Tasty Asian Fusion in Downtown Madison: FuGu Asian {#ReviewCrew}

As with all parents, I love spending time with my children. However, also as with all parents, there are times that getting away from them and having a night out with just my husband is good for my soul.

So, having the opportunity to drop everything and have a dinner date just the two of us recently was the perfect way to take a break from the hustle and bustle of our chaotic summer (and everyday life) and relax.

Even better? Being able to save a bundle of money by using a Restaurant.com certificate on our visit to FuGu Asian in downtown Madison!

Known for putting a modern interpretation on classic dishes, FuGu Asian offers outstanding Chinese cuisine, excellent service, and friendly staff. Whether stopping in for a quick business lunch, a large, informal family gathering or simply picking up takeout for a tasty meal at home, this is one restaurant that offers something for everyone.

Or, if you would rather stay home and let FuGu bring their delicious food to you, they'll deliver right to your door throughout Madison, WI!

I've never seen a cuter delivery car!

Stepping inside FuGu's bright, open dining room, it was immediately clear that we had selected a location that was calm and comfortable. Just right for a quiet meal and conversation — although I could tell that this was a place that the kids would have been welcome as well!

After being shown to our table, it was time to peruse the menu... which was not an easy feat.

Page after page of appetizers, rice, noodles, pork, chicken, seafood, pickled pepper dishes, and many more. For those of us who don't eat meat, I was especially happy to see that FuGu has a full selection of vegetarian options as well.

Although there were quite a few items that we wanted to try, we finally managed to narrow down the choices and place our order.

Only a short while later, my smoothie-loving husband's eyes lit up when his kiwi smoothie and Pan Fried Pork Dumplings were delivered to the table.

Although the dumplings were a bit dark, my husband said they were still very flavorful and the smoothie was one of the freshest that either of us had ever tasted (and let me tell you, with his smoothie obsession, we have tasted a lot of them). If you can imagine what it would taste like to fill a blender with chunks of ripe, sweet kiwis and a little bit of ice, then you'd have this thick, tasty concoction!

It wasn't long after that our Pan Fried Noodles...

 ...and Home Style Tofu arrived...

...and we dug into both flavorful dishes.

By the time we were finished eating (and had two to-go boxes filled with leftovers to extend these tasty dishes even further), we were both full and content. Even better, we handed over our Restaurant.com certificate when the check arrived and watched the total get cut in half — who doesn't love to save money on a yummy meal?

When it comes to fresh, Asian Fusion dishes that only use high quality ingredients, FuGu serves up a large selection in a friendly atmosphere. As it is conveniently located only blocks from the Capitol and surrounded by popular walking and shopping spots for the whole family, this is a great restaurant to be able to visit time and again!

For more information about FuGu Asian, visit their website. To find out about all of the money-saving options that Restaurant.com has to offer in your area (or in an area that you are planning to visit), head over to Restaurant.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy!

As a member of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, I have been provided gift cards and compensation in order to facilitate my reviews. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Mediterranean Made Fast and Tasty at Gyros Express {#ReviewCrew}

Typically when we talk about fast food, we think of the classic standards... and, even if our consciences say that we shouldn't be eating them, the convenience (and taste) ends up winning out. Life is often a crazy, hectic, busy rush from one location to the next, so being able to grab a quick meal to keep us going can be a necessity.

Fortunately though, there are options other than fast food chains and the same old, same old that we're used to.

Thanks to Restaurant.com, our most recent discovery that provides affordability, flavor and speed is available right in West Towne Mall in Madison, WI. Skip the greasy burgers and head to Gyros Express instead!

Offering delicious dining, takeout and delivery, Gyros Express is located only steps inside the mall food court. It's the perfect option whether you're just driving by or want to have a bite of tasty Mediterranean cuisine while doing some shopping!

While I had taken a look at the Gyros Express menu online prior to our arrival, I still couldn't help but browse the various photos posted to see what their various items (made only with high quality fresh ingredients) looked like.

Not to mention that there is something for just about everyone at Gyros Express. Fried chicken, beef, grilled chicken, hot dogs, fish, kabobs, salads, onion rings — the list goes on and on!

After a quick chat with the friendly staff, it wasn't long before they were working on making our orders fresh for lunch.

Just a few minutes later, Little Sister B was thrilled to sit down with her Chicken Nuggets...

...and I couldn't wait to dig in to my Falafel.

Yum and yum!

The veggies (onions, lettuce and tomatoes) were fresh, the tzatziki sauce was smooth and delicious, the pita was warm and soft, and the falafels themselves were crisp and delectable. Aside from the fact that this was a little difficult to eat without dropping pieces left and right, my Gyros Express lunch was just about perfect!

In fact, had I not been stuffed from my Falafel, I have no doubt that Little Sister B would have happily agreed to try out the restaurant's dessert hit, Sweet Baklava.

Although we don't spend as much time at the mall as we did in years past, I will definitely keep Gyros Express in mind the next time we are stopping in or driving by. The staff was friendly, the location is convenient, and the Mediterranean food was great. What more could we ask for?

In fact, for those especially big fans, I love that Gyros Express even offers a punch card for a FREE lunch entree!

When it comes to helping customers discover the unique restaurants local to their area, Restaurant.com is the site to visit to not only find a location, but get a great deal. This single site offers savings at tens of thousands of restaurants nationwide with more than 45,000 gift certificate options!

For more information about Gyros Express, visit their website. To find out about all of the money-saving options that Restaurant.com has to offer in your area (or in an area that you are planning to visit), head over to Restaurant.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

Where will you eat next?

As a member of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, I have been provided gift cards and compensation in order to facilitate my reviews. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

My Favorite New Local Find: Cafe Maya {#ReviewCrew}

There are a few locations around the city here where restaurants seem to turn over more often that I would think. There is plenty of traffic, ample parking, other stores/shopping nearby, etc, yet every time a new restaurant opens and seems promising... only a short time later it is gone.

To be perfectly honest, I tend to shrug my shoulders and not think much of it. In my opinion, the past options haven't been all that special, so when one chain replaces another, it all ends up a blur in my mind.

Recently, thanks to my continued browsing of the certificate options available at Restaurant.com, I noticed that one of the restaurants was located in one of the spots with a higher turnover. Was it possible that something more worthwhile had opened in this small shopping center? That it could provide tasty enough dishes and friendly enough service that it would last?

It was time to check out Cafe Maya for myself!

After opening last October in Heritage Square shopping center in Madison, WI, Cafe Maya has been gaining momentum ever since.

With a bright, relaxed atmosphere, extremely friendly staff, free wi-fi, and a menu varying between delicious coffees, tasty sandwiches, fresh croissants, and much more, it's no wonder that customers visit once and are hooked!

In my case, I was no exception.

Although I had taken a quick look at Cafe Maya's menu online before heading over, I still marveled at the variety of different options for eating and drinking that they offer. This is far more than just a coffeehouse (although there are plenty of lattes, teas, espressos, cappuccinos, and more)!

Although there were multiple menu items that were making my mouth water, my friend and I decided on sandwiches and smoothies as a perfect lunchtime meal — and the awesome employee behind the counter couldn't have been friendlier in answering our questions without the slightest hint of impatience or hurry.

All that was left to do was take a seat (we chose the raised bar along the sunny window) and sit back to relax and wait for our order to arrive.

First up, smoothie time! How cute are these Mason Jar mugs?!

Even though we were happily enjoying the fruity tastiness of our mango and strawberry smoothies, it wasn't much longer before our sandwiches arrived and it was time to dig right in.

The Pesto Feta sandwich typically includes smoked turkey, pesto, feta cheese, spinach, red onions, tomatoes, and avocados, but Cafe Maya staff were more than happy to accommodate me being a vegetarian by making mine without the turkey.

And the end result was fantastic! The sourdough bread was toasted just right (from a panini press) and the flavors from the other ingredients blended together with the pesto perfectly. Even the side of greens was lightly topped with a sweet dressing that made me want more!

I literally ate every last bite and even considered licking the plate clean to make sure that I hadn't left any morsels uneaten!

By the time we were leaving Cafe Maya, I couldn't think of anything that could have made the visit any better and both my friend and I commented multiple times about how we would definitely be back. I adore when I make a new discovery of such a unique and delectable, locally-owned establishment and hope that this one is here to stay permanently!

As an added bonus to the delicious meal and the fact that we saved a bundle by using a Restaurant.com certificate, I even brought home two of Cafe Maya's fresh pastries to enjoy later that day and the following morning. Hello, chocolate muffin and morning bun yumminess!

If you have yet to try out Restaurant.com, you're missing out on all sorts of unique dining options in your local area as well as where you might be traveling. I love using their convenient app and the Deals Near Me feature to find one-of-a-kind tasty eats like this one!

For more information about Cafe Maya, head over to their Facebook page. To find out about all of the money-saving options that Restaurant.com has to offer in your area (or in an area that you are planning to visit), head over to Restaurant.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

As a member of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, I have been provided gift cards and compensation in order to facilitate my reviews. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Authentic Sri Lankan Cuisine and So Much More at KJ's Curry Bowl {#ReviewCrew}

If I were to list the many things that I love about city living, the endless variety of restaurants would easily be mentioned. In the mood for an old favorite? Want to try something new? American? Ethnic? Fast food? Sit down? There are just so many choices that you'll never be able to try them all!

Most recently, thanks to the great certificate options at Restaurant.com, I was able to discover yet another new restaurant that provides a huge selection of delicious dishes sure to satisfy the entire family: KJ's Curry Bowl.

Known for their authentic Sri Lankan cuisine, the menu at KJ's Curry Bowl extends much further than that, also offering American, Asian and Mexican dishes to suit each and every palate.

Tired of going out to eat and not being able to agree on a location or satisfy everyone? I love that KJ's Curry Bowl all but eliminates that problem by having such a varied selection! As I flipped through their menu, I was amazed that the options include an Asian Chicken Salad, Louisiana Gumbo, Pulled BBQ Pork, a Steak Teriyaki bowl, multiple Curry options (of course), Sizzling Fajita Bowls, a Kids Menu, and much more!

How in the world was one to decide?

After my friend and I had finally made our selections and placed our order, we sat back to relax and appreciate the eclectic, warm surroundings of the restaurant.

With large windows letting in lots of natural light and comfortable booths and tables to accommodate groups both large and small...

...there wasn't much more that I could have asked for.

A short while later, our friendly server reappeared with our steaming dishes in hand and it was time to eat!

My friend's Dahl Curry (top) was fragrant and spicy (our server had done a perfect job of describing the three varying levels of spice available to ensure that it was just right) and my Vegetable & Tofu Blazing Stir Fry with Hawaiian Sweet and Sour sauce was the perfect combination of all of my favorite flavors.

As both dishes had come with our choice of white or brown rice, the portions were more than enough to fill us up and even provided leftovers that were just as sweet and spicy reheated the following day. I'm always thrilled when I not only love a dish that I order, but when it can provide me with a second meal to look forward to as well!

Before we left we chatted a little more with our server about how much we enjoyed our food and found out a bit about the spices typically used in Sri Lankan food as well as the long list of health benefits that come from eating curry powder. I had no idea!

While the prices at KJ's Curry Bowl were very reasonable to begin with, the fact that we used a Restaurant.com certificate made the whole meal even more of a bargain! Who doesn't love to save a little extra money when they go out to eat?

For more information about KJ's Curry Bowl or to plan a visit if you're in the Madison area, head to KJsCurryBowl.com and connect with them on Facebook — they even offer a huge weekend Sri Lankan Buffet on Fridays and Saturdays that I'd love to try!

When it comes to helping customers discover the unique restaurants local to their area, Restaurant.com is the site to visit to not only find a location, but get a great deal. It offers savings at tens of thousands of restaurants nationwide with an endless number of gift certificate options! To find out about all of the money-saving options in your area (or in an area that you are planning to visit), head over to Restaurant.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

As a member of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, I have been provided gift cards and compensation in order to facilitate my reviews. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Fresh, Fast and Family Favorite: Silver Mine Subs {#ReviewCrew}

While I would love to claim that I serve my family a fully homemade meal every night for dinner, that is just obviously not true. Life happens, you know?

Instead, on days when things have been hectic and that feeling of being overwhelmed starts to creep in, I fully support going out to eat or simply picking something up at a restaurant and bringing it home. We all need a break from cooking and, if the entire family is happy with what is on their plate, then there is no harm done.

Recently, my family experienced just that when we tried out the fast, easy, delicious options available from Silver Mine Subs.

Offering the freshest and finest hot and cold submarine sandwiches, wraps, salads, sides, soups, and chili, Silver Mine Subs is proud to offer a healthy alternative to fast food. Their fresh bread is baked right in the store, ensuring that your selected sub will be mouthwatering from start to finish.

I love that Silver Mine Subs has over 20 sandwich options on their menu but also gives customers the ability to have their sub made-to-order so that it can be exactly to their liking. Add in their box lunches, kids' meals, and catering services and they've got nearly everyone covered throughout the day — and that "day" spans from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m., seven days a week for most of their stores!

Stepping inside, Silver Mine Subs offers a brightly-lit counter area and view to all of their fresh breads, sandwich fixings, and more.

Once you've ordered (again, love all of the customization options and the ability to have your sub hot or cold, on bread or as a wrap, in one of three sizes, and more), all that is left to do is to wait for your personalized sandwich to be made. Silver Mine Subs even has plenty of tables and booths so that you can stay right in the restaurant to eat instead of taking your meal home (psst! They also offer delivery)!

Once home, we couldn't wait to bite into our tasty subs.

Although we couldn't quite make out the scrawled labels to determine which sub was which and we realized that we didn't receive the milk that went with Little Sister B's kids' meal, neither put a damper on our excitement to dig in to our dinner.

Clockwise from top left: Pike's Peak or Bust, Dodge City, Miner's Choice, Kids' Meal

Yum and YUM! My Pike's Peak or Bust sub was filled to the brim with toppings, my husband's Dodge City sub had all of his favorite flavors, Big Sister E's Miner's Choice had the (very specific) options that she had requested, and Little Sister B's Kids' Meal was just what she wanted in just the right size. We couldn't have asked for more!

However, who could pass up the chance for a little dessert? We also sampled Silver Mine Sub's Chocolate Chunk Cookie and Deluxe Fudge Brownie and they were exactly the sweet treats that we needed to finish off the meal.

In the end, our dinner was satisfying and tasty (and the large size subs were so big that we had some leftovers!) and, due to using a Restaurant.com certificate, the entire meal ended up costing far less than if we had gone out and purchased all of the individual ingredients. It is no wonder that Restaurant.com is known for not only finding delicious restaurant locations, but great deals as well!

If you've missed my past mentions about how this single site offers savings at tens of thousands of restaurants nationwide with an endless number of gift certificate options, then you have been paying too much when you go out to eat — stop doing that!

For more information about Silver Mine Subs and to find out if they have a location near you, visit SilverMineSubs.com. To find out about all of the money-saving options that Restaurant.com has to offer in your area (or in an area that you are planning to visit), head over to Restaurant.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

As a member of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, I have been provided gift cards and compensation in order to facilitate my reviews. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Discovering Delicious Dumplings from Paul's Pel'meni Thanks to Restaurant.com {#ReviewCrew}

Upon chatting with an established foodie recently (we're talking published author of a cookbook and soon-to-be host of her own cooking television show), I mentioned that I reside almost-in Madison, WI and her immediate response was one gushing about the "great food scene."

And, although I've always known that there truly are a huge variety of amazing food options right here in the city, it made me really stop and think.

Sure, we have chain restaurants that mirror those found across the country, but she was right in that we also have an incredible number of unique, local, one-of-a-kind eateries in every possible ethnicity and genre that you can think of. Big, small, completely locally-sourced, popular, hole-in-the-wall — whatever the occasion or that you might possibly be in the mood for, we have it here.

Thanks to Restaurant.com, our most recent discovery that highlights the delicious, diverse food options here is a very small but very loved restaurant in downtown Madison: Paul's Pel'meni.

After looking up the definition of pelmeni (Russian dumplings consisting of a filling wrapped in thin, unleavened dough), I was immediately intrigued because yum.

But then I read that Paul's Pel'meni doesn't only specialize in these tasty little dumplings, but that it is the single item on their menu. How in the world could they stay in business (and have quite a collection of fans) with only one offering?

Clearly, it was time to find out.

Stepping inside, it was clear that it wouldn't take much of a rush to fill the entirety of Paul's dining room and its six tables.

Second, although it was true that the menu board did consist of only pelmeni, there was actually a bit of variety of plenty of customization options to suit multiple tastes.

Along with the full or half order, patrons have the option of selecting dumplings that are filled with beef, potato or a mix (some are beef, some are potato). From there, it's topping time!

Paul's signature topping is "The Works," a mix of butter, yellow curry, sweet chili sauce, and cilantro and comes with a side of sour cream. However, if your taste buds differ from wanting all five of those options, you are also able to pick and choose any number and combination you desire. Oh, the possibilities!

It only took a short time for our pelmeni to cook up in their pots...

...before we had our orders boxed up and ready to go.

But even though we had opted for take-out, my husband and I couldn't help but have a peek at what tastiness awaited us.

Cilantro and sour cream for me, only butter for my husband. Next time I'm taking the plunge and going with The Works!

So many bite-sized bundles of deliciousness!

We did pop a few pelmeni into our mouth (mmm!) but our true feast wasn't until we were home quite some time later. Fortunately, a few seconds in the microwave heated our dumplings right back up and I'm certain they were just as delectable as they would have been if we had eaten them right away in Paul's quaint dining area.

So good!

Each pelmeni has just the right amount of beef or potato inside and they're the perfect size for eating one right after another. I hadn't thought that a plate of dumplings could be a full meal but my stomach was full and very happy after these were gone!

When it comes to helping customers discover the unique restaurants local to their area, Restaurant.com is the site to visit to not only find a location, but get a great deal. This single site offers savings at tens of thousands of restaurants nationwide with an endless number of gift certificate options!

Around here, we're excited to have discovered the small, one-of-a-kind, friendly atmosphere of Paul's Pel'meni and will surely be visiting again to try out even more of their tasty dumplings. Considering the constant stream of customers that were coming in and out just in the few minutes that we were in the restaurant, I can see why they stay open late (until 3am Thursday thru Saturday!) to satisfy them all!

For more information about Paul's Pel'meni, visit their Facebook page. To find out about all of the money-saving options that Restaurant.com has to offer in your area (or in an area that you are planning to visit), head over to Restaurant.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

As a member of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, I have been provided gift cards and compensation in order to facilitate my reviews. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Big Portions of Yum: Cold Fusion Restaurant & Bar {#ReviewCrew}

In my eight+ years of parenthood, I've come to realize that there are a whole lot of contradictions.

You should never tell a lie, I say to my girls one day, only to explain to them the following week about the concept of little white lies that our society uses in an attempt to not hurt others' feelings.

Eating healthy is the right thing to do, I tell them both... only to count down the minutes until their bedtime so that I can sneak a few extra cookies.

Don't judge a book by its cover, I'm often telling Big Sister E.

But then my family pulls up at Cold Fusion Restaurant & Bar and I immediately get ideas in my head about what the atmosphere and food quality will be like. I apologize to all eating establishments that have "& Bar" in their name, but for me, that conjures up images of loud, smokey, greasy, beer-slinging, all-around non-kid-friendly places. This is Wisconsin, after all.

However, even though I had my doubts before we were in the door...

...once we stepped inside I realized that Cold Fusion felt friendly.

Even with the typical fixtures I expected such as the bar, pool table, neon signs and more, the warm greeting we received along with the open, airy layout, large windows, and clean, comfortable ambiance immediately began to squelch my worries.

As we had arrived for an early dinner, we had our pick of seating and the kids were thrilled with the opportunity to sit at a "high top" table overlooking the windows and within range of multiple large televisions.

As we began to peruse the menu, I was again pleasantly surprised to find a wider array of options than I had expected. This isn't a bar that only offers french fries and cheese curds, Cold Fusion has so many different salads, sandwiches, wraps, paninis, burgers, pastas, steaks, ribs and more that there is easily something for everyone!

Bonus points for having a unique and varied Kids' Menu as well!

After placing our order, my husband and I sat back to catch up on the world of horse racing on television and the girls excitedly hopped down to (pretend to) play a little table hockey.

It felt like only a few short minutes before our friendly server returned to our table with our appetizer, the largest plate of nachos I had ever seen!

Typically the nachos are served with a choice of beef chili or chicken alfredo, but the kitchen had been more than accommodating in leaving out the chicken due to Big Sister E and I not eating meat. But that didn't stop this plate from overflowing with tortilla chips, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and salsa!

The angle of this photo doesn't accurately capture just how LARGE this plate is - it is much more than simply a dinner plate!

As much as we tried, there were still nachos left on the plate when our server returned to clear it away in preparation for our entrees to arrive.

Considering the amount of nachos we had eaten (they were addicting!) I wasn't sure if any of us would have room to eat much more, but then we took a look at our plates and our appetites returned.

Aside from the crust on Big Sister E's Margarita Pizza bordering a little too close to being burnt, our meals were perfectly cooked and just as delectable as our amazing appetizer!

My husband was happy with his filet (and commented that it too had surprised him with the quality) and dinner sides, Big Sister E chowed down on her pizza, Little Sister B couldn't stop grinning over her Peeps Plate of ham, turkey, cheese, mandarin oranges and kettle chips...

...and my Garden Vegetable Wrap was one of the best wraps I've ever had at a restaurant.

Add in that the sweet potato fries I had as my side were rich and crisp and had a delicious brown sugar topping and I really couldn't have asked for more!

By the time we were leaving Cold Fusion, I felt overwhelmingly guilty that I had arrived with such low expectations when it was, in fact, perfectly family-friendly with a huge menu of enticing, enjoyable options. I was just as excited to dig into my leftovers the following day!

Considering the amount of food that we received, I found that the prices at Cold Fusion were very reasonable... but then using our Restaurant.com certificate made the whole meal an even bigger bargain. I have no doubt that we will be returning again and I will be making a much more concerted effort to not judge restaurants before visiting them in the future!

For more information about Cold Fusion Restaurant & Bar (as well as their sister location), visit their website and connect with them on Facebook. To find out about all of the money-saving options that Restaurant.com has to offer in your area (or in an area that you are planning to visit), head over to Restaurant.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

As a member of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, I have been provided gift cards and compensation in order to facilitate my reviews. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.