Bonjour, y'all...maybe the best place in town and other Tallahassee, FL Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Chez Pierre

Chez Pierre is a Tallahassee institution. Originally a small bistro downtown, it moved to its present Thomasville Road location about ten years ago. The best way to describe Chez Pierre may be to just parrot the way they usually answer their phone.. "Chez Pierre, bonjour y'all". That sums it up...a wonderful French restaurant that embraces southern style. (You'll notice the dish below that has "red pepper grits" as an accompaniment) It's totally classy but not stuffy. You don't need a jacket and a tie, but you don't want to wear your jeans. It's innovative and always dependable. That's Chez Pierre.

Also, they have an excellent selection of vegetarian fare if you prefer foods that didn't have parents. :)

There are a lot of fine places to eat in Tallahassee, but when it's really something special, we so often end up eating at Chez Pierre. When we had a recent gathering of VTers in Tallahassee, it was the first and only place we considered for the meeting. Good choice.

Chez Pierre serves lunch on Monday-Saturday from 11 am - 2 pm. On Sundays, a "Sunday Brunch" occurs during the same hours. Dinner is served from 5:30 pm until 9:30 pm Sunday - Thursday, and until 11 pm on Friday and Saturday. And in between all of it (2:30-5:30, they have what they call the "bistro menu")

In and around holidays, Chez Pierre often has a "special dinner" of some kind, always check the website or give them a call.

There's a nice outdoor (but AC and heated) bar, and Chez Pierre often features live entertainment for your dining and cocktail hour pleasure.

Favorite Dish: The menu changes often, so I always recommend visiting the website before your visit, if you'd like to get an early take on what you'd like. EXCELLENT winelist, and exquisite desserts compliment the varied and satisfying appetizers and mains. Among the recent best on the menu are:

A P P E T I Z E R S
ESCARGOTS BOURGUIGNON / Snails in garlic butter
ASSIETTE DE FROMAGES / House cheese selection
SAUMON FUMÉ DU CHEF / House smoked salmon
MOUSSE PÂTÉ AU SAUTERNES / Goose liver pâté
CHILLED LUMP CRAB TARTARE / Jumbo lump crab
BISQUE D’HOMARD / Lobster bisque

FILET DE SAUMON AVEC CHAMPIGNONS / North Atlantic salmon, pommes purée & roasted mushroom confit
TUNA SALADE NIÇOISE / Ahi tuna, pan-seared w/ mesclun greens & Mediterranean accoutrements
POULET ROTI À LA PORTUGAISE / Whole baby hen twice-roasted with fresh herbs, w/ chorizo and red pepper grits
TRUITE AVEC FRUITS DE MER ET GNOCCHI / River Run trout stuffed with a fennel-crabmeat mélange, served on spinach enhanced gnocchi
KOBE HACHÉ ET POMMES FRITES / Snake River Farms Kobe beef chopped sirloin steak with black truffle butter and house fries
CÔTE DE SANGLIER AVEC FLAGEOLETS / Kurobuta boar loin, braised with garlic confit, bacon and served on a nest of white beans
ROTI DE PORC TENDERLOIN NIÇOISE / Succulent house marinated pork tenderloin fire roasted and served in the Mediterranean style
BOEUF AU RIBEYE AVEC CHAMPIGNONS / House aged Angus beef with portabellas, roasted potato and braised market greens
ROTI DE CANARD AVEC PETITE ROCKET / Roast duckling with baby Arugula, dried cranberry and pine nuts
COUSCOUS MAROCAIN À L’AIL CONFIT / Couscous with roasted garlic, lemon and mint julienne
SAUCISSON À L’AIL AUX LENTILLES / Lamb merguez sausage with French green lentils
CONFIT DE CANARD À LINGONBERRY / Duck confit on wild rice with lingonberry jus
FLAT IRON BOEUF AVEC POMMES FRITES / Grilled flat iron steak with house fries
FLAGEOLETS À LA NIÇOISE / French white beans with roasted vegetables
GNOCCHI À LA PARISIENNE / Pan roasted herbed gnocchi with vegetable jus

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Theme: French
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 850.222.0936
Address: 1216 Thomasville Road (at 6th avenue)
Directions: From the capitol, north on US27 (Monroe St.). After crossing US90 (Tennessee Street), you'll go a few more blocks and then peel off to the left onto US319N (Thomasville Road). Follow 319 until you reach 6th avenue. To park, turn onto 6th and then right.
Website: www.chezpierre.com

Restaurant Name: The Red Elephant Bar and Grill

The Red Elephant has a wonderful and unique style of pizza, a corn-dusted crush with lots of bold sauce and meats. They also have excellent burgers. In addition, the menu is expanded with wings, appetizers, main dishes, desserts and such. The Red Elephant also has full table service, as well as a plethora of big-screen TVs for sports fans, an honest to goodness bar for those who just want a few brews. So far, it appears that the Red Elephant has been a huge local success and in short order, a second edition has opened up here in Tallahassee (out on Kerry Forest Road). They are apparently now franchised and there are Red Elephants in Tampa, and one being built over in Mandarin (Jacksonville). It's the quintessential American success story, and it's damned good pizza.

If you come to Tallahassee and want to have a VT meeting with me, I may well suggest the Red Elephant. And for entertainment, there is the Miracle Movie Theaters across the road - a large complex of all-alternative filmspace. This is the sort of place you'll find foreign films, art films and other non-mainstream entertainment. The last time Bonnie and I hit the Miracle, we saw a film about prewar India called "Before the Rains". It was terrific, and I'm sure you've never heard of it. That's the miracle of the Miracle.

A perfect evening.... a nice and informal meal at Red Elephant and then a movie at the Miracle.

Favorite Dish: PIZZA is what really drives me into the Elephant.

I highly recommend the meat lovers' special.... The best part is the crispy and smoky bacon that they add - and they do so without making the pizza bacon "greasy". It's crispy and meaty, but not greasy. Perfecto.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 850-222-7492
Address: 1872 Thomasville Road
Directions: From downtown Tallahassee (US 90 at US 27)... go north, and bear right following US319N. After about a mile, you'll see a shopping center on your right - the Red Elephant is in that center. (It's across the street from the Miracle Movie Theaters)
Website: http://www.redelephantpizza.com/

Restaurant Name: Ray's Steel City Saloon

One of the best new "lower end" (pricewise) options in Tallahassee is Ray's Steel City Saloon. Conveniently located on the northside of Tallahassee, Ray's features specialties from Ray's hometown of Pittsburgh, PA aka the "Steel City". In addition the saloon includes many Florida favorites on its extensive and tasty menu. And of course, it IS a saloon, so.... the 100+ beers on menu are a definite plus.

We went to Ray's the other night to celebrate another visit to Tallahassee by Doug48, one of the nicest guys on VT. Doug joined me, my wife and daughter for an early evening knosh at Ray's (OUR first visit) and we were not disappointed. One reason that we'd chosen Ray's was that our friend Doug truly LOVES a good beer.

The service was great, the atmosphere relaxed, and the prices more than reasonable. It is my understanding that Ray's has developed quite a following, so if you're going on a Friday or Saturday, you might want to get there early... or earlier.

OK, since VT now lets us have 10K characters, why don't I give you a look at Ray's beer menu? This should wet your whistle the next time you're in Tallahassee.

First, there are the "usual" brands.... Bud and Bud Light, Miller and Miller Lite, Yuengling, Coors and Coors Light. Other great US brands available are

Iron City (a Pittsburgh native, and the beer that I enjoyed most the other night)
Rolling Rock (another Pennsylvania native)
Amberbock
Michelob
Sam Adams
Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
Killians Red
Land Shark (a pitiful brew IMHO)
Butte Creek Organic Pilsner
Abita Turbo Dog
Blue Moon
Old Thumper
Purple Haze
Sweaty Betty Blond
Sweetwater Blue
Sweetwater 420
Harpoon IPA and UFO
Woodchuck Granny Smith Cider

Want to go beyond the USA, check these out...

Amstel Light
Bass
Becks Dark and Light
Corona and Corona Light
Dos Equis
Franziskaner Hefeweizen (always a good choice)
Heineken
Lenenkugels Honey Weiss and Sunset Wheat
Molson
Negra Modelo
Pacifico
Paulaner Lager
Pilsner Urquelle (what Doug48 had, getting ready for his trip to Prague)
Peroni
Presidente
Red Stripe (if you're into Jamaican shhhhhhhht, mon)
Stella Artois (one of my favorites)

If you want to spend more money, you can look over Ray's extensive premiums and micros list. My recommendation would be Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout, or maybe Dogfish Head Aprihop. Another wild and devilish choice would be Satan Red.

Favorite Dish: It's all good. The other night, I had Ray's conch fritters (they called them Konk), which are a south Florida and Caribbean classic dish. Ray's were very nicely spicy, with an extra dose of habaneros in the fritter batter. Spicy dipping sauce made a very nice start for my meal.

I then did Ray's Pittsburgh style fried codfish sandwich, truly outstanding. Beer battered north Atlantic cod on a great roll with all the fixings.

Doug48 had a simple, but quite large cheeseburger, cooked to his specific order.

My wife and daughter samples Ray's salads and soups, and pronounced everything top-notch.

Looking over the menu, you might want to try the pierogies, a Pittsburgh appetizer specialty. (little homemade raviolis, stuffed with cheese and potatoes, pan fried in butter and onions, served with a side of sour cream. Both a Pittsburgh favorite and an Eastern European staple).

Another Pittsburgh favorite on the menu is Ray's "Jacked-Up Meatloaf". It's stuffed with garlic mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese, served over Texas toast and topped with Ray's homemade bourbon gravy. Sounds good, but not for the light eater, I'm told.

Vegetarians? Sure, they'll find good eatin' at Rays. Check out the "Uva" (supposedly pronounced as ooooovah) It's a sandwich stuffed with fresh mozarella, sliced tomatoes, flame roasted piquillo peppers, guacamole and pesto oil on freshly backed ciambatta bread. It's served warm and pressed. (which is good for both sandwiches AND dry cleaning!)

Other good veggies dishes include spicy black bean soup and Ray's vegetarian chili. (The menu says that you won't believe how good it is) Guess I'll not find out, I am a meat eater. :)

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Theme: American
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 850-386-2984
Address: 515 John Knox Road, Tallahassee FL
Directions: From the center of Tallahassee (US 90 at US 27), go north on US 27 (Monroe Street). After about 2 miles, you'll turn right onto John Knox Road, right at the Walgreens' Drug Store. Go about 2 blocks and Ray's will be on the right.
Other Contact: Ray and Keri Fisher, owners

Restaurant Name: Bella Bella Ristorante

One of the things I've always loved about San Francisco, New York and New Orleans are the number of little "hole in the wall" local places that have excellent food. I'm talking about the sort of place that locals might just adopt as "their special little place" or "every Thursday night at so and so's". You get the idea. Well, Tallahassee has a ways to go to rival Baghdad by the Bay, or the Big Apple and or Big Easy, but... we're getting more and more of "those" places. Bella Bella Ristorante is one of them.

Apparently, this place has been in business for about six years. But until two days ago, I'd never heard of them. They are located on a little side street, very close to the place where I had my very first job some 35 years ago. The place that is now Bella Bella has been a blueprinting supply place, a print store and an insurance agency, to name just a few. I just happended to be driving down 5th avenue and saw Bella Bella, all shiny and red in color, just begging for me to come inside. (Hey, 5th Avenue... THAT sounds like NYC, too.)

Anyway, I went inside and asked for a printout of the menu. I was welcomed with open arms by the young and eclectic staff. There were a few strangely colored hair styles in there to be sure, but everyone had a glowing smile and really seemed to enjoy working where they were working. I was instantly drawn to Bella Bella's character.

I took the menu home and ran it by my wife and daughter. We agreed that we needed to check it out "one of these days". WELL.... one of these days came sooner rather than later. The very next day, our refrigerator cacked out, the victim of a dead compressor. Now, we do have another fridge - I'm a southerner and that means I have a beer fridge in the garage - so we weren't in desperate straits. But, it became more of a hassle to cook, having to schlep back and forth to the garage for butter and stuff. (FWIW, the kitchen Maytag should be fixed in another day or two, as soon as the new compressor comes in) So, we decided that Bella Bella's Chamlis family audition would happen sooner and immediately. :) We were not disappointed.

This is a simple and casual little Italian place. It looks like they could maybe seat 75-100 people inside, and there are a few street side tables outside. (it being June in Florida, they were EMPTY - hot hot hot outside) Even though Bella Bella obviously does no advertising and is somewhat obscure outside its neighborhood, the place was filled up pretty quickly. The same waitress (Avery) who'd greeted me the other day with a menu and an invitation to come back, waiting our table with spirit and a smile.

We had a wonderfully simple, tasty and fresh Italian dinner, and it all felt so very comfortable. And, I can guarantee you that we will be back to Bella Bella again, sooner rather than later. In fact, the next time my VT buddy doug48 hits town, I think we'll need to get him out there for some good food and friendly atmosphere. :)

The food is pretty simple, well-prepared, and served in honest portions. This isn't a foo-foo spot that nails you for $30 entrees that wouldn't fill up an 8 year old. Everything's homemade and well done, with simplicity and freshness the guiding principle.

My wife and daugher were in the mood to do their usual.... an appetizer and maybe a soup, instead of a main course. Sara had an order of the cheese stuffed mushrooms, and supplemented it with the soup de jour (or should I say soup del giorno??), which was Italian Wedding Soup. Bonnie added one of Bella Bella's specialty salads to her order, the "Bella Bella" salad. (see below, in "favorite dish"). I went with one of the evening specials, the basic meatballs and sauce over angel hair pasta, crusty bread and a house salad. Simple, tasty and fresh... and man oh man, was I stuffed. (Those of you who know me personally KNOW that I CAN eat, so me being stuffed and full means something).

We had intended to try dessert, but were pretty full. Still, my daughter and I had capuccinos. for me the cap was a second choice, and it exposed Bella Bella's only "weakness". They don't have a hard spirits liquor license, so you can't get caffe coretto or something with cognac or whatever. No matter, the wine list is good, and you can always do dessert wines.... just no mixed drinks.

They're open six days a week for dinner, Mon-Sat. 5 pm - 9:30 pm. They are also open Mond-Fri for lunch, 11 am - 3 pm.

Favorite Dish: From the Bella Bella menu.... and the lunch and dinner menus are pretty much the same. Lunch just adds a few sandwiches.

Appetizers include spinach & artichoke ravioli, coconut shrimp ( a favorite in Florida ), cheese stuffed mushrooms, roasted red pepper hummus and tomato & basil bruschetta.

Salads include the Bella Bella (mixed greens, topped with season fruits - last night it was strawberries, pears, orange slices, etc. and toasted walnuts), or the Tuscan (mixed greens with grilled eggplant, mushrooms, roasted peppers, carmelized onions), or the Greek (baby greens, roasted peppers and kalamata olives, topped with sweet potato salad and feta cheese). They also have a house and the ubiquitous Caesar salad varieties.

Entrees included fettucini alfredo, cannelloni, chicken, eggplant or veal parmesan, eggplant rollatini, sicilian and veggie lasagna(s), manicotti, gargonzola ravioli, shrimp scampi, grouper mediterranean or simple angel hair marinara. As you note, there are several excellent choices on all three areas of the menu for our beloved vegetarian pals. :)

The menu also mentions decadent desserts and specialty coffee and capuccinos, dessert wines and the like.

Prices? Entrees range from about $11 to $16, and include bread and salad (house or Caesar, and you can upgrade to a smaller version of a specialty salad for $2 more). Appetizers are priced at $5-8 or so, and the speciality salads are $5-7 and they're huge. (They come in a square bowl - is that an oxymoron? - that's about 14 inches square)

All good value.

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 850-412-1114
Address: 123 East Fifth Avenue, Tallahassee, FL
Directions: From the center of town (US90 at US27), go north on US 27. Turn left at 5th avenue, and Bella Bella is just after the turn, on the left. (behind the music store) Keep following the signs out back for more parking. :)
Website: www.bellabellatallahassee.com

Restaurant Name: Rodizio's South American Steakhouse

If you are a vegetarian, you might want to read one of my other tips. Rodizio's is not your place. :)

Basically, this is one of those "South American style" steakhouses. Nice salad bar, good mixologist and liquor list, and then all you can eat meat meat meat.

When you arrive, your table is given a little "rodizio" disk, one side is red, one side is green. Start out with having the red side up on your table. Order your drinks and then go get yourself a salad, and other "side items". It's all you can eat, and some of it is pretty darned good. For those of you who have been to other South American style steakhouses, be advised that Rodizio's doesn't serve "side items" (mashed plantains, peas, etc.) with the meat courses, so if you'd like something to enjoy along with the coming meat barrage, get it at the salad bar. The potato salad, the fried plantains and the black beans and rice are good suggestions.

OK, when you're ready to eat meat, flip the "rodizio" over to green and the "gaucho waiters" will descend upon your table. Each one will have another succulent roasted item on a skewer. If you want some of what he has, get your tongs handy.... he will begin the slicing process, and you will take "possession" of the slice by grasping its top with the tongs. As it falls from the skewer, put it on your plate. That's how it goes. And you're literally going to have dozens of choices, and they keep coming and coming and coming ..... until you turn the rodizio disk back to red, which will bring a quiet post-meat feeding frenzy respite to your table. Now, it's time to consider after dinner drinks, coffee (it IS a South American place, remember) and/or dessert.

The prices are pretty basic, and if you're not ready to eat eat eat, they're kind of pricey. But if you come hungry, you will "win" the economic battle at Rodizio's. Adults all you can eat salad bar and meats price is $28. Children 11 and under are only $12. (that's the charge to eat, they don't roast and sell children under 11 for $12!)

Desserts, after-dinner coffee and all drinks are extra, and again... I think they're kind of pricey. But, the quality is all good.

Favorite Dish: All of the meats are quite good. It's probably one of those situations where certain nights means that certain meats are best, just depends on the cut and the roaster. For example, the night we were there, I thought the lamb was a little dry. But everything else was very very good. And to my surprise, the hit item of the night really wasn't a four-legged wonder. It was the bacon-wrapped sea scallops, very sweet and tender.

Among the meats we saw on our night were lamb, beef tenderloin, parmesan-crusted pork, new york strip steak, rib steak, spicy Brasilian sausages, chicken wings, roasted chicken, skewered and flambeed pineapple, filet mignon, top sirloin, salmon and a few others. And it keeps coming and coming. Like I say, come hungry.

For dessert, there were several sweets... a couple of cheesecake items, some chocolate cake, and my personal favorite, classic flan with caramel sauce accompaniment. Coffee was good, as were the pre-dinner drinks.

Rodizio's has an extensive list of martinis and a small but passable winelist. And they're especially proud of their mojitos (which they claim are the best in town) and the native Brasilian caipirinha. (that's what I had)

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Theme: Steakhouse
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 850-298-4300
Address: 1122 Thomasville Road/Midtown Manor Center
Directions: From downtown Tallahassee, north on US27. Then, right on N. US319/Thomasville Rd. At 4th avenue on the left, you'll come to the parking lot for the "Manor at Midtown".
Website: www.rodiziostally.com
Other Contact: Mgr - yomargc@comcast.net

Restaurant Name: Andrews 228

Andrews 228 is another venture of Tallahassee's leading local restarauteur, Andrew Weiss. Among his past wonders are ANDREWS SECOND ACT and TUTTO BENE, which was absolutely THE best Italian place we've ever had in town. Both are closed now. But Weiss presently runs both ANDREWS 228 and ANDREWS CAPITAL GRILLE.

228 is a bit more upscale, featuring American and Italian dishes with a nice updating. Try out "lobster-cargot" as an appetizer. :)

228 is a great place for a special dinner...right downtown, and if the weather is nice, you can go for a walk after dinner.

Favorite Dish: EVERYTHING is good. They're mighty proud of their martinis here.... a sign at the door proclaims "the home of the $5 martini". They're quite good.

The "lobster-cargot" appetizer is good, as is the black olive tapenade crostini.

Andrews also features the Caesar Salad, a la "Hans". Hans is Andrew Weiss' dad.

The butternut ravioli sounds good, and if you're into seared tuna...they have the best. (never one of my favorites, but...)

You'll love the place. Enjoy and take somebody special to dinner there.

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Theme: Other
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 850-222-3444
Address: 228 South Adams Street, Tallahassee
Directions: On the southwest corner of the first block of Adams Street NORTH of the capitol complex. Right downtown.
Website: http://www.andrewsdowntown.com/andrews228.html

Restaurant Name: Albert's Provence

Albert's Provence is one of the nicer restaurants in Tallahassee. They advertise their cuisine as French Mediterranean, and I suppose that's true. I'd guess it's more French than Mediterranean.

The local newspaper food critic rates Albert's Provence as one of the few "five star" (actually he calls them five-fork) restaurants in town.

Alberts has a varied menu, excellent daily specials and a terrific wine list. Add competent service and a quiet and relaxed atmosphere, and it's a perfect place for a classy dinner for two... or more. :)

Favorite Dish: On our most recent visit, in celebration of my 51st birthday, my wife and I both chose to have the 8 oz filet mignon au poivre, which was wonderful. I had crab rolls with a spicy ginger-soy dressing as a starter, and Bonnie did the roasted beet and gorganzola salad. Excellent. We had an excellent bottle of Russian River Pinot, smartly priced at only $35 for the bottle as an accompaniment. For dessert, Bonnie did an apple-bread pudding, and I had a raspberry torte. Irish coffee was a nice finish.

Among the other great items on the recent menu were grilled Florida grouper Provencal, boneless duck breast with a sun dried cherry reduction sauce, rack of lamb, Chilean Seabass with a terragon cream sauce, and a nice seafood linguine dish as the "plate of the day".

Alberts actually has a special deal on Mondays-Thursdays. For $58.95 per couple, you get a three course dinner INCLUDING a bottle of wine. The most recent "Ambassador Dinner" (as they call it) featured a choice of soup or salad (Lobster Bisque or Seafood Gumbo, House or Caesar Salad), Almond Crusted Canadian Sole or Grilled Double Cut Pork Chops as an entree, and Chocolale Mousse or Creme Caramel for dessert. Not a lot of choice, but a great deal for under $60!

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Theme: French
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 850-894-9003
Address: 1415 Timberlane Road, Tallahassee, 32312
Directions: From the I-10 and US319 intersection proceed north for about 0.7 mile. Turn left on Timberlane Road and Alberts is in the back part of the Timberland Square Shopping Center.
Other Contact: albertsprovence@hotmail.com

Restaurant Name: Nino's - A Restaurant

Nino Violante and his wife, Isolde, are long-time (40 years +) Tallahassee residents. Many years ago, they began a restaurant on south US27 called "Mom and Dad's", which was THE Italian place in town for years. Nino eventually retired and turned "Mom and Dad's" over to some cousins and in-laws. To this day, it's still a nice place to eat..

BUT.. Nino couldn't stay retired. After running a country store for a while, he returned to the Tallahassee restaurant scene, opening "Nino's", just a few miles further down US27 south from the old place. And he operated Nino's until late 2007, when he finally retired "for real". Nino's has now been taken over by Chef Pascale Pisoni, and he's doing a great job. He kept much of the menu, and added some of his own creations, and it's even better...if that's possible.

Another neat twist??? It's reasonably priced....even cheap by world standards. How about a fine 14 oz strip steak done up "a la Nino" for under $20, including a salad and a side of pasta? That's a holdover from the Nino days. Chef Pisoni has added several appetizers that feature his person "Z sauce" (get it? He's French and he always says "zee sauce"), a creamy garlic creation that's great for thin fries or other veggies.

Nino's has always served a fine Roman cuisine, and their meat sauces and pasta are local legend. In addition to the Capitol fare, Nino's also features fine Northern Italian dishes and sauces, as well as a wonderfully-prepared and obligatory alfredo and carbonara. Beef, veal, chicken and shrimp entrees also command attention. The service is always top-notch, and Chef Pisoni has continued the Nino "on site" tradition. Say hello and tell him that Pete Chamlis sent you. (Remind him that my son works for Seminole Boosters, one of his bigger catering clients)

Excellent wine list. Reservations are recommended on weekends. The restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Favorite Dish: Well, it's always good, so let me tell you about what I had on my last few trips...

I had a strip steak, a la Nino. Excellent beef, perfectly prepared, and then baked with a topping of seasonings, mozarella and marinara sauces......add mushrooms, peppers, etc. Very tasty.

I added a side of the alfredo pasta, and for good measure, had tiramisu for dessert...always a classic.

The appetizer was the night's off-menu special.... a lovely crab spring roll creation featuring a spicy dipping sauce accompaniment.

On another visit, I did the veal Caprese, and it was scrumptious. The escargot appetizer was excellent as always. My son had the crabcakes and light pomodoro sauce. My daughter had pan-seared scallops, and Bonnie went with her personal seafood favorite, grilled grouper. Perfect.

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 850.878.8141
Address: 6497 Apalachee Parkway (south US 27)
Directions: From the Florida capitol building (Apalachee at Monroe), head south on Apalachee Parkway. Cross Magnolia (about 2 miles), Capital Circle (about 6 miles). Drive on for another 6 or 7 miles. On the right. Look for lighted sign!
Other Contact: CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAYS

Restaurant Name: Mom and Dad's Italian Restaurant

Back in 1963, Nino Violante and his wife Isolde started what became a Tallahassee legend.... Mom and Dad's Italian restaurant. In the days before Tallahassee became a bigger city, hour-long waits were the norm out at Mom and Dad's... The food, service and friendship was that good. This is one of those places that the governor and the garbageman were both welcomed with open arms.

Nino turned it over to family members in the late 1970s. The crowds are nowhere near as large now, but it's no indictment on the food or service, which remain very very good. It's just that Tallahassee has so many places to eat now, not the least of which is "Nino's" a restaurant that Mom and Dad's founder Violante started up in the late 1980s when he found it impossible to stay retired.

There are fancier places, and you'll find places with a snootier, high-class serving of Italian food. But if you want excellent home-cooking, assuming your home is in Trastevere and you can see Capitoline hill from you backyard fountain area , then Mom and Dad's is your place.

Great service and always a smile. Mom and Dad's is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Open for dinner all other days, reservations are accepted, but rarely needed for an average-sized party.

VERY reasonable prices, a decent little wine list, plenty of parking. And, since Tallahassee's grown so much, Mom and Dad's is "close in". It's never moved, mind you... the city's just grown out towards it. When opened in 1963, it was in the "boonies", so to speak.

We try to hit Mom and Dad's every eight or ten months, just for old time's sake. Give it a try on your next trip to Tallytown.

Favorite Dish: The last time I was there, I went traditional...

A nice plate of spaghetti with homemade Bolognese sauce. Added a couple of giant and tasty meatballs, too.

I had the sweet spumoni for dessert.

Appetizers? Everyone else in my party did the crab-stuffed mushrooms. I went traditional and had the escargot in garlic butter. You know what?? I've eaten escargot all over the world, hundreds of times. In my opinion, Mom and Dad's has some of the best around.

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 850.877.4518
Address: 4175 Apalachee Parkway (US 27 south)
Directions: From the Florida capital building (Apalachee at Monroe), go south. Cross Magnolia (2 mi) and Capital Circle (6 mi). After another 3 miles or so, you'll see Mom and Dad's on the right.
Other Contact: CLOSED SUNDAYS & MONDAYS

Restaurant Name: La Rumba

Tallahassee has a large population of Mexican restaurants, and almost all of them are independents. For some reason, the chains (Don Pablo, El Chico, El Palacio, Cisco's Cafe, etc.) haven't survived here, although El Chico had a long run. One of our local Mexican places, Morelia's, is a bit more "upscale". But for the most part, the Tallahassee cadre of independent Mexican places are very similar to one another. Tasty food, huge portions, cheap prices.

That pretty much sums up La Rumba. (and as this tips reads on, you'll hear it called Los Compadres. Florida999 and I had a VT meeting here a couple of years ago, and in the time since, the restuarant has changed its name. But, it's all basically the same place) Los Compadres has a very extensive menu, filled with various combinations, especiales and such. All of the prices are VERY reasonable, especially the Monday-Saturday 11 am - 2 pm lunch menu.

Recently, VT member Florida999 and her family came to town. We all met for lunch at Los Compadres, and it was fine. Good service, plenty of room at our table, and a great pricing deal, too. (OK for me it was EXTRA great. Florida999 aka Silke paid for lunch for everyone, as an early birthday gift for me. Thanks, Silke, we'll return the favor someday). In one of the photos below, you can see my daughter Sara along with Florida999's kids Nona and Colin, in our "big party booth" at Los Compadres.

Bottom line is there is nothing REALLY special about Los Compadres. But, if you're in the area of one of their two locations and have a desire for a Mexican dinner, it's a good choice.

Favorite Dish: I love all kinds of Mexican food. On this visit, I enjoyed their lunch special chicken quesadillas. These Q's were a little fatter than ones I'd seen at other Mexican places...they had lots more MEAT. And my lunch order of Chicken Q's was only $5.95. Tossing in a nice Dos Equis beer and I was one happy gringo.

And, Wednesday nights are a big favorite with the college crowds. They charge something like $7.59 or so for "all you can eat" and you can pick from all sorts of Mexican goodies. And just to make sure that you have something to wet your whistle after all of that spicy food, margueritas are "two for one" priced as well.

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Theme: Mexican
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: 2690 N. Monroe Street OR 2102 W. Pensacola Street
Directions: Go south about one mile from the I-10/US27 N (Monroe Street) exit ON Monroe Street. La Rumba in a building on your right. Look for the colorful sign!