Bread has been at the center of everything for Honeycomb Bread Bakers founder, Benjamin Vickers. In an interview with LKLD last summer before the opening of his brick and mortar bakery inside of Twenty Seven, Vickers said, “My dream is to serve people, and fill their bellies, and make good b…
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The hoax kicked off with a prankster telling a group that they were being talked about by the loose lipped Tom Collins, and then sending them on an angry goose chase to find him.
Delivering exquisite cookies out of a Honda Civic. That’s how DOU Bakehouse owners Diana Cortes Blanquicet and David Hernandez got started. The DOU team has since outgrown that Honda Civic for a spacious commercial kitchen producing ten thousand cookies and pastries every week.
1 cup mint chocolate chip ice cream
It’s a sweet little gesture – get a box for someone you love today, or get one for yourself, or do both! Charlie’s mini donuts are mini, so eating an entire dozen is really only like three or four regular donuts. Right?
2 ounces Absolut Mandarin
1 cup kombucha (we used Krazy Kombucha ginger)
A trendy hole-in-the-wall bistro, an upscale dining establishment, your favorite taco truck – these are a few of the places you might expect to get an exceptional bite to eat. But – in a strip mall? In the Barclay Place Shopping Center off Highway 98 in North Lakeland sits an average-looking…
1 part Irish Cream
The Florida Brewery, established in the 70s, is the second oldest brewery still in operation in the state. Primarily a manufacturing facility, the brewery opened its doors to the public a year and a half ago introducing their Beer Garden and Taproom at 202 Gandy Road in Auburndale.
4 ounces vodka
Lakeland’s hometown barbeque spot since 1964, Jimbo’s Pit Bar B-Q maintains a lasting legacy of good food and good service, run by good folks. The restaurant was originally started by Jim Neff, owner of the Foxfire Restaurant and Henry Landworth who owned the Holiday Inn just down the road. …
Chili cook offs and firefighters go hand in hand. In fact, even the Lakeland Fire Dept. participates in one. They host the Tigertown Chili Throwdown in April alongside the Flying Tigers. Now, they won’t give me any of their award-winning recipes, but I’m happy to share one of my family’s f…
1 cup vodka
2 ounces bourbon
It’s about thyme Lakeland got a fresh, fast eatery. Soon Lakeland’s hungry will be able to order online or stop by the pick-up window of Good Thyme for a quick, delicious meal. From the minds who brought you Cob & Pen, comes Good Thyme! This will be the second Lakeland restaurant (with a…
2 ounces Lillet Rosé
Lakeland’s Benjamin Vickers thought he’d go to college for English Lit and become a “bookish academic” type. His hobby for home baking for his friends and family slowly took center stage. He called his parents one day and said, “I’m going to New York for culinary school, guys.”
3 cups of tea
It’s alive!!! But, in a good way. For Krazy Kombucha owner, Wendy Johnson, producing this fermented beverage for the community she loves is a way of life. Her family goes back 100 years in Lakeland – Wendy is the third generation here. She and her husband have three sons, two of whom are in …
3 ounces Prosecco
Starters
A fixture in Auburndale for over 70 years, Peebles Bar-B-Q has fed generations of Polk County families. If you ask lifelong customers, they’ll tell you it’s more than the bar-b-q that makes Peebles a local tradition.
2 ounces gin
The past month has been a time of reflection for Born & Bread Bakehouse owner Jenn Smurr. The bakery’s fourth birthday has come and gone, a celebration was had, and the hard-working hands of Jenn and her team are no doubt already preparing for the “organized chaos” that will be next Satu…
3 ounces vodka
5 basil leaves
Small batch, handmade ice cream sandwich company, A Cow Named MOO, started by Sarah and Patrick Mulcahy is in new hands, but rest assured the same chewy, creamy goodness lives on with its new owners.
An audacious idea and the will to keep going no matter the challenge is the bit of magic it took Robyn Wilson to start and grow Lakeland’s The Poor Porker into what it is today.
⅓ cup Chambord Raspberry Liqueur½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice⅓ cup vodka¼ cup simple syrupLemonade
Sushi was originally invented as a means of preservation, when fermented and salted rice was used to store fish for up to a year. This was known as narezushi. The rice was thrown away and only the fish consumed. A later variant called namanarezushi invented in the 16th century, introduced t…
“America, a melting cauldron of passionate people of multiple nationalities; passionate about life, friendship, love, their national pride, about food, and in fact, always ready to thankfully enjoy all of God’s blessings.” This is the first line of The Roti Story that owner and physician Dr.…
4 ounces Baileys Irish Cream2 ounces Butterscotch Schnapps1 ounce Cointreau1/2 ounce Kahlua
Pilsner, Stout, Porter and everything in between, Lakeland Beer Rev has a brew for even the pickiest craft beer aficionado. We sat down with owner Mike Dodge to talk Lakeland’s favorite craft beers, tasty pub cuisine, and video games.
1 cup Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky1 ½ cups pure apple ciderSqueeze of orange or lemon
This month, it’s all about the decorations and parties! Our cocktail is really just a big bowl of punch ready to serve your guests. Make a lot for a crowd or a little just for you. It’s simple and easy to modify. Take your favorite juice, for this we used Blackberry Cranberry. Add fresh …
Sugar Skull: Sugar cookie dough baked in the shape of a skull. Let that cool, then spread your favorite vanilla icing and decorate with various fruits.
To make a drink for two, I used these measurements. Depending on how much you like the taste of pickle brine, will determine if you use more or less than my recipe.
Stepping into Federal Bar Lakeland is a little like stepping back in time. But just for the right reasons. Designed with Prohibition style, appropriately I might add, because the building was built in 1917. If these walls could talk, they would tell tales of being used as a Post Office, a…
There’s nothing like a freshly baked beef liver or chicken cookie, am I right? For dogs I mean. Benson’s Canine Cookies has been in the freshly baked holistic dog cookie business for a collective 22 years.
1 oz light rum1 oz blue curaçao2 oz fresh pineapple juice1 oz cream of coconut2 cups crushed ice
You may remember Swan Brewing in a 10x10 tent at the Downtown Farmers Curb Market in Lakeland. Dan Thumberg, co-owner of Swan Brewing, started selling home brewing supplies to the public and soon met his now partner, Christian Hood. “We sat down and compared our business plans [which] were a…
Use ratio to make either one glass or one pitcher:
1 Cup Rum (I used coconut)1 Cup Pineapple Juice1 Cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut2 Cups Frozen Pineapple2 Cups Ice
Do you know that feeling you get when your grandma makes you something to eat and you can just taste the love she made it with? Anyone who has dined at Cafe Zuppina does. “Today, one of my customers told me he feels like he’s in his grandmother’s home,” said owner and chef at Cafe Zuppina, B…
Scream’n Tuna Sushi is o-fish-ally my new go-to for Asian cuisine. You could say that their food makes miso happy!
For the syrup:
It’s Saturday morning and I am sitting here thinking, the pontoon’s fixed, but it’s going to be too windy and cloudy to take it on the Chain. What can we do that’s fun and productive today? I immediately texted Jordy saying, “Today is the day!” Last week we came up with this great idea. Sin…
The feeling you get when walking into Red Door Lakeland is that of attending a good friend’s dinner party. A dim, cozy ambiance brought about by tables and booths situated comfortably on the wooden floors that look to be original, paned glass windows of another era, and plush pillows lining …
kosher salt for rim1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice2 tablespoons fresh lime juice2 teaspoons sugar1/2 cup tequila1/2 cup club soda or tonic water (if you like it sweeter)
May there be no wasps in your honey, but bees in your hive, sláinte!
In the heart of downtown Lakeland off of Tennessee Avenue, sits a building that has had many lives over the years, now revived as MOJO Federal Swine & Spirits. The BBQ and Southern Food restaurant fits in perfectly with Lakeland’s classic charm and modern flair. Walking up the steps of t…
Whether you’re dining in with your special person on Valentine’s Day or having a Galentine’s Day party.
Few restaurateurs are lucky enough to establish in a location rich in history and beloved by locals, even fewer have the fortune to create the layout for their new space from the lighting fixtures to the bar layout. Jason Ellis, Corey Ripley, and Richard Sherfey found themselves with just su…
If I’m honest, I’m always a bit skeptical when I see the word ‘authentic’ being touted by a restaurant. Often times, not always, the meaning of that word is lost in translation of both menu items and flavor of the food. Not the case with Tapatio’s in Lakeland, they are the real deal, deliver…
Cucumber-4 or 5 inches chopped
In a cocktail shaker add & muddle:
I don’t believe I know anyone who doesn’t like Italian food–a cuisine steeped in rich flavors and rich culture. Il Forno in South Lakeland is a place you need to visit the next time those pasta or pizza cravings kick in.
Off the beaten path of the main streets of Lakeland sits Chef T’s Garden Grill, an eatery that sets itself apart in both food and atmosphere. Formally-trained Chef Terry Doner has put his touch on every aspect of the restaurant, creating an intentionally exquisite environment.