Review - Modern Indian Buffet, Hamilton, Ontario

Bob and I headed out again for our monthly dinner, and we had discussed going to this new indian buffet place, that is located at the old Don Cherry's restaurant on Main Street. He had heard that the food is great, and a good price, so that's where we ended up...the Modern Indian Buffet.

After we ordered a Cheetah, we headed to the buffet, and they had lots of good stuff...butter chicken, chicken tandoori, goat curry, rogan josh, and lots of other indian fare. Everything was excellent, and I wouldn't change a thing. For dessert, I had to try the rice pudding, which is my fave, and it was one of the best I have had in ages. The difference I think was a creamier taste, almost like an evaporated milk. All in all, we ended up with the tab at $45, including tip, so we will be back there again some time.

I couldn't find anything wrong with the food, so everything there is a great choice. They have an a la carte menu, but you will find that the buffet will take care of all your spicy needs...from mild to hot, buffets don't get any better than this!

Review - Market Buffet, Casino Niagara

I got a chance to go down for a free dinner, courtesy of comps, to the old Casino Niagara last night with Dave. We decided to try it, since it has been a few years. We were impressed! The meal was great, with crab legs, associated seafood as starters, and they even had an option to add a steak to your buffet experience for $6.50.

Besides the normal buffet fare, the steak was served hot in an iron skillet. Dave ordered the 10 z strip loin, I had the 12 oz prime rib steak.

For all its worth, the steak was one of the best I have ever had! Tasty and done to perfection...Dave had his well done, which I think is a crime for any steak, but my med rare was perfect. The only thing I would change would be serving it in an iron skillet. Tended to make the steak more well done than I wanted towards the end. It kept the steak hot though!

With the other offerings at the buffet, we came out stuffed and satisfied...I would go for adding the steak to your buffet meal, and get ready to enjoy it. Definitely will be back there again for dinner, and I would even put it above the Fallsview Casino's Grand Buffet. Total bill was $56, but it was free...

Next week, Bob and I are heading out for Indian food, at a new place on Main Street. Stay tuned!

Review - Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls

It's been a few days since Bob and I had our monthly dinner out. We hit the Fallsview Casino Grand Buffet on 23 Oct, to enjoy a night away at the hotel, and a night of Monday Night Football.

The buffet was great, as usual. The price was dropped to $20, including taxes, and we started with some crab legs, shrimp, and some salad. For the next course, you can't beat the roast beef, and you have to have the grilled corn on the cob. Can't beat it. They have quite a few items available for all tastes, and it is a great deal, at $20 per person.

For dessert, we had some rice pudding (not as good as what I can make, see below...), various other sweet treats. Top that off with a coffee, and you have a full tummy, with lots of goodies. After dinner, we headed over to the old casino, to watch the football game, Giants at Dallas. Giants won of course, but I digress!!! With a few martinis, we were doing well for the night. The old casino has a sportsbook, which is just a glorified Pro-Line, but they do have nice TVs. Another home run with the visit for the ball game.

We had planned on stopping off at the deli at the casino, but we were full from dinner. So, that will have to wait for another time.

The room was nice, a parlour suite, which looked out to the Falls...American and the Canadian versions. I had a good sleep, and was off to dream land quickly.

The next morning, Bob and I slept in, and we didn't get a chance to hit the pool. We got up and headed down to the breakfast buffet, and enjoyed a fantastic breakfast, which opens at 8 am. We just made it at 10:30, and enjoyed omelettes, Eggs Benny, and assorted breakfast meats. Not a bad deal for $10!!

All in all, a great dinner and breakfast at the casino. We will head back and do it again soon, as long as the comps keep up!!

Recipe - Creamy Rice Pudding

It's been awhile since I have added a recipe, but I had a craving for rice pudding last night, and decided to try and make it. I had made it before, but it wasn't as creamy as I would have liked, and it was quite the mess last time, since it had to bake in the oven.

This time, I found an easier recipe, and it worked just fine...I got what I wanted!!

Creamy Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

3/4 cup uncooked rice

1 1/2 cups of water

1 1/2 cups of milk (original called for 2 cups, divided, but I replaced 1/2 cup with half & half cream)

1/2 cup of half & half cream (10% MF)

1/3 cup of sugar

1/ teaspoon of salt

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup of raisins (original recipe called for golden, I used regular)

1 tablespoon of butter (I used Becel...)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice, salt (to allow the rice to accept flavours later on) and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until done.

2. In another saucepan, combine the cooked rice above, with milk and sugar. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy. Stir in remaining ingredients - cream, beaten egg, vanilla, and raisins. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in butter.

3. Serve warm, or portion, and put in fridge. Garnish with cinnamon if you like, before serving.

I was impressed with this batch...needless to say, it was good warm or cold. Enjoy!!

Review - Sizzle & La Luna on King St.

With the nice weather this time of year, Bob and I decided to meet up at Hess Village again, to enjoy a cocktail before we went to our choice for our monthly dinner. We decided to check out Sizzle Lounge, which seems to have replaced the old Ivories that used to be there.

We decided to have Grey Goose martinis ($15 each...), and looked at the menu for appetizers. We both ordered the baked oysters, which were delicious. The calamari sounded good, so we split an order of those too. The calamari was fresh, with a light batter, which we enjoyed with a jalapeno mayonnaise. This is a nice place to go, and is very upscale dining. A bit pricey for appetizers, as the bill came in at $100 with tip, but great none the less. We will be heading back there for a main course sometime in the future. Nice to see a classy place in the middle of Hess, which is usually the 18-25 crowd on weekends.

After the visit to Sizzle Lounge, we walked a block and a half down to La Luna on King St. It was recommeded as the better of the 2 La Luna's in Hamilton, although they are run by the same extended family.

We asked them to give us the best they had for Lebanese fare, and started with 2 salads...tabouli and another salad, which seemed to be a regular chef salad with deep fried pita chunks. Both salads were refreshing, with the tabouli being prepared properly...no parsley stems, which is the right way to make it!!

The appetizers were part of the La Luna platter we ordered...you have to forgive me for not knowing the official names of the dishes...I should have grabbed the menu, but I will explain the dishes, and you can figure them out from that.

The appetizers were: baba ghanoush, hummus, fried cauliflower and tomato, falafel, mushrooms, and some sort of deep fried spiced meat, reminiscent of a donair taste, but a little spicier. They were all excellent, with the hummus being especially good. The falafel wasn't dry, and the spiciness of all the appetizers were perfect.

For the main course, we had skewers of chicken and filet mignon, on a bed of rice. The chicken was done to perfection, but the highlight of the meal had to be the beef. The marinade with the taste of the grill, was a perfect match with the vodka martinis we used to wash down this great meal. Whatever the marinade was, we know that if it we ever had a BBQ, we would definitely look for a similar marinade, for our own backyard dinners.

We topped the meal off with some baklava, and coffee, and walked out with a bill of $95, including tip.

All in all, it was a great experience of Meditteranean food, and we will definitely go back again, and perhaps even try the La Luna on the Mountain next time. If you are looking for great food at a great price, try La Luna, you won't be disappointed!

See you here next month!!

Review - The Keg, Hamilton, Ontario

I am a little late getting to this post, but better late than never!! Bob and I had our monthly get together 2 weeks ago. I was on vacation with the kids last week, so I didn't get a chance to get on the computer much with the kids here. So, here goes....

We met up at Hess Village, at the Gown and Gavel, for a few drinks, to sit and get caught up with each other as to what's been happening. Hess Village is a nice place to relax, with numerous bars and patios. We tend to stick to the G&G, but the other bars look ok. While we sat and had a few beers and some appetizers, we decided to head up to the Keg for dinner for this month. Although it wasn't our usual fare of walking into a restaurant and asking for the staff to serve us their specialties, it's a good standby for getting a great meal.

We started off with martinis, which we considered as salads, since there was an olive in them...next time, we will ask for Grey Goose, and really enjoy the martini!

Since we had appetizers at Hess, we went right into the Prime Rib. Bob and I ordered the Keg cut, and we were a little disappointed with the size. Seemed to us that the portions were a little on the light side, from what we had remembered. We checked with the waiter, and he assured us that it was the right cut. Regardless of the size, it was delicious. I don't think there is another restaurant that can give a better Prime Rib meal out there...feel free to let me know if there is a better place, and we will add it to the list for future consideration.

For dessert, we indulged in a Keg special coffee, which was standard. No big surprises with that. A special coffee is a special coffee!

Although the meal wasn't as exciting as we have experienced in the past, it was a good, hearty meal, and that is what we were looking for, for the evening.

If you want a good meal, you can't beat the Keg for prime rib.

The plan is to get together again the third week of September for another night out. We haven't decided what or where, but I am sure Greek food is on the menu, to make up for the disappointing meal we had a couple of months ago. We both have a craving for a good lamb dinner, so we will see what happens.

Until next time, enjoy your next meal out!

Review - Le Chinois, Hamilton

Yes, it was that time again, for our monthly night out for dinner. Bob is really getting into this, since we have been doing our dinners for about 4 years now. This time, we thought we would check out a great Chinese restaurant downtown Hamilton, called Le Chinois. It's an unassuming place on King St., and Bob had never even heard of it. I knew it was there, as it has been a place we frequented over the years for work functions. It was a favourite place of ours to entertain our Japanese guests from work. Bob was game to give it a try, since it was his choice this month.

When we got there, we were surprised that the place was empty. I know it was a Tuesday night, but after we thought about it, the degradation of the downtown core is to blame for the lack of people going out and enjoying a great meal.

We did the usual. We asked the owner to choose our menu for the evening, with no restrictions on what we wanted or could have. We like this format, as it gives the restaurant a chance to showcase their talents, and the "best of" for future consideration.

We started off with a Tsingtao beer, in keeping with tradition to have the beverage of choice for the ethnicity of the meal we are having. Bob wanted to try the Wor Won Ton soup, so we started with that. The soup was excellent! Nice size wontons, stuffed with shrimp in a nice broth, with the fresh veggies. A nice start, with homemade noodles to go with it.

After the soup, we had cheese rangoon, which were a deep fried wonton-like cream cheese. It was excellent, with a side of plum sauce. In addition, we had nice spring rolls, which weren't the usual soggy ones you can get. All fresh, and a nice appetizer.

For the main course, there were 6 dishes they brought out: Le Chinois Special Fried Rice, Kung Pao Chicken, Orange Beef, Deep Fried Shrimp and Cucumber, Tofu and Pea Pods, and Dry Ribs. Each and all the dishes were cooked to perfection. We weren't too crazy about the Tofu, but we aren't the veggie types...we tried it, and we did tell the restaurant to serve us what they wanted. The Orange Beef is their specialty, and it was fabulous!!

There was lots of food for us, and we stuffed ourselves, as we usually do. There was enough leftovers for both of us to take home.

After rounding out the meal with a coffee and a fortune cookie, we were pleasantly surprised with the bill....$125, with taxes and tip...can't beat that for 4 meals!

If you are looking for authentic chinese food, then Le Chinois is the place...it definitely beats the chinese food we are accustomed to ordering as take out. This place is top notch.

Next month, the plan is to head to the Danforth in Toronto for a Greek feast...to make up for our disappointment at Sotiris. Stay tuned!

Review - Sotiris Greek Restaurant, Burlington

Once again, it was time for the monthly night out for dinner with Bob. This time, it was my choice, and we had discussed that we should try a Greek restaurant. Our dinners had been good, when we walked into an ethnic place, and said to them to take care of us, so we figured that a Greek restaurant would be able to do it right. Bob had heard that Sotiris in Burlington was the place to go, west of the Danforth in Toronto.

When we got there, our waiter was a teenager, and we were a bit hesitant that he would be able to take care of what we were looking for. We mentioned that we wanted an authentic Greek meal, no limits on what to have, since neither of us have any dislikes. We started off with a Greek beer, and mulled over the menu. The one thing that we asked for that we wanted to try, was the "Opa!" cheese, which is a flamed cheese. Again, as in other visits to other restaurants, we weren't in a rush, and we were ready to try whatever Greece had to offer!

The cheese was good, slightly melted from the flaming, which went well with the bread. After that, we indulged in a Greek salad, which was tasty, to say the least. Greek salads are our favourites, and this was no exception.

The main course was a disaster! What the waiter had done, was order us BBQ ribs and chicken. We figured OK, maybe this is part of it. It wasn't the best ribs in town, but we figured this was just a snack of things to come. Fried potatoes and rice rounded out the BBQ platter.

After a couple more beers, we were disappointed when the waiter came back and asked us if we wanted dessert...we just looked at each other, and said not really. We asked him where the souvlaki was, where was the dolomadakia, and some tasty lamb? What was his answer? He didn't think we would like real Greek food.

This didn't sit well with us, so the owner came over and we explained our predicament. She said she has had problems with this waiter in the past, and apologized profusely for the screw up. She treated us to some baklava, which was homemade and delicious, along with a Greek coffee.

This was not one of our best nights out, and the waiter's tip reflected our disappointment. We were full when we left, but we could have had the same thing at a roadhouse.

Here is a tip for all wait staff out there - if your customers come in and say anything goes for a meal, check with the owner or manager, and make sure that you can offer the restaurants best plates to discerning customers. If you think you know best, then you will definitely have a short lived career in that restaurant. Customers and word of mouth make or break restaurants. Make sure you are prepared to offer the best you can to all your diners!!

As for Sotiris, we will give it a try again in a few months. The authentic Greek food we DID have, was excellent, and I am sure we will enjoy a traditional Greek feast next time. Mata guarantees it.

Review - Black Forest Inn, Hamilton

Well, it's been awhile since I have written anything...not because I haven't had anything to write about, but I have been busy, and things happen...but, I am back here today, to tell you about a place Bob and I hit on 23 May...The Black Forest Inn.
As I had mentioned in a previous post, we are now just going to a restaurant, and telling them to surprise us with whatever they feel like feeding us, with no holds barred for what we will have, or the price. So far, it's paid dividends!! Meals have been great, and the Black Forest Inn was true to form.

We started with Russian eggs, which were delicious...hard boiled eggs with smoked salmon, caviar, and a light cream sauce. Next, they brought out some of their home-made sausages, which were delicious, along with the fried potatoes, and various greens.

After a nice, light salad, the waitress brought out the soup - Hungarian Goulash, which had the right amount of spices, to just give it enough of a bite. Lots of meat, and we washed it down with a German beer...(can't remember the name, but when I do, I will put it in here).

After a break, we were asked if we were ready for the main course - first, a ribeye done medium, with a sauce of fried onions and gravy...tasty. Could have had the steak a little less welldone, but, nonetheless, it was still good. The next main course, Bob and I split a schnitzel - pork, with a sauce of tartar, hot peppers. Yum! That was the best part of the meal. Done to perfection, and enough of a hotness that went well with the beer...;)

For dessert, their signature dessert is the home-made apple strudel. Excellent, baked to perfection, with a vanilla sauce, and a dollop of whipped cream.

Topping the meal off, we had a coffee, and needless to say, our tummies were full! Definitely still one of the best places to go for a home cooked meal in Hamilton. We weren't rushed, the waitress was pleasant, and we will be back there again soon!

All in all, for $90, we had nothing to complain about, and our compliments to the chef!

For June, we are looking for a great Greek restaurant, and be ready for the review for that one! We expect to get blown away with the next choice...stay tuned!

Review - O Marinheiro Restaurant, Hamilton

Another month has passed, and again, it was time for Bob and I to check out what the local restaurants had to offer. This month was my choice, so I flipped through the entertainment book, to see what would stand out.

On the way home from work, I drive through an area of town, which has a heavy Portuguese population, and I had remembered Bob telling me about a great seafood place on James St. N. We met up at a little patio bar on James, and had a few cold beers, since the weather was great. We decided on O Marinheiro, to check out the seafood.

The place was cozy, and there were a few people there, but not too many. Bob and I also decided, that rather than order off the menu, we asked the owner to give us a meal that would impress, and reminded her that we were hungry. To make the evening authentic, we stuck with Portuguese beer, and the food started to flow.

We started with a soup - a simple chicken noodle soup, but with the fresh portuguese roll, it was tasty. The next course, they brought out some deep fried squid. The egg batter was nice and light, and the squid was good. On to the next course...they have a fish platter, so we had that - 4 types of fish - redfish, sole, a cod type fish, and a fish that tasted like smelt, but a fair size bigger. All pieces of fish were lightly deep fried, served with rice and a salad. The fish was excellent, but it would have been nice if we didn't have to take the bones out. After the fish, we were ready for the next course - shellfish. Almost like a gumbo, the platter was spicy, and contained a lobster, a snowcrab, huge mussels, and lots of shrimp. We dug in, and needless to say, the bite of the spices was a nice change from the usual steamed shellfish we were used to.

After licking our fingers and needing to be hosed off, we inquired about dessert. We asked her to mix it up, and she brought out 3 for us to split and try, mentioning that they were all portuguese desserts.

First, was an egg custard - like a creme caramel. This is one of my favorite desserts, so I enjoyed it. The second dessert was a type of heavy meringue - light for dessert. The last was a like a custard tart. It was sweet, and complimented the espresso/cappucinos we had to end dinner.

To top the dinner off, and for us letting the kitchen do their stuff, the owner brought us a couple of brandys on the house. A nice touch and finish to an ecellent meal!

The damage? &89, excluding tip. Can't beat the O Marinheiro (The Sailor) Restaurant for a home cooked seafood dinner, with a Portuguese flair. We will definitely be going back there again. Considering that our usual tabs approach $200, this was well worth the price.

Recipe - Grant's Chicken Cacciatore

I like chicken. I look for recipes on Allrecipes.com, and usually I don't have all the ingredients needed to make something from the list...I don't know what spices to have on hand...so, I have to improvise. Usually, I grab the temperature that I have to cook something, and lo and behold, *poof*, I end up with a great dinner. Here's what I had tonight;

Grant's Chicken Cacciatore

4 chicken legs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can of mushrooms
1 bottle of tomato sauce (I use PC tomato and basil sauce - cheap, and good)
salt and pepper
some garlic powder
some crushed chilis
some hot chilis

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Brown chicken pieces in olive oil.
3. Lay in casserole dish.
4. Saute mushrooms in pan (use the chicken fat and left over oil in the pan), until they
are browned on the edges.
5. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and crush chili the chicken to your taste.
6. Pour mushrooms over chicken.
7. Pour tomato sauce over chicken and mushrooms.
8. Bake in the oven until finished (about an hour).
9. Serve and enjoy!

Tonight, I had spinach and boiled new taters with it...and of course, a bottle of Peller Estates Baco Noir 2004. Dinner was delicious, easy to make, and I still have most of the bottle left to have this evening while I blog!

Enjoy the recipe!

Recipe - Stir Fry Pork Tenderloin on Rice

There are a few easy recipes that I have for myself, in order to mix things up a bit, for dinners. Here is something I made the other night;

Stir Fry Pork with Chinese Rice

1 pork tenderloin
1 bag of stirfry veggies (these are usually premade at stores, which is good for singles)
1 pkg of Dainty Chinese Fried Rice
1 tblsp soy sauce
1 tblsp oilve oil
1/2 tsp crushed chilis
salt and pepper to taste



1. Cook up the rice, according to the package.
2. Add some olive oil to a pan on medium heat.
3. Add the bag of veggies, and cook halfway.
4. Add pork tenderloin, sliced, to veggies.
5. Cook until done, and add soya sauce, crushed chilis, and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Voila! Serve stirfry on rice bed, and enjoy! Makes enough for 2, if you don't want to look like a pig in front of your date...otherwise, dig in, and definitely head to the couch after for a snooze on a full tummy!

Review - Mark's Chinese Food

Once in a while, I like to order in chinese food. Mark's has a great deal, where you can get a dinner for 5 for $24.95...this is a great deal, and includes chicken fried rice, beef and vegetables, chicken chow mein, sweet and sour pork, chicken balls, and 5 egg rolls. When I order it, it does me for 5 meals, so its definitely worth the price. I can't buy all the stuff I need to make it for that, especially living on my own.

Review - Mexicali Rosa's

It was that time again this last week for Bob and I to head out for dinner, in our monthly get together. This time, he picked Mexicali Rosa's. We started off with the tortilla chips and salsa at the bar, with a couple of big Coronas, to get the evening started. We ordered the Sampler platter appetizer to start, to share with our beers, and it included chicken quesidillas and these deep fried wraps. Not good for the waist line, but tasty none the less.
After the appetizer, Bob suggested the Clyde's Beef Burrito, which was a huge plate when we got it. We just decided to eat at the bar, and washed the meal down with a bucket of Coronitas, 5 for $16. The meal was good, spicy hot, but we were stuffed when it was done. It looked like it had been sitting under a warming light a little too long, but that happens when you go to these kind of places. Anyways, it wasn't bad. The total bill for the night, including tip, was $125. Not bad, considering some of our previous dinners...

Just a followup on the Stoneboats review from January -- the place burned down, which is too bad, because it was a classy place in Bronte to go for dinner. We will miss the place, and more importantly, I can't pick to go there and stick Bob with the $200 tab!!

Recipe - Easy Chicken with Mushrooms

Like I had said in a previous post, I am no fancy chef, by any means. I like to dabble with food, and create easy meals for myself, when I have to work all week. This gives me a chance to make a few meals up for those days when its been hectic at work, and I just want to heat something up for leftovers. Usually, I cook a big meal on Sundays, with the leftovers carrying me through the week. Here is something I whipped up, that was easy and tastes good;

Easy Chicken with Mushrooms

6 chicken pieces (I used chicken breasts - bone in, skin on)
can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup of milk
can of mushroom pieces
some olive oil
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Brown chicken in pan with the olive oil.
2. Place browned chicken in baking dish.
3. Whisk together the soup and milk, and pour over the chicken.
4. Pour drained mushrooms over chicken.
5. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over everything (depends how much cheese you like...)
6. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Bake in oven for about 45-60 mins.
8. Enjoy!

The sauce was a little runny, but it would be good with mashed potates to sop up.

Review - Chubby's Fish & Chips

I few weeks ago, I did a write up about the burgers at Chubby's...and I had mentioned that I was going to have the fish and chips the next time I went. Well, that was last night! My buddy Dave and I have an agreement, that if either of us wins at the track (from feeding the ponies), then dinner is on them...share the wealth, so to speak.

From the last visit, it was my obligation to treat him for dinner -- again, we weren't disappointed. We had the halibut and chips, which, were perfect. They were a little pricey (cost me $28 for both of us - no beer), but well worth it. The fish is deep fried, and wasn't greasy at all. The fries were perfect, the way that all fries should be cooked! Only thing I would have liked, is if the fish was a little hotter. The lineups at this place are unreal for a Friday night around dinner time. Might be worth looking into for a late dinner during the week, when they might not be so busy. Somehow though, I doubt that they even get a rest mid-week, if the food is as good as it is. If you want to have an order of the old style fish and chips, check out Chubby's in Toronto (Islington and Rexdale).

Review - Niagara Fallsview Casino Birthday Dinner 21 Feb 06

Yes, yes, yet another birthday dinner, courtesy of another casino. Niagara Fallsview Casino has regular birthday dinners too, similar to Casino Windsor. Same setup, like you are at a distant relative's wedding. Bob and I made it there for our regular monthly dinner night, instead of hitting a local restaurant.

Good choice! They had a buffet set up in their ballrooom, but this time, the focus was on Italian. They had a good choice of pastas and meats, with the main item being roast beef. The salads were good, but all in all, they could have done a better job at getting people up to eat. Although it was all you can eat, they closed it down after the first run at the tables. Food was tasty, with a really good cannelloni for all to enjoy.

Hard to do a good write up on what Fallsview had to offer, since I had been at Casino Windsor the week before. Fallsview had a cash bar, and you felt rushed during dinner. A little more rigid in the service and trying to herd 1500+ people through the buffet was their downfall.

If I had a choice, I would prefer the Casino Windsor buffet over the Fallsview. Now, just because the birthday dinner buffet wasn't the best it could be, the Grand Buffet at the Fallsview is excellent. So, if you want a freebie, be sure to head down to Fallsview if you get invited. Otherwise, take the time to stand in line at the Grand Buffet at the Falls...its one of Bob's favourites!

I recently purchased a digital camera, so postings from now on will most likely have pictures of where and what we have, in addition to anything I have made at home. Stay tuned, things are just getting started with this blog!

Review - Casino Windsor "Puttin on the Ritz" Birthday Dinner

It's been a while since I have posted anything here! There have been a few dinners out that I will be reviewing and letting you know how they went.

Casino Windsor had a birthday party for Prestige Club members on 15th Feb, which I understand, they hold a few times a year (maybe quarterly). If you have any doubts about what they offer for a night like this, don't worry!! The ballroom was set up like a big wedding, and had to have round tables of 10, totalling 1000+ people. What was great about the night, was that it was free (well, cost some money in the casino, if you know what I mean...), including an open bar with beer and wine.

Dinner consisted of buffet-style pork loin, chicken breast (tender and good!), roast potatoes, green beans, and various salads. The potatoe salad was fantastic, along with all the other accessories you would expect from a buffet. An excellent meal, for free, washed down with some house red, a piece of birthday cake, and I couldn't move afterwards. What can I say? It was a great spread, and a great night out. There was a band for dinner, some mingling, and it reminded me of a great wedding meal. Not too often you get those.

So, all in all, a great evening. If you have doubts of what they provide in the way of a dinner, you won't be disappointed. Go, and enjoy what the casino has to offer!

Recipe - Impressive Appetizer - Smoked Salmon

Ever wanted to whip up an easy plate of snacks to impress? Try below;

Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese

small package of smoked salmon
1 block of cream cheese
box of Grissol Melba Rounds
1 jar of capers

1. Cut and fold smoked salmon into pieces that will cover the cracker.
2. Spread cream cheese on crackers on serving plate.
3. Add smoked salmon folds.
4. Top with 2-3 capers on each.
5. Serve and enjoy!

An easy plate to put together for when company comes over...especially the ladies...;)

Recipe - Great Tasting Chili!

I know this post is a little out of date, but my buddy came over for Superbowl, and I cooked up a batch of chili, which is one of my faves, for when the guys come over for sports or for poker. It's quick and easy, and tastes great!

Great Tasting Chili

1 onion
1 green pepper
a few mushrooms
2 pounds of lean ground beef
2 medium cans of diced tomatoes
2 reg cans of kidney beans
2 pkgs of chili spices

1. Cut up the onion and green pepper, and saute with olive oil in a fry pan. Halfway cooked, add sliced mushrooms. While the veggies are cooking, brown the ground beef in a 4 qt pot.
2. When the ground beef is cooked, add the packages of chili spices to the beef, and stir in.
3. Once the beef is coated, add the sauteed veggies to the pot.
4. Open the cans of tomatoes and add...stirring in.
5. Open the beans and drain first, and rinse under the tap. Add the beans to the pot.
6. Turn heat on low, and allow to simmer for a bit (the longer it simmers, the better it tastes!).
7. Add crushed chilis, depending on your taste.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Its an easy recipe, and I have had rave reviews about it. Great for living by yourself, and freeze batches for the cold days ahead.

Review - Chubby's Fish & Chips

Been a few days since I had an entry here, so here it goes. My buddy Dave and I headed to Toronto for our usual Friday night excursion to the ponies at Woodbine. But, before we hit the track, he took me out for a bite to eat for my birthday next week! Well, what a place he picked. Chubby's Fish & Chips was a great place to get a burger (the fish looks great, and we will be trying it next time). We both had the banquet burger and fries, which was loaded with back bacon, and I could hardly get my mouth around it. I would rank this burger between the old Lick's Homeburger (from a few years ago before they went to preformed patties) and the new Lick's Homeburger. For those of you that don't know me, Lick's is my favourite burger place. Anyways, Chubby's has me hooked, with the burgers, and real fresh cut fries. The old fashioned kind that Swiss Chalet and Harvey's used to make! If you are in the Islington/Rexdale area, check out Chubby's, you won't be disappointed.

Review - South Seas Restaurant - Part 3

Glenn and I haven't been out in a while, so we were due for a lunch. Again, we headed to South Sea Chinese for yet another great meal. This time, I had the lemon chicken. Tasty as always, and no worries about the bean sprouts there!
It comes with a generous portion of fried rice, and an egg roll. Not bad for $4.79. Also, feel free to click on the blog entry title, because they have recently gotten a website, so you get to see what they have. The picture above is of the lemon chicken...no pics available on the lunch plate, but it looks just as good as this does.
As far as I am concerned, its the best chinese food in Hamilton. Check out the Kitchen Soup...its worth the $6.50!

Review - Eat-a-Pita, Hamilton

One of my favourite places to eat during the week, is Eat-A-Pita, on King Street in Hamilton. For $1.99, you get a delicious falafel. I usually pick up 2 for dinner on the way home from work. Make sure you ask for it loaded, and don't forget the hot sauce!
They also have shawarmas, a deal at $7.99 for 2. Keep in mind that these are the Sun-Thurs prices, and they go up for the weekend.

Review - Stoneboat's in Bronte, Ontario

It was that time again, when Bob and I get together to have our monthly dinner out (my turn to pay). This time, he picked Stoneboats in Bronte, down by Lake Ontario, between Burlington and Mississauga. He chose that place, because I have an Entertainment card, which means we get 2 for 1 entrees. If you are looking to treat yourself to a night out at a nice restaurant once in awhile, then the card is worth getting. We met up at the restaurant on Wednesday last week.

Well, he made a great choice. We were a bit early for dinner, arriving at 4:30, so we headed into the bar and had a beer, and caught up with the news with each other. After the beer, we went into the dining room, and had a seat, and a few minutes later, Janice brought us an order of bruschetta for us to have while we were contemplating the menu.

I started with the Mussels Martini, which consisted of mussels in a creamy vodka and olive reduction, which was delicious. Bob had his old standy, Oysters Rockefeller, which he says was the best he has had (and he is an expert at oysters). With fresh bread for dipping, it was fantastic. After the appetizers, we ordered our entrees...Bob decided to have the Cashew Crusted Halibut, and I had the Grilled Mahi Mahi...we ordered a bottle of Black Opal Shiraz (neither of us stick to the convention of white wine with fish).

The entrees were great...fish was done to perfection on both counts, vegetables were done right and not soggy.

For dessert, we indulged in pecan pie (Bob said it was really good), and I had the carrot cake, which was moist and tasty. With dessert, we enjoyed a good fresh cup of coffee.

On the whole, can't find any fault in the food, service, or the atmosphere. At $195 (excluding tip and discount, but including the 2 bottles of wine), it was well worth the price for the meal. This will be another regular stop to our monthly dining adventure. If you really want to enjoy fresh seafood, then Stoneboats won't disappoint you.

Recipe - Chocolate Icing for Brownies

Having the kids coming over every other weekend, I try to mix things up for them. Not being the greatest baker, I usually get one of the brownie mixes at the store...working all week, I don't have the time to do too much from scratch for the kids. Here is something simple to turn the packaged brownies into something the kids will really like!

Brownie Icing

3 tablespoons margarine

1 1/3 cup of icing sugar

1/4 cup of cocoa

A few drops of milk

1. Blend icing sugar with the margarine (by hand works)

2. Add the cocoa and blend it in, and add a few drops of milk

3. Done! If its too thin, add some icing sugar, and if its too thick, add some more milk. You can add a few drops of vanilla extract if you want, but I didn't think it needed it.

I put the icing on the brownies that I had leftover from last time the kids were here. So, they will get to enjoy them again when they get here today. Something simple, but for sure will make you look good in the kids' eyes!

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Review - South Seas Restaurant - Part 2

As promised in a previous post, I had a chance to hit the Chinese restaurant again with my buddy Dave for lunch on Friday. The place was packed, with our table close to the door. Good thing it was warm out, with the door opening and closing all lunch time. Rather than have the combo #5, today I had the Special Soup - tons of noodles, wontons, pork, chicken, and shrimp. A complete meal, for a soup. With a side of fried noodles, it has to be the best soup around, at a price of $6.00. Dave had the lemon chicken special, which was a breast of deep fried lemon chicken, fried rice, and an egg roll...a deal at $4.25. Its a regular eating spot for everyone from work. Next time I am there, I'll have the Beef Shanghai, and let you know how it was.

Review - McCain International Pizza

I am not usually a fan of frozen pizza, but I have to admit, this is the third time I have had the McCain International pizza. Tonight was the Canadian, and I have had all the other ones, except the Greek pizza.

If you want a great tasting, thin crust pizza, then this is the only one that is worth buying!

Tastes great, and more than a meal for one!

Recipe - Want to Make Good Wings?

Here is a recipe I came across, because I was tired of the usual baked wings. Since I don't have a deep fryer, this is an excellent alternative!
(courtesy of allrecipes.com)





Japanese Chicken Wings

1 pkg of wings (about a pound or 2)
1 egg, beaten lightly
1 cup of flour for coating
1 cup of butter (I used margarine, and it worked fine!)

Sauce:
3 tablespoons of soy sauce (I used the light)
3 tablespoons of water
1 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Dip wings in egg, and coat with flour
3. Heat butter in deep pan or skillet, medium high heat, and fry wings until brown
4. Make sauce
5. Place wings on a cookie sheet with a lip (to hold sauce)
6. Baste wings with sauce, and put in the oven
7. Baste every 15 mins with sauce until done (mine took about 45 mins)
8. Enjoy!

Not bad for an alternative to wings I usually make for the kids. Try it out for the big game! Easy to make and taste great.

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Review - South Seas Restaurant - Hamilton

If you like Chinese, then South Seas is the place to have it in Hamilton. My brother and I headed there for lunch today, and among the specials they have, today was a Combo #5, which is 4 chicken balls, a breast of lemon chicken, and 4 strips of General chicken, with a healthy portion of fried rice. A great meal deal at $8.75, and enough to fill you up so that you don't need dinner. Other tasty dishes are also on the menu, namely their kitchen soup. Next time I am there, I will post about it.

Review - The Express Restaurant - Stoney Creek

I had the chance to go for lunch at a new place that has opened up on Gray's Road, north of Barton St. in Stoney Creek. Not a bad place, that looked like it could double for a night club. We had a lunch get together for after Christmas, and I had pre-ordered the Montreal smoked meat sandwich with a Ceasar salad. It wasn't bad, the meat was a little tough. If it was sliced a little thinner, it would have been better. All in all, the meals seem reasonable and look good from what I saw. Lunch was $12.50, including taxes and tip.

Best Sandwich in Town? Duarte's is Up There...

On the way home tonight, I had to indulge in something for dinner. Since I was coming from work, the best plan I had was to hit this place on Barton Street in Hamilton, called Duarte's Supermarket. The owners are European, and they make one of the best sandwiches around. They call it the "Hefty Hoagie", and is various cold meats, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and M&M (mustard and mayo), all on a crusty Italian bun. Cost? Get ready....$2, taxes included. Can't get a better sandwich deal in town, and if there is one, let me know!

Inaugural Post

Welcome everyone!


I decided to create this blog for a number of reasons, but primarily to share my enjoyment for food, wine, and dining. What will make this blog stand out from the others, is that I don't have a huge kitchen, I don't have all the latest and greatest in kitchen gadgetry, and I don't have a lot of money to fully enjoy all what food and drink have to offer.

What I will be doing is trying recipes, creating my own, and generally give you ideas or how to whip up something that would even rival the Iron Chefs! Also, I will give some pointers on shortcuts, substitutes, and anything else I find that would be a benefit to the amateur cook.

So, onward and upward! Let's see what we can come up with, and make it a great journey for all of us in the world of food. Ideas, comments, or suggestions are encouraged!