WHERE WE WENT:
Ciccio Cali
17004 Palm Pointe Drive
Tampa, FL 33647
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Mediterranean Wrap w/ Greek Yogurt Sauce, Black Beans, Yellow Rice, Hot & Crunchy Tuna Bowl
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 8
Menu - 9
Presentation - 8
Taste - 8
Price - 8
Service - 7
Overall - 8
Atmosphere - Ciccio Cali is part of a local Tampa restaurant group that manages multiple brands, all of which are very hip and trendy. The majority of the dining space is a shocking white that makes it appear much larger and fancier than it actually is.The tables are fairly close together which creates a crowded sense of intimacy. There is a lovely patio seating area and a second story balcony area that provides privacy for larger parties.
Menu
- This is one of those places where there is going to be something for everyone...even your picky, fad dieting friends. Sensitivity to gluten? Free range only? There are vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy options galore.They even have naturally sweetened organic sodas. You'll have choices coming out of your ears, but everything can be broken down into a few quick categories: Pizza, Salad, Wraps, Stirfry and Bowls. Pizza and Salad are pretty self-explanatory (at least we hope so). In the other areas, it's all about customization. Choose your base (rice, kale, spaghetti squash, noodles), your protein (chicken, tuna, steak, broccoli mix), and choose your style for sauces and fixings. The possibilities are endless with every taste profile imaginable (Latin, Asian, fusion).
Presentation - The food looks so good that you're going to want to eat it with your eyes. Classic white dishes in funky shapes keep with the trendy vibe of the place.
Taste - If you're a fan of tuna, you'll want to try the Hot & Crunchy Tuna Bowl. We recommend it with Asian noodles and extra sriracha aioli. It is an explosion of your favorite sushi, tempura, and soba all in one.
The Mediterranean wrap is a vegetarian paradise. The vegetables are fresh and crisp, and the white bean hummus is some of the best I've ever tried. The Greek yogurt sauce is amazing. The kind of amazing that would make your Nona proud. Get extra.
Price
-It's priced comparably to other restaurants of its kind and the atmosphere is very nice. Fair.
Service -Our waitress was an absolute sweetheart. She was very friendly and attentive and full of helpful product knowledge and suggestions.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
Absolutely. Everything was delicious. We'd really like to go back and try the brunch menu. They also have $2 Tuesday specials for drinks and small plates. Red and white sangria are included and we're intrigued.
Here's a link to their website:
http://cicciorestaurantgroup.com/restaurants/ciccio-cali.html
WHERE WE WENT:
Taco Bus
913 East Hillsborough Avenue
Tampa, FL 33604
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Chips and Queso, Vegan Steak Strip Burrito Prenado, Fish Tacos, Rice and Beans
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 8
Menu - 9
Presentation - 6
Taste - 9
Price - 8
Service - 6
Overall - 8
Atmosphere - You
cannot get more laid back than food getting served out of a bus. This
seems exactly like something you would come across on the beach in Santa
Monica. Off to the side, there's some outdoor seating, reminiscent of a
tiki bar, with wooden raised tables and stool with a grass roof
covering. There is a small indoor dining room as well for if the weather
is inclement or if you
just like air conditioning. The atmosphere is
just excellent. It's cool and unique and very Tampa. They have multiple
locations around the city but this one is the best.
Menu - Anyone who likes Mexican food should be able to find something they like at Taco Bus. They have a build your own menu setup where you choose your dish, then your protein, then your toppings, so you can completely customize your meal to your tastes. You can get your protein done up in a burrito, taco, quesadilla, tostada or more. The offer chicken, beef, carnitas pork, shrimp, fish, and (amazingly) an equal number of vegetarian options like tempeh, butternut squash, rajas, tofu and my favorite, vegan steak strips. Of course they have the classic sides like refried beans and rice and appetizers like queso, guacamole and ceviche. They have some awesome, traditional beverage options as well, like Jarritos and flavored waters. (I recommend the cucumber/lime).
Presentation - The presentation is very basic. Black, square,
styrofoam plates and plastic utensils are standard. Honestly though, fine china from a big yellow school bus would be ridiculous.
Taste - The chips were obviously homemade and delicious. It makes a huge difference when the chips are fried up in house. All of the produce is incredibly fresh. The veggies have a fantastic crunch and are a really light, bright addition to the otherwise heavy Mexican dishes. The fish in the tacos had an excellent flavor profile, the only problem was that it wasn't quite firm enough and was a little on the mushy side. The taste however completely made up for it. The vegan steak strips are amazing. It was definitely some of the best soy protein I've ever eaten. It was seasoned perfectly and textured to be just like steak. Someone who didn't know that it was vegan could have easily taken a bite and never been able to tell the difference. One of the little touches that I think really add to the flavor is the large, whole cilantro leaves that they use as a garnish. The flavor just explodes in your mouth.
Price
-The price is really quite good. The only thing I would ask is that sides be included. Other than that, it is very reasonable. The portions are huge, I can pretty much never finish what I order.
Service - With every other aspect being as great as it is, the service is a little disappointing. They were slow, like very slow. And when we went to check on our food, they were super standoffish and made it clear that they did not want us approaching the window with any questions. The first time our food came out, I watched them walk around with it and try to figure out who it belonged to. I tried really hard to get their attention but they ignored me. They went around with our food three times. They had to reheat it, but we did finally get it.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
For sure! The food is no frills, but delicioso. This is definitely going to be one of our regular spots. I hear that the service is much better at other locations.
Here's a link to their website:
http://www.taco-bus.com/#!
WHERE WE WENT:
Chiwawa! Midtown
2059 Madison Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Macho Nachos, Elote, Vegetarian Quesadilla
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 7
Menu - 8
Presentation - 8
Taste - 8
Price - 8
Service - 7
Overall - 8
Atmosphere - The first two words that come to mind when you think about Chiwawa! Midtown should be "laid back." The inside of the restaurant is spacious with the majority of the the tables and booths up against the walls. There's also equally comfortable outdoor seating for when the weather is really good. Extra large windows all the way around the place give it a very open air feel. Almost the entire decor it light wood. You get a sense that you walked off the street of midtown Memphis and somehow got transported to a surf shack on the Cali coast.
Menu
- Before even being able to look through your choices of food, you could easily get caught up in the aesthetic appeal of the Chiwawa! menu. I have never been one to like orange, but somehow it works here. The menu itself is very manageable, just one full page. It is anything but boring. Bright colors, an easy-flowing layout, and a variety of nifty fonts are an eye catcher for certain. The actual edibles listed on the menu are just as captivating. Chiwawa! serves a mix of traditional Mexican and American street food such as elote, chicarrones, or even gourmet hot dogs. There are dozens of choices contained in the three categories of antojitos, tacos, and perros calientes, but if you can't find one you like you can also build your own. Some of the mouth-watering highlights include: Juan-tons (chorizo, chicken, poblano crema, cream cheese and salsa roja in a wonton wrapper), Taco de Madre (brisket, carmelized onion, tomato chiptole sauce, cotija) and the Tijuana Dog (chorizo-charro bean chili, queso blanco, chili fried onions, pickled jalapenos). They also have an expansive menu of equally delicious sounding cocktails and unique shooter such as the W.C. Handy (Tennessee Apple Moonshine, Sour Apple Pucker, Lemon Lime Fresca, Homemade Sweet & Sour, Blue Curacao).
Presentation - For self-proclaimed "street food", the presentation was pretty solid. The Macho Nachos were piled high with chicken, queso, chorizo chili, jalapenos, iceberg lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream and shredded cheese on a snazzy rectangular plate. The dish looked well-balanced and the colors were great. The quesadilla was delicious looking and garnished with fresh cilantro with salsa roja and sour cream in silver bullets on the side. The star was the Elote covered in crema sprinkled artfully with cotija and chili lime salt.
Taste -The elote was amazing! I could close my eyes and taste a hot summer day in Mexico City. All the flavors blended together expertly; the crunch of the corn, acidity of the chili lime salt and mildness of the crema. The Macho Nachos were also delicious. The mondo mound of toppings insured that there was never a flavorless
bite or a bare chip in sight. The quesadilla was one of the best I've ever had. It was slammed full of multiple rich cheeses, sauteed spinach & mushrooms, and black beans.
Price
-This was actually one of the pricier Mexican restaurants we've been to. Generally you can count on low costs and huge portions when you venture south of the border. Chiwawa! is worth the upcharge. The portions are still sizeable but you can tell it wasn't slapped together in two seconds from vats of indistinguishable mush.
Service - Our server was great. He was helpful, friendly and attentive. We never had to ask for refills and he checked up on us a good amount.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
Yes. The food was great, the atmosphere was fun, and the pricing wasn't too bad. We wanna go back for happy hour and try some of the unique drink specials they have.
Here's a link to their website:
http://chiwawamidtown.com/
WHERE WE WENT:
Swanky's Taco Shop
6641 Poplar Avenue
Germantown, TN
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Chips & Queso, Fried Fish Tacos, Build-Your-Own Burrito Bowl w/ Chicken
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 7
Menu - 8
Presentation - 7
Taste - 8
Price - 7
Service - 7
Overall - 7
Atmosphere - There's nothing about this restaurant that particularly says Mexican or "swanky." That being said, it is still really cool. The seating on the inside is very open and comfortable. Dark wood, some chrome and red accents create a classic, clean design combination. The high point of design choices is the very unique and funky light fixtures with exposed bulbs that immediately
draw your attention. They have a spacious outdoor patio with overhead lighting as well.
Menu
- Swanky's has a traditional Mexican menu with favorites like quesadillas, burritos, and chimichangas, along with a few unique twists like latin wontons. They also have a full bar with premium tequilas and many specialty cocktails. They've recently added some new vegetarian options as well.
Presentation - The chips and queso were very plainly presented with the chips served in a paper tray and the queso in a bowl that did not even coordinate in color. It was unimpressive. Fortunately, as the meal progressed, we became more and more fond of the way each dish was presented. The BYOB was served in a trendy looking white bowl with an asymmetrical lip that was very appealing. The fish tacos were served open-face so that the round tortillas contrasted with the square plate. The colors in that dish were gorgeous. we almost didn't want to ruin it by eating it.
Taste - The were made in house, and tasted like it. They were crisp, light and not at all greasy or stale like most pre-packaged chips. The queso was decent, but a little bland. It definitely could have used some chopped peppers mixed in. The burrito bowl was delicious. The chicken was cooked perfectly and marinated well. The mix of mild and medium salsa had a delicious flavor and a sweet heat that complemented the flavor of the chicken and the veggies and was kept in check by the sour cream. All of the
vegetables tasted fresh. The fish tacos were good, but we wish we would have got them grilled. The batter on the fried fish overwhelmed the taste just a bit. Otherwise, the slaw and sides were excellent and meshed well with the tacos flavors.
Price
- Everything on the menu was reasonably priced and comparable to other restaurants of its kind.
Service - We walked up to the counter to place our order, so we did not have an official server, but everyone we encountered was friendly and welcoming. When we needed more salsa, they went out of their way to provide us multiple kinds to be
sure we were satisfied.
Extras - They host trivia every Thursday night at 8:00 pm.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
Yes. Our food was delicious and the friendly staff made us feel welcome.
Here's a link to their website:
http://www.swankystacoshop.com/
WHERE WE WENT:
El Porton Mexican Restaurant
65 S. Highland Street
Memphis, TN 38119
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Small Cheese Dip, Fish Tacos,
Rice & Beans, Beef Burrito,
Beef Enchilada
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 5
Menu - 7
Presentation - 4
Taste - 5
Price - 9
Service - 7
Overall - 6
Atmosphere - The restaurant had plenty of open space and the seating wasn't at all crowded. There was some authentic looking decor, but all of it looked cheap. The lighting was nice, not too dark or bright. There was a lack of color that is typical of Mexican restaurants and way too much blank space on the walls. The whole space was generally disinteresting. There some elements that were in disrepair and there was also some serious dust.
Menu - The menu had a wide variety including non-Mexican and vegetarian options. It had appealing visual representations of many dishes and was well laid out. Personal pet peeve, we hate when there is a long list of almost-exactly-the-same, numbered combinations
Presentation - The fish tacos were a very pretty dish. The square plate contrasted with round smaller bowls really nicely. The pico de gallo was bright and colorful. The burrito and enchilada combo was sloppily plated and drowned in sauce which created a monochromatic blob on most of the plate. The beans and rice differed in color only slightly and were sloshed on side-by-side with almost no distinguishable boundaries.
Taste - The cheese dip was somewhat bland and kinda watery, but you can't really mess up cheese dip too badly. The salsa was some of the best we've had. It had a good, thick consistency and the perfect spiciness. It had a significant kick, but not to much that it negated the taste. The fish was rubbery and overcooked, but the pico de gallo had an excellent taste. The tacos were served with a chipotle sauce that was delicious by itself, but did not blend well with the other flavors of the dish. The beef in the enchilada and burritos was tasteless, completely devoid of seasoning. Luckily the enchilada sauce was delicious and made it edibile.
Price - Everything on the menu was reasonably priced and portions were satisfying, but not too large.
Service - Our service was speedy, attentive, and efficient, but not particularly friendly.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
No. There are so many other options for Mexican. We wouldn't want to waste our time when we could try something new.
Here's a link to their website: www.elportonmexicanrestaurants.com
Ciccio Cali
