September Citrus County Restaurant Update

Time for a Restaurant blog. We’ve been to several good restaurants including the new one: Metro Diner. 

Metro Diner  (Lecanto) is constantly being evaluated on the Nextdoor app:  Good and Bad.  They are open for breakfast, lunch and early dinner. Grandson, Art and I have been there for dinner. Arrived a little after 5:30  pm  (no real wait).  I had the chicken pot pie and it was  good.  Art’s ribs were okay but not your “fall off the bone” level.  Justin liked the hamburger, and the fries were very good.  Will give it a try for breakfast and lunch sometime.  Good size menu.  You can have any menu item anytime of the day. i.e. breakfast for dinner. 

One of our favorite places to go is the Blackwater Grill in Yankeetown. We’d like to go there on Wednesday “date night” because if you order two entrées, you get an appetizer and dessert to split. Karen had the grouper, thought it was a little over battered . I had the fried shrimp lightly battered, and they was good. Art  had the special pork chops, and Mike had the barbecue ribs.  Both happy.   The appetizers: bacon wrapped shrimp,  and dates  with  goat cheese and bacon.  Yum.  Salads: Caesar, side, and a  Caprese salad made with cherry tomatoes. Our desserts were brownie à la mode and berry cobbler .  Delicious, delicious , delicious.

Took my grandson and his girlfriend to Bayside Kraft Kitchen. (Crystal River).   Kids had chicken planks and  Brussel sprouts and fries.  They were happy. Art had salmon. It was fishy tasting and smelly. They do have good french fries and hush puppies. They have excellent crab and lobster bisque,  and they have a nice house salad. NOISY PLACE still . Do not like the taste of water. I doubt we would return.

A group of eight of us returned to the Three Musketeers.  To me this is a very gourmet restaurant in Crystal River.  The group ordered: veal stroganoff, veal cutlet, Chilean Seabass, Spanish octopus with (squid?)  tomatoes, olive relish, and chili marinara ,  HALOUMI: it’s a crispy, baked Houle cheese with arugula and pear. Finished with both a walnut and honey topping and a lemon sauce, and Joan  ordered a side of scallops, Pam and I had D’ATHOS:  Scallops served on a creamy fettuccine with a sweet peppers and cilantro.  All were happy except for the veal stroganoff , only okay.  Art and I split the fennel salad we like there. 

Our neighbors and Art and I returned to  the Vintage On 5th (for us, it had been awhile). The menu hasn’t changed that much. Art had salmon which was very good. Carl had pasta and shrimp and felt the sauce okay.  Nancy’s prime rib steak was cooked perfectly , looked delicious and a great portion. I had the Ahi tuna which included a salad.  They still include a bread basket.

Our Friday dinner group went to Katch Twenty Two (LECANTO) . Again, I consider this one of the gourmet restaurants in Citrus County. The service is good and the food is unique. Joan and  Pam, and Art and I  split wedge  salads. I had the crab cake appetizer, and Pat had the crab cake dinner portion. Best restaurant crab  cake in my book. Art and Lloyd had the triple tail fish,  and they enjoyed thus unique fish entree.  Don had the pork chops. John had fettuccine with shrimp,  and Pam had a cauliflower dish. Joan also had some scallops. Everybody happy! 

We continue to enjoy clam chowder and tuna melt Fridays at Beverly Hills’ New England Cafe .  Grandson’s first visit to Jimmy T’s NY Deli (Hernando) and he liked the meatball sub and french fries.  Art always enjoys the homemade soups.