Posts tagged: Restaurant Reviews

If you were stuck on a desert island what would you eat?
If you are visiting Palm Desert what would you eat??
The choices on an island are slim and in Palm Desert are vast, although far from fantastic.  In Palm Desert (and most of the surrounding area) it is a safe bet you will find lots of food chains, big restaurants, large menus, sizable helpings and mediocre food.  Nutmeg says this may sound terrible and although it is not a crisis, you need to try hard to find the gems – don’t worry this is one challenge she is always up for!
One of these gems is NO DA TE on El Paseo in Palm Desert .  This small sushi restaurant has never disappointed.  The sushi chef and owner Shin is very involved, if he is not making sushi he is in the restaurant making sure the quality is just so.  Ideally, try to sit at the sushi bar to catch…

Recipes & Travel:
Palm Desert, Restaurant Reviews, restaurants, Things to do in Palm Desert

Harvest is tucked way on 9th Street in downtown Canmore.  This place is not flashy in any way.  They have a small sunny patio for the days that allow for sitting outside.  Inside is pretty rustic decor but clean and generally not too crowded.  They have daily specials; usually two soups and a couple hot dishes.  On top of that they have a great selection of yummy baked goods and cookies, including some gluten-free options.  They have a standing list of delicious breakfast items (breakfast parfait, homemade granola, french toast), salads and lunch sandwiches (grilled cheese!).  Pretty much everything is made to order.  The coffee is good and there is little waiting (see Coffee Mine).
So what is the problem?  They make no bones about catering to the local crowd.  They are only open Monday through Friday, starting at 10am (too bad for the early risers).  So if you are only Canmore on your days off (i.e. Saturday and Sunday)…

Recipes & Travel:
Canmore Restaurants, Harvest Cafe, Restaurant Reviews

Just in case it is not already obvious, if there is one thing Nutmeg is very serious about, it is coffee.  If there is one thing that brings out Mace (Nutmeg’s evil twin), it is bad coffee or inefficient coffee service.  The Coffee Mine in Canmore has long been OFF Nutmeg’s list because the service is slow.  After years in the location on 7th Avenue they have very recently moved “up-town” to Main Street.  This is good news for Main Street as it fills in some of the dreadful empty retail space (a whole other blog topic) and possibly good news for The Coffee Mine.
So Nutmeg (and Mace) decide to put the old demons aside and check out the new location on Main Street.  The problem is the first attempt was a failure…they only open at 9am on Saturdays and Sundays – too bad for early risers.  This past Sunday with Ginger in town it was no problem arriving…

Recipes & Travel:
Canmore, Coffee Shops, Restaurant Reviews, restaurants

For those of you who are no longer under thirty years old “First Street Village” is 1st street between 17th Avenue and 12th Avenue SW.  This used to be a dance bar scene in the late 1990s with Mescalero’s and the Crazy Horse which enjoyed regular patronage from Nutmeg and Ginger.  In the past several years a dramatic change has occurred in this area the result is the emerging “First Street Village”.  The transformation of an old Holiday Inn into the contemporary Hotel Arts started a construction frenzy with an expansion of the hotel and two nearby condo developments (Union Square, Colors by Battistella).  The area now boasts some reasonable men’s clothing, boutique women’s clothing, coffee shops, a wine bar and Giuseppe’s Italian Market.  Nutmeg has wanted to try this place for awhile.  This location used to be a night club as well (possibly called the lizard or some equally appealing name).  They have rid the place of the…

Recipes & Travel:
Calgary Restaurants, Restaurant Reviews

If there is one thing that Nutmeg and Ginger love to try it is food.  The truth is you are not going to starve in any of these great cities; the array of options can be overwhelming.  In all three cities Paris, Vienna and Brussels there is no end of options for international cuisine.  Each city offers fresh farmers markets, local produce retailers and many ethnic specialty areas.  In turn, each city has a large inventory of what Nutmeg likes to call the dreaded “overpriced and underwhelming tourist traps”.
With the internet, it is easy enough to search for good to great restaurant options in any city. Zagat is a reliable resource and a bit more established in Europe than Open Table.
The other strategy is “roll of the dice”; this means taking some time to look at the menu (price and limited variety), the décor (lighting levels and table settings) and the number of diners (never try an empty restaurant). …

Recipes & Travel:
Austria, Brussels, European Travel Tips, Restaurant Reviews, Travel to Paris

How can it be Paris eating – buyer beware? Extra charges for bread, expensive bottled water, 15% built-in service charge, “tourist” menus, snooty wait staff…

So armed with that knowledge and a list of Zagat rated restaurants recommended by Saffron, Nutmeg and Ginger venture out.  Her suggestions are all fabulous from the outside! The lesson?  Make a reservation!! Nutmeg and Ginger are zero for three so far (this might be good news for the Visa balance):
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Paris Food, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants in Paris, Travel in France

Phil and Sebastian Coffee Roasters has recently opened a street front outlet in Marda Loop.  Nutmeg is now mobile, after ditching the crutches, so she thought that she would go and soak in the Saturday experience at the new location.  This group is pretty serious about their coffee as evidenced by the line-ups at the Farmer’s Market and new retail location.  The baristas get the orders out pretty quickly and the coffee is hot, so that deserves a check mark in Nutmeg’s books.  The design of the location is bright, clean and there is ample seating.  Marda Loop continues to evolve as a “go-to” retail strip and great inner city neighborhood, so the addition of Phil and Sebastian Coffee Roasters is welcome.
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Calgary Restaurants, Coffee Shops in Calgary, Phil and Sebastian, Restaurant Reviews

Ok so a little island time was long over due as Nutmeg pointed out it has been nine (9) years since we had been to an island and over 25 since her last visit to Bermuda! Bermuda is one of the most cosmopolitan of all the Atlantic/Caribbean islands with the British influence, global bank presence and established wealth it is not hard to imagine a fabulous vacation spot. The food was definitely tourist focused and priced accordingly, although we were not there long enough to find all of them we are certain there are some special spots. An almost hidden gem is Harry’s, located in an office complex by the Hamilton marina. This place has a great patio on a quiet cul de sac at the end of the marina. Great bar menu – must try the salt and pepper shrimp and the tuna carpaccio. They have a great cocktail selection and attentive wait staff. There is no danger…

Recipes & Travel:
Bermuda, Restaurant Reviews

In praise of the small restaurant!
Have you ever been to a “Chinese, American, Italian” restaurant and dreaded the fact you had walked in the door?Have you ever been handed the 11”X17” full color (with pictures), multiple page encyclopedia and wished you had stayed at home for popcorn?
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Calgary Restaurants, Canmore Restaurants, Restaurant Reviews

What is your favorite coffee shop?

 
There are many things that Ginger and Nutmeg do not agree upon, however when it comes to coffee we are aligned. Without a doubt the top Calgary pick is Bumpy’s Cafe. They serve a great coffee; there are no bitter, weak or otherwise sub-par shots. The milk is steamed perfectly and they are magicians with the designs on top. Did we mention the home-baked goods? Fresh muffins daily, great oatmeal with toppings, soups and paninis that give Italian delis some competition. Give it a try they are open 7 days a week.
 
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Canmore, Coffee Shops, Restaurant Reviews