Eating out in Flagler County, Florida

It has been a while since we had gone out to dinner. The economy is doing so poorly that we had to tighten our belts and enjoy dinner at home more often that we had during 2007. However, we decided that we would spend Memorial Day weekend 2008 in Flagler County, Florida. The following is a list of the restaurants we visited and what we thought of them.

Blue at The Topaz - This seaside restaurant is located on the first floor of the Topaz Bed and Breakfast. This is a quaint, charming restaurant with tables inside and out on the veranda. We chose to eat outside since there was a nice, cool ocean breeze, and the inside was crowded. We had Friday night dinner here.

Our server was pleasant and courteous and we placed out order quickly with her insight. The appetizers were good. We shared, (as we always do) a bowl of the Lobster Bisque with tarragon and brandy, and the Scallops Wrapped in Bacon with a black bean sauce and a tomato avocado salsa.

The Lobster Bisque was very good, but it could have used pieces of lobster for additional texture and taste. The scallops were also very good but the black bean sauce was terribly out of place and did not compliment the dish in our opinion.

Our entrees arrived after we were finished with the appetizers on cue. The Seared Ahi Tuna with pickled ginger and a soy wasabi vinaigrette was good but was served a little warm. We are very familiar with this dish and we prefer the tuna to be slightly seared while still coldd, so that when it is served it is still slightly chilled and resembles a sushi serving.

The other entree was the Pan Seared Scallops with the smoked tomato and spinach butter. That was very good.

We had a bottle of the house Chardonnay which went well with our meal.

While we were enjoying our meal we were treated to a light show from mother nature as a thunder storm moved in and created a ten minute downpour. Luckily we were well sheltered from the rain under the overhang of the veranda. The lightning lit up the sky, and the ocean, in spectacular ways. We loved the "floor" show.

We enjoyed Blue and our overall rating is...................3.25-Forks


Saturday and Sunday breakfasts were had in the Inn at which we were staying. See Memorial Day Getaway 2008.


The Turtle Shack - The name describes this place to a tee. It is a shack (ocean front), and the food very good, albeit expensive. We sat outside after deciding that it was warmer inside than it was out for a Saturday afternoon. We wanted something light and "seafoodie", and this place was recommended for their crab cakes, so we ordered a la carte; one crab cake, the tomato/caprese tower and the Scallops St. Jacques in a mushroom and cream sauce and a glass of the House Chardonnay.

The crab cake was excellent and almost 100% crab meat but for 13 dollars each you would think you could get more than one 2" ball of crab. Did they forget to mash the ball into a cake?

The tomato and caprese cheese salad was served with basil and a balsamic viniagrette and was also good.

The scallops in the mushroom and cream sauce were excellent, however the accompanying breadsticks were old and stale and not very enjoyable.

Overall, The Turtle Shack merits............................3-Forks


Dinner Saturday night was at the Flagler Fish Company. As the name implies, it is a Fish Store, but it is also a restaurant; but the name doesn't bring to mind a nearly gourmet fish restaurant; neither does the casual appearance nor the fresh fish aroma that permeates the atmosphere. But we were very pleasantly surprised by this seafood shop/restaurant.

As we approached the front door, we noticed some very enlightened dinner specials on the blackboard outside. We were immediately comforted that this was more than a "fried fish with a side of hush puppies" type of place.

We had to wait a few minutes to be seated because all of the 10 tables were full. The wait staff made us feel comfortable by going through the specials, the on-display choice of fish and the menu in detail and getting us set up with what was to be our first bottle of wine; a Reynolds Chardonnay 2006 which was excellent and that we will buy for our domestic consumption. Once we were seated, they brought us a cup of an excellent fish pate with homemade potato chips. The pate was delicious. It was so good we asked our server for another and she cheerfully complied. Regularly you can order the pate as a started which would cost an additional $6.50

For starters we shared (1) Sushi Grade Tuna Loin, crusted with Chili powder and cumin served rare and sliced with seaweed salad, pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi, (2) the Creamy Lobster Bisque with a dollop of genuine lobster meat on top. Both of these were delicious.

For our entrees, Ken chose the Grouper with a garlic-butter and herb sauce with a side of Sauteed Spinach in olive oil, garlic and a hint of lemon and I had the Fried Red Snapper with a curry aioli sauce with Oriental-Stir fried vegetable. The fish was excellent on both counts but the sauces were a little bit overpowering if used too much.

Overall The Flagler Fish Company was a fun and delicious place to enjoy dinner at this seaside resort and we rate it .........................3.75 Forks


Sunday Brunch turned out to be a last minute decision as we drove back from St. Augustine and decided to explore an out of the way Community/Resort called European Village in Palm Coast. This is a multi-use development with residential condos on the upper floors and shops, businesses and restaurants on the ground level.

We looked at menus for the restaurants that were opened for Sunday lunch/brunch and there were American, Italian, and Continental restaurants available and even a pizza parlor which smelled really good, but we opted for a Fine English Tea Room called Shakespeare's.

This restaurant is beautiful inside; high ceilings with intricate crown moldings, beautiful wall coverings, and perfectly appointed decor.

For starters we ordered; 1) the Prawn Cocktail, served English Style with whole cooked shrimp in a glass dish on a bed of lettuce with chopped English Cucumber and brown bread and butter and 2) The homemade Chicken Liver Pate served with a salad garnish, fresh toast points, and a dish of gourmet chutneys.

Both of these were delicious although I preferred the pate to the small sized shrimp.
Then we both ordered the Shakespeare's Afternoon Tea, which was served on an elegant English Fine China Three Tier Platter. First tier consists of 2 homemade freshly baked scones, strawberry preserve, lemon curd, and clotted cream. The second tier consists of mini pastries, shortbread, cakes and chocolates. The third tier is a selection of English Tea Sandwiches, mini savouries with seasonal garnishes. This also included a pot of English tea. We chose the Shakespeare Blend. In addition we also had a split of Freixenet champagne each. The tea sandwiches included, a delicious egg salad sandwich, a turkey sandwich with cheese, a ham sandwich with cheese and chutney and a delicious curried-chicken salad sandwich. The food, the atmosphere and the service were impecable.

We loved Shakespeare's and we think it merits...............4-Forks


Monday morning we opted to leave the Inn and go out to breakfast at Manny's, a restaurant that had been recommended the evening before by a couple we met at the Inn. Manny's was an adequate breakfast, but just a little too greasy. But regardless we ate like we hadn't eaten in 20 hours and we were starved. (BTW we had not eaten anything since a late brunch on Sunday lol.) Eggs, bacon, French Toast, pancakes, country ham, hash browns, toast and orange juice plus a little coffee. It was satisfying and the server was prompt and curteous.

Manny's deserves.............................................................2.75-Forks


We packed up and drove home shortly after Manny's. We had a nice gas broiled steak Monday evening, with a baked potato and spinach sauteed with olive oil, garlic and a splash of lime.

Dinner at home was ..........................................................5-Forks.