Brunch at Haven, Tampa Bay

Last week, one of my best friends from Daytona came into town for the John Travolta & Olivia Newton John Grease Sing-a-Long in Tampa. After a late night out, we found ourselves Sunday morning with one goal - brunch and adult beverages. It's been quite a few years since Darlynn last visited Tampa and I knew exactly where to take her to  Sunday Brunch - Haven in South Tampa.

A few months ago, Haven introduced Sunday Brunch and invited a few local influencers to check it out. As always, Executive Chef Chad Johnson knocked the brunch menu out of the park. Where else can you eat brunch with an offering of over 60 cheeses and drink a cocktail named after Kelly Kapowski (more on that below)?

Foie Gras French Toast

Lobster & Avocado Causa

Haven's Brunch menu has a wide variety of unique options. Everything from Foie Gras French Toast to Hangover Fried Rice, I promise you that anyone will find something to kick off their Sunday Funday in spirit.

Tri Tip Steak and Eggs with Kimchi Hollandaise 

Ahi Tuna

Loco Moco

One of the best dishes I tried was the Loco Moco, a dry aged ground beef served over sticky rice and a sunnyside egg.

Broiled Oysters

There's an entire section of the menu dedicated to sausage and bacon. I'm talking to you Bacon eggrolls! I never imagined myself dining on a dish of oysters... followed by Corned Beef & Potato Pierogies.

In terms of adult libations, this past trip, I stuck to bubbles (a glass of Ste Michelle champagne is only $6) but the quarterly drink menu was themed after Saved by the Bell!! My last visit - it was Sex and the City (Cocktails in the City). The Saved by the Brunch Cocktail menu includes all our friends - Kelly Kapowski (cucumber vodka, strawberry, fresh lemon), The Screech )Milagro Silver Tequila, Grand Marnier, Velvet Falernum, lime, prickly pear), Jessie Spano (Hendricks Gin, watermelon, lime, thyme, absinthe), A.C. Slater (Old Forester Bourbon, Averna, white peach, lemon, mint), Lisa Turtle (Champagne & white peach puree), Zack Morris (George Dickel bottled in bond 13yr, fresh pineapple, orange, coconut, lime, nutmeg).

Bacon!

Also worth noting, Haven was one of the first restaurants in the Tampa Bay area to be a certified Ocean Friendly restaurant!

You can find Haven in off Howard Ave: 2208 W Morrison Ave, Tampa

Thank you Haven for hosting me for Brunch. As always, all opinions are my own.

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An epic Brunch at Elevage Epicurean and upcoming events

When my best friend Keri visited me a few weeks back, we had the opportunity to check out Elevage at Epicurean for brunch. Epicurean, the upscale boutique hotel located across the street from the legendary Berns Steakhouse opened in 2013 and has taken Tampa by storm. If you're a foodie and find yourself near Tampa, take note - this is a place you have to visit.

Elevage offers an incredible Brunch Menu on Saturday and Sunday from 9am-3pm. You have a choice between a 3 course meal (starter, entree, dessert) or ordering off an a la carte menu. I chose the three course meal while Keri chose ordering off the menu. We started with an Artisanal Cheese Plate, the chef's selections with sweet and sticky garnishes and a delicious glass of chardonnay.

First Course: For my first course, I had the choice of: House Smoked Dish Spread, Snow Crab Claws, Mushroom Bisque or Biscuits & Gravy. I typically would have gone for Biscuits & Gravy but being I had three courses, the Snow Crab Claws was a lighter option. It came with a jalapeno & basil remoulade which I held onto the entire meal and contemplated taking it home - it was insane.

Second Course: For my second course, I had the choice of Shrimp & Grits, Frittata, Croque Monsieur or Sourdough Pancakes. I went with the Shrimp and very creamy Grits. It had pork belly, scallion, white wine and topped with a poached egg. WOW. I am southern and grew up on this dish. Don't tell my Grandma but this was better than hers.

Third Course: For my third course, I had the choice of Fruit & Yogurt, Artisanal Cheese Plate or Strawberry Shortcake. Since it was Florida strawberry season, I went with the Strawberry Shortcake topped with whipped cream and strawberry ice cream made in house. It was a refreshing and not overly filling dessert which was much preferred after three courses.

A La Carte: The A la carte menu at Elevage is quite large with options for everyone. Keri shocked me by ordering a burger, something I typically would get (she is a salad girl). There were two burgers to choose, the Brunch Burger w/ a fried egg, country ham and espresso mayo on top or a Juicy Lucy. Elevage gets their meat from Bern's - so I knew this burger would be amazing. Keri opted with the Juicy Lucy and I quote her "If you're going to cheat on your diet, this is how you do it". The Juicy Lucy had aged cheddar, comeback sauce, bread and butter pickles tomato.

We left Elevage with very happy yet full bellies and saw these adorable bikes at Epicurean while waiting on our car (free valet until 5pm). I had the brilliant idea to work off our brunch by renting bikes and going on the riverwalk, since this day happened to be the one where they dye Tampa's river green. Aside from a little rain, it was a perfect day.

Culinary events at Epicurean
There are quite a few upcoming events in April happening at Epicurean between Florida Blueberry Month and Berns Winefest. There are a few Bern's Winefest events that have not sold out yet (but they're going fast). My husband and I are looking forward to April 12th - Dessert, Cognac & Decadence!

Bern's Winefest events
April 12 - Dessert, Cognac, & Decadence
April 13 - Beer and Cheese Seminar
April 15 - Classic Cocktails
April 16 - B6 (Berns, Bourbon, BBQ, Bubbles, Beer, Bull)

Florida Blueberry Month & Epicurean Events
April 8 - French Wine Scholar
April 10 - Thai Hands on Cooking
April 19 - Cupcakes & Cocktails: Beth’s Blues – Chef Beth from Cloud 9 Confections prepares three juicy cupcakes bursting with fresh blueberry flavor
April 20 - Sipin’ and Supin’ – Bourbon and Blueberries with the Food Network’s Retro Rad Diva Emily Ellyn
April 24 - Yoga Buzz
April 28 - Mississippi Blues with “Masterchef” winner Whitney Miller
April 30 - Voodoo Chef Experience: Cinco de Mayo
TBD –Blueberry Cocktail Concoctions

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Carnival Valor - Post Race Brunch #CruisingCarnival

Hi friends! I cannot believe it's been three weeks since my best friend Keri and I were cruising on the Carnival Valor. Our first night on the ship was an early night since we boarded the Valor a few hours after finishing the Walt Disney World Half Marathon. We both woke up STARVING. Luckily for us, it was a day at sea which means SEA DAY BRUNCH!

Sea Day Brunch is a sit down meal that is served on days at sea. There is no additional charge (unless you want adult beverages or specialty coffees). The Valor's Sea Day Brunch was located in the Washington Dining Room and both times we had brunch on the ship, we got our same servers as dinner. I've said it once and I will say it again, we loved the wait staff on the Valor.

Carnival Valor Washington Dining Room

Typically, Keri and I would skip on bread service and use those calories towards extra mimosas, however the day after running 13.1 miles, we were famished. After receiving the bread service on Sea Day Brunch, we may never skip bread service again. Croissants, Pastries, Muffins...oh those muffins. We found ourselves fighting over them.

When it came time for entree's, we were torn. The great thing about dining on cruise ships, if you're stuck between two entree's, you can order both. No one will judge you! I started off with the steak-n-eggs, a filet mignon topped with two eggs, grilled tomato and home fries. I added sausage and french fries because I was hungry and wanted everything on the Sea Day Brunch Menu.

We also got an order of chocolate chip pancakes to split.

Both days we had brunch, Keri ordered the same thing, an omelet. This particular one was spinach, cheese and bacon. She also got a side of bacon and homefries. You can also request to get egg whites. Aside from Sea Day Brunch, Carnival Valor also has multiple omelet stations throughout the ship.

On our second Sea Day brunch, I ordered Huevos Rancheros, two eggs (I had mine poached vs. fried) on top of chicken quesadilla, manchego cheese and multiple dipping sauces. This was my favorite Sea Day Brunch dish to date.

There are many items you can choose from on Carnival's Sea Day Brunch - pork chops, eggs benedict, french toast topped with cereal (fruit loop french toast!), fried chicken mac and cheese - you name it! Oh and we cannot leave out the beverages. We had a few going at once.

Sea Day Brunch is the perfect way to start out your day at Sea.  With full bellies, we headed to the pool deck to watch the Carnival Mixologist Contest, where three cruise guests compete to have a drink named after them on the entire cruise. I entered but was not selected to be one of the three. That's ok, after seeing this, I was perfectly happy not being on stage! So much fun though (PS that guy didn't win).

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Sunday Brunch at Fresh Harvest, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa

Bring your appetites. That is the one thing I will tell someone going to brunch at Fresh Harvest located inside of Seminole Hard Rock Tampa. I have heard good things about Fresh Harvest and this weekend, we enjoyed brunch with our family. The price per person for Sunday Brunch is only $27  (kids 4-12 $17) and is offered from 10am-4pm. If you have a Seminole Wild Card, you save $5 with valid ID.

Overwhelming can be a good thing. 

After we were shown our table, we literally got a tour of the buffet. There were 7 live action kitchens located inside of the buffet with every food options your heart could desire. Dim sum? They've got it! Fresh pasta with Sunday gravy and homemade meatballs? Of course! Made to order burgers, salmon, Mongolian wok? Yep! Hand crafted Milkshakes!! Seriously, anything you want, they have. Here is the breakdown!

The Grilled - This grill had multiple sections to it - a Brazilian Steakhouse, a Mongolian Grill and a traditional grill. They had two specials of the day - Pork Loin and Bratwurst. This station also featured marinated grilled flank steak, grilled corn on the cob, grilled steaks and seafood to order (at an additional cost). The Mongolian Grill was cooked to order, you select what you wanted in your bowl and they made it in front of you. This was my favorite live kitchen of the brunch. If you were in the mood to step up your game, you can add on a Lobster tail for $10.95, a Ribeye for $6.95 or a NY Strip for $7.95. I can attest that the beef served at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa is top notch and this is a fantastic deal. There were also full sized pretzels with cheese whiz sauce. Kid ya not.

Sushi, Noodles & Dim Sum - I walked up to baskets and baskets of Dim Sum. Is this real life? We feasted on steamed custard buns, sticky rice, chicken siu mai, sushi and dumpling soup. Everything we had was amazing and I need more of those custard buns in my life right this second.

Sunday Brunch Let's move over to traditional brunch items. If you are my friend, you know my love affair with corned beef hash. If it is on the menu, I am ordering it. I have been left down more times than not. However, Sunday's at Fresh Harvest will be my fix for the best corned beef hash in Tampa - or anywhere in my eyes. Seriously, it was that good. I had this as my last entree of the day, and was already super full, so this was legit people. Along with the best corned beef hash ever, they had cheese grits, french toast, pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs benedict, scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy and a omelet station.

Cucina Italiana - The Italian station of Fresh Harvest had everything an Italian lover could ever want on Sunday. Fresh pasta, homemade meatballs, sausage and peppers, Pizza, hand crafted lasagna, antipasto, garlic bread and more.

American Bounty - Right next door to Cucina Italiana is American Bounty, where one will find a carving station featuring the specialty of the day, amazing fried chicken, ribs, crispy catfish and much more.

Green Grocer - Because every good buffet needs a salad station and boy does Fresh Harvest have one of those! There is a build your own salad along with 12 gourmet salads to choose from. They also have soup and a bagel station with lox and cream cheese. My Dad was a happy boy!

Raw Bar - I sadly didn't get to spend much time at the Raw Bar. I was like a kid in a candy store and was too full to go back. From what I my dining partners said, the oysters were like sitting at an Oyster House in NOLA. Other items available were peel and eat shrimp, clam chowder and a fish stew. Seeing this photo of Crawfish is making me excited for our impromptu visit to New Orleans next week!

Sweets A La Mode - Oh where to begin! A Crepe station, a Ice Cream Sundae / milk shake station, tables full of every dessert imaginable and a chocolate fountain! I opted for a vanilla ice cream sundae and my husband got a Nutella Crepe. My Mom tried multiple cream pies and pastries. Everything was delicious.

The menu frequently changes but here is a sampling of what we were able to choose from. This does not include the brunch offerings!

Fresh Harvest Brunch is hands down the best brunch buffet in Tampa. We had so many delicious choices to choose from and left very full. Without a doubt, we will be back. I will just have to schedule the trip on one of my long runs so I don't feel guilty about eating everything in sight!

Fresh Harvest offers the following buffets during the week:
Lunch $20, Monday - Saturday 11:30pm-4pm (children 12-17 $12)
Dinner $27, Sunday - Thursday 4pm-10pm (children 12-17 $17)
Seafood night with all you can eat crab legs $45, Friday 4pm-10pm (children 12-17 $17)
Surf & Turf $40, Saturday 4pm-10pm (children 12-17 $17)
Sunday Brunch $27, Sunday 10am-4pm (children 12-17 $17)

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