Visit London: The Hercules

Our first evening in London, upon arrival at the hotel, we went across the street to The Hercules for dinner.

The menu is of decent size, and features several local specialties.  

Battered Fish Loaded Fries

I thought the Battered Fish Loaded Fries were loaded with crushed peas and curry sauce, but not enough battered fish.

Herb Crusted Plaice

The plaice was tasty, but it sure had a lot of bones!

Cheeseburger

Fried Buttermilk Chicken Burger

The desserts are limited, and we opted for Chocolate Buffalo Milk Ice Cream and Sticky Toffee Pudding with Salted Caramel Buffalo Milk Ice Cream.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Buffalo Milk Ice Cream

The Sticky Toffee Pudding was very good.

Service was not the greatest - we sat for a long time after our dinner plates were cleared without being acknowledged.  No one asked us if we wanted dessert or our check.  Numerous servers passed us by without saying a word, and we finally had to flag someone down to order dessert.

The Hercules was a family-friendly eatery, so it was disappointing that the service was lacking.  

The Hercules

2 Kennington Rd

London SE1 7BL, United Kingdom

Read More

ShoreFyre Grill & Bar at the International Market Place

On a recent adventure through the streets of Waikiki, we stopped at ShoreFyre in the International Market Place to get something to eat. 

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

What's great about ShoreFyre is that they have both indoor and outdoor seating, a menu full of local favorites, and they offer a discount for Kamaainas.

Since we came mid-day, we were allowed to order off both the breakfast and lunch menu, which was great since one of our twins wanted breakfast, and the other one wanted lunch.

Side Order Pancake

What we found odd was that the pancake was served like this (see above) - no butter or syrup. We had to ask for it, which they delivered upon our request, but I can't think of any other place that will deliver a pancake to your table sans syrup. 

Duke Burger

 The hubby and I shared the Duke Burger and ShoreFyre shrimp, which were both EXCELLENT choices.  The burger was juicy and served on a grilled bun. The shrimp was prepared "Kahuku" style and was just as tasty as the shrimp you can get from the shrimp trucks on the North Shore.

ShoreFyre Garlic Shrimp

SHOREFYRE GRILL & BAR
INTERNATIONAL MARKET PLACE (Level 3)
2330 KALAKAUA AVENUE
(808) 672-2097

Read More

The Veranda at The Kahala Hotel & Resort

During our (too quick) staycay at The Kahala Hotel & Resort, we had dinner at The Veranda, a casual, family-friendly spot that still offers a level of food and service that you'd find in most fine dining restaurants.

Cured Meats & Cheese Board

Kahala Pupu Platter

Mixed Kula Green Salad

The Kahala Pupu Platter consisted of Chicken Wings, Calamari, Wok-Fried Soft Shell Crab, and Soy Braised Short Rib & Avocado Tempura.  I really liked the tempura!

And it's hard to go wrong with a Meat & Cheese platter.  It was a nice variety of meats and cheeses, and even my kids dug in!

A kids menu is offered, and I must say, I was quite envious of the keiki meals!

Wagyu Burger & Fries

Bolognese Pasta with Crimini Mushrooms & Parmesan

Grilled Catch of the Day

 Of course we couldn't leave without dessert!

Assorted Ice Cream

Hoku's Warm Chocolate Coulant

Chocolate and vanilla ice creams were served atop a pizelle cookie and accompanied by fruits.

The Chocolate Coulant was rich and decadent, and I loved the caramel ice cream that was served along with it.  It was a perfect match!

Service was a bit hurried, but still very friendly and accommodating.  

The Veranda
The Kahala Hotel & Resort
5000 Kahala Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii, 96816

Read More

Visit California: Karl Strauss Brewing Company

We worked up an appetite after a long day at Universal Studios Hollywood, so we went to have dinner at the family-friendly Karl Strauss Brewing Company, which is conveniently located in Universal City Walk.

The Big Beer Burger

Asada Fries

Grilled Tofu Stack

Kids Mac and Cheese

Kids Cheeseburger

Kids Chicken Fingers

I couldn't resist ordering the Asada Fries - fries topped with plancha-seared steak, housemade beer cheese, gorgonzola, avocado-chimichurri, cilantro, and pickled onions.  It was so good - I could've just eaten that for my meal!

For my meal, I decided to opt for something healthy (to balance out the fries) - Grilled Tofu Stack.  Grilled tofu was topped with zucchini, piquillo peppers, mushrooms, salsa guajillo, egg, avocado, and greens, all drizzled with tahini.  It was tasty and quite light!

The Big Beer Burger was topped with Red Trolley Ale onions, Tower 10 IPA mushrooms, beer-brined bacon, and gruyere.  

A kids menu is available which offers a meal and a drink for just $7.25!

The service at Karl Strauss Brewing Company was excellent - our server was efficient and friendly, and our dinner there was one of the best family dining experiences I've had in a long time!

Karl Strauss Brewing Company

1000 Universal Studios Blvd

Universal City, CA 91608

(818) 753-2739

Read More

Visit Minnesota: Red Cow

Red Cow is a family-friendly modern tavern that specializes in burgers.

Chips & Onion Dip

I wanted to try the Chips & Onion Dip since it was featured as one of Food Network's Top 50 Dips.  The French Onion Dip was really yummy, and the housemade chips was what really made it addicting.

60/40

Grilled Cheese

The 60/40 Burger consisted of 60% certified angus beef and 40% ground bacon. The patty was topped with cheddar, beer mustard, and candied bacon.

I went for something simple - Grilled Cheese. The sandwich was stuffed with cheddar, gruyere, smoked gouda, BBQ chips, and served with tomato soup. Perfect comfort food!

Kids are offered veggies and hummus to start, and the meals are presented in bright plates that were reminiscent of TV dinners! All meals come with a side and drink.

Mac N Cheese

Kid's Grilled Chicken

Corn Dog on a Stick

Service was great and we had a really nice family dinner at Red Cow!

Red Cow
3624 W 50th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55410

Read More

Visit Minneapolis: Dick's Last Resort

We passed by Dick's Last Resort while in Nashville, and I had no idea it was a kid-friendly spot.  We ended up going to the location in Mall of America.

They deliver "service with sarcasm," and they make sure to tell all guests not to take anything personally.

Fair-Style Cheese Curds

Dick's Juiciest Lucy

Macho Nachos

The cheese curds were addicting.  The Juicy Lucy was a must-try, since after all, it was invented in the state (a Juicy Lucy is a burger with cheese in the middle of the patty vs on top the patty).  I had the nachos, but subbed in tots (because I just can't resist tots!).

A kids meal is available with nothing over $5.99.

Fry'd Chicken Tenders

Big Fry'd Shrimpies

Ma N' Cheez

A funny aspect of the dining experience at Dick's Last Resort is how the server will make hats and write statements on them to describe the wearer.  Everyone in my family got a hat.  My hat said "I put the 'pro" in procreate."  Two of my sons' hats read:

We thought the hats were hilarious and witty.

The service was actually a lot nicer than I had expected (I guess they were easy on us because we had little kids), but it was still a fun experience over all.


Dick's Last Resort

Mall of America®
402 South Avenue

Bloomington, MN 55425

Read More

Roy's Ko Olina

I love Roy's Ko Olina, so I knew we had to dine there during our recent staycation in Ko Olina Resort.

Complimentary Edamame

Sauteed Brussels

Misoyaki Marinated Butterfish

Honey Mustard Charred Braised Beef Short Rib

Strawberry Shortcake Swirl Cheesecake

The Sauteed Brussels were really tasty, with pork, dried shrimp, and garlic mixed in.

I ordered my usual at Roy's - the Misoyaki Marinated Butterfish.  It is absolutely delicious, and I always regret not ordering the regular-sized portion!

If cheesecake is on the menu at Roy's, I always try to order it, and the Strawberry Shortcake Swirl Cheesecake did not disappoint!

Keiki meals are complete with an appetizer, entree, and dessert, all for $14.95!

Appetizer: Cheese Quesadilla, Slice Fruit, Vegetables

Hibachi Grilled Salmon with Vegetables and Rice

Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes and Pan Gravy

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with Vegetables and Rice

Keiki Ice Cream Sandwich

Our server was very friendly, but rushed (a few times I didn't finish my sentence and she was already leaving the table), and I attribute it to the busy Mother's Day weekend.

Despite that, Roy's Ko Olina is still one of my favorite restaurants on the island!

Roy's Ko Olina 

92-1220 Ali'inui Drive

Kapolei, HI 96707

(808) 676-7697

Read More