7/3/09-El Sombrero, Southington, CT

In need of a good Mexican fix, we headed for a nice quick dinner at El Sombrero. It's a family owned joint and the food has always been good, especially their chips and salsa--very fresh, nice cilantro flavor. Tom and I were both eyeing the "Quatro" dish so we decided to do an order of that and to try something new--Puerco Adobo. The Quatro had a chicken chimichanga, beef taco and cheese enchilada with sides of rice and beans. The Puerco Adobo was slices of pork tenderloin cooked in their adobo sauce--very tasty but not as hot and spicy as I had expected. Overall, very satisfied with our meals--I could come here all the time and not be bored! The live mariachis were playing, as is customary on Friday and Saturday nights and they are great especially if you have kids because they'll play their favorites like the Sponge Bob theme song. I think Tom and I are going to make a greater effort to come here more often for our mexican fix and continue to try new dishes.

www.elsombrero.com

6/27/09-Ruby Tuesday's, Meriden, CT

Went to the mall to check out wedding bands and stopped here for dinner (sign up for their emails--you'll get a coupon for BOGO entree). It has been quite a while since we've eaten here and their menu has changed quite a bit and that is definitely not a bad thing. Both of us opted for steak dinners--Tom ordered the Cowboy Ribeye-"A 12-ounce cut with secret seasonings, seared to perfection then topped with blue cheese crumbles, crisp onion straws, and our house-made steak sauce with a touch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager"-with a caesar salad to start and white cheddar mashed potatoes and broccoli on the side. Although good in size, he did not care for the caesar as it was too heavily dressed over spring mix salad with diced tomatoes (what happened to romaine?). The steak was cooked to his liking but as much as a blue cheese lover that he is, he found that the melted mess of it on top of his steak was just not as appetizing as it should have been. The mashed potatoes were very good with a nice subtle cheddar flavor. For my entree I had the Top Sirloin with a baked potato and broccoli on the side with their salad bar to start. The salad bar was nicely stocked (not as good as Dakota's but it'll do!) with a good selection of items to choose from. My sirloin was cooked medium and was seasoned nicely.

Overall, a good value. Would return with the help of a coupon, of course!

www.rubytuesdays.com

6/10/09-Shady Glen, Manchester, CT

Went out to dinner tonight with an old friend and decided to bring him here since I have not been here in years myself and I knew he would enjoy it. A very cute, retro diner feel--it's like you stepped back into the 50's--with a nice friendly waitstaff to go with the family-friendly vibe. My friend took a cue from me and we both ordered the special--the "Bernice Platter"--a cheeseburger grilled with fried cheese wings all around it. Although the cheese itself may not be the tastiest I've ever had and the burger itself is average, it certainly is the most unique burger I've met. The platter also came with french fries and lettuce and tomato to top our burgers and the waitress brought over a caddy of condiments for our liking. We were both stuffed after our dinners that we did not get to enjoy their wonderful ice cream but I can tell ya from experience that the quality is superb. A definite great place to go for a casual outing with some good friends.

No website, located on Middle Tpke. East in Manchester.

6/12/09-Wentworth's Ice Cream, Wallingford, CT

A nice comfortable evening, great for a walk downtown to get a cool treat. Tom and I took a walk down to the sister location of this local ice cream joint to get our favorites--I had a cup of chocolate chip cookie dough with their fantastic homemade whipped cream and Tom had a cup of their mint chocolate chip--both were very creamy and sweet, just perfect on a night like tonight.

Incidentally, while we were there, trying to get up to the counter to see the menu selections, a family was taking up all the counter space and the young girl behind the counter nicely asked the father to move down a bit so the people coming in could see the menu--he had a fit and spouted off to the girl, which was completely uncalled for and then him and his clown shoes stormed out. All of us around the the counter reassured the girl that the guy was a jerk and she was doing the right thing and didn't deserve to be treated that way. While we were enjoying our ice cream outside we saw the man and his family step into a brand new Mercedes--hmm maybe someone thinks he's entitled?? Lesson observed--be nice to the help, they are doing a job like the rest of us.

No website, on Center St. in Wallingford