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! 

Sassy Food Blogger in a Fedora: Why You Should Try The New Menu at Ciro's Speakeasy

Dear LilyOnTheLam.com Readers:

If you're a regular reader you'll know that one of my favorite local places for upscale, fun cocktailing and quality gourmet shareable plates dining is the "prohibition-style speakeasy" called Ciro's Speakeasy and Supper Club on Howard Avenue near Bayshore Boulevard in South Tampa, Florida.  

You need a password to enter the dark speakeasy.  Something that can be seen as either quite annoying or very charming depending on your world view.  One time my response to "what's the password?" was "I am here and I have a reservation - that's the password."  The hostess didn't seem too amused by my attitude and remarks. But let me tell you, after a few drinks at Ciro's my attitude is ALWAYS BETTER.  ;-)

Half of Ciro's Speakeasy is composed of dark, private booths with individual waitstaff-summoning doorbells and curtains for privacy.  You feel like you are stepping in to another world.  The waitstaff is dressed prohibition era style and I have been there several times where patrons also came dressed in Roaring 20's outfits.  When in Rome ...

When I heard Ciro's was retooling their menu, I knew I had to check it out to see what gems made it to the new menu and share this knowledge with you all.

But first - I will preface this blog post by saying that when I arrived last weekend with three friends at Ciro's Speakeasy, a lovely lady named Lauren who I believe is the Ciro's Manager (apologies if not), had my two favorite menu items (chicken and waffle sliders with a chipotle maple gravy and the French fries cooked in duck fat with a trio of dipping sauces - garlic aioli, tamarind ketchup and more chipotle maple gravy) brought over to our booth on the house.  I mention this because I believe in full disclosure when I am giving my opinion/recommendation about a restaurant.  (And yes, you can pretty much purchase my love and my soul with a cone of  Duck-fat French Fries.)  

However those of you who read my blog often, know that I have written about Ciro's Speakeasy several times before I ever received the generous and much appreciated morsels.  I also tend to visit Ciro's quite often and bring "virgins" along with me, so I will gladly accept any freebies Ciro's wants to throw my way!  And hey, if you want to name one of your booths after me - go for it. 

If you would like to read my previous Ciro's Speakeasy blog posts, check them out below:

Lily and the Hotlantan Nicky G at Ciro's Speakeasy

Lily and Sergio the Evil Elf at Ciro's Speakeasy

Lily and Miss NL at Ciro's Speakeasy

Wow, I have written a lot of Ciro's Speakeasy posts for this blog, haven't I?  

Listen up Ciro's, if you like this blog post I request two things -- One - the secret password for December for entry into Ciro's Speakeasy should be "Lily On The Lam."  Last time I was there, the password was "Park Slope" which makes no sense - we're in Tampa, not Brooklyn!  "Lily On The Lam" is the perfect password for a Tampa speakeasy.  Just saying ...

Two - the next time I am at Ciro's, I would love a free crostini trio. I believe in the law of attraction - so I am just putting my ego and my stomach's hopes and desires out into the universe and perhaps it shall pan out!  Baby loves freebies!

I have been to Ciro's three times in the past six weeks - once with Hotlantan Nicky G as referenced above, a second time with Miss Asheville 2013 (JS's MIL- yes I am talking about your DIL) and a third time with Miss Costa Rica, Miss Carrollwood and Miss Seminole Heights.  (And no, I don't hang out with people with normal names.)

Each time, the food menu was a little different.  On visit #2, our incredibly good-looking waiter whose name I cannot recall told us that Ciro's was adjusting its menu - testing out and trying new items that best fits Ciro's identity.  In my first two tastings there were definitely some dishes that hit the mark and some that just seemed wrong for the establishment.  I feigned swooning and said in my best Southern falsetto - "Lordy, Lordy me, this restaurant is having an identity crisis!"

However the last time I went to Ciro's, I was told that the latest draft of the new menu was "IT" - identity had been found!  I was ready to try some new items and see if this menu was the real deal or a soap opera evil twin!  

Side Note:  I cancelled my cable to try to break my rampant television addiction.  But it didn't work- I traded my television heroin for television methadone - the DVD.  I have spent the last several months watching the original night soap opera "Dallas."  I had never watched the last couple of seasons of the 14 season series.  The first six or seven seasons I was as giddy as a Toddler in a Tiara mainlining pixie sticks.  But then as the show jumped the shark, it became more and more painful.  I am now on episode six of Season Fourteen - the last season - and I'm basically in a fetal position screaming "WHY GOD, WHY?" at my cats.  But I am going to see it through - I am going to watch all episodes in all fourteen seasons if it kills me!  And heaven knows, it just might ...

But enough about me, back to Ciro's Speakeasy ...  

Before I tell you what I tried on the new menu, let me tell you about my favorites that I am crazy ecstatic glad are still on the menu.  Chicken and waffle sliders, truffle popcorn, aforementioned duck fat-cooked French Fries and the heavenly cheese fondue.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for keeping all of these items on the menu!

I am sad that the pub pretzel, the artichoke and the select your own charcuterie and cheese board are no longer on the menu.  Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream discontinued their pink lemonade sorbet in 1996 and my sister Squidge and I still bemoan the loss-- so Ciro's be forewarned, my sadness at discontinued items is deep and long-running!

But enough about sadness and loss, let's talk about changes I did like.  First of all, I have to say THANK YOU Ciro's for finally allowing reservations (see OpenTable.com) for smaller parties.  The rule used to be for parties of 6 or more.  Although I did notice the last time I went to Ciro's, the valet now costs $5 - is this a weekends only thing now ... or?  Parking is tight in the Hyde Park/SoHo (south of Howard Avenue) section, so at least it was only $5.

Foodwise, the menu seems to have gotten even more eclectic-- which I adore but may not be mainstream enough.  Time will tell.  My friends and I ordered the crostini trio, the slider trio and the lobster deviled eggs off the new menu.  (We also had the fondue, chicken and waffle sliders and duck fries off the old menu.)  I ordered the "Rooter Rebellion" - a drink that currently is not listed on their menu but should be.  It's a sassy rootbeer-esque concoction that is magic to my tongue.  

Other LilyOnTheLam.com Ciro's cocktail favorites - Safety Drink, Lychee Love Hotel, Moscow Mule, Hemingway's Daiquiri, the Mai Tai, Gin Fizz, this Russian berry thing who's name escapes me because it's usually the 5th drink I order ... and any of Ciro's absinthe drinks!  If you're looking for artsy, yum-tastic cocktails, get yourself over to Ciro's Speakeasy.

OK enough about the liquor and back to the food ... the problem with trying to mix socializing, hunger satiation and food blogging is that sometimes you get carried away with the socializing and forget to keep track of everything you are eating - so please forgive the incomplete descriptions of the food below.  If you want to know all the ingredients, get yourself over to Ciro's to try their new menu for yourself.

My number one absolute most favorite new food item that I tried was the beef and avocado crostini that is part of the Crostini Trio (shown below on the lefthand side in the photo).  Moist, rich, lush feel to the tongue - equal parts crunchy, chewy, creamy ... if decadence had a flavor, this is it.

There is also a piece of butternut squash hummus crostini (shown righthand side of the photo) in the Crostini Trio.  When I first heard "Squash Hummus," I thought two things - #1) WORST PORN STAR NAME EVER.  

And #2) Intriguing - either this is going to be really tasty or really crappy.  

I am happy to report that it is extremely tasty.  Flavorful and sensuous like Autumn flavors in a sporty tuxedo.  It is the perfect creamy bite to nibble on when you're trying to come up with a better porn star name.

Ciro's also added a Truffled Cauliflower dish to its new menu. I didn't try it, but I reckon (I live in the SOUTH, people) that it's pretty darn good too.
  

Crostini Trio

Sadly I had too many cocktails to remember the center crostini in the above picture- I think its like a classic tomato bruschetta but with a salty caper twist.  

Apologies to Ciro's that I cannot recall the ingredients, but maybe that's a sign you need something more mind-blowing for the third crostini if I can't even recall it.  Hmmm?  

May I suggest a piece of bread with a thin slice of prosciutto, sliced strawberries, black pepper and a drizzle of chocolate balsamic vinegar?  

Or if you wanted a non-meat option, try thinly sliced Anjou pears, Vermont white cheddar shavings and a drizzle of honey that has micro-diced pieces of crystallized ginger in it.  (Place it under the broiler/salamander for extra melty, rich crunch.)  

I give you these ideas free of charge, but you could always rename the Crostini Trio to "Lily's Crostini Trio" or "Crostini Trio on the Lam" in gratitude.  Nothing says prohibition better than a life led on the lam!

My second absolute favorite "WOW!" item on Ciro's new menu is the lobster deviled eggs - lobster, caviar and sriracha in a gorgeous perfectly cooked hard-boiled egg white.  If you want straight-up decadent elegance, order these.  They're beautiful.  They're deluxe.  They're lusciousness on a platter. (So am I, but that's a story for another time.)  

Miss Carrollwood ordered these lobster deviled eggs - she's a cool classy blonde so I wasn't surprised that she ordered a cool classy appetizer.  I felt like a rich little Czarina munching away on these lobster deviled eggs.  Do yourself a favor and inspire your own pre-Russian Revolution feast and regally demand a couple orders of these beauties.  I won't tell Lenin and Stalin, if you won't!  

Lobster deviled eggs with caviar and sriracha

On to our next item ... I absolutely adore a good burger, especially since I come from Minneapolis - the land where you can find the best "Juicy Lucy" cheese-stuffed hamburgers.  So imagine my delight in seeing that Ciro's now has a burger slider trio where one of the sliders is a Juicy Lucy.  We ordered two slider trios for the table.  My absolute favorite of the three is an Asian-inspired burger.  If I could have had three of these, I would have.  Another slider was stuffed with pate - it was only ehh so so, I was expecting more since the Asian one was chock full of so many great flavors.  Our Juicy Lucy - the one that I was most looking forward to was dry.  However Miss Seminole Heights' Juicy Lucy was very moist and flavorful.  So I'll be back to Ciro's in the future to see if I get a better Juicy Lucy!

The sliders were served on a typical brioche-style hamburger bun.  It looked better than it tasted - there was nothing inherently wrong with the bun.  It had decent taste and held up well to the burger and all its toppings.  But flavor-wise did not add much to the party.  However with the list of ingredients in each of the three sliders, perhaps a blank canvas of a brioche bun is just what the doctor ordered.

Slider Trio

By this time in the evening I was too happily scarfing down food and quaffing cocktails to take good pictures-- so here's the chicken and waffle slider platter with only 2 of the 4 sliders remaining.  Ciro's used to serve this with the chipotle maple gravy already on the slider.  I am very happy they now just serve it on the side.

We were so stuffed from all of our food that we did not get the opportunity to sample any of the new desserts.  Ciro's switched up the flavors in its bread pudding and there's even a cotton candy on the menu.  Alas, next time for me!

Side Note: I was having a BAD HAIR DAY when I went to Ciro's, so I decided to don a chapeau to go with the Prohibition-style theme.  I had a black Fedora-esque hat with a white silk flower.  If you are a frequent reader of LilyOnTheLam.com, you will know that I am the world's worst photo stylist.  But I am TRYING!  So below is a picture of the hat I wore to Ciro's Speakeasy juxtaposed against an actor who was also known for wearing a certain hat as well.

And if Larry Hagman is not your cup of tea, here is Sharka - the Crazy Shirts Mascot - wearing said chapeau.  Whoever said Hipster Cool was dead was wrong.  Live fast, die young and always carry a surfboard and wear a Fedora.  That's my life's motto or my name is not Squash Hummus.

P.S.  A word to the Executive Chef at Ciro's Speakeasy - run down the street to the Fresh Market and get some pretzel sticks from the bakery to experiment with- your menu needs a soft pretzel dish again!

P.P.S.  One more word to the Executive Chef - also get some large fat dried dates, stuff them with Cypress Grove Purple Haze goat cheese, sprinkle with minced pistachios, roll tightly in a medium-thick slice of Neuske's Canadian bacon, place a toothpick in to keep it all in place and broil.  Serve with a drizzle of pear Balsamic vinegar.  I'm not saying you need to put this on your menu, but it may keep your creative menu-planning ideas flowing.  ;-)  

Thank you Ciro's Speakeasy for the two free items the last time I was visiting.  As you know from my enlarged belly and liver, I will be back for more food and more tasty cocktails in the future!

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Isn't it time you bought a sassy Fedora too?   Just saying ...

Bella Bella Bella - and no, I'm not talking about Twilight!

I was jonesing for some cocktails and culture, but what's a Tampa Bay area girl to do? 


For culture, I decided to head over to downtown St. Petersburg to take in the fantastic Chihuly Collection glass works exhibit at the Morean Arts Center.  I've been in love with Chihuly's works since I attended the opening of the Bellagio in Las Vegas a million years ago.  The Chihuly collection exhibit did not disappoint whatsoever.  Several rooms of beautiful, exquisite pieces.


Now that the culture portion of the evening was taken care of, it was time for the cocktails.  I headed down the street to Bella Brava New World Trattoria.  The first thing I noticed is that there are chalkboard walls and the waitstaff's names were written on the wall.  Evidently one of the waitstaff is named Lily - or else I was late for my shift and I didn't know it!

For the record, my server was Brian.  It would have been more ironic if Lily had been my server ... but again, I may have had amnesia-- maybe I work at Bella Brava!  Where's my apron?  What are the specials?


I started my evening with the Blackberry-Ginger Smash cocktail - acai liqueur, blueberry acai vodka, blackberries, ginger, simple syrup and lemon juice.  Tart, tasty, tangy and I told myself that the acai was good for me.  Health in a glass, right?

Now that the cocktail choice was made ... on to dinner.  Being American and therefore a lover of all things deep fried, I have a weak spot for any menu that says "housemade potato chips."  Hence the gorgonzola fonduta had to be ordered - housemade potato chips with a gorgonzola cheese fondue.

I was so excited for this appetizer and then so disappointed once I tasted it.  The fonduta had a taste that I can only describe as curdled - almost like maybe it had been overcooked and reheated several times.  The chips were also overcooked so that they had an almost burnt aftertaste.  The gorgonzola fonduta was overly pungent.  The flavors did not marry well at all.  It was like bad plus bad equals "ugh, what's that taste in my mouth?  Old socks?"  I found myself longing for a beer-cheese fondue instead or even just a topping of shaved Parmesan and Parma ham ribbons on top of the potato chips. 


The special of the day was a tuna carpaccio and Brian, my server, highly recommended it.  I loves me some good, raw ahi - so I said "Brian, consider me sold!"

The tuna carpaccio was amazing.  A little heavy handed on the sesame, but delicious nevertheless.  I have no idea what the lump of bagged salad mix with dried out carrot shreds was doing on the plate.  Visually, it completely brought the sophistication of the dish down (way down) and it did not add to the flavor profile whatsoever.  Pick a new salad or garnish, Bella Brava!


To accompany the tuna carpaccio, I had another cocktail - a French Greyhound- vodka, elderberry flower liqueur and ruby red grapefruit juice.  I have no idea what an elderberry flower looks like, but the overall flavor of the cocktail was perfectly tart and fantastic.  I could drink these all day and all night long!

The Bella Brava cocktail menu has many more items that I would like to try, but I'll be giving the gorgonzola fonduta a pass in the future.  My taste buds and my waist line are appreciative of that decision!

Speakeasy, Drinkeasy, Eateasy - Ciro's Speakeasy and Supper Club - Tampa, Florida

Oct. 2012 Update:  Read about Ciro's Speakeasy's new menu items by clicking here!

Update: Check out my October 2011 blog post for more information on Ciro's Speakeasy and Supper Club!

One of my friends ("NL") is leaving sunny Florida to move to the rolling green mountainside of Lynchburg, Virginia for a new job.  As someone who spent four months working in Roanoke, Virginia; I can appreciate the beauty and the good restaurants of Virginia - but beyond that I have to ask my friend "REALLY?  Lynchburg?"  (Which please prove me wrong and send me Lynchburg recommendations - my friend would appreciate it!)

NL was heading up to Lynchburg for a few weeks before coming back to Florida to pack up her house and move.  We decided that we needed to celebrate her new job and also have a belated birthday celebration for me.  (All about me!)  NL is a classy lady, so we needed a classy joint for her congratulations dinner.  We decided to check out Ciro's Speakeasy and Supper Club off of Bayshore Blvd in Tampa, FL. 

When Ciro's opened in 2010, it was the talk of the town.  There was a secret door, no sign and you had to give a password to get in.  Now in 2011, the novelty and the kitsch has been put aside - but it's still a unique evening out.  Ciro's Speakeasy is in the former home of the original Ceviche Tapas restaurant, so the "hidden door" was not hidden to me as it's in the same place as Ceviche's front door.  It's around the corner from the pool by the valet.  Ciro's Speakeasy is located on the first floor of a condo building.  Once you figure out where the door is, everything is easy from there.  However it can be off-putting at first to some people.  Try something new, people!

We knocked on the door and the host opened a small window in the door to peer out at us.  He let us in.  Ciro's is incredibly dark inside - the menus have flashlights in them!  NL and I entered in like angels, shrouded in bright white light.  It took our eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness.  The host told us he had a private booth waiting for us and led us to a lovely little alcove room with an L-shaped couch.  The alcove was draped off with curtains and there was a buzzer you could use to signal the waiter.  It was the perfect setting for a date where you wanted to have a hot and heavy make-out session without being stared at (always a plus, right?).  However I was at Ciro's Speakeasy with my female friend NL and I am not a lesbian, so there wasn't going to be any making out for the two of us! 

The awkwardness of the not-so-romantic moment subsided as we dove into the cocktail menu.  Ciro's Speakeasy is supposed to be reminiscent of the Prohibition-era - a secret club where you and your Flapper Girl could sip bathtub gin without worrying about the Keystone Cops crashing your night.  Elliott Ness does not have this place on his radar!  Cocktails are first and foremost on the menu for Ciro's.  NL and I had decided to go to Ciro's because Bartender Extraordinaire Andres Aleman (read more about him at:  http://www.shakeandstrainblog.com/) was guest bartending. 

NL ordered off the menu for her first cocktail.  The Lychee Love Hotel.  An awesome drink name if I have ever heard one!  It was sweet and sassy (pictured to the right below).  I selected one of Andres Aleman's specials for the evening- I cannot recall the name of the drink but it had rhubarb syrup in it.  I have never had any cocktails with rhubarb syrup, so I could not resist.  This was my 2nd favorite drink of the evening.  It was tart but smooth.  (First favorite is the sangrita described later below.)  With any good cocktail, you need to have some great snacks.  (Or at least that's the rule of my life.)  We started our evening at Ciro's Speakeasy with French fries cooked in duck fat.  The French fries were accompanied with three delicious dipping sauces. Insanely good!  I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing these hot little fries of love were.  And the sauces - tangy, amazing and fantastic!

We moved on to sample Andres Aleman's three other specialty cocktails that night - pictured below.  I talked about the first one- my sangrita in a previous blog post, accompanied with a shot of tequila.  The other drinks include an incredibly potent apple cocktail and a julep-style drink that made me see stars, but in a very good way!

The cocktails were absolutely delicious, but also incredibly strong.  A proper excuse to order more delicious lovelies from the bar menu to sop up the alcohol.  Around this time, a sultry jazz singer started purring out tunes from the cozy lounge next to the private booths.  Even more romantic with the fantastic band, but once again I am here with female friend NL!  I need to go here on a date!

In addition to the lovely French Fries cooked in duck fat, we also had some lovely cheese fondue with mushrooms.  Nothing like hot cheese to get the night rolling!  Our server was a gorgeous man named Ryan.  We never once had to push the call button, he always magically knew when we needed something.  His assistant would refill our waters just by pushing his hand through the curtain.  It was like having our thirst satiated by "The Thing" from the Addams Family.

I think Granny Smith apples are mandatory for any cheese fondue, so I was very happy to see lovely perfect Granny Smith apples in addition to the French bread accompanying the fondue.

And to add some extra "oomph" to the evening, we split the chicken and waffles with chipotle maple gravy.  The waffle was so savory, it had both the right texture and taste to fully compliment the chicken.

This night of decadence was fantastic, but it's a congratulations dinner for NL - so we had to go over the top.  We ordered Ciro's special dessert - a waffle with chocolate covered bacon, orange bits and topped with a scoop of Newcastle Ale ice cream.  Hold on to your hats, ladies and gents - your taste buds are going somewhere they have never been!  And you will love every minute every of it!

I know some of you might be scared of chocolate-covered bacon, orange, beer ice cream and sweet waffle - but let your guard down and check it out, baby!  Live large and live well - try everything!

The Chef stopped by our private booth to say hello and see how we liked our food.  Luckily he came by about two seconds before I was planning on licking the plate clean!  Delicious!

Ciro's Speakeasy had a wonderful array of cocktails (absinthe too!) and the appetizers are amazing.  NL and I very much enjoyed our time at the Speakeasy.  But next time I am absolutely bringing a date.  Cocktails and Newcastle beer ice cream are wonderful.  Cocktails, Newcastle beer ice cream and kisses behind a curtain are even better!

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