There is a breakfast place that a neighbor told me about that was a must visit. Just describing the homemade biscuits and gravy made me so hungry to try Breakfast Station. They first opened in 1995 in Port Richey, Florida and now they have locations all over the state.
A group of us went out to breakfast one Saturday morning. I was excited to see what everyone was going to order.
The one item we all agreed on was that the table would get the homemade biscuits and gravy. They put the homemade sausage gravy in a bowl for us. For the biscuits they did something unique with them; they actually fried up the biscuits – they cut them open and fried them on the griddle, so they were a little crispy and buttery. The gravy was so creamy and was full of savory sage flavor.
For my breakfast I ordered the Baggage Car Omelet. This huge omelet was loaded with diced ham, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and American cheese. The ham added a great saltiness and the cheese added the creamy texture. All the veggies helped make this omelet filling. I also got a side of grits. I loaded them up with butter to make them creamier.
The Southern Skillet was also ordered. The skillet started with a base of homefries that were cooked with peppers and onions. Then there was some ham mixed in. Then it was all covered with the homemade, delicious sausage gravy. Pepperjack cheese was sprinkled all over to melt. Finally eggs were placed on top. This was another large size breakfast. Make sure you are really hungry.
The Crossroads Omelet combined sausage, peppers, onions, and pepperjack cheese. After the omelet was folded up they covered it with the homemade sausage gravy. They use this gravy on so many dishes. It is absolutely amazing.
The last breakfast that was ordered was a Build Your Own Omelet. So this omelet combined ham, peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese. But for a twist, their homemade chili was poured on top. This made the omelet unique and with a little spice.
The breakfasts were so satisfying. The restaurant had such a crowd and there were people waiting outside to get in. They are a popular spot. I highly recommend them if you want a great breakfast.
Phoenix has a ton of craft breweries. We were in downtown Phoenix and checked out Huss Brewing.
They have a many beers on tap. I started off with Papago Cherry Blossom. This was a fruit beer. It used 100% real cherries in the brewing process. It was a combination of tart and sweet.
To help enjoy the beer, I ordered something to snack on. I thought the Classic Chips and Dip would be perfect. These were nice, salty kettle chips served with a homemade French onion-chive dip. There was a great balance between the flavor of the onions and chives. It was extremely creamy which was great.
I ordered another beer to enjoy with my chips. This time I ordered the Papago Orange Blossom. It was another fruit beer. I really enjoyed the first one so I figured I should try one of this brands other flavors. This wheat beer was flavored with mandarin oranges and a touch of vanilla. It was almost like a creamsicle.
Huss Brewing was a great place to grab a beer and a quick bite to eat. It would be a great place to watch a football or baseball game
If you love to golf and you are in the Miami area, you definitely need to check out Trump National Coral Miami. I golfed two of the courses and they were beautiful. But if you are not into golf, that is perfectly ok. Trump Doral has some amazing restaurants and you do not need to be staying at the resort to get to enjoy.
BLT is one of those restaurants that is a must try. The food is absolutely amazing and is perfect for sharing with friends.
When you visit, the Popovers are the first thing that needs to be ordered. This is not a normal bread for the table. These popover muffins are light and flakey. They are huge when they come out. One was enough for me. Make sure to put butter on them as soon as they come out so that it melts.
Another great appetizer to order for the table is the Shrimp Cocktail. It is a classic and somehow at BLT they make it special. The shrimp are huge. They were chilled to the perfect crispy temperature. The cocktail sauce they served was the perfect amount of tanginess from the horseradish and sweetness from the ketchup.
If you want a unique appetizer, order the Thick Cut Bacon. Some restaurants have fancy bacon on the menu, however BLT takes it up a notch. It is more like a pork belly than bacon because the pieces were so thick. These pieces were grilled up with herbs and sherry. I sliced through them like a steak. The flavor was amazing. The fat that was left melted away in almost a buttery flavor. This was a rich appetizer, so it is perfect to share so that you do not get too full.
If the table is feeling like they want something a little fresh, especially after the bacon, then order the Chopped Vegetable Salad. It is perfect for sharing. The fact that everything was chopped up made it much easier to eat. Tossed with the lettuce was feta cheese, olives, avocado, and tomatoes. They used a great vinaigrette as well.
For my main dish I ordered the Filet Mignon. It was a 10oz steak that was cooked to a perfect medium. The steak was buttery and tender. The seasoning on the outside was both salty and peppery. I just could not stop eating it.
There were a few sides ordered for the table. They were all created to share. The asparagus was a great steakhouse staple. They grilled the asparagus to give them a nice smokey taste. These were pretty big stalks. The ends were a little tough, so I just stuck to the tops.
The other side ordered was the mac and cheese. This was amazing. It was extremely rich and creamy. They had a breadcrumb crumble on top which got crispy when they put the mac and cheese in the oven. The crunch it created was a nice complement with the creaminess. I highly recommend this side.
Now it was time for dessert. We were all pretty full, but we figured we could share a few of them around the table.
The Guava Cheesecake was fantastic. There was a berry compote on the plate as well. The cheesecake was creamy and sweet. The guava added a tartness which was a nice complement.
The Brownie Bites were not even on the menu. Our waiter just brought them over to the table complementary. They were soft and chewy. The sweet taste of chocolate was amazing. It would have been great with a cup of coffee.
The final dessert was the Croissant Bread Pudding. I love bread pudding. It has a classic comfort feeling to it. I really like the twist they took by using croissants rather than regular bread. It had a little different texture however it was still soft and gooey. They put a salted caramel sauce on top that soaked into all the nooks and crannies of the croissant.
The meal was amazing at BLT. I enjoyed everything that I ate. I really do not think you can go wrong with anything that you order here. Check out their menu and plan a visit at www.bltrestaurants.com
I love having brunch on the weekends. Having brunch in Tampa, on the water, is amazing. There are several places to check out, but American Social is one of my favorite spots.
It is on the water so you can watch the boats go by. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. They have a lively outside bar that is perfect for watching football in the fall.
We were there with friends visiting from New Jersey on a Saturday. Good thing we had reservations because this place was packed.
To start off brunch, a mimosa is necessary. The fresh orange juice mixed with the bubbles of the champagne made the start of the brunch just perfect.
We started off with an appetizer that we all could share. The soft baked pretzel was the perfect choice for everyone to enjoy. The pretzels were made into long pieces, almost like breadsticks. This made it much easier to share. The pretzel had a buttery taste to it. The inside dough was extremely soft. I loved that doughy texture.
They served freshly made beer cheese and honey mustard on the sides. The mustard did have a sweet taste to it, but the beer cheese was my favorite. It was creamy and had a slight tang to it from the beer.
The Poke Tuna Tower was also ordered. This dish had a beautiful presentation. The layers were extremely colorful. There was diced Ahi tuna, guacamole, crispy wonton strips, wakume (seaweed), sesames, soy sauce, and sriracha.
The tuna was immensely tender. It just melted away in my mouth. The soy sauce gave it a salty taste, but it was subtle. The guacamole added a creamy texture to each bite. The sriracha did not add any heat, just additional flavor. Each layer added texture and flavor to the whole dish. It was amazing.
I was excited to try the Hot Chicken Sliders. I love hot chicken and I was excited to see how a restaurant in Tampa interpreted a Nashville staple.
These were small bites, came as a set of 3. For me, it was a complete meal, however it could work perfectly as a sharable appetizer for others. They made homemade buttermilk biscuits. They actually started falling apart as I picked them up. After a while I ate the biscuit and chicken separate, which was fine by me.
The chicken were like nuggets. They fit perfectly on the biscuit. There was not as much spice on the chicken as I was use to but it still had great heat. What really had the heat was the hot honey that came on the side. It was warm and had red pepper flakes added which is where the heat came from. When added to the chicken it was definitely hot. There was also a sweet taste to it as well which was the perfect complement of sweet and heat. It was a great brunch item. You did not feel overly stuffed when you were done eating.
American Social was a perfect place for brunch, especially if you have out of town guests and you want to treat them to something special and unique. Make sure you get a reservation before you get there. It makes getting a table faster for sure.
So, it is graduation weekend from East Tennessee State University. It is a special day, and it was the graduate’s choice on where to go for dinner. Johnson City has many options, and it was the Label Restaurant that won the honor.
Label offered a great happy hour – even on a Saturday. If you like bourbons, then this is the place for you, they have over 200. Their food menu offers everything from burgers, steaks, and fresh sushi. So everyone in our party would find something they could enjoy.
Now we had just come from a three-hour graduation ceremony, needless to say we were all hangry. Before we even ordered drinks, we put in some orders for appetizers.
The first appetizer was Crab Rangoon. These were wontons stuffed with crab salad. They were fried up till the wontons were crispy. The cream cheese that was in the crab salad melted during the cooking process. This made each bite creamy and crispy. The filling flavor was perfect, there was a slight richness to it. They put a firecracker aioli and sweet chili sauce on the plate for dipping. It was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.
The next appetizer was Edamame. There was a pile of freshly steamed edamame with some sea salt on the side. You could put on as much as you would like. As I popped out the edamame from the shells, I could not help but admire how fresh it all tasted.
Now the Garlic Fries were a hit at the table. There was a pound of fresh cut fries that were tossed with garlic, herbs, and parmesan cheese. These had an amazing salty taste that complemented the sweetness of the potato. They served a BBQ aioli on the side for dipping. Some folks at the table used it but I really enjoyed the flavor of the fries all on their own.
The final appetizer that we devoured was the PotStickers. These were pork and veggie filled and they were seared until the outside of the wonton wrapper was crispy, but still soft. They served soy ginger dipping sauce on the side. These pot stickers had a amazing savory flavor to them. The seasoning that they used on the pork and vegetables was amazing. I could taste garlic and ginger with perhaps a hint of cilantro.
Now those were enough appetizers to hold us over until our entrees arrived. It was an assortment of main dishes that we ordered. That was the beauty of Label.
To start with I ordered the Blackened Salmon. It was an 8oz salmon filet that was blackened perfectly with a slight salty taste. They put red pepper jam on top, that was amazing. It added more sweetness than heat. They also served asparagus and cheese grits on the plate. I really enjoyed the cheese grits. They were buttery and creamy.
The Bison Chopped Steak was a unique dish on the menu. The bison was tender and extremely savory. They served homemade brown gravy, mushrooms, and sauteed onions on top. This added even more intense savory flavor. The mashed potatoes helped make this a comfort food and a great way to use up all the extra gravy on the plate.
Another dish ordered was the Herb Chicken. This grilled chicken breast had wonderful seasoning on it. The carrots had a pesto cream sauce on top, which accented the chicken perfectly. The interesting side was the black rice. I had never seen black rice before. Black rice is apparently higher in nutrients compared to other rice. What gives the rice its color is anthocyanins (an antioxidant).
As I mentioned earlier, Label also has sushi on the menu. There were two rolls ordered. The Smoky Mountain Roll was unique. It was spicy tuna, cream cheese, and cucumber topped with smoked salmon, eel sauce, tobiko, green onions, tempura flakes, and firecracker aioli. There was a lot going on with this roll, but the elements definitely worked together. This was a filling roll.
The classic Spicy Tuna Roll was also ordered. The spicy tuna was blended with cucumber. It was topped with tobiko and togarashi.
Their list of burgers was extensive. Many, many choices. There were two Politician Burgers ordered at the table. This burger used Kobe beef for the patty. Truffle parmesan cheese was on top along with Southern craft house cured bacon, and sliced tomato. The burger was very juicy and tender. The Kobe beef just melted in your mouth.
The food was all amazing at Label. Everyone at the table ate so much, and everyone was satisfied. Our waitress was fantastic and took good care of the entire table. I would recommend everyone try Label Restaurant if they are in Johnson City.
A couple of years ago I visited Blackbird Bakery in Bristol, Virginia. Bristol is a about 45 minute drive from Johnson City, Tennessee. We were recently back in town for a college graduation and decided to take a road trip to Bristol to get some dessert. Half of the family had never been to the bakery before, so we were excited to share this wonderful place with them.
Blackbird offers a variety of sweet treats. They have homemade ice cream, donuts, muffins, cupcakes, and assorted pastries. Since there always is a line, you have plenty of time to decide what to order.
We ordered an assortment of things so we could try them all. The donuts seemed to be the most popular items during the visit. We grabbed a chocolate frosted and a chocolate sprinkle. They were nice size donuts. The donut itself was fluffy. It was not overly sweet because they did not put any glaze over the donut. The dough had its own subtle sweetness and the chocolate icing provided additional sweetness.
A cannoli was also ordered. The shell was crispy. They used a generous amount of the filling, which was extra creamy. The chocolate chips mixed throughout the filling added a nice crunch and texture.
We ordered a cheesecake as well. They had a few to choose from and we got the raspberry cheesecake. There was a raspberry puree drizzled on top. Mixed throughout the cheesecake was raspberry filling. It was creamy and very rich. It was the perfect dessert for sharing. The graham cracker crust added texture to each bite. The fresh strawberry on top was a good treat.
The final dessert was the brownie bar. This was the richest and most decadent dessert. Not only was there a brownie, but there was a layer of chocolate ganache and a chocolate icing shell on top. Each bite was so rich. It was a good thing I had some coffee, it helped with the richness. If you love chocolate, this is the dessert to order.
The line stayed consistently long while we were sitting there. The tables outside were also packed. Clearly this bakery is one popular place.
Bristol is a town where half of the town is in Tennessee and the other half is in Virginia. There is an awesome sign down State Street that you have to check out before leaving.
If you are anywhere in the Tri-City area (Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City) you need to make a stop to Blackbird Bakery. You will not be disappointed.
After waking up to a beautiful Colorado sunrise and watching elk graze along the side of the street, it was time for breakfast. Estes Park offered a few options to choose from. When we came to Claire’s Restaurant, we thought this would be a great choice.
The menu was filled with classic breakfast choices. I went for the simple classic breakfast. It was scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, and an English muffin. There was a generous portion of scrambled eggs. I ended up chopping up my bacon and mixing it throughout my eggs. The potatoes were hand cut. They were crispy from being fried. I ate them with ketchup. I normally do not do that, but these potatoes reminded me of steak fries and those normally require ketchup.
The English muffin was a nice addition. It had been a while since I have had one of these with breakfast. It was toasted so the edges got crispy. I spread some strawberry jelly all over it. I ate it last and it really hit the spot.
The other breakfast that was ordered was the Long’s Peak Omelet. This was a classic western omelet. There was diced ham, green peppers, onions, and cheddar cheese all mixed between the fluffy eggs. The peppers and onions gave great savory notes to the salty flavor of the ham. It was a pretty big omelet. It also came with those yummy homemade potatoes.
Claire’s Restaurant was the perfect place to grab breakfast. We got there early so we did not have to wait for a table. It gave us the energy we needed to continue with our hiking through Rocky Mountain National Park.
After lunch we decided to explore Lisbon on their famous Tram 28. This tram goes from one end of the city to the other. This vintage tram has wooden seats and clinks and clanks along the tracks.
There are astonishing views out the windows, so get a window seat if possible. Tram 28 is popular, so it does get pretty packed. The locals will warn you about pickpocketing on Tram 28, so just watch out. We were ok but we took the necessary precautions.
There were crazy steep climbs along this tram route. There were points along the trip I really thought we would hit a wall.
We took the tram all the way to the last stop, which was at the Basilica da Estrela. This was the same area where our food tour started the day before. The basilica , that was completed in 1790, was absolutely beautiful. There is pink and black marble all over the place. It is neo-classical, with statues and artwork everywhere. It was truly awe-inspiring.
Since we were in the same area as yesterday, we decided to pop back over to O Estamine Snack Bar. I wanted to get more of that homemade ginjinha. The owner was there again and he was excited that we came back.
We sat down with some of the neighborhood gentlemen and had a few glasses of that cherry liqueur. Before we left, we made sure to get a picture with the owner. He gave me a souvenir bottle of his ginjinha.
Now, its mid-afternoon, having been in Lisbon for a few days, I was starting to get use to getting coffee and pastries at this time. Since we were in the area from our previous tour, we decided to go back to Aloma.
I could not wait to get a café latte. I really started to feel like I was getting addicted to their coffee. For my pastry, I ordered something different, Bola de Berlim com crème. This was recommended to me by the bartender at the hotel. He said this was his favorite dessert. I knew I wanted to try it.
It is a Portuguese donut that is cut in half and filled with crème pasteleiro. It is a sweet, thick custard that is very similar to the filling in the pastel de nata. The rich vanilla flavor shined though each bite. The fluffy dough of the donut was tossed in sugar that not only added more sweetness but added a little crunch. It paired perfectly with the café latte.
Once we were finished with our afternoon snack, we were able to hop back onto Tram 28 and head back to the hotel.
After all the morning walking and shopping we worked up an appetite for some lunch. We came across an Italian restaurant Momma Donna and the menu looked pretty good. We thought it would be interesting to see the Portuguese take on Italian food.
We started out with a pitcher of white sangria. It was a great fruity flavor.
The pizza we ordered was a pineapple pizza with ham. Now that certainly is not really Italian and that was not the pizza we wanted. We really wanted an anchovy pizza and we thought that was what we ordered. Obviously, we ordered incorrectly. It made us laugh and we made sure to eat it, I certainly do not like wasting food. It was pretty good. The ham added saltiness and the pineapple added a nice sweetness. Not your traditional pizza but worth trying if you like something different.
I also ordered gnocchi. It came tossed in a nice tangy sauce. The gnocchi were fluffy. It was a very generous portion. They were tender and I could not stop eating them.
The staff was so friendly and attentive. I am glad we stopped in. I would recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for some good Italian food.
If walking over 25,000 steps wasn’t enough the day before, we decided to get up and do even more walking to see what we had not visited yet.
However, you cannot start off all that walking without a good breakfast. Not far from our hotel was a little café called Fabrico Proprio. I could not wait to get another café latte. The coffee in Lisbon is fantastic and I really got addicted.
I also had to try their pastel de nata. Breakfast would not be complete without one of these treats. With a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, this one was just as good as all the others. You really cannot go wrong wherever you get one.
We also got a ham and cheese sandwich. It was on a bread that was almost like a croissant.
It was another crisp, cool morning, perfect for walking around. We walked some side streets, exploring a few different neighborhoods. There were little shops and neighborhood restaurants up and down the narrow streets. It was nice to be off the main tourist drag.
Out of nowhere I noticed a small sign for Aldi, the award-winning grocery store chain that is found all over the world. I was curious what they offered in a store in Portugal verses the United States.
Walking up and down the aisle I came across a bottle of that piri piri hot chili sauce that we had been enjoying at the restaurants. It was only 35 Euros. At those prices I bought two bottles to bring home. There were also some interesting looking cookies that I figured would be a great snack for the airplane.
The important aisle I walked down was the wine aisle. I was curious what their offering would look like compared to back home. The entire assortment was Portuguese wines and ports. They came from all across the country and the prices were extremely reasonable. I was impressed by the price of the ports, so I grabbed a bottle of Tawny Port and a bottle of Ruby Port. I was excited to try these when I got home.
