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.