crab mixture they use for their crab cakes. It was served over a chipotle cream sauce. The vegetable was zucchini squash cubed with red onions. There definitely was some garlic involved. I thought six shrimp was not very many but I was full after cleaning my plate. NO dessert!
Here are a few photos of the bar and the dining area. The mirror side has 8 booths with high top tables between the bar and the booths. Normal tables were on the other side where there were three very large screens (not TVs). Good place to watch a game probably. I did check out the restroom and it was clean. It had an simple lock which I liked... O /\___o (lift and hit the hole)
The service was great, the food was edible, the place was clean. I give it 2.5 (good to great). I should come back and try one of the steam pots, they had seven choices. The menu can be found on their web site: http://jakescrabshackfl.com/menu/
I like my new computer, and the showers are hotter and the clothes are cleaner. I did have a Doctor's appointment during this time of entropy, and I was rewarded with no new ailments and I did lose 7 pounds in 6 months. Not a lot but my Doctor was real happy about it.
I started walking on the beaches in the area again for exercise. I agree with Bobby Bicknell, there is an energy that you can pull from the crashing of the waves. I took this photo on my last walk of an osprey on the roof at the Crowne Plaza. I think there were some young ones up there too...
To loose weight, I have been eating healthier. I like snacking so I started making that my meals. I make my own chacuterie! I made this platter of French baguette, meats, cheeses, fruit and vegetables. I think there is too much sodium in the processed meats, but it was fun to eat. The pepperoni was turkey. The kale chips with hummus was my favorite and yes, one of those cheeses is a Vermont Cabot "Seriously Sharp" cheddar. BTW, what is with the price of Manchego cheese?
Drinking some wine instead of beer and rum...So, is it Real Sangria if it comes in a bottle, or do you have to put it into a punch bowl and add fresh fruit? It says on the bottle it is Real Sangria, doesn't really matter because it tastes great...
So what about the new restaurants? My first visit was so busy I did not take any photos. I tried the new Sushi Factory II on Wickham Road. It was 2 in the afternoon on a weekday, and it was still crowded. My mistake was to sit at the sushi bar and have to watch the two sushi chefs. They were working so hard it took away from the enjoyment of my lunch. They have an one price all-you-can-eat lunch and dinner. The lunch is a shorter menu and does not include my favorite, unagi (eel), so that was a minus. Plus they ran out of sushi rice and had to open a new pot I think was being made for the dinner hours. It was hot and steamy and these poor chefs were having to handle hot rice to make the nigiri and rolls. The food is great and the service was good. The chefs were excellent but I do not feel pressure as I eat, that is one of the reason I retired was to get away from tension. So I give the place a 2.5 (good to great). In the future I probably will go back to the original in Eau Gallie. A lot less crowded...
My second new restaurant, #14 for the year, was down in Melbourne Beach. The place is called Jake's Crab Shack and it located in the Publix shopping center on A1A, almost down to the Coconut Cove Cafe.
My bartender was Michelle and I was greeted as I walked in by a pretty lady who I think may be the owner. The place was empty but it was 5 PM on a Monday. There was a shark hanging over the bar which is where I sat. It is a big bar with about 40 stools. Some of them had what I think are permanent residents. The far wall was mirrors which I realized after complaining to Michelle that the old guy across from me was staring. (That was suppose to be a joke for those slower than the rest.)
I started with a cup of gumbo. It was not a typical New Orleans style gumbo, but surprisingly it had a great taste. There was white rice under that brown mess. AFter eating half the cup, I did ask for some tabasco to give it a little kick.
I finished my first beer and realized the shark was chasing a swimmer...
They do have seafood boils (called steam pots) but I went for the crab-stuffed shrimp which was served with rice and a vegetable. There were six fairly large shrimp, stuffed as I found out from Michelle, with the same crab mixture they use for their crab cakes. It was served over a chipotle cream sauce. The vegetable was zucchini squash cubed with red onions. There definitely was some garlic involved. I thought six shrimp was not very many but I was full after cleaning my plate. NO dessert!
Here are a few photos of the bar and the dining area. The mirror side has 8 booths with high top tables between the bar and the booths. Normal tables were on the other side where there were three very large screens (not TVs). Good place to watch a game probably. I did check out the restroom and it was clean. It had an simple lock which I liked... O /\___o (lift and hit the hole)
The service was great, the food was edible, the place was clean. I give it 2.5 (good to great). I should come back and try one of the steam pots, they had seven choices. The menu can be found on their web site: http://jakescrabshackfl.com/menu/
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