Ahoy Matey! Its Gyros at Captain Pete’s!

My buddy at work, and fellow food blogger, needed to run some errands today during lunch down by Tom Brown Park, so I tagged along and we went to Captain Pete’s House of Gyros to grab a bite to eat.

When you first enter, there is not much to look at or catch your attention.  The place looks run down.  There are older formica tables with old metal chairs, and booths with duck taped seats that have seen better days.  That said, it does give the place a distinct atmosphere and a feeling it has been here for a long time.  You walk up to the counter to place your order.  The sign on the back wall only contains limited information and you need to rely on menus available at the counter.   Service is friendly.  When your order is done, you give them your name, take your cup and look for a seat.  Beverages are self serve.

I ordered a King Gyros and appetizer of hummus.  Well, it all gets served together on the same plate;  so no really an appetizer.  Once our order was ready it was brought to us at the table.  The hummus was very good.  Served with a dollop of oil and a side of a tomato wedge, a few cucumber slices and an olive.   It had a nice thick consistency and a nice taste to it.  Hot pita bread comes with it to scoop it up.

The gyros is the best I have had in this town.  Smothered in diced tomatoes, chopped onions and tzatziki.  Tzatziki it that traditional Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce.  I also want to mention that for $4 extra you can get a drink, salad or rice, and a piece of Baklava with your meal.

I have to tell you I did have a problem with the cleanliness and made the fatal mistake of using the bathroom which grossed me out.  Still, it will not stop me from visiting Captain Pete’s when I have a craving for gyros.

What’s Cooking Tallahassee’s Rating:
Atmosphere: C
Taste: A
Presentation: B
Service: B
Cleanliness: D
Price: $

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Hurricane Grill & Wings Blows Into Tallahassee

Today was the Grand Opening of Hurricane Grill & Wings located at 6800 Thomasville Road here in Tallahassee, Florida.  It is located in the strip mall just south of Chiles High School.

Hurricane Grill has what I would call a beach or Key West type theme and decor.   It offers a very casual dining atmosphere which appealed to me.   I would feel comfortable eating here with my family or my co-worker and fellow food blogger, Mike.  There is an outside patio and bar where you can eat, in addition to another bar inside the restaurant itself.  The inside is very bright, comfortable and inviting.

We sat in the bar area.  Our waiter was very enthusiastic and explained the sauces and menu to us with great exuberance.   Since we were there at lunch time, he asked if we were under any time constraints and made sure we were in and out in the time we had for lunch.

I started out with an order fo the Fried Pickles with Cyclone Sauce.  These can be addictive like the menu states.  The Dill pickle chips are fried and served with our Hurricane Grill’s Cyclone Sauce.  The Cyclone Sauce is a combination of the spicy Firecracker Sauce and ranch dressing.  The fried pickles arrived in a stylish paper cone.  I personally thought they were a little greasy, but good and really enjoyed the flavor when dipped in the Cyclone Sauce.

Now, I know it is a wing place, but I have to tell you I got a little overwhelmed with the 30+ sauces and just could not make up my mind.   Plus, the menu offers a wide selection of other fare besides the wings.  I went with the Firecracker Shrimp Tacos.   The shrimp is tossed in Firecracker Sauce and served on a bed of Thai Slaw in soft shell tacos and garnished with sesame seeds.   Your choice of sides are crispy natural cut French fries, kettle chips or Hurricane Slaw.  The tacos were served with sides of sour cream, guacamole and salsa; however, I felt none were needed to really enjoy this dish.  The Thai Slaw was just the right accompaniment.  I went with a side of Hurricane Slaw and was a little disappointed, finding it bland.

Overall, Hurricane Grill seems like a great place to grab a bite to eat with the family or relax and hang out; having a few drinks and wings with friends.  Hurricane Grill is running some great Grand Opening specials, so be sure not to miss out on them.

What’s Cooking Tallahassee’s Rating:
Atmosphere: B
Taste: B
Presentation: B
Service: B
Cleanliness: A
Price: $

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