Fork & Screen AMC Downtown Disney

I have been dying to go to Fork & Screen at Downtown Disney since I heard about. Finally about a week ago I was able to go. Make sure you look on the website and buy your tickets ahead of time for the best possible seating and to check times of the movies.

Ok-so now I get inside the theatre and seats are assigned. It is a smaller theatre, which I think is nice. There is a stationary table in front of you with a button to push to call the wait staff. 

When it comes to deciding what to eat there are plenty of items on the menu. It's not fancy, but comparable to a Chili's, Friendly's, or AppleBee's food. I had the thai chicken tenders with fries, which I thought were very tasty. Every plate is around 12 dollars so its nothing extravagant. 

I believe the idea is there and it was executed well. Of course drinks are overpriced, but what do you expect. I wouldn't go all the time, but it was a nice experience. If your looking for something fun to do with family, a friend, or loved one-why not dinner and a movie-it's something everyone can enjoy. 

Filomena's Italian Restaurant DC

I almost forgot to write about this restaurant--and I don't know how I could forget-Filomena's Italian Restaurant-it's in historic Georgetown in DC. This place was voted one of the best Italian Restaurants and I can vouch for this!!! This place has been in operation since 1983.

This restaurant is frequented by many famous people-just take a close look at the menu-The Restaurant that's known by the company it keeps! First some fresh bread and olive oil-always a staple italian dish

Appetizer? One of my favorites that will never get old-calamari-espesically if it's cooked well. This calamari was crispy and tasted great.

Now what should I order for my meal-the menu just went on and on- I settled on the homemade ravioli in the lobster sauce with shrimp and scallops. I was a little weary about lobster sauce, but OMG-this dish was so good. The ravioli just melted in my mouth. It was a large dish and I couldn't even finish it.

Nick had the veal with pasta-I'm not a big veal fan so I did not try it, but he said it was very tender. The presentation was nice. 

Now, do I have room for dessert? Ofcourse!! You never have to ask me twice about dessert. First they brought out two carafes- one with sambuca and another with anisette. My father always loved to put sambuca in his coffee on special occasions. I tried the anisette, which is very sweet. 

We decided to split a piece of tiramisu. I only tried this dessert once before and I was not a fan. This time I decided to give it a second chance and I was very glad that I did. It was amazing. The flavors blended very nicely and it was freshly made. The piece was large and I was filling up fast. 

If you are in the DC area I recommend Filomena's for a nice evening out. I always enjoy trying a mom and pop's restaurant over a chain, especially in an area I've never been to before. Filomena's has a rich history they share with the public one dish at a time. 

Future of the Food Industry

            Things change in our society at a fast pace. The restaurant industry changes, but not as quickly. Things become trendy and eventually die out or trends change depending on the neighborhood. I’ll discuss a few trends to come and ones I believe that pretty popular today.

            With the revolution of the ipad, throw out your paper menus, restaurants and servers alike have begun to use the ipad to take orders or for customers to see the menu. Having digital formats allows easier changes and businesses are being greener! Another hot item I’ve seen is called the square. This device can be attached to any iphone or ipad to take payment. A receipt can be e-mailed or sent via text message to a customer. It’s become very popular in the food truck world, where many businesses were only able to accept cash.

            Trends in the restaurant industry are due to change, but some of the biggest currently are local food sourcing, microbreweries, and the expansion of the children’s menu. Local food sourcing coming to restaurants has been a pretty exciting trend. Having restaurants buy from local farmers is great for the community. The locals support restaurants that buy local. Microbreweries have become huge. These microbreweries only create a certain amount of each beer. People love the uniqueness of each brew that is created. World of Beer and House of Beer are two franchises that have taken off with this concept, numerous microbrews and beers from around the world. Children’s menu has now started to reflect adult menus. The time where mac and cheese was offered is long past. Adults like seeing dishes off the regular menu being offered on the children’s menu.

            For the near future I see many restaurants being more digital friendly. Possibly, being able to order your food online before you get to the restaurant. Restaurants will expand to different avenues and have food trucks to reach a wider range of people. Food trends will continue to change with the taste of society. I look forward to what the future of food may hold. 

Capital City Brewing Company DC

I was in the downtown area for an appointment I had. After my appointment, I took a walk to meet up with Nick. He had settled in at the Capital City Brewing Company to cool down from the heat wave DC was having and watch some sports on TV. Capital City was the first brew pub to open after prohibition in DC.

Above you see the local menu. Nick must have walked in on the right day because it was $2 pints! Nick was really enjoying him here. When I joined him I tried the Kolsch. I like the lighter beers. Starting at 4pm to 7pm selected appetizers are $5! I'm down.

We opted for the crab dip and loaded nachos. The nachos were really good with just the right amount of toppings. The crab dip was served nice and hot. Good bar food with great company. Can't get much better than that!

Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe & Grill DC

I past Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe the evening before. I even read some reviews of this place on Urbanspoon. I still was a little weary-book store, but it also had a cafe? This place could go either way, but this menu was pretty serious. Once inside-there is even a full bar!! Wow! Head all the way to the back and theres plenty of tables and outdoor seating.

This is what the back of the cafe looks like. I like all of the glass windows. It was time for me to wake up and have some breakfast. I went for the brie, basil, and tomatoe omelet.

I love fresh ingredients. The tomato's were just ripe. Nick had the banana french toast. I loved they put walnuts in the syrup.

I had a bite and it was delicious. The bacon was cooked prefect for me... just a bit crispy. I hate bacon that is floppy and not crisp. I would love to spend half of my day here enjoying a good book and some more of their food. Eat up!

Open City DC

I arrived into DC late Monday night, but still anxious to see the town I explored the area where I was staying and stumbled upon Open City. There was a nice seating area outside, but needing to get relief from the heat I opted to go inside. When I walked it-I wasn't sure what to expect-a huge pastry case, bar, and then a large seating area. This def isn't your average diner.

Nick and I were pretty hungry. We were looking at some humus for an appetizer, but our server Connie suggested the bacon dip. Ok-we'll give it a try. BEST dip EVER! Applewood smoked bacon, artichoke, spinach, and roasted garlic. Melt in my mouth!

We were still not full-so what do we order-late night- BBQ Chicken pizza. 

Obviously you can see we were digging in before I could get a shot of the pizza. The pizza had a thin crust which I really enjoyed. Reminded me of pizza I would get up north at home. Successful evening with a full stomach! 

Graffiti Junktion- Best Burgers?

Looking for that mouth watering burger? Try out Graffiti Junktion with 2 locations in Orlando. Last night I was at the one in College Park. This place is just as it name states-graffiti everywhere. Sit a picnic table that has been tagged and stare at one of the many flat screen tvs plastered everywhere you look. The menu is pretty basic-BURGERS! I had the brotherly love burger-shrooms, onions, and provolone cheese. They load you up with fries and the burgers are pretty darn big!

Don't let my review be the judge. Go check out Graffiti Junktion for yourself. Let me know what you think about the burgers. Eat up!

First Watch Breakfast

Being from Jersey-I am a huge fan of dinners, especially for breakfast. When I moved to Florida I lost all hope of finding some decent breakfast eateries. Finally, I have come across some, the newest, First Watch. Known as your daytime cafe, this is the new and approved Denny's and Ihop that offers fresh fruits and healthy options. First Watch opens at 7am for all you early birds and closes at 2:30pm.

I have to say-I was very impressed. The coffee was actually very good and they leave the pot on your table so you don't have to wait for a refill. The menu has lots of great options. Breakfast is served the whole time, but they also have a lunch menu-which looked just as great as the breakfast I had.

 Above is what Nick had-

Key West Crepe 

Turkey, avocado, bacon, tomatoes and Monterey Jack cheese. Topped with sour cream. Served with salsa on the side. 

I had this-

Bacado™ 

Bacon, avocado and melted Monterey Jack cheese, topped with sour cream. Served with a side of homemade salsa

Both dishes were great-now if only this place was open late!! It didn't feel greasy which makes me feel better about eating it. The english muffin was only lightly buttered which was very nice. I totally recommend going here for breakfast over Denny's any day.  Plus this little wrapper around the forks made me smile. 

Have a great day and happy eating!

Melbourne Beach

On my days off that don't include errands, work, or homework I try to unwind by spending a day at the beach. Monday I headed to Melbourne Beach which is near Cocoa Beach (see the photo above for my exact location). It was off the tourist path so there weren't tons of people there which I really enjoy. 

This small stretch of beach even had a place to get some food! Unfortunately, I already bought a sandwich for that day at the beach. Next I will make sure to try Billie's! The weather was so-so, but it's the day away that helps me relax, just listening to the radio and the burying my feet in the sand. 

I did spot a place I was dying to try on my way home...Moo's Soft Serve Ice Cream-the name and what the building looked like got me.

With a tag like "it's udderly delicious" how could you not stop. (Yes I am pretending to bite the giant hot dog-yup thats me) So the menu is basically hot dogs or mini slider burgers, and ice cream. We ordered to coney hot dogs- which were ok, but the banana split was delicious. 

Oh and these people are clever which I love-

Ice Cream drive thru anyone??? Love it! It's the all American way-you can't get much lazier. I love lazy summer days!