Talk of The Villages Florida
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Talk of The Villages Florida (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/)
-   Restaurant Discussions (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/restaurant-discussions-90/)
-   -   Starving To Death (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/restaurant-discussions-90/starving-death-60980/)

BarryRX 10-07-2012 06:53 AM
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 10-07-2012 07:03 AM
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 10-07-2012 07:39 AM
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 10-07-2012 08:09 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard1366 (Post 559047)
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 10-07-2012 08:20 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by shcisamax (Post 559140)
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 10-07-2012 08:27 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 559277)
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 10-07-2012 06:39 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by senior citizen (Post 564516)
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 10-07-2012 07:03 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by shcisamax (Post 559155)
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 10-07-2012 08:31 PM
THE BEST there is!!
 
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 10-08-2012 03:19 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by PaPaLarry (Post 564713)
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 10-08-2012 10:55 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard1366 (Post 559047)
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 10-08-2012 12:13 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by thekeithfan (Post 564926)
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 10-08-2012 12:16 PM
Gracie, you are absolutely right!

jblum315 10-08-2012 12:46 PM
Where is it?

graciegirl 10-08-2012 12:51 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by thekeithfan (Post 564926)
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:


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