I have been to several wonderful restaurants in San Diego over the years. I have never been to a more romantic, cozy place as Opercaffe. It is small and quaint inside. It made me feel like I was in Italy. What better way to start off an Italian dinner than with a glass of Cabernet. It goes wonderfully with some homemade bread. It was wonderful dipped in olive oil (Italian butter!). However, it was fantastic dipped in their homemade marinara sauce. One of the main reasons I was excited to try Opercaffe was because they had arancini on their menu. They…
Leave a CommentMonth: August 2019
I was visiting Coronado Island in California when I started getting hungry for lunch. After walking around to see what my options were, I noticed a huge crowd on the outside patio of McP’s an Irish pub. I decided this would be the perfect spot for me. This pub was founded by a Navy Seal, Greg McPartlin in 1982. Since then it has been a local hang out for all the Navy men and women who are stationed in near by San Diego. What I learned while I was there is that this was the bar featured in the movie…
Leave a CommentWho doesn’t love freshly made pie? That is what I said to myself when I passed by Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop in Franklin, Tennessee. I thought this would be a great treat for later in the afternoon. They had many flavor options to choose from, plus different sizes for each pie. Since I wanted to try a few of their flavors I went for their 4” pies. I was able to get a 4 pack. It was the perfect size to try and share. The first one was the Buttermilk. This was a creamy custard pie. It is very popular…
Leave a CommentI was finally back in Nashville, which is one of my favorite places. This visit I wanted to make sure that I got some hot chicken. I love hot chicken and there are many great places to get some all around Nashville. I decided to try some place different. I headed over to Big Shake’s Hot Chicken. I got there just in time because the line started backing up behind me. I wanted to make sure I ordered some chicken with heat but was afraid to go too hot. Since this was my first time here I went for the…
Leave a CommentThere was a small Japanese restaurant near my hotel in Charlotte. I was not too hungry and thought this would be a good spot to get a quick meal. They were not very busy when I walked in. I think I was in-between the dinner crowds. This was good for me because I was able to get a seat quickly. I ordered the Hibachi dinner, which came with the traditional Miso soup and salad with ginger dressing. The Miso soup had shredded chicken in it. This made it unique for a Miso soup. I really enjoyed it and could have…
Leave a CommentThere is a hot restaurant in Charlotte that won several awards in 2018 called 5 Church. I was looking forward to having dinner there on my recent visit to the Queen City. When I walked through the door I was blown away by the décor. There was a big tree at the hostess stand that lead you over to the bar. Hanging above the bar were feather lights that seemed to be floating in midair. There were interesting light fixtures throughout, as well as a beautiful carved wood wall. We started off with drinks for the table. After looking over…
Leave a CommentThere is a great neighborhood bar in Lakeland, Florida called 716 Burgers & Brew. This bar is tucked away off the main road, in between neighborhoods and golf courses. This is the type of place where all the locals go to hang out. Everyone knows each other. If you are a Buffalo Bills fan (or any team from Buffalo) this is the perfect hangout for you. See the owners of the bar, Bo and Lisa, are from Buffalo. This is why it is called 716 – it is the area code for Buffalo. I think it is a clever name…
Leave a CommentI did not expect to find a little piece of New Orleans in downtown Lakeland, Florida, but that I what I found with Harry’s. I was given a big “Crescent City” welcome when I walked through the door. I took a seat at the bar which was clearly the hot spot. I started off with one of Harry’s signature cocktails. They had several options that sounded good but I went for the “Big Easy”. It was a combination of spiced rum, whiskey, amaretto, banana liquor, Midori, and pineapple juice. It was sweet and the flavors of banana and pineapple are…
2 CommentsKey West is not lacking on bar to check out. One important stop is to the Green Parrot. This is one of the oldest bars, dating back to 1890. I had to go visit and be a part of history. I was excited when I walked in and smelt popcorn. They had a machine all set up and I was able to help myself. I love popcorn and it is a great snack while enjoying a drink and fun conversation with locals. Even the roosters walked in to enjoy the popcorn that fell on the floor. They had a couple…
Leave a CommentAt this point on my trip to Key West, I had hit most of the hot spots in the main areas, like Duval Street. Now it was time for me to venture down to the marina area. There were several shops and restaurants around that area that I wanted to check out. Waterfront Brewery was one of those stops. The open walls and windows created a wonderful cross breeze through the restaurant that really helped remind me that I was on vacation. This restaurant was perfect for the whole family. They had a large arcade in the back that was…
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