Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

Terrace Grill – Lakeland, FL

The Terrace Hotel is a historic hotel in downtown Lakeland, Florida. Inside the hotel there is a restaurant that I visited many years ago. Since that visit, the restaurant and part of the hotel have been remodeled. I was able to check them out for Sunday brunch. The lobby is beautiful when you walk in. There is so much natural light. The restaurant as also beautiful. With the tall ceiling, the restaurant seems much larger than it is.

They did update their brunch menu and they now offer a bottomless Mimosa and Bloody Mary bar. It is a great setup; the waitress or waiter brings a carafe of either champagne or vodka. Then you get to make the drink to your liking.

For Bloody Mary’s, they offer a regular and spicy mix. There are the assorted vegetables that you can add to your cocktail.

I went for the Mimosas. They had several juices to choose from:

  • Orange
  • Blood Orange
  • Pineapple
  • Grapefruit
  • Cranberry
  • Apple Cider

They had an assortment of fresh fruit to accent the cocktail. It was a nice setup. I had mostly pineapple mimosas but did try the blood orange for something different.

I ordered the Terrace Frittata. The egg was mixed with asparagus, red peppers, mushrooms, and gruyere cheese. The plate was garnished with an arugula salad and a crème Fraiche. The frittata was fluffy. The vegetables they included gave the egg a nice earthy taste. The asparagus had a little crunch. The gruyere cheese melted nicely throughout the frittata. It was creamy with a combination of sweet and salty. The arugula salad was a great, fresh element to the plate. The peppery taste of the arugula complemented the sweetness from the crème Fraiche that was drizzled on top.

I came to brunch with family so there was a variety of dishes ordered. I did not try these dishes, but I did make sure to take pictures and ask everyone how they liked what they ordered.

The first dish I wanted to talk about was the Lake Mirror Benny. This is their take on the classic brunch dish, eggs benedict. Their twist on this was using a toasted brioche bun rather than an English muffin. The brioche bun added sweetness to each bite. They used applewood smoked bacon that was cooked perfectly to have a crispness. They placed the perfectly poached egg on top with a creamy hollandaise sauce. The hollandaise sauce has a decadent creamy flavor.

The Open Face Sammy was a unique breakfast sandwich.  They started with a base of toasted sourdough bread. They layered prosciutto, gruyere cheese, arugula, and béchamel (béchamel is a sauce made of flour, milk, and butter). Then they placed a sunny side up egg on top. This sandwich was a blend of creamy and salty with all the ingredients. The runny yoke from the egg added a richness to the already creamy texture from the gruyere cheese and béchamel. The sourdough added a slight tanginess.

Another dish that was ordered was the Open Face Patty Melt. This burger patty was a combination of ground short rib and brisket. The patty that was cooked to a perfect medium, was topped with gruyere cheese, sautéed shallots, mushrooms, a house sauce, and of course a sunny side up egg. All of this was placed on a slice of marble rye bread. The patty was juicy and tender. The way the cheese melted on the meat created a wonderful texture. The shallots and mushrooms helped create a savory flavor.

There was a non-breakfast dish that was ordered by two people at the table. This was the Fish Tacos. The soft taco shells were filled with a battered, flakey fish. They topped the fish with shredded cabbage and grilled onions and peppers. Crispy French fries came of the side. The tacos were filling but both people thought the fish could have used a little spice. It was a little bland for them. Once they got some hot sauce to sprinkle on top, they were perfectly happy.

Brunch was amazing a Terrace Grille. The staff was wonderful and took great care in making sure everything was perfect. I would highly recommend visiting. They do change up some of their dishes seasonally, so check out their menu at www.terracegrillelakeland.com

Enjoy!

T

Soy Bistro – Brentwood, TN

There is a Korean restaurant in Brentwood, TN that is hidden in between a bunch of building. I had driven past Soy Bistro many times without realizing it was there. I wasn’t until I was watching Diners, Drive-ins, And Dives and they featured the restaurant that I realized where they were located.

The next time I visited Brentwood, I made sure to stop by. They had just opened for lunch and there was already a line out the door. Inside it is kind of small, there are not that many tables. Luckily by the time I ordered a table had opened up.

Their menu is on colorful boards as you walk in. Since there was a line, it gave me a chance to look over all the boards. There were so many dishes that sounded good.

The starter that was shared around the table was the Chicken Dumplings. These dumplings were deep fired so the dough puffed up and got crispy. The chicken on the inside was like a ground chicken that was mixed with a variety of spices. I definitely tasted some ginger and lemongrass. It had a refreshing taste. They served a Thai chili dipping sauce that was amazing. It was slightly spicy and full of sweetness. It accented the chicken well by enhancing the flavor of the seasoning. The crispy texture of the dumpling dough allowed me to hold it for dipping in the sauce.

The main dish that was featured on Triple D was the Hot Chicken. This was a Korean dish that paid tribute to the Hot Chicken that Nashville is famous for. The chicken was cooked three different ways, it was steamed, then chargrilled and finished off with a pan sear. It was at this point those Korean spices were added in, coating every piece of chicken. They placed the chicken on top of a house made cole slaw.

The chicken was spicy; the spice flavor was distinctly Korean to me. Korean heat is a long, slow build up that has an impactful punch. It was hotter than some of the hot chicken I have had around town. It was also nice that their chicken was not breaded because it made this dish even more special.

I also ordered the Teriyaki Udon Noodle Bowl. I love Udon noodles. They are a thicker noodle compared to a thin Singapore noodle or a traditional Chinese lo mein noodle. The noodles were cooked Hibachi style with carrots, onions, broccoli, scallions, and edamame.  I could have added chicken to the bowl, but I decided to keep it just the vegetables and noodles.

They served the teriyaki sauce on the side. This was good because it allowed me to customize how salty I wanted to make the dish. Even without the sauce the noodles and vegetables had a smokey taste from the wok it was cooked in. The noodles soaked up the flavor of the teriyaki sauce, which was the perfect blend of sweet and salty.

There was one more dish that was ordered, the Gochujang Chicken. This was a pan seared chicken in a gochujang sauce. Gochujang is a sweet and spicy sauce that is bold and full of umami flavor (umami meaning savory). They put the chicken over rice and then an over-easy egg was placed on top of the chicken.

To me this was the Korean version of the hangover burger because they included an egg. The yoke from the egg added a rich, creaminess to the chicken. The flavor of the gochujang sauce was amazing. It really had a bold, unique taste to it. I did not eat a lot of this dish because someone else had ordered it, but I was grateful I got to try it.

Soy Bistro was amazing. I want to come back to try so many of their other dishes. I did get to see Guy Fieri autograph on the wall before walking out the door. If you want to check out their episode, check it out at

https://m.facebook.com/DDD/videos/hot-chicken-at-soy-bistro-from-ddd/992665847986052/?__so__=permalink&__rv__=related_videos&locale=ne_NP&_rdr

I highly recommend you check them out. They are worth the short drive from Nashville to get to Brentwood. Visit their website at www.soybistro.com

Enjoy!

T

The Pickle Barrel – Chattanooga, TN

There are several great bars and restaurants in downtown Chattanooga. I have tried several of them during my trips there. It was recommended that I check out The Pickle Barrel on my most recent visit. It is a corner building that has a cool look.

There is a spiral staircase that you can climb to get to their roof top seating. The staircase is a little scary when you come down because your eyes play tricks on you.

The views are great from the roof top. You can watch the hustle and bustle on the street or look at the beautiful building architecture.

It was lunchtime so I ordered a couple of things. The Pickle Fries were the first thing that came out. They were not even on the menu. The waiter recommended them. These were thinly sliced pickles that were dipped on a batter and deep fried. They looked like fried green beans when they came out.

The dill flavor of the pickle was amazing, especially in contrast to the sweet batter. There was a nice crunch to the pickles too. A dill dipping sauce came on the side. This added even more dill flavor. These were better than any fried pickle I have ever had.

When The Pickle Barrel was recommended to me, I was told I had to try the chicken wings. So, I made sure I ordered a few. They can be ordered wet or dry. I got them wet with the hot sauce.  I did ask for them extra crispy. They came out perfectly cooked the way I like them. The hot sauce was not hot at first but then the heat creeped up on me. It did make my nose run a little. The meat on the wings was juicy.

I also got one o their Stuffed Spuds. This was an extra-large baked potato that was loaded with chili, cheese, butter, and bacon. The potato came out piping hot. The chili was not spicy but had a great salty taste with lots of meat and beans. The cheese added creaminess and the bacon added crunch. It was a perfect add on topping to the chili. It was a filling potato.

The Pickle Barrel was a fun place to hang out. They have a large assortment of cocktails to choose from for an after-work event. This place is for 21 and older so keep that in mind when making your plans.

Check them out at www.picklebarreltn.com

Enjoy!

T

Gus’s Fried Chicken – Memphis, TN

Years ago, I was visiting Memphis, Tennessee and had some of the best fried chicken at Gus’s. They are a Memphis institution. When I visited recently, I wanted to go back. To my surprise they had a new location. It was a bigger restaurant, and it was packed when I got there.

Their menu is still simple, but there is no reason to complicate it.

I got a 2pc white meal that was a breast and wing. You can pick two sides to go with the chicken. I went for the baked beans and potato salad.

My boyfriend got different sides so I could try those too. He got the fried okra and mac and cheese.

The chicken was exactly how I remembered. It was extra crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. There was so much meat on this chicken breast. The breading was not spicy but had some seasoning to it. It was perfectly cooked fried chicken. The wings were plump and juicy too. They were slightly larger than a typical chicken wing.

The sides were the perfect accompaniment to fried chicken. The baked beans provided a nice sweetness to complement the slight saltiness from the chicken breading. The potato salad was creamy and had a slight tangy taste because of the mustard they put in. The fried okra was soft inside and crunchy on the outside. They were perfect for popping in your mouth. The mac & cheese was my favorite side. It was super creamy and salty from all the cheese they used.

Gus’s Fried Chicken was just as good as I remembered. There might be a wait for the chicken because they are making it fresh but it is totally worth the wait. They have a bunch of locations now, so check out their website at www.gusfriedchicken.com

Enjoy!

T

Jake’s Burgers & Beer – Dallas, TX

I have been to Dallas, Texas many, many times. Usually when I visit, I am looking for some authentic Tex-Mex or BBQ. This visit I was wanting a nice juicy burger. So that is why I visited Jake’s Burgers and Beer, voted best burger in Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Since I was there on a Sunday, I started off by ordering a mimosa. It is not the best pairing with a burger, but I still enjoyed it.

There were a few starters that were shred around the table.  The Hot Hatch Cheddar Tots was a great sharable. They covered crunchy tater tots with Hot Hatch chilis and then melted a ton of cheddar cheese. The cheese was creamy and crispy from the oven. The chilis were not that spicy and gave great flavor with the mild heat they did give off. There was a slight sweetness to them as well that was off set by the sharp flavor from the cheddar cheese.

Another starter that the entire table agreed we had to try was the Kickin’ Chicken Fried Bacon. We could not wait to try this unique item. With all my travels, I have never seen anything even remotely similar.

This was center cut slices of bacon that were battered and deep fried to a golden brown. The bacon was so crispy not just on the outside but the bacon itself was crispy underneath all that batter. They served a side of maple syrup and gravy for dipping.

The gravy was that white country gravy that normally comes with chicken fried steak/chicken. It had a peppery taste that complemented the outside batter. The maple syrup, which was my favorite, complemented the bacon. Tis was a unique item and very delicious. I am glad I had other people to help me eat this because I would have felt so guilty eating all of this by myself.

The main reason I came to Jake’s was because I wanted a burger. I ordered the Double Cheeseburger. This juicy, double patty was a perfect medium and served on a poppy seed bun. I got American cheese on top, which is my favorite cheese on a burger. It was also loaded down with onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mustard.

I took the onion off halfway through eating the burger because it was just too strong in flavor for me. The pickle was my favorite condiment. The dill flavor went perfectly with the grilled flavor of the beef patty. The poppy seed bun helped make this the best burger. The poppy seed did not add a ton of extra flavor but there was a nuttiness that really worked with the burger as a whole. I was afraid that a double patty would be too big, but it was the perfect amount.

I loved the unique menu items that Jake’s Burgers offered. I can also see why they were voted best burger. Jake’s is a must visit when visiting Dallas/Ft. Worth. They have several locations now, so check out their website at www.jakesburgersandbeer.com

Enjoy!

T