Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

Felice Italian Pork Store – Clearwater, FL

Are you looking for a little piece of New York’s Little Italy in Florida? If you said yes then you must head over to Felice Italian Pork Store & Deli. It is tucked away in a shopping center but when you walk in you think you have been transported to New York.

There are racks of imported Italian sauces, oils, and foods including a freezer section filled with pastas.

There are deli cases full of fresh cheeses, homemade sausages, deli meats, fresh Italian breads, and pastries. Plus there are fresh made Italian dishes that you can either get them to go or have them warmed up and eat in their small cafe area.

     

     

     

I did get some items to go in order to fill up the refrigerator at home. However, I could not pass up having lunch there. I started off with a bottle of Manhattan Special. This is a coffee soda that is sweet and bubbly. I have never seen this outside of New York.

I made sure to get some of the fresh Italian bread. It had a crispy crust and was soft on the inside. I ate a few pieces with some fresh olive oil but saved the rest to dip in the pasta sauce that would be coming with my order.

I picked out a few things from the deli case. The good thing is they warmed everything up until it was nice and hot and then they drenched it in the pasta sauce.

The aranchini was the first thing I tried. I love aranchini and I always get them when they are on menus. The filling was ground sausage, peas, and mozzarella cheese. The sausage was full of flavor and tasted amazing with the sauce. These rice balls were really cheesy. The rice helped soak up more herb flavor from the sauce. Absolutely delicious!

The next thing on the plate that I tried was the meatball. It was only one and it was huge. The meat was dense but still very moist. They did not use a lot of filler so the seasoning of the meat shined through and it had great texture.

The final item was the eggplant. This was an Eggplant Rollatini. It was filled with cheese so when I cut it the cheese just oozed out. The eggplant was cooked perfectly. It was tender but still firm. Eggplant and cheese go so well together.

Now I could not go to an Italian place without getting a cannoli. Because my lunch was so filling I got a cannoli to go. I knew I would enjoy it later.

This was one of the best cannoli I have ever had. The shell was super crispy. Sometimes cannoli shells can get slightly soggy once the filling is in. The filling was creamy and soft. It did not have that gritty texture that sometimes can happen. They also were extremely generous with the filling; they filled all the way through the shell. I took a bite and filling went everywhere.

Felice’s was a great find. Whether you are eating there or taking something home you will not be disappointed. Check them out at www.felicedeli.com

Enjoy!

T

Savannah’s Candy Kitchen – Savannah, GA

Savannah is a fascinating city. It is filled with a rich history. There are a plethora of places to eat and drink. There are also several places that can help satisfy a sweet tooth. Savannah’s Candy Kitchen is the place I chose to check out for something sweet.

This candy shop has been around for over 40 years. They have several locations in town. I visited their location along the famous River Street. I could smell the yummy chocolate as I walked up to the door. They are known for their pralines, which I found out as soon as I saw their sign.

The shop was a magical place. There was candy and chocolate everywhere. I knew it was going to be hard for me to narrow down exactly what to get.

  

  

The main attraction that drew all the attention was the window that allowed customers to watch their famous pralines being made. If you are not familiar, pralines are a soft, creamy blend of sugar, butter, cream and pecans. The candy makers made the whole process look so easy. What was even more exciting was getting to taste a free sample. They were warm and sweet and the sugar just melted in my mouth. It is the perfect hook to get you to buy more.

They also gave out free samples of their homemade fudge. It was amazing. I tried the peanut butter / chocolate mix. It was extremely creamy and smooth. I would definitely recommend this treat.

I wanted to try a few of their other chocolate offerings. The chocolate covered raisin clusters caught my attention. I love Raisinets so I knew I would enjoy these. These homemade treats blew me away. They were 1000% better than anything you could buy at the store. The chocolate was extremely creamy and smooth. It melted in my mouth as soon as I took a bite. The raisins were tender and paired perfectly with the milk chocolate.

The one last chocolate treat I wanted to try was their Gophers. These were layers of milk chocolate, caramel, and pecans. These were basically chocolate turtles on steroids.

The caramel was super soft. When I took a bite it oozed out. The pecans added a ton of crunch and texture. The chocolate helped tie it all together. It was extremely sweet. One was definitely all I could eat.

Visiting Savannah’s Candy Kitchen was my favorite thing I did that day. I really felt like a kid again. I would highly recommend everyone make a stop by one of their locations around Savannah. You can also order some of the chocolate from their website at www.savannahcandy.com

Enjoy!

T

 

Bernie’s Oyster House – Savannah, GA

Strolling up and down Historic River Street I came across a little bar called Bernie’s Oyster House. The building was an old pre-Civil War warehouse. There were several people inside and by the looks of it they were all locals. There was fun writing all over the brick walls from past visitors.

  

They had a sign for their mimosa that caught my attention. They called it a Sassy Mimosa. I asked the bartender what made the drink “sassy” and it is because they use Svedka Clementine vodka in the drink. I think it helped make the mimosa sweeter. It tasted wonderful and I could have easily drank several more.

  

They had a few things on their menu that I wanted to try. I started off with a cup of their seafood chowder. It was basically a clam chowder. It was very creamy. There were nice pieces of fresh, tender clams throughout.

  

I also decided to try the fried stuffed shrimp. These fresh shrimp were stuffed with Monterrey Jack cheese. The breading was very crispy. On the inside the creamy cheese oozed out. It accented the shrimp really well. There was no need to dip these shrimp in cocktail sauce. The cheese added a lot of flavor.

Bernie’s Oyster House was a fun little hangout. I was glad I stopped in to check them out. If you are hanging out in Savannah, head down to River Street and check out Bernie’s. http://berniesoysterhouse.com/

  

Enjoy!

T

 

Cotton Exchange Tavern – Savannah, GA

All along River Street there are tons of old buildings. Most of them are old warehouses that date back to the 1700s. Several of these warehouses have been converted to restaurants, bars, and hotels.

I stopped into one of those bars called Cotton Exchange Tavern.

   

This place was packed. Every table was taken. I was lucky enough to find one of the last seats at the bar.

  

Since I was in Georgia and I love sangrias I knew I had to order their Georgia Peach Sangria. This was definitely a sweet sangria. There was just an accent flavor of peach. It was subtle, not overpowering at all.

  

While sitting at the bar enjoying fun conversation, I ordered the spinach dip. I figured that would be perfect to share.

The dip was loaded with fresh, sautéed spinach. I could tell right away because of the texture and taste. They also loaded this dip with creamy cheese. On top they added extra so that it became crispy after baking in the oven. The saltiness of the cheese paired perfectly with my sweet sangria. It really balanced each other out.

I really had just popped into Cotton Exchange Tavern. I do not even feel I got to experience everything they had to offer. I would definitely want to go back and try a few other things off their menu.

Check out their website at http://www.exchangetavernsavannah.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

 

 

The Lady and Sons – Savannah, GA

I was visiting Savannah, Georgia for a wedding. While I was extremely excited for that special day, I was super excited to check out The Lady & Sons. This is Paula Deen’s signature restaurant.

I have been wanting to visit her place for years. I have read all about it and seen it all over the Food Network. She is all about Southern comfort food and I could not wait to partake.

I arrived right at 11:00am when they opened (that is how excited I was). I did not have a reservation but this early in the day I was ok. The restaurant is huge. It is three floors and very deep. I had to get into an elevator to head to the third floor.

When the doors opened I was greeted by a ton of Paula Deen family photos.

  

I was welcomed with great Southern hospitality. After sitting down, I glanced over the menu but realized by the smell in the air that there was a buffet. What better way to taste everything that Paula Deen has to offer than the buffet.

The buffet (which does change daily) offered up the following meats:

  • Fried Chicken
  • Smothered Pork Chops
  • BBQ Ribs
  • Fried White Fish

Their sides were plenty too:

  • Black Eyed Peas
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Collard Greens
  • Green Beans
  • Candied Yams
  • Mac N’ Cheese
  • Cheese Grits

  

They also had a salad bar but I did not see anyone actually going up.

I loaded up my first plate. The first thing I had to try was the fried chicken. The breading was extra crispy with a slight hint of cracked pepper. The moisture of the chicken was locked in. When I peeled away the flavorful breading the juices just poured out. It was an amazing bite of chicken. I ended up getting a second piece too.

The mashed potatoes were extremely creamy. There was a layer of butter on top that needed to be mixed in. I would expect nothing less from Paula. There were chucks of potatoes mixed in that added great texture.

The mac n’ cheese was prepared just like what my mom would make at home. It was a creamy blend of cheese and noodles. There was a crispy layer of cheese on top for a little texture.

To accompany this wonderful meal I ordered a sangria. In true Southern style it was served in a mason jar. This was an interesting sangria; it had a cinnamon, spicy taste. It reminded me of mulled wine, just cold.

The wonderful waitress I had brought two fresh made bread options to the table. One was a corn bread griddle cake and the other was a cheesy biscuit. The corn bread was a little dry to me. The biscuit was fantastic. It was cute like a brownie. It was super light and fluffy. I could easily eat a few of them.

My second plate I made sure to try the smothered pork chop. The meat was extremely tender and moist. It can be tricky with thick pork chop to prevent them from getting dry. They cooked it to perfection. The gravy they used had a great buttery flavor. It was a perfect accent to the pork.

The collard greens were amazing. The greens were tender. There was this hearty taste to them that is extremely hard to describe. It had a meaty taste, perhaps they cooked them with some bacon grease.

I naturally got more fried chicken. That meat was so addicting. And so were the mashed potatoes.

I wanted to make sure I tried a few other sides. The candied yams were like a dessert – loaded with brown sugar. The cheesy grits were extremely creamy and slightly salty from the cheese. The green beans were the perfect Southern side. I could taste the bacon they were cooked in.

Now no meal would be complete without dessert. Luckily I saved a little room to try them.

The banana pudding was fresh. It had great creamy texture. It also had a rich banana taste. The whip cream on top was a nice extra.

The ooey-gooey butter cake was rich. It was crispy on the outside but extremely soft inside. It reminded me of a sugar cookie. It was really sweet so I could not finish all of it.

I had a blast at The Lady and Sons. I am so glad I finally got to check the restaurant out in Savannah. There are lots of places to check out in Savannah but The Lady and Sons needs to be the first stop. Check out the website at http://www.ladyandsons.com/

Enjoy!

T

Coney Island Drive-Inn – Brooksville, FL

While on a drive coming back from the Gulf Coast of Florida, I came across a local restaurant along the side of the road called Coney Island Drive-Inn.

     

The parking lot was packed with cars, trucks, and motorcycles. I figured it had to be good considering how many people were visiting.

It had a cute roadside attraction feel inside. There were old signs on the wall, licenses plates from all over the country. It was fun to see where they were from.

     

There were a lot of items on the menu. But since the place was called Coney Island I felt that I needed to get a hot dog. They had a variety topping that you could get on their foot long dogs. I got a plain cheese dog and a chili dog. I actually shared the hot dogs because I knew there was no way that I could eat them by myself.

The cheese dog reminded me of how my mom would make them when I was a kid. A soft, squishy bun with a grilled hot dog nestled inside was covered with slices of melted American cheese. The cheese was creamy and coated the entire hot dog.

The chili dog was the same grilled hot dog on the soft bun. It was loaded with a meaty chili that was full of beans. And a chili dog would not be complete with out fresh chopped onion on top.

A hot dog would not be complete without french fries. They had these great shoe-string fries. I could not order just plain fries. I had to try the chili cheese fries. That same yummy chili from the hot dog was put on top of the fries. Then liquid cheese was drizzled on top. It was messy to eat with a fork but they are worth the mess. It was a salty, meaty treat.

They also offered Poutine on the menu. I was so excited to see this. It is a Canadian dish that is hard to find in the states. I knew I needed to order this too.

The french fries were covered in a brown gravy and chunks of cheese curd was tossed throughout. The gravy added the saltiness to the fries and as the cheese curd melted it added creaminess.

Coney Island was a fun place to check out. Naturally everything I ate was salty so I made sure to wash it down with a fountain soda. If you are driving near the Gulf Coast, you should go out of your way to check out Coney Island Drive-Inn. They are totally worth the stop.

www.famousfootlongs.com

Enjoy!

T

Grove Roots Brewing Company – Winter Haven, FL

Breweries are popping up everywhere in the United States, sometimes in the most unexpected places. Winter Haven, Florida is no exception. Not far off the main road I came across Grove Roots Brewing Company. I actually passed by it and took a double take, not sure what the building was.

The place was busy both inside and outside. They make all their beers on the premises. They have so many to choose from it was hard to narrow it down. Luckily they do offer tastings. That is what I did.

     

I tasted Pineapple Hula. This was a cider and it was the only tap that belonged to a “Guest” – Cider Boys. This cider had a slight sweet taste, with strong pineapple overtones. It was good but I did not think I could drink a whole pint.

The next beer I sampled was called Hopwarts Express. It caught my attention because I thought it read Hogwarts Express. This was a lighter beer that did have a hoppy aftertaste. It was refreshing to me so I ended up ordering a pint.

While enjoying the company I was with, I noticed a sign that was advertising a local business called A Cow Named Moo. They made homemade ice cream sandwiches. They had a deep freezer set up in the brewery, selling a few of their flavors.

I went for the Peanut Butter Cup. This ice cream sandwich was amazing. The ice cream was super creamy and full of peanut butter flavor. The cookie part of the sandwich was a dark chocolate cookie. It was soft and sweet. The chocolate flavor complemented the peanut butter. The cookie made the dessert absolutely perfect.

     

Grove Roots Brewing Company is a fun place to hang out and drink some local beers. You can also enjoy some local treats and place giant Jenga.

Check them out at www.groveroots.com

Enjoy!

T

Tsukuro – Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Walking up and down A1A in Ft. Lauderdale there is the beach on one side and a ton of restaurants on the other. There are so many choices; it all depends on what you are in the mood for. All the restaurants have their menus blown up and on display right there on the sidewalk. It helps you make a decision by glancing over their offerings.

When I passed Tsukuro and looked over their menu I got instantly hungry for sushi and fried rice. This was the place I was going to spend my evening.

     

As soon as I sat down I had to order the edamame. They were steamed perfectly and covered in sea salt. It was a huge bowl so it was perfect for sharing.

They were running a drink special on their jumbo 45oz. cocktails. Since they were basically half price I had to order one. I went for the Miami Vice which is a blend of a pina colada and strawberry daiquiri. The drink was naturally sweet and super cold. I got a brain freeze a few times. This drink really was too big. I would recommend if you order this, share it with someone.

     

The fried rice came as a side dish so the portion was a little smaller than I expected. It was not good for sharing if you order just one bowl. This rice had a perfect combination of ingredients that included scrambled egg, ginger, garlic, cabbage, and scallions. The flavor was fantastic. That salty taste from the soy sauce and the smokiness from the wok it was cook in pulled the entire dish together.

Rather than order more traditional sushi, I wanted to try something a little more unique. The Spicy Tuna Tower fit what I was looking for. The chunks of fresh tuna pieces were blended with avocado, wasabi, and a little soy sauce. Then this tuna mixture was spread on fried wonton wrappers. Then each wonton was stacked on top of each other.

It was a fun presentation. The only way to really eat it was to take the layers apart. This made it perfect for sharing. The tuna was so fresh it melted in my mouth. It was not that spicy which was a tad disappointing but the flavor was so good it ended up being ok. The creamy avocado paired so well with the tuna. The wonton added a contrasting crunchiness. I was definitely glad I tried this dish.

Tsukuro was a great beach front restaurant. It was great to feel the breeze off the Atlantic Ocean and people watch everyone walking up and down.

     

Check them out at http://itsbetteronthebeach.com/tsukuro/

Enjoy!

T

Sprinkles – Las Vegas, NV

Sprinkles cupcakes was one of the first cupcake shops to open at the start of the cupcake boom. They first opened in California and became a favorite among Hollywood elite. Now they have locations in 10 different states across the country.

Las Vegas is one of their newest locations. The shop is located by The LINQ. If you get there too early (or too late) they have a cupcake ATM to allow for that sugar craving to be satisfied.

They make all the cupcakes right there in the shop. It smelled wonderful as soon as I walked in. It was really hard to make a choice of which flavor to try.

To allow me to taste more than one flavor I ended up ordering their mini cupcake sampler. It came with three flavors of cupcakes:

  • Red Velvet – this was my favorite; it was extremely moist and the cream cheese icing was amazing.
  • Vanilla – this was a classic, sweet cupcake.
  • Chocolate – it included a cherry cordial ring and there were little chocolate chips throughout the cake.

This cupcake trio was the perfect way to try a few of their offerings. Plus it was a great value.

Check out www.sprinkles.com  to see if there is a Sprinkles location near you. There is a reason the original cupcake company is still around. They are delicious.

Enjoy!

T

Happy Valentine’s Day 2019

Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day.

Enjoy!

T