Friday, October 29, 2010

Upcoming event!

Big changes happening here!

First off, I changed the web address--makes sense, ya know?

Secondly, I am preparing for my debut as a food critic! Hood (dairy product company for those not living in the northeast) has asked ME to be a judge for their New England Dairy Cook-Off Challenge! This is happening on Saturday, October 30th in Portland, Maine. I am very excited for this opportunity! If you would like more information on the contest, please visit www.hoodcookoff.com

I will be back with lots of pictures and experiences to share (just not the food!)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

10/24/10-Confetti's, Plainville, CT

Out with my parents tonight for a better-late-than-never birthday dinner. In choosing a restaurant to dine at with my parents, I need to be careful--most ethnics foods are out and anything more than a few miles away can be frowned upon, but I am easily bored with the usual Southington dining options. In trying to think outside of the Southington box, but not too far, I remember that I've passed Confetti's on a number of occasions and always thought to myself, "I wonder how that place is....?" Luckily for me, tonight we got to find out.

Dinner started with our lovely waitress bringing our drinks and some fresh bread from the oven--nice and crusty, perfectly done. Salads then accompanied our dinners (mine with a nice house balsamic vinaigrette) and soon thereafter, the entrees arrived. Mom ordered the crab stuffed sole with a lobster sauce, served with rice and veggies--she said she enjoyed it. Dad had the filet mignon with an onion tower, served with mashed potatoes and veggies--he commented that his filet was cooked perfectly as ordered (medium rare) and that even the vegetables were nicely cooked with a nice light sauce on them, not neglected as they sometimes are in restaurants (Mom then commented that she would have liked more vegetables, but then again, my mom would eat veggies for dessert if you let her). Tom ordered one of the evening's specials, the prime rib, served with mashed potatoes and veggies--when his plate arrived, he was excited to see that he had been given an end cut and a very large portion, also mentioned that it was cooked to his liking (medium). I had the penne vodka salsiccia--very nice taste to this dish, I enjoyed the addition of the sausage and this was also a very large portion!

Overall, dinner was enjoyed by everyone. Collectively, we agreed that we were pleasantly surprised by the nice atmosphere, service and good food. I'd say that we'll be back for another occasion in the future.

www.idineconfetti.com

Monday, October 18, 2010

10/16/10-Tata's Restaurant, Wallingford, CT

This just wasn't a great culinary weekend for me. Tom and I just could not decide what to have for dinner, so we decided to finally give this place a try. I've heard both bad and good things, so I can't say that I had crazy-high expectations, but I was hoping for a good experience.

This is a small, family run place that recently expanded to include a nice dining room. Unfortunately, service is very slow, inattentive at times, which can really put a damper on the entire experience. Tom and I started with a beef and cheese empanada and sweet plantains. Both of our apps were delish, with the exception of the dipping sauce, a garlic sauce. Tom enjoyed the sauce and how it gave the plantains a completely different taste, but I thought that the two tastes completely clashed, ruining the natural sweetness of the plantains--I would much have rather enjoyed a slightly sweet dipping sauce to complement the sweet plantains.

After our apps, small salads pre dressed with Italian dressing were brought out and then our entrees. Tom ordered the pan seared pork tenderloin-marinated in fresh garlic and herbs, topped with a black bean and chorizo sauce, stuffed with roasted red pepper, spinach and bleu cheese, with a side of spanish rice and beans--the bite that I snagged was so robust and flavorful, a very surprising dish, he definitely picked a good one. My dish, on the other hand, did nothing for me. I had the pork mofongo with fried pork medallions- "Fried plantain mashed and stuffed with pulled pork and served with fried pork medallions and finished with a garlic sauce. " The fried pork cubes I found to be very fatty, and while I do realize that fat equal flavor, the fat content was way too much for my taste. These fried pieces were served over sauteed onions, though it seemed to be missing the garlic sauce that the description mentioned. The mashed plantain mound was made with fresh garlic--so much that it was beyond overwhelming-- but the pulled pork underneath was incredibly moist and flavorful, I so wish my dish had way more of that over the fried pork cubes.

After this dinner experience, I can't say that I'm gonna rush to come back but maybe next time, I'll come for lunch and get a sandwich full of that pulled pork.

tatasrestaurant.com


10/15/10-Margaritaville @ Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT

Ohh Jimmy, as much as I am a huge parrothead, I was disappointed on this trip to your namesake restaurant. I ordered the 25th anniversary items that were not on the menu--first the "1985" margarita-"A timeless classic! 12 oz. margarita made with Margaritaville Gold and Silver Tequila, Gran Gala, Cointreau, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice. Served with salted rim, and a lime."--holy liquor Batman, this thing was STRONG. It really didn't taste anything like what you would hope a margarita would taste like, unfortunately, so I hoped for better luck with the burger. "Not too Particular Not too Precise Cheeseburger--A special Cheeseburger in Paradise for sure. A handmade patty of 100% fresh ground chuck, cooked to order with Margaritaville Seasoning Salt topped with American cheese, red onion, lettuce and tomato (Heinz 57 available on the side) on a toasted bun. Served with French fried potatoes and big kosher pickle." I highly doubt this was a "handmade patty" because it was too perfect in shape and texture to be handmade. Tom ordered the "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and our burgers were exactly the same. I was disappointed, thinking that if you were going to create something special, not on the menu, that it would be just that--special! I guess I forgot that overall, this is a chain restaurant--I wouldn't go here expecting a culinary experience, go for the good tunes, the ambiance, the entertainment value and the drinks--just not the 1985.

www.margaritavillemohegansun.com