treat

Tuesday’s Treats #13

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Ray’s in the City

Location: Atlanta, Ga

Prailine Basket

 

Yes, I did start this post with a yummy looking dessert, and believe me when I say, “It tastes even MORE incredible than it looks!” Oh. My. Goodness! (If you’re attempting to diet, I’m giving you fair warning you may not want to continue this read. lol. 😂)

Ok, I’ll start at the beginning. My husband and I stayed at the Ritz Carlton one night last month, because he was asked to be the chaplain for the day at the State Capitol. What an incredible day! Ok, so, that’s for a whole different post…

Anyway, we arrived in Atlanta early; so, we could have an easy evening and go out for dinner. We walked from The Ritz to Ray’s in the City, and it was such a pleasant little trek. We checked out several restaurants via Trip Advisor (best app for restaurant ratings, by the way!), and we had a tough time narrowing it down. Ray’s looked cool and inviting; so, we decided to give it a try. I am so glad we did!!

key lime pie

 

They sat is in one of the only four booths in the place. The rest of the seating is tables and chairs and the bar area. We were really close to the bar, and I wasn’t sure how the noise level would be, as we were looking for a more romantic atmosphere, but it was totally fine. They had live music, right next to us, and the lady singing was amazing. She was really sensitive to the needs/desires of the crowd, interactive with those who wanted to be and left alone those who didn’t. She did a lot of Rolling Stones and 70s-type music, and she did it right. A group at the bar requested “Rollin’ On The River,” and she had the place rockin’, or Rollin’ rather; everyone was getting into it. She, also, had an assistant that could make his electric guitar “talk.” They were both great, and it was so enjoyable.

AMAZING Shrimp and Grits!!

 

Now, for the food…it was simply “Off The Chain!” We ordered a shrimp appetizer first (I’m sorry. I can’t remember the name!) I had shrimp and grits, my husband had swordfish, and you see the desserts we had: a praline basket and a slice of key lime pie (both made in house!) Oh. My. Word!! We were totally stuffed by the end of our meal, and we were thankful for that short little walk we had back to the hotel!

I’ve heard there’s a Ray’s on the River, as well, and we plan to visit that one some day soon, too. If you’re in downtown Atlanta, and looking for a great place to eat, my suggestion is Ray’s in the City! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! 😉

Here’s their website and more pics for your enjoyment….ps. Just looking at the website and realized they’ve got virtual tours of some of their locations. How cool!

  

this is a pic from The Ritz

 

Tuesday’s Treats #12

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Kilwin’s

Location: Highlands, NC


Kilwin’s is such a great place to go for yummy desserts and ice cream. There are several locations in the South, but my favorite one is in Highlands, NC. It is located right on the Main Street, and it is connected to a large, beautiful courtyard, where bands will set up during the summer months and play the weekends. 
This Kilwin’s has Mayfield ice cream, and all kinds of homemade fudge, pralines and other goodies. One of my favorites is their Turtle Caramel Apple. Oh. My. Goodness!! They start with a Granny Smith Apple, to give it just a little tartness, cover it in caramel goodness, roll it in Southern pecans and drizzle it with heavenly chocolate. Talk about some yumminess! Then, if you’ll ask them, they will slice it right there for you; so, it’s a lot easier to eat than those carnival apples you’ve been buying over the years!
They, also, have some of the best pralines north of Savannah, Ga. (I love the pralines down there from River Street Sweets, but that will have to be another post. 😉) Is Hwy have chocolate dipped Oreos and Nutter Butters, truffles and other chocolate delights, but I usually bypass all of that for those wonderful turtle apples.

If you’re in Highlands, be sure to stop by and try some yumminess…and hey, that’s a dessert that’s actually good for you, right? You can eat the whole thing, cuz after all, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” right?! 😂😂

For more information or directions, you can look them up here.

Tuesday’s Treats #11

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The Country Kitchen

Location:  Pine Mountain, Ga

This place is great, but you probably wouldn’t see it, unless, you know about it. I apologize for not having a pic of the actual dinner we are here. We were traveling back from Florida, had stopped at the beautiful overlooks and were totally consumed with the atmosphere and the sunset as our food arrived.

I’m going to include the menu; so, you can check it out. It was simply a delightful place, and we got to watch the sunset over the horizon, too. That was an incredible ending to an incredible week of chasing sunsets. 😊

They have a little country store with all kinds of goodies and specialty items.

These are the views from the overlooks, but I thought I’d include them to entice you just a little. 😉

Honestly the pics really don’t do it justice…

Ok, enough distractions. On to the menu… 

 Our party of 8 ordered chicken pot pie, veggie plates, grilled chicken salad, cheeseburger, chicken fried chicken, and chicken tenders. Everything was delicious. The fried okra on the veggie plate was a little greasy, but that happens sometimes. The mac and cheese wasn’t processed; it was homemade. They serve biscuits and corn muffins, before your meal, with homemade muscadine preserves. Oh. My. Word! Incredible. It was a great meal.

The only drawback was I do wish someone would come and wash the Windows from the outside (and in), because we couldn’t get any really great shots of the sunset as the windows were messy. Other than that, we had a wonderful time! 😊 

If you’re looking for an enjoyable dinner, with beautiful surroundings and down home country food, this is the place to go. You can find their website here.

Tuesday’s Treat #9

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Crab Trap

Location: Destin, Fl   

We love the Crab Trap! There are several locations in Florida, but we like the Destin location the best. It is located right at the beach; so, when you get done eating, you can walk down to the beach and enjoy!
 

This restaurant has a real dockside feel, very casual and laid back. The seafood is great, and even the cheeseburgers are yummy! We usually get the fried or blackened grouper, fried shrimp or some other fresh catch of the day. They actually call their grouper Bronzed Grouper, and, yes, it is as good as it sounds! 😉

The kids’ plates are served in either a bucket or on a frisbee, which is really cool, being that the beach is just below. They’ve changed this a couple of times over the years, and we haven’t been in about a year; so, I can’t tell you which you’ll get, but it’s neat anyway. 

We usually ask for a seat by the window; so, we can watch the surf, but the whole place has got a great atmosphere. I think you’ll enjoy wherever you sit and whatever menu choices you choose. 

You can find all the information you need here. You will also find on the website the other locations, in case you’re in a different area and want a “repeat visit.” 😉 

Tuesday’s Treats #8

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Flounder’s Chowder House

Location: Pensacola Beach, Fl 

It’s funny, until I looked up this website, I never knew it was called Flounder’s Chowder House. We’ve always just called it Flounder’s my whole life! 😉

Flounder’s is a good seafood restaurant at Pensacola Beach, Florida. (I choose good, because there’s a couple of other places I like better, but this one is still pretty popular.) It has a cool atmosphere with several different rooms from which to choose. The bar is what it is and has a hearty, nautical wood motif. The “library” is small, with about six booths, and the walls are lined with books. (We liked this when we went on one of our dates here. The room is cozy and intimate.) Then, there is what I’ll call the “shipyard” room. It has a wide, open and fun feel area. It has one side that opens to the sandy beach where the kids can play until their food is ready.

The food here is good, most of the time, and the menu has a good variety (burgers, steaks and such), but the seafood is pretty specific. Everything is pretty unique to them, and that’s what’s best about it. They have their famous Flounder Chowder (winner of the Great Florida Chowder cook-off and featured once in Southern Living), oysters on the half shell, about six Native Gulf Fish items, a great, big shrimp boat platter, which has their fresh catch of the day of tons of differently prepared shrimp, and a scattering of fried seafood choices, and that’s about it. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, necessarily. I just think you better check the menu before going, or you might be surprised if you’re going here thinking you have all the options of Red Lobster. 😉

…Believe me, the food is much better than Red Lobster! Not, that I dislike a good RL when I’m in Florida…The food here is good, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, but it does seem to be a little hit and miss over the last few years. I was told a little while ago that the ownership has changed hands, and that may have something to do with the inconsistencies.

Oh, I didn’t mention desserts. They have a good key lime pie (I thought I had a picture, but apparently it got deleted. 😁), a big chocolate “explosion” type dessert and a few others I can’t recall. The key lime is good, but if you’re key lime connoisseurs like us, you might not be as impressed. The presentation is beautiful…I so wish I could find that picture! 😁

If you’ve got a few days at Pensacola Beach,  you might want to make room for this one. Now, if I only had one or two choices of places to go, I’d probably go to Peg Leg Pete’s first, and the Grand Marlin second (I’ll write about it soon!), but this would probably be in my top twenty. 😉

You can find all the info you need here. Hope you enjoy!

Tuesday’s Treats #7

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Cosa Nostra Italian Kitchen Restaurant

Location: Gainesville, Ga    

Not sure what’s going on with the website as I post this; it simply won’t pull up the page. However, I’m going to give you both the  Google link, and let you navigate from there: Cosa Nostra Italian Kitchen. 

This is a little “diamond in the rough” location and well worth the discovery. My husband had been driving around the square, in downtown Gainesville, trying to decide where to eat when we took a side street and saw this sign. It was kind of on the “alley side,” and we were a little hesitant to check it out, but we were so glad we did. The atmosphere of simply romantic, and the food was delicious! 

   
I ordered the Chicken Marsala, and let me tell you, I don’t like everybody’s Chicken Marsala, but this was great! My favorite is at Carrabba’s, but Costa Nostra would be a close second. 😉

oops! sorry this pic is sideways!

  My husband got the lasagna, and it was incredible as well. They bring you bread and salad, as well, and it was all quite yummy, and we were so full, we probably should have waited on dessert. However, we were in the splurging mood; so, we went for it, and ordered the Forgettaboutit Peanut Butter Pie…  
Oh. My. Word. That’s all I’ve got to say about that!! …I think we gained 20 lbs each just when we looked at that as the waitress brought it to the table, but it was Soooo, soooo good!😜

A couple of things to note: 

*The seating is all tables and chairs, no booths. We’re not so “hip” on sitting at tables, especially when we’re out on a date We’d much prefer a booth, but we were given a wall seat, and it was really quite intimate. We actually plan to make a return visit, and this isn’t usual for us at a “cafe style” arranged restaurant. 

**Be sure to get there early, or just make reservations, because it’s not a large place, and it fills up quickly. The waitress told us we were lucky to have gotten in there so easily without a reservation on a Friday night, but we were there a little after 5:30, and there was one table available.😉

As of the day I am printing this, I still am unable to pull up their website by the link above; so, I am going to include their number and address for those interested:

Cosa Nostra Italian Kitchen, 118 Main St Southwest, Ste 16, Gainesville, GA 30501 … (678) 971-5420

**I am sad and so sorry to announce: This restaurant was closed in January 2016. 😔 This is so disappointing to me! We were looking forward to making a return visit!**

Tuesday’s Treats #6

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Lucky Dill

Location: Palm Harbor, Fl   
 

We went to the Lucky Dill a few years ago while we were staying in Tampa. Palm Harbor is just north of Tampa, almost like a suburb of the city. This is a Big Apple themed restaurant, and it is so cool!

The Lucky Dill fills up quick at lunch; so, get there early. They have a breakfast, lunch and late night menu, as well as, a wide variety of bakery items that are out of this world (see above photo)! Looking back at their website, it appears they have a pretty lively nitelife, complete with a bar and live music, if you’re into that sort of thing. We never went at night; so, I couldn’t really speak to that. 

But I can sure speak about their lunch menu and bakery! They have great big subs, great big regular sandwiches, Italian selections, a few seafood items (like fish and chips), salads, burgers and chicken sandwiches, and much more. It was really hard to narrow our choices to only what we could eat in one meal, especially when we went in starving! 

We started out with the Ba-Da-Bing Shrimp, which is fried shrimp tossed in some “bad sauce.” It’s got a little kick, but it’s not too bad. Then, we had a burger, the Hot Brisket, the Al Panino Panini and the kids burger (party of 4😉). Everything was delicious!! We were so full, but we still had to get some bakery items to take back to the condo with us!

Oh. My. Word. Just writing about this place gives me a craving to go back! Wish it wasn’t forever away, and we’d head out this week! Haha. We had some friends go there last year for breakfast, and they said it was just as wonderful. If you are ever on vacation near Tampa, or you live in that area, you don’t want to miss a trip to the Lucky Dill! 😉

Check out their menus here.

Tuesday’s Treats #5

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1907

Location: Ellijay, Ga

I’d have to give this restaurant a solid “B” rating. It’s good, and some things were great. It’s edible, but I’ve definitely had better. This restaurant is loud just off the square in Ellijay. The town is a great place to find quaint antique stores and pottery pieces. 

  
The presentation is awesome. This appetizer, the Firecracker Shrimp, was wonderful!!   

I ordered the shrimp and grits without the sauce, because it being a tomato based, more Lousiana-style sauce, I wasn’t sure I would like it. However, I poured it on top once I tasted it, because it was great! The sauce has sausage and mushrooms in it. A little different than I normally get but still rather tasty.  

My son got the fried chicken sliders with sausage gravy and grits. Again, the presentation was incredible; however, the meal was a little less than desired (just like this picture). You could tell biscuits were frozen biscuits, and the gravy was so-so. The veggies seemed a little oddly placed with the gravy.   
My husband ordered the burger, as did several in our party, and they just weren’t good. I really hate that, too, because my shrimp and grits were great. Now, they’re not the best shrimp and grits I’ve had, and I probably won’t come back here just for that, but they were enjoyable. 

So, if you’re in Ellijay, and you need something to eat while you’re downtown, and you don’t mind eating at a more “B rats” restaurant; then, you won’t be disappointed to eat at 1907. Now, if you want a great place to eat, check out my post next week… 😉

Tuesday’s Treats #4

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Mojo BBQ

Location: St. Augustine, Fl 

  Mojo BBQ is, hands down, one of the best BBQ restaurants I have ever been to. We found it while traveling through St. Augustine, Florida, and I just wish we had one in Georgia! To begin with, the atmosphere is just cool with the painted brick walls, concrete floors and wood slat ceilings, and you can smell the BBQ smokers as you walk up to the door. 
  

We ordered the smoked chicken BBQ nachos to start, and we might should have remembered this, as we made the rest of our selections, because I think our eyes were bigger than our stomachs! These were incredible with hickory smoked chicken, jalapeños, smoked tomatoes, Mojo BBQ sauce and Jack and cheddar cheeses melted on top. 
 

We followed this with beef brisket, pulled chicken, smoked turkey with BBQ pit beans, smoked yellow corn, hand cut fries and mashed potatoes with gravy. Everything was just incredible!! We ate till our bellies hurt!
 Next time we’re in St. Augustine, this is a must stop! 

You can find their menu, address and any other needed information on their website here. 

Tuesday’s Treats #3

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Fish Tale’s Lakeside Grill

Location: Flowery Branch, Ga

    

Fish Tale’s is a great local joint for those who live near Lake Lanier. It’s located in Flowery Branch, Ga., located at the Hide Away Bay Marina. They have a good selection of seafood and some of the best grouper fingers I’ve found yet. They have a wide selection of salads, appetizers and seafood sandwiches, as well as your “usual” seafood selections of gumbo, fried shrimp and fish. 

The atmosphere is casual with both indoor and outdoor seating, and in the summertime, they have live music and a “sand pit” for the kids to play in while awaiting the arrival of your dinner. If you’re a boat owner, you can drive right up to the dock, fuel up as needed, and “park” your boat for free while you go and enjoy a fun filled evening. 

   

To date, we haven’t had anything on their menu that wasn’t good, and even their key lime pie is pretty yummy. It’s and individual “pie” with the crust all around the sides. I could stand for it to have a little more key lime in it, but it is delicious. We have had their grouper fingers, gumbo, seafood bisque, salads, fried shrimp, burgers and shrimp and grits. They have a great kids menu and even several daily specials like All You Can Eat crab legs on Wednesdays and Kids Eat Fee on Sundays. 

If you’re looking for great seafood while on Lake Lanier or near the Mall of Georgia, this is the place to go!

See their menu here, and check out their main website here. 

Note: during the fall and winter months, they are open for lunch and dinner Wednesday – Sunday, and this location also serves as the offseason venue for their sister location, Pig Tales. Pig Tales has a BBQ cuisine and is located at Aqualand Marina during the Spring and Summer; so, during the winter months, you can get the best of both worlds at one location. 😉