Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

Lancaster Brewing Company – Lancaster, PA

I was in Lancaster, Pennsylvania recently for a wedding. The area is absolutely beautiful. So much beautiful farmland.

While we were there, we wanted to check out one of their local breweries, Lancaster Brewing Company. It was a rainy day, so it was the perfect day for a brewery.

They had a nice selection of beers to choose from. I did try a sour beer, which was great. But what I was really intrigued by was how the bartender mixed different beers. She made a Chocolate covered strawberry. This combined their Double Chocolate Milk Stout and their Strawberry Wheat. It really tasted like a chocolate strawberry.

I also tried her combination of the Strawberry Wheat and the Fresh Roasted Peanut Butter Ale. This was just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was great. I have never seen this done before, but I am definitely going to do this at other breweries in the future.

They had a big selection of menu items to choose from, including a special Oktoberfest menu. I started off with the Kartoffelsuppe. This is a German potato soup. They used local bratwurst, potatoes, cabbage, and sweet onions. This soup was very light. The flavor of the bratwurst was amazing, it helped add extra flavor to the soup. The onions did add sweetness and the potatoes helped to add texture. It was perfect to eat on a rainy day. I could have eaten another bowl.

I had to try the Fried Pierogies. These were handmade, which helped make these so special. These were potato pierogies which are my favorite. They placed them on top of sour cream and topped them off with a caramelized onion and bacon combination. The onions and bacon were sweet. It was not what I was expecting. It was something different that complemented the creamy potato.

The last thing that was ordered was the Braided Soft Pretzel. They called this Philly style. It was served with a cheddar ale sauce and coarse grain mustard for dipping. The pretzel was soft and had a slight sweet taste to it. The cheddar sauce was amazing.

Lancaster Brewing Company was a great place to visit. They were very crowded. If you do not feel like sitting at the bar they have plenty of dining room space.

If you are in Lancaster then add this brewery to your list of must visit.

Check out their website at www.lancasterbrewing.com

Enjoy!

T

Beiler’s Doughnuts – Lancaster, PA

Do you love doughnuts? How about freshly made, unique flavored doughnuts? Then you must visit Beiler’s Doughnuts in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

This family-owned shop uses a family recipe and they hand roll their doughnuts every day. You can watch them make them right there in the shop.

They have a large selection to choose from. They have all the classics you would be looking for. Plus several special flavors like:

  • Nutella Cream
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate
  • Salted Caramel
  • Oero Cream
  • Key Lime
  • Pumpkin Cream
  • Tripple Chocolate

I enjoyed a pumpkin cream and the triple chocolate. They were amazing. And the size of the doughnuts were very generous. A dozen is perfect to share with the whole family (or possibly two).

Checked them out at www.beilersdoughnuts.com

Enjoy!

T

The Back Nine – Lakeland, FL – Part 2

We went to The Back Nine because we heard their brunch was amazing. They do have a specific brunch menu for Saturdays and Sundays, but you can also order items off their regular menu.

Since I was there with a large group of friends, I was excited to see all the different dishes that we were going to order.

The staple item that we always order when we come here are the Par Three Fries. These are amazing French fries. Everyone loves sharing them because they come with 3 different types of fries: Curly, Crinkle, and Traditional straight. They are cooked perfectly, and they fry them up to order because they are always piping hot when we get them. Make sure you ask for some of their homemade cheese sauce on the side. This is perfect for dipping the fries in.

One of the brunch dishes ordered was the Chicken and Waffles. This was breaded chicken tenders that were placed on top of a waffle. Then they were topped with fresh fruit and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The chicken was amazing. The breading was crispy and had great flavor and the chicken remained moist and juicy. I loved dipping it in maple syrup for extra flavor.

The Classic Breakfast Plate was truly a classic. It came with 2 eggs (these were ordered scrambled), sausage patties, toast, homefries, and fresh fruit. The eggs were amazing. They had such a creamy taste. It reminded me of the way my dad use to make them when I was a kid.

The Breakfast Bowl was pretty big. The bowl started with homefries being covered in the house made cheese sauce. Then there were layers of peppers, onions, and bacon. It was topped off with 2 scrambled eggs. If you like having all your ingredients mixed together for easy eating, this is the dish for you. The homemade cheese sauce helped pull the whole dish together.

A few friends did not feel like breakfast items, so they ordered more lunch type items. The Mahi Tacos looked fantastic when they came out. There were 3 flour tortillas stuffed with grilled mahi-mahi, housemade slaw, and a Cajun remoulade on top. My friend devoured all three. She said the fish was flakey and the sauce made them taste amazing.

If you like salads then the Cobb Salad would be a great choice. The mixed greens were topped with fresh grilled chicken, sliced egg, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, bacon, and bleu cheese crumbles. The bleu cheese dressing was served on the side. This was such a fresh-looking salad. The bleu cheese crumbles helped set it apart and make it unique from other cobb salads I have seen.

Lastly the chicken tenders were ordered. This was the same chicken that came on the chicken and waffles, but just with a few more pieces. It came with grilled veggies on the side which were grilled zucchini and yellow squash.

The food was amazing at The Back Nine. They never disappoint. And the staff is fantastic and always trying to take care of you.

Check out The Back Nine in Lakeland. And if you want to have fun playing the golf simulators, head to the back of the restaurant. They also have a great loyalty program, so make sure to sign up for that.

Check out their website at www.thebackninelakeland.com

Enjoy!

T

The Back Nine – Lakeland, FL – Part 1

If you follow me on social media, I have done many posts about a great restaurant called The Back Nine in Lakeland, Florida.

It is owned and run by a husband and wife, whose dream was to open a restaurant. They have a wonderful menu, a full bar, and fun golf simulators in the back where you can have a fun game of golf (or a variety of other games, including zombie dodgeball).

They serve an amazing brunch on the weekends, and I wanted to make sure I wrote about it. We were a big group, so we got to try a variety of things off the menu.

They had two types of mimosa options for brunch. The one option was a Mimosa Flight. These were 4 of their popular flavors: Classic, Blackberry, Sunset, and Blueberry Lemonade. These were pretty large glasses for a flight.

They also have a Bottomless Mimosa. There is a 2-hour limit for this but there is plenty of time to enjoy all 6 flavors. Just make sure you eat something so you can walk out ok.

My friend and I decided to do the bottomless option. We went in order of the menu. It was easier to keep track that way. The first one out was the Classic. This was a good way to start. Something traditional to cleanse the palette before the unique flavors arrive.

The next flavor out was Blackberry. This was sweet and tart at the same time.  There was a hint of blackberry flavor which is where the sweetness came from, and the brut champagne is where the tartness came from.

The Sunset mimosa was beautiful. The 2 colors of orange and red really did look like the sunset. This was a sweet mimosa. I liked how it hid the flavor of the champagne but was still bubbly. I would say this was one of my favorites.

The Raspberry was the fourth flavor on the list. This was similar to the blackberry but it was sweeter. However there still was some tartness.

Strawberry was out next. This was full of strawberry flavor. I feel it was mixed a little with some orange juice which made it the perfect combination.

The last mimosa out was the Blueberry Lemonade. I was originally not sure about what this flavor would be like but the combination of tart blueberry and sweet lemonade worked well together. This ended up being my second favorite mimosa of the day.

If you are looking for a great place to get bottomless mimosas then The Back Nine is the place to go.

Check out their website at www.thebackninelakeland.com

Enjoy!

T

Bandito’s Tex Mex – Dallas, TX

When I am in Texas having good Tex Mex is a must have. There are so many places to choose from, it can be a hard decision to make. It is best to leave it up to the locals to make a recommendation. That is how I ended up at Bandito’s Tex Mex.

The restaurant is small inside, so it fills up fast. Once you are able to get seated, they will bring you chips and salsa right away. This way you have something to enjoy while you are looking over the menu.

The salsa was amazing. It was freshly made, and the flavor of the onions and cilantro helped highlight the sweetness of the tomatoes.

I would also recommend ordering some homemade queso. The creamy cheese was great with the crispy tortilla chips.

I ordered a Sangria as well. I got red, that tends to be my favorite. It was sweet but also slightly tart based on the type of wine they used. It was refreshing. I went down easy, so I had to make sure that I drank it slowly.

The menu had many great dishes to choose from.  I ordered the 12 Gauge Flautas. I love flautas and I usually can only find them in Texas. These flautas were shredded chicken wrapped in a corn tortilla and then fried. They were extremely crispy. They were served with a side of queso, sour cream, and guacamole. The flautas were amazing when dipped in the queso. They stayed crispy, and the savory flavor of the chicken was complemented by the richness of the cheese. These were classified as an appetizer, but they were plenty for my meal.

The Red River Chicken Enchiladas were also ordered. This dish came with two chicken enchiladas covered in a sour cream sauce and topped with melted pepperjack cheese. This dish was a lot plus it came with rice and beans. The chicken was shredded and savory. It was the same chicken that they used in the flautas. It just remained juicy in the enchilada.

Another dish ordered was the Low Rider Burrito. This burrito was fully customizable. This one was made with spicy beef and topped with a chili con queso. And of course, rice and beans were on the side. This was a big burrito. The beef was not too spicy. The chili con queso had a nice salty taste that went well with the beef.

These were some excellent Tex Mex dishes at Bandito’s. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting great Tex Mex food.

Check out their menu at www.banditostexmex.com

Enjoy!

T

Down One Bourbon Bar – Louisville, KY

While visiting Louisville, Kentucky, you will notice that it is all about bourbon and horses. Part of the Bourbon Trail starts in downtown Louisville. After having a few tastings, you need to make sure to eat something.

We picked Down One Bourbon Bar to grab some lunch.

The restaurant has a fun vibe. There are humorous signs all around that were entertaining.

I started off with a Kentucky Iced Tea. This was the quintessential Kentucky drink. They used Evan Willaims Bourbon, Rittenhouse Rye, Carpano Antica formula vermouth, peach schnapps, peach puree, Goslings ginger beer, and lime. There was a lot going on with this cocktail. It had a slight kick from the bourbon but was sweet because of the peach puree and schnapps. It was not a cocktail you could drink really fast.

The Masa Fried Cheese Curds were ordered. The cheese was breaded and fried up to be crispy. They served them with shaved jalapenos. This added a little spice when eaten with the cheese curd. They made a homemade ranch dipping sauce. This had a great tangy taste. The cheese curds were creamy with a nice salty taste. They were small pieces so it was easy to pop them in your mouth.

The Smothered Nachos were good for sharing because they were so big. It was easy to get full on eating these. The nacho chips were topped with pork carnitas, queso, cilantro crème, and pico de gallo.

I saw two sides on the menu that I ordered to complete my lunch. The Cilantro Lime Rice, was simple, just steamed white rice that was blended with fresh lime juice and fresh cilantro. The lime gave it a little bite and the cilantro added a little spice. It was light and refreshing for a side dish.

I also ordered the Street Corn. They took the corn off the cob and charred it. That gave the corn a slight smokey taste. Then they mixed it with mayonnaise, chili lime seasoning, cilantro, and cotija cheese. There was a sharpness to the flavor. Between the mayonnaise and the chili lime seasoning, the corn was very tangy. The cotija cheese added texture. It was a lot less messy eating the corn out of a bowl than on the cob.

This was a great spot to hit in between bourbon tastings. Check them out at www.downonebourbonbar.com

Enjoy!

T

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