Where They Eat When They Are Not Doing The Cooking
Moring lists her top picks as, “Mussels Al Diablo from Fiore’s Cafe, the veggie falafel burger from Pi On Broadway, the village salad and flatbread at Stella’s Modern Pantry and a gin martini, straight up with a twist, at Ivy on the Square.”
“I really enjoy La Ceiba Latin Food Restaurant,” explains Deras. “It’s a local Honduran restaurant where everything is made fresh to order. The dish that reminds me most of home is the Pollo con Tajadas, which is perfectly fried chicken over green plantains and pickled onions.”
“I’d rather go to someone’s home and eat their meatloaf than go out. I like home cooking,” Felix admits. “But when my son Christopher and I go out, we usually go to Carrabba’s Italian Grill, which he likes. He tells me, ‘No offense, Dad, but I like their Marsala sauce better than yours. I like their shrimp scampi appetizer.’”
“I really like Blackwater Inn (in Astor). They have great prime rib. We also like The Crab Plant and Charlie’s Fish House in Crystal River. Or we’ll go to the Lighthouse Restaurant (in Fanning Springs) for some Cracker food like smoked mullet dip because it’s something I don’t ever get! I used to have it growing up—it brings back some of that old Florida cooking. So I go over there and cheat.”
“Locally, my favorite restaurants would be Grace Japanese Steak House and LaBella’s Italian Ocala,” Alabaugh offers. “I enjoy the sushi at Grace because it is freshly prepared and they use the highest quality of seafood. I also enjoy LaBella’s because they have the best stromboli in town and they have a great menu made from scratch. The location of LaBella’s also gives it perks. It has a great neighborhood feel to it.”
