Takin my foodventures to NC this weekend!

Whats up yall?

 Just a little update, I will be going down to NC this weekend for a beer,bourbon and bbq festival. I will be sure to take pics and info for people into that stuff!! STAY TUNED!

Let the great food make your day!! IRON ROOSTER

 Restaurant: Iron Rooster

Location: Annapolis, Maryland

Cuisine: American

Price Range: $4 - $25
Website: www.ironroosterallday.com

Iron Rooster

Part of second floor dining area

Atmosphere: 
  With the beautiful location of the Iron Rooster, the mood is set before you even step foot in the door. As soon as you pull up out front you, are greeted by the valet service which is very polite and complimentary through the restaurant. Looking around as you walk up to the door be sure to take in the beautiful scenery! Iron Rooster is located downtown Annapolis directly next to the Naval Academy, so there's beautiful views of the water, shops, and docked boats. This is a great area for walking around and site seeing either before or after your meal.
  When you walk into Iron Rooster it is kind of set up like a house with a spacious upstairs, and downstairs for seating guest comfortably. Every staff member you pass while walking to your table greets you with a smile and a sincere good morning! The smiles and greetings along with the cozy feel that this place gives off is very welcoming, and makes you feel almost like your at a friends house to eat.  Unlike some dim,gloomy feeling restaurants; Iron Rooster has great lighting from a combination of artificial lights, along with the natural light beaming through the windows. This helps add to the liveliness of this restaurant and in a way brightens your mood! Lets just say I was pretty much sold on the place before we even set down, which is huge in my opinion of a good restaurant. Once seated, between the smell of breakfast food and seeing these amazing looking plates coming out of the kitchen you start to become anxious because you know you're in for some good food!

Staff:
 I will start off by mentioning that I waited tables/worked in the hospitality industry for 4 plus years and with that being said, the staff was amazing! Our waitress Brittany was the best! She helped us out with the menu since we were having trouble deciding, was very descriptive with the menu items, and made the best recommendations. On top of that she was very interactive and kept us laughing, by far the epitome of great hospitality! I feel a lot of restaurants' staff don't get the appreciation they deserve, which in fact they are a huge part of making a restaurant successful. Outside of the great food, the service will most definitely also be one of the reasons I will return and very soon!

The Food:
    Iron Rooster's menu is full of things that you are going to want to try just off of the description, so take a deep breathe and understand that you will have to come back a few times to try everything that catches your eye. Or you can just say to hell with it and try as much as you can off the menu! I think both options are feasible.
  We started off with their homemade brown sugar pop tart and Monkey Bread. Both of these tasted so good, that I had to focus on the TV screen and continue talking to ensure that I had room to enjoy my main course. The brown sugar pop tart was everything I was looking for in a pop tart. It was sweet, light,flaky, moist, and packed with flavor! This creation will make you never want to eat a generic pop tart again, the box stuff just cant compare! Make sure you order this with the intent to share, it is not your typical size pop tart and can easily please two or more people. Next, was the monkey bread. This was like the monkey bread I grew loving, but on steroids! They had this genius idea to put bananas inside of the monkey bread and top it with a rum raisin sauce! So your not only getting that sweet, sticky, fluffy, cinnamon sugar coated monkey bread; but your also getting sweet morsels of banana in every bite along with the sweet warm sauce on top. This has by far been the best monkey bread I've ever had, I'm still having flashbacks things about it. Even though we loved our starters we made sure to save some space for our main courses.

   My mom had the 2 Egg Breakfast with Scrapple, my cousin had the Chicken and Waffles, my girlfriend had the Biscuits and Gravy, and I had the Smokehouse Breakfast Burrito. All were great size portions and everyone couldn't stop talking about how delicious their food was. The Smokehouse Breakfast Burrito was so good! It was a huge flour tortilla filled with eggs, sauteed onions and peppers, roasted corn salsa, homemade thin sliced beef brisket and topped with a roasted Pablano sauce and queso fresco. The flavor was perfect, it was like a Mexican/barbecue infusion for breakfast. The corn salsa with that smokey brisket flavor paired together perfectly, and the Pablano sauce on top just helped marry everything together for a perfect flavor combination. This huge flavorful burrito is accompanied by a side of crispy, well seasoned home fries and is sure to leave you full and satisfied by the end of your visit. Iron Rooster also serves lunch and dinner which I will have to go back and check out very soon, just from my breakfast experience I'm positive lunch and dinner is amazing too!

Biscuits with Sausage gravy & homefries

Chicken and Waffles w/pepper gravy

Homemade pop tart and Monkey Bread

Smokehouse Breakfast Burrito

Recap:
   Iron Rooster is a great restaurant to bring friends and family, especially if they are from out of town. I feel like the location plus the atmosphere would send anyone back to their hometown with great things to say about Maryland and this restaurant. The staff is very friendly and a huge help when it comes down to picking out what your going to try. Iron Rooster really gave off a vibe like you were over one of your friends house to eat, which is always adds to a great dining experience. The food matched up to the staff and atmosphere by being creative, flavorful, filling, and satisfying. Iron Rooster has topped my list of breakfast spots in this area by far, and I will be sure to return along with recommending them to friends and family.
 

BON APPETIT!!

The Breakfast Shoppe!! "Good Morning to you!!the birds..are chirping!" #Foodie #Breakfast #TheBreakFastShoppe

Restaurant: The Breakfast Shoppe

Location: Severna Park, MD

Cuisine: American ( Breakfast & Lunch)

Price range: $6- $15

                                                     Website: www.thebreakfastshoppe.com

Atmosphere: The aroma of fresh coffee, lots of lively conversations, and the smell of a breakfast!! Great way to start your morning right?! If you love a nice filling breakfast, The Breakfast Shoppe should be right up your alley! The Breakfast shoppe is a nice cozy place that is great for meeting with friends and family or going solo to enjoy some good food, also if your own the go you can stop in and grab some coffee and food to go. Even though their main focus is breakfast food they also sell lunch entrees too, but this is one of my go to places for breakfast and I have yet to be disappointed.

Staff: The whole staff is very friendly and make you feel at home by greeting with a smile you as soon as you walk in. They have lots of knowledge of the menu and also make great recommendations if your having trouble deciding. Every time I visit the staff has been very tentative and helpful; from  keeping your coffee mug topped off to ensuring your food comes out the way you want it.

The Food: The menu is made up of breakfast favorites including pancakes, french toast, Benedict's, and steak and eggs. The items are mostly sold al a carte unless you get the "Whole Nine Yards" breakfast which includes: fresh oj, two eggs made your way, choice of meat, pancakes or french toast, home fries, and toast. You will definitely have to loosen your belt for this one, but will enjoy every bite. The pancakes and french toast are hot and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness that would make any breakfast fans morning. The only issue I've seen so far, was someone ordered eggs fried hard and it wasn't quite to their liking; other than that The Breakfast Shoppe's food is a winner in my book! A highlight from my most recent visit was the Philly Benny which was a Eggs Benedict topped with sirloin steak,onions, and swizz cheese. It was my first time trying a Benedict, which our waitress recommended. Lets just say, once again I was not disappointed! My meal came out piping hot and the hollandaise sauce was smooth creamy and very flavorful. The steak was a little under seasoned for my liking, but the hollandaise made up for the lack of seasoning and I enjoyed every bite! If your a Benedict fan id recommend trying one when you go.

Recap: The Breakfast Shoppe is a nice cozy spot located in Severna Park, MD that backs up their name " The Breakfast Shoppe". They have nice big portions that will have you leaving full and satisfied at the end of your meal. It's a very lively and welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel at home from the minute you walk in, with the assistance of their great staff your sure to have a great breakfast experience. Next time your looking for something other than your typical chain breakfast spot, stop by and brighten up your morning!

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

Whole Nine Yard w/ French Toast

Philly Benny 

A taste of Cuba with out the plane trip! Cuba de Ayer #Foodie #Cuban #CubaDeAyer

Restaurant:Cuba De Aye

Cuisine: Cuban

Location: Burtonsville, MD

Price Range: $15-$25
Website: www.cubadeayerrestaurant.net

Atmosphere: Cuba de Ayer has a very nice welcoming atmosphere, especially now that they have expanded adding more space for patrons also adding a full bar. In the evening time it  is actually a pretty intimate type setting with low lights and Cuban music playing in the background. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for some good Cuban food!

Staff: The staff is very nice, and help to make sure you have a good experience they are tentative and are lots of knowledge on the menu.If you have trouble choosing what to eat they are very good at giving recommendations.

The Food: The food is bursting with flavors and very enjoyable! Make sure to bring your appetite, they serve some pretty healthy sized portions that are very filling. The entrees consist of beef,chicken,pork, and seafood served with rice a choice of beans and plantains; which they add their Cuban flare to that will wake your taste buds up! Be sure to try the Tostones Rellenos which are fried green plantains stuffed with either ground beef or shredded beef and the Empanadas which are turnovers filled with either beef,chicken, or cheese. They are all made from scratch and will have you coming back for more! If you like drinks they also make very good mojito's made with fresh mint leaves and to add a spin they give you flavor choices like pineapple and mango. Their mojitio martini is very refreshing with a bite, it goes well with a meal or just by itself to sip on while having a good conversation. If room is left over after enjoying your meal, try their Treche Leche cake which is a moist sponge cake soaked in three different kinds of milk that gives the cake a rich sweet flavor. This cake is amazing and if you have a sweet tooth it will knock it right out, and its still pretty light on your stomach. 

Recap: Cuban de Ayer is a lively, friendly, welcoming restaurant that's suitable for families,couples, or a date night if your interested in trying something different from your typical chain restaurant. Their food is decently priced, delicious and bursting with flavors that will have you planning your next trip back! Call up mom and dad, your friends, or you special somebody and check out this little gem In Burtonsville, Maryland. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!

Tostones Rellenos

Carne Con Papa w/ black beans and rice and sweet plantains

Things Ive personally cooked/ experimented with so far..

  If your a friend or family member you may have seen me post pictures of things I've cooked on my social media pages, but since I'm new to this blog thing I'm going to start off by showing a few things I've made in the past few months. If you see something that you may want to try out feel free to drop a message. Most of these dishes came from recipes but some I just threw together.Cooking will always be my passion! ENJOY!

                                                       A spin on paella made with orzo

Foccia Bread

pepper steak sandwhich on foccia

Andouille and pepper omelet w/ roasted cajun potatoes

cilantro lime cod fish

Blackened Salmon

Cod fish gundy(Virgin Islands)

Oreo cheesecake

Chicken breast w/ thai Curry Sauce

Smoked and braised roast

chocolate chip cheesecake w/chocolate genache(before the chocolate set)

Smoked Ribs

Cajun Chicken Pizza

French Toast Cassarole

 Cajun chicken Sandwhich w/ fresh cut fries

Grilled Salmon w/ Pan Asian Sauce

Beef Patties(Prior to baking)

Pasta w/ pesto shrimp and spinach

Baked Salmon w/ creole sauce

Smoked pulled lamb sandwhich w/lamb au jus

Brined Buttermilk fried chicken

Garlic Shrimp

Carne Con Papa(Meat and Potatoes)

 Smoked Jerk Chicken

Slow Roasted Pernil

Pernil w/rice and peas and plantains

Curry Chicken w/ Rice and Peas

Smoked Lamb Roast

Who is Biggs?

Hello!
   My name is Jamal, I am a 29 years old currently living in Spokane, WA that loves to cook, eat, travel, meet new people and try new things! Growing up my father was in the Military, so we traveled a lot which made it possible for me to see lots of different places, see different cultures/ways of life and try lots of different cuisines. Growing up one thing my parents instilled in me and my sister as children was, "Don't knock it unless you try it." That phrase has stuck with me for 29 years;that along with years of watching my dad cook sparked my love for the food world. Whether it's cooking, learning a new cooking technique or trying out a new restaurant I'm all ears! Currently I have no formal culinary training but I have been cooking for most of my life and I love it, hoping to get my foot in the door to start my own thing one day. I get satisfaction out of making good food for people, so I'm always trying out new dishes on friends and family! I hope to someday travel abroad some more to taste and cook different things, then eventually open a small personal restaurant that gives people good food and a home type atmosphere. My roots stem from the South(Mom) and the West Indies(Dad) so I'm a huge fan of exotic cuisine with spice and huge flavors ( Caribbean, Indian, Asian, Puerto Rican, etc.)  I'm also a big fan of European cuisine too!Especially Italian and German.
  My main focus for this blog is to help people realize that they have lots of great food spots near them, they just have to venture out, find them and try them! I love beautiful looking dishes with big flavors, so I want people to be able to use my blog to help them pick out these places and try them whether it be a upscale or regular priced restaurant. I feel everyone should be able to experience and taste great food that's made with love and passion. I will mainly focus on dining out experiences with reviews from my experience, but every now and then I may post some recipes that I use at home for people to try out if they would like. I hope this will be helpful to some! Feel free to give me feedback, share foodie/travel stories or also post recipes and share ideas. I love meeting new people and interacting with like minds ~ONE LOVE~

                                                                  BON APPETIT!