dessert

Tuesday’s Treats #85

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Scoops

Location: Monroe, GA

Scoops is an amazing little ice cream and candy shop right in the downtown of a cute little town called Monroe. They’ve got great ice cream, assortments of vintage candy and new items, yummy coffee and even caramel apples that they they will slice right there for you! On a hot summer day, you can even sit in the rocking chairs out front and enjoy your nice cold ice cream, but you better eat it quick before it melts!

Hope you’ll stop by and enjoy! Check out their website for more information and locations.

Tuesday’s Treats #77

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The Depot Grill

Location: Staunton, VA

This place is so cool! It’s rated high on Trip Advisor and for good reason! The atmosphere is great, and the food is absolutely amazing. Let’s talk about atmosphere first. Situated in the old freight depot of Staunton Station, this place definitely has character. The hardwoods look original and the booths are made out of old church pews recovered from an old church, and the 40 foot bar is said to be recovered from an old hotel. Character, character and more character.

We sat in a back corner and enjoyed a great meal served to us by a friendly and informational waiter. He knew his stuff about the food, the restaurant and the town.

Now, let’s talk about the food. Oh. My. Word! It was lunchtime, but we ordered off the dinner menu and ate like kings! They had these Steak Sizzlers, which come out on a skillet, piled high with roasted new potatoes, onions, steak and mushrooms…oh, and if you like, shrimp, too. It’s so much food piled up in one place, it’s hard to finish the whole thing. However, we chose to multiply this by adding an appetizer of potato skins and queso and chips, which both were delicious!

Then, we added a dessert…or two…or three. 😂 The pecan pie was my favorite. Oh, WOW! The boys each had a slice of chocolate cake and a brownie with ice cream, while my husband had a little of all three. We love all three yummy desserts, and it was hard for them to choose their favorite chocolate treat….

Sorry for the half cake pic below…youngest son was devouring it! LOL!

If you’re in the Staunton area, this is a must. Oh, and hopefully, you’ll get the same waiter we did, and he can tell you all about the cool little town. (I’m sorry, I can’t remember his name!) There’s a glass blowing factory, a cool bridge going over the tracks to a little park, and The American Shakespeare Center Blackfriars Playhouse. I could write a blog just about this awesome little place, but today it’s all about food…so….

Here’s the website for the menu and more information. Enjoy!

Tuesday’s Treats #75

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Ray’s at Killer Creek

Location: Alpharetta, GA

This place is absolutely AMAZING, and I really could let the pictures speak for themselves. The atmosphere is incredible, and the food is off the charts! We have been several times, and everything has always been delicious. Now, our favorite of these “sister” restaurants is Ray’s In The City, but if you live north of Atlanta, as we do, Ray’s at Killer Creek is a nice substitute. The traffic isn’t half as bad, and the parking is a breeze. The atmosphere of each is different and very unique to its own, but the menues are very similar; so, you know what to expect. 

Some of our favorites are the BBQ shrimp appetizer, the Shrimp and Grits, the blackened Black Grouper and the Prailine Basket for the dessert. Oh. My. Word! It’s making my mouth water just thinking about it! 

There’s not enough good things I can say about this place, and I don’t want to just keep repeating myself; so, go give them a try and find out for yourself. 😉 Here’s the website for you to check out the menu and the various locations.  

Tuesday’s Treats #67

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Apple Barn

Location: Sevierville, Tn


Where everything is apples! 

If you a slice of the best apple pie around, drop by the Apple Barn while in Sevierville, Tn. Ask for it a la mode and prepare yourself! Oh. My. Goodness. If you want to bite into even more yummy goodness, order yourself the caramel apple nut pie a la mode! Deliciousness! There are several restaurants and cafes from which to choose. We just went to the Apple Barn and Cider Mill for the desserts, but we walked them over to the Creamery, because our boys were craving ice cream. The Apple and Cider Barn has apple cider, appke cider doughnuts, apple fried pies, apple stack cake, pecan pie and a few other pies and pastries. The coffee is left a little in the wanting, but the milk and other drinks are just fine. The Creamery has lots of flavors of ice cream, fudge and other delights. There is a Farmhouse restaurant and a cafe on site, but we didn’t feast at either. However, it looks as if the Farmhouse has a couple of large country cooking platter from which to choose, but you better get there early, as they line up quick. They had a crowd at 2:00 in the afternoon, but the Creamery and Cider Mill were a breeze to get in and out of. Oh, and give yourself a little time to peruse through the gift shop in the barn. They’ve got some really neat items. 

Check out their website for location, times and available restaurants. 

Tuesday’s Treats #59

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Th Donut Hole

Location: Destin, FL

This is an all time favorite when we’re in town. This local donought shop usually doesn’t disappoint…however, our last visit wasn’t as good as usual…but we’re convincing ourselves it was just the staffing that day. So, I am writing this review on the previous visits, because they were always so delicious, and I believe it will be great the next time we visit!

They have just about every kind of doughnut from which to choose: sour cream, glazed, chocolate, strawberry, blueberry, red velvet, etc. Everything is made fresh daily, and they also have a firm assortment of cakes and pies. 

As you see on the sign above, their key lime pies are made daily, and I have to say they’re good but a little more on the sweet side and not enough of the tart key lime for my taste. The coffee is good, no frills and thrills, just a good strong, “donut shop” kind of coffee. They have milk and juice, too, I think, but I always get coffee with my sweets. 

Apparently, after perusing their FB page, I realize they do serve breakfast and lunch, too. We’ve always just stopped by for dessert on our way to or from the hub of Destin; so, I can’t speak to the goodness of those meals. However, if it’s made anything like their sweets, it’s sure to be good! If you’re ever in the Destin area, drop by and check them out. 


Oh, and so sorry for the half eaten pie here, but I had to share this bit of yumminess my son got the least time we went. He almost didn’t let me get a pic before he devoured it! Lol. It was some type of “brownie explosion” with cheesecake, brownie, graham crust, and it was delicious!

Tuesday’s Treats #48

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Capitol Coffee

Location: Maryville, Tn

This is the absolute coolest coffee shop I have ever entered! They have taken the old Capitol Theater and renovated it to make a venue and a coffee shop. The owners and designers did it right! Even if we are totally stuffed from our wonderful meal at Sullivan’s Downtown, we make it a point to stop by here. This place has so much character, you feel like you’ve stepped back in time as you walk through the door.

The coffee shop itself is really fun with the special coffees all having a name from a famous retro film, and they have even created a photo booth with costumes, hats and attire to make your pose picture perfect. The coffee is delicious, too. As with everything in the place, they have put forth their absolute best.

The theater itself has been made over into an absolutely gorgeous venue which can be rented for parties, weddings and other special occasions. Standing in the back of the room, you feel as if Cary Grant or Audrey Hepburn might just walk across the stage at any given moment.

Now, if you’re really lucky, one of the managers or owner will take you down to the “Man Cave.” The first time we went, they were just filling this up with all the interesting and intriguing artifacts of days gone by. The last time we went, the room looked a bit different from this, as they have added more and organized a bit beyond to accommodate the feel and clientele they wish to attract. It is really something to see.

If you’re looking for a memory-making venue, this is the place. You’ll not regret stopping by, even if it is only for a warm cup of joe and a walk down memory lane.

Find their location and venue information here.

Tuesday’s Treats #47

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Sullivan’s Downtown

Location: Maryville, Tn

We love, love, love Sullivan’s! The atmosphere is great. The staff is always inviting, and the food is incredible. We haven’t had an item yet that we don’t like. One of the cool things about this restaurant is it used to be the old JC Penney’s building, and at the tile at the front door has the JCP tile. The interior is really neat.

Okay, so if you’ve read many of my Tuesday’s Treats, you know I love desserts, and this place has an INCREDIBLE key lime pie! It’s got a thick graham crust and just the right key lime flavor. I’m not crazy about all the whip cream on top, but I just like key lime pies with less toppings. 😉 It is delicious!

The shrimp and grits, called Shrimp Charleston, are absolutely scrumptious! The shrimp are seasoned and cooked just right with just a little bit of a kick. The grits are so creamy and delicious. These are some of my favorite!

The Northshore Salad, full of feta, cranberries and candied pecans on a bed of spinach is delicious. The fried green tomatoes are just as incredible. I don’t even like tomatoes, but these little items are a tasty delight, AND they are set upon a bed of those creamy, scrumptious grits. I’m not a huge fan of balsamic vinagrette; however, this mixture of grits, fried green tomatoes, feta and vinagrette is like a party in your mouth! Yum!

If you are in the Maryville area, you don’t want to miss this wonderful restaurant. You can check out more on their website. They have two locations, one in Maryville and one in Knoxville. I’ve been told the Knoxville location is just as good.

When you get done, and if you don’t get too filled from your wonderful dinner, you’ll want to walk down the street for another delightful treat at the Capitol Coffee Shop in the old Capitol Theater. That’s a really cool venue, too; however, that will be for another post. 😉

 

Tuesday’s Treats #46

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Pack’s Tavern

Location: Asheville, NC

This restaurant is super cool, and it’s nestled in the heart of Asheville, right next to the Police Department. The atmosphere is great as is the staff. The place has a lot of character, and there are nights they have live music, too. The food is incredible, and the cheesy bread appetizer is a must!

They have a great variety on the menu, including salads, sandwiches, burgers bison meatloaf and shrimp and grits. We ordered bison burgers, fries and the shrimp and grits. I’m sorry I didn’t get any pics of the actual food. We were so hungry that I forgot once the food arrived. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the giant windows that showed the beautiful surroundings. All the food was tasty, and the boys even got some ice cream for a yummy dessert. Honestly, the shrimp and grits weren’t my favorite, but I’ve learned when going to a burger place, and being so far inland, that’s the chance you take. It was edible; I’d give it a solid B-. The burgers are definitely great, and the cheesy bread appetizer is to die for! 😉

If you’re in the downtown Asheville area, it’s a definitely stop. I’d like to go again just to try another bite of that appetizer and one of those burgers! There looks to be a lot of yummy items on the menu, too. Here is their website for you to check out.

Tuesday’s Treats #38

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Bullfish Grill

Location: Pigeon Forge, Tn

This restaurant is INCREDIBLE! The spicy barbeque shrimp are so amazing, and the smokey pimento cheese appetizer is just as great. It’s been so hard to choose which one to get!
  The shrimp and grits are off the chain, and the steaks and burgers are just as yummy. They prepare the shrimp a little different than I’m used to for shrimp and grits, because they lightly get them; however, it’s a really delicious dish. If shrimp and grits just aren’t your thing, they have a pretty diverse menu, too; so, it should be fairly easy to find a few items you will enjoy. 😉

We had two desserts here. The keylime cheesecake was pretty good. As I’ve stated before, I’m a little picker than some when it comes to keylime and cheesecake; so, I wouldn’t say this was incredible. However, it was tasty, and the caramel cheesecake was out of this world! Oh my!


This restaurant is located right on the main strip as you come into Pigeon Forge (from Sevierville); so, it’s really easy to find. The location is great, too, because you can walk from here to the Christmas Inn, the Christmas store, which are some of my favorites, and to MagiQuest, which our boys love! If you need a coffee for that trip, Starbucks is close by, too.

You can check out their website here.

*Please note, the last time we went in, which was back in the summer, they were in the process of adjusting some of their menu items; so, I don’t know what their final decisions were. The waiter had said management was talking about replacing both the pimento cheese plate AND the cheesecake!! 😔 So, maybe you can go in and tell the manager you had read this wonderful review on those two items, and you were really looking forward to them…maybe they’ll reconsider! (‘Cuz, when we heard, we “fussed” about it, too! 😉)

Tuesday’s Treats #30

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Marlow’s Tavern

Location: several in the Atlanta area


Marlow’s is the BEST! This is one of my favorite restaurants. The ingredients are picked up fresh daily, and the choices are unique and diverse. They have some of the best shrimp and grits I’ve put in my mouth. Now, I switch up mine from their menu description. I order mine with the jalapeño corn grits rather than the grit cakes, but that’s just according to your particular taste. I like them both.

The Tavern burgers, chicken panini and chicken stack are all delicious, and the salads are different than any you’ll get at another restaurant. Beware, the salads are of large proportion, too! You’ll definitely want to start out with the kettle chips or the firecracker shrimp, and the warm chocolate cake is a delicious finish.

If your appetite isn’t all that today, you can even order a few small plates to custom make your meal. There’s jalapeño corn grits, fried okra, fresh fruit and white cheddar grit cakes, just to name a few. If you enjoy a little spirits with your meal, I suppose they have plenty of that, too, because it is called a tavern. That’s just not my game; so, I apologize I won’t be too helpful in that area. 😉
The atmosphere is great, and the seating is very comfortable with booths, regular tables, high tops and even a great patio area. We had a group of 35 meet here recently, and the patio area was so comfortable and accommodating. The fans oscillate and rotate, and the tables are a cool wood/metal decor, and they even have a couch a table area for the more relaxed conversations.

I believe you’ll enjoy your visit; so, I hope you’ll check them out soon. Oh, I hear they just opened a location in Florida as well! 😊 Here’s their website for all your information needs.