Dooley Groves, Mariane’s Sub Shop, S&S Tacos and Stuff, and Apollo Beach Preserve, Ruskin
We needed to get to Dooley Groves to pick some tangerines and tangelos before they closed for the season. Inside, however, a deeper need was smoldering: the need to feed on those infernal mom tacos from S&S Tacos and a warm Italian grinder from Marian’s Submarines. So I suggested we make a stop on our way back from the groves for some subs and Christa was game.
I said not a word about my plan to also get tacos. Even when nearing twenty years of marriage I still don’t want to come off as a complete glutton.
So we hopped into the sporty little runabout and headed down the now familiar Tamiami Trail to Dooley Groves in Ruskin where we found that the layout had changed a bit. They had shuttered the gift shop portion of the farm store and had the remaining selections of preserves, postcards, mugs and fresh citrus all together in the main space. There was still plenty of picked citrus for purchase including the ambrosial Honeybells and the mammoth Ponderosa lemons.
Dooley Groves
1651 Stephens Road
Ruskin, FL 33570
Phone: (813) 645-3256
Hours:
November through April
Monday to Saturday – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday – 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
www.dooleygroves.com/
We killed time waiting for the grove guide by tasting samples of the oranges we were to pick today: Honey Murcott tangerines and Ortanique oranges. The samples were tasty, but not as sweet as the Honeybells. I hoped this was due to being refrigerated and that the fresh from the tree fruit would be better. Still, we were here for the fun as much as the fresh fruit.
The Honey Murcott hails from a tangerine and orange hybrid known as a tangor, which is a great name for a barbarian warrior, though you may know it by its less gothic monicker: temple orange.
Tangor of the Temple Orange. Looks like I just started my next screenplay.
The hybrid then found its way to the groves of Mr. Charles Murcott Smith and like many barbarians before it, had its name anglicised. Honey Murcotts have a lot of seeds, but the juice is sweet and delicious.
The Ortanique oranges, on the other hand, were natural derived tangors discovered in Jamaica.
Tangor II: Island Heat – Ska Beat
These were also very sweet with a quintessential orange flavor and were also full of seeds.
Clippers weren’t needed to pick these varieties as they were less susceptible to damage by plucking away from the tree. We received the instructions and safety briefing (we’d soon be able to give them ourselves) and enjoyed the tour for our third visit to the groves. Each guide adds different bits of info and we learn a new thing each occasion.
Amidst the fruit-laden trees, we did our usual roaming of the rows looking for the perfect oranges. These varieties were uglier than the Honeybells, but the skin of an orange is no signal of its character, except in the case of citrus greening. Green on top—pick that crop, green on the bottom—leave ‘em on ‘em. I just made that up. Feel free to complain in the comments.
In the spirit of the hunt and to stretch out the experience, we looked for the best oranges we could find and also for any wildlife that is known to kick it in the groves, but none showed up. Only fire ants and a few birds made the scene. We filled our basket and returned to the farm store to get rung up. I also grabbed another jar of that kick ass Honeybell marmalade to carry me through the offseason.
We said “See you in November” and sped our way back up U.S. Highway 41 for those tacos and subs. Lunchtime was nigh and my mouth was watering and my stomach was rumbling. I picked up on a gurgle or two from the passenger seat as well. I swung a left at Rt. 674 and pulled in to the lot.
Mariane’s Sub Shop
701 US-41
Ruskin FL 33570
Phone: (813) 645-1088
Hours:
Sunday to Saturday – 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
www.facebook.com/Marians-Sub-Shop-120891201258686/
We entered Marian’s Sub Shop first (I still hadn’t let my wife in on my plans to get tacos too.) and were welcomed by the sassy ladies. Our order was for a whole, baked with everything on it—salami, ham, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onion, oil and oregano, hot peppers on the side, cut in quarters. While they set to it. I excused myself and ran next door to order my tacos.
S&S Tacos and Stuff
701 US-41 Suite A
Ruskin FL 33570
Phone: (813) 645-8226
Hours:
Monday to Saturday – 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Online menu
Inside S&S Tacos and Stuff, I ordered two crunchy tacos with sour cream and two soft tacos with sour cream. The friendly ladies said it would be a couple minutes, so I slid casually into Marian’s as if nothing was going on. We chatted a bit about the shop while I read the yellowed news clipping in eulogy of the founder, Marian Sumner. It’s an inspiring tale of perseverance and reward.
After emerging from its oven cocoon, the beautiful grinder was wrapped and we added two sodas, paid our $11 plus tax, and went to the car. I confused my wife by asking her to wait a moment then ran next door to get my tacos.
I emerged to smirking eye rolls. She had no idea—this bag held four tacos, but weighed as much as that large sandwich.
It’s a testament to my resolve that I didn’t already have one of them crammed in my mouth. We were about to unpack and eat there at one of the two picnic tables when I had an inspiration: “Why don’t we drive up the road to Apollo Beach and enjoy our lunch there?” Christa thought it was a brilliant idea and so we did.
Apollo Beach Nature Preserve
6760 Surfside Blvd.
Apollo Beach, FL 33572
Phone: (813) 672-7876
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/locations/apollo-beach-preserve
It took just under 15 minutes to get to the Apollo Beach Preserve. We hid from the sun under a pavilion and unwrapped our bounty, still warm. First the sub. The melted cheese had melded with the olive oil, lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles to form a beautiful harmony of flavor.
The meats were savory with that peppercorn bite of salami and the smoky salt-cured flavor of ham and were soothed by the creamy provolone cheese. The crisp crunch of the crusty Italian bread, enhanced by the oven toasting, yielded to the bite as the teeth sank into the soft crumb of the chewy interior, then into the savory meats, cheese, and vegetables. I spread a little hot pepper relish on one of my quarters and achieved hypertaste.
As I chewed the last bite of sandwich I instinctively reached for the brown paper bag that held the meaty mom taco madness. I pulled out a hefty hard shell and the equal and opposite reaction snapped me back into reality. S & S Taco was no friend to meanness.
I unfolded the waxed wrapper to reveal a golden shell stuffed to the arched brim with seasoned ground beef. Via some strange cosmic power, the laws of time-space had been violated to allow for the addition of lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and a mantle of shredded cheddar cheese. I wish I had a scale because that thing had to weigh a pound—for $1.80 plus tax.
I tipped a bit of fresh salsa into the narrow crevasse between stuffing and shell, unhinged my jaw and went in for a bite. The crispy shell split into several large shards as the now unsupported filling fell into my mouth. I chewed, shattering the toasty masa into tiny shards and savored the mildly spicy meat, the fresh crisp lettuce, the juicy burst of tomatoes, the creamy, cool sour cream, and the soft cheddar cheese that tied the whole mmmm together.
That bite alone was worth every bit of the one hundred ninety cents. I devoured the remainder, then, in a trance without control over my own hands, I reached for a soft taco. It was more of the same, but this time with the chewy flour tortilla instead of the crunchy corn shell. I was enraptured by Mex-American angels.
No, this was not an authentic Mexican taco. These were mom tacos— every bit the Americanized suburban family fare that made taco nights a highlight of this white boy’s youth. I love and crave the authentic versions found in full-fledged sit-down restaurants, the hidden kitchens of compact grocery stores, and many a roadside truck and trailer, but I also love this bastardization with every morsel of my nostalgic heart and S&S Tacos and Stuff nails it with gusto.
The prices are a very competitive, the quality food is delicious, and the portions are the heartiest. If S&S were near me I’d never visit a Taco Bell again (though I’ve not been to one since moving here), and when feeling particularly lazy, would avoid making them at home, too.
[I’ve learned there was a branch operated by one of their children 10 minutes from our home, but they closed permanently before we moved here]
I may be a glutton, but I have limits. I packed up the remaining two tacos—one soft, one hard—and the last two quarters of that delectable Italian grinder for a late evening snack. My limits expire before midnight.
Okay, so Apollo Beach Nature Preserve isn’t in Ruskin. It’s in Apollo Beach; but it’s close enough to help reduce headline length.
Apollo Beach Preserve is a sandy shore on the tip of a narrow rectangle thrust into the Hillsborough Bay, itself a part of the famous Tampa Bay. Sweeping views command the landscape from the coastal mansions of the southern end, across the bay to St. Petersburg, to the peninsular tip of South Tampa, and ending with the steaming stacks of the Teco Power Plant to the north.
It’s a peaceful park where the rippling bay is further calmed by stone jetties that break the waves and wakes. It appears to be a popular spot for families with small children and those seeking a subdued beach scene without the crowds of the Gulf and Atlantic shores. It’s also a scenic and relaxing spot to enjoy a tasty lunch.
We watched a water-loving lap poodle play fetch with its elderly owner. She would throw the ball into the bay, only for the pupper to return it to a sunbathing beauty several feet away. That dog is a creeper’s dream.
We walked around for a bit, soaking in the sun and sea air and I climbed around the rocks and clusters of sea grape to take pictures.
This is one time I didn’t decry the lack of a french fry shack. But, then I usually hadn’t eaten a six-inch grinder and two pounds of tacos. Now that I think about it though, some fresh cut french fries would really make the scene complete.
We called our trip a success and I think it definitely qualifies as a Triumvirate of Funvirate. (Still not married to that name. Feel free to comment with suggestions.)
The Italian sub from Marian’s Sub Shop was fantastic and, though not my idea of an authentic Italian sub the likes of the original Casapulla’s back home, it is a great sandwich in its own right and the best we’ve had yet in the Tampa area.
S & S Tacos and Stuff is a hot joint for American tacos, burritos, and I hope to soon discover the same about their enchiladas and salads.
Apollo Beach Preserve was the perfect spot to relax in some sand and mild surf to get your seaside fix and enjoy a picnic lunch.
The orange picking was good outdoor fun with the bonus of juicy oranges. And friends, were those Murcotts and Ortaniques juicy and very sweet. With the seeds, the best way to enjoy them was to quarter them, then insert like a mouth-guard and extract the juice. Avoid doing your Brando impression. The Honeybells, though, were not as great as at the peak of their season.
During the citrus off-season, a great substitute for Dooley Groves might be a hike through Little Manatee State Park. I’ll be investigating there soon, so stay tuned.
There you have it: An activity (orange picking at Dooley Groves), a bite (Marian’s Sub Shop and S&S Tacos and Stuff), and a sight (the sun, sand, surf, and scenery of Apollo Beach Preserve)—the Triumvirate of Funvirate for a day trip to the Ruskin area. It really was good fun and a rewarding way to spend a constructive day. Save the television for rainy days. Of course, there are some museums in the area…
Thanks for reading!