Tonight I went for a lovely dinner on Wooster Street. I think I've said it before, but I just love Wooster Street. Not so much the actual, physical street, but the idea of what pops in my head when I think of the street. I think of (all in black and white of course) this close-knit neighborhood where everyone knew each other and owned their own business that featured their specialty. I could always imagine a bunch of old people going to Libby's at night after a hard day's work for coffee and pastries. Okay, out of the clouds and back to reality.
Tonight I went to Abate's with DJ, Nicole and Jim, and Josh and Mirissa. 2 out of the 3 couples were able to find parking right in the lot at Abate's. That's really the main reason why I like to go there. The parking lot is for customers of Abate's and Libby's. Can't go wrong. That's my idea of a perfect night. We were seated at a nice large table in the center of the room. The waitress was very nice. We started with a nice adult beverage before we ordered. There were a few menu items I was not too sure about. I didn't know what tortellini alla panna was or fettucine cardinale. Basically they are both dishes in which the mentioned pasta is in an alfredo sauce. I can absolutely not do an alfredo sauce so both of those options were crossed out. I ordered ravioli with a side of meatballs, DJ had chicken parm, Nicole had penne alla vodka, Josh had steak, Mirissa also had ravioli, and Jim had chicken marsala. While we waited for our meals, we were given a tossed salad (family style) and some bread. The bread was pretty good; it was served with butter. Olive oil happened to be on the table but only because Josh has a food allergy and requested oil and vinegar for his salad. The bread was very crunchy but not too bad. The salad dressing was good. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Then our meals came out- all at the same time. I think that is important when you go out to eat. You can always tell the quality of the restaurant by how the food is delivered to you. (*side track alert*) I remember when I went to Emeril's restaurant in Florida, 5 waiters came out at once and put our plates in front of us all at the same time. Now that's what I call class. Mirissa and I both thought the ravioli were okay but a bit bland. The sauce didn't really have much flavor and neither did the ricotta filling. I feel like the ravioli were previously frozen and not freshly made. You could tell because there was an excess liquid in the plate. I added some grated cheese and red pepper flakes but it was still bland. The meatballs; however, were delicious. I might even be so bold as to say they are the best meatballs I have ever tasted in a restaurant. De-lish! These had quite a bit of flavor. It almost tasted like sausage meat was mixed with the ground beef. Out of this world. I wish I had just ordered the meatballs. Nicole also said her penne were bland as well. Maybe their salt jar was empty today and they didn't realize it. Josh's steak was a tad overcooked but he said the seasoning was perfect. DJ didn't really say much about his. He did not wrap any leftovers. Jim ate all of his minus the mushrooms so I take it that his was good. The bathroom is a one-person in case you were wondering. It was in good shape.
We received our bill and all were satisfied. Josh ordered a cocktail and I believe it only cost $5 and some change. In the words of Josh, "Next time we'll come back and just get drinks and meatballs." I usually order the mussels over linguine but tonight I was trying to save some money so I just got the ravioli. I like Abate on Wooster Street. The food is decent, the prices are decent, there's a parking lot, and it's fairly comfortable inside. I think it's the best place to go for a reasonably priced dinner on Wooster Street. I will go back again.
After dinner we walked over to Libby's. That's right people, back it up. We are not leaving our parking spots yet. I've never eaten inside Libby's. Apparently it's a waiter service when you sit at the seats but that just completely intimidates me. I just can't control myself when ordering things in a bakery. You know that I don't have much of a sweet tooth but my eyes wish I did. I ended up ordering a pound of cookies. A mix of pink stars, tri color, and acorns. Simple, delicious, perfect. DJ had a root beer Italian ice, I had a lemon ice (DJ finished), I believe Josh and Mirissa had watermelon ice, and I'm not sure about Nicole and Jimmy. I want to say blue raspberry. Fabulous. Libby's is one of my absolute favorite places to go. I remember loving it ever since I was a little kid. I don't remember who took me there the first time, probably Neil, but I just have this image in my head from when I was quite young and I loved it. Something about it. It's not a beautiful bakery or anything like that. It looks exactly like it did since the first time I tried Italian ice. I thoroughly enjoyed myself tonight. Good food, good company, good parking, good price. Can't go wrong. I absolutely recommend a night down on Wooster Street at Abate's and Libby's. Until my next bite....
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Bistro Mediterranean and Tapas Bar- East Haven
Another 6-8 weeks has come and gone. Ever since the hurricane destroyed The Beachhead (again) we have been going to new restaurants. This time we went to a restaurant we had heard good things about. I was co-pilot to Baylis on this occasion. It was fairly easy to get to. It's on Main Street, though it doesn't look like it belongs right where it is. The Bistro is a beautiful building but the neighboring buildings are not so hot. We went in, had a little confusion with the reservations, but were seated in the back room at a large table. Even though the though the Bistro is "Mediterranean", it's primarily Spanish, according to the waiter when asked for Italian dressing. The waitstaff were friendly. There was one wild busboy who should be a hibatchi cook that you may want to look out for.
As soon as everyone arrived, we ordered. While we waited, the waiter came around with a basket of freshly baked bread. It was fabulous bread. It was flaky, soft, and warm. I would have preferred if the bread was left on the table, but it was good in a way. It helped control me. I couldn't continue to dig into the basket for more hunks of bread. Oil was on the table- no butter. A plus! Some of my co-diners ordered tapas. I tried an arugula salad with gorgonzola cheese and pears. It was good. I had never had arugula before. It was a bit peppery tasting. It reminded me of a radish. The sweetness of the pear balanced the peppery flavor of the arugula. Deb let me taste her fried mootz balls. They did not taste like mozzarella, but they were delish. A few other people ordered salads as well. There were many repeats around the table tonight in main dish choice. I don't know if I saw everyone's plate but I'll share what I saw. Many people ordered the lobster ravioli which was served with a alla vodka sauce, there was a penne dish with chicken alla vodka, surf and turf (NY strip and shrimp), pappardelle with shrimp, scallops, and lobster, paella, rigatoni with sausage, mushroom ravioli with alla vodka (*upon request), and I ordered the lamb chops. Everyone was highly satisfied with their meal. My lamb was so tender and delicious. I have to stop ordering lamb out at a restaurant. I feel like I have to put up such a struggle to cut my meat off the bone. I just want to hold the chop in my hand and go to town. It was served with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. The potatoes looked like they were piped onto the plate with a pastry bag. The spinach tasted just like my mom's- sauteed in EVOO with garlic, s, and p. I was very happy with my main dish. I would actually like to try to head back there soon to try their scallops and risotto. I almost ordered it because it's so "Hell's Kitchen" but then I backed out and ordered the lamb. Maybe I should've ordered the skirt steak. I don't know... it was very hard to make a decision.
After the meals were cleared away, we ordered dessert. I tried this crepe with fresh fruit and vanilla ice cream. Big mistake. Bad note to end on. I don't know what type of fruit was in the crepe. It tasted and looked like nothing I could recognize. I ended up eating the ice cream and the few pieces of fruit on the side that served as a garnish. I felt like Tom Hanks in "You've Got Mail." I ate Amy's garnish as well. A few ordered the molten chocolate lava cake, a few ordered the banana- was it caramelized or fried? Either way, a banana dessert. Everyone seemed to enjoy their dessert except for me. It took a while for the bill to arrive but while we were waiting, the waiter came over with a complimentary glass of champagne for all of us! That sealed the deal for me. It was such a nice little surprise to get at the end of dinner.
Overall, Bistro Mediterranean is a keeper. Good food and even better prices. I was amazed at how cheap everything was. The menu online does not include prices, so I assumed that it would be a fortune but I was pleasantly surprised. My lamb was $21 and the skirt steak was only $16. The restaurant was clean, everything seemed new, the waitstaff was friendly, the bathroom need a little attention, and it was a lengthy meal, but as I said, a keeper. If you like Mediterranean cuisine, although I really wouldn't call it Mediterranean because the only clear Spanish dish was paella, I recommend it! I know that pasta and Italian dishes are Mediterranean, but a remark the waiter made to Nicole irked me a bit. She asked for Italian dressing and he said, "This is Spanish. We have balsamic." You can serve ravioli, pappardelle, and penne but then make a comment when someone asks if you have Italian dressing. Come on here people. All in all, it was a good dinner. Until my next bite..
As soon as everyone arrived, we ordered. While we waited, the waiter came around with a basket of freshly baked bread. It was fabulous bread. It was flaky, soft, and warm. I would have preferred if the bread was left on the table, but it was good in a way. It helped control me. I couldn't continue to dig into the basket for more hunks of bread. Oil was on the table- no butter. A plus! Some of my co-diners ordered tapas. I tried an arugula salad with gorgonzola cheese and pears. It was good. I had never had arugula before. It was a bit peppery tasting. It reminded me of a radish. The sweetness of the pear balanced the peppery flavor of the arugula. Deb let me taste her fried mootz balls. They did not taste like mozzarella, but they were delish. A few other people ordered salads as well. There were many repeats around the table tonight in main dish choice. I don't know if I saw everyone's plate but I'll share what I saw. Many people ordered the lobster ravioli which was served with a alla vodka sauce, there was a penne dish with chicken alla vodka, surf and turf (NY strip and shrimp), pappardelle with shrimp, scallops, and lobster, paella, rigatoni with sausage, mushroom ravioli with alla vodka (*upon request), and I ordered the lamb chops. Everyone was highly satisfied with their meal. My lamb was so tender and delicious. I have to stop ordering lamb out at a restaurant. I feel like I have to put up such a struggle to cut my meat off the bone. I just want to hold the chop in my hand and go to town. It was served with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. The potatoes looked like they were piped onto the plate with a pastry bag. The spinach tasted just like my mom's- sauteed in EVOO with garlic, s, and p. I was very happy with my main dish. I would actually like to try to head back there soon to try their scallops and risotto. I almost ordered it because it's so "Hell's Kitchen" but then I backed out and ordered the lamb. Maybe I should've ordered the skirt steak. I don't know... it was very hard to make a decision.
After the meals were cleared away, we ordered dessert. I tried this crepe with fresh fruit and vanilla ice cream. Big mistake. Bad note to end on. I don't know what type of fruit was in the crepe. It tasted and looked like nothing I could recognize. I ended up eating the ice cream and the few pieces of fruit on the side that served as a garnish. I felt like Tom Hanks in "You've Got Mail." I ate Amy's garnish as well. A few ordered the molten chocolate lava cake, a few ordered the banana- was it caramelized or fried? Either way, a banana dessert. Everyone seemed to enjoy their dessert except for me. It took a while for the bill to arrive but while we were waiting, the waiter came over with a complimentary glass of champagne for all of us! That sealed the deal for me. It was such a nice little surprise to get at the end of dinner.
Overall, Bistro Mediterranean is a keeper. Good food and even better prices. I was amazed at how cheap everything was. The menu online does not include prices, so I assumed that it would be a fortune but I was pleasantly surprised. My lamb was $21 and the skirt steak was only $16. The restaurant was clean, everything seemed new, the waitstaff was friendly, the bathroom need a little attention, and it was a lengthy meal, but as I said, a keeper. If you like Mediterranean cuisine, although I really wouldn't call it Mediterranean because the only clear Spanish dish was paella, I recommend it! I know that pasta and Italian dishes are Mediterranean, but a remark the waiter made to Nicole irked me a bit. She asked for Italian dressing and he said, "This is Spanish. We have balsamic." You can serve ravioli, pappardelle, and penne but then make a comment when someone asks if you have Italian dressing. Come on here people. All in all, it was a good dinner. Until my next bite..
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
The Corner (Milford) for Breakfast and The Place (Guilford) for Dinner
This was a busy eating day for me. In the morning I went to breakfast with my lovely friend, Carrie. She said that she wanted to try The Corner located in Milford center for breakfast. I had been there once briefly with DJ. I was unimpressed with it when I went but I thought maybe that was just a rough morning. I'm just going to start off by saying that The Corner is not my cup of tea. I don't think Carrie disliked it as much as I, but this is my blog here. haha. First of all, we went on a Friday morning- like 9:45. When you walk in, it looks like you walked into some old lady's house. I guess they're going for a certain "at home" feel because all the plates and cups and whatnot mismatch. It really does feel like you opened up somebody's cupboard and grabbed yourself some breakfast. Some may find that cute but not me. I think that's gross and dirty. It reminded me of when I would babysit for non-relative children. (Not all of the families, especially my fave 2 boys) It's a little creepy. Just using someone else's stuff, not knowing where it's been, wondering the cleanliness of the things you're touching, trying to just go off the appearance of the house, or in this case, a restaurant. It gave me that old feeling. I feel like there was a cloud of gray just hanging in the air. It was packed. There were "two" large groups of special needs camp children and the rest of the tables were taken as well. We stood there for maybe about 10 minutes. No one looked at us. They didn't say, "Hey it'll just be a few minutes," or "we'll be with you in a minute." Nothing. This was really pissing me off. Carrie suggested that we just leave and I took her up on that offer. When we walked out on the sidewalk we noticed that that new cupcake place that was in the paper had just opened. Apparently, they won on cupcake wars.
The people at the cupcake place were very nice. They had a limited selection of cupcakes. I feel like they have more flavors at Julia's and they're a regular bakery, not a special cupcake shack. We weren't sure if we would order cupcakes or not but we ended up ordering them. At that time in the morning, there was no way I could handle chocolate or really sweet stuff. They had a blueberry cupcake. It was basically a blueberry muffin with some blueberry frosting on top. It was okay but as far as I'm concerned, it won no battle. If that's what won on cupcake wars, then I guess I'm Genghis Khan. I can make a better cupcake than that. It tasted stale, yet they just opened for the day. Carrie had the Ethel Mertz cupcake (yes folks, there are other Ethel Mertz and Lucy fans in the world). It was chocolate and peanut butter. Carrie said it was good but she didn't go crazy for it either. After the quick cupcake and coffee snack we went back to The Corner.
Neither of us were very hungry but it's where we had set out to go. We went back in. Summer camp was gone, they were in the process of separating tables. Still no eye contact, conversation, nada. Eventually they seated us at this teeny tiny round table for two. It was pushed up against a bookcase and a ledge of some sort. There was a loud old man right on my keister and the ledge was right at eye level, bosom-level for Carrie. The menu is very exotic. Expensive too. What I mean by exotic is crap you normally wouldn't serve for breakfast- pulled pork breakfast wraps, crabcake scramble, caramelized onions, etc. I wasn't that hungry so at first I was going to just get scrambled eggs and pumpernickel toast (the only plus) but then I decided I should give a real review. I got, what was described as, "scrambled eggs with spinach, caramelized onions, and gruyere cheese on French flatbread. I basically envisioned like an open-face breakfast sandwich. Not at all the case. What was served to me was scrambled eggs with spinach and onions with a crepe on top of that with hollandaise sauce on top of the crepe. Didn't like it. Too much onion, not enough bread, not enough egg, crap. Not for me. Carrie ordered a crab cake benedict. The crab cake took the place of the Canadian bacon. She said it was good but again, not blown away. The bill came and whatever- just get me the hell outta here! I will never go there again. This goes with that group of snooty people from Milford who think that Milford is something more than West Shore - extension. Change the name of Ocean Ave. I see it on a street sign West Shore Ext. Eating eggs in some old bag's three season porch is not my idea of quaint New England living. Skip the corner! Especially if you have jury duty, you'll be there all damn day.
Carrie and I have some more travels ahead of us so stay tuned. For now, on to The Place in Guilford. Now Guilford, the better of the two -ford towns, has a lovely little place you should check out. I had first seen The Place on the Travel Channel. It's a place outdoors. You sit on tree stumps, and all of the food is cooked on this huge grill nearby. It's a very simple menu. BBQ chicken, blue fish, catfish, salmon, steak, shrimp, lobster, clams, mussels, veggiebobs, and corn. You are allowed to bring anything else you want. Drinks, side dishes, desserts, sodas, tablecloths, glasses, flowers, whatever you want to make your meal more enjoyable. I'm not sure what the story is when it rains so just make sure you check the weather forecast before setting out there.
I had a blast at the Place. I went with DJ and a large group of friends. There were 13 of us all together. The best kind of get together. We were lucky enough to get a table that could fit all of us. Every couple brought a 6 pack and some type of side. We brought a couple of bags of potato chips and dip, some brought chips and salsa, some made a tossed salad, some brought coleslaw and potato salad. It was just perfect. We weren't really sure what to do when we first arrived so we just passed around the sides and chatted until out waitress came over. **THEY ONLY ACCEPT CASH OR CHECK** That just popped in my head, sorry. We had a nice variety go around the table. DJ and few others ordered the BBQ chicken, Dan ordered the steak and some clams, Dana and Jessi ordered the shrimp, Fred had bluefish, I think Michelle had salmon, Not sure about Kevin, and I ordered the lobster. I believe Chris also ordered the mussels. I have so much to say, I don't know where to begin!
Let's start with the chicken. It was good, everyone ate it, but the BBQ sauce was a bit on the Ketchup-y side. If you know me by now, you know I don't like to order chicken when I eat out. The bluefish and salmon were both a hit. Shrimp was good but had the shells on it so it was kind of a pain in the rear. Roasted clams were good. Mussels were delicious and the lobster was good. The lobster can either be boiled or roasted on the grill. I chose to have it roasted because that's unique, but I may have liked it a touch more if it had been boiled. It was a little rubbery in texture, although I think that was due to the grill roasting. The lobster caused quite a scene. They don't have crackers there so if you need one, they give you a stone covered in tin foil. I bashed the hell outta that little lobster. It was easy to break apart. I did get a little grossed out at one point though. My mom taught me how to eat a lobster and she never eats the body, just the claws, tail, and some of the legs. Well this group wasn't going to let it just stop there. They had me eating the antennae, the roe, guts a galore! I had fun though. It was tasty. I got my lobster-fill for the summer. Everyone enjoyed their food.
All the plates were cleared away and then it was time for dessert. I technically passed on dessert but ate half of DJ's. He ordered this luscious chocolate peanut butter thing. Oh my word! Delicious! It was the best dessert I ever had. I would go back just for that! I don't know when I'll be heading back to The Place but I was able to cross it off my summer bucket list, and I have a wonderful memory to go with it. There was a moment when I was waiting for my lobster when I kind of just stepped back and took it all in. Outside, summer time, the smell of the grill, a cool breeze, laughter, friends, food. It was perfect in that sense. I couldn't ask for anything else. I was so happy I finally made it to The Place. So thank you to everyone who joined me!! Overall, I enjoyed the food. For the types of food I thought it was accurately priced. The service was great. I wasn't brave enough to check out the bathroom. The cons- It's outdoors so that could be a problem, cash/check only, and from what one of my friends said, maybe wear capri pants or bermuda shorts. Apparently her rump got some bug bites from sitting on the stump. It happened to one person out of 13, so not bad odds, but be careful! Next time it could be you, so dress appropriately!! Or maybe bring a cushion. Definitely recommend! It's very different and pretty cool. Until my next bite....
*apologies to any Milford residents that may be offended by this blog. This is for humor and enjoyment so lighten up!
The people at the cupcake place were very nice. They had a limited selection of cupcakes. I feel like they have more flavors at Julia's and they're a regular bakery, not a special cupcake shack. We weren't sure if we would order cupcakes or not but we ended up ordering them. At that time in the morning, there was no way I could handle chocolate or really sweet stuff. They had a blueberry cupcake. It was basically a blueberry muffin with some blueberry frosting on top. It was okay but as far as I'm concerned, it won no battle. If that's what won on cupcake wars, then I guess I'm Genghis Khan. I can make a better cupcake than that. It tasted stale, yet they just opened for the day. Carrie had the Ethel Mertz cupcake (yes folks, there are other Ethel Mertz and Lucy fans in the world). It was chocolate and peanut butter. Carrie said it was good but she didn't go crazy for it either. After the quick cupcake and coffee snack we went back to The Corner.
Neither of us were very hungry but it's where we had set out to go. We went back in. Summer camp was gone, they were in the process of separating tables. Still no eye contact, conversation, nada. Eventually they seated us at this teeny tiny round table for two. It was pushed up against a bookcase and a ledge of some sort. There was a loud old man right on my keister and the ledge was right at eye level, bosom-level for Carrie. The menu is very exotic. Expensive too. What I mean by exotic is crap you normally wouldn't serve for breakfast- pulled pork breakfast wraps, crabcake scramble, caramelized onions, etc. I wasn't that hungry so at first I was going to just get scrambled eggs and pumpernickel toast (the only plus) but then I decided I should give a real review. I got, what was described as, "scrambled eggs with spinach, caramelized onions, and gruyere cheese on French flatbread. I basically envisioned like an open-face breakfast sandwich. Not at all the case. What was served to me was scrambled eggs with spinach and onions with a crepe on top of that with hollandaise sauce on top of the crepe. Didn't like it. Too much onion, not enough bread, not enough egg, crap. Not for me. Carrie ordered a crab cake benedict. The crab cake took the place of the Canadian bacon. She said it was good but again, not blown away. The bill came and whatever- just get me the hell outta here! I will never go there again. This goes with that group of snooty people from Milford who think that Milford is something more than West Shore - extension. Change the name of Ocean Ave. I see it on a street sign West Shore Ext. Eating eggs in some old bag's three season porch is not my idea of quaint New England living. Skip the corner! Especially if you have jury duty, you'll be there all damn day.
Carrie and I have some more travels ahead of us so stay tuned. For now, on to The Place in Guilford. Now Guilford, the better of the two -ford towns, has a lovely little place you should check out. I had first seen The Place on the Travel Channel. It's a place outdoors. You sit on tree stumps, and all of the food is cooked on this huge grill nearby. It's a very simple menu. BBQ chicken, blue fish, catfish, salmon, steak, shrimp, lobster, clams, mussels, veggiebobs, and corn. You are allowed to bring anything else you want. Drinks, side dishes, desserts, sodas, tablecloths, glasses, flowers, whatever you want to make your meal more enjoyable. I'm not sure what the story is when it rains so just make sure you check the weather forecast before setting out there.
I had a blast at the Place. I went with DJ and a large group of friends. There were 13 of us all together. The best kind of get together. We were lucky enough to get a table that could fit all of us. Every couple brought a 6 pack and some type of side. We brought a couple of bags of potato chips and dip, some brought chips and salsa, some made a tossed salad, some brought coleslaw and potato salad. It was just perfect. We weren't really sure what to do when we first arrived so we just passed around the sides and chatted until out waitress came over. **THEY ONLY ACCEPT CASH OR CHECK** That just popped in my head, sorry. We had a nice variety go around the table. DJ and few others ordered the BBQ chicken, Dan ordered the steak and some clams, Dana and Jessi ordered the shrimp, Fred had bluefish, I think Michelle had salmon, Not sure about Kevin, and I ordered the lobster. I believe Chris also ordered the mussels. I have so much to say, I don't know where to begin!
Let's start with the chicken. It was good, everyone ate it, but the BBQ sauce was a bit on the Ketchup-y side. If you know me by now, you know I don't like to order chicken when I eat out. The bluefish and salmon were both a hit. Shrimp was good but had the shells on it so it was kind of a pain in the rear. Roasted clams were good. Mussels were delicious and the lobster was good. The lobster can either be boiled or roasted on the grill. I chose to have it roasted because that's unique, but I may have liked it a touch more if it had been boiled. It was a little rubbery in texture, although I think that was due to the grill roasting. The lobster caused quite a scene. They don't have crackers there so if you need one, they give you a stone covered in tin foil. I bashed the hell outta that little lobster. It was easy to break apart. I did get a little grossed out at one point though. My mom taught me how to eat a lobster and she never eats the body, just the claws, tail, and some of the legs. Well this group wasn't going to let it just stop there. They had me eating the antennae, the roe, guts a galore! I had fun though. It was tasty. I got my lobster-fill for the summer. Everyone enjoyed their food.
All the plates were cleared away and then it was time for dessert. I technically passed on dessert but ate half of DJ's. He ordered this luscious chocolate peanut butter thing. Oh my word! Delicious! It was the best dessert I ever had. I would go back just for that! I don't know when I'll be heading back to The Place but I was able to cross it off my summer bucket list, and I have a wonderful memory to go with it. There was a moment when I was waiting for my lobster when I kind of just stepped back and took it all in. Outside, summer time, the smell of the grill, a cool breeze, laughter, friends, food. It was perfect in that sense. I couldn't ask for anything else. I was so happy I finally made it to The Place. So thank you to everyone who joined me!! Overall, I enjoyed the food. For the types of food I thought it was accurately priced. The service was great. I wasn't brave enough to check out the bathroom. The cons- It's outdoors so that could be a problem, cash/check only, and from what one of my friends said, maybe wear capri pants or bermuda shorts. Apparently her rump got some bug bites from sitting on the stump. It happened to one person out of 13, so not bad odds, but be careful! Next time it could be you, so dress appropriately!! Or maybe bring a cushion. Definitely recommend! It's very different and pretty cool. Until my next bite....
*apologies to any Milford residents that may be offended by this blog. This is for humor and enjoyment so lighten up!
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Ludal's - North Haven
A few nights ago, I went out to dinner with DJ, my Obi-Wan of teaching- Don, and his wife, Marla. Don had suggested going to Ludal's in North Haven and of course I jumped at the opportunity. Going to dinner is so nice. Ludal's was a perfect spot for doing just that. We had reservations for 6. When we first arrived the restaurant wasn't busy at all but by time we left, the place was hopping. If you plan on checking this restaurant out, I suggest going at 6 to be sure to get a table. When I walked in the host station was in the center, the bar area was to the left, and the tables were to the right. It was fairly dark inside. Low lighting, dark walls, dark tables. It was fine at the time when we went because it was still light outside but I wonder what it would be like if you were there at 9? I have terrible night vision so that's why I mention it.
We were seated at a table right in front of the window. It was a nice spot. My only complaint is one of the air conditioning vents was on the floor right near my seat. I couldn't quite sit where I wanted to because I would have either been tilted up on one side or had a little Marilyn Monroe action going on. Our waiter was pretty good. He was nice and attentive. He was a bit odd as well though. Before we ordered he kept coming back and asking us if we were ready and then he kept saying, "I'll give you more time to decide." Then we all decided and he comes back and hits us with the specials. Then he gave us some more time. I think as soon as the drinks are brought to the table, the specials need to be told if they are not written on a special specials menu. DJ and I started off with a Stella. I would've liked it more if it was brought in the almost champagne looking glass. That makes the drink that much more enjoyable. He finally came back and took our orders. DJ and Don both ordered the Shrimp Florentine, Marla ordered gnocchi with sausage (but she substituted chicken for the sausage), and I ordered shrimp Gabriela.
The shrimp Florentine looked very good. The shrimp was made the typical way for Florentine and the it looked like the shrimp was mixed in with angel hair. I've never seen shrimp Florentine served over pasta but I thought that was great. It should always be served over pasta. Both of the guys said that it was very good and ate all of their food. Marla also liked the gnocchi and was pleased that the restaurant was willing to substitute chicken for sausage. The sauce was red with a touch of cream so more of a pink. She did comment that the chicken was grilled and not a chicken cutlet. I personally would have preferred the chicken cutlet myself. Even though the chicken was grilled, the dish was still good. Marla was happy with her choice, Don tasted to make sure, and I was told the leftovers were devoured by their awaiting hungry son. My shrimp Gabriela was interesting. It was the first time that I ever really had an issue with the plating. On the left of my plate were mushrooms in the madeira sauce, lightly battered shrimp covered with the sauce and mozzarella. On the right of my plate were spinach fettucine. I feel as though the shrimp and mushrooms should have been over the pasta. It was very good but the shrimp did have a taste to it. I've eaten shrimp with this taste before. It's not terrible, it doesn't taste fishy or bad or anything, but it tastes like tap water. I didn't eat all of it because I was full. It was tasty. Maybe DJ thought so too because somehow I lost my doggie bag after I got out of DJ's car.
I forgot to mention the bread in the beginning. Bread should be served at every restaurant. It was also served with like a garlic pesto type dipping sauce. It was delicious. Not good for a first date, but delicious. I would go there again. A good restaurant in the North Haven neck of the woods. I had a great time catching up with Don and Marla. Until my next bite...
We were seated at a table right in front of the window. It was a nice spot. My only complaint is one of the air conditioning vents was on the floor right near my seat. I couldn't quite sit where I wanted to because I would have either been tilted up on one side or had a little Marilyn Monroe action going on. Our waiter was pretty good. He was nice and attentive. He was a bit odd as well though. Before we ordered he kept coming back and asking us if we were ready and then he kept saying, "I'll give you more time to decide." Then we all decided and he comes back and hits us with the specials. Then he gave us some more time. I think as soon as the drinks are brought to the table, the specials need to be told if they are not written on a special specials menu. DJ and I started off with a Stella. I would've liked it more if it was brought in the almost champagne looking glass. That makes the drink that much more enjoyable. He finally came back and took our orders. DJ and Don both ordered the Shrimp Florentine, Marla ordered gnocchi with sausage (but she substituted chicken for the sausage), and I ordered shrimp Gabriela.
The shrimp Florentine looked very good. The shrimp was made the typical way for Florentine and the it looked like the shrimp was mixed in with angel hair. I've never seen shrimp Florentine served over pasta but I thought that was great. It should always be served over pasta. Both of the guys said that it was very good and ate all of their food. Marla also liked the gnocchi and was pleased that the restaurant was willing to substitute chicken for sausage. The sauce was red with a touch of cream so more of a pink. She did comment that the chicken was grilled and not a chicken cutlet. I personally would have preferred the chicken cutlet myself. Even though the chicken was grilled, the dish was still good. Marla was happy with her choice, Don tasted to make sure, and I was told the leftovers were devoured by their awaiting hungry son. My shrimp Gabriela was interesting. It was the first time that I ever really had an issue with the plating. On the left of my plate were mushrooms in the madeira sauce, lightly battered shrimp covered with the sauce and mozzarella. On the right of my plate were spinach fettucine. I feel as though the shrimp and mushrooms should have been over the pasta. It was very good but the shrimp did have a taste to it. I've eaten shrimp with this taste before. It's not terrible, it doesn't taste fishy or bad or anything, but it tastes like tap water. I didn't eat all of it because I was full. It was tasty. Maybe DJ thought so too because somehow I lost my doggie bag after I got out of DJ's car.
I forgot to mention the bread in the beginning. Bread should be served at every restaurant. It was also served with like a garlic pesto type dipping sauce. It was delicious. Not good for a first date, but delicious. I would go there again. A good restaurant in the North Haven neck of the woods. I had a great time catching up with Don and Marla. Until my next bite...
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Big Green Pizza Truck/ Pequot Cafe
This blog is long overdue. I promised my dear cousin-in-law that I would blog about the Big Green Pizza truck. I've eaten the Green Truck twice and both times it was fantastic. My cousin ordered the truck for her son's first birthday party. I think a pizza truck is a great concept. They drive the truck to your place, open up the side of it, make the pizzas there, give you salad, dessert, and they clean up after themselves. Can't go wrong.
When they start making pizzas, they just start making pizzas. They crank out a ton of pizzas. I'm not sure if there's an exact number or not, but they make whatever you want. I always like things like this because then you can be adventurous and try things you wouldn't normally order when you're out for pizza. They just make a bunch of different combinations. You could also go up and ask them to make a specific kind and then they'll whip one up for you. I'm thinking back to June here but I'm sure I tried quite a few types. I know for sure I had this delicious one with shrimp. I also had pepperoni, broccoli, clam, and I believe a meatball. They bring all sorts of ingredients and toppings. Some pizzas are white, most are red. The crust is so thin and crispy. I prefer thin crust and my pizza and this pizza definitely hits the spot. They also had bowls of salad. (That I didn't really care about) It was a windy day and it was hard to keep the lettuce from blowing away so I stayed away from the salad really. Great dressing. After the pizzas are done, you can keep any leftovers, they serve dessert. They have these personal size cups of gelato. Delicious. A nice way to cleanse your palate after all of that salty, cheesy, crispy, pizza. I've tried the pistachio and lemon. Both were delish. I know they have chocolate and a coffee flavored one. A few more flavors that I can't remember. The pizza truck makes outside entertaining easy. The pizza is delicious, the setup/cleanup is easy, and the price isn't too bad considering how much you would spend on food if you bought trays or made your own food. You still have to spend a ton of money and there's no work to prepare or to clean up. Highly recommend!
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PEQUOT CAFE
I went on a field trip this past year to the Pequot Museum at Foxwoods. I fell in love with museum and became hooked on Native American history. That was never my favorite time during history and I guess I was just close minded when it came to learning about Indians. I mean if all those terrible things didn't happen, what would our lives be like? Would we be who we are? The world would be completely different if the settlers came here and said, "Oh people are already here. Let's go back to Europe." That being said, I am so fascinated by Native American cultures, beliefs, and way of life. On the field trip we did not eat in the cafe or go to the gift shop, which was perfectly fine for a school field trip, but not for me. DJ had a vacation day from work and because he's such a great guy, he took me back to visit the Pequots. I just want to say right here that it has always been said that my great-great-great grandmother was an Indian from Canada. I believe the Micmac tribe. I feel in touch with my roots. I love it.
We went back and I was able to really experience the museum at my own pace. You could spend the entire day there if you did everything, read every sign, looked at every exhibit, watched every video. Half of the museum I missed with my group the first time. Apparently I missed the entire section after the European arrival-present day. They have wax figures, life-like scenes, a farmstead, and videos about the Pequot War. It is unbelievable to think that other tribes would ally with the colonists and help virtually destroy the Pequot tribe. (Mohegans included) I have always felt more of a connection with Foxwoods and now it is solidified. Okay, I'm sorry. Back to the food.
They had some exotic menu items at the cafe- Antelope burgers and wild boar chili. Both of which we tried. The antelope burgers didn't seem to taste very different. They did taste a bit different but more like, I don't know how to word this so I'll just say it out- a crappy burger. It was very good though! It just didn't taste like your top choice beef. I put some Worchestershire sauce on it and I was set to go. It had cheese on it, lettuce, tomato, onion. It was almost hidden. The wild boar chili was OUT OF THIS WORLD. It was the best chili I ever had in my life. The meat was ground, so it wasn't like a hunk of pig floating in my beans. It didn't seem as dry as beef and it was incredibly flavorful. The best chili I ever had. I think their menu changes. I don't think they always have the same things and I want to say that they change the menu by what is in season? In the museum it said something about using the Pequot land to farm for the casino. It was great. I wish people would use all of the animal like the Pequots and other tribes. All of the organs, the bones, the fur. On a side note, I bought these moccassins with rabbit fur. So comfortable. Love the museum, the cafe is odd because it's just an open room with tables. You order at the counter. The antelope burger was good and the chili was great. They also had hunter's stew but I didn't try it. I'll just have to go back!
Until my next bite.... Does anyone know where you can either buy venison to cook or a restaurant that serves it? Or is anyone going hunting in the fall and needs a companion??
When they start making pizzas, they just start making pizzas. They crank out a ton of pizzas. I'm not sure if there's an exact number or not, but they make whatever you want. I always like things like this because then you can be adventurous and try things you wouldn't normally order when you're out for pizza. They just make a bunch of different combinations. You could also go up and ask them to make a specific kind and then they'll whip one up for you. I'm thinking back to June here but I'm sure I tried quite a few types. I know for sure I had this delicious one with shrimp. I also had pepperoni, broccoli, clam, and I believe a meatball. They bring all sorts of ingredients and toppings. Some pizzas are white, most are red. The crust is so thin and crispy. I prefer thin crust and my pizza and this pizza definitely hits the spot. They also had bowls of salad. (That I didn't really care about) It was a windy day and it was hard to keep the lettuce from blowing away so I stayed away from the salad really. Great dressing. After the pizzas are done, you can keep any leftovers, they serve dessert. They have these personal size cups of gelato. Delicious. A nice way to cleanse your palate after all of that salty, cheesy, crispy, pizza. I've tried the pistachio and lemon. Both were delish. I know they have chocolate and a coffee flavored one. A few more flavors that I can't remember. The pizza truck makes outside entertaining easy. The pizza is delicious, the setup/cleanup is easy, and the price isn't too bad considering how much you would spend on food if you bought trays or made your own food. You still have to spend a ton of money and there's no work to prepare or to clean up. Highly recommend!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PEQUOT CAFE
I went on a field trip this past year to the Pequot Museum at Foxwoods. I fell in love with museum and became hooked on Native American history. That was never my favorite time during history and I guess I was just close minded when it came to learning about Indians. I mean if all those terrible things didn't happen, what would our lives be like? Would we be who we are? The world would be completely different if the settlers came here and said, "Oh people are already here. Let's go back to Europe." That being said, I am so fascinated by Native American cultures, beliefs, and way of life. On the field trip we did not eat in the cafe or go to the gift shop, which was perfectly fine for a school field trip, but not for me. DJ had a vacation day from work and because he's such a great guy, he took me back to visit the Pequots. I just want to say right here that it has always been said that my great-great-great grandmother was an Indian from Canada. I believe the Micmac tribe. I feel in touch with my roots. I love it.
We went back and I was able to really experience the museum at my own pace. You could spend the entire day there if you did everything, read every sign, looked at every exhibit, watched every video. Half of the museum I missed with my group the first time. Apparently I missed the entire section after the European arrival-present day. They have wax figures, life-like scenes, a farmstead, and videos about the Pequot War. It is unbelievable to think that other tribes would ally with the colonists and help virtually destroy the Pequot tribe. (Mohegans included) I have always felt more of a connection with Foxwoods and now it is solidified. Okay, I'm sorry. Back to the food.
They had some exotic menu items at the cafe- Antelope burgers and wild boar chili. Both of which we tried. The antelope burgers didn't seem to taste very different. They did taste a bit different but more like, I don't know how to word this so I'll just say it out- a crappy burger. It was very good though! It just didn't taste like your top choice beef. I put some Worchestershire sauce on it and I was set to go. It had cheese on it, lettuce, tomato, onion. It was almost hidden. The wild boar chili was OUT OF THIS WORLD. It was the best chili I ever had in my life. The meat was ground, so it wasn't like a hunk of pig floating in my beans. It didn't seem as dry as beef and it was incredibly flavorful. The best chili I ever had. I think their menu changes. I don't think they always have the same things and I want to say that they change the menu by what is in season? In the museum it said something about using the Pequot land to farm for the casino. It was great. I wish people would use all of the animal like the Pequots and other tribes. All of the organs, the bones, the fur. On a side note, I bought these moccassins with rabbit fur. So comfortable. Love the museum, the cafe is odd because it's just an open room with tables. You order at the counter. The antelope burger was good and the chili was great. They also had hunter's stew but I didn't try it. I'll just have to go back!
Until my next bite.... Does anyone know where you can either buy venison to cook or a restaurant that serves it? Or is anyone going hunting in the fall and needs a companion??
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Summer Cookin' #1
Every summer I like to come up with some "bucket list" for the summer. I have to say over the last 5 years I've done everything on my bucket lists. My wish for this summer is to cook a new recipe once a week. I couldn't begin last week because of 4th of July, so I decided to start now. I turned to my favorite chef, Ina Garten, for a great way to kick off my summer cookin' list. I made Ina's chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. Delish. I thought it was very good and fairly simple to make.
First things first. It calls for chicken pieces. Unfortunately, there are no more real butchers in this world. I hate that I can't go to the grocery store and get the 8 pieces that come from one chicken. You have to either buy a value pack of 12 breasts or get one Dolly Parton for the same price. By time you purchase the breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings, you could've gone out to dinner for no work at all. I was faced with a dilemma. What to do... I'll tell you what I did, I butchered my own chicken!! I was so proud of myself. It was a bit creepy but then when I got in that groove, my Micmac roots came out. I used as much of the chicken as possible. They say you can save like the backbone and whatnot to make a chicken stock, but it's the wrong season for that. I did make a broth for soup from a turkey neck around Thanksgiving time. Fabulous.
I followed the recipe with a few changes. I didn't have quite 40 cloves. More like 30. The recipe calls for 2 chickens, I used one. Once my chicken was cut apart, the rest was quite simple. You put some butter and olive oil in a dutch oven.(Don't forget to get a little hot and heavy with the S and P) Brown the chicken in batches, about 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan. Add the garlic cloves, cook for about 10 minutes, lower the heat and add white wine and cognac. (Lower the heat so the cognac doesn't ignite) I was so afraid that a fire was going to start. I had the cover ready to smother and gloves on just in case. Let that cook together for a couple of minutes. Bring to a boil, add the chicken back to the pot, add some fresh thyme, cover and let simmer for about 40 minutes so the chicken is fully cooked. Then remove the chicken to a platter and cover. Take some of the juice and 2 tbsp. flour mix together then whisk into the pot to make a gravy. Then add 2 tbsp. heavy cream and 1 tbsp. of cognac. Whisk together until it's a beautiful gravy. S and P alert. Pour over the chicken pieces and there you go. Not too bad. It would have been much easier if the pieces were already cut. Has anyone been to that meat place in Branford? I saw it on my way to La Luna. I need a butcher desperately! The meat place in Branford claims to be that. I would go to Branford to stock up on some fresh meat.
Overall, my first recipe was successful! I'm not sure what I'll try next week. Maybe another Ina, maybe something Native American, not sure. I'll keep you updated!
First things first. It calls for chicken pieces. Unfortunately, there are no more real butchers in this world. I hate that I can't go to the grocery store and get the 8 pieces that come from one chicken. You have to either buy a value pack of 12 breasts or get one Dolly Parton for the same price. By time you purchase the breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings, you could've gone out to dinner for no work at all. I was faced with a dilemma. What to do... I'll tell you what I did, I butchered my own chicken!! I was so proud of myself. It was a bit creepy but then when I got in that groove, my Micmac roots came out. I used as much of the chicken as possible. They say you can save like the backbone and whatnot to make a chicken stock, but it's the wrong season for that. I did make a broth for soup from a turkey neck around Thanksgiving time. Fabulous.
I followed the recipe with a few changes. I didn't have quite 40 cloves. More like 30. The recipe calls for 2 chickens, I used one. Once my chicken was cut apart, the rest was quite simple. You put some butter and olive oil in a dutch oven.(Don't forget to get a little hot and heavy with the S and P) Brown the chicken in batches, about 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan. Add the garlic cloves, cook for about 10 minutes, lower the heat and add white wine and cognac. (Lower the heat so the cognac doesn't ignite) I was so afraid that a fire was going to start. I had the cover ready to smother and gloves on just in case. Let that cook together for a couple of minutes. Bring to a boil, add the chicken back to the pot, add some fresh thyme, cover and let simmer for about 40 minutes so the chicken is fully cooked. Then remove the chicken to a platter and cover. Take some of the juice and 2 tbsp. flour mix together then whisk into the pot to make a gravy. Then add 2 tbsp. heavy cream and 1 tbsp. of cognac. Whisk together until it's a beautiful gravy. S and P alert. Pour over the chicken pieces and there you go. Not too bad. It would have been much easier if the pieces were already cut. Has anyone been to that meat place in Branford? I saw it on my way to La Luna. I need a butcher desperately! The meat place in Branford claims to be that. I would go to Branford to stock up on some fresh meat.
Overall, my first recipe was successful! I'm not sure what I'll try next week. Maybe another Ina, maybe something Native American, not sure. I'll keep you updated!
Monday, July 8, 2013
The NEW Pop's
Anyone who knows me knows I go to Pop's in Milford every weekend with my parents. They've always been located on New Haven Ave in Milford across from Dunkin Donuts. They started out as Pop's Donuts in one building. Then they started serving breakfast and expanded. Eventually, they took over three store fronts in that plaza. Pop's is always booming with business. Over the past few months they have been building their own free-standing restaurant. Today was opening day. I went there twice. Yes, think what you want, but I am quite happy over here.
This morning I had to take my mom to the doctor so she treated me to breakfast as a thank you. When we first pulled in, no parking spaces were to be found. I was able to use some good old-fashioned parking lot stalking (thank you SCSU) and grabbed a spot. There's a large waiting area when you first walk in and then the hostess stand is after the next door. The restaurant is gorgeous. Very modern, brand new, clean, wonderful. It's open and quite inviting. The check-out area is to the left and there is still a breakfast bar right next to the check out area. There are booths in the first room and tables in the second room. The booths are roomy and very comfortable. We were seated in the first booth. All of the family from the original Pop's were glowing. We chatted with the daughters and the mother. They are such nice people. I'm happy that their business is continuing in their new location. We were given the breakfast menu, now that they are open until 9 pm. They have mostly the same things, a few of their specials are now regulars on the menu, and now there is a diet section on the menu. I ordered a Belgian waffle with fresh strawberries and blueberries on top. Delicious. My mom ordered the low-cholesterol french toast. It's made with wheat bread and egg whites and is served with a fresh fruit cup. She loved her breakfast as well. The coffee is great and now they even have fancier, cafe style coffees. Breakfast was tasty, it filled us up, and was affordable. It didn't look like prices changed. Needless to say, I was stuffed the rest of the day.
It wasn't until dinner time that I started to have a rumble in my tummy. My dad was upset that my mom and I went to "his" place without him. I felt the only was to correct this was to go with my dad and brother to Pop's for dinner. It was still pretty busy, but not nearly as busy as it was in the morning. Some of the girls from breakfast were still there and so was Pop. This time we sat in the second room. There's a beautiful fire place and TV in that room. The menu was fairly large. All of the sandwiches that are offered during lunch, pannini, wraps, salads, and dinners. They had meat dinners, diner classics, chicken, seafood, pasta, soups, and specials. A perfect menu. I was tempted to order the chicken salad melt- a lunch classic from Pop's but I wanted something really hot. I ordered the chicken philly sub. Delicious. Cheese melting everywhere. It was seasoned grilled chicken with mushrooms, cheese, and onion. I could only eat half but it was a good half. It came with fries, coleslaw, and a pickle. Delish. My dad had a hot, open-face turkey sandwich. It was toast, turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce with mashed potatoes on the side. It came with a soup. He ordered the beef minestrone. It looked fantastic. You could see the fresh chunks of beef. Looked great. My brother had their Greek pannini. Chicken, spinach, tomato, and tzatziki sauce. He said his was delicious as well.
Overall, Pop's is fantastic. I'm so happy they are now open for dinner. Sometimes you just want a place to get a sandwich for dinner. I hate places that are only open for lunch. The majority of the world is working! Not everyone can order from their place of work and are unable to go to these wonderful places. Restaurants that are only open for dinner always feel the need to be fancy and have full course meals. I can't wait to go back for dinner. I know I'll be heading there with DJ, it will be a nice place to go when I go out for Girl's Night. Just love it. Full for now but until my next bite....
This morning I had to take my mom to the doctor so she treated me to breakfast as a thank you. When we first pulled in, no parking spaces were to be found. I was able to use some good old-fashioned parking lot stalking (thank you SCSU) and grabbed a spot. There's a large waiting area when you first walk in and then the hostess stand is after the next door. The restaurant is gorgeous. Very modern, brand new, clean, wonderful. It's open and quite inviting. The check-out area is to the left and there is still a breakfast bar right next to the check out area. There are booths in the first room and tables in the second room. The booths are roomy and very comfortable. We were seated in the first booth. All of the family from the original Pop's were glowing. We chatted with the daughters and the mother. They are such nice people. I'm happy that their business is continuing in their new location. We were given the breakfast menu, now that they are open until 9 pm. They have mostly the same things, a few of their specials are now regulars on the menu, and now there is a diet section on the menu. I ordered a Belgian waffle with fresh strawberries and blueberries on top. Delicious. My mom ordered the low-cholesterol french toast. It's made with wheat bread and egg whites and is served with a fresh fruit cup. She loved her breakfast as well. The coffee is great and now they even have fancier, cafe style coffees. Breakfast was tasty, it filled us up, and was affordable. It didn't look like prices changed. Needless to say, I was stuffed the rest of the day.
It wasn't until dinner time that I started to have a rumble in my tummy. My dad was upset that my mom and I went to "his" place without him. I felt the only was to correct this was to go with my dad and brother to Pop's for dinner. It was still pretty busy, but not nearly as busy as it was in the morning. Some of the girls from breakfast were still there and so was Pop. This time we sat in the second room. There's a beautiful fire place and TV in that room. The menu was fairly large. All of the sandwiches that are offered during lunch, pannini, wraps, salads, and dinners. They had meat dinners, diner classics, chicken, seafood, pasta, soups, and specials. A perfect menu. I was tempted to order the chicken salad melt- a lunch classic from Pop's but I wanted something really hot. I ordered the chicken philly sub. Delicious. Cheese melting everywhere. It was seasoned grilled chicken with mushrooms, cheese, and onion. I could only eat half but it was a good half. It came with fries, coleslaw, and a pickle. Delish. My dad had a hot, open-face turkey sandwich. It was toast, turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce with mashed potatoes on the side. It came with a soup. He ordered the beef minestrone. It looked fantastic. You could see the fresh chunks of beef. Looked great. My brother had their Greek pannini. Chicken, spinach, tomato, and tzatziki sauce. He said his was delicious as well.
Overall, Pop's is fantastic. I'm so happy they are now open for dinner. Sometimes you just want a place to get a sandwich for dinner. I hate places that are only open for lunch. The majority of the world is working! Not everyone can order from their place of work and are unable to go to these wonderful places. Restaurants that are only open for dinner always feel the need to be fancy and have full course meals. I can't wait to go back for dinner. I know I'll be heading there with DJ, it will be a nice place to go when I go out for Girl's Night. Just love it. Full for now but until my next bite....
Brunch at La Luna
On Sunday I went to brunch with some of my favorite food companions. I went with DJ, Chrissy, and Anthony to the 10:30 brunch seating at La Luna in Branford. It's $21.95 per person for all you can eat. Now typically, I don't like brunch because I'm against the idea of a buffet in general. This brunch was decent considering it's a buffet. Let's take this review from the top- the website says you must have a reservation to eat during brunch hours. I assumed that the restaurant would be bustling with people but that wasn't the case. We were seated in the middle of this room that was filled with a good number of circle tables. Other than one very undressed couple with their unruly child, we were alone in this room. A complimentary beverage comes with brunch. You are given the choice of a mimosa, bloody Mary, or an orange juice. Of course I chose the bloody. Anthony and I had bloodys while DJ and Chrissy ordered the mimosa. The bloody was delicious. Very horseradish and peppery tasting. Looking back on it, I don't think there was a celery stick in it. That's a negative. We all ordered coffees and were given these fancy, yet small coffee mugs.
After the beverages were brought we were told that brunch was ready and we could help ourselves. The food area was set up in a somewhat organized way. When you walked in the room the breakfast hot plate things were to the right. They had sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, homefries, french toast, and eggs benedict. Around the corner they had muffins, bagels, and danishes. On the left was the omelet station and the waffle irons. The website said that the waffles were made to order with a choice of toppings but that wasn't true. The waffle irons were there but the people looked at me like I had 7 heads when I went up there to say I wanted a waffle. Once you passed the omelet station, the lunch food began. I thought that was backwards. The breakfast should have been near the waffles and omelets, no? The lunch stretched to the center of the room. They had a few carving stations, some pasta, broccoli rabe and sausage, fried calamari and shrimp, mussels and clams, and some other meat items I can't quite remember. Right in the center there was a table that was filled with salads, a cold antipasto, fruit salads, and veggies. There was a wide variety of food but I don't know. Brunches bother me a bit. They should have food that could pass for breakfast or lunch. They shouldn't have such clear cut items. I mean who wants mussels and clams dripping on your eggs?
The food was okay. We all went back to the buffet three times. I started with eggs, eggs benedict, a strip of bacon and a sausage link. The eggs benedict were no good. Eggs benedict are supposed to be served with a poached egg on top. These eggs were hard boiled. Anthony did point out that the eggs probably continued to cook while in their little hot serving tray, which I agree with, but then don't put eggs benedict on the menu. I've been watching a bit too much Gordon Ramsey. I'm very snobby when it comes to eggs I guess. The waffles were good, the fresh fruit was quite fresh, but the best were the mussels and clams. I got "lunch" my third time up. The fried fish was gross. The fry got all soft and the piece of calamari was hard as a rock. I felt like I was biting someone's finger. Who knows... maybe the cook had an accident. It was too early, for me, to try any of the pasta. Chrissy had the pasta and she said it was good. The mussels and clams were the best. They were in this broth that had a nice mirepoix (aromatics- celery, carrots, onion). I love mussels just love them. I was watching the history channel- the 100 foods that changed America. They said that the first settlers survived because of eating raw oysters. Now I know this is a bit different, but I could imagine myself surviving off of mussels. I could see myself as the Pequot girl taking all the mussels to the garbage area. (My grade partners will understand this and now have a frightful mental picture. My apologies.)
To sum up, La Luna is a good place to go for brunch. They have it every Sunday at both locations. (Branford and Mystic) I'm not wild for brunch in general, but this was pretty good. I thought it was reasonably priced. The food was good for the most part and the waitstaff was attentive. I believe my companions felt the same. No one raved and went on and on how good it was, but no one spit food in their napkins either. Until my next bite..
After the beverages were brought we were told that brunch was ready and we could help ourselves. The food area was set up in a somewhat organized way. When you walked in the room the breakfast hot plate things were to the right. They had sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, homefries, french toast, and eggs benedict. Around the corner they had muffins, bagels, and danishes. On the left was the omelet station and the waffle irons. The website said that the waffles were made to order with a choice of toppings but that wasn't true. The waffle irons were there but the people looked at me like I had 7 heads when I went up there to say I wanted a waffle. Once you passed the omelet station, the lunch food began. I thought that was backwards. The breakfast should have been near the waffles and omelets, no? The lunch stretched to the center of the room. They had a few carving stations, some pasta, broccoli rabe and sausage, fried calamari and shrimp, mussels and clams, and some other meat items I can't quite remember. Right in the center there was a table that was filled with salads, a cold antipasto, fruit salads, and veggies. There was a wide variety of food but I don't know. Brunches bother me a bit. They should have food that could pass for breakfast or lunch. They shouldn't have such clear cut items. I mean who wants mussels and clams dripping on your eggs?
The food was okay. We all went back to the buffet three times. I started with eggs, eggs benedict, a strip of bacon and a sausage link. The eggs benedict were no good. Eggs benedict are supposed to be served with a poached egg on top. These eggs were hard boiled. Anthony did point out that the eggs probably continued to cook while in their little hot serving tray, which I agree with, but then don't put eggs benedict on the menu. I've been watching a bit too much Gordon Ramsey. I'm very snobby when it comes to eggs I guess. The waffles were good, the fresh fruit was quite fresh, but the best were the mussels and clams. I got "lunch" my third time up. The fried fish was gross. The fry got all soft and the piece of calamari was hard as a rock. I felt like I was biting someone's finger. Who knows... maybe the cook had an accident. It was too early, for me, to try any of the pasta. Chrissy had the pasta and she said it was good. The mussels and clams were the best. They were in this broth that had a nice mirepoix (aromatics- celery, carrots, onion). I love mussels just love them. I was watching the history channel- the 100 foods that changed America. They said that the first settlers survived because of eating raw oysters. Now I know this is a bit different, but I could imagine myself surviving off of mussels. I could see myself as the Pequot girl taking all the mussels to the garbage area. (My grade partners will understand this and now have a frightful mental picture. My apologies.)
To sum up, La Luna is a good place to go for brunch. They have it every Sunday at both locations. (Branford and Mystic) I'm not wild for brunch in general, but this was pretty good. I thought it was reasonably priced. The food was good for the most part and the waitstaff was attentive. I believe my companions felt the same. No one raved and went on and on how good it was, but no one spit food in their napkins either. Until my next bite..
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Vespucci's/Sonic
In an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the mayhem caused by the 3rd of July in West Haven, DJ and I ventured to Cheshire for dinner. We had originally decided to go to Grand Apizza of Cheshire and then to Cheshire Coffee, but when we arrived to Grand Apizza we were shocked to see that all of the businesses in that small area were out of business. I used my Yelp app to see what else was in the area. Quite a few places came up but I had already prepared myself for Italian, so we decided to give Vespucci's a try. I also wanted to try Rossini's but they were closed that day. Vespucci's was a bit odd to me. It was this tiny, cute building that stood alone behind the Stop and Shop plaza. The pizza boxes were lined up, blocking the windows in back. We walked in and to the left was the take-out area and to the right were booths and tables. We were seated very close to the door so I really didn't get a good feel of what the main dining area was like.
Our waitress was nice and took our drink order while we decided what we were going to eat. Pizza or a dinner? It's always a tough decision for me. I always like to look at the people around me to see what they are eating before I decide. Unfortunately, everyone around me had just recently placed their order. The menu had a few pasta dishes, chicken, beef, seafood, veal, and baked dishes. Although that sounds like a lot of choices, it really wasn't. Nothing really jumped out at me. Everything was simple- eggplant parm, lasagna, linguini and clams, spaghetti and meatballs, shrimp fra diavolo, chicken francese, steak- you get it. DJ wasn't going to order a dinner so I would have felt out of place if I did and he got a sub. We both decided that we would get our own pizzas. It really does upset me that we don't see eye to eye in the pizza world.
DJ ordered the Hawaiian pizza and I ordered one of the specialty pizzas. I chose the pizza Romana. It had shrimp, roasted red peppers, prosciutto, mozzarella, and a mild hot sauce. Sounds delicious, right? Not exactly. I should know by now not to order pizza in towns too far from the center of West Haven. The shrimp, first of all, were those teeny tiny shrimp that come out of a can. That right there skeeved me out. The prosciutto was a nice touch but my biggest complaint is with the lack of sauce. This was not spicy at all. There was no spicy sauce, no hot sauce, or tomato sauce. This pizza was as dry as a scarecrow in Indian summer. I ate a few slices (I have a weakness for pizza) but I was very disappointed with my choice. Meanwhile the two booths across from us were served these dishes that looked divine. One had scallops, one had steak. It looked great. DJ liked his but I mean when you order a pizza like that, obviously you don't have high standards.
I wouldn't quite yet put Vespucci's on the "never again list" but I will keep you posted. I'd like to go back and try some of the dinners. This is definitely on the list of "never order pizza". It wasn't just the toppings that made me dislike it. The crust was odd. It was thin, but it wasn't. It was so dry and tasteless. Just terrible pizza. Just terrible.
We then went to the movies in Wallingford and still needed to kill some time before we attempted to head back to WH. DJ had the idea of going to Sonic for some ice cream. We parked in the drive up section and had some shakes. I had the peanut butter cookie shake and DJ had the Oreo. Both were very good. I was impressed by how many frozen treats Sonic offered. I've eaten the regular food there before. It's ok. It's mediocre fast food. When Sonic first opened, it was so difficult to get a spot to park. I guess the food is what turned everyone away because otherwise, it's a cool place to visit. Great limeades. We left and easily made it to West Haven. Once we actually arrived in the city, it must have taken me a half hour to get home. We were constantly redirected by police. We had to do a complete roundabout and could only get near the beach from Savin Ave. It was terrible. The amount of people out on the streets was absurd. I now have a smaller radius in my house search.
To sum up- Skip Vespucci's, especially for pizza, Go to Sonic only if you're in the area, and the 3rd of July remains my least favorite day of the year. Until my next bite...
Our waitress was nice and took our drink order while we decided what we were going to eat. Pizza or a dinner? It's always a tough decision for me. I always like to look at the people around me to see what they are eating before I decide. Unfortunately, everyone around me had just recently placed their order. The menu had a few pasta dishes, chicken, beef, seafood, veal, and baked dishes. Although that sounds like a lot of choices, it really wasn't. Nothing really jumped out at me. Everything was simple- eggplant parm, lasagna, linguini and clams, spaghetti and meatballs, shrimp fra diavolo, chicken francese, steak- you get it. DJ wasn't going to order a dinner so I would have felt out of place if I did and he got a sub. We both decided that we would get our own pizzas. It really does upset me that we don't see eye to eye in the pizza world.
DJ ordered the Hawaiian pizza and I ordered one of the specialty pizzas. I chose the pizza Romana. It had shrimp, roasted red peppers, prosciutto, mozzarella, and a mild hot sauce. Sounds delicious, right? Not exactly. I should know by now not to order pizza in towns too far from the center of West Haven. The shrimp, first of all, were those teeny tiny shrimp that come out of a can. That right there skeeved me out. The prosciutto was a nice touch but my biggest complaint is with the lack of sauce. This was not spicy at all. There was no spicy sauce, no hot sauce, or tomato sauce. This pizza was as dry as a scarecrow in Indian summer. I ate a few slices (I have a weakness for pizza) but I was very disappointed with my choice. Meanwhile the two booths across from us were served these dishes that looked divine. One had scallops, one had steak. It looked great. DJ liked his but I mean when you order a pizza like that, obviously you don't have high standards.
I wouldn't quite yet put Vespucci's on the "never again list" but I will keep you posted. I'd like to go back and try some of the dinners. This is definitely on the list of "never order pizza". It wasn't just the toppings that made me dislike it. The crust was odd. It was thin, but it wasn't. It was so dry and tasteless. Just terrible pizza. Just terrible.
We then went to the movies in Wallingford and still needed to kill some time before we attempted to head back to WH. DJ had the idea of going to Sonic for some ice cream. We parked in the drive up section and had some shakes. I had the peanut butter cookie shake and DJ had the Oreo. Both were very good. I was impressed by how many frozen treats Sonic offered. I've eaten the regular food there before. It's ok. It's mediocre fast food. When Sonic first opened, it was so difficult to get a spot to park. I guess the food is what turned everyone away because otherwise, it's a cool place to visit. Great limeades. We left and easily made it to West Haven. Once we actually arrived in the city, it must have taken me a half hour to get home. We were constantly redirected by police. We had to do a complete roundabout and could only get near the beach from Savin Ave. It was terrible. The amount of people out on the streets was absurd. I now have a smaller radius in my house search.
To sum up- Skip Vespucci's, especially for pizza, Go to Sonic only if you're in the area, and the 3rd of July remains my least favorite day of the year. Until my next bite...
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Ann's Surprise Bash
On Sunday I went to a surprise party for my co-worker and friend, Ann. The weather was stinky but the rain held out while I was there. Amy and I arrived before Ann did. It was funny at first because we walked into the backyard and did not recognize a soul. No one seemed to even notice us but we felt like cookout crashers, so we went around to the front door. Finally we found some Washington people! As we sat there chatting, Ann's husband, Barry, was running all around. He is a chef and certainly displayed his cooking skills at Ann's party. Tray after tray was getting pumped out of the kitchen. Ann arrived and we were able to dig into the food.
Barry made trays of chicken parm, eggplant rollatini, meatballs, sausage and peppers, penne alla vodka, salad, tuna macaroni salad, potato salad, and what some were calling "chicken marsala" but I don't think it was chicken marsala. I think it was more of a chicken piccata because there were capers and it seemed to have a little coating on it. I ate at 2:30 that day and did not eat again until the next morning. The food was delicious. My personal favorites were the chicken piccata, meatballs, and tuna macaroni salad. Everything was tasty but those were especially noteworthy. The meatballs were great - they blew Lorenzo's out of the water. I would love it if Ann invited me to her house for meatball parm subs one night.
Ann informed me that Barry now has a food truck that will hopefully be up and running very soon. The truck is going to be named WTF- Wrap That Food. I can't wait for the truck to be up and running. I hope that it is parked on Brown Street on Fridays so that finally we can get a treat. Lunch time is always when I seem to miss Haley. If Barry's WTF truck is as good as the food at Ann's surprise bash, he'll be the next person you see on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives!
Summer vacation is here and my goal is to go to a new restaurant every week. Here's a list of places hope to soon try/return to are: The Guilford Mooring, The Place, Abbott's, Campania. If any intrigue you, let me know and you can help me blog! Until my next bite....
Barry made trays of chicken parm, eggplant rollatini, meatballs, sausage and peppers, penne alla vodka, salad, tuna macaroni salad, potato salad, and what some were calling "chicken marsala" but I don't think it was chicken marsala. I think it was more of a chicken piccata because there were capers and it seemed to have a little coating on it. I ate at 2:30 that day and did not eat again until the next morning. The food was delicious. My personal favorites were the chicken piccata, meatballs, and tuna macaroni salad. Everything was tasty but those were especially noteworthy. The meatballs were great - they blew Lorenzo's out of the water. I would love it if Ann invited me to her house for meatball parm subs one night.
Ann informed me that Barry now has a food truck that will hopefully be up and running very soon. The truck is going to be named WTF- Wrap That Food. I can't wait for the truck to be up and running. I hope that it is parked on Brown Street on Fridays so that finally we can get a treat. Lunch time is always when I seem to miss Haley. If Barry's WTF truck is as good as the food at Ann's surprise bash, he'll be the next person you see on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives!
Summer vacation is here and my goal is to go to a new restaurant every week. Here's a list of places hope to soon try/return to are: The Guilford Mooring, The Place, Abbott's, Campania. If any intrigue you, let me know and you can help me blog! Until my next bite....
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