Miss Ricky's

Comfort Food in Style 

Miss Ricky's is the new eatery in the Virgin Hotel Chicago.  It is great because it is simple and has the basics in comfort food.  The menu is simple with all the staples in diner food and 24 hour breakfasts.  On the fun side, the screens were showing old Godzilla flicks which brought a few smiles.

I started off with the Shrimp and Crab dip.  It was really good.  The dip was full of big chunks of crab and shrimp.  Strong cheese and just enough salt.  They brought out more crusty bread if needed as well, so that made it perfect!

Next step was the Tres Leches French Toast with roasted pineapple and maple syrup.  I liked this because it came out with just the right amount of sweetness for my tastes.  I am diabetic, so I shy away from these things but I could not resist.  It hit the spot and the mix of pineapple and maple syrup was perfect.


The service was prompt, friendly and very attentive.  It was a team effort of three people and I totally enjoyed the experience

The only disappointment were the bloody marys.  Touted as outstanding, I found them to be rather bland.  There was plenty of vodka, but no kick.  It was essentially vodka, tomato juice, a celery stalk and a salted rim.  Nothing to write home about.

For $12, I expected to be wow'd, but it didn't happen.

The riesling was good (for $9) and the coffee was great.

I recommend this place for a date, it was quiet and you could have a conversation.  An app, an entree, three drinks and coffee was $63 with tax.  For the Loop, I have to say, it was a pretty good deal.

Im going to give it three stars, mainly because the drinks disappointed and nothing really WOW'd me.  However, this place would rock a brunch.  I plan to try that some time and I may change my rating.  But if I am going to go to the Virgin after work, I prefer the Commons.  Better food, great drinks and the same excellent service.

Fish City Grill - Dallas Tx

I had the opportunity to dine here a little while ago and had a great time!  First of all, they had some seriously good music on the patio, which is what drew me in.

Pair that up with some decent drinks and you have the fixings for a great time.  Of course, I tried the Bill's Bloody Mary, which wasn't the best, but it was strong and tasty, garnished with a shrimp!

The oysters were decent, but my entree was quite good as well.  I had to go with the Shrimp and Grits.  BAM!  Good Stuff.  I had no complaints about the dinner at all.
It was a bit loud, but the service was good and attentive.  Not the best for conversation or a quiet date, but definitely a place to go for a fun evening out.

Overall the price wasn't bad.  Oysters,  dinner and a few drinks for 2, about $100.

For something different, for us road warriors, I would recommend it for a try!

Neighborhood Thai - Rogers Park's Siam Pasta

A usual default of mine for Taai delivery, I rarely go there to sit and seat.  I did this weekend and was reminded of what a decent place Siam Pasta is.  Their food is consistently good and the sit down area is very nice and quiet.  Since I have been to Thailand several times, I can be very particular with my choices of Thai places.

I enjoyed the shrimp egg rolls, tom yum soup and the red curry with shrimp.  All of it was really good, a bit lacking on the spice, but I can understand that.  I like things HOT.  The service is friendly and attentive, the food comes out quick and you dont feel rushed.

A good spot for going for a Thai fix with friends.  Maybe not a date place, unless you are comfortable with each other and are into seeking out off the beaten path joints.  I highly recommend Siam Pasta!

  It gets 4 stars for consistent good food, fast and friendly service.

Phillip's Foote - Sydney Australia

Steak on the Barbie

A night out on the town in the Rocks area just off the Circular Quay station.  

Phillip's Foote was a fun stop for dinner.  Again, what I find is common in Sydney, a do it your self style place, it was affordable and quite good.  

You buy your drinks at the bar, the prices for drinks were comparable, but you get less.  The normal size for a beer is not a pint here, it is a Schooner, slightly smaller than a pint, but for the same price.  

The Steak, which you cook yourself on a grill was $32.  You get a good cut of beef, potatoes and salad bar.  Overall, I have to say that I was impressed with the location and the food.  I had a great time there, but the friends I was with, made it that much better.  Cheers to Qantas for organizing this wonderful outing!  

I highly recommend Phillip's Foote for a nice dinner in the Rocks area of Sydney  

Shriners Fund Raiser for the Shriners Hospital

Shriners know how to do it!

Now this is a $65 cut of prime rib!  All for raising money for the kids and it was a fun night!  

Cargo Bar - Sydney

Not Bad for a Weds Night

My first night out in Sydney after the conference was a quiet dinner out in the city.  

We went to this place on the wharf off of Pyrmont Bridge.  They offered a $10 Rump Steak which was cooked perfectly and pretty tasty.  I was pretty happy, although the small (less than a pint it seemed) glass of beer was $8.  

The steak fries were really good, I do have to say that!  The Little Creatures Beer was also pretty tasty!

Overall, there is no tipping in Australia.  But so fat the three places I have been to, shows me that it is a "get up and get it yourself" kind of culture here.  At Cargo Bar, you never really interact with anyone except the bartender.  You order everything there and they bring it to your table.  So far, no where I went do you get water at your table, not does a waitstaff tend to your needs really, you have to flag someone down or go to the bar to get it.  Even at the hotel restaurants, this the case,  The Breakfast buffet, the only thing the waitstaff did was clear my plate, not a single word spoken, no water, even coffee was get it yourself.  

The quality of food is good, the price (it was a Weds Special) was good.  Normal price was $22 and I would not say it was worth $22.  Would I go again?  Maybe, but there are also so many places to see!  I would say, on a week night, Cargo Bar is worth a stop!

Club Lucky

This is how you do it!

One of my favorite Italian places in Chicago, for certain! When you walk in the door, you are taken in by the old school feel, sounds and smells.  Friendly greetings and a great bar up front, really make this a top spot in my book.  

The drink menu is fun, the wines are great and they even have a lovely list of single malts, all for a very reasonable price.  

The night started with bacon wrapped figs and roasted garlic, which were in a light mascarpone sauce.  Brilliant combination of flavors overall and the sauce was great for dipping the light crusty bread you get at the table.  

Rounded the meal off with the Veal Franceses and some gluten free rotini in marinara sauce.  WOW!  Both were excellent!  The sauce is to die for .... on both dishes!  The wines we chose were outstanding and really complimented the meals.  Finished off the set with a nice Lemon Italian Ice.

The service was outstanding, very attentive and knowledgeable.  The ambiance, really makes this a great place for a night out with friends, a date or just hanging out at the bar on your own!  

Apps, 4 drinks, entrees and dessert, under $100 before tip.  I can not recommend this place more!  A must experience and if I had 5 stars, it would rate it!

Hollywood Grill

Comfort Food Time!

I've had coffee and pie/cake here several times late at night as well as a plate of the cheese fries, many times.   I have never really eaten the food there until recently.  

Let me start off by saying that the coffee and sweets are great!  Cant go wrong here.  The Cheese Fries are really good as well, one of the places I will go to for that fix!  

Service is prompt and friendly, no issues there either.  

But the food, was not something to draw me in.  We ordered a couple entrees and a couple shares.  The cheese fries, great!  The corned beef hash... was okay at best.  I ordered a Ruben, which came openfaced, but the meat was dry and overall not too appetizing.  My friend ordered the German smoked sausage and eggs, which turned out to be Eckrich style smoked sausage, nothing fancy.  

Overall the food was, eh... bland and unappetizing.  The bill was $30, which is a tad high for that lot, I would prefer to go to the deluxe Diner in Rogers Park over Hollywood.  

They still get 3 Stars because they make up for it on the late night sweets and fries and the service has always been decent for me.  

 

Fatburger in Los Angeles

One Heck of a Burger - Los Angeles

I am a fan of a great burger at a great price.  One place I try to hit up when I travel to the West coast is Fatburger.  

You really cant go wring here, the burgers are big and messy, just how I like them.  The fries are tasty and you get a lot of them.  

Price wise, they are on par with everyone else for what you get.  If I can, I will always hit up Fatburger to get my fix in!  

The Mirabel

Oy Oy Oy!  

I usually go here to get my schnitzel fix, it is a typical Old School German place.  the one thing that stands out here is the SUPER FRIENDLY staff.  They really go all out to make you feel welcome.  

The beer list is great and the prices are easy on the wallet.  The menu is small and has some seasonal items, but it is sure to please! If you just want to enjoy the bier list, they bar is a great hang out as well.  

I started off with a cup of the goulash, which is awesome!  My entree this time was the stewed oxtails and I will say this, fall off the bone good!  My friend had an order of the triple pork roll, wow!  Pork tenderloin stuffed with more pork and spinach.  

One drawback is that this place can get a bit loud.  Overall, a fun experience, great staff and really good German food.  Add in the great bier list and you have a quality night where the food bill is not a concern.  

The Italian Village

OLD SCHOOL ITALIAN

One thing I really get into is old school Italian places.  Sabatinos's is a fav, and I can add lunch time at the Italian Village. 

I got a half order of the Spaghetti with Arrabiata sauce, which was a perfect size and really good. No cheese at the table, which was a little disappointing, and no one asked if I wanted any. I was guessing that they just didn't do it there.  

My friend got the Grilled chickem salad, which was a big size, and really good, with big chunks of blue cheese.  

Great stop for lunch, waited about 10 minutes for a seat, so not bad.  The interior is dark and really stepping back in time.  The one complaint was that the service was a little inattentive.  Coffee was never refilled and only checked on my soda once.  Overall a good experience and some quality food.  I would go back for lunch, i haven't had a dinner experience there yet.     

The Commons Club - Virgin Hotel Chicago

This is the Way to do it Right

Last week, I had the opportunity to try The Commons Club at the Virgin Hotel in Chicago.  Hit it up with a few friends and I totally enjoyed it!  

First, the setting is very cool, makes you feel like you are hanging out in a plush living room with an open kitchen at one end.  Comfy couch seats and elegant settings.  I was impressed.  

Everything there was well priced and a great value - you cant go wrong!  Fun drink menu and all the usuals as well, which will not break the bank.  2 drinks and apps set me back.... $35 (my part of the split).  

For food we had the wild mushroom flat bread....which was truly amazing.  Perfect mix of flavors and I accompanied it with the marinated olives, which I fell in love with. A bit of oil, ginger and garlic flavours.   

Next up, the chips and dip.  This was great!  Long cut plantain chips with a side of jalapeno and cilantro chutney .... OMG, I wanted to lick the bowl!  

Last up was the Vegetarian Asian Paella.  This was good, but the pickled mushrooms kind of overpowered the rest of the dish which has rice, quinoa and a marinated tofu.  It was quite good, you kind of got used to the mushrooms after a bit.  

Overall, I had a great time and totally loved the experience.  I would recommend this for a first date, happy hour with friends or just a place to hang out.  

Thumbs up on this one!  Sir Richard, my hat is off to you.  Cheers!   

UPDATE

Last night I  their Mussels, they were awesome!  However, you need to ask for more bread to get all that sauce up!

Below was a trio of Shrimp Rolls, Tuna Tartar and Red Snapper.

Of all those, the Tuna was my favorite,  Spicy and sweet, with a nice kick to it.  It really was good, but I could have eaten two orders!

Hot woks Cool sushi

Afternoon Sushi Fix

When you get a craving for sushi, you can not deny that urge and must satisfy it!  

In the Loop, near the Sear Tower, there are a few choices, my preferred is Hot Woks Cool Sushi on Adams. 

For $13.95 I get the 3 roll lunch special.  Decent size, good fish and a nice variety to order from.  

Lunch gets crazy in this place, so dont expect to get in and out fast.  If you have time to spare, it satisfies that sushi urge very well!  Evening time, I found it to be a bit more quiet, but overall, a great spot to meet friends or an after work date.    Itadakimasu yo! 

Back in the Saddle

I have been slacking, no posts since NOVEMBER!  Terrible on my part.

I will begin writing once again, reviewing my favorite places and enjoying good food!  Hope to attract more traffic to my blog!

On the flip side, the blog I have been writing in, is my professional blog.  It is about something, TOTALLY not related to food, unless you go to the wrong place, Hazardous Materials!

Have a peek!

http://airhazmat.blogspot.ch/