Cookies!

Who has the best cookies? Is it Subway or Mario's Blimpie? Some other food place? I've tried both Subway and Blimpie and in terms of value, it appears the better deal is with Blimpie because you get three giant sized cookies (almost double the size of the Subway version) for 6.50 as opposed to 3 small cookies at Subway for $5.00. However in terms of flavour they are about equal. I think Blimpie may also have the edge because they offer macadamia nut cookies while Subway does not have these. All in all, they are probably too pricey, but when you're in the mood for a sugar high, and that's all that is available, they suddenly look very affordable.

Food Court - Auzonville Shopping Centre, Tunapuna

The new Auzonville Shopping Centre has a small food court on the ground floor. I have only tried the first place on the right (southwest corner of the food area) where you can buy East Indian food aka roti or paratha (buss-up shut), as well as other local dishes such as macaroni pie, rice, stewed chicken etc. I have never tried anything but the paratha which I must say is not of consistent quality but is of good enough quality for me to recommend, because I have had worse. The sauces are usually decent, some very good, especially the massala mango, which I always have. You are allowed two sides with your paratha, but they almost always offer potato and channa, so if you don't want a particular side, feel free to say so before they start dishing out your order. I usually have channa, pumpkin and mango ($1 for the extra side). The best thing about this place is they really do cook WITHOUT pepper and that to me is a big plus. I do not eat pepper but most places that serve paratha which I love, usually serve the sides with pepper and they always say it's just for flavour or "you won't notice/taste it", but I can always taste it! So this place gets top points for recognising that pepper is not a staple but a condiment and for leaving it where it belongs; on the side, as an option, and not compelling poor unsuspecting people to eat what their body cannot tolerate. That being said, I don't think their pepper sauce is the best because it made my friend ill, but I still will recommend the place,...maybe you could just avoid the pepper sauce. Who needs it anyway?
The mall has a Chinese restaurant on the top floor which I have not yet tried. There's an interesting soup place on the north west corner of the ground floor, which I have not tried either. Someone I know did purchase soup there, though and seemed to enjoy it.

Rituals Coffee House

Their coffee chillers are pretty decent. I don't like the synthetic cream they use, but other than that, you get a decent drink. I never have coffee but others have had it and commented on the taste. My "ritual" is the Belgian Chocolate Chiller which I had at UWI's Rituals as well as at the Rituals on South Quay. When I had it at UWI, I found the chocolate was not well blended, so the drink was not very smooth. At South Quay, the texture was smoother so I enjoyed it more.

Now I want to post a specific review of the Fish Panini (Sandwich) offered at Rituals Coffee House on UWI St. Augustine. If I could use the words: "nasty, stink or disgusting" I would, but I fear those might be too strong and offensive. So I will just state the sandwich was unbelievably unpalatable. The only reason I ate it was to stave off starvation because I was hungry. I will never buy that sandwich again. The "fish" turned out to be two flat rectangles which looked like processed meat with a "fish flavour" although I honestly do not know what they used. Silly me! I was expecting real fish! I would not recommend that sandwich to anyone. I am certainly not going to buy it again.