I always have a few rules of thumb when dining at a new restaurant. I like to try places that serve food I normally do not prepare at home. I love eclectic restaurants, small establishments that are family owned, that cater to people with various dietary habits, not because I have one, but because it means the chef is usually creative and cares about satisfying a wide variety of patrons – not just mainstream palates. I especially love restaurants that tell you about their food – what ingredients are in the dishes, what sources they get their food from, is is organic, fair trade, etc. This tells an awful lot about a place and I care a lot about the answers. It has to do with quality. I care about quality. I fancy myself a pretty good cook – I have a whole other blog devoted to it, so if I am going to go out to eat, I want the restaurant to have some of these aspects. That or a killer ambiance, but that can be another whole kind of experience.

All of the times we came to St. Augustine before we lived here I wanted to try Casa Maya. It is known for its Mayan cuisine, which to me, means real Mexican / Northern Central American food – not the stuff you get at Taco Bell or Moe’s. By self describing as “Mayan” - you can already surmise that it is done to set them apart from that contingent. I love when I go to an ethnic restaurant where the real cuisine is unfamiliar to me and I don’t recognize anything on the menu. This usually is a signal that the food is authentic to that region. Such was the case at Casa Maya. After being disappointed by Acapulco, several months ago, I was loosing the battle with trying to convince Roberto that Mexican food is really good.
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These guys have got my number. I do believe that coffee is a crucial part of life. Not just any coffee but GOOD coffee. I admit I may be a coffee snob, but I feel myself very fortunate to know a bit about coffee and that I have a desire to learn more and more. If you look through this blog or my other blog TheLeftoverQueen you will see much about my love of the bean. So when we relocated to St. Augustine, I made it my personal mission to seek out the best of what St. Augustine has to offer by way of coffee. I will also be enjoying many of the eating establishments here as well, so stay tuned for more. But now, for the coffee.

I love the look of Crucial Coffee. This adorable little coffee shack on the corner of Cuna Street, right near the Castillo de San Marcos is so inviting. It does remind me of those coffee shacks in New England I so love. It is unassuming yet brings attention to itself with brightly colored doors and twinkling little lights. You just can’t help not to go in.
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Jenn’s TravelCloseup has just changed hubs. We have moved from Ocala, Florida to the beautiful coastal city of St. Augustine. The Oldest city in The United States, founded in 1565 and discovered in by Ponce de Leon. His Fountain of Youth is still here. It has the effect of giving you the giggles.

We are going to have a lot to explore in St. Augustine - lots of historic sites, beaches, restaurants, cafe’s, etc. You can even visit this bar that has no electricity and is lighted at night by lanterns! I can’t wait to check that place out.

We are settling into our new place, so stay tuned for some adventures in St. Augustine! Or if you live in this great city, you may see us at one of our new favorite cafe’s - The Bunnery on St. George Street.