Have you noticed, heroes today aren’t what they used to be? Our athletes are doping, our politicians are wheeling, dealing, and stealing; our priests . . . well, let’s not go there. I’ve come to the conclusion we’re looking in all the wrong places when it comes to heroes.
I found a hero recently in the most unusual of places; a restaurant. A chain restaurant in fact, where the motto is, Food is the Hero!
I found a hero recently in the most unusual of places; a restaurant. A chain restaurant in fact, where the motto is, Food is the Hero!
The eye in the sky says, "You'll enjoy Bubba Gump."
How can you go wrong when your food is what makes your employees proud, and your customers coming back?! I’ll be back, next time I’m in Miami; or if I happen to be in Hollywood, Breckenridge, Denver, Maui, Malaysia, Indonesia, or Hong Kong. There’s even a Bubba Gump Shrimp and Company in Chicago. How did I not know that?!
We (me, Jimmy and my sister Lynda) didn’t get to meet the cook, but if the servers are any indication, the crew at Bubba Gump’s Miami restaurant is as proud as a peacock in an Easter parade. I often like my servers with a little sass, good people skills and exceptional timing. Say hello to our server.
We (me, Jimmy and my sister Lynda) didn’t get to meet the cook, but if the servers are any indication, the crew at Bubba Gump’s Miami restaurant is as proud as a peacock in an Easter parade. I often like my servers with a little sass, good people skills and exceptional timing. Say hello to our server.
I really, really need to start collecting hats!
Tony was all of the above, and then some. Doesn’t she look proud? It’s obvious she loves her job. As Forrest Gump said, “I’m not a smart man, but I know what love is.”
Tony loved sharing the secret to juggling several beverage glasses, too. Jimmy loved showing off his new trick.
Tony loved sharing the secret to juggling several beverage glasses, too. Jimmy loved showing off his new trick.
Jimmy is as clever as he is tickled.
If you haven’t caught on by now, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company is all about fictional character Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue (from the 1994 movie, Forrest Gump) and his friendship with the picture’s leading character, Forrest Gump, played by the loveable Tom Hanks.
In the award winning movie (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects and Best Film Editing), Bubba Blue convinces Forrest Gump during their tour of duty in Vietnam
In the award winning movie (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects and Best Film Editing), Bubba Blue convinces Forrest Gump during their tour of duty in Vietnam
FYI - Forrest, Bubba and Lt. Dan were a band of brothers in Vietnam.
that there is money to be made in the shrimping business when they return home. Bubba knows quite a bit about shrimp, evidenced by this famous movie line: “Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that's about it.”
If for some reason you missed this American epic (you were still in training pants or in grad school), take a load off in one of Bubba Gump’s 32 restaurants; sit back and enjoy a good meal, good service and a good movie for the cost of a night at the movies with all the fixings. Forrest Gump plays continuously on several screens throughout their themed restaurants.
If for some reason you missed this American epic (you were still in training pants or in grad school), take a load off in one of Bubba Gump’s 32 restaurants; sit back and enjoy a good meal, good service and a good movie for the cost of a night at the movies with all the fixings. Forrest Gump plays continuously on several screens throughout their themed restaurants.
Run, Forrest, run became Forrest's mantra. It freed him from the chains that often hold us back.
In a joint enterprise between Viacom Consumer Products and Paramount Pictures, the distributor of Forrest Gump, the first Bubba Gump themed restaurant opened in 1996 in Monterey, California. They obviously had a ball (undoubtedly a shrimp ball) running with this theme, from the décor . . .
Our server come, lickety split, when this sign was posted. Lynda posted to Facebook, lickety split.
I bet you can figure out what this sign means.
Every good story has a woman. Jenny was that woman.
. . . to the menu. They covered almost every main character and a few major events with these entrée options: Run Across American Sampler; Bubba’s After the Storm “Bucket of Boat Trash;” Mamma Blue’s Shrimp Gumbo; Lt. Dan’s Drunken Shrimp; Jenny’s Catch with Lobster Butter Sauce; Forrest’s Seafood Feast.
Forrest got to be a champion at almost everything he did, including ping pong.
My Kentucky Bourbon Skewers (grilled to perfection and covered in a tangy Kentucky Bourbon Sauce) may not have come with the extra ump of the aforementioned movie credits, but the taste was worth an Academy Award. To quote Forrest Gump, “That’s all I gotta say about that.”
Yeah, it was that good!
Jimmy raved about his Gumbo Soup, a dark Cajun seafood-based gumbo with, you guessed it, shrimp and crabmeat. He especially enjoyed the surprise dollops of fluffy rice floating in the spicy broth.
Lynda’s Fish & Chips included the traditional Beer Battered fried fish and shrimp with three sauces for dipping – tartar, cocktail and remoulade. This was not Lynda’s first time at Bubba Gump; it is her favorite place to order this traditional dish.
We split the Best of the Best Sampler, The Hook, Line and Sinker consisting of Mama’s warm bread pudding, a homemade biscuit topped with fresh strawberries, and a melt in your mouth chocolate chip cookie sundae.
Lynda’s Fish & Chips included the traditional Beer Battered fried fish and shrimp with three sauces for dipping – tartar, cocktail and remoulade. This was not Lynda’s first time at Bubba Gump; it is her favorite place to order this traditional dish.
We split the Best of the Best Sampler, The Hook, Line and Sinker consisting of Mama’s warm bread pudding, a homemade biscuit topped with fresh strawberries, and a melt in your mouth chocolate chip cookie sundae.
This sampler certainly made watching my calories a beautiful thing to do.
Next time around, it’s Mama’s Bread Pudding all the way!
Of course it would be Mama’s Bread Pudding. Momma was as wise as she was witty. She often told Forrest, “You do your very best now, Forrest?”
To which he always answered, “I sure will, Momma.”
That’s really all it takes to be a hero in my book; the willingness to do your very best, day after day; to show up, step up, look up for the strength and inspiration to do what has to be done with integrity and courage.
Moms are often the unsung heroines, dads the unsung heroes. There’s potential for hero in every one of us. It’s certainly why Jimmy is so special to me.
Of course it would be Mama’s Bread Pudding. Momma was as wise as she was witty. She often told Forrest, “You do your very best now, Forrest?”
To which he always answered, “I sure will, Momma.”
That’s really all it takes to be a hero in my book; the willingness to do your very best, day after day; to show up, step up, look up for the strength and inspiration to do what has to be done with integrity and courage.
Moms are often the unsung heroines, dads the unsung heroes. There’s potential for hero in every one of us. It’s certainly why Jimmy is so special to me.
Doesn't Jimmy look the dashing hero? The elbow is what cinches it.
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The Bottom Line on Bubba Gump Shrimp Company:
Verdict: The atmosphere, the people, the food – they were all fun, fresh and fabulous. Of course, I’m a huge fan of Forrest Gump, so I went into Bubba Gump looking for something special. It was just refreshing not to be disappointed.
How to Get There: From Miami Beach, take Collins Avenue South to 5th Street and make a right on to 5th Street. Head West on 5th Street, which turns into I-395 or Macarthur Causeway. Get off at the Biscayne Boulevard exit. Make a left at the second light on to Biscayne Boulevard. Head South on Biscayne Boulevard until NE 5th Street or Port Boulevard. Make a left and stay to the right, then enter Bayside Marketplace parking garage. Bayside Marketplace is an open-air mall located in downtown Miami; Bubba Gump is in the middle of
the mall, across from the huge Banyan tree.
the mall, across from the huge Banyan tree.
Insider Information: Ask for Tony. If she’s not there, fortunately her coworkers will be more than willing to step up and help with the same enthusiasm, pride and good cheer. Stick to ordering the seafood. It's what they do best.
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