RV Lifestyle 11. Ambrosia Bakery, Baton Rouge, Louisiana The Ambrosia Bakery is a Baton Rouge, Louisiana institution with an incredible selection of cookies and cheesecakes. They also offer sugar-free chocolate chip cookies and classic chocolate chip cookies for those who want something a little less sweet. The bakery is brightly decorated with café seating, perfect for breakfast or lunch bites. The Fresh Strawberry Cake, a beloved delicacy from Louisiana, stands out as a local favourite that tantalizes taste buds with its unique blend of flavours and textures. This delightful dessert centres around a foundation of moist yellow butter cake, carefully crafted to achieve the perfect balance between richness and tenderness. But what truly sets this confection apart is its signature filling and icing – a closely guarded secret that has become synonymous with indulgence. 12. Julian Pie Company, Julian, California A locally owned family business specializing in apple pies and cider donuts, Julian Pie Company has been producing its stellar pies since 1989 and bakes traditional apple pies, plus variations of apple with cherry, boysenberry, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry or rhubarb. You can also order pecan pies and pumpkin pies, or a pie with an all-fruit filling that doesn’t include apple. Along with the most widely distributed apple pie throughout Southern California, they carry apple cider donuts, apple nut bread and apple memories, bits of extra pie crust cut into hearts that are perfect to snack on during the ride home. The Julian Pie Company is housed in a small building that looks like a house off of the main street in Julian. There are both outdoor picnic tables and a row of tables indoors on which to enjoy your slice of pie. If eating at the store, try a scoop of Julian Pie Company’s cinnamon ice cream to go with your pie. You can also try ordering your apple pie with melted cheddar cheese on top. Their pies are popular for a reason: a short crumbly pie crust; juicy, oozy filling; soft, rich apple and a crisp, delicate pastry bottom! Perfect. 13-16. Black’s Barbecue, Smitty’s Market, Kreuz Market and Lockhart Chisholm Trail BBQ, Lockhart, Texas If you want to sink your teeth into excellent brisket, then head to Lockhart, the official ‘Barbecue Capital of Texas’. The small town is home to four major barbecue restaurants: Black’s Barbecue, which has been owned by the same family since 1932; Lockhart Chisholm Trail BBQ; Smitty’s Market; and Kreuz Market (pronounced Krites). Heavy on the pepper, the snappy beef-andpork sausage at Kreuz Market is truly one of the best in Barbecueland. The pork spareribs taste fresh, with plenty of juicy, delicious meat on them, and the beef ribs are scrumptious. Only the uninitiated use the front door at Smitty’s Market. You’ll enter the boxy brick building from the parking lot, passing the waist-high brick pits, and peruse the list of post oak-smoked meats – brisket, pork ribs and chops, shoulder clod, sausage and prime rib. Salivating, you place your order for a pound or so of meat. May this bulwark of tradition never change. Instead of a mesmerizing encounter with a picturesque fire blazing at the end of an ancient brick pit such as you’ll find at Smitty’s, at Black’s, you’re funnelled through a narrow corridor past a salad bar. When you finally reach the meat counter, you’ll find great brisket, enormous beef short ribs, pork ribs, pork chops, smoked turkey breast and Black’s signature sausage (90 per cent beef, 10 per cent pork) with phenomenal flavour. 24 | www.snowbirds.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzMzNzMx