I went to lunch with E, a frequent dining companion. When asked what she felt like eating, E said "Something really bad for me." So, to Friendly's we went. (Tatnuck Square, Worcester)
E loved the barbecue cheddar chicken melt (hold the bacon), and I thoroughly enjoyed my medium-well All America burger (L,T,O, no cheese, but mayo! Yes!). They don't serve ginger ale, which is always a disappointment, but the fountain Coke was a good substitute. I also got a glass of ice water and it was pretty good. No nasty chemical or bleach taste.
The meal was capped off with a Happy Ending sundae for me (Hunka Chunka PB Fudge ice cream, hot fudge sauce) and a Reeses Peanut Butter sundae for E (vanilla ice cream, Reese's peanut butter cups, peanut butter sauce, and hot fudge). It was a chocolate and peanut butter day for us. Both sundaes were delicious. I'm craving another one now. But I'm making do with Trader Joe's milk chocolate cranberries (good in small doses - no need to eat more than 15 or so at a time.)
Monday, February 26, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Haiku (again)
My trips to Haiku are looking like they might be a regular thing. I went a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday night with my Sushi Dining Companion (SDC for short). We sat at the bar; not the part where you can watch the sushi being made, but the part in front of the TV. The Grammys were on, so we watched as we, at and chatted with the bartender.
I had a Jameson and Ginger to start... not sure why but I was feeling the Jameson. I was turned onto this delightful drink at a friend's Christmas (not Holiday) Party. It was tasty.
In addition to some repeat maki from our last visit, we ordered the Veg and Shrimp Tempura appetizer. This was amazing. The breading was great, hot and crispy - probably panko breadcrumbs. The shrimp were about 4 inches long, and tasty. Zucchini, onion, and sweet potato were also included. A sweet soy sauce was included for dipping.
We tried something new this time: the Northboro roll. This was a roll filled iwth salmon, scallop, and another fish, rolled in breading, and fried quickly. The fish was fully cooked. This was delicious! I could probably make a meal out of the whole 8-piece serving alone, it was so chock full of fish.
Again, Haiku proved a good place for an adventurous dinner.
I had a Jameson and Ginger to start... not sure why but I was feeling the Jameson. I was turned onto this delightful drink at a friend's Christmas (not Holiday) Party. It was tasty.
In addition to some repeat maki from our last visit, we ordered the Veg and Shrimp Tempura appetizer. This was amazing. The breading was great, hot and crispy - probably panko breadcrumbs. The shrimp were about 4 inches long, and tasty. Zucchini, onion, and sweet potato were also included. A sweet soy sauce was included for dipping.
We tried something new this time: the Northboro roll. This was a roll filled iwth salmon, scallop, and another fish, rolled in breading, and fried quickly. The fish was fully cooked. This was delicious! I could probably make a meal out of the whole 8-piece serving alone, it was so chock full of fish.
Again, Haiku proved a good place for an adventurous dinner.
Hospital Food
Dairy Queen was recently a short-term resident of UMass Memorial Hospital, and had the opportunity to sample the delicious cafeteria offerings. Here, she'll review both the clear liquid diet and the regular diet provided by the Morrison Catering service.
Clear Liquid
Not much to say about this diet. At least there's variety. Apple juice, ginger ale, water, broth, coffee, tea (no milk), and Jell-O. I've learned that I don't really like orange Jell-O. Also, the containers they use to make the Jell-O and to serve fruit in are really difficult to open. (I should note, maybe not so difficult if you're not on morphine.)
Regular Diet
This diet was actually pretty good. On Saturday morning, I had scrambled eggs, a sausage patty, and a corn muffin for breakfast. Delish. The eggs definitely had salt in them and all the food was really hot. It comes in an insulated container with a lid. To drink, coffee and OJ. Both good. Now, it's possible that I loved the food so much because it was the first solid food I'd had since Wednesday night, but I don't think so.
Lunch was not as good. Chicken and rice soup was SO bland. The broth was water, no seasonings. I sent back the fruit cup because I was paranoid that the melon was tainted. I'm sure it wasn't, since I learned later that the Dole contaminated melons never made it to retail stores. Better safe than sorry, though. The banana that replaced it was good.
Dinner was chicken marsala, rice, and mixed vegetables. Very tasty. Dessert was vanilla ice cream. Yum.
Breakfast the next day was a scrambled egg, bacon and cheese breakfast wrap with a hash brown that looked like the Micky D's hashbrowns. Tasty! I didn't like the wrap, but I usually don't. I just ate the filling. Again, coffee and juice.
Lunch the next day was a fruit, cheese and turkey plate with a bowl of cream of broccoli soup and a chocolate brownie. The soup was really delicious. I was wary, but pleasantly surprised. The fruit plate had green grapes, strips of real turkey, not deli meat, and cubes of sliced orange cheese. It was odd but refreshing. The brownie was good.
Overall, I thought the food was good and the service was really good. If I wanted something else, they were happy to comply. If you have to eat hospital food, this is pretty good.
(That's not to say that I didn't totally enjoy the decaf dunkin donuts coffee that my friend gave me one night.)
Clear Liquid
Not much to say about this diet. At least there's variety. Apple juice, ginger ale, water, broth, coffee, tea (no milk), and Jell-O. I've learned that I don't really like orange Jell-O. Also, the containers they use to make the Jell-O and to serve fruit in are really difficult to open. (I should note, maybe not so difficult if you're not on morphine.)
Regular Diet
This diet was actually pretty good. On Saturday morning, I had scrambled eggs, a sausage patty, and a corn muffin for breakfast. Delish. The eggs definitely had salt in them and all the food was really hot. It comes in an insulated container with a lid. To drink, coffee and OJ. Both good. Now, it's possible that I loved the food so much because it was the first solid food I'd had since Wednesday night, but I don't think so.
Lunch was not as good. Chicken and rice soup was SO bland. The broth was water, no seasonings. I sent back the fruit cup because I was paranoid that the melon was tainted. I'm sure it wasn't, since I learned later that the Dole contaminated melons never made it to retail stores. Better safe than sorry, though. The banana that replaced it was good.
Dinner was chicken marsala, rice, and mixed vegetables. Very tasty. Dessert was vanilla ice cream. Yum.
Breakfast the next day was a scrambled egg, bacon and cheese breakfast wrap with a hash brown that looked like the Micky D's hashbrowns. Tasty! I didn't like the wrap, but I usually don't. I just ate the filling. Again, coffee and juice.
Lunch the next day was a fruit, cheese and turkey plate with a bowl of cream of broccoli soup and a chocolate brownie. The soup was really delicious. I was wary, but pleasantly surprised. The fruit plate had green grapes, strips of real turkey, not deli meat, and cubes of sliced orange cheese. It was odd but refreshing. The brownie was good.
Overall, I thought the food was good and the service was really good. If I wanted something else, they were happy to comply. If you have to eat hospital food, this is pretty good.
(That's not to say that I didn't totally enjoy the decaf dunkin donuts coffee that my friend gave me one night.)
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Quick Bites: Canyon Cafe, Cheesecake Factory
Location: Canyon Cafe, Westboro, MA
Meal: Dinner
Appetizer sampler: Calamari was really good. Very greasy though. Mushroom egg roll was kind of unusual, with the mushrooms and purple cabbage all falling out and being messy, but it tasted good. Chicken spring roll was delish.
My entree: Taco salad with grilled steak, snakebite beans (corn soaked until it's mushy but still bland), and salsa ranch dressing (bland). I substituted romaine lettuce. It was really nice and crispy, not brown, very fresh. Good salad but the steak could have used more seasoning. I like it spicy!
Strawberry margarita, frozen. Tasty!
Location: Cheesecake Factory, Burlington Mall, Burlington, MA
Appetizer: Lettuce wraps. As always, delicious and messy. Always recommended though.
My entree: SPICY CHICKEN CHIPOTLE PASTA: Honey Glazed Chicken, Asparagus, Red and Yellow Peppers, Peas, Garlic and Onions in a Spicy Chipotle Parmesan Cream Sauce.
It was delicious! Almost as good as the spicy pasta from Uno's.
Dessert: Chocolate mousse cheesecake. Pretty good. Not great. Too mousse-y, not cheesey enough.
Others at the table got chicken marsala (loved it!) and fish and chips ( great!). The ADAM'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP FUDGE RIPPLE (Creamy Cheesecake Swirled with Caramel, Peanut Butter, Butterfingers® and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups®) got the most votes.
Meal: Dinner
Appetizer sampler: Calamari was really good. Very greasy though. Mushroom egg roll was kind of unusual, with the mushrooms and purple cabbage all falling out and being messy, but it tasted good. Chicken spring roll was delish.
My entree: Taco salad with grilled steak, snakebite beans (corn soaked until it's mushy but still bland), and salsa ranch dressing (bland). I substituted romaine lettuce. It was really nice and crispy, not brown, very fresh. Good salad but the steak could have used more seasoning. I like it spicy!
Strawberry margarita, frozen. Tasty!
Location: Cheesecake Factory, Burlington Mall, Burlington, MA
Appetizer: Lettuce wraps. As always, delicious and messy. Always recommended though.
My entree: SPICY CHICKEN CHIPOTLE PASTA: Honey Glazed Chicken, Asparagus, Red and Yellow Peppers, Peas, Garlic and Onions in a Spicy Chipotle Parmesan Cream Sauce.
It was delicious! Almost as good as the spicy pasta from Uno's.
Dessert: Chocolate mousse cheesecake. Pretty good. Not great. Too mousse-y, not cheesey enough.
Others at the table got chicken marsala (loved it!) and fish and chips ( great!). The ADAM'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP FUDGE RIPPLE (Creamy Cheesecake Swirled with Caramel, Peanut Butter, Butterfingers® and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups®) got the most votes.
The key lime cheesecake was pretty tasty - very tart! Might be a good summer dessert.
Spago!
Location: Spago, Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Meal: Dinner
Of all the meals we ate in Vegas, this one was the best! It was the one really expensive meal that we ate and boy, was it. But really, every last bite was delicious!
We had reservations, and were seated immediately. Our waiter, John, was very friendly, and even took our picture for us. It came out really crappy, but still, he was nice. (more about him later)
Our table was not the best table - it was right by the door to the kitchen. But we aren't high rollers so we didn't expect the best table. And really, we had a view of the whole restaurant so it was fine.
We each started with a mango martini. These were very yummy, though they did taste mostly like juice. Here's a shot of it:
They brought some bread and I think dipping oil. It was delicious, but I did feel a little uncouth because I wanted to try two pieces, and the waiter had a big platter that he served us individual slices of bread from. Kind of odd. Would have preferred a small basket with a few pieces for the table.
For my entree, I ordered the Sauteed John Dory over Spaetzle, with 2 different delicious sauces. The John Dory is a white fish, like sole. It was wonderfully seasoned and sauteed so that it had a crispy coating of seasoning. I'd never had spaetzle and it was pretty good. It's crispy pieces of dough with cheese and onion mixed in.
My friend ordered the Black Truffle Crusted Irish Salmon with Sunchokes, Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Confit Bacon and Brussel Leaves. She loved it. She said it was really rich, cooked perfectly, and filling but she wasn't too full for dessert. I tried a tiny piece and found it very flavorful. The black truffle crust was unbelievable.
Here are some pictures. I had to adjust them so they aren't perfect, but I was trying to be classy in the fancy restaurant and didn't want to use the flash.
For dessert, we ordered a sampler that came with mini bites of apple tart, lemon lemon lemon custardy cake with berry sauce, creme brulee, and chocolate mousse. Also it came with an espresso martini shot and a Bailey's martini shot. The sampler was good, but we decided that we might have been happier sharing a full-size dessert. Now, back to John, the waiter. He liked us and gave us 2 free shots (same as what came with the dessert sampler). That was nice!
Overall, I really liked the food, and if I was near another Wolfgang Puck restaurant and had money to burn, I'd definitely eat there.
Meal: Dinner
Of all the meals we ate in Vegas, this one was the best! It was the one really expensive meal that we ate and boy, was it. But really, every last bite was delicious!
We had reservations, and were seated immediately. Our waiter, John, was very friendly, and even took our picture for us. It came out really crappy, but still, he was nice. (more about him later)
Our table was not the best table - it was right by the door to the kitchen. But we aren't high rollers so we didn't expect the best table. And really, we had a view of the whole restaurant so it was fine.
We each started with a mango martini. These were very yummy, though they did taste mostly like juice. Here's a shot of it:
They brought some bread and I think dipping oil. It was delicious, but I did feel a little uncouth because I wanted to try two pieces, and the waiter had a big platter that he served us individual slices of bread from. Kind of odd. Would have preferred a small basket with a few pieces for the table.
For my entree, I ordered the Sauteed John Dory over Spaetzle, with 2 different delicious sauces. The John Dory is a white fish, like sole. It was wonderfully seasoned and sauteed so that it had a crispy coating of seasoning. I'd never had spaetzle and it was pretty good. It's crispy pieces of dough with cheese and onion mixed in.
My friend ordered the Black Truffle Crusted Irish Salmon with Sunchokes, Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Confit Bacon and Brussel Leaves. She loved it. She said it was really rich, cooked perfectly, and filling but she wasn't too full for dessert. I tried a tiny piece and found it very flavorful. The black truffle crust was unbelievable.
Here are some pictures. I had to adjust them so they aren't perfect, but I was trying to be classy in the fancy restaurant and didn't want to use the flash.
For dessert, we ordered a sampler that came with mini bites of apple tart, lemon lemon lemon custardy cake with berry sauce, creme brulee, and chocolate mousse. Also it came with an espresso martini shot and a Bailey's martini shot. The sampler was good, but we decided that we might have been happier sharing a full-size dessert. Now, back to John, the waiter. He liked us and gave us 2 free shots (same as what came with the dessert sampler). That was nice!
Overall, I really liked the food, and if I was near another Wolfgang Puck restaurant and had money to burn, I'd definitely eat there.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Westside Steak and BBQ
Westside Steak and BBQ has opened up in the same location that a failed BBQ place resided, at 2 Richmond Ave in Worcester. Since I was really tired, due to a late return from Vegas last night (really, 2am this morning), I stopped by for some takeout. I was hoping that the food quality would be better than the now-defunct Casper's. I was pleased and if I used the star rating, I'd give them a 3.5 out of 5. But I'm not doing stars so I'll just tell you about the food.
I ordered a pulled pork sand with fries and slaw. The sandwich was huge; I wasn't able to finish it. The BBQ sauce was standard, zesty barbecue, not really hot. I prefer the N. Carolina sauce on pulled pork. (Try Tennessee's BBQ in Framingham and Franklin. Unbelievable.) The fries were nice and crispy but they're the kind that have that coating on them, like Burger King. They aren't my favorite. I was too full to eat the slaw so I'm saving it, but I tried a bite. It was very good. Crisp, fresh, cold, and not too mayonnaisey.
The meal was $6.99 plus tax.
The decor is nice. A mirror lines one wall and a large mural lines the other. The tables are wooden with comfortable cane-back chairs. There is real silverware, and food is served on ceramic plates. The last place that was there served on styrofoam and the tables had holds in them so the drinks sweated onto your clothes. It's byob.
For a quick dinner option, I'd say this place is pretty good. I'd like to go back and try the rest.
I ordered a pulled pork sand with fries and slaw. The sandwich was huge; I wasn't able to finish it. The BBQ sauce was standard, zesty barbecue, not really hot. I prefer the N. Carolina sauce on pulled pork. (Try Tennessee's BBQ in Framingham and Franklin. Unbelievable.) The fries were nice and crispy but they're the kind that have that coating on them, like Burger King. They aren't my favorite. I was too full to eat the slaw so I'm saving it, but I tried a bite. It was very good. Crisp, fresh, cold, and not too mayonnaisey.
The meal was $6.99 plus tax.
The decor is nice. A mirror lines one wall and a large mural lines the other. The tables are wooden with comfortable cane-back chairs. There is real silverware, and food is served on ceramic plates. The last place that was there served on styrofoam and the tables had holds in them so the drinks sweated onto your clothes. It's byob.
For a quick dinner option, I'd say this place is pretty good. I'd like to go back and try the rest.
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