Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

Rise – Germantown, TN

It’s time for breakfast in the South. What is one of the first things to come to mind? Fresh made biscuits of course. And this is exactly what I found in Germantown, Tennessee (just outside of Memphis) at Rise.

There was a line out the door that I could see as soon as I pulled up. I thought it might be from social distancing, but not, the line was truly that long.

As I was waiting in line, I looked over their menu to determine what I was going to order.

Since it was breakfast time, I ordered the Country Ham Biscuit.

There was no egg on this biscuit. It was just thick slices of ham on a fluffy biscuit. The ham was salty and had a smokey taste. The biscuit was large and sweet tasting. It complemented the ham. It was a simple combination which is what I was looking for.

Because I went lighter on my breakfast biscuit I had plenty of room for some dessert biscuits. I started off with the Glazed Blueberry Biscuit. The fresh fluffy biscuit was loaded with plump, juicy blueberries. There was a little sugar glaze on top of the biscuit. This helped settle down the sourness of the blueberries. This was a cross between a donut and a muffin. It was sweet like a donut and fluffier than a muffin.

The other sweet dessert I ordered was the Biscuit Beignets.

The order came with four. They were covered in powdered sugar. They took the biscuits and fried them up. They were heavier than a traditional beignet. It was doughy and the sweetness of the powdered sugar worked well with the flavor of the dough.

Rise really does have “The Best Dang Biscuits & Donuts”.

I enjoyed all the items I tired. I cannot wait to visit again in order to try something different. Check out their menu at www.risebiscuitschicken.com

Enjoy!

T

Fancy Q Sushi – Lakeland, FL

I love sushi and it had been a whole since I had some. I wanted to try a different restaurant. There was a little place that had gotten great reviews that I decided to try, called Fancy Q Sushi in Lakeland, Florida.

It is not very big inside, so I am glad I got there when I did. Otherwise, I would have been waiting for a table. When I got seated at the table, the waitress brought over a fried sushi roll as a welcome appetizer. It was a nice surprise. It was really tasty. It was a crab and shrimp roll that was tempura fried. They drizzled a yum-yum sauce and soy sauce on top.  The sauce was sweet and creamy. The soy sauce was not overpowering and added a slight salty taste.

The miso soup came out next. This was a simple broth that helped cleanse the palate before the sushi came out.

I ordered the sushi plater that is perfect for sharing. It offers up a little bit of everything to try. This platter had a spicy tuna roll, a California roll, and fresh cuts of fish – mackerel, tuna, salmon, and white fish.

The spicy tuna roll had the seaweed wrap on the outside. There was a nice amount of wasabi on the inside, which gave it a kick.

The California roll is the simplest roll that actually is simple in taste as well. I like to add a little wasabi to make it spicy. They also have extra yum-yum sauce at the table, so I made sure to drizzle that on top of the roll. It helps give extra sweetness.

The tuna and salmon were extremely fresh. They were tender and melted in my mouth. The white fish was interesting, it is not something I would have ordered on its own. It was light and had a mild taste. I did dip it in some soy sauce that I mixed wasabi in. I really like when there is a little heat. It added some additional flavor to the fish itself.

The mackerel was also very interesting. I had never had it before, it was a little oily and did have an oily taste. It was a little too fishy for me. Even with adding the yum-yum sauce, it did not care for it. The texture was also different from the other fish I normally eat.

I had also ordered a side of shrimp fried rice. It was so good. I dove in as soon as it came to the table. I did not even remember to take a photo. The shrimp were grilled up and had a great ginger flavor. The rice was perfect with a slight salty taste and a few crispy edges from the grill.

This was a great place to sushi. They have many other things on the menu, including some Thai dishes. I am looking forward to going back. Check them out at www.fancyqlakeland.com

Enjoy!

T