Kim tagged me for this fun “where do you like to eat” restaurant meme that is going around. Goodness knows, we eat out enough and have tons of places we like to go!
A lot of the places we go are chains (Chili’s, Applebee’s, Red Lobster, Olive Garden), so I debated about whether to include those on this list. I could have easily listed 5 chain places and a host of foods we like to eat there. The Oriental Salad at Applebee’s is a favorite of mine, as well as the molten lava cakes for dessert at Chili’s. Then, there’s pizza, but we won’t go that route. Instead, we’ll go totally local.
1. Fratesi’s – a local Italian place that I love. It’s sort of small and a bit run down, but the food is so good. I’ve never had a single thing there that wasn’t totally delicious. You start out with their hot homemade bread and garlic butter, then move to their delicious salad (the house salad dressing is the best of any place we eat at), and then your entree. When we go to an Italian place, I always order tiramisu for dessert. Theirs is very good 🙂
2. Cazadores – another local place, this one Mexican. We have 5 or 6 Mexican restaurants within a 3 or 4 mile radius of our house and we have been going to Cazadore’s almost exclusively lately. The food is good and the service is great. A guy is usually at our table with chips and salsa about 5 seconds after we sit down. Our food is usually delivered to our table within 5-6 minutes of ordering. And it’s always hot and delicious. They also have really good guacamole. I love guacamole, but I’m really particular about it. I don’t like tomato, so I don’t like it with chunks of tomato in it. And I have this weird aversion to cilantro, so I don’t like cilantro in mine. Cazadore’s guacamole is perfect for me – very creamy, no tomatoes, no cilantro. Good stuff.
3. Golden Dragon – yet another local place. This is where we like to go for Chinese food. They have a buffet on Friday and Saturday nights, which we go to sometimes. Tim likes it because they have steaks on the buffet, plus boiled shrimp, so he can eat that and not have to eat as much Chinese food! I love their pineapple chicken and their shrimp and cabbage dish they have on the buffet. If we order, we sometimes splurge and get their Shrimp and Kew dinner – which is a slew of appetizers and samplings of food, followed by a tableside cooking of shrimp, strips of filet mignon and Chinese style vegetables at our table. Wonderful stuff. We don’t splurge on it that often, but if we order from the menu, I usually order the shrimp and cabbage. I could eat that stuff 7 days a week, I think.
4. Cock of the Walk – this is a chain, but we have a great one here and have for over 25 years. I can remember going here in college, because the food is so good and the atmosphere is great. It’s so laid back and casual, we can go in wearing a tshirt and shorts and be totally comfortable. They basically do one thing – fried catfish with all of the trimmings. We order fish for two, and very soon, a large platter with fried catfish, french fries, hushpuppies, coleslaw, pickled onions and cornbread come out to the table. The cornbread, of course, is flipped in its cast iron skillet, tableside, by your waiter. You can also order fried dill pickles, which are to die for, promise. So much food, but not good for us, since everything is fried. We don’t go often but we love it when we splurge and go!
5. Pigskin – Another local place, a family owned restaurant that specializes in BBQ and recently added a lunch buffet (country type cooking, blue plate, meat and veggie type of stuff). We’ve been for lunch, but we mostly go for the barbecue. They have great ribs! Good sides (coleslaw, baked beans, fries, potato salad) and really big chunks of texas toast with the ribs. They have the best caramel cake for dessert, but we rarely get that, as we fill up on ribs and sides.
Honorable Mention: I asked Tim about his 5 and he said he would include Lenny’s Subs (sandwich place). They have a great chicken phillysteak sandwich that we always get. If he is picking a sandwich place, then I would probably pick Newk’s instead. Newk’s is a little pricier than Lenny’s, but the food is really good. Newk’s also has some awesome salads. 🙂
I know the origins of this meme had you list your name, location, your 5 choices, then you were to tag 5 people from different areas of the country or the world. I’m not going to do that, but if you’d like to play along, that would be great! Leave me a comment and let me know so that I can come visit and see your favorite places to eat 🙂
Oh, you know I’ll have to do this one! What a great meme idea. 😛
All of your 5 sound absolutely wonderful. There’s nothing quite like going to a good restaurant and getting a tasty meal along with great service.
I have never heard of any of these–but they all sound delicious. Your town sounds like ours–more Mexican restaurants than you can shake a stick at!! I’ve been tagged for this one but haven’t done it yet. I will though.
I’ve heard of Fratesi’s and have been to Cock of the Walk but the other’s I’m unfamiliar with; well, besides Newk’s (LOVE but only been there once!) and Lenny’s. I like, locally, Old Venice and Kiefer’s. Oh, and if you like Mediterranean stuff, there is a little place called Aladdin’s at the west end of Lakeland that’s really good…I’m in walking distance to that place. My dad would add Fernando’s Mexican Restaurant…they have great salsa…and probably Cindy’s fish house in Brandon.
I went to Cock of the Walk recently for my brother in law’s birthday. It was very good! (Loved the bread they brought out in the skillet…floating in butter. YUMMY!!)
We’ve been to Fratesi’s with you, YUM! And Cazadores, and years ago we ate at Cock of the Walk. Then I went to Newk’s with you last week I think it was!
Haven’t done the other 2……….now if you had done the chains, like Chili’s etc, we’ve probably been to a lot of those! Since the boys LOVE that molten cake you know!
I am a new fan of Cazadore’s! It was so good. Clean, nice atmosphere. Thanks for the tip. Glad you and Tim didn’t disappoint us! 🙂
I like this. I can’t think of many places I go that aren’t chains. We don’t often venture to random local places.
I LOVE y’all’s Cock of the Walk! That’s my favorite, but I don’t get to go ’cause I’m always with a crowd that would rather do pizza at CiCi’s. Yuck! But one day….
I actually did this one today too. Those all sound yummy and it makes me want to go out to eat.
I posted my answers!
Becca
REstaurants are a sore spot for us – he like McD’s, Wendy’s etc. Anywhere you don’t have to leave a tip basically! Me, I like just about anything, any place where you do leave a tip. I prefer non-chain, innovative places, ethnic spots, etc. One thing we both agree on is bar food – good sandwiches at a pub style place always works. I’m not picky and can always find something I like whereas he is very picky. Sometimes it’s just easier to stay home and cook!
But hey, I’m definitely coming to visit you now!! Where are we going first? LOL!
Mmmmm….they all sound good….especially the Mexican! We love Mexican!
Hi Stacy. Thanks for visiting me earlier. I appreciate it. I have a lot of catching up to do after watching Prison Break. I just have to add … I love that guy Linc! 🙂
I’ve been tagged too by my friend Jeanette but haven’t done it yet. I’ll do it tonight.
Those local places you mentioned sound really interesting.
I love going to Chili’s too. I love their chicken mushroom chicken.
Those places all sound so great. It’s so odd here to have so many chains, but barely any local restaurants. We always like to try out the local places whenever we travel. I am loving this last Miss Julia book; I’m still not to Target yet, but I’m hoping to get some reading done while I have the car serviced tomorrow.
I have tagged you too:-). Come see what I’ve gotten you into*giggles*.
Do you have any idea how famished I feel now?!!
I tried to stick with local places or local chains, but it turns out one of my choices stretches beyond the desert Southwest! Oh well, I tried.
I think it’s funny how most people’s list includes at least one Mexican restaurant and one Italian place. And there’s usually a Chinese place on there too. I’m thinking we’re all eating the same food!
This is sad….the only one I’ve been to around here is Newks and I live in the same area….that’s a shame!!! Where is The Golden Dragon? Patt loves Chinese and I’m not so crazy about it but it sounds like it has enough I could find something to eat there…..
LOVE the fried dill pickles at cock of the walk!
What a great meme, all of those sound wonderful. I L.O.V.E. mexican too! However, I must say I am in withdrawal from Lenny’s. We had those in TN, but they are not in OK. Luckily, there is one on the way to my parents house, so we always stop in so I can get a Philly Cheesesteak when we visit.
I LOVE CAZADORES!!!!!!!! We ate there again this past weekend. WE LOVE IT!!!! Especially since I live so close now. By the way I am moved in now and right around the corner.
There’s a Golden Dragon in my hometown. We used to really like it until a newer place opened up called Hunan. I think I’ve been to a Cock of the Walk in a different state.
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