Osaka and The Doughnut Hole, Destin, Florida

I'll give you two in one: Osaka and The Doughnut Hole.  I've been to Osaka many times.  Osaka is an outstanding Japanese restaurant on the Emerald Coast.  It has both a hibachi and a sushi area.  We ate in the sushi area on this visit.  Even if you don't like sushi, Osaka has Japanese food you will like.  Everything I've had there has been excellent and authentic.

Almost everyone drank hot saki, and we all reported that it was pleasant.  About half had sushi and half had a hot meal.  One of our group ordered the beef curry and reported that it was excellent.  Another ate the beef terriaki and gave that a thumbs up. 

I had the Chirashi sushi.  I've had it before, and it is consistently the best Chirashi I've had on the east coast.  A Chirashi is shashimi (raw fish) and other sushi toppings served over sushi rice.  Actually, the rice is the sushi.  The stuff on top is the topping on the sushi rice.  This Chirashi has always been excellent.  I've never been disappointed.  The prices at Osaka are at the higher end, but everything on this side of the bridges is more costly.

Visit Osaka, you will enjoy it.

For breakfast, we went to The Doughnut Hole.  This place was packed on the weekend.  It was packed this morning (Monday).  It is small but wonderfully decorated with real wood everywhere.  The coffee is freshly ground and excellent.  I had a doughnut and coffee.  Everyone else, except Bun had a real breakfast.  When I say a real breakfast, I mean a real breakfast.  Even the diet plate was heaped full.  Here is a photo proof of what a "real" breakfast pastry looks like.

The photo is Bun and the Apple Fritter, or Bun and the Very Large Bun.  My doughnut wasn't this large.  Still for a hearty breakfast, check out The Doughnut Hole.

Hog Heaven, Shalamar, Florida

Okay guys if you are looking for an unbelievable amount of food for a lunch time price, you have to visit Hog Heaven in Shalamar, Florida.  This is a barbecue joint of unparalleled quality.  It has character and the food there is of a superior character.  Now, I have to warn you, this is man food.  If your sweet love doesn't mind man food in a man food joint, go for it, but otherwise...don't take them along.

We ordered the onion rings and the jalapeno poppers.  The onion rings were the size of Phillis Diller's bracelets.  A country girl might even use them for bracelets.  There were enough to feed all five at our table and each one was like eating a whole onion.  The were perfectly fried and excellent man food.  The jalapeno poppers were filled with some kind of good gooey stuff.  The point of identification isn't important, the taste is--they tasted great and were hot (fire and spice).

I had the pulled pork sandwich.  It was "can't put down food."  That is, it was so packed that once I got it together, I was afraid to put it back down, because I wouldn't have been able to get my hands around it again.  Definitely man food.  I had the fried okra with it.  The made it a side for me.  It was about the best restaurant okra you are going to get.  I was pleased all the way around. 

I need to mention the sweet tea--perfect sweetness and lots of it flowing.  Your kidneys will be happy.

I'm going to feature my buddy's lunch too.  Here's a picture of the Home Wrecker Dog:

The dawg is 12 inches long.  We aren't sure why it's called a home wrecker:  the gas production, the comparisons, the man food?  We aren't certain, but it's gooood.  And this is a real representative of Hog Heaven at the extreme.

Aegean Restaurant Miramar Beach Florida

Now we are talking.  At the Aegean in Miramar Beach, Florida.   Back to my stomping grounds and a restaurant I haven't visited before.  This place is really good.  We ordered a couple of bottles of inexpensive Greek wine.  There were four on the "by the glass" menu.  The Greek house wine was very nice, very fruity, and very Greek.  It was like a taste of the country.

The food was likewise very good to excellent.  I had the special, Lamb Souvlaki.  It came on rice with spiced yogurt and flat bread.  An Americanized-Greek salad was included in the meal.  The lamb was tender, cooked exactly the way I like it, and especially tasty.  It was the best quality lamb I've had in a long time.  The other parts of the meal were fresh and properly spiced.  I was impressed and highly recommend the Aegean.  For a tourist area, the prices were excellent and the service was good.

Yamoto Fort Walton Beach

I'm going to lose track of all the places I've been eating, but I'll try to keep up and keep you apprised.  I've been going to Yamoto for 15 years or so.  It is a Sushi and Hibachi Japanese style restaurant on the Eglin Parkway in Fort Walton Beach.  The sushi is the best, but you won't go wrong with the Hibachi.  The prices are home town and not vacation subscription.

We ate at the Hibachi and had a great chef.  I had the Hibachi steak and a spicy tuna hand roll.  The Hibachi was less than $20 and the food was overwhelming.  It was good quality.  The spicy tuna hand roll was perfect with firm fresh tuna and a nice spicy sauce.  I want another one right now--that's how good it was.  I think I'll go for the sushi next time and tempura to check that out.

No one had a bad meal and the company was pleasant.  Even better, Yamotos is really trying hard to create some atmosphere, all their waitresses wore Yukatas with sashes--kind of fake Kimonos, but most Americas won't notice the difference.  The effect was nice.  Yamotos is a great restaurant.

Arnold Palmer's in Palm Desert

Still reminiscing about my trip.  We went to Arnold Palmer's for dinner on our last night.  The atmosphere was upscale and pleasant.  The walls are covered with pictures of Arnold Palmer and his greatest moments.  My BiL is a real golfer, so he knows all the stories and was a wealth of information about Arnold.  The bathroom has a score card of Arnold's best game ever.  It's golf stuff. 

Still, if you don't like golf, the food is great.  The wine menu is adequate and the wines are good with a great variety.  I had a Brut split with my appetizer.  The split wasn't that bad, but it wasn't as good as the split I can get back in Wichita at WCC or the Candle Club.

I had a bowl of crab bisque for an appetizer.  The bisque was great, but the crab was sparse.  I can get a great bisque anywhere, but one with sufficient meat is rare.  Enough said.

I had the lamb chops as an entree.  They were excellent, but only two and the plate was bare.  I also shared a plate of mashed potatoes.  They were very good, but mashed potatoes are mashed potatoes.  If you mess them up, you are an idiot.

So, I liked Arnold Palmer's.  I'll go again, but they aren't that special.  The meats are well prepared and properly prepared, but don't expect anything special or unusual.

Tommy Bahama's Palm Desert

Okay, we like Tommy Bahama's for the cocktails, but the food is great too.  It's not as great as it once was, but it is still very good.  When we are in Destin, FL, we always go to Tommy Bahama's.  When we went to Palm Desert, CA, we had to try it out.  We liked the cocktails--we went twice. 

On the first occasion, I had a coconut cocktail thing that was delicious.  I also had a Vodka martini and that was great too.  I ate the 20oz. Porterhouse.  I know, I should have had seafood, but I'm just jaundiced toward sushi.  The Porterhouse was excellent.  I didn't take any home for lunch.  I can't remember what the regular copilot or the others had, but I do know, I'll go back.  Tommy Bahama's is a consistently great restaurant.  It isn't the top of the line, but it isn't average.  It is really great food in a really great atmosphere.  Did I say there was live music.  Always live music at Tommy Bahama's. 

The second occasion, we went after eating dinner at Arnold Palmer's.  I'll write about that experience later.  I had a BBC--very nice and rich drink.  The regular copilot had a Lemon Drop martini.  I was good for her.  Someone had the Key Lime pie.  I was happy with the drinks.  Go to Tommy Bahama's, it's a great and fun place--you can't go wrong.  

Castelli's Palm Desert

Still in Palm Desert -- actually, I'm back and reminiscing.  We visited Castelli's Italian Restaurant in Palm Desert, CA.  This is a fantastic restaurant.  The service is personable, the wine list is extensive, and the food is wonderful.

Since we had been overextending with appetizers, we went for the entrees early.  I wish I'd tried one, but when you are eating out all the time, you don't want to ruin the meal with too much.  I had the Godfather's Dinner: PRANZO DEL PADRINO.  Described as "The Best of 3 Worlds! Tenderloin Beef Spiedini, Shrimp Scampi and Vitello alla Piccatina."  Hey, this really was the best of the three.  This way I could try a selection of their Italian fare.  It was a great choice.  The meal comes with a pasta dish.  The basic pasta offered was with a marina sauce.  I chose the Fettuccine Alfredo.  It's supposed to be their signature pasta. 

The Fettuccine Alfredo was stupendous.  I'm a fan of white sauce (Northern Italian cuisine) and this was excellent.  The pasta was homemade and the sauce tasted very rich and buttery--perfect.  The focus of the restaurant was more Southern Italian, but I was pleased with the choices and the meal.

The presentation of the meal was excellent.  The three meats were placed artfully on the plate.  The scampi was like a lobster and very good.  The veal was slightly over spiced, but authentic.  The tenderloin was cooked properly and a great cut.  I took the leftovers back for lunch and a very pleasant lunch it was.  I can't remember what everyone else ate, but I was very pleased with my meal.

We ordered a bottle of their house Italian Chianti--it was a great choice.  We also had the after dinner Cappuccino Roma.  It was pleasant, but I liked the dinner best.

I was also pleased with the service.  You can't go wrong at Castelli's--I want to go again.

Armando's Mexican Restaurant in Palm Desert

I'm still in Palm Desert, California.  You'll find Armando's Bar and Grill on El Paseo in Palm Desert--that's the main drag.  Just taking a leisurely stroll down the street is a great pastime.  You'll find every store imaginable--prices, that's something else. 

But when you are ready to eat, try Armando's.  You'll save bucks and have a great meal.  The Margaritas were recommended to us.  There is a house limit of three.  The reason is they are the strongest Margaritas I've ever tasted.  You won't find many other Margaritas more powerful unless they just add tequila to the ice.  They were everything they were described to be.  You need to try them.

The menu is classic and the food excellent.  There are all your favorites and some Mexico City norms.  The TexMex usual is all there, but the quality is excellent and the amounts are uncommonly large.  We had a concaso appetizer that was filled with sausage and cheese.  It was a meal in itself.  The regular copilot had a shrimp cocktail that was more akin to a ceviche with shrimp and tomato sauce.  It was equally excellent. 

The ladies ordered fish tacos and the gentlemen chimichangas.  Half of a chimichanga was plenty--they were completely filled with shredded beef and chicken.  We had enough for two lunches.

If you want a great TexMex meal with excellent service and at a reasonable price, you should visit Armando's.  You won't be disappointed.

Grill-a-Burger Palm Desert California

I'm reporting from Palm Desert, California on a trip for fun and golfing.  I flew my aircraft out to Scottsdale on Sunday, then to Palm Desert on Monday.  You should be able to see the updates on the flights at www.ldalford.com after I get back.

We went to a great Italian restaurant in Scottsdale, but I couldn't appreciate it--the golf course drink lady made WCC H2Os that were more like triples.  Holy smoke.  I was trying out some new golf clubs--they help, but not really enough.

The first night in Palm Desert, we went to Grill-a Burger in the Plaza de Monterey.  Okay, if like hamburgers, this is the place for you.  I'm not an especial fan, but if it has avocado on it, I can't help myself.  This place has a Holy Moly! burger with guaca that is awesome.  I also ordered sweet potato fries and avocado fries for the table.  I've never had avocado fries--they were great.

Our waiter was great.  Our food was great.  I recommend Grill-a-Burger just for the fun menu and the place.  It's a hole in the wall.  By the way, the hamburgers are large.  The regular copilot split hers with our other lady traveler--good choice.