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St. Augustine, FL 2016 I have dreamlike memories of visiting St.Augustine with my mom and brother when I was young. I remember being enchanted by the quaint streets and historic buildings. I remember eating lunch in a small building where Gregorian chants wafted through the dimly lit space and servers wore brown robes, tied with rope. In recent years I couldn't seem to find anyone who shared my memory. But on a visit to the old city, last year... I SPOTTED A SIGN! Strolling St. George Street It was a year ago, that Don and I wandered down this historic, pedestrian street in St. Augustine. We were almost past the building, when the spotlight forced my eye to notice the short, round monk on the hanging sign. Inside I left Don outside. "I've just got to see!" I rushed through the wall opening and headed inside to see if the place looked like the restaurant of my memory. I don't remember the space being quite so colorful. I seem to remember dim lighting and maybe even sitting on church pews. But that could just be how I chose to remember. Hank Right away, I was greeted by a man with a big grin and an Hawaiian shirt. He was serving a couple seated at the tiny bar. "Hi..." I smiled back as my eyes wandered in every direction., struggling to recall. "I can't believe this!" I just felt giddy. "I'm pretty sure I remember being here when I was a teenager!" Many Monks Hank was eager to hear what I remembered, so I ran out to fetch Don. We joined the others at the tiny bar, standing across from a display of about 20 carved monks. Remembering I told Hank, that I remembered eating lunch here in the early 1970's. "I remember waiters wearing brown robes." He laughed and told me I remembered correctly. He offered to go get a robe and put it on for me. I would have encouraged that, but I didn't believe he really had any. Then and Now I peeked in the attached room and wondered if that was where I'd eaten before. Hank said his dad opened the restaurant in 1972. Hank took over the biz just a few years later, in 1976, He closed after 30 years, then reopened as a wine and coffee shop. Too bad, since I was hungry. Old Menu Hank brought out an old menu with prices that made me hungry for 1972. Coffee for 25-cents and a glass of wine for 90-cents! Frugal Friar Chopped Steak for $1.65 and a Heavenly Ham and Cheese Tostado for $1.85! Warming Up Sadly I could not once again dine with the sound of chanting monks. But we could at least have a drink. I had noticed the sign when we entered. "Warm Up... Hot Pirate's Grog" Pirates are kind of the opposite of monks, but a cold front was blowing through the open door and it did sound good. Cozy Crowd The couple at the bar from Tampa, recommended the grog. Another couple who had been sitting in the side room came in to join the fun. They'd been sampling some of the many wine options. Hank I believe had been sampling some of the goods himself and was in festive spirits. Grog I'm guessing this is the rum that Hank was going to put in the grog. There was so much chatter and distraction, I can't remember what was going on here. More Posing Here I am with my sample, but I failed to photograph the final grog. I believe it was made with some kind of spiced cider, heated in the glass cups. Again, not exactly like a monastery, but it definitely warmed me up. For Sale Hank talked about lots of stuff, but I don't think I ever got real answers for any of my questions. I did learn that Hank's dad is still alive at age 88. We also learned that Hank's business is up for sale. It suddenly made some sense, that the side room was cluttered with boxes. Or maybe not. Hank might just be slow about unpacking his wine shipments. Grapes for Sale There were lots of price tags, like on the illuminated glass, grape clusters. $275 was a little steep for us, but one couple had enjoyed just enough grog, they were on the verge of making a purchase when we left. Mystery Solved So I didn't get a proper feast, but I did leave satisfied. It's always a treat to learn that a vague memory was not just a dream. The older I get, the more these oddball memories will haunt me. It's odd to think how this next generation will handle their mystery memories as they age. If there's enough cloud storage out there, they'll have a picture for every darn memory. Too easy, I say!
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Mayport, Florida In 2016, Don and I were heading north in Florida, along the Atlantc coast. It was lunchtime. This place didn't look very inviting, but we had heard about the seafood shack. It was featured on Food Network's, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. So why not? Trash or Treasures As we headed towards the door, we saw a cat and quite a collection of weathered boat related goodies. It was hard to tell if these were discarded items or decoration. The Porch The porch also held a lot of clutter, but a Budweiser sign seemed to be welcoming us. Tub-O-Fish The first thing we spotted inside, was a gigantic built in tub of ice, holding all the fresh seafood. Shark Above Above the tub, was a shark on the wall, with a bottle in his mouth. All very festive. Tables and Benches The warped tables and benches made me feel like I was at summer camp. Filling up The tables began to fill, soon after we arrived. The larger tables invited strangers to dine together, which encouraged a community feel... which was helpful at one point. I had noticed a white haired woman earlier. She looked like she was from another era and I imagined her heading off to her square dancing club after lunch. All eyes turned to her table at one moment when her tipsy bench sent her tumbling backward onto the floor. Before I had a moment to gasp, a number of men dressed in camo jumped up and rushed over to assist. She was actually fine, but I'm guessing she wasn't up for square dancing after that. Ray Singleton Founder, Ray Singleton was featured in many news clippings and photos. He and his wife Ann, opened the tiny shack in 1969 to serve breakfast to fishermen. Ray is no longer with us, but his son Dean is carrying on the tradition. Ann's Pigs Ray's wife Ann, is evidently responsible for the pig artwork. More Collectibles Florescent lights gave a special glow to the collections of old bottles and cameras and toy vehicles on an upper shelf. There was lots to look at. Seafood The Shack kept things simple with Styrofoam plates. Don's Mahi Mahi was quite good, even with plastic cutlery. I ordered the New England Clam Chowder, but should have ordered the Minorcan Clam Chowder. I didn't read up on my history earlier, or I would have known about the Minorcan colony in the area. Dean Singleton claims to be 10th generation Minorcan. Dining with a View The outside deck wasn't open, but it had a nice view of the St. John's River and ships carrying cargo. A Museum? The most memorable part of our oddball dining experience, was the free of charge, attached "museum" that held over 100 large carved boats. Ray Singleton evidently was the creator of these ships years ago. There were many signs reminding us not to touch. There were also signs telling us the boats were not for sale. The good news is, these boats did not float away last fall when Hurricane Matthew did some damage to Singleton's Seafood Shack! A Better View After a museum visit, we wandered around back and found a better view of the restaurant. The dock and boats were much more appealing than the unpainted front.
I guess we'll just plan to arrive by boat, next time! Gem of the Spanish Restaurants Don and I spent a few days in St. Augustine last January. We were delighted by the atmosphere of the historic city. Many times, we'd walked by this wonderful building with whirling fans and trickling fountain. Since 1905! 1905 is pretty young for St. Augustine, which was founded in 1565! But the building was inviting and 1905 is old in my book. How could we resist? So Many Options for Seating! We entered the charming building at 9:30, on a Sunday evening. Luckily, there were still enough diners to make things festive. The hostess seemed a little tired, though. She walked us through the arched entrance of the room marked "El Patio". She put menus down, at a cramped table for 2. When I cheerily asked for another table facing the fountain, she yawned and moved us. I didn't ask her to move the broom and dustpan that rested up against a column. I'm pretty sure someone was eager to use that and get home, but I tucked them behind the column where I didn't have to stare at the eyesore. Exploring Before ordering, I did a quick "Race to the Ladies Room", which means, I went exploring. There were so many rooms in this great old place. Family I wanted to know all about the 5 generations of The Hernandez Family who have been running Columbia since it first opened. And More Seating The murals, stucco, iron and tile felt very Spanish, but Mr. Hernadez, Sr., evidently immigrated from Cuba. The foods on the menu reflected that. Looking Down I took a quick glance down towards our table from the railing above. My photo doesn't show a very clear shot of fountain in the center of the dining room, but there was quite a curious sculpture. The glowing, white legs are wrapped up in the tail of a dolphin! It gave us lots to ponder. Food and Drink I was hoping for a very old server who could tell me some stories, but our young server was at least very gracious and didn't rush. She brought us warm Cuban bread, which was heavenly. Don had a Pisco Sour and I celebrated with a Margarita. Then she tossed up our "1905 Salad" right next to the table. The salad was iceberg, mixed with ham, Swiss, tomato, Spanish olives, Romano cheese, Worcestershire and lemon. I actually liked the plate it was served on, just as much as the salad! The Original Cuban Sandwich A recipe from 1915 was used for this perfect sandwich. Genoa salami, smoked ham, pork loin, Swiss, pickle, and yellow mustard was pressed and melted inside long slices of Cuban bread. Fun Food Not only was it the best tasting sandwich I've had... since a Muffaletta in New Orleans... But it was just plain fun. Look at Don. He looks like he's eating giant cigar. Which is kind of funny because I found out later that some of Mr. Hernandez's first customers were workers from a nearby cigar factory. They often bought the Cuban sandwiches to eat walking to and from work. The Bad News Don and I enjoyed our dinner, even though we sort of closed the place down. We even managed to laugh at the disappointing restaurant trivia, that we learned after our meal. I asked about Columbia's history and our young server answered with a smile. "Oh it's been here since the 1980's" I cringed and asked, "Well is the building old?" "No, it used to be a parking lot." What? So there are 6 locations of Columbia. The original is in Tampa. So much for my love of historic dining!
A Hotel in Florida, from 1887 St. Augustine has more than its share of fabulous old hotels, thanks to Henry Flagler... who built at least 4 gorgeous buildings on this corner. The Hotel Alcazar is no longer a hotel, but we were able to at least have a meal there! Sunday Morning The entrance to the restaurant was on the side, away from the big towers at the front. It looked like we were entering a church, with that rounded wall. But our dining adventure would be more intriguing than dining in an old church. A Simple Door The door wasn't grand, but it invited us into the portion of the building that holds the cafe as well as some antique shops. Nothing too odd sounding about that. Here's the Odd Part The sweet little cafe was tucked into the "deep end" of what had once been the hotel's indoor swimming pool! The pool was once quite the highlight of the hotel's health center, where guests could swim in a constant stream of fresh water, supplied by an artesian well. Built in 1889 It looks like a flooded building at first glance. But this is the 120' X 20' space used by the male bathers. Women had their own private pool at the west end. Then and Now The rock wall near the stairs, would have been nearly covered in water. The gallery on the second floor sometimes held musicians and seating for the guests who just wanted to stay dry while they watched the swimmers. A Little Sunday Lunch What a treat to meet up in St. Augustine with my sister Jennifer and her wife Kate, while we were on our travels. We joined up at this curious place and shared a meal... on a very tiny table. The Food It was nice to have a menu and not be forced into a big brunch. Don's Turkey, Bacon, Avocado Sandwich was pretty yummy. He thought the Cajun slaw was kind of spicy, but I liked. My onion soup was piping hot and the crusty brown cheese was quite delicious. But hot soup, makes me want bread. It would have been perfect with a big piece. Classical Music We didn't have an orchestra, but the classical piano music added a bit of a Titanic feel to the place. Something about seeing those photos of the big space, filled with water... As we dined and the music played, we just kept staring around at all the oddball features, trying to imagine being here in 1890, paddling around the arches and columns... hanging onto some of the metal rings... Too bad the skylight is no longer visible. They used to open that up for star gazing! Post Lunch And after lunch, what could be more lovely than strolling through the shops, set up in the spaces behind the columns. One shop had a dazzling ball gown, that was NOT allowed to be photographed. But this little store was my favorite. Books and magazines and all sorts of clutter jammed in so tight, the shop could only hold about 2 visitors at a time! Sun Out! The rains from earlier had passed by the time we exited. As we wandered outside, we got to study the towers, the arched windows and so many chimneys! What an amazing building and we really only experienced a piece of it! I love it that we ate lunch in what was once a pool. But I'd love it more if they brought the hotel back and filled the pool once again!
Oyster Town- Oyster Republic! I've talked about Florida oysters before, but not the famous Apalachicola Bay Oysters! This odd little spot with a very odd name, has its very own oyster boat, with a third generation oyster harvester in charge. The oysters are gathered daily in the bay, chilled on board until they arrive at the restaurant's dock where they are washed, chilled, and then shucked to order. "Chilled from bay to belly" they claim! Outside Dining in January! But the best part of the oyster experience was sitting outside on the deck with my two good friends, Kim and Kim! We had a little beer, watched some boats on the bay, chatted with some fellow diners, then decided on oysters. There were endless possibilities! with Artichoke, Jalapeño and Parmesan We could have gone raw, but it was too fun choosing the ingredients that are offered with the broiled and baked options. We could have cucumber, orange, wasabi, chives, crushed almonds, jerk seasoning...just to name a few! Hope to Return I forgot to ask what they do with all their shells! I remember piles like this, outside of Florida seafood restaurants when I was a kid. You don't see shell mountains like this anymore. I'll have to come back and ask!
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The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
November 2023
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