Zoes Kitchen

I've seen Zoes Kitchen in Gainesville and Jacksonville and wanted to try it out.  So I was excited when a Central Florida Lady Bloggers event was held there.

Zoes Kitchen is a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant.  And there was tons of yummy foods to try!  I think my favorite was the hummus trio.

There was traditional, red pepper, and basil pesto served with pita bread and cucumbers.  The basil pesto was the overall favorite of the group.  We couldn't stop eating it!

Then we tried the Greek Salad which had tomato, cucumbers, olives, onions, feta, and greens.  We topped it with Zoes Kitchen Greek Dressing.

I **might** have been picking out all the cheese to eat first!  Love it!

Next came the sides

Pasta Salad with fresh basil and feta

Seasonal Fresh Fruit

Potato Salad made with baby reds

Rice Pilaf with fresh seasonings

And Braised White Beans with fresh rosemary

I am not normally a bean person.  And I can't believe I'm saying it.  But this dish was a very close second favorite of mine of the night.  They were absolutely delicious!  I could easily have eaten the whole bowl and not shared at all!

Some kabobs came out next.

Shrimp & salmon kabobs with zuchinni

Steak kabobs with roasted red bell pepper and onions

And chicken kabobs with grilled peppers, onions and tomatoes

Be warned--the shrimp and salmon ones had a kick to them!  The steak was my fav of the three.  Often times the steak can be tough and dry, but not here!  It was cooked perfectly.

We also go to try Spinach Roll-ups which were tortillas with mozzarella, fresh mushrooms, feta, roasted tomatoes, and scallions served with a dipping salsa (we were warned the salsa was spicy so I didn't try any)

And grilled chicken breast

For dessert we tried the Ya-Ya's Handmade Chocolate Cake

It had the texture of being not quite all the way done--which I love!!  I *may* have had three of these pieces! (Hey, that's why I run!)

We walked away stuffed!  They're opening a restaurant on my side of town in Dr. Phillips by the end of June and I can't wait to go try more items off the menu (especially the Mediterranean Baked Feta).  And I'll definitely be ordering more of those braised white beans!

Tijuana Flats Wants To Give You The Bird!!

Tijuana Flats is having a limited edition item this month--seasoned ground turkey!!

All of your favorites can be made with it for this month only (although hopefully it might become a permanent item in the future.)  And this Sunday, they're having a special--Turkey BOGO!!

I attended a Central Florida Lady Bloggers event there last week and got to try a bunch of yummy items!

The first item we tried was a Turkey Tostada.  It was lightly fried corn tortilla with refried beans, melted cheese, toppings, salsa, and of course--TURKEY!  

Outside of dessert, this was my favorite menu item of the night! 

Next up we tried the Mahi Tacos topped with cabbage, pico de gallo, and a southwest citrus vinaigrette. 

The mahi in it was cooked deliciously!

Next came the Blackened Chicken Flautas.  I'd been wanting to try these but always stick with my standard so I was excited!

They were perfectly crispy and I loved that it came with queso to dip in!

Our last entree item of the night was a Ground Turkey Norrito Bowl (no + burrito = norrito).

I loved their take on the bowl.

And finally--dessert.  Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Flautas!

These are simply amazing!! I could eat the whole platter by myself if allowed!!!

We left stuffed and happy!

I learned some fun facts about Tijuana Flats--it was started in 1995 by a UCF grad and is now in 6 states!  And they have a foundation called the Just In Queso Foundation where all proceeds from the sale of each bottle of Just In Queso Hot Sauce go to.  

And another fun fact that I especially enjoy but didn't until now-- with ID, all teachers get 10% off!

Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe

I'd been to Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe several years ago so I was looking forward to trying the yummy food again for a Central Florida Lady Bloggers event.

Our event was held upstairs and we had lots of yummy food!

Chinois Salad

Sushi!  California Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, Rainbow Roll and there was a Shrimp Tempura Roll too.

Miso Glazed Salmon--I think this was my favorite thing of the night!

Sauteed Sea Scallops

BBQ  Chicken Pizza and Italian Sausage Pizza (not shown--Margarita pizza).  I loved that there wasn't a lot of red sauce and there were huge chunks of ricotta cheese on Italian Sausage one!

Yummy dessert trio!

It was a great night full of food and fun!

*FTC Disclosure:  I was provided complimentary food and drinks but as always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Fulton's Crab House

I've been to Fulton's Crab House at Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs) several (many) years ago so I was excited to be able to attend a Central Florida Lady Bloggers event there recently.

I've always eaten in the main dining room but have heard of a private area upstairs where events can be held.  They even do weddings with the ceremony out on the deck and the reception in the private rooms!

We were there to taste some seafood and oh my was it delicious!  We were absolutely spoiled!!

When we first walked in, we were treated to a Mojito!

Then it was time for food!

Deviled Eggs with Candied Bacon & Smoked Trout Roe  (I may have gone back for multiples of the candied bacon!

  Shrimp Cocktail with Classic Cocktail Sauce

Alaska King Crab

Blue Point Oysters

Crab Ceviche

Ahi Tuna Lettuce Cups

Beef Tenderloin Skewers with Garlic Mojo Hazelnut Romesco

Shrimp Scampi

Crab Cakes with Fried Green Tomatoes, Maque Choux, Remoulade

Jambalaya

Oh, but we can't forget the desserts!!

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

No Bake Smores Cheesecake

Key Lime Torte

We also  had some fun.  Chef Mark showed us how to do oyster shooters!

It really is beautiful up there!

My favorite thing of the night?  The oysters!  I had several during the regular time we were eating.  Then at the end once most people had left, there were still tons remaining so I went back for just one more...and ended up with a half dozen more! (and obviously didn't take a picture until after the fact!)

Fulton's also has fun events that are held there.  Recently there was a wine dinner as well as a kids cooking class.  There's another kids cooking class coming up on August 29th where the kids will make No-Fry Chicken Fingers and Fries as well as their own Hot Fudge Sundaes.  The cost is $25 and also includes an apron and a chef's hat.  Call 407-934-6728 if you're interested!

*FTC Disclosure:  I was provided complimentary food and drinks but as always, all opinions are 100% my own.