The Hammered Lamb - 1 Star

Hammered Lamb is located on North Orange Avenue in the Lake Ivanhoe area. It's a neat bar with a nice view and clientele.

Blue Moon

I first went the night Orlando Weekly had their Blue Moon Artfully Crafted Box Party there. It was a pretty cool deal! My cousin and I got tickets for free Blue Moon and then a ticket to vote for our favorite Box Artist. While there, we got to drink for free (of course we tipped), play a game (throw a ping pong ball in a cup to win a prize) and try some tasty hors d'oeuvres. Pretty cool set up for sure! The people we met and talked with were really friendly. The bartenders were also fast and on it for it being so busy. It definitely was a nice night out!

After the event finished, my cousin and I decided to stay a little longer and try some food. I ordered their House Baked Chicken Wings and my cousin got the Fruit and Veggie Flatbread. Both were really good. The wings were kind of spicy (I may be more sensitive than most) and flavorful. I enjoyed them. The fruit and veggie flatbread was my favorite though! It has peaches, apples, spinach, booseberry jam, with manchego, fontina, and goat cheese. When I took my first bite, it made my mouth water for more. It was pure deliciousness! It is one of the best flatbreads I've had.

House Baked Chicken Wings and the Fruit & Veggie Flatbread

All in all, we had a really good time! We got to meet one of the owners that night and take free shots (they give out free shots when a train passes by). The owner we met, Jason, was really nice and friendly and the free shot idea is really cool.

Since my first visit, I have been back. Some biking friends and I stopped by this past Sunday (2013) for drinks while on our bike ride. It's nice that they are bike friendly. We stayed for about an hour and had a nice time. There was live music playing and the drinks were refreshing on such a hot day.

I recently went to the Hammered Lamb for their brunch with a couple of my friends (back in February 2015). We have started started doing brunch on Sundays. A friend recommended Hammered Lamb because she wanted to try it out. I had been before and agreed that it would be a good place to go. Disappointment was to be had though. One of my friends and I ordered the breakfast pizza. It had no flavor. We ate it, but had to think of our own ways to doctor it up. My other two friends weren't overly pleased either with their meals. The food just wasn't as good as it had been the few times I had gone before. Their bathrooms are also not clean anymore. We were there in the morning/brunch time and it was dirty. That is not okay in my book. At night I understand they can get a little dirty or trashed due to it being a bar, but on a Sunday for brunch...no excuse for it to be unclean. One positive, they have a bloody mary bar (one of my friends enjoyed it) and their mimosas were good for the price. I was really looking forward to eating something great based off my previous experiences, but it was just a disappointing experience this time.

So...what do I recommend? My recommendation is, go for drinks, but not for brunch or to eat. They no longer offer the fruit and veggie flatbread. My favorite is gone, therefore, I will not go back there to eat. But, if you are looking for a bar to stop at when on a bike ride or to go out and drink with friends, then Hammered Lamb is an okay place. Will I be back again? No. It is not good anymore. In my opinion, it has gone from being a cool place to being like the dirty downtown bars.

If you want more information about The Hammered Lamb or to check it out for yourself...visit either their website at 

http://www.hammeredlamb.com/index.html or their facebook page. 

My cousin and I having a good time (first free train shot)

         Busy place....                             Me with one of the owners, Jason

Biking trip...drinks were refreshing!

*Pictures are from previous visits in 2013.

Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards - 4 Stars

Located in Clermont, Florida, Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards is a neat place. They have several different wines and offer complimentary tours and tastings all week long.

 

I recently went to Lakeridge for my first time last month with a couple friends. I have had their wine before, but never had been to visit the winery. They were having their 23rd Annual Harvest Festival to benefit Cornerstone Hospice of Lake and Sumter. There was live music, wine, tours, food, ice cream, arts & crafts booths, and stomping of grapes. I was excited!

When my friends and I drove up, it was a really neat sight! There were vines everywhere. It was

really cool. We parked on the grass and got out ready to have fun! They had golf carts to drive us to the winery since it was about a mile walk and really hot outside. The first thing we did when we got off the golf cart was of course, take a picture of the winery and use the bathroom. They had really nice porta potties...they were luxurious for a porta potty. Then we moved onto looking at the different booths. After about 15-20 minutes of walking around in the heat and humidity (good ole' Florida weather), we decided we needed a drink. So we went to get a glass of wine. Delicious! I got their Southern Red because it is my favorite. It was nice and refreshing (it's a chilled red wine)! From there we decided to enjoy the music and scenery for a little, so we walked around a little more.

After being at the festival for about an hour, we decided it was time to stomp some grapes! It looked like so much fun there was no way I wasn't going to try it. One of my friends and I decided we would compete against each other. We got in line and when our turns came, we took off our shoes and stepped into the bucket of grapes. It looked so gross! It was squishy and a little cold. When the timer started, we started stomping. At first you are grossed out by the inside of the bucket, but once you start stomping you forget, and just have a blast! I seriously had so much fun stomping the grapes; I got so into it. My friend and I laughed the whole 2 minutes we stomped. Our competition was fun, but the funny thing is we both lost to a young girl. Oh well, it is something we will never forget; a great memory! After we cleaned up our feet, we watched a few more people (and our other friend) stomp and then decided to get another drink. This time I went with the Southern White. It was good!

While at the festival we also went on a tour. We got to try all their different wines. It was really neat and the workers were extremely friendly and nice. We had a great time talking to them on the tour. After the tour, we decided to get our t-shirts that we earned from stomping the grapes and get some chocolate we heard was upstairs. Yum! We stayed at the winery for about 4 hours. It was so much fun! The wine, grape stomping, and music was great. Everyone was very friendly! We definitely made some great memories that we can always look back on and laugh about.

If you have never been to Lakeridge Winery, then you should definitely visit. It is a local. The history behind it is really interesting to read about. They also have some good wine and really neat events every month. To learn more about the winery and/or events you can visit their website...and don't forget to mention you read about them on here!

http://www.lakeridgewinery.com/index.php

Here are a few interesting pictures of our day!

 

Enjoying our first glass of wine

    The bucket                                    My friend and I ready to stomp

Just having a good time stomping the grapes!

White Wolf Cafe- 3.5-4 Stars

White Wolf Cafe is amazing! Everything I have tried, I have enjoyed! It is one of my favorite breakfast places...but it also has a great lunch and dinner menu. It is located on North Orange Avenue near Lake Ivanhoe. Every time I have gone, I never have had leftovers because the food is so good. :) You should definitely visit if you've never been!

I first started going probably about 3 years ago. I went with friends after a 5K in Winter Park. It was delicious! The choices on the menu all looked so good I had a hard time choosing, ha. After running your appetite is big so I was excited to eat there. They are known for their cinnamon rolls and so of course I had to get one that day. It was awesome! I ate one there and then left with a box of half a dozen for my two roommates (and maybe another one for me later). The breakfast was really tasty! Overall it was a great first visit and they definitely sold me on the place!

Egg, cheese, turkey bacon sandwich

Since my first experience I have been back to White Wolf many, many times. I have had breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some of the things I have enjoyed on their breakfast menu are cinnamon rolls, different egg breakfast meals, biscuits & gravy, french toast, breakfast sandwiches, and pancakes. Everything has been very good! I really love their cinnamon rolls (as I've mentioned before) and biscuits & gravy. They also have great mimosas to enjoy with breakfast (or brunch).

I have been for lunch and dinner a few times. One time I met my mom for lunch. I was happy to see that they had gluten free options because my mom has Celiac Disease, which means she cannot eat gluten. Gluten free choices are becoming a necessity with restaurants because people like my mom cannot go out to eat much if there are no gluten free meals. The few times I have been for lunch and dinner the food was really good. I really like their Fresh Fish Sandwich...it's delicious! But looking at their menu again, I definitely need to try a few more things that have caught my eye lately.

My cousin's meal (Caprese Sandwich)

White Wolf Cafe really is a great place. The atmosphere is neat and inviting! They have all kinds of cool decorations inside and a great outside eating area as well. The service has always been really good, I've never left unhappy. I even got to meet one of the owners the last time I went! I have been for breakfast after a race, breakfast with a friend, brunch on Sunday with friends, lunch with family, and even dinner on a date...it really is a neat place for any occasion or meal. Oh, and when you go, make sure (girls) to stop by the bathroom because they have really awesome hand salts to try when washing your hands. :)

So...if you've never been, give it a try! You will definitely be pleased, taste buds and all. If you happen to go for brunch on Sunday, there may be a wait. Just stop by their new place next door and have a mimosa or bloody mary while you wait. Enjoy!

Website for more information! http://www.whitewolfcafe.com/

My cousin and I with the owner, Michael (we visited while on a bike ride)

Mimosas!

On my days off and/or week nights I like to...

Run, run, run! I am doing a little more running lately. I've been eating REAL good lately at all the new and good old favorite places! The food has been delicious and very enjoyable. I actually have enjoyed it so much that I have eaten my whole meal almost every time. Oh my!

How do I enjoy my food and not gain too much weight...by running more. Running is actually a big hobby of mine and I enjoy doing it. I love to run around Baldwin Park or Lake Eola with a running group or alone. It is a great way to end a long day, begin a day, or release stress! It is also a great way to burn calories and fat. So...pick up your shoes and go outside and give running a try!

OLV in SODO - 3 Stars (due to lack of consistent schedule)

OLV is a really great place to eat, drink, and be merry! I love this place for brunch or dinner. If you have never been to OLV, then you are definitely missing out! I have been many times and keep going back for more.

So to begin... here is my OLV journey. I first went probably about a little less than a year ago. A friend of mine invited me to join him. My first thought was what is this place? With it being in the SODO area I was kind of shocked I had never been or heard of it before. I trusted my friend's opinion of course. I really liked it. I went for dinner and just really enjoyed the place. It was quiet and clean inside. They also have several wines to choose from to add to your dinner (Yum!). I had a flatbread (don't remember which one due to it being so long ago) and definitely remember liking it a lot. I also had a glass of wine...a delicious white wine. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. Overall, my first experience was really good. I went home telling people about OLV and then got responses like, yeah it's a really great place and their brunch is amazing! How was I out of the loop being such a foodie?

Delicious assortment at brunch

I decided I needed to go back to try out their "amazing" brunch (my cousin's response after my first visit). I went with a Meetup group of girls. We were a party of about 10 people and our table was outside. For us being such a big party, the staff was very nice and helpful. Brunch is amazing! So many choices for food and mimosa juices. I was so excited about being able to choose the juice I wanted to make my mimosa with. The even better part is it is all you can drink mimosas (or champagne if you just prefer champagne). Yum! Then I even found out I could order stuffed french toast...yum again! I was definitely pleased with brunch and so was my palate with all the delicious flavors I enjoyed. After that I haven't stopped going for brunch and you won't either once you try it!

The next couple of times I went, I again enjoyed the different choices of juices. A couple juices I have used are orange juice, cranberry, peach, and pear, but of course there are many other choices as well. I have even gotten creative the last few times and mixed a couple juices together to make my mimosas. I also noticed that they change the french toast. How often I don't know, but it is nice to try the different kinds of stuffed french toast. I have had strawberry cream cheese, pumpkin spice (or maybe it was pumpkin cream cheese), and regular cream cheese stuffed french toast. I always get the french toast because it is a fav of mine. And when you go to OLV it isn't about trying to be healthy so I indulge.

Great outside seating!

Each time I have gone, the service has been really good and the staff has been really nice and helpful. The last couple of times I have gone, I realized I could ask for strawberries even though they didn't have them out on the buffet table. I was definitely pleased that they accommodated my love for strawberries since I'm not a melon, pineapple, or cantaloupe fan (the fruit they've had out the last few times). All in all, OLV is a great place and a great deal for the price!

A couple neat and important things you should know before you go to brunch are... 1) Call and make a reservation for brunch before you decide to go (a day before is good for a small group) because it is a busy place on Sundays. 2) They have a live DJ there for brunch on Sundays and it can get loud outside with the speakers and music, but you can request a table inside or away from the speakers. 3) It is a popular place and can get pretty crowded on Sundays. 4) You should definitely go with an empty stomach and big appetite. AND 5) Enjoy yourself and the mimosa bar!  If you want to check out their menus or find more information about OLV before you go, I have included the website below. They also have other specials throughout the week that you can check out on their website. So...get a friend, boyfriend, husband, girlfriend, family, or a group together and experience OLV!

Website: http://olvcafe.com/

*Update: OLV is currently not open at the same times/days they used to be. I have tried to go once on the weekend and it wasn't open. Their website says they are open certain times and they aren't. You need to call them before you go to see if they are open! I unfortunately do not go anymore due to their inconsistent schedule. Once they can get everything worked out, I might go back. What they are going through is sad because they definitely had a good thing going a while ago.

A couple brunch pictures:

Strawberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast and...

Another picture of the choices on the buffet table

 

The Yummy Juice/Mimosa Bar!

Salon Muse-Christina

"Change your hair, change your life..." as my cousin always says. But it is so true! I love to change my hair, mostly my color nowadays, but once in a while I change the length. Changing length takes commitment...I no longer can tolerate going from short to long, so I don't chop it off anymore. Anyhow...if you want to change your look, your do, your color, or just want to feel better about your hair...you should stop on by Salon Muse and see my good friend Christina Tadros! She will "Change your hair, change your life!"

If you're ready for a change, or maybe just want to see what Christina is all about and give her a try scroll down for her contact information. Seriously, you should!

I originally started going to Christina in April 2013. My old stylist (of about 8 years) and I parted ways mainly because of how he treated my mom one time. I won't go into details, but what happened finally convinced me to go see my cousin's stylist. I had always admired my cousin's hair  and loved her cut, color, and had heard so much about her stylist so I scheduled an appointment. I was nervous a little because new stylist means change. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, it was just a big change to change my stylist. If you are someone who gets your hair done regularly, you know what I mean. BUT...I was SO happy, and realized after my first appointment that I needed that change! I began to understand my cousin's philosophy of hair...haha.

My first visit with Christina was AMAZING! I just got a trim, but when I say it was AMAZING, I mean it was! Here's the deal...I have never had my head massaged during a wash. I know, such a little thing, but oh did it feel good! I was having a conversation with Christina just about life and all of a sudden, I couldn't talk normal because she started to massage my head/hair. Honestly, that sold me! It felt good. I have gone back and will continue to see her on a regular basis because each time, I leave feeling so happy with my hair.

The second time I went I got my hair styled a little and loved the change. I needed it, didn't realize it, but that's what your stylist is for...to change your normal to make you look and feel better. This last time I changed my color. At first I was a little hesitant, but again, I trust her because she really is great at what she does! So, I changed my color...needed to, just needed to be pushed to do it (what a stylist is for). Again, I left feeling great! I am SO happy with what she did! I love my color and trim! Christina is really amazing at what she does; she knows her stuff. I haven't been disappointed, every change she has encouraged me to make, I have loved. And I will continue to follow her ideas because I trust her completely with my hair!

Christina Tadros
Email: CHRISTINAMTADROS@GMAIL.COM
Phone: (619) 519-0515
She used to be at M2 Salon, but is now at Salon Muse in Winter Park on Orange Ave.

If you go see her...let her know you saw her on my blog. Thanks and Enjoy Your New Hair!

Here are a few pictures from my hair changing visits...

Before                                After

  

Before                                         After

Call Christina! 

"Change your hair, change your life!"

The Gnarly Barley...5 Stars

One of my FAVORITE places to go! I love the atmosphere, service, food, and drinks. If you've never been, you need to go and well, you'll probably go back quite often after your first time. :)

The Wall

The Gnarly Barley is a local bar...my dad actually played softball and golf with one of the owners' dads a while ago. They have tacos, sandwiches, and beer. It really is a great place to drink, eat, and hang out.

I have been a few times already. The first time I went, my brother and his wife were the ones who introduced me. I had their Great Grilled Cheese. You literally get to mix and match 5 different cheeses to make your sandwich. Since I am a huge cheese fan, I was in heaven. It was really good! My brother got the Tacos (which ones I don't remember). He is a huge fan of their tacos. My brother's wife had The 38. It is a sub roll filled with turkey, ham, bacon, provolone, honey mustard, and tiger sauce with lettuce and tomato on the side. It's her favorite sandwich there. I tried it and was definitely wanting my own even though I was already eating my grilled cheese. The next time I went, I went with my cousin. We went late just for drinks. This last time I went, I got the Gnarly Dip. Mmm it was good!. It is a sub roll with roast beef, swiss, red onion (no onions for me, not an onion eater), and tiger sauce with au' jus on the side. My friend had the tacos...they are known for their tacos. Deliciousness for both of us! :)

The Gnarly Dip

How is their service? Awesome service! I've never had a problem nor have I ever been disappointed. They are really nice and welcoming. The staff is honestly the nicest I've seen in a while. You don't have to wait for anything except the food to be cooked (of course). :) Would I go back? Absolutely! I have already been a few times and definitely mention The Gnarly Barley when my friends and I plan to go out.

They have Taco Tuesdays where the tacos are $2 all day. Awesome deal. I think I might actually go tomorrow for it. They also have Happy Hour Tuesday-Friday from 4-7. The Gnarly Barley is seriously a cool place! I love going! If you've never been then you definitely need to go and try it out. You won't be disappointed!

Here is their website so you can check them out a little more before you go if you'd like:

http://www.thegnarlybarley.com/