Wednesday, April 25, 2012

First Choice BBQ – Brandon, Florida

 
First Choice BBQ – Brandon, Florida. 10113  Adamo Drive (SR 60) Tampa, FL 33619   Phone: (813) 621-7434 Fax: (813) 621-7378



First Choice is a must try if you are in Brandon, FL (or anywhere in the Tampa area and have a craving for real southern BBQ and all of the traditional sides).  This is not a fancy restaurant with a romantic ambiance – it is a simple little joint in a strip mall that will keep you coming back over and over again. There is one focus for the employees and the customers – the food, nothing more nothing less. In fact, it may be a bit intimidating to yell your order over the glass to the man that will chop and/or pull your pork, beef, or turkey while you watch. Don’t worry though, after you take that first bite you will know that the only thing that really matters is the explosion of flavor in your mouth.

My Favorite – Pulled Pork Sandwich, Greens, and Spicy Macaroni. The fries are fresh cut and all of the other sides will blow you away as well.

We don’t get to the Tampa area much anymore but when we are, this is our favorite spot for lunch. There is also a location in Plant City, Florida that we have not been to; however, it will likely blow you away as well. First Choice Southern BBQ on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Bradenton, FL – GIO Fabulous Pizza & Martini Bar

GIO Fabulous Pizza & Martini Bar - Bradenton, FL

 

Date of trip:  April, 2012

Overall Notes:  If you are visiting the Tampa, Florida area, type 4805 Cortez Road West in your GPS and head over to GIO’s.  On a scale of 1 to 5, the food is truly a 5+.  Each time we have been there, the food has been unbelievable.  One problem, the service.  It’s always slow.  Not terrible, not bad, just slow.  Perhaps relaxed would be a better word.  If you go with the thought of hanging out and savoring the night out, this is totally your kind of place.  If you are in a hurry, but want great food – save Gio’s for another night.
Our favorites: 
Spaghetti Frutti di mare - Perfectly spiced with the right amount seafood and the noodles are served perfectly cooked.  

Lobster Ravioli – some might think this is a small portion; however, the flavor cannot be beat.  The lobster ravioli is served in a vodka sauce and is absolutely amazing.

The pizza – Naples style pizza.  Super thin crust and amazing cheeses and just the right amount of sauce.
Other info: 
Enjoy the free bread and olive oil, but don’t forget to try some of their appetizers.  The mussels and calamari are both favorites of ours.  You can also order a small prosciutto pizza if you have a group. Perfect!

Come in shorts and a t-shirt or dressed for prom.  All are welcome.

Visiting Tampa, Clearwater, Brandon, Bradenton, St. Pete – head over to Cio’s!. 

GIO’s website: www.giobrothers.com  

Gio Fabulous Pizza & Martini on Urbanspoon

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Charlotte, NC - Must eats!

Chima Brazilian Steakhouse - Bar Lounge on Urbanspoon
Charlotte, NC – Two great Restaurants!
Date of trip April, 2012. 

Overall Notes:   WOW!  This is our first trip to Charlotte, NC and we had absolutely no idea how incredible this city was – we fell in love with it in 24 hours.  The city is clean.  Even in the older parts of town, it is clean.  We loved it.  There is so much to do here.  On this one day alone, we could have gone to a play, a movie, a car show in the center of the Charlotte Speedway, a music feasible downtown and so much more.  They have an amazing downtown area.  Family friendly and yet, cool, hip, safe and inviting. 

Restaurants: 


Chima Brazilian Steakhouse – 139 S. Tryon Street


The Chima is a MUST stop if you are in Charlotte!  The atmosphere is perfect for a romantic dinner, or fun for a group.  The wait staff is insane.  They are all rushing around – but not enough to annoy you – just the perfect amount to ensure that you are taken care of 100%.  You don’t have to ever ask for drink refills.  They bring you clean plates from time to time.  They fold your napkin each time you get up to get something from the salad bar.   Speaking of the salad bar, it is a large array of soups, salad, and unique items not often found on a normal salad bar, such as Mozzarella Balls, Hearts of Palm and so much more.  This is standard for a Brazilian Steakhouse, but the staff that takes care of the salad bar are constantly bringing out fresh additions and ensuring the bar is clean and perfect.  As will all Brazilian steakhouses, the meat just keeps coming until you flip over your ‘token’ and tell them to stop, the difference at Chima is one sever realized we really liked the lamb chops, and made it a point to watch to see if we had eaten ours, and swing by to ask if we wanted more.  He was amazing.  We had a great time; we had great food, and an outstanding staff.  Don’t miss Chima when you are in Charlotte, NC. 



 Fujo – 301 S. College Street

A better than average sushi bar.  The sushi and sashimi was fresh.  The service was excellent.  Our drinks never even got close to empty.  The restaurant was a little slow; however, it was almost 8:30pm when we went into eat.  It is located in a building with Wells Fargo, and several other businesses and with food that taste that great, we are sure that they are most likely busy for lunch.  The staff was friendly, and very laid back and yet very attentive.  If you are in Charlotte and in the mood for some great sushi, stop by Fujo!





Fujo Uptown Bistro on Urbanspoon

Friday, April 20, 2012

Sandals - Montego Bay Jamaica - writen by Roam

Sandals - Montego Bay Jamaica April 8th – April 15th 2012 “Reunion Week”
Overall rating                    

·         Sandals - Montego Bay has the makings of an above average resort. However, the lack of maintenance and the over worked staff seem to be hindering its ability to be even an average Caribbean resort. Perhaps the most disturbing thing about our visit was the staffs laid back attitude about everything. Look when my wife and I go to a Caribbean all-inclusive resort we expect things to be laid back and to be pampered a bit – we do not expect the staff to take their time fixing issues or blow off our concerns with a “no problem Man” they should be on point at all times – eager and willing to make things right. 

Think about it we paid over $700.00 a day to stay at this resort, the food was subpar, the entertainment was a joke, and better accommodations can be found at the local Best Western Hotel.

 This was certainly not the place my wife and I thought we were vacationing to and I assure you that we will not return. Keep in mind though this is my opinion; there were people there that were on their 33rd trip to this resort. It just goes to show you that one person’s trash is another’s treasure.

              
Accommodations            

·         We stayed in the Bay Roc Villa (#1872) Honeymoon Beachfront Extraordinaire $5k+ for 7 nights. Certainly nothing special about the room other than its location. It was almost at the very end of the property so the foot traffic around the unit was not bad. The room itself clearly showed the age of the resort and the poor craftsmanship of the maintenance department – The paint on the walls was cracked, the toilet was set in place at an angle, the exterior of the building needed a complete face lift, and the list goes on.  However, the biggest issue we had was the lack of hot water and the water pressure.

 The hot water heater broke twice during our stay and impacted our plans on both occasions (over 5 hours in total).The water pressure was nonexistent and was completely unacceptable.


 
Housekeeping                  

·         The house keeping staff performed more a quick walk through of out room than a daily cleaning service. Our sheets were not changed daily we did not receive fresh soap, shampoo, or conditioner. There as and probably still is an inch of sand under the living room rug. Additionally, the housekeeping staff (as well as the rest of the staff) was extremely loud; it was as if they were standing on your bed yelling when they were cleaning the neighbor’s room.


 
Food                                     

·         There were 6 restaurants of which 2 we did not bring appropriate clothing to dine at and 1 that we chose not to dine at.  

o   Bayside -             

§  Breakfast

·         Buffet with eggs to order – the food on the Buffett line was hideous and would not be permitted at even the worst “Golden corral”

§  Lunch

·         Same as the Breakfast Buffet

§  Dinner

·         A la Carte – the food was better than the Buffet; however, the service was horrendous. We ate dinner here on our first night and we had already received and eaten our appetizers before I gave up and went to the main bar to get my wife a diet coke. When I told the Manager what had happened he did not apologize he just turned and yelled for someone to get her a diet coke.

§  Best service – Robert at breakfast service – he was awesome always smiling and ready to get you whatever you needed

§  Worst service – The pregnant  Hostess – as rude as they come at this resort

§  Breakfast lunch and dinner

o   The Cricketer’s Pint

§  Lunch and Dinner            

·         This was the place we frequented the most. The pub itself is rather Dark and gloomy; however, the food is served piping hot and is made fresh. The menu for Lunch and Dinner is the same and we had the best experience with the Shepard’s pie.

·         The Pub claims to serve Guinness beer – it is not the Guinness that you are used to it’s a Jamaican version that tastes like a decent stout beer but certainly not the smooth creaminess of a true pint of Guinness.

o   Dino’s Pizzeria

§  Lunch                                   

·         Actually decent pizza – though the topping selections are limited the crust and sauce was quite good.

·         Right on the beach with outside seating only and shares a building with the Mariner’s Grill.

o   Mariner’s Grill                                  

§  Lunch

·         Burgers, Hot Dogs, Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork, and snacks. Not the best snack food but certainly not the worst. Think of a high school baseball concession stand.

o   Oleander                                             Did not Rate

§  Dinner

·         We did not rate this restaurant because the Dress Code was “Resort Elegant”! How ridiculous is it to go to an island see the same people at the beach all day in bikini’s and swimming trunks that you are going to eat dinner next to while dressing elegant.   Seems silly to me.

o   Cucina Romana

§  Dinner                                  Did Not Rate

·         Same issue with this restaurant as the Oleander; however, I believe the requirement was “Resort Formal”, which to me is a pair of flip flops, shorts and a T-shirt.

o   Tokyo Joes

§  Dinner                                  Did Not Rate

·         This was a little better but required closed toed shoes!! Come on this an island, I didn’t bring closed toed shoes.

o   Stewfish

§  Dinner                                  Did Not Rate

·         The dress code at the stew fish was more appropriate for an island paradise; however, the menu did not look very appealing so we decided to pass on it as well.



·         Attention to details                        

o   Look, as a resort charging an obscene amount of money for luxury the minimum requirement should be an acute attention to detail by the staff. This is certainly not the case. Nothing started when it was supposed to start. Information provided to the guests consistently changed without notice. Again, the “No Problem Man” motto should work for the guests not the staff.



·         Staff                                                     

o   The staff seemed to be overworked and possessed poor acting skills. The majority of them tried to put on a smile but the truth is they were tired and you could see it every time they passed a guest. I truly believe that the staff members are very thankful to be employed but the hours they work are ridiculous and it shows.



·         Butler service                                   

o   Ok this is not what a person thinks of when they read “This suite features the intuitive services of your very own personal butler who will pamper in extraordinary ways throughout your stay”. We had 2 butlers and it was like pulling teeth to get anything, let alone pampering us in extraordinary ways. Our 2 butlers split shifts and covered for each other – for us and the other 9 couples that they were “personal Butlers” for.


The truth is we did not want Butler service as we thought that they were actually going to be Butlers; however, we were told by the staff that this as a feature that we just had to experience so we said what the heck. It was a complete joke. The only thing we were able to do was get them to bring a cooler of beer and water (4 each) to the volleyball court 2 times a day. Everything else was a waste of time. Although there was one evening that we got to see/ listen to one of our Butlers and another staff member drinking beer and telling stories with the people in the unit above us while we were trying to sleep. I have a feeling the Folks at the “Guild of Professional English Butlers” would be going crazy if they knew they associated their prestigious reputation with this joke of a service.
               

·         Beach                                                   

o   The beach was rather small and the swimming area even smaller. The water was free of seaweed and other vegetation in the majority of the swimming area, which is quite nice. However, the “personal” beach areas were terrible with vegetation growing about 10 feet into the water. IT was odd as they apparently built docks at the private beach area a long time ago and have just let them fall apart.
 

·         Bars                                                      

o   There are 3 bars on the site and there is certainly nothing special about any of them.

§  The Beach Bar was the clear winner as it seemed the staff was upbeat and happy. Shilton was an awesome bartender and really seemed dedicated to ensuring each guest had a great time.

§  The Piano Bar was dead during the day; however, stayed open until late at night so if there is a late night partier in you this maybe the spot for you.

§  The Main Bar – was stuffy and dead unless there was an activity in the Sky Dome and then it was crowded and very very slow.


·         Entertainment                                 

o   Next to the so-called “Butler Service” this was the most disappointing part of the Resort. At best you could say that the entertainment was second rate. The acts the resort brought in were not to the caliber of what can be found by a street performer in any city in in the US.

The in-house entertainment was very overworked and the acts showed it. They performed nightly and it was about as cheesy as it could get. The female entertainers thought they were “all that and a bag of chips” and the Male entertainers thought that they were the Jamaican versions of Rico Suave. Of course neither is true and in fact it was quite sad.



·         Accessibility                                       

o   Ok, the best thing about this airport is the quick bus/car trip to the resort. It takes less than 15 minutes to get from the airport to the resort which is quite convenient.



·         Location                                              

o   With the quick ride from the airport to the resort comes a price. At least 20 times a day (probably closer to 40 or 50) commercial airplanes fly directly over the resort at about 500 feet above the facility. The noise is quite loud and extremely annoying. The flights start early (very early if you are on vacation) and end quite late. Take a look at the video clip below. This is unedited - raw footage.  This happens all day every day.



·         Accuracy of Marketing                  

o   The Marketing folks do a great job of tricking you into believing that this place is a secluded paradise, with all of the amenities a person could ask for. To them I tip my hat; however, for those of us who were fooled by the photo-shopped pictures in the glossy brochures and websites all I can say is don’t give up the perfect Oasis is out there!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica - writen by Write




Sandals – Montego Bay,  Jamaica    Date of trip April, 2012. 

Overall Notes:
The sandals is old and is showing signs of age.  The ground crew and maintenance crews seem busy trying to keep everything looking good.  Just don’t look too closely.  We found maids sitting on the seawalls and a maintenance guy sleeping in an electrical room of our villa (we were looking for the breaker box to try to get hot water…more below).  

If you purchase a room with a butler, despite the fact that the website says “dedicated butler”, our butler had 10 other guest rooms that they serviced as well.  However, you do receive a phone to call them and ask your request.  As long as you don’t mind waiting a while for service, you will be happy with the butler. 

Be prepared for LOUD – the resort is in the takeoff path of the airport.  The sound is unreal, and is from early in the morning until late in the evening.  The staff is loud and yell to each other across the resort.  They play music starting at 10am and the entertainment staff can be heard loudly on the speakers attempting to get the vacationers to join in on misc. games played throughout the day.

Pool Area:
The main pool is small, and is used for multiple activities, including diving lessons, and pool volleyball.  The chairs and love seats around the pool have cushions with what looked to be sheets on them.  I wasn’t excited about lying down in someone else’s sweaty sheets. 

Bars:
Open bar and the bartenders will make just about anything you ask.  The mood of the bartenders swings greatly.  Some look like they would like to be anywhere but there, serving drinks; however, we met one that we consistently amazing.  When at the beach bar ask for Shilton, he always has a smile!  Note: the beach bar does close for a few hours at 4pm each day.

Restaurants:
All restaurants are closing for dinner on Monday.  Monday is the beach party.  Food is buffet style.  Tokyo Joe's and The Oleandor restaurant require reservations and have a dress code.  Be sure to take long pants and a shirt with a collar for the guys.  Women need long pants and closed toed shoes.  When we vacation in a tropical location, the last thing we are going to do is pack or dress like that, so I can’t say how the food was at those restaurants. 

The best food we found was the pizza at the beach and just about anything you ordered at the Cricketer’s Pint.  Bring a jacket for the Cricketer’s it can be really chilly in there; however, there is a great atmosphere, and sports are always on the TV.

Beach Area:
The water is incredible blue and the sand is silky and white.  The beach area is very small.  There are white plastic beach loungers with blue material spread out wall to wall along the beach.  Watch out for the broken ones.  Also watch for the ones that have just had the material replaced, they were done so tightly, that the lounger will not go down all the way.

Rooms:
Do not go thinking you are going to have a 5 star room.  No matter how much you pay, be prepared for a room that in its time was most likely wonderful.  In our room, which was called Honeymoon Beachfront Extraordinaire, we did not have hot water to take showers two days in a row.  Maintenance did fix the problems after a few hours of waiting each day.   We called at 6:30 one night and we were told at 8:30 we could use the shower in 10 minutes.  So much for dinner reservations!

Diving:
If you take any kinds of medicine or have had any surgeries and you plan to dive.  You must bring with you a note from your Doctor stating that you are clear to dive.  Even if you are PADI certified, and have a record of diving, you must have a note to present or they will not allow you to dive.  This is not mentioned anywhere on the website and can be difficult to obtain, once you are at the resort.  Their fax machine was broke the week we were there.  You can always email; however, you will have to follow up each day.  We recommend double checking the email address, as our butler misspelled the email address.

Entertainment:
If you go to the shows, just go for the fun of it.  These are not Las Vegas acts.  All of the acts we saw that did things with fire, dropped things multiple times while performing.  The entertainment group is par to sub par at best; however, I will tell you it doesn’t help that they work 16 to 21 hours a day, six days a week.  They are all exhausted.  They put on big smiles, and try to keep everything like and entertaining, but you can tell it takes all of their effort just to make it through. 

Activities are planned each day.  Volleyball at 10:30, contests,  Jenga tournaments, etc.  A full day of activities, each day.  Sandals points are given for each activity that you participate in.  It’s all pretty gimmicky.   Bottles of rum were also given out as prizes – just remember you have to drink it while you are there, as you will not be able to bring it through security at the airport.

Shopping:
There is one store located on the property.  We received a note on our door stating that the next morning from 8am to 10am they were having a 70% off sale.  We were excited!  OK, jokes on us – we bought three hats, two t-shirts, some jewelry, sunscreen and lip balm all full price.  When we asked about the 70% off, one sales associate looked at us kind of funny.  Another sales person said there were a few things on a clearance table.  The next day when we received the 50% off note on our door – we at least had a good laugh! 

What the other guest said:
Many of the other guest were return visitors – it was Sandals reunion week when we were there, and the people who returned said they received deeper discounts and extended stays.  Two couple had been there 30+ times.  So you can fall in love with this place.  For others, it was a bit of a yawn and a  real disappointment.   So they enjoyed the open bar until they couldn’t walk any more – then called it a night.    

There are other Sandals on the island; however, each couple I spoke to said they took the bus intending on spending the day, and came back within an hour or so.  One couple said it was sad to say but the Sandals we were at looked really nice after visiting the others.