Food Discoveries Along the Way 2: Southern Region – Louisiana, Florida & Georgia

This is part two of our ‘Food Discoveries Along the Way’ series. Along with enjoying new places and having wonderful times with family and friends, we’ve had the privilege of discovering some amazing food. So here is a summary of some of our favorites from the Southern Region.

Louisiana:

New Orleans:

• Oysters in the French Quarter; There are quite a few good oyster bars here but we visited and recommend Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar. They also have fried pickles and Louisiana alligator for the more adventurous.

• BBQ Shrimp and Jambalaya; We stopped by a local seafood festival and had some shrimp and jambalaya with chicken from a local food stuck. Amazing flavor and spices. Eric gives the BBQ shrimp two thumbs up!

Avery Island, LA:

• The Tabasco Factory: The Tabasco Factory & Gift Shop are your typical touristy experience with factory tours, lots of gift items and bus loads of people. The tour would probably be a nice diversion for those interested in the tobasco making process, but we didn’t have the time to go on one. However, having a chance to see and taste all the different flavors of tabasco is worth the visit. Hands down, our favorite was the Chipotle Tabasco.

We love the smoky chipotle flavor, so different from the original. We use it all the time in dishes and splashed on sandwiches, meat and veggies. We are making a special trip back to Avery Island on our way west to pick up a few more bottles, since they are not available in stores. We definitely recommend a stop at the factory, even to just taste all the different flavors.

Florida:

Ybor City, FL:

• Bernini Innovative Italian Cuisine: Awesome Italian food & wood-fired pizza along with very tasty $3 flavored martini’s.

Tallahassee, FL

• Siam Thai & Sushi: Great sushi rolls and the Thai curry was so fresh, full of veggies and just the right amount of spice.
• Table 23: This restaurant was in the building where Eric had his restaurant, Chez Pierre, for 21 years. He took his stepdaughter for her birthday for a special treat. A typical southern meal of shrimp and grits. Quite good!
• Shell Oyster Bar: An amazing local favorite that’s been here for years, Shell Oyster Bar serves up raw oysters and fried oysters, shrimp and scallops along with the typical southern side choices; french fries, cole slaw, beans, corn, mac & cheese. Yes, it’s fried, so your cholesterol might not like it, but your taste buds definitely will! Bring cash! They do not accept credit cards or checks. If the crowds are any indication, this place is high on the ‘must check it out’ list for Tallahassee.

Apalachicola, FL

• Hole in the Wall Bar & Restaurant: As the name implies, it’s a small, old bar that serves up some awesome oysters, tuna dip and hush puppies along with bar favorites of course.

Cedar Key, FL:

• Big Deck Bar and Grill: We stopped here for lunch initially because they were dog friendly with an outside patio. But we soon found out the food was great too. Eric had, not just one basket, but two, baskets of clams. They were that good! I had the grouper fingers and fries: super flaky, tender and wonderful non-fishy flavor. There are a lot of restaurants in this fishing village but we would recommend Big Deck for the clams and especially if you have pups with you. Plus they are very reasonably priced.

Georgia:

• Pecans & Pecan Pie: “We’re Nuts” – Ellis Bros. Pecans: This place is just off I-75 and a must if you like pecans. And they have quite a few different varieties along with spiced pecans, sweet, chocolate-covered etc. etc. A pecan-lover’s dream!

Savannah, GA:

• Bubba Gumbo’s Seafood Restaurant: One of our absolute favorite finds! We can’t say enough good things about Bubba Gumbo’s and Chef Gordon, ‘the Scott’. Nestled between Savannah and Tybee Island, just off US 80 and located off a narrow road that leads to the harbor and boat storage dock. It’s a bit hard to find, especially at night, but it is so worth the effort. It is a small restaurant, with a bar and table seating, not fancy at all but so fresh and authentic.

Eric had the raw oysters, huge with just the right amount of saltiness. I opted for the fried shrimp which was so fresh and good. We then shared the seafood gumbo, a thicker soup/stew with shrimp and other seafood and veggies in a brown roux. Hushpuppies were served in lieu of bread. (Which I loved!)

Then Chef Gordon came out to check on us (which was awesome in and of itself) and we had a great conversation about food. I mentioned I didn’t like raw oysters (too slimey for my tastes) And he said I should try his grilled oysters. It wasn’t on the menu, but he made them for us anyway. Yep! Delicious! So now I can eat oysters…as long as they grilled like these. 

Then, just so we could try one of his special creations, he brought us one of his special oysters, grilled and topped with bacon, tomato, spices and more. Oh my goodness!! Yum! Y’all need to check this place out! Bubba Gumbo’s near Tybee Island, GA.

• Another unexpected find was made at the White Marsh Publix grocery store. Stopping on our way out of Savannah, Eric found fresh shark that was never frozen. Since I had never had shark before, he ceased the opportunity. And in Eric’s fantastic chef way, he prepared the shark that night for dinner.

Lightly seared and cooked quickly then added salt, pepper, capers, parsley and lemon juice. Shark is different than white fish in that it is more dense so can have the problem of being tough if not cooked properly. But of course, Eric knows what he’s doing, and it was tender and oh so good.

We have more food discoveries to make as we travel through the Southwest on our journey back to Colorado, so stay tuned for part three of “Food Discoveries Along the Way”.

Thanks for reading and remember, ‘Someday…is Today’!