It's Festival Time

We frequently ask our guests "What do you have planned for today?" Of course, if they ask us what we recommend, we usually have one or two suggestions for them to get the most out of St. Augustine.

But this weekend there is so much going on that I'm not sure what I'm going to tell people to do!! And if I told them everything, they literally would not have any time to take any of my suggestions.

Here are just a few of the festivals going on around town:

Oct. 12-14 Greek Festival. Held on Francis Field, this annual event is a fun weekend of food, music and dancing. It's only $2 a person, and kids under 12 are free. You can get more details at www.stauggreekfest.com.

Oct. 13 Treasures of the Fountain. Our county United Way sponsors this family event, taking place at the Fountain of Youth. Twenty-five bucks will get your whole family in (up to 6 people), and give you access to all the games and food dotted around this beautiful venue. For $50 a person, you can also enjoy a gourmet dinner that night, served by local chefs. Learn more at www.treasuresatthefountain.com.

Oct. 13 Fiesta de Aviles. Held on Aviles Street, the oldest street in the country, this is a free event that includes lots of music and pageantry--including a running of the bulls in the afternoon (okay, it's humans dressed up as bulls, but still, pretty fun!) It's only about 2 blocks from our bed and breakfast, and in the evening they have a Sangria contest to see which restaurant can serve the best. Of course, I think ours is the best, but I'm always on the look out for the competition, so I'll definitely be there!

October 13 Great American Scarecrow Festival. Held at Simple Gestures on White Street, just over the Bridge of Lions. You can make your own scarecrow, bob for apples, and just have some fall fun at this annual event.

October 13 Riverdale United Methodist Church Arts & Crafts Fair. Love craft fairs? This is a nice one, held right at the church. It's not too early to start your Christmas shopping, and there's a fish fry at the end of the day!

Of course, all these festivals are in ADDITION to the long list of cool things that you can always do here in St. Augustine--like climbing the lighthouse, going on the pirate ship, and just laying in the sun at the fort.

No matter what you plan to do--I hope you plan to do it in St. Augustine!! See you around town!

Ancient Olive, A St. Augustine Experience

Last night, I had a foodie "experience".

I'm not talking about a dining experience, either. I'm talking about an experience full of flavors, and scents, and great discussions about amazing food. It's just that there wasn't a lot of food there.

Besides some dipping bread, of course.

The Ancient Olive on King Street specializes in olive oils and balsamic vinegars. They have a ton of each--literally filling the store with stainless steel containers holding the mysterious liquids. There is cubed bread for the tasting, but they also provide small plastic cups so that you can dip your tongue in the goodness as well.

What do they have? Let's start with the olive oils. There are olive oils from around the world, and the very helpful staff (ask for James, who actually ran down the street to get me some ice cream so that I could taste a blood orange olive oil on top of Claude's vanilla bean ice cream) will walk you through where each is from (the processing standards vary dramatically from region to region, and James is happy to explain the intricacies to you in a way that's entertaining and enlightening all at once).

There are infused olive oils, with the light taste of basil, lemon, herbs, butter, or any number of other interesting flavors.

Then there are the vinegars--a delicious array of deep balsamic vinegars with hints of espresso (I bought a bottle), strawberry, blueberrry, lavender, apple, vanilla, and many many more. (You can see all of their offerings at www.theancientolive.com).

You can taste as many as you like, and the staff will make suggestions for usage at home. For instance, on First Friday Artwalks, the Ancient Olive staff makes a delicious salad with pears, strawberries, and a strawberry infused balsamic vinegar and a basil olive oil. Delish!

You can buy their products in 375 ml bottles, or in small tasting-sized bottles (hint, hint--stocking stuffers, anyone??) They also sell homemade pastas, as well as a small selection of beautiful serving pieces (I am lusting after a tray I saw there...and I may have to go back this weekend to pick it up!)

I could go on and on all day about the wonderful staff (James got married in St. Augustine 2 years ago, and a lot of his guests stayed at the inn, so of course we were fast friends!), the amazing flavors, and the expert suggestions, but really--you have to "experience" it yourself.

Crabby Saturdays

Why do you want to stay at a bed and breakfast owned by a couple from Maryland?

Because on some Friday nights we like to get a couple dozen steamed crabs--just like at home (well, not just like at home...at home a dozen crabs are a Ulysses S. Grant, plus a couple of Alexander Hamiltons; whereas in Florida they're closer to an Andrew Jackson. Just Jackson--with a couple of George Washingtons left over).

Now, we can only eat about a dozen crabs between us. What are the extras for? Why, we pick them and make a delicious fresh crab dip for our guests, of course!

We have a couple of recipes that we like, but here's the one that we're using today:

Sandy's Old Line State Crab Dip

1 tbsp butter
2 packages cream cheese (8 oz. each)
1 tsp horseradish sauce
5 dashes tabasco sauce
1/2 lb. crab meat
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1-14 oz. can artichoke hearts
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Saute the onions in the butter until they are softened but not brown.

Add the cream cheese, and stir it over low heat until it is soft. Add the Worchestershire, horseradish,

Old Bay, and Tabasco. Stir until well blended.

Fold in the artichokes and crab meat.

Put the mixture in a shallow baking dish (about 1-1/2 inches deep).

Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the top

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. The cheese should be brown on top and the sides should be bubbling.

Enjoy!!!

Supper with the Spirits: Call for Tickets!

SUNDAY SUPPER WITH THE SPIRITS

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 30TH

AT THE DOW MUSEUM OF HISTORIC HOUSES

1790 – 1910

THIS EVENINGS TOUR, “SUPPER”, AND ENTERTAINMENT SPONSORED IN PART BY SAVOIR FAIRE

Tonight you will be having your supper in the 173 year old Dow House, one of the 9 historic houses on the beautiful Dow Museum grounds.  These last 200 years, many folks have lingered here for a night or a fortnight; however tonight, we will sup with spirits of two famous ladies who brought the Gilded Age to St. Augustine.  

At 6:30 PM guests will arrive at the gate and be greeted by their guide in period clothing, then shown to the 1906 Worchester House where wine and cheese refreshment will open the evenings’ festivities. 

As the guests enjoy the refreshment and mingle, the atmosphere changes, suddenly it is 1906; the flamboyant Dr. Luella Day Mc Connell sashays onto the scene in her Barnum and Bailey fashion, introduces herself as Diamond Lil, and her fascinating St. Augustine story unfolds.  When the Diamond Lil energy fades, the real life guide steps in to bring everyone back to the present, it is time for the lantern light tour of historic homes and gardens.   

At 7:30 PM, after the tour of homes, the guests will be seated for a lovely plated supper.  The candlelit, linen covered tables will be set with chilled salad and carafes of wine.  Candles are flickering; soft music is filtering through the cottage as the main course is efficiently served.  Tables cleared, desserts and coffees served. 

Suddenly another woman appears from the dark, she looks to be a contemporary of Diamond Lil.  Could it be that infamous Ida Alice Flagler, the second wife of millionaire developer Henry Flagler? The wife who hosted the most elaborate balls St. Augustine has ever seen!  Disheveled but determined, clutching her Ouija Board, it is evident she has been here before, in the dark and quiet, looking, looking.  Tonight however, you are here!

Tonight all guests will receive a copy of author Karen Harveys “Daring Daughters”!

·         When: September 30th 2012

·         Time: “Activities” begin promptly at 6:30; you don’t want to miss anything!

·         Place: Dow Museum, 149 Cordova St. St. Augustine, Fl. 904-823-9722

·         Menu: Sliced beef tenderloin with steamed prawns, with horseradish sauce. Potatoes Maison: herbed, whipped, piped and baked. Steamed fresh carrots with butter and dill. Nantucket salad. Key Lime cake with fresh berries,

·         coffee, red and white wine.

·         Price: $ 59.00 per person, cash or charge, includes a copy of “Daring Daughters”.

·         Reservations: Required reservations paid 3 days prior to event.

Contact: Dow Museum 904-823-9722 or Melissa Stuart 904-501-1253

 

 

Breakfast in Bed

You know my favorite part of vacation?

 

Room service.

 

I'm serious; my husband may want to hike a beautiful trail, or swim with dolphins, or tour some spectacular house, and I like all of that just fine. But my all time favorite thing is to just open the door--while I'm still in pajamas--and have someone bring a nice tray of yummy yumm-yumms into the room (I like room service for dinner, too--but my very favorite is breakfast).

 

I don't even care what's on that tray--because I haven't met the breakfast food that I don't like. Last time I was on vacation, I was determined to eat healthy meals the whole time (I must have been on drugs). So I ordered oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast, along with green tea.

 

I will tell you, even oatmeal tastes extra special when you eat it in bed.

 

Anyway, this is all just my way of reminding you that we do serve breakfast in bed. It's an extra $20, and it's $30 if you want homemade mimosas. Of course, you also can eat it in our gazebo, or on our gorgeous patio, or in our dining room--and there's no charge at all for that.

 

Of course, in my mind, twenty bucks is a small amount to pay for a total indulgence to start the day. What do they say on the commercial? It's *priceless*!

 

 

 

Local Secrets: Where to Eat

If I had a dollar for every time someone says to me, "Wow--Saint Augustine has the most amazing restaurants. It must be great to live here and eat at them all the time!!"

If I *did* have a dollar for every time someone said that to me, I might have enough money to eat at Saint Augustine restaurants all the time.

Which is why I was so excited when Mojo's finally opened (their contractors may have moved even slower than our own--and that's sayin' something). Mojo's is a barbecue place...the kind of casual, laid back joint that offers pulled pork sandwiches and a row of 5 different sauces to enjoy with it (Chipotle, Sweet, Vinegar, Mustard, and Mojo BBQ). I like to douse the pork in vinegar, then dot with a little of the sweet sauce.

They have awesome sides, too--like pit baked beans (smoky and just a little sweet), collard greens (so good with chunks of bacon), the best french fries in town (I put a little vinegar on them too), mac n' cheese (haven't tried it yet, but people moan when they taste it), black eyed peas, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans, and a bunch of other ones that I also haven't tried. They've only been open about a month; give a girl a little time.

But you know what's really awesome about it? It's huge, for one, which means that you can actually go there on a Saturday night (we locals NEVER go out to eat on a Saturday night--it only makes us cranky to wait in lines), and you can get a sandwich and side for just nine bucks.

That's right--nine bucks. In addition to the pork, the hub loves the blackened catfish, even though you can't load it up with sauces. I plan to try the maple salmon entree next time I go--sure, it's a whopping $15, but sometimes even us locals have to live it up.

Rhythm and Ribs and Other St. Augustine Tastes

Is there a better feeling than sleeping in on a Saturday? Heck, who cares if it's Saturday, is there any better feeling than sleeping in EVER????

I woke up at 10:45 this morning (!!!), grabbed my suitcase from yesterday (that's why I was so tired--I was up at 3:30am yesterday and then didn't get home until about 11), and started my laundry. That's really all I do at home lately--stumble in, kiss the hub, wash some clothes, then pack another suitcase.

I thought I was still half asleep when--just a few minutes after starting a load of whites--I heard music. Cool, rhythmic music, coming from St. Francis Field (just about two blocks from our house). YES!! Today is the second day of Rhythm and Ribs!! Thank goodness I didn't sleep through that!!

Assuming that you're not still in bed, you should run over for some awesome barbecue (lots of napkins provided) and even awesomer music. As I type this, I can hear Swanky Mo's wrapping up their set, but after they vacate the stage there are six more acts to come (including Eager Beaver, The Committee, Yankee Slickers and JJ Grey & Mofro).

The festival goes til 10 tonight, and 11 til 6 tomorrow. Admission is $5 (and that starts at 3). See more info at http://www.rhythmandribs.net/.

Today is also the Taste of St. Augustine, held at the Amphitheatre from noon til 8. It features tasty morsels from about 20 different restaurants, including Gas, Gypsy Cab, Raintree, Creekside Dinery, and lots of our other favorites. Admission is $5, and food tickets are additional.

Want to park at the garage, but then don't feel like running over to the island? There's a shuttle that runs between the two events, hosted by the Green Trolley. The trolley holds 25 people--so line up early if you want a seat!

I've got a wedding on the beach at 3:00 (look for photos on Facebook later), but I'm going to want to hit both of these events. Good thing I got a lot of sleep, because I could be up late eating ribs!!

Hope to see you there, well rested and well fed.