Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookie Cake

"Temptingly moist vanilla cake is surrounded by chocolate buttercream icing and topped with real Milano cookie crumbles."

The ride home jostled the cake a bit. 

Today I bought a Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookie Cake from the Pepperidge Farm Thrift Store in Jacksonville. I've been interested in taste testing Pepperidge Farm's Milano cookie cake since August.There is also a chocolate chunk cookie cake available; I might buy that next time. 

The Milano cake was vanilla with chocolate buttercream icing. I enjoyed the moist and fluffy cake. The icing was thick, rich and broke off into chunks of fudge when I cut the cake. I think the buttercream was more solid and candy-like than other Pepperidge Farm frostings I've had in the past. However, I was disappointed by the Milano cookie chunks. There weren't many cookie pieces on top of the cake. The Milanos were too soft and crumbly to taste, unless I scraped a piece off. 

Would I buy this cake again ? You bet. The cookies didn't add to or take away from the cake; but other than that, it was a fabulous cake sure to satisfy one's chocolate cake cravings.

Monroe's Smokehouse, Jacksonville, FL: Review 3

Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
4838 Highway Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32254
904-389-5551,
Fax: 904-384-3323

Today I ate lunch at Monroe's Smokehouse, as a follow up to my January and June reviews.

Homemade Potato Salad
The potato salad is different from what was served in January. It is chunks of potato with a sort of salad dressing coating & celery seeds. The consensus at the table was "That's not really potato salad. And it isn't very good."

Collard Greens
The greens are no longer served soupy and greasy. I was given a beautiful, tasty order this time. However, the greens were gritty. The grit / dirt had probably not been properly washed before cooking. Monroe's did replace my greens with the black eyed peas, though, which I appreciated.

Savory Black-eyed Peas
The black eyed peas at Monroe's were decent enough on previous visits. But now they are excellent. The peas are served thick and well seasoned, with pieces of bacon mixed in. Absolute heaven X D

Bbq Bacon Cheeseburger
The bbq burger was perfect. The bun was warm and toasted. The meat patty was huge and cooked to perfection, with crisp bacon, fresh lettuce, tomato, onion slices and a drizzling of bbq sauce. I could only eat half of the man-sized burger. Definitely worth ordering again!

Memphis Deluxe Pulled Pork Sandwich
No complaints about this sandwich. Monroe's is still making the Memphis Deluxe as great as before.

Monroe's Smokehouse, Jacksonville, FL, Review II

Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
4838 Highway Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32254
904-389-5551,
Fax: 904-384-3323

A few months ago, I posted a review of Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. I was fairly pleased with their food. And I've since been back many times for weekend lunches. However, my meal at Monroe's today was not up to par with their usual standards. Here's how lunch went:

- I normally order the pork chop special if Monroe's has them. They're tender, juicy and smokey. Although the pork chops today fit that description, they were also covered in an unpleasant, heavy, Creole-ish spice.
- The collard greens are no longer sweet. I received a cup of greens with orange grease running down the sides. They were swimming in a spicy, greasy brown & orange liquid. Another customer asked the counter girl to find out "what kind of grease does he (the owner) use for the greens ?"
- The red cole slow is no longer being sold. We were told "The owner stopped selling it. Nobody was ordering it. It was just going to waste back there (in the kitchen) when we made it."
- Macaroni was not available. ("We're out of macaroni. There'll be a 45 minute wait before it's done.")
- Lemon slices were not at either of the two drink stations. The containers usually holding lemons were covered with dust & crumbs.
- The banana split pie was a huge disappointment. Normally it is the perfect ending to a meal at Monroe's. This is how I described it before:

"Monroe's has banana pudding on it's online menu. So I was surprised to see banana split pie on the menu board instead. Let me tell you, I am so glad I ordered the pie. It was thick vanilla pudding, banana slices, pineapple, walnuts, a cherry and whipped cream on a graham crust. I'm still riding the high from the yummy sugary goodness. I want this pie for my birthday dinner. Take note, people."

The slice of pie I received was so sad looking. Our group did this when dessert arrived ---> "Whoa 0_0 That's not how the pie normally looks : P" The slice was sitting in a noticeable puddle of water. There was a crust, a thin layer of chocolate attached to the crust (hardshell chocolate ?), a layer of something cheesecake colored with a ricotta texture, mushy, gray bananas, teeny pineapple bits, several inches of whipped cream, a pinch of chopped walnut & a cherry on top. Very unappetizing. All of us took one bite, made a face & put the forks down. That's the first time the AMW family has left a piece of Monroe's pie unfinished.

I was wondering what would cause such a drastic change at Monroe's. Then someone overheard the cashier commenting "Oh, this is just a sideline for us. Our main focus is catering." Hmmm. I'll try to go back soon, to see if today was a fluke or a sign of a downslide.

Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, Jacksonville, FL

Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
4838 Highway Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32254
904-389-5551,
Fax: 904-384-3323

I had lunch at Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que this afternoon. I decided this after reading a review of the restaurant at Tripp Eats Lunch .

Decor

I loved it all. The framed records, cowboy items and the Andy Griffith Show poster made me go "Who got in my head and stole my decorating ideas ?" What, I like that stuff. Don't laugh.

Carolina Pork Platter
Pulled pork with Monroe's Carolina style vinegar sauce

I really liked this sandwich. The meat was had the perfect amount of vinegar.

Beef Brisket
Monroe's signature slow smoked beef brisket, dry rubbed and smoked for 12 hours

This meal included four big slices of brisket and Texas toast. It was fall off the bone tender. Everyone at our table loved it.

Memphis Deluxe

The Memphis Deluxe is a pulled pork sandwich topped with creamy coleslaw. It had a good helping of meat inside. Thumbs up for this sandwich, too.

Sauces

Mustard = Nice and sweet
Monroe's Mustard = Sweet, with a vinegar kick
Spicy Mustard = Tasted like taco seasoning mix + mustard sauce. Yuck.
Monroe's BBQ = Very good. Not too sweet or too smokey.
Sweet BBQ = So-so. Reminded me of sweet and sour sauce mixed with bbq sauce.

Homemade Potato Salad

The potato salad was creamy, but not terribly good. The loads of celery bits did not help the flavor. It was just meh.

French Fries

The fries were thick and sprinkled with Cajun fry seasoning. They were really great dipped in the mustard sauce.

Simmered Southern Style Green Beans

Normally you couldn't pay me to eat green beans. The smell alone makes me gag. But these were well seasoned and delicious! I'll definitely order these on my next trip to Monroe's.

Red Cole Slaw

Too much vinegar, not enough flavor otherwise.

Banana Split Pie

Monroe's has banana pudding on it's online menu. So I was surprised to see banana split pie on the menu board instead. Let me tell you, I am so glad I ordered the pie. It was thick vanilla pudding, banana slices, pineapple, walnuts, a cherry and whipped cream on a graham crust. I'm still riding the high from the yummy sugary goodness. I want this pie for my birthday dinner. Take note, people.

I will definitely go back to Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. I was very pleased with the prices, the friendly staff and the quality of the food.

Kristin's On The River, Jacksonville, Florida

Kristin's On The River
2511 Blanding Blvd [Blanding and Lake Shore Blvd]
Jacksonville, Florida
(904)425-6003

Open Tuesday through Sunday

I first heard about Kristin's in a local coupon magazine a few months ago. I clipped out the ad and left it in my purse. I forgot about it until last weekend, when the AMW family became bored with the usual restaurant choices. So off to Kristin's we went.

The first thing we noticed was a sort of hole at the front entrance. There was a big chunk of rock missing in that area. We each sidestepped that to get inside.

Upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly hostess. She seated us indoors, which proved problematic due to the thick smell of plastic and fresh paint. Also, the interior boasted garishly bright colors. Both proved too much for the three of us and we moved to the outdoor seating. The outdoor tables were much better, with cooling fans, high tables and a good view of Cedar River. But then we noticed the windows behind our table us had big cracks, which seemed unsafe.

One of us ordered the 2 Jamaican Jerk pork chops from the Hearty Portions selections. Two of us ordered the 2 crab cakes from the Light Portions side. Each entree came with a salad, vegetable of the day and mashed potatoes or rice pilaf.

One person found the pork chops to be thick, juicy and delicious. The other two thought they were too tough and that the seasoning was too sausagey. Also, the chops lacked any spicy heat.

The crab cakes got a thumbs up from all three. Two for each person was more than enough, even for hearty eaters. The crab cakes were neatly cut in high, thick circles and lightly breaded.

One person had the vegetable of the day, which was steamed broccoli. The other two asked the waitress if anything else was available. She offered fried eggplant and we took that option. The thing about eggplant is that most people make it mushy, thick and unpalatable. What was brought to our table was pure heaven, though. Each plate received three large disks, lightly breaded, thinly sliced and golden brown. So good ! The person who ordered broccoli was made fun of ; )

One person had rice pilaf. The other two had the mashed potatoes. Those were really good mashed potatoes, in fact. There were thick and creamy. Yum !

As for dessert ? Well, Kristin's dessert menu was not that large. It listed cheesecake, carrot cake, something with chocolate mousse and maybe 2 other items. When asked about dessert, our waitress replied "We're out of everything today, except butter pecan cheesecake. And brownies. Maybe brownies. I'd have to check and see if we have any left." We respectfully suggest Kristin's amp up their dessert menu. Those really good entrees were just begging to be paired up with super yummy desserts.


Hopefully Kristin's will fix their walkway, windows and dessert menu soon. We would definitely like to eat at this restaurant again.

Maggiano's Little Italy, Jacksonville, Florida

Maggiano's Little Italy
10367 Midtown Parkway
St. Johns Town Center
Jacksonville, FL, 32246
(904)642-8339

I heard about Maggiano's via a trade show coupon book. I decided to sign up for their email list, but never got around to visiting. I finally took my parents and my sisters to Maggiano's on Mother's Day this month.

The menu was rather expensive, so we quickly decided on the family style meal. It came with a choice of 2 appetizers, 2 salads, 2 pastas, 2 entrees and 2 desserts. [Your table can get seconds or thirds [no charge] when you run out of whichever dish you've chosen.] It was $25 per person. With tax, tip and drinks, the bill was $157 for five of us. So yeah, it cost a lot. And I won't be eating there every week. But it was definitely worth the price. I've listed our menu choices below and my opinion of them:

Calamari Fritte
Crispy calamari coated in egg whites and seasoned flour, deep fried and served with our marinara sauce.

4 of us found the calamari too chewy. One sister, who absolutely loves calamari, swears it was cooked perfectly.

Stuffed Mushrooms
Jumbo mushroom caps stuffed with spinach and topped with our seasoned breadcrumbs and house cheese; served in a white wine chicken broth.

This appetizer came with 8 large mushrooms and 1/2 a lemon. These were magnificent ! Someone lost a finger reaching for the last one :D We ordered seconds.

Caesar Salad
A traditional Caesar salad of romaine lettuce tossed with Caesar dressing, croutons and shaved Parmesan cheese.

It was very good. The salad had slices of Parmesan instead of the usual grated variety [a huge improvement, in my book]The Caesar dressing had a very pleasant, creamy flavor.

Spinach Salad
Tender leaf spinach tossed with roasted red peppers, sweet roasted onions, Gorgonzola cheese, apple cider vinaigrette and topped with smoked bacon and toasted pine nuts.

We ordered three helpings of the spinach salad. It was just off the charts amazing. The Gorgonzola and apple cider vinaigrette were an excellent pairing.

Four Cheese Ravioli
Ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella, and provolone filling sprinkled with house cheese, then browned in the oven and served in pesto-Alfredo cream sauce with a touch of marinara.

The ravioli was well received. The sauce was thick, creamy and rich.

Mom's Lasagna
Whipped ricotta cheese layered with pasta sheets, crumbled meatballs, Italian sausage and marinara sauce. Topped with provolone cheese and your choice of our meat or marinara sauce

The one disappointment was this lasagna. None of us noticed sausage on the menu listing; otherwise we wouldn't have ordered this. To be blunt, it tasted cheap and gross.

Chicken Parmesan
Lightly breaded chicken breasts fried and topped with provolone cheese and marinara sauce. Served with Parmesan chips.

This was the best chicken Parmesan any of us had ever tasted. This was not the nasty kind made of chicken parm made from spaghetti noodles and a cheap, breaded, frozen patty.

Chicken Marsala
Chicken breasts sauteed with Marsala wine, veal sauce, mushrooms, onions and basil.

The wine sauce and mushrooms were heaven X D We ordered seconds on this, too.

Tiramisu
Ladyfinger cookies soaked in espresso and coffee liqueur layered with mascarpone cheese;dusted with cocoa powder and served with chocolate

The tiramisu merited a second and then third order. Yum!

N.Y. Style Cheesecake, Seasonal Fruit
New York style ricotta cheesecake topped with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Normally I won't order cheesecake in a restaurant. It usually doesn't taste as good as my homemade version. But this ? Totally worth a second order.

Mimi's Cafe, Jacksonville, Florida

MIMI'S CAFE
10209 RIVER COAST DRIVE
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246
(904) 620-0660
Located in New St. Johns Town Center in front of Dillards

I recently tried Mimi's Cafe, a restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida. It's in the St. Johns Town Center, for all of my Clay County / Duval County people ; ) Mimi's is a chain restaurant, with locations in several states.

The wait was not terribly long. We were given a pager, but it only took 10 minutes to for my parents and I to be seated.

The drinks were terrible. My mom asked for a glass of tea to be halfway filled with sweetened tea, then topped off with unsweetened tea. It tasted like the someone had added the sugar after the tea cooled [the sugar should be added and stirred while
the tea is still hot]. She then asked for a lemonade as a replacement. That drink was not any better. All of three of us agreed it was similar to drinking bottled lemon juice diluted with water. My dad had no complaints about his unsweetened
tea.

The bread basket our waitress brought was fabulous. There was one long baguette; it was crispy and warm. There were also three slices of brown bread with nuts and just the right amount of sweetness. I really liked the sweet cream butter
served with the bread.

I ordered the How 'Bout a Quiche - Lorraine, which came with a green salad, fruit, and choice of muffin [blueberry, pumpkin, buttermilk spice, etc]. What struck me as odd was that waitress brought my pumpkin muffin, a pat of butter, and a small gravy boat way before my parents' meals and the rest of my meal were done. I initially thought the gravy boat had cream in it for my muffin. It turned out to be the dressing for my salad.

My salad consisted of iceberg lettuce and one slice each of fresh pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe and orange. A smaller portion of Romaine lettuce or mixed greens would have been a better accompaniment to fresh fruit and quiche. The blue cheese dressing was rather salty, for some odd reason.

The quiche was perfect. The crust was flaky but not too thick. The egg-to-cheese ratio was just right, too.

My dad ordered the pot roast sandwich on a sourdough baguette and the zero grams trans-fat french fries. I didn't taste any of his meal, but he said the meat was nice and moist.

My mom ordered the fries and the French Quarter hamburger with avocado, bacon, Swiss cheese and 1000 island dressing on grilled garlic sourdough. I tasted some of her sandwich. Absolutely delicious ! The bread was buttery but not overly garlicky. The hamburger was very juicy.

Would I go back ? Probably. Mimi's Cafe is kind of pricey, but the food is really good.