First part of this year I will be flying back and forth to Jacksonville, Florida for work. I am rotating with my friend and co-worker so that we both can have time back home instead of one of us down there for 6 months straight. Rotation is: 2 weeks home and 4 weeks on travel which we overlap for turnover time the first and last week of our rotations (if that makes sense). It’s not the best rotation but at least I will be home a couple of weeks at a time.
It is difficult to be away from home, especially since I have my wonderful craft room to be creative in. If only I could transport my whole craft room with me on travel so I can craft on the go. Reality check, that will never happen. I have way too much stuff to Lu\’shaul and my hotel room would be crowded. I will stick with bringing small craft projects on the go like the Butterfly Bracelet I am currently working on while I am on travel.
I try my best to look on the brighter side of things so I have this unspoken rule that when I go on travel I need to try the local food and find places to visit. Well, this trip is no exception. I have to find the best food around and find some activities to do in Jacksonville, Florida. Do you want to know what is going to be great about this trip? My husband is also on travel for work in Jacksonville, Florida too! How about that. This has never happened before, EVER! When we both travel for work we end up in different locations, but the stars have aligned and we are both in the same location! FANTASTIC!
Now with hubby and I in the same location for work, it feels like we are on a mini vacation together. Best part is, we didn’t have to pay for this “mini vacation”. Hehe. Nice, right? We took advantage of this rare occurrence and explored Jacksonville.
Taco Lu’s
First stop, Taco Lu’s. I loved the vibe radiating out from this place. I was mesmerized by the intricate wall decorations and display of vibrant colors! I was very impressed and the Mexican theme was spot on. I knew after I stepped into the place, I was going to enjoy the food.
Before I ordered my husband suggested to me that I should try the tacos. We told me that they have a variety of tacos and offer daily specialty tacos not mentioned on the menu. Interesting… I decided to try the Bangin’ Shrimp Taco and one of the specialty tacos that had Salmon in it (sorry I do not remember the name of it) but I can imagine it will taste good.
As I sat waiting for my tacos to be made, the server placed chips and salsa on the table. The salsa had a nice flavor to it, hint of sweet but with a nice little kick. Note, if you don’t like salsa that is a little bit over mild, you might not like it. I wish I would have asked, but I am curious now if they make their own salsa or buy it somewhere. Maybe next time I go I will ask.
I have to tell you the tacos I ordered were amazing and mouthwatering!
Doesn’t it look delicious? I wish I had a Taco Lu’s where I live so I can go there all the time! I am so jealous! I can’t wait for my return to Jacksonville so I can have more of these tacos!
Top Gulf
Before I traveled to Jacksonville for work, my husband spent the past three months exploring. While on travel, my husband got inspired to pick up golfing. It all started when a co-worker took him to Top Gulf in Jacksonville. After that day, he likes to go there every so often to play.
Once I arrived, he desperately wanted to take me to Top Gulf. I was skeptical at first since I know in the past when I was a teenager I sucked at hitting a golf ball at a driving range but when I played here I actually had fun. After a few hits, I progressively got better. I even beat my husband twice! Hehe. Okay, he did beat me the first round we played but I still won the last two rounds. Lol. I might be slightly competitive, just a little. *pinches fingers*
I was also shocked that Top Gulf has really great food. My husband ordered humus as an appetizer. We devoured it so quickly that I forgot to take a picture. 🙁 Just trust me, it is good! I ended up ordering the pulled pork sliders and a side of tator tots to eat.
If you look closely at the picture above you can see the empty plate in the background which once held the Humus hubby and I devoured. Hehe. The pulled pork sliders tasted amazing BTW. I loved the hint of coleslaw they placed in the sliders it was a nice touch of flavor. I usually don’t like coleslaw but I always have to remind myself that I need to try new things. I think the combination of pork and coleslaw was flavorful. Oh, and the tator tots were nice and crispy just the way I like them.
Here is my husband hitting a golf ball at Top Gulf.
Fun times.
The best part about Top Gulf is even if you are horrible at it, you can still have a lot of fun. If for some reason you are not up to hitting golf balls they do have a bar you can sit at or you can play at the pool tables or you can explore the other activities they offer at the facility. I love the upbeat tempo they have here. Definitely a place you can visit for family and friends to have a great time! I certainly had a blast.
Bongiorno’s Philly Cheese Steak and Pizza
This place was a little rough looking inside and too dark for my taste but I didn’t not want to judge the food by the way the place looks like. I ended up waiting about 25 minutes before I got served and they weren’t even busy, not good. I am a very patient person and I didn’t want to get up an leave since I was craving pizza and this was the only place close by. I could have tried getting up to talk to an employee, but I was curious to see how long it would actually take.
When the server finally came by the table, I decided to get a create your own Stromboli. What I didn’t know is they charge for each topping you choose which the menu was very deceiving. I really wanted to get a supreme like Stromboli but that would have cost me about $20! I limited myself to three ingredients: pepperoni, sausage and onion. Don’t worry the cheese is included, thank goodness.
After waiting for another 30 minutes I got a nice delicious looking Stromboli.
Here is how it turned out:
The Stromboli smelt and tasted wonderful as you can see since I took a few bites before I took a picture. The cook did a great job. If only the service could improve a bit then this place would be awesome in my book. I may come back here again to try the Philly cheese steaks the next time I visit but no promises.
Taziki’s Mediterranean Café
If you want some amazing Mediterranean food, this is the place to go. I got the lamb gyro with a side of chips and cucumber salad and it was to die for. YUMMY!
When you look at this picture does it make you just want to attack the computer screen to grab it and eat it? I know I would. lol.
I found out that Taziki’s is a food chain but this was the first time I ever heard of it. I wish there was a Taziki’s where I live. I know for a fact that if anyone ever opens one close to me, I will probably go there all the time. Here is another fact, next time I go to Jacksonville I am going to eat here again and try something else on the menu. I’ll keep you posted. 😉
Ruth Chris Steak House
I have to admit I never heard of Ruth Chris Steak House before and I know why, it is a high class fancy restaurant. Oh and very pricey… yeah… If you are wondering how I ended up here, well my husband’s boss and a couple of the high up bosses in the company came to visit the area to congratulate my husband and his team for the hard work they have done in Jacksonville. I felt special since I was invited to join the dinner party and they treated me like I was part of the family.
A nice thing about going to a really nice restaurant, I finally have an excuse to wear a dress! I brought a dress down for Valentine’s Day just in case hubby and I wanted to go out, but we ended up enjoying each other’s company in the hotel room that day. 😉 Good thing I brought a dress down so I had something nice to wear for the dinner party. I have to be honest, I am happy I didn’t have to buy a new dress since I have a few at home that I’ve only worn once or twice.
When we arrived to the restaurant I was amazed. This place looks and feels so romantic and the customer service they provide here is top notch. I had a great time here and it was nice I got to enjoy it with my awesome husband and celebrate the hard work he does.
I am sorry to say that I didn’t take any pictures of my meal here. I wanted to be respectful so I didn’t take any photos. I ordered the most delicious and perfectly cooked petite prime rib and a side of creamy lobster macaroni and cheese. I was in food heaven every time I took a bite. Best tasting prime rib and mac and cheese I ever had so far.
Well, that is all I have to share about my first trip down to Jacksonville. I will keep you posted on my next trip down.
Thanks for stopping by!