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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since BLT Steak is in the Ritz Carlton adjacent to the El San Juan Hotel where the Caribbean DanceSport Classic is held, we stopped in for a late dinner at the bar.

They had a limited wine list by glass, but we found something to accommodate the wife.

Vegetable chopped salad and huge baked potato, they were both absolutely wonderful!

Potato before

Potato after

Hanger steak was average and a little tough, they didn’t get my request right to not include the butter… Have to say this was not as good as the one at our local the Navy Yard Bistro in Charlestown, MA!

Tried the Old  Harbour Pale Ale.

Checkout the menu and make a reservation at BLT Steak San Juan Puerto Rico. It seems the best part of BLT Steak San Juan were the vegetables, who would have guessed!

 

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

Nobu is one of the most famous Japanese restaurants in the world. It has outposts all over the world including NewYork,London,Vegas and Miami .The Miami branch is located in the Shore Club on Collins Ave.While the hotel is very funky the restaurant is really simple with no real atmosphere . So you go there for the food.

As I said you come for the food and it is expensive.

We started with tuna sashimi which was excellent.

Rice cakes were good.

Rock shrimp was fantastic

Octopus was fantastic.

Pork belly was very good.

Wontons tasted like wontons.

The most disappointing part of the meal was the sushi.

I enjoyed my meal overall but thought that everything was just a little too pricey.
To make a reservation

The Hubbard Grill is located in the trendy Short North district of columbus. It is about a 10 minute walk from the Hyatt which is home to the Ohio Star Ball.

The building started life as a Chevvy dealership and some of the original fixtures have been left.

The bar area is quite noisy so if you want to talk try and grab a booth.

Food is well priced and portions are very generous.

The food was excellent.

The rib-eye was done in a Marsala sauce with fingerling potatoes and was really tasty.

Pepper crusted Ahi Tuna with jasmine rice was as good as I have ever had.

Drink selection was well priced and features some American gems such as the Sophia Coppola sparking complete with straw.

Beer selection was very good and Curtis our server very kindly gave me a small tasting of different columbus beers. I really like the elevator brand.
Service was great and atmosphere very good. Will definately be back here.
To make a reservation

We actually started the evening with a few drinks at ‘The Lobby Bar’ in the atrium of the Liberty Hotel. This building was previously “Boston’s Charles Street Jail which had been opened in 1851 as an experiment in prison reformation and closed more than a century later after a judge ruled conditions there were inhumane.” (NPR article)

The building re-opened in September of 2007 after a five-year, $150 million renovation, as the Liberty Hotel. Our night started with a ‘Harvest Margarita’ pictured below and a Besame, both were delicious.

We then moved into CLINK. to commence our dinner.

I was very happy to see they offered gluten free bread to start our dinner (along with normal bread)

We also found an exquisite bottle of wine to take us through the evening, it’s called Darioush (neither of us had it previously and it pleasantly surprised us.)

In regard to food, we started with the Beef Tartar (a little too pureed for our preference) though the ice cream on top was a unique pairing that went well with the overall dish.

When asked between the Tuna Sashimi and the Octopus with Yucca, the waiter said, hands down if you like Octopus this is the best in Boston. While it was good especially when compared with others I’ve had in Boston, I have had better in Argentina.

Our main dishes were another beef dish, and the scallops, both were good, but nothing off the chart. My scallops were especially interesting as they were accompanied by a mix of raw mushrooms and carrots, thankfully I like raw, for those who don’t this may be a little to overpowering to be bearable.

Overall, dinner was nice, the atmosphere entertaining and the wine and cocktails even better. We arrived for a 6pm reservation, the place was packed (Saturday night) by the time we left which was around 9PM. I recommend booking a reservation for CLINK. and heading over early to get a drink at the Lobby Bar and take the architecture and crowd in at your leisure.

 

The salty and sweet nibbles that are put out at the bar are some of the best in Boston, you could consider coming in for a drink just for this deluxe selection. I started the night with a glass of Sankity Light, a local beer that hits the spot, when you don’t want something to heavy or to light.

I always start with the Tuna Tartar (one that I consider to be the best in Boston)

The Sea Bass is presented in a light sauce that lingers in your mouth, urging you to ask for more!

Market has a happening lounge and restaurant scene, I highly recommend making a reservation at Market in Boston for any occasion!

 

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.

New Address 1008 Prairie Street | Houston, TX 77002
Prohibition Website

Stopped by this place when it was next to the Galleria in hopes of getting into the sold out burlesque show via the waitlist. We were able to sneak a peak at the show (even though we didn’t make the waitlist)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a happening old time speakeasy style bar and restaurant. The bartenders have a dress code that identifies their skill levels: vest = first level, suspenders the next level, all black with suspenders = mixologist.

I started with a ‘Southern Lady’

It was a little to strong for my taste, moving on to some wine from their fun selection which also features the beloved Chimay!

We started with the Caprese Salad and the Wasabi Calamari

 

Finished with the Truffle Mac and Cheese (which left something to be desired)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surf & Turf (mostly turf with extra seasoning)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

King Crab Role without the roll! (Best Crab I’ve ever had!!!!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next time I’m in Houston I wouldn’t think twice to come back, we had a great time and were surrounded with a fabulous energy (reminded me of one of the SupersShag pole showcases a few years back great taste and good friends) I recommend you book a reservation at Prohibition or just show up at the bar and see what you can get!

Sonsie is a Boston institution. Located at the funky end of Newbury Street this hip watering hole was very much the epicenter of Supershag,s formative years.

This was deffo the place to be scene

The restaurant became the place for the beautiful people of Boston to hang out but it also had really good food.

As I had not been there for about 5 years I was very interested to see if anything had changed.

So the menu has changed a bit but the peppercorn steak is still there.this was their classic dish and is really good.

I had the tuna sashimi which really is tuna tartar. It was fantastic.

The chicken was also very good.
Sonsie has free Wi-fi and it is great fun to sit in the front of the reatauant and watch Newbury Street go about it’s business.
To make a reservation