Sunday's is a charming venue in the most historic district of Tampa. I loved the skylights, brick walls, white tablecloths and fresh roses adorning every table. Underdog thought the AC could've been ratcheted up a notch, but the ambiance was otherwise extremely pleasant. As I've mentioned elsewhere in my blog, we're seriously aged and tend to take our largest meal of the day at odd (*coughearlybirdcough*) hours, so don't let the vacant look of the place give you the idea that no one but us eats here.
We were greeted very warmly at Sunday's by the sister of the owner/chef and also got exceptional service throughout the course of the meal. Wine list, water, and warm, herbaceous focaccia with dipping oil were presented almost immediately upon our being seated.
The starters did not fail to impress...beginning with my Panko Crusted Oysters served atop Wakame Salad and topped with Wasabi Aoli (which kind of made my nose burn because I'm wimpy about wasabi, but which Underdog deemed to be just the right kick for these delightfully crispy-fried, fresh-tasting mollusks). Trust me...I didn't let my wimpy nose stop me from snorting these succulent delights!
We also tried the Lobster Bisque, which was amazing and of the old school variety...savory and smooth, and oddly without that orangish tinge that most lobster bisques have, which kind of had me wondering if it was going "lobsteriffic" enough until I tried it. The flavor was really intense and I have never seen so many (and such large) chunks of lobster in a Lobster Bisque ANYWHERE...and I'm talking "in the World". It was fabu...and I seriously doubt you'll find more lobster in any $9 dish wherever your culinary travels may take you. Impressed.
UD was excited to see the offering of Brick Pressed Duck with Anjou Pear Slaw, Hibachi Sauce and Veggie Fried Rice because he loves duck...but the fruity sauces that usually accompany it, not so much. The duck was crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside...just as God intended. The fried rice was also well executed and the perfect accoutrement. Underdog, being the simple beast that he is, was a little skeptical of the parsley baster for the hibachi sauce, however. C'mon, honey...lift your bloody knuckles up off of the cave floor and walk upright. You're highly evolved enough to play along.
The Duckaliciousness:
My Colossal Sea Scallops were just that (no one is taking liberties with the word "colossal" here at Sunday's)...absolutely huge, sweet and tender, and seared to caramelized perfection. They were served atop a cauliflower puree (which, in itself, didn't excite me all that much as cauliflower isn't a personal favorite of mine...but was fine, fresh-tasting, exactly as advertised, and accompanied by some really delish roasted corn, crimini mushrooms and white truffle butter). The fact that I would've preferred a corn and mushroom risotto aside, I really enjoyed this entree. Doesn't it look nice?
Bread Pudding was on the menu for dessert and that's the one thing I never pass on, so we ordered up. It was as perfect a bread pudding as I've ever had. Not too large a serving, moist, dense, crusty around the edges, not too sweet and served with just the right amount of white chocolate sauce along with blueberries that were picked just this morning (according to our awesome server...who, upon tasting, I had no trouble believing). Dessert doesn't get any better than this in my book.
We loved our dinner at Sunday's. Venue, service and cuisine exceeded expectations at every turn and I was particularly impressed with plating, creativity of cuisine, generosity of the servings and the lack of stinginess you often see in restaurants when it comes to finer ingredients.
The only (very slight) downer of this visit was that my beloved unknowingly tacked on his usual 20% tip without realizing that the restaurant.com TOS dictated that 20% gratuity was already applied to the check before discount, which made him pout a little after the realization set in. Still, it is quite likely our server didn't notice until after we left (and she was totally awesome as far as taking excellent care of us over the course of the meal). To be fair, UD is not all that well-versed in the intricacies of Restaurant.com certs since I am the coupon guru of the household. I was apparently too wrapped up in my satiated bliss to remind him, so it's not as though the incident created any negative feelings (just a reminder for you other Restaurant.com users). We can't wait to return and try some of the other delicious-sounding menu items at Sunday's...like the Lobster Flatbread, Shrimp Stuffed Clams, Korean Pork Tacos and Grilled Caesar, which are already dancing in my head like visions of sugarplums.
Dear Sweet Polly, I love the way you put things. But, I must correct you on a very important matter. Chef David Sunday, IS THE OWNER, and I his sister the Hostess. David gets all the credit,( and Gina, his girlfriend and manager) for creating all that Sunday's Fine Dining has become. We do look forward to seeing you again, and please give us a chance to make right on the 20% gratuity mishap that occurred. Your server, as I, was not aware of the added gratuity. Thank you for your review, Donna Sunday
ReplyDeleteNo worries whatsover...we realize the double tipping was our (HIS ;) ) mistake. It makes up for the guilt we felt for using the Restaurant.com cert after everything was so amazing (we usually only use them the first time we try a place so we'll cut our losses in case it disappoints...which was definitely not the case at Sundays!). Can't wait to come back and try the brunch menu. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification on ownership...will update the entry. See you again soon!