Norman Love Confections: Artistry in Chocolate

As a sculptor with his clay or a fine artist with his paint brush, Norman Love and his skilled team of pastry chefs create their culinary art out of only the purest of ingredients.  Norman Love Confections chooses to use only the finest quality of chocolates, spices, butter, nuts, flavors, and purées  Each of the individual pieces of chocolates that are created each day is tenderly handmade for that one exceptional instant when the flavors, texture and aromas explode in a moment of pure, unadulterated pleasure.

These are quite possibly the best chocolate confections any epicure can lusciously indulge in.

Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and a Dinner Filled with Many "Characters"

The past week, I was at possibly the “Happiest Place on Earth,” Walt Disney World. Although this was my fifth trip to Disney World, the excitement for me was still there. I don’t know if it’s the great customer service, the thrilling rides, unique resorts, entertaining character meals, or all the fantastic characters, but something about Walt Disney World makes me so jubilant. On this trip, we decided to stray away from Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and try a new deluxe resort called the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Now let me tell you that this resort was amazing. When you first glance at it, it has a very neat and luxurious Victorian charm. This huge resort is very clean, spacious, and very well kept.  The Victorian theme was prevalent throughout and the employees or “cast members” were so helpful from check in to check out.

The Rooms

We booked a lagoon view room that had 2 queen beds and a sofa. Our room also had a partial view of the Magic Kingdom, more specifically Cinderella’s’ Castle. Now the rooms were OK. They we clean and well kept, but it just seemed a little out dated. After seeing the resorts opulent lobby, a little more luxury was expected in the hotel rooms. However, the rooms were big and the beds were comfy. The only complaint I had with the room was that it was near the water so literally all day and night we heard the horns of boats passing by constantly. However, this was just a minimal inconvenience.

The Service

Possibly the best impression that this resort left on me was the fact that once our Magical Express Bus arrived to the hotel from the airport, a concierge/check-in desk representative personally greeted us upon arrival and escorted us to the main lobby to get checked in. That was pretty cool if you ask me. Another thing that I really found to be very convenient was the check out service. The resort offered a baggage service that allowed us to print our boarding passes as well as check in our bags all the way to our final destination. What I mean by this is that we basically checked in our bags at the hotel, and didn’t see them until we got to our home airport’s baggage claim. This service was so helpful and hassle free that essentially allowed us to skip the checking in process at the airport and skip right to the security check in area.

Dining Options

Now to the good part- the food. This resort is home to Disney World’s finest restaurant, Victoria and Alberts. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the proper attire (suit jacked and slacks) so I couldn’t make a reservation to dine there.  However, there were other good options that I tried.

Grand Floridian Café

The first place I tried was the Grand Floridian Café. This casual sit down restaurant offered a simple menu of delicious fare. The first time I went here, I tried the Shrimp and Grits. The shrimp was plentiful and the grits were creamy and flavorful. This dish truly was a very nice meal. Now the next night, we ate here again and I tried the Grand Floridian Burger. Now this burger was possibly one of the best burgers I’ve ever had in my life- honestly. This juicy burger was topped with red onion marmalade, fresh grilled onions, a special lettuce, and juicy, succulent lobster meat. It was fantastic. Our waiter was also pretty cool. Although during our second visit to this café we had a different waitress, our waiter from the previous night came over to greet and conversate with us for a little bit. It was a very nice touch.

1900 Park Fare

My best meal experiences occurred at the popular 1900 Park Fare.  This is one of the few restaurants on Disney property that had a character breakfast. The character breakfast featured Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Alice from Alice in Wonderland, and the Mad Hatter. All the characters came around to each table and spent individual time with us to pose for pictures and conversate. This meal here was also pretty good. The breakfast was a buffet that featured a carving station, Mickey Mouse Waffles, pancakes, eggs, fresh fruits, breakfast pastries and breads, lobster eggs benedict, smoked salmon potatoes and more. It was honestly one of the better breakfast meals that I enjoyed at Walt Disney World.  This restaurant also featured a dinner buffet called 1900 Park Fare Cinderella Happily Ever After Dinner. Now let me tell you, this restaurant is one of the those places that you have to make a reservation months in advance just to get a table, but lucky me, I was able to go to the extremely helpful concierge desk and make reservations for the next night. I truly was SO lucky.  This character dinner was one of the best dinners I’ve ever experience at Walt Disney World. Not because of the food which was quite mediocre at best, but primarily for the character interaction. First of all, I got to meet and take pictures with Cinderella and other guest posed with Prince Charming. But second of all, I got to have long and interesting conversations with the Evil Step Mother and the Step Sisters. Let me tell you, these characters were something else. They were loud, obnoxious, funny, and so similar to characters in the movies. The Evil Step Mother came to our table and started telling me how wonderful her daughters were and that I should choose on of them to marry. She then grabbed me and escorted me across the dining hall to show me her available daughter. Then each sister came to the table to pose for picturing while also interrogating me to see if I was “husband material.” They then capped off the conversation with “Mother, I found my husband!” This was a very funny experience that I had so much fun with and I believe this kind of thing happens to all “available” men at the table. So ladies, watch out! Overall, this was a great restaurant filled many characters and fun, unique interactions throughout out. Highly recommended.

Cinderella <3

Step Sister 1...Future Wife?

Alice in Wonderland

The Buffet

Pastries...yum

Step Sister 2...Future Wife?

Just Food....and the Smoked Salmon that I loved

Evil Step Mother....Future Mother In-Law? 

Tigger :)

Mad Hatter...I like his nose

Cinderella

Dining Room

Gasparilla Grill and Games


This was one of the food places that I couldn't live without on my trip. This 24/7 quick service restaurant offered great croissant sandwiches for breakfasts, burgers, fries, sandwiches, and rice for lunch and dinner, and creamy soft serve ice cream and pastries all day and night. It was truly so convenient.





The Complaints

Now I do have one huge complaint with the resort- the Wi-Fi. You see I’m a huge techie so I always need my phone, laptop, or iPad around me. Unfortunately the Wi-Fi signal at this hotel was awful. I could barely connect to it and when I did, the signal lasted for a measly 2 minutes. At first I thought it was just the signal in my particular building, so I went to the main lobby to try it out. However, the Wi-Fi still sucked.  However, this problem was resolved when I called the front desk and they added my devices’ IP addresses to the resorts internet connection. 

Final Thoughts

So overall, other than terrible Wi-Fi connection, this was possibly my favorite of all the Disney Resorts that I had the privilege of staying at. I would definitely be returning to the Grand Floridian the next time I take another great vacation to possibly my favorite vacation destination in the U.S., Walt Disney World.

Until next time Walt and Mickey!

Ohana at the Polynesian Resort 2012

This was my second time to Ohana and I really enjoyed. Now the food wasn't as good as the first time, but the service was still pin point and the servers were nice and fast. The character breakfast was fun but wasn't as good as the one I went to at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian. However, the best thing about the character breakfast was being able to see Lilo, Stitch, Pluto, and most importantly, MICKEY MOUSE. I loved it. However, in terms of food, you can go ahead and pass on this for breakfast since there are a lot more better options out there. Now for dinner, that's a different story because it's a completely different set up and the food unlimited. So come with your stomachs empty and wallets full because this somewhat pricey buffet will have you leaving there in a food coma.

 

Best Dessert Ever!

To seem my previous post about Ohana during my first trip to the restaurants, click HERE

Heavenly Hushpuppies

Last month, I took a trip down to South Carolina to see my family for Christmas. During one of the days, we decided to try a local seafood restaurant called Gilligan’s Steamer and Raw Bar. Now the food here was okay and nothing really special.  You can honestly go to a local Long John Silver’s and get the same meal for a lot cheaper. However, there was one thing that I truly fell in love with- their hushpuppies. These warm hushpuppies were crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside.

The Buffet of Buffets: The Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas

Sleek, hot, sexy, contemporary, dark, fashionable, and delicious.  These are all characteristics of one of the newest, trendiest, and best buffets on the Las Vegas Strip, the Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan.

This ultra modern buffet emerge guests into a whole new buffet experience; one that strays from the typical buffet organization and set up, by serving food in individual sized portions that is jam packed with personality. You’ll find fried chicken in mini fryer baskets, macaroni and cheese in small serving pots, string beans in Chinese takeout boxes, and Asian chicken in mini woks. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

The black and dark woods with dark yellow and amber lit glass accents throughout the serving areas, complimented with a fanciful and artful sitting area provides guests with a dining experience that is elegant, yet causal and relaxing. 

Too sweet to handle?...Jean Philippe Patisserie

I have a confession. I am in love with Jean Philippe Patisserie. I don't know if it's the artistic genius of Chef Jean Philippe Mary displayed through the creation of his pastries, baguettes, candies, and crepes, or it's just because I'm a sucker for pastries. But either way, I really enjoy all this place has to offer. There are honestly

Bouchon Bakery Las Vegas

A few days ago, I experienced possibly one of the best pastries I've ever had...and it happened by accident. As I was visiting the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas looking for the box office to pick up my tickets for Phantom, I ran into a small little shop called Bouchon Bakery. I've heard many great things about this place, especially its shops in New York City, so I decided to give it a try. After browsing their various selections, a special treat caught my eye...the vanilla macaroon. Now at first glance, this macaroon appears to be

An Intense Treat of Near Perfection

After a long exhausting day of traveling, I decided to end my night on a good note by making a pit stop at my favorite patisserie, Jean Philippe Patisserie at the Aria Resort Las Vegas. Although this patisserie displays the artistic mastery of world pastry champion Jean Philippe through the creation of his pastries, cakes, baguettes, gelato, and chocolate candies, I personally feel that the highlight of this establishment is their freshly made warm crepes.  After trying to resist the temptation of buying one of everything at this shop, I decided to settle one of their famous chocolate crepes. Now I must say that this chocolate crepe is a very luscious treat. From the first moment you sink your teeth into this warm crepe, your taste buds are greeted by an intense chocolate tang. Complimented with the chewiness of the crepe, and the cold sweetness of the whipped topping, you will find this dessert to be at its finest. Now the crepe itself is quite chewy and almost essentially tasteless, with just a small hint of vanilla. The crepe serves primarily as a base for this dessert, while the chocolate sauce, brownie pieces, and chocolate flakes truly adds the kick that this dessert needs. But with the artful combination of all these elements, this dessert is on the threshold to perfection. 

CopyCat Restaurant Cookbooks

Have you ever wondered what made Kentucky Fried Chicken’s original recipe so special? Or maybe you wondered how to make the famous secret McDonald’s Big Mac sauce? Or maybe you even wondered how Burger Kings makes their trademark whoppers? Now what if I tell you that you can now actually make these creations all in the comfort of your own kitchen. Well this is all possible after I recently discovered these brilliant cookbooks called the CopyCatCookbooks. These books helped me learn all the best kept secret recipes behind all my favorite fast food and restaurant dishes. I’m talking about awesome identical recreations of dishes from restaurants and fast food joints such as

John's Pizzeria at Times Square

What would fantastic New York food be without its’ famous pretzels, bagels, and deli sandwiches, and my personal favorite, New York style pizza. At almost every corner, you can find good, thin crusted, handmade pizzas, claiming that they’re the best in town. However, despite all these claims, I decided to treat myself to possibly one of the best pizzas near Times Square called John’s Pizzeria. This overcrowded, loud, and bustling pizzeria serves up some mouth-watering brick oven, New York style pizza. The moment you walk in, you are greeted by a huge swarm of people…no not the employees, but other hungry restaurant guests. You then get a number, which will probably make you wait from anywhere between 40-120 minutes. However, thankfully, the waiting area is right near

New York City Part 1

I've just recently came back from New York City this past weekend, and I must say that I had a great time. I finally got to see the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Plaza, I watched the Rockettes Christmas Special at Radio City Hall, I visited Dylan's Candy Bar, I saw Times Square for the first time, and I enjoyed possibly the best fresh, brick oven, thin crust pizza I've ever had in my life.  My next post about my experience at John's Pizzeria is coming soon so be on the lookout. Below, you will get a little taste of what I saw during my trip. Enjoy!

Cupcake Heaven?

I love cupcakes, especially those from Georgetown Cupcake. Now although my second experience wasn't as mind blowing as my first, it still was very good.  At this moment, Georgetown Cupcakes are featuring new holiday flavors like gingerbread, pumpkin spice, and peppermint chocolate cupcakes. So if you want to try some unique holiday flavors, be sure to stop by Georgetown Cupcake during this month.

To read my post about my first experience at Georgetown Cupcake, just follow the link: Georgetown Cupcake

Washington DC Vacations

Papa Razzi: A Modern Trattoria

After another routine stop to one of my favorite bakeries, Georgetown Cupcake, a few friends and I decided to enjoy a nice dinner at an Italian Restaurant called Papa Razzi. Now from the first impression, I was quite impressed by the restaurant because it had a very interesting set up and atmosphere. The restaurant was very dim with many dark accents throughout.  Possibly the best feature about the restaurant was the upper seating area because it was very open, and it offered nice views of the city scene. Now in terms of food, I must say that I was quite unimpressed. Maybe it was because I ordered a chicken risotto with mushroom and onions at a pasta place, but it just didn’t create that wow factor that I crave whenever I eat out. Even after trying some of their famous hand made pastas that my friends had, I didn’t feel like it differed from any other Italian that I would get elsewhere.  In terms of service, our waitress was very kind and social, with the occasional conversation here and there. Overall, this restaurant offered a great atmosphere, but the food was not as impressive as I would have hoped. However, I would go back and try something different just to make sure my experience wasn’t subpar because of a poor entrée choice.

College Kid Budget: $$

Washington DC Vacations

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Chick Fil A

Although I work at Chick Fil A, I decided that it may appropriate to review this restaurant through the eyes of an experienced Chick Fil A employee. The biggest wow factor of CFA is the service. The service is something that you would never experience elsewhere in terms of fast food restaurants. Cashiers and the front staff are very generous, polite, and helpful. Also the fact that they refer to you as a guest instead of a customer is a very nice touch. I also respect how the workers reply to a guest’s thank you with a “my pleasure” instead of a “you’re welcome” or “uh-huh.”

Now to the food. When I work at CFA, I normally bread and cook the chicken. This isn’t a glamorous job but it does tell me how important this duty is. Really this person is responsible for creating either very tender and juice chicken, or very tough and crunchy chicken with an unpleasant feeling in the mouth. What people really don’t know about CFA is that you can add cheese and vegetables to your sandwich. Honestly, this is what makes the CFA original sandwich so good. I like mine with no pickle, American cheese, and bacon strips. Plus add some Chick Fil A sauce and you got yourself a killer sandwich. Another great menu item is the breakfast platter. This little known menu item is the highlight to CFA’s breakfast. The platter comes with a biscuit, filet, eggs, and sausage gravy. It’s pretty delicious. But overall, you really can’t go wrong with anything on CFA’s menu.

Buffets, buffets, and more buffets!

Ahh the buffet…I truly enjoy your all-you-can-eat nature.  From your endless selection to your moderate prices, I can always leave you feeling happy and satisfied.  I especially love being in your presence in one of my favorite cities in the world, Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is a city of dazzling lights, elegant casinos, extravagant clubs, and my favorite, world class food.  For those with a huge appetite and plenty of time, buffets are the way to go.  Buffets can be found in almost every hotel and casino and the food quality can range from casual to gourmet.  For those who are willing to spend a little extra for fine dining quality foods in a buffet format, they should check out the buffet at the Wynn Las Vegas, Bellagio Buffet, and the newly opened Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan. These buffets provide delicious gourmet food at a premium price.  Prices usually range from $20 to $30 for lunch and $35 to $50 a person for dinner.  So how do you win big? At most buffets in Vegas, they never close in between dinner and lunch.  This then allows hungry customers, such as yourself, to come in just as lunch is about to be over and get lunch prices.  Then if you wait for a few minutes, the buffet will start bringing out the dinner meals.  So basically, you are getting the same dinner selection, but at half the cost.  So the next time you find yourself going to a buffet in Vegas or elsewhere, make sure to go in between lunch and dinner and you will win big!

Things To Do
Las Vegas

Fulfill Your Barbecue Cravings with a visit to Famous Daves

The other day, I had this HUGE appetite for some barbecue. Whether it was chicken, ribs, or just the plain sauce by itself, my craving for something barbecue was immense.  As a result, I couldn't resist but to take a trip to my local barbecue joint, Famous Daves. And boy oh boy was I satisfied!

Famous Daves is one of these restaurants that I truly can't get tired of. I have found myself gorging away at their smoked meats day in and day out (well mostly like twice or three times a month). The atmosphere is very casual and the decor is greatly influenced by pork. Now in terms of food, there is one thing that I always get, the Famous Dave's All-American Feast. Now let me tell you that this is nothing shy of a feast. You get delicious ribs, brisket, barbecue baked beans, potato salad, mac and cheese, french fries, corn on the cob, warm cornbread, and barbecue baked chicken, all of which is placed on like this huge trash can lid that cover's your entire table.  I never have room for dessert so I can't really provide any comments about them, but I'm pretty sure they're good.

In terms of service at Dave's, I must say that it's attentive when needed. What I mean by this is that the waiters and waitresses are very nice and helpful, but they do know how to give you your space, especially when you are devouring your feast. Also the food comes out really fast and is very fresh and hot. So overall, the service from once you are greeted until once you leave this restaurant is very good.

So if you ever have a huge barbecue craving and are looking for great food at a very reasonable price, be sure to check out the nearest Famous Daves.

College Kid Budget: $$

Baltimore Vacations