Travel Photo of the Month - August 2016

Throwback to fun days in Orlando. 

Enjoyed catching up with a friend at Joe's Crab Shack. Who could pass up a crab pot?

Huge pot of crab, potatoes, corn.  Could not have asked for more, except more time catching up with my friend.

Travel Photo of the Month - January 2016

Everyone that knows me would know that I have had a fascination with the Deep South ever since I was a little girl.  From the history, the food, the accent, the landscape I just love it.  Perhaps I have read (and watched) Gone with the Wind and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil to many times.  Heck, my favourite movie of all time is Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café.

Whatever the cause of the fascination I know that it will be everlasting.  I was eager to visit Savannah, Georgia back in 2003 during a trip from Miami to Boston on the Greyhound (an adventure in itself!).

This old (refurbished) paddle steamer, the Georgia Queen docked on the Savannah River had me fantasising of times gone by.

Sitting by eating freshly made taffy and a belly full of fried catfish made for a fabulous day on the river.

Miss America's Diner @ Riverwood

Sydney's current craze is American BBQ and burgers and who am I to complain!  I get to indulge in some good ole fashioned American comfort food.

 

 

 

The best thing about this craze is that alot of new places are opening up out of the inner city area and heading to the burbs including Miss America's Diner.  By day this place is The Spot Caffe and on a Friday night it comes alive as an American Diner, complete with flag bunting and quitchy 50's Americana memorabilia.  I am instantly the smitten kitten.

 

 

Our party of 9 were sitting outside at a red and white checked table.  Jumbo playing cards are supplied for some entertainment (for the kids, however adults are welcome to play to!)

 

 

The menu is two pages long and is filled with classic's, burgers, dawg's fries, sundaes, spiders and sodapop.  Miss America's Diner is also BYO.  So adults are drinking wine while the kids opt for shakes.

  

 Brown Cow and Blue Cow shakes.  The flavours come in chocolate (brown), pink (strawberry), yellow (banana), black and white (vanilla).  Ask for a Fat cow and it comes thickshake style. 

 

These shakes are malted with soft serve and cream. I love the addition of lollies, wafers and cream atop of the shakes.

 

I think we ordered most of the menu!

 

I went with the James Dean burger.   Double beef patties separated by cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and sauce.

 

I have to admit the cheese melted between the patties is a revelation!  Juicy and full of burger flavour, this burg was GOOD. Really good!

 

I couldn't eat it all, particularly as we were also nibbling on side dishes (see below) and one of the boys polished it off on top of his dawg. Big appetites are needed!

 

 

A juicy beef patty with double cheese, lettuce

 

 

A couple tried the Love Me Tender and both said it was good.   Chicken breast, bacon, cheddar, lettuce and honey mustard burger.

Someone went with the Chilli Dog. The bun was filled with a pork sausage smothered in chilli beef, onions, peppers, spices and  was piled high with chilli and oozy melted cheesy sauce.

 

 

The tiddly winks (aka the kids) went with either a junior dawg which is a sausage in a bun with sauce or the Hot Diggity Dawg which was topped with bacon and melted cheese (hold the mustard sauce).

 

 

 

 

We could not pass up a selection of sides to share.  We ordered the chilli fries, which in my opinion some of hte best chilli fries I have ever had.  The chilli had a good kick of heat but it also was thick and really tasty.  pairs with the best cheese to come out of America and these were the bomb!

 

Another must try was the Heart Attack Fries and I know why they are called that and equally delicious.  Skinny fries topped with crispy bacon, two types of melted cheese (and I forgot to ask what ones) and shallots.  Let's just say 'skinny fries' is a misnomer!

 

These were pretty delicious and reminiscent of a cabonara sauce flavour.  Although these were very good we all decided that we preferred the chilli fries (saying that I would definitely have these again as a side if I wasn't feeling up to spicy heat).

 

The Buffalo Wings are something I feel in love with while I was living in Canada.  I would always meet up with one of my great friends there for a pub night once a week or so and we would have beer and wings.  Proper Buffalo wings.

 

So I had to try these out tonight.  6 wings fried golden and crispy and dipped in a vinegar based hot sauce and perhaps butter? (that's the traditional way).  Served with celery sticks and blue cheese sauce. 

 

I liked these but I reckon they could be a little more vinegar-y and spicy...but then again spiciness is subjective!

Even though we realised we had to much food we couldn't stop ourselves ordering a serve of the Corny Corn.  Boiled ears with butter and topped with crushed cheese corn chips.

 

Crunchy, cheesy and tasty. I love me some corn and they are the perfectly bite sized.

 

The kids wanted Banana Splits and these were glorified with lollies again!  Sweet heavens.....

 

For those adults wanting dessert they finished off with the warm Apple Pie (and we will ignore all the references to the movie made at the table). This was simply served with a glass of soft serve icecream

 

We had a fun night out and ate some great food.  The memorabilia is awesome and the atmosphere is great. 

 

The only downside thing I noticed and it's no bigger really was service was a little hit and miss, it was busy and the girls were run off their feet and we were left waiting for a few things that were needed at the table.  It happens and we weren't in any rush and mentioned no big deal.

 

Making the trek to Riverwood (okay I'm not to far but others might grumble) is worth the effort on a Friday night and I am looking forward to those chilli fries again.

 

 



Brooklyn Social

Mid week hangout with a friend finds us at Brooklyn Social.  We get there early enough to beat the rush.  I instantly love the vibe and atmosphere here.  It's one of those Dive Bars that just makes you feel  dirty and loose (lol).  Takes me back to America bars and I want to go visit the USA again.

 

We start off with a wine to catch up and relax a little after the pressures of the office.

 

The bar is dimly lit, moody and playing some great tunes. 

 

It's dog night and we order our dogs at the bar and wait.  You can get your typical American bar food here but it's ramped up a notch.  Burgers, Dogs and other dishes that include mac n' cheese balls, fried chicken and onion rings.

 

Gotta have fries with your dogs and we HAVE to have the sweet potato fries with mint and maple aioli, which are crispy on the outer and tender and sweet on the inside.

 

As for the dogs, we go with a pig dob, which includes slow cook pulled pork, red cabbage slaw, special Brooklyn sauce and aioli.  This is a good dog.  The smokiness of the pulled pork goes great with the smoky frankfurts!  The other one is The Hells Kitchen Dog with pickled jalapenos, smoked ancho chilli and tomato sauce.  The say it's straight out of Lucifers backyard, but I don't find it that spicy.

 

Brooklyn Social gets packed on weekends, so go early or get in line later...and be patient.  It's worth the wait!

WDW: Narcoossee's at Grand Floridian

Another signature meal at the Grand Floridian Hotel is at Narcoossee’s. A signature meal is basically Disney Fine Dining and on the dining plan that I had it equates to two table service credits.

I arrive before sunset and gaze out upon the lake. Narcoossee's was a restaurant that I was really looking forward to dining at....even though it is "Floridian" it reminds me more of Maine? Not sure why as I have never been to Maine!

Grand Floridian

I start with a pre-dinner cocktail. Only a Key Lime Martini will do.

It’s dessert in a glass with a tangy zing. I’m liking it.

Key Lime Martini

Most meals start with the bread basket and the bread here is warm and fluffy.

Bread & Butter

For starters I go with something light and summery. Crab Cakes with southern slaw and cajun remoulade.

crab cakes

Crispy and full of sweet crab. There isn’t a lot of filler in these cakes and they are so tasty. The Southern slaw was perfectly creamy (and not swamped in dressing!) and the cajun remoulade was a great dipping sauce for the crab cakes.

For mains I chose the Steamed Whole Maine lobster, baked sherry cheddar orchiette pasta and asparagus.

maine lobster

A full plate of lobster and drawn butter...who can complain. The lobster was cooked perfect and it was tender and sweet. Meat chuncks fell out of the shell. The pasta was al dente very tasty. However I only took a mouthful or two of the pasta as I didn't want to have any problems...it was cheesy and a great accompaniment to the lobster....The asparagus was steamed perfectly...

I just couldn't do any more sweet stuff (I think I had finally hit my sugar ceiling for the trip) but I do love to end a meal (or start a meal too) with a good cheese platter. That I can do!

Artesinal Cheese Platter: Reypvaer VSOP, Purple Haze Goats Cheeseand Fourme D'Ambert

I had already sampled the Reyvaer VSOP and Forrme D'Ambert at California Grill but I was quite partial to the Purple Haze goats cheese.

This was a nice way to end a meal and a perfect end for my last day in Walt Disney World....

WDW: Whispering Canyon

Walt Disney World in Orlando is a huge complex consisting of 4 parks, 2 water parks a Downtown Disney (shopping and dining precinct) and many onsite resorts. All themed and all with there own wonderful dining options.

Over at Wildness Lodge the Whispering Canyon is famous for the rowdy dinners and fun atmosphere. Think cowboys, campfires, smoked barbecue meats and lots of tomfoolery!

I am seated near the back of the restaurant, away from the main hullaballoo but still close enough to enjoy the spirit of the evening and not be the centre of attention.  Really didn't want to be the focus of any tomfoolery as I was a solo diner.

The menu is impressive and absolutely droolworthy if you are a meat lover  but I am really hankering for the ‘all-you-care-to-enjoy’ skillet (now known as build-your-own-family platter). 

First things first – quenching the thirst with a chocolate milkshake – served in a jar – and a bottomless jar at that for $7.29!

Chocolate Milkshake

Creamy and a big chocolate hit– this was good except for the amount of cream on top. I am not a huge fan of cream as it makes me queasy, so I scraped it off.

The Canyon Skillet comes with a mixed greens salad with apple vinaigrette and cornbread with whipped butter. I love me some cornbread lathered with butter and there is something awesome about whipped butter. The salad is tangy and tart and very refreshing. The cornbread is light and moist, although I don’t eat a lot of it..saving room for the meat.

salad with apple vinaigrette

corn bread loaf with whipped butter

The Canyon Skillet consisted of Smoked Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, Oven-roasted Chicken, Beef Brisket, Mashed Potatoes, Cowboy Beans, and Corn on the Cob, Coleslaw, and Fresh-baked Cornbread - for one in my case.  That's a huge serving (and remember you can order more if you wish).

all-you-care-to-enjoy skillet

Deliciousness in skillet form....I don't think I ate many of the beans or coleslaw, but the pork ribs and pulled pork were scrummy delish. The brisket is melt in your mouth tender and zinging with BBQ smokiness and I only had a bite or two of the chicken (which was a little dry) and besides I had the meat sweats on by then and I definitely didn't ask for seconds.

Did I mention the skillet also came with dessert?

Apple-Caramel Pie

Fresh Granny Smith Apples, Sugar Cookie Crust, Streusel Topping, and Caramel Drizzle.

I had to have it take away, as I could not possibly fit another bite in.

As for the tomfoolery – it’s a real hoot. Ask for ketchup if you ever go – or a large drink! (I ain’t goin’ reveal the fun ya’ll)

The whole dinner was fantastic. So finger lickin' good. I would highly recommend Whispering Canyon and I can't wait to go back there! It's so much fun

WDW: 50's Prime Time Cafe

Lately there has been a lot of talk and planning amongst friends who are heading to either Disneyland or Walt Disney World later in the year and I'm getting the Disney blues.  I want to go to my happy place too (really!). So to combat the Disney blues I am still pulling out Disney dining from my past travels. There are a few more memorable meals that I want to share.

So here is a special meal from WDW from 2010. 50’s Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios. A blast from the past – takes you back to your grandma’s kitchen (well not mine, I don’t remember it ever being like that) but definitely from the 50’s and 60’s.  At total time warp!

After a few minutes waiting in the loungeroom - complete with black and white TV set, my "mum" Adrienne met me in the lounge room and took me through to the dining room to my table.  She then introduced me to all my cousins (other diners around me), telling me to set the table, mind my manners and definitely no elbows on the table!

She really does sound like my mum (except with an American accent).


Next thing ‘mum’ sits down next to me for a chat. Asks me how my day was and what I would like for lunch. Remember it’s Disney and a lot of restaruants are themed/in character dining and it’s fabulous. I look over to another section and another ‘mum’ is feeding one of the cousins with the aeroplane because he hadn’t eaten all his green beans.

The old black and white tv’s hanging in the corner are playing reruns of old ‘Leave it to Beaver’ and 'Mr Ed' episodes (amongst other golden oldies) and the frilly curtains flitting in the kitchen windows really make for the scene. It’s the little touches like these that make Disney so magic.

I’m loving this atmosphere.

Like any Disney Foodie I have been planning my dining choices and browsing menus for over 6 months – don’t call me crazy – it’s a necessity (Tip if planning WDW and dining – you need to make your advanced dining reservations (or ADR’s) 6 months in advance) There were many reservations that I missed out on and had to replan for the entire 2 week trip, and I did book 6 month before!). Check out the forums on www.disboards.com for tips and all things WDW.

Anyway, I was very prepared.

First up - gotta have a milkshake. A Peanut Butter and Jelly Milk Shake

PB&J Milk Shake

 

A totally new flavour sensation for me...and definitely to die for! Served in a traditional stainless steel cup. This was the flavour bomb.

 

 

Entree and main I went with onion rings and southern fried chicken, a 'typical' american meal.  I will admit the pot roast was looking good too.

 

Beer Battered Onion Rings for two

 

These were perfect with the horseradish sauce. Hot, crunchy and delectable. I only managed a few, didn't want to waste space for the rest of the meal.

Aunt Liz's Golden Fried Chicken with mashed potato, chicken gravy and southern greens

The chicken was finger licken' good. Hot, crispy, crunchy and with just the right amount of grease dripping from it. Very tasty! The mash was good and creamy and the gravy was delish...I had not tried Southern Greens before and they were OK (not what I was expecting). Tangy and ‘sour’ they are an acquired taste?

 

Yes I had leftovers and thankfully ‘mum’ didn’t make me do the aeroplane. I did take the milkshake with me to go. Portions are big (like most things Disney) so I had no room for dessert – I got the brownie that to go (as I was on a dining plan which included dessert).

Eats outside of Disneyland Parks

There were a few non-park meals too on my recent trip to Disneyland.  In and around the resorts. 

First up.  Breakfasts.

Mimis Cafe

Fuelling up for a day of Disney, I had the Pomme Lyonnaise Benedict - potato galettes topped with hickory-smoked bacon, sauteed spinach, sliced tomatoes, poached eggs and traditional hollandaise. Served with fresh-cut fruit.

Very good. The eggs are poached to soft (but not oozy) and the hollandaise is creamy with a slight tang. Great start to the day.

Millies Country Kitchen

 

Breakfast is an important meal. I love my breakfasts.  Eggs with corned hash, sausage patty and buttermilk biscuit.  Three eggs were a bit to much and I didn't get through it all but it hit the spot.

 

Over at Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar in the Disneyland Hotel, I had an afternoon break from the parks.  Inside it's a tiki hut style bar.  Perched at the end with a bird's eye view of the funky bar, I sipped on a Hippopotomai Tai with both light and dark rum, orange curacao, almond syrup, agave nectar and lime juice.  It was refreshingly delicious!

 

Something to nibble on perhaps - why not Ahi Poke with Sushi-grade Ahi, Avocado, Wasabi Yuzu, Sriracha Aioli and Wonton Chips. This dish is very refreshing. I love the combination of tuna and avocado in this dish.

Ahi Poke

Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar

 

A visit to the USA has to include dinner at Denny's.  This particular night I was cold and extremely tired.  I just wanted comfort food and veggies.  So I ordered the country fried streak with Parmesan mash and grilled zucchini and squash.  It was a very simple meal but hit the spot!  The fried steak was perfect and the sausage gravy smothered on top just made it even better.  Denny's was super crowded though and I did have to wait for about 20 minutes.  Denny's is across from the Entrance to Disneyland so a convenient stop for families leaving the park for a quick dinner so it does get busy around dinner time.

Country fried steak with sausage gravy and mash

 

Thanksgiving I found myself at the other institution that is the USA, IHOP!  The parks were manic busy naturally so after spending a very full and crazy day in the park I needed to get out for a bit.  So a IHOP turkey dinner was in need.  Nothing fancy pants - just tender turkey and gravy, broccoli and mash potato with a red currant sauce. Perfect enough for me.  I will admit that I felt a little lonely on thanksgiving sitting in IHOP (I did refuse to go to Denny's for Thanksgiving - perhaps I've seen to many sad and lonely Christmas movies!)

turkey day dinner

 

 

If you ever find yourself near The Cheesecake Factory, get there for Happy Hour.  I was seated at the bar area and found myself ordering $5 Happy Hour specials.  The bar is a busy spot, people dropping by for a pre-dinner drink, watching a game on the TV, girls enjoying a cocktail or two and generally everyone taking advantage of Happy Hour. The place is buzzing!

JW's pink lemonade - skyy vodka, raspberry liqueur and fresh lemonade

 

 

crab wontons

 

Crispy crab wontons with crabmeat blended with cream cheese, green onions, water chestnuts and sweet chilli sauce.  These were crispy deep fried wontons encased around crab and cream cheese. Very good particularly dipped in the sweet chilli sauce for a zap of chilli. 

 

crab and artichoke dip

 

Warm crab and artichoke dip  with crab, artichokes and cheese with grilled bread.  Creamy and good chunks of crab.

 

Both these dishes were tasty but I think I may have overdosed on crab and cream cheese.....