Grange Hall Burger FromMe2U

I finally got to try this burger joint on my lunch break last week. I was looking forward to trying the burger and also really excited to try their pies. They make fresh seasonal pies and have a new pie selection each month!

First off, I loved the atmosphere. They really nailed the country and farm style with communal wooden tables. Nice touch.

As far as food goes, yes, I liked my burger. Have I had better? Yes. The bun was clearly freshly made which is always a plus. I ordered sharp white cheddar with my burger which was not very flavorful for some reason. I do compare just about every burger place to DMK and this burger didn't quite compete. It was good. Not great. On to the fries. I have never been a big fan of steak fries, but I ordered them anyway to see if Grange Hall could pull it off. They were just OK. Not too flavorful and just a lot of potato.

Ok this isn't an entirely negative review I promise. I typically don't order dessert, but freshly baked pies? How can you turn that down.

I ordered the pecan pie which was quite possibly one of the best pecan pie's I have ever had. They top it with a generous scoop of luscious homemade whipped cream. The cream combined with the pie is heavenly. They make their own ice cream too, which I am sure is equally as amazing.

Would I go back? I'm not going to rush back for a burger, but I would stop by for dessert any day.

Balena FromMe2U

{Spicy Sausage Pizza}

I have been wanting to dine at Balena ever since June when I tried to eat here for my birthday. I finally ate here on Friday and let me just say wow. It was absolutely amazing. First of all the atmosphere is stunning. It sends off this inviting, trendy, vibrant, warm feeling right when you walk in. They have excellent cocktails here. You're making a mistake if you don't start off with one of their specialty drinks. I ordered an old-fashioned and it was excellent. The ingredients were muddled perfectly with the right amount of sugar. 

Most of the items on the menu are meant to be shared. We had a large group so we were able to try a good portion of the menu. First off, the pizza was sensational. The spicy sausage pizza with tomato, onion and mozzarella was heavenly. It had the right amount of spice - so good I could probably eat it once a week. We also ordered the mushroom pizza with fontina, taleggio, scallions and thyme, which had such a unique flavor. 

{Mushroom Pizza}

Next, we ordered pasta galore. The pasta dishes at Balena are brilliant. Each dish is so unique.

{Hen Egg}

{Bavette Pomodoro}

{Rigatoni Pork Ragu}

{Tagliolini Nero}

Each of these pastas were amazing, but the shining stars were the tagliolini and the the hen egg. The hen egg pasta was egg noodles with sage and brown butter. The dish was simple, yet having never had egg noodles in an Italian dish truly made this dish so unique and radiant. I have always wanted to try squid ink noodles, and the tagliolini just blew me away. 

{Grilled Prawns}

Lastly, we ordered the grilled prawns with finger chiles, grapes & aioli. I love prawns, especially grilled prawns, so I knew I was going to love this dish. It had just the right amount of flavor without dominating the flavor of the prawns too much. 

I would go back to Balena in a heartbeat. Can I go back tonight?

My only complaint is the service. Our waiter was not very attentive, took a very LONG time to serve us our wine and didn't check in with us as often as I would have liked. Other than that I absolutely loved my dining at experience at Balena and would highly recommend it!

Champagne Risotto FromMe2U

I have been wanting to make this recipe I found on Le Fork for weeks. I finally made it last night, and let me tell you this dish is heaven. First off, it calls for champagne so we're already off to a good start. So pop open the bubbly for this dish and have some fun with it. This dish is not too complicated to make, but having never made risotto it was a bit challenging. You first saute a chopped onion in olive oil. Once the onion is cooked (not browned) you add the risotto and champagne. Wait for the risotto to absorb the champagne and add chicken broth, 1 to 2 ladles at a time, until the riso has fully absorbed it. The key is to not the let the risotto sit too long and continue to add the chicken broth quickly so that the riso cooks all the way through.

{Riso}

We had 4 people for dinner so I used a lot of risotto. You have to constantly stir it as you mix in the broth. After the risotto is fully cooked, add peas, salt & pepper to taste, and parmesan cheese. Oh and dont forgot the poached eggs. That's what makes this dish all come together and it is heavenly.

The ingredients are listed below. This recipe is for 4 people so change accordingly due to how many guests you have.

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup champagne
• 2 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 4-6 tbsp. freshly graded parmesan cheese, add more as needed
• 1 cup peas
• 4 eggs
• 4 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley leaves

This recipe is incredible. Such simple ingredients but the combination is absolutely amazing. Go home, pop open some champange and make this recipe.