Royal Palace Thai – Tampa, FL

 

The Royal Palace Thai is right down the street from where I grew up.  It is owned by the Damrongwatanasuk family – four sisters who were raised on authentic Thai cuisine in Thailand.  They’ve been in that location since 1999. 

 

When I was younger, I was told I could pick my choice of restaurant for my birthday dinners.  I definitely remember picking the Royal Palace Thai for a birthday or two.  I especially loved the chicken satay since it is served with a mini firepit to warm the skewers of meat. 

A few nights ago, I wanted to try out the new restaurant, Ava, with my cousin Jenn.  On our way there, we called to see what the wait was like, but found out they were booked for several more days (We’re actually trying Ava out tonight with my grandmother now that we got a reservation!)

Instead, Jenn and I headed to the Royal Palace Thai right down the street.  The parking can be a bit tight, so if you go with a group, try to carpool.  We were greeted and seated immediately.  

 

We split an appetizer of Asian Pork sliders (which are a fairly new addition to the menu).  They were amazing! I also ordered my usual satay (although I tried the beef this time) along with the Tom Khar Chicken soup.  Jenn had Chicken Pad Thai.

 

My satay was as good as always – the peanut dipping sauce is so good you’ll want to lick the bowl clean.  It also comes with a small cucumber salad that is light and refreshing. 

 

 

The soup was perfect for the slightly chilly evening – it is a combination of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, mushrooms, onions, and lime juice.  Next time I’m sick (which will hopefully be awhile from now), I want a bowl of this. 

Jenn enjoyed her pad thai as well – she got it with a number 0 spice level.  Just a warning, even a 1 spice will have a bit of kick to it, so if you aren’t a fan of spicy food, stay away from the higher numbers.

This is by far my favorite Thai restaurant.  If you haven’t been, I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. 

 

Royal Palace Thai is located at 811 South Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606 and is open Tuesday through Sunday 11:30am – 2:30pm and 4:30pm – 10pm.  They are closed on Mondays. 

Fly Bar & Restaurant - Tampa, FL

Last night we headed to Fly Bar to celebrate our friend Katie’s birthday.  That was actually one of the first restaurants I reviewed on my blog back in June (you can see the post here). 

We had a large group, so we sat outside and pulled 4 tables together.  We had originally planned to eat on their rooftop bar, but it is apparently not open on Sunday nights. 

 

Fly Bar has some really great cocktail options.  This time I tried the Hella Radler – with vodka, cappeletti, lime, and grapefruit beer.  I love anything citrusy, so of course I enjoyed it.  I think I still like the Bees Knees that I’ve had there more though. 

 

For dinner we ordered the Truffled Mac & Cheese, Jerk Braised Oxtail, and Beef Sliders. 

It definitely isn’t your everyday mac & cheese dish – they use smoked gouda and truffle oil, then top it with fresh herbs. 

 

The oxtail had nice flavor – it was served with a curry sauce and some greens.  But it was actually a very small portion - the meat was mostly hidden underneath the yucca fries. 

 

We loved the sliders.  They were topped with white cheddar, sautéed mushrooms, and caramelized onions. The ketchup actually had a bit of spiciness. 

 

We had a Restaurant.com gift card to use – I got it over a year ago, but it had a lot of restrictions, so I haven’t been able to use it until now.  It wasn’t valid on Fridays or Saturdays, and it was only valid for food purchases over $35 (last time we went in June we spent over $35, but that was only when we included our drink purchases, so we couldn’t redeem it).  I think it’s better to use Creative Loafing deals instead. 

I’ve always been very satisfied with Fly Bar and last night was no exception.  If you haven’t been there yet, go check it out!

Fly Bar is located at 1202 N. Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602 and open from 4pm - 3am Monday through Sunday.

Spinach Meatball Sliders

This was a super easy meal – the crock pot did most of the work.  It makes more meatballs than will fit on the sliders, but the leftovers can be combined with pasta or eaten on their own. 

Spinach Meatball Sliders

Ingredients:

• 1-26 oz bag frozen pre-cooked meatballs
• 2 cups Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (I actually used a mix of cheddar, fresh mozzarella, and shredded mozarella)
• Grated parmesan cheese
• 9 Hawaiian bread rolls
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

1. Combine the meatballs, pasta sauce, tomatoes, garlic, spinach, and dashes of salt and pepper in a crock pot and stir to combine.  Cook on high for 3 hours. 

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Slice Hawaiian rolls almost in half, leaving the top still attached.  Top with mozzarella, then with meatballs and sauce from crock pot. 

3. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread becomes toasty. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and then put tops back on sandwiches.