Tortoise Club

One Heck of a time!

An outstanding group outing, a private room, 22 friends and a $3500.00 Tab (mostly booze).  

A good friend set up a wonderful evening in one of the private rooms of the Club on a Sunday evening.  Sadly, we were pretty much the only ones in the whole place.  

To start with, the Service was absolutely outstanding.  This was what made the entire experience worth the $150.00 per person tab. Our waiter was a total showman and on his A game for the entire evening.  

The drinks were good and average priced for Downtown.  we put down Quite a few of those.  The appetizers were amazing, personally I had a mix of east and west coast oysters.  Perfectly chilled, sweet and salty, very fresh and with a light vinegar dip.   

The second course was a cream of asparagus soup, which was perfect.  Not too salty, creamy and light, at the perfect temperature.  The courses were timed perfectly, never during the meal did we feel rushed.  

Main Course was the Berkshire Pork Chop with grits and asparagus.  Wow.... I was in heaven.  Sorry for the sloppy picture, I had to dive in to it when it came, so I messed up the presentation.  

Overall, Mainly because of all the drinking, the tab was high, but if you will moderate your libations, the dinner tab was not that bad.  Probably about $60.00 per person +/+.  

Great place for a date, the ambiance is nice, the bar is great, service is outstanding.  I highly recommend the Tortoise Club for a nice night out.  

Four Stars in my book

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!