Last night’s adventures took us back to our old stomping grounds to celebrate the birthday of Ryan’s cousin and our very good friend, Daniel.
We met up with our friends for dinner and drinks at Cuba Libre, a lively Cuban restaurant located in Pointe Orlando.
Ryan, our friend Ross and I were the first to arrive and started the evening off with a round of drinks.
I opted for a cucumber mojito that was delicious!
Anytime I see an alcoholic drink made with cucumber on the drink menu, I am immediately intrigued. I am in love with cucumber martinis but they’re really hard to find. (The last time I had one was back in April at my sister’s graduation.)
The cucumber mojito went down so easily that I had another one at my place in no time. Ross and I joked that our mojitos tasted like Gatorade. So hydrating!
After Daniel and his girlfriend Meredith arrived, our waitress delivered some of the most delicious bread I’ve ever had.
I had three pieces of the grilled butter bread topped with cinnamon butter. I seriously could’ve ate an entire loaf of the bread for dinner and been a happy camper.
For our main course, Ryan and I did a lot of sharing.
The soup pictured above was my favorite. It was a coconut milk-based seafood soup, packed with shrimp, scallops and mussels.
Yummy pumpkin and butternut squash ravioli!
At the end of the meal, Ryan and I split rice pudding for dessert. The whipped cream and candied almonds on the top of the pudding were the best part. The pudding itself tasted almost like overly sweet condensed milk.
Over the course of the evening, we had a great time with our friends, talking, laughing and drinkin’ mojitos!
For some reason I still woke up before 7 a.m. and am now waiting for Ryan and Ross to wake up because special doughnuts from a local bakery are on the menu for breakfast!
So everything about your meal looks absolutely delicious! I have never heard of Anything like pumpkin butternut squash ravioli. How cool Is that!
Sweet and Savvy
looks like a great time! i’ve never had a cucumber mojitos! they look yummy! xo great pics- love that shirt!
Cait
Ooo I love mojitos!! The best one I’ve ever had was a watermelon one mm! But never heard of cucumber- I need to find one!!:)
Karina
That mojito looks delicious! I went to a restaurant the other day where they put cucumber in my water and it was so refreshing!
Have a lovely breakfast!
Rebekah @ Medicine, Munchies & Movement
I went to Cuba Libre in DC for my birthday this year—I have to say, the bread was my favorite part, too!!
Hillary
Pumpkin/Squash ravioli is one of my favorite fall foods. So delicious–and perfect for this time of year. Glad to hear you had a fun time!
Laura @ LauraLikesDesign
mmmm pumpkin and butternut squash ravioli sounds DELICIOUS. So does Cuban food in general, but that’s besides the point
Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance
special donuts!?!?! haha I’m intrigued! And that bread looks absolutely delicious – as does all the food and drinks! Sounds like a great night with friends!
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats
That rice pudding sounds and looks amazing!!
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes
still salivating over the pumpkin and butternut squash ravioli!
Molly
Not sure if there’s one in Ocala, but J Alexanders has an amazing cucumber martini! It’s never on their drink menu but they will make it if you ask.
Christa
oh yum! i don’t think there’s one in ocala… we’ll have to go when we’re back in orlando next!
peanutbutterfingers
I love cinnamon butter!!
Oooh doughnuts for breakfast?! YUM!
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake
Mmm cucumber mojitos sounds delicious!
Bee Goes Bananas
That ravioli sounds fab…as do donuts for breakfast!!!
Khushboo
Yummy! That soup and bread look so delicious!
Tracy @ Tracy’s Treats
Cucumber mojito?! It’s times like these that I wish that the iPhone had an e-taste app! Yum
MANDEE
The Ravioli sounds amazing! Sounds like you had a fabulous night!
Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy
Your pictures of the food are AMAZING! Do you know what that bread was called? I could try and find a recipe.
I don’t think I have ever seen a cucumber drink.
The Kidless Kronicles
Wag More, Bark….
Nicole
Oh my gosh that bread really does look incredible. There’s a place I go to in Atlanta called the Flying Biscuit and they serve freshly made whole wheat biscuits with apple cinnamon butter – it’s AWESOME.
Cait’s Plate
oh. em. geeee. Please have a fashion post for that outfit!
SeekingAmy
Cinnamon and/or honey butter is always an amazing addition to bread. Ahhh I love it. Cucumber mojito…sounds interesting and something I’d totally love to try! And the pumpkin and butternut squash ravioli?! Yum! Lots of good eats/drinks! Looks like a fun night!
Ashley @ My Food ‘N’ Fitness Diaries
That ravioli sounds amazing!! Pumpkin and butternut squash flavors are the best.
Alaina
I’ve never had a cucumber mojito, that sounds delicious! Does it still have the mint in it with the cucumber?
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen
yes! so refreshing.
peanutbutterfingers
Looks like a fun night with yummy eats
Enjoy your Sunday!
Aine @ Something to Chew Over
Your dinner looked amazing and the group looks fun too!
I love cucumbers but for some reason I can’t really get being cucumber alcoholic drinks. Especially those made with gin.
How about shipping a slice of that bread to Austin? Hm?
Nicole Rodriguez (@Nicole2112)
I LOVE Cuba Libre. I had some friends take us there during magical dining last year and it was sooo good.
Did they have tango dancers while you were there? They put on some pretty cool dance numbers for the diners.
Paula @ Eat: Watch: Run
yes! they were a riot. we shimmied right along with them.
peanutbutterfingers
that bread and mojito look so yummy!
Vanessa
Yumm…you just made me hungry for a fresh donut! Haha
Amanda
Yum!! I love that you and Ryan split a lot of your dishes, so that you can try different things.
Kristen @ notsodomesticated
That BREAD looks amazing!
Laura @ Meet Virginia
LOVE your shirt
Where can I get one like it?!
Brooke
i got it from marshall’s – it’s made by a brand called bue per due.
peanutbutterfingers
i mean due per due!
peanutbutterfingers
Haha donuts for breakfast taste better the more mojitos you’ve had the night before
Looks like you had a fun and delicious evening!
Shaya (Eye Girl Eats)
That ravioli sounds SO good!
What a great evening you all had, it looks like
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife
Great evening! I love mojitos too!
Gen
omg!! i used to work at the cuba libre in Austin, TX which is where I live…. aren’t the mojitos amazing!? i learned how to make about 75 different types of mojitos and I’m glad you LOVED the cucumber — it’s my favorite!!
the ravioli is also one of my fav choices!
glad y’all had so much fun!!!
Amanda
Never had a Cucumber Martini, but now I want to try one.
Tabaitha
This one time, I visited my friend in California. And we had a cucumber drink with fresh sugar cane instead of a straw.
Like an addict, I will spend the rest of my life trying to find the rapture of that cocktail. Sign me up for a cucumber mojito. Hot cha cha.
Jordan @ food, sweat, and beers
First of all, that bread… OMG. I’ll leave it at that.
Secondly, I was at an arts fair with my mom today and one of the artists from Ocala! I pointed wildly, interupted my mom, and probably socially unacceptably loudly shouted, “OMG SHE IS FROM WHERE JULIE MOVED TO!” My mom said, “the peanut butter blog girl?”
I talk about you to my mom probably more than any stranger should… haha
Mallory @ Teach Run Repeat
hahhaa i LOVE it!!
peanutbutterfingers
Your post made me SO excited that my 21st birthday is in eight days! That mojito looks delicious! And too funny, as I was reading your blog my boyfriend looked over as I was scrolling past your picture of the grilled butter bread and goes, “Omg what is that? It looks amazing!” We had cinnamon butter at a restaurant recently and it was so good! I really need to find a recipe so I can make some for day-to-day butter usage!
Erin
That bread looks awesome! I could eat a loaf of pretty much any kind of bread in one sitting.
Alexa @ SimpleEats
OH MY GOSH, Cuba Libre is one of my all-time favorite brunch spots! They serve some delicious bread with mango cinnamon butter… It’s heavenly.
Try it out next time — I’ve heard rumors they serve an all-you-can-eat brunch on occasion!
Casey
have you tried the new cucumber lime gatorade yet? sooooo delish!!
sarah
Hi Julie!
I’m a new reader/blogger to your site. I have to say, I love your blog! A). your style is really cute (i love all of your clothes) B). your attitude to working out & eating right is really healthy and admirable! It seems like you do a great job in managing everything (life with your family, friends, working out, going out, and your blog). and Sadie is adorable!
just wanted to letcha know that i love the blog
oh and p.s :i am 100% gonna have to try that mojito. or several of those mojitos.
Heather
I absolutely LOVE butternut squash ravioli. I’m pretty sure the only thing that would make it better would be to add pumpkin.
There is an Italian restaurant where I live that has butternut squash ravioli and I literally order it every time I go. I tried something else once and it was not even close. They serve it with a brown butter sauce with sage and walnuts. Totally horrible for you but so worth it every now and then.
Jessica
I love mojitos in any form, but a cucumber one sounds so much more refreshing. Spas should totally offer this.
That bread looks amazing! I’ve never heard of cinnamon butter, but I can imagine it would taste out of this world. Want some now!
Rosa – Fitness, Food, Fulfilled
So glad you posted about Cuba Libre – I’ll be visiting the DC location ASAP after seeing that bread!! And btw, is Ross coming to DC anytime soon?!
katy
Cuba Libre looks like an awesome restaurant! I want to try a cucumber mojito! It sounds refreshing!
Hope
yunmm!!! Love rice pudding!
Nicole @ Giraffelegs