Brick City Southern Kitchen and Whiskey Bar Ocala, Fl.

Located directly across from historic Ocala Square in downtown Ocala, Brick City Southern Kitchen is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner. The interior is open and welcoming and you can also dine outdoor which people were doing even in January. 

You will notice the bar which dominates an entire wall and the excellent collection of spirits available. Al had a beer and I opted for a half sweet half unsweet tea which tasted as if it was brewed in house. It also came with a huge to-go cup in addition to my glass which allowed me to take the delicious brew home.  

I opted for the BBQ Reuben and amazing concoction of sliced brisket, coleslaw, Jack cheese and thousand island dressing. I had their homemade fries as my side. It was an outstanding sandwich, some of the best brisket I have ever had. I am fussy when it comes to brisket, it has to be moist, and this one was luscious. In all fairness the waitress told me that the juiciness of the brisket depends on who happens to be cooking that day, evidently, I picked a good day!! 

Al went for the St Louis ribs. He was very pleased with his choice. 

We really enjoyed our meal here, our waitress was very friendly and the food was exceptionally good. We often hesitate to stop at the many BBQ places in the area because so often they ended just being okay. Brick City Southern Kitchen was a lot better than that. And the fact that we got free valet parking was a nice perk as well.  

Creative toppings for nachos

Another guest post by my friend Leigh.  Thank you. 

Nachos are a popular favorite for parties, get-togethers, or for an evening meal. Traditional nachos are always good options, but do you ever get tired of the same ingredients? 

Why not go for something a little more unusual or creative? Ways you can add a creative touch or spice up nachos are plentiful. From different meats to vegetables and specific tastes, the sky's the limit when looking to make creative toppings for nachos unique taste for your nacho recipe.

Vary the meat

Typically ground beef or chili is a popular topper, but why not be a little different and try making nachos with a bit of shrimp and fresh-squeezed lime? If seafood isn't appealing, you can also go the BBQ route and use pulled pork or chicken; perhaps a sausage and bell pepper mix, or simply spice it up a bit with some chorizo.

If you're looking to entertain kids, try cutting up chicken nuggets in small bite sizes, place atop the nacho chips, cover with shredded cheese and bake for a few minutes. Serve with their favorite dips, either on top or on the side.

Tofu 

Do you like the taste of traditional meat-topped nachos, but don't want your dish to be focused on meat? Try substituting tofu chili for a variation. Or stir-fry tofu up with some of your favorite veggies.

Go veggie

A variety of vegetables are nicely paired with nacho chips. You can go basic with slices of tomato, grilled zucchini or eggplant, mushrooms or roasted peppers. For toppings try traditional salsa, balsamic vinegar mix or guacamole.

Here's a very unique idea, eggplant caponata.

"You won't often find eggplant served on top of tortilla chips, but they make a hearty, vegetarian topping. And if you're looking for a little complexity of flavor, opt for caponata; it's sweet and vinegary and tastes amazing with melted mozzarella," suggests Kitchen Daily (via Huffington Post).

Pizza nachos

Another kid-friendly idea is pizza nachos. A twist on an old favorite, pizza nachos are made with chips, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and any favorite toppings.

Dessert nachos

Instead of going for salty, try a sweet approach instead. Try unsalted flour tortilla chips sprinkled these with cinnamon and sugar, sour cream or crème fraîche. Top it all off with your favorite sweets such as chocolate chips, coconut flakes, berries or ice cream.

The cool thing about these is the sky's the limit on making creative toppings for nachos. Mix and match some of your favorite flavors and create your own nacho masterpiece.