😃 MY SHORT SHOPPING LIST
I KNEW YOU WOULD ASK
BACK WHEN — I spent my college class time off making money ( credits were expensive then, $8.00 per credit) working in restaurants and learned more about people then food. But I did mange to pick up the skills and managed to manage a place till I graduated.
The culinary skills from various ethnicies, learning hands on and thus I do not have to eat out a lot because I can make the same thing just as quick and I enjoy it. No question about the quality or service as many operations today like 78% of restaurants nationwide can’t get enough good help to stay.
These are places I shop frequently for food or to dine, some for decades, and I recommend them because of their simplicity, fair pricing , consistency, cleanliness and fresh choice food selection or talent behind the sous pan or griller. This is doubly important especially during COVID-19 shelter in place. Just good common sense
Addresses for these places in or near Largo Florida are under the Tampa Food Scene. And they are all reasonable and clean. None of these eating places are high priced, and the quality of the food and service is excellent. They all survived COVID as they had well established take out-curb delivery - masked employees — who got paid — smart move by the owners who held onto the good people —
In addition, few or no repeated notations with Kitchen police or fined violations I have seen. And if I did see a violation , it was cleaned in a day. These are the few I will eat out at because I know things are right. The little Chefs denote you will see the owner there and running things right.
THE REASONABLY WAY TO GO
ONLY TWO ARE FAST FOOD
😃🧑🏼🍳 🍔🍟 Fast Food Hamburgers — CULVERS — My Culvers on East Bay, and the one on Gulf to Bay were the cleanest, quietest, best burger foods with very high standards. Good service, nice people consistent, all cooked to order, no microwave, no day old burgers, no loud screaming rock music, like at the overpriced Five guys, no cold burgers like at Burger King, No Mickey Mouse food at McDonalds and decent pricing. Look for Culver coupons with two Butter Burgers for 8.00 dollars.
😃🧑🏼🍳 🍗 Fast food Chicken — Chick-fil-A — Chick-fil-A is one of the largest American fast food restaurant chains and the largest specializing in chicken sandwiches. The company is headquartered in College Park, Georgia. Chick-fil-A operates 2,836 restaurants, primarily in the United States. There is no question about this franchise it is always in the top position of franchise’s for cleanliness, service, staff , quality and great Chicken products.
😃 🧑🏼🍳🧑🏼🍳 🧑🏼🍳🧑🏼🍳 🥢🥡Chinese Food — ZOM HEE — SEMINOLE PARK BLVD — Three Generations ( More than 35 years) It is not a Buffet. I have been eating at Kens Zom Hee for decades and it is the most consistent place I know of for good food, giant portions, fresh quality, cooked to order and great servers and when busy three generations are working there. During Covid, and before, I do not eat at fake Chinese buffets. If they don’t do volume, you are going to get “ Old food”. Just tell the owner Al sent you in, his name is Kenny — and it’s a family affair.
😃 🧑🏼🍳👩🏼🍳 🍕🍝 Best Italian Food & Pizza — COUNTRY VILLAGE INN LARGO — Best Pizza and full Italian Menu from the past 17 years. The owners are from Greece to Italy to New York and now Pinellas County over two generations. Best moderately priced Italian store in town, It is all real here and cooked to order. On the south frontage road on US 19 next to Nissan, Porsche, and Audi —
I have frequent flyer miles here and we eat there about four - five or six times a month. Their reputation keeps it busy. And possibly some of the best Pizza in town and my Pizza judge (she’s a Pizza addict) won’t go elsewhere, my favorite are the Ham and Pineapple, and the Vegetarian. But I'm more of a Linguini - Fettuccini guy with sausage, or meatballs, nice fresh salad, homemade bread all included.
😃 🧑🏼🍳 🥚🥓 Best Damn Breakfast Close By -- SUZI’S ON EAST BAY DRIVE — Near Lake — A great little joint that only does breakfast and lunch 6: AM-2:PM. All the favorites, huge menu and they have great Biscuits and Gravy which is a favorite of mine.
Best thing is they are a pair of serious three wood shots from my Golf Condo for a pro. If I tried it, would need the whole bag of clubs and an overnight tent. I walk or ride my bike there, Cooked to order and busy, they have a strong local following, lots of hard working guys who start their day off with a real meal and lots of lazy people who love food and hate cooking. Go there three times and become a regular, and you’ll meet a great crowd of people, and friendly.
😃 🧑🏼🍳 🥩 Steak And Meat Dinner Sit-Down — LONGHORN'S At US 19 and East Bay ( 23 Years) I am on a low meat regimen but when time comes for a steak, I just go to this particular Longhorns, it’s franchised and corporate but with an incredible staff it doesn’t seem that way.
Great management, low turnover and a senior cook who have been there 24 years. Medium priced and I never had a bad meal. Great team and management, great service and food.
😃 🛒 🛒 🛒 Steak - Meats - Chicken — Delicacies For Home — Costco Has Real Quality in Meats and Chicken Products Meat, Slightly Higher In Price — But Quality, top ranked, fresh, and the butcher shop is totally visible and spotless. The store is busy, quality items and item from other countries you do not see in the standard groceries. Add variety and unique items in bulk for savings —
Rotisserie Chicken — Costco Best Chicken Period! They won the rotisserie shootout and blew everyone out of the water. Their Chicken is excellent, and Hotdogs are customer give aways and delicious. Full COVID regulations enforced and promoted. The real reason is Costco owns their own chicken Farms and raises proper chickens, other buy from Tyson and three other wholesalers.
Warehouse Grocery — Costco ** Higher level of Quality in stock and prepared items then Sam’s, who is Wal-Mart. Also a very different clientele, prices are higher in Costco but the quality of the food, diversity and staffing is on a higher level. It’s almost a different market from sam’s when i shop there — when I shop.
😃 🛒 International Grocery — World Food Products By Amazon — Since like to cook in different venues and styles or ethnicities , some places are unique and the Amazon hands on, we got it, approach is apparent are all over this place — Its an adventure in food shopping and the place is organic, slightly higher in price but you know what you are getting. I could easily spend a day there. But the quality, quantity, staff and amviounce and
😃 🛒🛒 Commercial Grocery — Gordon Food Services (Clearwater) ** With them for years, great vendor, we use them for all our charitable events and when we need bulk items. Great staff and the best sliced meats cut to order. Buy a half a cooked ham and have them slice it, the best ham I ever ate. Sandwich width and have a party. Also they have the best selection of prepared foods in tray you just heat up and serves six to ten, their Brand Lasagnas are great ( three kinds) and stuffed peppers, Macaroni, Pulled pork, all the work is done, have a party.
😃 🧇 Best Waffles And Pancakes In a Chain — Still I-Hop After 40 Years, and now they are having specials, always cooked to order and fresh. Stores are clean and many retained their help during our crisis. Most of our local family eateries can do pancakes, and I like the fact I-Hop, especially with kids, it has variety.
😃 🛒 Best Grocery Chain — Publix — Love Their Multi-Grain Breads, and BOGOS, the store is immaculate, clean and fresh My preferred store is located at ** LARGO MALL** Super Publix is 93,000 square feet and well managed, best produce, good management and an incredible friendly staff and complete with a Starbucks, and a Pharmacy of super nice and knowledgeable people, Ashley, Penny, Diane, and Norman and now Alex —
They are not the economy grocery store but they don’t sell economy brands which I have found at ALDI and Winn Dixie here in the South. both of whom sell terrible meat products — Publix has no bulk facilities so I use them for small items because of selection — I shop for groceries that are bulk items, at Costco, GFS and in from their warehouse, Publix is offering Moderna COVID-19 Shots, a well run organization. We should see MonkeyPox shots offered soon free with a purchase of Five Pounds of Bananas.