This is the third PDFK location I have had the pleasure of dining at, along with The Lady and Sons in Savannah. Each offers different specials and events but they all serve Paula’s signature dishes like Southern Fried Chicken, Georgia Fried Catfish, and Ooey Gooey Butter Cake.

Scroll down to see what we ordered and our favorite dishes and tips!

Connect with Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen!

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Cocktails like the Lemon Mint Sparkler or the Bloody Mary with a Kick are served all day. 

You can also order specialty teas and lemonades like this Georgia Peach Tea. 

 

My kids order these every time and we always get seconds.

 

Dessert time is the best time!

Everyone gets to order their own single Southern dessert.

You can choose from Ooey Gooey Butter Cake {traditional or chocolate}, Banana Pudding, and Seasonal Cobbler. 

I tried Peach Cobbler during our visit and loved the cake like cobbler topping. Of course, Paula’s Banana Pudding is always #1 in my book too!

This Mama sure is proud of her little foodies! 

My girls have lived in three different states as military kids and have always loved trying the local cuisines. They love crawfish, frog legs, and catfish in Louisiana, barbecue and Tex Mex in Texas, and frozen custard and fried ravioli in Missouri. 

And of course, being my kiddos they love Southern comfort food the most. 

They always eat everything we order to Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen and I appreciate that just about everything on the menu is kid friendly.

 

Stella’s favorite: Fried Catfish and tarter sauce and Green Beans.

Ava’s favorite: Fried Green Tomatoes and Mac and Cheese.

Both: every single dessert on the menu. 

We tried a little of everything {at least it seemed like it}.

I will say that the Pot Roast was very salty on the day we were there but our server quickly traded it out for fresh out of the fryer Southern Fried Chicken.

 

I’m happy to hear that they have now added Shrimp and Grits at the Destin restaurant and hopefully soon will have Barbecue Ribs and Chicken Pot Pie like some of the other locations. 

We also had a delicious brunch for Memorial Day last year {with complimentary meals for military} at Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen in Texas and I would love to see that added to Destin one day soon!

Two of my favorite people in the world, my Mom and Dad.

So grateful I got to spend my birthday with them.

They enjoyed their meal at PDFK and are already planning their next visit!

I even met Paula herself {or atleast I pretended to}!

The family that eats and cooks together, stays together!

Proud Southern Girl.

 

https://www.ilovepdfk.com/destin

 

 

Thanks to our wonderful small business sponsors who provided products and services for the shoot!

Check them out below:

 

Such a fun sweet treat! 

Now for the Emergency Chocolate Kit start with a clear tackle box.

Add a printed paper that says something like “open in case of emergency only!” and tape to the inside lid facing out. 

Now fill it with candy. 

Give this as a chocoholic’s perfect gift!

The traditional gift for 6 years is iron. Ashton found this cast iron Texas shaped pan for me from local grocery chain HEB. I framed an Iron Man picture for him! 

I ordered this print on Etsy for around $2. I then added the text in picmonkey.com and framed it.

 

Then for our actual anniversary we checked one off the bucket list : dinner on top of the rotating restaurant, Chart House, at the top of the Tower of Americas in downtown San Antonio. 

Dinner with a view!

Such a neat experience to enjoy a delicious meal and see the whole city at the same time!

 

The fine dining restaurant, Chart House, is part of the Laundry’s restaurant group. 

It is definitely an experience but be prepared to spend at least $100 before tip for a nice dinner for two.

Overall, I would say it was a good meal and average service. 

But you are mainly paying for the experience. 

The best thing we had was the stacked crab and shrimp tower appetizer and the lava cake dessert. 

Check out the food review below.

 

When I made the reservations I was told I could not request a window seat until I arrived in person. Luckily, when we arrived it was not busy and we were sat in a nice private booth by a window. The room is quite warm, understandable with all the windows, but I cannot imagine dining there in the heat of the summer. The server was nice and presented us with a keepsake menu for our anniversary. She did not describe items in detail or she did not have much of an opinion on certain items so we just chose what sounded good to us. There are quite a few upgrades on the menu including family style sides and sauces and toppings to add on. We both ordered seafood because come one, it’s The Chart House. The food was cooked well and presented nicely but nothing was knock your socks off amazing. The server gave us a signed card as an after thought after she forgot to present our decorated anniversary dessert and the lava cake had already fallen when it was delivered to us. The restaurant is upscale and has a nice lobby and entryway but was in need of  quite a few updates especially the smelly carpet and dirty window ledges. 

 

Downstairs they have a photographer take your photo before going up the elevator and I was hoping the photo would be presented to your table like Roy’s restaurants do. However, they wanted you to view it at the end and purchase it.

Overall, we enjoyed ourselves and left full and happy. 

It was good to get away and enjoy this unique dining experience but I doubt we will be back.

Because we were unimpressed with our sides we ordered an additional side: Lobster Mac and Cheese. 

At $14 a dish I am glad it was massive and would easily feed 4-6 people. It was creamy, extra cheesy, and mac made with Cavatappi pasta is my fave. The lobster was shredded bites and a bummer as we were hoping for chunks of lobster and maybe a pretty presentation topped with the meat from the Maine lobster claw. this did not stop me from gobbling up a big helping though! 

L’Auberge offers three restaurants: a buffet, fine dining, and a sports bar and grill. Since we had the kids, we choose the bar and grill and boy am I glad we did! The quality and selection of food at Stadium was beyond anything I have ever seen at a regular ol’ sports bar. They offered jazzed up versions of traditional bar food like massive nachos and colossal wings along with Southern specialties like barbecue platters and monster burgers. The best part of the menu though? The Cajun selection blew us all away! We tried the Barbecue Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo {see the recipe here}, and Po-boy Sandwiches. Talk about a mouthwatering meal! 

We took a scenic 10 minute drive from downtown Baton Rouge to get to the L’Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge. It is a stunning building with plentiful parking and gorgeous landscaping and decor. Next time I want to check out their roof top pool! 

First thing’s first- let’s talk food!

After walking around the beautiful open hotel we arrived at Stadium.

We all were hungry after a long day of traveling 

but we had no idea the meal that was in store for us!

If you go to Stadium with a group ask for a table by the window. 

We had the corner table, which felt private and cozy, with a nice open view and our own TV {this was a plus with the kiddos too}.

The menu was impressive and we were hungry so we ordered

  one of everything a tasty selection of appetizers, soups, and entrees.

As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted it.

I love a good Nawlins Barbecue Shrimp dish!

The all around favorite dish of the night: Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo! 

It was smokey and hearty and chock full of veggies, rice, andouille sausage, and tender chicken. 

 

You’re in luck! I made the recipe on the blog here. 

Now this was the time to go big or go home, according to my husband, so he went really big and tried the Stadium Challenge.  

Yes, we’re talking Man vs Food style eating here folks.

6lbs of meat and seafood stuffed po-boys {covered in jalapenos I might add} and a basket- no scratch that-bucket of fries had to be devoured in an hour.

Only one person has completed the challenge and he went home with a tailgate apron, his name on the hall of fame wall, and a free meal. Ashton gave it his all but in the end the po-boys won this battle. And that darn bucket of fries.

We were surprised at the presentation of the Stadium Challenge when we received it.
The menu describes it as “an all-star po-boy featuring 6 pounds of fried gator, fried shrimp, shaved ham, shaved turkey, smoked sausage, pulled pork and our signature four cheese blend with lettuce, tomato, jalapeño mayo, pickled jalapeños”. Instead we received three po-boys, which means more bread and toppings than we originally thought. The big ol’ bucket of fries was also a shocker, although I should have expected it. I would have liked to see and take pictures of a 6 lb po-boy but either way, Ashton got full just looking at it and didn’t come close to finishing this monster sized meal! I guess competitive eating is not in his future! 

Last but not least dessert time. Those sneaky folks at Stadium surprised me with a firecracker birthday brownie which was a festive {and sparkling, haha} end to a fantastic meal! 

We can’t wait to go back on our next trip to Baton Rouge.

 

 

Start with a whole chicken. I bought mine whole
 and trimmed and cut it into quarters.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat a large heavy pot over medium high heat until hot.
Add chicken to the pot, skin side down.

Sear until golden brown,
about 8 minutes, then transfer to plate.

Depending on how much drippings you have in the pot, adjust the amount of oil you add. The original recipe said 1/4 cup. I added 1/2 cup oil.

Add vegetable oil, then flour, to drippings in pot.

 Stir with a wooden spoon to blend well.

Reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until roux is formed chocolate-brown color.
About 25 minutes.

This recipe uses Andouille sausage.
It is a smoked pork sausage popular in Louisiana Cajun dishes.

Chop up the sausage into bite size pieces.

When making a detailed recipe like this I always prep everything ahead of time so it is ready to be tossed right in. I promise this saves you so much time and stress later when you are cooking!

Add sausage, chopped onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic to the roux.

Cook until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently about 4 minutes.

Add beer and stir to blend.

Creole seasoning is recommended. I always use Tony Chachere’s.

Pour in chicken broth.

 Now add creole seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, cayenne pepper and approx 2 tsp salt.
Stir well to blend.

Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate, cool until easy to handle, about 20 minutes.

Remove meat from bones; discard bones and skin. Cut meat into 1 inch pieces.

Spoon fat off of top of gumbo and return meat to gumbo.

 Season with salt and pepper and you are ready to serve.

Now ladle in lots of chunky, hearty, gumbo.

Garnish with green onions and dig in!

Now let me tell y’all I have lived in Louisiana for about five years now and I have tried many, many different gumbos.

This, my friends, is the BEST. Make it tonight. Thank me tomorrow! 

 

I have found a hidden gem in Pensacola, Florida and it’s called Pot Roast and Pinot. Honestly it’s not quite hidden {but it’s definitely a gem!}. Located on Cervantes St, a minute off of popular 9th Ave, it is conveniently located near downtown, beaches, and the busy shopping district on 9th. A renovated diner, that has been open for around 9 months now, Pot Roast and Pinot has a sleek upscale vibe complete with a bar and wine cellar. Their menus include a plethora of mouth watering dishes mostly in their style of “American Comfort Food…with a twist!”. They offer not only a lunch and dinner menu but also a weekend brunch {Red Velvet Pancakes and Bananas Foster French Toast, enough said}, late night menu, and frequent themed meals like their upcoming 4 Course Australian Dinner on June 3rd.
I first heard of Pot Roast and Pinot from my friend and hairdresser, Cynthia, a foodie like myself, who could not stop talking about this fantastic new restaurant she had recently dined at. She recommended I take my husband there for a date night when he returned from deployment. Then she mentioned the meal she had ordered: Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. {Say What?!} That alone hooked me. My two favorite foods together in a gooey, decadent plate of heaven?! Sign me up! I made plans to go the very next week with my Mom and daughter, Ava. 

My first visit to Pot Roast and Pinot in March.

We had a delightful late lunch dining on Lobster Mac and Cheese {how could I resist?}, Grilled Okra, Meatloaf, Deviled Eggs, and Spinach Salad. Large portions, top notch service {ask for Blair}, and true Comfort Food Paradise. I immediately went online and tweeted, Facebooked, Instagramed, and shouted to the social networking world: Pot Roast and Pinot rocks! I had found my new restaurant of choice in Pcola {dare I say byebye McGuires!} and I wanted everyone to know.
Flash forward to May. My husband came home from deployment and we traveled to Florida for a much needed family vacation and to attend the EOD Memorial Weekend. We stayed in Pensacola Beach with my parents for a few sun drenched, lounging by the pool days of bliss and I knew before we left we had to have a family meal at Pot Roast and Pinot. We decided to go again for another late lunch {although I am dying to try their brunch} on a weekday afternoon. For me it’s the perfect time to go- around 2 or 3. Late enough that you miss the rushed lunch crowd but early enough that you still get to enjoy the lunch menu. We had a leisurely meal and enjoyed the place mostly to ourselves, exactly how I like it {especially with a sometimes loud and dramatic toddler on my hands}. 

 

This was a magazine worthy beautiful dish. Nothing better than fresh local veggies and cheese!

My Dad and Ashton ordered this appetizer and it was gone before I got a bite {but I did sneak a nibble of mozzarella and it was fab!}. These guys love their tomatoes, especially Ashton who eat them like apples. They loved the freshness, the thick juicy tomatoes, and the tangy herb dressing.  

2. Deviled Eggs: Two ways, lobster claw, pork belly.

This is another app I ordered on both visits. Y’all know they had me at lobster! 

I loved the creamy egg filling with the hit on citrus but the meaty pork belly and succulent lobster on top made these truly decadent and delicious Deviled Eggs. 

Just the description on these intrigued me enough to order them and we weren’t disappointed. 

An fun dish, the chicken had a lot of meat and flavor and the blue cheese foam {!!!}. I have a serious love for blue cheese so I could have {well I did to be honest…} eaten it with a spoon! 

1. Spinach Salad: soft poached egg, candied walnuts, apples, goat cheese, bacon mustard vinaigrette. 

I am a sucker for a good salad and I am not talking about foo-foo plain ol’ garden salads. I want toppings galore and this Spinach Salad gave me just that. We ordered it on our first visit and loved it so much we ordered it again the next time. It is large enough for an entree but we opted to shared it four ways as a second course.

The tangy Hot Bacon Dressing is obviously the star but the perfectly poached egg on top and the salty crumbles of goat cheese are what put it over the top for me.

 My little cutie Ava is always the life the the party {or meal in this case}.

Her favorite food at Pot Roast and Pinot? Deviled Eggs and a hearty serving of buttery mashed potatoes!

Entrees:

I bet if I hadn’t just told you this was Liver and Onions you would have never guessed! This is not the boring ol’ dried up piece of Liver and Onions that gave you nightmares as a child. This is jazzed up Liver and Onions “with a twist”. Also just like everything else on their menu it is a hefty serving and will more than satisfy your comfort food craving. It was so big in fact that my husband exclaimed “Where is this liver from? A rhino?”. Yep, it’s times like that, that I know I married a good one. Smart and he keeps me entertained. Ashton and I both were adventurous eaters as kids {and adults obviously} and I was known to order Liver and Onions when out to eat with my parents. The waitress would always give me a strange look trying to decide is this 6 year old was pulling her leg. Heck no! It was good and I like it! But you have never had Liver and Onions like this y’all! Have an open mind and order this dish and you will not regret it. It is tender and succulent and the gravy, which is the same as the Pot Roast {that alone is enough to order it}, is TO DIE FOR. So don’t be a sissy, put on your big boy pants, and order the Liver and Onions. Then you can thank me. With flowers. I like daisies. 

3. Mac and Cheese: cold water lobster, asiago, fontina, gruyere.
This is it. Forget everything else I have said. Hands down the best. mac and cheese. ever. You must order this or you will regret it for the rest of your life. It’s only on the dinner menu but if you ask nicely they can make it for lunch. This is another dish I have ordered during both visits {and I will order it for my next visit too} and as soon as the hot plate of bubbly goodness is placed in front of me all I can think is “Get in my belly!”. Three deliciously melty, rich cheeses and massive amounts of sweet lobster meat all baked together in harmony! I will say, I tasted truffle oil, which does have a strong flavor that can overpower a dish, but it wasn’t enough to make me not shovel this in my mouth  eat every morsel on my plate of this excellent Lobster Mac and Cheese.

 4. Chicken Chesapeake: sauteed chicken paillard, lump crab, garlic mashed potatoes, seasonal veggies, lemon caper sauce. 
My Mom ordered this classy chicken dish and her favorite part was the stellar lemon caper sauce spooned on top along with the generous portion of sweet lump crab. The chicken was tasty although slightly dry but when eaten in the perfect bite: chicken, sauce, buttery mash, and crab, it was heavenly.

 Bonus: plenty of food leftover for lunch the next day!

Desserts:

Always save room for dessert! Or better yet- eat dessert first!

1. Key Lime Pie: Raspberry Sorbet

 
2. Bread Pudding: chocolate, banana, and raisins. 
Their bread pudding selection changes daily and when I saw this flavor on the menu I had to have it! Served with cashew brittle, vanilla bean ice cream, and fluffy whipped cream then drizzled in caramel, it most definitely is the epitome of rich Southern comfort food. Unfortunately, the bananas and chocolate were somewhat lost in our dessert with all the other flavors going on. But it still was mighty tasty and I can’t wait to try another flavor of the day on my next visit.

Clean Plate Club: the sign of a good meal!

My parent’s like to joke that I was born with expensive tastes because as far as I can remember my favorite food has always been lobster. It’s a tradition on my birthday that I order a lobster dish, my favorite being steamed Maine lobster. When I was a child, every year my parents would treat me to my birthday lobster dinner at Red Lobster. I remember going up to the live lobster tank and choosing the lucky (or not so lucky!) lobster I would dine on for my birthday meal. Good times at Red Lobster!

So, obviously I was tickled pink when Red Lobster asked me to dine at their restaurant and review their new LobsterFest menu. Dream come true, right? Even better I decided to go on Valentine’s Day and take my sweet Valentine, Ava too. She, of course, is a seafood lover just like her mama!

 

 

Did you know?

The first Red Lobster opened in 1968 and they were the first casual dining seafood restaurant company to open
locations across the nation.  Today they serve approximately 10 million
pounds of lobster each year (!!!) at more than 600 restaurants across North
America.

 

It’s that time again: Lobsterfest! 

New to the Lobsterfest menu this year are the following selections:

  Dueling Lobster Tails

  Lobster in ParadiseVisit www.redlobster.com for locations near you!

 

Read about my Red Lobster Lobsterfest dining experience below!      

I started our meal with a virgin Berry Mango Daiquiri and Ava had Pink Lemonade. Festive drinks for Valentine’s! Also how adorable is the heart in my drink! 

Those Red Lobster bartenders are impressive!

The Cheddar Bay Biscuits at Red Lobster are famous and for good reason!

Hot, fluffy, and tasty and, of course, Ava dug right in!

Yum biscuits! My little foodie

Lobster-Crab-and-Seafood-Stuffed Mushrooms, Parrot Isle
Jumbo Coconut Shrimp and Chilled Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail.

 Y’all know I love Coconut Shrimp and pina colada sauce (recipe below) and these were fantastic as usual. Golden and beautiful crust with tender shrimp underneath. I was in heaven!

 The stuffed mushrooms were hot and bubbly and covered in gooey cheese. Doesn’t get much better than that! Check out those big chunks of seafood baked in!

 

I love shrimp almost as much as lobster and I think eating fresh steamed jumbo shrimp cocktail is the best way to enjoy the sweet and tender crustacean. Remember to dip! Red Lobster makes some awesomesauce sauce’s (haha) and their cocktail sauce pairs perfectly with the shrimp.

2nd course: Salad time. I was starting to feel guilty with my indulgent Valentine’s meal so thanks Red Lobster for including a side salad with all entrees! Ava was fond the combo of honey mustard and cucumbers!

She learns from the best: Mama’s a dipper and now so is my girl! If she sees sauce on the plate she wants to try it!

The best part hands down: Entree time! I ordered a new entree from the Lobsterfest menu:  

This included a split Maine lobster tail fried in their signature coconut batter, spicy grilled shrimp and a lobster-and-shrimp
bake topped with toasted crushed macadamia nuts.

My mouth watered just reading the description on the menu and I must say once I ate it, it was a home run! I had never had coconut fried lobster before and it was cooked perfectly! Just like their coconut shrimp it was crunchy and sweet on the outside and juicy and tender inside. Of course we dipped it in their tasty Pina Colada sauce (recipe below). The lobster and shrimp bake was a clever combo, similar to a gratin, and the crunchy addition of macadamia nuts on top was a fun tropical flavor. End result: I was in Paradise with the Lobster in Paradise!

Coconut Fried Lobster Tail.

Spicy shrimp skewer and rice pilaf.

Lobster and Shrimp Bake with Macadamia Nuts.

She liked the Lobster but Ava’s favorite food of the night? Broccoli!

She may be cute but she sure is messy! 

Atleast she ate most of the food she crushed on the table!

Overall, we had a hearty, fresh seafood dinner. The food was flavorful and the portions were large (I took a whole meal home in leftovers!). The service, even on a busy holiday, was polite and fast and I noticed everyone working together as a team. I will definitely be back to the Beaumont, TX location. Thanks Red Lobster for a fantastic Valentine’s Lobsterfest dinner!

I am so blessed to call this beautiful girl my daughter! What a great Valentine’s Day we had. Our dinner at Red Lobster was the perfect meal the end our fun day!

 

 

 I couldn’t end without sharing a recipe! I’ll leave the lobster to Red Lobster since they do it best but how about my version of coconut shrimp and pina colada dipping sauce? It turned out excellent, flavorful and crunchy and the sweet sauce was the ideal accompaniment! Bonus: I love that I didn’t have to worry about the mess and smell of frying the shrimp!

Simply mix all three ingredients together for the pina colada sauce then refrigerate so it can chill and the flavors can blend. Absolutely delicious with seafood!

This pina colada sauce is spot on to the Red Lobster version! I even brought home a cup of the sauce with my leftovers from the restaurant and compared. Identical!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and coat with non stick spray.

Turn over shrimp and bake for an additional 10 minutes so the shrimp is golden on both sides.

Perfectly golden brown, crunchy and delicious.

So head over to Red Lobster and try their new LobsterFest menu and then make these Coconut Shrimp with Pina Colada dipping sauce for your family at home!

Two great meals, one out and one at home, that you will love!

 

 In celebration of National Coffee Day I wanted to share one of my favorite coffee drinks from my #1 restaurant back home in Northwest Florida, McGuire’s Irish Pub. I worked there for a couple years in college and I have been eating (and drinking) there for as long as I can remember. Frozen Irish Coffee is like a boozy coffee milkshake and the best thing it’s FREE with their Sunday brunch (starting at just $9!). I just had to recreate it at home, using the recipe from the McGuire’s Cookbook.

I am happy to say it was just as tasty as their version (but sadly missing their delectable brunch filled with beignets, fruit, benedicts, and omelettes).

It couldn’t more simple: mix all ingredients in a blender until milkshake consistency then top with whipped cream and a straw!

Frosty, frothy, and delicious!

My version and the Mcguire’s version, complete with a green cherry!

My Dad and Ashton enjoying brunch and Irish Coffee on Father’s Day.

My family celebrating Father’s Day in McGuire’s Wine Cellar room.

Beignets are served deliciously coated in powdered sugar.

We always order a bowl of 18 cent (you read that right!) Senate Bean Soup. 

 Rich and creamy Spinach and Artichoke Dip with homemade chips is a popular appetizer.

Eggs Killarney, loaded with steak and hollandaise, is my favorite brunch item.

Their sandwiches are mouthwatering too, including their huge steak burgers and Reuben sandwiches.

Pork chops are my top choice for dinner (and easily big enough to share!).

Dining out at McGuire’s Irish Pub is a fun and delicious experience any time of day!

Lots of flavorful chopped garlic, light beer, and gooey cheese make this fondue the perfect warm meal during these cold winter nights!

Stir with a fork until the cheese is completely melted.

Add the Green Goddess Sauce (recipe here).

Season with ground black pepper and Garlic and Wine Seasoning (available at The Melting Pot)

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

I am so excited to announce our upcoming giveaway starting tomorrow! We have teamed up with my favorite restaurant, The Melting Pot of Houston and we are giving away two $50 gift cards and two The Melting Pot ‘Dip into Something Different’ Cookbooks! 

 

In honor of National Fondue Month, next week will be Fondue Week here at For the Love of Food and I will have a new, fun recipe from The Melting Pot every day!

 

 

 Most people know The Melting Pot for their delicious sweet and savory choices of fondue but did you know they also have an extensive specialty drink menu? In my opinion, there is no better way to start off a memorable meal than with a martini! My favorite has to be the Love Martini, a tasty concoction of Coconut  Rum, Peach Schnapps, and Cranberry Juice! Not too strong, not too sweet….just right! Whether you are out with your girlfriends or your special someone, this drink will definitely make you feel all warm and cozy inside! Check out the recipe below.