Restaurant & Bar Reviews

Our hotel recommended Le Cercle (The Circle) when we asked for a trendy spot that would accommodate an allium allergy. We decided to walk from our hotel near the water over to Le Cercle, the atmosphere shifted 180 degrees as we progressed further away from the hotel (next time we’ll likely take a cab) Once we arrived we had a great time and excellent food the only downside was the meal lasted nearly 3 hours as the waitstaff was pretty slow to come back to our table after we received our entrees. If I had a group to takeout for a few hours that wanted to chat for a few hours over drinks and a meal Le Cercle would be on my list of potential options.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Church was a fantastic spot for both food and atmosphere! The look and crowd were very trendy at 127 N Tryon St, Suite 8 (Corner of 5th & Church St) Charlotte, NC 28202.

Here is a great 360 view from Google of 5 Church (does it more justice than the photo below)

The theme is black leather, white trees and other funky stuff! The food was deluxe fashionably arranged and full of flavor. They happily accommodated for my allium allergy. The wine/beer list are robust enough for our taste with an interesting mix of a few we wanted to try. I will certainly be back if I have the chance the next time I’m in Charlotte!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a surprise! We didn’t know what to expect when visiting Ottawa for dining. I am so happy we found this spot, the food was AMAZING. We made reservations not knowing their was a courtyard in the back, when we arrived we were given the choice and happy took the outdoor seating. The weather in Ottawa in August is phenomenal, we could have sat their all night without issue! Our meal started with a bottle of Hinterland Borealis Sparkling Rose. GORGEOUS! You could taste what seemed like a Malbec in the Fuchsia colored wine. We started with a Scallop dish and some steak tartar. Both were fantastic, the scallop was surrounded by a green coconut curry and poached lobster which completed the flavor perfectly. The tartar had some carmalized beef powder (freeze dried animal fat) that needless to say was avoided….. For the main dishes we had the trout and steak frites, exceptional dishes!

  
  
  
  
    

Since the renovation of the Pump Room Public Chicago, we’ve been a handful of times to experience the new space and taste the work of restauranteur Jean-Georges Vongerichten. This spot is sure to deliver a great scene with delicious food and phenomenal service. The Pump Room in Chicago has an extensive history for celeb spotting.

 

Be sure to start with a glass of wine or a cocktail, the selection was deluxe.

 

For appetizers try the Tuna Tartar, Salmon Crispy Sushi Rice with Chipotle Aioli or the Pretzel Dusted Calamari, all were delicious and didn’t last long enough to get a picture of. Every dish we had was fantastic, for an Entree it’s really up to your preference, the menu for the Pump Room has a great selection that won’t leave you disappointed.

 

 

After a long walk from our hotel the El San Juan Hotel & Resort we ended our day at a nice French restaurant Trois Cent Onze in Old San Juan.

They have Moët for $15 a glass.

We grabbed a scallop and tartar appetizers to hold us over until dinner:

\

The space had a french feel with a contemporary edge, the light bulbs at Trois Cent Onze gave a nice twist.

 

Checkout  311 ~ Trois Cent Onze  the next time you’re in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

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

At the time of our dining Zagat rating for this restaurant was 26 (out of 30) we arrived in between meals and had access to the bar menu which did not disappoint.

We took up two seats at the end of the bar and quickly made friends with the bar tender, who used to be a wine distributer. We started with an Irish Coffee and a nice Pinot Noir (I forget the name, started with an S and was fantastic!)

For our meals we had the Turkey BLT with delicious fresh chips (image above) and the Watermelon Salad with Greek Yogurt Sorbet, Feta, Mint, Olive Oil, accompanied by the Tuna Taco which was Chili Marinated Ahi, Guacamole, Pickled Jicama. I was certainly full by the end of it. Important to note the taco’s are very small. Also I found it charming that they offer many gluten free options as well as gluten free bread to start!

This restaurant is somewhat of an establishment in Boston, great service, excellent food and a fantastically comfortable atmosphere. Stop into Boston Four Seasons Bristol Lounge at any hour and you won’t be disappointed.

Do not let the strange location of this restaurant fool you( it is on the top level of the South Coast Plaza). It is my fav place to eat in the Irvine/Costa Mesa area

It features 2 outside eating areas.(this one is actually in the mall)

This one is inside the restaurant walls but actually the roof opens up.( confusing at first but after a few drinks it will all make sense)

The bar is small but very well stocked and the bartenders have always been excellent on each visit .

The main seating area is right next to an open kitchen.

The food is excellent. I have never had anything that I did not really enjoy.

The bone marrow an tataki were both excellent.

Coq au vin simply magnifique.

John Dorey is a fish and was excellent.( I thought he played for Huddersfield )

For dessert it is definately off to Hungary.

We actually started and finished in Hungary .
RTo make a reservation