Summer Days Spent at Cropicana

There were a LOT of good eats this past weekend, including Melange (more on that later) and the Tremont Tap House- yum. But we also had a new dining experience. One that just screams "Summer!"

Saturday afternoon we headed to Whiskey Island and met some of "R's" friends at Cropicana to celebrate a birthday with some beers, sunshine, and snacks. This "beach-inspired" restaurant and bar is Crop Bistro owner Steve Schimoler's newest venture, and he was there on Saturday all tan and sporting his shades. He is clearly lovin' the laid back, waterfront vibe.

Great music was pumping from the speakers, all sorts of people and their pets wandering around...The second one is my little pup, Lizzie! And we happily enjoyed several cold beers that afternoon. We reached a point where we were hungry, so we decided to share an order of the Fish Tacos and a basket of french fries ($12).Cropicana offers a limited menu of basic fare: cheeseburgers, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, onion rings, french fries...you get the idea. We thought that the Fish Tacos would probably be the most interesting. While this still may be true, I couldn't help but be disappointed. They were certainly fine, and even had some winning aspects to them (like fresh cilantro, lime juice, and a nice crispy coating without being too greasy), but overall they were bland in my opinion and just lacking something special. They certainly did the trick since we were just looking to fill our bellies, but I was hoping for more from Schimoler. I'll just have to try it again.

But I'll be back to continue to enjoy this unique setting, cool summery vibe, and cold beers by the lake all summer long!