I was in downtown Tampa earlier this week for business, and had a craving flung onto me for a blueberry muffin from Dunkin’ Donuts. If you haven’t had one…holy cow, they’re the bomb. Anyway, I wanted one. Badly. I hopped online and searched the Dunkin’ website to find out where the nearest downtown location was…and can you believe there ISN’T one? With all of the people who go in and out of downtown all day long, I’m shocked! I don’t think there’s a Starbuck’s either, so the downtown area is primed for a Dunkin Donuts to come in and satisfy all of the people who need coffee and a sugar fix in the morning.

Downtown Tampa does have it’s share of dining establishments that offer coffee and breakfast, but sometimes a girl just wants a muffin or a donut, you know?

My sister and I enjoyed a free lunch today with my office at Crazy Buffet on Dale Mabry, by Raymond James Stadium. It was my first trip there, and I enjoyed it. I wouldn’t go on my own and pay full price, since I never eat enough at buffets to get a good deal, but it was a nice spread. There was a large sushi area (which I steered clear off) as well as another area where you could have fresh stir fry made. Another section had a huge salad bar and plenty of hot dishes, and there was a dessert bar too. Not bad for free!

My birthday is Saturday. I’m sure that it will be a much more low key affair than it was last year, when I turned 30. 31 just isn’t as exciting.

I got to thinking about another birthday party I had, I think it was my 7th or 8th birthday. At that time, my parents, along with another couple, owned a small ice cream shop on Patricia Avenue in Dunedin, FL. If you ever went into Gee Whilikers (it might have been spelled G. Whillikers, I’m not sure) around 1983, or 1984, I was probably there. When you’re that age, having your birthday party in an ice cream store that your parents own is pretty darn cool. My parents gave us unlimited credit on the video games, which were Centipede, Tron, and Ms. Pac-Man. We had a coloring contest and ate a lot of ice cream.

The store was never a big hit, and it was a lot of work, so they sold it pretty soon after that. I’m happy I got at least one party there, and it’s probably why I still prefer ice cream cake on my birthday!

One thing I enjoy about local restaurants are finding desserts that have local flavor. Key Lime Pie is a favorite of mine, and I know from experience who actually uses Key limes in their recipe, and who doesn’t! (Ooh, and I hate seeing green Key Lime Pie! It should always be a pale yellow!) Another local dessert I love is the bread pudding at Ohana at Disney. And I can’t forget about Old Meeting House homemade ice cream! It’s sold at a particular ice cream shop near us and we’ve fallen in love with the brand. And speaking of local desserts - don’t forget about the kind made in Tampa homes. Many residents have banana plants in their yards, which means they can whip up banana bread recipes using REALLY local bananas. I’ve even seen pineapples growing in yards here!

Oh - I just thought of another favorite local dessert…baklava! I buy it from a little bakery in the Sponge Docks. Jim thinks it’s too sweet, but I love it. It’s been a long time since I was down in Tarpon Springs to buy any though.

My sister and I will be heading to the nearest Chipotle at lunch time for free burritos! If you bring in a donation of a non-perishable food item, you get a free burrito, bol, tacos, or a salad. Of course, I remembered it was free burrito day AFTER I left the house. When I got into the office, I scrounged around in the break room to see if there was anything I could bring to claim my free burrito. I didn’t think Chipotle would be happy with my donation of individual coffee creamers (no refrigeration needed) or coffee packets. So I switched to plan B, a quick stop at the drug store on my way to lunch to buy something. I mentioned that to my sister, and she was smart enough to bring in TWO canned goods today, so I can bogart one of hers.

If you’re a fan of the Tampa Bay Storm (arena football), stop by the Green Iguana in St. Petersburg this Sunday afternoon at 4pm for a fan party! The team will be in Texas to play the Austin Wranglers. Wear Storm clothing and get a discount, and there will be raffles - and inactive players and the dancers will be there! I personally love the Green Iguana, and this is a really neat way to meet players and win some cool stuff in a cool place!

My husband and I were over at Citrus Park Mall earlier this week, with the family in tow, and decided to head across the street to Smokey Bones for dinner. We tried to go to the one in Clearwater when it first opened a few years ago, but the wait was 2 hours, so we skipped it. After hearing rave reviews from friends, I was anxious to try it, but I was so disappointed.

The restaurant wasn’t crowded (it was a Monday night) so we were seated immediately. Our waitress was extremely slow. After taking our drink orders, she came by our table 2 or 3 more times on her way to other places, without our drinks. Our dinner order (ribs, a BBQ sandwich, and 3 kids meals) took almost 25 minutes. We saw tables that came in after us get served before us. Finally, our food came out - Jim’s ribs were dry, my sandwich was dry, and the kids meals were ok. For the price, I’ve had better BBQ at much smaller local chains, like Pit Boss. Our meal was $50 for the meals, drinks (one beer) and the cornbread appetizer, which was good, but nothing special.

I probably shouldn’t tell you about my favorite place for lunch on a workday. Lord knows, Moxie’s Too is crowded enough as it is! Oops! I guess I did just tell you, huh? Well, since I already opened my big mouth, here’s the scoop.

Moxie’s Too! is located at the Benjamin Center, 5925 Benjamin Center Drive, Suite 115, Tampa, Florida 33634. If you work near the airport, or close to the Waters/Anderson interchange, you’re close enough to each lunch on your break at Moxie’s. You’ll find great food at good prices, and even better service to go along with it. Just don’t stand in line if you don’t know what you want, because they only want you up there if you’re ready!

I highly recommend the Wild Turkey

Recently my husband and I went to a local pub/sports bar called Winners Grill for lunch. It was a game day, so it was crowded, but there were plenty of seats open, and we were seated as soon as we walked in. We got drinks, and ordered 3 simple things - a nacho appetizer, a burger, and a cheesesteak.

30 minutes later, we were still waiting, our drinks were empty (and we weren’t offered a refill), and tables around us were in need of being bussed. (Staring at someone else’s leftovers long after they’ve left the table is OH so appetizing!)

We asked our server what the hold up was, and she said the kitchen was backed up. We waited another 10 minutes, and then told her to cancel our order, as my husband was on his lunch break and only had an hour total to be out for lunch.

Now, here’s the goocher. Yes, all of the above upset me. But what REALLY gets to me is that when we got home, I went to the Winner’s Grill website and used their online comments form to let them know what had happened. That was 3 business days ago, and I still haven’t heard back from anyone. If I received a complaint from a customer, I’d be sure to respond to it as soon as possible, preferably, within 1 business day.

Bad business, all around.