Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

Lakeridge Winery – Clermont, FL

With things starting to open back up I was thrilled to see that Lakeridge Winery was open for tours and tastings. This is the sister winery to San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine that I wrote about several months ago.

Because of all the social distancing that is in place, the tour of the winery was self-guided. I got to take my time and walk through the barrel rooms looking at all the tanks.

I got to see where they pack up all the cases and ship them off to stores.

The grounds are growing. They have several huge fermentation tanks outside filled with wine. They have rows and rows of grapevines. Most of them are the native Florida Muscadine grape.

For the tastings, they had different stations set up. You take your tasting cup and just move from station to station at your own pace. It is not rushed at all. The tastings started from dry to sweet.

The first tasting station was for the Cabernet Sauvignon. This red wine was slightly dry but was mild to me. There was a hint of oak flavor that is common in Cabernets. I could imagine myself eating a bowl of spaghetti while enjoying this wine. I bought a bottle of this to enjoy at home.

The second tasting was the Chardonnay. This was definitely dry. I thought this was much dryer than the Cabernet. When it comes to wine, Chardonnay is not my favorite but if you are a Chardonnay fan, this one could be great for you. This one would be great with some blue cheese and crackers.

My third tasting was their Chablis. They classify this as a semi-dry wine. This is one of their wines that is made from the Florida Muscadine grape. His is a mild wine to me. It would be a great compromise wine if one person liked dry and another liked sweet. I think both people would enjoy this, especially if enjoying some nice grilled chicken. I enjoyed this tasting so much that I asked for another taste just to be sure. And I am glad I did. This was another bottle that I bought.

Now it was time for station four, the Sunblush. This was classified as a semi-sweet. Their description of this wine evoked the image of a Florida sunset. Who wouldn’t feel like they were on vacation after hearing that? They used Muscadine grapes in this wine as well. Naturally, they said you could enjoy this wine with pasta. But I am convinced that all wines can be enjoyed with pasta. I enjoyed this as a sipping wine. I bought a bottle of this too!

Station five started off with their Southern White, a true sweet wine. This was naturally made with the Florida Muscadine grape, which does have a natural sweetness to it. The taste of this wine reminded me of a Moscato or a Riesling, which I really enjoy.  This was crispy and best served when chilled. I could imagine drinking this wine at the beach and joying some fresh tropical fruit.

The sixth station was the last of the main tastings.  It was for the Southern Red. They use the Noble variety of the Muscadine grape for this wine. It turns out that this is their best-selling wine. They also served tis wine chilled. I could see myself enjoying this wine with a big slice of chocolate cake or even a brownie, which is why I bought a bottle of this. It was just so smooth, and the sweetness was not that overpowering.

One of the things I love about Lakeridge winery us their tastings are free. It allows people to determine what they like and then purchase it downstairs in their store. It works because I left with six bottles.

 They offered something new in terms of tastings. They had two special made wines that were done in small batches. To taste these, it cost $5.00. So, I figured it would be worth it. Both wines were made from Napa Valley grapes but were produced 100% in Florida.

The first was a Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a full body wine. There was no harsh after taste. But this was much dryer than their main line Cabernet.

The second special batch wine was the Petite Sirah. This was another full body wine. This had more fruit flavors than I was expecting. I could taste a hint of blackberry.  Enjoyed this wine and thought it would go great with a juicy steak.

Now this ended the tastings that were upstairs in the winery. They were offering additional tastings at the main bar. I made sure to take advantage of this opportunity. I love being able to sample wins before making a purchase. That way I know I will enjoy it.

At the downstairs bar I started off by tasting their Pinot Grigio. This wine is produced in one of their many steel tanks. There was zero oak taste to this wine because of the process. It is semi-dry, definitely not as dry as their Chardonnay.

Next, I went for another sweet wine called Pink Crescendo. This is their sparkling wine. It is a rose and it was very bubbly. It would be perfect for a celebration. They did offer a tasting of this mixed with some pink lemonade. That combination was amazing. It made the taste both sweet and tangy, perfect for a party.

One of the last sweet wines I tried was their Proprietor’s Reserve. This is a bend of their Southern Red and their cream Sherry. It was definitely a dessert wine. It was amazing to me. The sweetness would pair so well with some Parmesan cheese because of the contrast in flavors. This is why I bought a bottle of this.

There are two specialty wines they off that I made sure to try. The first was the Port. This was what I had tried at San Sabastian Winery and loved. I still loved it when I sampled it here. I bought 2 bottles for home.

The other specialty was the Ruby Port. This was the blending of the port and their cream sherry. This was super sweet, almost too sweet for me. I am glad I tried it though.

To my last surprise, the host behind the bar brought out one last treat for me to try. It was a wine slushie. It blended some of their Southern Red wine with a Wine-A-Rita mix and blended it with ice. I was a delicious summer treat. It would be perfect for at the beach or pool.

I had such a wonderful visit and experience at Lakeridge Winery. The entire staff was welcoming and friendly. I would go back in a heartbeat to enjoy another tasting.

Checking out their hours and their wines at www.lakeridgewinery.com

Enjoy!

T

Party Fowl – Cool Springs, TN

If anyone has read my blog throughout the years, then it is known that I love hot chicken. When I am visiting Nashville, I must get hot chicken at least once. With restaurants slowly opening from the pandemic, I was able to try a new place for hot chicken called Party Fowl.

I started off by ordering a cold, refreshing “adult” cherry slushie. It was sweet and delicious. It was a great way to start knowing my mouth would probably be on fire the rest of the meal.

We started with a few appetizers to share around the table. The Fowl Balls were a creative New Orleans style dirty rice ball. They were deep fried and served with a white BBQ sauce. These were not spicy. They were full f rice flavor from the Cajun seasoning. The white BBQ sauce was creamy, but I thought it took away from the flavor of the rice ball.

The other starter was the Hot Chicken Poutine. Now if I were to go back, I would actually order this as my meal. They use crispy French fries and cover them with cheese curds and chicken gravy. Then they top it with hot chicken. They chop up chicken tenders for this and I was able to select the heat level, so I went with medium.

The flavor combination of the spicy chicken with the salty gravy and creamy cheese paired so perfectly together. The medium heat of the chicken was a lot spicier than I was expecting. It does not hit you right away, it kind of creeps up on you. Eventually it mellows out but not without drinking some water and eating a few French fries.

So, when it was time to order my hot chicken plate, I went for the medium spice. I knew that would be spicy enough. I got the hot chicken and beignets. It is basically my dinner and dessert on the same plate.

The chicken was fantastic. It was crispy and spicy. The heat was the right amount to make my nose run but not lose my sense of taste. The chicken was plump and juicy as well. The slice of Texas toast was soaking up the grease from the chicken as well as the spice. I did not dare eat that.

I also must talk about the side I chose, the mac and cheese. It was homemade with creamy cheese and a crispy top layer of cheese. It is the perfect side with hot chicken. I also feel that the creamy cheese helps calm down the spice.

They also have homemade potato chips. They cook these up in bacon grease. They are light and crispy with a slight hint of bacon flavor.

The beignets were the perfect addition to this plate. The fluffy fried dough was covered in a bourbon glaze and topped with powered sugar. It was the complete juxtaposition to the chicken.  The bourbon glaze was sweet and tasted perfectly with the semi-sweet dough.

The next time you are in Nashville, you need to check out Party Fowl for their hot chicken. You will not leave disappointed.  Check out their website at www.partyfowl.com

Enjoy!

T

Country Chicken ‘N Fish – Lakeland, FL

I absolutely love fried chicken. It is one of my favorite comfort foods. There is this little hole in the wall place in Lakeland, Florida that has been cooking up homemade fired chicken for decades, Country Chicken ‘N Fish.

You can just walk up to their window and place your order.

I had been passing this restaurant for years and always noticed a line of people waiting to order. I finally made a stop. I picked up an 8-piece bucket to enjoy at home. They have some picnic tables outside if you want to enjoy it there, but most people get theirs to go.

The chicken was piping hot when I got my order. It cooled off a little by the time I got home, which as a good thing. The breading on the chicken was super crispy. It locked in the moisture of the chicken, so it was very juicy. The flavor of the breading was your classic southern style, slightly salty with a hint of black pepper. Nothing fancy, just simple.

The wings were extra crispy and very meaty. They are the perfect kind of wing you want when watching football.

They have a few other items on their menu including fried fish. I definitely want to go back and try that. I can see why this restaurant has been around for a while. The food is great, and the staff was very friendly.

Check them out at https://www.yelp.com/biz/country-chicken-and-fish-lakeland

Enjoy!

T

A & N Italian Deli – Clearwater, FL

A while back I wrote about an Italian market called Felice’s Deli. They have amazing dishes and desserts that can be eaten there or taken home to enjoy. Well it turns out they have a sister location called A & N Italian Deli. It is in Clearwater, Florida. I was excited to check them out.

They are a little smaller inside, but they still carry all the desserts, deli meats and cheeses, and prepared Italian specialties, like meatballs and eggplant.

For my visit I wanted to get a nice, big Italian sandwich. I figured I would not go wrong with The Godfather. This sandwich was loaded with Genoa salami, capicola, pepperoni, mortadella, and provolone cheese. There was so much meat. Then they added a little tomato and lettuce. They drizzled Italian dressing across off the it. The dressing soaked into the fresh made sesame seed hoagie roll.

The bread was amazing. It really tied the entire sandwich together. The crust was crunchy and held together nicely. The meats were so tender and full of flavor. The saltiness of the meats were smoothed out by the creaminess of the cheese and the fresh juiciness of the tomato.

Knowing the meaty sandwich would fill me up, I got some desserts to go. The mini cheesecakes and mini cannoli would be perfect for later.

The cannoli were amazing. The shell was crunchy and had a hint of cinnamon. The filling was extremely smooth and creamy. There was no grittiness to it at all. The few chocolate chips added a little extra crunch.

The mini cheesecakes were also creamy in texture but firm. One was topped with cherries and the other with blueberries. That added a little extra sweetness to each bite. The graham cracker crust held it all together but did not take away from the cheesecake itself.

I loved my lunch and dessert from A & N. The flavors were wonderful. It is nice to find another authentic Italian deli in Florida. Check them out at www.felicedeli.com

Enjoy!

T

Got Dessert – Lakeland, FL

During the crazy time of the virus shutdown, being able to write about restaurants was impossible. But food trucks were open and rolling all around town. I was excited that I got to try Got Dessert two different times.

The first time I enjoyed them was when I visited a local blueberry farm. They were offering a few blueberry themed desserts.

The blueberry mini pie was delicious. It was both sweet and tart. It was slightly warm, which made the filling even better. The crust was crispy which went well with the soft filling.

But I could not settle for only one blueberry dessert. I needed to try their blueberry sundae too. The creamy, soft serve vanilla ice cream was covered in a fresh blueberry compote. It was also sweet and sour, but the sweetness of the ice cream toned down the sour taste.

A different day I was able to check out Got Dessert at a different location. They had a completely different menu for this visit.

I tired the mini chocolate pie. The crispy pie shell was filled with a creamy chocolate pudding. It was topped with a meringue that was firm to the touch but light and fluffy to taste.  It added texture to the pudding that traditional whipped cream would not have done.

I really liked that I was able to visit Got Dessert on two different occasions. They do have great desserts to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Check them out at www.gotdessertlakeland.com to find out where they will be next.

Enjoy!

T

Klee’s – Seaside Heights, NJ

I was told I had to visit Klee’s while in Seaside, New Jersey. They have a rich history that goes back to 1931 when Klee’s was the first to be issued a license to sell beer. Throughout the years the owner’s have continued to keep the tradition of being a neighborhood bar.

I was told that Klee’s had one of the best bar pies in all of Seaside. I ordered the cheese and pepperoni. It was a lot larger than other bar pies I have had before. The dough had a sweet taste to me and was cooked perfectly in the over to have a crunchy crust.  There was a generous portion of salty cheese and a ton of pepperoni spread across the pizza.

I also decided to try their broiled oysters. I knew these would not be like the char-grilled style I enjoy down South. However, I was looking forward to trying something new. They were sizzling when they came out so they need to cool down a little. There was a large amount of sautéed spinach on top of each oyster. There was a small amount of cheese and garlic too.

They were slightly more filling to me than other oysters I normally get because there was more spinach compared to the size of the oyster. It was a good thing they did not come in a full dozen.

While enjoying my food, there was a great one man band playing. He was positioned right in the center of the bar. I really enjoyed the songs he was playing. He really knew how to work the crowd. He got everyone to start singing at some point.

  

Klee’s is a great place to enjoy food, music, or just watching a hockey game. Stop by if you are headed to Seaside Heights. Read about their long history at http://kleesbarandgrill.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

The Sawmill – Seaside, NJ

In 2012, the devastating Super Storm Sandy hit the New Jersey coastline. The beach community of Seaside lost practically everything. There was one spot that actually withstood the storm and that was The Sawmill. Located right on the boardwalk since 1977, The Sawmill stands as a symbol of New Jersey’s resilience.

5 years since the storm, I was able to visit and see how much the area has bounced back. I had to make a stop by The Sawmill to get some famous boardwalk pizza. They are known for their 27″ jumbo pizza but luckily they also sell them by the slice.

I got a classic slice of just cheese. It was so big I had to fold it in half in order to eat it. The crust was nice and crispy. There was the perfect proportion of sauce and cheese.

I washed down the pizza with a Mai Tai. It was the perfect blend of light and dark rum, amaretto, triple sec, pineapple juice, and orange juice. The drink was sweet and it went down smooth. It was a great choice to enjoy the beautiful view of the ocean. Unfortunately it was raining the day of my visit so I could not enjoy it outside.

I ended up staying at The Sawmill longer than I expected because I was enjoying the company around me. Instead of getting more pizza I decided to check out the rest of their menu. To my pleasant surprise I saw Polish kielbasa and potato pierogi listed. I was not expecting this and was excited to try these.

They sliced open the kielbasa which allowed it to be grilled on both sides. I loved the crispy grill marks because it added additional smoky flavor to the meat. The kielbasa was tender and did not have an abundance of fat mixed in which can sometimes make it chewy.

The pierogi were pan fried perfectly. The outside dough was slightly crisp which is my favorite way to have them prepared. They were stuffed with a ton of potato filling. They were cooked with a huge helping of caramelized onions. Having the onions always adds additional seasoning to the pierogi. I also loved that they sliced the onions super thin –  julienne style.

I had a blast visiting this 40 year old establishment. The food was amazing. I can see why it has been around for so long. If you are headed to the Jersey Shore, you need to make sure to stop by The Sawmill. Whether it is for a slice or a cold drink, you will have a great time.

Visit their website at http://sawmillcafe.com/

Enjoy!
T

 

 

The Cove – Bayville, NJ

New Jersey is a state that has everything from sandy beaches to cranberry bogs. New Jersey also has a wide range of food options, whether it’s fresh seafood, authentic Italian, or even boardwalk French fries. Everywhere I turned on my visit I found a restaurant. It was hard to make a decision, so I asked some friends who grew up in the area where they recommended. The Cove is what made the top of the list for fresh seafood.

Located in an actual cove off of Barnegat Bay, The Cove has been a hot spot for locals for years. In the summertime you can sit outside on their patio and put your feet in the sand; or you can pull your boat up to their dock after a long day out at sea. There is also plenty of inside seating if you need to get away from the heat.

The bar was hopping when I got there. It felt like the whole town was there. I started off with the red sangria called The Cove. I figured I needed to try the namesake drink. It was a blend of red wine and an assortment of tropical juices and liquors. It was not overly sweet. It also had a slight spicy after taste, which was probably coming from the oak essence in the wine. It was a great way to say cheers to a fun evening.

  

The group shared a few appetizers. The mozzarella sticks were pretty standard bar food. They were good, crispy, and cheesy but nothing out of the ordinary.

The fried calamari was nice and crispy. The calamari itself was soft and tender – not chewy – so I could tell it was fresh. I started off with the marinara sauce, which is typically how they were served. However, the breading did not have a lot of flavor so it did not taste right with the marinara. Something was missing. So I ordered a side of their Thai chili sauce. This sweet and spicy sauce was what the calamari needed. The sauce coated the breading much better and made the calamari itself more flavorful.

The coconut shrimp was an appetizer that could easily be someone’s meal. The shrimp were butterflied and coated with coconut flakes. They were fried really crispy. The flavor was sweet and when I dipped it in the coconut dipping sauce, the sweetness increased. I loved it, I did not feel it was overly sweet at all. I also loved the crunch when I took a bite.

I wanted to try their New England clam chowder. It was a large size bowl. The first thing I noticed was the soup base was not as creamy as a typical clam chowder. It was more on the lighter side but still had great flavor and a ton of fresh clams in it.

For my main meal (as if I had not eaten enough already) I ordered one of their daily specials – Salmon Piccata. It was a large fillet of fresh salmon that was char-broiled. It was drizzled in a lemon butter wine sauce and topped with a ton of capers. It also came with a rice pilaf and fresh vegetables.

The salmon was so fresh it was flaking apart as I was eating it. They added a generous amount of the lemon butter sauce. It was slightly sour because of the acid in the lemon but creamy at the same time because of the butter. The capers added a nice salty element to each mouthful.

The rice pilaf added a neutral element to the dish. It was not heavy in flavor, but it was great when I drizzled the extra lemon butter sauce on it. The fresh vegetables added a healthier element to the meal.

My visit to The Cove allowed me to enjoy a local band that played in the main dining room. The band FIASCO played a great array of music from the 70’s and 80’s. The really appeared to have a fan following.

   

While I enjoyed the music I ordered another drink – the white peach sangria. It was Pinot Grigio, peach Schnapps, fresh juices, and a splash of lemon-lime soda. This was much sweeter than the red sangria. I could taste the peach right away. It was a great dessert drink after all the salty food that I enjoyed.

If you are looking for a fun place to hang out and enjoy music or food with friends, then The Cove is a spot to try. You can check out the band schedule and their daily specials at the website http://www.covebarandgrill.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

La Imperial Bakery – Lakeland, FL

The pandemic that we have all been facing has affected every single person in one way or another. One area hit hardest has been restaurants. I have been trying to do my part by getting take out from local establishments. La Imperial Bakery is one of those local places.

This Puerto Rican restaurant was having a “Hard Times” menu with specials that I thought I would check out.

One of the items on the menu was a chicken and rice soup. The chicken broth had a great salty taste. It was filled with fresh carrots and onions, plus a ton of fresh chicken breast meat that was shredded. They served a slice of toast on the side. This was no ordinary toast. They pressed a slice of Cuban bread extremely thin until it got extra crispy and savory from the butter they added.

I also got the half Cuban special. This was a half Cuban sandwich served with a side of rice and beans. The Cuban sandwich was on the delicious, fresh Cuban bread. It was the perfect proportion of ham, pulled pork, and cheese. The rice and beans were full of flavor and the perfect accent to the sandwich.

They were also running a BOGO special on their homemade pastries. They had several to choose from.

The Guava and Cheese Pie was crispy and sweet. The filling of cream cheese and guava paste was very sweet together. The two different textures did go well together. The pastry shell was light and flakey. It reminded me of a turnover. I ended up warming it slightly in the microwave. This made the cheese a little softer and easier to eat than being cold.

The other dessert was the Cream Filled Horn. This was light and fluffy whipped cream stuffed in a crispy pastry shell. They sprinkled powdered sugar on top for added sweetness. I really liked the flavor of the cream. It was messy to eat, but totally worth it.

I am glad that I could help a local restaurant during these difficult times. I am looking forward to when everything gets back to normal and I can go to enjoy one of their many other dishes that they normally have on their menu,

Check out their website at la-imperial-bakery.hey-restaurants.com/

Enjoy!

T