Food Review: Costa Verde Restaurant

by Adrienne Wilson on


I’ve been back in Tampa for almost
three years now and suppose at this point I should know a thing or two about some good mouth-watering foreign-food spots
to get your chow on and today I’m tossing one at you. Costa Verde Restaurant is the only fine Peruvian restaurant I’m aware of located in what
you would call Central Tampa, I believe. The establishment itself is fairly well hidden and sort of out of place in a
plaza full of Chinese BBQ, Asian supermarkets, Cafe Linh (Vietnamese I think), and some shady looking neighborhood
night clubs. I hooked a fierce U-turn only to circle around the tightly packed plaza parking lot for five to eight
minutes.

Inside, the atmosphere is casual, cozy, dimly lit, and each tiny square table maxed to full
capacity with hungry patrons. A big flat-screen rests mounted on the center of the wall with non-stop soccer footage
displayed and another smaller television on the opposite end playing the same programming. Towards the center of the
restaurant is the bar where you can order carry-out or sit for a few rounds of cerveza Cuzqueña, the brew of Peru. I hadn’t though too much about dining
inside and the place was humming with families, couples, and guys watching the games. I opted to get my order to go.

On the menu – be prepared for seriously huge, filling, reasonably priced dishes. ($10-$18) The first time I
dined at Costa Verde I was overwhelmed by the plate of Chaufa de Pollo (Peruvian style chicken fried rice), but I was
ready to tackle the rice and a new dish today. My takeout orders included Chaufa de Pollo y Carne and Ceviche de
Pescado. The ceviche, a fresh fish marinated in cilantro, onion and lemon sauce hit my taste-buds in an explosion of
delicious and spicy unison. I stood in my kitchen wanting to melt. Before all this occurred I took two snazzy shots of
my well placed together takeout. Draped with red onion and pine nuts and to my surprise a yummy sort of corn on the
cob/hominy side and yucca, the ceviche is a sure crowd pleaser.

In Tampa? Costa Verde is located at
8502 N. Armenia Ave. Suite J & K, Tampa, FL. PH 813.930.8338

Northstar Goes More Upscale

by Erik Olsen on

An interesting post from the good folks over at Luxist. Looks like
one of my favorite Tahoe ski areas is getting a wee more ritzy. The Village
at Northstar is opening/has opened a bunch of new apres ski stuff to make coming off the hill after a grueling day
of moguls that much more enjoyable.

A new wine and coffee bar with fie vinos and Starbuck’s espresso drinks
is here. Seems they will also feature tasting sessions … ah, a fine Sidamo, busy,
but not obstreperous … as well as a boot store called Elite Feet, for the discerning snowboarding
aficionado.%uFFFD Also there will be stores planned for the future like Euro Snack which should serve haute cuisine
French baguette style hot dogs and warm cocktails. Thumbs up, I suppose. I’m glad the ambitions here are measured. I’d
hate to see Northstar go the way of Aspen and other too ritzy resorts.

Hot New Prague

by Erik Olsen on

We’ve blogged here
about Prague on several occasions, and the city without a doubt remains one of our favorites. I was there a few years
ago for a friend’s wedding and was reminded what an interesting and exciting place it is. It was also the first time
I’ve ever consumed a Red Bull and Vodka, and realized how mixing alcohol and caffeine can make for a rather heady mix
that can help get you through the night and make the morning more difficult. Alas.

Well, keeping with the
Prague theme, I urge you to head over the
epicurious.com where writer David Farley talks about many
of the hot, hip, new, happening places in Prague. Farley should know. He was the man behind the Travelers’ Tales Prague book. A couple of the key places he
mentions are the Eva Jiricna-redesigned Maximilian Hotel, which is rich in amenities like huge plasma-screen TVs,
complimentary high-speed Internet access, and DVD players. Also, he says, check out Kolkovna, a well-known pub and
restaurant on the Old Town/Josefov border, and the James Bond Café where you can treat your inner James Bond to
a martini, served shaken, not stirred…and hopefully without nerve toxins.

Ivo Adams: Europe's Rapping Chef

by Adrienne Wilson on

Very old news for Europeans, but for
anyone anywhere else I’m sure this comes as new news for the rest our empty bellies and music starved ears. Now I have
no clue what the young chef is rapping about, but I’m just going to put it all out on the table and say it doesn’t get
any doper than this. Are we making turkey wings? Old German muffins? Sauerfleisch (meat in aspic made with fish
gelatin)? Will it be crazy delicious like the Mr. Pibb and Red Vines combo worked up in the SNL Chronic of Narnia skit? As you can tell my imagination is
running wild and what you might not be able to see is my heading bobbing over here. Ivo
Adams does an impressive job serving dishes in addition to rhymes on his CD. (Click here to hear some of the music and recipes.)
There is no English version available at the time, but what better way to immerse yourself into the food and language
while whipping up funky fresh pastries in the kitchen? Word up!

Seattle: Seahawks Town

by Adrienne Wilson on

    

A weekend without football! Oh no! Some of
you might find keeping to the couch while doing a little channel-surfing the perfect way to countdown the dog days of
Superbowl, others are probably be fidgety with anticipation. Though I’ll turn no one away from this list of five things
to do in the city of Seattle   between now and a close game of pigskin I do ask all to keep them in mind.
Couch-potatoes beware: Most activities involve a bit more than thumb-clicking that remote.

  • Seafood or fresh produce on the mind? Pike Place
    Market     is an obvious destination for locals familiar with the market’s wide variety of merchants selling everything
    from seasonal berries to a world of exotic global goods and antiques. Shop, dine or ‘Meet the Producers. Restaurants
    vary from Tuscan style-Italian found at Il Bistro to healthy traditional
    Vietnamese dishes at Saigon Restaurant, all located at the market. For the visitor a trip to the Pike Place Market
    could easily whet one’s Superbowl appetite.
  • On stage at the ArtsWest is Douglas Carter Beane’s As Bees in Honey Drown, a satirical comedy about the
    pitfalls of desperately seeking fame at all costs. Beane’s past work includes To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie
    Newmar which he authored. The show runs until Feb. 4, 2006. Tickets are $10 to $24.
  • Head over to the 2006 Travel
    Show     at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall today or tomorrow for the chance to win a Great Escapes Vacation or plan
    your own leisure, active or adventure travel journey. The show runs from 10am-6pm on Saturday, January 28 and 10am-5pm
    on Sunday, January 29, 2006. Admission is $7.
  • Get geared up and tuned into the Yes, Yes, Ya’ll: Birth of Hip-Hop exhibit at the
    Experience Music Project. The exhibit maybe traveling so you’ll want to check in before heading out.
  •  Meet the Mariners at the Seventh
    Annual Mariners FanFest    . Practice your batting, perfect the swing, and get tips from Mariners coaches. Bring a pen
    to get autographs from some of the players. Great family sports event taking place Jan. 28-29, 2006.

Didn’t find something you like? Worry not. Seattle is full of outdoor and indoor activities for everyone.
A year-long list of events taking place in the area can be found here
at the Convention & Visitors Bureau.

(Photo from the Seattle Times
courtesy of Mark Moe and Gay Winchester)