BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse
SHACKLEFORD CROSSING
2624 S. Shackleford Rd
Little Rock, AR 72205

This is a chain, and this is the first one in Arkansas.  I have visited ones in California in the past.  There are none in Tennessee.

We went for our friends' join bachelor/bachelorette party, and this place was chosen at the last minute.  We were also late for our reservation.  However, the service was phenomenal.  They were super accommodating, even though were were VERY late and were a large unplanned party.

The space has a typical bar and restaurant feel that you get from a chain restaurant.  

They have a variety of their own hand crafted beers.  I had the Tatonka Stout.  It is full bodied and full of flavor.  

For my starter, I ordered a caprese salad.  It was great with mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic.  

For my meal, I got the Black and Bleu-house burger.  It was cooked perfectly and topped with crumbled blue cheese and bacon with a garlic aioli and a chipotle sauce.  I got it served with seasoned fries.  

This place was really, really good.  They have good beers and good solid burgers.  If there were one in Memphis, I would go there.  

Vino's Brewpub

Vino's Brewpub
923 W 7th St
Little Rock, AR 72201

My friends chose this restaurant for their rehearsal dinner.

This pizza place brews their own beer. I tried several including the cream ale.  

They also have IPA style beers.  

They also have stouts and porters, which are my favorite.  

One of my friends is vegan.  He brought his own vegan cheese in that they used to prepare his pizza.  They have traditional flavors as well as some that are more fun.  One such pizza is the muffaletta pizza. It doesn't have tomato sauce, but it does have the New Orleans style olive salad as well as pepperoni and ham.  

The chicken BLT pizza is awesome.  It has chicken and also lettuce and tomatoes on it.  

They also have vegetarian pizzas.  This place is so good.  The prices are average for pizza joints.  They vary greatly depending on toppings.  

Stickyz Rock 'N' Roll Chicken Shack

Stickyz Rock 'N' Roll Chicken Shack
107 River Market Ave
Little Rock, AR 72201

This chicken finger restaurant is located in the River Market District in Little Rock.  It is full of bright colors, making you happy to be there.  This was actually my second visit here.

They have beer on tap, including local Little Rock beers.  

The restaurant is known for their chicken fingers.  For their lunch special, you pay $7.99, which includes a soft drink.  You can choose between fingers and fries, fingers and soup or pasta salad, or soup and house or pasta salad.  

The idea is to choose a style of fingers like BBQ, voodoo, teriyaki, etc.  I went with voodoo for a hot flavor.  Then you choose two dipping sauces.  I went with blue cheese and creamy dill.  The creamy dill is their equivalent to ranch.  I also got fries for a side.  The flavor of the chicken and the sauces was great.  They were spicy, but not too spicy.  

My friend got a different type but with the same sauces.  Instead of fries, he chose the soup of chicken and sausage gumbo.  

Besides chicken, they have salads, sandwiches, pizzas and more.  They have something for everyone.  This place is good, especially for a quick inexpensive meal.  

Red Door

Red Door
3701 Cantrell Rd
Little Rock, AR 72202

While in Little Rock for some friends' wedding, we decided to have brunch.  After googling, yelping, and researching, we settled upon the Red Door.

I didn't have a brunch drink for some reason.  I almost got the Sangria, but for some reason I didn't.  They also have bacon bloody marys, which sound good.  I don't know why I didn't indulge, but I didn't.  Next time, I will rectify this situation.  

I chose the country breakfast, which came with two eggs that I ordered over easy.  I also chose stone ground cheese grits over the potatoes.  For my meat, I chose the bacon.  For my bread, I chose a cathead biscuit.  I also had a side of their creamy gravy to dip my biscuit in.  

I loved my food so much that I basically licked my plate clean.  I recommend this place if you are in Little Rock!  My meal was about $8.  

They also serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Stonewall Inn

Stonewall Inn
53 Christopher St
New York, NY 10014

This trip to New York, we visited the Stonewall Inn.  As their website proclaims, this is the place "where pride began."  The gay rights movement basically began here in 1969.  It was here that many gays and lesbians rioted against the police for trying to stop them from dancing and drinking.  Read the full history here.

It has a full bar.  

There is also an upstairs lounge area.  We saw an amateur drag show here.  

I really enjoyed visiting this bar.  The drinks were good and strong, and not too terribly expensive.  I think each was about $6.  I really enjoyed visiting this bar, where history was made.  Go there.  

Tropical Isle

Tropical Isle
600 Bourbon Street
New Orleans, LA

Bourbon Street is full of unique drinks in unique glasses.  We visited there back in the fall.

Typically, I don't drink sweet drinks.  I am very much a fan of whiskey and water, which is obviously totally unsweet.

As the saying goes, when in Rome...  So, I decided to try to hand grenade, which boasts to be "New Orleans' most powerful drink."  

The drink was good.  I'm not sure how strong it is, but I think I lost my credit card while drinking this drink.  I do still have the glass, though.  

Cafe Maspero

Cafe Maspero
601 Decatur St
New Orleans, LA 70130

While visiting New Orleans with friends, they recommended this Cafe Maspero.  

They had super duper cheap slushes.  They were only a buck.  They probably were weak, but perfect on a hot day!

I ordered the seafood plate, which came with a side salad, which i topped with blue cheese dressing.  The salad was typical of iceberg lettuce and tomatoes with cheese.  

The seafood platter is HUMONGOUS!  It was French fries with fried shrimp, fried oysters, fried catfish, and fried calamari.  Everything was good, especially if you like fried seafood.  I left more than stuffed.  

G ordered the red beans and rice, which was a humongous meal, too.  

Portions are huge here.  I think people could easily share a meal.  The prices were also reasonable.  This restaurant has standard New Orleans cuisine.  We also had very friendly service.  

Easter brunch

Easter Brunch
My House

This year for Easter, G and I hosted an Easter Brunch Potluck.  (I thought it was time for a post about something not from a restaurant.)

I made sausage balls.  Sausage balls are sinfully delicious.  They are a combination of sausage, bisquick, and cheddar cheese.  If you have never had them, you are missing out.  They are super easy to make.  Just google a recipe.  

One friend made his famous pasta salad.  You can't go wrong with pasta salad.  It had peppers, olives, and artichokes with cheese.  Yum!

Brunch is not complete without a breakfast casserole, which another friend made.  This one had eggs, cheese, meet, mushrooms, and more.  I love breakfast casseroles.  

Another friend made a blueberry cobbler.  You gotta have a dessert at every brunch.  

He also made deviled eggs.  Who doesn't like deviled eggs?  And if you don't, then you're crazy!  

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I also fried up some bacon.  This one was Memphis BBQ flavored.  It's bacon with a BBQ taste.  

Another friend brought hash browns, another important brunch items.  We also had two fruit bowls, which I forgot to take a picture of.  

                                                

We also had plenty of box wine. I also made a white sangria.  

After eating, we enjoyed chatting it up, and we played ladder golf, and a variety of board games.  

We tried playing Memphis Trivia.  It was a little difficult since the game is decades old and a lot of the businesses are no longer open.  

I love hanging with friends; I love brunch;  I love potlucks.  

Waverly Restaurant

Waverly Restaurant
385 6 Ave
New York, NY 10014

This diner is open 24 hours, making it the perfect place to go after the bar or after the club.  

It has a traditional diner feel. The menu is forever long.  I feel like they have everything from typical breakfast items to typical dinner items.  

I was in a dinner type mood.  My meal came with a cup of soup.  

It was also accompanied by a bread basket with crackers.  

I ordered the fried chicken for $14.95, which came with the soup I mentioned.  It was plenty of chicken.  The batter wasn't what I was used to, but it was still good. 

I also had greens and green beans.  Both were fine.  

They also had french fries, which were just typical out of a bag fries.  

G had breakfast.  He ordered the walnut pancakes.  They were huge and covered in walnuts.  

So... the food is good, even better after a night out at the bar.  I would go there again, after the bar.