Lake Charles, Southwest Louisiana’s premier destination for luxurious Vegas-style casino resorts. With a Southern welcome, Lake Charles offers its visitors gourmet restaurants, derby race tracks; and something you won’t find in Las Vegas ~deep-sea fishing and the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu.
Tag: foodie
![Foodie Gems of Shreveport, Louisiana 2 crawfish, mudbugs](https://i0.wp.com/empty-nestopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/crawfish-W-logo.jpg?fit=3024%2C4032&ssl=1)
Foodie Gems of Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport has been a foodie mecca for diverse regional dishes since its founding in 1836. Shreveportites are infamous for putting their own unique spin on recipes that have been handed down or brought from other countries. This is but a small sampling of delectable morsels you can offer your palate when you visit Shreveport-Bossier City.
![Sprinkles Cupcake ATM: A pink bundle of joy putting smiles on people’s faces 3 Sprinkles Cupcake ATM: A pink bundle of joy putting smiles on people’s faces 2 So there I was, standing in front of a pink ATM tucked in the side of a building. OK in all honesty, I did not have a craving. I was walking by on the street and saw the cupcake ATM sign and said, “whaaat?? This is crazy! So crazy I have to try it!” More honesty, it was not 2 a.m. but a sensible 3 in the afternoon so I could have a pre-snack before dinner. Everyone knows - life is short, have dessert first.](https://i0.wp.com/empty-nestopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Sprinkles-store-front.jpg?fit=2236%2C2048&ssl=1)
Sprinkles Cupcake ATM: A pink bundle of joy putting smiles on people’s faces
Cupcakes and ATM’s, two words not typically associated with each other in a sentence and definitely not as a thing. But it is and it is delivering an assortment of moist morsels satisfying sugary cravings any time – day or night. The Cupcake Craving There you are. It is 2 a.m. and you have a…
![Tintoque 5 Tintoque, Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Marina Vallarta, Chef Joel Ornelas, nuestro chef, gastronomic, cullinary, unique, local, fresh products,](https://i0.wp.com/empty-nestopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/tintoque1.jpeg?fit=3024%2C4032&ssl=1)
Tintoque
Old World Meets Contemporary Flair. What do you get when you mix generations of tested recipes from
![Food Truck - Not just an American thing 6 puerto vallarta, food truck, dinning, foodie,](https://i0.wp.com/empty-nestopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/IMG_5718.jpg?fit=4032%2C3024&ssl=1)
Food Truck – Not just an American thing
Food Truck Love. Oh, my word! I could not believe my eyes. I found a little bit of home in this diverse Mexican city. A city with eclectic neighborhoods, rich with old world Mexican charm and modern flair, one that is home to
![Gaby's - A Mexican Tradition 7 Gaby's - A Mexican Tradition 3 ***Gaby's Restaurant was visited during a press trip sponsored by Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board. The views and opinions are my own. ***](https://i0.wp.com/empty-nestopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/img_5918.jpg?fit=3024%2C4032&ssl=1)
Gaby’s – A Mexican Tradition
***Gaby’s Restaurant was visited during a press trip sponsored by Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board. The views and opinions are my own. *** Located in the heart of Puerto Vallarta’s Gringo Gulch is family owned Gaby’s Restaurant. Gaby’s has been delivering authentic Mexican flavors since 1989. The stuffed avocado was absolutely delicious for a light lunch!…
![Pyramid Restaurant- Lifestyle Cuisine in Dallas 10 pyramid restaurant, dallas, fairmont, wine, red wine, white wine, wine room](https://i0.wp.com/empty-nestopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/wine-room.jpg?fit=605%2C352&ssl=1)
Pyramid Restaurant- Lifestyle Cuisine in Dallas
Pyramid Restaurant – Lifestyle Cuisine Located in the heart of bustling downtown Dallas
![The Botanist - where steampunk meets botanical magic 11 The Botanist - where steampunk meets botanical magic 6 One brief headline caught my eye, The Botanist – an eclectic dining experience steeped in charm and style. There are so many ‘wine bars’ and ‘brewers’ that this caught my eye. The name was just enough to give a little intrigue and interest without giving away what it was all about. It was so steampunkish!I was not disappointed! The atmosphere was easy, casual and laid-back. When I walked through the lobby I got the feeling that I had stepped back in time and had reemerged in a garden sanctuary. The interior was decorated with wood-accents that had a weathered-gray finish to them. There were botanical pictures on the walls that identified the different parts of flowers along with garden yard tools. Hanging from the ceiling was a magnificent display of steampunk art in the form of a three-wheeled bicycle that had glider-style wings attached to the sides and an umbrella secured in the center in a vertical position with a whirligig propeller on top of it. The bicycle also was equipped with a motor. The exterior of the restaurant was decorated in wrought iron panels with vines growing over them.The bar area was quite impressive with an expansive front bar that had ample room for the botanical mix-masters to work their magic with herbal infused liquor and spirits. The back bar consisted of a massive shelving system that contained a sizeable assortment of liqueurs infused with berries, herbs, and fruits in addition to a fabulous selection of craft beers and ales. The bartenders were dressed in the steampunk fashion of simple neutral colored clothes and suspenders on their pants.](https://i0.wp.com/empty-nestopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/the-botanist-bar-compressed-wp.jpg?fit=448%2C336&ssl=1)
The Botanist – where steampunk meets botanical magic
Steampunk infused with botanical magic Do you ever read those advertising magazines that are spread across the desk in your hotel room? I have to confess – Sometimes, maybe, but usually I just brush them aside to make room for all of the travel books, casual books, magazines, and electronics that I brought with me….
![Have an Unforgettable, Adventure-packed weekend in New Orleans 12 Have an Unforgettable, Adventure-packed weekend in New Orleans 7 New Orleans is a truly amazing city! It is incredibly diverse and eclectic offering a wide range of activities for every interest from historical landmarks to new age vape shops and haunted tours to shopping for antiques or listening to live music in any one of the many bars or on the street corners and dancing in the street to getting married and parading down Bourbon St.](https://i0.wp.com/empty-nestopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/dsc01382.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1)
Have an Unforgettable, Adventure-packed weekend in New Orleans
New Orleans – Diverse and Eclectic New Orleans is a truly amazing city! It is incredibly diverse and eclectic offering a wide range of activities for every interest from historical landmarks to new age vape shops and haunted tours to shopping for antiques or listening to live music in any one of the many bars or…
![Old time comfort pub food 38 pub food, recipe, foodie, europe, travel, empty nestopia, traveling donna](https://i0.wp.com/empty-nestopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/meal2.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1)
Old time comfort pub food
Be Comforted The UK is known for their warm, hearty and flavorful foods. Pub recipes have been handed down for generations. They are a mixture of delightfully flavorful vegetables such as carrots, turnips, rutabagas, and potatoes. Meats such as lamb, venison, chicken, and veal are frequently used for hearty sustenance. Pubs are the place sample this Country’s vast and…
![England: Quick stop for nibbles and tippies 39 England The Botanist Steampunk bartenders](https://i0.wp.com/empty-nestopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/our-botanist-mix-masters-compressed-wp.jpg?fit=448%2C336&ssl=1)
England: Quick stop for nibbles and tippies
England is incredible with the amount of diversity in people, adventures, food, and cocktails you find in unlikely places. We have done so much and been so many places!! I have so many stories to tell from exploring alleys to sheep herding at a B&B to hanging out at pubs with our sons! Right now we…