Tee Time in Tallahassee!

As the Capital City of Florida, Tallahassee offers everything that you might expect and so much more! Florida State University and Florida A&M University both call Tallahassee home. But did you know that there are over 700 miles of outdoor trails in the city? You’ll also find numerous parks, historic sites, museums, as well as some great dining options and local brewpubs.

During our visit, we were able to experience much of what makes Tallahassee a special place for residents and visitors alike.

Upon arrival in Tallahassee, we got situated in our home base for our stay – Hotel Indigo, located in College Town. The area is located adjacent to Florida State University, with the Hotel Indigo just steps from Doak Campbell Stadium. There are numerous places to get a bite to eat, have a drink, and do some shopping in College Town.

Our first stop was a few minutes away at the Ology Brewing Company in Midtown.  We were treated to a flight of their craft beers, which displayed the range and quality of brews on the menu. Ology has 3 Tallahassee locations and one in Tampa. In addition to craft beer offerings, Ology serves custom cocktails, coffee and espresso, and canned beers and bottled spirits to go.

Our dinner reservation was at Table 23 and what a treat it was! The restaurant sits under a canopy of oak trees draped with moss. Our table was on the deck, which allowed us to completely take in the atmosphere. The food and service were impeccable from beginning to end.

My wife, Lisa, ordered the Lucky Goat Coffee-Rubbed Ribeye, while I opted for the Gulf Grouper 23. Both were outstanding! If you aren’t familiar with Lucky Goat, it is a locally owned and operated coffee company. And since a stole a bite of Lisa’s steak, I can share with you that it makes a nice steak rub! The steak was accompanied by fingerling potatoes, asparagus, and a house-made steak sauce.

My grouper was crowned with a shrimp and crab meat topping, and served over a bourbon and thyme cream corn, and a side of sauteed vegetables.

We walked away very pleased with the surf, turf, atmosphere, and service. Make sure to include Table 23 on your visit to Tallahassee.

Then it was back to Hotel Indigo for a good night’s rest before an early tee time.

Capital City Country Club is an old school course with a very cool vibe. It is located in downtown, just minutes from the State Capitol, Florida State University and Florida A&M University. The course is set among the pines and Spanish Oaks of Tallahassee’s Myers Park District.

Capital City Country Club is semi-private, allowing public play along with membership opportunities. Legendary architect AW Tillinghast put his stamp on the holes which flow over the rolling hills that are a welcome surprise for a Florida course.

Tillinghast designed such gems as Winged Foot, Baltusrol, Bethpage Black, Quaker Ridge, and San Francisco Golf Club.

A premium is placed on accuracy over distance at Capital City. The tree-lined fairways and relatively small greens challenge the golfer to keep the ball in play and strike accurate iron shots. A sharp short game and deft putting touch are needed to get the ball in the hole on the undulating greens.

You can feel the history at Capital City Country Club.  I thoroughly enjoyed my round and look forward to teeing it up there again soon!

After the round we enjoyed lunch at Madison Social, back in College Town and just a few minutes walk from Hotel Indigo.

Lisa had the BLT Dip as her meal, which consisted of bacon, tomato, spinach, cream cheese and Greek yogurt dip, on a grilled Cuban loaf.

I chose the South Street Philly with sliced rib eye, provolone, butter-roasted cremini mushrooms, caramelized onions, on a Cusano’s hoagie.

We had a very nice experience. I can only imagine that what Madison Social must be like on a football Saturday.

After a little downtime and refresh at Hotel Indigo we ventured over to Proof Brewing, Tallahassee’s largest brewery. We were met and given a tour of the brewing process by Smitty, the General Manager. The entire operation and attention to detail were very impressive!

After the tour, we were treated to a flight of beers and joined by Byron Burroughs, co-founder along with his wife Angela.

Along with their draft options, Proof Brewing offers cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, and a diverse food menu.

Our dinner reservations were at The Huntsman, one of Tallahassee’s newest restaurants.  Focusing on wild game, field & stream to table, and vegan and vegetarian fare, The Huntsman is known for a menu that caters to the adventurous. With that said, we played it safe and ordered a pair of medium-rare ribeyes with lobster mac and cheese.

The twist is that the ribeyes are cold-smoked, which is a process where the smoke is diffused through a block of ice before reaching the steaks, which are then finished in cast iron. The process is a little above my pay grade, but the result was very nice!

We made our way back to Hotel Indigo for a good night’s rest before heading home the next morning.

We started the day with breakfast at Grove Market Café. It was fried eggs and bacon for Lisa with a side of grits, and biscuits and gravy for me. We enjoyed our meal and got the day off to a good start!

Grove Market is open for breakfast and lunch and offers a nice selection of grab-and-go deli items, desserts, pies, milkshakes, beer and wine.

On the way out of town we took in a little shopping at Market Square.

Finally, and definitely one of the highlights of our visit, was a visit to Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park. The botanical garden and historic site consist of over 1,100 acres of floral architecture, brick walkways, reflection pool, and a plethora of camellias and azaleas.

Two short nature trails wind through the woods and alongside the lake. Hikers, bicyclists and equestrians can enjoy six miles of shared-use trails and five miles of trails winding through the woods surrounding Lake Overstreet.

Peak blooming season is from January 1 through April 30, with the floral peak in mid-to-late March. During these months, a small fee is charged for visiting the gardens and the historic Maclay House. Words can’t do it justice.

A visit to Maclay Gardens State Park should definitely be included on your next visit to Tallahassee.

For more information about Tallahassee, go to visittallahassee.com.