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Archives for February 2014

Dockers Bayside Grille: How We’ve Missed You

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Dockers Bayside Grille Grilled Chicken Sandwich and Chips

Dockers Bayside Grille’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich and Chips

Some restaurants are just funner to visit, aren’t they? Something about the experience (whether or not you can actually put your finger on the reason) just feels right. Dockers Bayside Grille (at Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers, Ky) is exactly this sort of place for us. It’s fun, it’s friendly, and it’s always ridiculously delicious.

I’ve written quite a few reviews of Dockers on Genuine Kentucky – always a good sign that it’s a personal favorite.

A Few of these reviews:

Dockers Bayside Grille: Best Breakfast and Best Lunch? What’s Fair About That?!

Dockers Bayside Grille – Mac Daddy of All Onion Rings (the onion rings have changed since this review was written, but they’re still pretty darn good)

When we found out that Dockers had reopened for the season, we went as soon as we possibly could – as in right away.  I was set to order one of their delicious wraps with onion rings (something of an obsession of mine) when I saw the three magic letters: BLT. At that moment in time, nothing but nothing in this world sounded better than a BLT, so I went that route.  When the server (extra friendly like all Dockers servers) asked if I’d like “chips” with that, for some reason that sounded ideal too.

Besides, I can always hook up with the onion rings on the next trip.  And the next.. and the next.. and the next..

You have to understand, “chips” at Dockers doesn’t mean the kind that come in bags – they’re not the kind of chips that leave your fingers greasy and salty. Dockers chips are made in house and are crunchy and out of this world.  No grease. No saltiness. No bag.

I knew the BLT would be great, because everything at Dockers is great, but I didn’t know it’d be BLT perfection.

Holy cats, that was a great BLT!

Honestly, if I were to dream up the ideal BLT, it would be just like this one was: The fresh, perfectly toasted bread was buttery and the bacon was cooked just the way I like it – not overly done, but not “fatty” either. Even the lettuce and tomato were on point.  That’s a culinary miracle for this time of year.

The chips were excellent as well – crisp and yummy, a great sidekick for the star of the show, the awesome BLT.

Michael ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and chips. The grilled chicken was amazing – so much flavor! It was topped with Swiss cheese, sauteed onion and green pepper, and (again) lettuce and tomato that thought it was July instead of February.  He said it was the best sandwich he’s ever had at Dockers – which is really saying something since the boy has had every one on the menu.  I took a bite and have to agree that it was phenomenal.

Each of our sandwiches and chips came with yummy pickles too – a touch I always love.

In hindsight, I wish I’d “opened” one of my BLT’s halves before taking it’s picture. You can’t even see how juicy and delicious the bacon was! In my defense, I was just in a big hurry to dive into the sandwich.

Oh, shucks. I guess we’ll have to go back soon so I can take another picture. Hmmm, I need a recent picture of onion rings too…

Dockers Bayside Grille: BLT and Chips

 

Dockers Bayside Grille is located at Green Turtle Bay Resort & Marina in beautiful Grand Rivers, Kentucky.  Green Turtle Bay has GORGEOUS condos, boat rentals, and a Commonwealth Yacht Club (for dinners). Dockers is THE place to eat breakfast or lunch in the area (or, better yet, breakfast AND lunch!). You don’t have to be a guest at Green Turtle Bay to dine at Docker’s – you just have to enjoy delicious food and friendly people.

I hope you’ll go as soon as possible. Odds are we’ll see you there.

Also See: Green Turtle Bay Condos Review

The Majestic Pizza & Steak House in Benton, Kentucky in a Word: Perfection

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The Majestic Pizza & Steak House (Benton, Ky) Buffet and Iced Tea

There are certain Kentucky Restaurants that I could eat at several times a week – restaurants that are extra fun to review because the positive juices can just flow like a river. The Majestic Pizza & Steak House in Benton, Ky is definitely one of these restaurants.  In fact, when we’re visiting Kentucky Lake (something we do OFTEN), The Majestic is one of our favorite places to eat.

The only complaint I have about The Majestic is this: It’s difficult to decide between all of the delicious options:

  • Their buffets are excellent. Their beautiful… make that gorgeous… salad bar is second to none. Tossed salad, pasta salad, homemade slaw, beets, bean salad, fruit, jell-o, etc.  The hot food buffet never disappoints, either. Case in point, we went last night (which was a Monday).  Let’s be honest, a lot of restaurants save their A game for weekends, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.   We still chose buffet – because of unfailing trust in The Majestic – and our faith was richly rewarded. They didn’t just have their A game, they had the A+ game. I’m normally not that big a fan of buffets, but they are the exception. Last night’s buffet had fried chicken (excellent!), wonderful mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, stuffed cabbage rolls in a wonderful tomato based sauce that I could have eaten like soup, cheese pizza, pasta, greens, corn, and more.  Yes, more!
  • Their pizzas are perfection. When our girls were younger, we’d never venture far from pizza – which was fine because The Majestic has mind-boggling delicious pizza. When they were kids, the decision-making aspect was taken care of… of course we were getting pizza!  The thing is, their pizza is so fantastic, I can’t get enough of it either.
  • The Majestic has GREAT steaks.  Ordering off the menu is just as delicious as choosing the buffet. Their steaks and baked potatoes are freaking fantastic. And when ordering an appetizer, you’ll definitely want to try the Greek Fries – they’re unlike anything you’ve ever had.

The Majestic's Salad Bar

So, you see, the decision making process is a tough-y. Basically, you cannot go wrong. Fortunately, we go pretty often, so we just mix it up. In fact, the last three times we’ve gone, we’ve done something different each time.

The buffet last night was one of the best buffets I’ve ever had. The Majestic easily has one of the best (if not THE best) buffets around. And for less than $10 –  most buffets I’ve seen are several dollars MORE than The Majestic’s and no where near as good.

Not only did the buffet have buffet-staples like mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn (which were all outstanding, by the way) – it also had excellent and juicy fried chicken.  The Majestic has some of the best fried chicken in the state of Kentucky. They also had delicious cabbage rolls that I fell in love with. The filling was like a meatloaf (with rice), wrapped in a beautiful cabbage leaf, and covered with a fantastic tomato-based sauce.  I actually put some of the beautiful sauce on my mashed potatoes…. something that proved to be a delicious idea.

The next time you’re anywhere near Kentucky Lake, Benton, Draffenville, Aurora, or Land Between the Lakes, you just have to stop in to The Majestic and see for yourself why I rave and rave and rave in these reviews.  Gorgeous restaurant, uncommonly friendly people, outstanding food, and reasonable prices. There is nothing I don’t love about The Majestic.

Read one of my other Majestic Pizza and Steak House Reviews� to see the Greek Fries, steak, and baked potato in action.

 


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Happy Birthday, Abraham Lincoln!

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Kentucky for Kentucky Print: Abraham Lincoln Quote

We Kentuckians sit a little straighter and, through pride, grow about 2 inches any time the name Abraham Lincoln is mentioned. Not only – as Americans – are we proud and honored call the same country home as this great man did, we – as Kentuckians – know, “He’s one of ours!”

Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin on February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky to Thomas and Nancy (Hanks) Lincoln. He was named after his paternal grandfather, Abraham, and actually didn’t like being called “Abe,” for short. Not surprising, since nothing about this 6’4″ man was short – aside, of course, from his life.

Abraham Lincoln went on to become our country’s 16th President and arguably our state’s most cherished son… though I have three daughters who’d say the title belongs to Johnny Depp.

The art print pictured at the top is from Kentucky for Kentucky, the crazy cool Kentucky website I told you about in the last post.  Click the image or the following link to order your copy of this limited print (I grabbed our copy this morning!):  Abraham Lincoln I hope to have God on My Side But I Must Have Kentucky

 

Kentucky is Even Beautiful Covered in Ice (Pictures of the Day)

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Tree Buds Covered in Ice

Sure, winter has its drawbacks (no baseball, a lack of fresh produce, cumbersome coats and gloves, chapped lips, dangerous roads, and did I mention no baseball?) – but, make no mistake about it, winter can also be beautiful. The trees encased in glistening ice are breathtaking in the right light.

In the picture above, I think it’s especially pretty – and poignant – that the buds are encased in ice. They had one thing in mind and winter had something else in mind.

We’ll have to give this round to winter….

Kentucky Tree Covered in Ice

Although it’s hard to imagine right now (with ice and snow still covering everything in sight), everything will be gloriously green before we know it. Baseball will be back on the radio and tv (!!!!!) and we’ll be talking about grilling out, ice cream, and gardens.

I’m as anxious as anyone for all of the above, but if experience has taught me anything it’s this: Never wish away time and never even hope for it to hurry – not even a little bit. Live in the moment and see the beauty around you….

Tree Branches Covered in Ice

Because, frankly, it’s everywhere.

Beautiful Cardinal in Ice Covered Tree

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and, in the case of Kentucky, I’d say that’s 100 percent true.  We could use up all the words in the English language (and even borrow some from other languages), but we could never truly describe how beautiful or special our beloved state is.

You’ll have to just see for yourself in our growing collection of pictures of Kentucky! Also, be sure to check out our Pictures of the Day.

Spudz-N-Stuff: A Favorite Place for Lunch in Owensboro (Review)

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Spudz and Stuff Garden Spud

Spudz and Stuff Garden Spud

Varying members of our large family love to get together in Owensboro at least once a week for lunch and laughs. Our goofy cast of characters supply the laughs and whichever restaurant we’re in the mood for supplies the lunch. Fortunately, there are a great number of Owensboro Restaurants to choose from.

To add to the decision-making proceedings, we have several “food determiners” in our group:

  • One of my daughters is a vegetarian and has followed a very strict vegetarian diet over half of her life
  • Another daughter has a wheat/gluten allergy and is now adhering to a very strict gluten free diet. Even cross-contamination is a real danger, causing frightening reactions.
  • I, myself, have to eat gluten and wheat free. My body has decided that they’re poison and will react violently if I allow them on the premises.

Even with these stipulations, we’ve found that Owensboro still offers us a lot of variety.

One of the most delicious options is Spudz -N-Stuff off of Highway 54.

Not long ago, my husband brought a couple of Spudz -N-Stuff’s Garden Spuds to me and one of our daughters (the vegetarian).  I’d been craving another since then, so we went to Spudz -N-Stuff Friday for lunch.  With salads and potatoes, gluten-free meals isn’t a problem in the least. What’s more, they have SO many options that the meat-lovers in the family (daughter number 3, for example, probably loves chicken more than Colonel Sanders ever did and her husband eats meat with every meal… I can’t prove it but I’m fairly certain he’d put bacon on his Cheerios!).

“The Vegetarian” and I ordered the same thing – the WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS and fresh-tasting Garden Spud. The baked potato is topped with cheddar, mozzarella, lettuce, grilled mushrooms, tomato, green onion, and ranch dressing. Words can’t even describe how delicious it is.

You may be like I was BEFORE I ate at Spudz and Stuff – wondering if a baked potato can be filling. Let’s just put it this way – we all left the restaurant wondering if we’d even eat supper later. When 4:30 rolled around, I still wasn’t the least bit interested in food. So, yes, these potatoes will most definitely fill you up. Males and females, alike.

There were two males in our group Friday and they left with serious “I’m stuffed!” faces too.

Spudz-N-Stuff's Chicken N Broccoli Spud

Spudz-N-Stuff’s Chicken-N-Broccoli Spud

My “Gluten Free” daughter ordered the Chicken-N-Broccoli Spud (pictured above). According to her it was fantastic. The potato is topped with a yummy combination of cheddar cheese sauce. chicken, broccoli, and real bacon. The combination’s a thing of beauty.

As for the “Chicken Fan” and “Mr. Bacon on His Cheerios,” they each went with the Chicken Bacon Ranch Spud (pictured below). Even though I’m not as in love with chicken as she is, I have to admit – I was tempted by this one! This potato is topped with cheddar, ranch, chicken, and real bacon.

Spudz a-N-Stuff Chicken Bacon Ranch Spud

 

Spudz a-N-Stuff Chicken Bacon Ranch Spud

A word about the REAL bacon… good on Spudz-N-Stuff for using real bacon as opposed to those insane little rubbery “bits” some places use on their potatoes and salads. They taste like a chopped up Barbie doll head and have about the same consistency.  The bacon Spudz-N-Stuff uses tastes like it could have just come right out of your morning skillet. Holy cats, does that make a difference?!

“The Vegetarian’s” boyfriend ordered a real masterpiece. It was topped with pulled pork, steak, and I believe bacon. I can’t even find his creation on the menu. I also wasn’t able to snap a picture because when my potato arrived, I dove right in, forgetting everything and everyone else.

I’m kicking myself now because this was one work of art. He loved every bite, too!

I wish at least one of us had branched out and gotten a salad, nachos, or pitas so that the review and pictures would be more varied, but.. what can I say.. we all had Spudz on the mind.

Gosh darn it, I guess we’ll have to go back again soon. Oh, what a shame. A serious case of sarcasm there, in case you couldn’t tell… I cannot wait to go back!

In addition to amazing combinations of potatoes, like the ones above, below are just a few more of the delicious menu items from Spudz-N-Stuff:

  • Taco Nachos (cheese sauce, seasoned beef, salsa, jalapenos, lettuce, sour cream, green onions)
  • Buffalo Nachos (cheese sauce, grilled chicken, hot sauce, ranch, lettuce, sour cream, green onion)
  • Gyro Pita (seasoned lamb, beef,Tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, grilled onion)
  • Steak Fajita Pita (steak, cheddar, white American cheese, grilled onions, bell peppers, lettuce, tomato)
  • Classic Philly Sub (Philly steak, white American cheese, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, green bell peppers)
  • Sides: Mac-N-Cheese, Broccoli-CHZ-Bacon Bowl, Side Salad, Chips
  • Chef Salad, Garden Salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, Taco Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad
  • Check out the rest of Spudz-N-Stuff’s Menu online!

Oh! I just found my buddy’s masterpiece of a potato on the menu. It’s under the category “Hungry Man Spudz.” Well played, sir… well played.

There’s a Kid’s Menu in addition to the many, many other options and even brownies for those of us who are card-carrying chocoholics.

"When reading about a Kentucky event, please be sure you check the date. Old events are not always deleted from the website. If you have an event you'd like to see on Genuine Kentucky or a 'Made in Kentucky' food or product you'd like reviewed, please contact us! " ~ Joi ("Joy")

Maddox
Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park Trail Through the Forest
Owensboro Cool Sky