Popeye's

 After a futile attempt to find parking at the Hartford Convention Center for the Flower and Garden Show, we ended up in Wethersfield at Popeye's. I had seen their ad for the Flounder Filet Sandwich and it looked good. It sure tasted good; I had the spicy and my dining partner had the regular. The spicy was def spicy and it made the whole sandwich sing. I had coleslaw with it as I do love their slaw. The piece of fish was large and tasted fresh.She had the fries and I stole quite a few. The roll on the sandwich was sure fresh and with the pickles I had a much better day than I had started off. Love the staff there as they are always in a good mood and know how guide you through their menu. Going back soon for that real good chicken!

Citizen Chicken and Donuts

 Took advantage of a YELP Hartford Elite special for an introduction to Citizen Chicken and Donuts today. So nice to get something free these days [even though I do spend a bit of time blogging for them]. It was a scorching hot and muggy day so who would want a big chicken sandwich and a sweet donut? Me.

The place was impeccably clean, the staff was welcoming and courteous and I knew how to get there. I frequented this location when it was another place to eat. I was not disappointed in anything and fell in love with the freshness of the chicken. This sandwich was gigantic with a perfectly fried chicken breast, lots of good coleslaw, creamy and spicy sauce and a whole bunch of pickle chips. I paired this with a Hosmer Cream Soda for a filling lunch. The super Raspberry Chocolate glazed Donut went home with me for a later full-fledged snack. The menu looks good and I want to try the giant chicken wings next time.

 

Tuesday Lunch Special at Ruby Tuesday's

What's the Tuesday lunch special at Ruby Tuesday...that's an easy question to remember.  Today it was the Cheeseburger and Fries [or Tator Tots]. Quick, easy and inexpensive lunch. Not a gourmet treat but warm and inviting and sitting in the bar made it seem more people oriented. The addition of the onion, lettuce, tomato, pickle and American cheese 'beefed' up the product. The fries could have been a bit crispier but served the carb purpose. Unsweetened iced tea sweetened the meal and with a nice tip came to just over $10.

blognote: sign up for the emails on their website and get to know what the deal is for the next day's special Tuesday lunch

Pastrami on Wry

New location of Pastrami on Wry is huge compared to the original place. We sat at the counter as all the booths were taken Veterans' Day holiday. Service was slow with the hungry crowd but we had loads of time and knew the wait would be worth it. And it was. I had a Randle which turned out to be a Spinach Wrap filled with pastrami, corned beef, provolone cheese and slaw. It was warm and grilled to perfection. My chosen side was their delicious potato salad I added some spicy brown mustard and all was well for the day.

Épicerie Boulud

Lincoln Square has a plethora of restaurants and is one of our favorite places to eat prior to enjoying Lincoln Center. This time we had an amazing Cubano sandwich at the Épicerie Boulud next to its restaurant. The bread on the sandwich was perfect and it was heated in the press and then cut into halves for us to share. We partnered this with a delicious Beet Salad. There is a great choice of salads, sandwiches and pastries there with very quick service. Places to eat inside were plentiful but we chose to sit outside at one of three hightops under a warming heat umbrella. 

The Whey Stationary

What a remarkable little place the Whey Stationary is. I had previously eaten from the Whey Station truck and now there is a place to sit and enjoy the food at leisure. We started with a fantastic rendition of Buffalo Chicken dip served with potato chips. This could easily become an addiction! Most everything else on the menu is based on the grilled cheese sandwich. From this category I chose the 'Shorty' which is stuffed with braised short ribs and caramelized onions. My choice of side was the Tomato Bisque. What a great combination. This was a terrific meal and a family celebration [five men out of the town] for my 82nd birthday. I was gifted by the house of two scoops of ice cream from Grass Roots one of my favorite [but long ride] ice cream parlors. Super selection of beer and Avery sodas. Service was to the point and I will return soon.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Shorty Grilled Cheese & Tomato Bisque

blognote: closed Monday and Tuesday

Pastrami on Wry

Had my first Lobster Roll of the season today [by chance]. I was at an afternoon meeting and had planned to go to Shady Glen for a cheeseburger. Even at 2pm they were too busy so left there and found Pastrami on Wry. I had eaten at the old place and wanted to try the new one. Good idea! The PoW Lobster Roll was a delicious mound of lobster with garlic seasoning on a well toasted and buttered bun. A bit of lettuce on the bottom and a dribble of dill cream sauce on top. Not the usual but super good. Came with one side and I opted for the potato salad and that was the perfect choice for me. Will go back when I am in Manchester and delve into their interesting menu.

Street Food at Grass Roots

This is a little food stop hidden in the back of a ice cream parlor. Both are super. Grass Roots Ice Cream in the front and Deep Roots Street Food in the back and we ate in both. The Pork Banh Mi is excellent and we shared one with an order of Fried Sweet Potato Wedges on the side. The Banh Mi was excellent with a good amount of pork, fresh veggies and a real Vietnamese taste. The wedges were addictive and on my 'let's take a long ride' and get some wedgies menu! Then we went to the front to get ice cream. There had not been a line when we arrived but there was now a long one. It went quite swiftly as there  was a whole platoon of helpers on duty. I tried the 'black double coffee' or something like that so go and find it and enjoy. The best coffee ice cream ever!

blognote: Plenty of parking in the rear.

The Green Room Café

Interesting lunch today at The Green Room Café a place that I have always wanted to visit. AND so I did with the help of a friend.

There is a cozy dining room larger than it looks from the outside. I was with someone who had eaten there before so 'knew the ropes'. Menu is varied and I ordered the Sampler: our House Salad w/ egg salad, tuna salad, and chicken salad [$14.00]. The salad part of the dish has many types of greens and some additions that are a bit surprising but delicious [banana+]. The egg salad was my favorite but the other two were good. We both started a cup of Soup of the Day which was Spring Pea and it was just the remedy for the piles of snow outside. Lovely!

Also shared a piece of one of the fabulous desserts, an almond cake which was superb. 

bloginfo: Open Monday through Friday from 11:00am to 3:00pm

blognote: If you park across the street, you will get a token to pay for parking!

The Kitchen @HPL

Went to the Hartford Public Library ArtWalk Gallery to see a friend's terrific show and then ate lunch out on the patio at The Kitchen @HPL and had some good food. I had the above Sriracha BLT on grilled sourdough bread [$7.50], with included packet of rosemary and olive oil kettle chips and a Hosmer Tangerine Seltzer [$1.75].

el POETA de los SANDWICHES*

Found out about this new little eatery while talking to the young lady pushing my stepmothers' wheel chair at BDL airport. She shared this info but hadn't been there and I told her I would beat her there even though it was her birthday. Anyway...as luck would have it, EL POETA DE LOS SANDWICHES is a gem. At the counter I was humming: 'I''m in heaven....' b'cause I thought I was back in Puerto Rico. They serve sandwiches and frappes and each is bigger than the other. One day when I give up on any dietary ideas I might have I will order a Parcha Frappe. But let's talk about today when I had the Bacon, Scrambled Egg and Cheese sandwich [$4.29] which is a toasty, delish creation also offering lettuce, tomato and pickle. Along with that a bag of sweet Plaintain chips [$1.25] and a big bottle of KOLA Champagne [$1.75] and I finished it all!

There is street parking on both sides of Park Street. They are open weekend nights until 4am!!! and you will see me there.

blognote: no website
bloginfo: *the Sandwich Poet

Rooster Company

Stopped for a late lunch at Rooster Company in Newington and had some good food. Had a 'Delicious' IPA Stone [$6] with a Chicken Cutlet Sandwich [$12.95] on a brioche with butter lettuce, cheese and avocado with a sub [+$1.95] for truffle fries. The cutlet slept in the fryer for just a tad too long and the fries could have been hotter. It was a good and fresh and filling lunch. The brioche and avocado made a great combination.

blognote: the menu link on their website is broken

East Side Deli

Finished up consulting on a Trash/Fashion Art Curriculum project at the local Middle and High Schools and ran over to East Side Deli for some late lunch. Saw that they had Pastelón [which I call Hispanic lasagna] so had to have some Follow their Face Book page for the daily menu. It was worth the 'getting lost on the way over' ride. Aside from the delicious pastelon there was Spanish rice, a side salad and a huge slice of Bread Pudding. Yum.

October 9, 2015
You find the greatest gems in places you would never expect...case in point: East Side Deli. This new little place had been recommended for its sandwiches and that selection looked great. BUT when I entered I saw the Daily Special sign with EMPANADAS on it. Yes! Now I love empanadas, those scrumptious little meat pies, especially those from Argentina.

The empanadas [3 for $6.95] this week were beef [with raisins and good stuff] and they were terrific. They are made in-house and were as fresh as could be. The word is that there are different kinds to order in the weeks to come. This will be a weekly stop for me!

bloginfo: No website yet but call 860.828.0792 or fax 860.828.0813. Also you can check in on their FaceBook page: East Side Deli.

Pillow Pub

Had plenty of time [thankfully] before the afternoon performance of 'Monchichi' in the Doris Duke Theater at Jacob's Pillow. So we stopped at the Pillow Pub for a sandwich. The line was not very long but it took quite some time for #35 order to be completed. If people would read the menu before getting to the counter to order, things would go a lot faster. And why does everyone in your family need to taste the soda before ordering it [and then not like it and order something else]?

Ordered two sandwiches and split them. Surprisingly they were on flatbread but delicious. The 'cuban' [$15] was not as good as the 'pig' [$14] because the whole grain mustard overpowered the meat. The pulled pork was super so all was well in snacktime. 

Spicy Green Bean

Went for a simple Tomato Bisque with grilled cheese croutons and wound up ordering the best burger ever: The Chimi Burger [$12.95] with onion rings. I can't even begin to describe it so go to the Spicy Green Bean menu and check it out.

What a plateful of goodness. The other burgers rock also. There was a soup on the chalkboard menu that I should have ordered or at least inquired about: Italian Divorce Soup!

New England Emporium

As you can see, I haven't been here to the New England Emporium for a while. So glad I thought of this place for a quiet planning luncheon. Broke all the rules and we both ordered the same thing: Curried Chicken Salad [$8.25]. This was a huge bowl of field greens with craisins, cucumbers and slivered almonds under a dash of raspberry vinaigrette and topped with a delicious mound of curried chicken salad.

4/5/14

When the owner comes and helps out with an expired coupon, you know you are in good hands! Haven't been here at New England Emporium for a long time. Ran in today with an expired Groupon to get the face value of $5. Yes I know I am cheap but hungry and cheap go a long way.

Ordered the Grown Up Grilled Cheese herbivore style [$7.95] and it came on parmesan crusted country white with tomato, spinach, red onion, cheddar, American cheese & roasted red peppers. It was very tasty and came with a bag of potato chips. I love potato chips but I hardly ever eat potato chips. These are from Deep River Snacks and they are healthy: all natural, gluten free certified, Kosher certified, non-GMO potatoes, non-GMO sunflower oil, no preservatives, cholesterol free, no trans fat and no MSG!

10/4/11

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.

The Kitchen at HPL

Had a quick lunch at The Kitchen at the Hartford Public Library this afternoon. The special was Mac and Cheese with kale. I couldn't get the kitchen to get it hot enough! The flavors were great and the kale added a great crunch. Love the place but miss eating outside; Paris in Hartford!

CW’s chops ’n’ catch

Another Groupon ready to expire. Quick jump into the car and drive a half hour to save $10; that's me folks! Had the lunch Salmon entrée [$15] and sautéed green beans as I am so health conscious, maybe. The Organic Farmed Salmon is grilled with and Asian BBQ sauce and comes with a salad [Caesar this time]  and one side of green beans had roasted garlic and lots of good parmesan cheese. Great lunch and the coupon took care of everything except the tip.

8/13/13

Lunch here today with a Groupon. What an exquisite meal; was it the good food or my beautiful companion [or both]?

The guest's choice was from the Starters menu: Steakhouse Style Lettuce Wraps [$12]. A plateful of DIY goodness: Whiskey Steak Sauce, Aged Cheddar, Tender Romaine Leaves, Sliced KC Strip Steak, Blue Cheese Fondue, Fried Onions and Horseradish Slaw. Finger lickin' good.

My lunch was the Lobster Cake Club [$12.75]. A delicious Lobster Cake, Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato, Smoked Bacon, Avocado on a Brioche Roll. This was served with house-made fries and sweet potato/apple slaw. I will travel to Manchester for this any time.

blognote: This came to $3.28 after the Groupon kicked in. Service was great so tip reflected that.

May 22, 2013
Ate lunch here at chops ’n’ catch today. I had eaten at one of their other restaurants, Pastrami on Wry on 8/3/12. The one thing in common with the two sites is the delicious food and the great service. You can’t beat that and will visit the third restaurant Catsup and Mustard soon.

I ordered the Grilled Salmon BLT [$11.50] with lemon aioli on a brioche roll. This was accompanied by sweet potato fries [$1 upcharge] with a cranberry dip along with a super sweet potato/apple slaw and a whole dill pickle. Their sides are awesome. The other entrée was the Cider Cured Sliced Turkey Breast sandwich [$8.75] on toasted Great Harvest Wheat Bread with cheddar, bacon, lettuce and avocado and regular fries.

La Tour Café

Went out for a light lunch on a drive through Honolulu and ended up at the recommended La Tour Café. This is 'the best place for banh mi' according to all the locals I spoke to. Yes, the best I have ever had.

We both had the meatball banh mi [$9.50] which was the only variety offered that day. It was fresh and delicious on the best bread ever.

The Kitchen @HPL

Great lunch here today but had to sit inside; can't wait for spring! The Kitchen Café at the Hartford Public Library is the place to be. The three of us had plenty to eat but my Chicken Curry Sandwich on Cranberry Walnut bread was the very best of the bunch. The El Greco salad was huge and delicious while the Tuna Sandwich had a bit too much cilantro [?] for me. The Butternut Squash soup was delectable. We all shared and enjoyed.

9/10/13

Had coffee and a salted chocolate chip cookie at the new Kitchen at the Hartford Public Library. Looks good and the food looked real good also; sandwiches, soups, desserts.