University Center Club:

You Can Dine Where

the Seminoles Shine

by: Tony Miller

Today I am going to focus on the restaurant and the food.  The first thing you notice when you are seated is the expansive window overlooking the stadium.  What a remarkable view!  I imagined the roar of over 80,000 fans, but tonight, it was surrealistically quiet. It was like looking through the glass of a giant aquarium at Sea World.

I was accompanied by my wife, Renee, and my 16-month-old son, Ethan (so we can call this a "His View, Her View, Baby View Food Review.")

They gave Ethan a Magnadoodle to play with at the table and immediately brought him some crackers. Good thinking.

Not long after getting our drink orders, the server brought out a basket of breads and muffins. Renee liked the cinnamon flatbread. I like the mini cranberry muffin. There was a hummus & olive oil to dip the bread in, and also a garlic butter spread.  There was enough in the basket to fill us up before we even ordered our food.

The menu was quite diverse, but to make my decision even harder, the server told us the chef special was Pecan Encrusted Bay Boat Scallops.  I LOVE Scallops! But, I had already seen the Ancho BBQ Short Ribs on the menu and decided to stick with my first choice.  (I was not sure what "Ancho" was. A Poblano is a type of chili pepper from Mexico. When dried, it is called an Ancho. They use the ancho to make the BBQ sauce.)

As we waited, I took Ethan for a walk to look out the window and we wandered onto the terrace outside. The terrace overlooked Langford Green on one side and the field on the other. There were sets of patio furniture and a waterfall. All that was missing was a swimming pool.

I thought back to my teenage years in the late 80s when my dad used to take me to some of the games. I remember watching Deion Sanders return a kick off or the time FSU crushed the Gators something like 52 to 13. I could hear the crowd like it was yesterday. I remember sitting about midway up around the 30 yard line. You know that vacant, windowless building on the corner of Gaines and Lake Bradford, caddy corner to the stadium? That was a furniture warehouse and my dad knew the owner so they let us park there. One day, I will be the one bringing my teenage son.

As I sat down, I noticed that Deion Sanders was on the television as a commentator. Wow. How uncanny. I swear I just watched the ghost of his former self dancing down the field. Now I feel so old.

At dinner, the food is gourmet and the plate presentation is carefully crafted.  (I have had lunch there before and it is a bit more relaxed. But then again, I had a Reuben and fries and I am not sure how pretty you could make a Reuben and fries.)

So as we waited for our meal, the server surprised us with three little plates, each with a scoop of mashed potato with tender chunks of beef roast on top. The meat melted in my mouth. The baby, primitively eating with his hands from his high chair, loved it, too.

Now for the main course - although I was already satisfied from the breads, muffins and surprise - the presentation of the short ribs atop the mashed potatoes was like a Christmas gift so painstakingly wrapped that it would a shame to open it.  The meat was fall off the bone tender, the sauce was a tangy spice. I especially loved how the sauce dripped from the ribs onto the potatoes, flavoring the side dish.

Renee's steak was delectable.  I had to try a bite.  As good as it was, she could not force herself to finish the whole cut, which means I would be able to eat it as a midnight snack! Ethan preferred his fries over his nuggets actually, he first preferred just sticking his fingers into the bbq sauce and eating it plain. We had to take the sauce and the ketchup away from him. 

Desert Menu Time!  It was a difficult choice but we narrowed it down to the Twelve and the Lemon Drop Brulee.  I had to go with the Twelve: a 12-layer chocolate cake with alternating layers of Gianduja chocolate, chocolate mousse, ganache, dark chocolate and hazelnut sauce.  We had to share it and still could not finish it.  I had the feeling the baby would either be off the walls from the sugar or crash.  (He did both.)

I can't recommend University Center Club enough.  The view, the atmosphere, the staff and the food are the perfect blend.  Kid Friendly, too!  Inquire about membership and if you have a friend that is a member, you can go with them as their guest.

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