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  1. [Las Vegas] Buffet (Bellagio)

    April 18, 2012 by admin

    People seem to have a love-hate relationship with buffets. We usually do just the Wynn buffet, but on this trip we actually tried a few of them. Because we stayed at the Bellagio and it was our 10-year anniversary, we were given a front-of-the-line pass to use during our stay. This was awesome, because sometimes you can wait upwards of an hour in line for a Vegas buffet.

    We went a couple of times, during breakfast on a weekday and during “brunch” on a weekend. I would recommend going on a weekday because the price is usually cheaper. Also, if you can time it right, you can go for breakfast and stay during lunch as they change over the menu. For the weekday breakfast, it was $17 a person, which is completely reasonable as it comes with juice and coffee and so much selection. When we went on the weekend, it happened to be an “Easter Brunch,” which also included crab legs and prime rib. With the additional selection and “special occasion,” the price went up to $37 a person.

    For breakfast, I definitely recommend the omelettes. These are made to order, and it’s interesting just to watch the chef create the most fluffy, delicious omelettes, sometimes six at a time. This was probably the best omelette I’ve had, ever.

    Other highlights were the fresh fruit and, if you go during lunch, try the shrimp salad rolls – these were amazing!

    Eggs Benedict is tricky at a buffet. You need to time it perfectly so you get it right after it’s served. Otherwise, it will be way overdone by the time you eat it. And the whole point is to have a lovely, runny egg, no?

    I had tried the Bellagio buffet years ago for dinner and wasn’t especially impressed. (It also could have been that we were buffet-ed out by that point.) This time, for breakfast/lunch, I think it was a great option to get some quality food with a lot of variety.

    Buffet (Bellagio) on Urbanspoon

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  2. [Las Vegas] In-N-Out Burger

    by admin

    There are a few places that I always love to visit in Vegas, and In-N-Out is usually on the list! Their burgers are so simple yet delicious, and it’s a nice break from all the excess and extravagance on the Strip.

    Their menu is very simple: you can order a burger, a cheeseburger, or a double. Oh, and they have fries and shakes too.

    I usually just get a regular burger or cheese burger, but I decided to go for the double this time in lieu of my own fries (still stole a few from my husband). Their bun is simple and a bit sweet, the patty is homemade and they put the right amount of lettuce and tomato for that really yummy homemade taste. Their fries are made on premise – these are great little matchstick fries with just a bit of salt on them. Perfection!

    I would actually recommend the regular size burger over the double. The double had TWO beef patties and TWO slices of cheese, so I felt like I was going to have a coronary afterward. Plus, it made the whole bun/meat/veg ratio a little off, which is always an important factor (for me at least) when eating a good burger!

    In-N-Out Burger on Urbanspoon

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  3. [Calgary] Double Zero Pizza

    by admin

    The pizza business seems to be booming in Calgary, with Pulcinella, Famoso Pizza, Without Papers and Uno all getting reviews and press lately. Double Zero opened last year and when they offered a Groupon for $15 for $30, we decided to try it out!

    Here’s what we enjoyed:

    1) “00″ meatballs. This was a house blend of natural pork and beef with a tomato gravy. They were good, but not as juicy and delicious as I expected for $13.00.

    2) “pepperoni.” This pizza included smoked salami and spicy calabrese sausage. Again, this was a good pizza, but I think we have be spoilt for choice with all of the pizza options in Calgary. It was tasty, but nothing very special or spectacular.

    Pizza seems to be a very personal choice. I haven’t tried all of the great pizza spots in Calgary, but I do enjoy a good pie from Pulcinella and Without Papers. Where is your favourite pizza in Calgary?

    Double Zero Pizza on Urbanspoon

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  4. [Calgary] Tilted Grill

    by admin

    The concept of Tilted Grill is interesting – street food in a restaurant. We bought a deal voucher to use for this restaurant, so we thought we’d give it a try. I had heard mixed reviews about the restaurant… there was actually a lot of controversy surrounding it when they had invited some bloggers to their restaurant for a food sampling. Some of the reviews were less-than-positive, which is understandable when it is a new restaurant. However, one blogger in particular (who wasn’t at the event) thought that it was wrong of these bloggers to post negative reviews.

    I disagree. It is never my intention to slam anyone, but the whole point of reviews is to get feedback on a place, both positive and negative. I mean, would you watch movie reviews if they said they were good every time? Or if they didn’t post reviews unless they were good? It doesn’t make any sense.

    Anyway, I thought we’d try out the restaurant and see for ourselves. I mean, that’s all you can really do, isn’t it?

    Here’s what we enjoyed:

    1) Veggie Pad Thai (we added chicken). Rice stick noodles, egg, tofu, bok choy, roasted peanuts, bell peppers, red onion in a tamarind sauce. This was okay, but not authentic by any means. I’ve never had pad thai with bok choy, bell peppers or red onion in it. With the addition of chicken, the price came up to $19. Pretty pricey for a dish that should have been probably ordered at a real Thai restaurant instead.

    2) Tacos. These were not the regular tacos on the menu, but a special that they had advertised that day. These were bright, flavourful, and delicious. The carne asada tacos on the menu are $17, so I’m not sure how much difference there is between the dishes. (These were $3.50 each, I believe.)

    3) Viet pork skewers. Ground pork wrapped around bamboo skewers. Served with hoisin and Sriracha sauce. These were also quite tasty – who doesn’t love meat on a stick?

    4) Chocolate bread pudding. I was really excited about this dish, as I had recently had the most amazing bread pudding at Stonehill Restaurant and Tavern. It was actually the first bread pudding I tried, and I was in love. This version was a bit too sweet with the sauce on top, and wasn’t what I was expecting. It was still pretty tasty, though.

    I think there are some hits and misses here at Tilted Grill. Perhaps they are still ironing them out now… my biggest complaint would be that you’re getting street-type food at a restaurant price. For me, that’s hard to justify, especially with all of the food trucks that have invaded Calgary’s food scene lately.

    Tilted Grill on Urbanspoon

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  5. [Calgary] Cruffs

    by admin

    I was both skeptical and excited when I heard about Cruffs, who specializes in cream puffs. I had had Beard Papa’s in Vancouver and Asia, and they were absolutely amazing. Could these cream puffs compare?

    I had one of those deal vouchers for $5 for $10. We picked up about 7 minis, which were $1.50 each. (The regular size is $1.95 each.) While Beard Papa’s only has a couple of flavours, Cruffs offers about a dozen. We tried Strawberry, Mocca, Chantilly Cream and Coconut, I think? Some flavours were better than others (I really wanted to try Hazelnut), and they were pretty good, but no Beard Papa’s. They weren’t as delicate and flaky as Beard Papa’s, but definitely a step up from your regular frozen cream puffs in the grocery store.

    I had given a voucher to my brother as well, but he didn’t think they were worth the price tag. However, if I am craving a cream puff, and I’m not in Asia or Vancouver, I would definitely visit again.

    Cruffs, The House of Cream Puffs on Urbanspoon

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  6. [Calgary] T.Pot China Bistro

    by admin

    One of my favourite things to do on a weekend is go for dim sum! Lots of small plates of yummy deliciousness – what’s not to like? Out of all the places in Calgary, there are only a few places I like. This is one of the best.

    Here’s what we enjoyed this visit (official menu names of these dishes are unknown):

    1) Sticky rice and chicken wrapped in a lotus leaf (or lor-mei-gai). This is one of the more filling dishes that contains chicken and some sticky glutinous rice, all wrapped up in a little package for you or for a couple of people to share. These are wrapped on the small side, so you could eat one to yourself if you like. I find that even the less adventurous types will enjoy this dish.

    2) Shrimp rice rolls (or ha-cheung). The sign of a good dim sum place is fresh, bountiful shrimp. T.Pot always delivers on this front. These shrimp are wrapped in rice rolls and covered with a dark soy sauce.

    3) Shrimp dumplings (or ha-gow). These are also shrimp, this time wrapped in a lovely little dumpling form. A true staple of any dim sum outing. These are huge and yummy and delicious!

    4) Beef balls. Not everyone likes these, but they are basically ground beef into a meatball form covered with Worcestershire sauce. My dad loves these, and so do I. One of those childhood favourites, I guess.

    5) White turnip cake (or la-bak-goh). This is one of my absolute favourite dishes to order, but it must be fresh! It’s white turnip mixed with various meats and then pan fried into a little square. Kind of like a Chinese version of a hash brown, maybe? Anyway, I love these, even though I usually am the only one at the table eating it.

     

    6) Oily stick in a rice roll (or ja-luerng). Oily stick… how appetizing can that be? The marketing guys must have been out at lunch when naming this one… This is a fried doughnut wrapped up in a rice roll. You dip it in this lovely peanut butter sauce, and it’s delicious! Not healthy by any means, but usually a favourite loved by all, especially little kids.

    7) Beef chow fun. And, if all of the above dishes were not enough to satisfy two people’s appetite (it usually is), you can order a plate of noodles to fill you up. These are a bit on the greasy side, but usually what you expect when you order fried noodles at a Chinese establishment.

    As I mentioned before, T.Pot is one of my favourite dim sum spots, if not my absolute have. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but I think it’s worth it for the quality.

    T.Pot China Bistro on Urbanspoon

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  7. [Calgary] Cactus Club Cafe (MacLeod Trail)

    by admin

    This review is from late last year. We had visited Cactus Club earlier in the year and had such an amazing meal, we wanted a do-over! Here is what we enjoyed:

    1) korean style lettuce wraps – braised pork shoulder shredded, papaya slaw, kimchi, korean chili sauce

    This was my favourite dish. It was a DIY wrap with really tasty pork and all the fix-ins – rice, slaw, kimchi and a couple of sauces (one spicy, one mayo-like). It was a starter, but you could really have it as a meal – it was so filling and delicious!

    2) mini burgers – three miniature cheddar bacon burgers with red pepper relish

    Next came the sliders.They weren’t anything really special, but they were some yummy little burgers with a nice pepper relish. My husband liked them a lot.

    3) lingcod fish tacos – handstretched tortillas, chipotle aioli, shredded green cabbage, salsa fresca

    Lastly, the fish tacos. These were fresh and tasty, with some chips, guac and salsa on the side. I haven’t had a lot of fish tacos in Calgary, but these were pretty amazing in my opinion!

    The last time we visited, we had an amazing apple galette, but they had sold out by the time we ordered it. Bummer! I would highly suggest it if you can get it.

    All in all, I love this location for the casual, tasty bites. Most of the time, chain restaurants disappoint, but their food is consistently good, flavourful, and won’t break the bank.

    Cactus Club Cafe (Macleod Trail) on Urbanspoon

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  8. [Calgary] Vero Bistro Moderne

    April 17, 2012 by admin

    Sorry for the late post… we went to Vero Bistro Moderne late last year and I am finally getting the review up now!

    This was a place that I had been wanting to try because of a friend’s recommendation. When they had a $20 for $40 deal on Groupon, I decided it was a perfect time to sample their menu.

    We had previewed their menu online before we got there, and decided on three dishes: the Crusted Baby Calamari Frito, the Alberta Noble Farms Duck Breast, and Vero’s Signature Bouillabaisse.

    Before any of our food came out, the waitress brought us an appetizer on the house. This was an unexpected surprise in the form of a mushroom risotto ball.

    This was the perfect little starter. I’m normally not a fan of mushrooms, but the flavour was spot-on, and the little risotto ball was crunchy and satisfying. It was also very filling – if we had known we were getting this appetizer, we might have not ordered one ourselves. Our dinner was off to a great start.

    The appetizer we did order was the Crusted Baby Calamari Frito. It did not disappoint – crunchy, flavourful and complex with romesco sauce, lemon saffron aioli and basil oil. Another winner.

    I ordered the Alberta Noble Farms Duck Breast. I am a huge fan of duck, and this dish changed my perception of what duck could be. It was served on top of lemon risotto with a blood orange reduction. At first, I found the lemon risotto to be too tart. But once I combined it with the blood orange and the perfectly done duck breast, I was in heaven. I enjoyed every single bite after that; it was so good!

    My husband had Vero’s Signature Bouillabaisse. It included mussels, clams, prawns, scallops, fish, calamari, and saffron in a pernod tomato broth. He enjoyed it immensely – and it’s hard to impress him as a non-foodie.

    After this meal, we were too full for dessert, but I couldn’t stop raving about how good everything was. You could just taste the quality of the ingredients, and every dish was so well thought-out and executed. I will definitely be back again for a special occasion!

    Vero Bistro Moderne on Urbanspoon

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  9. Restaurant Deals – Thursday, November 10, 2011

    November 10, 2011 by admin

    Here are today’s restaurant deals in Calgary, including Urbanspoon ratings for each.

    CASBAH RESTAURANT – $55 for a 5 Course Moroccan Dinner, Including Shrimp, Lamb and Chicken With Wine for 2 ($114 Value). Expires Friday, November 11, 2011. (Rated 86%)

    XAN MONGOLIAN BARBECUE – $15 for $30 Worth of Asian Fare. Expires Saturday, November 12, 2011. (Rated 75%)

    BOSTON PIZZA (AVENIDA) – $12 for $25 Worth of Gourmet Pizza and Pasta. Expires Saturday, November 12, 2011. (Rated 63%)

    SPOON ME – $6 for $12 to Spend on Frozen Yogurt. Expires Sunday, November 13, 2011. Get $5 in LivingSocial Bucks when you sign up! (Rated 69%)

    LA TRATTORIA D’ITALIA RISTORANTE – $19 for an Italian Meal for Two  - Up to $43.65 Value. Expires Monday, November 14, 2011. (Rated 86%)

    VERO BISTRO MODERNE – $7 For $15 Worth Of Modern Fusion Lunch With Italian And French Influenced Cuisine. Expires Monday, November 14, 2011. (Rated 88%)

    WICKED CHILI RESTAURANT – $15 For Breakfast For 2 Including King Size Plate & Regular Coffee Or Juice Per Person (35.60 Value). Expires Monday, November 14, 2011. (Rated 66%)

    MI MEXICO LINDO RESTAURANT – $12 for $25 Worth of Food and Drink at Mi Mexico Lindo Restaurant. Expires Wednesday, November 16, 2011. (Rated 50%)

    Category Deals | Tags: | No Comments

  10. Restaurant Deals – Tuesday, September 20, 2011

    September 20, 2011 by admin

    Here are today’s restaurant deals in Calgary, including Urbanspoon ratings for each.

    RAJDOOT – $12 for $25 of Fine Indian Cuisine. Expires Wednesday, September 21, 2011. (Rated 69%) 

    CROWFOOT WINE & SPIRITS – $20 For Admission To Your Choice Of 16 Wine & Dine And Festival Events ($45 Value). Expires Wednesday, September 21, 2011. (No rating) 

    SHIRAZ PERSIAN CUISINE – $15 for $30 to Spend on Food and Drink. Expires Wednesday, September 21, 2011. Get $5 in LivingSocial Bucks when you sign up! (Rated 83%) 

    MOLLY MALONE’S – $12 for $25 Worth of Contemporary Irish Pub Fare and Drinks. Expires Thursday, September 22, 2011. (Rated 58%) 

    ROCKY’S SAUSAGE HAUS – $35 For $70 Worth Of Wild Game Processing Services. Expires Thursday, September 22, 2011. (No rating) 

    KOTO SUSHI LOUNGE – $25 for $50 Worth of Japanese Cuisine, Sushi, Sashimi, Tempura, Drinks and More. Expires Thursday, September 22, 2011. (Rated 85%) 

    GIUSEPPE’S ITALIAN MARKET – $24 For $50 Worth Of Delicious Authentic Italian Cuisine And Drinks. Expires Friday, September 23, 2011. (Rated 70%) 

    FUJI YAMA JAPANESE RESTAURANT – $25 for $50 Worth of Sushi, Japanese Cuisine and Drinks. Expires Saturday, September 24, 2011. (Rated 63%) 

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