Waffle House

After a long day of shopping, we decided to stop by at the Waffle House.  We don't usually get to stop in unless we're seeing family.  The food service is fast and the food is tasty.  Pictured above is one of their classic waffles.

I actually ordered from the value menu.  I wasn't very hungry, so I had the waffle with hash browns, served with a drink.  The menu item is actually a bowl of grits, but you're allowed to substitute for the hash browns.  I also had them add cheese and mushrooms for a little bit more.   The menu calls this hash browns, scattered, covered, and capped.

My husband felt like ordering a salad, so he had the Chicken Apple Pecan salad. 

Breakfast is always tasty, and it's great that the Waffle House serves it twenty-four hours a day.  I have fond memories of going to the chain when my family drove to Florida when I was a kid.   I'm glad we decided to eat there tonight.

Benihana

Today we went out to Benihana with family.  We had never gone before.  Admittedly, sushi is one of my favorite things to eat.   My husband was also curious about the chain because it was heavily mentioned in Chuck, the television series.  Apparently, one of the main characters has a dream to be a chef at Benihana's.  We saw it at the mall, and we just had to go.

We just happened to arrive during Happy Hour.  I thought Happy Hour only happened on weekdays.  The rolls we ordered were about half price due to the Happy Hour specials. 

The picture above is a Dragon Roll.

Here are some California Rolls.

The tray above is a Rainbow Roll.  The other one is the Crunchy Shrimp Roll.

I also ordered a Salmon Hand Roll.

The prices were extremely reasonable.  I highly recommend going during Happy Hour, which goes until 5 pm on Saturday.

Next to Normal

We just saw Next to Normal at the Beck Center.  Absolutely amazing!   I don't think I've cried so hard at a theater in my life.  The story is that powerful.  It is a rock musical.  The music is completely appropriate to the feelings expressed in the story.

Next to Normal is about a woman with bipolar disorder and how it impacts the life of her family.   It shows the struggles she experiences with medicines and treatment.   This is a very real portrayal of life with a loved one with mental illness.   I highly recommend seeing this show.  It is playing until April 21.  Also, bring tissues.

March Cupcakes

I was out today and decided to stop by Main Street Cupcakes.  I wanted to try the flavor of the month, blueberry pancake (the round  frosting with powdered sugar).  The cupcakes with the frillier icing are peanut butter and jelly.  I can't wait to try them!

The Market Garden Brewery and Distillery

We just came back from dinner with friends at the Market Garden Brewery and Distillery.  Pictured above is the Potato and Cheese Pierogies, with brussel sprouts, caramelized onion, pork belly, and cider vinegar.  Very tasty.  The pork belly was flavorful and rich.

This was the Friday Fish Fry I ordered.   It comes with two battered pieces, one was big, and the other smaller.  It had a generous portion of fries. which I was more than happy to share.

We actually had room for dessert today!  This was my bread pudding.  Unfortunately, the website for the restaurant doesn't have any descriptions of the desserts.  It had caramel, pecans, and I think some chocolate in there. 

I think my favorite thing I tried tonight was this Champagne Blood Orange Custard.  It had a nice texture and a complex flavor.  Lots of spices.  The white layer on top is white chocolate.

Over all, Market Garden has normal portion sizes.  We did not have any leftovers tonight.  It was fun!

Sister Act The Musical

 Just saw Sister Act The Musical, and it was heavenly funny!  You just can't go wrong with singing and dancing nuns.  

I loved Sister Act when it came to movie theaters in 1992.  Whoopi Goldberg really owned that role.  The actress actually produced this for Broadway, and it definitely carries her unique stamp.

They did change the setting and time for this musical adaptation.  The scene is now Philadelphia, 1978, which allows for a range of disco, funk, soul, and rap music to make sense within the context of the time period.

The music is entirely new, and it really energizes you.   It's wonderful.

 Anyone who enjoyed the movie should watch this.  It really has the same spirit.  Also, that ending has more sparkles and sequins than you can shake a disco ball at.  Truly fun!

Danny Boy's Pizza

At the recommendation by a friend, we went out to Danny Boy's Pizza last night.  We went at about 6:30 on a Friday night, and we only had to wait 10 minutes.  However, we heard people in line being told there was a 30 minute wait after we we already seated.  I guess we got in just before the dinner rush started.

We ordered the Chicago pizza and added mushrooms to it.  The pizza is a deep dish pizza with sausage.

The pizza pictured above is a large, which has 8 slices.  The small has 6 slices.

Most times when I've had a sausage pizza, the sausage is little crumbles sprinkled all across the surface of the pie.   Danny Boy's pizza uses a whole sausage patty that crosses the pizza from end to end.  As you can see above, it is right above the layer of cheese.

These slices are really heavy and filling.   One slice for a person is plenty.  Each of us had one and split a third, leaving 5 servings for later.

The pizza was really tasty and you get a lot of food for your money.  As I write this, I am having a reheated slice.  It reheats well.  I would definitely go back again.  Next time I want to try their pasta and dessert.