Before even stepping in the place, a person may judge it. A little box restaurant with a tired looking parking lot and a few flower boxes trying to freshen up the place. What kind of place is this, you think, somewhere you might pass out from all the bugs rolling around on the plates or a gem hidden behind rough walls and white paint. Well, let me tell you, the outside may not please the eye, but what you find inside you will. Perfect lighting (the kind where everyone looks amazing), classy tall leather chairs, white linens, fresh flowers and Parisian music create an atmosphere that takes your breath away. (I honestly did not expect this place to look classy, but, oh yes it does.) Wait until I get to the food! Before I did step into this classy dining joint, I knew that the price range started at $15 and went on up, so if you decide to go, just remember that. (I wouldn't want you to have to work in the kitchen for the night.)
The menu was full of delicious looking entrees. I chose the New York strip with pommes de frites (a classy way to say fries made by the house). The waitress took my order and returned with sourdough bread and butter. Talk about butterlicious lip smacking sourdough bread! Salt was lightly sprinkled on the butter and when placed on the tangy bread, angels sang in my mouth. The waitress probably thought I was crazy when she came back and found me smiling. A few minutes of swayng to Parisian music later, my food arrived. The 10 ounce steak was covered in a pepercorn sauce and the thin cut fries were sprinkled with herbs. As I cut into the steak, it seemed a little rough around the edges almost like a tube of fat covering the meat, so I decided to cut past it to the center. I made a little square and popped it into my mouth. HOLY SMOKES! Tender, juicy meat with a slightly spicy pepercorn yummy sauce woke up my tastebuds. By the last non-fat covered piece, my tongue had gone into overdrive and begged for mercy for someting a little bland. No quarter was given. Tiny, herbed covered frites were next. They were lightly salted and when swiped in the remaining steak sauces, heaven. As you can probably tell, I absolutely enjoyed my dinner.
Afterwards, I was still a bit hungry. (Not really, I just wanted one of the cute big cream puffs I glanced at when I strolled in.) The waitress brought me my treat. I have to say, the only cream puff I enjoy are the cold ones with cold thick, heavy cream in the middle. This big cream puff was warm with a stiff frosting/cream? in the middle. I only took a bite and when I realized it wasn't what I wanted, I stopped. For some out there, you might enjoy this treat, but for others, no way jose. There were other delightful looking treats in the dessert case though.
I give this restaurant 4 out of 5 cupcakes!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Rose's BBQ
Let's start off with the basics. Rose's BBQ is located on 49 a few minutes south of Hattiesburg. I have always seen it on my way down to the coast, but I haven't had an itching to stop in and try the food. Today, I decided things were going to be different around my house, so I took off in my little car and headed for one of the best smelling gas stations. (Just in case you didn't know, Rose's happened to be in this one). I parked my car and walked in, mouth watering. The first thing I noticed was the yellow signs everywhere screaming about all the food ready to eat. There was a variety from fried chicken to potato logs to corn dogs to ribs and BBQ. (It was every girls dream. Or mine at least.) I grabbed a bottle of water and ordered my meal at the counter.
I ordered the chopped BBQ pork sandwich with potato salad and bakes beans. They made my plate pretty dang fast (which was a good thing because I was starving). I plopped down at a plastic table and stuck my fork in the potato salad. (I have a thing for starting with sides first.) The potato salad was of the mustard variety and it was delicious. The potatos were firm, but not too firm, the relish was just enough, there was just enough mustard to make it tart and thank goodness there were no chopped boiled eggs in it. Next, I dug into the baked beans. It was coloful with green herbs and some small chopped up red stuff. When I tasted it though, it tasted like it was the kind from a can. Now, some canned baked beans are good if you make them properly, but this one wasn't. After two bites, I put the fork down and lifted the pork sandwich to my mouth. The meat was tender and the BBQ sauce was sweet. (The sauce kind of reminded me of sloppy joe sauce). Personally, I did not like the sauce. It was too sweet for me. There was some hot BBQ sauce on the table, so I poured some on the plate for a kick to my tastebuds. (I love spicy!) It tasted more like vinegar and hot sauce put together than any BBQ sauce I have had before. Not so tasty if you catch my drift.
Overall, the potato salad ruled the meal, with the pork coming in far second. Rose's menu is full of stuff that might be better than the BBQ sandwich and people ran in and out ordering the whole time I was there, so there must be something special about the other food. I just wish I had the stomach and cash to try them all.
I give them 3 out of 5 cupcakes.
I ordered the chopped BBQ pork sandwich with potato salad and bakes beans. They made my plate pretty dang fast (which was a good thing because I was starving). I plopped down at a plastic table and stuck my fork in the potato salad. (I have a thing for starting with sides first.) The potato salad was of the mustard variety and it was delicious. The potatos were firm, but not too firm, the relish was just enough, there was just enough mustard to make it tart and thank goodness there were no chopped boiled eggs in it. Next, I dug into the baked beans. It was coloful with green herbs and some small chopped up red stuff. When I tasted it though, it tasted like it was the kind from a can. Now, some canned baked beans are good if you make them properly, but this one wasn't. After two bites, I put the fork down and lifted the pork sandwich to my mouth. The meat was tender and the BBQ sauce was sweet. (The sauce kind of reminded me of sloppy joe sauce). Personally, I did not like the sauce. It was too sweet for me. There was some hot BBQ sauce on the table, so I poured some on the plate for a kick to my tastebuds. (I love spicy!) It tasted more like vinegar and hot sauce put together than any BBQ sauce I have had before. Not so tasty if you catch my drift.
Overall, the potato salad ruled the meal, with the pork coming in far second. Rose's menu is full of stuff that might be better than the BBQ sandwich and people ran in and out ordering the whole time I was there, so there must be something special about the other food. I just wish I had the stomach and cash to try them all.
I give them 3 out of 5 cupcakes.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Cirque du Sweet Day
Hello everyone!
A few weeks back a little shop with cute cupcake cutouts out front opened up. I (Rose) imediately became excited over seeing a new sweet shop open their doors. The first thing I did was grab my friends and head on over. As I walked in, the first thing I wanted to say was ahhhhhhhh. There were black and white tiles on the floor and small decorative tables to eat at. It looked so French.
My friends and I followed the yummy smell of baked goods to the glass counter in the corner. I looked down and was a bit shocked at the small selection they had. There were four different kinds of cupcakes and some cookies. I shrugged (in my head) and decided that perhaps, the cupcakes were their specialty. (I mean they did look delicious.) I ordered the cupcake with white icing and chocolate cake and they gave it to me in a small gift bag (for to go). My friends ordered some other type of cupcakes. Now, onto the trying part (my favorite part). The cake part of the cupcake was a bit dry and bland. The frosting was really (really, really) sweet and it is the kind of frosting where you can still taste the sugar particles. Now, some people might not like a bland cake part, but after tasting the very sweet frosting, I understand why the cake had to be that way. If there was any sweetness in the cake, it would have only been possible to eat one bite. The bland part kept the sweet part in check. In the end the though, I was pretty disapointed that my cupcake dreams were not fulfilled. My friends did not like their cupcakes either. They agreed with my dry and sweet review.
Since going to Cirque du Sweet Day, it has shut down with the promise to re-open soon. This is pretty unusual considering the shop had only been open for one week when I went. Perhaps, the owners had a test trial and they are redoing their recipes (a mental shrug). Anyway, to keep you all up to date, I will go back when they re-open and see if their cupcakes have become heroes.
I give them 1 out of 5 cupcakes.
***UPDATE***
I finally went back to Cirque du Sweet Day after missing opening hours for about a month. The decorations inside were still very cute and I think some delicate looking chairs and tables were added. (As I do have a big butt, I declined to eat in the shop and ate at home because I did not want to risk humilation of falling on the floor in the delicate chair.)
When I arrived home, I opened my cupcake gift. I had picked out the tropical cupcake which was made up of bananas, cocunut and oranges and white cake. The frosting consisted of vanilla icing with toasted cocnut on top. I licked some frosting first, wary that the sweetness of the cupcake I ate before (Please refernence back to the original review) would overcome me. It was a bit of a suprise when my tongue did not go into a diabetic shock. The frosting had a touch of sweetness that paired well with the toasted coconut. Excited, I bit down into the cake, only to be disapointed by its blandness. It didn't taste like anything. I have to say that my mouth was a bit sad that it didn't get to experience the tropical party it was promised. The only tropical thing about the cupcake was the toasted coconut on top.
All in all, I have to say Cirque du Sweet has improved their frosting, but not their cake.
I revise my rating ti 1 and 1/2 out of 5 cupcakes.
A few weeks back a little shop with cute cupcake cutouts out front opened up. I (Rose) imediately became excited over seeing a new sweet shop open their doors. The first thing I did was grab my friends and head on over. As I walked in, the first thing I wanted to say was ahhhhhhhh. There were black and white tiles on the floor and small decorative tables to eat at. It looked so French.
My friends and I followed the yummy smell of baked goods to the glass counter in the corner. I looked down and was a bit shocked at the small selection they had. There were four different kinds of cupcakes and some cookies. I shrugged (in my head) and decided that perhaps, the cupcakes were their specialty. (I mean they did look delicious.) I ordered the cupcake with white icing and chocolate cake and they gave it to me in a small gift bag (for to go). My friends ordered some other type of cupcakes. Now, onto the trying part (my favorite part). The cake part of the cupcake was a bit dry and bland. The frosting was really (really, really) sweet and it is the kind of frosting where you can still taste the sugar particles. Now, some people might not like a bland cake part, but after tasting the very sweet frosting, I understand why the cake had to be that way. If there was any sweetness in the cake, it would have only been possible to eat one bite. The bland part kept the sweet part in check. In the end the though, I was pretty disapointed that my cupcake dreams were not fulfilled. My friends did not like their cupcakes either. They agreed with my dry and sweet review.
Since going to Cirque du Sweet Day, it has shut down with the promise to re-open soon. This is pretty unusual considering the shop had only been open for one week when I went. Perhaps, the owners had a test trial and they are redoing their recipes (a mental shrug). Anyway, to keep you all up to date, I will go back when they re-open and see if their cupcakes have become heroes.
I give them 1 out of 5 cupcakes.
***UPDATE***
I finally went back to Cirque du Sweet Day after missing opening hours for about a month. The decorations inside were still very cute and I think some delicate looking chairs and tables were added. (As I do have a big butt, I declined to eat in the shop and ate at home because I did not want to risk humilation of falling on the floor in the delicate chair.)
When I arrived home, I opened my cupcake gift. I had picked out the tropical cupcake which was made up of bananas, cocunut and oranges and white cake. The frosting consisted of vanilla icing with toasted cocnut on top. I licked some frosting first, wary that the sweetness of the cupcake I ate before (Please refernence back to the original review) would overcome me. It was a bit of a suprise when my tongue did not go into a diabetic shock. The frosting had a touch of sweetness that paired well with the toasted coconut. Excited, I bit down into the cake, only to be disapointed by its blandness. It didn't taste like anything. I have to say that my mouth was a bit sad that it didn't get to experience the tropical party it was promised. The only tropical thing about the cupcake was the toasted coconut on top.
All in all, I have to say Cirque du Sweet has improved their frosting, but not their cake.
I revise my rating ti 1 and 1/2 out of 5 cupcakes.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Cafe Boheme
Walking up the ramp to cafe Boheme is just the beginning of your experience. Surrounded by aromatic flowers and tingling wind chimes you'll feel yourself relax as you enter through the door.
Greeted by soft yellow walls and the smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods, Cafe Boheme envelops each of their customers in a warm blanket of goodness.
Memorable for their amazing home made goodies and creative lunch menus, Cafe Boheme is definitely a place to go.
Starting with breakfast, we recommend the morning glory muffin: filled with nuts, carrots, cinnamon, and a warm soft goodness. It sounds like an odd combination, but we promise it will satisfy your morning tastebuds. It is especially good when paired with their peach green tea (hot or cold). (Rose extra- the honey with the hot tea is incredible. I sometimes eat it by itself!)
Everyday, Cafe Boheme has a new selection of sweets and breads. We always enjoy visiting because there is always something new to try.
Ok. Now onto lunch. They also have a weekly lunch menu that varies. Last week, we tried the Thursday lunch consisting of the Cuban barbeque pulled-pork sandwhich accompanied by lemon-slaw. The pork was tender and juicy; the suace was hot but sweet (Rose extra- the sauce tasted good for me, but it didn't have the punch I ususally like.) (Laura extra- I liked the sauce a lot. I think it provided an excellent answer to the lemon slaw and acted as a compliment between the bread and meat.); and the bread was amazing. The accompanying slaw tasted fragrant. Unable to place the flavor, we asked the barista and she explained that it is made with lemon zest. Whatever the ingrediants, it was unique and delicious.(which can be good or bad).
For dessert we shared a piece of cinnemon coffee cake. Laura really liked it for it's dense texture and heavy cinnamon and nutmeg flavoring. Rose didn't like it because of the texture.
Though the service is friendly, it can sometimes be slow. To us, it is worth the wait. Cafe Boheme is also a great place to study or just to enjoy your favorite person.
Cafe Boheme is the place to go for a relaxing atmosphere and tasty treats.
We give them 4 out of 5 cupcakes
Greeted by soft yellow walls and the smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods, Cafe Boheme envelops each of their customers in a warm blanket of goodness.
Memorable for their amazing home made goodies and creative lunch menus, Cafe Boheme is definitely a place to go.
Starting with breakfast, we recommend the morning glory muffin: filled with nuts, carrots, cinnamon, and a warm soft goodness. It sounds like an odd combination, but we promise it will satisfy your morning tastebuds. It is especially good when paired with their peach green tea (hot or cold). (Rose extra- the honey with the hot tea is incredible. I sometimes eat it by itself!)
Everyday, Cafe Boheme has a new selection of sweets and breads. We always enjoy visiting because there is always something new to try.
Ok. Now onto lunch. They also have a weekly lunch menu that varies. Last week, we tried the Thursday lunch consisting of the Cuban barbeque pulled-pork sandwhich accompanied by lemon-slaw. The pork was tender and juicy; the suace was hot but sweet (Rose extra- the sauce tasted good for me, but it didn't have the punch I ususally like.) (Laura extra- I liked the sauce a lot. I think it provided an excellent answer to the lemon slaw and acted as a compliment between the bread and meat.); and the bread was amazing. The accompanying slaw tasted fragrant. Unable to place the flavor, we asked the barista and she explained that it is made with lemon zest. Whatever the ingrediants, it was unique and delicious.(which can be good or bad).
For dessert we shared a piece of cinnemon coffee cake. Laura really liked it for it's dense texture and heavy cinnamon and nutmeg flavoring. Rose didn't like it because of the texture.
Though the service is friendly, it can sometimes be slow. To us, it is worth the wait. Cafe Boheme is also a great place to study or just to enjoy your favorite person.
Cafe Boheme is the place to go for a relaxing atmosphere and tasty treats.
We give them 4 out of 5 cupcakes
Welcome to our aspiring Foodie page
Two girls on a mission to find good food in the Burg.
Having each moved here for school, Rose and I needed an outlet for exploring our new place. Both the adventurous type, we began to visit the local eateries and comparing our experiences. Soon we realized that we should put to use all the money we were spending and share our wealth of knowledge. So here it is ladies and gentleman, a blog dedicated to reviewing the eats in Hattiesburg.
Trying new food is our passion. From unknown funky green soup to delectable soft-shelled crabs, Laura and I are open to tantalizing our taste buds with new dishes. (We do have our limits though :) ). We want to give others like us a chance to enjoy or hate a restaurant before they even have to step in the front door. I hope these reviews help you out and if you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know. We are always willing to try new or hidden places. Enjoy your time here!
Love to all you fellow foodies,
Rose and Laura
Having each moved here for school, Rose and I needed an outlet for exploring our new place. Both the adventurous type, we began to visit the local eateries and comparing our experiences. Soon we realized that we should put to use all the money we were spending and share our wealth of knowledge. So here it is ladies and gentleman, a blog dedicated to reviewing the eats in Hattiesburg.
Trying new food is our passion. From unknown funky green soup to delectable soft-shelled crabs, Laura and I are open to tantalizing our taste buds with new dishes. (We do have our limits though :) ). We want to give others like us a chance to enjoy or hate a restaurant before they even have to step in the front door. I hope these reviews help you out and if you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know. We are always willing to try new or hidden places. Enjoy your time here!
Love to all you fellow foodies,
Rose and Laura
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)