The Curious Squire

Yes, the excuse for today's outing was also the stress of year 12 exams! Three of my good friends an dI decided to have a nice, relaxing lunch at The Curious Squire amidst an intense study session.

A portion of the bar

The interior, as seen from the base of the steps outside

Although it would have been nice and quiet inside, it was such a beautiful, sunny day so we decided to sit outside, which was accessible up the steps.

Luscious Lychee $18

Sophie, being the only legal one of the 4 of us, ordered herself a nice cocktail. She really enjoyed it, and although I couldn't taste any of it because I was driving, it smelt like fresh lychees and looked super pretty! Perfect for summer, I'd say. Worth $18 though? I don't know...

Buffalo wings $14

These were served with a really thin sauce which reminded me of tzatziki. I really wanted to like them but I felt as if the meat itself needed a lot more flavour. Also, if the sauce was just a bit thicker so that it clung to the wings, it would have been a much yummier starter!

Potato skins $9.50

We were super excited about these! The first bite was great, but I found it less appetising as I continued eating. I thought there could be even less potato in it so that the skins could be even crisper, because the starchy potato inside detracts from the overall appeal in my opinion.

I like how the cutlery is presented!

Chicken Tikka wood oven pizza $22

Onion, tomato, iceberg lettuce, mint yoghurt, chat masala

Eileen and Sophie ordered this to share, but we all ended up trying some since it was huge! I was rather intrigued when I saw that there was iceberg lettuce on a pizza, but it actually added another texture which I actually really enjoyed. It was spicy but the mint yoghurt definitely balanced it out nicely. I would still recommend avoiding this if you don't like spicy food. 

Also, I think they forgot to mention red and green peppers in the list of toppings... because there was definitely a lot of it!

Cheeseburger with fries $16.50

Natalie's order, and she definitely enjoyed it! I think for people who enjoy simpler meals, this would be perfect.

Sliders Trio $22

Trio of Angus beef, southern fries chicken, stadium pup and fries

I don't really know what possessed me to think I'd be able to finish this on my own after those starters. Thank goodness for my friends! 

A general comment which would apply to the entire dish was I love how soft and sweet the buns were. They're my favourite kind of burger bun, so that definitely made everything more enjoyable! Also, the fries were very pale which worried me initially, but they were delicious and crunchy. 

Stadium pup

Super cute little hotdog! Pretty standard and what I would expect a {slightly fancier} hotdog to taste like. 

Southern Fried Chicken slider

The chicken was soft on the inside but perfectly crispy due to the batter on the outside. Everything just worked in this slider, and it was definitely my favourite of them all!

Angus beef slider

An absolute classic, and done very well!

We left absolutely stuffed to the brim after an extremely enjoyable lunch. 

The ambience was so lovely, particularly outside. Overall, I'd say the Curious Squire gave off a casual yet still sophisticated vibe, if that makes any sense at all! There was such a huge variety of people sitting outside with us- business men, a young family, a group of uni students and a trio of older women as well as us. Natalie commented that it was nice how they didn't try to squeeze in as many tables as possible outside, like how some other popular eateries do, which definitely added with the relaxed vibe. The man who greeted and served us as well as the waitresses were so friendly, making us feeling right at home. I also really liked how the food was presented; very modern and simplistic. I think if you enjoy places such as Grace the Establishment, you'd definitely like this (I like the vibe here a lot more!). Next time, we'll be more careful with ordering and make room for dessert! I'm particularly intrigued by the deep fried oreos and nutella pizza.

A place definitely worth visiting for the delicious food, great vibe and fantastic service!

Overall, 8.5/10 

(I'm pretty shocked by the ratings on Urbanspoon)

Jenny's Gourmet Bakery

If you've done year 12, you'll know that one week prior to the start of final exams is extremely stressful. Thank goodness Jenny's Bakery is only a 10 minute drive away from school and chock-a-block full of cronuts in the morning to help ease the stress away!

Don't they look beautiful!

The flavours for the day were Fruchoc, salted caramel and chocolate brownie.

Other pastries and some savouries 

Chocolate brownie and salted caramel cronuts $5 each.

These are so worth the hype! I tried a bit of both and my favourite was definitely the salted caramel. Although the only distinguishing feature that made it a 'salted caramel cronut' was the delicious, gooey sauce on top, it was delicious! I do regret not trying a Fruchoc one as well, but I think I'd had more than enough carbs for the day.

So worth the drive down to Glen Osmond Road! I can't wait for my next visit.

Overall 9/10 

United Latino Cocina

My sister had just finished her 8th grade violin exam so I took her to lunch at United Latino Cucina! We'd heard lots of great reviews so we were pretty excited to finally be able to try it out.

ULC is tucked away, just off Rundle Mall on Francis St. I overheard many people walking past saying "wow, I never knew this was here"!

Pre-made quesadillas 

Menu

Jarritos Grapefruit Soda $5 (?)

Feature Taco $6.90

Grilled chicken & caramelised onion, chipotle, creamy slaw, lettuce & salsa Mexicano

SO good! The slightly spicy, deliciously seasoned grilled chicken pieces were balanced very well with the slaw and lettuce. Also, such great value for $6.90. I would definitely recommend this, but avoid it if you're not a fan of spicy food! 

Habanero Chicken Tostada $14.90

Slow cooked chicken pulled with fresh habanero, dry cheese, refried beans, lettuce, crema, green onion, cilantro & salsa Mexicana

This was also delicious! Lots of lovely flavours which all complimented each other very well. The chicken was so soft and tender and was well paired with the textures of the crunchy corn chip and lettuce. It was really filling because of how much chicken there was, so thank goodness my sister and I were sharing! Again, I would avoid this if you don't like spicy food, but otherwise, definitely give it a go!

I can definitely see why this place has become so popular. The food is delicious and well priced, and the staff were so friendly! I would definitely recommend it for a nice lunch if you're ever wandering around in Rundle Mall, looking for something new to try. 

Overall, 8.5/10



 

Argo on the Square

Argo on the Square was chosen as the destination for a post valedictory celebratory lunch with a few of my besties, Dimi, Eileen, Natalie and Sophie!

THE CLASS OF 2013 HAS GRADUATED.

Congratulations to all the year 12s, particularly to my beautiful Wildy girls! 

 Large sweet potato chips $7.90

The absolute best sweet potato chips in Adelaide (that I've tried so far). Only $7.90 for a HUGE serving, that the 5 of us were unable to finish along with our own meals!

 Zing $6.50

Orange, ginger, pineapple

 Carolina's Colada $7.50

Coconut water, spinach, pear, pineapple

 Coco Loco $6.50

Grape, kiwi, watermelon

 Citrus Splash $6.50

Orange, grape, lemon, lime

All of the juices were absolutely delicious! I would definitely recommend them all, and can't wait to try more from the juice menu.

 Prosciutto Piadina $10.50

with bocconcini cheese, basil, tomato & rocket

 Tandoori Focaccia $10.50

Grilled tandoori chicken with cucumber, baby spinach, roasted capsicum & Argo minted yoghurt

Natalie commented that this was really dry and she found it difficult to eat. On my last visit to Argo on the Parade, I found that the chicken was also extremely dry.

 Argo Deli Piadina $10.50

Salami, prosciutto, baby spinach leaves, kalamata olives & provolone cheese

Sophie and I both agreed that this was on the salty side, with the salami and olives together making it a bit difficult to eat!

 Portobello Mushroom Piadina $10.50 

Pan fried portobello mushroom, dijon mustard, baby spinach leaves, shaved leg ham & swiss cheese

I loved this! The bread was lightly toasted with the fillings all warm and the mustard and sauce oozing out - a perfect choice for lunch. Eileen and I both ordered this and agreed that this should be avoided by those who don't like mustard, because there was quite a bit of it!

Elvis post-it note art appreciation photo ^

Argo is a fabulous spot for lunch, and always packed whenever I visit, whether it's on the Parade or Victoria Square! I service is always great as everyone is so friendly, and the food comes out within about 10 minutes of ordering, even when it's super busy. I would recommend the wraps and piadinas, as I've found that the burgers are very dry. Also, the juices are SO good!

Overall, 8.5/10

Burgastronomy

My friend Natalie and I decided to try somewhere new for a quick lunch so we visited Burgastronomy for some takeaway!

 Signature $11

Beef, lettuce, cheese, pickles, mayonnaise & ketchup
Sweet potato chips $3 with burger, $5 alone

We both ordered the Signature, and it was a great burger! I was worried that bun would be too thick and dense as I saw them preparing it but it was nice and fluffy, though definitely not as soft as Burger Theory's. My friend's only complaint was that the pickles were thicker than usual, about 5-7mm thick. She didn't like but I actually found myself liking it as it had a nice crisp and tang to cut through the rest of the burger.

The sweet potato chips had a great texture - slightly crunchy on the outside but really smooth and creamy on the inside (it's strange to describe sweet potatoes as creamy, but just go with it!). Unfortunately, they were WAY too salty which made them rather unpleasant. Also, some of them were extremely burnt. I'll be sticking to Argo on the Parade for my fix of sweet potato fries! 

The staff were super friendly and we were lucky to get our takeaway within about 10 minutes, although it wasn't very crowded that day. The burgers were delicious and I'll definitely be back to try rest of menu!

Overall 9/10