Delicious and Inexpensive Donuts: Nuts 4 Donuts

by Alisha Diaz

Last weekend I had the amazing opportunity to try some amazing local donuts! Nuts 4 Donuts (Link:https://www.facebook.com/nuts4donuts/) is located in South Fort Myers. They open very early and close at 1:00 pm. Their donuts are so loved that they sometimes run out before closing times!

My sister and I went Friday morning, and we each got a donut. We can believe they only cost about $2.50 together! They were amazing! They are quite big too. I could barely finish it. We were very pleased with kindness and cleaning we found in the donut shop.

The next day I went back with my husband. The donuts looked so good we couldn't just choose one each! We ended up taking 6 donuts, costing $6.00, to my parent house to share. We cut them into small sample sizes so we could each try each type. We were so happy we did that too. They were all so great.

If you are looking for great donuts, definitely go by Nuts 4 Donuts. I think you'd love them too!

Subs and Soups: Simple Clean and Delicious

by Alisha Diaz

Photos by Moises and Alisha Diaz

In SWFL we are so blessed with countless restaurant options. Between all the large restaurant chains, the small plaza restaurants, and the famous touristy ones we have, we could never try them all out. That's how it seems anyways. There is a small restaurant next to our favorite Chinese food takeout, and we finally gave it a try. We were pleasantly surprised by our experience.  Moises and I look forward to going back and trying some more menu options. 

As soon as we walked in, the first thing I noticed was how clean it was! I have never been in a cleaner restaurant. For those who are more scared of germs than others, this place is for you! You can see almost the whole kitchen, and it definitely makes me feel confident that my food is safe to eat, unlike other restaurants I care not to mention. 

The owners, a lovely couple, greeted us as soon as we walked in. They were so kind and talked us through all of our options. The restaurant's name is Subs and Soups, and that is exactly what we ordered too! Moises and I shared a large Philly cheese steak and a bowl of cheese and broccoli soup. It was great! I personally liked the sub, but Moises loved it. I really loved the soup. I can't wait to go back and get some soup the next time I'm sick. It's so comforting. I can tell it's not all filled with preservatives as well.

Like Subway or Publix, they have assorted vegetables so you can customize your subs. Subs and soups are not the only things they sell. They sell hot dogs, quesadillas, shrimp cocktail, and so much more. They have 2-3 soups available per day. Their prices are very reasonable too. We paid about $15 for our sub, soup, Sprite, and a bottle of water.

You will find this cute little restaurant in a plaza on Old 41. The location is in the link below. If you're in the area, give it a shot. It's a great little place! 

(Link: https://www.superpages.com/bp/bonita-springs-fl/llc-subs-and-soups-L2720770939.htm)

Bonita's Best Taco Tuesday: Maria's Restaurant

by Alisha Diaz

I have been living in SWFL for about 16 years. Moises has lived here all his life. Throughout the years we have heard about Maria's great food, and how they have an amazing Taco Tuesday. For some reason, it never worked out that we could go, or we didn't have time in case they had a line. We finally went, and it was great! Let me tell you how it works. (Link: https://www.facebook.com/mariasrestaurantbonita/)

1. You will enter the front door, and you will pay for your food. Tacos are $1.00 each, and other foods are available for their regular price. The regular priced food is not expensive, if you decide to get more than tacos. You will be given a number so they know which person/group gets what.

2. After you will go to the right to the bar. That is just where they sell all the beverages, even soda and water. They have bottled Cokes that go great with your authentic Mexican food. You will be given your drinks right then, and then you can pick a table to sit while you wait for your taco order.

Maria's is a very popular restaurant, especially on Taco Tuesday. You might want to go early, since they do have a line sometimes (especially during season.) Though the line may seem inconvenient,  it's because they have great food!

You can't beat getting great tacos for $1.00 each. They even have wide assortment too. I generally get carnitas, since they are my fave. Moises usually gets al pastor, but he also got another type, that I can not remember. They were amazing! We also got guac, and it completely "hit the spot." It was fresh and had great flavor. Though my husband is Hispanic and even my best friend is as well, I had never had an elote. I finally got one, and I loved it. It took me a little while to get used to the flavor combination, but it was great. I actually didn't expect to like it. I'm not quite a fan of chile powder or mayo. I would definitely order it again.

Maria's is also a family and friend run business. The owners both work there in person, and their sons cook or man the bar.  I do know the owners, but they did not ask me to write a blog about them. They deserve all these compliments though. I can't wait to go back!

Our New Favorite Taco Joint: Taco Pancho

by Alisha Diaz
photos by Moises and Alisha Diaz

April 4, 2018, my life changed. I walked into Taco Pancho, met some friendly people, and ate some delicious yet quickly prepared food! My sister, Melissa, brought me here. She heard about it somehow and wanted us to try it together for the first time. I was so impressed that I brought my husband, Moises, back the same day! He completely agreed with my opinion, and we will now be regulars there! (Link: http://www.tacopanchorestaurants.com/menu.html)

The first thing I noticed was the prices. They are great! They have tons of deal and specials, so don't miss out! My sister got a burrito, a side of rice, chips and salsa, and a drink for about $8. Since I had breakfast not long before we came, I just got a tostada and a drink for just over $3!!

We got our food very quickly and wow! As soon as we saw it we knew it was authentic and it was going to be good! It was too! The rice was perfect, the chips were homemade, and the salsa was on point! My tostada was amazing, and I can't wait to get it again in the future. Melissa was pleased with her burrito, but I did not personally try it at the time.

I was so excited after we left. I had Moises call me so I could tell him all about it, and he agreed we should go there for dinner that night. Woo! I was happy. Since burritos were the special, we both got them. Moises loved his! I did like mine, but I'm not a big fan of beef. Next time I will get chicken, and I know I will love it. We "shared" a side of rice, meaning I ate most of it lol. Moises did say is tasted just like his mom's rice though! We also went a different route with the chips. Moises, though he is Hispanic, does not like spicy food. The yummy salsa I had before was great, but very spicy. I suggested asking about the guacamole to see if it was more Moises' style. It was!!! It wasn't spicy, but it was AMAZING! It was so fresh tasting and we got a HUGE portion! We couldn't even finish it.

We were completely impressed with this place, and we were a little sad we didn't know about it before! Taco Pancho is open for breakfast, and they have breakfast tacos on their menu. I can not wait to try them! We love breakfast tacos! As mentioned before, Moises and I will probably be going there often now, and we are looking forward to bringing some friends!

 

Working with Food Trucks!

by Alisha Diaz
Photos by Moises Diaz

I know I have been MIA, but I'm back! I had the AWESOME opportunity to work for Fort Myers Pro Rodeo! It was hard work and a ton of fun at the same time. I had the blessing to work with the vendors, and WOW! I was surprised! I was able to meet some of the nicest people and try some AMAZING food!

I wasn't able to try all the food or get to know everyone as much as I did with Knuckleheads and JP's Hot Fish. It was their first times vending at the rodeo, and everyone loved them!

Knuckleheads (Link: https://www.facebook.com/morrknuckleheads/) makes Philly cheese steaks, tater tots, po boys, and more! Moises and I fell in love with their Phillies. I kept ordering mine with green peppers and cheese (like a weirdo), and it was sooo good. I still think about it every so often! Moises would get his with everything. When friends and family showed up to the rodeo, I would send them their way, and they were impressed as well. The staff is amazing too! They were very thankful, friendly, and positive, and they were a pleasure to work with!

JP's Hot Fish was another great experience! I do not like fried fish, I repeat, I do not like fried fish, but I loved theirs! Moises and I got some both nights, and it was delicious! It had great flavor, and it was cooked to order. It was so nice and warm (hot) on the cool/cold nights as well. A few of our friends got some as well, and they were very pleased! Jesse, the cook/guy in charge, was so nice! His wife was a well. I look forward to showing up at their food truck sometime soon! (Link:https://www.facebook.com/JPs-Hot-Fish-1490791864298476/)

Both of these food trucks are from SWFL. If you see them, give them a try! You will not be disappointed! It's a great thing to support small businesses, especially local ones. Check out their Facebook pages to see where they will be located next. I know I will be! You might even run into me and Moises!

Our Cheese Fries Addiction: Rib City

by Alisha Diaz
Photos by Moises Diaz

Moises and I had been working very hard. We both started new jobs on the same day, and we finally wanted to treat ourselves with a date night. We immediately agreed on going to Rib City! We love Rib City, but we hadn't been there for quite some time. We had a great time, we had great food, and we had great service. Let me tell you all about it.

When we go to Rib City, about 90% of the time we go to the Estero location. We came in and got seated right away. Someone did tell us that they had some new employees, but everything went smoothly and everyone seemed to be doing a great job. This Rib City gets a lot of customers, but they are great at seating everyone. I have only had a wait one time throughout the years, and it was a very short wait.

When we decided that we wanted to do out date night at Rib City, we knew we wanted to blog about it. We don't have the funds to go to restaurants whenever we want to blog, but we try to blog about the places that are special to us. That being said, we knew exactly what we wanted to order when we got there. Our lovely waitress let us put in our drink, appetizer, and dinner order all at once. Wow! We got our orders very quickly as well. It was great!

Moises', who has been living in SWFL way longer than me, always orders his Rib City drinks in a "To Go" cup. I have followed his habit in this as well. They are huge! Moises got a sweet tea, and I stuck with lemon water. His sweet tea was great! My stomach gets mad at me when I drink sweet tea, but the sip I had was delicious. My water was fresh and tasted good as well.

Now Moises and I have a bad habit of ordering the same thing every time here. Knowing we were going to blog and take pictures, we wanted to try a couple new things. Naturally, I went to Facebook. I asked a big food group, Foodies Unite! My Local SWFL, what their favorite Rib City foods were. I was pleasantly surprised! Many agreed with what our favorites were, but we also got many new suggestions. We did follow those suggestions, and we were very happy we did. Moises and I usually get the cheese and bacon fries with ranch and spicy ranch as an appetizer. Then we usually each get a half pound of chicken tenders. Moises does not eat spicy so he would get the mild, and I would get the hot ones. This does work nicely for us, but we wanted to reach outside of the box.

This time, as suggested, we got the onion rings. WOW! I expected a few, but the portion is huge! That is a great quantity for what you pay, and they tasted great too. Moises got the big fish sandwich with a side of macaroni and cheese. He loved his sandwich, and he shared the macaroni with me. It was good, but not my absolute favorite. I would eat it again though. That is not a complaint. I did still get my hot chicken tenders though. I wanted to include them since they are our favorite. It sounds crazy to love the chicken at a rib joint, but it's true! Rib City has even won awards for them. We highly recommend them.

Our food was crazy delicious as usual, and we were completely happy with our service. We had absolutely no complaints at all. We really enjoyed trying a couple new things as well. If you haven't tried new foods at your favorite restaurants in a while, I would certainly try it. We were missing out! Next time we will try the ribs!

Do you love Rib City? Comment below about what your favorite meal is. Maybe we will try it next
time!

Rib City Link: https://ribcity.com/

It's Everywhere and Rightfully So: Royal Scoop

by Alisha Diaz

In SWFL you may see Royal Scoop ice cream sold at random places. You may also see a food truck or a booth set up at a local event. Royal Scoop makes homemade ice cream in tons of different flavors, and it deserves to be well known. It's delicious! My husband is from Immokalee, Florida, so he never had Royal Scoop before. I was finally able to take him on Valentines Day, and it was a great experience. 

On Valentines Day, we really just wanted a relaxing evening together. We went and got subs and ate them outside at a local restaurant. Right after we made our way to Royal Scoop, and wow! We got there just in time. By the time we sat down, there was a line out the door. What a popular place! I forgot how packed it would get here. I guess it is season too. 

When you walk in, you will see all the options you are able to order. We decided that we each wanted a big scoop in a bowl. There are tons of flavors, and  I definitely had a hard time choosing which one to get. I did get hot fudge on mine as well. Though Royal Scoop sells regular food as well, we were simply way too full to try something. 

When placing an order, you will tell the cashier on the left what you would like. You will pay there as well. Then you will walk along the coolers, and there is a pickup area at the end. 

Moises and I were very happy with our icecream selections. They were very yummy! We look forward to going back soon and trying some more flavors that are available. We would also like to try one of their ice cream cakes sometime as well. Royal Scoop does a great job sending out coupons to the community and having special promotion days. I would definitely recommend them, but keep in mind that they may have a line. 

Royal Scoop's Website: http://www.royalscoop.com/