UAG Dines Out

Our last outing of 2017 was to Trio, located in the Cambridge Suites on the Esplanade in Sydney. This was actually our fourth visit to Trio as a group and our second visit during the holidays.  Do take a moment and search "Trio" on our Blog for our earlier postings as we have always enjoyed our visits to this restaurant. The lobby was beautifully decorated with several Christmas trees and lots of Christmas lights for those who were waiting to enter the restaurant or perhaps checking in to the hotel. We were greeted at the front of the restaurant by a friendly team of people who warmed my heart immediately by calling me "Miss"! When we were seated at our dining table, we all noticed that the decorations were exactly the same as last year's; it was wonderful that we could enjoy them all over again. In fact, several of the group purchased lit trees just like the ones on our table after our dinner last year! Each of us was pleased with our selection of ...

Thanks to Leslie for the photo             When we say that we are the Up for Anything Group , we mean it! Members met at The Olive Tree as planned (see our review October 2012), but it just didn't work out. The Olive Tree is now a very busy family diner, one that doesn't accept reservations, and unfortunately, they couldn't accommodate us. The normally affable Gerard the Server was not himself and things went awry.       So the members met in the parking lot and discussed what to do next - the decision was made to visit A Bite of Asia (see April 2016) , which wasn't too far away and had more seating.  This turned out to be a wonderful choice as the food was just as tasty as remembered and the company was just as fabulous.       Congratulations to the Group for not losing any members in the transition from one restaurant to the next. Not one UAG member who had signed up for the October outing was left behind...well ...

In the old Zana's location on George Street (at the lights)       Our UAG outing this month started off with just a few members planning to attend and then happily, it grew to be a good-sized group. Although Mian's doesn't accept reservations, the staff very kindly put a couple of tables together for us. This is a family-run business and this family is just so gracious...even when we saw the most amazing deep-fried doughnut go by on a plate (Cholay Batoray), the owner stopped to answer our questions about the dish. Mian's serves Indian and Pakistani food and the description of each dish is on the menu, although we really did  need more photos!       We ordered a large variety of dishes, with most of us starting with samosas and Naan bread. And then we marvelled that their Naan bread could be so tasty and so crispy and so light but yet deep-fried. Amazing! And the samosas? So good that yours truly went back the next day for a dozen assorted to...

15 Commercial Street Extension, Louisbourg For our August outing, a group of ten UAG members headed to the Point of View Suites in Louisbourg for an evening of music, skits and large platters of delicious food. It was a wonderful evening! Thanks to Meg for providing these images: Everyone has to get in to costume before dinner! So much music and laughter! Everyone enjoyed their meal selections. And yes, there was even lobster! This outing was a tremendous success and will definitely be on our To-Do List for 2018!

           What a fun evening! A group of us met at Mezza for supper, including one member whom we hadn't seen in a while. This is a great location for a restaurant (notice Smitty's next door) with lots of excellent parking and, as you can see, it has a very welcoming exterior. There was a steady stream of customers the entire time that we were there.           When you arrive, you place your order at one end of a long counter and then walk with your dish as food is added until you get to the other end of the counter to pay. Members ordered quite a variety of dishes - the Mezza Mixed Grill (chicken shawarma, donair meat, chicken souvlaki, hummus, house salad, garlic & pita, with a choice of rice or fries); Fire-Grilled Chicken Souvlaki (just what I said plus Greek salad, tzatziki and pita, with choice of rice or fries); and Chicken Shawarma (that with hummus, house salad, garlic sauce and pita, with choice of rice or fri...

      For the third year in a row, the UAG met up at St. Michael's Polish Hall in the Pier for the Italian buffet, part of the annual celebration entitled "Pierscape." Money raised from the buffet goes to the Whitney Pier Society for the Arts and judging by the number of people at the buffet, it's an excellent fundraiser.       Everything that I wrote last year (see May 2016) applies again this year. We have gained a couple of UAG members in the last few months, so it was their first time attending the buffet. However, they had heard about the selection of Italian dishes and the home-made eclairs! And since it was the same cook, may God continue to bless Kay, the food was delicious once again - our new members were not disappointed. Furthermore, the members of UAG were not quite so shy this year.  When Kay told us that she didn't want to see any food left on the buffet table, several of us filled up plates to take home with us. Imagine, we will each h...

Governors on the Esplanade, Sydney This month's outing was supposed to be to Governors on the Esplanade - Governors has a wonderful reputation and we were all keen to try the menu. Unfortunately, the person who took our booking did not write it down, despite my giving her all of my personal information, along with the date and time of the booking.  So there was no room for us at the pub - what's a group of food adventurers to do on a busy Friday night in downtown Sydney? A quick phone call was made to Trio Restaurant & Lounge, just a five-minute walk down the Esplanade, where the very efficient Troy the Bartender, assured us that he'd look after us. And he did! He sat us at a lovely table in the lounge where we relaxed, ordered drinks and enjoyed our main entrées. The Special of the evening was Prime Rib with Yorkshire Pudding and did it ever look wonderful! While we reviewed the dessert menu, our teas arrived...and there is something quite special about tea i...

Flavor 19, Lingan Golf Course, Out on the Highway It doesn't look like a restaurant, does it? Well, Flavor 19 is that and more! A small group of us met at the golf course's 19th hole for an evening of great food and music. Designed for those who want to watch the game, this restaurant features a wall of windows - we watched a pair of cross-country skiers, followed by a beautiful sunset, and finally the reflections of candles and mini-lights. This is quite a romantic spot, but do remember to bring a light sweater as it gets chilly towards evening. We started our dinner with cocktails or wine; all of the drinks were appreciated, especially the Arnold Palmer ! Our meals were rich and tasty and everyone enjoyed their selections. We no longer photograph each of our entrees, but this dish certainly deserves special attention. This is the "Little Cub House Sandwich" and there was nothing little about it. Look at the height of this burger! $2 of each sale goes...

Amedeo's Italian Bistro, 100 Townsend Street, Sydney What a wonderful surprise this restaurant was! Nine of us met up at Amedeo's on Friday evening; this restaurant is just one block up from "The Main Drag" with parking in front and on the side streets. Amedeo's changed owners a little while ago and we can assure our readers that it is now in very good hands. Even though it was busy outside on the street, the restaurant was quiet inside. It was also quite cozy with nooks and crannies where private tables were set up.  The first items that arrived at our table were homemade fluffy rolls with butter and, wait for it, garlic meatballs on toothpicks. Delicious! We ordered an assortment of pasta dishes and entrees from the menu - every UAG member enjoyed their meal. We could even taste the flavour of the grill on the garlic bread. And the desserts? All the dessert selections were homemade as well. We can tell you that their bread pudding with caramel sauce was...