The Laughing Man Tavern

We stumbled across The Laughing Man Tavern while walking through Washington, DC. At lunch time on the weekend, the bar was busy and the TVs were showing the soccer game. The dining room, however, was relatively empty.

We ordered the fish fry sandwich and the BBQ Bacon Burger for lunch; both were served with a side of fries.

The burger was average, but large and on a very small bun. The fish (shown above) was more than twice the size of the bun it was served on, and I wound up eating it with a fork and knife instead of as a sandwich. That said, the fish was good. The breading had a distinct funnel cake flavor to it, which gave it a wonderful sweet and salty quality. It was also fried well, super crispy on the outside and moist and flaky on the inside.

This place, overall, was decent, but definitely more "bar" than "restaurant," but with decent meal options.

Creekside Pub and Brewery

Written by Leann Pettit
We came across Creekside Pub and Brewery in Regina driving back into town from the east on the Trans-Canada Highway. From the road, it looked like a local gem and the online menu definitely grabbed our attention with the variety of entrees and house made items.

We were surprised that there is no hostess and diners seat themselves. On a nice night (and especially after a Riders game), it can be very difficult to find a table. Definitely check the second floor and around the bar. We got very (very, very) lucky and found a table on the deck outside and were able to enjoy a lovely early fall evening in Regina.

We ordered the bison burger, a bison patty topped with cheddar cheese and served with fries (or soup, tossed salad, caesar salad, or "lagers" - more on these later). The fries were addicting and the burger was good (nothing to write home about, really).

We also ordered the Pig and Fowl, a chicken breast and a pig "wing" - a marinated pork tenderloin. Both were delicious, the chicken was moist and the pig "wing" was good, shaped like a chicken wing.

We also ordered a side of the house made "lagers" - which are potatoes soaked in beer and then fried. They are the texture and crispiness of potato chips, with a nice hoppy finish, a perfect accompaniment to your meal, or order them as an appetizer to share while hanging out and drinking a few beers.

Ice Bar, Oslo

For something a little different, we spent some time in the Ice Bar in Oslo. You pay for 45 minutes and get a drink from the menu - all of which are designed to taste best at below zero (Celsius) temperatures.

While we enjoyed the drinks, the best part was checking out the ice sculptures and ice works in the bar, all of which are intricately designed and, I'm sure, painstakingly carved each year.

We were surprised by how empty the bar was, but enjoyed our time here.

Da'Vida

We stopped at Da'Vida, on Crocus Bay, for afternoon drinks and were even more pleasantly surprised to find very comfortable lounge chairs out on the beach perfect for relaxing and enjoying a beverage.

At the lounge chairs, waiter service is available, however, payment is taken at the bar. There was live music on the stage in the afternoon and in the evenings. Floaters, kayaks, canoes and more can be rented from Da'Vida from the beach as well.

Da'Vida is definitely a little off the beaten path, so it's not as packed as some of the more popular beach bars like the ones on Sandy Ground.

Asterisk Bar and Restaurant

 Chicken Milanse

 Belgian Drunken Beef

stick found in the Belgian Beef

We ate at Asterisk on a Sunday and had an absolutely terrible experience. We made a reservation using OpenTable for 9:15 p.m., but arrived early, at 8:45 p.m. The host informed us that no table was currently available and we'd have to wait until our reservation time, but we could wait at the bar.  We were in no rush, so this was perfectly fine.

However, there were numerous empty tables around the restaurant, some clean, some still dirty. None of the wait staff ever made any attempt to clean the dirty ones.  So we waited a half hour for a table just because no one could take the time to clean tables after other customers left.

It seemed that the busing staff wasn’t on duty Sunday night, as the wait staff was in charge of busing tables, setting tables, serving food and drinks, taking payment and more.

That said the biggest issues came after this. When we were finally seated, it was at a table adjacent to the bar. The tables on either side of us were still dirty from the previous patrons, and remained dirty during our entire meal.

Once we were seated, it took 15 minutes for a waitress to speak to us and bring menus, and this only happened after we said something to the host.

Because the table was adjacent to the bar, and after about 9:30 p.m., the restaurant becomes more of an evening stop on the Newport bar scene, it became very uncomfortable, as bar guests were bumping into the chair at our table as they moved around and bumped into each other.

I can’t even recommend the food. It was mediocre. The Belgian Drunken Beef we ordered had the wood stem left in it from one of the herbs (I hope) and the chicken was bland.

Cheers Bar, Beacon Hill

 Cheeseburger

Guinness Beef Stew 

There are two Cheers bars in Boston, one in the Beacon Hill section of the city and one in Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The Beacon Hill location will be familiar to most TV viewers as the location of the bar filmed for the show.

We decided to stop here for lunch rather than just walking in for pictures and the gift shop. And I'm glad that we did. We ordered the cheeseburger, which was exactly what you would expect from a bar cheeseburger.

The real gem was on the specials that day (and if it's ever there again, order it, just do it). The Guinness Beef Stew, with tender, melt in your mouth beef, carrots, potatoes, celery and a broth so thick that it beat through the chilly, windy Boston April. This was so good. My dining partner took a bite and immediately regretted ordering a cheeseburger and not the stew.

Caffe Nuovo

Western Omelet

Ham Benedict

I was craving breakfast foods, and if I lived in Boston, I would never, ever, ever eat at an IHOP or Pancake House ever again. Not with a place like Caffe Nuovo in the city's North End making dishes (even into the late night hours) like the western omelet and the ham benedict.

The cafe, which also serves dinner entrees, has a well stocked bar and friendly bartenders.

The western omelet had a beautiful flavor and the peppers didn't overpower the other flavors in the omelet. Not to mention the size of the omelet, and the homefries. The plate was very large but a nice portion to keep you full.

The ham benedict was perfect. I was concerned that the hollandaise sauce might not be tasty (based solely on my fear of every chef messing up hollandaise), but it was perfect. I found myself going back for bite after bite and finished this very large plate. This is definitely a must-order!