La Cevicheria

La Cevicheria
Calle Stuart 7
Cartagena, Colombia

Yes, Katy and I went to Colombia, the country.  For Thanksgiving we took the week and flew down to South America.  I had always wanted to visit South America and had my eyes set on places such as Rio, Buenos Aires, and Machu Picchu.  Over the last year or two I had heard about Cartagena (Colombia) becoming more than just the drug capital that people perceive it to be, and more of an up and coming food capital of the world.  After researching, we found that visiting Cartagena would only be a fraction of what it would cost to do any of the other trips to SA; we made up our minds and took the plunge, even with friends and family worrying about our safety.

I could go on and on and on about how amazing Cartagena was...truly.  It really was the best, most memorable and amazing place I have ever been.  It's a historic, Spanish/Latin/Caribbean town that wants so dearly to rid themselves of the bad rap with drugs and kidnapping; everyone we met was extremely friendly and tried to accommodate, even though most don't speak English.  The food was unlike other "Latin" food you find here in the states.  We were able to eat at an Argentinean steak house, Peruvian Restaurant, and sample other South American cuisine...but the best was the local.

For lunch one day after we visited Volcan del Totumo, the largest mud volcano in the world, we had lunch at a small fishing village, Manzanillo del Mar, and had a common lunch: fish (caught about an hour before we ate), coconut rice, and patacones (double fried smashed plantains).  And of course it wouldn't be a complete lunch without a local Aguila to wash it down.

Again, all of this was amazing and if you want to know more about Cartagena please ask...but if you happen to decide to visit, which I strongly urge everyone to do, make a stop at La Cevicheria for a very local meal.  Located on a side street inside the wall it is a very small place with maybe 2 or 3 tables inside and 2 or 3 out front on the street.  We ate outside and listened to locals playing music and serenading in the streets.  Cartagena is known for its Ceviche, raw seafood that is "cooked" by marinating in citrus.  Katy and I tried ceviche the first night in Cartagena which was fish of the day marinated in lime juice and red onions....it was edible, that's all.  At La Cevicheria we decided to try it again and went with the shrimp ceviche for an appetizer and both got fish sandwiches for entrees.  The shrimp ceviche was amazing, I would go back and eat an entire meal just of that if I ever go back to Cartagena.  The shrimp were small, juicy, and the citrus just mixed perfectly.  Our fish sandwiches were NOTHING like we expected but were again phenomenal.  They looked almost like an open face taco....some sort of honey mustard sauce on the flat bread, chopped fish, lettuce and tomatoes.  When it first came out, it didn't look appealing but I will say it was one of the tastiest sandwiches I have ever had- somehow, it just worked.

Get over everything you've heard about how dangerous Cartagena is and make a point to visit at some time in your life.  Not only will you see history, beauty, and culture but you will also get to experience some amazing once-in-a-lifetime meals.

Front of La Cevicheria - the menu

Fish Sandwich 

Local lunch in fishing village 

Getting ready to jump into Volcan del Totumo 

Main square in Cartagena 

Beach at Isla Baru, Colombia

Table 1280

www.table1280.com

1280 Peachtree Street NE

Atlanta, GA 30309

The Picasso to Warhol exhibit was at the High Museum and it seemed like a good way to spend the last day before Katy's membership expired.  We arrived early enough to catch brunch at Table 1280, which is in the same courtyard with the High in Midtown.  Known for previous Top Chef contestant Tracey (Season 7) and the artsy decor, Table 1280 tries to create a menu that not only pairs great with wine, but also the current exhibits.

Although we had a warm winter this year, this Halloween was chilly and we decided to forgo sitting outside in the courtyard.  Instead, we were given a small table by a window in very uncomfortable chairs.  They were the hard aluminum type that already had grooves and made you sit a certain way...not for me!  Katy ordered a Cuban sandwich off of the lunch menu.  I had a bite and it was good, but it was also just a Cuban.  The best part of hers were the house made pickles and chips.  I ordered off of the breakfast part and honestly, I don't remember what I ate.  I remember the chairs being uncomfortable, but nothing about my meal...I didn't hate it, but it wasn't memorable.

It was cool to see all of the different pieces of art throughout the day from Picasso, Warhol, and Pollock, but the most memorable by far was the Grainger McKoy exhibit.  McKoy makes sculptures, mainly birds of prey and other animals he encountered growing up in Lowcountry, SC.  It's not the sculptures that wowed me (although they did), it was the way he displayed them and how they defied physics by not toppling over.  So - maybe I just need to give Table 1280 another shot to wow me like McKoy...there was nothing too terrible about it, just nothing that defies the odds.  But I think I'll wait a while, there are many other restaurants to try first!

Nippers Beach Grille

http://www.nippersbeachgrille.com/
2309 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250

While down at the Captain's House for a long fall weekend, Katy and I wanted to make the 30 minute drive to Jacksonville Beach, specifically to visit Chef Kenny's restaurant.  Kenny was my favorite contestant on Top Chef, Season 7 and I personally think he left the show way too early - it showed at Nippers.

We went only for lunch but ate like it was our last meal.  Greeted by Kenny at the bar, we were ushered quickly to a table overlooking the marina full of yachts.  Not only does the restaurant offer great views, but there is a large TV room to watch the games, and a Tiki Deck that offers an outdoor area for party-goers to have fun in the sun.

We started off sharing the Conch Fritters and I also ordered the loaded potato soup, the soup of the day.  The fritters were good, but I thought they could have had more conch and the potato soup was superb, thick and creamy.  For our mains, Katy had the blackened fish sandwich that was first-rate, but her sweet potato fries are still the best she's had.  Unlike many sweet potato fries that are thick-cut and soggy, these were cut thinly and were nice and crunchy with great flavor.

My pulled pork sandwich came with a fried green tomato, tomatillo jam, and jalapeno jack cheese.  Naturally, since this may have been the only time I'll visit Nippers, I had to add the chef recommendation by making my sandwich dirty (this adds collard greens, bacon, and KG's hot sauce on the sandwich).  When the waitress brought my sandwich out I wanted to waive the white flag immediately.  It stood probably 8 inches high and weighed nearly 5 pounds!  The pulled pork mashed with the hot sauce, collards and fried green tomato made for a hearty southern-cuisine meal.  After somehow managing to take down the first half of the sandwich, I had to take the brioche bun away from the second half and finish with a fork.  After finishing, we stayed another 45 minutes sipping a beer to let my stomach digest before departing this lovely Southern/Caribbean beach grill.  So next time you're in Jacksonville Beach, stop in to see Chef Kenny and take your shot at a dirty meal.