Stumbling Across a "Local" Restaurant!

Entry by Raymond. (Amateur Amateur Blogger) :)

Nicole and myself were shopping around the South Common area until we got hungry. We didn't have a restaurant in mind, so we were driving around trying to spot what was around the area. We passed by the Local Public Eatery and I had no idea what this place was, so we both decided to give it a try. As we walked in the restaurant, we quickly found out that this place was a pub with an open bar, but also with a family seating area hidden in the back. This made us rethink of our decision, but we still decided to sit down and took a look at the menu. Important note: Don't expect good service at this place. The waitresses pay no attention to you unless your ordering a lot of alcohol. It took us forever to wave her down for the menus and for the bill as well.

We ordered the half nachos to start. And surprisingly, this was one of the best nachos I had for the price. As the picture shows, the nachos was fully loaded with fresh ingredients: tomatoes, olives, fresh avocado chunks , green onion, chicken, cheddar cheese and drizzled in sour cream. It was so good! And it was plenty for the two of us. 

Nicole got a Steak Sandwich with yam fries She said it was not amazing but not terrible either. The yam fries were soggy and not crisp as she would have liked. In addition, the mayo was bland and she said she could do without. 

I decided to get The Deluxe burger with fries. The burger was big compared to a regular one! I had a little difficulty eating the burger... but the small bites tasted very good! The burger was juicy, and tomatoes and lettuce was fresh. The beef patty was not completely well done, the center of the patty was pink throughout even though the waitress said it would be. This made me a little disappointed and also made me question whether it was safe to eat or not... However, I am writing this post now which means I am fine haha! On the other hand, the fries were amazing and I could definitely say that they are one of the best fries I have ever eaten! They were salted perfectly and were extra crispy but not overcooked!

Overall, if you are looking for a noisy place to go have a couple of drinks with friends this would be it. Service is only there if you are ordering drinks and the waitresses are definitely willing to put in a lot of "effort" to make extra tips if you do (hit or miss). Other than that, the food was surprisingly decent for a pub environment (way better than hudsons). Will definitely be back for a guys night out filled with beer and food!

Cafe Amore with the girlfriends!

It has been so long since I have been able to catch up with my girlfriends. Since we are all busy with our own studies or with work, finding time and being able to reconnect with close friends is so very dear to me! We decided to settle for something central and for a restaurant none of us have been to. A friend suggested Cafe Amore for good quality Italian food. Yum! I am always up for pasta - with this event occurring right after finals, pasta is my number one go to comfort food. As we walked in, the restaurant was small but super cozy expected since it is more of a cafe style. With nice atmosphere, I can only imagine what this place would be like buzzing with conversations and excitement. Our waitress was super kind and helpful, recommending us different dishes as well as reminding us of the special pasta of the day.

I thought the centerpiece was a really cool design! Even though it looks messy, the wax flowing from the candle makes a nice touch.

The special of the day was a clam type pasta for $14, unfortunately for me I dislike seafood. But for those who like seafood this place offers a wide variety of seafood infused pasta! I settled for the specialty chicken, cream, marsala. mushroom and habenero pasta. When our pastas came out, I was shocked and knew immediately I would need a take out box at the end because the portions were huge! There was quite a bit of penne pasta though, and the other ingredients such as the chicken and mushrooms were hidden. The pasta was cooked al dente! The cream sauce was amazing with the mushrooms and habenero adding a hint of spice to it.

Overall, this is a great Italian food spot to satisfy all your pasta needs. The pasta is well done, portions are great, quality of the food is amazing and the atmosphere of the place is very relaxed yet welcoming. This place is a little hidden, near grant mac university and the parking is limited on a busy night. But it is well worth the drive here!

Best Pho in Edmonton?

I have been craving some pho for a long time! I've been to many Vietnamese restaurants and have tried a variety of phos' from them all. There are a couple of really good pho restaurants in Edmonton (Tau Bay, Xu Hue...etc), and I got an opportunity to try yet another Vietnamese restaurant! The restaurant is called Pho Hoan Pasteur, and I can definitely add this place to the short list of good pho restaurants in Edmonton! I've heard many good things, and could not wait to set my foot in the door! A friend and I arrived at the restaurant pretty late, around an hour before closing and we could tell the servers were not too pleased about that. The expression on their faces were less than welcoming...but I wanted my Pho. We were seated quickly and the server was quick to ask us what we wanted. Luckily, we both knew already and ordered right away.

I ordered my usual, a pho dac biet, and I was excited to see how the pho tasted! One of the many reasons why I love Vietnamese food is because the food is quick to make/deliver! When the waitress brought our food out, I was surprised to see the portions. There was so much meat compared to other Vietnamese restaurants! The soup base had a very distinctive and strong pho smell and tasted delicious. The noodles were cooked well (al dente to be exact). Not overcooked and under cooked, perfect consistency of chewiness.

If you live far from downtown, like myself, it is definitely worth the drive to this restaurant and give it a try!