JULY/AUGUST 2017 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 157
For a totally different experience, we took a lesson at
the KitchenAble Cooking School, where we learned about
pineapple citrus coleslaw, ropa vieja, Panamanian corn tortillas
and frozen paletas from our gregarious instructor, cookbook
author Jessica Bright McMullen. We continued our education
at Lucky Goat Coffee, where we learned about roasting,
grinding and brewing coffee.
From there, we went to Bradley’s Country Store that began
in 1927 and hasn’t changed much since. They are known for
their country smoked sausage that is made on site from local
hogs. The fresh meat is smoked over oak and green hickory
without preservatives or additives. While we were there, we
also watched them grind corn into grits and cornmeal in their
gristmill. Our next stop was the Proof Brewing Company,
a new business in Tallahassee that is now producing some
awesome brews. After having the process explained, we tasted
a wide range of their products, finally deciding that a dark
stout with a strong essence of chocolate was our favorite.
The final discovery for us was Lofty Pursuits, a Tallahassee
standard since Gregory Cohen opened his first ice cream shop
in 1993. Modeled after the soda fountains he grew up with in
Brooklyn, New York, Greg has taken his to an entirely new
level. His offerings include 52 named sundaes, plus many of
his own specialty concoctions, such as The Kitchen Sink with
more than a gallon of ice cream in its 26 scoops. Greg has
made it a science. However, what really knocked our socks
off here was watching him make hard candy the way it was
done 100 years ago using vintage hand-operated machines
that have not been made for decades. We could have spent
hours here, as many people seemed to do, but we retired to
the comforts of the Park Avenue Inn.
The short four-hour trip back home down U.S. 19 gave
us a chance to discuss when we would return to Tallahassee
again to discover more of the many treasures this fascinating
city holds. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: For more on Tallahassee, go to
visitTallahassee.com or call (800) 628-2866.
Greg Cohen makes
hard candies from
scratch at his iconic
Lofty Pursuits
ice cream emporium.
At Bradley’s Country Store, grinding corn
into grits and cornmeal has been done
the same way the 1920s.
This mastodon
skeleton that was
found at Wakulla
Springs is on
display at
the Museum of
Florida History.
TRAVEL
/visitTallahassee.com