Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Rolando's- Hot Springs, Arkansas



          When me and two other friends went to Hot Springs, one recommended we try Rolando's, a Hispanic restaurant. (One of the owners came from Ecuador.) Rolando's patio in the back was very beautiful and next to a hillside; it was very elegant and slightly kitsch; the trees had rainbow Christmas lights on them, making the scene fairly colorful. (The interior of the restaurant had hundreds of colorful portraits too.) I was in an in-between mood for food, but I relented and ordered. I got some chicken quesadillas, and shared some stringy white queso with the other girls. (It tasted good but it wasn't liquid cheese; it was like stringy feta cheese that wasn't melted all the way, making it a little difficult to eat.) I tried to stop eating it after I got my quesadillas; it came with rice which I gave away, as I couldn't finish. The little quesadillas tasted good... at first. I didn't realize I had too much cheese from the queso, and although I finished, I was afraid my stomach was getting a bit nauseated. (It didn't help, that while it tasted good, the cheese they used was vaguely reminiscent to the cheese I had on a sandwich in New York, which gave me food poisoning.) I do like their dishes, but if I go again, I'll be sure to just order one dish.

                                                                             








Loca Luna - Little Rock, Arkansas


            So a week or two ago, I went out with some friends to Hot Springs, and when I came back, we went to Loca Luna. I heard about Loca Luna, and it sounded like a quirky place, so I didn't mind going. I had the assumption from outside it would be like a fancy diner, or a fancy something, and while I was right about the price range, (mid tier like $15 for a plate), the restaurant was actually very quirky and casual on the inside. Along with the restaurant host, there is a mannequin in the front entrance to meet you, and the paintings all look surreal and unusual. Regardless, inside and the outside deck managed to blend this with a sense of classiness, and it works. I had alfredo with soft crab, and the meal was pretty tasty; I ate all of the crab, but couldn't finish the pasta. Next time though, I might try something different. A slightly expensive restaurant with a casual and fun atmosphere; it's an interesting experience.

                                                                             








Friday, September 19, 2014

Kilwins -Little Rock, Arkansas



               Hey everyone! Long time no see, hee. I wanted to talk about a new chocolate shop that opened in downtown Little Rock, Kilwins. Kilwins is a chocolate and ice cream shop, and had some really good chocolate that I love. I had some reservations at first, but once I saw, (and tasted),their sweets, it was love at first sight! Most of the sweets are hand made from their own recipes, and you can even watch them making some of the chocolate. I went twice, and the following list is what I tried so far; brown sugar fudge,various chocolate truffles, marzipan, (sweet from almond paste; shaped like fruit), chocolate with bacon, and chocolate strawberries. I honestly recommend it all; but if I had to be picky, I would choose the , the marzipan, the fudge, and the chocolate dipped fruit the most. (I really like the truffles, but some of them have are hard to diversify in flavor, especially when they get stored in the fridge... they're best eaten warm, where you can taste most of the flavor; at least to me.) Go visit this place; they have several locations in different states, listed on their site!

                                                                         
                                                                             

















       

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory- Charlotte, North Carolina (Airport)


             I bought from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory quiet a few times, but I realized I never took photos or blogged about the place, so I finally decided to do it. Rocky Mountain is an American chocolate company that is based in Durango, Colorado. Along with all sorts of chocolates, they also sell candy and caramel or chocolate covered apples. The chocolate covered marshmallows are always a treat; I try to get one when I see a shop of theirs. This time around, I purchased a candy apple as well, which was excellent; I hadn't had one since I was a little kid, and it tasted like the ones I remember. The candy melts quick though, even if refrigerated, so eat it quickly! I never tried their dark chocolate, but I recommend their milk chocolate treats; next time I'll try some of their fudge too.~

                                                                       






TGI Fridays- North Little Rock, Arkansas


              I like to try chain diners or chain restaurants; the prices are a little higher than fast food, but it's also technically a bit healthier than quick, fast food chains. Sure, you spend a little more, but it's for a meal, rather than something taking less than five minutes, and making you hungry again after a short time. With that said, I only went to TGI Fridays once in another state, so I decided to try them again at their location in North Little Rock. They didn't have tables ready but told us we could order at the bar. The food took a while to prepare; some 13 minutes or so, but the herbs and sauces they used made the dish pretty tasty. I got shrimp and chicken, which they pack with cheese and it added more flavor. I liked it, and managed to eat the whole dish haha. The mashed potatoes, which usually comes off as bland in other places, actually was tasty; it had garlic flavoring. Fridays menu is a tad pricier than other diners, but I would still recommend it for a get together or something; the food was pretty good.

                                                                           




Jacques Torres - Brooklyn, New York


                A couple months ago, I was searching for good hot cocoa spots in New York, and that's how I heard of Jacques Torres, dubbed Mr. Chocolate. He makes his chocolate locally in Brooklyn, and has one location in DUMBO(Brooklyn), with the other locations in Manhattan. My brother and I had a hard time finding the place; but then we found it under a construction zone, which was why the sign was difficult to see.The interior was so cute! It was how you'd imagine a chocolate boutique to look, and they decorated it with summer colors with hundreds of colorful flowers; it's so pretty! Everything from the cookies to the cocoa is made with his own recipes, and the shop ladies recommended us to try some. My brother got a chocolate chip cookie, (which were huge), and I got their traditional cocoa, and ordered two chocolate pieces with cream inside; I had the key lime chocolate, and green tea chocolate pieces, and they were both a little piece of heaven! The hot cocoa, which I had first, was very rich in cocoa, but it was actually not overly sweet; I liked it a a lot. Definitely give his chocolate a try!