Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

Blood Brothers Texas BBQ – Bellaire, TX

When I think of food from Texas, barbeque definitely comes to mind. When I went to Blood Brothers Texas BBQ I got a little more than what I was expecting. This is a fusion restaurant combining traditional bbq with an Asian flare.

Their menu is extensive, so I would recommend looking at it on your phone before you get there. When you walk in you head right up to the counter and order.

The starter sampler plate is a great way to try a few different bbq options. We got brisket, sausage, and pork belly. There was great smokey flavor to the meat. The brisket was juicy, and the sausage had a nice pepper taste. The pork belly was crispy on the outside and melted in my mouth.

The Mac & Cheese was the perfect side dish for bbq. It was extremely creamy with all the cheese that was used. On a cold day, it was the best comfort food.

And bbq would not be complete without coleslaw. They made it fresh. It had a crunchy texture. It was both sweet and tangy at the same time.

Another thing that stood out to me was their condiment bar. They offered everything from pickles and jalapenos to pickled onions. You definitely need to make a stop here in case you want to add anything to your dishes that you order.

The Jerk Pulled Pork Tacos are a must try, especially if you like spicy food. The pulled pork was smoked and jerked. It was tender and juicy. They served it with a mango slaw on top which added a sweet crunch. It was all wrapped up in Jamaican curry tortilla, which was extremely unique. The tacos came with pineapple salsa on the side. It was sweet but also surprisingly spicy.

If you want to try something really special order the Smoked Brisket & Gai Lan Chow Fun. This combines my love for bbq with my love for Chinese chow fun. It really is the perfect fusion dish. They stir fry thick rice noodles, bean sprouts, Chinese broccoli, and 44 Farms brisket (www.44farms.com) . There was a fantastic smoky taste to the noodles from how they cooked it in the pan. The brisket had beautiful bark on the outside. The meat was tender and juicy. The bean spouts gave the dish a little crunch but did not take away any of the flavors. The broccoli had a slight bitterness. It was a very satisfying dish.

If you want something unique in the BBQ world, then head to Blood Brother’s Texas BBQ. Check out their website at www.bloodbrosbbq.com

Enjoy!

T

Happy Halloween

Cilantro – Nashville, TN

Five Points in East Nashville is a great location where lots of unique shops and restaurants are popping up. There is a Mexican restaurant called Cilantro that I highly recommend.

They have a great bar area toward the back on the restaurant. It is decorated beautifully.

They serve ice cold beers, in giant mugs.

They have a selection of margarita flavors to choose from. And they can be ordered in pitchers. So, this is perfect for sharing. We ordered a strawberry margarita pitcher. It was sweet and tart, and very refreshing because it was so cold.

The chips and salsa were constantly flowing. The salsa was freshly made, and you could tell as soon as you tasted it. It was not too spicy but had a nice kick.

The loaded chicken nachos were amazing. It was a huge portion and was perfect for sharing. They used a ton of cheese and the chicken had an amazing grilled flavor.

Cilantro is great, authentic Mexican restaurant to check out when you are in Nashville.

Check them out at www.cilantronashville.com

Enjoy!

T

City Tap – Nashville, TN

Downtown Nashville seems to be growing every day. There are so many restaurants and bars to select from. City Tap is a great place to check out. They have a great bar area to watch you favorite team and a dining room area that is perfect for Sunday brunch.

My visit was for brunch. The table started with mimosas. They do mimosas a little different here. For a set price they bring you a whole bottle of champagne and a selection of juices so that you can make your own. It is great for the table. We go orange and pineapple juice.

We ordered a pepperoni pizza for the table. It is  big enough for sharing. The crust was fluffy and they put on a ton of pepperoni.

The grilled cheese and tomato soup was a classic dish that was so comforting. They used grilled sour dough bread with 3 cheeses: American, cheddar, and pepperjack. The homemade tomato soup was extremely creamy.

The French toast was a beautiful dish, especially if you want breakfast. They used big slices of bread which helped make this dish large. They topped the bread with fresh fruit and whipped cream. It almost made it a dessert. The French toast had a nice, sweet taste.

City Tap is a great place. They get really busy on the weekends so I would recommend making a reservation.

Check out their website at www.citytap.com

Enjoy!

T

Lancaster Brewing Company – Lancaster, PA

I was in Lancaster, Pennsylvania recently for a wedding. The area is absolutely beautiful. So much beautiful farmland.

While we were there, we wanted to check out one of their local breweries, Lancaster Brewing Company. It was a rainy day, so it was the perfect day for a brewery.

They had a nice selection of beers to choose from. I did try a sour beer, which was great. But what I was really intrigued by was how the bartender mixed different beers. She made a Chocolate covered strawberry. This combined their Double Chocolate Milk Stout and their Strawberry Wheat. It really tasted like a chocolate strawberry.

I also tried her combination of the Strawberry Wheat and the Fresh Roasted Peanut Butter Ale. This was just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was great. I have never seen this done before, but I am definitely going to do this at other breweries in the future.

They had a big selection of menu items to choose from, including a special Oktoberfest menu. I started off with the Kartoffelsuppe. This is a German potato soup. They used local bratwurst, potatoes, cabbage, and sweet onions. This soup was very light. The flavor of the bratwurst was amazing, it helped add extra flavor to the soup. The onions did add sweetness and the potatoes helped to add texture. It was perfect to eat on a rainy day. I could have eaten another bowl.

I had to try the Fried Pierogies. These were handmade, which helped make these so special. These were potato pierogies which are my favorite. They placed them on top of sour cream and topped them off with a caramelized onion and bacon combination. The onions and bacon were sweet. It was not what I was expecting. It was something different that complemented the creamy potato.

The last thing that was ordered was the Braided Soft Pretzel. They called this Philly style. It was served with a cheddar ale sauce and coarse grain mustard for dipping. The pretzel was soft and had a slight sweet taste to it. The cheddar sauce was amazing.

Lancaster Brewing Company was a great place to visit. They were very crowded. If you do not feel like sitting at the bar they have plenty of dining room space.

If you are in Lancaster then add this brewery to your list of must visit.

Check out their website at www.lancasterbrewing.com

Enjoy!

T

Beiler’s Doughnuts – Lancaster, PA

Do you love doughnuts? How about freshly made, unique flavored doughnuts? Then you must visit Beiler’s Doughnuts in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

This family-owned shop uses a family recipe and they hand roll their doughnuts every day. You can watch them make them right there in the shop.

They have a large selection to choose from. They have all the classics you would be looking for. Plus several special flavors like:

  • Nutella Cream
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate
  • Salted Caramel
  • Oero Cream
  • Key Lime
  • Pumpkin Cream
  • Tripple Chocolate

I enjoyed a pumpkin cream and the triple chocolate. They were amazing. And the size of the doughnuts were very generous. A dozen is perfect to share with the whole family (or possibly two).

Checked them out at www.beilersdoughnuts.com

Enjoy!

T

The Back Nine – Lakeland, FL – Part 2

We went to The Back Nine because we heard their brunch was amazing. They do have a specific brunch menu for Saturdays and Sundays, but you can also order items off their regular menu.

Since I was there with a large group of friends, I was excited to see all the different dishes that we were going to order.

The staple item that we always order when we come here are the Par Three Fries. These are amazing French fries. Everyone loves sharing them because they come with 3 different types of fries: Curly, Crinkle, and Traditional straight. They are cooked perfectly, and they fry them up to order because they are always piping hot when we get them. Make sure you ask for some of their homemade cheese sauce on the side. This is perfect for dipping the fries in.

One of the brunch dishes ordered was the Chicken and Waffles. This was breaded chicken tenders that were placed on top of a waffle. Then they were topped with fresh fruit and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The chicken was amazing. The breading was crispy and had great flavor and the chicken remained moist and juicy. I loved dipping it in maple syrup for extra flavor.

The Classic Breakfast Plate was truly a classic. It came with 2 eggs (these were ordered scrambled), sausage patties, toast, homefries, and fresh fruit. The eggs were amazing. They had such a creamy taste. It reminded me of the way my dad use to make them when I was a kid.

The Breakfast Bowl was pretty big. The bowl started with homefries being covered in the house made cheese sauce. Then there were layers of peppers, onions, and bacon. It was topped off with 2 scrambled eggs. If you like having all your ingredients mixed together for easy eating, this is the dish for you. The homemade cheese sauce helped pull the whole dish together.

A few friends did not feel like breakfast items, so they ordered more lunch type items. The Mahi Tacos looked fantastic when they came out. There were 3 flour tortillas stuffed with grilled mahi-mahi, housemade slaw, and a Cajun remoulade on top. My friend devoured all three. She said the fish was flakey and the sauce made them taste amazing.

If you like salads then the Cobb Salad would be a great choice. The mixed greens were topped with fresh grilled chicken, sliced egg, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, bacon, and bleu cheese crumbles. The bleu cheese dressing was served on the side. This was such a fresh-looking salad. The bleu cheese crumbles helped set it apart and make it unique from other cobb salads I have seen.

Lastly the chicken tenders were ordered. This was the same chicken that came on the chicken and waffles, but just with a few more pieces. It came with grilled veggies on the side which were grilled zucchini and yellow squash.

The food was amazing at The Back Nine. They never disappoint. And the staff is fantastic and always trying to take care of you.

Check out The Back Nine in Lakeland. And if you want to have fun playing the golf simulators, head to the back of the restaurant. They also have a great loyalty program, so make sure to sign up for that.

Check out their website at www.thebackninelakeland.com

Enjoy!

T

The Back Nine – Lakeland, FL – Part 1

If you follow me on social media, I have done many posts about a great restaurant called The Back Nine in Lakeland, Florida.

It is owned and run by a husband and wife, whose dream was to open a restaurant. They have a wonderful menu, a full bar, and fun golf simulators in the back where you can have a fun game of golf (or a variety of other games, including zombie dodgeball).

They serve an amazing brunch on the weekends, and I wanted to make sure I wrote about it. We were a big group, so we got to try a variety of things off the menu.

They had two types of mimosa options for brunch. The one option was a Mimosa Flight. These were 4 of their popular flavors: Classic, Blackberry, Sunset, and Blueberry Lemonade. These were pretty large glasses for a flight.

They also have a Bottomless Mimosa. There is a 2-hour limit for this but there is plenty of time to enjoy all 6 flavors. Just make sure you eat something so you can walk out ok.

My friend and I decided to do the bottomless option. We went in order of the menu. It was easier to keep track that way. The first one out was the Classic. This was a good way to start. Something traditional to cleanse the palette before the unique flavors arrive.

The next flavor out was Blackberry. This was sweet and tart at the same time.  There was a hint of blackberry flavor which is where the sweetness came from, and the brut champagne is where the tartness came from.

The Sunset mimosa was beautiful. The 2 colors of orange and red really did look like the sunset. This was a sweet mimosa. I liked how it hid the flavor of the champagne but was still bubbly. I would say this was one of my favorites.

The Raspberry was the fourth flavor on the list. This was similar to the blackberry but it was sweeter. However there still was some tartness.

Strawberry was out next. This was full of strawberry flavor. I feel it was mixed a little with some orange juice which made it the perfect combination.

The last mimosa out was the Blueberry Lemonade. I was originally not sure about what this flavor would be like but the combination of tart blueberry and sweet lemonade worked well together. This ended up being my second favorite mimosa of the day.

If you are looking for a great place to get bottomless mimosas then The Back Nine is the place to go.

Check out their website at www.thebackninelakeland.com

Enjoy!

T

Bandito’s Tex Mex – Dallas, TX

When I am in Texas having good Tex Mex is a must have. There are so many places to choose from, it can be a hard decision to make. It is best to leave it up to the locals to make a recommendation. That is how I ended up at Bandito’s Tex Mex.

The restaurant is small inside, so it fills up fast. Once you are able to get seated, they will bring you chips and salsa right away. This way you have something to enjoy while you are looking over the menu.

The salsa was amazing. It was freshly made, and the flavor of the onions and cilantro helped highlight the sweetness of the tomatoes.

I would also recommend ordering some homemade queso. The creamy cheese was great with the crispy tortilla chips.

I ordered a Sangria as well. I got red, that tends to be my favorite. It was sweet but also slightly tart based on the type of wine they used. It was refreshing. I went down easy, so I had to make sure that I drank it slowly.

The menu had many great dishes to choose from.  I ordered the 12 Gauge Flautas. I love flautas and I usually can only find them in Texas. These flautas were shredded chicken wrapped in a corn tortilla and then fried. They were extremely crispy. They were served with a side of queso, sour cream, and guacamole. The flautas were amazing when dipped in the queso. They stayed crispy, and the savory flavor of the chicken was complemented by the richness of the cheese. These were classified as an appetizer, but they were plenty for my meal.

The Red River Chicken Enchiladas were also ordered. This dish came with two chicken enchiladas covered in a sour cream sauce and topped with melted pepperjack cheese. This dish was a lot plus it came with rice and beans. The chicken was shredded and savory. It was the same chicken that they used in the flautas. It just remained juicy in the enchilada.

Another dish ordered was the Low Rider Burrito. This burrito was fully customizable. This one was made with spicy beef and topped with a chili con queso. And of course, rice and beans were on the side. This was a big burrito. The beef was not too spicy. The chili con queso had a nice salty taste that went well with the beef.

These were some excellent Tex Mex dishes at Bandito’s. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting great Tex Mex food.

Check out their menu at www.banditostexmex.com

Enjoy!

T

Down One Bourbon Bar – Louisville, KY

While visiting Louisville, Kentucky, you will notice that it is all about bourbon and horses. Part of the Bourbon Trail starts in downtown Louisville. After having a few tastings, you need to make sure to eat something.

We picked Down One Bourbon Bar to grab some lunch.

The restaurant has a fun vibe. There are humorous signs all around that were entertaining.

I started off with a Kentucky Iced Tea. This was the quintessential Kentucky drink. They used Evan Willaims Bourbon, Rittenhouse Rye, Carpano Antica formula vermouth, peach schnapps, peach puree, Goslings ginger beer, and lime. There was a lot going on with this cocktail. It had a slight kick from the bourbon but was sweet because of the peach puree and schnapps. It was not a cocktail you could drink really fast.

The Masa Fried Cheese Curds were ordered. The cheese was breaded and fried up to be crispy. They served them with shaved jalapenos. This added a little spice when eaten with the cheese curd. They made a homemade ranch dipping sauce. This had a great tangy taste. The cheese curds were creamy with a nice salty taste. They were small pieces so it was easy to pop them in your mouth.

The Smothered Nachos were good for sharing because they were so big. It was easy to get full on eating these. The nacho chips were topped with pork carnitas, queso, cilantro crème, and pico de gallo.

I saw two sides on the menu that I ordered to complete my lunch. The Cilantro Lime Rice, was simple, just steamed white rice that was blended with fresh lime juice and fresh cilantro. The lime gave it a little bite and the cilantro added a little spice. It was light and refreshing for a side dish.

I also ordered the Street Corn. They took the corn off the cob and charred it. That gave the corn a slight smokey taste. Then they mixed it with mayonnaise, chili lime seasoning, cilantro, and cotija cheese. There was a sharpness to the flavor. Between the mayonnaise and the chili lime seasoning, the corn was very tangy. The cotija cheese added texture. It was a lot less messy eating the corn out of a bowl than on the cob.

This was a great spot to hit in between bourbon tastings. Check them out at www.downonebourbonbar.com

Enjoy!

T