Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill

Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill

Atlantic City Restaurant Week takes place the first week of March and offers lunches for $15.19 and dinners for $35.19. We had a great trip this year and took advantage of this deal and went to Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars where our hotel accommodations were.

Bar area and lovely chandeliers

Cool decor

Placement and silver ware 

This restaurant used to be in the location where Mia was and the decor is really impressive and has a Londonesque feel. The menu offered is British fair and the place was crowded. All the restaurant week menus offer a choice of an appetizer, main course, and dessert. For our appetizers, Allen ordered deviled eggs - organic farm eggs, sweet Maine lobster, caviar. I order crispy "belly" - 48-hour slow cooked pork belly, cardamon carrot puree, cider-honey glaze. For our main course, Allen got the fish & chips - ale-battered, tartar sauce and I ordered chicken pot pie - roasted chicken, root vegetables, English peas, puff pastry. For dessert, I got vanilla bean cheesecake - amarena cherry, oreo cookie crust and Allen got sticky toffee pudding - double cream vanilla ice cream.

Deviled eggs with lobster and caviar

Crispy "Belly"

Allen:
I enjoyed the best deviled eggs I ever had to date topped with lobster and caviar. The fish & chips was quite tasty and the ale batter accompanied the fresh white fish perfectly. The chips were large semi quarters of potato and they added up to almost one whole potato. I enjoyed them with tartar sauce and some English malt vinegar. The toffee dessert was sticky-sweet and reminded me of a tres leche type cake.

Fish & Chips

Allen about to add malt vinegar

Fish & Chips

Great tasting flaky fish

Sophia:
The pork belly was so tender with a crispy top and melts in your mouth. The cardamom carrot puree was rich and flavorful and the glaze had a balanced tart-sweet flavor. It was exquisite. The chicken pot pie was so hearty and the perfect comfort food. The roast chicken was breast and thigh and so yummy, and the root vegetables were tender and cooked just right. The puff pastry was so crispy and flaky and I loved dipping into the chicken, vegetables and broth. It was very filling and seasoned well. For dessert, I ate the vanilla bean cheesecake. I love the richness and creaminess of the cheesecake and tart flavor of the amarena cherry. The oreo cookie crust was crispy and complemented the decadent vanilla bean flavor.

Chicken pot pie

Sophia loving the chicken pot pie

The servers were amazing as were our waitress. I was impressed that we were approached often to see how we were doing. Even both managers checked in on us during our lunch. They were courteous and professional. We will definitely dine here again. I hear they have a great Sunday brunch and dinner menu so we will come back soon. Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay would be proud!

Sticky toffee pudding

Vanilla bean cheesecake

For further information, visit:
https://www.caesars.com/caesars-ac/restaurants/gordon-ramsay-pub-grill

-Sophia and Allen/Two Frys

Buddakan

Buddakan

This is the second Atlantic City Restaurant Week restaurant we had lunch at. Buddakan is located in The Playground at Caesars. It is built on a 900-foot pier over the Atlantic Ocean and offers high end retailers and various restaurants and bars. This was our first trip to Buddakan and the lunch menu was great.

Buddakan

Sophia and Allen, The Two Frys

Love the decor

Allen with Buddha

Sophia

For our appetizer, we both ordered the chicken and ginger dumplings with sesame soy dipping sauce. For the main course, I ordered the wok cashew chicken with plum wine sauce and Allen got the Asian barbecued pork grilled tenderloin, Chinese broccoli, and a giant panko onion ring. For dessert, we got Zen-Ful Donuts, sweet cream, banana and chocolate sauces.

Allen with his dumpling

Chicken and ginger dumplings

Our dumplings

A peek inside a dumpling

Allen:
I had the fresh, savory and authentic Asian dumplings, unlike those fast food types you get when you order takeout. I also enjoyed my entree of barbequed pork on Chinese broccoli with a flavorful sweet sauce on the side, and a crispy panko crusted onion ring. The donut dessert was very good, and I loved the banana red bean dipping sauce.

Asian barbequed pork

Allen with his entree

Panko crusted onion ring

Yummy pork

Sophia:
The dumplings were steamed to perfection and the ginger taste was prominent and meshed great with the tender chicken, and the dipping sauce complimented each bite. My main course was the cashew chicken in a plum wine sauce and came with mushrooms, snap peas and broccoli. The mushrooms were lovely and I even gave Allen some to try and he loved them as well. The snap peas and broccoli were cooked just right, not too soft or hard, and the sauce was not overpowering and balanced the dish. They also brought white rice for us to share. The zen-ful donuts were a great dessert to round out this wonderful meal. They were crispy and covered in cinnamon sugar with a yummy cream cheese filling. I opted for the chocolate sauce and enjoyed it immensely.

Sophia and wok cashew chicken

Wok cashew chicken

White rice

Our waiter was very attentive and explained the restaurant set up as it was our first time there and graciously answered our questions. There are different dining areas, a bar, and the central table with the large Buddha statue. This central table is great for a large party of people.

Zen-Ful Donuts

Zen-Ful Donuts, a closer view

My donut drizzled with chocolate sauce

Allen's donut with banana sauce

This place is beautiful and the huge Buddha statue inside with the decor offer a nice ambiance for your dining. We had a great time. It is a great place for a date and we will definitely return. 

Allen with Buddha

Buddha statue

The grand table with Buddha

For further information, visit:
https://buddakanac.com/

-Sophia and Allen/Two Frys

Apple Ridge Orchards

Apple Ridge Orchards, Warwick, NY

My family planned this outing a few weeks ago and when I woke up I looked out my window it was raining but heard on the radio that it was going to stop in a few hours. I was happy we ended up going since the rain was gone by the afternoon. I have never gone apple picking before so I was excited. I hadn't been feeling well the last few days with what I thought was allergies that turned into a cold. Good thing I bought something in the morning to help, and I felt better by the afternoon.

Pumpkins

Sugar Pumpkins

Apples

Due to the rain, the grounds were muddy and some spots were slippery so I walked with caution. My family had a nice time except my Mom. She was too cold and had trouble walking in the muddy grounds with her cane. After a short while she had to sit in the car and just wait for us but I cannot blame her. She is 88 after all. Other than that, everything went great.

The sugar pumpkin and 2 small gourds 

Pumpkins and gourds

Mini Gourds

Small gourds and pumpkins 

We ate a bite from Brian's Backyard BBQ and it was yummy. My Mom ordered ribs, my sister in law got the pulled pork and the rest of us got flame-broiled burgers. The apple cider donuts were so good! I only bought half a dozen and should have purchased more. I ate the last one this morning with coffee.

Tractor

Pumpkins

Pumpkins and hay bales

Allen and Sophia

There were lots of pumpkins to choose from and small and large gourds. I purchased a small sugar pumpkin and 2 small gourds. Adorbs!

Me with lots of pumpkins

Allen hanging out with the pumpkins

Pumpkins

Apple picking was fun as well but due to the mud, you had to watch where you were going.

Allen and the scarecrow

Apple trees

Allen picking an apple

Allen with his apple

Brian's Backyard BBQ

My sister in law took my nephew to the petting zoo and he enjoyed it. There were cute piggies running around the grounds and I also saw geese.

Apples

The Apple Ridge Orchards store

BBQ Sauce

Popcorn, mixes, salsa, etc...

Maple syrup, popcorn, peaches, salsa

The farm stand/shop had great products from the apple cider, apple cider donuts, apple butter, jams and preserves, local honey, BBQ sauces, applesauce, sweet pepper spicy relish, popcorn, maple syrup, mixes, and more...

Cool selection of mixes

Maple syrup, jams, jellies, preserves, applesauce, dips

Local honey

Apple cider donuts going fast

There are lots of activities for kids to partake in and the view is stunning. I really enjoyed my time here.

Geese

Geese close-up

What we purchased in the country store and we brought home apples

For further information, visit Apple Ridge Orchards:
https://appleridgeorchards.com/

-Sophia/Two Frys