Month: September 2019

My Favorite Coffee Shop #1: Belladonna Tea and Coffee

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Hello friends, and welcome to another Foodie Friday! Today is the start of a new series where I’ll be telling you all about my favorite coffee shops. Of course we have to start with my all time favorite, Belladonna Tea and Coffee.

What is Belladonna Tea and Coffee?

Belladonna Tea and Coffee (nicknamed Belladonna) is a cute independently run coffee shop by two guys. They make all of their own teas and syrups in house, along with using fresh and locally sourced ingredients. One of the owners is in charge of making the drinks, while the other works in the kitchen. Pastries include bagels, macaroons, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and so much more from a little bakery about a mile away from their shop. While the shop used to be located in my hometown, about a year ago they moved to a neighboring town 15 minutes away.

Black Forest Ham Panini with Asian Slaw.
Chai Tea latte with assorted macaroons.

What makes Belladonna my favorite?

Everything on the menu at Belladonna is to DIE for. I have yet to order a drink or meal that I haven’t enjoyed. All the food is homemade and flavors are always on point. Belladonna is home to my favorite Chai Tea Latte on the planet. I have yet to have a Chai as good as theirs! I love how unique all of their flavors are. They take everyday food items and put a modern twist on them, making them their own. But what really separates Belladonna from other coffee shops I’ve been to is their hospitality. Both the owners are so incredibly nice. They work every single day the shop is open, and usually it’s just the two of them! When your drinks and food arrive, one of the owners always stops by to see what you think of your order. If something isn’t up to par, they are quick to make it right (however that never happens cause it’s always on par). This genuine care for customer satisfaction is what I love so dearly about Belladonna. I go there on the weekends to catch up with my best friend and we could be there for HOURS and we never feel pressured to leave. A lot of the times that we are there the owners will come have a conversation with us, making the experience that much more endearing. I have had instances where I’ve walked into the shop and they’ve given me an extra punch for my card, or they’ll have a drink pre made for my friend because they know her order by heart. This attention to detail is what makes Belladonna my favorite coffee shop of all time. I don’t think any coffee shop could ever replace them as my all time favorite. The atmosphere there and the people, along with amazing food and beverages makes Belladonna the coffee shop I want to be at.

Brioche French Toast with Bourbon Maple Syrup.
Pear and Gorgonzola Salad with Raspberry Refresher.

I hope you all enjoyed my first post of my favorite coffee shops. Be on the lookout for more posts like these, as they will pop up intermittently throughout my weekly Foodie Friday installments. If you happen to get a chance to visit Belladonna Tea and Coffee, I can promise you won’t regret it!

Sincerely, Sunnysidewithsiri

Restaurant Review: Keke’s Breakfast Café

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Hello friends, and welcome to another Foodie Friday! Today I’m going to be reviewing Keke’s Breakfast Café. If you’d like to hear my thoughts, then keep reading!

I visited Keke’s Breakfast Café with my roommate for a late breakfast last week for brunch. She had been telling me that they have the most delicious chocolate chip waffles so that is what I decided to try. When we got there, the restaurant was very busy so we had to wait. The hostess said it would be a 40 minute wait, but we only waited about 15 minutes for a table. When we seated our waitress came right over to get us started on some beverages. We both got iced coffee with vanilla creamer. When the waitress returned with our coffees, we were ready to order our food. I got the chocolate chip waffle with turkey bacon and scrambled eggs. The food arrived very quick which made us both happy as we were so excited to eat their waffles. Let me tell you, Keke’s did not disappoint. That was by far the BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP WAFFLE I have ever eaten. The chocolate chips were ooey gooey and melted in my mouth. The waffle itself was light, fluffy and had the perfect balance of sweetness. I devoured that waffle so quickly it was just that good. The sides I ordered were also delicious. The turkey bacon had a nice balance of crunch to chew ratio and wasn’t too salty. My scrambled eggs were also cooked properly and added a nice source of protein to my meal. The best part of all, it was under $20 for the whole meal! Overall, I had a wonderful first experience at Keke’s Breakfast Café, and I will definitely be returning for that chocolate chip waffle. I would highly recommend Keke’s to anyone who loves a good hearty breakfast, just make sure to get there early or you’ll probably have to wait.

Keke’s Chocolate chip waffle with scrambled eggs and turkey bacon.

I hope you all enjoyed this weeks installment of Foodie Friday. If you ever get a chance to go to Keke’s, or have been there yourself let me know what you think of it.

Sincerely, Sunnysidewithsiri

My Favorite Protein Bar

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Hello friends, and welcome to another Workout Wednesday. This week, we aren’t talking exercise. We are talking healthy eating. I’m going to be telling you about some of my favorite protein bar and why I love it. Keep reading if you’d like to add a new protein bar to your repertoire.

ONE Bars

One bars are a brand of protein bar that seriously delivers on the protein front. With 20g of protein and only 1g of sugar per bar! As someone who has worked hard to cut my sugar, especially the processed ones, I am so happy to have found a bar that is low sugar and TASTES GOOD. Their are on average 230 calories per bar with 10g of fiber, 8g if fat, and 23g of carbs, meaning one bar will keep you full and satisfied for a long time. They have a variety of flavors to choose from: Peanut Butter Pie, Almond Bliss, Maple Glazed Donut, Birthday Cake, Chocolate Brownie, and Blueberry Cobbler to name a few. The first One Bar I ever tried was the Maple Glazed Donut and it was fantastic. The bar itself didn’t have a weird texture which generally seems to be a problem with protein bars. Also, the flavor was delicious. One Bars don’t have that artificial taste like some other brands do. The best thing about these bars is that when I eat one my sweet craving is cured. I fill full, satisfied and have lots of energy to power me through the day. One Bars can be purchased at a number of locations: Walmart, Target, Trader Joe’s, and Amazon are just a few of places they can be found. If you are looking for a good protein bar that actually does its job, then I highly recommend One Bars. You won’t be disappointed.

The wide variety of One Bar flavors

I hope you all enjoyed this weeks Workout Wednesday. If you ever decide to try a One Bar for yourself, let me know in the comments below what you think of them.

Sincerely, Sunnysidewithsiri

The Most Phenomenal Sandwich I Have Had the Pleasure to Eat

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Hello friends, and welcome to another Foodie Friday! Today I am going to be telling you about the most magical sandwich I have ever eaten! I seriously don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat another sandwich again it was JUST THAT GOOD. Keep reading if you’d like to hear about this life changing sandwich!

Mama Dilo’s Deli

My roommates family owns a deli in Winter Haven Florida. It is called Mama Dilo’s Deli and it is SPECTACULAR! It’s a cute little place with lots of charm and by far the most amazing sandwiches I’ve ever tasted. I order the Hallett’s Hot Lunch which is Grilled Turkey, Roast Beef, Provolone, Smoked Cheddar, Thousand Island, and Italian Salad. This sandwich is LEGENDARY. The meat was so tender and the cheese was perfectly melted. The bread was perfectly toasted, giving it a nice crunch element. They make their own roast beef and thousand island in house and it shows! The sandwich is bursting with flavor and the addition of the salad on top ties the whole thing together. I would highly recommend Mama Dilo’s Deli to anyone who is going to Florida. I don’t care what part you are in, make time to try this sandwich shop you will not be disappointed. I can say with 100% certainty that I have never had a better sandwich than this and I am officially spoiled.

Mama Dilo’s Deli Menu

Hallett’s Hot Lunch

I hope you all enjoyed this weeks Foodie Friday! Please let me know if you ever get a chance to go to Mama Dilo’s, you won’t be disappointed!

Sincerely, Sunnysidewithsiri