I kinda forgot that I was doing food reviews on my blog, so here’s a quick run-down of the three new places I tried in October.
We went here because it’s conveniently close to the Opera House. Normally, if we’re going to a show in that area, we go to An Sibin Pub (also very good), but we thought we’d mix things up a little.
Now, because I forgot that I wanted to do a review, I didn’t take any pictures (sorry), but I can tell you what we had:
The Screaming Crab
Canadian Atlantic snow crab + tiger prawns + butter + jerk seasoning + cilantro + lime
Boots ‘n’ Bourbon Poutine
Canadian Atlantic snow crab + tiger prawns + butter + jerk seasoning + cilantro + lime
Drinks:
Hillbilly Champagne (me)
Jim Beam White Label + Elderflower + Lemon + Prosecco + Cherry
Grandma’s Texas Lemonade (Ro)
Tito’s Vodka + Blue Curacao + Salty Vanilla + Lemon + Peach
Dessert:
Carnival Funnel Cake
Bourbon soaked strawberries + vanilla whipped cream
I really liked the atmosphere: they call themselves a saloon, and you can almost imagine the place being filled with a bunch of gun-slingin’ cowboys. The food itself was tasty: the screaming crab actually had a bit of a kick to it which was nice – too often I order something “spicy” and find that it barely has any seasoning (granted, I have a very high tolerance for spice). The drinks were also surprising in that you could actually taste the alcohol and it was an interesting combination of flavours. And the dessert, of course, was delightful – it tasted exactly like a funnel cake you’d get at a carnival (or from a booth at Riot Fest), but the bourbon soaked strawberries added another level to it.
Final verdict: I reckon I’m satisfied *tips cowboy hat*.
Again, I forgot to take pictures, though in this case, it was because I was super stoked and couldn’t wait to take a bite.
Ro saw The Grilled Cheese on an episode of You Gotta Eat Here!, then showed me the clip, and I drooled all over the computer before saying “We HAVE to go!!” Luckily, it’s only a few blocks away from El Mocambo (aka one of the sketchiest venues in the city), so we swung by on our way to see The Ready Set.
I had the apple crisp and Ro had the pizza grill. The cheese was gooey and stretchy and the bread perfect grilled. Combining avocado with the apple and onion pieces was inspired, and the handful of potato chips (plus pickle slice!) was an excellent side dish. I stole mushrooms off of Ro’s sandwich, and they were delicious. Heck, just thinking about these sandwiches are making me hungry (it is almost lunchtime, though). The store was small and cozy and reminded me of the incredible meatball place across from the Mod Club.
Final verdict: so satisfied, I wanna live there.
We ate here about fifteen minutes after we left The Grilled Cheese because we were looking for dessert, and Castle Board Game Cafe was practically next door to El Mocambo.
I had the cookies and cream cheesecake, while Ro had a slice of red velvet cake (which you kinda see in the background of this photo). Both were extremely well done and whatever chocolatey crust was used as the base of the cheesecake tasted like heaven.
I don’t often drink coffee, but they had a Nutella latte that I absolutely had to try. I probably should have stirred it a little more since there was a layer of Nutella stuck to the bottom of the mug, but it was still good. I didn’t add sugar, but it didn’t really need it. Ro, by the way, had a mochacino which she seemed to enjoy.
I’m not a hardcore board-gamer; in fact, I rarely play board games (unless you count Harry Potter Scene It? in which I kick butt). But the cafe boasts a wide variety of games and, being surprisingly spacious (we didn’t get a chance to explore the large back room), provides ample seating if you wanted to spend an afternoon there.
Final verdict: satisfied to the max.
bellsiebooks 