Went out for dinner this evening and decided to give this place a shot. We didn't have a reservation, so we sat at the small bar. The bartender was lovely and friendly, gave us our menus and we took our time. I can see why a reservation would be necessary--they have a prime location on the Guilford Green, a lovely view out to the town center and a great, classy atmosphere, perfect for a date night or a business lunch.
The bartender mentioned that the menu had just been changed--typically, it is changed every 3 months or so to go with the seasons but she said that sometimes the chef just gets bored with what is on the menu and changes it more frequently. We had a tough decision ahead of us, but I'd say we made some great choices. Tom had the Prosciutto Wrapped Atlantic Salmon with a saffron white bean stew and baby spinach--he commented that it was one of the better meals he's had lately. It was perfectly cooked with the prosciutto lending itself to giving the fish an excellent flavor and the white bean stew complimenting the fish nicely, with no "fishy taste" at all. I wanted to keep it light tonight, so I ordered an appetizer to share-- "Steak and Eggs"-Pan roasted filet mignon, grilled tomato, fried egg, brioche toast, steak sauce--what a combination! Artfully plated, it came out nicely stacked together, all parts working well together, with the filet cooked medium rare. I also had the Frisee and Apple Salad with grilled chicken, smoked bacon, dried cherries, apple cider vinaigrette--the apples and dried cherries took away the bitter taste of the frisee and the vinaigrette balanced out the sweetness, with the bacon adding the characteristic smokiness.
The bartender mentioned that all the desserts are made in-house daily so the dessert menu is ever-changing. After a dinner as wonderful as ours, dessert had to be good--another tough choice, but we opted to split the chocolate lava cake, topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate and raspberry sauce, garnished with fresh blueberries, strawberries and raspberries--absolute heaven in one bite.
I would definitely come back here--next time I'll make a reservation!
www.whitfieldsguilford.com
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
2/1/12-The Chicken Joint, Berlin, CT
Out for a late lunch with my favorite medic, Rick. He mentioned that he was looking for a good fried chicken place and was wondering if I had been here--since I had not, off we went!
This place is in an old dance club and you can definitely tell from the moment you walk in the door. The new owners haven't done much to change that, with the disco ball still hanging and the dining room sparsely decorated. We had the place to ourselves, so our waitress told us to sit wherever we wanted and to take our time. We both decided to get the 4-piece Southern Fried Chicken--the chicken was reasonably priced, came out piping hot and was pretty good. It was juicy on the inside with that salty, crispy outside that you know and love. Rick was disappointed that they were out of the mac n cheese wedges, with our waitress telling us that they have been waiting for a shipment of those and the sweet corn fritters for a while now--hearing that disappoints me, now knowing that they don't make these sides themselves in-house. I also ordered 2 biscuits for us, which were hard and tough, so they were probably previously frozen or old (sad....I do love a good biscuit!).
I brought home 2 dozen wings as well (had a groupon to use up!) so I selected the garlic parmesan and the buffalo for Tom--considering he ate the whole dozen of the garlic parmesan for lunch the next day, I'd say they must have been good.
Overall, the place has a weird location and vibe to it, but the chicken is pretty damn good and since they are called "The Chicken Joint", they are, at the very least, living up to that!
This place is in an old dance club and you can definitely tell from the moment you walk in the door. The new owners haven't done much to change that, with the disco ball still hanging and the dining room sparsely decorated. We had the place to ourselves, so our waitress told us to sit wherever we wanted and to take our time. We both decided to get the 4-piece Southern Fried Chicken--the chicken was reasonably priced, came out piping hot and was pretty good. It was juicy on the inside with that salty, crispy outside that you know and love. Rick was disappointed that they were out of the mac n cheese wedges, with our waitress telling us that they have been waiting for a shipment of those and the sweet corn fritters for a while now--hearing that disappoints me, now knowing that they don't make these sides themselves in-house. I also ordered 2 biscuits for us, which were hard and tough, so they were probably previously frozen or old (sad....I do love a good biscuit!).
I brought home 2 dozen wings as well (had a groupon to use up!) so I selected the garlic parmesan and the buffalo for Tom--considering he ate the whole dozen of the garlic parmesan for lunch the next day, I'd say they must have been good.
Overall, the place has a weird location and vibe to it, but the chicken is pretty damn good and since they are called "The Chicken Joint", they are, at the very least, living up to that!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
1/6/12-K. Gee's Gourmet Burgers & Beers, Southington, CT
I had high hopes that a burger place the likes of Corey's in Manchester or the Plan B chain had finally made it's
way to the Southington area--I was seriously disappointed.
We had dinner here tonight--although it is in a great location on Center St., the interior of the building is odd--a dark bar area with a separation wall to a blue and white themed small dining room with a few standard tables and booths. The place was very slow and we were instructed to sit wherever we wanted.
The food? Standard bar food--absolutely nothing "gourmet" about this place. I had the K. Gee Allstar Burger, which came with cheese, bacon, and fried onions. I have a few complaints--first off, don't ask me how I want my burger cooked if all the cook can do is "well done"--my was certainly not medium as requested; also, the bacon was overcooked and dry. The fries were definitely not "hand cut" as the menu stated, they were definitely the frozen kind. Tom ordered the Buffalo burger--his burger was cooked medium-well, not exactly medium as was ordered and he thinks that the burger was similar to the bubba's burgers you can get in the freezer case, so he's not sold on the "fresh" made burgers, either.
Overall, a complete let-down. I can't imagine this place staying in business long unless they make some serious improvements. We won't be returning.
www.kgeesburgers.com
way to the Southington area--I was seriously disappointed.
We had dinner here tonight--although it is in a great location on Center St., the interior of the building is odd--a dark bar area with a separation wall to a blue and white themed small dining room with a few standard tables and booths. The place was very slow and we were instructed to sit wherever we wanted.
The food? Standard bar food--absolutely nothing "gourmet" about this place. I had the K. Gee Allstar Burger, which came with cheese, bacon, and fried onions. I have a few complaints--first off, don't ask me how I want my burger cooked if all the cook can do is "well done"--my was certainly not medium as requested; also, the bacon was overcooked and dry. The fries were definitely not "hand cut" as the menu stated, they were definitely the frozen kind. Tom ordered the Buffalo burger--his burger was cooked medium-well, not exactly medium as was ordered and he thinks that the burger was similar to the bubba's burgers you can get in the freezer case, so he's not sold on the "fresh" made burgers, either.
Overall, a complete let-down. I can't imagine this place staying in business long unless they make some serious improvements. We won't be returning.
www.kgeesburgers.com
1/1/12-Pantanal Restaurant & Churrascaria, Bridgeport, CT
New Year, New Experiences!
Even though I work in the Bridgeport area, I don't end up there very often during the lunch hour. With today being a holiday, I wasn't even sure what would be open. Thankfully, my partner mentioned that he knew of a Brazilian place just up the street that had great food--I'm in! This place is in a residential area of town, and it has a great buffet available everyday for cheap! I sampled a few items for my quick lunch including plantains, chiffonade greens with pork cracklins, cut watermelon, rice, and the carver sliced me a few pieces of chicken wrapped in bacon, steak and sausage--everything was so good, with the meat made that day rotating on spits behind the carver, cut to order.
If you are in the area and not sure what to eat, I'd recommend giving this place a go!
www.pantanalrestaurant.com
Even though I work in the Bridgeport area, I don't end up there very often during the lunch hour. With today being a holiday, I wasn't even sure what would be open. Thankfully, my partner mentioned that he knew of a Brazilian place just up the street that had great food--I'm in! This place is in a residential area of town, and it has a great buffet available everyday for cheap! I sampled a few items for my quick lunch including plantains, chiffonade greens with pork cracklins, cut watermelon, rice, and the carver sliced me a few pieces of chicken wrapped in bacon, steak and sausage--everything was so good, with the meat made that day rotating on spits behind the carver, cut to order.
If you are in the area and not sure what to eat, I'd recommend giving this place a go!
www.pantanalrestaurant.com
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