Many years ago I visited Hash House A Go Go in Las Vegas after seeing them on The Food Network. Now they have expanded to several locations throughout the country. I was back in Vegas and visited one of their newer locations at the Rio Hotel and Casino.
I had worked up a big appetite for breakfast. It was hard to decide what exactly to order. After reading the menu a few times I decided to order the corned beef hash. The portion size was huge. It came out in a giant cast iron skillet.
The corned beef is made fresh so it does not come out as crispy as other hashes. The meat was tender and moist. They covered it with Swiss cheese. The flavor pairing of the meat and cheese was perfect.
They served a huge portion so I made sure I shared some. They also included seasoned potatoes underneath all of the corned beef and cheese. They make homemade biscuits that came on the side. The biscuit was flaky but also very dense. It was the perfect vehicle to spread their homemade strawberry jam. And I cannot forget about the two eggs. You can get them cooked any way that you would like.
Hash House A Go Go is known for their fried chicken. Lucky for me I also got to try Andy’s Sage Fried Chicken. This was another huge portion of food. It is hard to believe that one person could eat all this food.
The breading is extra crispy. They use cornflakes for the breading. That crispy layer helped lock in the juices from the chicken as it cooked. The chicken was very tender and moist. The seasonings they added to the breading carried through to the chicken.
So if you have been reading my blog lately you will see that I have been on an Italian food kick during my travels. There is something about Italian food that is comforting and is a great go to meal.
While visiting New York again I went to a wonderful Italian restaurant called Villa Berulia. It was a quaint place that was actually much larger inside than it appeared outside.
I started off with a glass of Merlot as I looked over the menu. I also enjoyed the fresh made garlic bread. The bread was loaded with garlic and had a nice crunch.
There were many Italian favorites to choose from. It really came down to what sounded the most intriguing. There were two appetizers that I ordered for the table. I thought these would be great start to the meal. The Clams Oreganata sounded really delicious and not something that I had before.
These are clams that are sprinkled with seasoned breadcrumbs and then baked till crispy on top. These little morsels were so tasty. The clams were tender and full of oregano flavor.
The other appetizer was fresh avocado slices that were topped with fresh crab and shrimp. The avocado was soft and creamy. It went really well with the sweet lump crab meat. The shrimp were tender and sweet too. The combination of ingredients worked perfectly together.
For my main dish I ordered the chicken picatta. The chicken was thinly sliced and lightly breaded. Even with as thin as the chicken was it remained juicy and tender. The overall flavor of the dish was rich and savory thanks to the wonderful sauce that was poured over the chicken. There were a few capers in the sauce that added a slight salty taste when they were part of the bite.
There was a pasta that came of the side. It was chopped up into bite size pieces which made it a little easier to eat. It was only in garlic butter but there was enough of the sauce from the chicken that I was able to mix in the pasta. It was really good and could have been a dish on its own.
I was able to save a little room for dessert, especially when they rolled out an entire cart.
I had to go after the red velvet cake. It was a huge slice that luckily I was able to share with the table.
The cake was moist but slightly dense. It had a rich velvet texture. The cream cheese frosting was sweet and extremely creamy. It was slightly on the thick side. It went perfect with the coffee and Baileys that I ordered.
This was a great restaurant and I would definitely want to go back for another meal. Check them out at www.villaberulia.com
Watching football on Sunday’s is a tradition across America. Having a fun place where you can watch the game and have great food is a must. I found that place in Lakeland, Florida called Mojo’s.
They were founded in 2008 and are known for their ice cold beer. I was very excited to see that their wings have won tons of awards.
Their menu is cute and creative. It’s a newspaper!
I was thrilled to try their red raspberry sangria. It can be ordered by the glass or the pitcher. Naturally, since it was game day I ordered the pitcher. They use raspberry liquor, cherry juice, and cranberry juice and mix that with Merlot and fresh squeezed oranges. It was the perfect amount of sweetness and great for a warm Florida afternoon.
For an appetizer, I ordered their potato chips and queso. It’s a unique combination. They make homemade potato chips that are really addicting. The queso has a chili mixed in that has a little bit of spice. I enjoyed how the spicy queso and the sweetness of the sangria complemented each other.
Since their wings have won awards I knew I needed to try these. There are several sauces to choose from so it’s good they can be ordered in increments of 5. I was able to try different flavors:
Hot
Garlic Parmesan
Sweet & Spicy Plum
The Hot is a traditional Buffalo wing sauce. It was not too spicy; it was the right amount of heat. The kick came from the vinegar in the sauce after I was done eating the wing.
The Garlic Parmesan was a creamy sauce with minced garlic mixed in. It was a little salty but the creamy sauce added a buttery flavor that balanced out the salt. I imagine this sauce would be amazing on pasta.
The Sweet & Spicy Plum is their take on an Asian sauce. The spice was not to hot and the sweet came from the plum sauce that was mixed it. I could really taste the plum. This sauce was my favorite. I liked how unique the flavor was. It was great on the crispy skin of the wings.
I had a great time at Mojo’s and I definitely want to visit again because their burgers looked really good. Plus the staff was fantastic. My waitress, Tiffany, was great!
For a fun time watching football or playing pool on the patio – Mojo’s is a must visit. Check out their website at: http://www.getmojod.com/
Ybor City is a historic area in Tampa, Florida. In the late 19th century, this was home to many cigar manufacturers. Though the area has changed over the years, you can still find a few shops where a cigar can be rolled right in front of your eyes. Now Ybor City is filled with restaurants, shops, and night life. The original Columbia Restaurant that I have previously written about is located in Ybor City.
I was not sure what I was hungry for when I got there, but after walking around I saw Gaspar’s Grotto. The pirate flag caught my attention. The entire restaurant is pirate themed.
The first thing I noticed on the front of the menu was that they are known for their sangrias. They make a homemade red and white every day. Depending on how thirsty you are you can order them by the glass, half carafe or pitcher. I just went for a glass.
I started off with the red. This version was not overly sweet. They used a unique blend of watermelon and honeydew for the fruit decoration. It made the drink feel more tropical. It paired great with the appetizer I started with.
My bartender recommended I try the Tostones with Mojo marinated shredded pork. This pork was served on top of fried plantains with a spicy salsa and a guava sour cream drizzle.
The pork was juicy and shredded to perfection, no need for a knife at all. The salsa had a huge kick but then the heat was softened by the guava sauce. The fried plantains reminded me of potato pancakes, except that they were a little sweet. They tasted amazing dipped in the guava sour cream.
It was time for a drink refill. This time, I went for the white. I knew I had to try their other option. The white sangria is much sweeter than the red.
This one also had the melons on top.
One of the other items that Gaspar’s is known for is the Cuban sandwich. Of course I had to try that. The bread was toasted and the cheese melted wonderfully around the meat. The sandwich was much bigger than I was expecting so I had to take half of it back home.
The sandwich came with fried plantain chips. These chips were slightly sweet and lightly salted. They were extremely addicting. I could not stop eating them. They were better than any kettle chips I have had.
If you want great food and drinks Gaspar’s Grotto is a great spot. Plus with their outside seating area you can enjoy an array of live music. Visit them at www.gasparsgrotto.com
Some friends of mine knew how much I loved Italian food and told me that I needed to join them at Scarpa’s in Lakeland, Florida. They absolutely love this place so I knew I would love it too.
As soon as I walked in I was greeted by a giant chalkboard filled with their daily specials. As soon as I saw arancinis on the board, I knew I would be getting these for sure.
The restaurant is slightly small inside so it is necessary to make a reservation. They do have a beautiful wine cellar with several great options to choose from.
I ordered a glass of their Rose Prosecco. It was pretty in color and light in flavor. It is not as dry as other Proseccos can be.
The fresh bread they brought to the table was amazing. This Italian bread was crispy on the outside and soft and warm inside. They served it with a side of seasoned olive oil. I could have eaten the entire basket so I had to pull myself back.
As planned I ordered the arancini. Two huge rice balls came out on the plate. I could not wait to see the chef’s interpretation. The breading on the outside was very crunchy. Inside was the cheesy rice. There were no peas or chopped meat which was ok because they used a ton of cheese that made it super creamy. The flavor was great on its own but the pasta sauce they served on the side was a nice complement to the cheese.
The eggplant rolatini came out fore I could finish the arancini. This was considered an appetizer but I thought it was big enough for a meal. Two large pieces of eggplant was plenty for me. The eggplant was sliced very thin and breaded just enough to get crispy on the outside. Inside the eggplant was loaded with a soft, creamy cheese mixture. The cheese had a sweet taste. It had pasta sauce drizzled on top along with a little extra cheese. The flavor was great and the cheese made the dish extremely filling.
The few things that I had a Scarpa’s were wonderful. I
want to make sure I make another visit to try some other items. I heard the
Parmesan crusted grouper is amazing.
Just a little south of San Francisco is an area called Burlingame. I found a quaint little Italian restaurant called Rocca Ristorante. It is located on the main street among several other cute restaurants and shops.
The restaurant was a little small inside so I was glad I made a reservation. There was a great bar when I walked in that had a beautiful mural painted on the wall. It reminded me of some of the restaurants I visited in Barcelona.
They brought some wonderful fresh bread to the table, along with some fresh olive oil and Italian spices. The focaccia bread had great flavor and was elevated when I dipped it into the olive oil mixture.
I started off with a cocktail, a raspberry cosmopolitan. I had not had one of these in a long time. It brought back wonderful memories of the first time I ever had one during a trip to Hong Kong. It was the perfect blend of sweet and sour. The fresh raspberry puree made it taste fresh.
I made sure to order a bowl of the minestrone soup since I love soup so much. The soup was loaded with vegetables from beans to potatoes. The only thing that was missing was a little pasta. Normally I find that in minestrone soup. There was a savory taste to the broth that I thought had a comforting feeling.
For my main dish I ordered the gnocchi. As anyone who reads my blog will know, gnocchi are my favorite. These gnocchi were actually filled with butternut squash. They offered two different options for sauce. It was a tough choice so I asked the opinion of my waiter. He said to go with the pesto sauce. This sauce was slightly creamy. The gnocchi themselves were pleasantly sweet. It was balanced out by the herby nature of the pesto.
This dish was extremely rich and it filled me up fast.
Naturally I could not finish it but I knew what I would be having for lunch the
next day.
I did get to try the Tortellini alla Casalin. Talk about another extremely rich dish. These tortellini were stuffed with meat and cooked in a cream sauce along with peas, mushrooms, and pancetta. I could tell right away that this pasta was homemade. There was tenderness to the dough. The meat filling was savory and had a creamy texture. It went perfectly with the savory sauce that made the dish so filling.
These filling dishes made it so I was not able to order
dessert. I would want to come back just to try a few of those sweet treats on
the menu. If you are in the San Francisco area and want to get away from the
crowds and tourist spots, head a little south, past the airport to Rocca Ristorante.
There is this great farm to table restaurant that I got to visit in Atlanta recently called JCT Kitchen. It’s located in an area that use to be old factories and now it is being transformed to a popular hangout.
The restaurant inside is beautifully decorated with reclaimed wood, flowing curtains, and cozy lighting.
The choices that the chef had on the menu the day I
visited were unique and not found at many restaurants I visit. Everything from
rabbit to swordfish, no matter what type
of protein you prefer there is something for everyone on the menu.
My table started off with a few appetizers. We started with the deviled eggs. These delicate eggs came out topped with thin slices of country ham and drizzled with olive oil. The filling was extremely creamy and fluffy. The ham added a slight salty taste.
The other snack that came out was the toast. This is a very vague name to be sure. What this dish contained was a toasted slice of baguette topped with out of the ashes (which is goat cheese), celery and a fresh apple salad. The cheese was so creamy with a slight tang. The celery added crunch and the apple salad offered a sweetness that counter balanced the cheese.
The final starter was the Stracciatella. Stracciatella is a buffalo cheese. They make this cheese fresh. It comes with African squash and a hazelnut drizzle. It is served with a fresh flatbread. This cheese too was super creamy and had a mild, light taste. The squash had a savory taste that paired well with the cheese. The flatbread was soft and had a great taste from the light grilling they did to it.
One of the most popular dishes at JCT is their fried chicken. I was able to try one of the wings because one of my dining partners ordered this dish. The breading on the chicken was extremely crispy; I love that with fried chicken. That crispy outer layer helps seal in the juices and flavor. As soon as I took a bite the juices just flowed out. The chicken was cooked perfectly. The flavor that the chef captured in this chicken proves why this is their most popular item.
I ordered the Gulf shrimp for my dinner. This was their version of shrimp and grits. The shrimp were chopped up into pieces, which made it a little easier to eat. These shrimp were mixed with red mule grits and shrimp bordelaise. They also added a generous amount of cheese in the grits as well. That cheese made the grits really creamy and salty, which was the perfect accompaniment to the fresh shrimp. The dish is rich so I was not able to finish the whole thing.
We shared a few sides around the table. The macaroni and cheese is a must try. This cheesy goodness was blended with bacon. That crispy, salty bacon flavor was fantastic with the cheese. They cooked it in the oven to create that wonderful crispy top layer.
The other side was the Brussels sprouts. These were paired with apples from Georgia and tossed with chili honey. They were roasted to create those crispy edges on the Brussels sprouts. The sweetness of the apples offset the bitterness from the sprouts.
The food I got to enjoy was extremely filling. Because of
that, I had no room for dessert. That was a bummer because many of the desserts
sounded wonderful. I would definitely come back to JCT and would bring more
friends with me. Check them out at www.jctkitchen.com
Located in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta is Murphy’s, a restaurant that had been feeding residents and visitors for 35 years. They were packed inside so it was a good thing I had a reservation.
To start off the wonderful evening with friends, I ordered a Sangria. It was full of fresh fruit and had the right amount of sweetness.
The artisan cheese plate was the perfect appetizer to share with the table. They served as assortment of cheeses, including warm ficelle. On the side they served fresh strawberry jam. It paired perfectly with the ficelle. I ate it on top of the crispy, warm buttery bread. It was almost like having jam and cream cheese for breakfast.
For my starter I ordered the Mexico City Tortilla soup. The broth was very savory and loaded with fresh chicken breast pieces. Mixed throughout were tomatoes and creamy avocado. They crush corn tortilla chips on top for a little crunch.
For my main dish I got the grilled Atlantic Salmon. The salmon was flakey and cooked to a perfect medium. They put a sweet bourbon maple glaze on the outside. I could taste the maple and it surprisingly went well with the taste of salmon. They also served a warm lentil salad underneath the salmon. It helped soak up the extra maple glaze and it tasted great.
Now the main part of my meal was delicious but I could not wait to dig into all the desserts we ordered. The first one I tried was the Key Lime Pie. The crust was a combination of coconut and graham crackers. The filling was tart and creamy. They topped it off with a fresh sweet cream and toasted coconut. The flavor was perfect and you would think it came from Key West.
The second dessert was the Bourbon Pecan Cheesecake. The cheesecake was sweet, soft, and creamy; exactly how cheesecake is supposed to be. They covered the cheesecake in a bourbon based caramel sauce. It added richness to the cake.
The Apple Bread Pudding was a nice subtle dessert. They used pieces of fresh apple mixed between the bread. When it baked together the apples and bread became one. They drizzled a crème anglaise all over the pudding. They also served it with homemade vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was creamy and full of vanilla essence.
The last dessert was the richest – the Mocha Cake. This was a flourless chocolate cake. In between the layers of cake was an espresso mousse. Now if that was not enough rich flavor, they covered the top with a layer of chocolate glaze. There was no way that one person could eat this whole slice of cake. It was just so rich and heavy. The combination of chocolate and espresso paired perfectly on my taste buds.
The food and desserts at Murphy’s were fantastic. I would
recommend that everyone visiting Atlanta to check them out. www.murphysvh.com
There is a really cute restaurant in Atlanta that I had dinner at with friends – Bartaco. It is located in a cute area with lots of trendy restaurants and shops. The best part is our Uber driver actually suggested it to us.
This was not a typical Mexican restaurant. It was a
fusion of Mexican and a hint of Japanese influence. Everything came in small
dishes or bites so you could order a lot to share.
Since we were there to have a fun time, we all got a cocktail. I went with the red sangria. It was slightly sweet and had a slight taste of allspice. It was loaded with chopped up apples and peaches. I just wish it did not have so much ice.
The table started off with the guac+roja+verde. The guacamole was really fresh. There were nice chunks of avocado throughout. The roja salsa had a major kick of heat. I was not expecting that. The verde salsa had a fresh feeling that was full of flavor, no heat with this one. They served full size round tortilla chips. They were like flat taco shells.
I ordered their chicken soup. This was not a chicken tortilla soup. This was a classic, hearty chicken soup. The broth had a wonderful savory flavor. It was loaded with shredded chicken, pieces of potato, and fresh corn, right off the cob.
I did order a taco (which they have several options). I went for the Baja fish. It was the perfect size for a few bites. The fresh fish was cut into strips and lightly breaded. They fired it up until crispy. On top of the fish they served a cole slaw that added a super crunch. There was also a slight sour taste to the slaw that complemented the sweetness of the fish and the tortilla shell.
I was so excited to order a side of the grilled corn. Two cobs came out and were covered in cayenne pepper and cotija cheese. The corn itself was super sweet. The cayenne did not really add any heat. The cotija cheese added a lot of tanginess, which paired perfectly with the sweetness from the corn.
We could not pass up dessert. We shared a few around the table. The churros were amazing. These were fresh made and were piping hot when they came to the table. They were covered in sugar. The first bite was like WOW! I could have eaten a dozen of these. The cinnamon and sugar encompassed every inch of the churro. They were also accompanied by a chocolate sauce. I tried it with the churro and it was good, however, this churro was perfect just with the sugar and cinnamon.
The second dessert was the key lime pie. They served this in a jar which was a unique presentation. I really liked seeing the layers of the pie with the graham cracker crust at the bottom. The key lime filled most of the jar. It was extremely smooth and creamy with the best tart, tangy flavor. They topped off the pie with fresh whipped cream that was light and fluffy.
The last dessert out was the horchata. This is like custard. It was really creamy and sweet. It was topped with a salted caramel sauce. The first taste of the sauce was bitter. But once I went back for a second taste that bitterness went away.
Bartaco was amazing. I am so glad that our Uber driver
suggested it and that we listened to him. I would recommend everyone check them
out. One side note is they are a cashless restaurant so make sure you take a
credit or debit card.
Check out all their wonderful food options at www.bartaco.com
I was so excited to be celebrating my grandmother’s 92 birthday. We took her out to a really nice dinner at one of her favorite Italian restaurants – Trattoria Nonna.
Trattoria Nonna is a local, family owned restaurant where they make so many things fresh. It is so warm and inviting when you walk in. It is decorated beautifully.
Our waiter was wonderful and really knew how to handle a large party. He made sure to bring us plenty of fresh bread right away. They offer two kinds – fresh made Italian white bread that is crispy on the outside and soft inside and homemade garlic bread that is crispy and full of flavor.
We ordered a few appetizers for everyone to enjoy. The calamari fritti was perfect for everyone. The calamari was tender and was fried to a perfect crisp. They also fried up some cherry peppers which was a nice addition. These were served with a spicy marinara sauce for dipping.
They had a really special dish I have never seen on a menu but see on cooking shows all the time – zucchini flower blossoms. They stuffed the delicate blossoms with Ricotta cheese and pesto. These were extremely rich. The cheese was so creamy and the pesto added all the flavor. The zucchini blossom actually did not have much taste.
For my dinner I ordered the Tortelloni Piemontese. These were jumbo size tortelloni that were completely hand made. They were stuffed with generous amounts of Asiago cheese. They were very rich and creamy. The pasta was sauteed with fresh sliced mushrooms, pancetta, and peas. The peas added a slight sweetness, while the pancetta added saltiness. The mushrooms added soft texture that paired perfectly with the cheese.
There was a singer going around the restaurant playing an accordion. I was able to get him to sing happy birthday to my grandmother, which she got a kick out of.
The restaurant also brought out a huge slice of tiramisu to enjoy. They make their desserts fresh everyday and I could tell as soon as I took a taste how fresh it was. The cake was soaked in espresso which was amazing. The cream that was placed in between the cake was so creamy. It helped cut down on the flavor of the espresso. The dusting of cinnamon on top added just a hint of spice.
