Bolognese & Charcuterie Board🥄🥄🥄🥄 Welcome to Italy. . . or should I say Chicago? Or better yet, welcome to Eataly! The epitome of Italian restaurants, bakeries, and supermarkets all in one. Eataly is a chain of large-format Italian marketplaces and restaurants. I recently visited Eataly on a trip to downtown Chicago. I had been there before, but like most restaurants, it had changed a lot due to COVID. They had restricted the many aspects of their restaurant down to one menu and you were unable to walk up to the cheese, deli, and pizza counter due to a shortage of staff. Now I can't hold this detail against the restaurant as it is a worldwide epidemic.
Well, there I ordered the Bolognese as well as a Charcuterie board appetizer to share with my dad. The charcuterie board was perfect to share for two and had an excellent meat and cheese combo. I always joke that my dad and I could be prosciutto connoisseurs because he was the one who introduced me to my liking of the dry-cured ham. The meat and cheese were accompanied by bread slices and a honey dip. Overall it was a perfect amount of food to get us started and was rather delightful. I’ve always remembered ordering lasagna on my past visits to Eataly but this time I decided to change it up and order bolognese. And boy oh boy I was glad I did. The noodles are freshly cooked in-house and were absolutely to die for along with the meat sauce it was a perfect combination. I was stuffed afterward and could not have asked for a better meal. When the time came for dessert I had to pass on it. . I KNOW WHAT, because I was so full from dinner. So maybe in the future if I want to be hungry enough to get dessert I should pass on the appetizer. Anyways, I would highly recommend the charcuterie board and bolognese it was a wonderful meal and I would get it again in the future. Eataly is an amazing experience and one that I would highly encourage if you happen to find yourself around one of their amazing restaurant and marketplaces in the near future. Overall, I would rate them four out of five spoons. They had a lively comforting atmosphere that was clean and well kept. Delicious food and good services.
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Hi! How have you been? This is awkward. To say I'm “rusty” at blogging is an understatement. So I’ve been gone. . . for a really long time. There was a long moment their where I convinced myself that I would never come back to this website and my blog would die once and for all. But here I am, proving my former self wrong. I'm back, and maybe better then ever? Im trying to have a new start and renovating me also means renovating this blog. So without further adieu hello and welcome to the new *and improved* Kylie’s Kitchen Critiques!
Strawberry & Chocolate Chip Waffles🥄🥄🥄🥄Hello friends! I’m sure you’re all well aware of COVID-19 or better known as the Coronavirus. Here in Michigan, we are under a state of emergency and all restaurants are closed except for delivery and takeout. So what better time to upload my reviews on restaurants! I'm currently practicing “social distancing” and am stuck at home with my family and devices. . . so nevertheless, I will blog. Today I’ll be reviewing one of my absolute favorite breakfast/lunch places, The Omelette & Waffle Cafe. Located in both Plymouth and Northville Michigan. The cafe originally started in Plymouth and with its growing popularity opened a second restaurant in Northville. I’ve only been to the Northville location once and it is extensively greater in size than the Plymouth restaurant. At the Plymouth cafe, you walk into small quarters and giant screens of the menu. You order and pay upfront and then get seated into smaller tables towards the back of the building. Although the space is very small I've never had to wait more than five minutes for a table. The staff keeps an open eye to ensure that you get seated as quickly as possible. Although if you are in a generally larger group of people this may not be the best restaurant to dine at. The Omelette & Waffle cafe serves both breakfast and lunch but to be honest I’ve only ever ordered breakfast. I figured if a restaurant has the words “omelette” and “waffle” in their name their breakfast is what's worth getting. My “regular” meal here is waffles with chocolate chips, strawberries, and a side of sausage links. Not to tute my own horn, but my friends always order the same thing as me so I think it’s safe to say that this is a pretty good meal. Their waffles are a whole grain Belgium mix and they have an overall fluffy texture. After all, their slogan is “never-flat always fluffy”. They will put whip cream on your waffles if you ask, although I prefer mine without because I believe the strawberry and chocolate chips already give the waffle a very sweet taste. The sausage on the side can help accompany the sweetness with a sweet/salty mixture. Although any breakfast meat would do. Finally, I always order orange juice because they make it freshly squeezed at the cafe. This restaurant is always a go-to with friends and family and I highly recommend it for brunch. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and gives you a close-knit community vibe. Although, be warned that your clothes will most likely smell like grease afterward because of how small the restaurant is. Overall I would rate the Omelette & Waffle Cafe 4 out of 5 spoons. If you are in the mood for some brunch stop by to pick up food during the quarantine. Remember to support local restaurants so that they can stay in business during these unprecedented times. And as always, wash your hands.
Five Course Meal🥄 🥄 🥄 🥄 🥄Charleston's cuisine is defined as “having a coastal location and soul food influence, with foods as rich in history as they are in flavor.” Recently, I had the opportunity to take on this famous food experience myself by going to one of the most unique and exquisite restaurants in South Carolina. Although it isn't defined as a restaurant, but instead a kitchen, R. Kitchen is located in Charleston, South Carolina. Recently, they also opened a new restaurant in West Ashley Charleston. R. Kitchen is such a popular restaurant you often have to book a reservation over a month in advance. The restaurant offers an intimate atmosphere seating only up to sixteen guests since you are quite literally sitting in the kitchen. Ross Webb is the head chef and owner and creates a welcoming atmosphere as he cooks up your dinner right in front of you. The five-course menu is changed every day to create the most personalized and fresh selection of food. I can't even begin to describe how reassuring it is to watch your farm to table food be prepared right in front of you. Our meal started off with a lobster and goat cheese soup which consisted of a lobster and goat cheese ball in goat cheese and shrimp broth. The sauce had a creamy texture with a rich after taste of goat cheese. I really loved the mix of texture with the broth and lobster ball because the lobster ball had a crunchier texture. The second dish was a burnt lettuce salad with bacon. An Iceberg head cut in half and grilled. Accompanied by a tomato, cheese, and bacon topping with a slice of baguette and a sweet ranch like sauce. The tomatoes gave the dish an acidic aftertaste. I really enjoyed the salad, although it was just a little difficult to cut through the lettuce. Our third dish was a lamb and rice cake. And if you're like me your first thought was probably “lamb?! Not my favorite.” But trust me, this was good! Shredded lamb mixed in with sauteed peppers and beans over a rice cake. And now on to my favorite dish. Our fourth course was a steak and hollandaise sauce. A medium rare steak with sauteed mushrooms and grilled asparagus.Which usually would be a pretty basic and straightforward meal. But it was topped off with hollandaise sauce and then flame grilled on top. No biggie, right? The only way I can truly describe this course is if you imagine a melody of steak, cheese, and mushrooms all exploding in your mouth like the fourth of July. THAT is what it tasted like. Leaving a rich seasoning of mushroom and cheese in your mouth. After these four PHENOMENAL dishes, we finished it off with a sweet dessert. The fifth course was homemade vanilla ice cream inside a homemade waffle cone topped off with fresh honey and chocolate shavings inside a chilled mason jar. Just thinking back to this meal makes my mouth water. If you ever get the chance to go to South Carolina PLEASE go to R. Kitchen. It beholds a once in a lifetime opportunity and forces you to explore your food palate with a welcoming atmosphere as if you're sitting in a friends kitchen while they make you dinner. The meal was very affordable compared to other high-end restaurants. Totaling thirty-five dollars per person for a five-course meal. I HIGHLY recommend R. Kitchen.
Garlic Shoyu Poke🥄 🥄 🥄Aloha Poke, located in Honolulu Hawaii prides itself on “fresh poke and plate lunch”. The restaurant does exactly that. Serving up fresh dishes of raw, cooked, steamed, and grilled selections of fish. Walking into the restaurant, I was surprised by how small the poke shop was. Giving off a sort of “hole in the wall” vibe. For lack of better terms, I was a little unimpressed in the beginning. But walking out I knew I had just experienced some of the best poke in my entire life. With a different menu every day based on the select fresh fish the restaurant received. Aloha Poke did not disappoint. The Ahi was sold at a price point of $17.99 a pound. We ended up on ordering a ¼ pound of ahi each. Spending about $4.50 per serving. I ordered the Garlic Shoyu. Shoyu being the traditional poke sauce consisting of soy sauce and sesame oil. The garlic then spiced this traditional sauce up and added a little kick in the aftertaste. I really enjoyed watching the process of the poke being made. You get to see the workers manually weigh out the ahi tuna steak and then mix together your sauce and fish. I loved the simplicity yet down to earth fresh, and good Poke. It was exactly what I was looking for in Hawaii. I enjoyed it so much that I even went back for a second serving. The restaurant had both outdoor and indoor seating and we ended up on enjoying our poke outside. The warm air and sounds of the Ocean created the perfect setting. A really good and relaxing restaurant to get some authentic Hawaiian Poke.
Kake Udon🥄🥄🥄🥄(please note: these are not my photos, please don't sue me) Wow, it's been a hot second since I've posted on here. And I would genuinely like to say, I'm sorry. Though I don't believe in new year's resolutions, I do believe in goals. And one of my 2019 goals is to show my blog some more love. With that being said, I present to you the first blog post of 2019. Coming to you from the island of Oahu, HI. Marugame Udon Waikiki is an authentic udon noodle restaurant. After undergoing some hardcore stalking, by yours truly. I have come to discover that Marugame Udon is the #1 largest Udon noodle chain restaurant in the world. Now, if you know my blog, you know I traditionally don't do chain restaurants. But I couldn't pass this blog opportunity down. This restaurant breaks multiple records. Spanning across 13 countries, with 801 restaurants in Japan, and over 1,000 restaurants in total. Providing customers with authentic Japanese made to order noodles. Now, when I visited the Marukame Udon location on Waikiki beach it was at the busiest time of the day. Right around 7 pm on a Friday. Needless to say, the restaurant was packed. The line stretched outside. Though as I take it that's a pretty normal occurrence for Marukame Udon. The average wait is about fifteen minutes though it took us about 25-30 minutes because they were so busy. The line though is constantly moving. The main delay for the line movement was the lack of seating inside the restaurant. With small, tight quarters you have to wait for others to finish the food in order to sit and eat. Being able to watch as the chefs handcraft the thick wheat flour noodle is truly a unique experience. You can order different variations of the traditional Udon noodle dish. With multiple different broths, and add-ons such as beef, chicken, or an egg. Once you have the basis of your soup, you can customize it even more. With different tempura such as zucchini, sweet potato, squid, and shrimp. Finally, you can add a side of different concoctions of musubi and Inari. While visiting Marugame Udon I ordered the Kake Udon. which is essentially udon in its simplest form. Kake Udon is a mildly flavored broth called kakejiru consisting of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. Topped with some sliced scallions and bread crumbs. If I were to ever visit a Marugame Udon again I think I would order the Bukkake Udon which essentially is the same concept, just with more of everything creating an enhanced flavor. I got a poached egg as my add-on and also picked up two shrimp tempura. Topping it all off with a tuna mayo musubi. I Really enjoyed my udon noodles but ended up on adding some tempura sauce and extra soy sauce into my broth to enhance the flavor. The selection of Temura was very impressive and even included pumpkin, shishito, and fried fish. The tuna mayo musubi was good but left me mildly unimpressed as the tuna was really nothing special and seems to be from a can. Although the smooth texture did pair well with the sticky rice. I was just hoping for more from such a unique restaurant. Overall the prices seemed very reasonable. Though, as you go through the line and continue to personalize your udon the tab goes up. In total an individual dish seemed to end up costing no more than ten dollars. The atmosphere was very cramped but lively. The restaurant floors seem a little unkempt, but I believe part of that had to do with how busy the restaurant was at the time. In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone that is a fan of Japanese food or has never tried Udon noodles before and wants to experience some pretty authentic udon. I have decided to rate this restaurant four out of five spoons, for such a unique twist on a classic Japanese dish.
-Kylie Jan. 2019
King Louie French Toast |
119 S Front St, Marquette, MI 49855 Full menu can be found here: http://thevierling.com/wp1/ Editor: Jonah H. | 💵 Price:💲💲💲 🤗 Service: Okay 🍽 Food: Great 🌠 Atmosphere: Great 👏 Presentation: Good |
💵 Price:💲💲💲 🤗 Service: Okay 🍽 Food: Great 🌠 Atmosphere: Great 👏 Presentation: Good |
Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness