Me vs. Yoders. Round Two

One of my first restaurant visits ever since I decided to start blogging about my travels to far-off lands in search of the ultimate food was Yoder’s in Sarasota. I was hunting after their extremely popular chicken that was prominently featured in Man vs. Food. But apparently I arrived there on a Friday, which was the one day of the week they didn’t serve the chicken. Well, since I was in the area recently, I wanted to make a second trip to the spot (on a Monday) in order to finally try the pressure-cooked chicken. And I wanted to bring my brother and cousin along to introduce them to their pies, which are a Floridian legend.





As I had previously stated in my last visit, Yoder’s is a very popular restaurant in the Amish side of Sarasota that has gotten the attention of locals and tourists from around the country. This is less of a cuisine secret when compared to other places I had mentioned because Yoders is already well-known in Travel Channel. Nonetheless, Man vs. Food has disappointed me before (Munchies 420 anyone?) so I returned to see if the show was incorrect…again.

I ordered their pressure-fried chicken, with some macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. Josh orders the fried shrimp with fries and mashed potatoes. Michael orders the chicken as well with fries and mashed potatoes. Luckily, none of the things we wanted were restricted—unlike last time when the sweet potato, dumplings, and chicken were not available because it was Friday. While we waited, we were treated to the same bread I got from last time. It was fresh bread, and it’s complimented very well with their apple butter—which is an addiction by itself.










The chicken arrived in all its massive glory. The chicken was surprisingly not as warm as I wanted it to be, but luckily it was still a pure delight to eat. There was tons of meat, and it separates from the bone quite easily without much of a mess being made. The outer shell was crisp, juicy, and tender, while the meat inside (although not hot) was thick and among the best I’ve ever had. It was far better than the pan-roasted chicken I had before. The sides were also superb, as the mashed potatoes hit the spot just right and the macaroni and cheese was bursting with cheesy flavor.




Josh’s fried shrimp had the Gulf Coast taste and special touch, and was not disappointing at all. Despite that, he really would have preferred my chicken. The French fries were nothing to brag about but the portions were mighty in size so we were stuffed without the help of an appetizer. But this review is split into two categories: their pretty decent lunch and their spectacular dessert.

The second half of our experience here is what shines the most. Just like last time, the dessert is what stands out the most while dining here. I ordered the chocolate peanut butter pie, while Josh orders the chocolate cream pie and Mike orders their most popular dessert—the original peanut butter cream. For some odd reason they were given to us in to-go containers, limiting a bit the presentation of the pies. But, the flavor was still intact, as each pie delivers a heavy dosage of sugary freshness and quality ingredients.






The peanut butter cream pie is still hands-down the best one, as its pure heaven and the best pie I’ve ever consumed. But the other pies delivered in their own special way, whether it’s the chocolate-on-chocolate sinning Josh experienced, or the sprinkled peanut bitter pieces blending with the chocolate cream I got to taste. All potential flaws from the lunch were erased as our feet momentarily left the ground while consuming the dessert.

Bottom Line: While I will forever have a grudge with this place for restricting a slew of their menu items, I can forgive them temporarily as they deliver good food at decent prices backed by their mammothly inconceivably delightful dessert (made up word in the sentence, I know). Their chicken was not up to par with freshness standards, but was still a treat. Their sides were good, the shrimp was good, even their bread was good. But all that has to step aside for the real reason people come to this place: their pies. With among the most delicious pies this side of the planet, Yoder’s will become an eternal staple of Sarasota for as long as their pies continue delivering in the way they delivered on that fateful afternoon I arrived. If you are anywhere near Sarasota, this is a spot you must visit, as their fresh food and relaxed atmosphere makes this one of the better restaurants in the West Coast of Florida—despite all its menu limitations.

P.S. The fruit market next door is a must-visit. A lot of wonderful-looking food there.

Verdict: Recommend

Yoder's
3434 Bahia Vista Street
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 955-7771

The 10 Best Cuisine Secrets in Disney World (Part 2)

Yes, this came quite a bit late, but better late than never, correct?

Walt Disney World is chock full of restaurants and places to eat—some good, some bad, and some amazingly excellent. However, in busier times (and even not-so-busy times) it gets hard sometimes to find a good place with minimal wait time. But, since its Disney, there are still dozens of secrets in terms of food that is only known by the veterans and those that visit Disney often. Being that I’ve been around the parks since I was 4, I feel like I am entitled to make a list of places that secretly and quietly serve amazing food, and usually don’t involve a heavy wait time. What I’ve done is assembled a list of 10 places located inside Disney World that quietly has great food, great prices, and usually doesn’t involve waiting 30 minutes to get your food (Like in Starlight Café , Pecos Bill, Sunshine Seasons, Tamu Tamu, etc.). Here are my 10 picks for top pleasant quick-service secrets in Disney World.

Part 1 Can Be Found Right Here.





#5: Harambe Fruit Market
Location: Africa in Animal Kingdom
Specialty Item: Jalapeno Cheese Pretzels
This place gets #5 because of its sheer necessity in the park grounds. Animal Kingdom is not only the weakest of the four parks, but culinary-wise its by far less exciting and varied when compared to the other parks. Yak and Yeti is overpriced, Restaurantasourous (spelling?) isn’t the same after the McDonalds contract ended, and let’s not even get started on Tamu Tamu and Tusker House’s abominating decision to become buffet. But with the fruit market, you can eat healthy, eat cheap, stock up on necessary water, and you never have to deal with the Animal Kingdom restaurants. It opens with the park, and closes with the park, and is definitely a better choice for food as opposed to the other eateries.


#4: Starring Rolls Café
Location: Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood Studios
Specialty Item: Éclair
Disney has never been that-that great with breakfast, because it’s a specific grouping of foods that loses its charm once noon hits. So, why place effort into making a nice breakfast place when two hours after the park opens you’d rather have a burger? Starring Rolls solves this problem by being a highly-necessary breakfast place, bakery, and even a spot to get sushi. To add to that, their bakery is darn impressive with intimidating muffins, endless assortment of danishes and cinnamon rolls, and the best éclairs this side of town. No visit to Hollywood is complete without a visit here for some coffee and excellent sweets.




#3: Columbia Fish House
Location: Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square
Specialty Item: Fried Fish
Of all the quick-service spots in the Kingdom, this one is the emptiest, best valued, has the most space, has the most variety amongst the food offerings, and is the safest haven from the bumptious crowds in the park. This place has fried fish, fried shrimp, fried chicken, healthier sandwiches, clam chowder, soups, and different types of salad. This place not only makes up for the lack of seafood in Magic Kingdom, but has an impressive grouping of good foods that can fit the budget and make the tummy happy. All this place needs is hush puppies….




#2: Aloha Isle
Location: Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland
Specialty Item: Pineapple Float
Granted this place is busy sometimes, it’s mightily high on the list because of sheer value, and the mightily phenomenal dole whip pineapple ice cream that (shockingly) is not as popular as you may think. If guests truly knew the true worth and amazingness of this ice cream, then their lines would stretch from the entrance of Adventureland to the castle. It might be better this way, because this ice cream is hands-down the best in Disney World, and among the best I’ve ever had in my life. And that’s JUST the pineapple. Add the orange sherbet, incredible floats, shockingly cheap prices (Around $4 for a mix of fresh pineapple juice and pineapple ice cream), and excellent atmosphere and we have here one of the best secrets in Magic Kingdom.









#1: Captain Cooks
Location: Polynesian Resort
Specialty Item: Turkey Club
I rank this #1 because most of the guests that actually STAY in the resort don’t know about it. I rank this #1 because it’s the ONLY other spot not Magic Kingdom that has the pineapple dole whip ice cream. And I rank this #1 because while on the second floor of the resort lobby there’s two extremely popular restaurants that are always busy, this is a spot that despite the excellent salad, excellent sandwiches, superb pizza, and of course, the dole whip, never really has a crowd. This is one of the best quick services places you’ll ever find anywhere, from the addicting Polynesian chips, to the wonderfully varied main items, to the grand finale dessert (which consists of a small bakery and plenty of ice cream).

Know of any secretly awesome eateries around Disney World? Please reveal them. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed this list.

Tropifongo: Light Caribbean Cuisine at its Finest (And Cheapest)

Orlando is the second-biggest haven for Puerto Ricans living in the United States. Getting beaten by only New York City, the heavy Puerto Rican population is one of the main reasons why Orlando has become one of the most diverse and Hispanic-friendly cities in the entire Southeastern end of the nation. That being said, Puerto Rican cuisine isn’t represented much, especially when compared to that of the Cubans and Mexicans. But on the edges of Kissimmee and close to Disney World is a Puerto Rican restaurant that has risen in popularity since its opening 6 years ago. Tropifongo is a very tiny restaurant in the middle of a small plaza, but once you find it you will become temporarily transported to the Caribbean.


The main draw for me was the fact that they have supposedly-delicious mofongo. Like a variety of foods from the Caribbean area, it’s quite a procedure in making this dish, but the end results can be incredibly delicious. Mofongo is made of smashed plantains and contains a hearty blend of pork cracklings, broth, garlic, olive oil, and meat. Sometimes, they are stuffed with chicken or shrimp or more pork, or even vegetables. This is a Puerto Rican invention, and has become one of the most popular foods in the Caribbean, especially Dominican Republic. When I went to the Dominican Republic last October, I had my first shrimp mofongo, which resulted in me wanting to dance on top of a roof. I wanted to see if Tropifongo could deliver the same effect.




Like I had said before, this place is small, very small. Only a couple employees working the place. They were all very friendly though. The menu was quite extensive, and the prices ranged from very cheap to a bit more on the deep end. I ordered the shrimp mofongo and a morir sonando (a Dominican drink that consists of mixing orange juice and milk). My brother orders the chicken mofongo. Lastly, Josh orders the Cuban sandwich and also ordered some rice and beans. The morir sonando was the first thing I tried. This is a drink that when done well, the result is great---but when done poorly the result is a disastrous kick to the stomach. Luckily, the drink here was very rich, very cold, and just delightful overall. Morir sonando is like a light creamsickle smoothie, minus the thickness.



Our mofongos was not really what I had expected. Whether it’s the fault of the menu or me assuming, but I thought the chicken and shrimp would be stuffed in the mofongo. What actually happened was that they are served beside the mofongo, along with a small salad and chimichurri sauce (The green kind). These mofongos were also mixed in with onions, which is a first for me. I thought they were personally pretty good, but I think I prefer I mofongos to be "wetter," to have the broth as well as the meat mixed in. Nonetheless, they were still good, and the side of chimichurri definitely complimented the dish.







All the other items during our lunch were also good and had the Hispanic touch: the rice, the chicken, and the beans. The Cuban sandwich however was a nice treat, as they mix their mustard with mayonnaise (Considered blasphemy in Miami and Tampa Bay) for a much lighter condiment taste that worked well with the meat. All in all the price range was reasonable for the most part, as Josh paid $14 for a Cuban and a full plate of Puerto Rican food. Michael paid around $10 for his lunch. I was the only one that paid a bit more, as the shrimp mofongo was just a bit overpriced with a $15 price tag. If I am paying that much, at least mix the shrimp into the dish.

Bottom Line: My mofongo craving was fulfilled (for now) as Tropifongo delivers good food at reasonable prices, and a menu that consists of Puerto Rican and Caribbean dishes. The location is a bit random and more towards Tourist Country rather than Hispanic Country, but once you find it you will be treated to a nice taste of the Caribbean. While it doesn’t beat the home country cooking of Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, it stands tall as being one of the better Hispanic local joints I’ve found in Central Florida. So if you are looking for authentic Caribbean Hispanic cuisine, look no further than the friendly and well-priced Tropifongo.




P.S. Their flan was quite good.



Final Verdict: Recommend

Tropifongo
3160 Vineland Rd # 2
Kissimmee, FL 34746-4689
(407) 397-7666 ‎

The 10 Best Cuisine Secrets in Disney World (Part 1)

Walt Disney World is chock full of restaurants and places to eat—some good, some bad, and some amazingly excellent. However, in busier times (and even not-so-busy times) it gets hard sometimes to find a good place with minimal wait time. But, since its Disney, there are still dozens of secrets in terms of food that is only known by the veterans and those that visit Disney often. Being that I’ve been around the parks since I was 4, I feel like I am entitled to make a list of places that secretly and quietly serve amazing food, and usually don’t involve a heavy wait time. What I’ve done is assembled a list of 10 places located inside Disney World that quietly has great food, great prices, and usually doesn’t involve waiting 30 minutes to get your food (Like in Starlight Café , Pecos Bill, Sunshine Seasons, Tamu Tamu, etc.). Here are my 10 picks for top pleasant quick-service secrets in Disney World.





#10: Japan Pavilion’s Merchandise Area
Location: Epcot’s Japanese Pavilion
Specialty Item: Pocky sticks
This one is mildly cheating, but it’s a place not a lot of people know about, and it contains a variety of snacks and alcohol at cheaper-than-Disney-normal prices. You can get the delicious pocky sticks, or if you want to be adventurous try some of the imported-from-Japan sweets and saltys that are beyond the norm. Example: marshmallows stuffed with grape. These things are not only good, but darn addicting. Good luck trying to buy just one bag.







#9: Germany’s Karamell-Kuche
Location: Epcot’s Germany Pavilion
Specialty Item: Caramel Apples
While France and Norway’s sweets are Disney legends, a new one is rising and just may overtake the throne. The well-known caramel makers Werther’s, opened a new place not too long ago in Germany and the results are sweet enough to make dentists happy. Caramel apples, marshmallows, cookies, nuts, you name it, it’s probably drenched in caramel. The best part? The prices: they sell caramels at around 20 cents a pop, so if you want good sweets at very cheap prices in Disney World, this area is as good as it gets.






#8: The Lunching Pad
Location: Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland
Specialty Item: Sweet cheese pretzel
It is nearly impossible to find a non-busy eatery in Magic Kingdom. The shortest lines are usually reserved for the places that don’t offer much in the first place. But the Launching Pad is an exception to the rule, as its hidden underneath two attractions, while being surrounded by 5 more. This spot has three types of hot dogs, slushees, pretzels, chips, muffins, and even coffee in case you need a jolt. And let’s not forget they have the magical cream cheese pretzels that absolutely destroy the regular ones in terms of quality and value.




#7: Fife and Drum
Location: American Adventure
Specialty Item: Turkey Leg
Three types of pretzels, slushees, fountain drinks, chips, ice cream, cookies, popcorn, and turkey legs invade the menu of this very small eatery that is located in front of the much-more-expensive Liberty Inn restaurant. Want to save money and a line? Visit this spot, grab a good ol’ turkey leg, nab a pretzel, and sit at a table close by. The variety of foods in this place alone makes it a top 10 entry.




#6: Pizza Place in Boardwalk
Location: Boardwalk Resort
Specialty Item: Pizza
This is the ONLY quick-service place in Disney World that I know of in which consists of the pizzas being made by actual chefs as opposed to regular cast members. No offense to our cast members, but wouldn’t you rather have a 12-inch pizza done by a certified member of Disney’s culinary? I thought so. Now add the decent price range, excellent view of the resort and Illuminations, close proximity to magicians and a bakery, and you have yourself a hidden way to have a good lunch/dinner without fighting too much.

The top 5 will be revealed in the coming days, when all the pictures are processed.