Restaurant & Bar Reviews

While we were in Charlotte (for the Liverpool match) we stopped into the Ritz-Carlton Charlotte for a bite to eat at BLT Steak and a few cocktails! There was an influx of Liverpool fans through out the city and all the restaurants but that casual crowd didn’t get in my way of dressing up for the posh dinner we had planned. Service was exceptional from the point of our arrival through to our departure. We started with cocktails at the bar while our table was being arranged. We passed on the puff pastry with cheese (Chris is not a fan). Dinner was the Tuna Tartar, Alaskan Black Cod for Chris and BLT Steak had no problem accommodating for my allium allergy with my selection of the Lobster Cobb Salad and a baked potato on the side. Chris devoured the Tartar and Cod, speechless with how delicious it was. I too had a delight eating the Lobster Cobb (wish there was a place in Boston that did this!) Checkout BLT Steak at 110 North College Street, Charlotte, NC 28202!

Stopped in to What A Bagel! for a quick lunch. It’s a popular spot for folks working in the Toronto fashion district as it’s top quality food and fast service.

They have an extensive list of sandwich (on a bagel) and salad (with a bagel) options! I went with the arugula salad topped with chicken (sans bagel) and my friend tried the burger with sweet potato fries.

It’s a casual spot but worth a stop if you’re in the need of a quick bite to eat! Also if you’re from the states you’ll be able to take advantage of their wifi to stay connected with e-mail and online travel plans.

Table side discussions also revealed if you visit on your birthday with proof of ID you’ll walk out with a dozen bagels of your choice!

Asia de Cuba is one of my fav places to eat in Los Angeles.
Located in the funky Mondrian hotel it offers inside and outside dining.

The food is Cuban fusion and is outstanding.

Calamari salad is the signature starter and is a must. It is a big portion so can be shared.

Tuna pica is also excellent.

The view of LA is incredible .

The mojitos are very good as well. Especially the mango .

Salmon was great.

So was Cuban chicken.

The steak was so good that I forgot to photograph it before I started eating.

The wild decor almost has an Alice in Wonderland feel.

While this is not a cheap place it is definately worth a visit.
To make a reservation

Located in the Short North district this is prob my favorite restaurant in Columbus. A short 5 minute walk from the Hyatt it is the perfect place for dinner or lunch.

The restaurant is in an old warehouse type building with exposed brick walls and some great art.

The bar is small but very well stocked and the bar tenders are excellent.

One word of warning though. Even though there is free wi-fi reception is not good so do not expect to get much computor work done.

The food is great. Presentation always very nice and quality very consistant

To make a reservation

I find this a great spot to take the lunch crowd. They can turn around a table in under an hour complete with drinks, appetizers and main course. The restaurant’s decor will ooze onto you an atmosphere much more sophisticated than Joes’ American Bar and Grill or Parrish (both in opposite directions of MET) just remind yourself you are going here for a wide option of lunch choices that will all satisfy!

Our lunch started with a Oskar Blues Mama Yella Pils

and a glass of the Girard Petite Syrah (very fruity!)

We followed this with the Octopus Salad appetizer, it had great coconut flavor (not to overpowering) I love avocado, so that is always a hit, however the octopus, was tasting very much like octopus, something I do not look for in a cold appetizer.

I followed this with the Tuna Nicoise salad, as always this was a great choice, light enough and filling enough for lunch.

My friend had the Micro Chopped salad, I’ve also had this and as she found it is a little to much to fit in for lunch, especially when you start with an appetizer!

Stop into MET Back Bay for a corporate lunch or dinner party, their service will be sure to please!

We stopped in here for Sunday brunch, and thanks to Daren’s help we started out with a glass of the 2010 Kunin Pape Star and bottle of the Digfish ale.

This spot had been open as ‘Kitchen’ since June of 2011, previously it went under the name Pop’s, which I still remember the mouth watering pulled pork sandwich I had!

We had the omelette, bibb salad and hamburger Yorkshire style.

we then followed this with a Singapore Sling:

followed this with a Moscow Mule (forgot to take a picture) and then a ‘Sparkling Cloister’ (champagne cocktail)

while listening to Ray Charles on LP!

and following all of this with a ‘Hemingway Daiquiri’ a little to tart for Chris…but I loved it.

As you can see this place had a vibe that kept us there all afternoon, Daren was an equally entertaining bartender and turned us onto a new must have App for the local cocktail scene lover, checkout GetOnTheBar and you’ll see what I mean. Not to mention the fun loving crew that inhabited the rest of the kitchen (you see here chef finding a way to insert some brandy into his meals) asking politely of course as to make sure this would not hinder the bar that evening.

We finished the afternoon up with a tall cup of black coffee, I highly recommend stopping in for a bite to eat or an entertaining drink and conversation with the bar men at Kitchen Restaurant in Boston’s South End it’s at 560 Tremont Street (Previously ‘Pop’s’ restaurant was situated here.)

Woodward is a happening spot for tasty food with an old feel, it is named for a tavern once housed in the Ames family home, Woodward is a modern-day tavern that incorporates local fresh foods and a dynamic beverage selection.

“Located at 1 Court Street and Washington Mall in downtown Boston, the Ames Building was designed by the architectural firm of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge in Richardsonian Romanesque and paid for by Frederick L. Ames. It is the second tallest masonry load bearing-wall structure in the world, exceeded only by the Monadnock Building in Chicago, completed that same year.” (Quoted from Wikipedia)

I started with the Steak Tartar (topped with an egg, not a usual choice for me but the dish was delicious none the less)

The Simple greens salad was topped with pumpkin seeds, cucumber, dill yogurt and a cider vinaigrette, fantastic!

Also at the table we tried the Steamed mussels, pork belly, fennel, garlic and Woodward Ale! Unforgettable!

This is a common stop for us when we have people in town and want to show them a comfortable setting with deluxe food and as dressy as you want to make it. I highly recommend stopping into Woodward at the Ames hotel if you are in Boston.

A fantastic find for the vegetarian organic food lover!!! The taste of freshness in this food will stay with you for at least a week after you’ve eaten here. I went on a late Sunday afternoon and the place was pack with a line nearly out the door! The vegetarian menu of deluxe organic options is also supported with a robust smoothie menu.

I started with ‘The Innocent’ a flaxy Nutri-Nama sauce seasoning sweet corn, shredded carrots, broccoli, kelpy yeast & tamari almonds over quinoa.

My friend also had the Flourish Alive smoothie, a blend of berry kombucha, blueberries, mango, lemon, avocado and maca, it was DELICIOUS!

While you can’t make a reservation as it’s similar to walking into a Starbuck’s, putting in your order and having it rrive at your table in 10 minutes, you can order takeout!!!

They have locations in Lowell, Salem and Cambridge MA, I’ve only been to the Cambridge location:

Life Alive – CAMBRIDGE, MA:
765 Mass Ave
617-354-5433

If you are looking for a lunch spot, in the sun, next to the bay, look no further than 100 Atlantic Avenue and Joe’s American Bar and Grill. They have a great family friendly menu that also caters to the Gluten intolerant. The wine selection is fantastic for the diverse crowd this restaurant services. They even have a few unexpected gems on the menu like the Asian Tuna Salad (barley seared with a wonderfully light sauce on the side) this is a must have when I stop in for a bite.

New spot in Boston, big lunch time and after work crowds. Outside seating area is sometimes tough to get into because of privately booked events. With this being the most windy area in Boston I’d prefer to sit inside anyway.

I had the fish of the day which was excellent, a nice piece of Grouper on sautéed vegetables with a chorizo sauce

We also had the shrimp salad which unfortunately had far to much salt to be enjoyable.

I had a glass of the El Coto ‘Crianza’, Tempranillo (Rioja) and loved it!

Overall the service was a tad bit slow and we had a few issues with our order, they kindly comped us for these which made up for the distress. I’ll probably be going back but this spot is not on the top of my list, if you want to stop in make a reservation at TICO restaurant before showing up as it can get crowded fast with the work crowd.