Rating: 5 out of 10
I wish that I could give this restaurant a higher rating. I really do. The food was wonderful (except for my toast being cold) and the chef even came out to thank us for coming!
But honestly, it has been a while since I've had such bad service. When we came in, we were right behind another couple, and the person who sat them actually made a point of saying she will be right back to seat us, so it was off to a good start. Then someone else came over to seat us, and the first person came back, and they actually bickered a bit about who would seat us. (Nothing terrible, just "I'll seat them," "No, I will," etc.) There appeared to be 3 servers, or possibly 2 servers and a host/busser. But this is a small restaurant and they seemed well staffed. Which brings me to the first problem in service: once we were greeted, no one came to greet us. When our server did greet us, my husband ordered coffee, which took a few minutes to get for some reason. Our server probably said about 10 words to us the entire time. I am not a huge fan of servers who walk up and say "Are you ready?" but I usually don't hold it against them.
We decided to order both the Tungurahua (eggs, rice and beans, yuca, toast) and Cotopaxi (eggs, llapingachos, and toast) and split them. I was especially excited to try the llapingachos, which are potato pancakes stuffed with cheese - and I was not disappointed! They were amazing. In fact, they were even better than I was expecting. They were very soft, but they were served hot, and felt very melty in my mouth. They are served with a green sauce on the side that I didn't care for. The toast is served with guava jam, which is also delicious.
The Tungurahua was fantastic as well. The rice and beans are served separately, which I wasn't expecting. So there are beans served with a mound of white rice. It would have been a bit too dry for me, but it was served with a different green sauce, which was slightly spicy and had an excellent flavor.
I would have asked for warm toast, but we did not see our server again until after our table had been cleared for about 5 minutes. He walked past us to drop checks off at two different tables. As he walked by, I asked if we could have our check as well and he said, "Give me a minute." When he came back with the check, he did not even slow down to put it on the table; instead, he threw it down and ended up hitting me with it. It is beyond inappropriate to act that way when someone asks for their check! The people next to us waited 15 minutes to get their check (they didn't request it, just waited for it). I didn't mind waiting for the check too much because my husband was finishing his coffee, but I was ready to go because of how loud it was in there.
I would probably be willing to try it again after giving them some time to sort out their issues with service!
Showing posts with label Dining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dining. Show all posts
07 November 2016
10 July 2016
Betty's Pies in Two Harbors
Rating: 9 out of 10
When we arrived at the Voyageur Motel in Two Harbors, there was a menu for Betty's Pies on the wall. I have heard of Betty's Pies my whole life, but had never been there. In fact I didn't even realize it was in Two Harbors. Gigi asked, "Are you looking for breakfast or pie?" And of course, our answer was enthusiastically, "Both!" Gigi recommended both Betty's Pies and Vanilla Bean. Well, we were there for two mornings, so we were able to try both.
We were very excited the next morning. Betty's Pies is just a short drive north on Highway 61 from the motel, and we arrived very quickly.
The breakfast was good, but not great. It was a very basic diner-style breakfast of eggs and hashbrowns. It was good though, and reasonably priced.
But, of course, the star of the show was the pie. So many selections of pie! We had a lot of difficulty narrowing our selection down to two slices. We did agree that one slice of pie per person should be more than enough! But hey, you can see the list. It's easier said than done to narrow it down!
In the end, we decided on Raspberry Rhubarb and Toffee. The Raspberry Rhubarb was absolutely amazing. I love any pie with a crunch topping, and easily could have ordered (and enjoyed) all three of those! In fact, I was so excited about it, I accidentally took a bite before I took a photo!
But really, how could I resist?
The second piece of pie we chose was the Toffee, which was also amazing. It was very creamy, and also very light. There was just the right amount of toffee flavor, not overwhelming and not overshadowed by the creaminess.
Of course, I wish I had been able to to have all of the other kinds of pies. I will definitely need to go back to Betty's Pies soon!
When we arrived at the Voyageur Motel in Two Harbors, there was a menu for Betty's Pies on the wall. I have heard of Betty's Pies my whole life, but had never been there. In fact I didn't even realize it was in Two Harbors. Gigi asked, "Are you looking for breakfast or pie?" And of course, our answer was enthusiastically, "Both!" Gigi recommended both Betty's Pies and Vanilla Bean. Well, we were there for two mornings, so we were able to try both.
We were very excited the next morning. Betty's Pies is just a short drive north on Highway 61 from the motel, and we arrived very quickly.
But, of course, the star of the show was the pie. So many selections of pie! We had a lot of difficulty narrowing our selection down to two slices. We did agree that one slice of pie per person should be more than enough! But hey, you can see the list. It's easier said than done to narrow it down!
In the end, we decided on Raspberry Rhubarb and Toffee. The Raspberry Rhubarb was absolutely amazing. I love any pie with a crunch topping, and easily could have ordered (and enjoyed) all three of those! In fact, I was so excited about it, I accidentally took a bite before I took a photo!
The second piece of pie we chose was the Toffee, which was also amazing. It was very creamy, and also very light. There was just the right amount of toffee flavor, not overwhelming and not overshadowed by the creaminess.
21 June 2016
101 Chocolate Vegan Recipes by Sam Kuma
Rating: 8 out of 10
When I saw the title of this cookbook, I was excited. Although I don't personally identify as vegan, I do avoid dairy because it doesn't sit well with me (to put it nicely). And nearly every chocolate recipe has milk in it, or some form of dairy. I've even seen sour cream! Well, of course I can go buy vegan sour cream or milk and try to substitute, but it doesn't always work out. Sometimes, soy milk is NOT the same as milk! They just don't always behave the same, and it really depends on the recipe.
When I find vegan dessert recipes, they are often not chocolate. I do love chocolate, and I don't see anything wrong with eating it now and again. But I prefer to have less sugar, and of course, no dairy. It doesn't seem like that much to ask, but it can be very difficult to find.
The first recipe I chose to review was the first recipe in the book: Chocolate Chia Smoothie Pudding. I have never heard of anything referred to as a smoothie pudding, and I was intrigued. The recipe described it as being similar to an ice-cream shake, and I think that's a good description. I should tell you that my husband and I are not fans of chia seeds, even though we know they are healthy for us. I have to say that this is a great way to get them into your diet if you are looking to -- they aren't noticeable at all in the smoothie. I didn't care too much for having this served over ice cubes (made from almond milk) but it just didn't seem to go with the texture. I may make this again, and skip the ice cube scenario. I found this to be very good, but it was so thick. On the plus side, it was very filling!
The second recipe I made from this cookbook was #22: Three Ingredient Brownies. I was extremely skeptical of this recipe. The three ingredients are bananas, almond butter, and cocoa powder. I was pretty sure that there was no possibility of those three ingredients turning into a brownie! Well, I was both right and wrong. I made the puree in the food processor, and then prepared to bake it. The recipe just called for a "baking pan," so I wasn't sure what to do! I used a 9x9 glass baking pan, and it seemed to be the correct size. While I was transferring the mix, I did try a little bit off of the scraper and it was amazing. I thought if nothing else, we could just eat it uncooked! The other part of this recipe that wasn't quite correct was the timing. We had to cook it for at least 5 minutes longer before it set. But it did set! I was quite surprised. I mean, I wouldn't quite call this a "brownie," but it was very delicious. It actually reminded me of a no-bake recipe: very smooth and creamy. I would definitely make these again.
I'm looking forward to trying more recipes from this cookbook, especially Thin Chocolate Crepes, Vegan Chocolate Waffles (it has been VERY difficult for us to find a vegan waffle recipe we like), and Chocolate Covered Popcorns.
I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
When I saw the title of this cookbook, I was excited. Although I don't personally identify as vegan, I do avoid dairy because it doesn't sit well with me (to put it nicely). And nearly every chocolate recipe has milk in it, or some form of dairy. I've even seen sour cream! Well, of course I can go buy vegan sour cream or milk and try to substitute, but it doesn't always work out. Sometimes, soy milk is NOT the same as milk! They just don't always behave the same, and it really depends on the recipe.
When I find vegan dessert recipes, they are often not chocolate. I do love chocolate, and I don't see anything wrong with eating it now and again. But I prefer to have less sugar, and of course, no dairy. It doesn't seem like that much to ask, but it can be very difficult to find.
The first recipe I chose to review was the first recipe in the book: Chocolate Chia Smoothie Pudding. I have never heard of anything referred to as a smoothie pudding, and I was intrigued. The recipe described it as being similar to an ice-cream shake, and I think that's a good description. I should tell you that my husband and I are not fans of chia seeds, even though we know they are healthy for us. I have to say that this is a great way to get them into your diet if you are looking to -- they aren't noticeable at all in the smoothie. I didn't care too much for having this served over ice cubes (made from almond milk) but it just didn't seem to go with the texture. I may make this again, and skip the ice cube scenario. I found this to be very good, but it was so thick. On the plus side, it was very filling!
The second recipe I made from this cookbook was #22: Three Ingredient Brownies. I was extremely skeptical of this recipe. The three ingredients are bananas, almond butter, and cocoa powder. I was pretty sure that there was no possibility of those three ingredients turning into a brownie! Well, I was both right and wrong. I made the puree in the food processor, and then prepared to bake it. The recipe just called for a "baking pan," so I wasn't sure what to do! I used a 9x9 glass baking pan, and it seemed to be the correct size. While I was transferring the mix, I did try a little bit off of the scraper and it was amazing. I thought if nothing else, we could just eat it uncooked! The other part of this recipe that wasn't quite correct was the timing. We had to cook it for at least 5 minutes longer before it set. But it did set! I was quite surprised. I mean, I wouldn't quite call this a "brownie," but it was very delicious. It actually reminded me of a no-bake recipe: very smooth and creamy. I would definitely make these again.
I'm looking forward to trying more recipes from this cookbook, especially Thin Chocolate Crepes, Vegan Chocolate Waffles (it has been VERY difficult for us to find a vegan waffle recipe we like), and Chocolate Covered Popcorns.
I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
08 June 2016
Carmody 61 in Two Harbors
Rating: 9 out of 10
We chose the Carmody 61 for the illustrious reason that it was very close to our hotel, and we were able to walk to it. Even though it was pouring rain, we were excited to be able to stretch our legs after the long drive to Two Harbors from our home.
When we walked in, we had to choose between two doors: restaurant, or bar. We chose restaurant and were greeted with another sign: Please Seat Yourself. We were brought menus and drinks right away. The service was very quick and attentive, with the exception of taking over 15 minutes to pay! We also noticed immediately that there was mustard on the table (a big plus!) and not one, but two veggie burgers on the menu.
Spent Grain Burger: Made from spent grain from their own brewery. It was very unique, and one of the best veggie burgers I've ever had. It had very unique toppings too: whole mustard aioli, lettuce, red onion, tomato, and giardiniera. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about that combo, but it was amazing.
Black Bean Burger: The black bean burger was very good. It had guacamole on it, which I love.
We also had the appetizer of "curly fries," which were delicious, but not at all what I was expecting. Apparently curly fries are now like seasoned steak fries in the shape of a circle. I like them, but I was expecting something thinner.
We had a really great time at the Carmody 61. They had a large selection of tap beers, probably about a dozen, and a good variety. The food was fast and delicious. I will definitely be back the next time I'm in Two Harbors!
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