Month: July 2021

Datz – Tampa, FL – Visit #3

I have been to Datz in Tampa a few times. Their food is great, and they are always busy. Whenever people come to visit the area, Datz is a fun place to bring them too.

This last visit we were there in between breakfast and lunch. I felt more like breakfast, so I ordered the Datz Good Hash. This is homemade corned beef. It was big chunks of tender beef. It was not as crispy as I like it but that could be because of how large the pieces were.

They piled shredded hash browns on top of the corned beef. My two over-well eggs were placed on top of the hash browns. It gave me the option to eat each item separately or cut through and eat it all together.

The fresh toast was great with a little strawberry jam. This added a sweet element to the overall salty dish. I got a side of their grits. This southern breakfast staple was blended with cream cheese and cheddar cheese. That made the grits very rich. They are also thicker than traditional grits because of all the cheese. They too were salty so breaking it up with bites of the jam toast was perfect.

We tried an appetizer of Mac Bites that we shared around the table. They took their bacon-jalapeno mac and cheese and fried it up. They had a nice crispy breading on the outside. Inside the mac and cheese was gooey. There was a slight hint of heat because of the chopped-up pieces of jalapeno. They served a firecracker dipping sauce on the side. This added a little more heat along with a slight sweetness.

The main attraction of the visit to Datz was their Double D burger. Now I did not order this but someone at the table did. This is two burger patties made with beef brisket and short ribs. Then they melted Swiss and American cheese over the patties. They layered it with all the fixings you typically get on a burger. But what makes this burger so unique and special is that the bun for this burger is two full sized glazed donuts.

This thing was massive when it came to the table. Plus, it came with a side of homemade potato chips with blue cheese. It looked very messy to eat but in no time this burger was devoured.

The blend of salty and sweet from the donuts all married well together. It is not for everyone; however, it does give Datz something special to look forward to.

The food was great at Datz once again.  I highly recommend checking them out if you are in Tampa. Visit their website at www.datztampa.com

Enjoy!

T

Black Bird Bakery – Bristol, VA

Bristol is a really unique twin city that lies in both Virginia and Tennessee. The state lines runs right down State Street. There is a really cool light up sign that tells you which state you are in. This sign has been there since 1915, though the slogan did change to the current one in 1921.

A little-known fact about Bristol that I learned when I visited is that it is recognized as the “Birthplace of Country Music”.

There is a 1930s theater on State Street called Paramount. It still has shows and events there through the year.

After walking around, I came to Black Bird Bakery. This is an old-fashioned bakery and ice cream shop. This place was packed with the line was almost out the door. It was cozy and inviting inside with table and couches everywhere.

They had a large offering of pastries, ice cream, cupcakes, and donuts to choose from. It was kind of hard to decide.

I got a couple of desserts while I was there. Some of them I got to go so I could enjoy then later. What I ate there was a big scoop of homemade Butter Pecan ice cream. The ice cream was so creamy. It was full of pecans. I got it on a sweet waffle cone which held more ice cream.

The Double Chocolate cupcake was chocolate overload. If you love chocolate, then this is the dessert for you. The cake was mist and held its own with all the chocolate icing.

The Carrot Cake cupcake was also extremely moist. It had great spice flavor to it along with shreds of fresh carrots. The cream cheese icing was to die for. It was extremely creamy.

The last dessert I got was the Peanut Butter Cheesecake. This was a very decadent dessert. The cheesecake was smooth and creamy. The flavor of peanut butter shined through. It was a very rich dessert. It was better to share this one. It went perfect with a nice glass of red wine.

There is a reason why the lines were so long at Black Bird Bakery. It seemed like the hot spot for people of all ages. I would recommend them to everyone. Plus, they are open late.

Check them out at www.blackbirdbakerybristol.com

Enjoy!

T

Rio de Brazil – Johnson City, TN

If you have never been to a Brazilian steakhouse, you are in for a treat. It is a parade of meats, coming direct to your table. It was exciting to take someone who had never been before. I knew it would be a fun experience at Rio de Brazil in Johnson City, Tennessee.

To start off with, you must understand the color-coded cards that are on the table.

  • GREEN = Yes, I want meat, please come over to the table
  • RED = No, I am full so you can pass by

The next thing to know about Brazilian steakhouses are the salad bars. They are awesome but remember do not fill up on all of that. You must save room for the meat, that’s the main reason to visit. The salad bar had so many options.

I tried some pasta salad, fresh tomato and mozzarella, and a fresh broccoli salad. I figured this would be a light enough starter. The broccoli salad had a nice sweetness to it. They also had shrimp cocktail which is a great way to start with protein. There were creamy mashed potatoes with gravy on the bar too. I knew this would be the perfect side with steak.

The first meat that came to the table was the bacon wrapped chicken. The bacon was crispy on the outside. The bacon fat helped add to the taste of the chicken as it cooked. The chicken was tender and moist. The flavor they marinated the chicken in had a light teriyaki taste. It was really delicious.

The next skewer of meat to come to the table was the bacon wrapped filet. As soon as I cut into the filet, the juices just poured out. The meat was cooked perfectly with a little pink. The seasoning they put on the meat was savory and it made each bite more addicting. The bacon added a little extra salty with a crunch.

The flank steak was thin slices of tender meat. I did not even need a knife to cut it. I ate it so fast I forgot to take a picture.

In between the meats, the waiter brought some bananas to the table. This was like a dessert. The bananas were cooked in cinnamon and sugar. The bananas were soft, and the sugar created a caramelization on top. It was a great cleanser to eat a few bites in between the salty meat.

One of the last meats I tried was the garlic steak. The meat tasted like it was marinated in a garlic butter sauce. The garlic complemented the savory flavor from the meat. Even this cut of meat was tender.

I was starting to develop a meat coma. I was surprised when the waiter came around with a skewered pineapple. The pineapple was coated on the outside with cinnamon and sugar. As it rotated over the flame, the sugar melted and caramelized. It was fantastic on the pineapple. The grill gave it a little different texture. It was really delicious. This is something I might try on the grill at home.

The meat was fantastic at Rio de Brazil. The sides were great too even though I did not try many of them. It is a fun restaurant to go to so you can try a variety of things. It is definitely a place to check out.

Visit their website at www.Riodebrazilsteakhouse.com

Enjoy!

T