[LuvNH]

Originally Posted by cphubbell@aol.com

Welcome in advance. We are here three years from Westborough. We have not found the ethnic foods to be the same here as has been said.
We have found that the Chop House is exactly the same as the one in Worcester , that Jersey Mikes subs are very good, that Bravo Pizza is the closest with Flippers a close second, that Dans Clam Stand in the town of Crystal River is worth the short drive. We have not found Chinese yet, in MA the staff was bused in from Boston to our local places but even with several in town we would enjoy one and not the other. We like Greek food in Ocala at Lakis but going to Tarpon Springs for the pastry is outstanding. The Crepevine in Altamonte Springs is storefront but a different menu spot.
Go outside of the Villages and be a tourist and enjoy. The Villages has a Baystaters Club you should look into .

Tarpon Springs is under estimated. If you like authentic Greek food you will love Tarpon Springs. Their shrimp, Greek Salads, Lamb is excellent, but go before the winter people arrive.

[Dotneko]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I like Piesano's thin crust pizza because it doesn't have too much cheese. Also, their recipe is very consistent. Many of the places I go for pizza puts way too much cheese on their pizza, and sometimes, you can barely find any sauce at all. Also, they apparently do not have a recipe, so the pizza you get depends on the person who makes it. Some people who make the pizza think that everyone likes extra cheese on their pizza. In my opinion, a pizza should be made the same way every time, and it should have a good mix of both sauce and cheese. Where would you suggest for a decent, consistent pizza?

havent found it yet. Brooklyn Pizza in Leesburg, Bravos in Lake Sumter, Robertos thin crust in Pinellas are sometimes good lol. Hit or miss imo.

[Pgcacace]

Ichiban is a good Chinese and Japanese buffet in Leesburg. Go there hungry!

[bsloan1960]

I agree that we were spoiled in Mass. with great Chinese food. Kung Fu Chef on 466 is good enough that we will return. It was recently cited for violations by the food inspector (so was one of the country clubs). I'll wait a while for them to get their act together and visit them again. BTW: This area seems to have a food inspector who really stays on top of things- there are restaurants cited nearly every week.

[Dotneko]

Originally Posted by LuvNH

Tarpon Springs is under estimated. If you like authentic Greek food you will love Tarpon Springs. Their shrimp, Greek Salads, Lamb is excellent, but go before the winter people arrive.

Yes to Tarpon Springs (though with the flooding, perhaps wait a bit).
Hellas lamb, riblets, pastitsio are all good. Greek country salad - no lettuce. Some of the pastry - koulourakia, kourambiethes, baklava are good. The cream stuff isnt imo. The bread we got last time had odd hard bits in it. Threw it out. Sadly it was slated for french toast, too.
Takis is a poor relation. My stuff is much better lol.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Pgcacace

Ichiban is a good Chinese and Japanese buffet in Leesburg. Go there hungry!

Ichiban for down here is good but not like what we had back in the old country

[rrdsg]

My exact same experience with shrimp with lobster sauce. ONLY place I ever has it done well was Boston Chinatown. After many raves on this site for the newish Chinese restaurant Kung Fu Chef, we tried it and actually liked the food. Didn't even have lobster sauce on the menu. HOWEVER, we surely won't go back after reading this: https://www.**************.com/2023/...-the-villages/ It's enough to give you pause about a lot of Chinese restaurants.

[frayedends]

Originally Posted by rrdsg

My exact same experience with shrimp with lobster sauce. ONLY place I ever has it done well was Boston Chinatown. After many raves on this site for the newish Chinese restaurant Kung Fu Chef, we tried it and actually liked the food. Didn't even have lobster sauce on the menu. HOWEVER, we surely won't go back after reading this: https://www.**************.com/2023/...-the-villages/ It's enough to give you pause about a lot of Chinese restaurants.

The link has a bunch of **** in it and doesn't work for me. Is this just on my end or some forum thing?

Also if anyone has a tip on posting pics I'd be thankful. I tried from my imgur account but it's blank when I post.

[Michael 61]

Originally Posted by bsloan1960

I agree that we were spoiled in Mass. with great Chinese food. Kung Fu Chef on 466 is good enough that we will return. It was recently cited for violations by the food inspector (so was one of the country clubs). I'll wait a while for them to get their act together and visit them again. BTW: This area seems to have a food inspector who really stays on top of things- there are restaurants cited nearly every week.

After singing Kung Fu’s praises, I’m second guessing them now, based on their write-up by the health dept.

[BostonRich]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Some places here have good Italian bread, buy some and make your own hero.

Oh Scali!!! Please.

Believe it or not, Walmart had the closest thing to Scali bread we could find down here. They labeled it Italian Sesame Loaf or something like that. Of course they discontinued it.

[jmpalladino]

Originally Posted by jrogers4649

Figure this is a good place to find all sorts of info. Be moving there soon.

Anyhow, as anyone from Boston/North Shore can attest, we are snobs on pizza, roast beef sandwiches and even Chinese food. Heck when I moved closer to Worcester I couldn't even find good Chinese nor roast beef.

So what I'm looking for is roast beef like Kelly's. Warm beef slices on a sesame or onion roll, American cheese, and bbq sauce.

Pizza, needs to be Italian style, not Greek. God I'd kill for a Santarpios pizza. But heck even Papa Ginos is acceptable.

Chinese, well if you are from the North Shore, you know Kowloon style. That's what I'd be looking for.

Please no haters. If you want to tell me to stay in Massachusetts, just move along. This is for fun and to hear what there is for fast casual stuff around the Villages.

So you might as well not move here since you indicated you were snobs with regards to Pizza, Roast Beef, and Chinese food since you will find nothing that pales to Boston.

[frayedends]

Originally Posted by jmpalladino

So you might as well not move here since you indicated you were snobs with regards to Pizza, Roast Beef, and Chinese food since you will find nothing that pales to Boston.

Good grief. Really? Or did I miss your sarcasm emoji?

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by jrogers4649

Figure this is a good place to find all sorts of info. Be moving there soon.

Anyhow, as anyone from Boston/North Shore can attest, we are snobs on pizza, roast beef sandwiches and even Chinese food. Heck when I moved closer to Worcester I couldn't even find good Chinese nor roast beef.

So what I'm looking for is roast beef like Kelly's. Warm beef slices on a sesame or onion roll, American cheese, and bbq sauce.

Pizza, needs to be Italian style, not Greek. God I'd kill for a Santarpios pizza. But heck even Papa Ginos is acceptable.

Chinese, well if you are from the North Shore, you know Kowloon style. That's what I'd be looking for.

Please no haters. If you want to tell me to stay in Massachusetts, just move along. This is for fun and to hear what there is for fast casual stuff around the Villages.

Never heard of "Kowloon style" Chinese food. I wonder what it is like. Would it fit into any of these categories? The Eight Culinary Cuisine Traditions of China.

[frayedends]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

Never heard of "Kowloon style" Chinese food. I wonder what it is like. Would it fit into any of these categories? The Eight Culinary Cuisine Traditions of China.

It's just a very popular restaurant in the North Shore area of Massachusetts. Not really a style. But most folks from the area know it.

[frayedends]

Originally Posted by cphubbell@aol.com

Welcome in advance. We are here three years from Westborough. .

For Chinese, Cheng Du on Route 9 in Westborough is the style I like. They were pretty good, although hit or miss on if it was very fresh.