Black Bird Bakery – Bristol, VA

Bristol is a really unique twin city that lies in both Virginia and Tennessee. The state lines runs right down State Street. There is a really cool light up sign that tells you which state you are in. This sign has been there since 1915, though the slogan did change to the current one in 1921.

A little-known fact about Bristol that I learned when I visited is that it is recognized as the “Birthplace of Country Music”.

There is a 1930s theater on State Street called Paramount. It still has shows and events there through the year.

After walking around, I came to Black Bird Bakery. This is an old-fashioned bakery and ice cream shop. This place was packed with the line was almost out the door. It was cozy and inviting inside with table and couches everywhere.

They had a large offering of pastries, ice cream, cupcakes, and donuts to choose from. It was kind of hard to decide.

I got a couple of desserts while I was there. Some of them I got to go so I could enjoy then later. What I ate there was a big scoop of homemade Butter Pecan ice cream. The ice cream was so creamy. It was full of pecans. I got it on a sweet waffle cone which held more ice cream.

The Double Chocolate cupcake was chocolate overload. If you love chocolate, then this is the dessert for you. The cake was mist and held its own with all the chocolate icing.

The Carrot Cake cupcake was also extremely moist. It had great spice flavor to it along with shreds of fresh carrots. The cream cheese icing was to die for. It was extremely creamy.

The last dessert I got was the Peanut Butter Cheesecake. This was a very decadent dessert. The cheesecake was smooth and creamy. The flavor of peanut butter shined through. It was a very rich dessert. It was better to share this one. It went perfect with a nice glass of red wine.

There is a reason why the lines were so long at Black Bird Bakery. It seemed like the hot spot for people of all ages. I would recommend them to everyone. Plus, they are open late.

Check them out at www.blackbirdbakerybristol.com

Enjoy!

T

Rio de Brazil – Johnson City, TN

If you have never been to a Brazilian steakhouse, you are in for a treat. It is a parade of meats, coming direct to your table. It was exciting to take someone who had never been before. I knew it would be a fun experience at Rio de Brazil in Johnson City, Tennessee.

To start off with, you must understand the color-coded cards that are on the table.

  • GREEN = Yes, I want meat, please come over to the table
  • RED = No, I am full so you can pass by

The next thing to know about Brazilian steakhouses are the salad bars. They are awesome but remember do not fill up on all of that. You must save room for the meat, that’s the main reason to visit. The salad bar had so many options.

I tried some pasta salad, fresh tomato and mozzarella, and a fresh broccoli salad. I figured this would be a light enough starter. The broccoli salad had a nice sweetness to it. They also had shrimp cocktail which is a great way to start with protein. There were creamy mashed potatoes with gravy on the bar too. I knew this would be the perfect side with steak.

The first meat that came to the table was the bacon wrapped chicken. The bacon was crispy on the outside. The bacon fat helped add to the taste of the chicken as it cooked. The chicken was tender and moist. The flavor they marinated the chicken in had a light teriyaki taste. It was really delicious.

The next skewer of meat to come to the table was the bacon wrapped filet. As soon as I cut into the filet, the juices just poured out. The meat was cooked perfectly with a little pink. The seasoning they put on the meat was savory and it made each bite more addicting. The bacon added a little extra salty with a crunch.

The flank steak was thin slices of tender meat. I did not even need a knife to cut it. I ate it so fast I forgot to take a picture.

In between the meats, the waiter brought some bananas to the table. This was like a dessert. The bananas were cooked in cinnamon and sugar. The bananas were soft, and the sugar created a caramelization on top. It was a great cleanser to eat a few bites in between the salty meat.

One of the last meats I tried was the garlic steak. The meat tasted like it was marinated in a garlic butter sauce. The garlic complemented the savory flavor from the meat. Even this cut of meat was tender.

I was starting to develop a meat coma. I was surprised when the waiter came around with a skewered pineapple. The pineapple was coated on the outside with cinnamon and sugar. As it rotated over the flame, the sugar melted and caramelized. It was fantastic on the pineapple. The grill gave it a little different texture. It was really delicious. This is something I might try on the grill at home.

The meat was fantastic at Rio de Brazil. The sides were great too even though I did not try many of them. It is a fun restaurant to go to so you can try a variety of things. It is definitely a place to check out.

Visit their website at www.Riodebrazilsteakhouse.com

Enjoy!

T

McGrath’s Irish Pub – Lakewood Ranch, FL

It’s Sunday and it is time for another brunch. This time I visited McGrath’s Irish Pub for something a little different. Located on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, I was looking forward to checking them out.

To my surprise they offered several different drink specials. The bottomless mimosas was what hooked me; and it was such a great value at $10.00. They had several different juice options which is my favorite. I got to try four of the flavors.

The first flavor I tried was the Peach. It used a great peach puree that was full of flavor. They included a dried peach as a garnish. It was a little sweeter than a typical mimosa.

The second mimosa I tried was the Strawberry. This had spot on fresh strawberry flavor from the puree they used. It was refreshing. All that was missing was sliced fresh strawberries.

The third flavor was Raspberry. This was tart to taste. It actually made my lips pucker just a little. I thought I would enjoy this one a little more, but it was not as full of fruity flavor like I had hoped.

The last mimosa was Pineapple. I saved this for last since this is my favorite juice. The pineapple juice was not as sweet as I am used to. It was a little tart but not like the raspberry. The pineapple juice shined through the brut champagne they used to make the mimosas.

I did order some small dishes to enjoy with my mimosas. Since I was at an Irish Pub, I made sure to order the Scotch Eggs. I have not head these in a while. Scotch Eggs are hard boiled eggs that are covered with ground sausage, lightly breaded, and then fried. The outside was crispy with the inside sausage layer being tender and moist.

When sliced open the creaminess from the egg yoke offered a contrast from the crispy outside breading. The sausage had a great flavor of fennel. It came with a side of Pale Ale honey mustard. It did not have an overall taste of the ale, but there was a sweet and sour nature to the sauce. It went well with the taste of the sausage.

I also ordered the French Onion Shire Dip. This was a cold dip that had lots of chopped up onions. The dip was extremely creamy. They served this with potato chips and crudité vegetables. It was a great snacking dish that was easy to share.

This was a nice spot to pop in for drinks and a few bites to eat. I would check them out again to see what was on their non-brunch menu.

Check out their website at www.mcgrathsirish.com

Enjoy!

T