A Magical Night in Saint Augustine: The Floridian and Cousteau's
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What do you get when you mix a little bit of history with a hefty serving of local and organic goods, followed by a sweet concoction of mind-blowing bliss? MAGIC. Historically known as the oldest city in America, Saint Augustine seems to have all of this, and more, providing seemingly unlimited ways to enjoy your time here.
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With just 1 night to spare in this awesome little town, we knew we had to choose wisely. After walking around, taking in the sites and “researching” places to eat, both our hearts settled on The Floridian:
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Serving only the best of the best, this restaurant has some of the most delicious options for carnivores and herbivores alike. Their menu offers things from tempeh and tofu, to meatloaf, Alaskan salmon, pulled pork and burgers! All organic and as locally sourced as possible, of course.
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With too many things appealing to our palettes, we decided to start with an appetizer, the cheddar pan-fried polenta cakes, topped with seasonal salsa and chili-cumin aioli:
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WOW. The warm polenta cake was slightly crisp on the outside and moist all the way through to the center. We ate slowly so we could make sure to savor every explosion of flavor that was going on in our mouths. It was the perfect start to a perfect evening.
As for our entrees, which couldn’t arrive soon enough, Drew ordered the Posole Floridian. This slowly smoked beef brisket simmers in a rich roasted tomato, blackeyed pea and corn stew for over 37 hours before being served over their rich and creamy stone-ground grits, topped with a perfectly fried egg and their house Green Tomato Jam. He didn’t say a word until he was done.:
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After debating between a few irresistible menu items, I chose the Salmon Gribiche. This wild-caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon is served over a seasonal root vegetable hash with charred cherry tomatoes and some of the most tender roasted winter vegetables I have ever tasted. All of that awesomeness is then drizzled with a dijon-caper ‘broken egg’ sauce, acting as the perfect accent to the tender pan-seared Salmon.
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And just when we thought our bellies couldn’t be any happier, or more full, our wonderful waiter, Jeffrey, presented us with THE DESSERT OPTIONS. We opted for their house favorite, the Double-Decker Flourless Chocolate Sea-Salt and Caramel Brownie with house-made whipped cream on top…and in-between! Now that was a mouthful, in more ways than one!:
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One bite and our mouths and tongues were enveloped in a coat of creamy caramel, followed by a dense and delicious layer of rich, rich CHOCOLATE. As each bite melted in our mouths, the sea salt granules randomly presented themselves, adding the most amazing touch of saltiness at all the right moments. It was so rich that we had to take breaks in between every bite, making sure to savor this incredible treat:
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As if the quality and flavors of their food weren’t enough, the kind and caring employees, along with the comfortable and welcoming old-Florida atmosphere, make this a place that cannot be missed. If all of Florida was as cool as this spot, we’d have a hard time going anywhere else!
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Bonus: While the overflowing layers of incredible chocolatey saltiness at The Floridian are OUT OF THIS WORLD, an additional epic dessert option that is completely insurmountable in so many ways, can be found at Cousteau’s:
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Named after the world famous explorer, Jacques Cousteau, known for wearing his red beanie, this sweet smelling spot serves fluffy, cast iron pressed waffles smothered in ice cream and other incredible various toppings. Think peanut butter, toasted coconut, local honey and candied bacon! And their killer milkshakes are a whole nother force to be reckoned with:
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10% off for wearing a red Cousteau beanie, whaaaat? Note made to self.
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We asked the ladies behind the counter to whip up their most impressive waffle, here they are hard at work, special shoutout to Mahaly and Grace!
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And voila! Do you see the joy on that face?! Now that’s something that can’t be faked.
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The Whirlybird waffle is a whopping heap of vanilla ice cream, caramel drizzle, warm cinnamon apples and bourbon whipped cream, all set atop their sweet and chewy homemade dough turned waffle…
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Let’s get a close up on that beauty:
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With no crumb left behind, between The Floridian and Cousteau’s we had all the ingredients for a magical night that we will surely never forget.
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