Beautiful Bennington, Vermont ... visit any time of the year

View from Bennington Monument

By Jane Feehan

I may be going out on a limb here starting to write about other than Florida and the Gulf Coast, but my work takes me to different towns and cities, many of them places that deserve a word and a picture or two.

Main Street

One of them is Bennington, Vermont. People come from all over the world to see its Fall foliage. It is, indeed, beautiful. Mountains are not some faraway scenery here; they seem to rise up all around the town, defining its essence in an intimate, friendly way.

Vermont is one of the last settled areas of the New England colonies. There is no record of settlers in the Green Mountain State (hence the French-derived name, Vermont)  before 1760. It grew in importance in a few years, however; it was the site of the Battle of Bennington in 1777. The British, led by General John Burgoyne, were routed by the American Colonists in clash that proved to be more a psychological boost for the Colonists than anything else.

Road to Bennington Monument near peak foliage

Today, with about 15,700 residents (about 36,000 in the county), Bennington is the third largest city in the state. It’s a short drive – about 35 miles – from Albany, New York. I recommend a visit here any time of the year.

There’s more to come on Bennington: Grandma Moses, covered bridges, and some places to visit. Stay tuned.

Same road to the monument a month later

More on Bennington at: http://www.bennington.com/

Tags: Bennington, Vermont, places to visit in Bennington, museums in Bennington
Visit its museums: http://janesbits.blogspot.com/2011/11/bennington-museum-for-all-things.html
 and http://janesbits.blogspot.com/2011/11/bennington-center-for-arts-and-its.html

Morning in Fort Lauderdale

A1A and appropriately, Sunrise Boulevard - taken by Jane Feehan






Tags: Fort Lauderdale beach, Fort Lauderdale photos, Jane Feehan

Rocco's Tacos - another reason to visit Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas Boulevard

(Use search box at right to find other restaurants by zip code or name)

Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar

1313 E. Las Olas Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

954-524-9550

Also in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach with one opening soon in Palm Beach Gardens

www.roccostacos.com

Lunch: M-F, 11:30 a.m.- 4 pm, Saturday and Sunday, 11 am-4 pm

Dinner: Sunday-Thursday, 4 pm-2 am; Friday and Saturday, 4 pm – 3 am

Takeout 

By Jane Feehan

Fort Lauderdale’s Mexican restaurant universe has expanded with the addition of Rocco’s Tacos on Las Olas Boulevard. This casual, high energy eatery offers authentic, tasty dishes in south-of-the-border tradition.

Guacamole is made up fresh – tableside - with the right blend of avocado, tomato and lime juice. At $12 this appetizer seems pricey but it easily feeds four.  Soft tacos, a smaller version than Americans are used to, come steaming to the table topped with a broad range of choices: pulled pork, chicken, or beef, grilled fish, lightly fried rock shrimp, or vegetables (there are plenty of vegetarian-friendly choices). Combination plates (average $14) or individual tacos ($3-4), and a great appetizer line-up please most any purse or appetite. Quesadillas, flautas, nachos, and enchiladas top off fare that is lower on the grease-o-meter than that of other Mexican restaurants. Rocco’s also serves skirt steaks, fish dishes, burgers, and salads.

An attractive bar with 225 varieties of tequila – and late hours (2 and 3 am closings) - is a hit with the youngish crowd, but Rocco’s welcomes all. Service is above average and management works hard to please, frequently asking if all is OK. Rocco’s fills up early; it's not unusual to see a line waiting for tables on weekdays. Reservations are available. Parking is $5 but there's metered parking nearby. Patio and indoor dining.

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For delicious guacamole recipes, visit Food Network at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=guacamole&fnSearchType=site

Tags: Mexican restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, Las Olas restaurants, late-night dining on Las Olas, tacos in Fort Lauderdale, bars in Fort Lauderdale.

Remembering September 11: To lift a nation

Posted by Jane Feehan


This 40-foot-high sculpture is located at the National Fire Academy on the grounds of FEMA's National Emergency Training Center, Emmitsburg, MD. The inspiration was a photo taken of three firemen, Billy Eisengrein, Daniel McWilliams and George Johnson, who raised the flag at ground zero. They did not know they were being photographed.  My photo here cannot convey its inspiration.

The inscription below this beautiful remembrance reads:

Three firemen raised a flag at ground zero in silent tribute to those brave firefighters who answered the call. This noble flag is raised permanently in honor of those heroes and all who serve this great nation. May God continue to bless America.

                          Sculptor: Stan Watts

Historical Marker database:http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=19023
For more information, visit: http://www.firehouse.com/news/news/lift-nation-dedicated-emmitsburg-maryland


Tags: 911 sculpture, 911 remembrance, Billy Eisengrein, Daniel McWilliams, George Johnson

Village Grille, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea for dining and beach breezes

Village Grille

4404 El Mar Drive

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL 33308

Open daily 8 a.m.-2 a.m.

954-776-5092

www.villagegrille.com

(USE SEARCH BOX TO FIND ANOTHER RESTAURANT BY NAME  OR ZIP CODE)

By Jane Feehan

Located just steps from the beach and Broward County’s longest fishing pier, Village Grille offers good food and a pleasant atmosphere that draws just as many locals as tourists.

Basic seafood, pasta, chicken, beef dishes, and salads headline lunch and dinner. Their fish and chips entrée (about $14) deserves special mention; the fish is batter dipped in house.  No fancy dining here and menus have changed over the years but I’ve never had a bad meal at Village Grille. Breakfast on the deck or sidewalk café includes better-than-average French toast along with other morning standards of eggs and cereal.

A visit to Village Grille often includes an after-meal walk on the beach or pier, or a drink at their adjacent Village Pump where there’s music and a martini bar. On Friday evenings at 6 p.m. the street is cordoned off outside the restaurant for live music and dancing.  Drawing hundreds, this weekly event has evolved into a Lauderdale-by-the-Sea tradition … and it’s free.   

Dining at Village Grille is more than filling up on food; it’s also about taking in the beach, gentle breezes and good times. Just don't forget quarters for parking meters.

Tags: Dining in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, beachside dining Fort Lauderdale, entertainment in Fort Lauderdale, entertainment in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.

Sublime Restaurant not so sublime on this visit - Fort Lauderdale

Sublime Restaurant

1431 N. Federal Hwy

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304

954-615-1431

Open Tuesday-Sunday: 5:30-10 p.m.

Happy Hour at the bar: 5:30-7:30

http://sublimerestaurant.com/

By Jane Feehan

I can’t count the times I’ve eaten at Sublime and thoroughly enjoyed the concept, food, atmosphere, and gracious hospitality of owner Nanci Alexander, animal rights activist. Ms. Alexander walks the talk, firmly committed to her cause; she donates 100 percent of Sublime’s profits to organizations that promote animal welfare and a vegan lifestyle.

That said, my recent visit to introduce someone to this restaurant – and to vegan dining – backfired. Pot stickers ($5), an appetizer, appeared as if they had been sitting in the kitchen too long. Tough, flat, skimpy - not much larger than 50 cent pieces, these pot stickers kicked things off to a poor start. Then came the main course, Singapore Noodles (about $16) with vegetables. An unappetizing heap (at least a pound) of noodles was delivered with tiny fragments of vegetables scattered about on the edges of the plate. With little or no sauce, the noodles were barely edible.  Fellow diner ordered the Portobello Stack ($19) with spinach, tomato, rosemary and mashed potatoes. Nice ingredients but absolutely tasteless.  This too scored low in presentation.  We skipped desert.

Maybe a new chef is directing the kitchen? Sublime seemed nearly gloomy for a Friday night. BUT, I’ll return; I’ve had too many great meals there not to. I salute Ms. Alexander for her work, which includes founding Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (AARF) and for introducing Fort Lauderdale to ambitiously delicious vegan cuisine. She wasn’t there on my last visit; maybe that was the problem.

 Tags: Fort Lauderdale dining, vegan dining in Fort Lauderdale, vegetarian restaurants in Fort Lauderdale

Molokai: foot stompin' summer nights at Fort Lauderdale's Mai-Kai

Molokai Lounge at the Mai-Kai

3599 N. Federal Highway

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

954-563-3272

Open at 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday (summer hours)

http://www.maikai.com/specials/happy-hour-specials

By Jane Feehan

The Mai-Kai has retained its appeal among tourists, locals, and spring breakers for decades with its Polynesian review, specialty drinks, and scantily clad “serving maidens.” As I’ve written before, not much has changed since the 1950s, but what has changed keeps the place hopping during the slow summer months.

It’s tough finding a seat in the Molokai Lounge these slow-moving, oppressively hot August days. This South Seas fin de siècle saloon stays busy for a few reasons: half-priced drinks* and appetizers and a variety of music acts that has patrons clearing the floor to make room for dancing.

Cadillac Bombers

The Cadillac Bombers skidded into town from Tampa recently to play three and a half hours of foot-stomping, knee-bopping, hand-and-body-shaking swing music that was as intoxicating as a double

Mai-Kai Sidewinders Fang. Whew …

Next in the music line-up is Dan Cunningham’s annual Elvis Anniversary show and – straight from Yeehaw Junction – Slip and the Spinouts with more boppin’. Tai Olapa and Andrew Cornwall change the pace from stomping to swaying on weeknights (see schedule) with ukulele and bongos strumming those laid back island sounds.  

Check out the Mai-Kai Club membership for earning 25 to 50 percent discounts until December. If you’re a Mai-Kai fan, it’s well worth the $15 processing fee. The Molokai Lounge ROCKS. Copyright © 2011. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan.

*Half-price on most, not all, drinks

Tags: Fort Lauderdale entertainment, Fort Lauderdale night life, Fort Lauderdale Polynesian Review, Fort Lauderdale restaurants, summer specials in Fort Lauderdale, Cadillac Bombers, 
Molokai Bar review

Anglin’s Beach Café: Top of the sand, side of the pier in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Anglin’s Beach Café

2 Commercial Blvd.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida 33308

954-491-6007

http://www.anglinsbeachcafe.com/

Open daily 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

Nothing stays the same and that brings both good and sad to Anglin’s Beach Café. Under new ownership for several years, the café offers the same view of the ocean, sand, and sun seekers as its predecessor, Pier Café. For fans that frequented the place in the past, the intimacy of the indoor counter and familiar waitresses that tended to patrons for decades are gone (the gals work down the street at another establishment these days).

The lineup for breakfast, lunch, and now dinner has expanded and so has outdoor seating that includes a deck with umbrellas. Beach Café offers a modernized menu of organic salads and veggies, Panini sandwiches, pizza, New England favs such as clam rolls, and fish and chips (ordinary). There’s also coconut shrimp ($18), soft shell crab sliders ($12), and the tasty Anglin’s Beach Café special – a crispy pita stuffed with veggies and chicken ($12). Swordfish ($25) and other seafood specials are also available. My only complaint was a completely flat Coke, a bad thing on a hot day.

Anglin’s Beach Café caters to tourists and it’s more expensive than the previous restaurant, but there’s much more to choose from, including wine, beer and frozen drinks. Another welcome addition is a singer with guitar at lunch and dinner hours. The wait staff works hard to please and that view is hard to beat …

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For more about the pier, see: http://janesbits.blogspot.com/2011/07/florida-history-broward-countys-longest.html

Tags: restaurants in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, breakfast in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, music in Lauderdale by the sea; beachside dining in Fort Lauderdale, Anglin’s Fishing Pier