Excuse Me, Is That A Sandwich In Your Drink or Are You Just Happy To See Me? Hash House A Go Go, Orlando Florida

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!

I hope this day is finding you the best and brightest that you can possibly be!

If you are a regular reader of LilyOnTheLam, you will know that I have recently spent some time in Orlando Florida with a one Mr. Cardamom Monroe, internationally renown Hello Kitty fan, looking for homes for sale.  Mr. CM is being relocated to Florida and needs surroundings suitably lush to be called "Lily East."  As I have always been good at spending other people's money, I was more than happy to accompany Mr. CM on his house hunting expedition.

Mr. CM's Realtor had told us that the Las Vegas restaurant Hash House A Go Go had opened a location in Orlando.  The restaurant bills itself as having "Twisted Farm Food."  Now if you want to fully understand who LilyOnTheLam is as a person, you need to know the following things:

1)  LilyOnTheLam likes breakfast - and all things in hash form.

2)  LilyOnTheLam likes houses.

3)  LilyOnTheLam likes anything and everything "a go go."

4)  LilyOnTheLam is pretty twisted.

So I insisted that Mr. CM take me to Hash House A Go Go for Sunday brunch.  

The food itself was scary.  I thought the Cheesecake Factory had large portions.  This place makes Cheesecake Factory look like a starvation camp diet plate.  Mr. CM and I were served these gargantuan platters of food, covered in sauces and gravies.

I had the entree best known for its appearance on the TV show "Man Vs. Food":  The Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict.

  
It is sage fried chicken with fresh spinach, bacon, tomato, griddled mozzarella, chipotle cream and scrambled eggs on grilled mashed potatoes - all on a fresh split biscuit.  With a gigantic steak knife (a.k.a. dagger) stuck in the middle of it.  Since I'm not currently planning on engaging in a killing spree, I was a bit amiss as to what to do with this weaponry.

The fried chicken eggs benedict might as well have been a bowl of mashed potatoes drowning in very hot chipotle cream gravy because that is all I tasted.  The spicy factor seared my tastebuds and the rest just tasted like one note incredibly fatty, heavy blandness.  

If you like massive portions of overly spiced, doughy tasting food covered in gravy, you'll love this fried chicken benedict (which is not a traditional eggs benedict whatsoever).  But I was unhappy.  I ate about 1/6th of this monstrosity and felt sick to my stomach.  (And trust me, my stomach is used to eating some heavy duty fatty foods.)

This was a "Hash House A No No."

Mr. Cardamom Monroe went with some egg thing - if I remember correctly this is the Farm Scramble.  But I could be wrong, I was too busy wishing I had ordered a waffle instead.

Mr. CM was not impressed with his meal either.  We looked sadly at the table of waffles and pancakes next to us.  WHY, WHY, WHY didn't I just order a pancake as big as my head?  I had to go "all fancy" and get the "as seen on TV" entree.  

  
I would definitely go back to Hash House A Go Go to try one of their monster pancakes but I will steer clear of the eggs on potatoes on biscuit dishes - no flavor!

But there is one bright spot of my brunch at Hash House A Go Go.  I wanted to start my meal with a Bloody Mary.  The server asked "a regular Bloody Mary or a BLT Bloody Mary?" What?  I was intrigued!  What is a BLT Bloody Mary?  The server said "It's like a Bloody Mary with a BLT on the side."  Mr. Cardamom Monroe and I looked at each other, still not comprehending what this cocktail was supposed to be.  But we decided in this land of twisted farm food, it's either "Go big or go home!" so I ordered the BLT Bloody Mary.

Out comes a spicy bloody mary with a large romaine leaf submerged in the drink, a piece of beefsteak tomato and a cold piece of bacon.  At the base of the drink is a square of sandwich bread-looking melba toast and a packet of mayonnaise.  An interactive cocktail!

I slathered the melba toast with mayo and then began the assembly.  I pulled out the wet piece of romaine lettuce and placed it on the mayo-ed toast, then the tomato and then the bacon.  I really liked the flavor of the lettuce since it had a generous soaking of my spicy Bloody Mary on it.  The tomato was tasty.  

The bacon however was too cold from sitting in the icy drink.  It had a heavy congealed fat taste to it.  Perhaps they could have given me a skewer and a candle so I could have warmed up the bacon table side?  The melba toast was nice but I would have preferred a slice of lightly toasted white bread as a BLT to me both has the crunch but also the softness of the bread.  Melba toast just has the crunch.

As far as restaurant gimmicks go, this was a cute one.  But probably not one I'd try often.  Because my entree was already food for 12, to have a drink with a side sandwich was just waaaaaay overboard.  I could hear my arteries hardening and my thighs expanding as our coffee cups were refilled.

I'd like to go back to Hash House A Go Go to have a pancake as big as my head.  They have them in traditional flavors (Banana, Brown Sugar, Apple Cinnamon) and non-traditional ones like Snickers, Strawberry Frosted Flake, Mango Coconut and Blackberry Granola.  They also have bacon waffles and sausage waffles.  I definitely need to go back to try a bacon waffle.  But I'll definitely pass on their non-traditional eggs Benedict platters.  I am not a fan of those! 

New Product Wednesday: Mamie Jo's Kitchen Pecan Cheese Wafers

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!

If you are a regular reader, you may be aware that on Wednesdays I post "New Product Wednesday" product reviews of items that are new or at least new to me!  In honor of the first Trader Joe's opening in South Tampa, I have dedicated New Product Wednesday for the past several weeks to Trader Joe's products.

However this week we are going to take a break and feature a  non-Trader Joe's product.  Stick with me people, you won't regret it!

Growing up in the Northern Midwest, I never thought of Florida as being part of the "Old South."  Living ten years in Florida (man, does time fly!), I still don't really consider Florida to be the South - although I have noticed a few "y'all" and "bless her heart" sayings have crept into my every day vernacular.  

This past Memorial Day weekend, I went to visit my friend (who I have self-appointed as "The First Lady of Lynchburg") in her home of Lynchburg, Virginia.  I have worked in Roanoke and Virginia Beach and visited Richmond and the DC-adjacent Virginia suburbs, but I had never been to Lynchburg.  To me, parts of Virginia are still "the Old South."  

Now I have also recently been in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina on a business trip.  I was working incredibly long hours and had no time to explore the area.  I made one exception to visit my favorite Lebanese deli, but other than that I was chained to my computer.  I bemoaned to FLL (First Lady of Lynchburg) how sad I was that I did not have a chance to visit my favorite foodie paradise in Chapel Hill, North Carolina - the massive wonderful food emporium- Southern Season.  It's like NYC's Eataly but with a Southern flair!

Being raised outside of the South, I do not have the genteel etiquette and sensibilities of a Southern Belle.  Although I do have some social graces.  If a person offers me a gift, I usually do the "oh no, I couldn't … that's much too kind … no really, I just couldn't" 2-3 times denial before accepting said gift.  I don't know why, I just do.  

So when FLL heard that I had not had a chance to go to Southern Season, she pulled out a container of "Mamie Jo's Kitchen's Pecan Cheese Wafers" for me.  

Instead of doing my normal "Oh no, I couldn't possibly …" response when offered a gift, I swooped down on the plastic container of sharp cheesy wafers with gigantic pecans like a cracked out owl on a mouse!  I scurried away with my treasure and I am pretty sure I didn't even say "Thank you."  I needed to lock this gift in my suitcase before FLL changed her mind!  When it comes to pecan cheese wafers, the only word is "YES!"

I am not sure how I managed to not crack into the plastic tub before returning to Florida.  Extreme human restraint?  But let me tell you, the minute I walked through my door I turned on the television and out came the pecan cheese wafers.

I noticed on the label that it says they "freeze beautifully."  Which made me smile and laugh.  My friend Ms. Kentucky and I are going to see American Stage Theatre's production of "Steel Magnolias."  I have never seen the play, but I have seen the movie more times than I can count.  I also remember that there is a line in the movie about recipes in the "freezes beautifully" section of a cookbook.  So seeing "freeze beautifully" on the Mamie Jo's Kitchen Pecan Cheese Wafers label made me think of Dolly Parton.  

When I was in Las Vegas, I was surprised to see that there were Dolly Parton slot machines.  Listen, nothing is better than winning money while Dolly is singing "Jolene."

I won $109 at the Las Vegas airport while Dolly was singing her heart out.  It may have annoyed the man sitting next to me, but my wallet loved every single minute of it!

  In the American Stage Theatre production of Steel Magnolias, local actress Tia Jemison plays "Truvy" - the Dolly Parton role.  I am extremely excited to see Tia play Truvy as she was wonderful in Stageworks Theater's production of "A Raisin In The Sun" and American Stage Theater's "The Wiz."    

But enough about Dolly Parton, how did the Pecan Cheese Wafers taste?

Like absolute Southern Heaven.  

Incredibly cheesy with a sharp, rich, buttery cheese taste and the pecans were so amazingly fresh.  I had to pace myself because I wanted to gobble up the entire plastic tub (45 calories per wafer).  

Mamie Jo's Kitchen has a Facebook page that lists where you can buy their products.  If you like sharp cheese shortbread with hearty, tasty pecans, you HAVE to try these little buttons of delight!  They are sooooo delicious.  And they do freeze beautifully.     

P.S.  See Steel Magnolias at American Stage Theatre through June 15.  Read the Tampa Tribune's review of the play here.

P.P.S. I am so happy that the insanity around the new South Tampa Trader Joe's seems to have died down.  I drove there the other day and 1/3 of the parking lot spots were actually open!  Of course by the time I came out of the store, there were only 3-4 spots open … but it was the first time I had shopped at the new South Tampa location without wanting to stab everyone I saw in the head.  Progress!

Gamble on this Amazing Breakfast! Pyramid Cafe - Luxor Las Vegas

Happy Friday, LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!

I know this was a shorter week for many U.S.-workers with the Memorial Day holiday this past Monday, but man I felt like the work week was a week and a half long!  This is what happens to me after a nice vacation! 

I have a stack of pictures from Las Vegas, New York, Durham, Lynchburg, Lexington and Charlottesville - just waiting to be blogged about ... baby steps!  So today I am going to write about Breakfast in Las Vegas!

Call me a crass American, but I looooooove long weekends in Las Vegas!  I love the shows, the shopping, the dining ... I hate the heinous amounts of secondhand smoke but other than that I love, love, love Vegas!

Another thing I love, love, love is breakfast foods!  The sweet breakfast food items always sound so wonderful, but a sugary breakfast usually makes me insane and then makes me crash hard.  So I usually opt for an omelet or other egg-based dish.  My stomach might want a sugary entree but my brain knows it is better to stick with some protein!

But on the second to my last day in Las Vegas, my judgment was getting a little cloudy.  I decided it was time to try one of the sugary breakfast entree treats at the Pyramid Cafe at the Luxor Hotel.  

My only problem was that EVERYTHING sounded so good.  Check out this list of sweet breakfast foods:  S'mores pancakes, Red Velvet pancakes, Cinnamon Roll French Toast with caramelized apples, Peanut Butter Cream Stuffed French Toast, Orange Creamsicle French Toast, Strawberry Shortcake French Toast, Bacon Pecan Waffle and ... drum roll please ... Carrot Cake French Toast!  Have I died and gone to sugary breakfast treat heaven?

I once had Carrot Cake French Toast at the South Congress Cafe in Austin, Texas.  It was absolutely amazing.  If you are in Austin, you absolutely must check it out.

But now I was in Vegas and I was TORN!  So many choices!  I read and re-read the menu and finally narrowed it down to the Strawberry Shortcake French Toast or the Carrot Cake French Toast.  

But I could not make the final decision!  

I decided to let my waitress decide for me.  She said absolutely the Strawberry Shortcake French Toast and I said "SOLD!"

Lemon poppyseed bread dipped in vanilla custard, grilled and served with sliced strawberries, whipped cream and strawberry sauce.  CRAZY DELICIOUS!  A high roller breakfast!

Unfortunately I was headed to New York City after my Las Vegas trip to buy some new work clothes, so I could not eat this entire plate of "heaven in lemon."  But I allowed myself two of the four pieces and all the strawberries.  My tastebuds were happy and later when I tried on lots of designer clothing and everything fit perfectly and beautifully, I was glad I showed some restraint!

I find that a lot of lemon poppyseed muffins/bread have a fake chemical taste.  This French Toast was very lemony, not overly sweet but still fresh and tasty.  The bread is sliced thick and is soft and velvety with a crispy shell.  I would have preferred real whipped cream whipped by hand versus a pressurized cream, but it didn't detract from the wonderfulness.  The strawberries were sweet and ripe.  The strawberry syrup was rich without being artificially or sickly sweet.

This breakfast was soooo good.  If I had a high metabolism, I would have tried a different sweet breakfast entree from Pyramid Cafe every morning that I was in Las Vegas.  But sadly I have the metabolism of a turtle, so I only was able to savor one of their fabulous breakfast items.  It was still worth it!

If you are in Vegas and enjoy sweet breakfast entrees, make sure you check out the Pyramid Cafe!

My Idea of A Bender

Happy Thursday, LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

I hope you have enjoyed the longest run of consecutive days of LilyOnTheLam.com posts published in the entire history of LilyOnTheLam!  There are some exciting new prosperous changes happening in my life which will leave me a lot less time to write daily blog posts.  It is a very exciting time in the life of Lily! 

I hope you have enjoyed the large number of posts I have published in the past two months.  If you haven't read them all, go back and check them out.  I'll be dropping down to a much slower blogging schedule as I continue my fabulous adventures around the globe.

To start off my new busy lifestyle, I went on a three city bender - Las Vegas, New York and Raleigh, North Carolina.  (OK that last one was for business, but hey "bender in Raleigh" makes me giggle so I had to say it.)  Now before you call rehab, I have to admit my idea of a bender is eating cinnamon bear candy while playing "Sex in the City" slots in Las Vegas.

Yes, you heard me.  Candy and moderate gambling.

That's my "bender."  And I LOVE IT!

This Ain't My First Time At The Rodeo!

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

I hope you have been enjoying my posts from the last couple weeks.  I have been on the road (or "on the Lam") having more adventures that hopefully I will write about soon if I do not fall prey to procrastination.  One of the cities I have been leaving my mark on recently is Las Vegas, Nevada.  I have been to Las Vegas more times than I can remember.  It's like Lily's Sandbox.  Or maybe litter box ... who knows!  My money and my liver regret that I come here as often as I do.  But they don't get a vote, do they?

I was at the Shops at Mandalay Bay when this woman moseyed up in front of me.  

I am pretty sure I am mandated by law to take a picture when fashion THIS GOOD appears before me.

Because every moment of my life can be narrated by the films Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Mommie Dearest, I include this clip from Mommie Dearest "This Ain't My First Time At The Rodeo!"

Munch Bar - Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, NV

Restaurant:  Munch Bar
Location:  Caesar's Palace - Las Vegas, NV
Date Visited: December 2010


Las Vegas is a hedonistic delight and a foodie's dream.  This is the city where you can partake in the "Buffet of Buffets" - admittance to SEVEN - yes SEVEN all you can eat buffets in one day.  As if more than one all you can eat buffet was not enough.  Did humans start to grow seven stomachs?  In the hotels, there tends to be several classes of dining establishments: food court, casual dining, formal dining and whoa hold on to your wallet dining.  I like to pretend I am a gourmand, but I usually go to the "formal dining" or celebrity chef category. 


On a break between pricier meals (and let's face it, a break for my stomach as well), I decided to have lunch at Munch Bar at Caesar's Palace.  I had eaten at Munch Bar before. I had read a review of Munch Bar and the reviewer was going on and on about how delicious their Lobster Roll was.  Now I cannot say "no" to a good Lobster Roll, so I was giddy to try it.  Only to discover that it was a seasonal special and it was no longer on the menu!  So, I "settled" for a scrumptious shrimp po boy with crisp light French fries and a big glass mug of pear cider.


This time, my sister accompanied me for lunch.  She had a steak salad with feta that was a large size salad and very hearty.  She liked the tang of the dressing against the heavier salad components.  I had the fish tacos.  I was very happy that the fish was not deep-fried.  The fish was lightly seasoned and the plate contained all the accoutrements for a corn tortilla fish taco.  I could have used a few extra tortillas as they are the very small ones, but otherwise all was well.  The French fries were not as good as I remembered.  They were overly greasy, but I took that as a sign from the culinary gods (or a sign from my expanding waistline) that I should only eat a few. 


The Munch Bar faces the casino and also the Pussycat Dolls merchandise stand.  If you're eating dinner at Munch Bar, you will have a view of Pussycat Dolls-style go go girls dancing next to gaming tables.  Not exactly the view I want with my dinner, but it may add to the ambience if that's your sort of thing!


Munch Bar has a variety of fun desserts.  But if nothing appeals to you, walk out the casino doors and get an ice cream sundae or a frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3 which is in front of Caesar's.  I'll save my review of Serendipity 3 for another posting.


I enjoy Munch Bar - it's a happy medium between more expensive food options and the food court in Las Vegas.