Bottle of Fanagoria Sparkling at Dacha Under Lilac Bush

Reporting some nice bottle of cheap (but fairly good especially for the price) Russian sparkling under me Lilac bush in bloom.

Pretty good, with the mark of 81 points from Russian wine guide... Luca Maroni or James Suckling would have given 91

Charmat-Mariotti methode

Goes good with fast food, fried potatoes, shrimp etc.

Burgers and Beer

Is there a war a-brewing?

I am ready! Bring it on! (not really...)

The two burgers are new McDonalds fare here in Russia: a double Big Mac with 4 meat patties and a Big Mac Tomato Bacon and something else.

My Restaurants: Hard Rock Cafe Moscow - Java Lava Burger plus 3 Cocktails...

Here is more in My Restaurants series where I explore the food scene here in Moscow to the best of my limited financial ability.

And this time the restaurant in question is actually a cafe - and not just any cafe but Moscow's Hard Rock Cafe!

Sat on the first floor.

My order was one Java Lava Burger with Onions Fries on the side and three cocktails: Hurricane, Bahama Mama and Pomegranate Mule, also some bottled Evian with an ice cube filled glass.

Hurricane, which I liked best of the three cocktails and it seemed a little stronger but overall I didn't find much difference in taste among the tree cocktails that I ordered whatever that means.

Java Lava Burger

Not too bad, not McDonald's, that's for sure, the meet patty seemed natural but overall it didn't impress me as particularly fresh or as if it had just been made for me.

But I thought it looked good, 3/5.

The cocktail is already Bahama Mama.

You definitely eat this one with knife and fork as it is too big to hold in your hands and let alone to take a bite off, and it would be gross if you tried.

Pomegranate Mule.

Eating Out Moscow: Lukoil Service Station Cafe

I am reviving My Restaurants series of posts where I reported on eating out here in Moscow, with another series of posts on the same subject starting with fast food and some Scandinavian fast food at that.

Here is a hot dog with bacon and 300 ml of Americano coffee (aka diluted espresso) I had for lunch on August 5, 2018, Sunday, and the venue was a Lukoil filling station cafe.

It appears Lukoil service (filling) station cafes serve Sibylla fast food.

According to wikipedia, Sibylla is a chain of fast food restaurants located throughout Sweden and Finland, where they mostly hold the concession for service station food serveries. 

1932 saw the first Sibyl sausage served. Since then, menus with french fries, hamburgers, meatballs, chicken, kebabs, and hot dogs have been developed.

Sibylla has been seen (and eaten) here in Moscow since at least the early 2000s.

A hot dog with a bacon strip and garnished with three sauces and some crunches.

Actually I like Sibylla as I like most fast food but without being especially fond of it.

Views of the inside of a Lukoil filling station cafe - you get your car filled up and can stuff yourself with junk fast food.

As they say, filling stations are not recommended for fine dining but this one is OK as far as I am concerned.

Общепит: Хот-дог с беконом в кафе автозаправки "Лукойл": В прошлое воскресенье было 5 августа 2018 года, а на обед был хот-дог с беконом в кафе на одной из автозаправок "Лукойл". Х...

The Big Mac

In the words of the great late Warren Zevon, "Enjoy every sandwich".

And that is exactly what I am doing -- enjoying all kinds of food, mainly cheap, in my Food series, and enjoying (and rating) McDonald's offerings specifically in this one. 

The Bic Mac today... this one was taken hostage at a McDonald's drive-by window, driven out of town and executed... consumed for lunch in the country last October.

Actually, as was pointed out elsewhere, the Big Mac is a unique burger in terms of its structure -- it has not just two buns as per usual but all three with a middle bun separating the two meat putties. At the moment I can't think of any other burger with this kind of structure, not that I am an expert or anything. 

With sesame seeds.

Roasted Chestnuts

Food and drink appreciation. Street food in particular...

Roasted chestnuts from a street vendor...

Saw it, decided to try it. Last time I ate them was so long ago I didn't even remember the taste.

They are pretty large, by taste remind one somewhat of potatoes but sweeter and slightly different. I prefer to add more salt. 

Overall, pretty good and apparently healthy, not that I am into healthy eating and stuff.

Park Cafe Beef Burger

On Saturday 20.09.2014 I had "Grand Beef" burger from McDonald's for lunch; on Sunday though the burger came from a summer-style open-air cafe in a small park not far from my place in Moscow. 

Sat drinking tea and coffee waiting for the burger.

The burger is made specially for you (if you believe what they say) -- the meat patty is fried for the whole of seven minutes. But you don't see the process, it could still be microwaved. 

The burger has arrived and looks pretty nice. It is tall but well put together, won't fall apart easily. Also the turquoise plates look cheerful in a bright September sun.

The burger.