Burrito Brothers Outdoor Seating

Outdoor Ordering (Guac Sign Lit – FRESH GUAC Available!!!)

Scrumptious Pork Taco, Homemade Guac

Dear Executives of Chipotle and Qdoba,

I would like you to visit the mecca of burrito places, Burrito Brothers in Gainesville, FL.  Granted, this little place was the site of many of my meals throughout my treasured years at the University of Florida, but it is a truly special hole-in-the-wall that shouldn’t be missed. 

What’s so special about this place?  What can you, Mr. Chipotle learn here?  For one thing, its been around since you were probably a kid (I was only one year old when it opened).  Everything they serve is made from scratch (except the tortillas).  They even ripen their own Haas avocados to make sure you only get THE BEST guacamole!   In fact, they don’t always have guac – if there aren’t ripe avocados available they simply won’t serve it.  Their ingredients are of the freshest quality, which comes through.  The outdoor seating is lovely – shaded by trees and so comfortable, it beats your overly airconditioned/freezing indoor boringness.  They also have more interesting food than you do – chorizo and chicken is one of my all time favs as well as the jicama slaw.  Finally, what makes them even more extraordinary are the sauces they serve alongside.  They are so good, I nearly drown my burrito in them.

Mr.  Exec, your food is okay and I’m a regular patron because I like burritos and appreciate your efforts.  BUT you should go see them, there is much more to learn and Burrito Brothers eats YOUR lunch! 

Sincerely,

Burrito Lover Beasley

Burrito Brothers – 1042 W University Ave, Gainesville (behind the Presbyterian Student Center)

BURRITOS

	Pork-  braised pulled pork shoulder with Monterey Jack, green salsa and cabbage dressed with lime     5.40
	Chicken- seared white meat on red rice with Jack, lettuce and green tomatilla salsa     5.40
	Beef- ground chuck seasoned with our unique spice blend, cheddar, lettuce and red sauce     4.60
	Chorizo and chicken- red rice, Monterey Jack, lettuce and chipotle salsa     6.20
	Beef and bean combo-  black or pinto beans, cheddar, lettuce and red sauce     4.30
	Chicken and bean combo-  black or pinto beans, Jack, lettuce and red sauce     5.40
	Chorizo and pinto beans- red rice, Jack cheese, lettuce and chipotle salsa     5.60
	Bean- spiced and mashed pinto or black beans, cheddar, lettuce and red sauce     3.90 ◊●
	Sweet potato-  black beans, Jack cheese, lettuce and roasted corn salsa     4.80 ●

	Pork     9.70
	Chicken     9.70
	Beef     8.90
	Chicken and black or pinto beans     9.70
	Chorizo and chicken     10.70
	Beef and pinto or black beans     8.5
	Black or pinto beans     8.00   ◊●
	Chorizo and pinto beans     9.90

	Cheese     3.60
	Chicken     3.80
	Chorizo and cheese     4.20
	Beef     3.30
	Beef and beans     3.30

	Guac and chips- made every day with the best Haas avocados we can get our hands on     4.40  ●
	Corn chips-  fried fresh in house     1.40  ◊●
	Salsa fresca-  made daily with 3 kinds of hot peppers, tomatoes, tomatillas, and cilantro     1.45  ◊●
	Black bean dip and chips-  black beans, tomatoes, scallions, jalapenos, and citrus, served chilled     3.25  ◊●
	Red rice- our own take on Mexican rice, made with adobe mole and lime  CONTAINS PEANUTS     1.50  ◊●
	Frijoles and chips- black or pinto beans with melted cheese and red sauce, garnished as you like     2.95   ◊●
	Jicama slaw- jicama, red bell peppers, Granny Smith apples, lime and honey     1.75  ●

Fort DeSoto Park

Fort DeSoto Beach

While visiting my family in St. Pete, FL, I took my dog to Fort DeSoto. It’s a huge ocean front park at the end of a string of islands. South of St. Pete Beach and Tierre Verde lies this gem that “Dr. Beach” even named the #1 US Beach in 2005.  In addition to being stunningly beautiful, the park itself has so much to offer…

Below is a comprehensive list and links to the park website. What I went for was the dog beach. Having grown up here, I’m a water person. I think I have water in my veins and I wanted to share the beach with my pup Abby.

Abby Running Wild

Ft. DeSoto has a fenced dog park and a beach where dogs are allowed off leash. It’s unusual to find a dog beach, much less one so beautiful.  We got there early and had the whole place to ourselves for at least an hour!  Abby had a blast running around with other dogs, chasing balls, and napping in the shade. I was thrilled, too! It was 80 degrees, sunny, perfect.

It looks like I might move back home sometime soon and I can’t wait to spend more time here with her. If you’re planning a FL trip, check out Ft. DeSoto and its unparalleled beauty:

– Over 7 miles of waterfront, including almost three miles of the finest white sand beach in the United States.

– An 800-foot-long boat launching facility with eleven floating docks.

– A 238-site family camping area with facilities

– Two fishing piers–one on Tampa Bay (500 feet long) and the other on the Gulf (1,000 feet long). Each pier has a food and bait concession.

– Fourteen reservable large group picnic shelters

– Twenty storm-resistant public restroom buildings

– Dog Park and beach

– A 6.8 mile, 12-foot-wide asphalt recreation trail connects the campground with the North and East Beach Swim Centers and the historic fort.

– A 2.25-mile recreational canoe trail.

– A 1-mile nature trail in the Arrowhead Picnic area, and a 3/4 mile nature trail in the Soldiers’ Hole area provides a glimpse of some the native fauna and flora.

– Quartermaster Museum

– 2,200 foot Barrier-Free Nature Trail is a self-guided interpretive trail providing access to nature for all visitors to Fort De Soto Park, regardless of their physical abilities.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm