Sinister Past. Delightful Present.

Behind every building there is a story. This applies to restaurants as well. Some are interesting, some are boring, and some even enhance the experience of the location. Susan’s Courtside Café’s story contradicts the overall look and feel of the location. The restaurant is nicely nuzzled inside the small downtown side of Kissimmee that is actually well-maintained. Located next to the town’s courthouse, this restaurant despite the reputation can be quite busy quite quickly. Or so I’ve heard. But, there’s some darkness within as well. Susan’s Courtside Café is famous and infamous; one for its food and the other for its unexpected surprises.


They say the place is haunted with a few ghosts here and there that sometimes throw things, sometimes hide things, and sometimes make some bizarre noises. Or so I’ve heard. The story setting the haunts is so gruesome, so disturbing, that you have to be told privately the details to not gross out anybody around you. All I know is that it involved a husband and wife, and it involves a murder-suicide. That is all I shall tell you. Ever since though, there have been stories, and there have been sightings. However, you won’t feel any of this because by day, this place is gorgeous. Inside and outside.




One of the better indoor décor settings I’ve ever seen, the place has a very home-like setting, with a fireplace, funky tables here and there, a few newspapers scattered about, and even an outdoor patio in case you want some fresh air. The menu is very simple, consisting of a small breakfast, plenty of sandwiches, pizza, different coffees, and a few miscellaneous drinks and snacks. I heard their pizza is amazing as well as their sandwiches, so I decided to go with both. Regular cheese pizza, a tuna salad melt, and some lemonade. Josh went with a hot Italian beef sandwich, and some lemonade.


The lemonade was the big hit of the lunch. It was pleasant, had that great homemade flavor and the free refills was an added plus. There are not enough places in the world that put effort on lemonade, so it’s nice to see Susan’s Courtside Café go beyond the norm. I am pretty sure I went through 4-5 glasses of the awesomeness. It wasn’t too sour, and wasn’t too sugary. Josh and I agree, this is some of the best lemonade in Florida. Their coffee is also notoriously great, but since neither of us drink coffee, we didn’t try it.




My tuna melt came without lettuce, tomato, and onion, which usually comes with the sandwich. Because of a mix-up, I didn’t get the lettuce, but that’s fine because the sandwich was still quite good. The recurring theme to this place is fresh food: and it shows with the bread. The bread held together the sandwich perfectly by tasting very fresh, actually maintaining the hot temperature of the tuna up to the very last bite. It’s definitely a sandwich I would order again in a future visit. The pizza is their most expensive item, but at $8, you get a fresh personal pizza that doesn’t try too hard to overwhelm, but is tasty enough to get your attention. All their food is perfect for a long day at court, none of them are too heavy, nor are they too light.



Josh’s roast beef sandwich looked good as well, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. He mentioned the freshness of the meat, the light spice kick, and the quality bread. His sandwich came with a dip, which was unnecessary but was also good. My side of cottage cheese was surprisingly good, as they took a random side item and infused some effort, freshness, and quality. That little cup of cottage cheese would make Richard Nixon quite proud (If you don’t know why, then brush up your random American history).




Bottom Line: Susan’s Courtside Café has the Dr. Red Lobster and Mr. Wendys syndrome, as it’s a great restaurant by day and quite a haunted spot by night. This restaurant is one of the better dining experiences in all of Kissimmee with its entourage of fresh food and incredible setting. But, the place holds a dark secret, so I can’t guarantee that your visit will be haunt-free. The mix of peace and harmony with a grim past that sometimes fiddles with the area is unlike that of any restaurant I’ve visited. If you are in the area however, I really recommend this spot because it has great food, great atmosphere, great service, great prices, and the nice old-school Florida feeling that just doesn’t occur enough in the Sunshine State. Enjoy….if you dare.

Final Verdict: Recommend

Susan's Courtside Cafe
18 South Orlando Avenue
Kissimmee, FL 34741-5674
(407) 518-1150

Big Apple-Style Pizza in the Orange State

My thirst, desire, lust (exaggeration much?) for New York pizza has existed ever since the last time I left the beautiful city way back in August of 2009. Now, don’t let the places around Florida fool you; they are not even close to New York-style pizza as they supposedly claim. A good New York pizza has to have a thick crust, has to be consisting of big slices, and the toppings can never fall off the pie under any circumstances. Floridian Yorker pizza rarely ever meets any of these circumstances, which leads to disappointing results. As of now, the closest to New York pizza I’ve experienced comes from the Little Caesars in the Hunter’s Creek area---and they don’t even try!

And then came this place. A N.Y. Pizza House is the closest to New York-style pizza I’ve ever experienced, and this also comes with great close proximity to the beach and wonderful service---as well as one of the best and most creative calzones I’ve ever eaten. Serving tourists and locals for over 10 years, N.Y. Pizza House has been hailed for having among the best pizza in the Cocoa area. This was recommended to me by a local, who mentioned that they have a massive pizza the size of a table. The Mackin’ Slice is their most popular item, which is a slice of their overly massive 26-inch pizza pie.

On the beachline, it’s quite easy to find. Right after the Ron Jon Surf Shop it’s located on the right side of the road. Inside is a massive kitchen on the left side, and a series of tables on the right. We were so hungry that we ordered a bit much by the time the bill arrived. I ordered the bruschetta, some garlic rolls, and the 26-inch pizza. Michael saw something that just sounded too awesome to skip: shrimp scampi calzone. This is your usual calzone stuffed with shrimp in addition to mozzarella and ricotta cheese.


Bruschetta was a nice blend of cheese, spices, and parsley. While this appetizer wasn’t that big to share, the little we had was quite good. The garlic rolls tasted just like New York, but it’s definitely an acquired taste. Not everyone will enjoy its heavy garlic taste and smell. I recommend a pack of tic-tacs along with this bread. And then came the calzone. My oh my did that calzone arrive. This calzone looked huge, and was longer than the plate. It was several inches tall, and smelled delicious. But the true beauty came after the first cut. The moment we cut open the calzone, shrimp and cheese started pouring out like a fountain of cuisine beauty.







We drooled relentlessly from the first cut to when everyone got their share of the calzone. This is hands-down the best calzone I’ve had that isn’t Satchel’s Pizza---but it’s a very close second place. The shrimp was thick and full of garlicy cheesy flavor. Unlike most calzones, this one did not cut back on the cheeses, and did not cut back on all the extra goodies. It was as if a nice calzone had been punched in the face by Florida seafood. The only way this calzone would have been perfected was if the crust had been enhanced. But this is not a complaint in the least bit. This helped the wait for the pizza, which was running a bit long (understandably).







The 26 inches of pure heaven arrived. This pizza was big enough to look intimidating, but also looked great enough to finish despite the consequences. It also looked like it could kill if you were to drop it on someone. It was $19, and its a couple extra bucks per added topping. It was worth every single penny from the first bite to the last. This pizza was big, was thick, and nearly was able to keep all the toppings intact. Now remember that because of the water and different levels of atmosphere, duplicating New York pizza is impossible. But being halfway is more than good enough—which is exactly what this place accomplished.



Just one slice can fill you up. Two slices and you are dropping an anchor in your stomach. But one slice just isn’t enough, especially when it’s good pizza. None of the ingredients overpowered the others, as it was the right mix of cheese, marinara, pepperoni, and bacon. In the New York pizza scale, this place ranks a North Jersey, and that’s damn close. The pizza is more expensive than your average pie, but that’s justified with size, flavor, and pure accuracy with its New York name.


Bottom Line: A N.Y. Pizza House as of now is as close to New York pizza as you’ll ever get…..well, in Florida anyway. The pizza is fantastic, easily among the top 3 pizzas I’ve had in Florida since I started this blog. The calzone however nearly stole the show by offering a fantastic mix of seafood and Italian. All the food here was fresh, hot, and was full of unbelievable flavor. I truly felt like I was back in Manhattan for those few moments I was eating lunch. As long as you are a fan of good pasta, you must come try the food here. And don’t you dare wuss out on the 26-inch behemoth that is their specialty item.

Thank me later.


Final Verdict: Highly Recommend

A N.Y. Pizza House
3850 N Atlantic Ave
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931-3529
(321) 868-7177

Old-school Ice Cream Heaven

Ice cream. It can probably save lives. Can most likely end wars. And can most definitely save any bad day. So unless you have the worst luck in the universe, if you open an ice cream joint, it will most likely become a success. All you need is the right location. Ice cream makes the world go round. That being said, there aren’t that many remaining old-school ice cream joints around. They have been mostly replaced by franchises and much larger restaurants that just happen to serve ice cream. Once in a while though, you’ll find your success stories. Dairy Kurl in Clearwater happens to be one of these stories.

This spot has been around since the 1950s, and has survived hurricanes, tough economic moments, the shift of activity into the beach area, and ninjas. One of those was a lie. Anywho, this spot has survived all this not because of presentation, because it has looked relatively the same since the 50s, but because of its quality ice cream and its very family-friendly persona. The building isn’t big, there are a couple benches, and the menu is mostly hand-drawn, giving it a nice personal touch. The menu has the same items as your usual ice cream parlor, but there’s something magical about their ice cream that makes it stand out in the frozen treat crowd.




Let’s start with their peanut butter malt, which was recommended online by another reader. It was a heavy punch of peanut butter and ice cream that satisfies the soul because of its richness and thickness. Trust me; you can smell it from half a mile away. Their milkshakes contain similar thick textures and definitely have the same amount of quality flavor.



Now, the most popular item in Dairy Kurl remains their best dessert within the past two decades at least: the vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate. Now, most times the chocolate coating is light, crunchy in texture, and is a mere topping on the ice cream. With Dairy Kurl, it becomes an adventure getting to the vanilla ice cream with the chocolate coating engulfing it. Now, ordering it in a cone becomes a delicious hassle, as the chocolate melts the vanilla much quicker, leading to messy delicious hands. So what I do is order my ice cream in a cup, which results in more chocolate, and more mayhem.

The mayhem includes sometimes folding the cup in order to crack the chocolate in the base of the cup. While this sounds like a negative, it’s definitely a positive because the chocolate coating is extremely thick, extremely rich, and just oh so magnificent. It compliments the creamy vanilla ice cream so well; you reach a temporary nirvana. Not sure what they do differently, but their ice cream just tastes better than most ice cream out there. And I am including the better chains like Ben and Jerrys and Dairy Queen.

Bottom Line: Yes, an entire review to a small ice cream place that serves nothing but desserts in the middle of Clearwater. But guess what, this place is special, and has been a staple in the Tampa Bay area for quite some time. If you are going to the beach around here, you must make a pit stop here. Nothing can complete a good day in Clearwater Beach without a good cup of spectacular ice cream coming from a small little institution that has been through it all. Dairy Kurl isn’t just an ice cream parlor; it’s a delicious piece of Tampa Bay history that ages like fine wine.

Verdict: Strongly Recommend

Dairy Kurl
1555 Gulf to Bay Boulevard
Clearwater, FL 33755-6316

Like an Expensive Vacation: Glorious Now, Hurts Wallet Later

Several years ago I had gone on a Lone Cowboy trip to New York City, when I came across a restaurant. Outside their sign boasted that they are voted one of the 10 best steakhouses in the entire country. They were #6. I thought that was extremely impressive, but I was shocked that which spot was #1. Apparently, all this time, Orlando had the top steakhouse in the country and I had never been there. Charley’s Steakhouse is part of a fancy chain of restaurants in Florida that has been met with overwhelming success and acclaim. The original Charley’s Steakhouse (Around since the early 70s) however has been the top steakhouse for the past several years and in the top 10 for even longer. My parents go there every year because on your birthday, they reduce your bill by over $21. Trust me; you’ll need that reduction, as the place is extremely pricy. But, can the top steakhouse justify its outlandish prices with award-winning food? Read on dear fellows.






On my birthday, my dad and my brother took me to Charley’s. Located awkwardly in the middle of Orange Blossom Trail, it is about a mile away from Florida Mall, and located next to an Indian plaza and a vegetarian restaurant. Inside however is some of the fanciest décor I’ve ever seen from a restaurant. The place is chock full of wine, chock full of fancy scenery, and just had this aura of romanticness and expensiveness that I tend to avoid while doing this blog to avoid bankruptcy (nobody is paying me to do these, you know). This may come off as negative so let me shine a positive light: this place looks pricy from the getgo, but features one of the most romantic settings in any dining institution around. You will forget you are in Orange Blossom Trail as slow relaxing music (even playing some old-school jazz) calmly plays from the speakers above you.



My dad strongly recommended the porterhouse, as it was 30+ ounces and my brother had tried it before (and fell in love). So I ordered the porterhouse, Michael ordered the Kansas City strip (22 oz.), and my father ordered the double-chops (two massive pork chops). As an appetizer, I took on their gator bites. An interesting thing about this place is that although it has a fancy décor, you have to get your own salad. There is a small salad bar in the middle of the restaurant with lettuce, a couple types of dressing, and miscellaneous items. This may sound picky when it loses points, but if we are paying top dollar for this food, at least bring us the salad. This isn’t a Golden Corral. Small little picky note, but a complaint nonetheless. The gator bites arrived along with the bread and they were pretty good, although not my favorites. We’ve had better at this local Florida joint in Christmas.








The evening so far was nice, but the food wasn’t justifying its prices. Until now. After a longer wait, all the steak arrived. The porterhouse was incredibly, undeniably massive to a point of intimidation. It was served with a side of mashed potatoes. But I forgot about the potatoes as I saw a stick of butter quickly melt and run down the steak like a meat river. I didn’t even know where to start. The first bite made it clear: this definitely is the best steak I’ve ever had. As I ate through this steak, it was heavenly bite after heavenly bite. The meat was tender, juicy, and so rich of flavor I didn’t know how to distribute it amongst my taste buds. The entire steak had multiple different textures (depending on where the meat is within the bone) and seemingly multiple different flavors---all of them outstanding. The mashed potatoes were very good, but the steak was the clear winner in this dinner. This was something special, so ****ing special (Cue Radiohead). My dad and my brother’s dishes were good, but it was the porterhouse that sent my head to the ceiling.




Bottom Line: Charley’s Steakhouse had a disappointing start but finished strong thank to its award-winning steak that clearly justified its price. The salad bar and the ludicrous prices were minor setbacks but nearly all was forgiven once you dwelled into their glorious slabs of meat. The fancy décor tells you one thing: if you are willing to bring your significant other here, he/she must be someone quite special. It is nearly guaranteed that you’ll spend over $40 excluding tips, and almost guaranteed your wallet will weigh less by the end of it all. Nonetheless, if you want to try some of the best steak in the country, look no further. But if you are looking for a lower-scale, milder, less-expensive experience, look elsewhere. This place is like a massive vacation: enjoy it while you can, because it won't happen again for a while. When you do come here prepare to be amazed, prepare to spend, and prepare to dazzle whomever you are taking.

Just be the gentlemen and make her the salad…..


Oh that steak, my goodness.............

Verdict:
Highly Recommend (Steak)
Recommend (Overall)

Charley's Steakhouse
6107 South Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32809
(407) 851-7130 ‎