Google in talks to buy Yelp?

Hmmm...

Restaurant Charlie - Las Vegas, NV

I went to a conference in Las Vegas earlier this year and haven't reviewed this until now.

Let me start off by saying that I loved every bite of food at Restaurant Charlie. Every bite. I had fish there that surpassed my experiences eating at a restaurant next to the famous Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, which I might add is incredible in itself.

The reason why this place does not get a five is the atmosphere. The ambiance is sleepy. For whatever reason, I did not like sitting in the restaurant at all, even though we had the most beautiful view. Despite delicious course after course, I was itching for the moment to be released from overly subdued atmosphere.

Unlike some of the reviews I've read on Yelp, I thought the service wasn't bad. Our server seemed a bit nervous and awkward, but he was nice and professional. The table-side presentation and nice touch of being all served in one swoop was nice as well.

I cannot even begin to pinpoint what dishes to order, although the trout does stand out in my mind. At my table, we ordered a number of items to try. There were no disappointments. Also, save room for dessert. We had something with honey, although I cannot remember what it was called. It was phenomenal though.

Of all of my fine dining experiences in Las Vegas, the food here was THE BEST. I've been highly disappointed with the food of other famous restaurants in Vegas. Restaurant Charlie had exceptional quality in ingredients and cuts of fish. I give this a thumbs up! I only caution about the ambiance.

Yogilicious: Dallas, TX

3000 Blackburn Avenue • Suite 160
Dallas, Texas 75204
(214) 521-7888
On McKinney Avenue & Blackburn Street

http://www.yogi-licious.com

I'm a fan of this place. I've tried Pinkberry and several of the pinkberry/red mango copy-cat places, and I had a better experience here than any of the others. The flavors were all pretty good. The yogurt was lighter in consistency than at other places, which was a bonus. The flavors that stood out in particular were the plain and cookies and cream.

I like the model of adding your own toppings and weighing, rather than be constricted by two or three toppings. BTW, graham cracker grounds are a nice compliment to the yogurt.

In any case, thumbs up in my book.

Tei Tei Dallas, TX

I'm not going to review this one on yelp because I can't justify giving it a four, but I don't want to give it a three either but it fits somewhere in there.

It has been a long time since I have written. Trust me, there are many places I would have liked to blog about but it has been a bit hectic in my life lately. I am trying to get back into the groove of things though.

This entry has nothing to with Atlanta. After recommendations from friends and a bit of help from Yelp, we ended up at a place called Tei Tei Robata Bar located on North Henderson. The area seems to be a center of good eats, or at least restaurants with many people lined up to get in. The restaurant wasn't incredibly large, but there was a separate bar area where you could drink and have appetizers while waiting for a table, and be enticed by the smokey aromas of the grill.

It was a fun environment with an attentive staff and friendly manager. This certainly helped with the experience because the food did not live up to the recommendations. Off night? I'm not sure. The food was still good and I'd probably be willing to try it again. Also, in all fairness, we had all recently returned from Japan. (unfair comparison)

I think the best course of the night was the sea bass.

All in all, I'd like to try this place some time again in the future. I wasn't particularly "wowed" by anything on the night we went, but I think it has potential. The restaurant was formerly part of another group (with one called Teppo) so it appears that perhaps they are trying to find their bearings right now. The staff also seem quite passionate for the restaurant, so I'm hoping for better on return. As for now, it is a bit more trendy and glam than solid good eats. It is worth a try for a fun night though.

Easter Brunch @ Sweet Melissas 3/5

There were so many places with Easter brunch that sounded pretty good. I wasn't sure if I was going to be in town so we didn't make reservations anywhere. Rather than try to find a place with a spot, we decided on trying Sweet Melissa's in Downtown Decatur. I can't really say I'd eat there again, although the food wasn't BAD. It just wasn't anything that I am going to yearn for again. Aside from the very nice servers, the place does not seem deserving of the good reviews on Yelp and others.

They also had some live music, which was fine. Not too loud.

We ended up trying both recommendations from the server...some Mad Platter and the Sunrise scramble. We also ordered a biscuit due to the reviews as well as some cheese grits. I'd give this place a 3 when you consider the nice service and all, but I wouldn't recommend it. Honestly, I'd rather eat breakfast at the hospital where I'm doing my rotation this month.

Trying to pick things up...

I'm trying to get back to this blog after a long hiatus. I've been so busy in the past year. I didn't even realize anyone had read this thing until I noticed a few comments people had left me from over half a year ago. Wow! How exciting! My first comments...woohoo!

I also recently opened up a twitter account, which I hope makes keeping up with all of this easier.

I'm pretty excited about the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show

So behind...

I haven't written in a long time. Things have been for lack of better words...CRAZEEE!! That is not to say that I haven't eaten good food or had anything to say. I'll update soon.