Location:
896 Whalley Avenue New Haven, CT
New Haven for a day, how better to spend it than breakfast with my friend Dela Chic?
She also comes bearing gifts; awwww, thanks Christine!
Location:
896 Whalley Avenue New Haven, CT
New Haven for a day, how better to spend it than breakfast with my friend Dela Chic?
She also comes bearing gifts; awwww, thanks Christine!
Location:
2550 N.W 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL
http://www.wynwoodkitchenandbar.com/home.html
When I first met Elizabeth, we discussed events and restaurants in Miami and she sent me a thorough list of her recommendations, one of which was Wynwood Kitchen & Bar.
It worked out really well that we were able to dine with Elizabeth here after taking a walk through the Art District.
Besides a rather absent-minded server, we had an incredible meal of a variety of tapas dishes.
Props to the medjool dates (bacon-wrapped) for making my night! The spicy shrimp skewers get a shout out for being mighty tasty, too.
All-in-all a wonderful place to dine.
Location:
700 Boylston Street, Boston
My sister, niece and I went to The Boston Public Library's The Courtyard for Tea after the the Fall Fashion presentation by Roopal Patel at Neiman Marcus.
The Courtyard restaurant is set within the gorgeous Boston Library courtyard, which is one of the most beautiful places to have lunch - quiet and serene, as if transported to another era.
It was before 2pm and tea hadn't officially started (Wed-Fri from 2-4pm) but they seated us graciously and even made vegetarian accomodations for my sister who is vegetarian (and I also don't eat chicken, but my niece does). They were able to switch out the smoked salmon canapes for more cucumber/cheese ones.
Our server was really sweet.
The teas were excellent - ranging from Earl Grey (who else?), Ceylon Indian and Raspberry Herbal.
Although the sandwiches were tasty, we were surprised at the quantity, which was very little. We each perhaps got 2.5 sandwiches (that's in the quarter size that it's cut into) and 2-3 tiny pastries each.
For $22.50 per person, we were expecting a bit more. Even the scones were small. My sister who has had afternoon tea all over Boston (and Toronto) and I, who's had it all over Ontario were not satisfied with the portions.
Might have worked well for someone like my niece and her friends and their doll-size proportions of high tea.
Seems like their lunch portions are much larger, but for a high tea experience, this is probably not the best place in Boston for it.
Location:
900 Boylston Street
Boston
towneboston.com/
I had a lunch date with fellow Boston Blogger Style'N at Towne earlier this week. I didn't realize until I saw the building again that it was the same place I'd spotted one evening in the myriad of street lights, after shopping at the Prudential and thinking, what is that place, I want to go to there.
Huge and cosy interior. Friendly, unintrusive staff. Really tasty meal.
I had the daily pasta - rock shrimp in a red sauce.
Style'N had the cheese & bacon sandwich with tomato bisque.
After the disaster at Kashmir (review coming soon), this was a welcome change.
Location:
1480 Major Mackenzie Drive East
Richmond Hill, ON
www.heroburgers.com
I like to jokingly think it's me saying "hello" to the burger. "Herroo Burger!"
Having eaten at Hero Burger once before at the Queen Street location, I wasn't blown out of the water. It was almost good bye burger.
But seeing it again in Richmond Hill while quite hungry, all was forgotten and we exchanged pleasantries once more.
I got the beef burger with bacon, hold the cheese, while my husband got the turkey burger with all the fixin's.
Verdict?
While there was nothing bad or wrong with it, it's not the best I've had and failed to impress a second time.
However, the service was great; friendly and quick, and better than the Queen St. location.
So, it may not my hero, but then, I already have one.
Location:
3 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA
www.toryrow.us
YOU GUYS, I'VE FOUND MY FAVOURITE FRENCH TOAST!
It's at Tory Row, in Cambridge, Massachussettes!
At first I was a little dismayed by it's small portion size, making sharing all the more difficult.
But with the blueberry jam and the New England maple syrup, and for only $7, with a side of applewood smoked bacon,
I was in love.
And to think I almost went with the english muffin egg sandwich. Wtf.
(If you know me, or have been reading this blog) I always get french toast for brunch). Always.
N gave me a look when I said, "Maybe I won't get french toast, this time." hahahaha! Who was I kidding? SO glad I did. It was perfect...not soggy in the middle or eggy smelling, which I hate, but crispy and moist and just cinnamon-y enough..and with that blueberry jam and NE maple, I want to go back.
Besides that, the "hashbrowns", which are really cut up potatoes were incredible! Especially with the pico de gallo (salsa) it came with.
One thing they could definitely improve upon is to serve hotter coffee! As it was, when served, it was luke-warm at best and then our server took longer still to bring the as-is cold milk, which further cooled down the coffees. We asked to get our cups warmed, but then received new coffees, which were still not hot enough. And, no Earl Grey tea?!Fo' shame. I did enjoy my OJ, though and the Spiced Apple Cider was lovely.
The flatbreads are served on wooden boards, looking very rustic and also easy to cut into if needed. The jalepeño chicken sausage, black bean, egg flatbread ($9) was good, but the pico de gallo would have been better as the sauce spread atop the flatbread instead of the black bean.
The vegetable frittata arrived in an iron skillet. The only problem with this is that the egg overcooks sitting in its heat, and is too hot to eat before it overcooks because its sitting in it's heat - see where I'm going with that?
The greek yogurt filled with berries and bananas and granola (from Nashoba Brook Bakery) is a steal at $5 and a great light breakfast.
Next time, would love to try the parmesan prosciutto black pepper scone ($3) from the Nashoba Brook Bakery and something from the lunch menu - those burgers were massive!
The decor is simple and modern.
Perched on the high stools at long commune tables, the place was mainly filled with Harvard students, with their friends or parents. There are Shepard Fairey pieces on the back wall. That's the artist who did the famous Obama "Hope" poster.
As an aside: those coffee shop white mugs with the wide-as-your-lips-rims, have gotta go. Come on, people; drinking from them makes you feel as though the coffee's going to dribble over the side of your mouth.
That said, Tory Row is a keeper. Kept!
Location:
466 Queen Street West, Toronto
Having received varied reactions to me trying KFC's DOUBLE DOWN burger, ranging from "Eeewwww" to the actually curious, "How WAS it?", I have to tell you, I LOVED it!
Yes, it's bacon and cheese sandwiched between two juicy (and incredibly salty) chicken burgers, and at 540 calories, 30 g of fat, and 1,740 mg of sodium (!!!) it's not good for you, BUT it was deeeeeeeelicious and well worth it.
Split between three of us, and no longer available in Canada, I now wish I'd had more of it!