This article was first published on YP Dine here.
Casual meals are great for when you’re short on time, don’t want anything fussy, or you simply just want to leave the house in your pyjamas. The following casual eats promise to deliver the flavour that your taste buds crave, won't break the bank and they won't judge your outfit choices either … well, hopefully.
Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria
I feel as if I should belong to some Famoso Dinner Club for the amount of times that I eat there in a year. The pizza’s unlike any another, as many pizza places serve thin crust pizza but none are as flavourful as Famoso’s crusts. Each pizza uses fresh, high quality ingredients and takes about 90 seconds to cook. Also, any of the salads are worth a try – I recommend the gorgonzola walnut salad or the Famoso salad. And, you can’t skip dessert; all of the gelatos are delightful and the Banana Nutella Pizetta is something I order repeatedly.
Earls Kitchen + Bar
Earls is another staple in my life. The quality of food and the service always meets my expectations. I also really appreciate how management takes care of things; if I ever have a problem with my meal, Earls doesn’t even hesitate to make it right. Aside from that, the food is consistently pleasing, and the seasonal feature menu offers you a chance to try something different from the classics. Some top choices are the dynamite prawn rolls, Hunan Kung Pao, chicken, fig and Brie sandwich and, of course, the famous sticky toffee pudding.
Farrow
Their sandwiches are like nothing I’ve had before. They use an interesting mix of ingredients that bring out different flavours and textures in food. Their Keep Calm & Curry On sandwich features turkey, curry, Brie, spinach, bacon mayo, dry noodles (for that crunch factor) and apricot jam. The sandwich I adore the most is the Grick Middle – bacon, tomato jam, smoked cheddar, rosemary aioli and arugula, topped off with a beautiful fried egg. Don’t forget to try some of their daily treats, like the bourbon pecan chocolate chip cookies, sugar beer cookies, and eggnog and rum Rice Krispie squares.
Five Guys
Five Guys is one of my favourite places for a burger. I absolutely love that your meal is cooked to order and it’s made your way, with what feels like hundreds of toppings at no additional cost. The meat is always tender and the fries – can we please talk about the fries? – they are delicious! Perfectly salted, thick cut fries that come out hot – what’s not to love? I’d highly recommend the small fry for sharing, as it’s really not “small” at all. You actually get about double the size, which makes it great for two.