Bagel Love - March 25

Bagel Love

Price: $ 

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bagel-Love/112173305536250?sk=wall

 I woke up kind of early this morning and decided to treat myself to a little sumin' sumin'. So while I was driving around aimlessly, I was contemplating on where to go and spend my money. I remembered that I had kept hearing about this place called Bagel Love and how it had only been open for about a month and was already getting a shining reputation. Trying this place out couldn't hurt, right? It definitely didn't.

 This cute little place is located on a corner off of St. Johns Avenue in Riverside and it certainly is unique. They have about twenty different types of bagels and ten or more different flavors of cream cheese. They also make sandwiches, breakfast and lunch bagels and even have things like hummus and flavored honeys to buy. Super cute!

 I didn't really want anything sweet so I ordered the Sun-Dried Tomato bagel with Herb and Spice cream cheese and it was so yummy!! 

 The bagels here are definitely not like something you buy in the store. They are thick, chewy and doughy and most definitely will fill you up. I usually toast my bagels to a crisp because I hate when the texture feels like just bread and cream cheese. It's gross. But these are so different. They toasted it, but barely, and it was perfect. And let me tell you something else, they do NOT skimp on the cream cheese!

Exhibit A:

 I have to ask for something to put the cream cheese in next time because I had so much left over. I almost cried when I had to throw it away! 

 I might be going in there to buy some of their chocolate honey. Yum! I would really recommend this place on a relaxing morning or even for a quick breakfast on the way to work. Go in and order a warm bagel, have a cup of hot coffee or freshly squeezed orange juice and read the paper or your favorite book. It was really nice going on a gorgeous day like it was today.

Pizza Rolls and Exciting News.

 Stuffed Pizza Rolls!

 Nothing special, but I made me some stuffed pizza rolls tonight for a quick dinner and they were soooo good!

 All I used was some Pillsbury Big and Flaky crescent rolls and rolled up provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni inside of them and BAM! Done. Well, I needed to bake them of course. Super easy and fast!

 I apologize for not having any restaurant posts lately. The day I decided to go, I drove all the way to the place and it was closed! I will have one coming up soon though, I promise.

 One more exciting thing I wanted to announce. I HIT 1,000 VIEWS TODAY! Thank you everyone so much for being interested in my blog and I hope to do this for quite a long time.

Picasso's - March 10

Picasso's

Price: $ (up to $15.00)

 Picasso was a groundbreaking artist, a visionary and a chef? Who knew? This little place in Mandarin is somewhat hard to find if you've never been but I think it may be a small gem that is worth finding. They have a vast menu with options for every person and every taste. The atmosphere is very laid back and friendly with bright green accent walls complemented by red-trimmed chalk boards listing some of there menu items. And what would an Italian restaurant called Picasso's be without abstract paintings hanging from every wall?

 Now to the food. I don't know about you guys but I am a hardcore mushroom lover so what did I order? The stuffed mushrooms. The version I am used to having involves the mushrooms drowning in cheese but these were different. Strictly stuffing. And oh man were they good. Some of the best I've had which definitely says a lot considering that stuffed mushrooms are usually the first appetizers I look for on any menu. Slightly crisp on the outside, velvety smooth inside and sprinkled with Parmesan and fresh basil, served with marinara and pesto sauce. Yum!

 I chose the Roasted Chicken Manicotti for my entree. I've ordered manicotti many times before and this one was pretty good. Definitely a dish for cheese lovers. The soft shells had a smooth filling and the creaminess of all the cheese with the marinara and basil went together nicely. One thing they did with this dish that I didn't really find appetizing was that they minced up the chicken, pretty much pulverized it, to where the chicken and cheese were almost the same consistency. Maybe it's just me but I'd prefer chunks of chicken instead something in which I couldn't tell if it was the meat or the cheese. But all in all it was a pretty descent dish.

 These little food adventures are like dates for me and my boyfriend. We really enjoy exploring and trying new things so of course he came with me! He ordered a bacon cheeseburger. At an Italian restaurant. Go figure. Anyways, from what he told me, the cheeseburger wasn't really anything too special. It was supposed to have a special sauce but he couldn't taste it so that disappointed him a bit. One unique thing about it was that they didn't serve it with the typical sort of bacon you'd expect. It came with thick, diced chunks of seared bacon which looked really good. Something different from the norm, right?

 While the small restaurant is inviting and friendly, two important things that I believe Picasso's really needs to work on is its professional demeanor and its cleanliness. While we were waiting on our food, we could hear one of the employees talking to his co-workers about partying over the weekend and he mentioned a few things that no one really wants to hear while eating. There were also a few tables that were filthy from the time we got there until the time we left. Not one person came to clean them up which bothers a neat freak like me.

 But we did like it well enough to promise and come back to try the pizza because it honestly looked and smelled amazing! I see a future pizza pie date!

Update!

 Hey everyone! I just wanted to tell you guys some news about some upcoming places that I'll be going to. It was my boyfriend's grandmother's birthday this week and we went to Longhorn and I absolutely love that place! Anyways, my boyfriend's aunt gave me some coupons to two different places and gave me some money on top of that so that my boyfriend and I could go and then I could share it with all of you! Isn't she the sweetest? Stay tuned for more food! Yum yum!

Thank you!

 This is a non-restaurant related post but I just wanted to say thank you to all of my readers and followers. I reached over 500 views today! So exciting for me! I hope that I can continue to write every other week, maybe even weekly. That is if I don't go broke while eating out every week. And then my shopping obsession on top of that. Why does everything have to cost money?

Culhane's Irish Pub - March 3

Culhane's Irish Pub

Price: $$ ($8.00-$17.00)

Location: Atlantic Beach
Website: http://www.culhanesirishpub.com/

 Where to start? My boyfriend and I are both Irish and I have been wanting to go to a pub for quite some time now. Not for the pub part but for the food, of course. The atmosphere is exactly how I would picture a pub: low lighting, Guinness posters all over the walls and hanging from the ceilings, a stage for live music and a long bar with about fifteen different Irish Whiskeys to choose from. Unfortunately I am two months shy from trying a Guinness but the food made up for the loss. 

 We started out with an order of Blarney Lamb Sliders. I don't know the exact seasoning that they put into the meat but all I can say is that it is DELISH! The small patties were topped with thick slices of red onion and tomato, drizzled with a curry aioli sauce all between a crispy, toasted bun. The winner of the slider was, as Guy Fieri would say, "the mac daddy crust" on the burgers. Grilling burgers on a flat top is always a good decision.

 My boyfriend, Michael, ordered the Guinness Stew which I can only think of to describe as the ultimate Irish comfort food. The stew was thick and hardy with huge chunks of Guinness marinated beef and thick cut carrots and potatoes. Taking one bite makes you feel all warm and cozy inside. One warning. You may feel the urge to take a nap afterwards. 

 I ordered the best out of all three dishes as anyone would expect! The name is a little funny but it's called the Dingle Fish Pie. I am not the biggest seafood admirer but this was covered in cheese so I thought that I would make an exception this one time. I am so happy that I did. This has got to be one of the best seafood dishes I have ever had. Sorry dad. It included salmon, cod and shrimp with potatoes and peas thrown in the mix. I thought the potatoes to be out of place and a little unnecessary in this dish but the rest was absolutely mouth watering. The cod and salmon melt in your mouth while the shrimp provides the firmness to the meal and the peas give that little pop of sweetness. And the Parmesan cheese sauce, oh my god. It was divine. If you don't get this when you visit here you are seriously missing out.

  

 I will definitely be visiting here again. I just wish I could celebrate the "green beer drinking holiday", St. Patty's, here...