While on vacation in the Gulf Shores area our entire group of two dozen went out to dinner together one time. After a few failed calls the afternoon before, we finally made a reservation at Gilbey’s Seafood & Steak the following evening.

Outside

Upon our arrival we found three large tables were reserved for us at the rear of the restaurant. This was perfect as we had let them know earlier that we did not all need to sit together. But with all the tables in the same area it was almost like we had our own dining room.

Garden Salad

I started with a garden salad ($2.95 addition to an entrée) with spring mix, shaved carrots, tomatoes, and garlic croutons. There wasn’t anything special about the salad, but the ingredients were fresh. I would have paid an extra dollar for the pecan goat cheese salad, had that been an option.

Smothered Chicken

For dinner I went with the only chicken dish on the menu, which featured mushrooms, caramelized onions, BBQ sauce, and white cheddar. This was served on top of sour cream and chive mashed potatoes with a few sautéed green beans ($19). The dish was plentiful in size featuring two large chicken breasts. The combination of mushroom and BBQ was not something I’ve seen before and it actually worked quite well. Overall a very solid dish.

Gilbey’s is a great place for a large group meal. Our service was quick especially considering the size of our party. And most of the group seemed happy with their meals.

The closest restaurant to our rented vacation house near Gulf Shores, Alabama was The Flying Harpoon 2. One day during our stay my family and I stopped here for lunch after a bike ride. We arrived right at their 11 A.M. opening time. In fact, a friendly employee had to unlock the front door to let us in. He took the time to show us around the space and even took us out back to see the alligator and turtles that call the back pond home.

Inside

This employee split his time between taking care of all the patrons at the bar and surrounding dining area, as well as shucking fresh oysters. Though he was busy, he continued to entertain with great stories and facts on the surrounding area. Top notch service for sure!

Conecuh Smoked Sausage Po’ Boy

Conecuh Smoked Sausage is a local hickory smoked specialty. The Flying Harpoon prepares the sausage as a po’ boy sandwich on New Orléans Leidenheimer French bread, with peppers, onions, and spicy Creole mustard ($7.75). The tasty sausage was mostly mild but the mustard helped kick it up a notch. The peppers and onions were piled high and the bread was perfect.

Shrimp Po’ Boy

My wife had the shrimp po’ boy with corn flour breaded and fried local gulf shrimp, lettuce, and tomato ($9.75). Though I didn’t try this one, it got great reviews and comes highly recommended. We also shared an order of hand cut potato chips ($3.50) that were perfectly cooked and reminded me of chips we would make at home as a kid. Great food and exceptional service make The Flying Harpoon 2 a great place to visit.

After driving through the night to get to Gulf Shores, my family and I stopped for breakfast at Kitty’s Kafe. We arrived around 8:15 A.M. on a Saturday and there was no wait for a table. There were a few tables outside on the patio, but the weather was already heating up so we opted to sit inside. We were seated at a booth next to a large painted wall depicting a farm scene. We later learned that the owners are from our home state of Ohio and the paintings are representative of their family farm.

Inside Kitty’s Kafe

The breakfast menu offers a wide variety of options. Since I don’t eat eggs my options can sometimes be limited for breakfast, but Kitty’s had plenty to offer. I went with the smothered hashbrowns with ham, mushrooms, onion, and peppers all mixed into the potato mix and then covered in cheese. This was awesome and the homemade biscuit was excellent.

Smothered Hashbrowns

Our service was speedy and friendly. All of the food was great. We were off to a great start to our vacation.

A week and a half after returning home from Virginia Beach, my family and I packed our bags again and headed out for Gulf Shores, Alabama. For this trip we would be joined by a couple dozen family members from my mom’s side. We all stayed in a twelve bedroom house on Orange Beach, part of the Cottages of Romar development.

Sapphire Pool

We had a wonderful community pool with zero depth entry, our own private pool attached to the house, and private beach access to the wonderful white sands of the gulf. There isn’t much within walking distance, but we were able to take a couple of bike rides to see some sites and grab something to eat. With such a large house and so many activities going on, it was most fun hanging out with family and enjoying the relaxing vacation.

Busch Family

Virginia Beach is experiencing a rising craft beer scene. In addition to visiting Back Bay Brewing, I also visited Home Republic during a recent trip. Home Republic is restaurant, brewpub, and wine shop all in one. They have a very small brewing system that they are using to put out some interesting beers like their Blue Berrymore, which is brewed with twenty pounds of blueberries per barrel.

Young Veterans Brewing Jet Noise

They also feature a variety of craft beer drafts from neighboring breweries and from around the U.S. I was able to try Young Veterans Brewing Jet Noise, a tasty double IPA from the Virginia Beach brewery which was founded in 2012.

Veggie Burger

The food is made from scratch and the menu features plenty of sandwiches and burgers, along with a small selection of entrées featuring baby back ribs and crab cakes. My wife tried the quinoa and black bean veggie burger topped with spinach, tomato, and sautéed onions with a side of fries ($13). The addition of quinoa to the patty was unique and something that I’d like to see more of.

Cuban Panini

I went with the Cuban panini featuring roasted pork, Smithfield ham, and Swiss topped with pickles and mustard ($13). For my side I went with the veggies and was given a massive serving of steamed broccoli that was slightly under-cooked for my tastes. The sandwich was quite tasty, especially the ham which I’ve learned is a local specialty. Home Republic is a great place for a quality meal.

I’ve visited Virginia Beach twice. The first was back in 2011 when craft beer was hard to find. Fast forward to this year’s visit to the beach and I had multiple breweries to choose from when my in-laws offered to watch my kids for an afternoon.

Brewing Equipment

After a quick review of the locations of the handful of breweries in the area, I quickly chose Back Bay Brewing Co. mainly because my wife and I could ride our bikes there from our hotel on Atlantic Avenue next to the beach. The tasting room is on the somewhat busy Norfolk Avenue, but there is a bike path all the way from the beach area.

Bar Area

The tasting room was comfortable and the beers helped cool us down after our hot bike ride. While enjoying the beers we chatted with the employees from the brewery who were all very friendly and knowledgeable of the breweries history.

Atlantic Avenue IPA

The brewery started in 2011 and originally was contract brewing at another brewery’s site. Now they have opened up their own small system on site and are brewing as much as they can. The flagship beers are still being brewed offsite, but the brewers make sure to oversee the operation as much as they can. I’m told they are also planning to open their own production facility in the future.

Coaster Backside

Their Atlantic Ave IPA was a very good choice and I was also given a taste of a new double IPA they were working on, which was excellent. My wife was happy with the Hefeweizen and even tried a Shandy that they create by mixing their lager with San Pellegrino, a good choice for a hot afternoon.

While on vacation in Virginia Beach, my brother-in-law and I biked from our oceanfront hotel to Zero’s Subs. This Virginia Beach based sandwich franchise operates roughly 30 restaurants in three states, though all but two are located in Virginia. The 17th Street location sits just five blocks from the boardwalk.

Outside

Then menu is written on chalk boards above the food preparation area, however descriptions of many of the sandwiches were not available. The staff was kind as they walked us through the menu and offered suggestions along the way. Our carry out order was ready in about five minutes.

Inside

We ordered a variety of their signature oven baked subs. My favorite was the 17th Street club with sliced turkey breast, baked ham, hearty bacon, and smoked provolone ($4.65 for 6″). By default subs are dressed with lettuce, tomato, onions, spices, oil, and vinegar. The hearth baked bread was very good and the ingredients were all high quality and fresh.

17th Street Club

Located close to the beach, Zero’s Subs is a perfect spot for a quick lunch. While the normal prices are fair, be sure to catch the “2 for Tuesday” special, to get two 12″ subs for just $10.99!

The MLB All-Star Game events started over the weekend and Cincinnati is alive more than I’ve ever seen. My family and I took some time yesterday to walk through the jam-packed Block Party adjacent to the ball park, see the zip line fly overhead, and run through the newly expanded Smale Riverfront Park, which was filled with families overflowing from the nearby events.

All-Star Mustache Statue

Tonight the Home Run Derby is schedule and tomorrow night is the main event. I’ve been very impressed by the work that has taken place to make our city look better than ever. I hope all of those who visit from out-of-town truly appreciate it all as much as we do and will continue to for years to come. Go Reds!

On our way into Virginia Beach a couple of weeks back, we stopped at Mary’s Restaurant for breakfast. Located just four blocks inland from the touristy beach area, I’m told this is a local favorite. Upon our arrival just before 9 A.M. on a Sunday the restaurant wasn’t overly crowded and a table for nine was available right away. When we left the restaurant all the tables were full and there was a wait for any new customers. So get there early.

Inside

For breakfast I ordered the biscuits and gravy ($4.95) along with a side of home fries ($1.79). The biscuits were nearly square-shaped and clearly homemade. They were dense and very good. The sausage gravy needed a touch of extra salt but was still good. The home fries also appeared to be fresh-cut and were cooked perfectly.

Biscuits & Gravy

The breakfast menu is quite large and definitely has something for everyone. Prices are very reasonable, omelets starting at $6, pancakes for under $4, and there is even an early bird special for those arriving before nine. Our service was quick and the food was all good to very good. This was a good find.

Late May through June was filled with a series of vacations. Not only did my family and I take a road trip through southern Ontario, we also had two trips to the beach. The first of these beach trips was with my in-laws to Virginia Beach, which we last visited in 2011.

28th Street Guard

This was a bit of a whirlwind trip, leaving on Saturday evening and driving through the night then coming back on Wednesday evening with another drive through the night, but that was as many days as we could fit into everyone’s schedules last-minute.

Sandstock

Even with the shorter trip we still managed to squeeze in a beach concert, a couple of rounds of mini golf, a few restaurant experiences, a brewery stop, and of course plenty of time swimming in the ocean and the hotel pool. It’s nice that there was so much to do and see all within walking/biking distance of our hotel.

Beach Family

The one thing that really distinguishes Virginia Beach from other beaches is the 28 feet wide paved boardwalk that stretches three miles along the beach. The boardwalk sits between the sand and any buildings and features a separate bike path. This makes getting up and down the beach a breeze and there is always some sort of entertainment taking place on the boardwalk. The downside is that you always have to cross the boardwalk to get to the beach from your hotel, even if you have an oceanfront view.