Author Archives: steve

Melville Vineyards & Winery

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Exterior
Interior

***** (5 stars)

Top notch winemaking, in sharp contrast to some nearby wineries. Pinot Noir and Syrah are standouts here, and you can really see the difference in complexity between the estate and block designated wines. The top end wines are not cheap, but are worth it. Beautiful facility and grounds.

Melville Vineyards & Winery
5185 E Hwy 246
Lompoc, CA
93436
(805) 735-7030
https://www.yelp.com/biz/melville-vineyards-and-winery-lompoc

First & Oak

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Exterior
Interior
Oysters
Rabbit tacos
KIMCHI RISOTTO
Barramundi
Tetr de moine
Chocolate mousse

**** (4 stars)

This small, one-room restaurant offers fine dining in a home-spun atmosphere.  Many of the dishes are definitely noteworthy. We particularly enjoyed both of our appetizers, the oysters, and the rabbit tacos. Flavors and textures were perfect in both dishes.

The entrees were fine, but not as impressive.

Desserts were nicely done, with a homemade honeycomb being the standout.

The weakness is the wine list, particularly the wines by the glass, which are heavily reliant upon a single so-so producer. This is odd, since the restaurant is in the middle of wine country.

Service was friendly, but the single server struggled to keep up with the three occupied tables, which were unfortunately simultaneously seated.

The menu allows you to select the number of courses you like, and we felt the price for three courses was extremely reasonable.

First & Oak
409 1st St
Solvang, CA
93463
(805) 688-1703
https://www.yelp.com/biz/first-and-oak-solvang-3

Outback Steakhouse

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Exterior
Interior
Appetizer Sampler
Ahi
Ribs – 1/2 portion
Margaritas

**** (4 stars)

This location seems a little tired, but it’s undergoing a remodel that should improve it. Service was good, and the food was well-prepared and served hot.

The Appetizer sampler offers petals from a bloomin’ onion, cheese and bacon fries, and deep-fried mac and cheese. Stick with the bloomin’ onion petals. The fries in particular don’t really work, as the cheese has a mind of its own, and doesn’t want to have anything to do with them.

The half portion of ribs is a winner. These are the meatiest ribs I’ve ever been served, and the sauce, while sweet, has a nice tang to it.

Drink prices deserve a shout out. The house margarita is a deal at $6, and the sampling of four different margaritas (served on a boomerang!) for $7 is an even better deal.

Outback Steakhouse
8195 Vineland Ave
Orlando, FL
32821
(407) 477-0098
https://www.yelp.com/biz/outback-steakhouse-orlando-3

LongHorn Steakhouse

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Exterior
Bar
Interior

**** (4 stars)

The outlaw rib eye is the go to steak here, arguably better than any steak you can get as sister restaurant Capital Grille. Lunch items are a good deal, but not up to the quality of the dinner menu. Excellent decor, bar ambiance, and service.

LongHorn Steakhouse
8398 Vineland Ave
Orlando, FL
32821
(407) 828-8976
https://www.yelp.com/biz/longhorn-steakhouse-orlando-8

KFC

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Cheetos sandwich

*** (3 stars)

This is mainly a review of the Cheetos chicken sandwich.

I’ve always been a fan of KFC original recipe chicken; I find the crispy version flavorless. I usually don’t order sandwiches, because I associate them with the awful ones served at Chick-fil-A. But I do like to put potato chips into any sandwich, and I like Cheetos. So…

Of course I had to try this new item at KFC, and I really liked it. The chicken is moist and flavorful with a nice crunchy coating, and the Cheetos add even more crunch. Mayo gives it a creamy consistency, and there is an orange sauce that might be intended to be hot sauce, but I would have liked to be spicier.

Overall I enjoyed the sandwich and would have it again.

As for the location, it was difficult for the person taking orders from the drive-through to get the order correct, even after they repeated it correctly, and then I ended up with the wrong soda, so I would rate the service as below average.

KFC
5173 Kirkman Road
Orlando, FL
32819
(407) 351-8669
https://www.yelp.com/biz/kfc-orlando-10

Pour La France!

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Provence salad with salmon
Croque Monsieur
Salmon tartine
Cafe and bar

**** (4 stars)

This cafe is operating far above the level of most airport restaurants. The menu is indeed a french bistro menu with a few American concessions.

Salmon tartine was en excellent appetizer, with a nice stack of smoked salmon, cucumber and pickled onions on cream cheese coated toast.

Croque Monsieur was the traditional grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and the ham itself had been nicely seared.

The Provence Salad was a nice combination of mixed greens, olives, feta, and onions. I had it topped with salmon, which was perfectly cooked and wonderfully flavorful.

There is an interesting selection of beers, and of course wines.

Service was friendly and attentive.

Pour La France!
8900 Peña BlvdDenver International Airport, Terminal B
Denver, CO
80249
(303) 317-9472
https://www.yelp.com/biz/pour-la-france-denver-4

Tennessee Pass Cafe

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Exterior
Interior
Smoked trout salad
Colorado Western bison burger

***** (5 stars)

This is a great local cafe on the main historic street of Leadville. The interior is very historic, with heavy beam lintels and a beautiful metal ceiling. There is also a side room and an outdoor patio.

The menu includes burgers, sandwiches, salads, and a few entrees. Everything we had was excellent. I particularly liked by Colorado Western bison buffalo burger, which came with BBQ sauce, sauteed onions, raw onion, tomato, lettuce, and pepper jack cheese. Home Run!

My companion’s smoked trout salad was also delicious.

Even though they were very busy, service was friendly and the kitchen did a great job of keeping up with the rush.

Tennessee Pass Cafe
222 Harrison Ave
Leadville, CO
80461
(719) 486-8101
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tennessee-pass-cafe-leadville