As Thanksgiving comes to a screeching halt and the ever lingering drive to purchase more merchandise in the month of December than in the entire year becomes more apparent, everyone feels Christmas fast approaching. Though I have not been able to do many reviews, I am diligently searching for the "diamond in the rough". Unfortunately, my favorite coffee shop is temporarily closed pending relocation. Thus begins the quest for the "back up".
Although I am doing my best to stick with restaurants, mainly non-commercially owned and operated, I am eagerly waiting the major highlight of these cold months: Old Fashioned Christmas. I have heard it has changed since my last visit, but am looking forward to it nonetheless. I will be reviewing the different spectacles throughout the night and hopefully will post pictures of the event. If it is a disappointment, you will hear about it. It is promised to have food provided by the shops, activities and horses pulling some kind of apparatus.
Anticipating being bundled up and doused in hot cocoa, this girl is excited to relive the night for my readers. (however few and far between you might be) More reviews are to come as the remainder of the year treads onward. I hope you all had a happy thanksgiving.
Mini Chef
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
London Coffee Peddler, London Ohio Update
I figured I would do an updated review on the London Coffee Peddler because of the seasonal menu. Mike puts out seasonal menus for beverages and, let me tell you, the chai menu is nothing short of amazing. I am very weary about chai at places because I have experienced people who had no idea what this beverage entails. Either watered down, overpowering, or just plain disgusting has always been my experience.
I ordered a caramel and vanilla chai to test out the new-ish menu. It was amazing. The spices were not overpowering, the caramel and vanilla were more than just subtle hints of flavor. It was the first chai I have actually liked that I didn't make myself. I am excited to try more of the seasonal beverages.
Now this places is not just amazing coffee and chai. Mike provides customers with soup of the day, sandwiches, oatmeals, cookies, muffins, danishes and a lot more. This is one place I HIGHLY recommend people trying. It is on high street next to Subway, across from O'Conner's. And yes, that was a plug.
I ordered a caramel and vanilla chai to test out the new-ish menu. It was amazing. The spices were not overpowering, the caramel and vanilla were more than just subtle hints of flavor. It was the first chai I have actually liked that I didn't make myself. I am excited to try more of the seasonal beverages.
Now this places is not just amazing coffee and chai. Mike provides customers with soup of the day, sandwiches, oatmeals, cookies, muffins, danishes and a lot more. This is one place I HIGHLY recommend people trying. It is on high street next to Subway, across from O'Conner's. And yes, that was a plug.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
New List
Since I am living closer to Columbus now, I will be starting a new list. So comment below to tell me where to go!
Red Brick Tavern - Anonymous
Red Brick Tavern - Anonymous
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
China Panda, Athens Ohio
This place was such a disappointment that I am not even going to bother with describing to food, service nor the decor or staff. The hubs was very excited to take me here, having gone with friends and knowing my endless love of Chinese cuisine. I was anxious to go and finally, tonight, we got the chance. I was wanting to try something new and different, but the first plate we received was the downfall of this ''restaurant''.
Now, I have been toned down when it comes to my disappoint and disgust with the places I review. I have been told I have high standards, can be impossible to please and in a way am ''snobbish'' toward some things. I have been working on having an opened mind but not even the most nonjudgemental person could look past not one, but two insects in a dish.
That is right. After consuming just one beef roll filled with green onion, I made the sickening discovery that there were two, what looked like young cockroaches in the sauce. I was repulsed and immediately stopped eating. The hubs, wanting to give this place a second chance, convinced me to stay and at least finish the dinner. Reluctantly I waited to my entree.
I ordered crispy duck. This sealed any doubts I may have had about not coming back here again. They deep fried the duck and served it hacked into bits with the bones still intact. There was no sauce nor appeared to be any seasoning on it and it was served with plain rice. I was greatly offended at the lack of care this place had.
Now I have been to places that made me wait 45 minutes for microwaved food that had hair in it, places that refused to serve me because I was not a local and even a place that got everything I ordered wrong. But this, this topped them all. The dish was taken off the bill but nothing will take away the disappointment and disgust of this meal. I will not be giving this place a second chance and am strongly advising any and all persons who planned to or do frequent this establishment to cease their patronage.
As for a rating, I give it -5 stars. Seeing as how 5 star is the highest rating I give on my blogs, a negative 5 is the worst rating you can get. I don't appreciate being served bugs and leaving a restaurant queasy. My stomach hasn't settled in the past 3.5 hours since I ate there.
Now, I have been toned down when it comes to my disappoint and disgust with the places I review. I have been told I have high standards, can be impossible to please and in a way am ''snobbish'' toward some things. I have been working on having an opened mind but not even the most nonjudgemental person could look past not one, but two insects in a dish.
That is right. After consuming just one beef roll filled with green onion, I made the sickening discovery that there were two, what looked like young cockroaches in the sauce. I was repulsed and immediately stopped eating. The hubs, wanting to give this place a second chance, convinced me to stay and at least finish the dinner. Reluctantly I waited to my entree.
I ordered crispy duck. This sealed any doubts I may have had about not coming back here again. They deep fried the duck and served it hacked into bits with the bones still intact. There was no sauce nor appeared to be any seasoning on it and it was served with plain rice. I was greatly offended at the lack of care this place had.
Now I have been to places that made me wait 45 minutes for microwaved food that had hair in it, places that refused to serve me because I was not a local and even a place that got everything I ordered wrong. But this, this topped them all. The dish was taken off the bill but nothing will take away the disappointment and disgust of this meal. I will not be giving this place a second chance and am strongly advising any and all persons who planned to or do frequent this establishment to cease their patronage.
As for a rating, I give it -5 stars. Seeing as how 5 star is the highest rating I give on my blogs, a negative 5 is the worst rating you can get. I don't appreciate being served bugs and leaving a restaurant queasy. My stomach hasn't settled in the past 3.5 hours since I ate there.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Location Change
Good Evening followers. My blog will be taking a location change in the next few weeks. I will be moving and will be closer to Columbus. I am looking forward to reviewing a lot of places around the area. There are a lot more opportunities for places up here. I am hoping to build up my blog and make my posts more frequent.
If you have any place you want me to review just leave a comment below. I will put it on my list and put it on the schedule for me to review. I look forward to finding out where you want me to go next. Keep trying new things!
Mini Chef
If you have any place you want me to review just leave a comment below. I will put it on my list and put it on the schedule for me to review. I look forward to finding out where you want me to go next. Keep trying new things!
Mini Chef
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Tammy's Country Kitchen, Nelsonville Ohio
Ok boys and girls, hold on to your hats because its that time again. Today we went to Tammy's Country Kitchen in Nelsonville. Now I must say I had a lot of reservations about this place. First off, its in Nelsonville. I know many of you have no idea what that means but this place is about like the back woods of BFE. I have been here before, but that was a few years ago. I didn't want to go and was determined to hate everything about it. My mission was accomplished but, as a food critic, I had to try it again with an open mind. There are a few things I will never like about this place, but its not as bad as I painted in my head before.
To start, the outside storage creeps me out. Not just an outside, what I believe is a freezer, but dry storage items as well. This is just what I see driving past all the time. The decor is well....needing an update. It is sufficiently theme accurate, but I don't think a good spruce would hurt anything.
Our server, Tina, seemed very distracted. When we ordered and she would repeat it back to us incorrectly and when we tried to correct her, she would just repeat what she said before. She wasn't really paying attention all that much to the customers and we never got a refill on our drinks. I don't think taking personal calls at work and walking around the whole place while talking is professional either.
We ordered at 1:27 and got our food 1:45. (Yes, I timed it.) This isn't completely horrible timing but my food was not hot. This put a little damper in my spirits when I dug right in, but it didn't throw everything completely off.
I ordered the special: Homemade noodles with mashed potatoes, greens beans and a roll. Let me tell you, this was delicious. Even though it lacked sufficient seasoning for my taste, it was the best diner food I have eaten thus far. Even the mashed potatoes were homemade (or the best instant I have ever had). They were creamy with a slight chunkiness to them that I enjoy. The green beans weren't extremely impressive, the bacon was very dry, but with a touch of salt and pepper, they weren't bad. The roll was painfully obviously store bought, which was disappointing. But this meal is a whole lot better, and cheaper, than any fast food.
The hubs ordered the big o'l bacon cheese burger with onions rings, chicken tenders and a sweet tea. The burger was a pretty hefty size and the bacon was acceptionally crispy. Even though it had my least favorite lettuce (iceburg) it is a lot better than any fast food ever. I didn't ask if the onion rings were homemade as well but they were delicious. The chicken tenders was nothing really to write home about, the typical GFS bought chicken, sorry to say.
After coming to the place for a second chance, I like it. Its homey and yes, the service is a bit slower than what I or others may be used to, but its not a fast paced place. You can relax, visit, and enjoy food. There is one quote I remember from this place that I wish I could say about my employment.
"She's (Tammy) the most awesome boss I've ever had in my entire life." Its really great that an employee can say this about their employer because most of us can't. You know if the workers are happy, that trickles down to everything else in the business too. I have to give Tammy props for being "awesome".
I give them 4 stars because there is room for improvement.
To start, the outside storage creeps me out. Not just an outside, what I believe is a freezer, but dry storage items as well. This is just what I see driving past all the time. The decor is well....needing an update. It is sufficiently theme accurate, but I don't think a good spruce would hurt anything.
Our server, Tina, seemed very distracted. When we ordered and she would repeat it back to us incorrectly and when we tried to correct her, she would just repeat what she said before. She wasn't really paying attention all that much to the customers and we never got a refill on our drinks. I don't think taking personal calls at work and walking around the whole place while talking is professional either.
We ordered at 1:27 and got our food 1:45. (Yes, I timed it.) This isn't completely horrible timing but my food was not hot. This put a little damper in my spirits when I dug right in, but it didn't throw everything completely off.
I ordered the special: Homemade noodles with mashed potatoes, greens beans and a roll. Let me tell you, this was delicious. Even though it lacked sufficient seasoning for my taste, it was the best diner food I have eaten thus far. Even the mashed potatoes were homemade (or the best instant I have ever had). They were creamy with a slight chunkiness to them that I enjoy. The green beans weren't extremely impressive, the bacon was very dry, but with a touch of salt and pepper, they weren't bad. The roll was painfully obviously store bought, which was disappointing. But this meal is a whole lot better, and cheaper, than any fast food.
The hubs ordered the big o'l bacon cheese burger with onions rings, chicken tenders and a sweet tea. The burger was a pretty hefty size and the bacon was acceptionally crispy. Even though it had my least favorite lettuce (iceburg) it is a lot better than any fast food ever. I didn't ask if the onion rings were homemade as well but they were delicious. The chicken tenders was nothing really to write home about, the typical GFS bought chicken, sorry to say.
After coming to the place for a second chance, I like it. Its homey and yes, the service is a bit slower than what I or others may be used to, but its not a fast paced place. You can relax, visit, and enjoy food. There is one quote I remember from this place that I wish I could say about my employment.
"She's (Tammy) the most awesome boss I've ever had in my entire life." Its really great that an employee can say this about their employer because most of us can't. You know if the workers are happy, that trickles down to everything else in the business too. I have to give Tammy props for being "awesome".
Thursday, September 6, 2012
The List
The list of places I will review, in no particular order. Leave comments below for me to add to The List.
Tammy's Country Kitchen
Los Mariachis
Dp Dough
Whits
O' Bettys
Union Street Diner
Broney's
Purple Chopstix
Abrio's Brick Oven
Insomniac Cookies
Dragon's Cup
Casa Nueva
China Panda
Della Zone
Olde Dutch Restaurant
M & M Family Diner
La Cascada
LJ's Coffee Shop and Restaurant
Jack's Steak House
Tammy's Country Kitchen
Los Mariachis
Dp Dough
Whits
O' Bettys
Union Street Diner
Broney's
Purple Chopstix
Abrio's Brick Oven
Insomniac Cookies
Dragon's Cup
Casa Nueva
China Panda
Della Zone
Olde Dutch Restaurant
M & M Family Diner
La Cascada
LJ's Coffee Shop and Restaurant
Jack's Steak House
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