Up next in 10
Jesse Blanco, host of Eat it and Like it, stops by Paula's kitchen table to discuss what's been happening. Jesse's show, features his travels across the southeastern parts of the United States sampling the local flavors and cuisine. Later in the podcast, Jesse talks about his Disney vacation and how times have changed in his visit to Disney.
At the end of the podcast, Paula features ten minutes of Jesse's show Eat It or Like It.
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
hey y'all welcome to what's cooking with
0:02
Paula Deen and we got it cooking today
0:04
cuz you know who I'm with I'm with my
0:07
good buddy Jesse Blanco and if you have
0:11
had the opportunity to see Jesse's show
0:14
is called eat it and like it that's
0:17
right and Jesse goes all over in the
0:21
southeastern part of the US and just
0:26
discovers wonderful food and your show
0:32
is on Sunday morning right Jesse at 7:30
0:35
8:00 7:30 a.m. everybody this is Jesse
0:38
everybody he's done podcasts with me
0:41
before yeah and so I know y'all gonna
0:43
remember this handsome face and I'll
0:46
tell y'all this if the at the end of
0:49
Jesse shows you'll hear this voice say
0:52
eat it and like it yeah that's Jesse's
0:56
mother that's my boss yeah so apparently
1:00
at one stage of Jesse's life he'd sit
1:05
down at the table and say what's that I
1:07
don't care what it is eat at me you're
1:09
gonna like that's right yeah and the
1:11
funny thing was by the time we recorded
1:14
that she was she was in newer 60s and
1:16
she was a baby yes she had said raspy
1:20
raspy boys and so you know you've been
1:23
doing this for what 20 years now so
1:25
you're comfortable with it but I put a
1:27
microphone in front of her and I had her
1:29
do about 10 15 takes and I still have
1:32
that recording yeah one day I'm gonna
1:35
play it laughs because I was I was
1:37
trying to get her to use inflection like
1:38
he didn't like it II didn't like it just
1:41
so I could see which one I want so yeah
1:43
it was it was actually pretty funny and
1:45
you can hear me laughing so anyway hear
1:48
that you're getting right down take a
1:50
trip somewhere yeah we're gonna spend
1:51
the weekend down to Disney yeah there'll
1:54
be nobody here why the place to
1:56
ourselves right right I am so glad it's
1:59
you and not one yeah but you know what
2:02
my daughter 16 some of her cousins of
2:04
similar age she is 16 she's driving and
2:08
so we're at that point where the kids
2:11
can go and I'll be by the pool
2:13
having a glass of whatever oh you know
2:16
yeah hey you know especially no no no
2:19
she are y'all staying on the property
2:22
yeah yeah does she think you can find
2:25
everything on the apps now she tells me
2:27
on Monday the other day the wait for
2:30
Space Mountain right now is three hours
2:32
and I thought that's why I'll be at the
2:35
bar well I've been going to Disney since
2:39
I was a baby in the 70s 40 years there
2:43
is no way I'm gonna wait three four
2:45
hours for any of those rides the kids
2:49
and whatever it's their time I'll be
2:52
over here so she's taking a cousin with
2:54
her three three or four boys they're
2:58
meeting us there
2:58
Oh three boy cousins three four cousins
3:01
yeah yeah yeah yeah absolutely good time
3:07
well my kids just got back from
3:10
Universal Jamie yeah it's early down
3:14
there but I'm telling you what last
3:18
weekend would have been a great weekend
3:20
because you know it was like in the 60s
3:22
yes yes yes yes well Florida good much
3:26
not as much I don't think as Georgia but
3:28
but Florida go you could go through
3:30
three seasons a week in Florida
3:33
absolutely yeah yeah absolutely well
3:36
just yesterday it was like a totally
3:38
different season yeah I was worried
3:39
jacket Monday and today's hot so tell me
3:42
some stories what what have you done
3:45
exciting lately so so you got some
3:50
stories for yeah yeah we you know being
3:54
in the business that I am my family
3:55
knows that I like to at least you know
3:58
we're gonna eat theme park food it is
3:59
what it is but I like to try a
4:00
restaurant or two when I go on vacation
4:02
and so my my family asked me where I
4:06
would like to go and I mentioned
4:08
homecoming which chef Art Smith has just
4:11
opened down a Disney really yes is the
4:14
in Disney yeah Disney springs it's on
4:16
Disney property I've seen art in several
4:19
several years I actually just met him he
4:22
used to be
4:23
the governor of Florida's chef and he's
4:26
now an ambassador culinary ambassador
4:28
Florida State University and so we were
4:30
at the president's house in Tallahassee
4:32
and I met him there so he said if you're
4:35
ever down at homecoming let me know and
4:37
so I mention that to my family and so
4:40
literally as I'm on my way over here I
4:42
get the phone call hey we made
4:43
reservations at homecoming okay great I
4:46
love that name it is and I think it's I
4:49
think it's homecoming a southern tribute
4:52
or something like that and so hey we
4:55
made reservations at homecoming there's
4:58
ten of us but they could only take seven
5:00
can you call your friend they don't know
5:01
who I know there can you call your
5:03
friend and see if he can add three to
5:05
the group and I said well okay yeah I'll
5:08
try
5:08
what time is the reservation nine
5:10
o'clock at night and I'm listening to
5:11
this code we've all been there on
5:12
vacation when you're with a big group
5:14
and you don't want to go against the
5:16
grain because you don't want to be
5:17
difficult nine o'clock at night to eat
5:20
fried chicken and heavy southern food
5:24
I'm almost not 49 anymore I know it has
5:35
to be very light weight right but
5:37
there's gonna be 10 of us we're gonna
5:39
have with nine o'clock reservations by
5:41
the time we eat it's gonna be ten
5:42
o'clock by the time we get out of me
5:44
after 11:00 and I have to roll us out of
5:46
there but I'll be nice I'll go along
5:48
with it because I was the one who told
5:50
them I wanted to go there
5:51
so you can't say that time doesn't work
5:53
for me so there I'm sure we'll be
5:55
watching this or listening to this
5:56
podcast and then laugh and go out uh-huh
5:58
so that's what happened so you're going
6:03
tomorrow tomorrow night today's getaway
6:06
day you know that day where you have to
6:07
do everything before you in here I've
6:10
lassoed you just sit here and talk to
6:12
Olive Oyl
6:13
the lady calls I come good Thank You
6:17
Jesse
6:17
I always enjoy every minute I get to
6:20
spend with thank you and I know our
6:21
friends do too so until next time Jesse
6:25
and I both sent y'all love and best
6:28
dishes
6:30
the space that you live in really
6:32
affects the way you feel so my first
6:35
recommendation is start by updating your
6:38
window treatments with Smith & Noble
6:41
Smith & Nobles beautiful handcrafted
6:43
blinds drapes shades and shutters are
6:45
custom made just for you and they offer
6:48
different service options to fit your
6:50
needs to get started today contact Smith
6:53
& Noble to get my special limited time
6:56
offer 25% off on your window treatments
7:00
plus free design consultation create a
7:03
space that you're gonna love but details
7:06
about my special offer
7:08
go to Smith & noble.com slash Paula that
7:12
Smith & noble.com slash Paula or call
7:15
one eight hundred six five nine 3300
7:20
that's one eight hundred six five nine
7:22
3300
7:28
[Music]
7:49
you see I'm CUBAN while I tell people
7:52
I'm queuing because I was raised in
7:53
Miami with my Cuban family my dad his
7:56
soos Polanco he was Cuban my mom iris is
7:58
Puerto Rican she lives on Tybee Island
8:00
together they got me I was raised on
8:04
Cuban and Puerto Rican food and a family
8:06
larger than many zip codes I have more
8:08
cousins than you probably have shoes but
8:11
that's just how we Latinos roll right
8:13
every year at Christmas we have a big
8:15
party at my house a traditional
8:17
nochebuena celebration pork rice beans
8:20
lots of red wine sometimes too much red
8:23
wine and music they are the foods of my
8:26
people and you can find them everywhere
8:28
in the South really beginning with our
8:30
first stop no don't worry I'm not taking
8:37
you all the way to Miami in this episode
8:39
we will do that another time
8:41
besides to get a taste of Miami you
8:43
don't have to drive the full eight hours
8:45
just cross over the border into Florida
8:47
and make a left at the first exit stop
8:50
and downtown Fernandina Beach where a
8:52
young Cuban man from Miami came to visit
8:54
and decided one day he would live here
8:58
it was actually the first day that I got
9:00
here back in 97 I realized that this is
9:03
where I wanted to be and this was there
9:06
was something about it that once you
9:07
come over the bridge onto the island it
9:08
brings you back and every time I left
9:11
the island have tried anything that I
9:13
could to get back up here and make it
9:14
work Chris Garcia lived here on Amelia
9:17
Island for a bit moved back to Miami but
9:20
kept looking for a reason to head back
9:22
north
9:22
not too long after mighty Tsonga came
9:25
into the picture he brought me over here
9:27
on vacation and after dinner I said I'm
9:28
gonna go to see those
9:30
and I walked up and down the strip mall
9:32
and I could I came right back up and
9:33
arms there's no papa season he's like no
9:37
where do you think you are
9:38
she sure wasn't in Little Havana that's
9:40
for sure but he showed her around and
9:42
told her he wanted to move here I said
9:44
I'm not doing it without a piece of
9:46
Miami we got to do this if we come up
9:48
it's to do this vision this is Ola Cuban
9:52
cafe located right the heart of historic
9:54
for an ending a beach small spot indeed
9:57
maybe 11 12 seats but it's become Grand
10:00
Central Station downtown Fernandina at
10:03
any given time locals and tourists are
10:06
here sharing in this absolutely
10:08
quintessential slice of Miami if a big
10:11
change for Miami people tell me how you
10:14
know how do you do it but it's a quality
10:17
of life question you won't find an
10:19
extensive menu here you will find Cuban
10:22
coffee that rivals anything in South
10:23
Florida you'll find pastries all
10:25
handmade by mighty song herself
10:28
no she wasn't a baker but once they
10:30
decided they were gonna go for it and
10:32
open this shop she taught herself how
10:35
will help the streets of Miami of course
10:37
when I reinventing the wheel so we
10:40
didn't literally go to our favorite
10:41
bakeries you know I mean every Cuban
10:43
family has a bakery that's a bad thing
10:46
that's that my opinion some of the best
10:48
my fat egos in Miami Vicky's bakery
10:52
you went to all those and even a funny
10:55
data on 87th and bird that now has
10:57
Bethany Kaveri we can't want to talk -
10:59
didn't - to see how he was doing cuz
11:01
that that's why we don't know how large
11:02
or how small or what things were gonna
11:04
entail so we were talking to everybody
11:05
that gasoline Anna she's referring to as
11:08
a gas station actually about a quarter
11:09
mile from my high school yeah I met this
11:12
fantastic couple when I visited their
11:14
shop last year for the first time but
11:16
their Miami is my Miami neighborhoods
11:19
spots to eat all of it walking in here
11:22
for me is as comfortable as any day I
11:25
make it all the way back home this is
11:27
real-deal Cuban food as authentic as any
11:30
you'll find
11:32
[Music]
12:01
welcome back to eat it unlike its look
12:04
at everything you didn't know about
12:06
bluffed in South Carolina a hotbed
12:08
really of beauty charm and great food
12:10
now that you've got a great cup of
12:12
coffee flowing through those veins we
12:14
thought we'd introduce you to the lady
12:16
many credit with being the first to set
12:18
up shop here in Old Town Bluffton now
12:20
she's arguably its epicenter
12:25
[Music]
12:27
the cottage on Calhoun Street has become
12:30
the place everyone refers you to when
12:32
you're looking to dine amongst all of
12:34
these galleries and artists just ask any
12:37
local people like the idea that they
12:40
know you're gonna be here so this Carson
12:42
cottage is like a landmark for Bluffton
12:44
the cottage has become a landmark you
12:46
know where do we go for great breakfast
12:47
cottage where do we go for great lunch
12:49
cottage landmark indeed the cottage was
12:51
built by a former Confederate soldier in
12:53
1868 now it's the center of town with a
12:56
tremendous reputation for great food and
12:59
it has a little bit of a bent of the
13:03
southern Flair I love doing Cajun and I
13:05
love doing Creole so you'll see a lot of
13:06
that on the menu that's not at all
13:08
inaccurate spend some time in the
13:10
kitchen and you can see and smell those
13:13
Cajun influences don't let that fool you
13:15
though these dishes like crab cakes or
13:18
smothered shrimp are wonderful but this
13:20
isn't a Cajun restaurant
13:22
it's just diverse would like to do more
13:25
with the meat you know with steak and
13:30
lamb and duck there just doesn't seem to
13:31
be much of a call for it this area seems
13:34
to be really focused on the seafood and
13:36
healthy living of course you will find
13:38
lighter fare items on the menu but there
13:41
are some beauties in here as well like
13:43
this Monte Cristo sandwich perfectly
13:45
sweet with that powdered sugar and how
13:48
about this showstopper right here shrimp
13:50
and grits of course with a saute of
13:52
shrimp bacon onions and mushrooms on top
13:55
the day I popped in to try this dish it
13:57
was the only thing I ate that day
13:59
incredibly fresh and wonderfully tasty
14:02
it's just very fresh the portions are
14:05
probably a little too large but what's
14:08
nice about that is they get to take it
14:09
home for their next meal and they do the
14:12
customer base is solid locals here at
14:14
the cottage of course you get some
14:16
tourists who float by and stop in for a
14:18
bite to eat but the bread and butter at
14:20
the cottage is the local educated
14:22
consumer who knows what they want and
14:25
just like most other places in Bluffton
14:26
demands a better product
14:28
I think the a lot of people coming from
14:30
the north and coming from the Midwest
14:33
they have a certain quality control
14:35
that's built into them and I think that
14:38
they're not very forgiving sometimes and
14:40
she's okay with that why should anyone
14:42
get less than her best
14:44
the demand for great food is just
14:46
something that I think were born the
14:48
right to have you know because there are
14:50
so many restaurants that suffer from
14:53
quality and absolutely in the economy
14:56
cost is always a factor so they want a
14:58
bang for their buck and they want to be
15:00
able to eat and feel satisfied and feel
15:02
that they have a good experience and a
15:04
good meal all the way around you'll find
15:06
it here in Old Town Bluffton at the
15:08
cottage
15:09
[Music]
15:15
we hope you enjoyed our visit to the low
15:18
country of South Carolina today we know
15:21
you've been to help ahead Island we know
15:23
those of you on the island have visited
15:24
Savannah but next time take your time
15:27
and pull over in Bluffton breakfast
15:29
lunch or well-prepared dinner and late
15:32
night there's plenty here to eat like
15:35
but the people that have lived here
15:37
lived here a long time I think they like
15:39
the laid-back quality of the area the
15:42
charm of the trees and of the art
15:44
there's a tremendous art culture here if
15:47
you wake up at 8 o'clock every day and
15:49
you look at the may River the may rivers
15:51
always gonna be a different level this
15:54
town changes every single day it never
15:58
looks the same when you wake up when you
16:00
go to bed it's it's just it's it's a
16:04
god-given place it's beauty the space
16:14
that you live in really affects the way
16:16
you feel so my first recommendation is
16:19
start by updating your window treatments
16:22
with Smith & Noble
16:24
Smith & Nobles beautiful handcrafted
16:26
blinds drapes shades and shutters are
16:28
custom made just for you and they offer
16:31
different service options to fit your
16:33
needs to get started today contact Smith
16:36
& Noble to get my special limited time
16:39
offer 25% off on your window treatments
16:42
plus free design consultation create a
16:46
space that you're gonna love but details
16:49
about my special offer go to Smith &
16:52
noble.com slash Paula that Smith &
16:55
noble.com slash Paula or call one eight
16:59
hundred six five nine 3300 that's one
17:04
eight hundred six five nine 3300
#Food & Drink
#Hobbies & Leisure