Last night DJ and I joined some friends at The Melting Pot to celebrate my cousin Nicole's birthday. This was our first time there but not for some of the others we went with. It's in Darien which, by the way, is my absolute new favorite town in Connecticut. Now I realize that I will probably never be able to live in Darien, but it's a good goal to have. Maybe if DJ writes the next Harry Potter. Anyway, we took the Merritt to get there. It wasn't a bad ride at all. We got there a lot faster than I would've thought. Darien has a train station, is close to Norwalk, is close to New York, has a cute and quaint downtown, and is near the Trumbull mall. Can't go wrong. We went up with Josh and Mirissa. The restaurant has a parking lot and is located near a bunch of little shops and cafe-type places. I was surprised to see that all of them were closed because it was only around 5:00. Who knows what these people do in these towns. Either way, I can't wait to plan my next trip there.
We arrived a little early so we waited in the bar area. It seemed dead at the bar but then when we walked into the actual restaurant portion, it was packed! The configuration of the restaurant was odd. It seemed like you had to walk down these weird hallways and none of the rooms were very big. The owner did tell us that they want to expand and are hoping to open a new location soon. Possibly near Buckland Hills Mall. There were 10 of us and we were seated at one of those half booth - half tables. It was a snug fit but wasn't too bad. Naturally, Josh and DJ squashed into the booth while Mirissa and I sat across on the table side. We were given our menus and our drink orders were taken. I had the "deep south tea" which read as a southern twist to a Long Island tea. It was delicious. I checked with the waiter before ordering. I don't quite remember which liquors were used in this cocktail but it looked really cool. It was layered so it looked like green, white, and red from the bottom up. Very good. We were confused by the food menu and the whole fondue concept. Marla tried to steer us in the right direction but we just went on our own; live and learn.
They offer a 4-course meal so that's what DJ, Mirissa, and I did. Josh had to go it alone due to his allergy. Let's just say he is much braver than I. We ended up ordering the same thing. So our 4 course thing was around $40. This included a cheese fondue (we chose the bacon jalapeno) with bread, veggies, and apples, a salad of choice (out of 4 options), an individual meal, and a dessert fondue.
The cheese fondue was delicious. They bring a pot over and mix up the fondue of your choice right in front of you. DJ and I must have popped a whole bottle of Lactaid that night. Which it may be TMI, but I did not have to use the bathroom at all that night! Our table was very large so it had three "burners" for the pots. We had the bacon jalapeno- fabulous and Nicole's pot had the classic alpine. They give you the fondue forks and you can dip raw veggies, breads, and apple chunks. It was very tasty. After they clear your pots away, they bring out the salad. I chose the Caprese (fresh mooz and tomato) while the others in my 4-course chose the house salad. It was good but not the best choice. I already had a pot of cheese fondue and then I added some fresh mooz to the mix. Next time I'll get the house. And then came the part of the night I did not like...
They bring out whatever protein you chose for your main entree raw. Yes, raw. Our option had chicken, shrimp, and steak. I wasn't really a fan of having to handle these raw meats and having to worry about contaminating my food. You choose a type of broth and they put that in the pots. Our waiter told us that anything that walks would take 2 1/2 minutes to cook and anything that swims would take about a minute and a half. Now I know this is wrong. How could chicken take the same amount of time to cook as steak? I'll answer that for you. It doesn't. Those meats did not cook within that time. This also dragged out the time of the meal because you have to wait for your meal to cook about two pieces at a time. Our broth was the coq au vin, which I thought would have been lovely but it just added to the confusion. The red wine in the broth turned all of the meats purple so it was a challenge to know if it was cooked or not, so I was a nervous wreck with every bite of chicken. I was not a fan of the entree portion of the meal. It is cool, in a way, to cook your food in the fondue pot but you're essentially just boiling all of your meats. Boiled dinners suck. That's why people don't do them anymore. The chicken freaked me out and the steak tasted a little too meaty for me. I find when you have a high quality meat that it tastes too meaty. I can't quite describe it. It tastes like the smell of raw meat. Just give me some "can be eaten by humans" taco bell meat and I'm set. Kidding. Well, sort of. I do enjoy a taco bell and I don't always like those grass-fed organic beefs, but I still consider myself to be a bit of a food snob. So I didn't eat all of my steak but I did go to town on the shrimp. The shrimp were safely cooked and delicious! They also give you about 6-8 different dipping sauces that you can dip your meats and veggies in. My favorite was the teriyaki followed by the cocktail sauce. Lots of horseradish.
After the entree, they brought out a dessert menu. We chose the classic fondue- chocolate and peanut butter. Marla and Joe had the turtle fondue and Nicole had the yin-yang. I have to just say that I absolutely loved it! I'm not a huge fan of dessert but for some reason I could not stop eating this. They bring out a whole tray of dipping items- Rice Krispy Treats, blondies, brownies, pound cake, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, marshmallows, and I requested some apple slices. The cup with the apple slices had a hair on it. It grossed me out.... but I'm not going to lie, I ate them anyway. The hair wasn't touching any of the apples and it was more of lash or loose eyebrow hair. I could not stop. If it wasn't getting late and the waitstaff were not rushing us out because they had a party of 20 coming in after us, I would've burned my tongue from licking the fondue pot clean. It was good.
To sum up, I will definitely go back again. I will either skip out on the entree and just order cheese, salad, and dessert, or I will only get shrimp. No more chicken or steak for me. I will continue to ask for extra apples, I will order the deep south tea again, and I will pack my Lactaid again just in case. It's a great place to go if you are looking for an activity to do while you eat. You are no longer just limited to hibachi. I also love Darien so maybe I'll make a day out of it. I definitely would not recommend going there in a large group because of the tight quarters or if you are on a tight schedule. If you have the time and want to go out with a total of 4 or 6 people, then you're golden. While we were there, there were some girls with their parents out for their birthday. They were ridiculously loud and obnoxious. I would say they were about 13 years old? Once they left it was much nicer but overall, I had a great time. I'm very happy to be have been introduced to this restaurant so thank you Nicole and Jim for doing so. Check this place out! Until my next bite..
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Monday, December 14, 2015
West End for Breakfast
Sunday I met my friend, Chrissy, for breakfast. We had a lot of catching up to do and were looking for somewhere to eat. I had the idea of going to West End Bistro because although I've gone there twice before, I had never tried the breakfast.
The parking is not that great. There's really no street parking and that lot is shared by several businesses, AND that Valero/Dunkin is a total death trap! We walked in and were told to sit wherever we wanted. There were quite a few people there but there were still plenty of open tables. I really like what they have done with the place. It's cute, cozy, and cleaner than it's ever been. We took a look at the large menu and had a little trouble deciding what to order. I wanted to order pancakes but I have such a hard time ordering them for the first time somewhere. I consider myself to be a pancake snob. I only pancakes a certain way and because I don't use syrup, they have to taste good. I usually eat pancakes from Chips and Cracker Barrel. I was feeling brave but then I didn't want my whole meal to be a bust if I didn't like them. I'm also beginning to lose my taste for breakfast meats. I was never a fan of breakfast sausage, I'm liking bacon less and less, and I need to take a couple years' break from ham. I also don't like home fries because I'm not a huge fan of potatoes. So if I ordered pancakes they would have to be good because there was no side dish that I could order as a "back up" meal. I chickened out and didn't order them. I thought about getting eggs Benedict but I mentioned my feelings on breakfast meats. I didn't want to get an omelette or just eggs so after talking with Chrissy, I decided to get two poached eggs with corned beef hash.
I was very pleased with my decision. The eggs were pretty big! I saw them and began to fear that they would taste of vinegar like they did at The Plate but they were not. They were delicious and perfectly cooked. The eggs tasted great and the yolk just bled out as soon as you put your butter knife through it. The corned beef hash was homemade and you could tell. You could see the skins from the potatoes (so you could tell they weren't those gross little white cubes of potato in the can) and there were nice shreds of corned beef all throughout. It was very flavorful and nicely cooked. It was also served with homefries, which I felt like was overkill. I already had the hash, I didn't need more potatoes. I didn't taste them but they just looked like plain potatoes. My mom would like that because she hates homefries with a lot of onion. The best part was the bread! I just said white toast but this was no Sunbeam slice. This was a nice crusty piece of bread. It was toasted properly and was loaded with melted butter. Absolutely sinful! I didn't use any jelly, just dipped a little in the egg yolk and mostly ate it plain. That's when you know something tastes good - when you can just eat it plain. So I'd say that my breakfast was a success! I will definitely be back for breakfast.
Our waitress was very kind and attentive. She frequently refilled our coffee and so did the other waitress working that morning. The coffee was a little weak but I'd rather have the coffee be a little too weak than a little too strong. Chrissy had eggs over medium with bacon and wheat toast. She said she liked hers and that the eggs were cooked perfectly. Chrissy and I have shared many a breakfast together and now that I'm thinking back as I type, I realize she has a very distinct way of eating her eggs. She usually taps the top of the egg and leaves the broken yolk on the top of her eggs. I can't quite recall but I don't think she dips the toast in the egg, she may just fork the egg and take a bite of toast. Either way, she enjoyed her meal.
I have a mixed feeling about West End Bistro as far as lunch is concerned, but the breakfast is delicious. I would like to go back there again in the near future. I also want to try more of their dinner-type meals. I'm not crazy for their sandwiches. I think they're a little too over the top. Almost like they are trying too hard to create something so unique and ridiculous. Just cook simply and cook well. That breakfast was simple and it was delicious! The next time I return there I probably won't write another post. I'm hoping to hit up some new restaurants over Christmas break. The next time I grab a bite, I'll take some time to write. Happy holiday eating!
The parking is not that great. There's really no street parking and that lot is shared by several businesses, AND that Valero/Dunkin is a total death trap! We walked in and were told to sit wherever we wanted. There were quite a few people there but there were still plenty of open tables. I really like what they have done with the place. It's cute, cozy, and cleaner than it's ever been. We took a look at the large menu and had a little trouble deciding what to order. I wanted to order pancakes but I have such a hard time ordering them for the first time somewhere. I consider myself to be a pancake snob. I only pancakes a certain way and because I don't use syrup, they have to taste good. I usually eat pancakes from Chips and Cracker Barrel. I was feeling brave but then I didn't want my whole meal to be a bust if I didn't like them. I'm also beginning to lose my taste for breakfast meats. I was never a fan of breakfast sausage, I'm liking bacon less and less, and I need to take a couple years' break from ham. I also don't like home fries because I'm not a huge fan of potatoes. So if I ordered pancakes they would have to be good because there was no side dish that I could order as a "back up" meal. I chickened out and didn't order them. I thought about getting eggs Benedict but I mentioned my feelings on breakfast meats. I didn't want to get an omelette or just eggs so after talking with Chrissy, I decided to get two poached eggs with corned beef hash.
I was very pleased with my decision. The eggs were pretty big! I saw them and began to fear that they would taste of vinegar like they did at The Plate but they were not. They were delicious and perfectly cooked. The eggs tasted great and the yolk just bled out as soon as you put your butter knife through it. The corned beef hash was homemade and you could tell. You could see the skins from the potatoes (so you could tell they weren't those gross little white cubes of potato in the can) and there were nice shreds of corned beef all throughout. It was very flavorful and nicely cooked. It was also served with homefries, which I felt like was overkill. I already had the hash, I didn't need more potatoes. I didn't taste them but they just looked like plain potatoes. My mom would like that because she hates homefries with a lot of onion. The best part was the bread! I just said white toast but this was no Sunbeam slice. This was a nice crusty piece of bread. It was toasted properly and was loaded with melted butter. Absolutely sinful! I didn't use any jelly, just dipped a little in the egg yolk and mostly ate it plain. That's when you know something tastes good - when you can just eat it plain. So I'd say that my breakfast was a success! I will definitely be back for breakfast.
Our waitress was very kind and attentive. She frequently refilled our coffee and so did the other waitress working that morning. The coffee was a little weak but I'd rather have the coffee be a little too weak than a little too strong. Chrissy had eggs over medium with bacon and wheat toast. She said she liked hers and that the eggs were cooked perfectly. Chrissy and I have shared many a breakfast together and now that I'm thinking back as I type, I realize she has a very distinct way of eating her eggs. She usually taps the top of the egg and leaves the broken yolk on the top of her eggs. I can't quite recall but I don't think she dips the toast in the egg, she may just fork the egg and take a bite of toast. Either way, she enjoyed her meal.
I have a mixed feeling about West End Bistro as far as lunch is concerned, but the breakfast is delicious. I would like to go back there again in the near future. I also want to try more of their dinner-type meals. I'm not crazy for their sandwiches. I think they're a little too over the top. Almost like they are trying too hard to create something so unique and ridiculous. Just cook simply and cook well. That breakfast was simple and it was delicious! The next time I return there I probably won't write another post. I'm hoping to hit up some new restaurants over Christmas break. The next time I grab a bite, I'll take some time to write. Happy holiday eating!
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Gigi's Wood Fired Pizza - Milford, CT
Today we went to get our Christmas tree. After some debate over where to go, how to travel there, who will drive, what time, we ended up at our old faithful, Jones Tree Farm. We decided to go there fairly early to beat the midday rush, This year goes down in the record books as the easiest tree picking experience. DJ, my brother and I were in charge of choosing and cutting (not me) down the tree. We knew we both wanted a Blue Spruce and we both didn't feel like climbing up the mountain this year, so we started off by looking at the trees near the parking lot. Lucky for us, we both ended up finding our trees within minutes. After the trees were up, decorated, and the homes were cleaned, my brother offered to take us out to dinner. We went to a pizza restaurant that he wanted us to try. We went to Gigi's in Milford. It is located down the Post Road just under the bridge for the Merritt in the former location of The BBQ.
We went very early considering it was a Saturday. Good thing that we did because the place is not very big and was PACKED! The restaurant is small and nice. Very casual. It's nothing fancy and there is another section of it which is just a bar. Our waitress was nice and gave us these delicious rolls while we waited for our food. They were fabulous. They were just rolls, I guess garlic rolls but not your normal type of garlic bread. They had like a garlic salt on the outside and they had olive oil and Parmesan cheese on the table. Very good. We ordered buffalo wings for an appetizer, which were also cooked in the fire wood oven. The wings were crispy and spicy. Nothing out of this world but still very good. For dinner we ordered three large pizzas: 1 sausage and mushroom because that's all my dad ever gets, one half meatball half eggplant, and one duck. My brother is actually the one who wanted to try the duck pizza. It had duck, caramelized onion, fontina cheese, mozzarella, and a balsamic glaze. It certainly is not your typical pizza but it was very good. The duck tasted almost like jerky and the balsamic reduction added a sweetness to it. I wasn't crazy for the meatball but I'm not a huge meatball pizza fan. The sausage and mushroom was good. It had fresh mushrooms and not the canned ones. The eggplant was fabulous. That is slowly becoming my new favorite pizza topping. I'm keeping that one in my back pocket for when lent arrives.
Needless to say, we were stuffed! No room for dessert, although they did offer to show us a menu. I also feel like they have specialty coffees. They also offer quite a few appetizers, dinners, wings, and specialty pizzas. To sum up, it was a great experience. The pizza was flavorful and it offered unique topping choices. The wood fire oven gave a nice crunchiness and smokiness to the pizza. And the pizza was also a thin crust. The atmosphere is cozy and casual. I would definitely go back again but make sure you time it right. I couldn't believe how packed it was between 4:30 and 5. I also saw people picking up to-go orders but it's too far for us to do take out. I hope you check it out and have as good an experience as we did. Hopefully, I'll have another update for you soon. Until my next bite..
We went very early considering it was a Saturday. Good thing that we did because the place is not very big and was PACKED! The restaurant is small and nice. Very casual. It's nothing fancy and there is another section of it which is just a bar. Our waitress was nice and gave us these delicious rolls while we waited for our food. They were fabulous. They were just rolls, I guess garlic rolls but not your normal type of garlic bread. They had like a garlic salt on the outside and they had olive oil and Parmesan cheese on the table. Very good. We ordered buffalo wings for an appetizer, which were also cooked in the fire wood oven. The wings were crispy and spicy. Nothing out of this world but still very good. For dinner we ordered three large pizzas: 1 sausage and mushroom because that's all my dad ever gets, one half meatball half eggplant, and one duck. My brother is actually the one who wanted to try the duck pizza. It had duck, caramelized onion, fontina cheese, mozzarella, and a balsamic glaze. It certainly is not your typical pizza but it was very good. The duck tasted almost like jerky and the balsamic reduction added a sweetness to it. I wasn't crazy for the meatball but I'm not a huge meatball pizza fan. The sausage and mushroom was good. It had fresh mushrooms and not the canned ones. The eggplant was fabulous. That is slowly becoming my new favorite pizza topping. I'm keeping that one in my back pocket for when lent arrives.
Needless to say, we were stuffed! No room for dessert, although they did offer to show us a menu. I also feel like they have specialty coffees. They also offer quite a few appetizers, dinners, wings, and specialty pizzas. To sum up, it was a great experience. The pizza was flavorful and it offered unique topping choices. The wood fire oven gave a nice crunchiness and smokiness to the pizza. And the pizza was also a thin crust. The atmosphere is cozy and casual. I would definitely go back again but make sure you time it right. I couldn't believe how packed it was between 4:30 and 5. I also saw people picking up to-go orders but it's too far for us to do take out. I hope you check it out and have as good an experience as we did. Hopefully, I'll have another update for you soon. Until my next bite..
Monday, July 20, 2015
Re-visit of West End Bistro and The Place
Well, usually I feel like I post a positive blog but not quite this time. On Friday I went with our group of friends for our second visit to The Place in Guilford, CT. We went between 6:30-7 on a Friday. There were plenty of tables open but it was difficult to get the tables together for a group of 15 people. No one came over to us to seat us or ask us why we were all standing around. Eventually we went up to a waitress and she told us we could move the tables and stumps so that we could all sit together. Last time we went Michelle had an incident with bug bites so we made sure to bring bug spray and sprayed the area, our stumps, and legs quite well.
The Place is fun. It's a good place to go if you want to sit outside and have a relaxed, laid back time without having to do the cooking or waiting on, or if you don't have a place of your own to host such an event. The menu is short and simple and is posted on a wood board near the grills. They offer roasted clams, mussels, steamers, shrimp, salmon, blue fish, catfish, bbq chicken, lobster, steak, veggie bobs, roasted corn, and a few desserts. You can bring your own sides, drinks, etc. The food was better last time but I don't think it's really that great. It might have been fine, except the service was terrible. After we finally pulled the tables together, it took a while for someone to come over to us. They have a few sodas and water. She only brought over one pitcher of water and plastic cups. We all could've gone for a refill but it was hard to get someone's attention. She took our orders. We had quite a few steaks, a few shrimp, a salmon, a veggie bob and mussels for me, roasted clams, a blue fish and about 4 roasted corn. It took a long time for us to get any food at all. When we did, it was a few items at a time. I realize we had a large order and the food had to be cooked at different temperatures and for different amounts of time, but I just think that is terrible when a portion of your party is eating while the other portion is accepting $50 bets to steal another customer's egg roll. (Seinfeld reference) My mussels were okay. They were supposed to be in a white wine broth. They did not taste like any other flavoring had been put on the mussels. I do love a mussel so I ate them all but they lacked in flavor. I even added salt to the broth. They gave me a cup of broth but nothing to dip in that flavorless broth. All the steaks were cooked well-done regardless of the temperature requested. The roasted corn came out 10 minutes after everyone finished eating their entree and the clams came out 20 minutes after. The food was a little expensive. Granted, the menu mostly consists of seafood but even the corn is $5. I mean $5 can buy you 2 dozen corn if you time it correctly. I mean maybe even more than that!
To sum up, The Place is fun to go to for the place. The atmosphere is nice, the idea of it is pretty cool, but it's not a place to go to for great food. Maybe this was a rough night but I mean a Friday night in July? You should have your best staff on. The waitresses are all teenagers. Not that all teenagers are bad but these were teenagers with an attitude. I get that it's Friday night during the summer and you don't want to be working, but unless your banking on starring on the 19th season of "16 and Pregnant" then you better do your job. Last time we went I had ordered the lobster. I thought it was very dry. After watching a number of grilling cooking specials the Food Network, I've learned that you are supposed to parboil the lobster first and then put the lobster on the grill. The guy on "The Kitchen" even cut the lobster in half lengthwise and then put it on the grill. (PS- I recently boiled lobsters and they do not scream when you drop them in the water...) I didn't actually see them cook the lobster at The Place but I feel as though they didn't boil it first or if they did, they boiled it hours ago. Another note on the lobster, they do not have crackers so bring your own crackers. They gave me a rock when I was not prepared. I don't want any of my blog readers to look like dummies when they're out there trying my reviewed restaurants.
Now read on for my second re-visit. This re-visit is of West End Bistro in West Haven.
Today I went to West End Bistro after a nice sweaty beach walk with Amy and CJ. It was in the afternoon- lunch time. It was brutally hot and humid today. We were hoping to go in and cool off but the restaurant was a little on the warm side as well. We sat near the window. Again, the restaurant was empty, Two other people came in while we were there but at first, we were the only customers. The waitress was very nice and accommodating. We ordered the Reuben perogies for an appetizer. Delicious. They weren't as doughy as I thought they would be but then again I am someone who had her first perogie two years ago. They're not exactly my forte.
To eat, I ended up trying the "pigs in a blanket." I have to say I was disappointed. First of all, it was a total mess to eat. Yellow mustard was all over the top of it and while I ate it it looked like I had chicklets for teeth and my hands had mustard all over them. Second of all, the hot dogs were not Hummel's. I'm sorry but if you're a restaurant in West Haven, Connecticut, you need to serving Hummel's hot dogs. It was an all-beef hot dog. I just can't. You take that bite and ugh it's just so dark and unappealing. Third of all, the chili was not very good. It didn't mix well with the sauerkraut and mustard. I don't know which was really the worst part.. was it the mustard that tasted funny, or the chili, or the combination? Either way, I only ended up eating half and the fries were different. I loved the fries last time but this time they were completely different. Are there two different chefs that prepare them differently, are they testing out different recipes, or are they buying frozen fries? They were not as good and my hot dog was not very good either. I'm surprised I even got the half that I ate down. Amy ordered the chipotle chicken salad wrap. She liked it. She ate it. But she also wasn't raving about it. CJ didn't order anything he just looked cute and danced with me.
Because I was let down by the hot dog, I ordered a cupcake. It was a raspberry lemon cupcake. It was pretty good, though I mostly ate the cake and scraped off most of the frosting.
Overall, it was okay. I wouldn't say, "You should never go there," but I don't think I would say, "You have to get there as soon as possible." The burger was good, the hot dog not so much. I would like to go try it again but I'm also not in a rush. I'm afraid that sometimes I write these glowing, positive reviews because I WANT a lot of these restaurants to be good but they're not. West Haven needs to have some good restaurants. The location that was once Frankie's for what seemed to be 100 years, should be a restaurant. The old Friendly's building should be a Friendly's again, or something great. What about a Joe's Crab Shack? I think these restaurants just need to have the classics. I know places want to have fancy, exotic menu options to pull you in but that's not the best way to pull in customers. The food you make should be fantastic, amazing, out of this world. If you could just make a few classic dishes perfectly, you'd be all set. I don't think there's a restaurant in the area that I absolutely LOVE. There are places I like, places I go to frequently, but no where that I crave.
These most recent restaurant visits have been total letdowns. Maybe you'll have a different experience. A better one, hopefully. I'll keep you posted on my future restaurant visits. Until my next bite...
The Place is fun. It's a good place to go if you want to sit outside and have a relaxed, laid back time without having to do the cooking or waiting on, or if you don't have a place of your own to host such an event. The menu is short and simple and is posted on a wood board near the grills. They offer roasted clams, mussels, steamers, shrimp, salmon, blue fish, catfish, bbq chicken, lobster, steak, veggie bobs, roasted corn, and a few desserts. You can bring your own sides, drinks, etc. The food was better last time but I don't think it's really that great. It might have been fine, except the service was terrible. After we finally pulled the tables together, it took a while for someone to come over to us. They have a few sodas and water. She only brought over one pitcher of water and plastic cups. We all could've gone for a refill but it was hard to get someone's attention. She took our orders. We had quite a few steaks, a few shrimp, a salmon, a veggie bob and mussels for me, roasted clams, a blue fish and about 4 roasted corn. It took a long time for us to get any food at all. When we did, it was a few items at a time. I realize we had a large order and the food had to be cooked at different temperatures and for different amounts of time, but I just think that is terrible when a portion of your party is eating while the other portion is accepting $50 bets to steal another customer's egg roll. (Seinfeld reference) My mussels were okay. They were supposed to be in a white wine broth. They did not taste like any other flavoring had been put on the mussels. I do love a mussel so I ate them all but they lacked in flavor. I even added salt to the broth. They gave me a cup of broth but nothing to dip in that flavorless broth. All the steaks were cooked well-done regardless of the temperature requested. The roasted corn came out 10 minutes after everyone finished eating their entree and the clams came out 20 minutes after. The food was a little expensive. Granted, the menu mostly consists of seafood but even the corn is $5. I mean $5 can buy you 2 dozen corn if you time it correctly. I mean maybe even more than that!
To sum up, The Place is fun to go to for the place. The atmosphere is nice, the idea of it is pretty cool, but it's not a place to go to for great food. Maybe this was a rough night but I mean a Friday night in July? You should have your best staff on. The waitresses are all teenagers. Not that all teenagers are bad but these were teenagers with an attitude. I get that it's Friday night during the summer and you don't want to be working, but unless your banking on starring on the 19th season of "16 and Pregnant" then you better do your job. Last time we went I had ordered the lobster. I thought it was very dry. After watching a number of grilling cooking specials the Food Network, I've learned that you are supposed to parboil the lobster first and then put the lobster on the grill. The guy on "The Kitchen" even cut the lobster in half lengthwise and then put it on the grill. (PS- I recently boiled lobsters and they do not scream when you drop them in the water...) I didn't actually see them cook the lobster at The Place but I feel as though they didn't boil it first or if they did, they boiled it hours ago. Another note on the lobster, they do not have crackers so bring your own crackers. They gave me a rock when I was not prepared. I don't want any of my blog readers to look like dummies when they're out there trying my reviewed restaurants.
Now read on for my second re-visit. This re-visit is of West End Bistro in West Haven.
Today I went to West End Bistro after a nice sweaty beach walk with Amy and CJ. It was in the afternoon- lunch time. It was brutally hot and humid today. We were hoping to go in and cool off but the restaurant was a little on the warm side as well. We sat near the window. Again, the restaurant was empty, Two other people came in while we were there but at first, we were the only customers. The waitress was very nice and accommodating. We ordered the Reuben perogies for an appetizer. Delicious. They weren't as doughy as I thought they would be but then again I am someone who had her first perogie two years ago. They're not exactly my forte.
To eat, I ended up trying the "pigs in a blanket." I have to say I was disappointed. First of all, it was a total mess to eat. Yellow mustard was all over the top of it and while I ate it it looked like I had chicklets for teeth and my hands had mustard all over them. Second of all, the hot dogs were not Hummel's. I'm sorry but if you're a restaurant in West Haven, Connecticut, you need to serving Hummel's hot dogs. It was an all-beef hot dog. I just can't. You take that bite and ugh it's just so dark and unappealing. Third of all, the chili was not very good. It didn't mix well with the sauerkraut and mustard. I don't know which was really the worst part.. was it the mustard that tasted funny, or the chili, or the combination? Either way, I only ended up eating half and the fries were different. I loved the fries last time but this time they were completely different. Are there two different chefs that prepare them differently, are they testing out different recipes, or are they buying frozen fries? They were not as good and my hot dog was not very good either. I'm surprised I even got the half that I ate down. Amy ordered the chipotle chicken salad wrap. She liked it. She ate it. But she also wasn't raving about it. CJ didn't order anything he just looked cute and danced with me.
Because I was let down by the hot dog, I ordered a cupcake. It was a raspberry lemon cupcake. It was pretty good, though I mostly ate the cake and scraped off most of the frosting.
Overall, it was okay. I wouldn't say, "You should never go there," but I don't think I would say, "You have to get there as soon as possible." The burger was good, the hot dog not so much. I would like to go try it again but I'm also not in a rush. I'm afraid that sometimes I write these glowing, positive reviews because I WANT a lot of these restaurants to be good but they're not. West Haven needs to have some good restaurants. The location that was once Frankie's for what seemed to be 100 years, should be a restaurant. The old Friendly's building should be a Friendly's again, or something great. What about a Joe's Crab Shack? I think these restaurants just need to have the classics. I know places want to have fancy, exotic menu options to pull you in but that's not the best way to pull in customers. The food you make should be fantastic, amazing, out of this world. If you could just make a few classic dishes perfectly, you'd be all set. I don't think there's a restaurant in the area that I absolutely LOVE. There are places I like, places I go to frequently, but no where that I crave.
These most recent restaurant visits have been total letdowns. Maybe you'll have a different experience. A better one, hopefully. I'll keep you posted on my future restaurant visits. Until my next bite...
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
West End Bistro - West Haven, CT
Today DJ and I had a little change in plans, so we just ran around today doing all different things. We had a slow start to the day so we decided to have a late lunch / early dinner. We noticed on Facebook that West End Bistro has extended their hours. They are now open Monday-Thursday 8-6 pm, Friday and Saturday 8-8 pm, and Sunday 7-3 pm. We've been meaning to give it a try but never had been around when they were open before. I am very excited about these hours of operation. Anyway, it was raining like crazy when we pulled in to the parking lot. We waited for the downpour to slow down and then dashed in the restaurant.
The decor is completely different than it used to be. That building has gone through dramatic changes. First Frankie's, then Sandy's, and now the Bistro. It was cute, clean, and cozy. We arrived at the restaurant around 4:00, which is a lull time, so we weren't surprised to see the place empty. The waitress was very friendly and attentive. It was a little awkward because we were the only customers in the restaurant but she wasn't too pushy, yet she was in sight if we needed her. The menu is rather large, which is usually a "no-no" in Gordon's book but if you look at the descriptions, a lot of the meals have similar ingredients. They serve breakfast, lunch, and some dinner dishes.
DJ ordered pretzel bites- little pretzel nuggets with cheese, wrapped in bacon, and served with a homemade coarse mustard. They were very tasty. It's a good snack that makes me feel like I should be watching football while eating them. I knew I would be blogging about this visit so I felt very Master Chef - esque while tasting the food. For our meal choices, DJ ordered "The 'Morte' Bomb" which is shaved steak, caramelized onions, grilled peppers, romaine lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic mayo on a sub roll. ($10) He ordered his sandwich with onion rings which were homemade. It was a huge sub! I couldn't believe how much food was loaded on his plate. DJ was only able to eat half of the sub after eating all those pretzel bites. He said it was very good and brought the other half home. I was going back and forth between two options. I was thinking of ordering the pork chop au'jus that comes with truffle fries and tomatoes but I ended up ordering the pretzel burger. But now that I'm looking at the menu again I wish I ordered the pigs in a blanket. I think I just automatically dismissed that because I thought it was the traditional sausage links wrapped in a pancake but it's actually two bacon wrapped hot dogs, topped with chili, cheese fondue, sauerkraut and mustard! Right up my alley! I am addicted to two things this summer- hot dogs and raw clams. Raw oysters will be my next experiment. It was a good sized burger with smoked gouda, romaine lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, on a pretzel roll with garlic mayo. My burger came with homemade fries that were out of this world! They were simple cut fries but they had what seemed to be some sort of batter. They were very crispy and delicious. They were not ridged, they were plain fries but oh so good. I didn't even add salt to them. The burger was difficult to eat so I had to cut it in half. Overall, I would say the burger was delicious. The only thing that bothered me was the cheese. Gouda is not a cheese that I frequently eat but I thought I would just roll with it. Not the case. The Gouda did not fit well on the burger. On any type of burger you need a good melting cheese. Gouda is not one of those. They put two slices on with that "skin" looking right at you. They didn't get really warm and didn't melt very much. Next time I order this burger, I will request American cheese. When it comes to cheese, I'm very simple. American, mozzarella, cheddar, Muenster, and only provolone and Swiss if they are melted. Any of the other fancy cheeses I'm not really in to. That burger would be absolute perfection if only the cheese were changed. Other than that, I thought the burger was dynamite. It was cooked perfectly. Very tender, very juicy, flavorful. Good. The burgers range from $8-$13.
Both of us were stuffed when we left and still had food on the plate. I always feel bad about that but I can only eat what my stomach can fit. This happens to me a lot. You eat in the morning and then get caught up in the day and you don't get a chance to eat until later on. You're starving just before eating, to the point where you may just faint, but then you begin to eat and stuff your face you're full after three bites. Go figure. They do offer desserts at the Bistro. Today they had a chocolate lemon cheesecake, which sounded delicious. They also sell specialty cupcakes that are in a case near the counter. We didn't order dessert this time out but it is something I hope to do in the future. The waitress gave us take-out menus to bring home and informed us that they are looking into delivery.
I have to say I enjoyed this new restaurant. You can tell that the owners appreciate their customers and want to succeed. The food is very good, the prices are fine. It's not exactly a cheap date but it's also not ridiculously priced like Georgie's. Like their Facebook page to learn about changes in hours, specials, and new menu ideas that the chefs are testing out. If West End Bistro continues to put out what we received today, in terms of service and food, I see this being a West Haven icon. Also based on their responses on their Facebook page, they are very open to suggestions and have listened to the feedback of their customers. I will be back again and I will let you know how my second visit goes. I invite you all to give it a try in the meantime. Until my next bite...
The decor is completely different than it used to be. That building has gone through dramatic changes. First Frankie's, then Sandy's, and now the Bistro. It was cute, clean, and cozy. We arrived at the restaurant around 4:00, which is a lull time, so we weren't surprised to see the place empty. The waitress was very friendly and attentive. It was a little awkward because we were the only customers in the restaurant but she wasn't too pushy, yet she was in sight if we needed her. The menu is rather large, which is usually a "no-no" in Gordon's book but if you look at the descriptions, a lot of the meals have similar ingredients. They serve breakfast, lunch, and some dinner dishes.
DJ ordered pretzel bites- little pretzel nuggets with cheese, wrapped in bacon, and served with a homemade coarse mustard. They were very tasty. It's a good snack that makes me feel like I should be watching football while eating them. I knew I would be blogging about this visit so I felt very Master Chef - esque while tasting the food. For our meal choices, DJ ordered "The 'Morte' Bomb" which is shaved steak, caramelized onions, grilled peppers, romaine lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic mayo on a sub roll. ($10) He ordered his sandwich with onion rings which were homemade. It was a huge sub! I couldn't believe how much food was loaded on his plate. DJ was only able to eat half of the sub after eating all those pretzel bites. He said it was very good and brought the other half home. I was going back and forth between two options. I was thinking of ordering the pork chop au'jus that comes with truffle fries and tomatoes but I ended up ordering the pretzel burger. But now that I'm looking at the menu again I wish I ordered the pigs in a blanket. I think I just automatically dismissed that because I thought it was the traditional sausage links wrapped in a pancake but it's actually two bacon wrapped hot dogs, topped with chili, cheese fondue, sauerkraut and mustard! Right up my alley! I am addicted to two things this summer- hot dogs and raw clams. Raw oysters will be my next experiment. It was a good sized burger with smoked gouda, romaine lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, on a pretzel roll with garlic mayo. My burger came with homemade fries that were out of this world! They were simple cut fries but they had what seemed to be some sort of batter. They were very crispy and delicious. They were not ridged, they were plain fries but oh so good. I didn't even add salt to them. The burger was difficult to eat so I had to cut it in half. Overall, I would say the burger was delicious. The only thing that bothered me was the cheese. Gouda is not a cheese that I frequently eat but I thought I would just roll with it. Not the case. The Gouda did not fit well on the burger. On any type of burger you need a good melting cheese. Gouda is not one of those. They put two slices on with that "skin" looking right at you. They didn't get really warm and didn't melt very much. Next time I order this burger, I will request American cheese. When it comes to cheese, I'm very simple. American, mozzarella, cheddar, Muenster, and only provolone and Swiss if they are melted. Any of the other fancy cheeses I'm not really in to. That burger would be absolute perfection if only the cheese were changed. Other than that, I thought the burger was dynamite. It was cooked perfectly. Very tender, very juicy, flavorful. Good. The burgers range from $8-$13.
Both of us were stuffed when we left and still had food on the plate. I always feel bad about that but I can only eat what my stomach can fit. This happens to me a lot. You eat in the morning and then get caught up in the day and you don't get a chance to eat until later on. You're starving just before eating, to the point where you may just faint, but then you begin to eat and stuff your face you're full after three bites. Go figure. They do offer desserts at the Bistro. Today they had a chocolate lemon cheesecake, which sounded delicious. They also sell specialty cupcakes that are in a case near the counter. We didn't order dessert this time out but it is something I hope to do in the future. The waitress gave us take-out menus to bring home and informed us that they are looking into delivery.
I have to say I enjoyed this new restaurant. You can tell that the owners appreciate their customers and want to succeed. The food is very good, the prices are fine. It's not exactly a cheap date but it's also not ridiculously priced like Georgie's. Like their Facebook page to learn about changes in hours, specials, and new menu ideas that the chefs are testing out. If West End Bistro continues to put out what we received today, in terms of service and food, I see this being a West Haven icon. Also based on their responses on their Facebook page, they are very open to suggestions and have listened to the feedback of their customers. I will be back again and I will let you know how my second visit goes. I invite you all to give it a try in the meantime. Until my next bite...
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Dad's Birthday at Scribner's
So we all decided to take my dad out for his birthday. My dad loves to have a birth-week celebration. After we went to Scribner's a couple of times in the past couple of months, I decided that that would be a great place to take my dad for his birthday. He was a huge fan of Chuck's Steakhouse but now that that's gone, there really aren't too many nice restaurants. I've said this before in my earlier posts but unfortunately, it remains true. Most of the restaurants around here are either a chain, a breakfast/lunch place, or an Italian restaurant. Don't get me wrong- I'm half Italian- I love Italian food but sometimes you want something a little fancier. This was the third time I had gone to Scribner's in about 3 months. I never even knew a restaurant was located where it is and now it's one of my new faves. I really like this restaurant and recommend it for any upcoming events. I believe they even do banquets there.
Anywho, we took my dad out to Scribner's. I made reservations. I always like to make reservations if the restaurant takes them. We had a different waitress this time. I believe her name was Karen. She was just as nice as Wendy. To start, my mom, dad, and I had Rhode Island clam chowder and my brother and DJ had the lobster bisque. The chowder was good- needed some salt but it was chock full of clams. DJ said that the lobster bisque tasted good but it didn't look very bisque-ee. It looked a lot more soupy than a bisque. But as long as something tastes good, that's all that counts. I don't do bisque. It's way too rich for my stomach. I think I only tasted bisque once before and it definitely killed me. That's also why I prefer Rhode Island over New England chowder. Even though in Rhode Island they don't typically serve RI chowder. Karen brought bread and butter over to the table as well.
After the soup, we all had the salad that comes with your entree. Everyone except my dad had the house dressing which is a gorgonzola-bacon vinaigrette. My dad had the raspberry poppy seed. The house vinaigrette is very very good. I'm not crazy for salad but I do enjoy this dressing. My dad ate all of his salad, including all of the "field greens" so that leads me to believe that raspberry was very tasty as well.
For our main course, Dad had the baked stuffed shrimp with rice and veggies, my mom had the Salmon Woodbridge also with rice and veggies, DJ had the Sicilian chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, my brother had the special- Himalayan tuna, and I had the scallops and risotto. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Every dinner that wasn't served over a starch came with the choice of rice, French fries, or garlic mashed potatoes. You'll have to check out the website, which also posts daily (I really think they're weekly) specials. Here, I'll cut and paste the descriptions of our meals.
Scallops Risotto - Fresh Sea Scallops pan seared and finished with chef’s choice risotto. 23.95
Baked Stuffed Shrimp - 3 Colossal Shrimp stuffed with our seafood dressing and baked. Served with drawn butter. 21.95
Salmon Woodbridge - Fresh fillet of Salmon sautéed with mushrooms and finished in a red wine reduction sauce with shallots, fresh thyme and a squeeze of lemon. 24.95
Chicken Sicilian ~ Boneless breast of chicken sautéed and served with a sauce of sundried tomatoes, onions, garlic, kalamata olives. and fresh herbs Served over fried eggplant and topped with provolone cheese. 18.95
Himalayan Tuna — Fresh filet of Tuna seared (Rare) with Himalayan pink salt, served over roasted pineapple with a touch of teriyaki glaze. — 23.95
I just have to say that my scallops were absolutely delicious! I wanted to order them because of my boy, Gordon Ramsay. On "Hell's Kitchen" they ALWAYS make risotto and scallops and here is a dish comprised of both of those items. This dish would have certainly passed Gordon's inspection. The risotto was delicious. Creamy not mushy but not too al dente. The scallops were absolute perfection. Cooked perfect. Seared with a nice crust on the outside, yet moist and meaty on the inside. They were flavorful and complimented the risotto nicely. It was also served with mixed vegetables - string beans, squash, and carrots.
We also ordered dessert. I just got coffee but tasted some of the others. My mom had key lime pie- lovely, DJ had the turtle sundae, my dad had the depot pie, and my brother had a fancy coffee. We were stuffed to the gills and had a very enjoyable evening. The bill wasn't even as high as I had expected. Very nice night had by all. Everyone was comfortable inside the restaurant, everyone enjoyed their food, and the waitress was there to refill and meet all of our other needs. I will definitely be there many more times over the course of the summer.
I hope to eat in the other smaller room with the fireplace. I may have to wait for a summer weekend for it to get crowded enough to open up the other room. A delicious dinner. Please swing by. It is a great restaurant and we want to have it around for another 40+ years! Until my next bite...
Anywho, we took my dad out to Scribner's. I made reservations. I always like to make reservations if the restaurant takes them. We had a different waitress this time. I believe her name was Karen. She was just as nice as Wendy. To start, my mom, dad, and I had Rhode Island clam chowder and my brother and DJ had the lobster bisque. The chowder was good- needed some salt but it was chock full of clams. DJ said that the lobster bisque tasted good but it didn't look very bisque-ee. It looked a lot more soupy than a bisque. But as long as something tastes good, that's all that counts. I don't do bisque. It's way too rich for my stomach. I think I only tasted bisque once before and it definitely killed me. That's also why I prefer Rhode Island over New England chowder. Even though in Rhode Island they don't typically serve RI chowder. Karen brought bread and butter over to the table as well.
After the soup, we all had the salad that comes with your entree. Everyone except my dad had the house dressing which is a gorgonzola-bacon vinaigrette. My dad had the raspberry poppy seed. The house vinaigrette is very very good. I'm not crazy for salad but I do enjoy this dressing. My dad ate all of his salad, including all of the "field greens" so that leads me to believe that raspberry was very tasty as well.
For our main course, Dad had the baked stuffed shrimp with rice and veggies, my mom had the Salmon Woodbridge also with rice and veggies, DJ had the Sicilian chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, my brother had the special- Himalayan tuna, and I had the scallops and risotto. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Every dinner that wasn't served over a starch came with the choice of rice, French fries, or garlic mashed potatoes. You'll have to check out the website, which also posts daily (I really think they're weekly) specials. Here, I'll cut and paste the descriptions of our meals.
Scallops Risotto - Fresh Sea Scallops pan seared and finished with chef’s choice risotto. 23.95
Baked Stuffed Shrimp - 3 Colossal Shrimp stuffed with our seafood dressing and baked. Served with drawn butter. 21.95
Salmon Woodbridge - Fresh fillet of Salmon sautéed with mushrooms and finished in a red wine reduction sauce with shallots, fresh thyme and a squeeze of lemon. 24.95
Chicken Sicilian ~ Boneless breast of chicken sautéed and served with a sauce of sundried tomatoes, onions, garlic, kalamata olives. and fresh herbs Served over fried eggplant and topped with provolone cheese. 18.95
Himalayan Tuna — Fresh filet of Tuna seared (Rare) with Himalayan pink salt, served over roasted pineapple with a touch of teriyaki glaze. — 23.95
I just have to say that my scallops were absolutely delicious! I wanted to order them because of my boy, Gordon Ramsay. On "Hell's Kitchen" they ALWAYS make risotto and scallops and here is a dish comprised of both of those items. This dish would have certainly passed Gordon's inspection. The risotto was delicious. Creamy not mushy but not too al dente. The scallops were absolute perfection. Cooked perfect. Seared with a nice crust on the outside, yet moist and meaty on the inside. They were flavorful and complimented the risotto nicely. It was also served with mixed vegetables - string beans, squash, and carrots.
We also ordered dessert. I just got coffee but tasted some of the others. My mom had key lime pie- lovely, DJ had the turtle sundae, my dad had the depot pie, and my brother had a fancy coffee. We were stuffed to the gills and had a very enjoyable evening. The bill wasn't even as high as I had expected. Very nice night had by all. Everyone was comfortable inside the restaurant, everyone enjoyed their food, and the waitress was there to refill and meet all of our other needs. I will definitely be there many more times over the course of the summer.
I hope to eat in the other smaller room with the fireplace. I may have to wait for a summer weekend for it to get crowded enough to open up the other room. A delicious dinner. Please swing by. It is a great restaurant and we want to have it around for another 40+ years! Until my next bite...
Saturday, April 18, 2015
GW Carsons Burger Bar- Branford, CT
Continuing with the vacation and continuing with the fun, we headed to the outlets on Wednesday. Keeping with the tradition of "girl's night", I went with my mom, Judy, and Lindsey. We planned to head out early and wanted to get lunch somewhere near the outlets or in between the two. Lindsey had suggested GW Carsons Burger Bar. The name of the restaurant is quite a mouthful but well worth it. All of you who really know me, knows that anything with "GW" involved is a winner in my book. I also would like to note that the owner of China Pavilion's son, owns Nine East and the burger place. They are basically in the same building. GW on the west and Nine East to the east. And now that I just wrote that like that, it's sort of like a play on east meets west. GW made me think of Cattleman's Ranch the entire time. For those of you that don't know what I'm referring to, that's the name of the restaurant on the TV show "Fresh off the Boat." Great show!
So on our way home from Clinton, we stopped in Branford. When you walk in the restaurant the bar is sort of off to the right and to the left is the hostess station. Right before you walk to the station, there's like this glass pit that has sand and the skull of a bull in it. I mention this because it caught everyone off guard and you don't want to look foolish out in public. I suppose you can walk across it but we were all afraid so we walked around. It was later in the afternoon so it wasn't really crowded. We sat in the first part of the dining room but it looked as if it went back fairly far. They also have a deck with some tables out there. The booth was odd. It was not just a rectangular table with two benches, it was like some carved shape. It was a little awkward entering the booth but once we were in, it was comfortable. The menu was quite extensive but we were in a burger place. How could you go there, order a jerk chicken sandwich, and then complain about it in a blog? We all ordered burgers.
We started with a lovely little app. Fried pickles and peppers. Delicious!! People go crazy for fried pickles. I like them too, but the best part was the pepper! It came with a dipping sauce. A ranch of some nature. That disappeared in a matter of moments. They have all different specialty burgers but we all ended up customizing the classic GW Burger. I ordered a burger with American cheese, bacon, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and it came with some ailoli or something. I loved the burger. The burger came with fries and each person got their own individual little fryer basket. Such a wonderful little touch. Every bit of food I ate at that lunch was delicious! The bun was another beautiful, buttery brioche type of thing. I ordered the burger medium- cooked beautifully. The fries were one of the best fries I've ever had. They were thin, just the right amount of crisp, and salted. It wasn't regular salt. I'm not sure if it was sea salt but it looked almost like a flake rather than a grain. Maybe it wasn't even salt? Either way, fabulous! By the time I was done with my meal, I thought my stomach was going to blow. It was an excellent lunch!!
To sum up, I highly, highly, highly recommend. It's a clean place that had fairly good service. The food was great and I can't wait to go back again. It's a good place to go with friends, a family, a date night, a game night at the bar, or whatever. And now that I know the burgers are good, I feel free to explore the other corners of the menu. When I go back I will definitely try something different and will be sure to let you all know. It may be a few weeks before I can write another post but until my next bite...,,
Check out the website:
http://www.gwcarsons.com/menu/
So on our way home from Clinton, we stopped in Branford. When you walk in the restaurant the bar is sort of off to the right and to the left is the hostess station. Right before you walk to the station, there's like this glass pit that has sand and the skull of a bull in it. I mention this because it caught everyone off guard and you don't want to look foolish out in public. I suppose you can walk across it but we were all afraid so we walked around. It was later in the afternoon so it wasn't really crowded. We sat in the first part of the dining room but it looked as if it went back fairly far. They also have a deck with some tables out there. The booth was odd. It was not just a rectangular table with two benches, it was like some carved shape. It was a little awkward entering the booth but once we were in, it was comfortable. The menu was quite extensive but we were in a burger place. How could you go there, order a jerk chicken sandwich, and then complain about it in a blog? We all ordered burgers.
We started with a lovely little app. Fried pickles and peppers. Delicious!! People go crazy for fried pickles. I like them too, but the best part was the pepper! It came with a dipping sauce. A ranch of some nature. That disappeared in a matter of moments. They have all different specialty burgers but we all ended up customizing the classic GW Burger. I ordered a burger with American cheese, bacon, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and it came with some ailoli or something. I loved the burger. The burger came with fries and each person got their own individual little fryer basket. Such a wonderful little touch. Every bit of food I ate at that lunch was delicious! The bun was another beautiful, buttery brioche type of thing. I ordered the burger medium- cooked beautifully. The fries were one of the best fries I've ever had. They were thin, just the right amount of crisp, and salted. It wasn't regular salt. I'm not sure if it was sea salt but it looked almost like a flake rather than a grain. Maybe it wasn't even salt? Either way, fabulous! By the time I was done with my meal, I thought my stomach was going to blow. It was an excellent lunch!!
To sum up, I highly, highly, highly recommend. It's a clean place that had fairly good service. The food was great and I can't wait to go back again. It's a good place to go with friends, a family, a date night, a game night at the bar, or whatever. And now that I know the burgers are good, I feel free to explore the other corners of the menu. When I go back I will definitely try something different and will be sure to let you all know. It may be a few weeks before I can write another post but until my next bite...,,
Check out the website:
http://www.gwcarsons.com/menu/
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Azu - Mystic, CT
Finally it is April vacation! I have never been so happy to be on vacation in my career thus far. I may even name my first daughter April. Sunday kicked off a week with no work. Unfortunately, this one week will probably set me back and prevent me from posting any new restaurants in the near future, but oh well. On Sunday, DJ and I met Josh, Mirissa, and the kids in Mystic. I love Mystic. It's a great little spot to spend the day. We met in the village and shopped around for a little bit. There are some places within the village that I would like to try. (The new coffee shop, the grilled cheese place..) We were going to eat at Ten Clams but apparently they are out of business. We were told by the workers in the pasta place that they are going to reopen under a new name with the same owners. That's all well and good but for lunch on Sunday, that did us no good. We then decided that we should drive further in to town and just go to another place. It was approximately 1;30 pm when we left the village.
Our first stop was S&P Oyster. There were no parking spots and then a busboy told us we could park near the side of the ramp. This was clearly not a space but we figured we had permission so Josh proceeded to park. Moments after, a man came running out and told us we had to move the car. Josh told him that the worker told us to park there, so the man said what did he look like, we said he was wearing a black shirt. His response to us was "Well managers don't wear black shirts." So we said okay we'll move and then he said we could park there but run the risk that the car may get hit. We said oh no we'll just move. Then the man went further and said to leave it there and if we blocked other cars he could find us in the restaurant and ask us to move the car. No thanks. We began to back out and another spot opened up. I need to stay on this topic for one moment. What was up with this guy!? First of all, don't answer with a snotty remark about what type of clothing the managers wear. We were in a minivan for the love of God! We weren't there to cause trouble! Just say move and we'll move. And then after you're a total asshole, don't begin to retract your comments. I just can't take the rudeness! It's like Stephanie Tanner's worst nightmare! After we parked, we went in to give our name. They said the wait was 45 minutes so we put our name in, left our car in the space, and began to walk further in to downtown Mystic.
We went into another restaurant that had an hour wait so we passed on that, checked out another place that was suitable, and eventually made it to Azu. This was the last stop before Mystic Pizza. And while I do love that movie, I was thankful we didn't have to eat there. When I first saw the name and picture of a monkey on the sign, I was a little worried. I was afraid that it would be strange food from some jungle country but that was not the case at all. I don't know what the name means, why they chose it, or the history of this restaurant, but the food is your typical American menu. DJ had a chicken sandwich, Josh had a burger, Mirissa had a chicken cheddar and bacon pannini, the kids had chicken tenders with fries, and I had the oyster po'boy. The restaurant was a little cramped and on the warm side, but the food was very good. We were seated right away, our order was taken right away, and our drink were brought over right away, but our food was not. The waitress apologized twice for the kitchen being backed up but that of course did not fill our tummies. It was difficult for the baby to be patient and the parents that were trying to amuse him in a not kid-friendly restaurant but then when the food finally arrived, everybody was happy. Everyone enjoyed what they ordered, though they did forget Josh's bacon on his burger. I was worried about my oyster po'boy at first. There were maybe 5 oysters battered and fried in a buttery bun (brioche maybe) with tartar sauce and french fries. I thought oh shit this is not going to fill me up but it pleasantly surprised me. The bun was delicious! It wasn't a pretzel bun but because it was buttery and had sea salt on it, it sure tasted like a soft pretzel. The oysters were fresh and tasty. The fries were delicious. Everyone else liked their food. No one said they didn't like anything but also no one went on raving about how good the food was. The wait was somewhat of a drawback but as Chef Gordon Ramsay says- people will wait for food as long as it's good. It met our needs and hit the spot. Our plates were empty and our stomachs were full. I don't know if I'd ever seek this restaurant out again, but if I'm ever in Mystic and am looking for a place to eat I'll surely try it again. The man who seated us in this restaurant was quite pleasant and helpful, unlike the man at S&P Oyster.
To sum up, Azu can provide you with a good meal but it's not anything life-altering. And even though we didn't get a chance to eat at S&P, I will never go there. That man was a jerk. I will never support that restaurant until I am confident that that man has passed on.
After lunch we walked to get ice cream. We walked to the draw bridge ice cream place but the line was quite a ways out the door, so we ended up going to the sweet shoppe across the street. I'm not quite sure what it was called but I have a feeling that it was something like Mystic Sweet Shoppe. They sold candy and ice cream. The sign said Italian ice but they were all out that day. I didn't have any ice cream but DJ, Mirissa, and the kiddies did. They had cookies and cream and chocolate. They all were quiet during their eating so I'm assuming that the ice cream was good. DJ commented that he liked that the ice cream had actual chunks of oreos and not just chocolate wafers. Everyone was pleased. When everyone was done we walked back to S&P to get the van and we called it a day.
Excellent day in Mystic had by all! I should also mention that I purchased some roasted pecans (pee-cans) and venison jerky, Love, love, love! I always need those nuts and I just wanted to try the venison. If anyone knows of a restaurant that serves venison, please let me know because I've always wanted to try it. I don't know where my tastes or interests come from at all. Anyway, Azu is pretty good, the sweet shoppe is good, and avoid S&P.
Stay tuned for a review of GW Carson Burgers in Branford.. Until my next bite...
Our first stop was S&P Oyster. There were no parking spots and then a busboy told us we could park near the side of the ramp. This was clearly not a space but we figured we had permission so Josh proceeded to park. Moments after, a man came running out and told us we had to move the car. Josh told him that the worker told us to park there, so the man said what did he look like, we said he was wearing a black shirt. His response to us was "Well managers don't wear black shirts." So we said okay we'll move and then he said we could park there but run the risk that the car may get hit. We said oh no we'll just move. Then the man went further and said to leave it there and if we blocked other cars he could find us in the restaurant and ask us to move the car. No thanks. We began to back out and another spot opened up. I need to stay on this topic for one moment. What was up with this guy!? First of all, don't answer with a snotty remark about what type of clothing the managers wear. We were in a minivan for the love of God! We weren't there to cause trouble! Just say move and we'll move. And then after you're a total asshole, don't begin to retract your comments. I just can't take the rudeness! It's like Stephanie Tanner's worst nightmare! After we parked, we went in to give our name. They said the wait was 45 minutes so we put our name in, left our car in the space, and began to walk further in to downtown Mystic.
We went into another restaurant that had an hour wait so we passed on that, checked out another place that was suitable, and eventually made it to Azu. This was the last stop before Mystic Pizza. And while I do love that movie, I was thankful we didn't have to eat there. When I first saw the name and picture of a monkey on the sign, I was a little worried. I was afraid that it would be strange food from some jungle country but that was not the case at all. I don't know what the name means, why they chose it, or the history of this restaurant, but the food is your typical American menu. DJ had a chicken sandwich, Josh had a burger, Mirissa had a chicken cheddar and bacon pannini, the kids had chicken tenders with fries, and I had the oyster po'boy. The restaurant was a little cramped and on the warm side, but the food was very good. We were seated right away, our order was taken right away, and our drink were brought over right away, but our food was not. The waitress apologized twice for the kitchen being backed up but that of course did not fill our tummies. It was difficult for the baby to be patient and the parents that were trying to amuse him in a not kid-friendly restaurant but then when the food finally arrived, everybody was happy. Everyone enjoyed what they ordered, though they did forget Josh's bacon on his burger. I was worried about my oyster po'boy at first. There were maybe 5 oysters battered and fried in a buttery bun (brioche maybe) with tartar sauce and french fries. I thought oh shit this is not going to fill me up but it pleasantly surprised me. The bun was delicious! It wasn't a pretzel bun but because it was buttery and had sea salt on it, it sure tasted like a soft pretzel. The oysters were fresh and tasty. The fries were delicious. Everyone else liked their food. No one said they didn't like anything but also no one went on raving about how good the food was. The wait was somewhat of a drawback but as Chef Gordon Ramsay says- people will wait for food as long as it's good. It met our needs and hit the spot. Our plates were empty and our stomachs were full. I don't know if I'd ever seek this restaurant out again, but if I'm ever in Mystic and am looking for a place to eat I'll surely try it again. The man who seated us in this restaurant was quite pleasant and helpful, unlike the man at S&P Oyster.
To sum up, Azu can provide you with a good meal but it's not anything life-altering. And even though we didn't get a chance to eat at S&P, I will never go there. That man was a jerk. I will never support that restaurant until I am confident that that man has passed on.
After lunch we walked to get ice cream. We walked to the draw bridge ice cream place but the line was quite a ways out the door, so we ended up going to the sweet shoppe across the street. I'm not quite sure what it was called but I have a feeling that it was something like Mystic Sweet Shoppe. They sold candy and ice cream. The sign said Italian ice but they were all out that day. I didn't have any ice cream but DJ, Mirissa, and the kiddies did. They had cookies and cream and chocolate. They all were quiet during their eating so I'm assuming that the ice cream was good. DJ commented that he liked that the ice cream had actual chunks of oreos and not just chocolate wafers. Everyone was pleased. When everyone was done we walked back to S&P to get the van and we called it a day.
Excellent day in Mystic had by all! I should also mention that I purchased some roasted pecans (pee-cans) and venison jerky, Love, love, love! I always need those nuts and I just wanted to try the venison. If anyone knows of a restaurant that serves venison, please let me know because I've always wanted to try it. I don't know where my tastes or interests come from at all. Anyway, Azu is pretty good, the sweet shoppe is good, and avoid S&P.
Stay tuned for a review of GW Carson Burgers in Branford.. Until my next bite...
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Milford Double Dose - The Plate and Scribner's
It's been a long time since I've written a post but quite honestly, it's been a while since I tried some place new. Yesterday I somewhat made up for it. I went to try the new breakfast and lunch restaurant The Plate on New Haven Ave. in Milford. I went for breakfast with my mom and dad. Even though I'm a married lady now, I still need my weekend breakfasts with mom and dad.
It was very nice and clean inside. We parked in the side lot and went in the side door - which is apparently the "emergency exit" that's always open. The Plate is in the same location that was the former location of Pop's. That side door used to be the main door when Pop's was there. Now you have to literally walk in the door at the front of the restaurant. It looks completely different inside. New, modern, open. I've watched seasons worth of "Kitchen Nightmares" and consider myself to be a fairly tough critic now. The atmosphere - check. The service - check. The hostess was friendly and let us choose our seat. The waitress was also pleasant and attentive. Coffee - check plus! I forget what brand of coffee it was; I feel like it was a Connecticut brand but either way, it was delicious! The waitresses were constantly refilling your coffee cups. A huge plus! Every time a waitress (even if it wasn't your own) passed your table, your coffee was refilled. There's nothing worse than going out for breakfast than having an empty coffee cup throughout your meal. The menu - semi-check. It wasn't a particularly large menu but in the world of Gordon Ramsay, that's a good thing. He always says that a restaurant should have a decent number of excellent dishes instead of having pages of mediocre or shitty dishes. So, when I first saw the small menu I thought we were in for a good breakfast. Not quite. My mom and I both had the cakes and eggs- two pancakes, two eggs, two strips of bacon or 2 sausage links. I chose the bacon, she chose the sausage. The eggs I ordered scrambled. They were very good. I normally hate scrambled eggs in a restaurant because I like my scrambled eggs to be somewhat loose. (Insert dirty joke) When you make scrambled eggs at home they look like popcorn and they're buttery and delicious. When you order scrambled eggs at restaurant they cook them on a griddle which causes them to spread out flat, dry out, and over cook. I hate the brown burnt string of eggs on the outside. Bleh! These eggs were not like that. They still weren't homemade quality but they were better than a random diner. The bacon was good. The pancakes were horrible.
I'm very particular about my pancakes. I don't use syrup and therefore, I like a very soft, cakey pancake that will soak up all that delicious butter. These pancakes were not at all like that. One side had like that hard top and the underside was soft. My butter was scraping across the top and not melting. The taste wasn't that great. I didn't like them at all. My mom didn't like hers either.
My dad ordered French toast stuffed with apples, which was totally out of character. He didn't like it. He didn't really mention the taste but they only gave him two slices of toast. Pop's gives you three, Sunrise gives you three, so to my dad every place should give you three.
The menu was a little weirdish in the sense that it had fancier type things like avocado benedict eggs. Everything had a little twist. So if you're looking for classic breakfast food, it's probably not your place. They do have a breakfast with sausage gravy and biscuits. I'd like to go back to try that but I will definitely never order the pancakes again. My mom wants to try a breakfast they have with Greek yogurt and bananas. I give The Plate a B-. It was okay. It has potential and maybe I just didn't order the right thing. I would've given it a C but that constant coffee flow gave extra points.
That was breakfast. Now on to dinner. DJ and I never got a chance to go out for Valentine's Day because of the snow. We just ended up getting a little Sing's Kitchen that night. (No Bao's but close to the new house) We were planning on going to Consiglio's but sometimes I just don't feel like going in to New Haven. I wanted to go somewhere comfortable and somewhere that wouldn't make my anxiety act up. We decided to go to Scribner's. Now Scribner's I didn't know existed until like three years ago. My dad was driving me on one of our "cruises" and he just happened to drive by. I never would have imagined a restaurant to be placed where it is. It's like a hidden gem in Woodmont.
DJ made reservations. We weren't sure how busy it would be inside. Turns out we really didn't need reservations but it's my hope that my review will cause that to change. I feel like there are no nice restaurants anymore. People don't celebrate anything anymore. People don't get dressed up for anything. I don't know what has happened to the world. I won't go off on a tangent but I just don't get why people feel the need to be casual all the time. Believe me, I'm happy I can wear my jeans and women don't have to wear dresses everyday but we also don't need to spend our lives in pajama pants and sweats. On a Saturday night you can dress yourself up and go out to eat somewhere nice. Even restaurants are just casual. I know people don't have a lot of money but if the food is worth it, people will come. Think for just a second - where is a fancy restaurant? Don't say anywhere in New Haven. There's no parking, it's a pain to drive to, and every other good restaurant is near a recent shooting. Let's think- Food and Beverage- GONE, Chuck's- GONE, The Gathering- GONE, Captain's Galley- GONE. I can't think of a steakhouse that doesn't have some cattle ranch theme going on. Jimmie's used to be nice but now it's gone way down the drain. It's a candidate for Kitchen Nightmares. I think Scribner's may be the last nice non-chain restaurant in the area. So let me tell you about our night-
We parked in the back, walked around, gave our name, and were lead in to the back dining room. There were several tables open and the waitress gave us our choice. The restaurant was not "fancy" but it had that upscale feeling. The lighting was dim, the walls were wood and red. There were candles and random beach shots and assorted fish hanging on the wall. Our waitress was Wendy. She was very very nice. I had a glass of wine, Deej had a Yuengling. I ordered the chowder, which to my pleasant surprise was Rhode Island. Very hot (temperature) and tasty. To eat I ordered the Scribner's scampi over linguini (Shrimp, fresh tomato, garlic, capers, olive oil, wine). Delicious. DJ ordered the Salmon Woodmont (salmon with a red wine reduction with mushrooms) which came with potatoes and veggies. He said his was delicious as well. Salad comes with your dinner. We had the house- which is a bacon gorgonzola vinaigrette. Very good. We both had coffee and dessert. Wendy refilled our coffee. (Saturday was a good coffee day) I had the rice pudding (a little too al dente for my taste) and DJ had the turtle sundae- brownies, vanilla ice cream, pecans, caramel sauce, and chocolate sauce.
I loved it! I was so overstuffed that I thought I was going to explode all night! I just couldn't stop eating. I want to try many more things- the escargot, the oysters, steaks, sea scallops risotto, etc.!! I plan to be heading back soon. There were several tables open. Let's try to fill those tables. The bar was pretty busy and there was another dining area but let's keep Scribner's around! I have a tendency to "discover" places three weeks before they go out of business. So I'm letting you know - Scribner's is a great spot to go for a date. It's a calm, quiet, and relaxing atmosphere. The food is delicious and the service is great. It's tucked away in the middle of houses at 31 Village Road in Milford.
It may be a while before my next post but I promise to update you as soon as I try some place new! Oh and ps- Carrabba's at the mall - no go.
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