More Than Great Steak at Shula’s 347 Grill

I have been anxious to try Shula’s 347 Grill at the Westin hotel in Lake Mary ever since it opened a few years ago. I guess I was waiting for a special occasion, which presented itself on New Year’s Day, when family was in town.

All of Coach Don Shula’s restaurants – including Shula’s America’s Steakhouse, Shula’s Bar and Grill, and Shula’s on the Beach – are known for their tasty, high quality steaks. That is no different at 347 Grill, which also serves a variety of burgers and sandwiches as well as chicken and seafood entrees.

Of course, we had to try the steak. We ordered the 8-ounce Filet Mignon with potatoes and vegetables ($33). First, we noticed that the price is much more reasonable than Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and tastes just as good. The Filet was so tender, we could cut it with a fork. Unfortunately, we asked for the steak cooked medium and it

came out rare. We also ordered the 16-ounce Cowboy Steak or T-bone ($34). This steak was cooked perfectly and also was very tender. It wasn’t the best steak we have ever had, but we give it four stars out of five.

We also ordered the Fresh Fish Sandwich ($13), which was served on a toasted Brioche bun. The bun was so delicious! The fish was also cooked perfectly, and I liked the seasoning on it. For an appetizer, we enjoyed the Calamari Fries ($12), which were lightly breaded and very tasty and served with a delicious tomato coulis dipping sauce.

After dinner, we enjoyed two of the restaurant’s desserts: Crème Brulee and Apple Cobbler. The brulee was one of the lightest and most flavorful brulees I have had, and 347 Grill got the crispy top just right. The cobbler – which was served warm with vanilla ice cream – was also very delicious. I would give it four stars out of five.

All in all, I would highly recommend visiting 347 Grill in Lake Mary. It has such a nice atmosphere for a special occasion or business lunch. If you want to enjoy the upscale environment but save money, go for the sandwiches or burgers, which feature high quality Black Angus beef and start at $11 each. I thought the appetizers were pricey – some cost more than the sandwiches – but you can stick to soup or salad for less expensive options.

Where: 2974 International Parkway, Lake Mary, 32746.

A Thai Must Try: Blue Elephant

Photo by Shad Bookout

I was thrilled to find out recently that our Lake Mary side of town got a Blue Elephant Thai restaurant, since International Drive sports the only other Blue Elephant in the area. This is upscale Thai cuisine at its finest. I appreciate how authentic the food at this particular location really is: the chef only speaks Thai!

When I first walked into Blue Elephant, I was struck by the beautiful decor, including fountains with floating flowers and candles, and an amazing glass light sculpture over the bar. After being greeted by an attentive server and manager - who visits every table - the next thing I was impressed by were the prices. For a place with such beautiful decor, I did not expect to see several choices of curries on the menu for $12.95 each (the traditional Basil Sauce Curry is one of the eatery's most popular curry dishes). Plus, the new restaurant is going to be offering several lunch and dinner specials.

Whole Snapper Rock - Photo by Shad Bookout

Although all of the appetizers were tempting, we started with the Tuna Tartar Wonton ($11), which includes rare tuna, avocados, wasabi, and jalapeno atop a crispy wonton. This was flavorful, and different from any other tuna tartar we have had. We also tried the B.E. (chicken) Dumpling which was so good. For $6, we were served six dumplings, so that was a great deal!

For dinner, we decided to try a couple of the house specialties as a treat. The Crispy Whole Snapper Rock ($24) was delicious and had a very unique presentation. The glaze - a sweet chili sauce with bell peppers and onions - slightly overwhelmed the dish, but the flavor was still amazing and the fish was cooked perfectly. We also loved the unique Crispy Duck Zee's ($19), crispy duck breast served with red curry sauce, pineapple, basil, tomato, lime leaf, and bell peppers. The curry sauce was truly the best curry sauce that I have had to date: very light and flavorful. And the combination of curry, rice, pineapple, and duck all worked together very well. The duck was slightly dry, but that is to be expected when a dish is fried.

B.E. Dumpling
Photo by Shad Bookout

We also were very impressed with the number of signature cocktails on the menu - two pages worth! - and how tasty they were. I would highly recommend ordering "Inspire", a mix of Mekhong Rum, pear liqueur, and ginger liqueur, and the "Thai Fantasy", which sort of tasted like a Screwdriver.

Where: 951 Market Promenade Ave., Ste. 1101, Lake Mary, Fla.

Fun, Local Food & Wine Tastings

Cafe Tu Tu Tango at Baldwin Park

‘Tis the season for food and wine festivals in Central Florida. There are too many great events to cover all of them today, but I will tell you about the two coming up soon: The 2012 Food & Wine Festival at Baldwin Park this Saturday, March 10, and the Taste of Lake Mary on Monday, March 19.

Normally, I would be so excited about the Baldwin Park event because of the quality restaurateurs that will be serving up food and beverages including Café Tu Tu Tango, 4 Rivers Smokehouse, Funky Monkey, Stonewood Grill, Shula’s 347, and Tibby’s New Orleans Kitchen. However, the cost is $65 each, which is too pricey for me. The fee reflects the evening’s great cause, though: the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

J.W. Marriott Primo at Baldwin Park

The Taste of Lake Mary is somewhat more reasonably-priced at $40 per person or $75 per couple. It also features food from some of the highest-quality restaurants in Orlando, such as Fishbones, Liam Fitzpatrick’s, Stonewood Grill, Shula’s 347, and Fin-esse.

Where & When:

March 10, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., New Broad Street, Baldwin Park.

March 19, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m., Park Place at Heathrow, 1501 International Parkway, Lake Mary.

Gourmet Food at Lake Mary Food Trucks

It was a cool, rainy day here in Central Florida this past Sunday. But that did not keep a motley group of food trucks from serving up their delicious wares at Central Park in front of City Hall in Lake Mary. Families came out and were having a great time as well. The park has plenty of seating and natural beauty, so it beats some of the other food truck stops in parking lots.

I was excited to try new food from unique trucks I haven’t seen at other food truck events. Fork in the Road and Nubu Grill did not disappoint. Fork in the Road, started by Lake Mary chef Bryce Balluf, offers up gourmet plates such as Scotch Quail Egg, Toasted Tomato Mac ‘n Cheese Pops, and Elvis Cookie-wich.

Nubu Grill also had tasty dishes such as Lemon Pepper Flounder and Polynesian Beef. I had the Coconut Curry Chicken from Nubu Grill, and was really impressed with the homemade curry and spicy peanut sauce on this dish. Plus, I got a big serving of rice, chicken, and fresh vegetables for $7.

Central Park - Lake Mary

Some of the other food trucks that I was not able to try but that looked great were: Louis Bistro, Kona Dog, and Firehouse BBQ. If you have tried these food trucks or the Lake Mary food truck event, what did you think? Comment below.

When: The last Sunday of every month.

Where: Central Park, 100 North Country Club Rd., Lake Mary (on the corner of Lake Mary Blvd. and Country Club Rd.)

Eat & Drink for Good Causes, Orlando!

Two Orlando events – both on Friday, March 2 – will allow you to try tasty local food and help out important causes.

The Sit, Stay, Sip & Save a Life event, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., features food and wine samples from top Seminole County restaurants. It benefits TEARS, an organization for homeless pets in Seminole County. Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 the day of the event.

Where: The Courtyard at Park Place at Heathrow Center.

Spanish River Grill

Another mouth-watering event, Slow Down, includes cocktails and beers from Florida distillers and local, seasonal food tastings from Spanish River Grill, The Rusty Spoon, and Dandelion Communitea Café. It runs from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $15, and the event benefits Slow Food Orlando. Call 407-648-7060 for more information. 

Where: City Arts Factory, 29 South Orange Ave., Orlando.

Orlando's Top Sushi Restaurants

This is a tough one. Everyone has their idea of what good sushi is. However, since coming to Orlando more than 15 years ago, I consistently hear friends recommend certain restaurants over and over. Fuji Sushi in Winter Park, Lake Mary, and Waterford Lakes, provides high-quality sushi and sashimi every time. I especially like their cooked rolls, such as the spicy Volcano Roll that has an overflowing topping of seafood sauce and conch, scallop, whitefish or octopus. Try some of their signature sushi, such as the Orlando Magic Roll, the Black Widow Roll, and the Louisiana Roll with crawfish.  

Fuji Sushi

Meanwhile, Bayridge Sushi in Longwood and Apopka provides sushi that is similar in quality to Fuji’s rolls, but with much lower prices. Try the “all you can eat” sushi special for $19.95. My friends also swear by Tokyo Japanese & Sushi Bar, which is near Orlando International Airport. It is one of those small places that do it right with fresh sushi and good-sized portions. Tokyo Japanese recently expanded to include a hibachi grill. Where are your favorite places to eat sushi in Orlando or other cities?

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