Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

El Rigoberto’s Taco Shop – Los Alamos, NM

There is a very authentic Mexican restaurant in Los Alamos, New Mexico that I visited on two separate occasions when I was in town. El Rigoberto’s offers all the classic Mexican dishes along with a little New Mexico flare.

Once you order at the counter, you can find a seat in the restaurant. They will bring the food to you. Now in the center of the restaurant there is a salsa bar. You can help yourself to a variety of red and green salsas – all with different levels of heat. There is also an amazing homemade pico de gallo.

They also had a giant bowl of pickled peppers and carrots. These also had some heat. It was a nice snack to have while we waited for our dishes.

One of the dishes ordered was the Cheese Quesadillas. This was a large quesadilla. It was filled with a generous amount of shredded chicken and melted cheese. Adding a little of the pico de gallo to it helped step up the flavor. The fresh tortilla were cooked up until they were crispy of the outside. This nice crunch complemented to soft texture from the chicken, cheese filling.

Another dish that was ordered was the Beef Burritos. Two large burritos came on the plate along with rice and refired beans. It was a lot of food. They used shredded beef. The beef was tender and seasoned perfectly. It was a savory, salty taste.

They had a couple of taco options on the menu. The Fish Tacos were chosen. Two of them came with the meal. The fish was lightly fried. They were on soft tortilla shells and covered in an amazing sauce. It was like a cream sauce that accented the fish well.

The Chiles Rellenos was a perfect New Mexico dish. These rellenos were large, but not spicy. They were stuffed with cheese that melted when cooked. It oozed with each cut of the pepper. These were also served with rice and beans, as well as fresh guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. These added elements were perfect to help balance out all the cheese.

On the second visit, we tried two more dishes. The Bean Tostada & Beef Taco combo plate seemed like a lot of food but it was just the right amount. The taco was the shredded beef and it was still full of flavor like the last visit. The crunchy taco shell was made from a fresh tortilla.

The tostada was easier to eat than I was expecting. The crunchy tortilla was covered with creamy refried beans, cheese, and topped with shredded lettuce. I was able to just pick it up with my hands and take a bite. The rice and beans on the side were a good addition to put on top of the tostada.

The last thing ordered was the Beef Burrito & Cheese Enchilada. They used the seasoned shredded beef in the burrito. The cheese enchilada was oozing with cheese. The red and green sauce was added on top of each to give it the extra spice. Using both red and green sauce is called Christmas.

All of the food was amazing. It was all homemade and extremely authentic.  If you are visiting Los Alamos you should check them out. They don’t have a website but you can check them out of Facebook.

Enjoy!

T

Haymaker – Peoria, AZ

We were staying at a beautiful resort in Peoria, Arizona and it was time for breakfast. Since we were not familiar with the area, we asked the front desk, and everyone recommended that we check out Haymaker.

Clearly everyone in town had the same idea because this restaurant was packed. We put our name on the list and probably had to wait about 30 minutes for a table.

When we finally for our table I was starving. We put in an order for the Jalapeno Stuffed Peppers. This would be a good starter. The fresh jalapenos were stuffed with pork sausage and cream cheese. Then they were wrapped in bacon and grilled up. The bacon did get crispy which I really enjoyed, and it added extra smokey flavor to the peppers. The creamy filling had a nice subtle savory taste, but it was overpowered by the jalapenos. These peppers were extremely hot. I have not had jalapenos this spicy before.

My eyes started watering. The cream cheese barley calmed down the heat. They served a Chipotle raspberry dipping sauce on the side. This was a great balance of sweet and spicy. It added a nice bonus flavor to the jalapeno and bacon combination. But it did not cut the heat.

For my breakfast, I ordered the Pulled Pork Skillet. This skillet started with a base layer of country potatoes, then layers of onions, peppers, cheddar cheese, and salsa verde.

Then the pulled pork was put on top with more cheddar cheese. And on top of all of that was two over-well eggs, and of course more cheese. This was a lot of food. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach.

The pulled pork was tender and very flavorful. It was not a BBQ pork, so the flavor was more savory than smokey. The potatoes were great with the peppers and onions. I ended up putting a little bit of ketchup on them to eat. The eggs are what made this dish breakfast, in a way they were nor necessary because everything else was so good.

The Monterey Chicken Sandwich was also ordered. The grilled chicken breast was topped with hickory smoked bacon and pepperjack cheese. For added toppings they layered on smashed avocado, lettuce, tomato and a chipotle aioli all on a soft Brioche bun.  This was a lot of sandwich. The chicken was juicy, and the bacon added a salty crunch. The avocado gave each bite a creamy texture.

The food was worth the wait at Haymaker. Everything tasted extremely fresh and made with a lot of care. Check out their complete menu at www.haymakeraz.com

Enjoy!

T

The Kettle Black – Phoenix, AZ

As I wrote about in a previous post, Phoenix has so many options when it comes to eating. The bartender at a different restaurant suggested I try The Kettle Black. He said he loves going to this place after work. He also said I could not miss the place because it has a big red door.

When you walk through the door you feel like you are in an English Pub. The bar looks amazing. There is solid wood everywhere. It is a very old school look.

They have a happy hour menu but I missed that timing on this visit. They have a ton of bourbon and whiskeys to choose from. I went for a local Phoenix cider called Six Byrd Cider. It had a nice crisp taste to it.

I was a little hungry while sitting at the bar. I ordered the Philly Cheesesteak Fries. These French fries were covered in shaved ribeye steak, sautéed peppers and onions, and a creamy cheese sauce. This was exactly like a Philly cheesesteak. The ribeye was spectacular. It was so tender and juicy. I could tell it was fresh shaved ribeye and not that frozen kind that tends to be really greasy.

The peppers and onions gave nice flavor. It was the cheese sauce that helped pull it all together. The sauce was extremely creamy and not overly salty. Each element of the dish worked perfectly together. And having French fries verses a roll was a better use of carbs. I highly recommend this dish and its’s perfect for sharing.

The Kettle Black is another great place in Phoenix that you need to check out.

Visit their website at www.thekettleblackpub.com

Enjoy!

T

Biergarten Dog Haus – Phoenix, AZ

If you are in the downtown Phoenix area, there are so many food and drink choices. I was looking for a good place to go for happy hour. Biergarten Dog Haus popped up in my search. It is a great place to go for hot dogs, sausages, and burgers.

They did not disappoint when it came to a happy hour menu. There were food, cocktails, and beer specials.

The Boulevard was a beer that was ordered. This was a Bourbon Barrel Quad. When I tried it, I could taste the hint of bourbon. It was a strong beer with a high alcohol content.

I ordered the Wyders Cider. This was a pear cider. It was interesting, it was a little sour and a little sweet to me.

One of the happy hour food items ordered was the That Burger. This was a burger patty with white American cheese, pickles, lettuce, onions, and 1000 Island dressing. This burger was simple but delicious. It was juicy and the cheese made it creamy. The dressing gave it a little kick.

We ordered a side of tater tots. These were classic, fried up till crispy. Just a little salt and ketchup and you can eat these like a kid.

We also ordered a Polish Kielbasa and a Spicy Italian Sausage. It was a little hard to tell them apart. But they both tasted great. They had a great crispy outside based on how they were grilled up.

We were able to get two sauces on the side for dipping. We tried the chipotle aioli and the spicy basil aioli. They both had a nice, subtle heat. While it tasted great with the sausage, but they were even better to dip the tater tots in.

Our bartender was fantastic. He was extremely friendly. He also gave us some great suggestions on other bars and restaurants we needed to check out while we were in town.

Check out their website at www.DogHaus.com

Enjoy!

T

Breakfast Station – Zephyrhills, FL

There is a breakfast place that a neighbor told me about that was a must visit. Just describing the homemade biscuits and gravy made me so hungry to try Breakfast Station. They first opened in 1995 in Port Richey, Florida and now they have locations all over the state.

A group of us went out to breakfast one Saturday morning. I was excited to see what everyone was going to order.

The one item we all agreed on was that the table would get the homemade biscuits and gravy. They put the homemade sausage gravy in a bowl for us. For the biscuits they did something unique with them; they actually fried up the biscuits – they cut them open and fried them on the griddle, so they were a little crispy and buttery. The gravy was so creamy and was full of savory sage flavor.

For my breakfast I ordered the Baggage Car Omelet. This huge omelet was loaded with diced ham, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and American cheese. The ham added a great saltiness and the cheese added the creamy texture. All the veggies helped make this omelet filling. I also got a side of grits. I loaded them up with butter to make them creamier.

The Southern Skillet was also ordered. The skillet started with a base of homefries that were cooked with peppers and onions. Then there was some ham mixed in. Then it was all covered with the homemade, delicious sausage gravy. Pepperjack cheese was sprinkled all over to melt. Finally eggs were placed on top. This was another large size breakfast. Make sure you are really hungry.

The Crossroads Omelet combined sausage, peppers, onions, and pepperjack cheese. After the omelet was folded up they covered it with the homemade sausage gravy. They use this gravy on so many dishes. It is absolutely amazing.

The last breakfast that was ordered was a Build Your Own Omelet. So this omelet combined ham, peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese. But for a twist, their homemade chili was poured on top. This made the omelet unique and with a little spice.

The breakfasts were so satisfying. The restaurant had such a crowd and there were people waiting outside to get in. They are a popular spot. I highly recommend them if you want a great breakfast.

Check them out at www.breakfaststationcentral.com

Enjoy!

T

Huss Brewing – Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix has a ton of craft breweries. We were in downtown Phoenix and checked out Huss Brewing.

They have a many beers on tap. I started off with Papago Cherry Blossom. This was a fruit beer. It used 100% real cherries in the brewing process. It was a combination of tart and sweet.

To help enjoy the beer, I ordered something to snack on. I thought the Classic Chips and Dip would be perfect. These were nice, salty kettle chips served with a homemade French onion-chive dip. There was a great balance between the flavor of the onions and chives. It was extremely creamy which was great.

I ordered another beer to enjoy with my chips. This time I ordered the Papago Orange Blossom. It was another fruit beer. I really enjoyed the first one so I figured I should try one of this brands other flavors. This wheat beer was flavored with mandarin oranges and a touch of vanilla. It was almost like a creamsicle.

Huss Brewing was a great place to grab a beer and a quick bite to eat. It would be a great place to watch a football or baseball game

Check them out at www.hussbrewing.com

Enjoy!

T

BLT – Doral, FL

If you love to golf and you are in the Miami area, you definitely need to check out Trump National Coral Miami. I golfed two of the courses and they were beautiful. But if you are not into golf, that is perfectly ok. Trump Doral has some amazing restaurants and you do not need to be staying at the resort to get to enjoy.

BLT is one of those restaurants that is a must try. The food is absolutely amazing and is perfect for sharing with friends.

When you visit, the Popovers are the first thing that needs to be ordered. This is not a normal bread for the table. These popover muffins are light and flakey. They are huge when they come out. One was enough for me. Make sure to put butter on them as soon as they come out so that it melts.

Another great appetizer to order for the table is the Shrimp Cocktail. It is a classic and somehow at BLT they make it special. The shrimp are huge. They were chilled to the perfect crispy temperature. The cocktail sauce they served was the perfect amount of tanginess from the horseradish and sweetness from the ketchup.

If you want a unique appetizer, order the Thick Cut Bacon. Some restaurants have fancy bacon on the menu, however BLT takes it up a notch. It is more like a pork belly than bacon because the pieces were so thick. These pieces were grilled up with herbs and sherry. I sliced through them like a steak. The flavor was amazing. The fat that was left melted away in almost a buttery flavor. This was a rich appetizer, so it is perfect to share so that you do not get too full.

If the table is feeling like they want something a little fresh, especially after the bacon, then order the Chopped Vegetable Salad. It is perfect for sharing. The fact that everything was chopped up made it much easier to eat. Tossed with the lettuce was feta cheese, olives, avocado, and tomatoes. They used a great vinaigrette as well.

For my main dish I ordered the Filet Mignon. It was a 10oz steak that was cooked to a perfect medium. The steak was buttery and tender. The seasoning on the outside was both salty and peppery. I just could not stop eating it.

There were a few sides ordered for the table. They were all created to share. The asparagus was a great steakhouse staple. They grilled the asparagus to give them a nice smokey taste. These were pretty big stalks. The ends were a little tough, so I just stuck to the tops.

The other side ordered was the mac and cheese. This was amazing. It was extremely rich and creamy. They had a breadcrumb crumble on top which got crispy when they put the mac and cheese in the oven. The crunch it created was a nice complement with the creaminess. I highly recommend this side.

Now it was time for dessert. We were all pretty full, but we figured we could share a few of them around the table.

The Guava Cheesecake was fantastic. There was a berry compote on the plate as well. The cheesecake was creamy and sweet. The guava added a tartness which was a nice complement.

The Brownie Bites were not even on the menu. Our waiter just brought them over to the table complementary. They were soft and chewy. The sweet taste of chocolate was amazing. It would have been great with a cup of coffee.

The final dessert was the Croissant Bread Pudding. I love bread pudding. It has a classic comfort feeling to it. I really like the twist they took by using croissants rather than regular bread.  It had a little different texture however it was still soft and gooey. They put a salted caramel sauce on top that soaked into all the nooks and crannies of the croissant.

The meal was amazing at BLT. I enjoyed everything that I ate. I really do not think you can go wrong with anything that you order here. Check out their menu and plan a visit at www.bltrestaurants.com

Enjoy!

T

American Social – Tampa, FL

I love having brunch on the weekends. Having brunch in Tampa, on the water, is amazing. There are several places to check out, but American Social is one of my favorite spots.

It is on the water so you can watch the boats go by. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. They have a lively outside bar that is perfect for watching football in the fall.

We were there with friends visiting from New Jersey on a Saturday. Good thing we had reservations because this place was packed.

To start off brunch, a mimosa is necessary. The fresh orange juice mixed with the bubbles of the champagne made the start of the brunch just perfect.

We started off with an appetizer that we all could share. The soft baked pretzel was the perfect choice for everyone to enjoy. The pretzels were made into long pieces, almost like breadsticks. This made it much easier to share. The pretzel had a buttery taste to it. The inside dough was extremely soft. I loved that doughy texture.

They served freshly made beer cheese and honey mustard on the sides. The mustard did have a sweet taste to it, but the beer cheese was my favorite. It was creamy and had a slight tang to it from the beer.

The Poke Tuna Tower was also ordered. This dish had a beautiful presentation. The layers were extremely colorful. There was diced Ahi tuna, guacamole, crispy wonton strips, wakume (seaweed), sesames, soy sauce, and sriracha.

The tuna was immensely tender. It just melted away in my mouth. The soy sauce gave it a salty taste, but it was subtle. The guacamole added a creamy texture to each bite. The sriracha did not add any heat, just additional flavor. Each layer added texture and flavor to the whole dish. It was amazing.

I was excited to try the Hot Chicken Sliders. I love hot chicken and I was excited to see how a restaurant in Tampa interpreted a Nashville staple.

These were small bites, came as a set of 3. For me, it was a complete meal, however it could work perfectly as a sharable appetizer for others. They made homemade buttermilk biscuits. They actually started falling apart as I picked them up. After a while I ate the biscuit and chicken separate, which was fine by me.

The chicken were like nuggets. They fit perfectly on the biscuit. There was not as much spice on the chicken as I was use to but it still had great heat. What really had the heat was the hot honey that came on the side. It was warm and had red pepper flakes added which is where the heat came from. When added to the chicken it was definitely hot. There was also a sweet taste to it as well which was the perfect complement of sweet and heat. It was a great brunch item. You did not feel overly stuffed when you were done eating.

American Social was a perfect place for brunch, especially if you have out of town guests and you want to treat them to something special and unique. Make sure you get a reservation before you get there. It makes getting a table faster for sure.

Check out their menu at www.americansocialbar.com

Enjoy!

T

Label Restaurant – Johnson City, TN

So, it is graduation weekend from East Tennessee State University. It is a special day, and it was the graduate’s choice on where to go for dinner. Johnson City has many options, and it was the Label Restaurant that won the honor.

Label offered a great happy hour – even on a Saturday. If you like bourbons, then this is the place for you, they have over 200. Their food menu offers everything from burgers, steaks, and fresh sushi. So everyone in our party would find something they could enjoy.

Now we had just come from a three-hour graduation ceremony, needless to say we were all hangry. Before we even ordered drinks, we put in some orders for appetizers.

The first appetizer was Crab Rangoon. These were wontons stuffed with crab salad. They were fried up till the wontons were crispy. The cream cheese that was in the crab salad melted during the cooking process. This made each bite creamy and crispy. The filling flavor was perfect, there was a slight richness to it. They put a firecracker aioli and sweet chili sauce on the plate for dipping. It was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.

The next appetizer was Edamame. There was a pile of freshly steamed edamame with some sea salt on the side. You could put on as much as you would like. As I popped out the edamame from the shells, I could not help but admire how fresh it all tasted.

Now the Garlic Fries were a hit at the table. There was a pound of fresh cut fries that were tossed with garlic, herbs, and parmesan cheese. These had an amazing salty taste that complemented the sweetness of the potato. They served a BBQ aioli on the side for dipping. Some folks at the table used it but I really enjoyed the flavor of the fries all on their own.

The final appetizer that we devoured was the Pot Stickers. These were pork and veggie filled and they were seared until the outside of the wonton wrapper was crispy, but still soft. They served soy ginger dipping sauce on the side. These pot stickers had a amazing savory flavor to them. The seasoning that they used on the pork and vegetables was amazing. I could taste garlic and ginger with perhaps a hint of cilantro.

Now those were enough appetizers to hold us over until our entrees arrived. It was an assortment of main dishes that we ordered. That was the beauty of Label.

To start with I ordered the Blackened Salmon. It was an 8oz salmon filet that was blackened perfectly with a slight salty taste. They put red pepper jam on top, that was amazing. It added more sweetness than heat. They also served asparagus and cheese grits on the plate. I really enjoyed the cheese grits. They were buttery and creamy.

The Bison Chopped Steak was a unique dish on the menu. The bison was tender and extremely savory. They served homemade brown gravy, mushrooms, and sauteed onions on top. This added even more intense savory flavor. The mashed potatoes helped make this a comfort food and a great way to use up all the extra gravy on the plate.

Another dish ordered was the Herb Chicken. This grilled chicken breast had wonderful seasoning on it. The carrots had a pesto cream sauce on top, which accented the chicken perfectly. The interesting side was the black rice. I had never seen black rice before. Black rice is apparently higher in nutrients compared to other rice. What gives the rice its color is anthocyanins (an antioxidant).

As I mentioned earlier, Label also has sushi on the menu. There were two rolls ordered. The Smoky Mountain Roll was unique. It was spicy tuna, cream cheese, and cucumber topped with smoked salmon, eel sauce, tobiko, green onions, tempura flakes, and firecracker aioli. There was a lot going on with this roll, but the elements definitely worked together. This was a filling roll.

The classic Spicy Tuna Roll was also ordered. The spicy tuna was blended with cucumber. It was topped with tobiko and togarashi.

Their list of burgers was extensive. Many, many choices. There were two Politician Burgers ordered at the table. This burger used Kobe beef for the patty. Truffle parmesan cheese was on top along with Southern craft house cured bacon, and sliced tomato. The burger was very juicy and tender. The Kobe beef just melted in your mouth.

The food was all amazing at Label. Everyone at the table ate so much, and everyone was satisfied. Our waitress was fantastic and took good care of the entire table. I would recommend everyone try Label Restaurant if they are in Johnson City.

Check out their menu at www.labelrestaurant.com

Enjoy!

T

Blackbird Bakery – Bristol, VA

A couple of years ago I visited Blackbird Bakery in Bristol, Virginia. Bristol is a about 45 minute drive from Johnson City, Tennessee. We were recently back in town for a college graduation and decided to take a road trip to Bristol to get some dessert. Half of the family had never been to the bakery before, so we were excited to share this wonderful place with them.

Blackbird offers a variety of sweet treats. They have homemade ice cream, donuts, muffins, cupcakes, and assorted pastries. Since there always is a line, you have plenty of time to decide what to order.

We ordered an assortment of things so we could try them all. The donuts seemed to be the most popular items during the visit. We grabbed a chocolate frosted and a chocolate sprinkle. They were nice size donuts. The donut itself was fluffy. It was not overly sweet because they did not put any glaze over the donut. The dough had its own subtle sweetness and the chocolate icing provided additional sweetness.

A cannoli was also ordered. The shell was crispy. They used a generous amount of the filling, which was extra creamy. The chocolate chips mixed throughout the filling added a nice crunch and texture.

We ordered a cheesecake as well. They had a few to choose from and we got the raspberry cheesecake. There was a raspberry puree drizzled on top. Mixed throughout the cheesecake was raspberry filling. It was creamy and very rich. It was the perfect dessert for sharing. The graham cracker crust added texture to each bite. The fresh strawberry on top was a good treat.

The final dessert was the brownie bar. This was the richest and most decadent dessert. Not only was there a brownie, but there was a layer of chocolate ganache and a chocolate icing shell on top. Each bite was so rich. It was a good thing I had some coffee, it helped with the richness. If you love chocolate, this is the dessert to order.

The line stayed consistently long while we were sitting there. The tables outside were also packed. Clearly this bakery is one popular place.

Bristol is a town where half of the town is in Tennessee and the other half is in Virginia. There is an awesome sign down State Street that you have to check out before leaving.

If you are anywhere in the Tri-City area (Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City) you need to make a stop to Blackbird Bakery. You will not be disappointed.

Check out their website at  www.blackbridbakerybristol.com

Enjoy!

T