Stephanie spend quite some time to prepare this lovely Xmas cake.
When everything was done, I took a bunch of picture on our kitchen table.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Wednesday night is Schnitzel night at Emeralds Restaurant, located at Warilla Bowling Club
Wednesday night is Schnitzel night at Emeralds Restaurant, located at Warilla Bowling Club
Originally uploaded by Vanessa Pike-Russell
After dinner I attended the Kiama/Shellharbour Camera Club held at the Sapphire Conference room. Tonight's club meeting was a nature competition and the quality of entries were astounding! I was happy to meet up with some great local flickr people. A wonderful night!
blogged at Illawarra Food Reviews
20080220-IMGP3832
Uploaded by Vanessa Pike-Russell on 20 Feb 08, 6.57AM CST.
Figo (Photo and Restaurant Review)
So Arica and I went to this place over in Edgewood that just opened up, Figo. The deal is that you walk in the door and up to the counter, where you order your pasta—you choose from a list of pastas on one side of the menu, and a list of sauces on the other. Then you go sit down and eat your dinner.
Except it isn't that simple.
Let me start by saying that their system for assigning the right prepared dishes to the right people is insane: the whole thing hinges on a pepper mill. Or, rather, a bunch of slightly different pepper mills. See, after you pay for your meal, the cash register guy gives you one of these pepper mills. Then, the wait staff wander through the restaurant with hot bowls of pasta looking for the black pepper mill with the white top and a silver band (not the black one with the white top and the gold band). Silly, right?
So we're sitting there (brown mill, brown top, silver band), and staff keep walking up and offering us food that isn't ours. After the fourth time, we stopped the guy and had him write down our order again. I mean, he had to be wondering what we ordered and was maybe just too embarrassed to ask. (Throughout all of this, our waitress has disappeared. Remember how I said that you pay up front? If you're tipping on a credit card, you tip up front too. Again, silly.)
Eventually our food comes out—no, wait—eventually my food comes out along with a dish not entirely unlike what Arica ordered. When Arica pointed out the discrepancy to the waiter, he said—hold on, wait. First, let me tell you what she ordered: fettuccine alfredo with chicken. See, Arica's in month 8 of a pregnancy, and boring is good. What comes out is fettuccine in a bowl, with a side bowl of chicken in a red sauce that just looks spicy.
So when Arica pointed out the discrepancy to the waiter, he says "Isn't that what you ordered, fettuccine with mumblemumblemumble?" It was embarrassing for all.
But here's the thing: the pasta was really good! My sauce (something with "Italian" bacon in a tomato sauce; I doubt very much that they killed that pig in Italy) was fair, but the pasta was al dente—actually al dente, unlike anything I've ever had at any other chain Italian restaurant before. And Arica's alfredo.... Well, you know how "alfredo" in most restaurants is code for "boring boring reduced cream boring sauce"? Arica's pasta was thick with cheesy goodness. All of this (plus a salad big enough to share) for under $19—not bad!
(And the manager gave us a card for a free meal next time, too.)
Uploaded by Lance McCord on 2 Nov 06, 8.58PM CST.
Except it isn't that simple.
Let me start by saying that their system for assigning the right prepared dishes to the right people is insane: the whole thing hinges on a pepper mill. Or, rather, a bunch of slightly different pepper mills. See, after you pay for your meal, the cash register guy gives you one of these pepper mills. Then, the wait staff wander through the restaurant with hot bowls of pasta looking for the black pepper mill with the white top and a silver band (not the black one with the white top and the gold band). Silly, right?
So we're sitting there (brown mill, brown top, silver band), and staff keep walking up and offering us food that isn't ours. After the fourth time, we stopped the guy and had him write down our order again. I mean, he had to be wondering what we ordered and was maybe just too embarrassed to ask. (Throughout all of this, our waitress has disappeared. Remember how I said that you pay up front? If you're tipping on a credit card, you tip up front too. Again, silly.)
Eventually our food comes out—no, wait—eventually my food comes out along with a dish not entirely unlike what Arica ordered. When Arica pointed out the discrepancy to the waiter, he said—hold on, wait. First, let me tell you what she ordered: fettuccine alfredo with chicken. See, Arica's in month 8 of a pregnancy, and boring is good. What comes out is fettuccine in a bowl, with a side bowl of chicken in a red sauce that just looks spicy.
So when Arica pointed out the discrepancy to the waiter, he says "Isn't that what you ordered, fettuccine with mumblemumblemumble?" It was embarrassing for all.
But here's the thing: the pasta was really good! My sauce (something with "Italian" bacon in a tomato sauce; I doubt very much that they killed that pig in Italy) was fair, but the pasta was al dente—actually al dente, unlike anything I've ever had at any other chain Italian restaurant before. And Arica's alfredo.... Well, you know how "alfredo" in most restaurants is code for "boring boring reduced cream boring sauce"? Arica's pasta was thick with cheesy goodness. All of this (plus a salad big enough to share) for under $19—not bad!
(And the manager gave us a card for a free meal next time, too.)
Uploaded by Lance McCord on 2 Nov 06, 8.58PM CST.
redbone alley (mini restaurant review!)
I was at a flyball tournament in Florence, SC, this weekend, and my team decided to have our Saturday dinner at this restaurant, Redbone Alley. It seemed to be THE place to eat, according to the locals, and it had the added advantage of being named after a dog (the owners' daughters' redbone coonhound). It was indeed a very cool space, built inside an abandoned JCPenney store in a once-struggling shopping mall and modeled to resemble a Charleston streetscape.
The big problem with the place was that there was not one single vegetarian entree on the menu. Worse, there was not even a single vegetarian salad on the menu! (The house tossed had bacon and the caesar, if made correctly, would have anchovies, at least in the dressing). There was one vegetarian appetizer (onion rings) and a couple of vegetarian sides (that were not sold a la carte). Since I was in a party of 13, very hungry and quite exhausted, I didn't feel like finding out what special accomodation they could make for me (we were already running the poor sweet waitron ragged), so I just parted with principles and ordered fish. Salmon. It was OK but way too salty (so salty I could only eat half of it before I felt I'd had too much). The vegetables that came with it were a bit flavorless and uninspired. But, the homemade potato chips I got on the side were fabulous. I also had two beers (Yeungling), which greatly enhanced the dining experience.
South Carolina isn't exactly a vegetarian haven, so what could I expect? But the guy that runs this restaurant and its sister in Columbia, SC, (Dale Barth:
dbarth@redbonefoods.com) plans to expand into a national chain. So I'm thinking I may send him a very nice e-mail explaining that offering a vegetarian entree, salad and sandwich would make people like me more interested in returning to his restaurant and saying nice things about it afterwards. (Oh yeah, and going a little easier on the salt wouldn't hurt either!)
Uploaded by bunchofpants on 16 May 05, 10.27AM CST.
The big problem with the place was that there was not one single vegetarian entree on the menu. Worse, there was not even a single vegetarian salad on the menu! (The house tossed had bacon and the caesar, if made correctly, would have anchovies, at least in the dressing). There was one vegetarian appetizer (onion rings) and a couple of vegetarian sides (that were not sold a la carte). Since I was in a party of 13, very hungry and quite exhausted, I didn't feel like finding out what special accomodation they could make for me (we were already running the poor sweet waitron ragged), so I just parted with principles and ordered fish. Salmon. It was OK but way too salty (so salty I could only eat half of it before I felt I'd had too much). The vegetables that came with it were a bit flavorless and uninspired. But, the homemade potato chips I got on the side were fabulous. I also had two beers (Yeungling), which greatly enhanced the dining experience.
South Carolina isn't exactly a vegetarian haven, so what could I expect? But the guy that runs this restaurant and its sister in Columbia, SC, (Dale Barth:
dbarth@redbonefoods.com) plans to expand into a national chain. So I'm thinking I may send him a very nice e-mail explaining that offering a vegetarian entree, salad and sandwich would make people like me more interested in returning to his restaurant and saying nice things about it afterwards. (Oh yeah, and going a little easier on the salt wouldn't hurt either!)
Uploaded by bunchofpants on 16 May 05, 10.27AM CST.
Penelope Restaurant review
I've posted a review of Toronto's Penelope Restaurant in blogTO, Luisa and I ate there last Friday. Above: Luisa's calamari and Greek salad (minus the feta).
Review: Abento Too Japanese restaurant
Food: 8/10 - Try one of their fluffy light Okonomiyakis (similar to an omelettes) cooked and served in the center of your table. Also try the succulent fillet steaks - they're simply divine!
Service: 8/10 - Fast, friendly and willing to advise on dishes
Decor: 6/10 - Simple, isometric, light modern layout. As well as tables for four along the front, there is a large U-shaped highter-seated table arrangement where larger groups can sit.
Cost: Prices are average, with side dishes starting at around £4.50, standard sized Okonomiyaki (see my picture) around £8, bottle of Kirin at £3.30 and large flasks of Saki at £13. However, prices aren't cheap enough to warrant Time Out rating it as 2005 Best Cheap Eats runner-up.
Point to note: Abeno Too doesn't serve sushi. Some Japanese restaurants, like this one, do specialise in things other than sushi!
Service: 8/10 - Fast, friendly and willing to advise on dishes
Decor: 6/10 - Simple, isometric, light modern layout. As well as tables for four along the front, there is a large U-shaped highter-seated table arrangement where larger groups can sit.
Cost: Prices are average, with side dishes starting at around £4.50, standard sized Okonomiyaki (see my picture) around £8, bottle of Kirin at £3.30 and large flasks of Saki at £13. However, prices aren't cheap enough to warrant Time Out rating it as 2005 Best Cheap Eats runner-up.
Point to note: Abeno Too doesn't serve sushi. Some Japanese restaurants, like this one, do specialise in things other than sushi!
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