Warehouse Restaurant and Lounge

Last night, I went out to celebrate one of best friend's birthdays - Happy Birthday Kristin! Kristin and I are on a "try new places" kick. Both of us are Gator grads still living in the great ole' town of Gainesville. That said, we realized that during our 4 years of undergrad we did NOT take advantage of the variety of restaurants and culinary creativity Gainesville has to offer. We've made it our goal to only go to restaurants that we've never tried before. So, last night, when we had to make a decision about where to go to dinner and Kristin suggested Warehouse Restaurant & Lounge, which I had never heard of, I knew we had to give it a shot -- and I'm so glad we did. Warehouse is exactly how it sounds - a warehouse. It is located in a slightly sketchy area of town (just south of downtown on Main Street), but once you're inside that giant, warm room and surrounded by wine bottles and live music, you feel as if you're right in the heart of downtown.

I was so pleasantly surprised as I walked in. The high ceilings and shelves full of wine that lined the walls gave Warehouse a funky, modern, yet classy ambience. Their menu does not have much variety, but what they do have? Amazing. Their dishes range from curried chicken and seared ahi tuna to gnocci and corn cakes. I decided to go out on a limb and try their Grilled Flank Steak & Snow Crab Macaroni and Cheese. HOLY COW. It was unbelievable. Honestly, one of the best things I've ever tasted. Although the wait for our food was a bit long, you can tell that Warehouse offers freshly prepared food - no microwaves, no reheats.

Now, of course, because we were surrounded by wine, we had a get a bottle for ourselves. Their drink/wine/beer menu is quite extensive - significantly more extensive than their food menu. We went with a bottle of pinot grigio and enjoyed every last drop! Finally, the grand finale - dessert. We decided to share raspberry pound cake (which we got on the house, thank you very much) and to our surprise, the pound cake had been grilled! This is not something I've ever seen before, but it works. And it is GOOD.

We ended our night out on the patio listening to Little Jake and the Soul Searchers, a band that looked and sounded as if they came straight out of the fifties. They had everybody dancing, smiling and singing. Kristin and I decided that we just might have to become groupies - they were just that awesome.

SO. To anyone looking for a fun, funky, delicious restaurant in the Gainesville area: Warehouse is your place. And be sure to venture there on a night when they have a live band!

The Hipster Stamp of Approval

Meghan and I had a very eye-opening realization this past weekend. As we planned my time in Houston, I wanted to make sure that I went to the coolest restaurants, bars, shops, etc. that Houston had to offer. Meghan and I, of course, always have a tendency to gravitate towards a very specific type of place. Some may like to call it the "hole-in-the-wall" or the "not-so-mainstream" hangout, or dare I say...hipster hangout? Yes, that's right. Meghan and I may not be the biggest hipsters, we may not even be hipsters at all, but where do we feel most comforable? In the presence of hipsters. What can we say? We're indiekidz at heart and the "Hipster Stamp of Approval" is a must when venturing into the unexplored abyss of a new city.

See? Indiekidz. Tried and true.

Upon realizing that the Hipster Stamp of Approval was a necessity in our search for fun places in Houston, we decided to visit Brasil, a local coffeshop, in the heart of the Montrose district. This place was super cool. Even in the sunny 100 degree weather, Brasil offered a dark, cool place to eat, study, catch up with friends, or....blog! Red Velvet Love Affair was a "Brasil-Inspired" blogpost, and look at the piece of work that turned out to be. Captivating, I know. Meghan and I spent a good two hours there for lunch one day munching on quiche and fresh salad, and then went back for more a couple of nights later and enjoyed a soy mocha/blogging session. Quite frankly, I could probably sit there all day and be perfectly content. Sidenote: Why can't all of our offices just be in coffeeshops? A girl can dream, right?

The second restaurant that received the "Hipster Stamp of Approval" was Beaver's Icehouse. Beaver's, from the outside, doesn't look too intriguing. Beaver's from the inside? Awesome. It's a like an indie Texas bar. As contradictory as that sounds, for Beaver's, it works! Meghan and I had fun with their extensive drink menu and each had an "El Diablo" - a sweet, yet spicy Texas drink. We also decided that, heck yeaaahh, we can handle the gigantic, probably meant for five men-BBQ sampler. And not only did we "handle" it, we dominated it. And then...well...we didn't really eat for the next 24 hours, with the exception of red velvet brownies. But that's a whole other story...

Moral of this blogpost? If you can't seem to find one place that would be fit for the presence of hipsters, then you should probably get as far away from that city as you possibly can. The Hipster Stamp of Approval: the perfect tool for navigating yourself from the Applebees of the world to the Satchels of the world in unfamilar, unexplored territory.

The Blakely House: True Southern Charm in Ocala

The Blakely House. I've driven past it hundreds of times. Always curious. Never stopped. Finally, the other day, I had two lovely gals come visit me at work for my lunch break, and we couldn't quite decide on where we should go for lunch. Panera? Noo. Sushi? Ehh, noo. How bout the Blakely House? Ooo yeah! We'd seen its signs for tasty lunches every time we drove past and figured today was the day - finally, lunch at the Blakely House! I was delightfully surprised as I stepped through the door. An old victorian home, the Blakely House automatically has historic charm -- but the Blakely House had been renovated into a restaurant, shop AND spa - making it slightly modern in appearance, and so quaint! Although small, the menu had some great lunch items -- quiche, soup, sandwiches and......drumroll, please....cupcakes! Who knew!! (Unfortunately, I didn't have one, but all the more reason to return, right?) The girls and I ordered our lunches (quiche, soup & sweet tea) and chose a spot on their wrap-around porch. While we were waiting for our food, we meandered through their shop which was stocked with unique gifts, clothing, and jewelry. Thankfully, the day was cloudy, and a bit cooler - quite comfortable for a meal outside. We scarfed down the delicious food, and vowed we'd come back some day soon. For any of you in Ocala, or for any of you who are just passing through, the Blakely House is well worth the stop!

 

Adventures in Washington, DC

Sometimes I think people think I'm crazy for the amount of time I spend traveling. I mean, I literally can't remember the last weekend I spent in Gainesville. Sad....or awesome? To be quite honest, I LOVE traveling. If I could travel, take pictures and blog for the rest of my life, I'd be the happiest person on the planet. Hence, my excessive jetsetting. Where did I jetset off to this time? Washington, DC - one of my most favorite cities on the planet. Washington, DC is just one of those places that holds a special place in my heart. As a kid, we'd go there every summer to visit family. In my mind, I associate DC with family reunions, lightning bugs and fireworks - only the best summer activities ever! This time around, I was only there for a short three days, but had the best time. My mom's 7 sibs were in town to sort through my late grandpa's belongings, which sounds sad, right? Not necessarily. We had so much fun sorting through old pictures, videos and books - and had some great laughs while we were at it. Sidenote: I'd like to argue that I have the funniest uncles of all time. They are crazy, wild and downright hilarious. I could sit around and listen to them tell stories all. day. long.

Ok, so. Three days in DC. What to do...what to do. Bridget, my cousin/practically sister, was home from college, thankfully! We ventured to two different places over the weekend: Georgetown & the National Botanical Gardens.

Georgetown

Sitting atop a hill overlooking the Potomac, Georgetown definitely has a certain charm and London-esque ambience. Shops and cute little cafes line the streets, and people of all types crowd the sidewalks. Bridget and I weave in and out of the shops trying to restrain ourselves from spending our entire savings on one outfit. We decide we want to eat lunch somewhere that we cannot find anywhere else, and find ourselves at a charming little cafe called Snap. Snap is situated in a row of townhouses on a tiny, little sidestreet. Snap specializes in crepes and paninis and I, of course, need to get a crepe, while Bridget settles on a panini. Beyond the order counter and out the back door lies a quaint little brick courtyard surrounded by giant trees - the perfect place for a quiet lunch on a summer day. After gobbling up our delicious lunches, we set out to find two things: cupcakes and TOMS - both failures, may I add. Georgetown Cupcake (as seen on TLC) was jam-packed. I'm talkin "lines out the door for blocks" jam-packed. Quite the disappointment. As for the TOMS, well, let's just say everyone and their mother apparently wants grey TOMS in a size 8.5. Although unsuccessful, our day in Georgetown was perfectly pleasant and exactly what I needed in that moment.

National Botanical Gardens

Sunday morning, Washington DC. You'd think all would be quiet and calm...perfect for a stroll through the National Botanical Gardens. Well, I'm pretty sure everyone in the greater DC area also thought Sunday morning was the perfect opportunity to take the Metro into the city to visit the National Botanical Gardens. But, hey, whatcha gonna do? Nothin! Bridget and I, thankful for the no fee policy administered in all of the National Museums, happily tour the gardens. Let me tell ya - I've never seen anything quite like the National Botanical Gardens (NBG). The NBG is basically just a giant greenhouse sectioned off into different regions of the US - the jungle, the south, the desert, Hawaii, etc. - and, ok, I honestly had absolutely no idea we had that much variety of plants in this country. It's kinda crazy. Bridget and I stroll through each "room" ooo-ing and aah-ing at all the "crazy/evil/that thing's totally alive-looking" plants and comment on how we really want to have our own herb/vegetable/orchid gardens someday. (By the way, it's totally happening - that's my next project - an herb garden. I'm so excited.)

Before we head back for our final lunch with the fam, we walk the Mall just taking in the sites- the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian, and a totally awesome kickball tournament. DC, you will be missed!