[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Michael 61

It’s because they, like most restaurants, source their food from Sysco. The food items arrive already processed, and pre-sliced or cut up. All these types of restaurants do back in their “kitchen” is open up the individual plastic bags of pre-made and cut up food items, and arrange them on a plate or heat up and add the Sysco-made sauce packet to the protein or pasta item. That is why so many restaurants taste like each other, cause they are sourcing their food items from the same place. It’s hard nowadays to find a truly mom-and-pop place that doesn’t buy their food from Sysco or a similar vendor.

No, it isn't because they buy from Sysco. I don't know if they do or not, and it doesn't matter. These food service companies sell whole leaf lettuce, not just shredded lettuce. They sell individual ingredients, not just pre-made portion-control frozen foods. They offer a variety of options to restaurants, and the restaurant decides which items it will buy, if any, and in which form/shape.

Taki's could buy bags of greens, unshredded, washed and ready to toss. They've chosen not to. They also prepare their sauce in-house. Do they used canned tomatoes? No doubt. Do they use ground chuck instead of grinding their own chuck-roast in house? You betcha. But the preparation is done there, it's not a ready-to-nuke operation. That doesn't mean it's good. There are plenty of restaurants that make everything from scratch - and don't last long, because their food is lousy.

Takis greek salad isn't greek salad. I don't know why they call it that, and I don't know why people keep ordering it from them.

As I said - their pastitsio is very tasty. A really good greek ground beef and tomato sauce with plenty of herbs and not too much pepper, with just the right amount of cheese. But they need to stop calling it lasagna. It isn't lasagna. It's pastitsio.

[MorTech]

Boosters Bar and Grill...When it opens.

[geome48]

Originally Posted by Pajazz28

DW and I are coming for a Lifestyle Visit at the end of August can you please share your favorite resturant in and around The Villages, thank you?

I like Prima Italian Steak House in Brownwood Square. Blufin (seafood) there is good too

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

No, it isn't because they buy from Sysco. I don't know if they do or not, and it doesn't matter. These food service companies sell whole leaf lettuce, not just shredded lettuce. They sell individual ingredients, not just pre-made portion-control frozen foods. They offer a variety of options to restaurants, and the restaurant decides which items it will buy, if any, and in which form/shape.

Taki's could buy bags of greens, unshredded, washed and ready to toss. They've chosen not to. They also prepare their sauce in-house. Do they used canned tomatoes? No doubt. Do they use ground chuck instead of grinding their own chuck-roast in house? You betcha. But the preparation is done there, it's not a ready-to-nuke operation. That doesn't mean it's good. There are plenty of restaurants that make everything from scratch - and don't last long, because their food is lousy.

Takis greek salad isn't greek salad. I don't know why they call it that, and I don't know why people keep ordering it from them.

As I said - their pastitsio is very tasty. A really good greek ground beef and tomato sauce with plenty of herbs and not too much pepper, with just the right amount of cheese. But they need to stop calling it lasagna. It isn't lasagna. It's pastitsio.

Wish they offered good gyros

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Wish they offered good gyros

OMG that'd be awesome. Old fashioned Greek food truck food would be great. I went to Amerikano's when we first moved in, I was excited to have a Greco-American restaurant. Got the falafel sandwich. I told them I wanted extra tahini. They brought me the sandwich and I was SO annoyed - it wasn't tahini at all. It was tzatziki. The waiters either didn't listen to my request, or didn't know there was a difference between the two things.

I didn't eat, ended up at World of Beer and got a burger. Never went back to Amerikano's.

What I'd love: a SYRIAN joint that has very similar street food to Greek food, oddly enough. Gyros, baba ganoush (I don't like eggplant but it's very popular), falafel in syrian pita (that puffy stuff they sell here in Central Florida is Greek pita - Syrian pita is flat and 2-layered, you slit a bit off the edge and stuff the inside with whatever you want, and wrap the bottom un-slit part in foil so it doesn't drip all over your shirt), or a feta salad with crisp chunks of lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced red onion, halved pitted calamata olives, imported MOIST feta smeared all along the bottom half of the bread, topped generously with home-made tahini dressing.

I make the salad here at home often enough but there's just something magickal about getting it stuffed in a slightly-charred syrian pita from a food truck.

[chrisinva]

Marco s for thin crust pizza. 2 locations 1) Publix plaza behind 466a, next to Lowes & 2) Magnolia Plaza on Warm Springs/468.

[Jim1mack]

Where are you staying for your life time visit?

[Jim1mack]

Where are you staying for your lifetime visit?

[merrymini]

Restaurants inside are disappointing. Bela Vita for good Italian and Costa del Mar for seafood is also very good. Piesanos supreme pizza is good but their other food is not so hot. Outside, my favorite is Turners in Leesburg. They have a unique and changing menu. Skip the hit dog place, yuck.

[BRN_RI_FL]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

I avoid carbs so only eat pizza a couple times a year for a cheat treat. But when I do, its Sammy Joe’s at the Mulberry Plaza.

They do a “thin to the edge” crust which has less carbs than their regular crusts.

[jbartle1]

Originally Posted by Michael 61

Exactly - that is why I hesitate to call most people working in the restaurant kitchen a “chef” - anyone can open up a plastic bag and dump the pre-made contents into a steam pan to heat up and then plate.

Met a fellow, profession, chef at Fruitland cafe, hahahaha

[Dusty_Star]

Some of the restaurants I have enjoyed recently:

Bella Vita in Spanish Springs
The Flying Biscuit in Lake Sumter Landing (breakfast or lunch) -fabulous biscuits
Some of the country clubs: Bonifay, Mallory Hill, Lopez, Cane Garden

[AMB444]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I didn't eat, ended up at World of Beer and got a burger. Never went back to Amerikano's.

It is annoying when you expect a restaurant to understand their own cuisine and they disappoint. I'm sure you've tried the many places in Tarpon Springs for good Greek?

[Stu from NYC]

Kung Fu has become consistently good with large portions so now will recommend them.

[Fenster]

For such a special day, you have to travel south. Not north to Ocala. Bern or Charlie’s in Tampa are fantastic. Also consider Disney Springs. We like Jaleo for Tapas.

I don’t know what kind of food you like, but The Villages is not a culinary destination!