Shocking as it may sound (since I work downtown), I haven’t made it to many Happy Hour celebrations in C-town. I am usually busy working out, grocery shopping or drooling over shoes I can’t afford, on weeknights. Last night, was the exception.
Stacey (one of my Akron BFFs) was in town for her guitar lesson. I was driving up Lakeside Road about to head onto the shoreway, when she called and informed me she was on W. 25th and asked if I’d like to meet her for Happy Hour. How could I say no?
Much to my excitement and of course, happiness, Stacey asked me to meet her at the Flying Fig. I have in fact, been to the FF during Happy Hour before, but never ordered any of the Happy Hour specials (except the wine of course). I usually cannot resist the small plates or a fabulous entrée off the menu (even if you can save mountains of dough by doing so). However, with saving for a wedding, I definitely have to watch my pennies and HH is the perfect time to save without missing out on the fun.
Last night I went against my “Healthy/Krista wants to be skinny for her Wedding dress diet” and ordered off the Happy Hour menu (the HH menu contains nothing that will slim your waistline, only foods that will leave you feeling super happy/naughty for breaking your diet). I ordered the Bacon Blue Cheese Burger with caramelized onions accompanied by FF French Fries. Without any hesitation, I can report that it was the best Blue Cheese Bacon Burger I’ve ever had-the perfect comfort food after a long day at the office (especially when you wash it down with the HH special Spanish red wine….yummm). The star of the meal however, was not my fabulous burger or fries, but the Wasabi dipping sauce resting on the bar (next to a pile of homemade FF potato chips). While Stacey and I were waiting for our food, I dunked a few potato chips in this absolutely amazing sauce. It was some sort of creamy “ranch like” sauce flavored with the deliciousness of wasabi. We dunked everything in it from the chips to fries to my burger. If I could, I would have taken a bucket of it home.
All in all, I’ve decided that life should be enjoyed by attending more HH celebrations (plus Stacey will be in town every Tuesday and I couldn’t disappoint her ;) ). Especially, if you’ve been working hard all week (by doing spinning in the morning and yoga at lunchtime) then, you can rationalize a lovely diet cheat night at the FF HH that will leave you feeling fabulous without breaking your wallet.
Feel the burn,
-Krista
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Vine Valley
The FFF is proud to present another guest foodie review by our fellow friend and foodie, Stacey Scott! Stacey lives in Akron and is going to give us an occasional taste of the fabulous southern Ohio city.
Mediterranean restaurant Vine Valley is located in a unique plaza next to establishments such as Max MCQue’s bar and Nicole’s all in one ice cream parlor/laundromat/tanning salon/nail studio and a self dog wash center that gives blueberry facials. The interior was well lit and a mural covered most of the walls. Vine valley is a good restaurant if you are looking for reasonably priced healthy food, but I would not recommend the double V for a romantic evening or a five star meal.
Items on the menu include both cold and warm appetizers such as stuffed grape leaves and of course the Mediterranean staple, Hummus. My foodie friend Krista who is an avid hummus consumer said these blended chickpeas were good, however she would have preferred a little extra zip of garlic. Our party all ordered entrees from the menu that came with freshly cut romaine salads containing a Lebanese salata, which is a mixture of olive oil, herbs, tomato, parsley, mint and cucumbers. I ordered the lamb sheskabob, which came in-between two pitas and rested on a bed of white rice. The char grilled lamb had excellent flavor. When staring down at this entrée it almost resembled a pita pizza a child might enjoy. The ladies who ordered chicken also received a side of thick garlic sauce on the side.
The belly dancer made for a truly ethnic experience as she rotated her way around the whole room. She was not the most graceful of dancers as she cued her music wrong at the beginning and almost shook her behind right into my friend Krista’s face. However, she was equipped with many colorful fabrics and tiny finger cymbals.
Overall the meal was fair, the service was okay and the dancing was interesting.
For those who enjoy Mediterranean restaurants I highly recommend Aladdin’s in Akron and Dessert Inn in Canton.
-Stacey
Mediterranean restaurant Vine Valley is located in a unique plaza next to establishments such as Max MCQue’s bar and Nicole’s all in one ice cream parlor/laundromat/tanning salon/nail studio and a self dog wash center that gives blueberry facials. The interior was well lit and a mural covered most of the walls. Vine valley is a good restaurant if you are looking for reasonably priced healthy food, but I would not recommend the double V for a romantic evening or a five star meal.
Items on the menu include both cold and warm appetizers such as stuffed grape leaves and of course the Mediterranean staple, Hummus. My foodie friend Krista who is an avid hummus consumer said these blended chickpeas were good, however she would have preferred a little extra zip of garlic. Our party all ordered entrees from the menu that came with freshly cut romaine salads containing a Lebanese salata, which is a mixture of olive oil, herbs, tomato, parsley, mint and cucumbers. I ordered the lamb sheskabob, which came in-between two pitas and rested on a bed of white rice. The char grilled lamb had excellent flavor. When staring down at this entrée it almost resembled a pita pizza a child might enjoy. The ladies who ordered chicken also received a side of thick garlic sauce on the side.
The belly dancer made for a truly ethnic experience as she rotated her way around the whole room. She was not the most graceful of dancers as she cued her music wrong at the beginning and almost shook her behind right into my friend Krista’s face. However, she was equipped with many colorful fabrics and tiny finger cymbals.
Overall the meal was fair, the service was okay and the dancing was interesting.
For those who enjoy Mediterranean restaurants I highly recommend Aladdin’s in Akron and Dessert Inn in Canton.
-Stacey
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