Blue Monkey

Blue Monkey2012 Madison AveMemphis, TN 38104(901) 272-2583Blue Monkey is a great bar in midtown.  I rarely think about it for some reason.  Every time I go there, I vow to go more regularly.  The wait staff is always friendly.  It seems there is always a drink special going on.  And they have good food. On this particular visit, I happened to be there at lunch time.  They have plate lunches.  I had the hamburger...

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The Sugar House

The Sugar House2130 Michigan AveDetroit, MI 48216(313) 962-0123The Sugar House is a bar that focuses on old fashioned drinks.  They have an extensive drink list.  G ordered a Maker's Mark on the rocks with a twist.  The server convinced him to try a different whiskey.  However, I can't remember what it was. Anyway, I chose the same with water.  He brought mine with a small vial of water to add to it as desired, which I actually...

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All Bar One, England

All Bar One44-46 Ludgate HillLondon EC4M 7DEUKTheir slogan is "Food always tastes better with friends."  On that, I must agree.  Fortunately, I was with G, so I was in good company.  With practically every meal, I had a beer, and this time I went with a Guinness.  This restaurant seemed very chic and a bit classy.  They had a full bar with several beers on draught.  The goal of this meal was to get my fish and chips...

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The Monarch, London

The Monarch40-42 Chalk Farm RdCamden, London NW1 8BGUnited Kingdom+44 20 7482 2054One of my favorite areas in London is called Camden.  One bar we visited is The Monarch.  The decor features monarchs, not surprisingly. Although, we didn't eat any food here, we did notice that they have typical bar food.  We just enjoyed beer on tap.  They have a bar, as well as tables, and even a couch.  We sat at the couch, where some girls...

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Waxy Little Sister, England

Waxy Little Sister20 Wardour StreetLondon W1D 6QGUKWhen we were in London, it was cold outside.  One way to fight the cold was to enter a pub for a beer.  This place is near Chinatown, so we wandered in.  This pub had the luxury of a fire place.  We were able to get warm.  This place also had like a mini elevator for drinks.  The bar was on the first floor and we sat on the second floor.  The bartender would send...

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The Village, London

The Village81 Wardour StreetLondon, W1D 6QDAnother gay bar that we enjoyed in London was called The Village.  We weren't there for karaoke, but apparently, if you sing on certain days between certain times, you get a free drink.  Well, that's motivation to sing.  On their menu, the only food listed is "spicy chicken wings."  I don't know if they have it or not, but it's interesting that it is the ONLY food listed on the menu....

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The Sussex, England

The Sussex20 Upper St Martin's LnLondon WC2H 9JZUnited Kingdom+44 20 7836 1834I chose this restaurant because I wanted an English pie.  The one that I ordered was a steak and ale pie.  It's a flaky pastry, filled with steak and gravy.  It came with a side of peas and carrots.  It was supposed to come with mashed potatoes, but they were out, so they substituted fries.  It also came with a small carafe of gravy.  I really...

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The Queen Arms, England

The Queen ArmsOld Bath RoadColnbrookBerkshireSL3 0LUThe first pub I visited this trip to England was this one.  It is located in Slough, closer to the airport, so if you stay near the airport, this is a great pub to visit. The best part about this pub besides the beer is the fireplace, and it has free wifi.  We didn't try the food, but they do have pizza.  Pizza and beer sounds like a good combination.  It is also kid friendly....

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Evelyn and Olive

Evelyn and Olive630 Madison AveMemphis, TN 38103(901) 748-5422Evelyn and Olive is a restaurant on Madison serving "Jamaican and Southern Cuisine."  Recently, G and I wanted to try somewhere we hadn't been, so we ended up at this restaurant.  We went to the Bahamas this summer and were looking forward to having some more Caribbean food. The restaurant is a nice size and has a full bar.  The clientele was fairly diverse.  We started...

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The Admiral Duncan, England

The Admiral Duncan54 Old Compton StLondon W1D 4UB,United Kingdom+44 20 7437 5300The Admiral Duncan is a gay bar in the Soho area of London.  It was a site to a bombing in 1999, an attack against gays.  There is a chandelier that is a memorial to those who were killed. This was actually the bar that had the cheapest drinks that I noticed in London.  They had a drink special of only 2 pounds for a list of mixed drinks.  Most beers...

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Africa In April

Africa in AprilRobert R. Church ParkHistoric Beale Street DistrictDowntown MemphisEvery year, there is a festival in downtown Memphis, entitled Africa in April.  Each year, a different country is celebrated, and this year the focus is on Burkina Faso. From Friday to Sunday, tons of booths are set up with a variety of vendors.  Some sell shirts; some sell traditional African clothing; some sell cell phone cases, etc, etc.  My focus...

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Mela, England

Mela152 - 156 Shaftesbury AvenueLondon,WC2H 8HLTheir slogan is "The Joy of Indian Dining."  There are tons of Indian restaurants in the London area. This one has an upscale type of vibe.  We had some chai tea.  Then we ordered the Saag Paneer, which is cheese cooked with fresh spinach.  It was good, but very spicy.  I enjoyed it, but it was too spicy for G.  It was 7.95 pounds.  We also split an order of Kulcha...

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Coffee and Chocolate

Coffee and Chocolate327 Union Ave.Knoxville, Tennessee 37902This is a cute coffee shop in the market square.  G had the espresso and he liked it.  I saw these bacon chocolate chip cookies and I had to have them. Unfortunately, they were disappointing.  All I could taste was regular chocolate chips cookies with an occasional chewy bit.  I'm sure the rest of their food and their drinks are fine.  However, do not order these...

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North Forty Truck Stop

North Forty Truck Stop15060 U.S. 641Holladay, TN 38341While driving to Knoxville, I needed some breakfast.  What did I crave a breakfast biscuit from a gas station. I found exactly what I needed for $2.99.  It was a steak and egg biscuit.  The steak was a chicken fried steak. It was exactly what I expected, and it hit the craving perfectly.  I may not always want gas station food, but when I do, this is the one to beat.  The...

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Shalimar Restaurant

Shalimar Restaurant307 S. MainAnn Arbor, MI 48104734-663-1500I have only been to Ann Arbor once, and the only meal I have ever eaten there was at Shalimar Restaurant at lunch time. I ended up ordering a combination lunch plate. It came with a vegetable samosa. I am not sure what the sauce was that accompanied it, but I know it's typical at most Indian restaurants that I have eaten at.Unfortunately, I cannot remember everything that came with my meal....

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Star and Garter, England

Star and GarterColnbrookSlough SL3 0JFUKThis pub is near the airport, so if you stay near the airport, this is a must visit pub.  There is a fireplace inside, so you can keep warm, if it's winter. The staff is friendly and helpful.  This is one of the first pubs we visited on our trip and one of the last. My favorite beer for this trip was twickenham winter cheer.  It was a full bodied beer. This place is a can't miss....

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Calceylone Cafe, England

Calceylone Cafe13  The ObservatoryHigh StreetSloughBerkshireSL1 1LEWhen G and I were in England, we actually stayed at a small city near London called Slough.  They have a nice shopping area called the Observatory.  Part of it is indoors and part of the shopping is outdoors.  While shopping, we stopped and had a break at this coffee shop in the mall.  We each had a coffee and Garrett had a croissant.  To be honest, it...

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