Monday, October 29, 2012

New York Bagel Cafe

Bocochini and Bacon Eggs Benedict on a Pumpernickel Bagel

"Joe's" Bacon Eggs Benedict on a Cheese Bagel


Espresso with a side of milk, a table full of condiments, and a Mocca


The food was delicious. We all had different Eggs Benedict's on Bagel and everyone enjoyed their choices. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the sauce was a great balance and I had the boccohini and bacon topping which was so rich I didn't need to eat for the rest of the day.

The serving sizes are large, so come hungry. The prices range from $15 to $19 for a plate of Eggs Benedict which is high, if you're not starving I would recommend sharing one, and getting a smaller meal on the side too.

The decor and feeling of the place is cosy and cute, with sweet homey mugs and quirky posters around the place.

It took two attempts to eat here, last weekend we tried going for lunch but it was so busy that the wait would have been over two hours. This week we had a group of 6 people so we tried to get there as early as possible, 10am. Luckily, as a foreigner I had forgotten that most people would have been out last night celebrating Halloween, so New York Bagel Cafe was empty at 10am! Win! We got a great table and they served us quickly.

As we had a group of over 5 they added a 20% gratuity to the bil straight away, despite the menu only saying a 15% gratuity would be added. The staff were friendly but despite it being quite, very slow to take orders, forgot a drink and the meals took a long time to come out. As we were busy chatting away we didn't mind the excuse to stay a little longer.

Food Taste and Quality = 9.5 out of 10
Atmosphere and Service = 8.5 out of 10


New York Bagel Cafe on Urbanspoon

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Red Diamond House

Fried WonTons

Pork Sweet and Sour

Duck Hot Pot



We live near here and have been tempted to try it for months. The outside is not very appealing and the advertisement that it is "Canadian Chinese" just doesn't seem right. We finally gave it a go late one night after a concert, probably because it was the only place open. 

The staff were lovely, despite a small language barrier. We told them we were hungry and they politely hurried along trying to get us fed as quickly as possible. 

The buffet only runs Friday and Saturday nights, so we ordered off the menu. The fried wontons were nice tasting, not too greasy however there was barely any meat in them. 

I had the duck hot pot only because I eat anything that includes duck. Unfortunately it was very fatty with lots of bone and cartilage making it difficult to eat. The bits of meat that I could get too were tasty and not too dry. 

Blair had the sweet and sour pork, which was tasty as you can't really go wrong with deep frying. He orders the same thing at most chinese restaurants and unfortunately he didn't enjoy the meal too much. 

The best way to think of this restaurant is like a food court chinese restaurant, if you know that my suggestion would be to order something simple that they do a lot of. 

Food Quality and Taste = 6 out of 10
Atmosphere and Service = 6 out of 10

Red Diamond House on Urbanspoon

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Burger Barron

Mushroom and Pizza Burgers, with Curly Fries



I think we need to review this one with a "grain of salt". They are an old school burger joint that is not trying to be young and hip. Simple meat cheese and bun is what they offer, with a mushroom or onion serviced for good measure. The ladies serving us and the drive through winder were lovely and very quick. We ordered a single mushroom burger which is their specialty, a single pizza burger, a serve of curly fries, a soda and a chocolate milkshake.

Blair ate his burger in about three bites so promptly got up and ordered another one. Next time he says he will order a double. Which is comforting that there might be a next time. The burger I had was something that I could and probably should have cooked at home myself.

We ate in the place and sat in the simple and older style booth. The best was to describe is a truck stop style decor, I wasn't brave enough to go into the bathroom.

In summary, I would go across the road to the McDonald's next time, but Blair liked the simplicity.

Food Taste and Quality = 4 out of 10
Atmosphere and Service = 5 out of 10

Burger Baron (82 Ave/70 St.) on Urbanspoon

Monday, October 22, 2012

Tasty Tom's on Whyte

Regular Ruben Sandwich



Blue Cheese and Bacon Burger!  




We went hear by accident, it was actually our third choice, sorry Tasty's. We tried "New York Bagel" but it was way too busy, then onto B's Dinner which didn't seem to be offering lunch, so we kept walking and stumbled upon Tasty Tom's. We had gone past it many times but never stopped to try it.

The place was warm and busy, another couple were waiting for a seat, so when the larger table in the corner became available we sat at either end together. It was our waitress' second day on the job and she was lovely. The service is "dinner" style, pretty relaxed and all about speed. 

The "benny special" for $12 was advertised everywhere but they were out of it. The menus is a simple breakfast all day, many interesting burgers and big sandwiches. 

My hubbie tried the blue cheese and bacon burger. What a great mix of ingredients! He enjoyed the burger and particularly the potato fries on the side. 

I had the Ruben as a friend of mine is currently on a hunt for the best Ruben sandwich in Australia, so I felt I had to support the cause. The Ruben was delicious, I paid an extra $2 for the salad on the side, and asked for no dressing, so don't hold that against them in the photo. It was so delicious and filling, the meat was juicy and the I was worried the sandwich was going to be soggy, but it wasn't!  

Food taste and quality = 7 out of 10
Atmosphere and service = 7 out of 10

Tasty Tom's on Urbanspoon

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Oil Lamp Greek





Delicious!! I've spent a lot of time in Greek restaurants in my life and this is a homey, fresh, traditional and delicious place to eat! Would definitely recommend this restaurant. 

The staff were friendly and served us quickly and diligently. We ordered a touch too much food because we wanted to try everything and we weren't disappointed by any of our choices. 

The saganaki was some of the richest and tastiest we have ever had, I would recommend eating it was slices of tomato. I asked for a plate of sliced tomatoes and they happily brought us a pile of them. Another greek restaurant in Edmonton refused to and said I would have to pay for a salad to do so?

The meat was well marinated and cooked perfectly, we often find  pork can be overcooked and dry but were thankful that it was not. 

Yes, I will be back! 

Food taste and quality: 10 out of 10
Atmosphere and service: 9 out of 10



Oil Lamp on Urbanspoon

Friday, October 19, 2012

New Asian Village

New Asian Village Buffet




Very very delicious! We went along to the buffet serving and got our own little room of couches to sit in. The buffet was large and full of choices. All your favorite Indian menu items. I had tandoor chicken, rice, naan bread, butter chicken, potatoes, veggies and lots more. I had two servings and everything was delicious. Some things looked as though they might have been there for a while, and I often question the quality of buffet food. Some things were a bit oily then I would have liked. The desserts were only two choices, a mango custard and a sweet bread ball (obviously I've made those names up sorry!) and they were both great. The service was a bit strange. They didn't explain how things worked properly, and they cleaned the table off and brought the bill before we had a chance to even get to the desserts, then we couldn't find where the desserts were? I would certainly go back here.

Food quality and taste = 8 out of 10
Atmosphere and service = 8 out of 10

New Asian Village (Sask. Dr) on Urbanspoon

Monday, October 1, 2012

Atmosphere - Public House



The Public House - 10766 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, ABT5H

We went here for the Australian Rules Football Grand Final here. They have a bar in the basement which was a great place to watch the game. There's TV's all over the place on all floors with lots of sports on. The wall of books was very cool and the decor in general was great. We got some drinks and they were nice. $9 for a mojito is a bit expensive in Edmonton but probably reasonable for this location in downtown. The waitress was quite slow to take our order and then bring our drinks. There is no dance floor but some women were dancing between tables. There is music on but its not too loud. As we didn't eat I can't judge the food but we will probably go back to try it. 

Atmosphere and service = 8 out of 10

Public House on Urbanspoon