S'MAC

When I heard that this place was for Mac and Cheese lovers I was very excited : ) S'MAC is short for Sarita's Macaroni + Cheese. They have a variety of "MACs" that can be served with either regular, multi-grain or gluten free elbow macaroni. Also with or without breadcrumbs. If there isn't anything that is of interest to you, you can build your own.

Sounds like a promising place but it was just okay for me. For one, I didn't think their seating situation was efficient. When all the seats are occupied of course the people that want to come in will have to wait but what happens when there are other people waiting as well? Maybe I'm just use to other places where they call you when a table is ready, but S'MAC wasn't like that. If you see a free table, go get it, even if there are people ahead of you. Don't get me wrong, my party got a table, but we did have to spy on tables to see if they were done eating and then make sure we zoom over there ASAP. I felt like a creeper. There are tall chairs/tall tables/counter by the window on one side and regular tables on the other side. The tall chairs were extremely uncomfortable (it felt like it was going to break at anytime) so when we spotted a table on the other side you bet I jetted over there before the table even left =X.

If you ever decide to come here and want to dine in, you need to get a table first, then wait in line and order what you want and they will give you a table number stand (the number "card" is in the shape of a skillet). After your MACs are ready they will bring it to you and there you go.

There are four sizes: nosh ($4.75-$7.25), major munch ($7.75-$10.75), mongo ($13.50-$19), and partay($33-$47, which isn't on the wall but it's a catering platter pan thing)! There's also the Sampler that allows you to try eight types of MACs and I really wanted to try it but didn't get to (this one is on the wall).

On the left is the Buffalo Chicken MAC and on the right is the Cheeseburger MAC. I tried the Buffalo Chicken MAC and it was too salty for me. I ordered the Cheeseburger MAC with breadcrumbs and thought it was okay. The top layer was crunchyish which was interesting and then everything underneath was soft. It was too cheesy... too rich for me. I wish the seasoned ground beef was bigger so that I could have actually tasted it.

On a brighter note, I really liked that it came in a skillet (which we had to return at the end of our meal) and I thought it was cute that they had containers, forks and bags for people who couldn't finish their meal. :)

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Delmonico's

Delmonico's opened in 1837 and it was America's first fine dining restaurant. I was reading on their website, that Delmonico's is the birthplace of the Delmonico Steak, Delmonico Potatoes, Eggs Benedict, Lobster Newburg, and Baked Alaska. It was also the first diner where guests sat at their own tables, the first printed menu, the first tablecloths (lol?) and on the website it said "hamburger." So... I don't know, does that mean they came up with the hamburger? *shrugs*

The picture on the left is how it looks after you step inside and the picture on the right is what it looks like from the back. They have private dining rooms and lounges but we sat in the main dining room which I thought looked really nice.

The appetizer TORCHIO PASTA with roasted wild mushrooms, pancetta and black pepper. Let me just say... I WISH THIS WAS THE ENTREE. It's SO good. De-freaking-licious. If I had known I would of ordered this for the appetizer, the entree, and the dessert. This one is a MUST TRY. I'm glad I came here for lunch because if it was dinner I would of ordered the Scallops and Bacon and then I would not have been able to taste this deliciousness.

For the entree, I ordered the Classic Chicken A la Keene served over buttered noodles which was a big downgrade from the wonderful appetizer. : ( The buttered noodles were extremely bland... I've never had buttered noodles so maybe they are suppose to be that way? The chicken had some flavor but I guess it was just not my cup of tea. It was an okay dish but I would not recommend it.

For the dessert I had the Delmonico's Chocolate Mousse which was eh. My friend came here for dinner during restaurant week and said the dessert was better then so maybe... it was just this slice. It didn't taste fresh to me so I only had a few bites.

Also for dessert, their signature Baked Alaska dish! The French chef at Delmonico's created this new cake to celebrate the United States purchase of Alaska from the Russians. Anyway, it's made of banana ice cream placed in a pie dish lined with almond cake and topped with meringue. I was really full and only tried a tiny bite and remember it being okay (I'm not a banana fan =\), definitely an interesting dish though.

I came here for lunch during the Winter Restaurant Week and I will of course come back. TORCHIO PASTA. Hopefully next time I will get to try their steak : )

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Bobby Van's Steakhouse

Picture from Bobby Van's

I went during Restaurant Week for lunch and it was yum! Since there was construction outside the building I was not able to see how their store front looked like. For this Bobby Van's they have many rooms/sections, one of them is a vault! Although I was not able to eat in the vault room, my area was not too shabby.

Picture again from Bobby Van's

The complimentary basket of bread consisted of assorted breads and crackers. There was one that had raisins and nuts? I'm not sure what kind of bread it was but it was delicious. I would of ate more but our table ran out =(

For the appetizer I had the Caesar salad, I guess I'm a noob but I never had cheese sliced like that before and it was interesting to eat with the salad. Under all that were TWO croutons! I have to say I was disappointed at first because I didn't think there were any croutons, so it was pleasant surprise lol.

For my entree I ordered the Roast Pork Loin with banana polenta and port wine sauce. It was okay ... I'm not a banana fan and after this dish I guess I'm not a banana polenta fan. The roast pork loin was nicely cooked though, the meat was very juicy. As for the port wine sauce, it was a bit too strong for me (I'm not a sauce-y person).

I didn't order the filet mignon which had a $5 supplement charge although the menu online said that it was $10. It was a nice surprise and I wish I ordered it! I only tasted a bite but it was good. I'm not really a steak person or know much about it but I enjoyed it very much.

Now... I'm usually iffy with mousse but this chocolate mousse was just heavenly. It was so soft and so light. I LOVE crunchy stuff and on the side of the chocolate mousse, consisted of some crunch which complemented the mousse extremely well. I really enjoyed it but after a few bites I was extremely full so I decided to get it to go. Sadly it melted but I decided to eat it anyway because it was too good to waste! EVEN in it's melty state, it was delich!

Overall, I enjoyed Bobby Van's and for $33-$36 (with everything included) it was well worth it. The waitress was very aware of when we finished each course and just very attentive altogether. At the end of our meal, she even told us that they were extending restaurant week and how we should go again. I can't wait till the next one, I definitely want to go back!

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Kyotofu

I like Kyotofu; it was weird to me that they didn't have their store name but maybe they want to stand out that way or maybe they re-ordered one?


Once you walk in there is seating near the window and then the cash register and across from it is the kitchen. Then comes the back dining room (pictured above) and the bathroom.



Anyway, I enjoyed every bit of my [ Soymilk Soft Ice Cream Sundae ] I totally recommend it. I don't usually like mochi but this mochi was delicious. I'm not a big fan of berries so I didn't really touch that part of my dessert but this ice cream was so light and just a party in your mouth.




S ordered a [ Chocolate Soufflé Cupcake ] which came along with the berry mix and a cute tiny cup of the soymilk ice cream I ordered. I'm not totally sure what is on top of the cupcake but S didn't enjoy that part too much. I did try a little bit of the cupcake and it tasted so soft and just right. If only i could get my cupcakes like that.




K ordered a [ Warm Mochi Chocolate Cake ] which she liked very much. I tried a tiny bit and it seemed to be on the sweet side but then again I tend to enjoy things that aren't too sweet.

By the way each dessert ranged from $7 to $12. Overall, I really liked the dessert here and would definitely come back the next time I get a chance.

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