Last Sunday was unfortunately very much like this one. Rain =(. In an effort to still venture out of the house, the girls and I decided to try out a new brunch place. The spots in our neighborhood are good, but who doesn’t like changing it up a bit?

We started off with a round of mimosas…
L and I each got the The Egg Sandwich - skillet eggs, bacon, avocado, cheddar(someone got cheese, someone didn’t…), rosemary truffle fries. Truffle oil on fries is always a win in my opinion! They were melt in your mouth good with the perfect amount of rosemary. The breakfast sandwich was definitely one of the best I’ve ever had. It was a good size (small egg sandwiches are such a bummer) the eggs were soft but not too runny, and it was really well paired with the avocado and aioli that was on it too!
As if that wasn’t enough food, I asked for a side of Corned Beef Hash because I was curious what type it was, big pieces or minced pieces. It’s not listed as a side on the menu, but the waitress was happy to oblige =). While I prefer a messy minced hash, just looking at this dish again is making my mouth water. Mmmm salty goodness.

Garden at the Cellar was uh-mazing. It far exceeded my expectations and definitely made it’s way into my brunch rotation. The perfect way to start Sunday Funday.

The World Famous Clubber Lang (Friday Special) @ Darwin’s Ltd.  I was sold on the name alone!
- Smoked turkey with avocado, bacon, mixed greens, tomatoes, BBQ sauce and spicy aioli

Sweet Potato A/L/T @ All Star Sandwich Bar
Paprika Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Avocado and Roasted Red Pepper Aioli On Scali Bread

Falafel Wrap, no Tahini Sauce @ Kolbeh of Kabo
Talk to the guy at the front desk, he’s lactose intollerant too! He’ll hook you up

Feels like just yesterday I was flying out on my first overseas adventure to meet up with P and C on the Emerald Isle! After watching Bobby Flay’s Food Network Special on Ireland, I couldn’t wait to taste the dishes from “one of the world’s new superpowers when it comes to food”. I was also curious (and a bit anxious) how I’d get on with my allergy in a country that admittedly loves it’s butter =D I mean, I had a lot of stuff I wanted to do in Ireland…

@ The Bailey, Dublin 2
@ Soho, Cork City
@ Jameson Distillery, Midleton, Cork

There was no time for being sick haha! I visited a lot of restaurants, but want to highlight my top 3 picks. First up was The Half Door Restaurant in Dingle, Kerry. I had the Sautéd Mushrooms with Brandy & (Irish) Bacon Sauce as a starter…

and the Cromane mussels garlic & white wine sauce. All of the items on the menu were made to order so they had no problems modifying for me.

Next up (after quite a long drive, P is such a trooper and tremendous tour guide was the Trattoria Restaurant in Galway. I had the Penne Gamberetti e Courgette. Of course I had to ask what both those words meant (prawns and zucchini =) The homemade pasta was outstanding!

Last but certainly not least was a visit to Cafe Paradiso in Cork City. This was one of the places Bobby Flay stopped at during his tour and I was dying to go! The restaurant is strictly vegetarian but has an amazing variety of food and types of cuisine. C and I got the Gingered Sweet Potato Springroll with Coconut-Chilli Dip and Sesame Mizuna Salad…

and the Paradiso Chips with Rosemary Truffled Aioli to share.

And I got the Potato, Caramelised Onion & Lovage Tortilla on Wilted Greens with Braised Puy Lentils, Rosemary Aioli and Sweet & Hot Pepper Jam. I said they have an amazing variety of food… and they do… you should check out the menu. Only after the 3rd dish came out did I realize I just ordered loads of potatoes. But hey, when in Rome… er… Ireland! Everything at Cafe Paradiso was made to order as well. The waitress said they could have modified anything on the menu for me, but advised which dishes would still retain the best flavor which I found really helpful! Bonus points for her.

All of the restaurants I visited were really accommodating and if Ireland will have me back, I would visit again in a heartbeat.

♫Party in the city where the heat is on!♫

Just got back from a trip to Miami Beach with H and L! We had some amazing meals while we were there. The first place we ate was the Ago Restaurant at the gorgeous Shore Club Hotel. I had the Basilicious martini…

and the Al Classico with Lobster and Tomato Basil… The homemade pasta was unbelievable!

Next night’s stop was Larios on the Beach, a restaurant by Gloria Estefan, ♫Where the Rhythm’s Gonna Get You!♫ We shared the red sangria…

and each got Cuban Skirt Style Steak with Chimi-Churri Sauce…

and Fried Plantains with White Rice.

They say the steak will be grilled to perfection and it was! I loved the plantains as well. I’d never had them mashed and made into patties before. After tasting those there’s no going back =)

Our last meal out was at Eden. First up was the Forbidden Fruit…

Then instead of the regular restaurant bread they brought us Crostini with Crab Dip (dairy-free!)

Eden’s menu was really cool in that everything on the menu you could get half size or full size, including appetizers. Make your own tapas anyone? I got the Shrimp tacos…

Field Greens…

and a Tuna Tartare that melts in your mouth!

Thanks for ♫bringing the heat♫ South Beach! We’ll be back soon =)

Bacon with chocolate extract & salted caramel beer @ Watch City Brewing Company

 grilled scallops & vegetables @ The Daily Catch

grilled chicken breast, bacon, tomato, greens, aioli on foccacia @ City Girl Cafe

Hot Clay Pot Special @ Xinh Xinh Restaurant