Ambassador Restaurant in Glastonbury in a little hidden strip mall serves quite good Indian food.
Started with a basket of crispy bread with three toppings: a 'minty' one, a 'brown saucey' hot one and a 'let's chop up a lot of tomatoes and make them too hot to eat' one.
Lots of food but can only remember my Lamb Curry [ordered mild] with Basmati Rice. There was an order of Dal [stewed lentils], some Roti bread and Raita [yoghurt with cucumbers and onions].
Other entrée orders were Chicken a la something?, Lamb in Spinach and more Lamb Curry. And Kingfisher is a beer, I learned.
Since the four of us had two discount cards [and they accepted both by writing two checks], the meal turned out to be rather inexpensive. Story of my life...
blognotes: Evidently two of the waiters are not enamoured of each other. One waiter kept calling the other 'LazyBoy'!
an egg is an egg...meditating at the Museo Miró in Barcelona
Monday, July 31, 2006
...and the livin' is easy...
at the Summer Shack, Jasper White's seafood restaurant, in the Mohegan Sun Casino.
Appetizer Special of the day [$12] was Grilled Jumbo Shrimp [5 of them] with a Green Curry Peanut Cabbage Slaw. The shrimp were actually quite jumbo and very fresh and grilled to perfection but messy to eat. The slaw was spicy and salty and quite good.
A bowl of Gazpacho added some more tastes to this lunch paid for with 'points'. Thank you, Vanna! [the new Wheel of Fortune slot machine is awesome; it looks like a carnival ride].
The gazpacho [$5] had baby corn in it, an interesting addition. A nice dinner roll and a slice of cornbread with a glass or two of Iced Tea turned this little repast into a tasty [and dietetic] lunch.
Sat at a table in the bar. I always order too much food to sit AT the bar; hey, don't look at my food, dude!
bloginfo: www.mohegansuncasino.com for menus.
Appetizer Special of the day [$12] was Grilled Jumbo Shrimp [5 of them] with a Green Curry Peanut Cabbage Slaw. The shrimp were actually quite jumbo and very fresh and grilled to perfection but messy to eat. The slaw was spicy and salty and quite good.
A bowl of Gazpacho added some more tastes to this lunch paid for with 'points'. Thank you, Vanna! [the new Wheel of Fortune slot machine is awesome; it looks like a carnival ride].
The gazpacho [$5] had baby corn in it, an interesting addition. A nice dinner roll and a slice of cornbread with a glass or two of Iced Tea turned this little repast into a tasty [and dietetic] lunch.
Sat at a table in the bar. I always order too much food to sit AT the bar; hey, don't look at my food, dude!
bloginfo: www.mohegansuncasino.com for menus.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Now that's Italian...
Dinner tonight at Tommaso's MezzoGiorno in Rocky Hill. Dont judge a restaurant by its strip mall location!* This is a restaurant for fine dining.
Bread, Olives, Cheese, Sweet Roasted Peppers and Olive Oil graced the table. Dinners were accompanied by a Salad of Mixed Greens with Cannolini Beans and dressed with a Balsamic Vinaigrette - tasty.
Vitello de la Casa was Veal Cutlet stuffed with Fontina Cheese, Sausage and Spinach with a Brown Mushroom Gravy. This came with a small but rich side dish of Penne a la Vodka.
Frutti de Mare was served over Spahgetti and the same Vodka Sauce with Lobster bits. It included Clams, Shrimp and Scallops. Very tasty.
The dessert tray was the largest I have ever seen with at least 12 choices. Ours was a Raspberry Chocolate Pie. Yummy. I tasted the dessert and had a Capuccino.
bloginfo: Tommaso's MezzoGiorno is located in the Cold Springs Plaza at 945 Cromwell Avenue in Rocky Hill, CT.
blognotes: *This room is someones fantasy of 'Viva Italia'. From the exposed high tech venting and lighting fixtures to the murals, artificial flowers and waterfalls from the modern seating to the formal blue and white table settings, this is definitely not Rocky Hill [and the menu prices were another evidence of this].
Bread, Olives, Cheese, Sweet Roasted Peppers and Olive Oil graced the table. Dinners were accompanied by a Salad of Mixed Greens with Cannolini Beans and dressed with a Balsamic Vinaigrette - tasty.
Vitello de la Casa was Veal Cutlet stuffed with Fontina Cheese, Sausage and Spinach with a Brown Mushroom Gravy. This came with a small but rich side dish of Penne a la Vodka.
Frutti de Mare was served over Spahgetti and the same Vodka Sauce with Lobster bits. It included Clams, Shrimp and Scallops. Very tasty.
The dessert tray was the largest I have ever seen with at least 12 choices. Ours was a Raspberry Chocolate Pie. Yummy. I tasted the dessert and had a Capuccino.
bloginfo: Tommaso's MezzoGiorno is located in the Cold Springs Plaza at 945 Cromwell Avenue in Rocky Hill, CT.
blognotes: *This room is someones fantasy of 'Viva Italia'. From the exposed high tech venting and lighting fixtures to the murals, artificial flowers and waterfalls from the modern seating to the formal blue and white table settings, this is definitely not Rocky Hill [and the menu prices were another evidence of this].
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Uncas Grille in Uncasville
Uncas Grille in the Mohegan Sun Casino has a brunch menu from 11:30 to 2:00 every day.
'Territory' Omelet [four cheeses] with Hash Browns, Bagel with Cream Cheese, Roasted Tomato ($8.25) with a side of Bacon ($4)was the pick for today. This with two cups of Coffee ($1.95) came to $22.10 which was paid for with Points!
Very varied menu, good food and nice room.
bloginfo: www.mohegeansuncasino.com
'Territory' Omelet [four cheeses] with Hash Browns, Bagel with Cream Cheese, Roasted Tomato ($8.25) with a side of Bacon ($4)was the pick for today. This with two cups of Coffee ($1.95) came to $22.10 which was paid for with Points!
Very varied menu, good food and nice room.
bloginfo: www.mohegeansuncasino.com
Friday, July 21, 2006
birthday dinner
Celebrated a birthday tonight at Donato's in Hebron on Route 66.
Soups were New England Clam Chowder and Summer Squash Bisque [very good]; we had one of each. The rolls are exquisite and we shared three of them.
The special of the night was Surf and Turf. Their version was a Rib Eye Steak covered with Lump Crabmeat in a light Cheese Sauce. This was plated with Garlicy Smashed Red Bliss Potatoes and a Vegetable Medley. Quite the platter of food and not at all what we expected.
Next time we'll stick to one of the two Seafood Pastas [both excellent].
blognote: I took home two thirds of the steak and it will be a great Monday night dinner.
Soups were New England Clam Chowder and Summer Squash Bisque [very good]; we had one of each. The rolls are exquisite and we shared three of them.
The special of the night was Surf and Turf. Their version was a Rib Eye Steak covered with Lump Crabmeat in a light Cheese Sauce. This was plated with Garlicy Smashed Red Bliss Potatoes and a Vegetable Medley. Quite the platter of food and not at all what we expected.
Next time we'll stick to one of the two Seafood Pastas [both excellent].
blognote: I took home two thirds of the steak and it will be a great Monday night dinner.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Gastronomique Tour de France
Stage III of the Tour de France was celebrated at the Restaurant du Village in Chester, CT.
Bread? asked I to the hostess. [In French, no less!]. It's still in the oven, said she [In French, of course]. And it was worth the wait.
The Amuse Bouche was a plate of teeny yellow and red Tomato halves stuffed with Mousse.
First course: Jambon de Savoie Salade de Pommes et Frisée - Mountain ham served with a salad of apples and curly endive. They did not skimp on the ham which reminded me of a more lightly cured Jamon Ibérico. The flavors definitely played with each other. The wine was a Savoie White which had a bit of sparkle to it.
A Soufflé de Reblochon - Warm Reblochon cheese soufflé was the second course. These individual 'ramekined' babies were hot and light and full of flavor. This course was served with a White Wine from the Alpes.
One of the reasons we chose Stage III was that Roast Rack of Lamb with a wild mountain savory herb sauce - Carré d'Agneau a la Sarriete was the third course. This was served with Polenta and Baby Snap Peas. The savory herb sauce [we called it gravy] was sopped up with another basket or two of the bread. The wine for this was a Red [at last!] which was the same wine we lived on on our river cruiser down the Seine years back.
Dessert was a Gateau Grenoblois - Caramel Walnut Cake. Dense and full of flavor and floating in a pool of caramel served with a sparkling Rosé*. Coffees and a Cappuccino ended the meal.
blognotes: the service was impeccable as usual with the added attraction of a junior server being trained. We forgave him his few missteps as he was so young [and cute according to one member of our party].
*the rosé wine was a Bugey Cerdon from Alain Renardat-Fache in the Savoie region. It scores an 89 by the Wine Enthusiast magazine and has only a 7.5% alcohol level. As the review states, it is semi-addictive.
bloginfo: Restaurant du Village, Michael Keller Chef, 59 Main Street, Chester, CT 860.526.5301
Bread? asked I to the hostess. [In French, no less!]. It's still in the oven, said she [In French, of course]. And it was worth the wait.
The Amuse Bouche was a plate of teeny yellow and red Tomato halves stuffed with Mousse.
First course: Jambon de Savoie Salade de Pommes et Frisée - Mountain ham served with a salad of apples and curly endive. They did not skimp on the ham which reminded me of a more lightly cured Jamon Ibérico. The flavors definitely played with each other. The wine was a Savoie White which had a bit of sparkle to it.
A Soufflé de Reblochon - Warm Reblochon cheese soufflé was the second course. These individual 'ramekined' babies were hot and light and full of flavor. This course was served with a White Wine from the Alpes.
One of the reasons we chose Stage III was that Roast Rack of Lamb with a wild mountain savory herb sauce - Carré d'Agneau a la Sarriete was the third course. This was served with Polenta and Baby Snap Peas. The savory herb sauce [we called it gravy] was sopped up with another basket or two of the bread. The wine for this was a Red [at last!] which was the same wine we lived on on our river cruiser down the Seine years back.
Dessert was a Gateau Grenoblois - Caramel Walnut Cake. Dense and full of flavor and floating in a pool of caramel served with a sparkling Rosé*. Coffees and a Cappuccino ended the meal.
blognotes: the service was impeccable as usual with the added attraction of a junior server being trained. We forgave him his few missteps as he was so young [and cute according to one member of our party].
*the rosé wine was a Bugey Cerdon from Alain Renardat-Fache in the Savoie region. It scores an 89 by the Wine Enthusiast magazine and has only a 7.5% alcohol level. As the review states, it is semi-addictive.
bloginfo: Restaurant du Village, Michael Keller Chef, 59 Main Street, Chester, CT 860.526.5301
Monday, July 17, 2006
family breakfast
Nice breakfast this morning with family at the Lighthouse Restaurant.
Chorico Omelet with Wheat Toast and Hash Browns was the winner! The creamy cheese in the omelet played well with the spiciness of the chorico. Great toasting bread.
The other orders of Eggs with Ham, Western omelet, French Toast with Bacon all looked good too.
This is a nice little family run place in Columbia, CT on Route 6. They serve breakfast and lunch every day but Saturdays and Sundays just serve breakfast.
Hope the For Sale sign out front doesn't mean they are going somewhere else!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
joe black and trumbull kitchen
Well, TheatreWorks got cancelled because one of the actors is 'seriously ill' and we found out [by phone] just an hour before the performance.
Ended up at the Wadsworth Atheneum's exhibit of the Hudson River School. Interesting to those who enjoy landscape art and meticulous detail. All the pictures ended up looking the same: same horizon line, same lighting detail, same lighting directionality. But it is an exhibit of related artwork; note the word 'School' in the title.
Stopped in at Joe Black in the former Society for Savings Bank building on Pratt Street in Hartford. It had just been written up in the NE section of today's Sunday Hartford Courant. What a fantastic building and they have kept a lot of the original woodwork, flooring, etc. So many different areas to drink, watch TV, eat. We had a Harps, a Wheat Beer, a White Wine and a Key Lime Martini [quite the mix but there were four of us].
Next down to Trumbull Kitchen on where else but Trumbull Street. Good Bread selection with a Pesto Butter. I started with an order of Fried Calamari which was delicious. The entrées were Brick Chicken [some new torture technique to reduce a half chicken to succulent submission], Sea Bass special [which was declared very good], a Shrimp Cobb Salad [which I realize I should have ordered the minute it appeared at the table] and my order of Crispy Chicken Sandwich [breaded chicken cutlet with Artichoke Spread] which was very crispy and chicken; need I say more.
Ended with two Iced Greek Coffees which had a dash of Ouzo in them and three Greek Cookies each [these and the Ouzo were the selling points here (and the $2 price!)].
Winners seemed to be the Sea Bass and the Shrimp on the Cobb Salad. Also the $27 off the bill with two [count'em] CPTV cards.
blognote: 'the chicken was delicious, nicely spiced and very succulunet (?)' according to an email I just received from the person who ordered it [but had difficulty spelling 'succulent']. 7/21/06
bloginfo: Trumbull Kitchen www.maxrestaurantgroup.com
Ended up at the Wadsworth Atheneum's exhibit of the Hudson River School. Interesting to those who enjoy landscape art and meticulous detail. All the pictures ended up looking the same: same horizon line, same lighting detail, same lighting directionality. But it is an exhibit of related artwork; note the word 'School' in the title.
Stopped in at Joe Black in the former Society for Savings Bank building on Pratt Street in Hartford. It had just been written up in the NE section of today's Sunday Hartford Courant. What a fantastic building and they have kept a lot of the original woodwork, flooring, etc. So many different areas to drink, watch TV, eat. We had a Harps, a Wheat Beer, a White Wine and a Key Lime Martini [quite the mix but there were four of us].
Next down to Trumbull Kitchen on where else but Trumbull Street. Good Bread selection with a Pesto Butter. I started with an order of Fried Calamari which was delicious. The entrées were Brick Chicken [some new torture technique to reduce a half chicken to succulent submission], Sea Bass special [which was declared very good], a Shrimp Cobb Salad [which I realize I should have ordered the minute it appeared at the table] and my order of Crispy Chicken Sandwich [breaded chicken cutlet with Artichoke Spread] which was very crispy and chicken; need I say more.
Ended with two Iced Greek Coffees which had a dash of Ouzo in them and three Greek Cookies each [these and the Ouzo were the selling points here (and the $2 price!)].
Winners seemed to be the Sea Bass and the Shrimp on the Cobb Salad. Also the $27 off the bill with two [count'em] CPTV cards.
blognote: 'the chicken was delicious, nicely spiced and very succulunet (?)' according to an email I just received from the person who ordered it [but had difficulty spelling 'succulent']. 7/21/06
bloginfo: Trumbull Kitchen www.maxrestaurantgroup.com
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Happy Anniversary [a little late]!
The Saybrook Fish House never fails to serve up great food! They did it again for this late Anniversary party.
The Bread Basket has changed and is even better. The Salad is the same with the two dressings:
Champagne Vinaigrette and Creamy Garlic [mix them together].
We started with a pitcher of [red] Sangria and an appetizer special of Grilled Shrimp in a Horseradish Apricot Sauce. Five good-sized shrimp for the three of us [guess who got only one shrimp; not me]. This was a superb appetizer and could have been a great entrée.
The entrées [two of them specials for the night] were: Rotisserie Salmon with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Scallops over Penne, and Linguine with White Clam Sauce.
Desserts were offered and refused but the Fruit Basket was filled with goodies as usual.
The Saybrook Fish House is a consistent winner.
bloginfo: Restaurant is located @2165 Silas Dean Highway in Rocky Hill, CT. Phone is (860) 721-9188
blognotes: Julia G. is a great waitress.
The Bread Basket has changed and is even better. The Salad is the same with the two dressings:
Champagne Vinaigrette and Creamy Garlic [mix them together].
We started with a pitcher of [red] Sangria and an appetizer special of Grilled Shrimp in a Horseradish Apricot Sauce. Five good-sized shrimp for the three of us [guess who got only one shrimp; not me]. This was a superb appetizer and could have been a great entrée.
The entrées [two of them specials for the night] were: Rotisserie Salmon with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Scallops over Penne, and Linguine with White Clam Sauce.
Desserts were offered and refused but the Fruit Basket was filled with goodies as usual.
The Saybrook Fish House is a consistent winner.
bloginfo: Restaurant is located @2165 Silas Dean Highway in Rocky Hill, CT. Phone is (860) 721-9188
blognotes: Julia G. is a great waitress.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Lone Star Steak House
What to eat at a steak house? Well I wish I had more time to visit the LONE STAR to try out each and every cut of meat they offered.
I settled on the 11oz New York Strip Loin and it was a beauty served medium rare. It came with Soup OR Salad but I decided to have both: the Black Bean Soup was fresh and tangy and the Salad was large and tasty with house Bleu Cheese dressing.
For starch I opted for the Baked Sweet Potato which was huge and filled with butter and cinnamon. And the little loaf of fresh baked Pumpernickle Bread was fine. Iced Tea was the beverage of choice.
The winner was the quality of the steak; best I have had in years.
bloginfo: Lone Star Steak House is located at 153 S. Gulph Road, King of Prussia, PA
blognotes: Meal was $22.55. Restaurant is within walking distance of the King of Prussia Best Western
I settled on the 11oz New York Strip Loin and it was a beauty served medium rare. It came with Soup OR Salad but I decided to have both: the Black Bean Soup was fresh and tangy and the Salad was large and tasty with house Bleu Cheese dressing.
For starch I opted for the Baked Sweet Potato which was huge and filled with butter and cinnamon. And the little loaf of fresh baked Pumpernickle Bread was fine. Iced Tea was the beverage of choice.
The winner was the quality of the steak; best I have had in years.
bloginfo: Lone Star Steak House is located at 153 S. Gulph Road, King of Prussia, PA
blognotes: Meal was $22.55. Restaurant is within walking distance of the King of Prussia Best Western
Friday, July 07, 2006
Factory food
Olive Garden is so successful that their restaurants appear almost overnight. The one opposite the WestFarms Mall in Farmington is a case in point.
Lunch for three started with a basket of complimentary Bread Sticks which were yeasty and dusted with a rather bitter garlic powder. These became part of one lunch of unlimited Bread Sticks, Soup [Pasta Fagiole] and Salad. The Salad was served family style so all were honored with its presence. This consisted of Iceberg Lettuce, Roma Tomatoes [good], Croutons and some other veggie fillers and a Hot Pepper or two. The Salad was already dressed in a light Oil and Vinegar [or some such] Dressing.
The two entrées were the same: Eggplant Parmiagana which were two cookie cutter rounds of eggplant topped with melted cheese. A side of Angel Hair Pasta and chunky Tomato Sauce accompanied the dish.
No winners here, no love, not much taste.
Lunch for three started with a basket of complimentary Bread Sticks which were yeasty and dusted with a rather bitter garlic powder. These became part of one lunch of unlimited Bread Sticks, Soup [Pasta Fagiole] and Salad. The Salad was served family style so all were honored with its presence. This consisted of Iceberg Lettuce, Roma Tomatoes [good], Croutons and some other veggie fillers and a Hot Pepper or two. The Salad was already dressed in a light Oil and Vinegar [or some such] Dressing.
The two entrées were the same: Eggplant Parmiagana which were two cookie cutter rounds of eggplant topped with melted cheese. A side of Angel Hair Pasta and chunky Tomato Sauce accompanied the dish.
No winners here, no love, not much taste.
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