We are in FLA for supremely and wonderfully laid back Christmas
festivities and while we ate in a good bit, we did get out to a few
places during our stay. On a previous visit I had been treated to a
trip to Charlie’s and had been looking forward to Steph getting a
chance to sample their wares. The ambiance and service are still
exemplary. I got better pictures this time, the succulent steak, the
tender fried alligator, the baked potato was just a hint less than
my first. All were delicious. |
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Still Great Steaks...Butterflied For Mid Well |
Or Whole For Mid Raw |
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We also tried the lobster bisque, which was tasty with loads of
lobster but needed more shell extraction in the broth to put it at
the top of the list. They didn’t have the Carpaccio, which was a
bummer (so good) but we replaced it with crab cakes. These two
mounds shouldn’t be referred to as “cakes”. Most crab cakes we’ve
had are overloaded with binder and devoid of the crabby part. These
things were essentially mounds of jumbo lump crab held together more
by the scoop that deposited them than anything else, a veritable
crab extravaganza. They were also smoked on a cedar plank which lent
them a warm note of smoke. I have no idea how these stayed together.
We also split a lobster tail which was deftly dismantled tableside
and flayed out for the table. Score two great dinners at Charlie's. |
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Love These Rolls |
Gator Batter Even Better This Trip |
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Server Dismantled Tail To Share |
The Bisque Had Plenty Of Actual Lobster, Needed More Essence In Broth |
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All Crab; No Clutter |
The Tater |
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Charley's Steakhouse On a previous trip towards Tampa we had dinner at the famed Bern’s Steakhouse. Fraught with history and pomp we had a good experience…soon afterwards we learned that Bern’s had been fibbing about some of their home produced ingredients. Too bad. As we were returning to St. Pete Beach full of Bern’s our host passed Charley’s and promised us a better steak in a more relaxed atmosphere. Well, I’m back and there is no way I’m passing that up so it’s back across the bridge to join a new friend and give the place a try.
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First, I apologize for the pictures...they are horrible. I tried without the flash and there was no avoiding the graininess. When we take Steph I will flash away.
Bern’s was classical and
Charlie’s appears classic. The service is high quality and friendly
without much expectation on the diner. You can sit back and relax
and they do all the work from filling your beverages to dressing
your potato. My host is typically a smart eater but somehow I
managed to infect him and we completely over-ordered as has become
de-rigueur for website restaurants. We sat transfixed by some wild
but true tales from my new acquaintance as our three appetizers
appeared…Calamari, Carpaccio and Gator. The calamari was definitely
tender and tasty mixed with onions and peppers and glazed with a
sweet and tangy sauce, plus some marinara for dipping. The only
downside was the loss of crispness in the breading which had some
difficulty hanging on to the squid bits.
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Surprisingly Wonderful Gator Nuggies |
Simply Gorgeous |
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What really surprised me was the gator. The breading struggled to
stay on these small nuggets of formerly fearsome creature just like
the calamari. With the gator I didn’t expect much. I have had gator
twice before and found it distastefully chewy and bland but I had
never had it at as nice a place or anywhere near the water. While it
doesn’t hold a great deal of it’s own flavor the gator at Charley’s
was succulent and tender. Imagine irregularly shaped and tender
fried chicken bites with a complex tartar-saucish dipping sauce and
you would be headed in the right direction. Andy was right about the
Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio, it is ethereal. Lightly dressed and
served with toast points, chopped onion and capers it literally
melts away leaving a rounded beefiness on the palate. |
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Unique And Hot Dinner Rolls |
A Little Too Much Dressing But The Olive Tone Is Very Nice |
The house salad was a little overdressed but the vinaigrette has a
nice green olivey punch to the romaine and tomatoes for a light but
delicious precursor to steak time. I ordered the strip steak and a
baker. The potato deserves mention for two reasons. First, the
monster is prepared perfectly. The interior steams once the skin is
breached but there is no dampness in the airily light and plush
starch contained inside. The apex of baked potato. Secondly, your
server cracks the tuber open table side and will load it with the
standard steakhouse dairy and pig. I’m struggling to remember a
better baked potato. |
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Our Server Loads Up What Turns Out To Be |
A Memorable Potato? Yes. It's That Good. |
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The Deliciously Beefy House Strip |
At A Perfect Mid Rare |
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The steak looked wonderful, charred over a screaming hot mesquite
wood fire. Mine did have a strip of inedible silverskin running
through it, which happens. Outside of that, the cut was done to a
perfect mid rare and was scrumptiously beefy. I didn’t add any of
the possible adornments but the steak comes with the tell tale
puddle of butter to take that delicious fattiness to its ridiculous
conclusion. In my opinion the steak had a superior flavor to Bern’s
version as did the Carpaccio. We finished with a rich peanut butter
mousse pie topped with crunchy chocolate and caramel sauce. Nicely
done. I’m sort of pleased Steph couldn’t make this trip down to
Florida…it guarantees another trip to Charley’s. |
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Peanut Butter Mousse Pie Completed A Fabulous Meal |
National Awards Abound |
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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A | A | A | A | A | A | ||
Relaxed & Refined | Nearly
Everything Even Alligator |
Cows Have Silverskin What Can You Do? |