Hidden Gem in Cocoa Beach

I'm proud to say we have FINALLY found a great place to eat in Cocoa Beach! After many failed attempts, on our most recent visit we found a gem. Brano's is located just down the road from Ron Jon's. It doesn't look like anything fancy from the outside, but on the inside its very nice. Perfect for a casual dinner or even lunch after a day on the beach. Since its Cocoa you can pretty much expect to find people in their most casual clothes at any restaurant.

We ate here for dinner and then lunch the next day since we enjoyed it so much. Its a genuine family italian place, no frills, just yummy food. A nice bonus is they serve big garlic butter rolls at lunch and dinner! You know how I feel about bread...

We tried the pizza, which was really good! Everything tasted very fresh, especially the dough. You can tell that it is made fresh in house. It is slightly sweet and was a welcomed surprise. They have a great homemade italian dressing that compliments not only their salad, but their italian sub. I had that for lunch and was awesome!

So next time you are in Cocoa Beach, check this place out. I know you won't be disappointed! Brano's is going to get our business each trip!

Jazz Brunch Munch

So I have a pretty cool job that allows me to get some pretty great stuff for free. Often I get the opportunity to eat for free, and most recently I had the opportunity to try the Jazz Brunch at the Bohemian hotel downtown. I was able to take my mom for her birthday, which was even more fun. So this brunch costs the average person $40, which is a hefty sum in my opinion. Not to say its overpriced, its just a lot of money because I don't think anyone can eat enough in one sitting at a buffet to make it worth the price. You do get unlimited mimosas, which does make the cost a bit more manageable.

The atmosphere is very chic. The restaurant has a cool vibe to it, modern yet classic at the same time. Red velvet plush chairs, with a black and white decor. The jazz band plays in the center of the food buffet, which was an interesting concept.

The menu consisted of a large amount of seafood, which I don't eat. What I did enjoy was the fact that there was a menu of select items at our table that were made to order specialties. I tried one of these items, the turkey and brie eggs benedict.

This was absolutely delicious! There was also cranberry sauce that was underneath that balanced the salt from the dish and added that sweet element. The portion size was nice, on the smaller side, to allow you to continue eating the buffet and not getting full from one dish.

The buffet had your traditional bacon, eggs, sausage, chef created omelet bar. It also had some delicious mini belgian waffles! Berries, whipped cream, and warm maple syrup were the provided accessories.

The dessert selection was impressive. They had a large amount of meringues, cakes and my favorite, a mint chocolate mousse. The mousse was so filling that I couldn't even finish it. It was unique for sure, I have had my share of chocolate mousse, but never a mint chocolate mousse.

So, if you are in the mood to hear some jazz, eat some good food, and drink your fill of mimosas, check out this brunch. Its even better when you get it free :)

Something new for lunch

Sometimes we all get into a rut of where to go for lunch. If you are like me, you have your usual spots that are always a staple throughout the week. A few weeks back I noticed that a new restaurant had opened up fairly close to work. The name was catchy "Hot Krust." As the name eludes to, its a panini place. This is located right next to Pei Wei, in the former Delish spot. Needless to say I wasn't surprised that Delish had closed down...Anyways, Hot Krust has a pretty straightforward concept. Paninis, salads, that sort of stuff. I went with a roasted turkey with some yummy cheese and cranberry sauce. It was served with some outstanding homemade chips. 

I chose to have it on the herb bread, which I don't think I would do again. The seasoning on the bread overpowered the flavor in the sandwich a little bit, and had some spice that I didn't like. Overall, the sandwich was pretty good. I liked the chips best :) I would say try this place if you are looking for something new to throw into your lunch mix.

Brownie Sundae = Paradise

So I was having one of those days that I desperately needed something sweet. Typically when this happens it means I need something of the baked goods variety. I cured this craving by eating this AMAZING pecan brownie sundae at Copper Canyon Grill in Pointe Orlando. Copper Canyon is a great place if you are looking for some all around American fare, and they specialize in rotisserie chicken. I would have to say they also specialize in this heavenly treat.

This beauty features a large nicely cooked pecan brownie with crispy edges. It is then loaded with a huge scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream that is then covered in a heavenly cloud of thick whipped cream. YUM! It floats on a chocolate sauce pool and walnuts top it all off.

If you are ever craving something sweet, check this out. Make sure you have someone to share it with, because it is absolutely divine!