Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

Urban Putt – Denver, CO

I found the coolest place in downtown Denver. It offered food, drinks, and mini-golf – it is called Urban Putt. I never expected to find a place like this.

The building is deceptively large inside. There is a bar and table on the left-hand side. You really need to have reservations for this because they seem to fill up quickly.

We started off getting some food and drinks. I started off with a seasonal mule, which was a raspberry vodka and ginger beer. It was served in a copper mug, so it stayed cold. It had a great sweet taste.

From their snack menu we ordered chips and queso. This was chili con queso made from white and Monterey jack cheese and sautéed chilies. They served rainbow tortilla chips alongside. The queso was creamy and not too spicy.

The other snack was my favorite, it was chicken and waffles. These were little chicken nuggets put on top of mini pieces of waffles. They naturally served maple syrup on the side. The chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy inside. The waffle was sweet. It was easy to dip because they were held together by toothpicks. These were a nice bite size treat.

Once we were done eating, we headed over to the ticket counter for mini-golf. The course was broken up into two different 9-hole games. We bought all 18 holes.

We each received two tokens, these were for us to get our favorite color golf ball to play with. The balls were in the old school candy machines. It was really a novel idea.

The mini-golf was under black lights so it was really cool how the different displays glowed, as well as our golf balls.

There were some obstacle courses set up to putt. Some were very challenging, some were easy. There were even a few holes that they set up like places in Colorado (like the Denver airport). It was a lot of fun.

I could see why this place was so busy. This is perfect place for groups of friends to hang out. If you are in Denver you should check them out www.urbanputt.com

Enjoy!

T

Urban Egg – Denver, CO

We had just landed in Denver, Colorado. The flight was a few hours and with the time difference it was the start of breakfast time out West. We wanted to find a good place to go for breakfast outside of the city. When I checked out the area I came across Urban Egg. In glancing over the menu I knew this place would hit the spot.

The restaurant already had a small line when we walked through the door. Good news is we did not have to wait too long for a table. The restaurant had some great wall décor that caught my attention. Even the artwork in the bathroom was funny.

Our waiter was wonderful; so cheerful and friendly, he made excellent suggestions about the menu. I would call the menu classic diner breakfast with a modern twist.

Two of us ordered the Corned Beef Hash. We just had our eggs prepared differently. But in reality the eggs were secondary to the dish. The corned beef was the star. They slow roasted the corned beef themselves. Then they shredded it and sautéed it with peppers and hash brown potatoes. The beef was exceedingly tender and the peppers added a sweetness that balanced out the saltiness of the beef.

The shining co-star to this dish was the jalapeno bacon chutney. It was almost like a jam on top. It was sweet, salty, and spicy. The spice hit you at the end. When this combined with the corned beef it created a medley in my mouth that was crave worthy. It is almost hard to describe how all the flavors worked together.

Instead of getting the toast that the menu called for, our waiter insisted we get a biscuit, since they make them from scratch everyday. The biscuit was light and fluffy. The top was golden brown and slightly salty from the butter they brushed on top.

The other dish that was ordered was their award winning Biscuits and Gravy. They took one of their buttermilk biscuits and cut it open. Then they smothered it with a creamy, homemade sage sausage gravy. The gravy was tremendously savory. The sage flavor made the gravy amazing. They gave a generous amount so some of it was able to be put on the scrambled eggs.

This dish also came with hash browns. These were not just ordinary hash browns, they were loaded. The crispy shredded potatoes were loaded with cheese, bacon, sour cream, and scallions. It was just like a loaded baked potato, just in breakfast form. These were filing enough to be a meal.

We wanted a satisfying breakfast and that is exactly what we got at Urban Egg. The way the lines were growing out the door, this was definitely the spot to be for breakfast. Next time you are in Denver check them out. They have two locations, so visit their website at www.urbaneggeatery.com

Enjoy!

T

Boat Drinks Bar – St. Augustine, FL

The St. Augustine historic district has a plethora of restaurants. While walking around I came across a unique looking restaurant that offered fresh Florida seafood and cocktails. Boat Drinks Bar seemed like the perfect stop for a quick bite to eat and something to quench our thirst from the hot Florida sun.

The inside was colorful and fun. Even their menu was fun. It had a beach bar vibe.

I ordered a Bushwacker. This is not a common drink that I find in Florida, it is more of a Tennessee or Alabama drink. This frozen cocktail contained St Lucian rum, cacao, coffee, and amaretto mixed in their coco-pina slush. They even sprinkled some cinnamon on top.

This was definitely a different take on a bushwacker. It tasted more like coffee than the chocolate flavor I am use to. It wasn’t bad, just different. It was perfect to cool off from how hot it was outside.

While there I wanted to get something to munch on. I looked over the menu and my eyes went directly to the charbroiled oysters. It was a half dozen oysters with garlic butter, michelada sauce, and pecorino cheese. Michelada is a blend of Mexican beer, tomato juice, hot sauce, lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce.

This sauce had a wonderful savory flavor. I have never had this sauce before but it went really well with the briny taste of the oysters and the saltiness of the cheese. The pressed Cuban bread they served on the side was an excellent way to soak up the sauce on the plate. The scallions they sprinkled on top were also a nice addition, adding a little crunch. This was an interesting take on charbroiled oysters that helped them stand out.

Boat Drinks Bar was a fun place to pop in. The bar staff was friendly and the kitchen staff was hopping.

This is a great place for a snack and drink. Check them out at www.boatdrinksbar.com

Enjoy!

T

City Gate Distillery – St. Augustine, FL

St. Augustine is a wonderful city in Northern Florida. It is rich with history that you can take tours to learn about. They have several ghost tours that are fun as well. There are several distilleries and a winery that you can visit for free tours and sample tastings. I have been to a few of them already and even wrote about them. During this weekend getaway I learned about a distillery that I never knew about.

City Gate Distillery was tucked away towards the end of the cobblestone streets of old historic St. Augustine.

You walk in and they check your ID right away to make sure everyone is legal. They had some tanks and work stations set up, but no one was working at them the day I visited, probably because they were so busy doing tastings.

The first station that was set up was their whiskeys. They offered three flavors.

  • Smoked Maple Whiskey – This was a blend of maple and brown sugar; it is charred in an oak barrel that adds a touch of spice. When you first sip it, you can definitely taste the maple. As you finish it, there is a sweetness of butterscotch but for me if the host did not say this I would not have picked up on the butterscotch.
  • Peanut Butter Whiskey – This was my favorite whiskey. The smell of roasted peanuts, butter, and coffee come together to offer a sweet and salty whiskey. I felt that there was a hint of chocolate that helped pull out the peanut butter flavor even more.
  • Salted Carmel Whiskey – The aroma of vanilla, caramel, and sea salt was enhanced by the oak barrel. This had a quality about it that would make this a great dessert whiskey.

The second station introduced three different spirits.

  • Sweet Tea Vodka – This was an amazing vodka that tasted just like true Southern sweet tea, just with a kick. I could see this being added to some lemonade and making a fantastic Arnold Palmer.
  • Limoncello – I would never have expected to find this here. But considering we are in Florida and there is an abundance of citrus fruits, this drink is perfect. The zesty lemon shines through with both a sweet and sour taste. This would be great for sipping however, putting a splash of tonic or club soda to this for a little bubbles would take them limoncello to the next level.
  • Coconut Rum – What an amazing tropical flavor with the combination of fresh coconut and vanilla. Just pouring it over ice will give the impression that you are drinking a pina colada.

The third station was all about moonshines.

  • White Lightning – This is the classic clear moonshine that you will find all over Tennessee. It’s corn based and carries a kick.

After tasting it straight, they combined it with their homemade passion fruit sour mix. This helped breakdown the moonshine to something that was a little easier to drink. The passion fruit had a nice sweetness to it.

  • Orange N’ Cream – This tastes just like the classic ice cream treat. The only difference is this was not creamy. They used authentic Florida oranges along with vanilla that helped create that creamy taste. This was my overall favorite spirit I tasted all day.
  • Apple Pie – This is also a very traditional moonshine flavor. Combining fresh apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar to create that classic apple pie filling taste. By them adding a hint of graham cracker, they made this moonshine unique in the market place.

Also after tasting this straight, they added it to their Ancient City spice mix. This created a unique cocktail that made me feel like I was sitting by the fire at Thanksgiving.

The tasting experience was wonderful at City Gate. The staff is all very knowledgeable and able to answer all kinds of questions. They also have everything for sale there so you can enjoy every option at home. Make sure to check them out if you are visiting St. Augustine.

www.citygatespirits.com

Enjoy!

T

Taco Bus – Lakeland, FL

It has been a few years since I have written about Taco Bus. Since that time they have opened a few more locations across Florida. I went back to the Lakeland location in the downtown area. For readers who might not be familiar, Taco Bus started as a food truck out of an old yellow school bus.  Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives visited them for an episode and they exploded from there.

When you walk in you are greeted by a yellow school bus to keep with the tradition. I ordered a few things off the menu since I was pretty hungry.

I started off with the Mexican Street Corn. This is a messy dish, so make sure you grab lots of napkins. They roast the corn on the cob and then coat it with a smoky chipotle sauce. Then it is topped with crumbled cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. The corn itself is sweet. I feel that there is something in the roasting process that brings out the sweetness. The chipotle sauce adds just a little spice, but nothing too hot. There is also a slight tanginess from the sauce and the cotija cheese. The cilantro did not seem to add anything to me except for a little color.

I also ordered a Taco. I went for the hard corn shell with ground beef. I love the freshness of their shells and how well they hold up when you bite into them. They topped the flavorful meat with cheese, purple cabbage, and fresh pico de galo. The cabbage is a unique addition to their tacos. It adds crunch without adding an overly cabbage taste. Their homemade pico goes wonderfully with the seasoning on the beef. It is so juicy it will drip down your hand when you eat. So make sure you grab more napkins.

The last thing I ordered was an Empanada. The dough shell was fried up until it was puffy and crispy. I got ground beef and cheese. They used the same beef as was in the tacos but by putting the cheese inside to melt, it made the meat immensely creamy. The empanada was a little pocket of heaven. Each bite stayed warm because of the shell.

While all of these dishes sounded like a lot of food, the size proportions are perfect. They are not oversized so you can order a few things which allows for more experimentation with menu combinations.

The experience I had at Taco Bus was exceptional. I enjoyed everything. I would recommend checking out their Lakeland location, or any other one in the area. You can find them at www.taco-bus.com

Enjoy!

T

Simone’s – St. Augustine, FL

There is an Italian restaurant that I found in St. Augustine that has a wood-fire oven that they do their cooking in. The thought of some wood-fire pizza really made me hungry, so I made a reservation for Simone’s.

When I looked over the menu, I was pleasantly surprised about how many things they offered.

I did get the wood-fire pizza that I was craving. I got it with fresh Italian sausage and anchovies. The pizza was cooked exceptionally well. There was the right amount of char on the crust. The dough was sweet and paired great with the salty cheese and pizza sauce. The sausage got crispy in the oven which I enjoyed. There was a nice fennel taste in the sausage. The anchovies, which are not everyone’s thing, added additional saltiness to the pizza.

Another dish I ordered was the homemade meatballs. The meatballs were a blend of veal, pork, and beef. They were covered in a Pomodoro sauce. They were placed in the wood-fire oven to get a little crispy on the outside. The parmesan cheese that was shredded on top melted and melted right away from the heat.  The meatballs were very moist, light, and fluffy with a great savory flavor.

They had arancini on the menu too. This was a pleasant surprise because not all Italian restaurants have these. These were smaller in size and there was no meat and peas on the inside. But they were really cheesy and were the perfect size for dipping in the Pomodoro sauce.

Finally, the other item I tried was their soup on the day. It was a corn chowder. It sounded good and to my surprise the waitress offered to give us a sample to make sure it was something that we wanted to order. I have never seen this at a restaurant before and I really appreciated it.

The sample did the trick, I loved it. I ordered a bowl of the chowder. It was a simple chowder but still full of complex flavors. The corn was sweet and was a perfect match for the savory nature of the broth.

Simone’s is not a large restaurant, so they fill up fast. Even if you have to wait for a table, it is well worth it. There were several pasta dishes on the menu that looked delicious. The next time I visit St. Augustine, I would go back to try something new.

Check out their website at www.simoneswoodfiredwgv.com

Enjoy!

T

Hattie B’s – Nashville, TN

I absolutely love Nashville Hot Chicken. So naturally when I was visiting Nashville, I had to get their namesake dish. There are many places I have been to plus more I haven’t even tried yet. However, since this visit was a short one, I just focused in on Hattie B’s. I have been there many times and knew they would not disappoint.

I ordered the chicken breast meal with a medium heat. Don’t let the word medium fool you, this is still pretty spicy.  I can’t do much hotter than this for right now. The chicken is fried up so that the skin and breading is extra crispy. This allows the juices to stay locked in. The heat is contained in the breading and the extra seasoning they sprinkle on top once the chicken has completed cooking. The heat hits you as soon as you take a bite. But it does cool down after that, at least until you take another bite.

During this visit I ordered a couple of extra sides to try. Normally I get the mac and cheese and this visit was no exception. It is wonderfully creamy. The cheese can help tame down the burning sensation caused by the heat of the chicken.

Another side I tried was the cheesy grits. This is a true Southern dish. Normally I get these for breakfast. They were a salty treat for lunch too. The creaminess also helped tame the heat.

The baked beans were sweet. Normally served with BBQ, it was a nice complement to the chicken. It almost acted like a dessert because of the sweetness.

The last side was the black-eyed peas. I customarily have these on New Years Day for good luck. To have them here was a surprise. They were cooked flawlessly. There was ab immensely savory flavor that was perfect with the spicy chicken.

All of these sides really helped make the hot chicken a complete meal.

If you have never tried hot chicken, Hattie B’s is the perfect place to try it. However, if hot, spicy food is not your thing it is ok., they do offer their fried chicken with no heat. The chicken is just as good that way too.

They have a couple of location and starting to open outside of Tennessee so check them out at www.hattieb.com

Enjoy!

T

Stonewood Grill – Daytona Beach, FL

It was a beautiful morning in Daytona Beach, and I felt like getting some brunch. When I searched around the area Stonewood Grill popped up, so I made a reservation.

We got a great seat by the window to over look their pretty water fountain.

We started off with two appetizers for the table. The first thing that came out was the Blue Cheese Chips. These were homemade, baked potato chips tossed with fresh Rosemary and thyme. They spread a blue cheese aioli all over the chips. Then a balsamic glaze was drizzled all over. The tanginess of the blue cheese was a true complement to the sweetness of the balsamic. The crunch of the chips were spectacular.

The Bruschetta was the other appetizer that was ordered. The crispy crostini’s were topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic. There was fresh grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. They used the same balsamic dressing and served it in a bowl. This way whatever level of saturation was wanted, it could be achieved. The tomatoes were juicy and had a slight sweet taste to them. The garlic added a nice pop. The balsamic dressing that I sprinkled on top of the tomatoes soaked into the crostini. It made it a little easier to bite in to.

I enjoyed the bruschetta so much that I ordered the Bruschetta Chicken Sandwich. The chicken was seasoned well and grilled to still hold in the juices. A slice of cheese was melted on top of the chicken before it was topped off with the bruschetta and lettuce. They toasted a hoagie roll, which added some crunch when I took a bite. The lettuce added additional texture. This all paired well with the chicken.

On the side was a tomato cucumber salad. There were red onions that were chopped up that added a little kick. An Italian dressing coated the tomatoes and cucumbers and added great flavor.

Another dish that was ordered was the Steak Bowl. The size of the bowl was perfect for brunch. The tender steak was cooked to a medium and sliced up. In the bowl they served a corn and black bean salsa. There was a slight hint of spice but the coolness of the corn and the creaminess of the beans disguised the spice pretty well.

The poblano rice was a great surprise. There was a slight heat but such a creaminess to the rice that it was almost savory. They also put their homemade pico do gallo on the side. It was fresh and tasty on its own but also tasted great mixed in with the corn and bean salsa.

The final dish that was ordered was the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. I did not get to try the sandwich however, it seemed like a classic grilled chicken. It was simple but perfect for anyone wanting something familiar. Their was a generous amount of Caesar salad served on the side. It was the perfect brunch combo.

Brunch was great at Stonewood Grill. They have a nice selection of dishes for anyone’s tastebuds. Check them out at www.stonewoodgrill.com

Enjoy!

T