Some Like it HOT!
Valentine’s is just around the corner. Romance is in the air! This is a special time to create new memories with your love. Flowers are pretty, chocolates are sweet but let’s get a little spicy!
A Date with the Famous Datil Pepper
St Augustine is the home to the fabulous and flavorful “Datil Pepper”. Although there are many stories as to the origin of this special pepper, St Augustine has embraced its uniqueness. This pepper offers the sweet fruity taste of a sweet pepper yet the engaging heat of a habanero. Each year St Augustine throws the Datil Pepper Festival and hosts a cook-off.
Our spicy quest begins with your special someone and a mouthwatering bowl of the award-winning “Spicy Datil Fish Chowder”. Savor the ocean views at The Reef Restaurant.
This mouth-watering soup has a creamy red base with potatoes, and carrots, and is loaded with local seafood. With each spoonful, the datil pepper works its magic bringing more and more tasty heat to your palate. The Reef Restaurant offers many dishes highlighting the datil pepper. I guarantee you will keep coming back for more.
If you love tuna, check out the downtown Floridian Restaurant’s “Datil Tuna Poke Bowl”. Perfectly rare Datil- dusted Tuna, full of delectable flavors is finished off with miso aioli, ginger chermoula, shaved radishes, and curried cashews for a wonderful crunch and a touch of microgreens. These dishes will promise to spice up your life, a perfect match!
Too Hot to Handle?
We have so many beautiful beaches to enjoy here in the St Augustine area.
Why not order some takeout and enjoy a romantic picnic on the beach? Taco My Blessing offers perfectly zesty and authentic tacos to eat on site in the open air or takeout to do a picnic. Indulge in the sizzling deliciousness of the “Compechano Taco”. A fresh corn tortilla filled with a spice-worthy mix of steak and chorizo, topped with chopped onions, fresh cilantro, and homemade crema cooled off with some crispy radishes. The fiery salsa includes three different dried chili peppers and extra spicy serrano peppers. If you like heat this delicious authentically Mexican salsa promises to knock your socks off! This yummy taco is perfectly paired with a hand-crafted beer from the BOG brewery’s next store.
Casa Reina offers excitable dishes for the beach or enjoy one of the best views downtown on the rooftop terrace. Bite into a “Jalapenos Rellenos”.
This dish has it all, crunch, juiciness, and red-hot flavors! Bite into a crispy fried jalapeno filled with chihuahua queso, intense chorizo, crema, cotija, and fresh cilantro. To keep the spice train going be sure to check out Casa Reina’s signature drink, the passionately spicy “Diablo Rosa.”
Sweet & Spicy
February can be a bit chilly, so why not treat your special someone to a cup of luscious hot chocolate? Claude’s Chocolates offers a high-quality “homemade spicy hot chocolate mix”. This scrumptiously spicy blend has a hint of ancho and chipotle peppers giving it the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. A perfect end or beginning to a romantic afternoon or evening.
Love is in the Air
Valentine’s Day is a special time to be present and enjoy time with your love. A time to refreshingly spice things up. We live in a community full of spicy food adventures, too many to mention in this one article. Whether you love a lot of spice and heat or just prefer a pinch, enjoy exploring the many spicy options available to you and yours here in the “Hot and Spicy”-St Augustine!
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I’m a multifaceted woman with a colorful tapestry of experiences and passions. From television hosting to guiding wanderlust souls across Europe and creating colorful travel/foodie stories. I’ve worn many hats. I love being involved in my community advocating for veterans’ rights, fighting against human trafficking, and teaching kids cooking skills. My family, including my beloved dogs, keeps me grounded, but I’ll always be drawn to the siren call of the beach – sand between my toes, sun on my face, and endless adventures on the horizon. Join me on this wild ride we call life!
