Atmosphere: Peter Luger has been in existence for over a century and has been rated as one of the top steakhouses in New York for the past 3 decades. The steakhouse has been awarded one Michelin star and is a Brooklyn institution drawing regulars and tourists alike. Our reservation was for the first seating of the day at lunch. We took the train to Brooklyn and recognized a few couples later in the dining room. The restaurant simply oozed charm from bowtied waiters to tudor style dining rooms lit with gold chandeliers. I loved the bare wood tables, which soaked up grease like a sponge and the menus with handwritten prices. Dress code ranged from casual to Sunday brunch.

Service: When we visited, reservations were only taken via phone and organized by hand on a giant schedule. Today, reservations can be made through their website up to 6 weeks in advance. Taking a look, there was plenty of availability for parties of 2 at lunch, even the day of but very limited dinner spots within the 6 week window. A portion of the dining room is still held for phone reservations and walk-ins.

Our server was friendly and happy to let us snap a few photos before he served the steak on to our plates. He chatted with us briefly and checked in on us throughout the meal. There was always a server present in the dining room keeping an eye on diners without being obtrusive.

Note that Peter Luger does not accept credit cards or Canadian debit cards. Cash would be the way to go.

Food: As Stephen and I read through the menu, our server brought over a bread basket with soft buns, two pats of butter and a gravy boat of steak sauce. One of the main reasons I wanted to secure a lunch reservation was to try the Luger Burger. We debated between ordering the Steak for Two or Rib Steak and settled on the smaller option. I’m glad we chose the single steak as it was still more than enough to share.

Cooked to a beautiful medium rare, the rib steak was simply mouth watering. I loved the heavy char and the fat cap was exquisite. The taste of the aged beef was meaty and complemented by the house steak sauce. My burger was hefty, served on a sesame seed bun with thick cut fries. Following orders from the Eater article praising the Luger burger, I skipped the bacon and cheese options and stuck to the basics. It was a good burger, meaty, so juicy, well seasoned and perfectly charred. This was the kind of burger that I want to sink my teeth into when I’m craving a burger.

Overall, lunch at Peter Luger was delicious and incredibly satisfying. We don’t go out for steak much anymore as Stephen’s technique gets better and better, but this meal was well worth the trip.

In May of this year my sister in law had her first child, an adorable baby boy. She lives in Minnesota and due to the timing of her pregnancy, her and her husband weren’t able to fly back for my wedding this summer. The Hubby and I couldn’t wait to meet his nephew and planned a weekend trip to visit them over Labour Day weekend. While in town we spent an afternoon at the Minnesota State Fair, a 12 day event and the second largest state fair in the US. The CNE doesn’t even come close in comparison, it would be like comparing an ant to an anthill or a box of strawberries to an entire strawberry field. It was a 15 minute walk just from the parking lot to the fairgrounds. There were streets and streets filled with food vendors, MULTIPLE food buildings, and city blocks filled with rides and attractions.

For me, the main attraction was of course, the food and all the neon signs were overwhelming. Right off the bat, I sank my teeth into a foot long corndog. While The Hubby and I attempted to share the battered treat, my brother in law lined up for a tray of crab fritters, served with spicy mayo. With two deep fried dishes down, we stopped for a beer (and root beer) break. Perfect with beer? Garlic Fries. Not so perfect for any intimate encounters though. These hand cut fries were loaded with buttery minced garlic topping.

After the salty fries, we went back to sweet with deep fried buckeyes on a stick. The stick had four buckeyes, balls of peanut butter fudge dipped in chocolate, that was dipped in funnel cake batter and deep fried. I couldn’t imagine eating a whole one to myself, this was ridiculously sweet. More so than any deep fried chocolate bar I’ve ever had. With everyone reeling from the sugar high, the next snack needed to be salty.

The fried pickles from The Perfect Pickle were the best I’ve ever had. Each disc had a 2-1 batter to pickle ratio, were super crunchy with a burst of sour pickle juice. Dipped in dill sauce, I would eat these all the time. At the bar, at home playing video games, at a baby shower, really, so good. Another fair food that I fell in love with were deep fried cheese curds. I’ve never seen these at the CNE but I hear they are available. These were like mini mozzarella sticks with a lighter batter and more cheesy. Next year, I’ll be on the hunt for them at the CNE.

Our parade of deep fried goodness ended with a bag of mini sugar donuts, similar to how I usually end my CNE visits with a bag of Tiny Toms.

Disney has a special place in my heart and still makes up 50% of the movies I own today. My first visit to Disney World was with family in 2009. We rode every ride and chased down every character. When the BF and I started talking about vacation this year, I suggested a return trip during the off season because he hasn’t been since high school (and I wanted to check out new Fantasyland). The pace of this trip was much more relaxed and the food, oh my god the food. Disney really does have some amazing restaurants with beautiful decor.

These were my top 5 eats from this trip:

1. Set Menu with Wine Pairing @ Victoria and Albert’s: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
   • In the Top 3 meals I’ve ever eaten, worth the price tag, 7 courses
   • Lovely atmosphere, amazing service, live harpist (!), so many wine pairings, personalized souvenir menus
   • Every dish was amazing and so beautifully presented
2. Beef Short Rib @ Jiko – The Cooking Place: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
   • African influenced cuisine, loved the strong spices and melt in your mouth beef
3. Chocolate Souffle @ Shula’s Steakhouse: 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd, The Swan Resort
   • Light, moist, gooeyness – order at the start of the meal because they take 30 mins
   • Served with Creme Anglaise, Ice Cream and Whipped Cream
4. Tonga Toast @ Kona Cafe: Disney’s Polynesian Resort
   • Large cube of sour dough french toast, stuffed with bananas, rolled in cinnamon and served with a strawberry compote
   • Filling and indulgent, great way to energize for a day at the park
5. Eats @ Epcot Food and Wine Festival: Epcot Park
   • Annual event beginning in September and lasting until November
   • Includes special food events, performances and booths representing foods all around the world
   • Also for pin collectors, Epcot offers limited edition pins during the festival

The BF has been working Boston over the past year but hasn’t really had a chance to explore the city. I flew down with him for a quick weekend trip of eating between tourist stops.

These were my top 5 eats from this trip:

1. Lobster Roll @ Neptune Oyster: 63 Salem St
   • The hot butter lobster roll was out of this world, we ate a lot of lobster that weekend and I still have dreams about this
   • No reservations, there will be a line, there will be a wait, there is only 37 seats inside
   • Show up before they open (11am) and walk around the nearby Quincy market after leaving your name and number
2. Lobster Roe Noodles @ Island Creek Oyster Bar: 500 Commonwealth Ave
   • Amazing, creamy, flavourful sauce with house-made pasta
   • The lobster roe is in the pasta itself and then topped with braised short ribs and more lobster
3. Fresh Oysters @ Island Creek Oyster Bar: 500 Commonwealth Ave
   • Great selection of Massachusetts and Maine oysters
   • Try the Gypsy Juice!
4. Fire Grilled Lobster @ Barking Crab: 88 Sleeper St
   • Well themed, on the wharf, great view
   • First time having lobster cooked this way and loved the smokey flavour
   • Great daily specials (we ate 4lbs of crab legs in addition to this lobster…)
5. Chocolate Cannoli @ Maria’s Pastry Shop: 48 Cross St
   • Each cannoli is filled on order, choice of chocolate, vanilla or sweetened ricotta cheese
   • Flaky, crunchy, rich and just the right amount of sweetness

One of my best friends moved to Houston in 2012 for work. There was only one thing a good friend could do, make sure to visit and gain at least 5lbs.

These were my top 5 eats from this trip:

1. Seafood Gumbo @ Goode Company Seafood: 10211 Katy Freeway
   • With all the options, we ate here twice in 5 days
   • Rich, warming, full of crab, shrimp and oyster!
2. Chicken and Waffles @ The Breakfast Klub: 3711 Travis St
   • Best fried chicken I’ve ever had with a crispy waffle
   • There will be a line, it’s worth the wait
3. Armadillo Eggs @ T-Bone Toms: 707 Texas 146, Kemah Texas
   • Featured on Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives; pickled jalapeno stuffed with BBQ brisket and deep fried, served with ranch dressing
4. Steak Night @ Under the Volcano: 2349 Bissonnet St
   • Can’t visit Texas without steak, many places have steak nights thoughout the week that are great deals
   • Monday night, $17 for 16 oz ribeye, salad, mashed potatoes and flan for dessert, from 6pm-9pm
5. BBQ @ Goode Company BBQ: 8911 Katy Freeway
   • The jalapeno cheese bread, buttery slices of amazing
   • There’s brisket, ham, sausage, ribs, turkey, chicken, order by the pound, make your own plate or get a combo

My first time in New York City was back in 2011 for a weekend of food and theater. I didn’t get to hit all of the stops on my wishlist but for two days, we fit in a lot of stops.

These were my top 5 eats from this trip:

1. Pizza @ Patsy’s Pizza: 318 West 23rd St 
   • Amazing thin crust, choose your own fresh toppings
2. Katz’s Pastrami Sandwich @ Katz’s Delicatessen: 205 East Houston Street
   • Thick layers of fatty pastrami on rye with mustard, straightforward and delicious
3. Ramen @ Totto Ramen: 366 W 52nd St
   • Amazing creamy broth, savoury garlic paste, generous toppings and great noodles
4. Dinner @ Dovetail: 103 West 77th St
   • $52 set 3 course meal, every Sunday
   • Michelin star meal of the trip, amazing ambiance, service and food
   • Right by Central Park
5. Lunch @ Maze by Gordon Ramsey: 151 West 54th St
   • $29 set 3 course meal, French based cuisine with a hint of Asian flare
   • Great price for a memorable meal