Saturday, May 23, 2015

"B" is for THE BRANDON- Carlton

Tucked away in suburban Carlton was this gem. Throw in an open fire, the footy on the TV and no pokies in sight and you have the makings of a good pub on a rainy, cold Saturday night. 

Now, could the food deliver????

A Parma of course for Mr X


and fish 'n chips for Ms X

and a banana split to finish!

Mr X scored it a 7

Ms X was more generous with an 8

Monday, March 16, 2015

"A" is for THE ALBION- Port Melbourne

                   It was the 'opening night' of our NEW Alphabet Eats which would see us visiting pubs alphabetically. 
Mr X was first cab off the rank so expectations were high. Our house was also being used for a dinner to which we weren't invited, so we also needed to prolong the night as much as possible.... maybe an entree?
Garlic toast and arancini balls
Fettucini pollo for Mr X whilst Ms X decided to do a 'George Costanza' and do the opposite to what she would normally do and order the meatloaf! The meatloaf was advertised as their 'signature dish'.It was worth hanging your hat on!

Mr X:    7      Ms X:     6

Thursday, February 26, 2015

NEW DIRECTIONS for Alphabet Eats!

Now that we have completed our original journey, we have decided to set a new course.



This will keep some of the features of the original however will introduce some new rules:


1. Pubs will be chosen in alphabetical order with Mr X beginning.

2. To the best of each participant's knowledge, neither Mr or Ms X will have already frequented the place.

3. Scores will be a single figure awarded out of 10 by each.

4. Pubs can be chosen from across Victoria


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

"Z" is for Zambia

So now Ms and Mr X finally find themselves at the end of their 'alphabet-eats' journey. And, with the last letter of the alphabet, it was never going to be easy.

Thank goodness for the west that provides such a multicultural menu for us westies.
'Safari' Union Rd Ascot Vale- Africa- Zambia!










Complimentary traditional soup provided a welcome touch. Mr X liked it so much he had Ms X's portion as well! 










Spegheti with chicken steak (spelt correctly according to the menu)





FADARATION- sizzling lamb hotplate with vegies

It's not fancy , however that is the charm of the place. Simple food but tasty and, to quote those MKR and Mastercheffers, you get the feeling it was 'them on a plate' and 'made with plenty of love'.




Scores:             Ms X                Mr X

Ambience          6                      4
Parking             9                      9
Service             8                      8
Value               6                      8
Food                5                      7


Total - 70



Friday, November 28, 2014

Monday, November 24, 2014

"X is for ? " Hmmm "X is for an eX country!"

You guessed it, we were desperate.
Should we have a country with X in the name........Mexico?
             Should we ditch it altogether?
                           or should we have an eX country?
What a good idea, so how about the country formerly known as.......

SIAM?


What a great idea!  Mr and Ms X LOVE Thai. off to 'AT SIAM' on Kooyong Rd, Caulfield.

First impressions let us think that maybe we were at the wrong place. Maybe we had stumbled into a smart Italian ristorante. The decor did not scream Thai to us. Discerning crockery, cutlery and glassware were all ready for us on the white tableclothed tables. There were more staff than diners so we were sure to receive attentive service.
For entree we opted for the mixed entree. Beautifully presented and very tasty. 

Was that the Beatles music playing in the background...... maybe they stopped off to record in Bangkok before heading to India to visit with the Mahareeshi?
For main course , the Alphabet eaters had to refrain from ordering the special...... LAMB SHANKS (in Massaman curry sauce though)
Ms X had the Soft Shell Crab with a Green Apple Salad. Yummo
Mr X had the Drunken Noodles with chicken whilst listening to Elton serenade him..... Bangkok connection as well we guess.



Score:                            MS X                   MR X
Ambience                        4                      3
Parking                           9                       9
Service                            8                       7
Value                               7                       6
Food                               7                        6

TOTAL: 69


Sunday, November 23, 2014

"W"........... is for Western Samoa

"W" is for Western Samoa, and yes, there is no Western Samoa anymore, and yes, there are no Western Samoan restaurants in Melbourne. So where does one go then, to experience such a South Pacific culinary delight? Easy.....to the Melbourne suburb of Maribyrnong and a little hidden treasure called "Western Samoa on Village Way", a 'pop-up' eatery that happens to be the home of Mr and Mrs X!


Of course, Mrs X had no idea that Mr X had spent all that week planning, buying preparing and secretly cooking for the big night, so when it came to getting ready, they did everything as per normal, even getting into the car and driving around the block and pulling up outside their house, to which Mr X blurted out "We're here"! 

Whilst driving around the block, Mr and Mrs X's daughter had been racing around and decorating the outside eatery with "Western Samoan" regalia, complete with music, candles, menus and costumes, so when Mrs X walked in her look was worth a thousand alohas!


Once seated, a brief history of the former island paradise was read out, complete with the facts that famous Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson died and is buried there, and that the economy is still dependent on money sent home by its workers abroad. Not only were Mrs and Ms X salivating with the aromatic odurs eminating from the kitchen , but there were being educated as well.

Pre-dinner drinks were then served, a watermelon drink called Vaimeleni, where the recipe called for all ingredients to be fresh! They were. A side snack of Western Samoan Doritos even made it to the table to compliment the strawberry and pineapple thirst quencher.

Entree followed, with Sapa Sui (Samoan Chop Suey) where the recipe stated that this dish was cheap, delicious and fast to prepare. It also said that, being Samoan, there would be enough to feed an army. They were right.


Main course was Kale Moa (Samoan chicken), and again there was enough to feed the whole neighbourhood.
And, true to Alphabet Eats style, (there shouldn't have been any room .....but there surprisingly was), the night concluded with sweets, a traditional dish called Puligi, a Samoan coconut pudding.


There's no doubting the Alphbet Eats team, because where there's a will there's a way. The former Western Samoans (and even the current ones) would have been proud of them!

Score:        Mr X.........Mrs X.....................PRICELESS!!!!!