Hard Rock Cafe
After a lovely day at IOA we headed back to HRH...and booked another night there!! We were due to go back to Rosen Inn the following evening before moving to Saratoga Springs but neither of us particuarly wanted to pack up all our stuff, pay for a taxi, and leave the beautiful HRH. We'd been thinking/talking about it for the past two days (we don't make financial decisions like this lightly!) and we just decided to go for it. There was a tense moment when the lady said they were fully booked for the following night (!!!!) but she got her manager to override it and we were able to book in. YAY! 3 nights at Hard Rock Hotel woooooo!
After this excitement, we went back up to our lovely room for a bit of relaxation time. I was a bit peckish so nibbled on some chips and dip while Benj had a little nap. I spent some time browsing menus for our dinner that evening on Bens phone, before succumbing to sleepiness myself and having a little nap.
I woke up at 5pm, got dressed, wrote Benj a note saying where Id gone and headed down to the lobby. I was getting frustrated using Bens retro phone to look at restaurant menus so it was time for WiFi and the iPad! I sat in one of the lovely big chairs in the lobby and painted my nails whilst I searched, it was very relaxing! The plan for tonight had been Bubba Gumps but for some reason I wasnt really feeling it and quite fancied going somewhere different. The problem was, I hadnt researched any other restaurants and Im very indecisive so I needed to choose somewhere before we left for the evening, otherwise we may never get to eat! It got to about 5.30 and I still hadnt decided haha but I had to go back up to the room to start getting ready, as per the note I left Ben!
Back up in the room, I talked Benj through our options for dinner. He was easy and really didnt mind where we went, it was only me being annoying! I was leaning towards Hard Rock Café, not somewhere wed considered before but I thought it might be fun
SO we got ready and headed down to our local, the Velvet Lounge, with iPad in tow so I could continue looking!
Once again we were just in time for Happy Hour, yay! Ben got an awesome, very unusual cocktail
I cant remember all the ingredients but it had maple syrup in! It smelt like a Yankee Candle! I wasnt a fan but Benj loved it, luckily! I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio from our lovely waitress but when it came out, it was a Rose! I wasnt overly fussed as I like white and rose but she was mortified when I asked for a Pinot for my next drink and she was like
did you order white the first time? Im so sorry! and bless her, when she bought out our next two drinks she didnt charge me for mine. Awesome service!
We chatted to her for a while about our dinner plans and she was very helpful in recommending places to us! She then did something very cute, went out back and not only bought us the *** restaurant menu, but she also printed us off the Emerils menu from her office! Seriously, how cute
Both sounded very yummy and nearly helped sway me, but I was set on Hard Rock Café, finally!
I had to go to the amazing leopard print loo while we were in the Lounge and I took a selfie in there
Mainly to show off my matching outfit!!
We paid the bargainous $11 bill and left a $3 tip for our lovely waitress. We nipped back up to the room to dump the iPad and then headed down to walk to Citywalk. But, there was a boat there! Yay! So we hopped on the boat instead
It was a very raucous, noisy boat with lots of men on some kind of convention but we rolled with it and it was fun
Citywalk was busy with HHN goers and we walked straight to Hard Rock Café.
Yay!
We didnt have a reservation so were just hoping wed be able to get a table. We had to wait a few minutes but it was fine because as with all these kinds of restaurants, theres sooooooo much to see on the walls!
We were then led to a really cute table for 2, overlooking the balcony with all the cool stuff hanging everywhere, including the PINK CADILLAC pretty much my dream car! I was loving it!
The atmosphere was loud and fun and I was hoping we were in for a fun night.
First up, drinks! We had another really great waitress (pretty much everywhere we went this holiday we had awesome service
) who helped us out by recommending some cocktails. I got some kind of fruity number and Benj got his new fave, Angry Orchard.
Handsome dinner date
Meeeee
We were absolutely starving this evening so starters were a must. I chose loaded potato skins and Benj got bruschetta.
OMG these skins. They were so amazing! Loads and loads of cheese, crispy bacon, spring onion and a bucketload of sour cream. You got sooooooo many though and they were MASSIVE, enough for like 4 people! I ate two and asked to take the rest back in a doggy bag, score! No potato skin has ever compared to these...I get them over here and they just don't even compare
Ben really enjoyed his bruschetta too and like me, couldnt BELIEVE the size of it! I got to try a bit and it was really delicious, fresh tomatoes and a beautiful balsamic drizzle.
Next up, main courses! Our waitress had been really lovely here and let me adapt my meal into exactly what I wanted haha! I fancied a steak but I had really wanted do try the Twisted Mac n Cheese as Id read how amazing it was. She left me swap the fries for the mac n cheese, yay! As ever though, I was already pretty full from my starter so couldnt manage all of it. It was delicious though, a very well cooked steak and looooooovely cheesy mac n cheese with a Cajun kick.
Benj had the veggie burger with fries and he was going to get an extra side of onion rings but our lovely waitress said we probably wouldnt need one as Id get so many with my steak and we could share. And, she was absolutely right! I got so many! You can see in the photos that wed already halved the portion haha. He loved his burger and ate it aaallll up!
Obviously neither of us had room for dessert so it was just a case of paying the bill. I think we both had a couple of drinks and the bill was $85, plus a $15 tip because we thought our waitress deserved it. Wed had a really fun night at HRC and I was pleased wed gone. The food was really good and I was very glad I had my leftover skins for another time
yum!
We walked back to HRH about 9.30, there were still loads of people going into HHN! Crazy! We were sooooo full and sleepy we felt very old compared to all the crazy kids going to HHN!
The Verdict
Mainly due to the life-changing potato skins and because I was pleasantly surprised by the experience and the food, HRC gets a pink dress!