Gilligan's Island Bar - Beach, Beer and Ballyhoo!

WHERE WE WENT:   

Gilligan's Island Bar
5253 Ocean Boulevard
Sarasota, FL

WHAT WE ORDERED:
Q


WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 7
Menu - 6
Presentation - 6
Taste - 6
Price - 7
Service -8
 Overall - 6.5


Atmosphere - If you are looking for a place to kick back and not care about the world around you, you've found it. Describing this place in one word: chill. Great location on the main drag in Siesta Key. It's the kind of place you would imagine they wouldn't even require shoes. There's almost a much bar space as there is seating, including a sweet tiki bar area. They have a patio seating area and a back section where they have live music. I felt a little shocked that our server didn't have dreads. You get the picture.

Menu -  The menu did offer a bit of variety. Salads, burgers, seafood, and more. All of your typical beach eats are represented. However, there wasn't any single signature or stand out dish that would make you want to go here as opposed to somewhere else. 
 
Presentation - Honestly, a little boring. With as kitschy as the rest of the place was with the beach culture and island theme, we expected something a little more original than white plates and baskets.

Taste - The meal was a little underwhelming. The coconut shrimp were heavily battered and a little overcooked. The best part of that dish was actually the mango chutney dipping sauce, which I would recommend pairing with any seafood. Normally I would say you can't go wrong with cheese fries, but these tasted like they came straight out of a freezer bag. The cheese was a little bland too.


Price -The fries were definitely the right portion for the price, if only they were more delicious. The shrimp were a little overpriced. Not worth it in our opinion.

Service - Our server was great. He was a really chill guy who took good care of us but didn't hover.

WOULD WE GO BACK? 
Maybe. If Ballyhoo is there, we're there. If not, we might go back for the right drink specials. We would really wanna explore the rest of what Siesta Key has to offer before making a return trip.


Here's a link to their website:  
 http://gilligansislandbar.com/

Bangkok Alley - Date Night

WHERE WE WENT:   
Bangkok Alley 
121 Union Avenue
Memphis, TN
38103



WHAT WE ORDERED:

-Snow White Roll (Shrimp, Spicy Mayo, Tempura Flakes, Topped w/Crab, Scallions)
-Explosion Roll (Spicy Crawfish, Avocado, Topped w/ Spicy Tuna, Spicy Mayo, Chef's Spicy Sauce)
-Island Roll (Crab, Shrimp Tempura, Topped w/ Tuna, Avocado, Spicy Mayo)
-Crab Rangoon

WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 8       
Menu -7
Presentation - 10
Taste - 7
Price - 7
Service - 9
 Overall - 7


Atmosphere -Bangkok Alley was small, but not cramped. The dark colors and simple decor fit nicely with the idea of it being a lounge. The overall feel felt classy yet comfortable, not at all stiff. The dim lighting definitely added to the lounge vibe, but could have been lightened up a little for the sake of reading the menu. The music did not match the restaurant theme at all and was distractingly loud.

Menu - The menu was composed of multiple parts: the traditional Thai menu and the sushi menu. The sushi section was extensive. It included traditional rolls such as the California Roll & Spicy Tuna Roll as well as unique creations bearing locally inspired names such as the Collierville Roll, Grizzlies Roll, Southaven Roll, and Memphis Roll. The traditional section of the menu contained a large variety of dishes including stir frys, fried rice, and traditional dishes like pad thai. The menu was multiple pages long and not particularly aesthetically pleasing. Variety is good, but this was just too much. It took forever to read through the menu. We like choices, but 15 appetizer choices is a little overkill.

Presentation - The presentation of the sushi was beautiful. All three rolls came on the same plate, arranged in a circle with the ginger and wasabi in the middle. The colors of all three rolls were gorgeous and the toppings had a marbled pattern so that each individual piece looked unique. The plate came decorated with extra sauce around the edges as well. 


Taste - As far as the crab rangoon, we have definitely had better. There was very little crab filling in the middle of each piece. The ratio to the shell was not good and the shells were somewhat burnt. We liked two of the three rolls. The Snow White Roll and the Island Roll were both very good, but the Island Roll could have used a little more crunch. The Explosion Roll was pretty, but the special sauce on top turned us off of it.

Price -The price point of this restaurant is comparable to other restaurants of its kind and pretty good for a place in the heart of downtown. the traditional sushi rolls are especially reasonable.

Service - Our waitress Penny was friendly and attentive. She acquainted us with the menu and made suggestions. She was wonderful except that she checked up on us a little too frequently and was a little irritating.

WOULD WE GO BACK? 
Yes. The location is great. We would love to try different sushi rolls. The price is reasonable and the atmosphere is great for a dinner with friends or a girls night out, if you can ignore the music.

Here's a link to their website: http://bangkokalley.com/