We spent most of the winter in the desert and heard about the area’s famous date shakes. I began looking for them soon after. Somehow, they eluded me for the first couple of months. We never had the chance to visit the date farm in Yuma. We missed the place recommended to us on the way to our next stop. And I somehow forgot to turn left out of our camp in Quartzsite and visit the purveyor down the street. But I was still determined and when we made it to Death Valley, I knew it was time.

After one of our day trips into the park, we stopped in Furnace Creek for dinner. I did a quick peek online and saw dates shakes listed under the casual cafe. But we when sat down, they were not on the menu. I asked the server anyway who happily said they did make date shakes. Yay! It arrived in a super cold, tall metal container and I took my first sip of a date shake. It tasted like warm vanilla with caramel overtones, essentially delicious. Months after my search began, I was not disappointed.

My date shake experience didn’t end there, though. After Death Valley, we headed to a nearby Harvest Host, China Ranch Date Farm. It was a desert oasis with date palms filling up the valley floor. Their store had everything date you ever wanted. We tasted a variety of dates grown on the premises and sampled date bread and date cookies. Then we stepped up to the counter to order a date shake. The lady asked if we had tried one before and declared theirs superior to the Death Valley concoction. And even though they offered many versions (chocolate, peanut butter, etc.), we should start with a plain date shake to get the true taste. Their shake consists only of softened vanilla ice cream and dates, but the dates themselves make it special. Instead of using one variety, they take all the fruit considered seconds (not pretty enough to sell whole) and grind it up into a purée. I find this comparable to the end of the season apple cider when you have lots of apple varieties in one press making it all the better. It was truly delicious.

I purchased a small container of date purée and I have used it to make the date shakes below. If you wish, you can order this from them directly over the phone, but you can also use whatever dates you can find. The shake lady told to add enough liquid to the purée to make it mashed potato consistency. If you’re using whole dates, remove the pit and roughly chop them before blending them with a little milk and then add the rest of the ingredients. The rest of the ingredients are very simple. For the dairy version, all you need is ice cream and milk. If you have very soft ice cream, you could probably skip the milk like China Ranch does. For the non-dairy version, you use a frozen banana instead of ice cream. Have you tried this before? It’s pretty amazing that a frozen banana blends up into the consistency of ice cream. Sometimes I prefer it to the real thing.

Another thing to note about the date shake is that it’s a great base for other flavors. You can add just about anything you would to a typical milkshake; chocolate syrup, cookies, etc. One variation I like is adding 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon and nutmeg to create something that tastes like a horchata or rice pudding. Yum!

Have you tried a date shake before? What did you think ?

4.7 from 3 reviews

Delicious Date Shake (Dairy)

 

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A classic version of a date shake made with ice cream and milk.

Author: Kerensa Durr - Drive Dive Devour

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• ¼ cup milk
• 3 big scoops of vanilla ice cream
• 1 heaping Tablespoon of pureed dates or a handful (5-6 dates) of whole dates

Instructions

1. If using whole dates, first pit and roughly chop them. Add them to a blender with the milk and blend until the dates are finely chopped. Add the ice cream and blend until smooth.
2. If using pureed dates, mix in a little water or milk to the puree to get it to mashed potato consistency. The add the milk, dates, and ice cream to the blender and whirl until smooth.

Notes

You can make many variations on this shake by adding chocolate syrup, cookies, almond butter, etc.
Use ¼ teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg to mimic the flavors of rice pudding.

3.5.3208

4.7 from 3 reviews

Delicious Date Shake (Vegan)

 

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A vegan version of a date shake using bananas.

Author: Kerensa Durr - Drive Dive Devour

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup soy or nut milk
• 1 banana, cut into chunks and frozen for at least 3 hours
• 1 heaping Tablespoon of date puree or a handful (5-6) of whole dates

Instructions

1. If using whole dates, first pit and roughly chop them. Add them to a blender with the milk and blend until the dates are finely chopped. Add the banana and blend until smooth.
2. If using pureed dates, mix in a little water or milk to the puree to get it to mashed potato consistency. The add the milk, dates, and banana to the blender and whirl until smooth.

Notes

You can make many variations on this shake by adding chocolate syrup, cookies, almond butter, etc.
Use ¼ teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg to mimic the flavors of rice pudding.

3.5.3208

Maple syrup and Vermont go together like peas and carrots…which I actually hate, so maybe that’s not the best comparison. How about peanut butter and jelly? Either way, I dare you to not think of maple syrup when Vermont is mentioned, I know I do. Before we took off on our full-time adventure, we used to drive up in March to attend the Maple Festival in Southern Vermont touring all the sugar houses covered in snow. The houses would be warm and toasty inside boiling the sap down into the liquid gold that is maple syrup. The owners had little paper cups ready for you to put under the spout to fill with the freshest and warmest maple syrup you’ve ever had. We’d down these sugary shots, pick up a bottle or two, and move to the next house until our stomachs rebelled and made us eat proper food.

Maple Hill Farm in March above and boiling sap into syrup below.

When we visited Burlington in the RV, it was the edge of summer/almost fall, but maple was no less prevalent. I cannot tell you how many maple creemees I ate while I was there. Maple products, the bulk of which is mainly maple syrup, are found on shelves all across the state. Outside of maple producing areas, you can find maple syrup, but not maple candies, sugars, or spreads. The good thing is you can still do a lot with maple syrup other than drizzling it over pancakes, though let’s not discount that use. It’s great in oatmeal and on baked apples. You can also use it as a substitute for sugar while baking, just remember to use 3/4 cup syrup for every 1 cup of sugar and reduce your total liquid by 3 tablespoons. Or you can follow a recipe that is already tooled for maple syrup like these Maple Pumpkin Spice Muffins. They’re everything you love about fall in a muffin. Even though sugar houses produce maple syrup in early spring, the taste is reminiscent of cold weather pancakes. And, of course, there is the pumpkin and the spices that go along with it. I think America has renamed fall “pumpkin spice season.” So bake up a batch and eat them with your pumpkin spice latte, you won’t be disappointed.

First a word about maple syrup grades. You often see “Fancy” in stores, but don’t let this term fool you. This is often the first syrup made and is lighter in taste and color. It’s still delicious, but if you want a more pronounced maple flavor, go with a Grade A Medium or Dark Amber. These are the grades you’ll find as pancake syrup on tables across Vermont.

These muffins are a cinch to make and use a one-bowl method rather than separating out dry and wet ingredients. This is a lovely thing in a small, dishwasher-less kitchen. As with most baking, you’ll start by pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees and either greasing or lining your muffin pans. Most often, I just grease the pans for muffins, but these paper liners made for much cuter muffin photos!

Start by stirring together the maple syrup, salt, and canola oil.

I didn’t try this concoction, but I wonder if the salty sweet would be good like salted caramel which is delicious.

Next, whisk in the egg until thoroughly blended. This is the one item keeping these muffins from being vegan.

The all important pumpkin must be added. Adding pumpkin to your baked goods is a great way to keep them moist.

Add the dry ingredients and that fall taste with the pumpkin spice mixture including fresh nutmeg. You don’t have fresh nutmeg? Well, if we meet in person, I have extra, so just ask.

Stir the dry ingredients together on top before folding them in with a spatula until just combined.

Fill the muffins cups 3/4 full and bake. The recipe makes a dozen regular muffins, 24 mini muffins, or a combo of 6 regular and 12 mini.

See that scoop in the photo? I love these dishers/ice cream scoops. The one pictured fills regular muffin pans pretty well and makes large cookies. A smaller one fills the mini tin and makes standard size cookies. They’re a baker’s dream and I wouldn’t leave them behind when we moved into the RV.

Let them cool (well, try to let them cool) and enjoy! Tell me how they turn out or your favorite way to use maple syrup in the comments below.

Maple Pumpkin Spice Muffins- An Ode to Fall in Vermont

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Maple syrup, pumpkin, and pumpkin spice- what more could you want out of a muffin?

Author: Kerensa Durr - Drive Dive Devour

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Serves: 12 regular or 24 mini muffins

Ingredients

• ¾ c maple syrup
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ c canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1 c pumpkin puree
• 1½ c all-purpose flour, alternatively you can use 1 c ap and ½ c whole wheat
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ½ tsp ginger
• ½ tsp nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease muffin pan.
2. Stir syrup, salt, and oil together.
3. Whisk in egg until thoroughly blended.
4. Add pumpkin and stir to combine.
5. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and all spices to bowl. Stir the dry ingredients together and then blend into the pumpkin-syrup mixture until just combined.
6. Fill the muffin cups ¾ full and bake until firm and a toothpick comes out clean. About 12-15 minutes for mini muffins and 24-26 minutes for regular muffins.
7. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then remove muffins on to a wire rack.

3.4.3177

I have great food memories of visiting the Tampa, FL area as a child. One is of the smoked fish at Ted Peters and the other is Greek Salad at Pappas. This Greek style salad piled atop a heaping mound of potato salad became one of my favorite foods. I’d request it for birthdays and prepare it for friends. It’s easy to make, but looks quite impressive.

The old Pappas restaurant is no longer there, but a new generation has a fast casual concept honoring Louis Pappas’ original salad. But if you don’t live in Tampa, you can make your own very easily and you get to make it your way.

There is no hard and fast recipe for this salad. The potato salad on the bottom is just a combination of boiled potatoes and Greek dressing. I found a bottle of local Greek dressing in the grocery store while staying in Clearwater (next to Tampa) and decided to try it. Unfortunately, I found it too sweet. If you want to make your own easy version, you can whip it up with lemon juice or red wine vinegar, some oregano, and olive oil.

Topping it proves endless in options. You won’t find anchovies or shrimp on my salad, but they are popular choices. The olives in the photo are purely for the benefit of our dining companions and the recipe. Switch out the vegetables to your liking. The only thing I will say is to try to cut them so they stand tall and make an impression; this salad is all about presentation.

Jazz up your standard Greek salad and hear the oohs and ahhs in return. Want to make it a Florida themed night? Make this Key Lime Pie for dessert and you’ll have your family or guests eating out of your hands. Then I suggest giving them a plate because it can get pretty messy.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Pappas Style Greek Salad with Potatoes

 

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A Florida twist on the standard Greek salad served on top of potato salad.

Author: Kerensa Durr - Drive Dive Devour

Recipe type: Salads

Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients

Potato Salad

• 6 large potatoes or 10 smaller yukon gold
• ½ onion, chopped
• ½ c Greek dressing or to your taste

Salad

• 1-2 heads of Romaine lettuce, washed
• 2 tomatoes, Roma should be sliced and regular should be cut in wedges
• 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into fingers
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin sticks
• 12 black olives, preferably Kalamata
• 8 oz crumbled feta
• Greek dressing to taste

Instructions

1. Cut up and boil the potatoes with the onion until soft.
2. Drain potatoes and onion and then combine in a bowl with the Greek dressing. The potato mixture will end up like very chunky mashed potatoes. Pour in half the amount of dressing at first and taste as you go to find your happy medium.
3. Layer the outside leaves of lettuce on a platter and mound the potato salad in the center.
4. Arrange the romaine leaves on top of the potato salad vertically.
5. Start adding the vegetables on top of the lettuce taking presentation into account.
6. Crumble feta over the entire salad.
7. Drizzle with Greek dressing.
8. Serve with toasted garlic bread.

Notes

The ingredients for this salad can be adapted for any eater. Drop the olives and add towering green onions instead. Forget the carrots and add wedges of avocado. You get my drift.
If you're a seafood lover, try topping it with anchovies or shrimp.

3.3.3077

Oops, I forgot to beat the whipped cream again on the second day. Fortunately, it still tasted delicious.

One of our first destinations in the RV was the Florida Keys and as the main devourer of this journey, I felt it was my duty to try all the key lime pies I could in our brief time on the islands. I started in Key Largo at Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen and their Keys’ introduction to this Conch dessert did not disappoint. It was cold and creamy with the unmistakable tang of lime throughout the filling. The graham cracker crust was homemade and the pie was topped with whipped cream, my preference. I lived many years down in Texas where they like to top pie with the abomination that is meringue and I was happy to see this pie blissfully free of its presence.

Hobo’s Cafe version with bare feet

Up the street is Hobo’s Cafe with their version of the famed pie. The pie itself is a simple, velvety concoction, but the plating elevates it from other samples I had. Drizzles of raspberry syrup surrounded the slice while a couple of chocolate bare feet stamp it as Hobo’s. Did the plating make it better? No, but it’s still worth ordering if you’re there.

As we made our way down to Key West, I sampled other slices avoiding meringue whenever possible. Each had their quirks and charms, but I tried two in Key West that were distinctive from the classic dense and creamy version I had in Key Largo.

At Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe, the pie is lighter and fluffier than other variations. This does not mean that it is any less delicious. In fact, after eating so many other slices, this was a nice change of pace. Dare I say you might be able to eat a second piece? It’s still rich and tangy, but you do feel lighter. They also freeze slices of pie and dip them in chocolate for a chilly treat. I couldn’t handle any more pie on this trip, but I will be trying it on our return.

These two are actually connected,  similar to the pie I had

Finally, I went for something a little different at Key Lime Pie Factory/Coconut Factory and devoured a slice that was coconut cream on the bottom and key lime on top. I love coconut cream pie, but I was on a mission for key lime. This was the best of both worlds and combined the creamy sweetness of the coconut with the tang of the key limes. Just what I needed to switch it up and get a little taste of both!

Key Lime Pie Factory’s combo pie, I couldn’t resist a bite before taking the photo

I decided to make a classic rich and creamy, denser version of key lime pie for my recipe. When I saw the coconut in the pantry, though,  I threw it into the crust at the last-minute to bring some of tropical taste into the pie and add another dimension. Brandon is not a fan of the texture of coconut, but it didn’t bother him too much in the crust. He would never eat the half and half pie, so that will probably stay out of my recipe books unless you want to come over and eat it with me. I’ll pull out all the stops then!

All of the ingredients needed for key lime pie

Key Lime Pie

 

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This is a classic version of Key Lime Pie from our time in the Florida Keys. It's rich, creamy, and tangy all at the same time. At the last minute, I decided to add coconut into the crust which gave the pie an even more tropical feel.

Author: Kerensa Durr - Drive Dive Devour

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Crust

• 8 graham crackers
• ¼ c granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 5 Tbsp melted butter
• ¼ c shredded coconut (optional)

Filling

• 1½ tsp lime zest
• 1 14-oz can sweetened, condensed milk
• 4 egg yolks
• ½ c freshly squeezed key lime juice (about a pound of key limes)*

Topping

• 1 c chilled heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp powdered or granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the Crust

1. Crush the graham crackers into crumbs. I put them into a sealed plastic bag and used a rolling pin, but you can also use a food processor to make the entire crust.
2. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and coconut in a medium bowl. Add the butter and stir to coat evenly.
3. Press into a 9-inch pie pan and bake until lightly browned about 10 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool completely while making the filling. Leave the oven on.

Make the Filling

1. Finely grate enough limes to produce 1½ teaspoons of zest; it took me about 6 limes. Juice the zested limes until you have ½ cup of liquid and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the zest and egg yolks until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add the sweetened, condensed milk and continue to beat for another 3-4 minutes until thickened again. Add the lime juice and slowly whisk in until just combined.
3. Pour the filling in the pie shell and bake for 10 minutes until just set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Keep the cooled pie in the fridge.

Make the Topping

1. It's best to chill a medium metal bowl ahead of time to make the whipped cream if possible. Add the whipping cream and sugar to the bowl and whip until it forms soft peaks. I'm a fan of topping each piece, so everyone can decide how much whipped cream they would like, but you can also top the whole pie and chill a bit longer.

Slice and enjoy!

Notes

*You can find key limes at a lot of grocery stores nowadays or bottles of key lime juice. In a pinch, use the more common Persian limes, but you know it won't be the same, right?

3.3.3077

Driving into Gulf Shores, you can tell it’s one of those summer play-lands with go-karts, a small amusement park, arcades, and beautiful beaches. It would be a great family fun place with kids and sun. Of course, we weren’t there in the summer; we stayed before the official start of spring during the end of February/beginning of March and we don’t have kids. So what did we do? Well, a lot in fact. We had never been to Gulf Shores before and didn’t know what to expect, but found some great surprises that will have us going back.

First, let me say just because it’s not summer doesn’t mean it’s not busy in the RV parks. It’s a snowbird haven and I called over half a dozen parks before finding a spot; most places were booked until April. So my suggestion is to book as early as possible if you want to visit in the winter. I can’t speak for spring and summer, but I’d be prudent and call ahead then, too.

It was a bit chilly our first night.

The night we got in, we went to local favorite Lulu’s for dinner. They have a large, outdoor bar and seating area in sand that would be awesome in warmer weather, but it was quite chilly that night, so inside we went. Thinking even the enclosed patio may be too chilly, we apprehensively followed the hostess to our table by the edge of the water. We needn’t be worried, though, as there was a large heater directly over us and the clear, plastic enclosure that let us view the outside without feeling it, kept us nice and toasty. Between our seating and the live trop rock music, it felt like we were in a more tropical location, so we ordered drinks to match. Brandon ordered the The Scuba Lu which was named in honor of the Lulu reef off the coast of Gulf Shores. This was as close as he’d come to it this trip as the ocean is too rough and unpredictable this time of year to have boat trips out to the reef. It’s just another reason for us to go back.

We filled up on guacamole and house-made hot sauces while sipping our drinks and listening to Brent Burns sing about tiki huts rocking. Lulu’s is owned by Lucy Buffett, sister of Jimmy Buffett, and she seems to have a passion for the Gulf coast, hosting and entertaining, and the laid back lifestyle just as much as her brother. Brandon ordered the jerk chicken sandwich and I had the veggie burrito. Both were delicious, but I had to put back half my burrito to save room for dessert. Another side note worth mentioning is the allergy menu (gluten, dairy,etc). I know a few people who would appreciate this.

They have three desserts on the menu: key lime pie, hot fun Krispy Kreme bread pudding, and brownie in paradise (served with ice cream). Brandon is not a fan of key lime nor bread pudding, so he went with the brownie. After the manager joked with us that it’s just a brownie and not as unique as the other two, we found it to be decadently delicious. I would have a hard time passing it up again.  All three sounded good to me, but I felt it my duty to try the bread pudding made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts. It took me awhile before I learned to like bread pudding and I still tend to only like the chewier, less pudding like kind. The yeast doughnuts made this pudding very light and soft. It was not my favorite texture, but I know plenty of people who favor this in a bread pudding, so if that’s you, try it. The flavor was good and the addition of cinnamon hit the spot. Next time, though, I’m trying the key lime.

We did make it back to Lulu’s during the day and split a salad and nachos. We couldn’t decide whether to be good or bad, so went for both. We were both really happy with this combo. Their house salad (Fresh & Fancy Greens) was anything but basic and included things like sprouts and pumpkin seeds and the nachos had a warm layer of queso on the bottom. We finished every bit of both.

The Mountain of Youth and outside seating at Lulu’s

Our first couple days were a little cool and rainy, so we visited an arcade and played some skee-ball. I have loved this game since I was a kid and Brandon and I can get pretty competitive. We also decided a typically summer treat was just what we needed and headed to Matt’s Homemade Alabama Ice Cream. I chose Matt’s Lemon Ice Box because it reminded me of a sunny day. It tasted like a creamy lemon pie and was just what I needed. Brandon found his new favorite ice cream in a purely Gulf Shores flavor, Original Oyster House Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pie. This pie was listed as one of the top 100 things to eat in Alabama before you die and we think the ice cream may be one of the best ways to consume it. The kid behind the counter said two whole pies are blended into the ice cream. Are you surprised we went back here before we left? Evidently some people go every night they’re in town; I can’t say I blame them.

When the rain cleared up, the days became beautiful and we were able to enjoy more outdoor activities. We took the dogs and Gypsy cat out for a walk along the Backcountry Trails. The trails are paved and are perfect for biking or walking. You might even get to see an alligator in few marked viewing areas.  There are more than 11 miles of trails, but the little kitty can only handle around 5, so we cut the walk short and headed to happy hour at Tacky Jack’s.

The landscape is both stark and lush after a prescribed burn

Our mountain lion

Walking the Gypsy cat

Tacky Jack’s is another eatery that would be fantastic in warm weather. It’s situated along the canal with tons of outdoor seating. We ordered some happy hour specials and perused all the names taped to every surface, a Tacky Jack’s tradition.

We visited the beaches multiple times on our visit. The first time, we saw a couple of bodyboarders hitting the waves in just swim trunks and a couple walking the beach bundled up in coats with hoods. It got decidedly warmer as the week progressed, but really it’s all a matter of opinion and tolerance level. Although it was too cold for us to swim, Brandon enjoyed flying his kite along the beach and just watching the waves as we walked along the white sand was gratifying.

Ooh, he hit a gust!

Fort Morgan is a short drive from Gulf Shores and offers a bit of history to your coastal trip. We visited at the end of a foggy day and had the whole place to ourselves. The fort was built after the War of 1812, but it’s most famous moment came during the Civil War. During the The Battle of Mobile Bay, Confederate soldiers opened fire on the 18-ship Union fleet heading towards the fort. The leading Union monitor struck a mine (known as a torpedo) and sank within minutes. This setback caused confusion and hesitation in the fleet. It was at this point the commander Admiral D.G. Farragut gave the order, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.” He then led the remaining fleet past the fort, through the minefield, and into Mobile Bay. The fort is under going a bit of restoration which is needed, but we do like the look of it now. Being on the coast the water seeps through the walls leaving white deposits that give it an interesting and eerie look.

All this outdoor activity works up an appetite and we found The Cayman Grill in Orange Beach helps satisfy it. It’s a funky building from the outside, but modern and charming inside. They have an 8,000 gallon stingray pool in the center of the restaurant, that’s not something you see every day. They also have the prettiest pizza oven we’ve ever seen all tiled in blue glass tiles. Brandon made sure to utilize this oven by ordering the lunch special of a pizza and drink. Although the pizzas were a deal and sounded delish, I had to go with the griddled crispy zucchini sandwich. The pizza had a nice blistered crust and a nice buffalo zing with blue cheese drizzle. The sandwich surprised me in a good way with breaded zucchini and layer of over roasted tomatoes and cheese. Both were delicious and I’d like to go back for my own pizza.

Brandon’s pizza going into the pretty pizza oven

Sitting on Lake Shelby is Gulf Adventure Center at Gulf State Park which offers zip lining, kayaking, and paddle boarding. Although the zip lines looked really cool and fun going over the water, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Instead we took some photos of the more adventurous types on the lines and we chose a kayak. It was still a little foggy when took to the water, but it just added to the ambiance. We moved swiftly through the water and went towards another bank. We paddled around for a bit and then went towards the zip lines to get some shots from the water. Maybe next time I can muster up the courage to step off the platform…maybe.

Later, we stopped by The Beach House Kitchen & Cocktails for a light bite and refreshing cocktail. They squeeze their own juices, make their own syrups, and prepare their own garnishes; this is a well-crafted cocktail that appeals to all my senses.

One of the coolest things we’ve gotten to do the road was at the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach. They have both a Hot Shop for blowing glass and a Clay Studio for building pottery. Unlike most glass shops we’ve ever visited, you can actually participate in a class here. It’s also run by the city, so the prices are reasonable. First we watched the glass artist-in-residence Adam and assistant Kerry demonstrate how everything works and how to make a glass ball ornament, flower, or paperweight. Then we got to choose which of the three we wanted to make. I went with the flower while Brandon chose the ball ornament. There were a few people who were there to just watch the class and shop the galleries, but we had a lot of participants including a young girl. She was going next door to the clay studio after making her flower, too. What a great visit to Grandma and Grandpa’s she had! We would definitely recommend taking advantage of this unique opportunity.

Finally, we waited until the end of our stay to visit The Gulf, but I wish we had gone sooner, so we could have gone more than once. The Gulf is a restaurant located on where else but the gulf. It’s built out of shipping containers for a cool, industrial look and is all outside seating (avoid cool, windy days). The seating and lounge areas here are what really appealed to me. I could see just hanging out all day with the dogs lounging in the sand, moving to a picnic table, and then sitting at the bar. The food itself was good, although a little sparse for vegetarians. They do make fresh-cut fries which earns them a gold star in my book. It’s small, rotating blackboard menu, but they keep the fries, salad, hamburger, and grouper sandwich on the menu. Brandon enjoyed the burger and the sunny day only heightened the good feeling.

Overall, our time in Gulf Shores was well spent. We experienced beautiful beaches, had great experiences outside, took an awesome class, and ate some wonderful food. We’ll have to go back when the ocean is more cooperative for diving and the weather is a little warmer to lounge outside all day on the beach. But we’re still happy to experience Gulf Shores at our own pace in the off-season. Sometimes for us, that’s the best season. What’s yours?

Have you been to Gulf Shores? Did we miss anything? Let us know for next time.

*Thanks to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach for hosting us. Opinions expressed are always our own.

While exploring the waters of the Crystal River, Florida area, we made sure to do a little food exploration, too. After our paddle up and dive down Rainbow River, we made a stop at the Blue Gator in Dunnellon. It’s mainly bar food, but good after the exertion and Brandon was a happy camper with the hushpuppies. What was great about this place was the huge patio that would be awesome in the warmer months. We still sat outside, but it was rather sparse that night.

We also stopped by The Front Porch and Pie Shop hoping to grab lunch with our dogs on the, well, front porch. A call that the technicians were ready to replace our windshield changed those plans to grabbing slices of pie to go. The pie was good, but we really didn’t get a meal there, so we’ll have to try this cute place next time we’re in town.

We did get to experience two places that we would highly recommend if you’re in the area, The Pizza Joint Wood Fire Pies and Lynn’s Homemade Ice Cream & Belgian Waffles.

I saw the The Pizza Joint on Google maps while looking at our campground and thought, “Perfect!” If you know Brandon, you know he loves pizza and this place looked good. We went with our friends the first night we got in town and were not disappointed. It shares a building with a gas station, but don’t let that fool you. You can see the wood stacked up when you walk in and then you look through the window and see the pizza oven, both good signs. The owner greeted us like family and was enthusiastic about his product. Brandon and I split a pie (the eggplant special with pepperoni on his half) and it was delicious. The wood fire blistered the crust in all the right places and the toppings were fresh and evenly distributed. We liked it so much we went back later in the week! Take note that it is cash only and BYOB, but you can always grab something from the gas station next door.

Our Old School Margherita with pepperoni and sausage on half

We met up with our friends later in the week who had moved a tad farther south to visit other friends that had just moved to the area. These recent transplants already learned of a great ice cream place and shared it with all of us. Lynn’s Homemade Ice Cream & Belgian Waffles in Inverness is like one of those build your own burrito type joints except instead of tortillas, you get to choose your waffle type. They make crispy waffle bowls, fluffy Brussels waffles, and sweet, chewy Liège waffles. I immediately knew which I was getting; every once in a while I’d treat myself to a Liège waffle from the Wafels & Dinges truck back in NYC and today would be no different. Next you choose your ice cream and toppings. They had lots of delicious sounding flavors and Brandon went with his typical chocolate, but I spied another of my flavor weaknesses. Labeled as “Belgian Cookie”, I knew this was American for speculoos. You know when you fly Delta and they give you those little packages of Biscoff cookies? That’s speculoos and I try to limit them to flights rather than purchasing a box or making them for good reason. When I heard the owner’s accent, I knew this was the real deal. She recommended the chocolate sauce as the topping, so how could I say no? The flavors were decadent and I think this waffle was even better than in New York.

These two places were so good that if I were only allowed two foods while in Crystal River, pizza and ice cream waffles would be it!

To see more about the adventures in the area, see the post Snorkel, Scuba, Paddle: Adventure’s on Florida’s Nature Coast.

I’ll admit it.  When we used to make the journey from Dallas to Austin, we would stop for kolaches, but we would always just go to the Czech stop right off the highway and get back to driving.  When we made our trek from Austin to Dallas this time, things were different.  For one I wanted to get kolaches to send to my future sister-in-law for her birthday.  She grew up in Houston before moving back to Pennsylvania and loves kolaches.  We had already stopped at the Bluebell factory and picked up some paraphernalia all wrapped up in a Bluebell container (so cute!), but I couldn’t actually send ice cream.  I had added some Lammes pralines and kolaches would round out the Texas themed birthday gift.  I could have gotten some in Austin, but if I was going by West, TX why wouldn’t I stop there?  This is the heart of Czech country in Texas.  So in a fit of insomnia, I researched the best kolaches in West.

Czech Stop savory kolache case

Czech Stop fruit kolache case

Czech Stop/Little Czech Bakery

When we got to West, we did our customary stop at Czech Stop and picked up a couple of kolaches to try and compare.  As always, they were good and I particularly liked the poppyseed flavor.  Then we drove into town to find The Village Bakery.  We parked across the street and made our way over.  Sitting on the bench outside the bakery was an old-timer in a cowboy hat.  He said, “Howdy,” as we approached.  We felt as if we had just entered the “real” Texas.  We made our way in and perused the goods.  The Village Bakery is known as “The First All-Czech Bakery in Texas” and I learned a new word, klobasniki.  This was actually a twist on the kolache created by The Village Bakery by substituting the usual sweet fillings for sausage.  This is what you now find labeled as kolaches in doughnut cases across Texas.  Brandon selected a klobasniki and I chose a prune kolache.  The traditional fillings are things like poppy seed, prune, apricot, and peach, but they have added strawberry, raspberry, cream cheese, and even chocolate over the years.  The kolaches were lightly heated before serving to enhance their texture.  The dough was a little lighter than Czech Stop and oh so good.  Kolache dough is lightly sweetened yeast dough and the perfect accompaniment to the fruit or sausage inside.  I was sold.  We placed an order for Katie’s kolaches to be picked up on our way back and bought some for our trip up to Dallas.  My friend and host in Dallas wanted a chocolate kolache, so we got one for us, too.  It is filled  with sweetened cheese, drizzled with chocolate, and delicious.  It is now one of my favorite flavors.  Also to note, I had read their Texas Twists were excellent and picked up a couple of cinnamon twists (they come in many fruit flavors) for later.  I have to agree with the posters, they were excellent.  As I write this, I’m starting to crave kolaches and twists and wishing I was back in Texas.  The good thing is that you can now order their goodies and have them shipped anywhere.  Hmm…I am in one spot for a while…

Kolaches at the Village Bakery

Sausage and Prune kolache with a bite missing

Cinnamon twist

Photos from the planned train wreck at Crush, TX

The Village Bakery
113 E Oak St
West, TX
(254) 826-5151

This is just round 1 of Austin BBQ; There is no way to see it all in the short time we were there. We will be back.

Before we begin I just want to clarify something. When you pour a big pile of match light charcoal into a grill, set it on fire, and then proceed to char the hell out of your meat you are grilling. You are not making Barbecue. 

County Line BBQ
4.0 stars:  Yes, please! 

There are many facets to the flavor of Barbecue: smoke, crust, marbling, etc are all important but equally important to the flavor is the location and company. County Line may not have been the best BBQ, but I enjoyed it with new friends while sitting next to the river after an enjoyable dive in Lake Travis.

County Line BBQ was a good solid place. Everything was decent and the sweet tea came as fast as I drank it. It’s not the kind of place that will be raved about by guys in tight jeans and handlebar mustaches while they wait in line for 3 hrs. It’s a place that real people will go to hang with friends and relax. As a professional tourist, I had to sample a little of everything.  Sausages are a Texas thing. I’m not really that into them, but I had to try. There is also a bit of brisket in there. It was all good. It wasn’t the best brisket I had, but it didn’t suck.

Rudy’s BBQ
4.5 stars:  Yes, please! – Eat until the end of days

I know, I know – It’s a chain! I don’t care. It’s damn good. This happens to be another place I went after a dive. I guess diving and BBQ go together in Texas. Everything we tried was pretty good, but that crust on the brisket is what I dream about. It’s still a few months before we get back to Texas, but this is on my short list of places to go again.

Neon Beer Signs – Check, Family Style Tables – Check, Big Ass Texas Flag – Check

This was for 2 people. One of them is a vegetarian.

Look at that crust – LOOK AT IT!

Cooper’s Pit Bar-B-Que
2.5 stars:  Meh

Go figure, this is another place I went to after diving in the Comal River. We were told that this was the place to go in the area. It was ok, but nothing special. The meats were cooked alright, but lacked much flavor or impact. I don’t feel the need to go back.

Order your meat from the pit before choosing sides.

They serve bbq the right way, on a piece of paper on a tray.

Take a look at this and then go take a look at Rudy’s Brisket. I’ll be going back to Rudy’s.

Micklethwait Craft Meats
4.0 stars:  Pretty Alright

It’s in a vintage trailer and there is always a line. It must be Craft Meats! This guy has developed a pretty strong following in Austin. They prepare all their own meats and bake their own bread. They also make a pretty good home-made moon pie. They are really known for their sausages and they have different ones all the time. It was definitely good food, but I’m not a fan of standing in line for BBQ.

Homemade Moonpie.

What do you feed a vegetarian? Sides and dessert!

As you can see it was all good. It’s worth it to check it out. It’s just down the street from Franklin BBQ, but the lines aren’t as bad.

If it wasn’t for the lines I would have rated it higher. Did I mention I don’t like waiting in lines for BBQ?

Salt Lick Barbecue
4.0 stars:  Alright, Alright, Alright

That’s a lot of murder right there.

Salt Lick BBQ is legendary in Texas. I was wearing my Salt Lick shirt around NYC the other day and was stopped twice to talk about the place. It started in 1967 with this pit bbq in Driftwood, TX. The owner would cook all Thursday and then sell on the weekends until he ran out. Soon he was running out quickly and decided to enclose the area around the pit and make it a restaurant. Now people from all over flock to the Salt Lick. This is another one of those places where the location and the company influence the flavor. After driving through the hill country to find the Salt Lick, sitting down with friends to eat it is that much better.

Realistically there is better BBQ in town, but I think you need to visit just to see this pit for yourself.

Kerensa noticed the pies.

Familiar family style seating.

I was hungry again when we visited and I didn’t know if I would get back so I chose the sampler with a bit of everything. I’m not a big fan of sausage, but I really liked it here. I would order it again if I went back.

That’s it for now. We’ll be back soon for Round 2.

You can’t go to Austin without eating a taco.  Taco joints are all around the city and heated discussions can arise on which one is best.  Below is a rundown of the taco joints we made it to while in Austin.  This is by no means comprehensive as we’d have to eat tacos every day for years to hit every taco place in town.  It does include a few city favorites.  We’ll have to go back soon and add more to the list.

Torchy’s Tacos
4.5 stars:  Yes, please! – Eat until the end of days

Torchy’s started out as many restaurants in Austin do, in a small trailer on 1^st.  New they have many locations across the city and have expanded to Dallas and Houston.  Torchy’s became a go-to restaurant during our stay.  It helped that it was on the path directly between our park and our friend’s house.  So what about the food?  One word: queso.  If nothing else, get the green chile queso.  This is the stuff of dreams and some of the best queso either of us has had.  The cheese itself has a smooth, creamy taste and texture, but then it’s loaded up with green chiles and topped with guacamole, queso fresco, cilantro, and diablo sauce.  I love the diablo sauce and sometimes we’d get an extra squirt on top to swirl into the creamy goodness.  You can buy a bottle at the restaurants, too, and it has held a place in our fridge for over a year now (it helps to have a local friend who knows just what to get you).  The chips that come with the queso are crisp although they can be a little greasy.

A trio of meaty tacos including the Green Chile Pork

This hot mess was Kerensa’s – Its fun to watch her eat it!

We tried many of the tacos on the menu and even the sacred/secret menu while in town.  The tacos are stuffed; you could make a meal with just one although we often got one and queso or two tacos for dinner.  I like to get one taco on corn and one on a flour tortilla, but I have found the flour holds together better.  One downside of the veggie tacos to me is that every option has a fried element; there are no all fresh options.  Somehow I got over that in the course of our stay.  My favorite by far is The Independent; fried Portobello, refried black beans, roasted corn, avocado, and escabeche carrots.  The carrots are a highlight for me as the spicy pickle flavor cut through the heavier flavors in the dish and lightened it a bit.  The other veggie options on the regular menu are the Fried Avocado and the Dirty Sanchez which is scrambled eggs, fried poblano chile, the aforementioned carrots, and more.  I like it light in the eggs (1 egg instead of 2).  You can find the secret menu by searching online, a redditor made sure to compile it when they announced each taco on facebook and it was posted on many different sites.  The veggie option is called the Jack of Clubs and is an overstuffed indulgence.  It is composed of a fried egg topped with grilled potatoes, black beans, tortilla strips, cheese, cilantro, sour cream, and diablo sauce.  Can’t finish…arteries clogging…still smiling.

Brandon’s favorite is one of their originals, the Green Chile Pork.  Let’s be honest, anything with carnitas is hard to beat.  He did like the standard better than the secret Missionary Style Green Chile Pork which included both kinds of tortillas, guacamole, and cheese.  The trailer park is a popular option with the locals.  It’s a fried chicken taco with green chilies, pico de gallo, and cheese.  What combines Southwest and South better than that?  Get it trashy by removing the lettuce and adding queso on top.

The real reason to go to Torchy’s!!

Tacodeli
4 stars:  Yes, please!

Tacodeli is often named as one of the top taco joints in Austin and their breakfast tacos are brought to meetings around the city.  Their original Spyglass location is across from the Barton Creek Greenbelt making for a great Austin experience.  We took the dogs, sat outside to eat, and then walked the trails.  The queso isn’t as heavy-duty as Torchy’s, but no less tasty.  The chips are extra light and crunchy.  I liked my Space Cowboy taco with a yummy grilled taste to the portobellos (although they’re oven roasted), grilled corn, caramelized onions and peppers, guacamole and queso fresco.  It all came together nicely.  The Papadulce was a little too sweet for me with the roasted sweet potatoes.  The next time I went, I tried The Heather as recommended by a friend.  The grilled queso fresco, refried black beans, and guacamole hit the spot.  And I love sautéed fresh spinach, so the Florentino was a no brainer for me.

Veggie tacos

Some of the meaty tacos

Brandon thought his tacos were good, but the descriptions didn’t match the flavors.  This threw him off a bit as his Puerco Verde didn’t have the tomatillo taste he was expecting.

Papalote
3 stars:  Nom Worthy

The huajillo sauce was the winner during our trip.  I had this on my Tortas De Coliflor tacos; little cauliflower cakes covered in the sauce topped with cabbage and avocado.  Brandon had eaten a bite before he realized it was my taco and wished he had my sauce.  He thought his chicken tacos were bit plain and the carnitas were good, but had room for improvement.  My other choice was one of their corn specialties, a tlacoyos.   Described as oval-shaped black bean corn masa cakes stuffed with potato, covered in red and green sauces, and topped with cheese, cilantro, and onion, it doesn’t look like much on the plate.  The green sauce is surprisingly spicy and good (spice addict here).  I had actually started to tire of it and feel full before I even hit the potato in the middle.  I had forgotten about the potato, in fact, but the new flavor was a nice change even though the potato itself was a little bland.  We didn’t get back on this trip to try again, but I would like to go back and try something else.

Papalote’s tlacoyos

Papalote’s chicken taco

Maria’s Taco Xpress
2.5 stars:  Edible – Nom Worthy

Maria’s Taco X-Press patron saint

This funky lady welcoming everyone with open arms has a fantastic patio with an upper deck.  I just wish I loved the food as much as the atmosphere.  My Nopal Taco with potato had a good zing, but the Verde filled with many vegetables was bland.  The Queso Fresco Taco with black beans, guacamole, and usual toppings was just ok.  Brandon felt the chicken tacos had an overwhelming amount of onions, but he did enjoy the enchiladas.  Although they close early for a place with live music and other entertainment, it would be a nice place to sit outside and watch a band while noshing on some of the better options.

The Queso Fresco taco

The Verde and Nopal tacos

Guero’s
2 stars:  Edible

The Salsa Bar gave us high hopes.

Another place with a fantastic patio, it’s right on South Congress, so you can walk to Hey! Cupcake for dessert.  They also have an extensive vegan menu which I was eager to try.  We were excited when we saw the salsa bar and were seated next to it.  The salsa was good and we looked forward to the rest of the meal.  Unfortunately, nothing else lived up to the salsa.  You can make better queso with velveeta and can of Ro-tel.  All our tacos, veggies, al pastor, and steak were bland.  How can you not have some flavor in Austin?  At least add some salt.  Suffice to say, we’re not going back.

Brandon’s meaty tacos

Kerensa’s veggie tacos

Keso’s
2 stars:  Edible

This place opened while we were there, so we thought we’d give it a try.  They hadn’t even had the grand opening yet, but I hope they worked out a few kinks before they did.  Since they are in Austin, I think they would benefit from more veggie taco options.    There is one, the Botanical Garden Taco, and it is nice enough, but another option would be great.  I accidentally ordered the Capital 10-Kay Burrito because I was just looking at ingredients and saw “choice of meat” and thought it could be veggie.  They do put their “Keso’s sauce” on everything, but with the name and logo, we thought we should order a bowl of their namesake.  I don’t know if I completely threw them off after I came back to correct my order (I ordered steak instead of barbacoa for Brandon), but we never got our queso.  We ended up taking it to go.  When you eat it there, they serve it in little crocks, but we had the to-go styrofoam.  The queso itself was a little salty; the rest of the food was just alright.  As I said, it had just opened, so it may have found its groove better by now, but it wasn’t the best impression.

The people here were really nice, but this wasn’t.

Another meaty option, it’s got cheese buried under there too.

I like pizza.  Brandon LOVES pizza.  So when we got to Austin, he compiled a list of pizza places for us to try based on his research and opinions from local redditors and others.  We didn’t make it to all of them (I wish we had gotten out to Pieous because they have other types of pies, too), but we did make it to a lot of pizza places in a city not known for pizza.

Homeslice
4 stars:  Yes, please!

Homeslice is a well-known Austin establishment serving up NY style pizza.  We chose to go at lunch time to the take-out counter and bring the dogs.  The slice options are limited, but they always have veggie slices, so fear not my veg-head friends.  We tried one slice of each offered: pepperoni, sausage and garlic, margherita, and a white pie with spinach and mushroom.  They did NY pizza justice with slices that were large with a nice NY style crust, thin and not too chewy.  The sauce was also a typical NY red sauce.  Brandon thought the cheese was a little light, but it was just right for me.  The toppings were fresh and I love a good white pizza and this one hit the spot.  The ricotta was nice and smooth and since I love spinach and mushrooms, I chose the perfect day to go.

Little Deli & Pizzeria
3 stars:  Nom worthy

Little Deli was a little out of our way being on the Northside, but we stopped by on our way back from Dallas as it was mentioned quite a lot in the forums.  It’s a small place with a bunch of outside seating and they serve both pizza slices, pizza made to order, and sandwiches.  Oh and the pizza is New Jersey style.  As Brandon says, we did a nickel in NJ (we had a view of NYC on the Hudson), so we’ve eaten a lot of NJ pizza.  The crust was blistering, but a little thin and chewy.  The toppings were fresh and nice and Brandon loved the pepperoni.  The sauce is what threw us off.  It tasted heavy and over seasoned.  It was like the whole jar of oregano and other spices fell in.  Overall, it was good, but not worth the drive from our Southside location.

Via 313
5 pizzas:  Eat until the end of days!

Who knew there was Detroit style pizza?  We didn’t.  And we didn’t expect to find it in a food truck parked next to a bar in Austin.  But boy are we glad we did.  This little truck bakes all their pizza in square automotive parts pans like those used on Detroit assembly lines.  It is basically Sicilian style with a Detroit flair.  The toppings go from edge to edge and so the cheese bakes up into crisp, caramelized edges.  I actually managed to order a cheese-less pizza the first time we went, but it took me a while to notice.  The sauce topping the thick focaccia-like crust was so delicious I didn’t need cheese.  Brandon had The Detroiter with two kinds of pepperoni, smoked and natural casing and loved every bite.  The next time we went (yes, we had to go back it was that good) we ordered the Four Cheese to spilt.  The thicker cheese was a little too much for me and I think I would have been better with the Classic Cheese.  Brandon had no issues with the cheese whatsoever, so it’s all personal preference.  This is definitely our recommendation for pizza in the Austin area.

I wish we had better pictures to entice you.  The first time we went, we sat in the adjoining bar and it was too dark to get a shot.  The second time, we got a little anxious to eat as you can see below.  It just means it was good!

East Side Pies
4 stars:  Yes, please!

Another Austin pizza institution, we picked up slices at their Anderson Lane outpost before my scuba diving class.  The selection is creative and varied.  Along with the standard red sauce pies, you’ll find ones built on black bean sauce or spinach curry.  We picked a couple of slices out of the case from the ready-made pies and sat down in the tiny space to wait for them to be heated up.  When the paper plates arrived, we each took a bite and agreed this pizza made the cut.