Tag: St. Augustine

Whetstone Chocolates in Saint Augustine, Florida has been making chocolates for decades.   When you walk in, there’s a display set up to look like the I Love Lucy candy wrapper episode. There is Whetstone history all along the walls from it’s start in 1967 as a home kitchen. Henry and Esther Whetstone started with 13 fudges and hand dipped chocolates. In 1991 Hershey asked them to make melt resistant chocolate for the military. The result was the Desert Bar used in Desert Storm. They also started producing Hershey kisses with almonds. In 1995 Nestlé asked them to make Nestlé’s…

There is an Italian restaurant that I found in St. Augustine that has a wood-fire oven that they do their cooking in. The thought of some wood-fire pizza really made me hungry, so I made a reservation for Simone’s. When I looked over the menu, I was pleasantly surprised about how many things they offered. I did get the wood-fire pizza that I was craving. I got it with fresh Italian sausage and anchovies. The pizza was cooked exceptionally well. There was the right amount of char on the crust. The dough was sweet and paired great with the salty…

It is National Rum Day.  I decided to celebrate it with some fresh made rum runners at Trade Winds Lounge in St. Augustine, Florida. It is one of the oldest bars in the city. It is full of character. He bartenders are friendly. They have live music to keep you entertained. My favorite part of this bar is their popcorn machine. You can help yourself to as much popcorn as you want. I was so excited because I love popcorn. This is a perfect spot to grab a drink. Come on over and celebrate National Rum Day. www.tradewindslounge.com Enjoy! T

So, it is Sunday in St. Augustine and I was ready for brunch. What better was to enjoy brunch the along the water. That is what Nero’s Waterfront Café offered. I was able to get a seat on their patio. Their menu offered an array of breakfast and lunch type items. I made sure to try their corned beef hash and eggs. They make their own corned beef. It was shredded, almost like pulled pork. It was tender and juicy. It was cooked well done so it allowed it to get a little crispy. It was fresh hash with great…

I have loved the Spanish restaurant Columbia for years. I have written about two of their locations in Clearwater and Ybor City in Tampa. While I was visiting St. Augustine, I wanted to make sure I checked out this location too. It was in the Historic District which is a wonderful experience. They were busy the evening I was there, so I was not able to get a table. I was able to get a seat at the bar. As with every visit to Columbia, it starts out with the waiter bringing out fresh baked Cuban bread. It comes out…

St. Augustine is a magical city, filled with a rich history. From wineries to ghost tours, St. Augustine has something for everyone.  Walking along the historic streets downtown, I came across a little crepe shop called Mimi’s Famous Crepes. I decided to check them out for dessert. They had an assortment of savory and sweet crepes. Since I wanted dessert I went sweet. I ordered the Banana Cream Pie crepe. What was fun about this place is I could watch my crepe being made. I watched as the crepe batter was poured onto the hot grill and moved around to…

I love going to wineries when I travel. It gives me a chance to try something new. When I was visiting the beautiful city of St. Augustine I came across the San Sebastian Winery. I had arrived just in time for their winery tour, and to my surprise this tour and the tasting that followed was free. The tour started off with a video talking about the history of the winery and how they were able to get a hybrid grape to grow in the Florida climate. I also learned that there is a native grape in Florida called the…

Some friends of mine told me that I had to go eat at The Conch House when I was visiting St. Augustine. They said I would not be disappointed. The restaurant is pretty big. They have tons indoor and outdoor seating. They also have these tiki hut tables that you can sit at for a better view of the water. When I visited it was really cold and windy outside, so I got a table inside. To start out with I ordered a Bloody Mary. They had a basic one and then some specialty ones that almost put an entire…

Driving along the coast in St. Augustine, Florida is beautiful. The tranquil sound of the waves is extremely relaxing. After spending some time on the beach, you can easily work up an appetite. Just across A1A (the main road that follows the coastline) is Sunset Grille. The place was extremely busy so I figured the food had to be pretty good.       As always I started off with a tropical drink – The Captain’s Coconut. They blended Captain Morgan Rum, Malibu Rum, pineapple juice, and blue curacao. They accented the glass with a fresh orange. This truly was a…

St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest city in the United States. It is extremely fascinating to think about the generations of people that have walked the shores and streets. It was cool to see a stone fort along the inlet that has protected Florida since before it was a state. Traveling this beautiful country is amazing. St. Augustine is a magical city filled with the old and the new. Part of that new is the St. Augustine Distillery. There they make vodka, bourbon, gin, and rum. If you get there early enough you can take a tour of the distillery.…