Doc Ford’s vs. Ford’s Garage: A Sandwich and an App
I tend to equate Doc Ford’s and Ford’s Garage, even though they have vastly different themes. Both are chains founded in southwest Florida, 20 miles from each other: Doc’s in […]
Meatball Subs: Can a Feisty Local Pizzeria Wallop Wawa?
This week’s edition has a New York-vs.-Philly flavor, with a healthy side of David-and-Goliath. For our meatball sub skirmish, we pit Wawa, which was founded as a dairy in suburban […]
A Helluva Contest: Two Different Takes on Deviled Eggs
Lately I’ve come to the realization that I’m just not getting enough deviled eggs. At home they’re reserved for Holiday gatherings — I don’t want to wait that long — […]
Pumpkin Spice Latte: Can a Local Upstart Topple Starbucks?
Did you miss it? I sure hope not. On Tuesday, October 10, Starbucks celebrated the 20th birthday of its Pumpkin Spice Latte. The seasonal beverage’s outsized success has forced the […]
An Epic Showdown Between Two Smashburgers
My first encounter with smashburgers was as a young teen, when I watched and salivated as short-order cooks crushed patties with a spatula, smoke spewing from table-sized griddles. The meat […]
Two Very-Different Roasted Veggie Wraps Wrassle It Out
After spending seven days on a cruise through the Northeast, eating like the alpha male in a gorilla troop, getting a beer buzz every single night, and never setting foot […]
A Lobster Roll Ruckus: Tampa Bay vs. Bar Harbor, Maine
I’ve never been big on lobster, mostly because of all that cracking, pulling and prying. The few bites I’ve had have fallen well short of wowing me, so I figure […]
The Battle of Bolognese — Tampa Bay vs. Venice (Fla.)
Bolognese, the ubiquitous red sauce, so similar and yet tinged with subtle differences from one restaurant to the next. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages in the city […]
Chinese Takeout: A Chop Suey Challenge
It’s been a about three decades since I would call China City in St. Pete, order a pint of chicken chow mein and a couple of egg rolls, then hear […]
Tampa Bay vs. Atlanta: Which Fried Chicken is the Finger-Lickin’ Best?
Because of a looming eight-hour car trip and uncertainty about a certain hurricane, I got this week’s FFF started early by eating fried chicken for lunch at Salt Factory in […]
Friday Booze Fight: A Battle of 3 Bourbons (Plus Some Food on the Side)
Horse Soldier Bourbon — it’s not just a catchy brand name, but one with real history. The four men who founded the craft spirit — which is headquartered at Urban […]
We Take to the High Seas in Search of the Best Chicken Wings
(You know the tune) “Five passengers set sail that day for a three hour tour, a three hour tour.” Let’s see how much I can wring out of the Gilligan’s […]