I was beyond excited when Bonefish Grill in Fayetteville, N.C., reached out to our blogger group to host a night of taste-testing some of their tasty menu items. This is my husband and I out front, and the lighting worked out pretty nicely. Before I get started in my review, I need to share that Bonefish Grill did provide our drinks and meal for free, but we were in no other way compensated for our review. Without further ado, let's get into the review, starting with the samplers.

APPETIZERS

Aside from seasoned chips, we were brought four main appetizers: a seafood charcuterie board, Wagyu Beef and Ginger Potstickers, Bang Bang Shrimp, and some bread with an olive oil and pesto dip. My favorite was the potstickers. They were packed with this delicious pan-seared beef. Truly the best potstickers I've ever had! Jonathan's favorite was the Bang Bang shrimp. They added a nice kick to the appetizer options that he just loved. The bread and olive oil dip was the perfect way to prepare our pallets for this delicious feast!

MAIN COURSE DISHES

The main course dishes were SO amazing. I have to be honest and say that fish is not something I generally like, which is why I definitely wanted to bring my fish-loving husband along! However, I felt courageous and took a bite of these fish dishes (Ahi, Salmon, and Bass), and they were awesome. Each of the fish plates (Jonathan's favs) were tender and seasoned and cooked to perfection. But, if anyone knows me personally, they know how much of a bacon lover I am. The steak was smothered in a maple-sweet bacon jam. It complemented the savory steak so well. Check out a better shot of the steak below!

The other dish was called the Lily's Chicken. While the chicken itself tasted good, I personally wasn't a fan of the goat cheese, but I simply don't like goat cheese. It also is topped with artichoke hearts, a lemon basil sauce, and spinach.  Although it wasn't a dish I personally liked, Jonathan thought the goat cheese worked with the dish. ​Basically, goat cheese lovers will enjoy this chicken dish!

SIDES

We were given three side dishes to try, and I'm not sure if I can pick a favorite. Among the dishes were mashed potatoes, bacon-topped mac and cheese, and potatoes au gratin. If I had to choose a favorite, I guess it would be the au gratin, because cheese and potatoes are always going to be my favorite. ​However, the mac and cheese and mashed potatoes were also delightful and would pare perfectly with any of the entrees on the menu, in my opinion!

Mac and cheese hardly ever misses the mark for me, and this mac and cheese didn't disappoint. The flavor for the bacon added to this side dish, which was cheesy and delicious.  Check out this up-close picture of the mac and cheese, and try not to drool on your phone or keyboard!

DESSERTS

To round up our special evening, Bonefish Grill brought us some tasty chocolate desserts that satisfied everyone's sweet tooth. These included the chocolate creme brulee, a chocolate lava cake, and, our favorite, the flourless brownie and ice cream.  ​The brownie was served alongside a fruit sauce, I think it was cherry or strawberry. It was topped with chopped nuts and served with a scoop of simple vanilla ice cream. It tasted like the brownie had a ganache or chocolate icing on top. The brownie was dense, but chewy and packed with flavor. Both the lava cake and the chocolate creme brulee were super satisfying, as well!

DRINKS

Each of the attendees were given one free drink to try, each. Jonathan and I went for two very different drinks, in my opinion. His drink, left, was a twist on a Moscow Mule. The twist was ginger. The garnish is candied ginger. I tried a bit of his drink and garnish, and they had a nice bite. Mine was the Tiki Torch and included rum, Kahlua, and pineapple flavors. It was the perfect tropical twist to a fun evening out.  Our table-mates tried different drinks as well, including a smoked bourbon drink, martinis, and more.

OVER-ALL IMPRESSION

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1: PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE MOUSSE

2: KETO PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

3: APPLE MONSTER BITES

4: CANDY CORN FRUIT CUP

5: STRAWBERRY GHOSTS

6: SKELETON TREATS

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WHAT YOU'LL NEED/INGREDIENTS LIST

STEP 3: ADD IN YOUR BUTTER & TOP YOUR APPLES

Make sure you MELT your butter and then add it to your dry ingredients. This will cause the mixture to become kind of crumbly. This is the right consistency, so don't freak out. Add this crumbly mixture to the top of your apples in your crockpot. Don't mix it, simply place the mixture on top and pat it down evenly across your apples.

STEP 4: SET AND FORGET

STEP 5: ADD ICE CREAM AND ENJOY! After your apple dump cake is complete, add it to a bowl and add your favorite vanilla ice cream with it. I love this combo because one is hot and the other is cold and it just tastes so good! I think this could also taste great with a caramel or cinnamon-flavored ice cream as well, but we had vanilla.  If you fancy nuts, add some chopped pecans on top for a nice crunch with your dump cake. And, there you have it! The most delicious and easy fall dessert recipe I know!

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1: THE GREATEST MAC AND CHEESE EVER

2: EASY AND TASTY POTATO SOUP

3: SAUSAGE BALLS (WHICH ARE GREAT IN THE WINTER TOO, BUT AWESOME IN FALL)!

4: BUTTER STEAK AND POTATOES 

5: THE BEST ROAST EVER

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APPETIZER: QUESO CHORIZO DIP

According to Jonathan, the queso has a great flavor, and wasn't too spicy. The ingredients were well-balanced. He did say that he felt there was a bit too much oil on the queso, most likely from the meat or the seasoning used on the meat. I also appreciated the queso. It was great, but the chips also had a light seasoning on it that gave appetizer a bit of an extra kick. It did taste a little spicy to me, but nothing that couldn't be managed with some water!

JONATHAN'S MEAL: HOT AND SPICY BUFFALO SANDWICH

From Jonathan: "It was heckin' good. I thought it would be super spicy because it said it had habanero on it. But, it wasn't bad. It seems like the seasoning was more of a dry rub rather than a bunch of sauce (he stole this commentary from me). We 'loaded' our fries, which means they added queso, bacon, and shredded cheese to them. They weren't super salty, despite the cheese. The pickle was a nice touch."

GABBIE'S MEAL: BUFFALO CHICKEN SANDWICH

As for me, I opted for one of my favorite menu items to try: the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. The thing I loved the most about this sandwich, which Jonathan kind of mentioned in his commentary, was the fact that it wasn't drenched in sauce. I find that sandwiches drenched in sauce are much harder to eat, and super messy. I did walk away with a stain on my shirt, but not from excessive sauce. The bun was toasted. This originally came with lettuce, tomato, and onions, but I kept only the onions. Weirdly, the onions were chopped rather than in small strips. However, it did insure that you get a piece on onion in every bite! I too loved the fries, especially the queso. Make sure you get some ranch for dipping the fries and the sandwich. You won't regret it!

THE ATMOSPHERE

Bubba's 33 has a great atmosphere, specifically for sports fans. They seemed to have one TV for every NFL game that was going to kick off around 1 p.m. EST.  Jonathan loved this. The TVs actually displayed the logos of the teams that were going to be facing off, so you could know which TV to direct your attention toward. The decor was overall vintage. It was welcoming, especially for bar-food lovers!

FINAL FOODIE THOUGHTS

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THE ATMOSPHERE

THE COFFEE

In my opinion, a great breakfast experience starts out with coffee. The coffee here was excellent and robust. A selection of sweeteners and raw sugar packets as well as individual creamers were left on the table. It also helps that the coffee is ethically sourced and supports families that grow coffee in rural areas of the world. So it's safe to say that this coffee is good for your body and for your soul!

THE SHAREABLE

For a shareable, Jonathan and I decided on the mixed berry toast. This delectable appetizer of sorts featured bread topped with a lemon ricotta spread, mixed berries, homemade granola, and a cream drizzle. My favorite part of this toast was the lemon ricotta spread. It provided the best little hint of sour that paired perfectly with the sweetness from these seasonal summer berries.

Despite the the decadent look of this sweet sharable, it was surprisingly light. Jonathan said his favorite part of the toast was the homemade granola, and I can't disagree with his assessment. The granola provided the perfect crunch to this tasty toast. We would definitely recommend that any First Watch goers try out this delicious toast when they visit the restaurant, which can be found not only in Fayetteville, but in different parts of the U.S.

OUR MEALS

I decided on the Traditional Breakfast, which included two eggs, a choice of meats, seasoned potatoes, and toast with house-made preserves. Don't forget a side of orange juice! I can't rave enough about this meal. It was filling, but not to the point where you're groaning and unable to do much after eating. You all know what I'm talking about!

Although I loved all aspects of my meal, I was particularly impressed with the seasoned potatoes. They were so tasty and actually rivaled my mom's recipe for seasoned potatoes! The bacon was deliciously crispy. Additionally, the house-made preserves tasted just like the kind I make and paired really well with the multi-grain toast that came with the meal!

I unfortunately didn't get a great photo of all of Jonathan's meal, but I pulled this (bad quality) screenshot from Instagram so you can see the omelette:  the Chile Chorizo omelette. According to Jonathan, the omelette was fluffy and packed with chicken, chorizo, and a little bit of spice. He really enjoyed the side salad, which has some sort of delicious vinaigrette dressing on it. But, in true Jonathan fashion, his breakfast wasn't complete without trying the biscuits and gravy. He really enjoyed the gravy. He said it has a great texture and the biscuits were really fluffy.

FINAL THOUGHTS

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WHAT YOU'LL NEED

STEP 1: THE SEASONING

For the spice that you will put onto your chicken, you will need to take one part of your chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder and onion powder and 1/4 a part of crushed red pepper (the spice). Mix this together in a bowl and set aside. I used 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of each and a few shakes of the crushed red pepper in ours.

STEP 2: PREPARING THE CHICKEN

Cook your chicken thoroughly without any seasoning on it. You can do this in a pan or in the oven. After the chicken is cooked, shred it and add the chicken, your seasoning, and some water into a pan and heat it until the water has evaporated from the pan.  You'll be left with something like this.

STEP 3: ASSEMBLING THE QUESADILLA

I was all alone and didn't manage to get pics of this part, so I'm using a photo of cheese for this! If you're like us, you're a huge lover of cheese. We added both mozzarella and cheddar along with some of the chicken between two tortillas. Make sure you are cooking on medium heat so you don't burn your tortilla.

STEP 4: ENJOY

That's right! You're finished. Be sure to make up whatever side you want to have with your quesadillas. We chose Spanish rice, and it was amazing. I loved making the seasoning on my own, and the hubby said he was a fan, also. The seasoning added a much-needed kick to the dish, and the cheese was ah-mazing!

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FINGER FOODS 

SPIDER DEVILED EGGS

This took extra dedication to create, because I hate spiders. I'm also not a huge fan of eggs, but I told myself to make these for the hubby. Deviled eggs already sound pretty gruesome this holiday season, but you can spice them up even more by turning them into spider deviled-eggs.

​MONSTER APPLES

I know...my attempt looks super bad, but these little treats have the capability to be a super sweet spooky treat. This is a great healthy option for party foods, as well, making it great for kids parts. All this adorable little monster is made of is apple slices, peanut butter, candy eyes, sunflower seeds, and strawberries.

ENTREES

BURG-O-LANTERNS

This simple recipe is one of the easiest things you can make for your get together. ​Just make up your burgers like you normally would, but take some time to cut jack-o-lantern faces into the cheese. These are super cute!

ZOMBIE MEATLOAF

This gruesome guy was delicious and was actually Jonathan's creation! It is just a simple meatloaf with strategically-placed onion slices and ketchup. I also saw someone take bacon and wrap it around different places to make it look like "skin," so that is also an option for you. Click here for a basic meatloaf recipe!

DESSERTS

GRAVEYARD DIRT

This crowd-pleaser is easy to make and tastes great. All you'll need is two packs of pudding mix, a container of cool whip, and a block of cream cheese. Prepare the pudding according to its package instructions, then mix the ingredients together and let it chill. For toppings, I recommend crushed up sandwich cookies and some candies that look like headstones, bones, and skulls.  I also like to add in gummy worms!

FRANKEN-ROLLS

This is yet another very simple treat that you can add to your dinner table or Halloween party dessert table! These Franked-Rolls are simply Swiss rolls dipped in green chocolate and decorated with candy eyes, candy corn, and sprinkles!

CONCLUSION

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FALL FINGER FOODS

CARAMEL APPLE SLICE STATION

'Tis the season for caramel apples, but you can put a fun twist on this delectable fall treat by letting guest make their own bite-sized caramel apples. Jonathan and I did this after dinner one night, and he really loved it! If you don't want much mess, you can always make a variety of these before your guests arrive.

PIGSKIN IN A BLANKET

I really tried to make these in the shape of a football, but it was kind of a fail. These are your run-of-the-mill pigs in a blanket. All I did was cut my hot dogs in half and cut my crescent rolls in half. I then rolled the hotdogs up in the crescent rolls and baked them for probably about 5-10 minutes longer than the crescent roll pack indicated. These mini hotdogs are the perfect finger food for a Saturday night football get-together. I enjoyed mine with some ketchup, but you could also offer mustard and chili and allow your guests to load up their pigs in a blanket any way that you'd like! ​Check out this unclose picture of these golden pigs in a blanket!

FALL ENTREE IDEAS

LOADED POTATO SOUP

Soup is one of my husband's favorite foods, especially my loaded potato soup. This is perfect for those crisp and chilly fall nights! Even better, it take hardly any work to make. If you have a Crockpot or a slow cooker, you can simply throw all of the ingredients in and give it a stir. After that, you can leave for work, to run errands, or go out for a day of fun in the fall sun. By the time you get home, your entire house will be smelling like potato! When I made this for the blog, I enjoyed it snuggled under the covers while doing some work on my laptop and watching a show on Netflix with Jonathan! I really hope you enjoy this recipe!

TURKEY GRAVY MEATBALLS AND MASH

Turkey is one food that come to mind when you think about fall. But, if you want to enjoy it a bit before Thanksgiving, you can try this food. This meal consisted of premade homestyle meatballs heated in turkey gravy. We then made some mashed potatoes and green beans for the side. Since this is pretty self-explanatory, there is no recipe for it! This is a great, quick meal to make any day of the week!

DESSERTS TO "FALL" IN LOVE WITH

PUMPKIN SPICE MONEY BREAD

This monkey bread took a while to make, but it was so delicious! It harnesses all of the flavors of fall (i.e. pumpkin spice and cinnamon) to create this mouth-watering beauty right here. One thing to note about this is that it is very sugary. You will use several cans of cinnamon rolls that you then will dip into butter and roll into more sugar. As you can see, this will leave your money bread with a beautiful caramelized coating. However, this can make it hard to get out of the pan (as you can see from the naked bit in the top corner. However, you will love the taste. Don't worry, the pumpkin spice is subtle.

APPLE TURNOVERS

If you're looking for a simpler dessert, you can make these delicious four-ingredient apple turnovers. ​They are definitely a crowd pleaser. I brought them to my in-laws when we met for a get-together and they absolutely loved them. I didn't have to take any home with me. Overall, I like them because they are simple and quick to make and can be great for a dessert with coffee, or even as a breakfast pastry. I hope you'll try it out and let me know what you think!

CONCLUSION

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