Tampa Buffet

When we eat out, I tend to choose the restaurant about 90% of the time since I’m pretty particular about where I eat.  But last night I gave Lance the choice of any restaurant he’d like, and he picked the Tampa Buffet. 

Maybe I’m a food snob, but a Chinese buffet wouldn’t normally be my top pick of restaurant if I was given free rein to choose.  But Lance was pretty excited to try it out. 

It’s located in Britton Plaza next to a Dollar Tree and Cici’s Pizza – not the most romantic of date spots.  The exterior is lit with eerie green fluorescent lighting, so I didn’t really have high expectations.  We walked in, and it actually had a nicer entrance than I was expecting with a waterfall and large fish tank.  But walking past that, it just looked like a standard cafeteria. 

I will say that it’s the widest selection I’ve ever seen at a buffet before – they had row after row of nearly every Asian dish you could imagine.  My plate ended up being filled with a half dozen types of chicken – including teriyaki, bourbon, sweet and sour & General Tso’s.  The chicken dishes were all pretty good – but I guess you can’t mess that up too much.  We also enjoyed the crab rangoons. 

However, I wasn’t impressed at all by the seafood selection.  The mussels looked amazing (some of the largest I’ve seen) but didn’t taste quite right.  And the sushi was bland and disappointing.  I guess I can’t expect gourmet sushi at an all-you-can-eat buffet though…

The other issue I had was the loud dance music coming from a private party in an adjoining room.  I don’t normally want to hear the Cha-Cha Slide while eating dinner.  

In general, it was a decent meal, but nothing memorable.  I think the problem I have with most buffets is they focus more on quantity than quality.  Of course, if you talk to Lance, his review would be a complete 180 from mine.  He loved his meal and would go back there again in a heartbeat. 

Tampa Buffet is located at 3904 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33611 and is open from 11am – 10pm Monday through Sunday (dinner buffet from 4 – 10pm).

Rosemary Garlic Salmon, Coconut Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potato Fries

We bought wild-caught salmon fillets from Trader Joe’s, so tonight we made Rosemary Garlic Salmon for dinner.  My rosemary plant on my porch has been growing like crazy – so I thought it would be perfect to incorporate into our meal.   

The fillets came frozen in vacuum-sealed bags, so this morning I put them in the refrigerator to defrost.  They were still slightly frozen when I got home from work, so I put the bags in a bowl of cool water to finish thawing them out.  Just a note, ours were a bit thinner than normal salmon fillets, so you may need to adjust your cooking time depending on the cut of your fish.  Also, we really enjoy garlic, so one clove was great for us, but if you aren't as much of a fan, you may want to reduce the garlic and make sure yours is very finely chopped.  

The recipe was incredibly easy and only has a few ingredients!

Rosemary Garlic Salmon (adapted from In Sock Monkey Slippers)

Ingredients:

·        2 medium sized salmon fillets (if frozen, thawed out completely).

·        1 fresh garlic clove, minced  

·        1  8” sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

·        1/8 tsp sea salt

·        1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Rub the salmon with the rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic.    

4. Roast in oven for 10 – 12 minutes until the salmon is flaky (adjust depending on the thickness of your fish, but do not overcook). 

We served the salmon with Coconut Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Fries (recipes below).  I’ve made this version of brussels sprouts several times now and love them.  If you don’t think you like this vegetable, give it a try this way and I’m sure you’ll change your mind.   

Coconut Brussels Sprouts (adapted from How Sweet Eats)

Ingredients:

·        1 lb brussels sprouts, stems removed and quartered

·        ¼ tsp sea salt

·        ¼ tsp black pepper

·        Pinch of nutmeg

·        1 ½ T coconut oil, melted

·        2 T cream of coconut

·        3 T shredded coconut, toasted

Directions:

1. Toss your quartered brussels sprouts in a bowl with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Drizzle with the melted coconut oil and toss. 

2. Put shredded coconut in the oven to toast – keep an eye on it while working on the other ingredients to make sure it doesn’t burn. 

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and once hot, add the brussels sprouts.  Cook 6-8 minutes until slightly charred. 

3. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cream of coconut and 2 T of the toasted coconut.    

3. Serve topped with the remaining toasted coconut. 

Baked Sweet Potato Fries (a mix of these three recipes: Spoon University, Women’s Health Magazine, and Damn Delicious)

Ingredients:

·        2 large sweet potatoes, peeled

·        2 T unsalted butter

·        2 T olive oil

·        1  6” sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

·        2 cloves garlic, minced

·        1 tsp sea salt

·        ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

·        ½ tsp smoked paprika

·        2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cut your peeled sweet potatoes into ¼” matchsticks.

3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat.  Stir in the rosemary and garlic. 

4. In a bowl, drizzle the butter mixture over the potatoes and toss with the salt, pepper, and paprika.

5. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and lightly grease to ensure the fries don’t stick. . 

3. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet in one flat layer so they don’t touch and bake in the upper part of the oven, turning every 10 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy, about 20 – 30 minutes. 

3. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.