Baja Beef Chalupa from Taco Bell - $1.69

1501 Governor's Place, Bear, DE - (302)834-4563

This is my favorite item off the menu at Taco Bell. The only difference between a chalupa and a regular taco is the shell. They both have beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese in them, but instead of a regular corn tortilla, the chalupa has a fried flour tortilla, and as all Americans should know, fried = better.

The chalupas come in two varieties - Baja or Supreme. The Baja version has a some sort of special sauce while the Supreme has sour creme. Other than that, I'm not sure there's anything else different.

Crunchwrap Supreme from Taco Bell - $2.79

1501 Governor's Place, Bear, DE - (302)834-4563

This a neat little creation by Taco Bell - the crunchwrap supreme. The first picture shows how it's given to you and how it should be eaten. The second picture shows you what it's like when you open it up just to show you what's inside.

If you go by the layers, first, there's a large, soft tortilla, then the beef/chicken and cheese, then a hard taco shell with lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream on top. It looks fairly messy from the 2nd picture, but that's because it's not meant to be opened up.

It's a pretty creative dish for a large chain, and tasty too. The only downside is that if you wait too long to eat it (which might happen when you order a lot), then the hard shell taco gets flaccid and loses its crunch.

Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes from Taco Bell - $.89

1501 Governor's Place, Bear, DE - (302)834-4563

It's just tater tots served with cheese whiz and sour cream, but it's good enough to get with every order. Essentially, it's Taco Bell's version of French fries.

Steak Taquitos from Taco Bell - $1.99

1501 Governor's Place, Bear, DE - (302)834-4563

Taquito is just a fancy name for meat and cheese tightly wrapped in a tortilla. Still, this is probably one of my favorite things to order at Taco Bell. It tastes good, it's cheap, and it reheats well. You can choose between steak or chicken (I always choose steak) and it comes with your choice of guacamole, sour cream or salsa (I always choose the guacamole).

Thai Foon, Darling Harbour - $?

Shop 329-330 Level 2, Harbourside Shopping Centre, Darling Drive, Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW 2000

This was dinner with workmates nearly a month ago in Sydney. One of them was a vegetarian so a lot of these dishes were vegetarian friendly (not specifically vegetarian but they didn't contain ingredients that would've harmed my friend's consciousness, at the cost of my meat loving appetite). We came here 3 times in a week because we were too indecisive and lazy to look elsewhere that catered for tree hugging vegetarian hippies. Also, I don't think most of what we ordered were Thai dishes.

Vegetable Tempura

Vegetable tempura. This technically isn't a thai dish, of course. It wasn't too bad, altho I was hoping for brown or button mushrooms to be in the mix. It also isn't the regular tempura dough, so I guess that gave it that little bit of difference from being a complete ripoff.

Tofu in Satay Sauce

I'm not sure if this is Thai too. Grilled tofu maybe, and the sauce is actually a peanut-ish cream-ish sauce from the Malaysian dish Satay (barbequed meat sticks, like kebab). If it is, do correct me. But I don't like tofu so I only ate the vegetables.

Grilled Tofu

Grilled Tofu with some kinda sauce, I don't remember this very well, to be honest I didn't touch this dish, like I said I'm not a big fan of tofu. I can only tell you that it looks spicy, but I suppose you can see that for yourself.

Steamed Fish

We're now starting to move out of hippie territory, as there are some vegetarians who eat fish. This wasn't too bad, pretty common, reminds me a lot of chinese steamed fish with assam. In fact come to think of it there are probably a lot of dishes from South East Asia that's available from more than 1 country, with slight tweaks to separate one from the other.

Beef Curry

Ahh meat! This was not bad, but I'm not sure if it was all the vegetables that made this dish extra good. The curry was not too spicy and very flavourful, which is how I like my curry. Again, I can't tell if this is Thai, not to my knowledge, but I can't confirm.

Mixed Grill

And finally, the best dish of the night, the mixed grill of meat and seafood. I think this dish wouldn't stand out so well if all the other dishes weren't made of leaf. I mean don't get me wrong, I love my greens as much as the next person, but when you have 5 mediocre vegetable dishes and a plate of grilled meat? Not a tough decision.

Overall, it wasn't a very memorable meal but we were starving, and it's not like we hate vegetables or anything, so that's probably why we went back there 3 times and didn't really complain much. Either we weren't looking hard enough, or it's just plain hard to find vegetarian food in Sydney.

Now these shots are pretty crappy as the colour sucks (and I've gimp-ed most of them to fix the colour as best I can) and some of them are out of focus but it was the best I could do in the poor lighting conditions, we sat outside where there were distant spot lights and neon signs as a light source. Oh well.

Parmesan-Crusted Sicilian Quesadillas from TGI Friday's - $8.99

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

These quesadillas are filled with sautéed chicken, sausage, bruschetta marinara, bacon and Monterey Jack, then pan–fried for crispiness.

Even though this is listed as an appetizer, it tastes so good that my sister often substitutes this as her entrée order. But now that I know about them too, I make her order a different entrée so I can split these with her as an appetizer. Good stuff.

I'll try to take note of the price next time I go and then update this post.

Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto from Olive Garden - $14.75

1279 New Churchman's Road, Christiana, DE - (302)731-5430

The Oliver Garden site's description of this dish is "Large sautéed shrimp served over creamy parmesan risotto with asparagus." That pretty much sums it up.

Personally, I think this is too pricey for what it is. It tasted okay, but I'd rather pay a lot less and make Uncle Ben's Rice instead. The shrimp and asparagus are both good, but not good enough to pay that much for cheesy rice.

The dish also comes with a soup or salad (I chose the minestrone soup) and breadsticks. The minestrone soup had too much bean for my tastes. The breadsticks are awesome, but you only get two when you get the order to go, whereas it's unlimited when you dine in.

Sausage, Egg, & Cheese McGriddle from McDonald's - $2.30

1401 Governor's Place, Bear, DE - (302)836-1308

It seems all breakfast sandwiches are a combination of sausage/bacon/ham, egg, and cheese. This one's no different, but at least they tried to do something creative with the bread - the bun has been injected with syrup to give the sandwich a much sweeter taste.

I've heard people say they love it or hate it, so at the very least, it deserves a shot.

My Birthday Dinner from Domaine Hudson

1314 North Washington Street, Wilmington, DE - (302)655-WINE

Just to prove that I don't eat garbage ALL the time, here's a few pictures from my birthday dinner yesterday.

Three Cheese Platter - $15

I never understood the hype behind "fine cheese" - at least, not until I came here. The cheese hidden behind the spoon (unfortunately) is a Le Chevrot (France / Goat's milk / Soft & Mild type). The block to the right of that is Gouda (surprisingly pronounced "how-da"), 2 year Boerenkaase (Holland / Cow's Milk / Hard type), and the cheese in front of that is a Fromage d'Affinios (France / Cow's Milk / Soft type). The cheeses were served with flat bread crackers, sliced baguette, blackberry compote, and orange & thyme marinated kalamata olives. For a more detailed description of each cheese, look at the snapshot of the menu I included. This much, I will say, however: I liked the Fromage d'Affinios the best, then the Le Chevrot, and finally the Gouda, 2 year Boernkaase, but they are all outstanding cheeses that completely changed my perspective on "fine cheeses."

Spring Asparagus & Wild Mushroom Salad - $11

This salad came with brioche, shaved black truffle cheese, pistachio and brown butter vinaigrette. I love asparagus, but everything else on the plate was so tasty, I tried to wipe it clean. If I weren't out in public, I would've lapped up that plated like a dog.

Baked Brie & Arugula Salad - $12

Aside from coming with the obvious baked brie and arugula, this salad also included walnuts, pears, and a roasted shallot vinaigrette. You would think that after just finishing a three cheese platter that the brie would be overkill, but that wasn't the case at all. I wanted to steal more off my sister's plate, but I held back to save room for my entrée.

Pan Seared Australian Lamb Rack - $29

The pan seared Australian lamb rack came with goat cheese frissee, fingerling potatoes, and a warm herb-onion vinaigrette. The lamb was so tender it made my heart melt. I was a little jealous that I didn't order this myself, but then I tasted my own dish...

Crispy Free-Range Duck Breast - $21

Finally, the meal I most looked forward to, the crispy free-range duck breast, was served with sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic polenta (cornmeal) with a dried cherry balsamic reduction and herb sautéed asparagus. The duck was cooked to perfection - crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. The sauce was sweet with a slight bit of tang, and would be fantastic with just about anything, but I didn't use very much since I didn't want to taint the perfection. I'm drooling just thinking about it...



I've eaten at Domaine Hudson before, and every time, it's a wonderful experience. The service is outstanding, the wine list is plentiful, and the price is reasonable considering the quality of the food you get. The menu changes frequently so you can expect to try new dishes on your next trip. The servers appear knowledgeable about the wines so they can help you select the best wine to complement your dish. All in all, I recommend this place to anyone looking for fine cuisine at reasonable prices.

Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake from Wawa's - $2.29

1 Salem Village Square, Newark, DE - (302) 738-6070

Here's another summer treat that I like to indulge in. Admittedly, it's not as good as a well-made DQ Blizzard or a Rita's gelati, but it's available 24x7 and you can find Wawa's all over the place.

The shake comes frozen solid in the cup and then you use one of the mixers in the store to blend it at the press of a button. Unfortunately, the machines are often broken, or mix too violently and splash a bit, but it's a tasty treat when it's working correctly.

They have other flavors, such as strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, and even coffee. My favorite was the strawberry banana smoothie, but for some reason, they haven't carried that flavor this summer and the mint chocolate chip seems new. So perhaps the flavors are only available for a limited time.

Monster Burger from Red Robin's - $9.79

101 W Main St, Christiana, DE 19702 - (302)455-9000

This burger normally comes with two beef patties, American cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions, mayo and pickle relish. But my arteries crave more cholesterol than that so I added a fried egg, and surprisingly, they didn't charge me any extra.

I wouldn't say there's anything outstanding about the burger, but it's a solid menu item that I would order again if I'm a little on the hungry side. It also comes with fries (see Pot Roast Burger for picture).

Unless your name is Cameron Diaz, this burger is will probably be too tall for your mouth to bite into comfortably, so expect a messy meal if you plan to eat with your hands instead of a knife & fork.

Breakfast Burrito from McDonald's - $1.50

1401 Governor's Place, Bear, DE - (302)836-1308

Figure I might as well keep the breakfast theme going. This time, we have a breakfast burrito from McDonald's which consists of sausage, scrambled eggs, green and red bell peppers, and American cheese, wrapped inside a soft tortillo shell.

I order these on occasion to break away from the from the typical toast/biscuit/bagel/English muffin choices usually offered for breakfast sandwiches. Also, these are fairly small so it takes about two of them to completely replace one of the other breakfast sandwiches.

French Toast Sticks from Burger King - $1.00

1170 Pulaski Highway, Bear, DE - (302)838-1900

This will probably be the last Burger King post I make because there's nothing else there I really eat besides the breakfast.

Anyway, these French toast sticks are a nice alternative to the standard hashbrowns. They taste like lightly friend strips of French toast and they come with a side of syrup for dipping.

Whenever I order them, the cashier always asks me if I want to upgrade it to the five piece, instead of just three. But if you think about it, this is a pretty stupid question - the five piece costs $2.05 while the three piece costs $1 which means I can get six pieces for cheaper than I can get five? I wonder how many idiots fall for that one.

Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Croissan'wich from Burger King - $4.58

1170 Pulaski Highway, Bear, DE - (302)838-1900

The item is just as its name states - a croissant with sausage, egg, and American cheese in the middle. For some reason, they list the price of $4.58 for two sandwiches instead of listing $2.29 for one sandwich. It must be their marketing ploy to get fatties such as myself to order two instead of just one... and apparently it works because I end up ordering two whenever I go.

Anyway, I'm a huge sucker for croissants so this is probably my favorite item off their menu. I think you can substitute the sausage for either bacon or ham, but I always go for the sausage. (Insert gay joke here).

Enormous Omelette Sandwich from Burger King - $3.19

1170 Pulaski Highway, Bear, DE - (302)838-1900

This sandwich is 730 calories of heart attack goodness. The layers go: bun, egg, sausage patty, two strips of bacon, egg, cheese, and then bun. It's a good sandwich, but there's one other item I prefer to get over this one (to be posted tomorrow).

Sushi from Sushi Train - $18

Sushi from Sushi Train at Chatswood, Sydney. Comes in a nice black carry bag, I thought that was cool. I picked this selection out myself, I can easily do double this amount but at the time I wasn't very hungry. That's salmon sushi on the bottom left, avocado sushi above it, tuna sushi above that, steamed Edamame peas above THAT, and salmon sushi roll on the right row.

The edamames were better than most I've tried. The sushi was average, not the best sushi I've ever had but definitely not the worst either.

Grilled Chicken Stromboli from Seasons Pizza - $9.99

203 E Main St, Newark, DE - (302)368-1515

Seasons Pizza is a local chain with fairly good food at reasonable prices. It's also one of the few places around here where I get good service - meaning that if they screw up my order, they try to do something special to compensate, such as making my order free or giving me store credit.

Anyway, the grilled chicken stromboli has grilled chicken, pizza sauce, and mozzarella baked inside of a large fold of bread. Essentially, it's a pizza that's been folded in half before being baked. Personally, I think the grilled chicken stromboli is one of the more bland strombolis I've had, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I was disappointed by it.

Shrimp with Eggplant in Garlic Sauce from Taste of China - $8.95

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

Taste of China is probably the best local Chinese restaurant and nearly everyone at my workplace is prone to agree. Although, that statement doesn't say much because 1) I haven't tried too many other Chinese places in the area, 2) the Chinese food selection is pretty limited here, and 3) I'm surrounded by close-minded buffoons who refuse to eat Chinese food based on the hunch that they think it's made of stray cats and dogs.

Anyway, the dish for today is called Shrimp with Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. It looks to be a mixture of shrimp, eggplant, baby corn, green bell peppers, and carrots in garlic sauce. It has a star next to the name on the menu to indicate the dish is "Hot and Spicy," but I couldn't detect even the slightest bit of spice. In spite of that letdown, the dish was still fairly tasty and I would recommend it to anyone that doesn't mind a lot of eggplant.