STORY and SOIL COFFEE

Needed something to get my out of my pout! I was ghosted by a new tattoo artist in town and was riding around with nothing to do. Drove past Story and Soil in the Wesleyan Book Store on Main Street and decided that was the place. It is a quiet sanctuary with a view to the street or a view of thousands of interesting books. It took only the Spanish Latte to lift my spirits. Flavorful, sweet and a piece of culinary art. The baristas are rather nice also!

Middletown Market

 This is a dream come true and a long time coming...1970 to 72 we were Peace Corps Volunteers in the Philippines. We were stationed in Balayan, Batangas with our two children [for the short time they accepted families with children]. I will always remember the food...pan de sal freshly baked and sold outside your door, banana ketchup, pancit noodles. They are all now available right here at the new  Middletown Market on Main Street. Just opening but ready to go!

The amount of merchandise, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and prepared foods is amazing. I was too early to get some pancit but bought a package of noodles to prepare something tonight. Nicest people ever and they seemed to understand my Tagalog which I haven't spoken for years. But it all came back in the midst of a plentitude of food. Welcome to the neighborhood and I will be back soon.

blognote: no phone or website yet

O'Rourke's Diner

 On a freezing morning we needed the warmth of good diner food so headed to O'Rourke's Diner in Middletown. They were supposed to open at 7:30 but when we arrived at 7:15 the OPEN sign was on! Parking before 10am is free so all was well and the coffee that was immediately offered upped our spirits. Hate those iPhone menus but I found the Irish Delight to be my morning gift. Corned beef hash, two poached eggs and pratie oaten [a griddled ball of mashed potatoes and oatmeal] along with  a slice of griddled soda bread completed my plate. I did a good job of completing devouring it also. The morning was still freezing when we left but our hearts were warmed and our stomachs full.

Story and Soil Coffee

 Story and Soil just opened in Middletown in the Wesleyan/Julia Bookstore. OMG! What a great breakfast there today [and through the week] for YELP Elite bloggers. I has the Spanish Latte which was a mugful of happiness dotted with cinnamon. The breakfast I chose was the Frittata Egg Sandwich with Chorizo [CEC]. It was a perfect package with the spicy chorizo waking me up for a busy day. Great staff with plenty of smiling faces. This will be my go to place as it is easy to access from my CLC home site.

LUCE Despedida Dinner

 Two of my favorite relatives are leaving to return to Florida after three months here, so took them to one of my favorite restaurants, LUCE. We had a wonderful meal as we said good-bye for now. 

I started with my drink of choice, a Negroni straight-up and it was delicious. So speaking of delicious that was my Braised Short Ribs over spinach fettuccine and carrots. This was a special for the night so didn't get the Luce Combo [look it up]. My two other guests had the Veal Chop and the Duckling Two Ways which are also two of my favorites. Actually I should say I like everything on the menu.

The short ribs were remarkably tender which helped as my fractured arm is still healing and cutting meat is a chore. No need to struggle here as the entire dish was a smooth dream. There were no complaints about the medium-rare veal chop with a bone that went home to the dog. The duck confit looked wonderful and the duck breast exuded an aroma which led it not to be shared. The wines were flowing and the house Zinfandel turned out to be very nice.

Desserts were Ricotta Cheese Cake, Creme Brûlée and my Lemon Sorbet in the frozen lemon. All were good but mine was refreshing if not caloric. Service was again exceptional!

blognote: enough short rib left over to make another dinner for tomorrow!?!!

Taíno Smokehouse

Looking for somewhere to eat outside for lunch today wasn't getting enough choices until I called Taino Smokehouse. They were opening for the first time today for lunch in their great back pergola area. I ordered the Smokehouse Angus Burger [pink] which comes with Vermont Cheddar and Onion Strings on a terrific brioche bun. The platter also contained some good [tiny portion] of coleslaw, pickles and my upgrade to sweet potato fries. This was the lunch I had been dreaming of for a while. It's real close to home and now that I know it's open I will be back for some Pulled Pork and Collard Greens that my dining partner was reveling in. We each had a Corona. What a day!

MONDO

Wanted to use up a Christmas gift card for Mondo so went for their lunch special today. Had a very successful free lunch of half order of Eggplant Fries and a half Chicken Pesto Panini. The fries were ginormous and delicious especially after dipping them into the accompanying sauce. The panini was filled with nicely cooked chicken and a very delicious pesto along with some tomatoes. This made for a great quick lunch with nice service.

blognote: The gift card was for $15 and the lunch special was $9.25. Success!

LUCE RESTAURANT

Super dinner tonight [and always] at LUCE in Middletown. The place was packed for our 6:30 reservation and by 8pm the place was really hopping. The service and kitchen were fine and the food was delivered promptly and was super delicious.

Started off splitting  a cold appetizer of shrimp and spaghetti squash special of the evening. Both of us ordered the Veal Chop with bleu cheese mashed potatoes and baby green beans over a rosemary infused jus. This was one of the best servings of this in a long time. A half bottle of Grgich Hills Estate Zinfandel was the complement to the meal. Finished with desserts of Lemon Ripieno and a fantastic Panna Cotta with fruit. Kudos to this establishment again!

blognote: Parking free in their lot but very crowded on weekends.

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

LUCE

Looking for a place to eat after a play and everything didn't excite me or was closed. So went to an old favorite LUCE and realized why it is a favorite. Seat at the window on a beautiful day overlooking Main Street. Rabbit Ragu over pappardelle pasta was a special and it was special. The rabbit was tender, the sauce luscious and the pasta al dente. My dining partner had the Duck Two Ways from the regular and this will be my next culinary experience there. It was delicious. The service was perfect as usual and the dining room was alive with happy diners. The private parking there is a plus also. Finished the meal with a Cappuccino and shared the Ricotta Cheesecake.

Taino Smokehouse

Needed some BBQ! Went to Taino Smokehouse to get what I needed. Good front of the house welcome in their small dining area. Easy to order to-go and the wait was very short. Got a Plate: 1/2 rack of delicious ribs, cornbread with honey butter, tangy coleslaw and creamed spinach [a little salty this time]. Great meal.

blognote: next time they offer me napkins on a BBQ to-go order I won't be stupid and say I don't need anymore...'nuff said

Mozzicato Bakery

The selection is amazing, the prices high, the parking scanty and the location a disaster. Drive to Hartford before even trying here!

Mondo Pizza

On the way back from theater in New Haven we stopped off at Mondo for a quick supper. Haven't been here for years and didn't realize how popular it had become. Started with a splitting a Beet Salad. I opted for an app of Meatball Bruschetta for my entrée which was really a full meal. My dining partner had the Italian Sausage and Pistachio Pizza. This was on the specialty menu and was quite good but the thin crust was a bit burnt around the edges.

Taino

Stopped in for some BBQ and fell in love [again] at Taino Smokehouse on the outskirts of Middletown.

The very very very best brisket ever...done! But their sides are awesome and I chose the Creamed Spinach and the Potato Salad. My partner ordered the Pulled Pork and had the Mashed Potatoes and Beans. Next time I get the Beans and the Collard Greens...and the next time...

Forbidden City

Haven't been back to Forbidden City for a long time but it was sure worth the return visit. Tried the Tuesday prix-fixe dinner [$29.99] for appetizer, entrée and dessert from the regular menu. Started with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc [$8]. For the appetizer I chose the Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb [2 ribs] over edamame and celery. Delicious. Then the Hangzhou Chicken with caramelized eggplant for entrée and that was rich and elegant. For dessert the Lavender Créme Brulée was super with the pot of Puer Chrysanthemum Tea[$3]. This was an exceptional meal and an exceptional bargain. Hope they keep up the Tuesday night special as I will be a repeat customer.

blognote: Mario recognized me after such a long time...

Fujiya Ramen

Had an interesting appetizer tonight at Fujiya Ramen, a new restaurant on Main Street in Middletown. The Takoyaki [$5] is an octopus dish that is very tasty and beautifully presented. I had Tan Tan Men [$12] a bowl of noodles with a good kick of chili paste and lots of spinach. The other diner had Chashu Ramen [$13] with pork belly but needed a bit more ginger which was provided and did enhance the bowl. Finished with a shared Vanilla Tempura ice cream [$5] which didn't excite either of us. Stick with the Mochi!

Takoyaki

Tempura Ice Cream

Chashu Ramen

Tan Tan Men

LUCE

Another good meal tonight...this place can really deliver. Their specials are also such a good bet. After and exhausting weekend of Art Shows of Private Collections [one in my cottage and the other in a friend's home], we set off to enjoy a quiet meal to end the evening. Luce was our choice.

I started with a Negroni [$8](my new/old cocktail of choice)] and then, after a half dozen oysters, had the Veal Strip special of the evening [$32.95] which had been 'impregnated' with ricotta and broccoli rabe while served with baby potatoes in a gorgonzola gravy. Accompanied by a glass of wine [Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc $8.75] It was delicious!

This is now my favorite restaurant of the moment. 

September 2016

A text, an invitation to dinner, a wonderful meal, conversation with great friends, dessert, coffee...utter joy on day that needed some uplifting. Enough drama but now the meal.

Good bread and olive oil, Campari and soda, a dozen oysters, split a Caesar salad. Then the very best rack of Lamb I have had in a long time. A bed of kale and accompanying polenta cake encasing chicken sausage with a peppercorn saucing just enhanced this delectable hunk of medium rare lamb. A sweet pour of Pinot Noir was the perfect pairing for this meal.

Panna Cotta with a fruit compote was the dessert to end this meal with a good cup of coffee. I hadn't been back to LUCE for quite a while but will soon remedy that.

blognote: This will also appear in the same blog on my new website.

Nino's

Another pizza tonight but not as successful. It was a small with sausage, broccoli and mushrooms. Not as much flavor [or meat] and the mushrooms were cut too small. The crust was a bit soggy but the small salad [$5.95] was a good sized and very tasty.

5/17/2016
Taken to lunch today to Nino's [formerly Tommy's] in Middletown. The place was packed at lunchtime on a Tuesday!

Split a small Meat Lover's pizza [$9.95] and it was a perfect size with four slices each. It was jam packed with sausage, pepperoni and meatball. The sausage was grilled and the meatball was sliced and grilled and both were perfection.

bloginfo: no website but many reviews on Yelp

blognote: I don't agree with a lot of the negative reviews!

Café 56

Took ourselves to a pre-Christmas brunch Café56 to catch up on latest travels. Got there at 10:45am which is a bad time between breakfast and changeover to lunch. After some fuming and pouting on my part, I ended up with a superb lunch!

I ordered the Argentine Tacandwich [n.(ta-cand-witch) – A combination of Latin American taco fillings served in a Portuguese roll, giving you the great flavors of the tacos you love with the convenience of a sandwich]. It was filled with Grilled marinated steak, green chimichurri sauce, house sauce with our spicy pimento rojo and Chilera sauce on the side. Delicious!

My table partner had the Cubano Tacandwich The Cubano  –  Slow roasted pork, locally smoked ham, melted house blend of cheeses, pickled red onions and our Havana sauce with Chilera sauce on the side. Both were $12.50 each.


October 24, 2015
Went to a theme dinner at Café 56 tonight which highlighted Mesoamerican food. My two guests had called and cancelled and there was no way I would miss a meal here. Chef Sabrina was able to put me at a table with three other people. Sorry I barged in on your private meal but you were very nice to me and since we were all foodies had some good convo.

Started with a Black Bean, Queso Fresco, Guacamole with fresh corn chips and they were super. Then on to the next course of a watercress, radish Salad with a hint of mint and avocado served with a queso dressing. Why don't we use more watercress here in the United States; it is delicious.

A Subanique of five protein [duck, chicken, pork, beef and chorizo] was served in a pot of spicy broth covered with banana leaves. It was smoky, deep-flavored and delicious. The side dish for this was white rice with tiny shrimp. We ended the meal with the familiar Tres Leches cake with accompanying candied platano and  a sheet of caramelized sesame seed. The cake was so moist and the accompaniments made this a perfect dessert after the spicy stew.

Macori Restaurant

And the culinary gods were good to me...there is mofongo in my 'hood. Just ate at Macori and had a late lunch/early dinner. No one there but me and the chef made me fresh mofongo right there and it was banging. Had Guisado de Cerdo [pork stew] over mofongo and a piece of yuca [a little dry] with a can of Kola Champagne [$16.95]. Good thing my weight is [was] down because this meal could feed a few hungry people!

The restaurant is named Macori after the hometown of the owner, Rafael Paredes. He is from San Pedro de Macoris! and I love that merengue of the same name.

blognote: Parking might be a little difficult as it is on the corner of a  one-way street. There is a parking lot in back so I will inquire if that is for restaurant patrons.

blognote: Owner is planning to open a bar in the basement with hopes of live music and Merengue!!!

bloginfo: No website yet...