Starving To Death

[Richard1366]

Let me be the first to say that I feel sorry for us. Here we live in a wonderful “village” with all the beauty of nature, companionship, and activities…yet we are in a gastronomic wasteland. Our “Italian” restaurants are “red sauce’ dispensers, pasta with a variety of red and white sauces slathered on. Where are Italian restaurants that serve contemporary Italian cuisine; Gnocci, hot pastas with cool fresh and light sauces, simple wonders such as cacao e pepe (fresh spaghetti with cheese and ground pepper?) Where are the authentic Oriental restaurants? Isn’t everyone tired of fried rice, General Tso’s chicken, sweet and sour pork. Why hasn’t some Asian restaurant provided us with a variety of dim sum (even if only on weekends} adding such dishes as scallion pancakes, pigs ears (really delicious,) and wonderful noodle soups? With a large number of Vietnamese veterans, why doesn’t any restaurant offer Vietnamese Pho with spring rolls and that wonderful Vietnamese iced coffee. No restaurants anywhere around offer any spicy and delicious Korean dishes.
Hopefully one of these days a restaurant investor will take a leap of faith and provide this community with something other than chain restaurant pap.

[Bogie Shooter]

Probably would be gone within a year.

[Bonny]

Years ago there was a real authentic Mexican Restaurant down by Publix on 441. Didn't last long.

[lightworker888]

Have you tried Bamboo Bistro for Dim Sum. It's a start. And Koyame and Sakura and Cheng's are all more authentic than the buffets. Can't talk about the Italian spots but I'm sure that some others can. But like someone noted, there may not be enough support for too many more traditional ethnic restaurants. So many villagers seem to be happy with the likes of the chains and setting up a restaurant is such a risky endeavour at the best of times in the best of locations.

Many people keep returning to their familiar restaurants and it is hard to get many people to take a chance on something new and unknown. And for many, there is a cost factor that has to be considered when dining out.

All that being said, it would be nice to have more non chains available.

Bon Appetit!



LW888

LW888

[graciegirl]

Because in a nutshell, we villagers are, for lack of better words, both thrifty and picky.

This place would NOT support fine dining at the price of fine dining.

That is what I think.

Plus...lots of people don't like Asian food.

[Geewiz]

Good italian food doesn't have to be expensive. Fresh ingrediants purchased in season are actually cheaper than canned, processed food. It requires more skill to prepare and a willingness to adjust the menu seasonally. Good steak is expensive. Pasta and fresh sauses, well selected olive oil and fresh baked bread, locally sourced chicken and fresh seafood does not have to be expensive. When citrus is in season, fruit salad or a citrus inspired salad does not have to exceed reasonable costs. Strong flavors will more than offset small plates. The issue is getting a good investor and a great chef/owner.

[jblum315]

Because most people here wouldn't pay for it. They want cheap and fast, not good.

[bluedog103]

Where are Italian restaurants that serve contemporary Italian cuisine; Gnocci, hot pastas with cool fresh and light sauces, simple wonders such as cacao e pepe (fresh spaghetti with cheese and ground pepper?)
I think you mean cacio e pepe. Cacao is cocoa.

[Joaniesmom]

I was hoping for some interesting cooking classes at Lifelong Learning but haven't seen any. Brought my pasta machine along just in case. :)

[applesoffh]

Because in a nutshell, we villagers are, for lack of better words, both thrifty and picky.

This place would NOT support fine dining at the price of fine dining.

That is what I think.

Plus...lots of people don't like Asian food.

Sorry, Graciegirl...you say thrifty, I say cheap. I don't know how picky folks here are if they think that Panera makes a great bagel, or if Red Sauce or the Italian restaurant in Spanish Springs (forgot the name) are "authentic" in any way. There are no good ethnic restaurants here. Period. Perhaps potential restaurant people are discouraged from opening in TV because of the kickback (for lack of a better word) to the developer.

There's always hope that areas outside of TV compound will welcome ethnic restaurants and find an appreciative audience.

[ilovetv]

Let me be the first to say that I feel sorry for us. Here we live in a wonderful “village” with all the beauty of nature, companionship, and activities…yet we are in a gastronomic wasteland. Our “Italian” restaurants are “red sauce’ dispensers, pasta with a variety of red and white sauces slathered on. Where are Italian restaurants that serve contemporary Italian cuisine; Gnocci, hot pastas with cool fresh and light sauces, simple wonders such as cacao e pepe (fresh spaghetti with cheese and ground pepper?) Where are the authentic Oriental restaurants? Isn’t everyone tired of fried rice, General Tso’s chicken, sweet and sour pork. Why hasn’t some Asian restaurant provided us with a variety of dim sum (even if only on weekends} adding such dishes as scallion pancakes, pigs ears (really delicious,) and wonderful noodle soups? With a large number of Vietnamese veterans, why doesn’t any restaurant offer Vietnamese Pho with spring rolls and that wonderful Vietnamese iced coffee. No restaurants anywhere around offer any spicy and delicious Korean dishes.
Hopefully one of these days a restaurant investor will take a leap of faith and provide this community with something other than chain restaurant pap.

"Starving to death"??????????? Gimme a break.

America is too FAT.

And "dinner" is Happy Hour.

And just a few years ago, this was buffalo and cow pasture....

It's not going to be like NYC or LA varieties of ethnic and gourmet foods that cost a fortune at one sitting.

[jane032657]

I have always wanted to open a restaurant and cook one ethnic food per night, and until you came to the restaurant or called ahead, you would not know what was cooking. It would be fresh ingredients, all made from scratch, with great wines. I talked about doing that in The Villages but opening a restaurant for a business is my CPA husband's worst nightmare for investment. So, I will just have to have you over for dinner instead! I have done a different ethnic dinner for 60 people almost every year for my husband's birthday. Too fun! I think that type of restaurant would be festive, fun, and adventurous!

[Geewiz]

"Starving to death"??????????? Gimme a break.

America is too FAT.

And "dinner" is Happy Hour.

And just a few years ago, this was buffalo and cow pasture....

It's not going to be like NYC or LA varieties of ethnic and gourmet foods that cost a fortune at one sitting.

The proper term is "obese." "Fat" is a perogative word that is ignorant and obnoxious.

Good food with strong flavors will reduce the desire for large portions. The obesity problem in this country directly relates to processed foods that substitute fat, sugar and salt for fresh ingredients and real nutritional value. Eat good, fresh food and you will eat less and be more satisfied.

[Geewiz]

An example from Chicago - not as cheap town. I go to Chicago Cut Steakhouse in River North...a very pricey place. I get their hamburger which is made from the trimmings of their aged beef. A steak there runs $40+. The 1/2 pound burger is $11. Because it is made of aged beef ground fresh that day, the taste is intense..tart and very beefy. I substitute corn or broccoli for the fries. I get the burger medium rare and frankly, after eating about a third of it...I am satisfied. Yes, I could force down more...but, why? I bring the rest home. The next day, I re-heat the meat in a fry pan. I eat about 1/3 or the burger and give Rada, the kitten, the other third. She sometimes eats it all - but, is typically satisfied with less. She is so happy that she sits on my chest and nuzzles my cheek for the next hour. Good food makes good friends. So - for $11, I had 2 great meals and Rada had the best beef a cat could ever have - even if she was a tiger...plus, I get a good nuzzle. Good food doesn't have to be expensive and it doesn't have to make you want to gorge yourself. Plus, sharing makes friends.

[shcisamax]

I have always wanted to open a restaurant and cook one ethnic food per night, and until you came to the restaurant or called ahead, you would not know what was cooking. It would be fresh ingredients, all made from scratch, with great wines. I talked about doing that in The Villages but opening a restaurant for a business is my CPA husband's worst nightmare for investment. So, I will just have to have you over for dinner instead! I have done a different ethnic dinner for 60 people almost every year for my husband's birthday. Too fun! I think that type of restaurant would be festive, fun, and adventurous!

Jane, you are my idol!


I will come to your restaurant. I PROMISE!!!!

[graciegirl]

boy howdy gee whiz

My mother told me a million times not to exaggerate. She would say "starving to death" is an exaggeration.

Eleven dollars for a good burger is way overpriced. Cane Garden has a wonderful burger for eight with yummy fries and wonderful slaw.

I'm good.

[Peachie]

An example from Chicago - not as cheap town. I go to Chicago Cut Steakhouse in River North...a very pricey place. I get their hamburger which is made from the trimmings of their aged beef. A steak there runs $40+. The 1/2 pound burger is $11. Because it is made of aged beef ground fresh that day, the taste is intense..tart and very beefy. I substitute corn or broccoli for the fries. I get the burger medium rare and frankly, after eating about a third of it...I am satisfied. Yes, I could force down more...but, why? I bring the rest home. The next day, I re-heat the meat in a fry pan. I eat about 1/3 or the burger and give Rada, the kitten, the other third. She sometimes eats it all - but, is typically satisfied with less. She is so happy that she sits on my chest and nuzzles my cheek for the next hour. Good food makes good friends. So - for $11, I had 2 great meals and Rada had the best beef a cat could ever have - even if she was a tiger...plus, I get a good nuzzle. Good food doesn't have to be expensive and it doesn't have to make you want to gorge yourself. Plus, sharing makes friends.

I think you just answered the question posed by the OP, Geewiz. Most of The Villagers would opt for the $11. burger and few would support the $40.+ steaks on the menu of the fine restaurant.

There are many limited budgets in The Villages, many Villagers eat smaller volumes of food now and can't justify paying over $50. for a plate of food and some are perhaps, too cheap. I don't think a high-end restaurant would make it here. Ocala, Orlando and Clearwater aren't too far for that exceptional meal on occasion and there have been previous posts mentioning good restaurants in those areas.

[jimbo2012]

"Starving to death"??????????? Gimme a break.

America is too FAT.



The proper term is "obese." "Fat" is a perogative word that is ignorant and obnoxious.

In the context of this thread "fat" gets the point across.

I don't think it's derogative

[shcisamax]

Oooooh, what I wouldn't do for a lightly cooked pasta with a light pesto sauce with some fresh veges and or a tagliatelle noodle with some veal and a creamy gravy sauce or a penne with real salmon and real cream and peas...Maybe some rabe in oil and garlic on the side. I was so desperate the other evening for good Italian, I was going to go on here and ask if there were any Italian people from perhaps Brooklyn who would let me come me for dinner :) Anything they were serving would have been great.

[shcisamax]

But good food doesn't have to be expensive.....broccoli can be cooked til it falls apart or it can be steamed.

[l2ridehd]

I have always wanted to open a restaurant and cook one ethnic food per night, and until you came to the restaurant or called ahead, you would not know what was cooking. It would be fresh ingredients, all made from scratch, with great wines. I talked about doing that in The Villages but opening a restaurant for a business is my CPA husband's worst nightmare for investment. So, I will just have to have you over for dinner instead! I have done a different ethnic dinner for 60 people almost every year for my husband's birthday. Too fun! I think that type of restaurant would be festive, fun, and adventurous!

WOW Jane. Love your ideas. Lets start a progressive dinner or monthly rotating dinning club.

[ssmith]

Does Thai Ruby fit the bill for the OP? Also agree those restaurants that thrive are the ones that last. Exotic/expensive does not fit everyone's taste or budget. Also wonder how many truly ethnic folks there are in TV to support this desire. Always good to dream though.

[shcisamax]

I wonder about real ethnic food as well. People like what they are accustomed to and their taste buds are used to. Most people who have not lived in major cities are used to the Americanized version of these ethnic foods.

I can speak to Mexican food having lived in Mexico for many many years. The food I have tasted here does not resemble any food I have had in Mexico. But, in general, the throughout the states Mexican food is TexMex or some concoction that isn't Mexican. For example, chili rellenos are not stuffed with American cheese. Red salsa does not contain any ketchup.
So I think that the majority of people here are truly happy with the food available because they are used to it. I do think also though there are some who would like more authentic cuisine. But are there enough in any particular cuisine to make it a viable restaurant investment? That's the question. Perhaps when Brownwood opens, a different kind of restaurant will be included in the mix.
But let's face it, man does not live by bread alone. That's why they have cheap wine at happy hour :)

[Geewiz]

boy howdy gee whiz

My mother told me a million times not to exaggerate. She would say "starving to death" is an exaggeration.

Eleven dollars for a good burger is way overpriced. Cane Garden has a wonderful burger for eight with yummy fries and wonderful slaw.

I'm good.

For one meal, it is expensive. For 2 meals plus a kitty fling, not so bad.

[Bogie Shooter]

Let me be the first to say that I feel sorry for us. Here we live in a wonderful “village” with all the beauty of nature, companionship, and activities…yet we are in a gastronomic wasteland. Our “Italian” restaurants are “red sauce’ dispensers, pasta with a variety of red and white sauces slathered on. Where are Italian restaurants that serve contemporary Italian cuisine; Gnocci, hot pastas with cool fresh and light sauces, simple wonders such as cacao e pepe (fresh spaghetti with cheese and ground pepper?) Where are the authentic Oriental restaurants? Isn’t everyone tired of fried rice, General Tso’s chicken, sweet and sour pork. Why hasn’t some Asian restaurant provided us with a variety of dim sum (even if only on weekends} adding such dishes as scallion pancakes, pigs ears (really delicious,) and wonderful noodle soups? With a large number of Vietnamese veterans, why doesn’t any restaurant offer Vietnamese Pho with spring rolls and that wonderful Vietnamese iced coffee. No restaurants anywhere around offer any spicy and delicious Korean dishes.
Hopefully one of these days a restaurant investor will take a leap of faith and provide this community with something other than chain restaurant pap.

Do you mean Vietnam veterans rather tha Vietnamese veterans?

[courtyard]

I'd love to see a health food restaurant here, preferably one that serves only Organic food!

[paulandjean]

"Starving to death" Because there is not good enough restaurant. Please, So many many people go to bed hungry in this country and you have a problem finding a good meal. Sad

[paulandjean]

This post will probably be taken off.

[Happinow]

I agree with the OP. We need some really good natural restaurants here. Everywhere you look it's fast fried fat food (say that 3 times fast!)....fries, burgers, chicken, slaw....not that this food doesn't taste good cause it does, but it's pretty unhealthy. I vote for fresh, wholesome ingredients and some real ethnic restaurants. Quantity is not a factor, it's quality that packs a punch! In general, restaurants serve a ton a food on a plate, probably enough for two people. How about cutting portions in half, making a quality product and keeping prices the same?? I would pay the same price for less food if it was healthy. One good thing is we can all prepare food in our own kitchens just the way we like it! :smiley::smiley:

[jane032657]

WOW Jane. Love your ideas. Lets start a progressive dinner or monthly rotating dinning club.

Love this idea. Will be moved in as of sometime early November. I would say let's dicuss this for a January start. PM me a phone number and I will call you when settled.

[shcisamax]

Is it possible the OP just wanted a catchy title and did not really believe he or she was starving to death? It is an exaggeration to make a point? tongue in cheek? Perhaps people are taking the title too literally?

[floridagirl94]

Bamboo Bistro offers dim sum Monday-Saturday 11am-4pm and all day Sunday, 12pm-9pm. They also serve Vietnamese Pho and Summer Rolls. Pig ears can be available upon request. Check Thursday's Village Sun for coupons.

[Skip]

WOW Jane. Love your ideas. Lets start a progressive dinner or monthly rotating dinning club.

There's already a club that does this. The Villages Gourmet Club. (http://thevillagesgourmetclub.com/info.html) Their next meeting should be in two weeks (10/7/12).

Skip

[GrandmaP]

Let me be the first to say that I feel sorry for us. Here we live in a wonderful “village” with all the beauty of nature, companionship, and activities…yet we are in a gastronomic wasteland. Our “Italian” restaurants are “red sauce’ dispensers, pasta with a variety of red and white sauces slathered on. Where are Italian restaurants that serve contemporary Italian cuisine; Gnocci, hot pastas with cool fresh and light sauces, simple wonders such as cacao e pepe (fresh spaghetti with cheese and ground pepper?) Where are the authentic Oriental restaurants? Isn’t everyone tired of fried rice, General Tso’s chicken, sweet and sour pork. Why hasn’t some Asian restaurant provided us with a variety of dim sum (even if only on weekends} adding such dishes as scallion pancakes, pigs ears (really delicious,) and wonderful noodle soups? With a large number of Vietnamese veterans, why doesn’t any restaurant offer Vietnamese Pho with spring rolls and that wonderful Vietnamese iced coffee. No restaurants anywhere around offer any spicy and delicious Korean dishes.
Hopefully one of these days a restaurant investor will take a leap of faith and provide this community with something other than chain restaurant pap.

Lots of us agree

[jane032657]

There's already a club that does this. The Villages Gourmet Club. (http://thevillagesgourmetclub.com/info.html) Their next meeting should be in two weeks (10/7/12).

Skip
Thanks, did not know!

[eweissenbach]

I will admit that I am not a picky eater, and tend to be pretty easily satisfied. I have known people who were "descerning" and often sent food back to the kitchen that I would have gobbled up contentedly. I used to be in management for a major insurance company and would go to meetings at world class hotels in places like Maui, San Francisco, Palm Springs, etc. and they would feed us gourmet meals three times a day - usually at some point in the week I would tell my wife "man I would love to have some of your meatloaf right now. My feeling is you can go through life happily satisfied most of the time, or unhappy and dissatisfied - it is up to you. We stay two months in TV and eat the evening meal out probably 55 out of 60 days and lunch at least 50% of the time. For me, there are more good options than I can take advantage of including most of the country clubs. Perhaps I am naive and unsophisticated, but I will continue happily along my way thank you (and I am not obese).

[Villages PL]

The proper term is "obese." "Fat" is a perogative word that is ignorant and obnoxious.

Good food with strong flavors will reduce the desire for large portions. The obesity problem in this country directly relates to processed foods that substitute fat, sugar and salt for fresh ingredients and real nutritional value. Eat good, fresh food and you will eat less and be more satisfied.

I agree with most of what you said but a person can be "fat" without being obese. I, myself, hardly ever use the word "fat". I will say "overweight" or "obese". But I don't think it's offensive if someone else uses it. It may not be the most tactful way of putting it, but it's an accurate description because we are talking about people who have an excess amount of "fat" cells.

What is authentic Italian food for one person may not be authentic to another. Who's to say? I wouldn't be surprised if there's a difference based on different locations throughout Italy.

[graciegirl]

I will admit that I am not a picky eater, and tend to be pretty easily satisfied. I have known people who were "descerning" and often sent food back to the kitchen that I would have gobbled up contentedly. I used to be in management for a major insurance company and would go to meetings at world class hotels in places like Maui, San Francisco, Palm Springs, etc. and they would feed us gourmet meals three times a day - usually at some point in the week I would tell my wife "man I would love to have some of your meatloaf right now. My feeling is you can go through life happily satisfied most of the time, or unhappy and dissatisfied - it is up to you. We stay two months in TV and eat the evening meal out probably 55 out of 60 days and lunch at least 50% of the time. For me, there are more good options than I can take advantage of including most of the country clubs. Perhaps I am naive and unsophisticated, but I will continue happily along my way thank you (and I am not obese).

Ditto and Amen. A lot of folks feel the same way.

P.S. I am a person who loves to cook, so I can pretty much have what I want to eat at any time but rarely do I run into food that is terribly disappointing here in TV. You don't have to be from New York to have fine dining experiences. But every meal doesn't have to be a home run to be enjoyable.

Toojays chicken livers and onions are the best I have ever had. The lighthouse has wonderful butterfish and catfish and their slaw with pineapple is always fresh and yummy. It is hard to beat Oakwood's barbecue, even if it is slightly off campus. ADD fun folks around the table and it is FINE dining.

[bluedog103]

I wonder about real ethnic food as well. People like what they are accustomed to and their taste buds are used to. Most people who have not lived in major cities are used to the Americanized version of these ethnic foods.

I can speak to Mexican food having lived in Mexico for many many years. The food I have tasted here does not resemble any food I have had in Mexico. But, in general, the throughout the states Mexican food is TexMex or some concoction that isn't Mexican. For example, chili rellenos are not stuffed with American cheese. Red salsa does not contain any ketchup.
So I think that the majority of people here are truly happy with the food available because they are used to it.
I think you're right. For most people, the perfect Italian food is what their mothers made. I'm pretty sure there are no authentic Italian restaurants on this side of the Atlantic. Surely there are people from Brooklyn or the Bronx and maybe even Chicago who would disagree. That's not to say you can't get great Italian food along Arthur Ave. in the Bronx or in Brooklyn. You can but it isn't what you get on the other side of the pond. People love it because they're used to it. Same with Mexican. I learned to love Mexican food in Mexico with my Mexican girlfriend many years ago. Then later on along came Taco Bell and my first thoughts were "you gotta be kidding me".
As you point out, ethnic food in the U.S is Americanized but I think that includes large cities as well.

[Bruiser1]

:iagree: Try Koyame and for dim sum try Bamboo Bistro.

I think you'll (the original poster) be pleased.

[shcisamax]

Nothing like Italian food from Italy... The water, the soil, the process is different and it is as close to heaven as you can get...But there are a lot of old italian families in New York in the boroughs like Brooklyn and mama is still making dinner. Doesn't make the pasta necessarily from scratch but the food is so much better than any restaurant. BTW: There are amazing markets with ingredients from Mexico in Mamaroneck, NY not to be pronounced Mama ro neck as was mentioned in one thread :) and you can get absolutely the most authentic ingredients for anything in NY. Yeah, taco bell is pretty scary.

[Mikeod]

I've lived here about six years and have seen several restaurants come and go. Italian, Mexican, seafood, etc., all closed. Those that remain provide a level of cuisine and service that the majority of residents and visitors enjoy. This isn't New York, or Chicago, or LA, or Dallas, or Nawlins. The demographics here will not support the type of restaurants you describe.

Villagers vote for places they like with their wallets. Those that remain do so because they meet the expectations of most customers. If the establishments here are so mediocre, why is it difficult to get in January through April?

Frankly, I moved here for much more than the local cuisine. I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me. I do wonder about people who come to Central Florida and expect to find the same things they had in a major metropolitan area. Ain't happening.

[gomoho]

Aren't we lucky to have such trivial problems?!? we should all count our blessings we have food on the table every night. Just saying.

[mrbillmidlo]

For TexMex, try San Juan in Leesburg.

[sunglow]

Right on, Richard! Maybe if we start demanding it....
I did find a place with really good bagels... Brooklyn Water Bagels? Not sure of the name but I was impressed with the bagels.

[KEVIN & JOSIE]

I'd love to see a health food restaurant here, preferably one that serves only Organic food!

My doctor calls healthy organic, "Fecal farming." barf

[Down Sized]

Let me be the first to say that I feel sorry for us. Here we live in a wonderful “village” with all the beauty of nature, companionship, and activities…yet we are in a gastronomic wasteland. Our “Italian” restaurants are “red sauce’ dispensers, pasta with a variety of red and white sauces slathered on. Where are Italian restaurants that serve contemporary Italian cuisine; Gnocci, hot pastas with cool fresh and light sauces, simple wonders such as cacao e pepe (fresh spaghetti with cheese and ground pepper?) Where are the authentic Oriental restaurants? Isn’t everyone tired of fried rice, General Tso’s chicken, sweet and sour pork. Why hasn’t some Asian restaurant provided us with a variety of dim sum (even if only on weekends} adding such dishes as scallion pancakes, pigs ears (really delicious,) and wonderful noodle soups? With a large number of Vietnamese veterans, why doesn’t any restaurant offer Vietnamese Pho with spring rolls and that wonderful Vietnamese iced coffee. No restaurants anywhere around offer any spicy and delicious Korean dishes.
Hopefully one of these days a restaurant investor will take a leap of faith and provide this community with something other than chain restaurant pap.

I haven't seen too many people around here that looks like they have missed out on any meals for lack of places to eat.

[Bogie Shooter]

Right on, Richard! Maybe if we start demanding it....
I did find a place with really good bagels... Brooklyn Water Bagels? Not sure of the name but I was impressed with the bagels.

Demanding of whom??

[ilovetv]

I haven't seen too many people around here that looks like they have missed out on any meals for lack of places to eat.

:BigApplause: :BigApplause: :BigApplause: :BigApplause: :BigApplause: :BigApplause:

[KARENNN]

I miss the scallion pancakes and fish ball soup from Ollie's on 44th and B'way!

[asianthree]

we are lucky to have very good friends from japan who cooks traditional, our sons roomate who visits from mexico city, and a inlaw from vietnam..when they come to cook at my house its just heaven.

[CaliforniaGirl]

Because most people here wouldn't pay for it. They want cheap and fast, not good.

That reminds me of a poster I used to have on the wall of my office in Ocala. It said "We're good, cheap, and fast...Pick any two."

[shcisamax]

Yay Ollies!

[Shirleevee]

Demanding of whom??

NYC, Brooklyn, Staten Island here and we LOVE Brooklyn Bagels!!!!! Even better than bagels we had back on SI........:pepper2:

[Shirleevee]

Right on, Richard! Maybe if we start demanding it....
I did find a place with really good bagels... Brooklyn Water Bagels? Not sure of the name but I was impressed with the bagels.

I MUST agree about the bagels!!!

Oh, Richard, I am longing for pasta with black truffles and foie gras.....scallion pancakes, dim sum aned French food..........I can dream can't I ???:spoken:

[Shirleevee]

I've lived here about six years and have seen several restaurants come and go. Italian, Mexican, seafood, etc., all closed. Those that remain provide a level of cuisine and service that the majority of residents and visitors enjoy. This isn't New York, or Chicago, or LA, or Dallas, or Nawlins. The demographics here will not support the type of restaurants you describe.

Villagers vote for places they like with their wallets. Those that remain do so because they meet the expectations of most customers. If the establishments here are so mediocre, why is it difficult to get in January through April?

Frankly, I moved here for much more than the local cuisine. I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me. I do wonder about people who come to Central Florida and expect to find the same things they had in a major metropolitan area. Ain't happening.

Exactly my reason for dreaming lol

[bluedog103]

Ditto and Amen. A lot of folks feel the same way.

P.S. I am a person who loves to cook, so I can pretty much have what I want to eat at any time but rarely do I run into food that is terribly disappointing here in TV. You don't have to be from New York to have fine dining experiences. But every meal doesn't have to be a home run to be enjoyable.

Toojays chicken livers and onions are the best I have ever had. The lighthouse has wonderful butterfish and catfish and their slaw with pineapple is always fresh and yummy. It is hard to beat Oakwood's barbecue, even if it is slightly off campus. ADD fun folks around the table and it is FINE dining.

You're right Gracie, I've rarely had bad food in or around TV. Not especially fancy or exotic but I'm not a fancy person anyway. I've mostly been pleased with food around here. My wife will tell you I'm the easiest person in the world to cook for. I like everything. Give me my wife's meatloaf and mashed potatoes and I'm a happy man. As a kid and an adult there was nothing as good as my mother's fried chicken.

[shcisamax]

Good food doesn't have to be fancy. It has to be good. :)

[Lbmb24101]

I know I will miss our Cuban restaurant here once we live in TV...
and Cuban restaurant is not really that expensive.

[maryanna630]

I am originally from SI. My fathers family lived there for three generations. He was a civil engineer at Borough Hall and he raised goats and did organic farming as a hobby. We lived on a six acre farm on woodrow road....long gone now. My husband is from Flatbush.We live in Mexico now and are coming for our first visit 11/1 to 11/15. I would love to meet you for coffee, discuss SI and ask how you lie the Villages. And, yes,we are foodies but we cook!
Maryanna

[graciegirl]

.

Food is almost always subjective. What we have grown to love to eat and the circumstances we enjoyed eating it from our past life are all part of it.

I find a tomato from an Ohio garden, picked off the plant and shined on my jeans and bitten and salted and eaten in the sunshine a fine dining experience.

[bonrich]

.

Food is almost always subjective. What we have grown to love to eat and the circumstances we enjoyed eating it from our past life are all part of it.

I find a tomato from an Ohio garden, picked off the plant and shined on my jeans and bitten and salted and eaten in the sunshine a fine dining experience.

Try that tomato with some sugar sprinkled on it when it is still warm from picking it in the garden.

[shcisamax]

CT tomatoes taste wonderful with a dab of mayo with salt and pepper. yum.

[skyguy79]

I find a tomato from an Ohio garden, picked off the plant and shined on my jeans and bitten and salted and eaten in the sunshine a fine dining experience.Boy does that bring back memories. I used to love taking a freshly picked tomato, sprinkly a little salt on it a take a bite, then repeat the salting and biting until the dream ended! Tasted even better if I washed the tomato first! :p

When I was really young my mother would pick tomatos fresh from her garden and stew them. She would occasionally take a wooden spoon and scoop a stewed peice out and feed it to me straight on the spoon. Thought I had gone to heaven without dying!
http://www.devhunters.com/images/smilies/yum.gif

[shcisamax]

I wonder if it was not an apple but a tomato that threw Adam and Eve in a tizzy. Same color and they are both fruit.

[bluedog103]

CT tomatoes taste wonderful with a dab of mayo with salt and pepper. yum.
I still pick a tomato when I'm in the yard near the garden. Nothing better than wiping it off and eating it. I don't even bother with salt. The tomato has to be from my own plants. Those you purchase, even from a farm stand, just don't have the same intense flavor. Must be something they put on them. All I put on my 'maters when I plant them is a little Miracle Grow when I give them their first watering. After that it's just water. Any worms or other critters I pick off by hand, never any pesticide.

[mecarr542]

I agree. You didn't mention that you can't find a good pizza like you get in the Northeast. If I want good Italian food, I make it at home.

[Geewiz]

My dad used to say that "stewed tomatos peeled easier." The funny thing is that my dad wasn't a big fan of cooked tomatos...though, as a nightclub singer, he was fond of waitresses.

[Shirleevee]

I am originally from SI. My fathers family lived there for three generations. He was a civil engineer at Borough Hall and he raised goats and did organic farming as a hobby. We lived on a six acre farm on woodrow road....long gone now. My husband is from Flatbush.We live in Mexico now and are coming for our first visit 11/1 to 11/15. I would love to meet you for coffee, discuss SI and ask how you lie the Villages. And, yes,we are foodies but we cook!
Maryanna

My friend lived on Woodrow and Bloomingdale Rds....about 15 years ago, right next to the stables........we moved to SI from Brooklyn in 1975 and to TV in 2008..........

[jblum315]

I was hoping for some interesting cooking classes at Lifelong Learning but haven't seen any. Brought my pasta machine along just in case. :)

I think there is a new cooking class listd in the new Lifelong Catalog (July-DEc 2012. Check out Dudis, the instructor

[mickey100]

For one meal, it is expensive. For 2 meals plus a kitty fling, not so bad.

Sounds like a great deal to me, especially the kitty fling!

There are many people in The Villages who lament the lack of fine dining. We travel with friends to Orlando or Tampa every so often to have gourmet dining. We've found the meals in the country clubs to be so-so, and the atmosphere is not good - very noisy. We can take advantage of the good shopping outside TV as well. I'm not much of a shopper, but when you need certain sporting goods or nice clothing, there isn't much to choose from around here. I do go up to Ocala just for Dick's and Sports Authority, and Macy's. Wish TV would get some of those stores.

[flakes]

Try Casa Mia in Tarvers

[jagdl]

Price has been mentioned as well as taste buds but another important consideration is how long are people willing to wait. This crowd seems to prefer the sit down, eat, and go method. Good food prepared fresh and prepared right takes time. The meal is meant to be a social event as well as something to savor. Most people seem to prefer the fastest thing the kitchen can put on the table.

[sueandskip]

why move to TV just to complain ?

[jblum315]

This is what I don't understand. Coming from a little town of 20,000 with no tourists or visitors, could choose from everything from I-Hop to diners to steak houses to the finest of Italian cuisine or seafood or French or Portugese or Indian or Thai or Pacific Rim, all within a mile or two. Sometimes expensive but not urban expensive. Rents were high, I know for a fact, but none of the restaurants failed and new ones always opening and the good ones always busy. Why not here? Why not here?

[BarryRX]

Let's not forget that about a one hour ride either north or south will get us to Gainesville or Orlando, both of which offer some lovely restaurants. Closer yet are Ocala and Mt. Dora. Here in TV, I have found Koyame and Thai Ruby to do a very good job. But I have to agree with the OP. I would love a good French Restaurant or a Northern Italian Restaurant. But the sad truth is that my wife and I don't dine out nearly as often as we did when we were younger.

[PaPaLarry]

Nothing like the great food at home!!!! Yummy. Once in a while we love to eat out. Many of us Villagers, seem to think "Happy Hour Prices" over food. hehehehehe Seems like I've noticed more and more Cardiologists opening practices in The Villages. Could that have something to do with clogged arteries? We still like going Vic Embers once in a while, and still love Lopez Legacy:thumbup: Anyway, Happy Eating Everyone!!!!!:icon_hungry::icon_hungry::icon_hungr y::icon_hungry:

[graciegirl]

We eat in a lot, because I love to cook and because the three of us always seems like a party. We invite folks over and I cook for them and enjoy that too.

I never thought about restaurants and the quality of food because we never dined out a LOT but when JBlum whose opinion I highly value says something about not having the choices she had in a smaller community I began to wonder.

Is it because those wonderful owners of restaurants back where you came from don't want to move? Is it because they cannot find the experienced help here to hire? Does the high rent here lend itself to cutting costs somewhere else? I have heard that owning a restaurant is very hard with no time off and requires constant supervision. Hard work and dedication is NOT as prevalent as it once was in ANYTHING.

I know of several places here in The Villages that I can always find a really delicious meal,served well, but perhaps my palate is not as refined as most.


I guess I may be easily satisfied when I go out because I know I can cook pretty much what I want most of the time.

[senior citizen]

Let me be the first to say that I feel sorry for us. Here we live in a wonderful “village” with all the beauty of nature, companionship, and activities…yet we are in a gastronomic wasteland. Our “Italian” restaurants are “red sauce’ dispensers, pasta with a variety of red and white sauces slathered on. Where are Italian restaurants that serve contemporary Italian cuisine; Gnocci, hot pastas with cool fresh and light sauces, simple wonders such as cacao e pepe (fresh spaghetti with cheese and ground pepper?) Where are the authentic Oriental restaurants? Isn’t everyone tired of fried rice, General Tso’s chicken, sweet and sour pork. Why hasn’t some Asian restaurant provided us with a variety of dim sum (even if only on weekends} adding such dishes as scallion pancakes, pigs ears (really delicious,) and wonderful noodle soups? With a large number of Vietnamese veterans, why doesn’t any restaurant offer Vietnamese Pho with spring rolls and that wonderful Vietnamese iced coffee. No restaurants anywhere around offer any spicy and delicious Korean dishes.
Hopefully one of these days a restaurant investor will take a leap of faith and provide this community with something other than chain restaurant pap.

All of the above named restaurants and specialty food selections are available in Denver, Colorado. Ditto for Boston, Mass.

Quite popular with those in their 20's and 30's. Might have to wait for them to retire........and relocate.

[senior citizen]

Oooooh, what I wouldn't do for a lightly cooked pasta with a light pesto sauce with some fresh veges and or a tagliatelle noodle with some veal and a creamy gravy sauce or a penne with real salmon and real cream and peas...Maybe some rabe in oil and garlic on the side. I was so desperate the other evening for good Italian, I was going to go on here and ask if there were any Italian people from perhaps Brooklyn who would let me come me for dinner :) Anything they were serving would have been great.

You can get a good cookbook or even go online and make every single dish you mentioned in your own kitchen. It's the only way to have yummy delicious food.

It is not difficult to make pesto or steam some fresh veggies.
It is not difficult to saute garlic in olive oil to pour over linguini or broccoli.

I agree with all those who are sick of these "chain" restaurants. They all use frozen pre packaged processed foods.

Sometimes when traveling "on a road trip" one has to stop at an Applebees or whatever, but they've all gone downhill.....including Bob Evans which is extremely salty........and Long John Silver's or Red Lobster.......they all use MSG as a flavor enhansor.

Original poster is looking for ethnic foods made from scratch as found in big cities...........with a large diverse ethnic population.

Peruvian food is actually "big" now.

p.s.
Salmon is one of the easiest things to prepare fresh......if it can be bought fresh, that is. GOOD LUCK.

[senior citizen]

Ditto and Amen. A lot of folks feel the same way.

P.S. I am a person who loves to cook, so I can pretty much have what I want to eat at any time but rarely do I run into food that is terribly disappointing here in TV. You don't have to be from New York to have fine dining experiences. But every meal doesn't have to be a home run to be enjoyable.

Toojays chicken livers and onions are the best I have ever had. The lighthouse has wonderful butterfish and catfish and their slaw with pineapple is always fresh and yummy. It is hard to beat Oakwood's barbecue, even if it is slightly off campus. ADD fun folks around the table and it is FINE dining.

The Light House Restaurant did have delicious fish and it remained consistantly good each time we ate there; we all agreed that it was just as yummy as what we've always had as "fresh off the boats" on the Maine seacoast. It was pleasant eating out on the outdoor deck and just as nice inside, very casual and good service.

[PaPaLarry]

The Light House Restaurant did have delicious fish and it remained consistantly good each time we ate there; we all agreed that it was just as yummy as what we've always had as "fresh off the boats" on the Maine seacoast. It was pleasant eating out on the outdoor deck and just as nice inside, very casual and good service.
I'll take the Maine seacoast anytime!!!!!!

[Mack184]

I wonder about real ethnic food as well. People like what they are accustomed to and their taste buds are used to. Most people who have not lived in major cities are used to the Americanized version of these ethnic foods.

I can speak to Mexican food having lived in Mexico for many many years. The food I have tasted here does not resemble any food I have had in Mexico. But, in general, the throughout the states Mexican food is TexMex or some concoction that isn't Mexican. For example, chili rellenos are not stuffed with American cheese. Red salsa does not contain any ketchup.
So I think that the majority of people here are truly happy with the food available because they are used to it. I do think also though there are some who would like more authentic cuisine. But are there enough in any particular cuisine to make it a viable restaurant investment? That's the question. Perhaps when Brownwood opens, a different kind of restaurant will be included in the mix.
But let's face it, man does not live by bread alone. That's why they have cheap wine at happy hour :)
"Ethnic" food does NOT have to be expensive. Nor does it only come from places such as NYC, Chicago or LA. I grew up in a small area where for many years the major employer was a shoe company. There was (and still are) virtually every type of cultural variety there. There were plenty of restaurants that served good old-world Italian. The place was started by the 1st generation and is now in the hand of the 3rd. Same for Russian, Slovak and so on. All it takes is somebody ready to start a place up. However, the rule of thumb is 75% of new restaurants will die in 1-4 years. But that has not stopped a lot of enterprising people from opening a corner eatery serving their family's food. It is possible that new start-up places cannot afford the lease prices and necessary "commission" back to TV for doing business here. For the chains the cost of rent & commission is not likely to be an inhibiting factor. But for Fredo & Vito starting up a corner restaurant, it's likely to be a killer.

[Villageshooter]

If your looking for fine ethic food I have found that Golden Corral can be very good.. they have all kinds of different types of food,,, give it a chance,,

[senior citizen]

I'll take the Maine seacoast anytime!!!!!!

Us as well. Eating on real waterfront piers, watching the lobster boats, etc.
We spent 25 to 30 years exploring every bit of the Maine seacoast, in and out of every single peninsula........so that's a lot of fresh caught fish.

Inland Maine is beautiful as well, with great diners and places to eat.
Even Moosehead Lake to the north had great fish.

However, when you can't be there, it was a nice surprise at the Light House Restaurant on Lake Sumter Landing.

[thekeithfan]

Let me be the first to say that I feel sorry for us. Here we live in a wonderful “village” with all the beauty of nature, companionship, and activities…yet we are in a gastronomic wasteland. Our “Italian” restaurants are “red sauce’ dispensers, pasta with a variety of red and white sauces slathered on. Where are Italian restaurants that serve contemporary Italian cuisine; Gnocci, hot pastas with cool fresh and light sauces, simple wonders such as cacao e pepe (fresh spaghetti with cheese and ground pepper?) Where are the authentic Oriental restaurants? Isn’t everyone tired of fried rice, General Tso’s chicken, sweet and sour pork. Why hasn’t some Asian restaurant provided us with a variety of dim sum (even if only on weekends} adding such dishes as scallion pancakes, pigs ears (really delicious,) and wonderful noodle soups? With a large number of Vietnamese veterans, why doesn’t any restaurant offer Vietnamese Pho with spring rolls and that wonderful Vietnamese iced coffee. No restaurants anywhere around offer any spicy and delicious Korean dishes.
Hopefully one of these days a restaurant investor will take a leap of faith and provide this community with something other than chain restaurant pap.

I agree completely and NO GOOD PIZZA either. We went to Connecticut this summer and on the way to my daughters from the airport we called two of our favorite Pizza jonts and ate pie for three straight meals!!! That's a little much but you KNOW what I mean. Pizza sucks here and the crap you get is expensive.

[texasfal]

I agree completely and NO GOOD PIZZA either. We went to Connecticut this summer and on the way to my daughters from the airport we called two of our favorite Pizza jonts and ate pie for three straight meals!!! That's a little much but you KNOW what I mean. Pizza sucks here and the crap you get is expensive.

Try NYPD Pizza. They opened last Thursday and we went Friday. Very good. Crust was very crispy, generous toppings, the sauce was sweet and spicy at the same time. We loved it.

[mikeandnancy1112]

Gracie, you are absolutely right!

[jblum315]

Where is it?

[graciegirl]

I agree completely and NO GOOD PIZZA either. We went to Connecticut this summer and on the way to my daughters from the airport we called two of our favorite Pizza jonts and ate pie for three straight meals!!! That's a little much but you KNOW what I mean. Pizza sucks here and the crap you get is expensive.

THE ONLY GOOD pizza is the kind you grew up with. That is different for everyone. It is LaRosa's for me and a few others from Cincinnati.

I get tired of New Yorkers and Chicagoans bragging about their danged pizza. It is like a New Jersey person saying they grow the best tomatoes. ;):evil6:

Everyone knows the best tomatoes are from Ohio.:icon_hungry:

[jojo]

Everyone knows the best tomatoes are from Ohio.:icon_hungry:

Amen Gracie.

[Shimpy]

THE ONLY GOOD pizza is the kind you grew up with.
I get tired of New Yorkers and Chicagoans bragging about their danged pizza. :

I can never understand why someone would move here voluntarily and complain all the time of how much better everything is up north. These same people when they go back north to visit rave about how much better things are down in Florida to their friends and relatives.
There are plus's and minus's no matter where you live, but don't try to convert where you live to a place you chose to move away from.

[graciegirl]

I can never understand why someone would move here voluntarily and complain all the time of how much better everything is up north. These same people when they go back north to visit rave about how much better things are down in Florida to their friends and relatives.
There are plus's and minus's no matter where you live, but don't try to convert where you live to a place you chose to move away from.

Well said Shimpy.


but it is true, everyone has their OWN idea of what is good to eat based on what they grew up with.

Bloom where you're planted is a good idea.

[wendyquat]

I can never understand why someone would move here voluntarily and complain all the time of how much better everything is up north. These same people when they go back north to visit rave about how much better things are down in Florida to their friends and relatives.
There are plus's and minus's no matter where you live, but don't try to convert where you live to a place you chose to move away from.


I'm with you Shimpy! Personally I'm thankful for Cracker Barrel. I get tired of most of the restaurants here but I can always go to Cracker Barrel to get my "cornbread fix"! I bring the extra muffins home and crumble it into a big ole glass of cold buttermilk for dinner! Our tastes are very individual!
:coolsmiley:

[rubicon]

Your simply not going to get the quality resturanat many of you have described. Many like my wife and I have belonged to goourmet clubs each taking a turn with developing a theme and then planning the meal. The host has the main dish and the remainder of the group fill in side dishes desserts etc.

The problem in The Villages is that many people no longer cook. My wife and I cook on a regular basis preferring our cooking to what is available in TV.

P.S. This focus on obesity is getting out of hand . I wish people would tend to their own deficits. It seems "so called obsese" people are becoming second class citizens. Leave them to their constitutional rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happines as they define it.