We have heard a lot of good things about Kaiser’s, so we had to check it out. We had to drive there as it is on A1A near Gypsy Cab. Kaiser’s is more than a deli with great sandwiches—walking in I was pleasantly surprised; it was so nice inside. Bright white walls, wine barrel tables, 2 leather sofas in a beautiful wine room with a great selection of wines. They also have a deck with outside seating. Phil had a Reuben with a beer and I had the traditional Italian with a glass of red. Both were delicious. They serve Boar’s Head meats and cheeses, and you can also purchase them by the pound. Check them out.
Saturday morning found us at our favorite Brunch Spot—Roosevelt Room on St. George Street. A great way to start the day and the weekend. We started with Champagne, of course! The Mimosa of the day was Blood Orange, so I took a splash of juice! I had the Triple Mushroom Sandwich with a side of fruit and Phil had the Croque Monsieur with their famous Confit Pommes, which are so good! It’s our favorite brunch spot because they never disappoint, and Saturday was no different. And the staff is friendly and service is spot on.
Then we took a walk around town, stopped at Chocolattes for some croissants for Sunday morning. Chocolattes also has great breakfast sandwiches and beautiful cakes if you are having a sweet tooth. Next stop was The Gifted Cork to pick up a few bottles of wine. If you recall I told you about their wine club, June is Spanish wines, so we chose the two reds for this month. We have not done June’s wine tasting yet.
ChocoLattes
On our walk home we chose to walk along the Bayfront. Walking on the Bayfront is one of my favorite paths; first there is the water, and in my opinion, there really isn’t anything better than the scent of the salty sea air, plus there is always a nice breeze coming off of the water, so it keeps you cool, and depending on the time of day, the horse carriages line up along Avenida Menendez. Always love to see the horse carriages.
Sunday was a low key day which started with croissants and cappuccinos made by my own personal barista Phil. He really makes a delicious coffee! We have a great espresso/cappuccino machine, the Gaggia Classic Pro and our coffee of choice is Illy Intenso and combined they make a great beverage.
I have the BEST Barista
Sunday evening, we went to Forgotten Tonic around the corner for a cocktail and appetizer. Phil has his own drink there called an “Abbynormal” (think Young Frankenstein); it’s an Absinthe Mojito and while it may sound odd, it is actually very good…IF you like the taste of black licorice, so of course he had that. I had the Penicillin – Islay scotch, ginger, honey, lemon; I’m finding I like cocktails with honey and lemon and this one did not disappoint. For apps, we shared the Bruschetta and the Cajun Egg Rolls; which are always a favorite. And then we just came home and watched the telly…we have been binge watching Pennyworth on Amazon Prime. Which is pretty good!
On Monday, last day of birthday week it was a nice quiet day, I mean it is a ‘school day’ after all. I started the day with my morning walk. It was a very blustery day, I almost lost my ‘Wine People’ hat and at the top of the Bridge of Lions you could hear the wind vibrating the cables on all the sailboats at the marina. Have you ever wet your finger and run it around the rim of a wineglass? It was that sound at a much higher pitch/resonance. Natures orchestra. I love windy days.
After my walk, I made us a little breakfast – avocado toast with press pot coffee. And the rest of the day was a Monday…but not in a bad way.
And there it is, Birthday Week 2023 is over and celebrated in style!
Day 3 found us at Sainte George Restaurant at the top of St George Street, near the city gates. Their Facebook page stated live music from 5-6:30 but there was no live music when we got there. Well not 100% true…the bartender Charles is an Opera Singer—a Dramatic Tenor and since no one else was upstairs at the bar he sang a beautiful Aria for us. He had an amazing voice and range, almost Baritone…and that soft quiet final note…spectacular. So technically we did hear live music. And it was fantastic.
Charles the Opera Singer/Bartender
Happy Hour was 5-6:30 with $3.00 off Beer, Wine, and Cocktails. I had one of their specialty drinks—God Save the Bees; a gin based cocktail with Earl Grey Tea, Lemon, Honey and Cardamon Bitters and it was light and refreshing. Phil had his go to Double Vodka Tonic. We shared a few appetizers: Grilled Lamb Lollipops (one of Phil’s favorites), Orzo Pasta Salad (great for a veggie lover like myself), and a side order of the Baked Orzo Mac ‘N’ Cheese made with my guess of Aged White Cheddar… sooooo good
On our way out we stopped by the open concept kitchen to thank the Chef. Sous Chef Jared was working that night, we complimented on the food and just to confirm, my tastebuds were spot on – it was an Aged White Cheddar. I LOVE cheese! And while I love Brie, Chevre, Manchego, Stilton, the list goes on; one of my childhood favorites is Aged White Cheddar—particularly Cracker Barrel…. memories of afterschool snacks consisting of a nice chunk of it, with or without a cracker, sigh. But, back to the Orzo Mac ‘N’ Cheese, that, and a glass of red wine with their Simple Salad would be dinner enough for me.
Heading back towards our apartment we still had the desire for some live music, so we stopped by the patio lounge at Casa Maya. The patio lounge is great, it is basically an outdoor living room (patio sofas, chairs, cocktail tables) with live music and great cocktails. They have live music every night so it’s always a fun time for music and dancing if you want. I had my favorite cocktail there, the Del Mar and Phil stuck with his go to Double Vodka Tonic. We enjoyed two sets and resumed our walk back home.
But we got sidetracked by the first evening of Summer Concerts in the Plaza; Thursday’s thru 8-31-23.
The Concert Line Up
Str8up was playing that night and we stayed for their final set. Set a Thursday reminder on your phone, bring a chair, a picnic, the kids if you have them, and plan a nice ‘free’ evening at the plaza. Heads up, Dewey Via Ban is there 6-29-23, and personally I’m looking forward to ZaZa Flamenca on 8-3-23.
And since it is my birthday week, and since we were having such a good night, we really weren’t quite ready to go home. So, we stopped at the Chatsworth for a nightcap. If you haven’t been there yet, you need to check it out. Typical of StA they have a very friendly staff, and its comfortable like being in your living room—leather sofas, wingback chairs, lots of pillows. It is the quintessential British Pub. Phil loves to go there during Football Season because a) they have the best sliders and b) they have 3 TV’s playing (probably not in that order). They also have a room for private events and ‘High Tea’.
And then it was time to head home…all in all it was a great evening out in America’s Europe.
Back home, in bed, we held hands and talked about our night,
As mentioned previously we do Birthday Week. On day 2 of my celebration we had dinner at our favorite local trattoria, Nonna’s Trattoria on Aviles Street. When I say favorite, seriously we eat there once a week and the food is always good with great service, and tonight was no difference. We shared a bottle of Cab; we both had the grouper which was delicious and tender with a lemon caper sauce. Phil had a side of pasta with the same sauce and I had a Caesar Salad. And because it was my birthday Adamo sent over a piece of tiramisu which is always a treat!
In our house we celebrate Birthday Week – not just one day. My birthday week began on my birthday – May 30. Having cocktails at our neighbor and friend James’ condo we came up with a great plan to start the celebrations. (Side note he is a great host and bartender!) The plan was to have lunch at the Alcazar as I have never been there and then do the tour of Flagler College – James is Flagler Alumini so he was arranging this. And then just play it by ear from there.
Pre Birthday Cocktails at James’
The Alcazar is in the Lightner Museum which was once a posh hotel in the Gilded Age of Henry Flagler. The Lightner is a beautiful museum and worth a trip just to explore the grounds and the exhibits. The Alcazar restaurant is actually located in what was once an indoor spring fed swimming pool. You can see pictures of the pool in all its glory at the museum. As one who loves to float, I can imagine floating there all day peacefully gazing at the skylight that provided natural light. You need to go see this for yourself.
Historic Pool at the Alcazar – courtesy of the St. Augustine Record
The Lightner Museum
Lunch was delicious and the service was attentive and impeccable. We started with wine: Phil had a glass of the Brunello Di Montalcino, James had the Redbreast Riesling—a lovely dry refreshing Riesling, and I had the Lafitte Rosé. To make you hungry we shared Classic Escargot in Garlic Herb Butter (done right, tender not ‘chewy’) with pita toast points. Phil started with the Avgolemono soup and James with the soup du jour: Cream of Asparagus. On James’ recommendation Phil had the Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich, James had his favorite the Cuban Panini, and I had the Asparagus Panini. For sides we chose the fresh made chips, Cajun Coleslaw and Yellow Rice. Everything was delicious. And since it was my Birthday, we had to have dessert (and more wine), so we shared a piece of the Flourless Chocolate Cake. Which was like eating a chocolate bar with a fork—dense, rich, chocolaty. While there I kept wishing Mother was still with us, she would have loved having lunch at the Alcazar.
After lunch we made a quick pit stop at our condo to drop off presents and then on to our next destination…the tour of Flagler College – formally the Ponce Hotel. (Stay tuned for A Birthday Celebration – Part 2.)
To give you a teaser…St. Augustine is full of beautiful architecture, history, and glamour of an age long gone. One can only imagine the lifestyle, guests, and soirées in that Gilded Age…if the walls could only talk.
Let me tell you about Asado Life. For a year now, we have seen posts about in on Facebook and have been curious. Everyone raves about it! Some feel the price at dinner is a bit high…still we were curious. Then someone told us how good their lunch was. And we had to go.
So, this is not a place we can walk to. But the drive is not far at all, and sometimes it’s good to take the car out for a drive!
You may ask what exactly is Asado? Asado is a traditional event in South America; in particular, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. But it is more than grilling meats, it is a social event. At Asado Life they have Asador Events at dinner time on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. And after experiencing lunch I can tell you we will be making a reservation for one of these events in the very near future – and you will be the first to hear about our experience. (Stay tuned.)
Wood for the grill.
As you have figured out by now it is all about the meat and all about the barbeque. And while they are not grilling on the patio at lunch, you can see the kitchen hard at work as it is an open kitchen concept. The restaurant has a modern fresh look to it – lots of bright white! The patio on the water’s edge is beautiful and offers amazing views and a nice breeze. Which is where we sat for our lunch.
We started with a drink, Phil had a Paloma and the bartender made it perfectly! I had a glass of the Pinot Noir. And then lunch…it was so hard to choose because everything on the menu sounded so good. Phil went with the special that day: a stuffed Chile relleno – three cheeses, served with grilled steak and arroz. On our server’s recommendation I went with the Caesar Salad (dressing made in house) and a grilled boneless chicken thigh. For me that was the best Caesar salad I have had in StA (unless I am making it at home). Neither of us were disappointed – and here is the thing, the portion was perfect, not too large that you have leftovers—which isn’t a bad thing; rather it was just the right size and priced accordingly.
And then to my pleasant surprise, on our way out, walking towards the door I saw the art on that wall and realized it was done by a local StA artist and our friend Laura O’Neal. Laura is a fabulous and talented artist, well known and respected in the art community, with a unique style, and in my opinion a bit whimsical. You can see her work at Asado Life and you can also see it and purchase it at ArtBox on King Street. Check out her work and all the other fabulous artists there, you won’t be disappointed. Tell them Phil and Dee sent you! And since June’s First Friday is coming up, 6-2-2023, they are open until 9PM, they have complimentary wine and live music. It’s always a fun ‘free’ time!
Laura’s: “Lit”. I’m trying to find your Asado life.
The Conch House on Anastasia Island has been there for over 70 years, and I have never been there. It is on the Intracoastal Waterway, and boasts not only a restaurant, but a bar with live music, a Marina, and a Motel. It’s a fabulous outdoor space with a very cool Polynesian vibe. It was a beautiful Thursday evening and we just wanted to go out to eat, some place outdoors, and Phil suggested the Conch House. He kept talking about the ‘bird houses’. Ok, the ‘bird houses’ are Tiki Huts on the edge of the deck that hover over the water. And they are very cool!
Because the Tiki Huts are so cool there is a wait list—they are first come first serve and they do not take reservations. But the wait was only 15-20 minutes, so we went to the Conch House Lounge – a cool hut 300 feet out over the water. It has the beach vibe people love when on the water in Florida. Carved totems, a grate in the floor where you see the water and the oyster beds on the dock pilings, a spiral staircase reminiscent of a light house that takes you to a crow’s nest lounge—half circular seating, a large cocktail table, a beautiful view of the water. I envision young hip people vying for that spot on a weekend night, dressed beautifully, sipping their cocktails and leaving the work week behind.
Outdoors on the dock is where the live music is. There is both covered (umbrellas) and uncovered seating. You can see where the fish boats come in with their catch from that day. It does not get any fresher than that. It could be very easy to just sit there and stare at the water, sip on a cocktail, and watch the day turn into night. But we were hungry, and I received a text that our table was ready.
In our ‘bird’s nest’ view we sipped on our drinks, watched an egret fish for his dinner, listened to the music wafting over from the Conch House Lounge, watched the boats cruising by, and basically, we just relaxed in the moment and the beauty of the environment and the evening.
Dinner was delicious! Heads up, I have a shellfish allergy so for me the choices were a bit limited. I had the Minorcan Catch—because I saw the fresh catch just a few minutes ago, Phil had the Jamaican Jerk Chicken. He is a big fan of ‘jerk’ sauce and has spent a lot of time in Jamaica. He loved his dinner. As I said we were starving, so we ate everything and had no leftovers. We did however take a Key Lime Pie to go. I’ll let you know how it is!
It was worth it to get in the car and drive over the bridge! Good food, great atmosphere, great service, cool vibe. I know I have used the word cool a lot – that’s because it really is a very cool place. Check it out.
The Conch House | 57 Comares Ave, St. Augustine, FL 32080 | 904.829.8646
Living in America's Europe 