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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. 😉

Tuesday’s Treats #2

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Michaelee’s Italian Life Cafe and The Cellar

Location: Blairsville, Ga There’s a little restaurant in Blairsville, Ga, that is a delicious “best kept secret.” Michaelee’s used to be located in Hiawassee, Ga, and while there, we went several times for lunch, dessert and coffee. We have been to their new location once, and even though, it’s a little different than before, it’s still wonderful.

They have now split their location into an upstairs and downstairs section, the upstairs being a regular restaurant and the downstairs being a coffee and dessert “cellar.” We haven’t eaten dinner at the new location, but if it’s anything like before, you’ll love it!

The restaurant features a great selection of paninis, pastas and Italian dishes, as well as, italian coffees and desserts.

The Cellar, as the dessert portion is called, has a really cool and intimate atmosphere downstairs. They have homemade fudge, Italian Gelatos, a wide assortment of homemade desserts, and handcrafted chocolate “tea cups,” which are served up with whip cream and chocolate .

The desserts are incredible! We recently ordered a slice of caramel apple pie and a turtle brownie pie (both served warm and a la mode) that was to die for!! Oh. My. Word. These were so good, and we couldn’t decide which we liked better. We had some friends join us, and they had the same turtle brownie, and two of us had a gourmet coffee, both white chocolate mochas. Everything was SOOO good!
They also have a really neat “tasting vault,” in which they have a wide variety of locally pressed olive oils and balsamic vinaigrettes. You can actually taste these, just as you would a wine tasting, and, as a very unique tasting experience, they have select ones you can order with gelato for a very unique dessert experience. They say, “That’s what the Italians do.” We were very hesitant in this idea of balsamic vinegar and gelato mixture, but one of the guys with us took the barista up on her offer for a sample. She created a vanilla bean gelato and raspberry balsamic vinegar “bite” for him to try. He said it was different than anything he had ever had, but he thought it was delicious. He said he would even order it the next time we came!

If you’re looking for a great Italian dinner and dessert while in the North Georgia mountain area, Michaelee’s is the place to go!

Check them out here.

Tuesday’s Treats #1

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If you missed the blog last week, this is my new weekly event, and I’d love for you to read about it here. This week, I’m excited to share with you one of our favorite treats! 🙂

Location: Pensacola Beach, Fl
One of our favorite places to eat is Peg Leg Pete’s on Pensacola Beach, Florida. It is located right on the beach, and if you don’t get there early, even in the off season, you may have to wait! Lots of the locals come here to grab a bite for lunch, and it is so worth the wait!!

Note: You do get double the amount of grouper fingers than what is pictured!! We had just dove right in, and I almost forgot to take the pic! 😉

They have grouper nuggets as an appetizer, and Oh. My. Word! They are so good!! Order them “extra crispy,” and I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.

My husband always follows it with a delicious grouper sandwich, and I always get the Charbroiled Mahi Mahi with snow peas, rice pilaf and dill sauce. I don’t even like snow peas, but I eat every single one as I dip them in that yummy dill sauce! Then, for dessert, we each order our own slice of key lime pie. Oh. My. Word. Is it delish! Now, that key lime pie is not homemade there, but it is still delicious!


The atmosphere is cool and very casual. There is outside, covered patio seating, as well as, indoor tables and booths. The service is always friendly and prompt, and the prices are moderate.

You can check out their menu here. When you get finished with lunch or dinner, just drive down a few 100 feet and take a walk along the beach! 😊🏖

New Weekly Event: Tuesday’s Treats

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Last week finalized the last of the Wednesday’s Odes, and I hope you enjoyed those. This week, I’d like to introduce Tuesday’s Treats. 

My husband and I love to go out to eat, and it is such a treat! We have kind of created a little “rating system” for ourselves by which we “grade” the restaurant at which we eat. If we like it, you better believe we will be back, and we recommend it to many! If we don’t care too much for it, we just find a new place. If it’s really bad, we “mark it off” the list. My husband always says, “Eating is not just a necessity; it’s an event. If I can’t sit down to enjoy the meal; then, I won’t eat!” …always makes me think of Mr. Ego on Ratittoue, “…If I don’t like it, I don’t swallow!” Haha! 😂 (I promise, he’s not that bad, but it is funny!!)

So, I thought I would share a few of these places with you and call it Tuesday’s Treats. These are from all over the South; since, that’s pretty much our locale, and I may give a few from other locations and/or a some that are highly recommended by a few of our good friends; however, I will note if it’s not from us. 😉 These will not be in any particular order; however, I do plan to include pictures, when I can, and the city where the restaurant is located. If I don’t have a picture, I may try to screenshot one from the restaurant’s website, and I will note this. when I can, I will, also, try to include the website link; so, it will be easier for you to find the location, menu and other needed info. 

 I do hope you will, also, take this opportunity to share with me some of your favorites. We always love to try a new place! 😊

I hope you enjoy these, and maybe, you’ll find a yummy new place to try, too! See you next Tuesday! (Or tomorrow, if you’d like to follow the blog.😉)

Wednesday’s Ode #19

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  Shrimp and grits at Madison’s Restaurant, Highlands, NC

I just love shrimp and grits! I know, I know, this is really just a Southern thing, but I am a Southern girl; so, I guess it fits. I have to say, if you haven’t tried shrimp and grits, you must give it a try. Actually, you must give it at least two tries, because shrimp and grits can come in so many different styles, and it takes a bit to realize which style you might like. 🙂

There are two main preparations for shrimp and grits. What I will call the Louisiana-style usually has a lot of sausage, spices sauce and tomatoes added to the dish, and, what I will call the “Southern” style, has more grits and shrimp. My favorite style is a little less Louisiana-style and a little more Southern style. Both are really good, it just simply depends on your personal preference. For this post, I will be referring to more of this Southern preparation. 

If the restaurant we visit has shrimp and grits, you can just about bet that it will be part of my order that day. It is very rare that I won’t order it, unless it is a restaurant at which we often eat, we will be visiting again soon, it’s not the style I prefer, or it’s just an “off” day for me, and I plan to try them later. I love shrimp and grits that much!!

My favorite preparation is the kind in which the grits are freshly stone ground, cooked to perfection with a texture which is both creamy and gritty with just a touch of cheese. The shrimp are blackened just a bit and sautéed in a sauce of just the right amount of buttery sauce and spice. …Mmmm, this post is making me hungry! 

Now, yesterday, I had a new kind of shrimp and grits, and the grits just won me over! The menu read “pimento cheese grits,” and when the plate was set before me, I was surprised to see the grits had a fried batter around them! Oh. My. Word! They were delicious!! These grits had actually been cooked thoroughly and then “pattied” and fried to a yummy perfection! I am sorry that I didn’t take a pic of them before I devoured them! At another restaurant, several weeks ago, in Charleston, SC, I had a dish of shrimp and grits that was also scrumptious. This dish I did capture a pic, and you can see it below. The chef prepared it by sautéing the shrimp in a lobster butter sauce. Oh. Wow. It was yummy! 

So, as you can see just by the two photos I have included, as well as, these different descriptions, shrimp and grits can come in a variety of ways, but you will never know which you like best until you try it! So, be adventurous. Try a new dish, and, if at first, it isn’t so wonderful, just simply try, and try again until you have reached the plate you just can’t live without!! Lol. 😉  

Shrimp and Grits at The Oyster Room Restaurant at Foley Beach, SC (near Charleston, SC)