I found something Tallahassee Needs

[fsubelch]

With a recent trip to Jacksonville and visiting the Town Center I realized how many things I really wish Tallahassee had. Not to be picky, but there is one little restaurant that was fantastic, cheap, and gave you huge portions of food. Mimi's Cafe...I think one of these restaurants would do very well in Tallahassee. It is something different with a great menu that caters to nearly everyone. I guess I just get very tired at only having the basic Chili's, Friday's, Applebees, etc to eat at. We have some great nicer restaurants in town, but I think we are in desperate need of some new casual dining places.

[Florida]

So you've contacted the owners and told them about Tallahassee right?!

[fsubelch]

So you've contacted the owners and told them about Tallahassee right?!

[JBarber]

I recently ate at Mimi's Cafe in Lakeland, near their new outdoor mall.

It was the second time I was there for breakfast. Good stuff.

I support your one-man cause to bring them to Tally.

[poonther]

Ocala is getting a Mimi's at their new outdoor mall.....yes it's sad that Slocala is beating us to the punch on both of these things. I'm all for a good, but reasonably priced type of place to eat here in Tally. Mimi's seems a little too "cute" for my taste (never been in one but have seen the one in O-town @ The Mall of Congestion) I'd much rather prefer TOOJAY'S to fill that void here in Tally. However I would be glad to see the cutesy Mimi's anyday over what we've got now.

[fsubelch]

anything is better then what we have now...

[Florida]

I don't know if you all remember from way way back but I wrote the Macoronni Grille people a letter and they responded to me saying, "we aren't currently considering Tallahassee for a location but thanks for bringing it to our attention". Look up now and you see one. So these letters do work if you're persistent and you make a good case for what you're asking for.

[fivesfella]

I've never really seen the draw of this kind of chain restaurant. Am I missing something?

[Florida]

^5fella, help me understand that statement a little better.

[fivesfella]

I just mean, I don't think I've ever hoped we'd get a Macaroni Grill or Carrabas or similar chain restaurant, and I don't quite understand the appeal. I've got a fondness for individually owned restaurants - I feel like I get more variety that way. I was just curious if someone could explain the draw of the chain.

[Florida]

Well the chain is a familiar face to me. It's somewhere I can go and know that I can find something on the menu that I'll enjoy eating and it'll taste virtually the same wether I'm in Tallahassee or Chicago. Not quite as charming as a place unique to one's own community, but still very much desired by those who know of the reputation, and the quality of the food. In many ways, chains can also serve as a status symbol, but I'll let someone else come along and elaborate on that if they desire.

[fivesfella]

Well the chain is a familiar face to me. It's somewhere I can go and know that I can find something on the menu that I'll enjoy eating and it'll taste virtually the same whether I'm in Tallahassee or Chicago.

[mracca]

I have to admit, I see that as a minus rather than a plus. But different strokes for different folks and all that. I'd probably eat at a Sweet Tomatoes, if we had one.

[poonther]

^As a non-chain fan like FF, I must say that Sweet Tomatoes is one chain I'd definitely like to see around here! It's by far my favorite of the buffet style places to eat......actually the only one I really like. Good job mracca.

[Florida]

Good work Mracca. That's what I recieved when I sent the Macoronni Grille letter. I'd expect to see something come out of this. As for the whole thing against chains, what would Tallahassee be right now without them? I can think of very few alternatives in town. Would we be percieved as favorably as we are currently for our dining options? I'm not sure I know the answer to this.

[mracca]

Thanks. Another restaurant I would like to see here is Tijuana Flats I know, I know, its another Mexican Restaurant, but the atmosphere and concept is fun! Plus Gainesville has one with a Gators theme why not one with a Seminole's theme? They are located all over the State of Florida.

One restaurant I would like to actually own a franchise in would be SkyLine Chile This was a regular lunch place for me in South Florida, I am sure those of you that are from South Florida saw this place on the corner of Federal Highway and Coral Ridge Drive in Fort Lauderdale. Cincinnati Chile it's the bizz-omb! Its cheap to make, cheap to buy probably the most easiest restaurant to run. One of these days when I get my money in order, I might just give it a go. :-)

[fivesfella]

Good work Mracca. That's what I recieved when I sent the Macoronni Grille letter. I'd expect to see something come out of this. As for the whole thing against chains, what would Tallahassee be right now without them? I can think of very few alternatives in town. Would we be percieved as favorably as we are currently for our dining options? I'm not sure I know the answer to this.

[poonther]

Ah Skyline Chili! Thanks for reminding me of that place mracca. We lived close enough to the one in Lauderdale to walk there and often did....yeah I know we were fools for walking in South FL...who does that? Anyway just a slight nitpick, Skyline in Lauderdale is located at Federal and 26th St., not Coral Ridge Dr. Coral Ridge Dr. runs North and South in Bayview. I also ate at Skyline all the time in grad. school in Ohio. It was warm in your tummy on those oh so cold nights. It was also cheap and filled you up which is terrific on a college budget. Plus it was great "after the bar" food. However it wasn't very pretty coming back up.

FF, I, like you, am not a fan of chains and rarely eat at them. However I do understand that many people like them. Hey we all have different tastes. An example of that would be, we'd never go to Mom & Pop's or Barnaby's for anything Italian. UGH. We did venture to the second Bianca's on Market Street and greatly enjoyed the food as we have at their other location. It's nothing fancy, but the prices are reasonable for what you get. Their garlic rolls are good as is their sauce. Plus they leave their baked dishes in the dish and don't try to ruin it by putting it on a plate. IMHO, most Italian pastas should be served in bowl or dish and rarely on a plate.

Here's a question:

Do you pronounce Manicotti as:

Man-a-cot-e

or

Man-a got?

And have you heard both pronunciations?

I always used the first pronunciation all my life and never heard of the second one until I was hopelessly smitten by a New Jersey Italian. It seems the second way is the only pronounciation for them and if you ask for it by the first, they'll just laugh at you including the wait staff at the restaurants.

[mracca]

My Italian wife says its Manacote, nuff-said! LOL Never heard of managot. I google'd (cant believe thats even a word) it and it brought up some strange stuff.

After rechecking the Almighty Google Earth, I saw my error. I read the Vertical Street name when I actually should have read the horizontal name, if that makes any sense. Thanks for the correction. :-)

I am making you my first customer when I open Skyline! Glad I could take you back to memory lane poonther.

You are going to have to update your "sig" now that Downtown looks a little different.

[fivesfella]

poonther: Well, the Barnabies aside was sort of a joke, but unless their quality has seriously gone downhill in the last few years, there's nothing about Mom and Dad's on the Parkway to say UGH about.

Like I said, different strokes, different folks. Just trying to understand the appeal.

[poonther]

My Italian wife says its Manacote, nuff-said! LOL Never heard of managot. I google'd (cant believe thats even a word) it and it brought up some strange stuff.

After rechecking the Almighty Google Earth, I saw my error. I read the Vertical Street name when I actually should have read the horizontal name, if that makes any sense. Thanks for the correction. :-)

I am making you my first customer when I open Skyline! Glad I could take you back to memory lane poonther.

You are going to have to update your "sig" now that Downtown looks a little different.

[Monticello-1827]

^ Northern New Jersey Italians do things in odd ways... like putting choclate chips in their canolis... and as for those other pronouciations, i have never heard anyone with italian heritage use them... weird.

[poonther]

^ Northern New Jersey Italians do things in odd ways... like putting choclate chips in their canolis... and as for those other pronouciations, i have never heard anyone with italian heritage use them... weird.

[Glenn]

^ A bejeweled velvet money bag?...TACKY!!! I've never personally seen that but I was at a South Florida Jewish wedding last year where they had a both a brides & grooms money tree set up at the reception which was also in addition to the wedding gifts. There must have been at least 1k on each of them! First time I'd ever seen that & I hope it's the last.

[DaiDreamer5]

I think it is a Wedding Magazine tradition. I read through a few of those things, when I was the maid of honor for my best freind's wedding. My god! You have to be rich to complete all of those "halmark" traditions.