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Archive for the ‘American’ Category

MEATliquor, Marylebone

Posted: June 9, 2015 in American, Burgers, Hot Dogs, London
Tags: American Food, blue cheese dip, Buffalo Hot Wings, Burgers, food porn, Food Under £20, gluten free, London Food Blog, Louisana Deep South Wings, Marylebone, MEATliquor, NW1, Wellbeck Street

MEATliquor located in Marylebone has caused quite the stir with it’s epic queues, no bookings and dress code policy. That is no ballet flat and no suits. Line up behind the barricade and wait for the bouncer to let you in. Expect a hell raising bikey club upon entry but the venue is staffed with surprisingly friendly folk that embody that all round American customer service experience. The venue is dark, dingy and I’m pretty sure sticky. The music is banging out rock anthems at about 150 decibels too high, staff are heavily tatted up with the ceiling/walls intricately masked with graffiti murals. The food is an all-around American junk food tribute to hot wings, mac n cheese, cheese fries, hot dogs and their mains are centred only around burgers.

We tuck into the fried pickles (£3.50) and it offers a sharp tang of vinegar and contrast of a crisp crunchy batter. The interplay of the gooey pickle against the fried batter is really special and is immediately our top pick of the night.

The blue cheese dip is really flavoursome and very authentic. This is exactly as you would find it in the USA. Thick, creamy and lush. I usually find it very difficult to find a blue cheese dip this good anywhere outside of the States and this is authentic it comes.

These Bingo – Buffalo Hot Wings (£7.00) are as gutsy as it gets. These wings mimic the Louisana Deep South Wings flawlessly. Crunchy then coated with hot sauce then served with an authentic blue cheese dip. These can not be beat.

When I am in the States, I am an absolute sucker for buffalo hot wings. They are my absolute ‘go to’ dish and these are spot on.

Buttered Bacon Brussel Sprouts

Posted: January 5, 2015 in American, English, Recipes
Tags: Bacon, Bacon Lardons, Brussel Sprouts, Buttered Bacon Brussel Sprouts, Deep Fried, Dinner Parties, Pancetta, Recipes, Recipes for Christmas, streaky bacon

The idea behind this recipe was inspired from my meal at Swine & Co, in Sydney and my visit to the US. They do a lot of deep fried brussel sprouts there! I wanted to do something similar for Christmas but it had to be quick and easy. I didn’t do a test run before Christmas, all I knew is that I wanted the brussel sprouts to be cooked in butter and bacon fat until the sprouts was blistered and brown. I wanted to create the illusion that they were deep fried by cooking the sprouts in bacon fat and butter. Then I wanted to top it off with crunchy bits of bacon to have the texture of crackling. This turned out really well and it was such a delicious way to enjoy brussel sprouts that I had to share!

Enjoy! x

Rockwell & Son, Collingwood – What is a Smashed Patty?

Posted: February 21, 2014 in American, Burgers, Food for Thought, French, Melbourne

My burger blitz continues at Rockwell and Sons. Rockwell and Sons is located on Smith st, Collingwood, about 500m from the very first Huxtaburger in Melbourne. It breathes an industrial small bar feel where Manu Potoi (ex-Attica), and Casey Wall (ex-Cutler and Co) take on a menu that is a cross between American dude food and French cuisine. The menu is organised into share plates, sandwiches and sides where you can get your paws on a generous serving of crispy duck confit wings ($12). Or perhaps you can have the chicken liver parfait ($14), or the smoked lamb ribs with Kentucky BBQ sauce. It isn’t American food without the obligatory fried chicken (in this case sandwich $12) and mac n cheese ($8), of course! Nothing is priced over $14, which is great when you consider the pedigree behind the counter.

Huxtaburger, Collins St Melbourne

Posted: February 12, 2014 in American, Burgers, Melbourne, Melbourne CBD
Tags: American Burgers, Cheap eats in Melbourne, Collins st, Flinders Lane, Fulham Place, Huxtaburger, Melbourne, Places to Eat in Melbourne

If you are a bit of a burger geek like me, then Huxtaburger should be on your burger bucket list. Starting up in Collingwood in Melbourne, it is making its way to new locations in the CBD and Prahran with rumours that there is more to come.

The CBD store is located on Collins St at Fulham Pl just off Flinders Lane. Starting from $9 they offer a seriously quality burger and it all comes down to the quality of ingredients. They use Moondarra Wagyu beef and a deliciously glazed buttered sweet bun. It is light, sweet and glossy which melts away with the rest of its glorious insides. It is the stuff that burger dreams are made of. Some have said it comes very close to the ultimate Shake Shack burger and I totally hear you… There is even a ‘separated at birth’ type resemblance but I would still give the gold medallion to Shake Shack. Shake Shack has cheesy fries. Enough said.

The burgers here are curiously named after the family members in the Bill Cosby show. There’s Bill with pineapple, beetroot, bacon and egg ($12), or you may also want to consider the hot favourites. Like the Denise ($10) with beef, cheese, tomato, lettuce, jalapenos and sriracha mayo or artery clogging Theo ($12). That’s a double patty, double cheese, bacon, mustard, mayo, tomato sauce, bbq sauce, tomato, lettuce & pickles on a buttered sweet bun. Sweet Jesus.. saying it out like that sounds bad. Did I actually consume all of that? ‘THE’ almighty Theo. I hadn’t realised… but can I just say it was FREAKING AWESOME and worth every penny that triple by-pass is going to cost me. It was so good, that I immediately wanted another.

Shake Shack, Covent Garden London

Posted: November 12, 2013 in American, Burgers, Cheap Eats, Hot Dogs, London
Tags: Burgers, Covent Garden, Double Cheeseburger, Gourmet Burgers, London, Shake Shack, Smoke Shack, Sticky Toffee Concrete, Union Jack Concrete

Originating in NYC, Shake Shack is the all American food chain serving up burgers, hot dogs, shakes, fries and frozen concretes.
It is notoriously known for the following signature items: juicy burgers, concretes, gooey cheese and long windy lines taking it to 34 locations across the globe. Locally, it’s also known for being part in the burger wars with Five Guys in the ultimate burger off in who does the better all American burger?

But most of all, it is the only burger place where each burger served looks exactly like it does in the photo. It is picture perfect!! Follow them on Instagram @shakeshackuk, for your total viewing pleasure…

The secret to their juicy burgers is that it is made from a mysterious beef blend, taking different parts of the cow to make up the patty. The concrete is also widely known to be made from frozen custard and not ice cream! It is called a concrete because when you flip it upside down it stays put like a nice little concrete slab and doesn’t so much as drip.

The patty is 100% Angus beef hormone and antibiotic free, cooked medium unless requested otherwise. What’s not to love?

Stuffed Beaver, Bondi Beach

Posted: October 15, 2013 in American, Bondi, Brunch, Canadian, Cheap Eats, Hot Dogs, Mexican, Sydney - East
Tags: bondi beach, bondi restaurants, Cheap Eats, pictures of food, Restaurant Review, stuffed beaver, Sydney Food Blog, Sydney restaurants

The Stuffed Beaver is an interesting spot. It’s a Canadian inspired joint that dishes up a mixture of Canadian and a Tex-Mex type menu. I’m talking fries, tacos, dogs, burgers and nachos. It’s not 100% Canadian through and through but the staff and the owner are. They do serve the classic poutine which if you’re like me and have never tried this before, is a speciality junk food originating from Quebec, a true emulsion of French Canada. It’s fries served with gravy and cheese curds and it is as it sounds, evil and glorious. The venue has your typical sports bar vibe, great for a cheap eat and groups wanting to share. Everyday they have a dam special. Wing half day Wednesday is their most popular item and I can totally see why.

Drink Better Wine, North Sydney

Posted: June 3, 2013 in American, Hot Dogs, Modern Australian, North Shore, Tapas, Wine Bar
Tags: best restaurants in Sydney, Bottle Shop, Buttermilk Chicken Wings, Drink Better Wine, food porn, food porn nation, Hot Dogs, Lower North Shore Restaurants, Miller Street, North Sydney, North Sydney Wine Cellars, photos of food, pictures of food, Restaurants in Lower North SHore, Sliders, Sydney Food Blog, Sydney Restaurant, Sydney restaurants, Truffle, Truffle Fries, Wine Cellars

Drink Better Wine was conceived so that a bottle shop could operate in the same space as a restaurant. Customers could eat their way through the menu, walk the aisles of the cellar, pick their wine and drink straight from the bottle without paying any corkage.

Since their conception, they have changed their pricing structure to match their online wine prices which is at a significantly reduced cost. To make up for the difference, they now charge a $10 corkage per bottle. I am told that even with the corkage the price still works out to be cheaper. Even so, the sound of not paying corkage versus paying corkage, will always have a better ring to it. Even if this means passing on the savings to the end consumer.

I’m not terribly phased though, good food and good wine awaits me and it will be cheaper too!

Newmarket Hotel, St Kilda Melbourne

Posted: February 23, 2013 in American, Melbourne, Mexican, Wine Bar
Tags: Melbourne Restaurants, Newmarket Hotel, Restaurants in St Kilda, St Kilda

What immediately strikes you about Newmarket Hotel is the impressive use of space. Its industrial urban chic contrasted with a cosy panache.

The space is divided between pub-come-bar-come-restaurant. The decor blends and overlaps one another and its the unmistakable change in scenery that marks the separation.

Pub/bar-goers linger around the front courtyard either in park tables or high tables tops. Venture further inside and you will find serious diners located firmly in proper tables and chairs.

The blended approach also takes shape in the menu. It promises a taste of latin, southern and californian influences. The menu reads so well that you wonder if you’re ever going to get out of there without ordering everything that’s on there! Uttering words like truffles, low and slow, 36 months matured and garlic chips. Everything reads deliciously that I just want to eat their words!

The bone marrow taco is unctuous. A gooey buttery mush with the chimichurra playing a helping hand in intensifying the flavours. I had it ‘with’ and ‘without’ the taco and preferred the marrow on its own. It didn’t require any meddling with the robust flavours of the spicy bbq brisket. It was simply gorgeous on its own. However at ($24) for three, our individual marrow piece came out on the smaller side and was no larger than an inch.

A healthy portion of the field mushrooms ($9) melded beautifully with the drizzled dollops of jalapeno crema and crunchy garlic chips. Both added texture, salty and umami notes to this earthy dish.

The Dip @ Good God Small Club

Posted: November 3, 2012 in American, Cheap Eats, Chinatown, Sydney City
Tags: American, dude food

For the ultimate dude food experience, make way to The Dip @ Good God Small Club.

As one of Top 10 Bar foods in the 2012 Good Food Guide, it also happens to be situated right next to a perfectly good watering hole, where jug after jug keeps going MIA and you’re the culprit.

A perplexing experience all round, it is part club, part bar and part diner.

With the music reverberating through your ear drums. Your wannabe Havana night club-come-diner is littered with fake ferns, fairy lights and neon signs dazzling you every way you turn. Its over-the-top and just beyond random, that you kind of can’t help but embrace it… and give it a whirl.

We unanimously decide on the chilli fries with beef and cheese and we feel like we’re no way near hungover enough to be here. But, what the hey?

Chips are thick, soft and borderline soggy which is my kind of chip.

Covered in minced beef and cheese, these fries are very good in that dirty dodgy kind of way.

Next up, Dylan orders up the dynamite chili dog and his silence really says it all. As soon as he comes up for air, he is quick to declare his satisfaction with the dog.

The young cheezy is everything you could hope for in a dirty vile way. That I still yearn for it every single day.

It’s meaty, it’s soggy and my god is it cheesey… I would happily go there to be defiled all over again.

These wings taste exactly like the wings they have at Hooters. Is it wrong that I know that?

The wings are tasty, with a healthy dose of vinegar and a touch of spice for added kick. The ranch dressing also sits really nicely with it smothered on top and double dipped. YUM-o.

While tasty, the Jug of Pimm’s just needed another decent glug (or two) of alcohol.

The pulled pork nachos was easily the weakest link. The salsa was lacking in that fresh intensity you would normally expect.

While the promise of the 12 hour smoked pulled pork was disappointing. Not only in the amount that was provided but it was dry and was void of the smokey notes that one would expect from a pig being up in the big smoke for 12 hours.

Overall, a fun experience. Great for a cheap hang out with your groupies. Food is good and chock full of carbs and fat. Which makes going to gym, all kinds of worth it.

Welcome to The Dip, for dude food that’s worth it.

The Dip @ Goodgod Small Club

02 9283 8792

55 Liverpool St
Sydney, NSW 2000