The Spott - Like Zee Boyzzz, the extra letter must be for more flava. They opened in the Thai restaurant spot on Canal St four months ago. From the looks of it, it seems like an Irish pub. It is more of an up scale (in concept) place than that. I had a sous vide chicken sandwich with fries. It cost $14. The sous vide part is really for affect. A dish like this (that is pan sauteed anyway) doesn't need it. And the results didn't warrant it (if done correctly). It just made it bland. It came with veg on top of a supposedly hand made bread. It needed a sauce/spread. The bread wasn't that great either. I think it was supposed to come with avocado. That was mia. The best component was the fries. They were that scoop shape I think I told you about in a Moab travel note. The ones that look like Frito scoops. I should have gone with a burger that had bone marrow butter, Nueske bacon and an egg on it. They said the beef is Schneid and Sons. I guess that should mean something to me. They also touted (who knows if they actually buy it) duroc pork. It came with edamame. Interesting? Or revolting? The menu had some appealing items on it. Prices were high. IE $30 for a grouper sandwich. $3 for a soda. It was more than I thought I was going to experience. That might be part of the problem. I wasn't expecting a fancy feast. So, it kind of struck me as needlessly pretentious. Go in with expectations. Service was ok. I went late-ish, so, it wasn't too full. They did a good job on the reno. Bar in back on the right. Open spacing with tables in two rows. TVs. Sports on. I wonder if it will be a tweener. Too high brow for the sports crowd. And too butch for the foodies.
Dough Girl - On the road to the draw bridge. They open at 2:30 pm. I don't get it. They sell cookie dough. It tastes like crystalized sugar. Get's real dry real fast too. A big scoop of it. You can get it with ice cream (shake, float or side by side). Doubles the cost. That may help. I tried a scoop of Cookie Monster (blue with oreos and chips) for $5. As I said, I don't get it. They also had "nachos". On waffle cone circles. Open for a year.
Lilly Rose Cafe - I saw them while driving to the beach. Off Canal on Downing. Open for eighteen months. They sell girlie food. Vegan-y things. Soups, wraps, smoothies, salads, juice, etc. Maybe some of the meats were real. It was late, so, many things in the showcase were gone. I found out after that they could have made me something then and there. I settled on a soup. It was damn good. $5 for a small. It was enough though. And they didn't fill it with liquid. Beans (at least two types), barley, sausage (seemed real), kale, other veg, chicken or veg stock. Came with chips (blue corn). Very tasty. Cute, little spot. Not much (if any) seating.
Cafe del Soul - I that it was Sol driving by last time. Guess it ain't a Latin place. Open now. For two months. Off Canal on Magnolia. L and D. Seating. Nice atmosphere'interior design. Owner has two places in NorCal. Moved here for health reasons. Glad to have you. Another girlie, vegan-y place. Though you can get chicken instead of tofu. It's gmo of course. Like my natural Covid antibodies. They sell soups, nachos, quesadillas, rice dishes, quinoa dishes, wraps, salads, smoothies, juices, drinks, beer, wine, kombuchas, canned cocktails, champers, desserts, tea and coffee. I had a Hummus Yummus (can you tell I order by monikers) for $10. I know. A little high. Plus you must add $3 for chicken. It was good though. And I don't go cuckoo for veggie puffs. It had hummus (no duh), red leaf lettuce, feta, edamame, almonds, regular lettuce, cukes, onion and a ginger vinaigrette in a spinach tortilla. Pretty filling. Who knew I could be satiated by two vegan-ish enterprises. I'd go back for more. This place is more "substantial" than Lilly Rose. You could have a sit down meal here. Even a date. Large, open space. High ceilings. Counter. Semi-exposed kitchen. Modern, yet earthy decor. I'm worried I might be seduced by these healthy options. Where's my yoga mat?
*Travel Notes - Florida and Alabama: I stayed the first night in Chipley because I chose the Miami/FSU game day to travel. Remember that I chose the FSU/ND game day to stay in Tallahassee to start the season? I stayed at a Comfort Inn for $104. It seemed like it had been damaged. Hurricane? Shit town. I drove to Ponce de Leon the next morning. Went four miles south of 10 and made a left to Morrison Springs. No fee. Then circled back and went about a mile north of 10 and a mile east to Ponce de Leon State Park. Another spring. Fee required. Didn't swim in either. Drove through dt Pensacola to Cub's Crawfish on 98. It became some other road. 200 something. This place (I was told on last trip) had great and cheap crawfish. They were cheap. But, it (as I found out) isn't crawfish season. That is mid January (pushing it) to July 4th (pushing it). So, I ate frozen crap that gave me the squirts by dinner time. Live and learn. They get 4 and a half stars on Yelp though. I continued on that road past Perdido Key to Orange City AL. I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn for $97. On the beach! I drove west through Gulf Shores AL to the end of 182. I came back and had a half pound of red shrimp at Lartigue's Seafood Market (across from hotel). I ate dinner at The Gulf. It was on Food Paradise. They take shipping containers and make a place out of them. Great location. Had a good tuna poke bowl. Has a bar area and shops. Right on ocean by a canal and aside a bridge. Found out this might be a chain. Saw one in Fort Walton Beach later on. The next morning I drove to 59 in Gulf Shores and went north a mile or two and hung a left onto 180W. Took it to the end. Intercoastal part of area that goes further west than the coastal. Great drive. Mobile Bay on the north side. Ends at Fort Morgan. Funny observation. Signs for graveyards seemed to go out of their way to let you know they were established AFTER the Civil War. Came back to 59 and went a mile back to the coast and ate at Original Oyster House. On Man v Food. Ten years ago! Time flies. Had a half dozen Area 3 Louisiana oysters. Good. Tried trigger fish again to see if Farlow's screwed me. Maybe. This filet had the firmness and thickness near the dorsal area that I remember. It came with two sides. I did a baked potato and cheese grits. Invented the baked potato with cheese grits topping (instead of melted cheese) inside. Passed Lake Shelby and a fancy Lodge by Hilton on the way back. OC and GS are nice. Not as congested as Destin. Really getting more "updated" though. I went back to Florida and made a right on 172 to the Naval Air Station. Sign says Pensacola Lighthouse. It must be inside the base. I didn't see if they would let me in. Blue Angels there too. Back through Pensacola over bridge to to Pensacola Beach. Sign said toll road. Didn't want to trip the rental car EZ Pass. Stayed on 98. Drove it to Navarre Beach and found I could take that road back to PB. Did that. I goes through a portion of Gulf Islands NS through PB to Santa Rosa Island and Fort Pickens. The end of Florida. Back the same way to Navarre. Back to 98 and into Fort Walton Beach. Stayed at La Qunita Inn for $90. Ate at Nacho n Taco Taqueria. Had a lengua chimichanga and a bad chicken empanada. Drove east through Destin and south on 30a. They are doing work on a bridge, so, I had to detour half way through. Great drive though. So clean. Great communities. Stopped in Seaside. The destination. Where they filmed the Truman Show. Found his house at 36 Natchez (also 31). Had lunch at one of the many food trucks. The Meltdown on 30A. Had a All American grilled cheese on Texas toast and a Strawberry Goat Forever (Alabama Goat Cheese, strawberry preserves and prosciutto). Drove east through Rosemary Beach. They have a fancy hotel called The Pearl. Past Panama City and Port Joe and Mexico. Beach. You know. The one the hurricane crushed. Still building back. Maybe even better? Past Apalachicola. Stopped at St George Island. Stayed at St George Inn for $106. A crumbling dump. Ate at Paddy's Raw Bar. Eaten up by sand fleas. Said they had Apalachicola Oysters. Found out there is a two year moratorium on harvesting them. They sucked. Whatever they were. Even worse mahi tacos. Whole island isn't really anything. Drove east to 319N. Went to Leon Sinks Geological Area. Found out it is closed for two years. Made a right onto 61S to Edward Ball Wakulla Springs SP. Stayed at Lodge at Wakulla Springs for $125. Great lodge built in the Thirties. No park fee if you stay here. Took a boat ride for $8. Saw manatees, etc. Swam. They filmed Creature from the Black Lagoon and Tarzan movies here. Ate at the Edward Ball Dining Room for lunch and dinner. Good cb for lunch. Not so great Panhandle Chicken with mashed red potatoes and mostly cheeseless mac and cheese for dinner. Still nice ambiance. Had a dog at The Parlor too. Warning! No tvs. Drove down to 27 and south on 47 at High Springs. East at 340. North on some road shortly after. To Ginnie Springs. Didn't stop. Cloudy. Will go back. Costs $15. I think you can tube. Can get to it from 75 at Alachua exit (399). And that is it. another one in the books. Weather supported a trip to these locations. Prices were low in most places. DT Pensacola was still high.
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