TV and Burgers

Subway I know what you are asking yourselves; why in the world is Sir Griffin writing about Subway?  I mean seriously, Subway?  I mean it seems like you are never far from a Subway.  There are two Subways near my place of work.  There are three Subways within an equal distance from my house, just in different directions.  And Subway has always bothered me by hoarding napkins and putting as few onions as possible on my sandwich, but yet I go back.  I beg for more onions.  I plead for more napkins.  Why the hell can’t they have a napkin dispenser up by the sodas?  I can drink as much soda or tea as I can, yet I can only have two lousy napkins.  So why am I writing about Subway?  I will tell you. I have been seeing the ads on TV for the Big Pastrami Melt Sub and I knew that I had to try it.  After all, pastrami is the most sensual of all the salted, cured meats and besides that it is delicious.  After several...

If I were asked to use one word to describe Fat Buddies Ribs and BBQ I would have no idea which one to choose.  I could go with outstanding, excellent, amazing, delicious or incredible and each would be a perfect description.  Before I begin the inevitable drooling allow me to tell you a little about the place.  On a recent trip to Franklin, NC we were blessed with a gift of a $40.00 gift card to use at Fat Buddies.  I knew this would not be a wasted gift.  We went on a Tuesday evening for dinner and while I was told that it could get rather busy there at times, we were fortunate enough to go on a less frequented night.  We were greeted at the door by two things that I love…the aroma of BBQ and a hot girl.  I am getting a little ahead of myself here, but based on the lovely ladies that I saw working there I could easily see that Fat Buddy and I had similar taste in women.  As we were seated I perused the menu.  Prince Garri...

On a recent visit to Franklin, NC we had the pleasure of dining at several wonderful restaurants.  On one particular overcast day the Little Prince was in the mood for some trout fishing, but before we went we knew that some nutrition was vital.  So we found what was a small mom & pop restaurant known for its southern cooking and pies called the Sunset Restaurant.  Sunset is a fairly small place and when we arrived we were afraid we’d have to wait as there were very few parking spaces available.  However, when we walked in we were seated immediately.  The first thing we noticed was the aromas that filled the dining room.  The kitchen could be seen from where we were seated and the delicious aromas were wafting right to our table.  The restaurant was decorated in a very quaint and southern style and had a very homey feel.  The menu was quite varied and had several favorites that you would expect from a place that served home c...

On Saturday I had occasion to meet some old friends passing through the area.  For the sake of argument we will call them Sir Ben, Lady Rachel & Princess Jess, aka the Cannoli family.  They had asked if I could meet them somewhere not too terribly far off of I-75 that would meet the following criteria: • Easy access off and back on I-75 • Not too difficult for me to get to • Good food • Allows dogs So with that in mind I checked out some dog friendly places in the Brandon area.  There were several places to their liking, but ultimately they chose the Green Iguana.  I had never been there before, but I found the food and atmosphere to be quite to my liking.  Plus, they allowed dogs on the patio.  As far as I am concerned dogs should be allowed at any restaurant that has outdoor seating.  They allow smoking out there and that is way more stinky and disgusting than any dog I have ever met.  We were supposed to meet at 1:00 ...

I love pizza.  That is no secret.  I could eat pizza every day and never get sick of it.  Although I have a preference for Chicago style stuffed pizza, I actually like all kinds of pies.  Then crust, thick crust, lots of toppings, single toppings, whatever.  I love it all.  Locally, I have three pizza palaces I prefer: • Queen’s Pizza • Post Corner Pizza • Country Pizza Inn And although it’s a little farther away, I do love the Chicago style stuffed crust pizza at Giordano’s.  However, even though I have four favorites that I frequent I am always on the lookout for new and delicious places to enjoy pizza.  So when a new pizza place opens I am often one of the first in line.  So when Grimaldi’s Pizzeria opened recently in Clearwater I knew I had to give it a try.  Their menu is very simple: pizza, calzones and salads.  Naturally they have a selection of desserts as well, but that should never be one’s priority ...

A couple of weeks ago we were in Safety Harbor when the little prince spotted a restaurant called the Whistle Stop.  He said that it looked cool and wanted to try it sometime.  I said sure, why not.  Well, this past weekend I asked him what he felt like for lunch and he said it was time to try the Whistle Stop.  No problem I replied and off we went.  The Whistle Stop Grill andBar is conveniently located on Main Street in Safety Harbor .  It has plenty of seating on the dining deck and in the bar area and I was very thankful for the pleasant weather on Saturday afternoon.  While not the ideal place for a hot & rainy day in August, the food was so good that even that would not keep me away from a return visit.  It has a decidedly huge lack of adequate parking, but that was the only drawback as far as I could tell.  We were greeted instantly by a lovely young lady named Rachel.  She was very pleasant and quickly had our d...

Tin Lizzy’s Cantina has three locations in the great city of Atlanta and we made a visit to the Buckhead location.  While it was not difficult to find it was a little tough to park.  We visited on a Wednesday evening and it was busy.  We pulled into their small lot and were immediately directed by a parking attendant to park far back on the right.  As I parked I could see several signs in the area, some of which advertised that it was okay to park there for Tin Lizzy’s and others saying don’t you dare park here for Tin Lizzy’s.  I found it amusing and went inside as my stomach was very angry with me. The Duo We were greeted by a big smile from the hostess who could only be described as “hot” and were quickly seated.  That is when our server, Sarah, came over to greet us.  Remember how I described the hostess?  Same goes for Sarah.  Being very unfamiliar with the menu, Sarah was able to make several suggestions. As with most...

Every year I ask Lady Gianna where she would like to go for Mother’s Day and every year it’s the same answer.  “Surprise me.”  Having already heard that this year I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from her last Thursday telling me moms eat free at O’Keefe’s Tavern in Clearwater.  O’Keefe’s is a great Irish place near the hospital in Clearwater that has been in business for 50 years.  If this was Lady Gianna’s choice then O’Keefe’s it would be! I called for a reservation and was able to obtain one without any difficulty.  Being that it was Thursday I did not take this as a good sign.  Sure, we had a table reserved, but why was no one else going there?  Having not been there in a few years I wondered if things had gone sour, so when we arrived and saw a full parking lot I actually felt relieved.  We walked in and were immediately seated in a lovely booth.  (On the way to the booth we passed a couple that had just been se...

A while back I learned of a new British pub in Tampa simply called The Pub.  Since Sir Griffin is a big fan of pub fare I knew I just had to give it a try.  So I called one of the few people I know that also is a connoisseur of genuine pub food, Professor Basil Q Bacon, and we decided to give it a try for lunch. The Pub The Pub is located out on the Bay Street section of the International Plaza near the Earl of Sandwich and Champps.  (I still have no idea why they spell Champps with two p’s)  With all the Union Jacks that adorn the outside it is decidedly difficult to miss. We were immediately overwhelmed by the beautiful décor of this new establishment.  Suits of armor, more Union Jacks and lots of British stuff adorned the inside, which was a tad dark due to the wood they used.  But it was beautiful nonetheless. The waiting area, which we did not have to use, was lovely as well.  We decided to sit near the bar as the windows and d...

Good day my friends, As my readers and friends already know I consider Hooters to be the epitome of fine dining.  Wings, burgers, curly fries and beautiful women make up the components of the perfect dining experience.  That's why when I heard that Hooters had opened up a brand new restaurant at  John's Pass  on Madeira Beach I knew I just had to try it.  I must say it was another delightful experience at Hooters. Now most of you familiar with Hooters already know that the  Original Hooters  opened in Clearwater, FL in 1983.  It is at that location that I have done the vast majority of my Hooters dining.  Hooters was an originator and has spawned many imitators such as the  WingHouse  and  Tilted Kilt .  I have patronized both these establishments and have enjoyed them immensely, but to me Hooters is still and always will be the best.  (FYI: there is a place called  Twin Peaks  that I would just love to ...

Good day my friends, One thing I thoroughly enjoy is a reasonably priced lunch.  Ker's WingHouse not only offers lunch specials Monday through Friday for only $5.99, but they also offer up hot women to serve them to you.  For me that's a bargain I just cannot resist. Fiesta Burger The daily specials change every month and if you are so inclined you can click  here  and take a look.  Today I went and tried the Friday special:  The Fiesta Burger.  Now the Fiesta burger is pretty simple in theory, but ingenious in design.  They take a lineman sized juicy burger and season it to perfection.  Then they serve it open faced on a roll and top it with seasoned fries, queso sauce, onions, tomatoes and guacamole.  Now Sir Griffin is not a big fan of guacamole so he had them hold that.  The result is a delicious blend of flavors all circling your mouth at once.  It's also beautiful to look at as far as I am concerned, but I have to ...

Good day my friends, Last week I received a gift certificate to a restaurant in Oldsmar that I had never heard of before.  The name of the place was Fratelli and I figured it must be Italian.  I was correct.  What I did not realize until much later though, that Fratelli’s was a hidden gem. It is certainly nothing special to look at from the outside.  It really is the epitome of a hole in the wall restaurant.  We walked in and found it to be much bigger inside than we anticipated and also substantially un-crowded.   Plenty of sets available.  One of the girls at the bar said we could take a seat wherever we chose and we took a booth.  Almost immediately we were greeted by our server, Meaghan.  Meaghan asked if it was our first visit and we said yes and showed her the gift certificate.  She gave us some menus and took our drink order.  As we perused the menu I heard the voice of our little prince saying that he ...

Good day my friends, One of my favorite restaurant chains is Red Robin, but unfortunately I had only been able to dine at one when I traveled.  That is until now.  Not too far from me there is a brand new Red Robin right there in the Citrus Park Mall.  RR is known for their gourmet burgers, delectable chicken sandwiches, wraps and bottomless fries.  They also have incredible milkshakes. I finally had the opportunity the dine there this past weekend and I am here to tell you that it did not disappoint in the least.  We were welcomed at the door by a stunning brunette with gorgeous eyes.  The smell of burgers and fries permeated the entire place.  One thing I noticed right away is that this location was decorated in the same eclectic way as every other RR.  I was home at last.  I also noticed a plethora of employees.  It almost seemed like overkill at first, but as we dined it was certainly welcomed. Our server was Ben and I will hav...

Good day my friends, It is a rarity when I go out to breakfast, yet it is one of my favorite times to go out to eat.  There’s something about the smell of a restaurant at breakfast time that makes me smile.  Whether it be bacon, sausage, home fries or pancakes the smells are terrific.  Recently I found a wonderful place in Indian Harbour Beach that I must share with you:  The Scrambled Egg Café. The Scrambled Egg Café is located in a little shopping plaza and can be a bit tough to find as it does not face the road, but it is a hidden gem well worth the effort to find.  When I walked in I was immediately enveloped by the delicious smells of breakfast.  I was told that the place gets very crowded on the weekends, but we got there early so there was no problem getting a table.  They have seating both indoors and out, but we chose to dine indoors due to the humidity this particular morning. We were immediately greeted by our server, Sara...