New York City McDonald's Time Square

We were on a vacation trip to New York and the East Coast. It was about 9 PM when we got to Time Square so we decided to get some drinks at McDonald's there. The menu looked pretty expensive- at least 25% more than the McDonlad's we're used to going. It's justifiable I suppose since they probably have to pay high rent costs at this popular NYC location. We got a large ice tea and a diet coke. The order took like 5 minutes. The ice tea, which I asked for without sugar, tasted really old. The Diet Coke was really watered down. Inside the McDonalds it was loud- even the order takers were loud. One of the employees taking orders actually start screaming and yelling (not in anger though). There were a lot of customers and it was pretty chaotic. Personally I would avoid eating there in the future.

We tried another McDonalds the next day for lunch near the Madame Troudaud's wax museum. The prices were similar to the one Time Square. We tried their new Angus Third-Pounder Swiss Cheese and Mushroom. It was pretty good- perhaps a tad too salty. We also got a Ceasar Salad and a Fillet-O-Fish. The latter was definitely not worth the $3.69. We didn't order any drinks at this McDonald's. The restroom was silly small for such a busy place.

If you ever visit a McDonald's in Manhattan- be prepared for much higher prices and poorer service!

Louie's 106 Austin Restaurant Review

While browsing around Restaurant.com, we noticed that Louie's 106 restaurant has a $25 off $35 coupon certificate for it. The menu looked pretty good so we decided to check it out. It was a Sunday so I called at around noon to make a reservation for the evening, but no one answered the phone. It turns out that they only offer dinner service, and on Sundays they're open from 6 to 10 PM. I called at 5 and made a reservation for 6:30 PM no problem.

Getting to Louie's 106 / Cake at Whole Foods Market

It was only 5:30 PM so we decided to visit Whole Foods first on Lamar, so we went east on 6th St and saw Louie's 106 on the corner of the 6th and Congress, right next to the Driskill. At the market we got a delicious white chocolate mousse cake. Whole Foods make really good cakes. I heartily recommend them if you're buying a cake.

On the way to the Louie's 106, we went on 5th street then turned right on Brazos St and parked. After a short walk we were at the restaurant. The building itself was connected to others on the sides, and a sign said "Louie's 106 Grill and Tapa Bar".

Restaurant Impressions

As we opened the glass doors and went inside, we were greeted by a hostess (who turned out to be our server). She lead us to a secluded section behind the cash register. The restaurnt seemed stately and well decorated with an English feel. I need to go to the restroom and a waiter told me that I had to go down a flight a stairs to get there. After walking down the stairs I was surprised by the size of the lower level of the restaurant- it seemed like they could seat 100 or more people down there. After a good walk I finally got to the restroom, which had old but clean fixtures.

Service and Food Taste/Quality

After returning to the table we looked over the menu. Our server brought us bread, which was Italian style. It was cold but went well with the olive oil and garlic. We then placed our orders. We had ice teas ($2) for beverage. We then decided on two appetizers- the Crispy Softshell Crab ($10) and Escargots ($9.75). After about 15 minutes of waiting, our appetizers came out. The Softshell Crab came with baby greens and diced mangos in a champagne vinaigrette and wasabi-honey aioli. That was really delicious. They were pretty generous with the amount of softshell crab which was crunchy and tasty. The mango salsa was good, though we couldn't taste the wasabi. The escargots were good- maybe a bit too well done, and nothing out of the ordinary. We did ask for extra bread to soak up the wine and butter sauce ;-).

For our main courses we went for the Jumbo Shrimp and Diver Scallop Risotto ($24), and the Sambal and Honey Marinated Sea Bass ($26.50). The shrimps on the risotto were big and crunchy. The scallop was pretty tasty as well. The risotto, which was cooked in lobster consomme, was a tad too salty, however. The sea bass was a bit burnt and small, and the basil risotto it came with was also a bit too salty.

The Verdict for Louie's 106

The ambiance was nice, and certainly more romantic than Cafe Josie. The highlight of our meal was the Cripsy Softshell Crab appetitizer. Unfortunately we were not nearly as impressed with the rest of our meal. It was good- but not great. Our waitress gave good service, and it was a good value after the $25 Restaraunt.com certificate. Overall we enjoyed our experience at Louie's 106.

On a scale of 1 through 5, I would give Louie's 106 4 out 5 Stars.

Louie's 106 Restaurant Info

Address: 106 E 6th St Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 512-476-1998

Cafe Josie Review in Austin

We read several positive reviews of Cafe Josie online so we decided to check it out. It was recommended as a romantic restaurant, so we decided to go on Valentine's Day. I called a couple weeks before to make a reservation. A credit card number was required to hold the reservation, and the person said if we don't show up and didn't cancel our reservation a week before Valentines, the card would be charged $25.

Getting to Cafe Josie Restaurant

Cafe Josie wasn't difficult to find, to the trick is to turn right at Blanco St. I made the mistake of turning into the tiny filled parking lot of Portabla restaurant, then having to back out. I then turned left on Walsh St. and parked there and we made the short walk across 6th street. Cafe Josie is actually located behind Portabla, with entry through Blanco St. It looked like a regular house painted in red.

Restaurant Impressions

After walking up a ramp entering the restaurant, we were greeted by a hostess who sat us down at our table in the dining room to the right. The entire Cafe Josie restaurant seemed cozy, with probably 25 tables max. The art work consisted of canvas paintings of flowers and other scenery, done in good taste. The table consisted of a tea light candle to the side, utensils wrapped in a red napkin (a nice touch), and wine glass on top of white table cloth.

Service and Food Taste/Quality

After several minutes of just sitting at our table, someone came out and gave both of us a glass of water. I lifted up the glass to drink but the glass stunk like stinky feet. We theorized that it was probably from the restaurant staff using a stinky cloth to dry the glasses. After some more waiting our waiter came by and asked us what we'd like to order. The menu had the several of the same items listed on the the men on the Cafe Josie website. For Valentine's Day it was $45 a person, and you got to pick an appetizer, soup or salad, and a main course. We selected the Crispy Calamari as the appetizer- we were only able to pick one because it was apparently servings for two people. That came out quickly and was delicious. The calamari was so tender, and the Chipotle Aioli dipping sauce was flavorful and gave a nice kick. For our salad and soup selections we picked the Baby Spinach Salad and the Corn Bisque soup. The passion fruit dressing on the salad was delicious, kind of mango like. And the corn bisque was creamy and tasty- you can really discern the grounded up corn.

For our main entrees we had the Pepita Redfish with Mango Habanero Butter and the Honey Chipotle Shrimp. The redfish was lightly fried with bread crumbs. I didn't taste the spice in the crust, though the habanero butter drizzled over the middle of the fillet was very good. I had expected more kick from something flavored with habenero, so that dish was a bit disappointing. The Honey Chipotle Shrimp, on the other hand, was delicious. The shrimps were large and plump, perfectly cooked served on skewers, and was sweet (but not too much so), tangy, and a bit spicy.

For dessert we decided on to share a Venezuelan Chocolate Pot ($6 extra). The pot was pretty small, probably about 3.5 inches in diameter. This was a dessert that kind of grew on us. We were not overly impressed initially but as we ate more, the rich chocolate flavor really took over. Plus it was not overly sweet.

The Verdict for Cafe Josie

Overall I didn't think the atmosphere was as romantic as I had expected. The tables were close to each other so chatter was very noticeable. The food was tasty but wasn't plated in any way that made them seem romantic. The service was good in general, though we did have to wait a while before we got any attention, and our server didn't show much enthusiasm. It was fairly enjoyable experience, however.

On a scale of 1 through 5, I would give Cafe Josie 3.5 out 5 Stars.

Cafe Josie Info

Address: 1200 West Sixth Street Austin Suite B, Texas 78703
Phone: 512-322-9226