This summer, Jordan and I have had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the culture of the land south of the Mason Dixon line. In late May, we took a road trip through Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina. In June, we took a quick trip through Tennessee and Kentucky.
Today, I'm beginning a series based on our travel in which I will share our favorite (and maybe not-so-favorite) stops of our trip. I'll talk about how I found places to stay and eat while traveling on a budget. Occasionally, I'll include a recipe inspired by the local flavor of the place featured in the post.
In this post, I'm talking St. Augustine, Florida and raw tacos. Oh, baby.
We arrived in St. Augustine on the third day of our trip, after visiting Atlanta, Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery. Stay tuned for more on those places. The city, located at the northern tip of eastern Florida, is the oldest in the United States. It was founded in 1565 by Menendez and became the capital of Spanish Florida. Two hundred years later, control of the territory was assumed by the British.
Today, the city is full of buildings constructed hundreds of years ago, most in a classic Spanish style. The architecture alone provides reason enough to visit. However, for those of you not as fascinated with construction and design, I assure you, there are plenty of reasons to send St. Augustine to the top of your "must vacation here" list. That is, if you're a fan of water, sun, tropical trees and plants, history, shopping, good food, and/or quaint bed and breakfasts.
Let's talk first about those bed and breakfasts. While the city boasts several upscale hotels, including the Casa Monica which was formerly the world's most expensive resort, and is loaded with budget friendly chains, it is full of charming bed and breakfasts. Although we were operating on a budget (or at least trying to), we decided to shell out a bit more cash than we typically would when traveling in order to stay in one of the latter. Many of the area B&B's were around $200 a night, but, after some digging, I found a room at the Peace and Plenty Inn for a little over $100.
Located on the edge of downtown St. Augustine, the Peace and Plenty Inn was a little slice of paradise for this weary traveler. The Inn has rooms in the main house as well as in a guest house. Our room was located in the guest house, just a few steps across a serene sitting area from the main house. Our cozy room was called a spa suite, which meant we had a whirlpool bathtub. At night, the hosts set out cake, port, and sherry for the guests. Water from the Fountain of Youth was accessible to guests all day. (I never drank any, though. That may have been the biggest mistake of my life.) In the morning, we were served an enormous breakfast including omelets, juice, coffee, and pastries.
The courtyard and main house.
Our sweet little entrance.
We loved St. Augustine so much that we canceled our plans to head to Georgia the next day in order to stay one more night. Unfortunately, the Peace and Plenty was full for the night, so we found another bed and breakfast. Our experience there was not so delightful.
If you are a history lover, or if you were ever a child, you must visit the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the United States. The fort served to protect the city both under Spaniard and British rule. The walls are made of coquina, a soft stone made of shells. Our tour guide told us that when the men built the fort, they did so with fear and trembling because of the soft, crumbly nature of the stone. However, they found that, when fired upon by a cannon, the stone would actually absorb the cannonball. At night, the soldiers could creep along the wall and patch up the dents made by the cannon fire, making it look as if the fort hadn't been touched.
The fort's chapel.
Like every place, the city's history is tainted by injustice and greed. Slaves were brought to St. Augustine by Menendez on the day of its founding. At the center of the city stands the Slave Market, built in 1872. It is pictured below.
If you're into tourist traps (as I believe we all secretly are), head over to St. George Street to get your kitschy t-shirts, old timey photographs, and bad coffee. If that doesn't fill your craving to shop, there are outlets on the outskirts of the city.
And, at the end of the day, when you're getting hungry, hit up
The Floridian or
The Present Moment Cafe for veg friendly, absolutely delicious food. The Floridian has a great, hip atmosphere and serves southern style fare for "omnivores, herbivores, and locavores" at the edge of downtown St. Augustine. The grit cakes there were unbelievable.
The Present Moment Cafe is a raw food eatery that will make you long for the 60's. Jordan and I shared a lunch sample platter that included an kale-massaged-with-avacado salad, white truffle pesto pasta, maki sushi rolls, and raw walnut tacos.
If you're looking for a good cup of coffee, check out
The Kookaburra. It was recommended to us by a local, and, after a cup of bad coffee from another spot, it was a breath of fresh air. If its macarons that you want...go to BonAmi Confections
. Go there even if you aren't craving macarons. After you eat one, I guarantee you'll crave one every day for the rest of your life.
Speaking of craving...For the remainder of the trip, and for the days following our arrival back at home, I craved those tacos. They were bright and light yet rich and hearty. I knew I had to try and recreate them. I came close, I think, and although they aren't quite as good as the cafe's, they satisfy my cravings.
If you're weirded out by the thought of raw anything, I totally get it. But, trust me. These are good. Really good. And you'll feel good after you eat them. Really good. I promise.
Raw Tacos with Walnut Pate and Coconut Cream
For the "meat":
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 tbs lemon juice (or more, if you want)
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (use regular if you don't have smoked)
1/4 tsp cayenne (more or less depending on your heat tolerance)
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined. You will want the mixture to resemble taco meat. This should take about 30 seconds to 1 minute of pulsing. Don't worry, it isn't hard, you just don't want to overdo it lest you end up with seasoned walnut butter.
For the Coconut Cream:
1 can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 tsp lemon juice
tiny pinch of salt (optional)
After refrigerating the coconut milk overnight, carefully remove the thick, white coconut cream from the top of the can. As it chilled, the fat separated from the coconut water. You can use the water in smoothies later! Scoop the cream into a small bowl and whisk together with lemon juice and apple cider vinegar until smooth. The taste resembles sour cream, but the consistency will not be as thick.
To assemble:
1 head of Romaine lettuce, washed and separated into full leaves
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 tomato, chopped
handful of chopped cilantro
1 avocado, cut into chunks or smashed
Of course, you can include any other veggies you want. Squash and zucchini, corn, jalapenos, shredded carrots...be creative! From here, you just throw everything together like you would any other tacos. Use the romaine leaves as your shell, scoop in your walnut meat, throw on the veggies, and top with coconut cream.
