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!

                                                                         
















Maid Cafe' NY- Manhattan, New York (Closed)


               So, some time last year I heard about a maid cafe opening in New York. Wanting to try the experience, I went with a friend,and we got desserts, as she recommended them over the food. When we went, it was late in the evening, and we were the only girls that evening. The two maids gave us menus, but spent most of the time chatting behind the counter. They were in uniform; the costumes were cute, and they had a cosplay section at the store, but I didn't see anything I absolutely wanted. I did love the desserts though! I had the green tea shaved ice with red bean, and chocolate banana crepe, but the shaved ice was filling enough, so I only could take a few bites of it. I did enjoy both desserts, and do recommend trying them! It was an interesting atmosphere; I think I would have like it more if we were in a Butler Cafe', haha.(I thought the to go box illustration was hilarious, so I had to share it.) I didn't take a photo of the maids because they charge $5 for photos,haha. (I guess I could have sneaked one, but they were behind the counter.)
                                                                           








Otafuku - Manhattan, New York


         This year, I wanted to try three Japanese snack/light meal items that I wasn't able to find anywhere in Arkansas. Lucky for me, Otafuku had all three items I wanted to try; okonomiyaki, (a fried cabbage pancake), takoyaki, (fried octopus balls), and taiyaki, the sweet shaped like a fish with sweet red bean in it. What I didn't expect was how big everything would be, so I wasn't able to finish everything, but at least I tried it all. XD Okay, Otafuku is a tiny to go place; you can't really sit in, (they only have three seats inside), so my friend and I ordered to go and we walked around before we ate. I had the taiyaki first, and it was how I suspected it would taste; (I had red bean before), light and flaky with a slight crunch, and sweet on the inside. (The batter has a light sweetness to it.) I had the takoyaki balls next, and that left me full on it's own; they were more filling than I thought it would be. Unfortunately, since they're fried foods, I couldn't save the okonomiyaki for later, (I doubt it would taste good reheated), so I ate about half of the okonomiyaki; all of it tasted good, but I couldn't finish it! It was a good first experience; but in Otafuku, (most likely because I was full), I liked the taiyaki and takoyaki the best. (I might get the okonomiyaki by itself in the future.)

                                                                       






                                                                             

Monday, July 7, 2014

Jeckyll & Hyde of Greenwich Village- Greenwich Village, Manhattan


             This year, I tried some themes cafes/restaurants in the city, and my friend and I went to the Jeckyll & Hyde Restaurant of Greenwich Village. I assumed all the locations were the same, because we heard the Times Square one had a stage with horror-themed plays, but alas, it was not so. The Greenwich had a bunch of animatronics that sung and did a mini musical for you while you ate. It was a little cheesy, but I found it entertaining. The TV's played commercials of old horror films, and I had a portrait of Dracula behind me, and the place was dimly lit, to fit the mood. Near the bar, they had taxidermy, and specimens, and upstairs was the unused, "Cannibal Cafe." It was closed when we went, but they allowed us to check it out upstairs, and we felt it was significantly more creepier being empty, and with all those witch doctor masks, than down, where there were some people at least. I liked the experience; I might try the Times Square location next time, though. Oh, the food wasn't bad; we had pizza and calamari, but the payment is more for the amusement, and ambiance, than the food I felt. (It was in average portions, and tasted pretty good; but it's food you can also find in an Italian eatery.)