The town of Winter Garden has a cute downtown main street. There are several places to sit in Centennial Park and enjoy music or people watching. There are walking and biking trails, and several shops and restaurants.
It was around lunch time and I went to check out The Whole Enchilada.
The restaurant has a walk-up counter to order. Then they bring the food to your table. It is a great set up. It really allows for customers to come and go quickly.
I placed my order and headed over to their salsa bar. They have four different salsas ro choose from. I made sure I tried all of them with my chips.
Smooth Pico – a mild salsa full of chopped up tomatoes and onions with cilantro
Verde – a green salsa with a tangy flavor
Roasted Tomato – crushed tomatoes with a smoky taste
Mango Salsa – sweet flavor with chunks of fresh mango. This was my favorite.
The chips and queso were the perfect starter. The queso was creamy with no spice at all. I did combine a little of the pico with the queso to add some texture.
The tacos I ordered were brought to the table. I ordered the Hasselhoff. These are classic tacos filled with ground beef and topped with jack and cheddar cheeses. I got them in a crunchy shell, but a soft shell is also an option.
The beef on the taco needed a little extra seasoning. I
added the mango salsa to them as well as some of the queso. This created a
combination of sweet and salty.
The Whole Enchilada was a great place for lunch. They have
a nice roof top bar and seating area that is perfect for a nice summer evening.
When visiting a town or city I have never been to sometimes it is a challenge to know where the good hang outs and restaurants are. I find that asking the locals is a great way to start. But there is something even better to try, ask a local bartender. Why? They will know the hot spots that stay open late. Bartenders and kitchen staff from other restaurants want to go out and party too, unfortunately they have to wait till their places close. I have discovered tons of places that stay open late just to make sure they can serve their peers.
That is the exact reason that I went to Break Awayz. My bartender at Tortugas recommended this restaurant. She said she goes here all the time after work.
What people love about Break Awayz is the huge assortment of beer and wine options plus their food selection. So I pulled a seat up to the bar and started looking over their beers. I wanted a beer that was more on the lighter side that had a fruity taste. That is exactly what I found in the Watermelon Dorado Ballast Povant. I could smell the watermelon when I held the glass to my nose. And sure enough, this beer was full of watermelon flavor. It was a sweet taste that was very refreshing.
Now it was time for food. There were a few things that caught my attention – tacos, hummus dip, and several tuna dishes.
I settled on the Ahi tuna plate. It was a huge tuna that was seared perfectly on the outside and a soft pink on the inside. They sprinkled sesame seeds on the outside that added crunch. As soon as I took a bite I could taste the flavor of the sesame oil that they cooked the tuna in. It added a nutty flavor to the fish. It was amazing.
It also came with a side of freshly steamed Jasmine rice and a seaweed salad. The seaweed was chilled and it had a sweet taste not salty. It paired well with the sesame accents from the tuna.
This stop to Break Awayz was the perfect ending to a fun night. If you are looking for a great spot you need to visit. Check them out at http://www.break-awayz.com/
When people think about Florida beaches I am sure that Daytona Beach is top of mind. However, about 30 minutes north is a small community called Flagler Beach. This beach was named after Henry Flagler who was an oil tycoon and a Florida railroad developer. Do not think that this is a quiet beach town because there are several hot spots that I found on my most recent visit.
One of those spots was Tortugas. Located right across the street from the beautiful Atlantic Ocean sits this two story restaurant.
This place was hopping with a live music and tons of fire pits to keep yourself warm from the ocean breeze.
The music the band was playing was energizing and it got me in the mood for a fun cocktail. I went for a “Painkiller”. It was rum mixed with orange and pineapple juices plus fresh coconut cream. It was not overly sweet which surprised me. The refreshing taste paired well with the salty ocean breeze.
I was not super hungry when I got there but I did want to try something off their menu. I went for the conch chowder. It was a big bowl filled with a tomato based broth and fresh vegetables, including big chunks of potato. The chowder was loaded with pieces of fresh conch. It was very hearty and filling.
If you are looking for a fun beach bar for during the day or at night, Tortugas is the spot. With their live music and fun drinks you can easily spend all day there.
Italian food is very comforting with all the cheeses and sauces that cover everything from pastas to meats. After a busy day, I was in the mood for some comfort food. I thought that Palace Italian Restaurant would satisfy that mood.
I had never actually eaten inside the restaurant. In the past I have gotten take out. This time I wanted to eat there. They have amazing murals painted on the walls, many are of famous landmarks around Italy.
Once I sat down my waitress brought over some homemade bread. This was a flat bread that was topped with butter, garlic salt, and Italian seasonings. They also served it with a side of olive oil / chili oil mixture. This gave it a little heat. I preferred the bread by itself because of the great seasoning that it had.
The tortellini soup was the homemade soup of the day when I visited. They change it up every day. The soup was a great chicken broth base that was filled with vegetables, sausage crumbles, and large tortellini. It was a very filling soup; there was a nice comfort feeling to it.
For an appetizer I got the calamari fritti. These fresh calamari were breaded and fried up. The breading was light and crunchy. The calamari were extremely tender. They tasted amazing with the homemade marinara sauce that was served on the side. The bread absorbed the sauce well without making it soggy.
For my dinner I got the Chicken Sorrento. They served a huge chicken breast that was topped with sautéed eggplant, prosciutto, and mozzarella cheese. They covered everything with a plum tomato sauce and fresh leaves of basil.
The chicken was tender and still moist. The eggplant was still slightly firm which made it easy to cut. The prosciutto added a nice salty taste to the chicken, while the cheese added a creaminess.
As if the chicken and eggplant were not enough, this dish
also came with a side of spaghetti tossed in their fresh marinara sauce. I
tried it while I was there but naturally I could not finish it. It went
straight to the doggie bag so that I could eat it for lunch the next day.
I also was able to try my friend’s dinner. He got the Veal Saltimbocca. The thinly sliced veal was topped with sautéed prosciutto, spinach, and fontina cheese. Then it was covered in a white wine sauce.
The sauce was extremely creamy and had an amazing flavor. They also put the same sauce on a side of spaghetti. The veal was very tender. The spinach added an earthy taste while the prosciutto added saltiness and texture. I am really glad I got to try this.
The dinner portions are large at Palace Italian Restaurant.
They can easily be shared almost family style. The flavors were wonderful. Next
time I visit I want to make sure I try one of their pizzas.
I was helping my sister celebrate her birthday. We decided to go on an airboat ride to explore the Florida Everglades. We chose Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures since it was pretty close to her house (www.bcairboats.com).
While we waited for out time, we checked out their restaurant right there on the grounds. It was called Boggy Bottom BBQ.
It was a cute little restaurant, complete with a gift shop.
I went for the BBQ beef brisket plate. It came with one side, so I chose the sweet corn.
The brisket was extremely lean and very tender. It pulled
apart easily with my fork.
They had six different BBQ sauces to choose from. I made sure I tasted them all.
Original
BBQ – had a slight peppery taste
Mango
Habanero – sweet and spicy
Texas
BBQ – had a smoky taste
Sweet
BBQ – very sweet with a small hint of smoke. This was my favorite
Hickory
BBQ – had a smoke aroma of hickory wood
Mustard
BBQ – had a strong mustard taste. This was not my favorite because I am not a
huge fan of mustard.
This was a great, quick meal before the airboat ride, which was extremely fun. We got to see four alligators along the ride. Go enjoy a ride for yourself and grab some homemade BBQ either before or after.
There is a great neighborhood bar in Lakeland, Florida called 716 Burgers & Brew. This bar is tucked away off the main road, in between neighborhoods and golf courses. This is the type of place where all the locals go to hang out. Everyone knows each other.
If you are a Buffalo Bills fan (or any team from Buffalo) this is the perfect hangout for you. See the owners of the bar, Bo and Lisa, are from Buffalo. This is why it is called 716 – it is the area code for Buffalo. I think it is a clever name and really helps it stand out from all those chains out there.
Keeping with the Buffalo theme, their happy hour is offered from 3:11-7:16. Again, these are both area codes for Buffalo.
To enjoy the football games on TV, I ordered a few things off their menu. I started with the chili cheese fries.
The crispy fries were covered with salty chili that was loaded with beans. Then smothered on top was melted nacho cheese. I love it when cheese fries use liquid cheese. It makes the fries so much better because every bite is covered in cheese. What put these fries over the top was the crispy pieces of bacon that were sprinkled all over.
To wash down these fries, I enjoyed some new Malibu Rum cocktails. They came in cans but I drank mine over ice. They were really refreshing. I tried two flavors:
(1) Pineapple
(2) Strawberry Kiwi
When halftime for the game rolled around it was time to order some chicken wings. I was able to et them naked and extra crispy. I like my wings to be cooked well done so the skin is crispy. I ordered all flats (also another one of my personal preferences). They cost a little extra but that is typical. I got two different flavors:
(1) Bourbon BBQ
(2) Traditional Buffalo Hot sauce
The Bourbon BBQ sauce was nice and sweet. It almost reminded me of a Thai chili sauce, only a little darker and thicker.
I could not go to a Buffalo bar without getting traditional Buffalo wings. I got them hot because I like a little heat. It had a great ting as I ate them.
716 is a fun and friendly place to check out. Their food was great and the menu is much larger than a typical bar. I definitely plan on checking them out again. You should make a stop to 716 to watch a football game or on a Wednesday to check out karaoke night.
Follow them on Facebook at 716burgersandbrew because their website is still being built.
I did not expect to find a little piece of New Orleans in downtown Lakeland, Florida, but that I what I found with Harry’s. I was given a big “Crescent City” welcome when I walked through the door. I took a seat at the bar which was clearly the hot spot.
I started off with one of Harry’s signature cocktails. They had several options that sounded good but I went for the “Big Easy”. It was a combination of spiced rum, whiskey, amaretto, banana liquor, Midori, and pineapple juice. It was sweet and the flavors of banana and pineapple are what shinned through.
I glanced over the entire menu and they had all the classic dishes you would find in New Orleans: gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, crawfish Étouffée. I saw the boudin balls and knew I had to start with these. For those not familiar with this dish, boudin balls are ground sausage, rice, and Cajun seasonings rolled up in breadcrumbs and fried. These were delicious. The Cajun spice was perfect; they had nice heat that was calmed with the homemade remoulade dipping sauce.
I was going to get another traditional dish, however, I changed my mind when I read about the Crab and Eggplant Napoleon on the menu. I have never seen this dish before. The slices of eggplant were covered in panko breadcrumbs and layered with fresh lump crabmeat. Then it was topped with a creamy parmesan basil sauce.
Each component was perfect on their own. The eggplant was thinly sliced and only dusted with the breadcrumbs so that there was a slight crunch. The crabmeat was sweet and moist, extremely fresh. Now to combine both with that decadent cream sauce, the taste was magnificent. Because of the cream sauce the dish is a little rich, so I would recommend sharing this with someone.
The other callout that I had to make about Harry’s is their fresh, homemade bread. It is light and fluffy on the inside with a crispy crust. It comes out hot which makes it tasty. Be sure to try their garlic butter too. Smother the butter on the bread while it is still hot. You will not be disappointed.
Harry’s has a few locations around central Florida. Find a location at www.hookedonharrys.com
Key West is not lacking on bar to check out. One important stop is to the Green Parrot. This is one of the oldest bars, dating back to 1890. I had to go visit and be a part of history.
I was excited when I walked in and smelt popcorn. They had a machine all set up and I was able to help myself. I love popcorn and it is a great snack while enjoying a drink and fun conversation with locals. Even the roosters walked in to enjoy the popcorn that fell on the floor.
They had a couple of unique cocktails on their menu. I chose the Parrot Punch. They used Sailor Jerry spiced rum, orange and pineapple juice, and a splash of grenadine. They even served it in a souvenir cup. The drink was sweet with just a slight tang because of the acid in the fruit juices.
This was a fun place to hang out. I was able to meet several
locals who gave me even more suggestions of places to check out on my visit to
Key West. This should definitely be a place to stop by if you are looking for a
cold drink.
At this point on my trip to Key West, I had hit most of the
hot spots in the main areas, like Duval Street. Now it was time for me to venture
down to the marina area. There were several shops and restaurants around that
area that I wanted to check out.
Waterfront Brewery was one of those stops. The open walls and windows created a wonderful cross breeze through the restaurant that really helped remind me that I was on vacation.
This restaurant was perfect for the whole family. They had a large arcade in the back that was perfect for kids and the adults who are kids at heart.
They had a large selection of beers to chose from. It is a great place to try something local. I went for the Crazy Lady!
Now I had been trying conch all over the island. Waterfront Brewery offered something a little different from what I had been seeing. They created a Bahamian Red Conch chowder. This chowder reminded me of a Manhattan clam chowder with a savory broth and loaded with fresh vegetables. The chowder packed a bold taste from the cracked black pepper they added. The conch was cut up into small tender pieces.
This was a great stop for a quick bite to eat and some cold refreshments. The view is also spectacular. I would definitely go back to try something else.
I headed back to Key West because I had such a blast the last time. I made sure to hit some places I missed last time. Sandbar was one of those places. I absolutely loved this place. I ended up visiting them three separate times during my trip.
My first visit I was just getting the lay of the land. They were a sports bar first and foremost. They had so many TVs throughout the restaurant, you would never miss a minute of any game.
They also had huge open doors. It let in such a wonderful coastal cross breeze. Those open doors also allowed for the local roosters to roam around. I never got use to that, especially when they crowed in the morning.
For this first visit I started off with a local Key Lime cider. I expected it to be full of lime flavor, but it really did not. But it was still refreshing.
For food, I had to try their Stone Crab chowder. I went for it because I was not conch. I had eaten so much conch it was nice to try something different.
I loved the chunky potatoes, carrots, and sweet corn they
put in the creamy broth. The crab meat was sweet. I really wish there was more
of it in the chowder. The garlic bread they served on the side went well with
the flavor of the broth.
Since this was a sports bar, ordering some wings was a must. I went for the Joey Style wings. These wings were fried and coated with a hot buffalo sauce and bbq sauce. Then they chargrilled the wings for extra crispiness.
These wings were amazing. The skin of the wing was extra
crispy just the way I like it. The meat was juicy. Creativity in the spice
department came from blending buffalo sauce and bbq sauce. The heat and sweet
had extraordinary taste.
These wings were so good I ordered them again when I went back for another visit. They were just as good the second time. The kitchen is very consistent with hoe they prepare these.
During this second visit I also tried their queso dip with French fries. The fries were hot out of the fryer, so they were nice and crispy. The queso came out in a tortilla shell bowl. The cheese was extremely creamy. There was a slight amount of heat from the jalapenos, which created a tango across my tongue. I really enjoyed eating the queso with fries verses tortilla chips.
My third visit was because of a recommendation from my previous bartender. She was explaining that each day they had a different food special. This day was the mac and cheese with bbq pilled pork.
The mac and cheese extraordinarily creamy. The pulled pork
was loaded on top. I did not mix the pork into the mac and cheese. I just
combined the two when I took a bite. It created the perfect smoky, smooth bbq
flavor.
In addition to all the great food I ate at Sandbar, I also
enjoyed some cocktails. They have a fun assortment of Hurricanes, all at
different category strengths. It’s a fun play on the storms in Florida.
I did not make it all the way to a category 5 but I did
enjoy categories 1,2 and 3.
Category 1 – This was a blend of light rum, triple sec, and the homemade Sandbar hurricane mix.
Category 2 – This one was slightly stronger. It was the same mix as the category 1 but with a shot of Spiced rum on top.
Category 3 – Once again this was even stronger. This one combined both light and spiced rum, triple sec, and it was topped off with a dark rum floater.
All the hurricanes were fun to drink. They were nice ad
cold on a hot Florida day. They were definitely sweet so be prepared for that.
I cannot recommend Sandbar Sports Grill enough. I enjoyed every visit. The next time I visit Key West I am heading there first.
