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!