Tag Archives: Foodio54

Larkin’s on the Lake – Lake Lure, N.C. – completely perfect in every way


Larkins on the Lake is so perfect – it’s scary!

Ok – I hate to say this – but I liked Larkins on the Lake so much – I ate there 2 times in a row. I mean – how embarrassing is that for a high-end foodie? I’m completely guilty of what I complain about other people doing – staying with the safe and certain.

Reviewing note – I officially might have been at the Bayfront (what they call the part of Larkin’s that closer to the dock) – because we sat outside to enjoy the breezes – but I was assured that the menu was the same. But you might ask when you go.

In my defense – Larkin’s on the Lake is awesome. First off – the location. It hangs over Lake Lure – facing almost due West to catch the last rays of sunshine, a glorious sunset – and then you can admire the mountains in the distance. I mean – what’s wrong with that? And it was close (under 10 minutes) from our home base – so getting home after dinner – in the dark – was slow, but at least short. Given the number of deer we spotted either bounding up the sides of the road way – or standing still giving us the beady eye – going fast was not an option!

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And the food – what’s a restaurant with out good food? At Larkins, it was a mixture of traditional popular dishes (great prime rib, a Spinach Artichoke Dip, or Baby Back Ribs) with more modern classics like Sesame crusted Tuna Tataki. And best of all – they had my favorite dessert – in their case it was called Hubba Bubba Brownie – but basically it’s a brownie, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Oh man – I could diet forever to have one of those!

I had the prime rib one night – rare, perfectly cooked, super tender – and the 2nd night I opted for just an appetizer of the Tuna Tataki – nice size portion, Tuna was perfectly rare on the inside and nicely seaseme’d on the outside. Yummy.

And the service was warm, friendly, and personable. The second night, our waitress from the first night totally remembered us – and told our wait person exactly how to get us what we wanted. I haven’t had that kind of service in – well – ever!

And prices were quite reasonable for a tourist locale – from just $17 to $30 dollars per person – in a setting you will never forget.

My kind of perfect place.

Larkin's on the Lake on Urbanspoon

Larkin's on the Lake on Foodio54

Imadake – Japanese Pub with style (and a lot of noise!)


Follower alert – I’m back in Montreal – but not for long… Next Stop – South Korea.

The Imadake is in a great location if you are doing the theatre at Dawson – and need a quick bite to eat, but heads up on the noise level. This is a pub – and the waiters encourage the customers to scream and yell each and every time they serve them. But noise level aside – the food was quite yummy.

We ordered a variety of the appetizer sized portions – the absolute best of which was the Miso Glazed Black Code. I mean – this was delicious. The Black code was perfectly cooked – white, tender, and tough to explain – actually juicy. I loved it.

2nd best were Takoyaki – or Octopus Balls. I mean who knew Octopus even had balls? Learn something new every day I say. These ‘balls’ were deep-fried and yummy. I liked the dipping sauce too.

Also ordered was Negibuta – pork belly slices wrapped around an entire green onion. My dining partner loved this dish, but I found difficult to eat. I wanted to bite it in half – but it’s hard to bite thru a green onion.

Definitely less thrilling were the Tempura Veggies (cut way to thick), and the Ponzu Beef Tenderloin. And last and clearly least thrilling were the Udon Noodles. I really didn’t care for the taste of these.

So – some winners, some losers, lots of noise, but very fast, and for the ‘in-crowd’ who were screaming and yelling – clearly a really good time was being had. Maybe not that great for seniors though. Just saying.

Imadake on Urbanspoon

Imadake - Japanese Pub on Foodio54

PF Chang – the Montreal Version – Not quite up to snuff. Sorry folks.


PF Chang – High end Franchise opens near me – cool, eh?

My first experience with PF Chang was in Florida – I was hungry – they were there. It worked out. I thought the restaurant was beautiful, and the food quite delicious. So I was very excited to discover that they were opening a branch right around the corner (sort of) from my office.

We eagerly planned our next luncheon to be there – and since we had lots to discuss, knew it would be long lunch. PF Chang was great on at least that aspect – we could sit as long as we liked, no problems. There were plenty of empty tables (not a good sign, eh?) – and we were tucked nicely into a corner where we were out of sight – out of mind. Perfect.

Unfortunately, that was the highlight. Well, that and the Signature lettuce wrap with chicken, mushrooms, green onions and water chestnuts. That was delicious. I was not really impressed with much else unfortunately. And I wanted to be – I really did.

I will give our waitress full credit for a nice try. She was extremely pleasant, and very well-informed on the menu – nope – the problems lay elsewhere.

We managed to confuse the kitchen by mixing up our order, one of us ordered the lunch special, the other 2 ordered a la carte. Shouldn’t have been an issue – but I guess the kitchen is still working out the kinks – the luncheon special main course arrived long, long before the rest of our order – to the embarrassment of our waitress. She apologized, but it ended up meaning that one of us ate a cool lunch that should have been hot. Better – just remove the dish, and take it back. By asking if it’s ok – you put the customer into complaint mode – and my friend felt awkward complaining.

My ‘main’ course was billed as Cold Ahi-tuna Slices with a mustard sauce – way too heavy on the sauce unfortunately – couldn’t taste the tuna at all. My friend who got convinced to order a chicken dish wasn’t exactly thrilled with hers either. And the cool instead of hot main course of my friend was never going to be right.

In comparing the menu we were offered in Montreal with the menu on the US website – I think part of the issue might be that the Canada franchise isn’t offering exactly the same things as the US version – at least the menu seemed quite different. I couldn’t even find my tuna dish on the US menu – good thing to be honest. It wasn’t great.

We ordered one desert to share – the Banana Spring Rolls with coconut pineapple ice cream. It was good – but not blow you away. They ‘under-drizzled’ the caramel and vanilla sauces in my opinion, at least I couldn’t taste them. The ice cream was so cold that you couldn’t taste the coconut and pineapple – and I thought the fried banana spring rolls were terribly rich. Not a bad thing for dessert of course, but I wasn’t thrilled.

So – lovely restaurant, nice waitress, some good, some not so good food. Can’t give PF Chang an A. Sorry people. Better luck next time.

P.F. Chang's on Urbanspoon

PF Chang on Foodio54

Doc Ford’s at Fort Myers Beach – Huge menu, Huge restaurant


We actually wanted to eat at Rib City – relatively small, not super well located, but reputed to have great ribs. Unfortunately, we had issues finding them. They recently moved – and the GPS found their original location. It would have been really nice if they had a sign on their old place – but no. There was absolutely no way to know where they had gone. Too bad – you just lost 5 customers.

Later that night – we did actually spot Rib City – in its new location in the Target parking lot. Oh well – we’ll get to try them on another trip to Fort Myers.

Since we couldn’t find Rib City – we ended up going to Doc Ford’s – a huge restaurant strategically located at the harbor. The reviews had been pretty good – and I had hope they’d be impressive. Or at least – not disappointing.

After a challenging drive around and around the parking lot – we finally found a place to leave the car, walked back to the restaurant, and got told by the very pleasant hostess that it was a 45 minute wait for a table. I hate waiting for a table – but the thought of trying to get back to the car was so discouraging, we opted to stay and just enjoy the view.

When it was our turn to eat – we were starving – which I’m sure explains why we ended up ordering way too much food.

For appetizers – we tried the Chicken Wings – both Medium and Hot. The Medium ones were outstanding. Probably some of the best I’ve ever had. On the other hand – the Hot version was mostly vinegar – not hot spice. Nope – didn’t care for those. We also tried the Seared Tuna Appetizer. Like the Medium Wings – another winner – delicious tuna, but my favorite part of the dish were the crispy Asian Vegetables. Unfortunately – the Cerviche cocktail was a loser. Just terrible, particularly compared to the fish we enjoyed at El Gaucho Inca.

For main courses – we chowed down on a variety of quite yummy entries – Texas Baby back ribs, the dry rubbed rib eye steak, the Achiote grilled Grouper and my personal selection – the Grouper Sandwich. No complaints from anyone – except that we clearly ordered too much food. Oh well – sometimes doggy bags are an unfortunate necessity.

Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille on Urbanspoon

The Bridge Waterfront Restaurant on Foodio54

Fried Oysters at the Oyster Shell – Oh My!


Confession – up until last night, the best fried oysters I’d ever had were in New Orleans – and I’ve spent years trying to find fried oysters like those – plump, juicy, slightly salty, and totally no fishy flavor.

My husband, knowing my desire to try some fried oysters here in Florida, carefully picked out the Oyster Shell because other reviewers really liked it – not because it won awards, not because it was well located, not because it was large, not because of the classy view – but because it had some of the most consistent good reviews of all the seafood restaurants in Fort Myers. And he picked a winner.

Don’t be surprised by the location. The Oyster Shell is a truly for locals only – there are probably no more than 6 tables – and only one chef and one waitress. But between them – they got the job done.

And the oysters at The Oyster Shell truly impressed me. Really some of the best I’ve ever ever had. So good I ate way too many of them – so reader alert – portions are huge – go small and consider sharing. Which explains why I not only had my oysters – I got a whole soft shell crab to myself. Yummy, yummy, yummy.

Quick note about freshness – they were out of Grouper the night we ate there – why – because the chef wasn’t pleased with the quality the fisherman had brought him that day. So rather than serve fish below his standard – the waitress had to carefully explain to all the dinners that there was no Grouper. Impressive.

Also impressive – the pecan pie. It was delicious – a fabulous combination of light crust, sweet filling, and tons of pecans. Oh – I do so love a good pecan pie and this one didn’t disappoint.

Definitely a winner among so many losers here in Florida. Check it out.

Oyster Shell on Urbanspoon

Oyster Shell the on Foodio54

It’s about the view at the Captain’s Table – Charlotte Harbor Florida


Oh dear, I just can’t believe this – I’m beginning to think that every restaurant in Florida has won an award of some kind. They must give those things out like candy at Halloween. So the Captain’s Table had a wall – a total wall – full of awards. Most romantic dinner, best view, best this – best that. My problem – the only food item that seemed to be a ‘best’ was the breaded fish sandwich. That’s a tad scary, right? I mean – it’s a huge menu and you are giving prizes to the view?

But I have to give them kudos for it. It was truly outstanding. The restaurant is strangely located at the far end of a mall full of cute shops (called Fisherman’s Village) – with timeshare condo’s on the 2nd floor. You park in front, then walk the length of the ‘mall’ to get to the restaurant. Also a bit strange – the restaurant is on 2 levels – the upper level with the outdoor dining overlooking Charlotte Harbor is called the Captain’s Table on Charlotte Harbor. The restaurant on the lower level is Harpoon Harry’s – more of a bar than a restaurant.

We had lunch reservations – which was a very good thing because the majority of the restaurant was filled by large group of bankers having a buffet lunch and a talk. The good news – this didn’t seem to impact the service on the outdoor balcony where we were sitting.

My Grouper Sandwich was just ok. The fish portion was a good size, always a nice start. But I found it cut so thick that I just couldn’t get the fish and the roll into my mouth. So I ended up eating a plain grilled fish, no roll. To add insult to injury – the tomato was also sliced super thick, ending up tasteless. Really didn’t add anything to the sandwich – a shame because one would think that at least in Florida one could get yummy vegetables. One final complaint – The mandatory french fries were standard frozen chips – I passed on those. Just not worth the calories.

Bottom line – lots of awards, great view, but maybe someone ought to take a close look at what they are doing to the food. Definitely not up to the location.
 

Captain's Table Restaurant on Urbanspoon

The Captain's Table on Foodio54

Red Mule Pub – great name, good Ruben sandwich – but you have to go to Brooksville, Florida to find it!


Consider the challenge – you are a tiny restaurant in a small town about an hour from Tampa – who is going to find you? Well I did, and I loved it.

There isn’t a lot to either the restaurant, or the menu – it’s the Ruben, silly. But they also have a few other sandwiches – Pastrami, Turkey, Salami, even Liverwurst. And a short but yummy dessert list – including my favorite – brownie with whipped cream.

I knew this place would be fun when we walked towards the front door. It wasn’t the ‘winner of the best…’ sign – I’ve learned those can’t always be trusted – it was the way they had taken a single strip mall entrance and turned it into a cabin in the woods. So cute I had to take a picture. But walking in convinced me that this place would be fun. There is ‘fun junk’ every where – from the words of Jimmy Buffet songs to cartoons, signed photographs (including one of Snow White – go figure), and bumper sticker slogan signs. The tables were adorable too – they’d taken ‘toys’ like lincoln logs and covered them with plexiglass – creating a conversation piece while you wait for your food.

All 4 of us ordered exactly the same thing – a Ruben Sandwich – your choice of bread, comes with a pickle slice and a small bag of chips. The sandwich was clearly the star – tons of great tasting corned beef, sauerkraut, melted swiss cheese, and a ‘special’ sauce. Just fine.

Was it the best Ruben I’ve ever had – nope. I prefer my bread toasted – puts some crunch into the sandwich – but maybe that’s an east coast thing where people have stronger teeth. Never-the-less – it was pretty darn good – and I ate the whole thing. Always a sign that they did a good job.

My dessert was sinfully simple – a rich brownie (no nuts, sorry) served with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Sometimes simple is best – and there is totally nothing wrong with a great Ruben followed by that chocolate brownie.

Sigh

Red Mule Pub on Urbanspoon

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Red Mule Pub Inc on Foodio54

Hard 8 is the Best BBQ ever – Bad news – it’s in Dallas Texas!


You arrive in a strange city – and you are hungry. How do you find a great place to eat? Frommers? Fodor? Insight? My problem with guides is simple – they are by default dated. The reviewer went there – liked it – left, reviewed it, than a year – or more – later, it got published.

Zaggat, Yelp and Urbanspoon – which are on-line restaurant review sites are much better – but somehow – I always forget to check before I leave – and then arrive without internet access.

My go-to solution – ask a local. And my 2 favorite places to find those locals are either at gas stations (hey – gas station attendant have to eat too), or at the car rental counter. Actually – I prefer to ask the guy giving me the car. More often than not – I get good advice. And this time – the advice was amazing.

We’d just arrived in Dallas, TX – and it was lunch time. BBQ sprang to mind. Our question was – best BBQ that is not a chain. We’d rented thru Enterprise (Hi back at you guys) and the efficient Enterprise agent thought for a second – then asked if we wanted fancy. When the answer was no – we just wanted awesome BBQ – he said – Hard 8. He even ‘text’d’ the address to my husband’s cell phone. Now that’s service.

We followed the GPS to what must easily be the best BBQ I’ve ever enjoyed. We knew we were in the right place when we saw that the line stretched out the door!

Hard 8 is in a huge building – about 40% of which is devoted to the BBQ pits, and the smokers. You stand in line until you get your turn in front of the open-pit and are faced with a simply mouth-watering display of BBQ offerings. Signs everywhere warn against ordering too much – but the free taste of bacon wrapped BBQ chicken with a jalapeno Pepper put us in the mood for food.

Everything is cut and sliced to order – so you want Brisket? The pit boss will gesture at the brisket – and chop until you stay stop. Ribs? How many do you think you can eat. The only things not sold by the pound beside the roasted and steamed whole corn on the cab – were the BBQ chicken (1/2 or whole) and the pork chop. Both looked completely yummy – but I wanted ribs.

Of the 3 of us – my grand-daughter took the prize for restraint, just ordering some slices of home spiced and home smoked Kielbasa. I got ribs, my husband got carried away and ordered a bit of almost everything, from brisket to a sirloin kebab. They weighed our choices – then pointed us into the restaurant itself to get drinks, dessert, and add-on’s like mac and cheese or sweet corn with jalapeno’s.

From there – it’s on into the dining room. Well – dining room is a bit generous. More of a cross between a bar and a barn – with a huge heated ‘patio’. Tables are ‘the share with your neighbor’ variety – and on each section are rolls and rolls of paper towels – which speak to the messy nature of eating proper Texas BBQ.

There’s a boiling pot of ‘all you can eat’ beans, more BBQ sauce in case you feel the need – and stacks and stacks of to-go boxes. Yup – we probably aren’t the first – or last – that order too much!

I totally adored my ribs – and ate 2 of them – plus all my grand-daughters Kielbasa. She ate the rest of my ribs – and then gobbled up her share of the brisket that my husband got.The Mac and Cheese wasn’t great – but what were we thinking to even order it. I can’t say I liked the Kebab at all – but again – what were we thinking to order it in the first place.

The creamed sweet corn with Jalapeno was not particularly spicy – but it was sweet. Not nearly at the same – you MUST eat this – level as the ribs, bacon wrapped chicken or the Brisket, but very interesting.

How good was the ‘Hard 8’ – well – my husband is planning on going back today. Yes – that good.

So – if you find yourself in Dallas – and craving a no frills BBQ pit dinner – Hard 8 has definitely got you covered.

Hard Eight BBQ on Urbanspoon

Hard 8 BBQ on Foodio54

Charcos Rotisserie – Is it a chain if there is only one?


I do love a good Portuguese Chicken place. They roast their chickens with such – well – love and affection that you just know it’s going to taste great. And they offer veggies. Ok – the veggies are not the center of the plate, and I’m sure most vegetarians give Portuguese Chicken places a wide berth – but still. Good food, done fast, served hot, that is easy on the stomach and even easier on the pocket-book. Such a deal.

 

Charcos Rotisserie’s youthful owner/managers proudly explained to me that this is the first of a franchise – as soon as they get the franchise going. Meanwhile they are working long hours to build up the business – a fun variation on the traditional fast food joint.

 

The menu options look at bit – well – Turkish – since sandwiches made with pita bread, and hummus are on offer. But Charcos also offers whole and half grilled chickens, a hot dog and a hamburger (really – how Portuguese is that?), and some salads. We decided to get  the Charcos favorite. Chunks of grilled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles all cozy in a pita ‘wrap’. Mine could have used a bit more sauce – available for an extra for 50 cents. But at under $5 – including the extra sauce – this sandwich was a great dinner option before class – which I assume is how they meant it to be. Nicely done people.

 

The eating ‘in’ area wasn’t nearly as clean as I would have liked (I hate having to wipe down my own table) – but the price and location (right next to the Hall building at Concordia) probably mean that they don’t have to worry much – except what to do when school’s out for summer.

Rotisserie Charcos on Urbanspoon

Restaurant Charcos on Foodio54

Asha – Cozy Indian near La Cite – Student friendly, Decent Food


The problem was trying to find an open restaurant on Monday night in the Student ghetto area around McGill. We were going to the ‘Discovery Series’ at the MAI on Jeanne-Mance, and time was tight. Asha

We walked towards St. Laurent – nothing. We tried the Cite de Parc shopping center – fast food only. Then we started walking up and down Parc. We were getting desperate, and going hungry wasn’t a good option. Theatre on an empty stomach is the pits!

I spotted the electric ‘Open’ sign from across the street – and we jay-walked (sorry folks) across to see if it looked good. Interestingly, the propped open front door looked inviting – and we were really down to ‘now or never’. So we walked in.

The Restaurant Asha looks to have been in this location forever – long and thin, with – I’m not kidding – crystal chandlers evenly spaced throughout the space – its theme is red, red, red with a splash of white. Ok – clearly says ‘Indian’ to me.

We were so pressed for time – we did the unthinkable – and ordered a set meal for 2 for $40. It included Onion Bhaji, Mulligatawny soup, Butter Chicken, Spicy Chick peas, Beef and Spinach, Rice, and even desert. How wrong can you go?

The waiter rushed our order to the back, and then brought us our drinks (on draft Taj Mahal beer) and outstanding Papdum. I was truly impressed and inquired – yup – they were home-made. Maybe this is a stellar find? That would be cool.

Unfortunately, the rest of the meal was ok – but not great. Oh well. The Onion Bhaji were lacking in onion although the dipping sauce was pleasant, the spicy chick-peas weren’t very spicy, and the butter chicken was a disturbingly bright orange. But I guess you get what you deserve if you order set courses – clearly prepared long ahead and thankfully served quickly – they are never going to be at the level of things that require a bit more last-minute prep. Oh well. At least they might have asked if we wanted the food mild or spicy. I would have definitely asked for spicy.

Aside from the Papadum and the beer – there was one other highlight – I don’t generally care for Nan – tends to be greasy – but the Nan here was wonderful. Clearly the bread maker knows his stuff.

We made the theatre on time – and I might give the Restaurant Asha another chance. It was very reasonable for the quantity of food provided, and the location is quite convenient to the Mai Theatre and the Cinema du Parc – both places I frequent regularly. And they have table cloths. I like inexpensive restaurants with tablecloths.

And the beer was excellent.

Asha Indian on Urbanspoon

Restaurant Asha on Foodio54