Restaurant & Bar Reviews

This is a great spot in a small town of Rhode Island, really far above the standard that you might expect as a local spot. The view from the Boat House Waterfront is fantastic as the restaurant sits overlooking the water and you have a perfect view to the sunset or oncoming lightning storm (depending on the weather!) The service has always presented as classy and I’ve only had a tiny malfunction of receiving a dressed salad versus undressed. The entree selection is appropriate for the location and the wine list always has something worth tasting (last time I was here we had a bottle of Artemis) They happily customized a grilled scallop dish for me during my last visit. Offering both indoor and outdoor seating depending on the weather you choose! Only recommendation I have is to not sit outside at the far right side of the restaurant as their is a unique draft that you wouldn’t experience even a few feet more forward to the entrance.

You couldn’t tell from the exterior how trendy this spot actually is. As you walk in you think you are entering an old style in with an old style atmosphere at the other end. Much to my surprise the restaurant has a lovely external seating area with bistro lights, fire pit and bar. The food is farm to table and was delicious. The staff were excellent at suggesting options that did not include allium, another person in my party had a gluten intolerance which they supplied her with a unique menu to choose from. They customized a dish for me of grilled trout, broccoli & roasted potatoes that was delicious. The cheeseboard had a lovely selection and I heard the peanut butter hummus was a great twist on a standard appetizer. Checkout the Farmer’s Daughter website for more details.

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!

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!

We stopped in to Budatai for a tasting lunch after a long walk from our hotel back in June. This restaurant has a doorman at the front and is surround by high class shops such as Salvatore Ferragamo and Louis Vuitton.

They serve Asian Fusion dishes and have a great rose champagne by the glass. 

There is an outside covered patio, we sat out here and watch the gay pride parade march by during our lunch, what a great view!

I highly recommend stopping in at Budatai San Juan, it’s a funky space with great food and staff, they even have Creme Brulee!

Make a reservation at Budatai to make sure you get a table! Valet parking is available if you’re driving.

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

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

Buckhead is the ritziest suburb of Atlanta.Paces 88 is located in the St Regis hotel.

Paces 88 is a very upscale American Bistro .

I was there for lunch and there was a vegan option not shown on the main menu.

I did not have a starter but went with an Irish coffee. Nothing special here but the presentation was very nice.

Steak frites was also very good.

Lobster BLT was ok but nothing to write home about.

If the weather is good try the outside patio. Very cool.
To make a reservation

This Ritz is located on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta.

This ritz is actually very modern inside but the Atlanta Grill is very traditional both inside and out.

The place to eat is this outside balcony right on peachtree street. It is very amusing as some of the locals are very colorful .

Inside the atmosphere is what you would expect at the Ritz.

The Irish coffee was excellent.

The beer menu was quite extensive.

I plumped for the beer tasting menu. Very good.

We visited mid afternoon so the menu was a bit limited.

Steak frites was very basic but excellent.
So nothing out of the ordinary but everything that you would expect from the Ritz brand.
to make a reservation

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.)