I was driving around Port Canaveral and came across a restaurant that had a big sign that said now open. This was Rusty’s Seafood & Oyster Bar and they had been closed because of the pandemic. Lucky for me they were open once again and I was hungry for some oysters. They had tables on a great back deck. It overlooked the water which allowed me to watch boats go back and forth. It was brunch time, so I ordered a Bloody Mary to enjoy while looking over the menu. This was a nice spicy Bloody Mary, just how I…
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I found a great little hole in the wall bar in Cocoa Beach called Graham’s Beach Bar. It is nothing fancy, but a lot of locals were there enjoying drinks and food. I love finding places like this. I was a little hungry for lunch, so I order a few things off the menu. I got the cheddar jalapeno poppers. I love the cheddar version more than the cream cheese, but most restaurants only serve the cream cheese. I was happy to see the cheddar on the menu. They came out popping hot; I needed the cheese to cool a…
Leave a CommentThere is a ton of things to do in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The beaches are beautiful. They have a huge pier that you can walk along, fish from, or pop into one of the many restaurants. Towards the end of the pier is a restaurant called Pelican’s Bar and Grill. I popped in there to get a quick snack. It was the perfect place to cool off from the Florida heat, and watch the waves crash up onto the beach. I ordered the crab and shrimp dip because I wanted a quick snack. I was expecting this to come out…
Leave a CommentIf you like fruity wins, then I found the perfect winery for you. Island Grove Wine Company had a variety of fruit wines from blueberry to strawberry. And they are all made in Florida. I was looking forward to checking them out. The winery is set up a little differently than the traditional wineries I have visited. This was a touch-less, serve yourself winery. The way it works is you put money onto a chip card. Then you insert that card into the different wine machines and select the wine you would like to try, as well as the size…
Leave a CommentI love to hear about food trucks that become overwhelming successful that they are able to open up free standing restaurants. That is exactly what happened to The Crooked Spoon in Clermont, Florida. It is a very cozy gastropub. The lighting is lightly dim, which helped create the cozy feeling. They used hardwood throughout that helped create an elegant feel. Even with all the social distancing between the table, the restaurant was full of customers. They had several specials on their menu that seems to change with the season. The Grouper sounded wonderful based on the menu description, so I…
Leave a CommentWith things starting to open back up I was thrilled to see that Lakeridge Winery was open for tours and tastings. This is the sister winery to San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine that I wrote about several months ago. Because of all the social distancing that is in place, the tour of the winery was self-guided. I got to take my time and walk through the barrel rooms looking at all the tanks. I got to see where they pack up all the cases and ship them off to stores. The grounds are growing. They have several huge fermentation…
Leave a CommentIf anyone has read my blog throughout the years, then it is known that I love hot chicken. When I am visiting Nashville, I must get hot chicken at least once. With restaurants slowly opening from the pandemic, I was able to try a new place for hot chicken called Party Fowl. I started off by ordering a cold, refreshing “adult” cherry slushie. It was sweet and delicious. It was a great way to start knowing my mouth would probably be on fire the rest of the meal. We started with a few appetizers to share around the table. The…
Leave a CommentI absolutely love fried chicken. It is one of my favorite comfort foods. There is this little hole in the wall place in Lakeland, Florida that has been cooking up homemade fired chicken for decades, Country Chicken ‘N Fish. You can just walk up to their window and place your order. I had been passing this restaurant for years and always noticed a line of people waiting to order. I finally made a stop. I picked up an 8-piece bucket to enjoy at home. They have some picnic tables outside if you want to enjoy it there, but most people…
Leave a CommentA while back I wrote about an Italian market called Felice’s Deli. They have amazing dishes and desserts that can be eaten there or taken home to enjoy. Well it turns out they have a sister location called A & N Italian Deli. It is in Clearwater, Florida. I was excited to check them out. They are a little smaller inside, but they still carry all the desserts, deli meats and cheeses, and prepared Italian specialties, like meatballs and eggplant. For my visit I wanted to get a nice, big Italian sandwich. I figured I would not go wrong with…
Leave a CommentDuring the crazy time of the virus shutdown, being able to write about restaurants was impossible. But food trucks were open and rolling all around town. I was excited that I got to try Got Dessert two different times. The first time I enjoyed them was when I visited a local blueberry farm. They were offering a few blueberry themed desserts. The blueberry mini pie was delicious. It was both sweet and tart. It was slightly warm, which made the filling even better. The crust was crispy which went well with the soft filling. But I could not settle for…
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