On the way down to Fort Lauderdale for the 2012 Ironman Miami 70.3 Susan and I stopped for lunch at Ray's Deli & Grill in Lake City, Florida. The restaurant had a high rating on
urbanspoon. Although it was a mile or two further drive from I-75 the food was good and the staff was friendly. We stopped there for lunch on our return trip too so I guess that says something.
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| Ray's Deli & Grill in Lake City, Florida |
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| Complimentary homemade chips at Ray's Deli & Grill |
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| Neil's "Big Louie" sandwich with potato salad at Ray's Deli & Grill |
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| Susan's Hamburger with a salad at Ray's Deli & Grill |
In Orlando we stopped for dinner at
FishBones on Thursday night. The service was good but forced. Our server highlighted the long list of add-ons that soon became tiresome to acknowledge. Susan ordered a calamari appetizer for us to share. It was soggy. We sent it back in favor of some Tuna Tips They were a better choice. Our dinner was quick but expensive. It's a tourist trap! Note to self, check
urbanspoon before selecting a restaurant.
On Friday morning we ate at Mom's Kitchen in Fort Lauderdale. This diner style eatery rates very well and I can see why. The menu was far reaching, the service was quick and efficient, and most importantly the food was good. Susan even left her smartphone on the table and the server literally ran to two (2) different parking lots trying to return it. I met her mid-stride near the door. The same cannot be said for Atlanta restaurants. In the summer Susan left her phone at El Ranchero on Hwy 138 in Stockbridge, Georgia. She never saw it again although the locator said it had been there. That was a costly mistake.
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| Mom's Kitchen in Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
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| Neil's bacon, eggs, and french toast at Mom's Kitchen |
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| Susan's brother Mark's salad at Mom's Kitchen |
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| Susan's fish sandwich at Mom's Kitchen |
In Fort Lauderdale we ate at
Chuck's Steak House on Commercial Blvd on Friday night for my nephew Andrew's birthday. This restaurant has the feel of a restaurant stuck in the 1980's complete with their
famous salad bar. I had the 10 ounce Prime Rib dinner with a baked sweet potato and Italian salad. It was all very good. Andrew and his girlfriend Ysennia are students at Nova Southeastern University near Miami.
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| Ysennia, Beth, Susan, Mark, Andrew, and Amaya in front |
My buddy Don and I ate at Pizza Pizza at
Bayside Mall on Saturday before bike check-in for the triathlon on Sunday morning. I didn't take any pictures. The pizza was good but the seating along the bay was the real draw.
My pre-race supper was at
Carrabbas' Italian Grill in Fort Lauderdale early on Saturday evening. We had eaten at a Carrabba's before the Ironman Augusta 70.3 and found it to be a good mid-priced place to eat some good pasta. They didn't disappoint. The food was good, including the calamari. The service was good too. Note to self, do not pester the wife when she is putting on her make-up. There will be plenty of seats left at the restaurant if we arrive a little after 5:30pm. However, if a restaurant were going to fill-up at 5:30pm it would be in south Florida. Fortunately, we arrived in time for the early-bird special. But it was very close!
On the day of the race Susan, her brother Mark and sister-in-law Beth ate at Mamba Cafe' at Bayside Mall near Bayfront Park.
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| Beth's omelette at Mamba Cafe' in Miami, Florida |
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| Mark's breakfast at Mamba Cafe' |
That pretty much sums up my food encounters and pictures.
Thanks for reading.
