I certainly didn’t intend to start a maelstrom. In my original comment I could have added “for here”. As in “After shopping the farmer's market this weekend, we sat at the bar at Ricciardi's for a couple of Margarita's. We also ordered some appetizers: Fried Calamari, Mussels, and a small pizza. All three were delicious. FOR HERE. Wouldn't that have been rude?
From the day we arrived I told my husband we will not compare anything to home. TV is a new adventure (and our final chapter) and we must learn to develop interests and new tastes.
You want the best meatballs – go to Martorano’s in Philly. You want great pizza, go to LB Spumoni Gardens or Di Fara’s in Brooklyn, Steak? No one beats Peter Luger’s, seafood - Randazzo's in Sheepshead Bay. But we no longer will be going to any of these restaurants.
As of this Friday, The Villages will be our home and we will continue to explore and try to find food that is appropriate to our “New York palate” and not offend any by comparing what is here to what we left behind.
My BIGGEST reservation in moving here was that I would be unable to find restaurants that my husband and I would like given the preponderance of chain restaurants. But if you look hard enough, you can find something close enough. And one adjusts. We had lunch last week at Red Sauce – great? No. Acceptable? yes. The waiter also recommended: Mom and Dad’s Italian, Sams St. John’s, and the Fruitland Park Café. The dog groomer recommended Magnolia Street Oysters. Someone else suggested we take the drive to 4 Rivers BBQ for their Brontosaurus Ribs. Indian? – We will try Amrit in Ocala. So there are new culinary adventures on our list which I am sure will continue to grow. Will we enjoy them? Maybe. Will they taste like what we were accustomed to in NY - probably not.
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