The Great Outdoors Nursery and The Garden Distrcit Cafe + Butterflies!

The Patio @ Garden District Cafe

First I will begin by saying that I am newly obsessed with The Great Outdoors Nursery and the cafe that also sits on the property, The Garden District.  I like to go for lunch because it’s right by my office and makes for a mini-vacay in the middle of my otherwise stressful (what a joke) day. 

My first visit was solely with plants in mind.  They have a wonderful selection of natives, herbs, annuals, perennials, statues, pottery, seeds, gifts, organic yard care – you name it!  Not to mention that the staff is positively splendid and knowledgable .

My first visit to the cafe was earlier this week.  I needed some rooting hormone for some rose clippings I acquired over the weekend, and I knew that I also wanted to try the cafe. 

I found the auxin (and subsequently a Spiderwort !!) and headed to the cafe for a vegetarian sandwich – humus, avocado, tomato, lettuce, onion, etc, on a fresh warm roll with provolone cheese.  Best of all?  It had no SPROUTS!  Fuck sprouts!  Salmonella and E.coli?  None for me, thanks!  The sandwich came with tortilla chips and a very fresh salsa and a free iced peach oolong tea – all for $7.10.  Not to mention that St. Edward’s students and staff get 10% off…as we should because we pay out the mother-fuckin nose for that shit!

Anyways, I need lunch today so I am going to go back and try out their self proclaimed “best empanadas in town”.  That’s pretty damn ballsy of them considering they are housed right next door to one of the only Cuban eateries in town.  Ok, maybe not so ballsy as Habana can suck my dick…that shit ain’t real Cuban food.

Also, when I was there earlier this week, the lady in the nursery informed me that they were supposed to be getting in a new shipment of Blue Mist (which attracts mad butterflies – especially the queens, monarchs, and snout nosed varieties) and milkweed, which is yet another bush to attract the flutterbys!  I need more plants like a need a new liver, er, i mean hole in the head, BUT….I just can’t stop myself.  I want to propagate some more too…spread the beauty of mother nature!

Happy “Little Friday”, readers!

xo,

GBJ

Update:  Me and the lunch time gang did indeed revisit the cafe today.  I could not be swayed from the veggie sandwich, but I did manage to try a beef empanada.  Best in town?  Not a chance.  None-the-less, it was good.  A bit too sweet for my liking, as I prefer my meat pockets to be savory, but it was good.  The lunch crowd agreed.  Best empanadas in my book are the empanada trailer that was downtown during SXSW, and Buenos Aires Cafe.  (Don’t get me started on their pasilla pepper/dark chocolate creme brulee…mmmmmm)

One last thing – a review of Franklin BBQ and Antonelli’s Cheese Shop will go live this weekend…I need to find the cord for the camera -> computer transaction.  meh.