Month: January 2025

Whetstone Chocolates – St Augustine, FL

Whetstone Chocolates in Saint Augustine, Florida has been making chocolates for decades.  

When you walk in, there’s a display set up to look like the I Love Lucy candy wrapper episode.

There is Whetstone history all along the walls from it’s start in 1967 as a home kitchen. Henry and Esther Whetstone started with 13 fudges and hand dipped chocolates.

In 1991 Hershey asked them to make melt resistant chocolate for the military. The result was the Desert Bar used in Desert Storm. They also started producing Hershey kisses with almonds.

In 1995 Nestlé asked them to make Nestlé’s Magic Ball. This is hollowed chocolate with Disney characters inside.

This is still a working chocolate factory, so what is being made in the factory on each tour can be bought in the a shop next door.

To start the tour we got to sample the Fudge. I got to try peanut butter chocolate and cookies and cream. This is how they started their business, and I can see why it was so popular. The fudge was really creamy.

We learned a lot about the chocolate making process. Everything from the bean to the bar. You learn a lot of fun facts about chocolate. For example, all chocolate melts at 80°F; Fudge melts at 150°F; As long as only cocoa butter is in the ingredients, then it’s considered chocolate. Any other oils that are added changes it to chocolate flavoring.

On the tour, we got to try several of their chocolates. We started with milk chocolate and ended with dark chocolate.

Aviles is a blended milk chocolate with 31% Cocco. This is a Swiss formula with light sweetness. It melts fast and is super creamy.

San Marco is white chocolate with 0% cocoa. It’s creamy and light. It has a caramel taste. It’s sweeter than milk chocolate. It’s 55% sugar and 30% cocoa butter.

De Leon is dark chocolate with 47% cocoa. It’s got a reddish tint with fruity  wine flavors. This is made from the Dutch process. Dark chocolate doesn’t have any milk in it. There is a little milk fat in this piece, which is what makes it creamy.

Menendez is a dark chocolate with 72% Cocco. It’s made from the Swiss process. It’s low roasted and aged to provide a mellow balanced flavor. It’s very bitter and has a slight aftertaste. Everyone’s taste buds are different so this will taste different for everybody.

Artisan chocolates are made during each tour and you get a special artisan chocolate to try. It’s made special each day for sampling. We even got to watch it being made in the factory.

We got to actually walk the working factory on the tour. We got to watch molds being filled and wrapped. They were making shells and alligators the day we were there. We got to see the cooling racks. We got to see how trays of chocolate got worked.

We even saw popcorn being made, with chocolate being drizzled on top.

It is a really fun tour to get to experience if you’re in Saint Augustine, Florida.

I highly recommend to check it out and enjoy some chocolate.

www.whetstonechocolates.com

Enjoy!

T

La Banquise – Montreal, Canada

If you’ve come to Montreal and want to try their famous dish called poutine then I have found the perfect restaurant. It’s called La Banquise.

It’s a small place, so it fills up quickly.

They have 31 types of poutines on their menu and this includes 2 vegan options.

There are so many flavor profiles to choose from. It can be hard to narrow down, plus they have two sizes, regular and large. I recommend the regular size, it’s perfect for sharing.

I ordered La Classique. This is the traditional style poutine with French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. The fries reminded me of boardwalk fries with a sweetness. The gravy was savory and slightly salty. The cheese curds held their shape and added a great texture.

I also ordered La Elvis. I wanted to try one of their unique flavors. This was ground beef, green peppers, and mushrooms on top of the French fries. The flavor reminded me of a Philly cheesesteak just without the cheese. The savory flavor of the meat was delicious. The peppers added great flavor and the mushrooms, with their earthy taste, complemented the fresh flavor of the green peppers.

These were amazing poutines. By the time I left there was a line out the door and around the block. I would recommend getting there when they open to avoid long lines.

Check them out at www.labanquise.com

Enjoy!

T

Jaleo by Jose Andres – Celebration, FL

If you are interested in heading to Disney Springs, go on an empty stomach because they have so many great restaurants to choose from. We went to Jaleo by Jose Andres, a Spanish restaurant that offers unique dishes from Spain.

Ordering a pitcher of Sangria is a must. They have several options to select from, we just went with the traditional red. It had a hint of spice to it.

All the dishes come out tapas style, so it’s easy to share around the table.

The Croquetas de Pollo came out first. These had chicken that was puréed until creamy and mixed with creamy mashed potatoes. They were delicious. I could not get over how creamy they were. They were just like the ones I enjoyed in Barcelona.

The Plato de Queso Manchego was sliced Manchego cheese, which is sheep’s milk cheese. It is creamy and has a tangy flavor. It paired perfectly with the Cinco Jotas, which is acorn fed Iberico ham.

This special ham is aged 45 days. The presentation is amazing. They bring the meat over to your table and carve it in front of you. This Iberico ham just melts in your mouth. The fat that was on this ham was like butter.

While the previous items were shared around the table, I ordered the Gazpacho estilo Algeciras which was difficult to share. This was a chilled soup made with puréed tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell peppers. It was a light soup which was the perfect appetizer.

The Pimentos Piquillos de Queso Cabra is another class Spanish dish. It was seared piquillo peppers and they were filled with goat cheese. The peppers were sweet and had no real heat. The tangy cheese was an excellent complement.

The Espinacas a la Catalana was sautéed spinach, peanuts, raisins, and apples. It was a unique combination that resembled a side dish. This is something that I would want to try to replicate at home for dinner. All the ingredients worked well together with the cooked spinach.

Then it was time for the main dishes to start arriving.

Chorizo Casero con Pure de Patatas al aceite de Olivia is a dish consisting of house made chorizo sausage served with mashed potatoes. The sausage had nice heat. It was tender and full of flavor. The mashed potatoes were creamy. There was a little sauce poured on top that acted like gravy for the potatoes.

Pollo con pisto Manchego is grilled chicken thighs with a traditional vegetable stew. The chicken was moist and full of flavor from the spices. The stew acted like a sauce.

Gambas al Ajillo is a simple but elegant dish. It is sautéed shrimp and garlic butter sauce. There were huge pieces of garlic that added so much flavor. There was bread on the side to help soak up the butter. The shrimp were large in size plus they were tender.

The Tortilla Espanola is an omelet made of eggs, onions, and potatoes. This was a great dish that was perfect for dinner with the savory flavor. It did not feel like a breakfast dish even though it was an omelet.

Even with all the food we enjoyed, it was time for dessert.

Flan al ostllo tradicional de mama Marisa con espuma de crema Catalana is a classic Spanish custard with “aspuma” Catalan cream and oranges. It was creamy. It was the best flan I have ever tasted.

Pan con Chocolate is a chocolate custard with caramelized bread, olive oil, and brioche ice cream. The presentation of this dessert was beautiful.

The chocolate custard was extremely rich and sweet. I was only able to eat a few bites. The brioche ice cream was delicious. It was creamy and sweet with a subtle unique taste. The best way to eat this dish was to combine the custard and the ice cream on your spoon. It blends the two flavors together.

Just in time for dessert, we were able to enjoy the Flamenco dancers, and the band that started performing around the restaurant. It was the perfect conclusion to our amazing meal.

If you are in Disney Springs looking for a great place to eat, check out Jaleo by Jose Andres. Visit their website at www.jaleo.com

Enjoy!

T

Fado Irish Pub – Atlanta, GA

If you are looking for is a perfect place to watch football, soccer, or any other sport, then check out Fado Irish Pub in Atlanta, Georgia. It has a fun feel of a British/Irish pub inside.

There were a few things on the menu that I was looking forward to trying. The first item out was the Cheese Dip and Wedges. This was creamy cheddar and pepper Jack cheese made into a dip with pico de gallo mixed throughout. They served Boxy Wedges on the side. I haven’t had these since I was in Ireland. Irish boxy wedges are made from mashed potatoes formed into a loaf. It is fried until golden and crispy then sliced. They are unique and delicious.

Next out was the Reuben sandwich. This classic sandwich was served on marble rye bread with coleslaw on top and beautifully shaved corn beef. The flavor was fantastic. The French fries on the side were a nice touch.

The final dish out was the Shepherd’s Pie. It came with a side salad. The creamy mashed potatoes on topped were sprinkled with parsley and had a crispy layer. The meat and vegetable mixture was extremely savory. It was the perfect comfort food on a cold day.

If you are in Atlanta and looking for a place with fantastic comfort food, then check out Fado Irish Pub. Visit their website www.fadoirishpub.com

Enjoy!

T

Evel Pie – Las Vegas, NV

If you head down to Fremont Street in old Las Vegas, you’re going to come upon a really interesting restaurant called Evel Pie.

This restaurant is themed for Evel Knievel. There are photos, bikes, and other memorabilia decorating the walls.

You order at the counter and when your order is ready, they call your name. Simply go up to the counter and pick up your food.

I ordered Grandma’s Meatballs. These are three large meatballs per order which is perfect for sharing. They’re served with Evel’s tomato sauce. The meatballs were tender with a lot of flavor.

You can order pizza either buy the slice or a whole pie. I decided to go after just a slice. I ordered the Cheesy Rider. It’s the plain slice of pizza with mozzarella cheese. It’s a classic and it really hit the spot.

They have a great happy hour from 2 to 6 PM so check them out if you’re on Fremont Street and want a little taste of old Las Vegas.

Visit their website at www.evelpie.com

Enjoy!

T