Seafood Rotini from Crazy Cajun's Boiling Pot - $10.95

125 Inverness Plaza, Birmingham, AL - (205) 408-0630

"Fresh Louisiana crawfish tails, Andouille sausage, shrimp, crab meat, simmered in Cajun cream sauce. Served over spiral rotini pasta."

I did my usual and asked the waitress what her favorite dish was and she pointed me to the seafood rotini as the most popular menu item so I went with that.

When the dish arrived, my eye caught glimpse of those white chunks and immediately thought, "Chicken? That's odd for a dish called seafood rotini." But then I remembered that scallops are white like that too.

Anyway, my sister asked to try a little of my dish, so I scooped up some pasta and then tried to cut a piece of scallop for her, but my fork sliced right through the scallop... like a hot knife through butter. As it turns out, that's what it was! Those massive white chunks are gobs of BUTTER. Geeeeeeeeeeeeezzz. Those Cajuns really know how to fatten up their food.

In spite of that, the dish was rather yummy and still maintained a strong spiciness. Sure, I felt guilty that I just downed a bazillion calories of fat, but the flavor just might be worth it.

I saw reviews of this restaurant complaining about the service, and I can see what they mean - there was only one server for the entire lunch-rush filled restaurant, but fortunately for us, she was phenomenal at keeping up. All in all, it was a pleasant experience.

Cedar-Seared Salmon Pasta from TGI Friday's - $9.39

650 South College Avenue, Newark, DE - (302)737-3700

"Succulent pan–seared salmon fillet, coated with cedar smoke seasoning, served over al dente fettuccine ribbons tossed with golden brown zucchini and a blend of creamy Alfredo, bruschetta marinara and tangy lemon sauce."

I had this dish months ago and I can still recall loving its silky, creamy texture. In fact, that memory is so pleasant that I'm going to order another one right now.

New England Clam Chowder from Harry's Savoy Grill - $6.25

2020 Naamans Road, Wilmington, DE - (302)475-3000

I realize soup doesn't make for the best pictures, but I feel this image still captures this soups creaminess. MMMmmm... It was tasty soup, but not sure if it was worth the money. A glutton like me needs more than this plateful.

Grilled Octopus from Greek Island - $13.95

200 South Halsted Street, Chicago, IL - (312) 782-9855

"Tender octopus seasoned with a splash of olive oil, vinegar, and oregano. Served with rice and potatoes or baked vegetables."

The octopus was definitely tender as the menu states. I'll give it that. And the flavor of the spicing wasn't too bad either. But just look at the skin of the octopus. Charred like a mug.

I don't believe I'll be ordering that anymore. However, the restaurant itself has a great atmosphere and the service was above par, so I'd definitely like to check out some more of their dishes.

Pasta Mardi Gras from Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen - $21.95

921 Pasquinelli Dr, Westmont, IL - (630) 455-9846

Pasta Mardi Gras - Linguine tossed with crawfish, andouille sausage & crimini mushrooms in a marinara cream sauce topped with jumbo grilled shrimp.

I can't deny that the above menu description sounds awesome, nor can i deny that the dish was tasty. But at $22 for a bowl of pasta, there needs to be more. Someone told me you get a large discount when you sit at the bar during lunch hours. I didn't hear about this until after I went so I can't confirm it, but 50% off (yes, I was told 50% off) is definitely worth a shot. And if I could get this same dish for $11, I would make the trip all the time.

New England Lobster Roll from Harry's Savoy Grill - $18.95

2020 Naamans Road, Wilmington, DE - (302)475-3000

The lobster roll is so aptly named because it's freshly steamed Maine lobster salad piled on a grilled New England-style bun. This thing tasted FANTASTIC and I could spend all day eating these if not for a couple drawbacks:

First off, there's the price. Unfortunately, I can't afford to eat these regularly unless the next time I have salary negotiations, I propose they pay me in the form of lobster instead. Hmm... that gives me an idea...

The other downside is that the "New England-style bun" appears to be only a slice of white bread folded in thirds and toasted that way to keep its form. Therefore, the lobster roll was smaller than what I had envisioned and hence, less filling. If not for the price, I could smash three of these with no problem and then push myself to cram #4 & #5 into my belly.... and then probably stuff #6-10 in my pockets for later. Instead, I'll probably end up making the 20 mile drive and drop another $20 to satisfy my lobster roll fix only to drive back hungry for more. How sad...

Anyway, as for the potato chips, they taste home-made because they felt slightly warmer and greasier, but still tasted light and crispy. Lay's potato chips probably taste like this fresh out of the oven.

Fish Tacos from Ping Pong - $8

3322 North Broadway Street, Chicago, IL - (773)281-7575

These fish tacos are made with tuna tempura, lime-avocado, and guacamole. This is one of those chic restaurants that puts more weight into the appearance of the dish than its quality. That isn't to say the food is bad, but for one thing, these places tend to serve smaller portions. Boo.

That said, these tacos were probably the messiest tacos I've ever eaten. The sauce could've used more kick, because that was the main reason for the mess and I don't
recall any taste to it to make that fiasco worthwhile.

The overall taste was bland especially considering its fancy appearance, and although there was nothing terribly wrong about the dish, I would probably never opt to order it again.

Crab Rangoons from Taste Of China - $3.95

1228 Capitol Trail, Newark, DE - (302)368-2100

On the face of it, there's nothing too unique about these crab rangoons. It's just fried fake crab and cream cheese.

Although, I've noticed that around these parts, instead of crab rangoons, a lot of places sell fried cheese instead, which is crab rangoons minus the crab. So when you take that into consideration, these become just a little more special.

Ahi Tuna Ciabatta Burgers from TGI Friday's - $7.99

650 South College Avenue, Newark, DE - (302)737-3700

If you're a fake vegetarian and won't eat a REAL burger, then here's a tasty alternative. It's served with served with lettuce, tomato, green onions and Anaheim Chile sauce. MMmMMmm...

Some more exciting dressings would've been a bonus, but I would most definitely order these again. You also get your choice of a side. I went with the onion rings which were solid. Ooooh! I just had an idea! Next time, I'll have to put my onion rings on the burger!

Frito Mixto Andaluz from Ole Tapas Lounge - $7.00

1126 Capital Trail, Newark, DE - (302)224-9378

Thankfully, this should be my last post on this crappy, overpriced restaurant. I never plan to go here again and I'm telling everyone how terrible the food is for the price you pay.

The menu says this is a "sampler of various fried seafood," but there's hardly any seafood! This dish was TERRIBLE! If you look at the picture, the Jenga stack on the left are fried carrots and zucchini. Those five or six tiny crumbs on the right make up the "sampler" of seafood. So basically, they charged me $7 for part of a carrot and zucchini, and three small shrimps. I mean, seriously. They might as well have just asked me to pay them $7 to have them tell me to go eff off.

Create Your Own Feast from Red Lobster - $20.50

1249 New Churchman's Road, Newark, DE - (302)456-1792

The Create Your Own Feast meal is a meal where you get to choose three items from a select list for $20.50. You can opt to pick only two for $16.50, but come on! As if I would ever opt to eat less. The choices available are:

- Garlic-Grilled Jumbo Shrimp
- Seafood-Stuffed Flounder
- Parrot Bay Jumbo Coconut Shrimp
- Walt's Favorite Shrimp
- Grilled Salmon
- Shrimp Linguini Alfredo
- Crab Linguini Alfredo
- Garlic Shrimp Scampi
- Steamed Snow Crab Legs
- Grilled Sirloin Steak* (3.75 additional)

It also comes with an unlimited supply of their famous cheddar biscuits, a garden or Caesar salad, and a side. The Caesar salad was captured in an earlier post found here.


The first picture illustrates the cheddar biscuits. These things are addictive. My advice is to stuff yourself with as many of these as you can and eat the main course as a leftover.


This picture shows the shrimp linguini alfredo (left), seafood-stuffed flounder (top-center), grilled salmon (right), and mashed potatoes for my side (bottom-center). The linguini is good, but a bit too oily. The flounder was a bland disappointment, and the salmon and mashed potatoes are both good, but nothing spectular or special.


My sister ordered the crab linguini alfredo (left), steamed snow crab legs (top-center), Parrot Bay jumbo coconut shrimp (bottom-center), and a baked potato (middle-center) for her side. I've eaten these all before and here's what I have to say: the crab linguini is identical to the shrimp linguini save for the crab/shrimp substitution; the coconut shrimp is tasty is small doses; and the crab legs and baked potato are once again, good, but nothing outstanding.

All in all, it's a very satisfying feast with lots of variety to keep your appetite interested.