come dine with me...

'rememberable' tastes...

2012-01-07T18:11:00.000-05:00

Tried the Scallion Pancake at Wang tonight and also the Szechuan Wonton Soup. Both delicious!

La Casita del Sabor

2012-01-04T15:02:00.001-05:00

Lunch today at La Casita del Sabor on Park Street just at the corner of Bartholomew Avenue. Always thought it was just a food truck but it is a small restaurant.

I had the famous Pupusa [$4 for plain, $8 for chicken or fish] and a Baleada [$4]. These were supposed to be appetizers but the servings were huge. The pupusa is a Salvadoran stuffed flatbread with cheese and lorco, a tropical vine flower filling. It came with a cabbage slaw and pink sauce for more flavor. The baleada is a Honduran bean and cheese tortilla. Both are quite filling! Since I was getting only appetizers, I ordered the small portion of the Chicken Soup [$5]. This had a chicken thigh and corn, yucca, carrots and cilantro. It was smooth and very well put together.

bloginfo: see ChowHound review.

blognote: You can really use your Spanish in this tiny spot of culinary heaven.

'rememberable' tastes...

2012-01-01T07:38:00.003-05:00

bloginfo: Taken at Cromwell Diner.
blognote: Driving around after seeing a movie we remembered Cromwell Diner.This is always the place to get a good inexpensive meal from their gigundous menu at any hour.

Barça

2011-12-28T14:51:00.003-05:00

Lunch today at Barça under new management [please fix your website] with a Groupon [$30 for $15]. Ended up costing $1.04 plus tip.

Started with an order to Empanadilla de pollo [$5 for two] which came with a good dipping sauce. Bread with oil and balsamic vinegar to the table also. One luncheon entrée of Calamari and Camaron [$9] with onions and peppers. Heavy on the seafood, light on the veggies so lots to eat. The shrimp were quite good. This came with a salad so the Caesar salad was the choice.

Had the Caldo Verde while my partner had her salad. The soup [$4] was sweetly seasoned with a good smoky base. My order of Bacalho Salteado [$9] was very filling. The eggs were perfectly scrambled and the codfish was sweet. Salad on plate was okay but needed to fixing up to stand up to the main dish. Took the rest home for breakfast tomorrow.

bloginfo: websites is messed up
blognote: only ones there for lunch, good service

j gilbert's

2011-12-16T15:44:00.002-05:00

Holiday season lunch available [December 5th to 23rd] at j gilbert's and since I needed to buy a gift card I stayed for lunch. Sounds like a good idea? Yes, it was super.

Had the Steak and Wedge Salad [$18] a petite filet, applewood bacon, beets, asparagus, gorgonzola, croutons, maytag bleu cheese dressing. The croutons were actually two toasted polenta triangles and super good. This and a Sarasota sparkling water made for a great holiday shopping break.

Casa Mia

2011-12-12T14:58:00.000-05:00

Nice little place for a good meal in North Miami. Owner operated with one server and can they take care of a room.All the little details are there.

Started with a delicious Cream of Spinach soup. Good bread and great olive oils. Then on to the Pasta Special: fresh spinach, sweet Italian sausage and mushrooms over al dente spaghetti. It was simple and beautifully prepared. Paired this with a bottle of Festa suggested by the owner. For dessert a triple layer of chocolate cake, flan and a caramel mousse with a cappuccino.

bloginfo: Casa Mia Trattoria is located 1950 NE 123rd Street in North Miami. No website.

blognote: Not the kind of restaurant where you take pictures of the food, so you get the table decoration instead.

Cadillac Ranch

2011-12-07T20:51:00.001-05:00

Ate here at Cadillac Ranch after I landed at FLL. Great flight on JetBlue.

We started with the Spinach Artichoke Dip with Lump Crabmeat [$12.99] and then I had the Black and Blue Salad [$12.95]. The salad of romaine hearts and fresh spinach had dried cranberries, apples, candied pecans, red onions and tomatoes tossed in citrus vinaigrette and topped with blackened salmon and blue cheese.

Petrie Court Café at the Met

2011-12-06T20:47:00.002-05:00

Lunch today at the Metropolitan's Petrie Café. Decided to sit down and get waited on and rest our feet so didn't use one on the cafeterias. The line wasn't very long so the wait was only about five minutes. We both had the same special: Bratwurst on a pretzel roll with house made sauerkraut, country mustard and chips [$18]. Very good. I had a Harlem 'Sugar Hill' Golden Ale [$8 but a dollar discount pairing promo].

Ginza [CT]

2011-11-30T20:06:00.003-05:00

Dinner tonight 'twixt Christmas and birthday shoppings. Here at Ginza we always find something good to eat!

Started with an order of Edamame [$4] and Fried Vegetable Gyoza [$5] which were excellent. Then on to an order of Ginza Special Roll each [$15]. The first order [top] was a Seasons Roll with tuna, yellowtail, salmon and avocado inside with multicolored tobiko on top. Very well executed and harmoniously tasty. My roll [bottom] was the Angry Dragon with shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, sliced papaya [not ripe enough], with king crab salad on top in a nuta sauce.

blognote: excellent service but we were the only diners at this hour [6:00pm]

Wang Chinese Restaurant [CT]

2011-11-28T13:56:00.005-05:00

Wang Chinese Restaurant has opened today in Cromwell. We have needed a sit-down Chinese restaurant for a long time. Now it is here and it is good! They are related to Wang Palace in Glastonbury. Now we don't have to drive over the river to get good Chinese food.

There was quite a list of lunch specials for today's soft opening. It took me some time to finally order. I had the Sesame Chicken [$6.25] served over broccoli and my choice of Pork Fried Rice [plain white rice is also available]. The chicken was moist and just about the right amount of spiciness while the broccoli was fresh and tender. There was a choice of three soups or an egg roll and I ordered my favorite Hot Sour which was filled with mushhrooms, tofu and pork. The lunch also included the fried wonton noodles with two sauces and a large pot of tea. Quite the bargain!

bloginfo: You can find the restaurant at 30 Berlin Road right near the entrance to Cromwell Hills. Many restaurants have lived in this place but this one will be a keeper. Take-out orders 860.788.6030
blognote: They have enlarged and improved the parking lot which was always a problem in the past.

Gilbertie's Place

2011-11-27T19:14:00.001-05:00

Early dinner for the three of us. We had had a good meal at Gilbertie's Place before so thought we would try it again tonight. There was a private party in the bar and we ended up in the dining room which was just about deserted. The evening specials looked good and Mahi Mahi [$20] was the choice [and a good one] for one of the party. The lemon sauce was very fresh and the dish was served with rice. The other entrée was Chicken Parm [$17] and looked good in a usual preparation with spaghettini. This was preceded by a very good crock of French Seven Onion Soup [$5]. This was even better than the onion soup two nights before. I started with the onion soup also and then had an appetizer for main course [my make-believe diet]. The app was a special for the night: Seafood Stuffed Portabella Mushroom [$9]. This was the hit of the night. A large amount of seafood on a balsamic marinated portabella grilled to a lovely goodness. I added a House Salad [$5] with a very good house balsamic vinaigrette dressing. There was a Cannoli to go which didn't make it to the bill!

blognote: The private party made the service suffer a little when it came to drinks and we had to ask for bread [which turned out to be very fresh rolls] and glad we did.

'rememberable' tastes...

2011-11-26T08:58:00.001-05:00

Got a very decent [don't have to go all the way to Paris] crock of French Onion Soup at Village Green Pizza for $3.75 for a light supper. Great cheese and the bread was rye, a terrific combination.

bloginfo: take out 860.295.1330

Sonic Drive-In

2011-11-25T20:51:00.001-05:00

Believe it or not had a great lunch at Sonic Drive-In today in Manchester. First time for me but I had coveted the other CT location in Wallingford. I had the special Bacon Cheddar Melt [$6.39 for the combo] with pickles, onions and hickory barbecue sauce. This came with fries and my unsweetened iced tea. It was moist and delicious and on the well-salted side. Eating it in the car brought back too many fast food memories.

The other orders were a Popcorn Chicken Combo [$6.99] which was judged good but I have had better and a single Bacon Cheeseburger Combo [$7.19]. Ordering it all on the drive-in monitor was a blast and the roller blading servers were very efficient.

blognote: salty, salty, salty...

'rememberable' tastes...

2011-11-24T18:34:00.001-05:00

Pear pie, pumpkin pie and vanilla ice cream after a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner in the hills with family!

Tibetan Kitchen

2011-11-19T16:20:00.004-05:00

I could become a vegetarian after eating here at Tibetan Kitchen this afternoon. Went in at a weird time [electricity was out at home] so the cook was on break. No problem, I had a Chai tea [$2] and wandered through the menu of items that were so new to me. This is such a charming place, no other word for it. The decor, service and cleanliness are a welcome addition to 'restaurant row' here in Middletown.

Settled on the Shogo sip-si [V7. $7.50] which was shredded potato sautéed with dried chili, ginger, garlic and red onion seasoned with Tibetan pepper served with steamed bread. This was accompanied with two hot sauces made in-house. I dipped the plain bread into the sauces and had to get some more [.75 charge]. I could have eaten about three more servings of this potato dish and the additional sauce was worth the extra charge.

bloginfo: Tibetan Kitchen takes up the space where Iguanas Ranas was formerly [they have moved down the street to a larger location]. Take out at 860.343.3073

blognote: When you enter here you leave Middletown and find yourself transported halfway around the world. What a joy!

Primavera Pub

2011-11-17T16:50:00.001-05:00

Tried Primavera Pub again today for lunch. We both had the lunch special of Rojões [$9.50] which was a plate full of fried pork cubes, boiled potatoes and sautéed broccoli rabe. Also ordered an appetizer of fried Linguiça which went beautifully on a Portuguese roll. Everything was delicious and I now have another convert to this fantastic place. We will be back soon [and not too soon enough]!

blognote: Lots of leftovers for dinner tomorrow.

November 15, 2011
After seeing 'Motherfucker With The Hat' at Theater Works we headed out to Primavera Pub for some Portuguese food. I was told the Portuguese food I had been eating in Hartford needed to be tested against the 'real' food here. They were definitely right.

I had the Bitoque, a rich ensemble of ribeye steak, ham slice, fried egg over fried potatoes, which was excellent. This I accompanied with a Sagres beer. My compatriot had the Alentejana, Clams and Pork, over vegetables and fried potatoes, which was also great. The portions were huge and the fantastic Portuguese bread and olives to start the meal helped fill us up. Lots went home to be enjoyed later.

bloginfo: Primavera Pub is located at 271 Newington Ave in Hartford, CT 06106

860-953-7411

blognote: Don't let the appearance of this neighborhood place turn you off. It is great inside!

DISH Bar and Grill

2011-11-13T19:35:00.001-05:00

Ate from Bar Menu at DISH tonight after Hartford Stage Matinée. Three of us: Reuben Pizza [$10], Turkey Burger [$12] and my Kobe Beef Sliders [$16]. It is within walking distance from the theater so that worked out well. The pizza didn't look too appetizing but was proclaimed good; corned beef, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing and swiss cheese, go figure. The burger had a good amount of turkey, bacon, lettuce and tomato but not enough quac. Both the burger and the sliders included fries and we both opted for the sweet potato fries [+$2] My sliders were excellent; grilled/charred Kobe beef, brie and black truffle aioli. This was supplemented by a Sam Adams Winter Ale for a good evening out.

blognote: Bar Menus are a new way of ordering for me. Usually a good variety, smaller portion and lower cost.

Pond House Grille

2011-11-12T19:39:00.005-05:00

Where am I? Tango? Pond House Grille? Tango Creative Eatery? The Groupon says Tango so it better be where we are eating! Anyway they are accepting the Groupon so eat on.

Ate here in its two other lives: Bamboleo and Glas. Room is a bit more casual now with these minuscule tables which might be okay for wine and cheese but the plates are the size of home base and it's a bit crowded. Oops! The bread and butter plate just hit the floor and the ladies next to us were ready to dive under the table; OPHG [no it's not Occupy Pond House Grille!]. So let's enjoy my birthday and yes I am still taking invites for last September's celebration.

Marilyn [via Andy] watched over our meals!

Started with Cornbread and Honey Butter. I had the Cabernet Braised Lamb Shank which came with my favorite roasted caramelized root vegetables and then three giant fried onion rings [$24.12]. All very good but the chef must be on a salt-free diet and I am not so had to have a server search for the salt shaker. This and a glass of Shiraz [$7] made for a good meal. The lamb was very tender and a large portion. Lots of veggies, roasted but still a little crisp and the onion rings were just good onion rings. The other entrée was the Crab Cake over Indian rice and a side salad. Rice had a nice curry taste.

bloginfo: Used a Groupon and the fine print said no daily specials so we didn't get to know what they were having tonight.
blognote: Good service, attentive to the need for lots of water.

J's Restaurant and Bar

2011-11-03T20:45:00.003-04:00

Ate tonight [yes another birthday celebration] at J's and had a good meal. The place was mobbed and the noise level was quite high with several tables going at it full decibel. The Mussels app [$15] was very tasty but the bottom of the bowl with all the saucy goodness was a mass of cracked shells. The Iceburg [sic] Wedge [$6] was good and the gorgonzola vinaigrette dressing had just the right amount of creaminess. My entrée of Chicken Riggies [house specialty @$16] was a little underwhelming [couldn't find the pesto] so next time I will have the Chicken Parmigiana [$16] which was excellent. The other entrée was Cacio é Pepe [$15], an interesting blend of bucatini pasta and parmesan cheese. Didn't look like much but was deemed very good [cracked black pepper got lost somewhere].

blognote: waiter was not the best but the service there is oft times lacking and he couldn't find a wine glass for my pinot grigio for a good long time.

Asian Bistro

2011-10-25T15:48:00.003-04:00

October 25, 2011

Was I in Tokyo or Manhattan? No, I was in Rocky Hill at the newly opened Asian Bistro. What a gorgeous establishment; the decor is stunning. Aside from the dining room where I sat in a comfortable booth, there is a sushi bar, a lounge and a hibachi room.

I had the Sushi Lunch special which included salad or a good bowl of miso soup. There are four choices: sushi [$12], sashimi [$13], sushi/sashimi combo [$15] or my Signature Roll of the Day [$10]. Today's roll was the Volcano Roll the contents of which vary by sushi chef. Mine contained salmon and salmon skin, white tuna and rice with a nori wrapper then deep fried. There were various other veggies and sauces with just enough spice to make it a perfect lunch! This was accompanied by a glass of unsweetened iced tea [$2] with lots of lemon. There are many other lunch options but I will have to go back for dinner and try the Pork Katsu and/or the Yaki Soba.

bloginfo: Asian Bistro is located at 396 Cromwell Ave [very near Jake's Wayburgers] in its own little plaza. Telephone 860.563.8886. There are three earlier versions in Mansfield and Shelton, CT and in NY at Portchester.

blognote: I hope they will heed my request and get rid of the present music and use some soothing dinner music [perhaps from Japan].

October 27, 2011

Night and Day!!! What a difference a [the] day makes. What was subtle and calm and pleasant during the day became brash and loud and unappealing during the evening. Visited tonight with three friends looking to show off my new find.

Started with an order of Edamame [$5] and the Thai Calamari [$9] for appetizers. Both were good but not special. Two orders of Chicken Pad Thai [$11] which were good [I tasted some] then an Unagi Don Combo [$18] which should have been sushi but because of the request for brown rice [$1 extra] it came plated. My Hong Kong style pan fried Noodles with Vegetables [$8] was subpar and edible only after much scrambling to wet the noodles.

Nice extras were the warm hand wash set-ups and the hot tea. The only Japanese beers were Sapporo and Kirin but BIGBOTTLE ONLY shouted by the waitress. She was aggressive to say the least. It seems like everyone was having first night jitters or something.

blognote: Music was the same loud radio station.

Biscotti é Dolci Bakery

2011-10-22T14:06:00.004-04:00

The real translation of Biscotti é Dolci is 'too many temptations'! What a great variety in such a small space. There were so many things appearing from the kitchen in the back that I could have exceeded my weekly caloric intake in just a few moments. I was good and only bought some Italian bread but I will go back and surrender.

bloginfo: Biscotti é Dolci Bakery is located at 621 Main Street [Route 99] in Cromwell, CT.
Phone is 860 635-BAKE.

blognote: This is where the Aloha store was located diagonally across from Millane's Nursery.

Rossini's

2011-10-15T19:13:00.002-04:00

Had an impromptu supper tonight at Rossini's in East Hampton. It is their 20th anniversary and were celebrating all over the place: free glass of wine, free mini cannoli, gift basket raffle and free cookies. What a deal but we love this place anyway. I had a small white seafood pizza with shrimp and calamari, garlic and mozzarella. The other order was the combo Italian grinder and a small salad. We had the complimentary mini cannoli for dessert. Ending up taking lots of food home and some cookies too. I might even win something. What a deal!

Max Amoré

2011-10-14T20:46:00.003-04:00

We ate here tonight to celebrate a birthday [no, not mine for once] and participate in the CT Restaurant Association $20.11 Week. What a fantastic meal it was.

We three started with a salad of baby greens, gorgonzola dolce, Nodine’s smokehouse garlic bacon lardon, crispy fried artichokes, fig vinaigrette and it was super delicious. Then one entrée of wood grilled swordfish, locally foraged hen of the woods mushrooms, baby leeks, fingerling potatoes, white balsamic pepperonata. The other two entrées [mine included] "Sunday Gravy" long rigatoni, boneless beef short ribs, house made meatballs, hot link sausage, San Marzano tomatoes, shaved ricotta salata. These were accompanied by a glass of Pinot Grigio, a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and my Meritage ELO St Supery. The pasta dish was so rich that I brought half of it home! Desserts [as above] were the ice cream cookie sandwiches.

'Sunday Gravy'

The Creamery ice cream sandwich

bloginfo: All of the Max restaurants were participating in the $20.11 promotion and Max Amoré is one of my favorites.

'rememberable' tastes...

2011-10-13T18:38:00.001-04:00

With my $15 coupon from a previous visit I enjoyed the BBQ Salmon Salad with baby greens, tortilla straws, smoked corn-black bean relish, ancho chile onion rings, honey lemon vinaigrette [$18] and a glass of Toasted Head Chardonnay [$8]. Super delicious huge salad and great wine! So with a generous tip the whole deal came to $16.70.

New Britain Diner

2011-10-12T18:00:00.003-04:00

Another birthday lunch here at the New Britain Diner at 1130 Corbin Avenue. Real close to the NBMAA and that's where we were for the Provincetown Exhibit. I had the Greek Burger with feta cheese, lettuce and tomato on a nice sesame roll. Opted for coleslaw instead of fries to make believe I am on a diet. I had a choice of salad or soup and chose the delicious Chicken Orzo [with pasta and no orzo] filled with tender chicken and lots of veggies [$8.95].

My hostess had the Crabmeat 'stuffed' Sole with a [not so] green salad, sweet potato and corn. Lots of food for a good price [$8.95].

blognote: We skipped dessert but I came home with a homemade piece of pear pie for supper.

'rememberable' tastes...

2011-10-08T19:29:00.001-04:00

Visited Hartford Baking Company this afternoon. A little late in the day for the full assortment of goodies but was able to snag a loaf of caraway rye. Had a coffee and a little pumpkin loaf while friend had coffee and a raspberry thingy. Both delicious!

bloginfo: the staff there sure knows their breads...was amazed at the questions people ask and the fact that they could answer them

blognote: don't know why I always end up going into the parking lot exit...guess I am not paying attention or fantasizing about what I am going to order

New England Emporium

2011-10-04T11:38:00.005-04:00

Great breakfast this morning at New England Emporium right after an eye appointment. With my eyes dilated I ordered one of the daily specials only to find out it was yesterday's offering. I don't think the problem was with my eyes though. Anyway, they still had the ingredients and I lucked out.

This is a crêpe [$8.25] filled with sautéed broccoli, fresh spinach, sweet sausage and ricotta cheese. There was the added baby spinach salad and along with a cup of great coffee I enjoyed it immensely.

bloginfo: This was a buckwheat crêpe so technically a galette.

j gilbert's

2011-09-28T20:54:00.000-04:00

Beautiful birthday dinner tonight [yes, I am still milking that birthday with a $25 coupon] as a guest. We had an awesome meal. Started with the Shrimp Cocktail which is always my favorite. Then two entrées: the Seafood Combination which had a gigantic crab cake on sautéed spinach, BBQ shrimp skewer, salmon and chipotle mashed potatoes and my St George Scallops on Lobster Risotto, a very rich plate of 'I've been to the beach' goodness.

Cap's Place

2011-09-18T11:28:00.002-04:00

Now this place is unique! Cap's Place Island Restaurant and Bar is in Lighthouse Point but that's the easy part. To get to this place that has been serving seafood since the 1920's you need to get the boat on the pier and get taken to the private site. The cap'n of the boat gives a good intro on the way over and announces the specials of the evening. For a starter I had 6 fine Oysters and then Sesame Crusted Dolphin [mahi mahi] in a soy ginger sauce with mashed sweet potato and string beans. The coating on the fish was powerful but added lots of flavor to the dish. The other entrées were Rib Eye Steak and Swordfish with a lemon caper sauce. The bottle of Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay went exceedingly well with dinner!

Moonlite Diner

2011-09-17T11:20:00.000-04:00

Shopping day, shopping day! Not me but family I was staying with. So we stopped to eat something; what's new about that! Between hither and yon in Hollywood we stopped into the next available eatery and it was the Moonlite Diner.

Typical good diner food: Tuna Melt on rye with sweet potato fries for $9.99. The other two orders were a Santa Fe salad and a Ham and Swiss Panini with coleslaw.

Demo Kitchen at El Torre in the Parque Centrale Hotel

2011-09-11T21:14:00.000-04:00

Ernesto Mesa, Chef

Denis Ruiz, Sous Chef

El Cayo Restaurant in Santiago Harbor

2011-09-10T21:11:00.000-04:00

Dominica Restaurant in Old Havana

2011-09-09T21:08:00.001-04:00

El Morro Restaurant in Santiago

2011-09-08T21:06:00.000-04:00

Cuban Food at MIA airport

2011-09-08T20:57:00.000-04:00

The very best way to start the day...

A café con leche and a guayaba empanada
from the Café Versailles kiosk...

Daiquiris with Hemingway...

2011-09-07T21:03:00.000-04:00

db bistro moderne

2011-09-07T10:58:00.000-04:00

Have always wanted to eat at Daniel Boulud's and so jumped at the chance to entertain there. He has establishments in Miami, Beijing, London, Singapore and Vancouver; we were in Miami in the Marriott Marquis. There was a birthday [not mine] and an anniversary for our party of three.

the inner workings of the $32 hamburger

I had heard of the outrageous hamburger of kobe beef, stuffed with braised short ribs and white truffles. It was worth it...delicious...outrageous...a meal in itself...garlic frites on the side. Cold broccoli rabe soup was the starter...strange and overpowering. The brioche were amazing. A strawberry mille feuille for dessert. Wonderful wine. The atmosphere and service were superb.

blognote: I cannot even remember the rest of the meal or the entrées of the two guests [branzino and duck confit???]

Dolores, but you can call me Lolita

2011-09-05T23:16:00.001-04:00

Yes, that is the name of the restaurant! 'Dolores, but you can call me Lolita' is so much fun and inexpensive for Miami. There are too price ranges on the menu: $19.95 and $23.95 and each comes with an appetizer. I had the Gazpacho and the Veal Churrasco with chimichurri sauce. I was given a birthday plate in honor of the occasion.

blognote: Can't remember the entrées of the other members of the party. But I do remember the mojito!

Jake's Hamburgers [CT]

2011-08-29T15:46:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to Me! Everyone wants to give me a free burger for my birthday: Jakes, Red Robin and Ruby Tuesday. So I took my coupon to Cromwell which had electricity after Hurricane Irene and cashed in with the burger of the month: BBQ Crunch Burger [$5.69]. This was a double cheeseburger topped with potato chips and BBQ sauce and it was actually very good but the burgers here are always good. Where to next?

June 21, 2011

Free Strawberry Lemonade Milkshake today!!! It was good and just small enough to make believe there weren't many calories in it. Also had to have June's Burger of the Month: Grilled Chicken Club on Pretzel Bread. 'Bite in to a delicious, grilled chicken sandwich, topped with cheddar cheese, bacon and ranch dressing'. It was very good and the chicken was tender. This was another way to make believe I was having a dietetic lunch.

February 25, 2011

Field trip in the rain to Jake's Wayback Hamburgers in Rocky Hill. Have seen this place in several 'lives' and felt drawn to the hamburger hype.

Two of us: he ordered the Jake's Junior [1 patty] Bacon Cheeseburger [$3.89]. The list of extras [all free] is rather long; his was lettuce and tomato. Also ordered the famous 'real milkshake' in vanilla [$3.99] which was real good.

I had a Turkey Burger [$4.49] with lettuce, tomato, fried onions and mayo. This was the best seasoned turkey burger I have ever tried. Onion rings [$3.99] and french fries [$2.19] were good but not amazing.

bloginfo: The website locally is Jakes' Hamburgers but you get the same site.

blognote: Friendly and efficient service

j gilbert's

2011-08-23T21:22:00.008-04:00

Chef's Tasting Menu was awesome! There were four courses for $35 [w/wine pairings $50]. The whole experience was beyond pictures; they do not do it credit. The highlights of each course are underlined.

TUNA CRUDO
cucumber “soba” noodles, tomato ceviche, watermelon pickles, aji amarillo coulis, chipotle aioli
wine pairing:
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) 2010

BUTTER POACHED LOBSTER TAIL
native tomato marmalade, gold potato blini, micro celery, pickled red onion, lobster-tarragon emulsion
wine pairing:
Raymond “R” Collection Chardonnay (Monterey) 2009

BRAISED BONELESS SHORTRIBS

sweet corn polenta cake, goat cheese stuffed squash blossom, roasted mushroom pan jus, horseradish foam

wine pairing:
Guenoc Petit Syrah (Lake County) 2009

VANILLA-MANGO

salted vanilla-caramel ice cream, mango “tartare”, strawberry fluid gel, vanilla olive oil cake, mango sorbet

wine pairing:
Inniskillin Vidal Ice wine (Ontario)

blognote: Find website here at j gilberts

amuse bouche of Clam Casino which was the greatest start to a fantastic meal [did I say that already?]

and to top it all off some bags of Guava filled Chocolate Macaroons [and Doggie Treats which would be the ultimate doggy bag!

blognote: The service by Bill was excellent. He explained each course and set the progression to our liking.

Butterfly Restaurant

2011-08-20T20:29:00.001-04:00

After theater dinner for five and a very successful meal here at Butterfly.

Started with the Peking Duck [$30.95] with 8 pancakes. Delicious and prepared tableside. Then three entreés: Shrimp with Broccoli [$12.25], Chicken with Cashews [$9.25] and Sliced Beef Hunan Style [$10.25]. Of the three, I liked the beef the best but the shrimp was very good and the broccoli delicious.

blognote: Coupon, from the coupon maven, for 20% off the meals.

June 27, 2009

Celebration dinner here tonight with a party of eight relatives and friends.

Started with a bottle or two of Pinot Grigio and a double order of Peking Duck [for two]. The duck was wrapped tableside and the eight legs were devoured quickly. Everyone had one of the three offered soups: Egg Drop, Wonton and Hot Sour.

We then went on with a table full of Mango Shrimp [special that night], Sweet Sour Shrimp, Pork Egg Foo Young, House Fried Rice and House Lo Mein. Also, one of my favorites, the Dried Sautéed String Beans.

It was a wonderful meal with good friends and lots of fond memories.

bloginfo: Check out the menu here.

blognote: This graphic is very special; see the poem ['J'] it inspired under the May 10th date in my poetry blog.

Sakura Garden [CT]

2011-08-18T15:57:00.001-04:00

Lunch here today was a real bargain [$14.95] and we left very full! Started with sushi and ordered more midmeal: Eel, Shrimp Tempura, Peanut/Avocado and a Tiger Roll which was crab, spicy sauce and a marbled seaweed wrap.

Tiger Roll and Peanut/Avocado Roll

The highlights of the meal were the Kani salad, spicy calamari salad, shrimp scampi and fried dumplings. Service was great and the place was getting real busy as we left.

July 22, 2011
Had a fantastic dinner tonight [with the aid of a $35 coupon] at Sakura Garden in West Hartford. The concept seemed a little daunting at first but with the help of our server Melissa we soon figured it out. You pay a flat fee depending on lunch or dinner and day of the week. Our price was $28.95 a person [the highest category: dinner/weekend]. With this fee you get access to a wonderful buffet and any [as much as you can eat] sushi/sashimi from a menu with no prices. The row of sushi chefs was awesome.

We started with an order of Fried Lobster Sushi, an order of Sweet Potato Tempura and a piece of Niguri White Tuna [for me]. You can see that the other two diners were not into 'raw' fish. The choices of sushi were non-ending and included favorites such as traditional rolls [we later ordered a Philadelphia Roll] and Sakura Maki Creations [Shrimp Mango Roll, Dragon Roll, Spicy Tuna Sandwich, etc.].

The buffet was loaded with every great Japanese delicacy you could imagine. There were Kumamoto Oysters, Edamame, Kani Salad, all sorts of Tempura, Shrimp prepared several ways, Chicken Yakitori, Gyoza, etc. The only 'fillers' were a Chicken Fried Rice and Noodles with all the rest of the entrée level.

There was fresh fruit in abundance and cakes, pies and cheesecake. We even had Green Tea Ice Cream from the kitchen.

bloginfo: Scout out the best time for your culinary needs in the website.

blognote: Some of the items could have been a little hotter.

No Anchovies [CT]

2011-08-12T19:57:00.001-04:00

Had a slice [and a half] from No Anchovies New York Style Pizzaria in Cromwell in the KMart Plaza tonight. The slice [$3.25] of Ciappino [also known as Margarita but should stick to that name or correct the spelling of 'cioppino'] was huge. Good crust and good sauce, very fresh tasting.

bloginfo: Free delivery 860.635.7374

blognote: Thirsty Thursday beer is $2.00 with pizza

J's Restaurant and Bar

2011-08-08T16:57:00.042-04:00

Taste of Hartford round two at J's Restaurant tonight.

There were two tasting menus so we each ordered a different one. They were all winners but some were just plain exquisite:

Sweet Corn Cannoli vs Melon and Prosciutto Soup

Waldorf Salad vs Asparagus and Shaved Pecorino Salad

Grilled Watermelon and Haloumi vs Grilled Lobster Roll

Grilled Eggplant and Feta Meatballs vs Fire Sliders

Grilled Lobster Roll

Grilled Watermelon & Haloumi

bloginfo: Taste of Hartford $23.11 and what a deal!
blognote: cannoli too thick, soup fantastic, apple slices in waldorf salad huge, asparagus salad wonderful, grilled watermelon had the texture of sirloin and was super, haloumi [cypriot salty goat cheese, yes!], potatoes on lobster roll super fine and good hunks of lobster, meatballs were pure lamb and chargrilled to divinity, fire sliders with brie, wasabi fried onions, cucumbers and spicy tomato mayonnaise were the perfect end to a culinary experiment

Fat and Happy

2011-08-05T20:55:00.004-04:00

Not only was the food fantastic at Fat and Happy this evening so was the service. Damian M was our server and he kept things rolling along.

One of the specials of the evening was Surf, Surf and Turf [$27.95] and it was a plate full of goodness. I was the lucky one: hanger steak with a mustard sauce, fresh sautéed green beans, corn hash and a kabob of two delicious scallops with a jumbo shrimp in the middle. This I accompanied with a glass of Sam Adams Latitude 48 ipa which was great with the steak. The other entrée was the Shepherd's Pie [$13] full of lamby goodness, filled with carrots, peas and onions and topped with mashed potatoes covered with melted Vermont cheddar cheese. A glass of Pinot Grigio Torre [$7] helped that do down.

Never the one to wimp out over dessert but rather full, we let Damian choose between the NY Cheesecake with blueberry/mint sauce and the Chocolate Truffle Cake [$7]. See what he chose; good choice!

Trumbull Kitchen

2011-08-03T20:13:00.001-04:00

Taste of Hartford tonight round one! We ate at Trumbull Kitchen and was it a winner! Started off with good bread and flatbread accompanied by a garlic butter spread. Then a glass of Pinot Block9 which was great with the entrée. Breaking all culinary laws we both ordered the same exact food!

Appetizer: Shrimp  and  Crab  Fresh  Summer  Roll with a  Horseradish‐edamame  purée,  lime and basil . This was extremely fresh, light and filled with crab.

Entrée: Roasted  Angus  Sirloin  and  Stonington  Scallops  St. Jacques  with a fresh  herbed  aioli and Rosedale Farms  beans. What a terrific combination!!! The scallops were as tender as could be and the sirloin was cooked to perfection [medium rare]. Great taste.

Dessert: Local  Peach  and  Blueberry  Crisp  with The  Creamery  vanilla  bean  ice cream  . Refreshing and so so fresh. That was the word for the entire meal: FRESH.

bloginfo: Taste of Hartford is from August 1st to 14th this year. Don't miss it.

blognote: Probably the best Taste of Hartford meal to date. Everything was fine and Krystal was the perfect server.

Sweet Harmony Café [CT]

2011-07-30T17:58:00.002-04:00

Lunch here today, had planned to eat outside but too hot. Sat inside next to a father [take care of the kids day] with two young boys. Not too tranquil a meal!

Sandwiches were fine and both had the Pork Tenderloin [oops out of pork so substitute chicken] with gorgonzola on a croissant and tropical chutney if you ask [$8.95]. Worked out well as the chicken was tender and flavorful. One sandwich with very good potato salad and my house salad with Vidalia Onion dressing was great.

Dessert was a shared Cream Puff filled with chocolate mousse and slathered in chocolate truffle sauce [$4.95]

bloginfo: another Groupon
blognote: The service has improved immensely; see earlier review.

May 23, 2011
Lunch today [with a $10 Groupon Coupon] at Sweet Harmony Café in Middletown. Very nice menu in a very kitschy dining room setup. We ate at a round table sitting in overstuffed armchairs. It does have a theme which you can't miss.

Breads and pastries all prepared onsite. The sandwiches were very good: Pork Tenderloin with gorgonzola and chutney and my Italian Coldcut and cheese on a roll. The choices for sides were salad or red potato salad [the cheese tortellini was out]. Good sized portions for an $8.95 sandwich/salad combo. Desserts were the specialty. I had the Chocolate Peanut Butter concoction which was way too sweet for me. The Eclair filled with vanilla mousse was sinful. It was declared 'not as flaky as before'. Desserts $5.95 each.

Service on the other hand was very spotty. The person in charge needs to train the staff. One waiter was very efficient while the other was way out of his league. He wanted to put the dessert dishes on top of the dirty sandwich dishes. I told him no, please bus the table first. It was like he was never told to do that. With a little finesse this could be a real starter. Will return and give it another chance.

"rememberable' tastes...

2011-07-26T16:15:00.003-04:00

a terrific blend of capicola, pepperoni, salami and provolone...

New England Emporium [CT]

2011-07-23T15:20:00.002-04:00

Had a nice lunch today here at the New England Emporium with another groupon, another meal, another bargain, another deal. One Curry Craze [$7.95] Curried chicken salad with mango chutney & dried cranberries, lettuce & tomato in a garlic herb wrap and my Emporium Cutlet [$7.95] Chicken cutlet, provolone, lettuce, tomato, roasted peppers, basil mayo on a hard roll. Both came with a bag of chips and were delicious; one homemade lemonade and a coffee. Neither of us had to pay anything [coupon: $5 for $10 of food].

January 28, 2010

Is there any room for another restaurant on Main Street in Middletown? Well, this one is a keeper! Ate late lunch here today at the New England Emporium Eatery and Marketplace @Main Street Market.

Ordered one of the three daily sandwich specials and lucked out. One special was already gone and mine was erased from the board just after getting it. It was about 2:45 though. Order at the counter but don't get into line right away until you have read the exhaustive menu offerings. Wow what a choice: sandwiches, crepes, salads, soups, sweets and so on.

I had the Grilled Baked Ham, Gouda and mustard on cranberry bread. This came with a bag of chips. Also had a bottle of Mango Moonshine from a Vermont bottlery [that's a word, right?]. Was using a Groupon [$10 worth of food for $5] so added a cup of Vanilla Gelato to get it over $10. Had to take the gelato home as the sandwich was huge and rich.

bloginfo: NEEmporium is where ION had its market right in the front of the building. Check out their website here.

blognote: nice people, clean, orderly, civilized and free wifi

'rememberable' tastes...

2011-07-19T16:10:00.001-04:00

just plain fresh chicken on the grill

Lenny and Joe's Fish Tale

2011-07-15T20:07:00.000-04:00

Dinner tonight at Lenny and Joe's in Madison. What a night, what a crowd! Lined up with all the others and put our orders in. One Soft Shell Crab, one Lobster Salad and my Scallop Dinner [$15.50]. It came with good crinkle fries and excellent coleslaw. Had an unsweetened iced tea [$1.99]. A real nice meal with good friends on a beautiful summer evening; what could be better than that.

blognote: I really prefer this location to the other which is all table service. The picnic tables and the carousel make it a real fun family stop.

Michael Jordan's Steakhouse

2011-07-14T12:10:00.004-04:00

Anniversary dinner [not mine] last night at Michael Jordan's Steakhouse at Mohegan Sun Casino. Good meal but someone needs to rewrite the menu. Thanks to our server, Robert, we were able to make some good choices.

The three of us had an excellent table which was in a semi-private setting with a window on the 'gambler's walking by' world. Lighting was nice, service was good but the music sort of sucked. We got around the music with a nightful of great conversation.

Garlic Bread

Started with Garlic Bread [$9] but this was not just garlic bread. It was a logjam pile of garlicky toasted ciabatta sitting in a pool of melted Maytag blue cheese and topped with more crumbles of cheese. The server called it a fondue which it really was not. Anyway it was delicious and dipping the bread into the cheese was a wonderful experience but eating it was even better. Another app was the Crab Cake [$19] and this was not a crab cake either. This was a huge disc of lump crab sitting in a pool of spicy remoulade with microgreens atop. This too was fantastic; mislabeled but delicious.

Crab Cake

Two Roasted Beet Salads [$9] were as advertised beet salads. They were very nicely put together and tasty with cubed dark red beets on the bottom topped with a pink beet 'sandwich' of goat cheese along with assorted greens, smoked almonds and a truffle-honey vinaigrette.

Roasted Beet Salad

We all ordered steaks [it is a steak house!] and performed the 'cirque du soleil' flying steak trick. Two orders of Delmonico Steak [$39 each], one medium and one medium well. These had a balsamic-ginger jus. I ordered the 12 oz New York Strip [$39] medium rare. This had the MJ Rub and a Worcestershire glaze. The server recited their version of cooking degrees so as to assure the correct redness of the meat. My NY Strip was okay; perfectly cut and an excellent grade of beef, just didn't excite me. One of the diners of the Delmonico steak was not enthused by the saucing SO unbeknownst to anyone else the two steaks flew across the table and landed on opposite plates. Both diners were now very happy. Mine would have been even better medium rare but the medium was fine. The glass of Macmurray Pinot Noir [$13] certainly helped the meal along.

New York Strip

We ordered two side dishes: Lobster Mashed Potatoes [$12] and Mushrooms and Onions [$10]. The potatoes were a little dry with a lot of lobster meat and taste. The mushrooms and onions were mushrooms and onions!

Brownie Cheesecake

For dessert [yes, we had room (not!)] the special of the evening was a Brownie Cheesecake [$8] and who could resist that, not me! It was creamy with big chunks of brownie in the center and absolutely delicious. Two Cappuccinos [$5 each] ended the meal.

blognote: If I return to this steak house I will order the steaks bare naked.

CVOC Farmers' Market

2011-07-13T15:48:00.001-04:00

Three Sisters Farm

Visited the Three Sisters Farm today at the Farmers' Market. Nice selection of CT Grown Honey and other All Natural Products. The mosquito repellent looks awesome; will probably lament the fact that I didn't buy some next time I am attacked. A warm welcome to Berruti's Farmstand from Glastonbury. Their produce looked great.

June 29, 2011

free samples!

Berruti's Farm

Finally my pictures of Yummy Hummy came out. They will be at the market on the first and second weeks of the month. Catch them!!!

June 8, 2011

Yummy Hummy

Went back for my second visit to the CVOC Farmers' Market today. A few more stalls were spread out on the hill. I got my organic eggs from Killam and Bassette Farmstead. They look super and can't wait to get that breakfast going. Visited Yummy Hummy and tasted the Pico de Gallo; it was delicious. I heard also that the Red Pepper Hummus was a great spread. Dondero Orchards had some good looking bread but I still have some of the Four Cheese Bread from last week [and it does make very good toast!].

Dondero Orchards

Killam&Bassette Farmstead

June 1, 2011

The Covenant Village of Cromwell's Farmers' Market started yesterday. It will be held every Wednesday from 3:00 to 6:00 until October 26th. I bought Four Cheese bread from Dondero Orchards LLC and Guacamole from Yummy Hummy. The bread is good but will be better toasted. The guacamole was great with quite a cilantro kick.

bloginfo: The market is held on the hill between CVOC and The Children's Home. It is well marked and there is a lot of parking.

blognote: Aside from prepared food, there were vegetables, plants, herbs, jewelry and info booths.

Piolin Jr Restaurant [CT]

2011-07-03T19:38:00.003-04:00

On a rainy afternoon after a French movie we ended up at the Peruvian restaurant, Piolyn Jr. This might have something to do with the fact that I had a GrouponCoupon [$10 for $20 in food] and a coupon from the Hartford Courant for a free order of Yuca Frita [$4 value].

Ceviche Mixto

Aside from the roasted corn, bread and super dip there were two entrées: Chaufa de Mariscos [fried rice with seafood] [$11.99 for an enormous portion] and my Ceviche Mixto [lemon juice marinated seafood].

Everything was fresh and delicious and the service was great.

bloginfo: Located at 380 Main Street in East Hartford
blognote: Pyolin Jr. is the brother of Piolin in Hartford. Have eaten there also.

Fat and Happy [CT] update...

2011-06-29T12:45:00.001-04:00

Good write up in the Hartford Courant today. Read it and then go there!

June 12, 2011
Finally got to Fat and Happy as a dinner destination!

Had two starters for the three of us: Guacamole with Salsa and chips [$9] which was fresh and creamy, great Pico de Gallo and super chips. Big Portion! Next was the Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls [$8] a nice concept but a little lacking as the wrappers sat a bit too long.

The three main dishes were all excellent: Pan Roasted Chicken [$15] with fried potatoes and broccoli; Creole Shrimp and Grits[$18] with four large shrimp over creamy corn grits and a sassy tomato sauce; my Guinness Braised Short Ribs [$20] came with horseradish whipped potato and garlicky [yes!] spinach. The boneless meat was super tender and tasty. This was relished along with a glass of Patch Block Pinot Noir [$6.50]. We all skipped dessert.

blognote: To the staff - bus, bus, bus the tables! Please don't try to serve the entrées onto a table loaded with dirty appetizer dishes. Otherwise the service from Nick was good.

April 22, 2011

Can't stay away from the Apps menu! Split [three ways] an order of Fat and Happy Thai Chili Wings [$8].

Then an order for me of Lager-Steamed Clams: Little Neck clams simply steamed with red pepper flakes, garlic, fresh parsley, lager and just a touch of butter. Served with grilled bread [$12]. These were fresh and briny in a simple broth that paired well with the grilled bread and let itself be spooned up and up. For one guest a rather large bowl of Buffalo Chili [$8] and a Caesar Salad was the lunch of the day for one. The other hungry one had the Burger [pink or no pink? pink!] with Bison Chili, Pepper Jack Cheese and Sautéed Onions [$11.50 total with add-ons]. A great meal again with good service.

blognote: I promise to try an entrée next time, honest. [But the Tuna Tacos sound great!].

April 13, 2011

Fat and Happy Bar and Restaurant ended up as my lunch destination today. Both items I ordered were very good but not a good combination [my bad!].

The soup of the day was Lentil [$5] which was a tasty mixture of lentils, minced veggies, sausage and escarole; quite successful.

From the apps menu I had the Prosciutto-wrapped Shrimp [$14]. This dish was served as four grilled prosciutto-wrapped jumbo shrimp on a bed of micro greens splashed with a citrus vinaigrette. This is a very assertive dish with the chargrilling of the wrapping adding a bit of salty tang. If ordering this as an entrée again, I would pair it with a salad.

bloginfo: Located in the site of the closed 99 Restaurant and definitely an improvement.

blognote: Waitstaff all uniformed in black. This adds a classiness as does Madeleine Peyroux singing in the background.

Crab Shack

2011-06-28T20:07:00.001-04:00

Had a good supper here at the Crab Shack [formerly Tinkers] on Park Street in Hartford [just behind O'Porto].

The cup of Shrimp/Corn Bisque [$3.75] was a delightful melange of flavors, served hot and spicy. I had the daily special of Blackened Salmon [$11.95] came with typical coleslaw, so-so fries and a piece of fresh, fresh salmon cooked perfectly. This was accompanied with a glass of Salmon Creek Chardonnay [$4.50].

This is a order/pay at the counter and get your number kind of place. I will go back and back. The menu is huge with both fried and broiled options.

bloginfo: Crab Shack is at 2074 Park Street in Hartford [almost to the West Hartford border for those who are afraid of anything with a Park Street address]. 860.231.9545

Joey Garlic's Pizzeria

2011-06-26T18:25:00.000-04:00

Went back for another try at the great menu but had a disastrous time. Mistakenly ordered the SICILIAN ORANGE SALAD [$9.49] 'The Siggies love to use the island oranges in their salads. Mixed greens, sweet orange slices, kalamata olives, red peppers, onions, capers and gorgonzola tossed in EVOO and balsamic vinegar and served on a fresh baked warm flatbread.' Thought it was just a salad to go with the great Javy's Favorite Pizza we had last time. Turned out that it was just a HUGE pile of mediocre greens with some accoutrements mentioned above. The flatbread was a pizza shell underneath the size of a manhole cover; the greens were left at the table and took the flatbread pieces home to be salvaged. Should have figured this out when the House Salad came and the other entrée salads were held to be delivered with the pizza. Both the waitress and the manager tried to explain the whole 'this is the way it's done' deal but who knew?

June 11, 2011
Had an amazingly excellent lunch at Joey Garlic's today. Had eaten in the original in Farmington years ago and had forgotten the size of the offerings.

We each had a House Salad [$4.99], one with Pepper Parmesan and the other with Gorgonzola dressings. For a starter we chose the Fried Ribs [$8.99] which were not excessively fried but covered in a sweet/sour glaze purported to be from someone's Vietnamese grandmother. They were delicious. Then we shared a 'small' pizza which was pretty big. Our choice from a long list was Javy's Favorite [$13.99] which is now my favorite also. It had pesto, sausage, hand-crushed tomatoes and mozzarella. The toppings were great and the tomatoes made the dish.

bloginfo: Joey's is located where Pizza Uno and many other restaurants have lived and died. Hope this one stays. I will return.
blognote: The Asian Calamari Salad [$9.99] looked super. The large pizza are gigantic.

ANOHO [CT]

2011-06-23T21:46:00.001-04:00

update: CAL Review to be fair as I did not review it kindly!

June 16, 2011
Ate at anoho in Middletown on Main Street for lunch today. I had been waiting to eat here since I first saw the signage. It was not, however, a memorable lunch. All in all the place is beautiful, the food is fresh and the menu is rather varied but it just didn't make it. I had the Scallion Pancake [$3.50] and the Fried Chow Fun noodles [$7.50] with vegetables and the Tokyo Style Soba sauce. They were fine but nothing special.

Scallion Pancake

bloginfo: The website is very nicely done with the menu and pictures of some of the dishes.

blognote: When you enter the restaurant go to the right and sit in the yellow colored area. If you end up sitting in the main room, face the window not the rear of the restaurant. The view from here is the untidy service station. With all the beautiful artwork and paneling they should put a folding screen to hide this mess!

Black Bamboo [CT]

2011-06-18T21:18:00.002-04:00

Got lots of take out from Black Bamboo this afternoon. I almost got a hernia carrying the bag from the car to the porch. All five of us enjoyed our choices and not much sharing went on with everyone guarding their prized possessions. Exception: the Steamed Dumplings [$5.50] were shared and delicious. There were two orders of ...and Cashews [one Chicken and one Shrimp] [$8.50] and one order of Lo Mein [$4] and I don't know which kind. Then two orders of Dinner Special [D21 $7.50] with Chicken and my Pork. These came with Pork Fried Rice and an Egg Roll. Good noodles! Average Egg Roll! Yummy rest of the meal most of which is now sitting in my fridge. The orders are huge.

bloginfo: We did call ahead and everything was ready when we got there.

blognote: Parking sucks but there is plenty of space in the rear.

RIPE [CT]

2011-06-17T18:34:00.001-04:00

UPDATE:

Just found out that Willow Brook Spirits carries RIPE Cocktail Mixers. This is my favorite liquor store [Cromwell] and I will now get to try all the other flavors.

June 15, 2011

Tried this new cocktail mixer at Whole Foods in Glastonbury today. It was the Agave Mojito from the current line-up of RIPE 100% Natural Small Batch Cold Cocktail Mixers. It was delicious and I could even imagine being back in Havana [without the rum, however]. Try it from the chill in the produce section.

Patti Wagon [CT]

2011-06-10T14:29:00.001-04:00

Summer is officially here for me; I just had Italian Ice! Stopped at the Patti Wagon, a big white kitchen truck, parked at 95 Berlin Road, Cromwell.

They get their Italian Ice from Libby's in New Haven and it is super good. I had a cup of the original Lemon [$2.50] but they have other flavors too. They serve breakfast [6 to 10] and lunch [11 to 2]. There are breakfast sandwiches [$3 to 3.50]. home fries [$1.50] and a giant breakfast burrito with all sorts of good stuff and home fries for $5. Lunch offerings are hot dogs+trimmings and hamburgers/cheeseburgers.

bloginfo: The site is at the old location of Smigel's greenhouses across the street from Lowe's.

blognote: You can call ahead and order at 860.212.4770.

Firebox Restaurant [CT]

2011-06-09T15:54:00.007-04:00

Another going-away luncheon at the Firebox Restaurant for someone we don't want to go away. The food here is awesome and lunch [usually have been here for dinner] was exceptional.

Started with their homemade ciabatta bread which had been drizzled with olive oil and encrusted with salt. Two orders of the 'inspired' soup: Asparagus [extra smooth and full of flavor]. There was an order of Steak and Frites and another of the Salmon special with Fiddlehead ferns, asparagus and an English pea/basil butter. My luncheon was Little Neck Clams with chorizo and broccoli rabe in a tasty broth with a slab of toasted bread to sop it up. A glass of Sauvignon Blanc complemented the meal.

Two desserts: a very eggy smooth Crême Brulée with a really well done toasty topping and the Rhubarb/Strawberry Crostada [tartlet] with a topping of Vanilla Bean ice cream. Neither dessert was exceptional. My Latte was fine and ended the meal on a sweet note.

blognote: Valet parking is available in the evening [$7]
blognote: Parking during the days on which there is the Farmers' Market can be challenging. We were lucky and got the last spot.

First and Last Tavern [CT]

2011-06-05T21:37:00.001-04:00

Ate dinner this evening at the Avon location of First and Last. I have eaten in two other of their locations: Hartford [the original] and Middletown. This location worked out very well for the group.

The three of us were very satisfied with our selections. There were orders of Stuffed Eggplant and Scallops over Risotto. Both looked very good and my taste of the eggplant was excellent. We chose to sit in the Pub and I ordered from this menu. My choice was the Flatiron Steak Sandwich [$9.95] which was a huge [half of the sandwich came home with me] grilled sliced marinated [soy sauce and brown sugar] steak sandwich with grilled onions and mushrooms on grilled bread and served with Parmesan Fries [a little weak needing a stronger cheese and more time in the fryer]. This was accompanied by a glass of Smoking Loon Pinot Noir [$7.25]. This wine is super.

Humacao Restaurant [CT]

2011-06-01T14:55:00.003-04:00

Stopped off in East Hartford for a late lunch at Humacao Restaurant. Had my Mofongo con Pernil [$5.50] and a mango snapple. That's mofongo as in mofongoman and it is smashed/fried plaintain with a load of garlic. The pernil is roast pork. The mofongo here is a tad salty and the pernil a tad dry but it did sate my mofongo hunger.

bloginfo: Don't worry about the sign-in pop-up on their website, just cancel to see the menu.

blognote: I just decided that my summer culinary quest will be to sample mofongo around town. Yes!

Rossini's [CT]

2011-05-28T11:38:00.007-04:00

When you are in a bind [and in the neighborhood] there is always Rossini's in East Hampton for great pizza and grinders to take out. Have eaten there several times but usually just call and pick up some good food. Just had an eggplant grinder there and it was terrific. Was going to save a half for another meal but could not resist eating the whole thing.

bloginfo: As you can see there is outdoor seating as well as a large indoor dining room.

blognote: The bread for sale as you pick up your to-go food is terrific.

No Name Tortilla Grill [CT]

2011-05-27T19:23:00.005-04:00

Used a Groupon Coupon to eat tonight at the No Name Tortilla Grill in Berlin. The place was deserted when we arrived and then really filled up. Many people were getting take-out. You line up and order and then pay at the end.

Shrimp/Corn Chowder

We both had Burritos: his was Southwestern Grilled Chicken [$6.89] and mine Western Marinated Steak [$7.69]. The person behind the counter then added the trimmings. We both had rice, black beans, grilled onions and peppers. I had lettuce and he had tomatoes. It was very difficult to see what was being offered. The server actually counted out each item except for the black beans. There were three strips of onion and four of peppers. These were not stuffed burritos and they were not even very warm. Served in a plastic take-out box with a handful of tortilla chips.

There were Soups of the day [$1.49 a cup with entrée]: Chicken Tortilla and Shrimp/Corn Chowder. My chowder was excellent. It made up for the rest of the meal. The Salsa Bar had five different salsas; four red which all tasted the same and one green.

bloginfo: They have a beer/wine license.
blognote: Servers need to be more hospitable.

Hit new level!

2011-05-26T20:32:00.005-04:00

Just attained 10,001 hits. COME DINE WITH ME thanks everyone!

ON20 [CT]

2011-05-25T16:12:00.011-04:00

Not many meals leave me speechless but today's luncheon at ON20 was one of those. I had returned from Paris Sunday evening after dining in all the right places. I found an equal here.

Rhubarb Gateau

From the first amuse bouche of Baby Radishes to the Vietnamese Lobster Bisque and then to a Chef's special gift of Panko Encrusted Turbot. My plat was a Braised Lamb Shoulder plated so exquisitely that it was a sin to eat. But eat it I did and enjoyed it thoroughly. My dining partner had the Salmon. It would be difficult to even begin to describe the accompaniments so I will not. Just go there and enjoy. An amuse bouche was gold encrusted chocolate with coffee cream. My dessert was the Rhubarb Gateau above and hers was a Cinnamon Raisin Apple Cake with a Calvados Sabayon. Then coffee and Pistachio Biscotti and of course a few more gems.

Blvd. du Montparnasse Restaurants [4]

2011-05-23T09:13:00.024-04:00

RESTAURANT PARNASSE 138

Ate at the Restaurant Parnasse twice, both times were set meals for a group. The first time at a table in the front window with one other person. The entrée was a Paté with toast, salad and cornichons. The plat was a Boeuf Bourguignon with scalloped potatoes [not fresh pasta as listed on the carte] and very nice vegetables. The dessert was a passable Tarte Tatin. We shared half a carafe of vin rouge and had a café noisette to finish.

The second time was the 'au revoir' dinner on the night before last of our gathering. Why this restaurant was chosen for the second time is beyond me. There are so many fine restaurants on the Boulevard there. My entrée this night was the Millefeuilles stuffed with eggplant and mozzarella with a basil sauce and it was very good indeed. The plat was a Magret de Canard [my favorite duck dish] with honey sauce. Another Tarte Tatin for dessert, this time a better choice. The Mousse au chocolat with crême anglaise did look promising. Sat with group leader and group guide and had quite the nice conversation.

blognote: Dinner here was slightly harried with the owner running around trying to find out who ordered what? Maybe try writing it down!

OYEZ P'AXOA

This is my favorite restaurant on the Blvd. du Montparnasse! Why? It's the food, the service, the owner, the ambiance........

P'Axoa

Ate here twice also. The first time was for lunch and since it was right across the street from the my hotel, Villa Luxembourg, I walked across the way; good choice. I sat with the owner, Jean Charles, and a friend of his, Noël [who was joyeux!]. I ordered a formule of Paté Terrine and Pizza. Sounded strange to me but delicious. The paté was the best of artisan chunkiness and the pizza [choice of veal] topped with the Basque axoa sauce of pimento and onion with two cheeses was super.

foie gras w/jelly

I ate at OYEZ P'AXOA again on Saturday evening, my last night in Paris. Instead of opting for a new restaurant I went back to this favorite one. It certainly turned out to be a good decision.

Sitting outside at a café table, I enjoyed a memorable meal. There was a large table inside filled with participants of my group and later another table for four joined them. Jean Charles let one of them take his picture with me. I ordered a glass of the same rosé claret and the same Paté Terrine. To this I added a Salade Oceanie [with sardines]. All was going extremely well. A man, friend of the owner, sitting alone on my right was smoking a cigar and then left to give up his table to the quick filling-up of the café. He eventually came back, was introduced to me by JC and joined my table. From that time on the evening just got better. We talked food; he being the expert, me the student. We traded stories. Wine started flowing and food started to appear. I 'sampled' the very best foie gras with jelly I have ever had! Then Grilled Calamars with seafood and Fideos. To finish it [and me] all off a slab of exquisite Chocolate Cake with Mango Sorbet.

bloginfo: the gentleman at my table was Louis Jacques Vannucci.

CHEZ CLEMENT

Confit de Canard

Oeuf Bio

Chez Clement turned out to be a good find on Monday evening for dinner. This is a chain with a restaurant will situated on the Blvd. du Montparnasse. I had the €14.90 formule of entrée and plat and started with Oeuf Bio and Salad ['farm fresh' deviled egg with salad]. There were several interesting main coursed but I opted for the Confit de Canard, duck being one of my favorites, with greens and some tasty potatoes. Of course Badoit Verte, sparkling water, a vin rouge Brouilly [€5.10] and my ever present 'dessert' of café noisette. Good meal, well priced, nice atmosphere.

blognote: Had a great conversation with a couple next to me. He had a Wesleyan connection and she worked for Capezio and we talked dance..

Crôque Monsieur

L'ATELIER

After watching Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris' in Paris, I stopped for a 'snack' at L'Atelier, a new café-brasserie on Montparnasse. The movie is wonderful especially for the shots of Paris. The snack was great: a Crôque Monsieur.

CDG Airport Food

2011-05-22T12:26:00.003-04:00

Terminal 2E for Air France has some very good food choices: cafés, stands, stalls. You can get a meal, sandwich, dessert, candy or a lot more .

I had a sandwich at a take-out counter. The sandwich had Fromage de Brebis, Tapenade and Tomates Séchées. This with a bottle of Pellegrino and a café noisette for €12.90.

blognote: They even have an Hédiard store!

La Pierrade

2011-05-21T11:52:00.003-04:00

Lunch in Montmarte, sitting on the terrasse in the sun, watching all the people. That was what it was all about on Saturday. La Pierrade is well situated, well located for a leisurely lunch without all the hassle. Yes, the street performers did get a little close but the music was good.

I shared the table with a new found friend and it was very enjoyable. We both ordered the €13 formule and started with Onion Soup which at that price was onion soup and not the gratinée version of the tourist books. It was good and had two cheese covered croutons in each. I had the Brochette, potatoes and greens for entrée and she had the Saumon and Riz. The dessert was included and we both had glaces/2 boules; mine was coffee and chocolate. The flavors of ice cream here are so much more intense than home. Yes!

Restaurant Le Beaujolais

2011-05-21T11:25:00.002-04:00

Another set group dinner at Restaurant Le Beaujolais near the Eiffel Tower. This was very successful with a nice ambiance family style. Had the Escargot for entrée [even with the right utensils the little guys didn't want to come out]. My plat was a gigantic Saucisse d'Auvergnes which was super good. Had another ubiquitous Tarte aux Pommes for dessert. Had vin blanc with the snails and vin rouge with the sausage. Needed the long trip around the Eiffel Tower to walk it all off.

Café Le Molière

2011-05-20T15:16:00.003-04:00

Lunch at Café Le Molière on Friday in Saint-Germain-des-Prés where I finally had a Faux-filet [Sirloin Steak] with Fried Potatoes and Salad [€20.70]. The steak was cooked à point [medium] as ordered.

blognote: Ordering steak: rare=bleu, medium-rare=saignant, medium=à point, well-done=bien cuit

Table du Palais Royal

2011-05-19T14:48:00.003-04:00

After a run through the Palais Royal and jumping on the checkerboard garden I ate a wonderful lunch at Carroll Sinclair's Table d'Hote du Palais Royal. The meal started with an amuse bouche of paté on toast. Then the entrée was a Salade du Foie Gras with a crushed walnut dressing. Following this for the plat was Saumon dans jus de crevettes [perfectly cooked and beautifully sauced] served with a Potato Galette and a mélange of vegetables: parsnips, celeriac, carrots and onions. Dessert was the usual Café Noisette.

blognote: My charming waiter was Timur who was very much in charge of the small but well appointed room.

Bistrot de la Place

2011-05-18T12:20:00.003-04:00

Paté du Campagne

Daube de Jou de Boeuf

Lunch at the Bistrot de la Place in St Catherine's was wonderful. In the midst of the madness of the Marais district, there is this quant haven of quiet. I wondered and looked at the menu of the three/four choices and ended up here. Good choice.

The Paté du Campagne was smooth and the Beef Cheek Stew was tender and rich with mashed potatoes. A glass of vin rouge and a bottle of Badoit Verte added to the scrumptious meal [€28.10].

Crêpes a Go Go

2011-05-17T15:30:00.004-04:00

Tuesday lunch was a terrific lunch at Crêpes à Gogo where I actually had a galette and not a crêpe. But in Paris they call them sucré [sweet] and salée [savory] crêpes. This outlet is near the Pantéon on rue Soufflot.

My order was un Crêpe Salée avec Oeuf et Fromage [egg and cheese for €6.90].

Pierre Hermé Macarons

2011-05-17T11:44:00.003-04:00

The ultimate macaroon is the one made by Pierre Hermé. I had raspberry macaroons from Pierre in Miami at the Food and Wine Fest a few years back. I have been wanting to try some of other flavors for years and voilá!

I bought a half dozen [9.35€] and had the young woman choose six from the myriad numbers available. I had 1. Mogador [Chocolat au Lait & Fruit de la Passion] 2. Infiniment Caramel [Caramel au Beurre Salé] 3. Infiniment Rose [Rose et Pétale de Rose] 4. Inifiniment Chocolat [Chocolat Pure Origine Venezuela Porcelana] 5. Coing et Rose [quince] 6. Huile d'Olive et Vanille [available from 4 avril]!!!

Air France Food

2011-05-16T12:32:00.001-04:00

Flying JFK/CDG I had a dinner of Niçoise-style rice with flaked tuna, Vin blanc, Salmon shepherd's pie, Cheese and Orange-cranberry cake, coffee

Flying CDG/JFK I had Champagne, Quiche de pain perdu with Mediterranean-style vegetables, Provence style orzo pasta, vin blanc, Camembert cheese, White chocolate tartlet with raspberries, coffee

bloginfo: There is no dinner listed on the itinerary but the above is served. Dinners prepared in Paris are much better than those prepared in New York.

blognote: Bread, bread and more bread available throughout the meal!

Blue Lobster Seafood [CT] update...

2011-05-14T13:37:00.000-04:00

Went to Blue Lobster Seafood again today [another Groupon Coupon] to fill up before my transAtlantic flight this evening. No dinner on late flights with Air France!

We both had the Lobster Salad Plate [$10.95] which comes with both coleslaw and potato salad. The lobster came on top of the pile with large pieces of succulent lobster. My comment below about needing more butter on the Lobster Roll now becomes a comment of a little too much mayo in the lobster salad. No, I am not hard to please, just a little picky.

Next time I will try a fried platter like the Large Shrimp or the Sea Scallops.

May 9, 2011

We had a belated Mothers' Day lunch at Blue Lobster Seafood here today. I had a Groupon coupon I had been wanted to use so...there we went.

I had a Groupon Coupon for $20 worth of food [paid $10]. This was not good for the specials [and they looked wonderful] or the lobster dinner. Asked if we would like to sample their chowders, we tasted from New England Clam Chowder, Rhode Island Clam Chowder, Corn Chowder and Lobster Bisque. They were all very tasty but the Rhode Island won out for my choice:

I had the Hot Lobster Roll with a bowl of Rhode Island Clam Chowder [$10.50]. The hot lobster could use just a little more butter [there goes my diet] but it was super. The RI Chowder was the best! My guest had the lunch portion of Fish and Chips [$7.95] with curly fries [someone had just gotten the last order of Sweet Potato fries]. She is the 'Fish and Chips Specialist' and said this was just about the best she had ever had!

bloginfo: They just got their beer and wine license so forget the BYOW/B on the website menu.
blognote: Nicest people, great service and really fresh seafood.

Rockland Bakery [NY]

2011-05-06T21:16:00.006-04:00

Stopped on our way home from the Edison Estate/Montclair Art Museum Tour at this amazing bakery. The Rockland Bakery is the 'funnest' bakery I have ever seen. The front showroom was filled with cakes, pastries and pies. The unique part was the back of the store. You put on plastic gloves, gather up some paper bags and proceed to pick out the fresh bread you wanted. Some of it [bagels] was coming off the conveyer belt. The rest was sorted by type [at least 20] on huge shelves. Then you took your choices to the front, stood in line, had the bread sliced if wanted and paid up. There was even a 10% senior discount. I bought a whole grain baguette and a round levain. This came to $3.29. What a joy!

bloginfo: The Rockland Bakery is in Nanuet, NY
blognote: They supply many of the best restaurants in NYC.

Ginza [CT] update...

2011-04-30T19:21:00.011-04:00

Celebrated a son's 50th birthday today here at Ginza and had a great meal. Started with an order of Edamame [$4] and then had the Lobster Roll Sushi special of the day [$18]. This was a luscious combo of lobster tempura, asparagus, avocado with a sesame rice wrapper over two sauces and topped with a wonderful seafood arrangement.

There were two Hibachi entrées: Chicken/Scallop [$22] and my Salmon [$20]. These included soup, salad, vegetable rice, fried noodles and two grilled shrimp. What a great assortment of delicious food. The other entree was Teriyaki Chicken [$16] with white rice and vegetables [beautiful asparagus] and Miso soup.

blognote: Signed in with YELP and got a 10% discount!

4/2/11

My second visit tonight; this time for dinner. Started with a California Roll and a Shrimp Tempura Roll; both very good especially the shrimp.

An entrée of Steak Teriyaki [$18] with a terrific piece of steak cooked to order at medium well and accompanied with fresh broccoli and asparagus. My choice of Yaki Soba [$14] with beef was tasty and just the right amount after the salad and sushi.

bloginfo: Joined the Feng/Ginza VIP Club

blognote: Service by Fiona was charming!

3/23/11
Went to Ginza for a 'Christmas Lunch' today thanks to my lovely neighbor! This is the restaurant in Wethersfield, one of five under the Feng flag; three Feng restaurants and two Ginza. It was very successful for the four of us, each with a different meal.

Started with an appetizer order of Edamame [$4] and then the ordering went on: Two Ginza Lunch Boxes [bento box] which included a California Roll, Shrimp Shumai, Salad and Miso Soup. Then the main additions were: Chicken Teriyaki [$9] and my Sashimi [$12, guess I am an expensive date!]. Ginger salad dressing was very good as were the shumai. The miso soup was a lighter base than I am used to but delicious. My box with sashimi had four pieces: two Fluke, one Tuna and a fantastic Salmon. One order Woki Special for the hostess with Basil Chicken and Mushroom Soup [$9] and a Maki Special [$9] with salad, California Roll and Sweet Potato Tempura Roll. Two of us finished with cups of hot green tea.

bloginfo: beautiful simple dining room, good service

blognote: next to Fresh Pickings' [see their review]

Noack's Market [CT]

2011-04-24T11:44:00.001-04:00

The fresh Easter Kielbasa turned out wonderfully. I boiled it for 15 minutes [thanks Google] before frying up a piece with my fried eggs on Saturday. That was from the small link; the large link will be grilled for an addition to Easter dinner today in Marlborough with family. This is what it looked like on the grill; fifteen minutes later you couldn't find it. Everyone enjoyed it with none to spare.

April 20 2011

Just bought fresh Easter kielbasa here this morning. Waited in line but will be worth the wait. Will let you know how this all turned out.

The Corner Pug [CT] update...

2011-04-23T19:52:00.001-04:00

Ended up here The Corner Pug after Theater Works' dramatic presentation of 'A Steady Rain' and needed some downtime. There were five of us and we started out at India Oven on Park Road but it wasn't open until five. AND we were hungry.

One Cobb Salad [$9.99], a BBQ and Port Wine Cheddar Bacon Burger [$10.59], French Dip [$8.99], special of mini Sliders and my Fish and Chips [$12.99] with a Smithwick Beer. This is the traditional beer battered cod with Pug [lattice] fries and a great tartar sauce. It was divine!

blognote: Our lovely server even gave us separate checks.

December 17, 2011

Met an old friend today [that's not him in the top picture] for lunch at The Corner Pug in West Hartford. Since it was MLK Day, everyone in the vicinity decided to go out to lunch. The parking lot was a disaster what with the crowd and the leftover snow. I found a place and then found another place more suitable to not being ticketed.

Had the Plowman's Lunch [$9.99] A Crock of Soup, a Pug Salad, a Wedge of Cheddar Cheese served with Hand Sliced Multi-Grain Bread. The soup was French Onion and very good, the salad was chopped with a house made vinaigrette and the two wedges of cheddar of cheese were good but small as were the two slices of dark bread.

Friend had the Mac's Big Burger [$7.99] Seasoned Char Broiled 1/2 Lb. Sirloin Burger Served on a Kaiser Roll [he had his bunless] with Lettuce, Tomato and Mushrooms. Came as the Zen Burger [vegetarian] but was quickly replaced by beef. Looked good and the waffle fries looked excellent but I didn't even swipe one.

blognote: might go back and order something more substantial when I am not on my 'diet'.

Arch Street Tavern [CT] update...

2011-04-21T14:59:00.010-04:00

Just a short walk from our concert, we visited Arch Street Tavern again. The Quiche of the Day was Crab [$9.95] served with a side salad. Sounded good so four of us ordered it. BUT there was only one slice left; Genoa Salami and Roasted Red Pepper Quiche was the other offer. Oh well, that's OK. Well it sure worked out well for me as it was delicious; tasty, hot and creamy. Had a delicious cup of clear Seafood Chowder but the $4.95 price was a bit steep as the Split Pea was $3.95. Other nonconformist had a Reuben [$8.95] as this is his all-time tavern special sandwich.

April 15, 2011

Ate here for lunch again today; always can find something good to eat. They are very consistent!

Five of us: 2 Philly Cheese Steaks [$9.95 each], a Reuben [$8.95 (he always orders the Reuben!)], a Roast Beef Sandwich [$8.95 and fries $1.75] and my special sandwich of the day, Gorgonzola Bacon Burger [$8.95]. Everything was great, the bread/rolls are sensational, the fries terrific and fantastic service. This is the first time I have seen the roast beef and Philly cheese steak sandwiches; may even order one in the [near?] future.

April 2, 2010

Lunch today here at Arch Street Tavern which was very crowded. Members of the Robotics Convention were in full display, logo'd Tshirts and all.

Two had the famous Reuben sandwich [$8.95], one the Vegetable Quiche of the Day with a side salad [$9.95]. I ordered the special sandwich of the day[$8.95]: Pastrami on rye with grilled onions and pepper mayo [$]. All the sandwiches came with chips and a pickle.

blognote: Our server was new but seemed to be handling the crowd well. The kitchen was slow but the food was worth waiting for.

Wang Chinese Restaurant [CT]

2011-04-11T16:43:00.002-04:00

Coming soon... and looking good...

In the old Diamond Trio site at 30 Berlin Road at entrance of Cromwell Hills, there will be this new place for Chinese food. Had thought it was to be another Ming Palace but could be under another name. We will see!

La Piastra [update]

2011-04-08T14:36:00.002-04:00

Check out the new website at La Piastra. Check out the new offerings too. Just bought Grilled Vegetable Risotto [$9.95] and Black Bean Corn Salsa [$5.95] both look [and smell] great. BUT tried a sample of the new Stuffed Breads and WOW they are delicious. Will be back to get a few soon.

September 27th
TASTE OF CROMWELL

The Corn Chowder at tonight's food splurge was definitely the 'best of show' and it just wasn't me extolling its virtues!

September 12th

GLUTEN FREE *** GLUTEN FREE *** GLUTEN FREE

Just visited La Piastra to get some of their Asian Cabbage Salad [$5.95] to add to my tomorrow's 'after theater wine and ...' menu.

Saw their new line of gluten free cookies. They looked really good but I don't usually buy the 'good for you' stuff so ended up with a dozen gorgeous chocolate chip cookies!

THANK YOU FOR LINKING MY BLOG TO YOUR WEBSITE!!! Will be back soon to get some great food as soon as I get moved to my new address. Have been sending people over though and am waiting for their pleased reactions.

June 17th

Second trip to La Piastra today. Got the Curried Chicken Salad [$5.95] and it is very good. The chicken breast meat is quite moist and the amount of curry is good. The addition of currants jazzes it up also.

Also got the Broccoli Rabe with Roasted Garlic [$4.25] and I sizzled it in some lemon infused olive oil and finished it with a splash of white balsamic vinegar. Made me a good lunch!

blognote: They all wear black and for those of you who know me realize this is a good thing.

June 12th - Bought some super 'gourmet to go' takeout at La Piastra in Cromwell.

The Goin' Nutz Over Chicken Salad ~ boneless chicken thighs with toasted walnuts, grapes, celery and our house made tarragon mayo was excellent. It has served as lunch on several occasions. Just add a scoop of this salad and a little hummus and crackers and you have a nice plateful.

Also got the Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad ~ sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and feta cheese

tossed in an aioli to take with me as an addition to a dinner out. We all enjoyed it and thought it very fresh. Both were $4.95 for a one pound container.

Read the review from the Hartford Courant here.

Their website is here also. The monthly specials are announced here.

bloginfo: La Piastra is located next to Mortenson's Ice Cream which is behind the Cromwell Stop and Shop. A little hard to find the first time but worth the effort. This is where Cromwell Kitchen was located.

blognote: I intend to try a few more items so keep tuned in!

Zerio's [CT]

2011-04-05T14:12:00.003-04:00

Dropped in to Zerio's in the Willowbrook Plaza in Cromwell for lunch. Running around town with lots to do so took the path of least resistance.

This is a nice little deli/restaurant that I have missed in the past. Ordered an Eggplant Wrap [$6.50]; whole wheat wrap, roasted peppers and cheese. It could have been hotter but I was fussing with my iphone camera which could have been the reason. Large amount of eggplant but a little bland. Filling though!

Also had a Strawberry Melon FUZE with only 15 calories, not bad. Have to try this place again as the paninis look very good; meatball/ricotta seems to be the specialty.

bloginfo: Open every day 10:30am until 8pm [Sunday Noon to 8pm]
blognote: They cater.

Hometown Grille [CT]

2011-03-22T09:13:00.003-04:00

Just as its name implies, this is a hometown eatery where you can get some good food. Regulars drop in and are waited on and cooked for by some very nice people. No big box franchise here.

I ordered a whiteboard special: Spinach Mushroom Omelette [$4.95]. This came with home fries and toast. Nothing better than rye toast with butter and unlimited fresh ground Omar coffee [$1.55]. For some reason this was the highlight of my breakfast. The omelette would have been much better is the cook had used some seasoning on the spinach and/or the mushrooms. The home fries also needed something. This would have been great for someone on a salt-free diet.

bloginfo: Hometown Grille is located 869 Mill Street in the Route 72 Plaza in Berlin

blognote: Next time I will order eggs and toast; these looked great as they were served

Tokyo Sushi [CT]

2011-03-18T14:37:00.005-04:00

With a coupon from the Hartford Courant this morning for a free sushi roll, I had lunch today at Tokyo Sushi with a dear friend.

Aside from the California Roll [value $4.25] we ordered the lunch specials: Maki Special [$8.95] and my Lunch Bento Box [$7.95]. These both came with salad [great dressing] and miso soup.

The maki chosen were tuna and salmon. The bento box had rice, shumai [3] and my choice of Tonkatsu [fried pork cutlet with tonkatsu dipping sauce].

All in all the meal was good and the atmosphere was very authentic. The sushi were not that interesting however and when the nori doesn't even wrap all the way around, you know that they are scrimping on the details. The picture shows the leftovers which went to the other house.

bloginfo: parking can be a little difficult at some times
blognote: the iced green tea was delicious but I spilled it all over the counter [but they didn't charge me for it!]

Ted's Restaurant [CT]

2011-03-16T16:32:00.004-04:00

Unfortunately I had never gotten myself to the Meriden location of Ted's Restaurant World Famous Steamed Cheeseburgers so I ate today in the new Cromwell location. And glad I did!

Ordered the steamed cheeseburger [$4.50] which came on a nice roll and the possibilities of many free toppings and I chose only the sautéed onions]. The steamed cheeseburger is an animal unto itself; lean, mean, square, thick and juicy with a good layer of melted cheese. Also had the home fries [no fried french fries are fried here] which turned out to be about a peck of skin-on tasty spuds [$1.75]. There is a selection of fountain drinks [$1.25] and Stewart's bottled sodas [$1.50] and I had a root beer.

bloginfo: Route 372 [43 Berlin Road @the old Quiznos location]
phone 860.635.TEDS
blognote: Sandwich menu consists of 7 items [hamburger, cheeseburgers, hot dogs and BLTs]

Figaro's [CT]

2011-03-10T16:44:00.003-05:00

Had a nice lunch today at Figaro in Enfield. Started with a basket of warm Italian bread and herbed olive oil for dipping. Soup was included: Cream of Broccoli and my Manhattan Clam Chowder [very clammy, very good].

We both had the same special entrée of the day: Chicken a la Carmen [$11.95]. Two halved chicken breasts with prosciutto and mozzarella in a spinach/mushroom sherry sauce. Very nice; halves of each went to their respective homes to be served at an other time. Ended with coffees and NO desserts.

Fresh Pickings' [CT]

2011-03-09T18:10:00.005-05:00

The search for the best chicken wings in the area is over. Eureka, they are found at Fresh Pickings' in Wethersfield. This little deli, produce stand, specialty foods market is located in the Goff Brook Plaza next to Ginza [which I will visit soon!].

The wings [2/$1] are tasty, meaty and spiced just right. I had them for dinner and they didn't last long!

They also sell Calvo Tuna in Olive Oil which is by far the best canned tuna in the world [well, maybe the country or maybe the state or whatever]. It comes in a package of three 80 gram cans for $4.69.

bloginfo: 1307 Silas Deane Highway, 860.257.8162 and open Monday through Saturday from 8 to 6.

brew bakers [CT]

2011-02-27T17:13:00.009-05:00

Haven't been back here for years. Driving down Main Street in Middletown looking for a place to have an uncomplicated lunch; here it was. bre w bakers was my old hangout back before 'widowerhood' days.

I had a coffee, Arugula Salad with chopped tomatoes and sautéed mushroom topped with some shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese and dressed with a lemon truffle oil. This and a toasted/buttered cheddar bagel came to $12.12 [play that number] and certainly hit the spot. I will certainly return!

bloginfo: seems that the new owners have really turned this into a great little spot on Main Street

blognote; bought a half dozen assorted 'day-old' bagels for $2.29 and will see how that turns out

Udupi Bhavan [CT]

2011-02-26T14:59:00.012-05:00

Studied the menu before I left today for lunch at Udupi Bhavan on Saybrook Road in Middletown. But when I got there they were having a Lunch Buffet for $9.99. This way I got to try everything and it was so good. First I had to wait for a table because the place was packed. There were very few non-Indians to be seen. Good sign!

The New York Times had done a review [see it here] a month or two ago raving about the Dosa there. So I was ready to get one. The buffet included one dosa, this time a Masala Dosa. It was similar to a rice crepe and was filled with potato curry. The restaurant is entirely vegetarian.

A buffet was set up at the front of the restaurant and contained so many treasures: four different rices, three different breads, several stews, sauces and condiments and a delicious pumpkin dessert. I want back three times to the buffet as did many others. What a pleasure to indulge in such a great ethnic display of delicious food.

j gilbert's [CT]

2011-02-24T21:25:00.002-05:00

Had a bottle of Saratoga sparkling water, a shrimp cocktail and a cappuccino for $2.12 [plus tip]! This was because the $100 gift card I bought someone for Christmas had an extra added $20 bonus. I do love those coupons.

bloginfo: j gilbert's website

Saybrook Fish House [CT]

2011-02-23T19:59:00.003-05:00

Groupon Coupon strike again! The $59.36 check ended up $9.36 after the coupon which cost $25; anyway you figure it out. It was a bargain.

Glass of Pinot Grigio [$8] and then the served served family style with those great dressings: Champagne Vinaigrette and Creamy Caesar which you mix together. The basket of bread was a little skimpy but the whole grain wheat was super.

Entrées were Fried Shrimp with French Fries [$22] and my super super delicious Pecan Crusted Snapper with Maple Butter and Eggplant Fries [$26]. The fish had been fried to set the pecans and then baked to perfection. Vegetable were a combo of broccoli and corn on the cob.

Desert Fruit Basket was wrapped and is now sitting in my kitchen to be enjoyed at a later time.

bloginfo: website here

blognote: Rich was our server and he is excellent and can handle two rooms with ease

Marlborough Tavern [CT]

2011-02-20T18:10:00.001-05:00

Celebrated a Birthday Brunch with four of us. Had to choose between brunch, lunch and dinner entrées. Three ordered brunch items and one from lunch menu [counting carbs].

The three brunch items came with an Apple Turnover that needed to be a bit warmer but it was sweet and got everyone into a very good mood.

I had the Sloppy Huevos [$10.99] which even though were two poached eggs didn't turn out too sloppy. The eggs were served over a bowl of spicy chili [sin carne] cheddar and onions [hold the sour cream]. The dish was spicy enough but lacked any panache. The Seafood Pot Pie [$16.99 Scallops, shrimp & scrod in a lobster sauce w/ puff pastry crust] was enjoyed and looked good especially the pink sauce. It had a decent amount of seafood but didn't need the potatoes. And there were fried potatoes served on the side. The Eggs Benedict turned out to be eggs benedict [$12.99 doh] and the crock French Onion Soup [$4.99] had so many onions you couldn't detect any broth. The Cajun Chicken [$8.99] sandwich with cheddar and roasted peppers got a good rating.

bloginfo: check website here

blognote: This is the second time we have had the same waitress and she is too much of a 'chatty Kathy' for our liking!

Pond House Café [CT]

2011-02-19T20:24:00.000-05:00

Ate dinner here at Pond House Café this afternoon after a matinée at Theater Works.

They were fully booked but fit us in [called in but they didn't retrieve the message in their voice mail]. Next time will use Open Table as I always have luck with them.

Interesting wine list [local wines] and also bring your own with a corkage fee. We had a White Frost Chardonnay [$6.64], a Red Barn Red [$7.23] and two Imperial Porters [$6.15] for the four of us.

Biscuits with tarragon were brought to the table and were delicious. I and another had the Beef Brisket Sliders [$9.93]. Other entrées were the Crab Cake [$13.04] over a winter salad and a Vegetarian Tostada [$14.96] which came out cold, was sent back, was microwaved and ended up not the favorite at the table.

Two Cappuccinos [$2.35 each] and a Groupon Coupon of $21 [bought for $10] brought the total with a good tip to $20 a person.

bloginfo: Pond House Café is now in cahoots with Tango in Glastonbury. Will have to try the menu there.

blognote: Our server, Noemi, is great with the nicest smile.

Mondo [CT]

2011-02-17T14:46:00.002-05:00

My last encounter with a gourmet egg was in Paris [11/20/09] at Jacques Cagna's La Rotísserie d'en Face. Had another encounter today at Mondo which does not have the panache of the Left Bank but is on Middletown's 'romantic' Main Street. It is new; bright, shiny and techno.

This time it was the Oozy Egg Pizza which was delightful: Fresh Mozzarella, Romano, Prosciutto di Parma, Egg & Truffle Oil. The artisan pizzas come only in one size: small. The small will definitely feed two so the rest is home waiting to be served for lunch tomorrow with a small salad. Delicious.

bloginfo: website click here! Passed up the lunch specials, give them a look
blognote: free parking in the rear, enter across from the Y at Union Street

Humphrey's Bar and Grille [CT]

2011-02-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

Ended up at Humphrey's in Wethersfield; long story but we were hungry. This place has had so many names. Remember Abdow's Big Boy!

This is basically a sports bar with lots of atmosphere and little decor. But we did have some good food. A glass of Pinot Grigio and a glass of White Zin [$6.25/$6.50]. Ordered a Spinach Salad [$8], assembled in the usual order, that was very tasty. Two apps: Fried Calamari and Coconut Shrimp both came with a remoulade sauce. Both servings were a good size [$10 each]. All in all glad we made the stop. Would we return, probably not.