Staybridge Suites Tallahassee I-10 East

How to KNOW if it's going to be GOOD barbecue

by pchamlis

Tallahassee, like most of the south, loves her barbecue. There are no shortage of barbecue eateries, from full-blown restaurants down to simple little "joints". If you want barbecue in Tallahassee, you'll find somewhere to get your fix.

Truly good barbecue usually ends up being eaten with one's fingers, especially if you're talking baby back ribs and such. When you sit down at a restaurant and see a huge pile of napkins set aside at your table, it's always a good sign that you're in for some good eatin'.

Plastic squeeze bottles with several different types of homemade barbecue sauces at each table is also another good sign that you've found the genuine thing. Deep south barbecue. It's soooo good.

January and February around the city

by JudyinPA

Lake Talquin is outside of Tallahassee to the west a few miles. It is a great place to use a motorized boat, fish, camp and ride horses on the many sandy roads. It was close to where we stayed in an RV Park so we went there often for the quiet and to fish. The area is a maze of sandy roads and maps are needed to be able to find your way around this thick forested area.

Bonjour, y'all...maybe the best place in town

by pchamlis about Chez Pierre

Chez Pierre is a Tallahassee institution. Originally a small bistro downtown, it moved to its present Thomasville Road location about ten years ago. The best way to describe Chez Pierre may be to just parrot the way they usually answer their phone.. "Chez Pierre, bonjour y'all". That sums it up...a wonderful French restaurant that embraces southern style. (You'll notice the dish below that has "red pepper grits" as an accompaniment) It's totally classy but not stuffy. You don't need a jacket and a tie, but you don't want to wear your jeans. It's innovative and always dependable. That's Chez Pierre.

Also, they have an excellent selection of vegetarian fare if you prefer foods that didn't have parents. :)

There are a lot of fine places to eat in Tallahassee, but when it's really something special, we so often end up eating at Chez Pierre. When we had a recent gathering of VTers in Tallahassee, it was the first and only place we considered for the meeting. Good choice.

Chez Pierre serves lunch on Monday-Saturday from 11 am - 2 pm. On Sundays, a "Sunday Brunch" occurs during the same hours. Dinner is served from 5:30 pm until 9:30 pm Sunday - Thursday, and until 11 pm on Friday and Saturday. And in between all of it (2:30-5:30, they have what they call the "bistro menu")

In and around holidays, Chez Pierre often has a "special dinner" of some kind, always check the website or give them a call.

There's a nice outdoor (but AC and heated) bar, and Chez Pierre often features live entertainment for your dining and cocktail hour pleasure. The menu changes often, so I always recommend visiting the website before your visit, if you'd like to get an early take on what you'd like. EXCELLENT winelist, and exquisite desserts compliment the varied and satisfying appetizers and mains. Among the recent best on the menu are:

A P P E T I Z E R S
ESCARGOTS BOURGUIGNON / Snails in garlic butter
ASSIETTE DE FROMAGES / House cheese selection
SAUMON FUMÉ DU CHEF / House smoked salmon
MOUSSE PÂTÉ AU SAUTERNES / Goose liver pâté
CHILLED LUMP CRAB TARTARE / Jumbo lump crab
BISQUE D’HOMARD / Lobster bisque

FILET DE SAUMON AVEC CHAMPIGNONS / North Atlantic salmon, pommes purée & roasted mushroom confit
TUNA SALADE NIÇOISE / Ahi tuna, pan-seared w/ mesclun greens & Mediterranean accoutrements
POULET ROTI À LA PORTUGAISE / Whole baby hen twice-roasted with fresh herbs, w/ chorizo and red pepper grits
TRUITE AVEC FRUITS DE MER ET GNOCCHI / River Run trout stuffed with a fennel-crabmeat mélange, served on spinach enhanced gnocchi
KOBE HACHÉ ET POMMES FRITES / Snake River Farms Kobe beef chopped sirloin steak with black truffle butter and house fries
CÔTE DE SANGLIER AVEC FLAGEOLETS / Kurobuta boar loin, braised with garlic confit, bacon and served on a nest of white beans
ROTI DE PORC TENDERLOIN NIÇOISE / Succulent house marinated pork tenderloin fire roasted and served in the Mediterranean style
BOEUF AU RIBEYE AVEC CHAMPIGNONS / House aged Angus beef with portabellas, roasted potato and braised market greens
ROTI DE CANARD AVEC PETITE ROCKET / Roast duckling with baby Arugula, dried cranberry and pine nuts
COUSCOUS MAROCAIN À L’AIL CONFIT / Couscous with roasted garlic, lemon and mint julienne
SAUCISSON À L’AIL AUX LENTILLES / Lamb merguez sausage with French green lentils
CONFIT DE CANARD À LINGONBERRY / Duck confit on wild rice with lingonberry jus
FLAT IRON BOEUF AVEC POMMES FRITES / Grilled flat iron steak with house fries
FLAGEOLETS À LA NIÇOISE / French white beans with roasted vegetables
GNOCCHI À LA PARISIENNE / Pan roasted herbed gnocchi with vegetable jus

Enjoy the downtown parks

by pchamlis

The city of Tallahassee has always valued her greenery. Park Avenue is a divided street running east and west through the heart of Tallahassee. It was named "Park" avenue because of its parks. The street is divided widely, almost by half a city block. The division between each east and west lane forms a series of small, green landscapes in the center of town. Each has lush green grass, park benches and huge southern live oaks.

A terrific place to take a morning coffee break, if you work downtown. Or maybe.... how about a picnic lunch.

Many years ago, Tallahassee used to have its annual "May Day" celebrations, when the May Queen was crowned, in Lewis Park downtown. Lewis Park is between the Park avenue lanes, and is bordered on the west by Calhoun Street and on the east of Gadsden Street. The May celebration ended years ago, but Lewis Park remains one of Tallahassee's most beautiful and peaceful spots.

Spend an hour or two doing nothing in one of our city parks.

If you love your children

by Mothership

"IF YOU LOVE ANY MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY KEEP THEM"

iF YOU LOVE YOUR COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS, YOU MANY WANT TO LOOK ELSEWHERE - THERE ARE SEXUAL PREDATORS EVERYWHERE.

STUDENTS CAN BE MOLESTED AND NOTHING WILL BE DONE

SOME HOTELS ACTUALLY SUPPLY THE MOLESTER.

SEND YOUR KIDS AND YOUR MONEY ELSEWHERE

USE THE FDLE WEBSITE TO SEE HOW MANY SEXUAL PREDATORS/OFFENDERS ARE OUT THERE WAITING FOR YOUR LOVED ONE.

"Nothing Done"

The police department is great but overworked. The government does not give them the tools to protect and defend your students.

"Still nothing"

I dread checking in with the police dept because I know they are understaffed and overworked.

These are wonderful people; but they need more from the city and council to do their jobs. They want to do a good job.