I had lunch at a restaurant today (we'll call it Restaurant X). I ordered Greek saganaki as an appetizer, because I've been craving it since I was in Norfolk over the Christmas holiday (I didn't get a chance to visit my beloved Orapax for my usual saganaki fix.) What arrived at my table was a culinary catastrophe: the greasiest, saddest lump of low quality cheese I've ever seen. The saganaki looked like someone fished a hunk of cheese from the bottom of a deep fryer. I had two tiny bites and couldn't eat more. It was just a mouthful of oil. Gross. This was nothing like the hot, delicious saganaki I eat at Orapax, which is set aflame table side and extinguished with fresh squeezed lemon.
Restaurant X took the appetizer off my bill, which I appreciated. But I will never order saganaki from them again. I'm going to stick with Orapax when I want freshly prepared saganaki. Substitutions = no dice, buddy.
Showing posts with label Virginia restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virginia restaurant. Show all posts
Friday, February 01, 2013
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Cheesecake Factory, Norfolk, Virginia
The Cheesecake Factory
MacArthur Center
300 Monticello Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757)628-9260
Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake
"Our Original Cheesecake, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Butterfinger. Baked in a Chocolate Crust and topped with even more Reese’s and Butterfinger and finished with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Rosettes"
My sisters and I went after Christmas shopping at MacArthur Mall yesterday. We decided to stop at The Cheesecake Factory for a pre-movie snack. I blame the fact that I hadn't eaten since 9 PM the night before for picking the peanut butter cheesecake. It looked so delicious in the glass case, with rosettes of frosting and a chocolate crust. All I thought was "Ooh, I love peanut butter, cheesecake and chocolate. Let's have 'em all together!"
The first bite I had was raw, gooey peanut butter. Bleh. I don't want plain peanut butter in my cheesecake. Then I tasted Butterfingers, Reese's and something else. I tried one more tiny bite and gave up. There were too many flavors in one piece of cheesecake.
I was annoyed about feeling hungry and having that awful peanut butter taste in my mouth. And that Cheesecake Factory was not serving sandwiches or salads that day. So the three of us tromped around the mall, found every single restaurant stand packed and ended up wolfing down a Mrs. Field's Cookie Sandwich, a pretzel dog and a giant Coke on the lower level.
Thumbs down for Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake.
MacArthur Center
300 Monticello Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757)628-9260
Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake
"Our Original Cheesecake, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Butterfinger. Baked in a Chocolate Crust and topped with even more Reese’s and Butterfinger and finished with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Rosettes"
My sisters and I went after Christmas shopping at MacArthur Mall yesterday. We decided to stop at The Cheesecake Factory for a pre-movie snack. I blame the fact that I hadn't eaten since 9 PM the night before for picking the peanut butter cheesecake. It looked so delicious in the glass case, with rosettes of frosting and a chocolate crust. All I thought was "Ooh, I love peanut butter, cheesecake and chocolate. Let's have 'em all together!"
The first bite I had was raw, gooey peanut butter. Bleh. I don't want plain peanut butter in my cheesecake. Then I tasted Butterfingers, Reese's and something else. I tried one more tiny bite and gave up. There were too many flavors in one piece of cheesecake.
I was annoyed about feeling hungry and having that awful peanut butter taste in my mouth. And that Cheesecake Factory was not serving sandwiches or salads that day. So the three of us tromped around the mall, found every single restaurant stand packed and ended up wolfing down a Mrs. Field's Cookie Sandwich, a pretzel dog and a giant Coke on the lower level.
Thumbs down for Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The Bier Garden, Portsmouth, Virginia
The Bier Garden
438 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia 23704
Phone: 757-393-6022
Fax: 757-393-6021
On a recent afternoon, the AMW family headed to downtown Portsmouth for lunch. A few choices were debated until the Bier Garden's German fare was chosen.
The Bier Garden has a down to earth, welcoming entrance. There are three seating areas: outdoors, a heated area surrounded by a tent and indoor seating. The indoor seating, which is where we ate, had old wooden floors, wooden hutches, brick walls, a shelf of beer steins and various signs (old sayings, beer ads, etc).
The wait for a table was very short. We were offered a seat in the tented area until a table was vacated. Our drinks were brought while we waited. Our meal order was also taken at that time.
Once a table was available, we were moved to the indoor area. Here's what the AMW family thought of the meal:
Crusty white rolls and butter
The rolls were hot, warm and fresh.
Goulash Soup: Hungarian Beef Soup
Two people had this soup. The broth had a nice tomatoey flavor. There was plenty of tender beef in both bowls. However, only one person had vegetables in their soup.
Lentil Soup: Lentils, Carrots, Celery
The lentil soup was served in a glass mug. It was brown, thick and peppery. This soup was perfect on a chilly day.
Potato Soup
This soup was highly recommended to us by various people. However, it was not available that day.
Brotzeit Teller: Appetizer plate of bread, German meats and cheeses
The Brotzeit Teller was very large. It consisted of gelbwurst, bloodwurst,ham, turkey, salami, bologna, 2 spreads, Swiss, cheddar, tomato, onions, lettuce and 4 triangles of marbled bread on a wooden board.
The bread was soft and delicious. I was pleased with the amount of cheese.
The amount of meat was enough for several people. I didn't care for the bloodwurst and gelbwurst. Both had a jellied, overly soft taste. I liked the other meats, though.
I'm not sure what the two spreads were. One was orange, with a tomato flavor. It was delicious on the marbled bread. The second spread had the color and flavor of mushy, uncooked hot dogs. I did not care for it.
Over all, the AMW family was pleased with the Bier Garden. The decor was cozy. The servers were friendly and brought the food in a timely manner. The food itself was hearty and filling. A return trip is definitely in order.
438 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia 23704
Phone: 757-393-6022
Fax: 757-393-6021
On a recent afternoon, the AMW family headed to downtown Portsmouth for lunch. A few choices were debated until the Bier Garden's German fare was chosen.
The Bier Garden has a down to earth, welcoming entrance. There are three seating areas: outdoors, a heated area surrounded by a tent and indoor seating. The indoor seating, which is where we ate, had old wooden floors, wooden hutches, brick walls, a shelf of beer steins and various signs (old sayings, beer ads, etc).
The wait for a table was very short. We were offered a seat in the tented area until a table was vacated. Our drinks were brought while we waited. Our meal order was also taken at that time.
Once a table was available, we were moved to the indoor area. Here's what the AMW family thought of the meal:
Crusty white rolls and butter
The rolls were hot, warm and fresh.
Goulash Soup: Hungarian Beef Soup
Two people had this soup. The broth had a nice tomatoey flavor. There was plenty of tender beef in both bowls. However, only one person had vegetables in their soup.
Lentil Soup: Lentils, Carrots, Celery
The lentil soup was served in a glass mug. It was brown, thick and peppery. This soup was perfect on a chilly day.
Potato Soup
This soup was highly recommended to us by various people. However, it was not available that day.
Brotzeit Teller: Appetizer plate of bread, German meats and cheeses
The Brotzeit Teller was very large. It consisted of gelbwurst, bloodwurst,ham, turkey, salami, bologna, 2 spreads, Swiss, cheddar, tomato, onions, lettuce and 4 triangles of marbled bread on a wooden board.
The bread was soft and delicious. I was pleased with the amount of cheese.
The amount of meat was enough for several people. I didn't care for the bloodwurst and gelbwurst. Both had a jellied, overly soft taste. I liked the other meats, though.
I'm not sure what the two spreads were. One was orange, with a tomato flavor. It was delicious on the marbled bread. The second spread had the color and flavor of mushy, uncooked hot dogs. I did not care for it.
Over all, the AMW family was pleased with the Bier Garden. The decor was cozy. The servers were friendly and brought the food in a timely manner. The food itself was hearty and filling. A return trip is definitely in order.
