Category Archives: Pubs

Elephant & Castle

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elephantandcastle

*** (3 stars)

This Americanized English pub has a pleasant atmosphere and good service.

There  are about a dozen authentic English pub dishes, and a larger selection of American sports bar type items. I only tried the pub pretzels, which we extremely doughy and covered in oil. I can’t recommend them.

There is a decent selection of draft beers, and a somewhat limited bottle list.

Elephant & Castle
185 N Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 345-1710
http://www.yelp.com/biz/elephant-and-castle-chicago-3

Amazing Kale Burger Lunch Counter

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**** (4 stars)

It’s always a pleasure to eat where the employees are really passionate about what they do, and that epitomizes The Amazing Kale Burger. From the moment I walked in I felt right at home, and my server’s enthusiasm for the food was very clear.

I tried the Vaden, which is served with a beet-based BBQ sauce. The kale burger patty is quite delicious, with all the ingredient in balance, and a nice crust from cooking. The accompanying lettuce and tomato were quite fresh, and the BBQ sauce was delicious. The bun was a bit small, sturdy and dry for my taste, but I can see where others might like it.

For a side dish I had pickled asparagus, which was tossed with yellow peppers and extremely fresh oregano bits. It was delicious.

House made mint tea was pleasantly unsweetened.

The kale burger was one of the better vegetarian patties I’ve had, and I’d often choose it over a meat patty if it were available elsewhere. Coincidentally, I ate here on national burger day!

Amazing Kale Burger Lunch Counter
741 Howard St
Evanston, IL 60202
(847) 660-4330
http://www.yelp.com/biz/amazing-kale-burger-lunch-counter-evanston

The Salisbury

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*** (3 stars)

This very historical pub is a good place for lunch before a matinee show at any of the nearby theatres. The food and beverage selections are what you’d expect, and there is a charming period decor. Service is friendly, and accommodating of foreign visitors, so the you can usually order at your table rather than the bar, as is more traditional.

The Salisbury
90 St Martins Lane
London, WC2N 4AP
+44 20 7836 5863
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-salisbury-london-2

The Pub Orlando

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**** (4 stars)

Great atmosphere in this version of a traditional pub on steroids. Excellent assortment of beers, wines and whiskeys. I particularly like that there are reasonably priced tasting flights of each, and in many cases you can choose the tasting line up yourself.

The menu is great, although the food wasn’t quite as wonderful as the descriptions sounded. Nevertheless there are some offerings beyond the usual sports bar and pub food, and also novel blendings of the two. Our favorite of everything we tried was the crispy shrimp, which was flash fried in a wasabi batter and server on a thai sweet chili sauce.

Note that valet parking is free, but the parking garage isn’t validated.

The Pub Orlando
9101 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 352-2305
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-pub-orlando-orlando

Ye Olde Kings Head

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**** (4 stars)

If you like English food, this is a great  spot for it. Most is authentic, and what’s not authentic is in general an improvement. The BLSt used English bacon, and was a delicious combination of ingredients. The Ploughman’s Platter was more extensive than any I’ve had in England. And the chicken salad had just the right amount of curry.

The decor is really charming, much quainter than most real English pubs.There’s a cozy dining space and also a more traditional pub.  There’s also an extensive outside dining area along the sidewalk.

Next door is an English shop where you’ll find many hard to obtain foodstuffs.

Ye Olde Kings Head
116 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-1402
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ye-olde-kings-head-santa-monica

The Alcove

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**** (4 stars)

With 12 seats inside, and about as many on the sidewalk, the Alcove may not be the smallest bar/restaurant in America, but it’s certainly a contender. The food menu is limited to basically several paninis or a cheese plate, but the smoked turkey panini I had was delicious, and the salad that accompanied it was almost European in character, in keeping with a number of European wines and spirits on offer. Service is friendly, and the atmosphere is definitely cozy and unique.

The Alcove
512 Main St
Evanston, IL 60202

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-alcove-evanston