Trisha F.'s Profile

Staying at the nearby NY Hilton in search of food that wasn't going to cost the promise of my first born child, we wandered around the corner to the Oldcastle Pub on the suggestion of a New Jersey colleague.  

For the price and what we got, it was pretty good.  Nice serving sizes that didn't leave me feel totally gouged on the price.  We received prompt refills on our sodas and friendly service from the waitress.  It was a nice meal and one of the few I had in NYC where I left stuffed!

We went back with another group a couple nights later at the end of the conference we were attending and the service wasn't quite as good with a larger group in the upstairs area.  We witnessed a waitress spill full beers on a girl at a neighboring table not once, but twice.  Our service was a bit slow, but I know they were much busier that night and for a Tuesday night it might have been overkill for them.

I'd still go back there if staying in the same area for what I felt was one of the best deals I got on food while in NYC, aside from street vendors!

It's like nostalgia in my mouth!

Those were my words to my husband as I slowly savored my red skin mashed potatoes... they were perfect, just like my mother makes.  I'm no stranger to Shari's... with my in-laws living in Oregon, I've been to a few over the last 8 years.  Don't get me wrong, growing up in the Bay Area I'm an old school lover of Baker's Square, but Shari's is a great substitution.

The service was great, and the pie was delicious.  We had the sample platter, which was crispy and good.  The husband had the pot roast and said it was damn good.  My hot turkey sandwich was great as well, with the terrific mashed potatoes and great Texas toast bread - toasty and soft at the same time.  

Also, this place has two awesome features - wireless internet and 24 hours.  I know I'll definitely be back to work from there on afternoons with some soda and pie and free wi-fi!

I love Cosmos Caramel Corn!  I don't even like caramel corn and I love this stuff.  I found it first at the Spring Festival in Alameda, then again at the Walnut Creek Art & Wine fair.  

Luckily my father-in-law's business in Eugene is right around the corner from their store and factory, so on a trip up to see family we had to stop in and try some of the flavors that they didn't bring down to the California fairs.  I can highly recommend the Macarooned in Space, and I'm personally a fan of the lighter coated variety, Grandma's.

Very pleasant people, and an awesome product!  I highly recommend if you're in the Eugene area stopping by and picking up a bag, or scoping them out at local street fairs!

I was very surprised to find a repair shop in Hilltop Mall, let alone one with such knowledgeable staff who do such good work!

I had a small laundry list of things I needed fixed on my engagement ring - after having it for 8 years the main stone was loose, I'd lost one of the 3 diamond chips, and the spacer I had put on around the holidays was now too tight.

I was happy when the estimate to fix these things was right around my hoped for price, $55.  The jeweler looked at it & determined that the chip was missing because the small tine had broken, and assured me he could fix it.  And it would take about 3 hours to be finished.

After walking the mall & killing time I returned to a shiny fixed ring!  I'm very happy with the work they did and the time frame and price.  They also do Custom Design, Mountings, Engraving, and Appraisals.  I highly recommend their work and, despite not living nearby, I'll be going back if I need any jewelry repair done!

I was pleasantly surprised by my dinner at Mimi's Cafe.  I ordered a very familiar dish with me - a hot turkey sandwich.  It was great - and I simply LOVED their mashed potatoes.  They were just how I'd make them and season them myself, with maybe a little more pepper than I'd like but still great.

I have to also give them kudos on their vegetables.  Most restaurants overcook broccoli but these were tender yet still had some crispness and were great.  

I have but one complaint, and it's just that their raspberry iced tea is regular iced tea with like a raspberry syrup when I was expecting something more like Nestea.  Otherwise, delightful!

The first time I was there was during a week day with a coworker for lunch.  Service was good, the food was good, and there was maybe only one or two other tables of customers there that day - it was a bit later than your average lunch hour.  I had no complaints.

The second time I went was dinner, and while the food was good (though I think they made a happy mistake) the service was lacking.  I ordered fettuccine Alfredo, which was not actually made with fettuccine noodles but with wide egg noodles.  It was really good, and I actually don't think it would have been as good with smaller fettuccine noodles.  

The service was slow, and between two servers they weren't even working together, bringing drinks twice and bread twice, things like that.  At the end of our meal the server was trying to make smalltalk and when my husband and I responded to her questions about what we did & my husband's schooling, she really showed how little she knew about much anything and it was a bit depressing lol.

I may give it another try or try another location, but for now, I'd consider this Pasta Pomodoro just OK.

I'm no world traveler, but McCarran is one of my favorite airports, if not my MOST favorite.

There's always something to do there, and the carousels for luggage are convenient and right by the shuttles and taxi area.  This airport is well designed for the newbie traveler, and always a breeze to go through.

The gambling, while some love it, is okay - like I said, it at least gives you something to do to pass the time in the terminal.  But there are also shops, restaurants, and bars to occupy your time as well.  It's just a well laid out airport.

How can you beat dueling pianos?

OK, they weren't "dueling", more like dueting, but it was quality, fun entertainment.  I expected it to be cheesy, but it was two younger guys who had fun with the cheese!

Oh yeah, and there was food.  And it was good.  The service was incredibly slow, and the food was just OK.  I was hoping for a better selection, but if you're into typical Irish pub food and oogling some Hooter's-like waitresses with a good selection of beer, this is your place.  It's right in the Mardi Gras area where they have the show in the sky, so every 20 minutes or so you get that shenanigan going on outside.  

But you didn't go to Vegas for a nice, quiet meal and conversation, did you?

I can't believe I forgot to review this place after I went!

Excellent buffet.  It really does have everything a girl could want.  When waiting in a long line and never having been there before, the price of $25 seemed really steep to me - but I was assured by my companion that it was well worth the money.

Oh boy was it.  They have a section for the major varieties of cuisine - Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, seafood, American, and Desserts (maybe more).  I was able to fill my plate - which is sometimes difficult being a picky eater that doesn't trust a dish if it looks like it has just 1 ingredient I may not like.

The wait staff is awesome as well.  I don't think I've ever had such good service (beverages, plate clearing) at any buffet before.  The guy was even offering to take pictures for the parties nearby, pulled out chairs for the ladies, etc.  Superbly nice fellow, well worth the tip!

The dessert was to die for - normally when I think buffet I think dried out cakes and puddings, but this had quality pastries and the special when I was there was a bananas foster - OMG!  Delicious!

I'm going to be staying at the Rio again in January and I think I just might have to not eat for a day and gorge myself on the awesomeness that is the Carnival World Buffet!

A bit pricey, but the quality of food was excellent.  My husband and I had a nice dinner with a lovely view of the water & boats, although not the most scenic in the area.  The atmosphere was very nice on the main dining level, and the service was good and prompt.

For an intimate dinner or gathering of friends, I'd definitely go here again as it wasn't crowded and was a great dining experience.