OAK Milk

OAK is a brand of flavored milk sold throughout Australia, available in a slew of varieties: chocolate, coffee, strawberry, vanilla malt, banana, and seasonal egg nog.  They also make "no added sugar" and "light" versions of a couple of the flavors, but most are full cream, full fat, very sugary, beverages.

Flavored milk may seem like a strange thing for me to review, except, you see, I have a weakness for flavored milk.  All through high school, I always had Carnation Instant Breakfast on my way out the door.  I could never decide which flavor was my favorite.  Some days it was chocolate malt, others it was strawberry, and sometimes, even vanilla.  I strangely never got sick of it (at least, that is my memory).  I had a shaker thing to mix it up in, so it got all frothy ... mmm, almost like a milkshake!

Anyway, back to OAK.  The office I was working at in Sydney had fridges stocked with these milks, and I got a bit addicted.  Sydney tends to bring out my inner child, as I revel in the ice cream treats, chocolates, and apparently, flavored milks.  If you happen to be in Australia, and like flavored milk, I recommend!

Strawberry.

I started with the strawberry.

It was quite sweet, and tasted like fake strawberry ... but I liked it.  I totally reminded me of Carnation Instant Breakfast, although a far less healthy version.

I had this flavor several times during my visit, and every time, I really liked it.  And every time, I thought it tasted fake, but that wasn't a turnoff.  Sometimes .... fake can be good.

Vanilla Malt.

Next, vanilla.  Well, not just vanilla, vanilla malt.  Even better.

The first time I had one, I thought it was sweet, a bit malty, and quite tasty.  But the next time I really didn't like it, it was too sweet and I didn't care for the thickness.  I guess I'm fickle?

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Chocolate.

And finally, chocolate!

I also liked this.  Yes, it was just chocolate milk, but I liked it more than the Nippy's version (the other brand of flavored milks the office had).  This was far more chocolatey.

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Watsons Bay Beach Club, Sydney

During my recent trip to Sydney, a friend offered to pick Ojan and I up and take us out of the city, to enjoy lunch near the water at Watsons Bay.  Given the forecast for 80+ degrees and sunshine, we eagerly accepted.

Of course, we could have taken the ferry to Watsons Bay, but it was actually nice to drive there, and get to see some of the other suburbs.  Let's just say, there are some people with very big, very nice houses near the waterfront!

Anyway, we arrived at our destination, to be met with a big challenge: parking.  Sigh.  It seemed as if everyone had the same idea as us, and every parking lot and every side street was completely full.  We circled forever, and eventually managed to snag a spot.

Seating.

But then we met an even bigger challenge: seating.

Watsons Bay Beach Club is absolutely huge, with most seating outdoors along several decks.  But every table was taken, and the ones that weren't all had reserved signs on them.  Protip: call ahead and reserve!  It also seems to be a venue of choice for large birthday parties, wedding parties, bachelorette parties ... there were tons of groups all with reserved sections and large group catering.

Next up, ordering.  This is a very casual place, so all orders are done at a bar, where you pay and receive a buzzer, then go back to wait at your table.  The pickup location is on the other side of the massive space, near the kitchen.  Silverware is in buckets on the tables, self-service, yet seemed to be constantly running out, so everyone was stealing silverware from each other's tables.  Someone does come around to bus tables eventually, but other than that, there is no service.

If you can't tell, the whole place is a bit chaotic.  It is loud, it is crowded, and it really just feels like a big beach party.  Which is perfectly fine on a hot summer day, but don't come here expecting a relaxing beachfront setting to catch up with friends, which is somehow what I was picturing.

Busy Open Kitchen, Small Counter Dining.

As for the food, the menu is mostly seafood, fitting for the location.  They have chilled seafood platters, but fish & chips seemed to be the most common order.  The food wasn't very good, but the cocktail list was extensive, and the drinks seemed to be free flowing, which is all most people seemed to care about.  Ice cold beer or pitchers of cocktails on a hot summer day certainly have their place!

Grapefruit Margarita. $16.

"A summery twist on the classic, served with tequila, cointreau and pink grapefruit".

A hot summer day warrants a cool cocktail, right?  Watson Bay Beach Club had a bunch of cocktails, but most seemed very fruity, and not quite what I was wanting, as I was desiring something refreshing.  In fact, I mentioning one that sounded appealing to my tablemates, and said I hoped it wasn't too sweet, and a server overheard me and told me it was very sweet.  I'm glad she did, otherwise I would have been quite disappointed.  I wanted something refreshing!

My pick of the grapefruit margarita was perfect, fairly refreshing, the tart grapefruit wasn't sickeningly sweet.  I appreciated the chunks of grapefruit inside that I was able to eat once my drink was gone.  I didn't actually taste any tequila, which I did want to taste, but I uh, sure, felt it, so I know it was in there somewhere.

Overall, a fine drink, good for the hot weather.

Kids Fish & Chips.  $10.

I joined the masses and got the fish & chips.  I ordered the child's size, which was a single filet of fish.  It turned out to be a better deal than I expected, as the regular size is $24.50, and includes two pieces of fish instead of one, and possibly a slightly larger pile of fries, but not significant.  Yet it is more than 2x the cost ...
There was one problem however, that I didn't foresee: the regular portion is served with a cup of tartar sauce, but the child's size is not.  The real appeal of fish and chips for me IS the tartar sauce, so this was a big deal.  I quickly went to the counter to ask for some, and it was quickly handed over, so, crisis averted.

The batter on the fish was fine, but it was all a bit too greasy and oily for my liking, and the breading fell off easily.  The fish was flaky white fish, I'm not sure what kind, but moist enough and not fishy.

The fries were very generic; not particularly crispy, not flavorful, not anything.  The tartar was equally unremarkable; as a sauce girl, I certainly needed it, but this wasn't a great version.

Overall, highly mediocre.  The kid's size portion was fine for me, and a good deal for $10, particularly compared to the full size version.

Finger Licking Sticky Lamb Ribs / honey hoisen glaze / old bay fries / slaw.  $29.

Ojan went for the lamb ribs, since he likes lamb, and we never get it in the US.  I encouraged this order, because I had my eyes on the slaw that came with it.

The slaw was interesting in that it was a bit spicy, but otherwise, it was just slaw, and was very overdressed.

Since I hate lamb, I wasn't planning to try to the ribs, but Ojan said I might like them, due to the honey hoisen sauce they were slathered in.  He said they were basically candy.  And I'm trying to get myself to like lamb, so I figured if I was going to like it anywhere, Sydney would be it, and smothered in sweet sauce was more likely to make it succeed.

He was right, in that I liked the sauce.  I ended up dipping a bunch of my fries in the ribs sauce once my tartar sauce ran out.  But the ribs?  Um, still lamb, so I didn't like them, but he polished them off and continued to rave about them for the rest of the trip.

The fries were totally unnecessary though, as he was too busy with the ribs to care about them, and everyone had piles of fries left over anyway.

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Jonny's Popcorn Delights

You know how much I love to munch on things, so snack foods are something I'm always eager to try when traveling.  And one of my absolute favorite snacks? Popcorn!

During my recent trip to Sydney, I of course had to try most of the snacks provided in my office.  The popcorn was the first thing I tried, supplied by Jonny's Popcorn.  Jonny's Popcorn began when Jonny visited the US, and discovered, and subsequently fell in love with, kettle corn.  I understand completely!  He started a popcorn cart, and expanded the brand to be distributed nationwide.

Jonny's Popcorn comes several flavors, both savory like canjun CHILLI, or sweet, including Sweet & SALTY, CHOC CHIP, CARAMEL,  and BUTTERY.  Yes, capitalization theirs.

Unfortunately, I didn't love any of it, and I tried all of their flavors.

Sweet & SALTY.

Sweet & SALTY.  Now, that sounds like kettle corn to me.  And ... I love kettle corn!

Sadly, this wasn't really sweet.  Nor particularly salty.  It certainly did not remind me of kettle corn.  It was just ... popcorn.  Meh.

Update, 2016: Ok, so, it grew on me.  It was just a different kind of kettle corn, not the style I'm used to.  It was indeed crunchy, sweet, and salty, and thus fairly addicting, even though I wouldn't rave about it.

CHOC CHIP.

"Choc Chip is a balanced mixture of Chocolate covered popcorn and our famous Sweet & Salty popcorn. This popcorn is sweet, light and crunchy with just enough Chocolate to keep you interested to the bottom of the bag."

They claim this is a balanced mixture, but there were far more plain pieces rather than chocolate covered.  The plain was apparently Sweet & Salty, but it just seemed buttered, or perhaps oiled.  It was really strange to have this popcorn alongside the chocolate popcorn.

I did like the chocolate covered popcorn however, as it was a bit sweet and salty, so they were true to their claim that there was just enough chocolate to keep me interested, as I did keep digging through the bag looking for more chocolate.

Overall, the chocolate covered was fine, but it wasn't really remarkable, and I really just wanted to freeze it.  Popcorn is always better frozen.

My favorite of their popcorns however.

CARAMEL.

"Cooking this popcorn in a hot kettle caramelises the sugar creating a sweet, rich crunchy shell."

I didn't really care for this.  The caramel flavor wasn't very rich, and the kernels weren't that well coated.  No crunchy shell as promised.  Perhaps it would have been better if I froze it.  Very lackluster caramel corn.

Update, 2016: I think I partially understand why this popcorn isn't awesome.  It has no dairy.  No butter, no cream.  The caramel flavor is artificial.  So, that is a pretty major strike against it.  And, as I mentioned last time, it also isn't that well coated, not as decadent as I'd like.  But, just like the Sweet & SALTY, I did actually enjoy it this time around.  Expectations are everything.

cajun CHILLI.

I wanted to like this one.  It was spicy.  But there was something about the spice that I just didn't like.  I shared it with several others, none of whom liked it either.

But yes, it was spicy.

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Lumi Dining, Pyrmont

It was my first night in Sydney.  I was jet lagged.  I needed dinner.  I knew from past experience in Sydney that fine dining is not where Sydney's strengths lie (the Thai food, the neighborhood cafes, the gelato shops those are all amazing, but fine dining?  Not so much, particularly compared to San Francisco).

Yet I wound up at Lumi for dinner.  This was a very, very odd choice, for so many reasons.

First, Lumi had only been open for less than 4 months.  Even in SF it takes months for a restaurant to hit its stride.  Second, the kitchen is young - I read somewhere that the chefs are all in their early 20s.  They had industry experience, but, not much.  Third, Lumi serves fancy food, which I'd already sworn off in Sydney.  Dinner is an 8 course degustation only, for $95 AUD.  There is no a la carte menu for dinner, only for lunch Thurs -  Sat.

So why did I land there?  Well, I had read good reviews, but mostly, I was lazy.  Remember that jet lag?  It zapped my ability to exert any effort, and Lumi is conveniently located right next to my office.  I needed food, and it was within easy stumbling distance.  It also looked like it was about to rain, and I was totally unprepared for rain, no umbrella in tow.  So I took the path of least resistance.

I also knew that they had a small bar area, with a "bar bites" menu.  Even though the bar bites menu was lacking some of the dishes I really wanted to try, there was no way I had it in me to sit down to a  full 8+ course degustation, so Ojan and I were intending to sit at the bar.  Plus, I hadn't made a booking, which I knew would be essential for a Friday night.

But ... the bar area was reserved for a private party.  Doh.  Since we were still on US time, we arrived right at opening at 6pm, and they had one table that wasn't booked until 8:30pm.  We were told that if we promised to be gone before then, we could have the table.  Great!  Except ... I didn't want a huge degustation menu!  We were in luck, as they offered to let us order off the a la carte menu instead, to speed things up.  This was even better, I could get the dishes I'd been eying, and get a regular table.  Perfect!

Overall, it was a nice experience.  The service was friendly and relaxed, not stuffy fine dining, even though they do serve upscale cuisine.  A different staff member seemed to bring out each dish, including some of the cooks, so we got to interact with many different people.  The space was the most impressive part, located on a wharf, and designed to take in all the light possible, really an incredible ambiance.  The food was all innovative and good, uniquely plated, but not particularly memorable.

For the Sydney area however, it is a very unique experience, and the kitchen is obviously talented.  I will likely return next time I'm in Sydney to see what they do as they mature, and in particular, I would consider the degustation, as it seems to be where their strengths lie, and is really quite reasonably priced, particularly compared to the rest of Sydney!

Open Wall to the Harbor.

The space was the most impressive part.  The wall completely opened up to the harbor.  It was actually a tiny bit chilly at our table with the breeze blowing through since it was unseasonably cool, but the open air setting was really a wonderful ambiance.

The openness gave all the good sides of both being inside and outside all in one, and it created a more casual feel as well.

Boats!

Looking the other direction, through the windows along the front side, were the boats.  There is something to be said for being located out on a pier, with boats right outside the window!  So peaceful.

The harbor location may be a few steps off the beaten path, and it isn't somewhere you'd just find if you weren't looking for it, but the location is lovely, even on a colder, windy, almost raining day.  I can only imagine how dramatic it is on a nice day, or during sunset.

Open Kitchen.

I'm always a sucker for open kitchens, so I appreciated the open kitchen.  Not only was it fun to watch the chefs meticulously plating the dishes, it also just added to the overall open feel.

Since we were one of the first parties seated that evening, the kitchen wasn't very busy when we arrived, but you could tell it was the calm before the storm.  I enjoyed watching the staff kick into action, the pace of the kitchen picking up as more tables started to fill.

Parmesan Churros with Roasted Eggplant Dip.  $12.

We started with a really creative sounding appetizer: savory churros!  With ... eggplant dip?  Craziness.  I had no idea what to expect.

The presentation was creative, served in a little paper sack.  Like the ambiance, it mirrored the casual feel, although clearly a very interesting dish, not just a basic bar snack.  Available at the bar, or during lunch as an a la carte offering, but not part of the degustation or dinner menu.

The churros were piping hot, clearly delivered fresh out of the fryer.  They had been properly drained, and were not oily.  As expected, they were savory, no real sweetness to the batter, and had a slight parmesan flavor.  They were nicely crunchy.

On the side was the creamy eggplant dip, super smooth, no bits of anything in it.

This wasn't a combination I would have ever come up with, but it was definitely an interesting one, and it did work.

Overall, it was definitely fascinating, hot and fresh, but I wouldn't get these again.  I think a different dipping sauce, one with some zing to it, would be more successful.

$12 for 4 was fine for a bar snack.

Squid Ink Chitarra, Orange Buerre Blanc, Bottarga, Sea Urchin Scamp. $22.

Next up, the dish I had been eyeing since I discovered Lumi: Squid Ink Chitarra, part of the degustation, but not available as a bar snack, so we weren't originally going to be able to order it.

This dish had me written all over it.

I love squid ink pasta.  I love cream sauces.  I obviously love uni enough to have a label on my blog for it.  So this was a must order, and I was absolutely thrilled that we were able to order off the full a la carte menu rather than just the bar menu, so we could select this dish.

All my excitement faded away when the dish was presented however.  Where was the urchin?  In its place was ... scampi.  What!!!   I do wish that when I ordered the uni dish, I had been informed that the uni was not available, and that scampi would be substituted.  Although, perhaps I would have changed my order, and then I would have missed this great dish.

It turns out, I had no reason to be upset.  Sure, I didn't have my precious uni, but the scampi was very, very tasty.  I don't think I've ever enjoyed shrimp, or any shrimp-like creature, so much.  It was fresh, delicate, slightly sweet ... just far more interesting than I ever imagined possible.  I believe it was just lightly cured, or perhaps even raw?  It inspired me to order more scampi, and other sea bugs, during my time in Sydney.

The pasta was a perfectly cooked al dente.  The buerre blanc was creamy, and coated the pasta well.

It was a bit hard to eat given the way it was served as a perfect stack, but I did love the presentation.

Overall, this was very good, but I didn't love it quite as much as I hoped to.  I think my expectations were probably just set unrealistically high.  This dish seems to be one Lumi is evolving, as earlier reviews I read featured a stinging nettle pasta rather than squid ink, with a mussel cream sauce instead of orange buerre blanc.  Any version of unique housemade pasta, with cream sauce, and seafood sounds good to me though!

Lamb Cutlet Milanese Style, Smoked Cocktail Sauce. $15.

Finally, another bar bite, lamb cutlet.  Again, since it was a bar bite, the plating was a bit more rustic than the previous dish from the degustation.

You may recall that I don't like lamb, but Ojan was hungrier than I was, so he selected this as another bite for himself.

Of course, even though I don't like lamb, I had to try a bite.

It was ... well, lamb.  But if I was ever going to like lamb, coating it in crispy stuff and serving it with a smokey aioli was a good way to do it.  I still didn't like it, but it was really nicely fried, and the creamy cocktail sauce was tasty.

$15 might have been a little high for a rather small piece of meat however.

Evergreen: Sorrel, Lemon Basil, Mint Shiso, Parsley.  $15.

We wanted to end the meal with something sweet, because, well it is me, and I kinda live for dessert.
The one dessert on the a la carte menu (yougurt ice cream with cherries) wasn't really calling out to me.  Luckily, when I asked about dessert, our server told us that she could probably get the kitchen to offer up the palette cleanser from the degustation menu, served before the heavier regular dessert.  She highly recommended it, and it sounded crazy and unique, so we went for it, even though I admit that it wasn't really what I'd normally pick either, particularly as it was a frozen dish, and I was already a bit chilly.

The presentation of the "Evergreen" was absolutely stunning.  And this was just the palette cleanser!  Given the other dishes I saw coming out of the kitchen the regular degustation menu is more in this style, and it was just our ordering of bar bites that yielded the more rustic dishes you saw above.

So, where to start.  There was a green sorrel sorbet.  Green shiso leaf jelly.  Green lemon basil granita.  Tons of fresh microgreens.  Little green mint meringues.  The dish name, "Evergreen", suddenly made sense.

This was crazy unique, certainly one of the most interesting desserts I've ever had.  There was something in the mix of herbs that made my tongue tingle just like when eating fresh tarragon.  It was light, it was refreshing, and I'm sure it served its place as a palette cleanser well.  But ... it wasn't really my thing, at all.  Interestingly, Ojan, who generally just eats a bite or two of dessert and never loves it, really did like this.

Since this didn't really satisfy my need for decadent dessert, I may or may not have stopped at Chat Thai on the way back to the hotel for a second dessert.

$15 is a bit pricy for a palette cleanser, but it was a complex, intricately plated dish and certainly the most memorable dish of the meal.

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A month (or two) devoted to Sydney!

This month, I'm going to do something a bit different.  Rather than just use Tuesdays for "Travelin' Tuesdays" posts, as I did with Boston, Tokyo, London, and New Hampshire, I'm devoting the entire month to reviews focusing on my favorite city in the world: Sydney!

You've probably heard me mention Sydney in the past.  Besides places I have actually permanently lived, it is where I've spent more time than anywhere else.  I've spent about 5 months there now, spread over the course of several years.  My recent visit was just shy of 3 weeks, not nearly long enough!

Anyway, 3 weeks was plenty of time to check out a slew of new restaurants, plus re-visit all my favorites.

I'm going to stick with my regular format of using particular days of the week for a given theme, except, all will be related to Sydney!

The Monday lineup will start with chain restaurants, including worldwide dumpling sensation Din Tai Fung, bubble tea from Chatime, and incredible fries from Snag Stand.  Then I'll cover some bars, but not just any bars, ones serving quite good food, like the memorable crispy mac and cheese balls at Pocket Bar or the molecular gastronomy Pocket Bar.  And finally, I'll cover what Sydney does best, brunch at a bunch of cafes, like Bill's, which broke my heart this time around, Trio with its excellent beachfront location, and the creative Devon Cafe.

Tuesdays will be travel related, in this case, the Qantas lounges, starting with the brand new First Class (and Business) lounges in LAX and then SYD (again, both the business and first lounges), my in-flight meals to (and then from) Sydney, and the comparative differences in executive lounges at the Westin and the Sheraton on the Park.

Wednesdays will be regular restaurants, including a slew of thai restaurants (like the Sydney institutions of Chat Thai and Home Thai,  plus my favorite Sailor's Thai Canteen and the more formal Restaurant), plus lunch and dinner at a scattering of other restaurants, like Sokyo for mediocre sushi, Ms. G's for really fun Vietnamese, Chinatown Noodle Restaurant for great dumplings, Governor's Table for "Australian", Lumi for innovative cuisine, Watsons Bay Beach Club for some not very good seaside fish & chips, Bentley for fine dining, and Pinbone for the top dinner of the trip (it was so good, we went back for brunch the next day!).

Thursdays will be bakeries (including a cronut from Bécasse, the best bread I've ever had from Dough Collective, epic pies (both sweet and savory), from Pie Tin, decent cookies from Madhouse Bakehouse, donuts and good coffee from Workshop Espresso, and ice cream (like my old standby Gelato Messina, classic Streets ice cream treats, and crazy asian creations from Chanoma cafe).

And on Friday's we'll explore packaged snack foods, such as Jonny's Popcorn, Carmen's muesli, OAK flavored milk and Nippy flavored milk, crazy varieties of chips, and some actually tasty bars from Be Natural and breakfast bars from SuniBrite.

So, stay tuned!

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Poco Dolce Chocolate

Polo Dolce is a local San Francisco confection maker, producing mostly chocolate (bars, bon bons, and truffles), but they also make assorted toffee, caramels, peanut brittle (available salty or spicy), and hot chocolate (bittersweet or mint).

I first discovered Poco Dolce back in February 2012, when I tried the popcorn toffee, toffee with bits of popcorn inside, covered in chocolate.  I was fascinated, and made a note to try more of their products.  I blogged about it even, sharing the tip with you too.  And then ... I promptly forgot.

Whoops.  I knew when I saw Poco Dolce at a local artisan's market that the name sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it, until I looked up my notes later.

Anyway, this time around, I tried a bunch of the "Tiles", their signature product, available in 9 different varieties, ranging from a simple sea salt version, to one with Ghost Chiles!  The tiles are all made from bittersweet chocolate, plus some mix-ins, and are finished with grey sea salt on top.

Burnt Caramel Tile.

"This is what started it all in 2003! Still our most popular chocolate, each Burnt Caramel Tile is crafted by hand with bittersweet dark chocolate and a Burnt Caramel Toffee center, then finished with Grey Sea Salt. The amazing flavor of the toffee, which has been compared to the top of a crème brûlée, pairs perfectly with our dark chocolate while staying "not too sweet.""

I started with the brunt caramel tile, the first product they ever made.  It was a substantial size, not like a whole candy bar, but far bigger than say a Hershey miniature.  Enough to feel like you were treating yourself, without feeling too decadent.  Kinda a perfect size, if you ask me!

It was topped with sea salt.

Burnt Caramel Tile: Inside.

It was also thicker than I expected, and as I tried to break off a piece, I quickly understood why.  Breaking off a piece wasn't possible, but I wanted to show you what was inside, so I used a knife.  There was a large piece of toffee inside, smothered in the chocolate.

The toffee was indeed burnt caramel flavored, slightly bitter.  The dark chocolate was decent quality, better than most.  But the toffee was a hard style, and the burnt flavor just didn't do it for me.  I had several of these, and gave away the rest.

Aztec Chili Tile.

"Don't write this one off as just another gimmicky spicy chocolate; this exciting Tile is done just right. First crafted in 2004, we've brought together Bittersweet chocolate, cinnamon, ground chiles, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a pinch of Grey Sea Salt to produce a unique side of chocolate that still begs to be tried. Not intended to be too spicy, this Tile features just a little heat in the finish."

Next up, the Aztec Chili.  This one looked similar on the outside, nice dark chocolate, scattering of large sea salt crystals on top.

Aztec Chili Tile: Inside.

This one easily snapped in half, revealing pumpkin seeds inside.  I loved the crunchy aspect the pumpkin seeds brought to the bar.  Why don't more bars have pumpkin seeds in them?

The spicing was also incredible, cinnamon and chili, and it did pack some heat.  I really enjoyed the spice level, and how it combined with the slightly bitter pumpkin seeds, and was rounded out by the salt on the finish.  Really complex flavors here, quite fascinating to slowly consume.

My favorite of their bars by far, and I'd certainly go out of my way for this.

Almond Coconut Tile.

"The unique combination of roasted, slivered almonds and toasted coconut makes our Almond Coconut Tile a true standout. Folded by hand into our signature bittersweet dark chocolate and finished with Grey Sea Salt, the flavor and texture of this Tile is one you won't soon forget."

Next I went for the almond coconut.  It looked the same from the outside, smooth dark chocolate, sprinkle of sea salt.

Almond Coconut Tile: Inside.

But inside was quite different.  Slivered almonds and shredded coconut were mixed in with the chocolate.

It was ... fine.  I liked it more than the burnt caramel, but the almonds and coconut added more texture than actual flavor, and the coconut shreds I didn't actually love.  There was something slightly off putting about them.

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Desserts from Causwells

Back in September, All-Star Donuts in the Marina announced that they were closing after 28 years.  Now, I've never been to All-Star Donuts.  I don't live in the Marina.  I didn't particularly care.  Except ... a nearby restaurant was on my radar because they serve a bread pudding made from All-Star Donuts donuts.  I'm obsessed with bread pudding, and always on the lookout for a great new version to try.  If All-Star was closing, then my opportunity to get this dessert was going away.  I had to act fast.

Causwells is open for lunch and dinner daily, plus brunch on the weekends.  The aforementioned bread pudding is from the dessert menu, which yes, is available at brunch (which is when I visited).  I didn't actually stay for a meal, and opted to just grab my bread pudding to go, but they did have a couple tempting sounded dishes on the brunch menu, like buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy or french toast bites with a brandy dipping sauce.

Sadly, I didn't like my dessert, nor the subsequent one I returned for, but the feel of the restaurant was good, and I've ready many positive reviews, so I wouldn't rule out returning for a real meal.

Rustic, casual dining area.

The feel of Causwells is very relaxed.  Rustic, casual, lots of wood elements.  There are a few tables inside and outside on the sidewalk, perfect for brunch, plus a counter along the bar.

The tables don't really look comfortable however.  Stools are great at a bar, but, at a table?  Too much work to sit up!

“All-Star” donut bread pudding / spiced milk. $8.25.

Ok, I love bread pudding.  It is one of my absolute favorite desserts.  And donut bread pudding? It can be totally amazing.  I was super excited to try this, as I'd read about it before.  Bread pudding, made from donuts from All-Star Donuts down the street.  YES!

Then I opened my box.  NOOOOOO!

I like a certain style of bread pudding.  I like a crispy top.  A custardy, moist interior.  Good size chunks of bread.  Ideally served warm.  Bonus points for serving with ice cream, but whipped cream will do.

This was basically just dense, oily cake.  No distinct chunks of bread/donut.  No crisp top, no custardy interior.  It did sorta taste like stale donuts though.

The serving was two pieces, cut into triangles.  Served cold (I verified, that is how it is served when you order it in the restaurant too, never warmed up).

And, no ice cream nor whipped cream, instead, spiced milk.  Now, the spiced milk was tasty, slightly sweet, lots of fall spices.  I tried dunking the bread pudding in it to moisten it up, but, meh.  I guess they were going for donuts and milk as a treat?  But still.  No.

All around, just not my style at all.  Sadness.  Also, it turns out that they still serve the bread pudding, they just get the donuts from another All-Star location.  I didn't need to rush there for it!

I want to start a campaign to rename this style of bread pudding.  Let's just call it bread-cake ok?  I can't blame Causwells for serving this style that I dislike, as they aren't alone.  Dense, cake-like bread pudding shows up all the time, like the flavorless solid mass I got from Soma Inn Cafe or the better, but still just solid-style version from Blue Plate.  Sometimes it comes more like french toast, like the banana version we had at Lot 7.  Seriously, these aren't what I think of as bread pudding!   Even getting the name right isn't enough though, because the version from Luna Park sounded perfect on paper, it was warm and with ice cream even, but, it fell flat too. Sigh.  So simple, but so hard.

$8.25 was a fine price for a dessert, but I obviously didn't want this.

Plum Foster Pudding / star anise / salted crumble. $8.25. 

If at first you don't succeed, try try again, right?  Particularly when pudding is involved.  I'm a sucker for pudding, so I couldn't resist trying it too.

It was ... also not good.  The pudding itself was grainy and flavorless.  Not vanilla flavored, not creamy, a bit watery.  The plums were mushy and just tasted weird.  The crumble on top was a nice touch, and I did really like the idea behind a crunchy component to a pudding, but it wasn't particularly flavorful either.  It did have a touch of salt at least.  The star anise however was flavorful, but it overwhelmed everything else.

I brought it to Ojan, since he also likes puddings, but he took one bite, made a face, and threw it out.

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