Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen, Altamonte Springs, FL

While we are seasoned Tibby's vets, this was our first trip to their new location in Altamonte Springs. It seems roomier than the original Tibby's in Winter Park, but still pretty crowded, with lots of tables crammed together. 

All in all, the service was not great, and the food was good. I guess. Not my favorite trip to Tibby's ever, but hopefully they'll work out the kinks so we don't have to drive across town. 

Here's the dining room:

The half muffuletta, and seafood gumbo. 

We also had some bread pudding which was good, but a little dry. 

Homemade: Crockpot Lechon (Cuban Pork)

After our fabulous experience at Padrino's, I decided to make Lechon (Cuban pork) for dinner the next night. I found this recipe on Pinterest for Crock Pot Lechon http://pinterest.com/pin/232287293253823958/ 

I put it in the crockpot early in the morning and let it cook on low all day- for about ten hours

When it's done, you can pull it apart with a fork! You barely have to touch it- just shake it!

Here's the sauce, which tasted exactly like the restaurant's. Mostly just minced onions, garlic, salt, and heated canola oil that you pour over the veggies and cook in the bowl. 

We had leftover plantain chips from the restaurant the day before, so I heated those up in the oven.

And here's the finished product, served with salad & watermelon, and a Presidente for good measure!

Padrino's Cuban Restaurant: Orlando, FL

The best Cuban food I've had in Orlando was today from Padrino's in Hunter's Creek (South Orlando). Go here. Do it now. 

Your meal will start like this- complimentary plantain chips with some super tasty mojo dipping sauce

 We ordered Croquetas de Jamon for a starter- they were maybe the best I'd ever had. The dipping sauce was tasty too. 

My lunch was a Cuban Sandwich with maduros (sweet plantains). One of the best Cuban sandwiches I've ever had, by a long shot! The bread was flaky, crisp and buttery, and not to hard or dry. The meat was delicious! I saved half for lunch for the next day (mostly so we could try some dessert). Side note- it was equally good for lunch the next day. 

Flan for dessert! This was some amazing flan- soft, rich and creamy. There was none left for lunch dessert the next day.  We will be making a return trip to Padrino's for sure!

Five Forks: Rockford, IL

We found Five Forks on Yelp while looking for something to eat in Rockford, IL. Five Forks is a tapas-style wine bar & restaurant, although don’t let their designation lead you to believe it’s in any way Spanish- small plates is all. 

We ate:

-Bacon wrapped figs with almonds and honey

-Braised lamb with cilantro polenta

-Trio of beef

-Capital Blonde Doppelbock beer (WI)

-Creme Brulee with fresh berries

The food was tasty, and the service was great. Servers come around with a basket of fresh bread to choose from, with a variety of different flavors including rosemary potato, parmesan, and multigrain. Along with some dipping oil (seasoning was okay- had better). 

Grandma's Bakery: White Bear Lake, MN

We went to Grandma’s with my Uncle Rick for some breakfast before hitting the road back to Illinois. 

We had:

-Grandma’s coffee blend

-Lemon doughnut

-Maple and bacon long john 

Mmm...these were delicious doughnuts! I had the lemon, which was filled with a tasty lemon jelly and topped with lemon icing. It was a good combination of sweet and tangy, but not too sweet. Karl had the bacon topped maple long john- an interesting combination of sweet and savory. 

I didn’t try the White Bear cookie, but it’s certainly adorable!

Lindey's Steakhouse: Minneapolis, MN

Lindey’s doesn’t win the decor award, but it is certainly delicious! The lunch menu consists of four items, one of which was this delicious steak sandwich, as recommended by my uncle. Apparently the dinner menu is equally short. The restaurant has large signs on stands with their four dinner items that they simply place in front of the table instead of passing out menus. 

I had: 

-Steak Sandwich with grilled mushrooms

-Chips

Mickey's Diner: St. Paul, MN

Mickey’s Diner is a St. Paul institution. Apparently Mickey's is famous for their 30 minute limit on taking up space in the dining room, but the small crowds the day after the holiday made the notoriously rude waitresses pretty friendly. 

We had: 

-Fry two combo (eggs over medium, bacon, and wheat toast)

-Pancakes, eggs & sausage

If you don’t mind some serious butter (on it, fried in it), this was a delicious breakfast!