Tom and I headed out to dinner to try something new. When we arrived, we were told to pick any table and the waitress would be right with us. The girl that had our table was young and peppy, she brought over their signature chips and salsa and she explained that from 5pm-7pm, certain appetizers and drinks were half off--great deal! Tom ordered a Dos Equis draft while I went with the house margarita on the rocks and we placed our dinner order.
At this point early in the evening, things started to not go well for us. Tables that came in way after us were getting their drinks and bottles of water for the table. The appetizer that we chose to order, the chorizo and manchego croquettes, came out before our drinks did! There were two croquettes, split in half on the plate--nice texture, good flavor. We then waited....and waited....and waited....for our entrees to arrive. Tables that arrived after us got up and left. Even the table next to us made a comment about how long we seemed to be waiting for our food! For a small place, on a weekday night, this was both odd and unacceptable to us.
Finally, dinner arrived! Tom had the braised steak burrito--he enjoyed this, said it was very filling. I had ordered 3 different tacos (apparently when you order 3 different kinds, it doesn't come with sides, however, 3 tacos of the same kind does)--roasted duck, spicy carnitas and grilled shrimp--they were all interesting and tasty in their own ways and went down very quickly (they are on the small side).
So we finished our meals and flagged someone down for a container to wrap the rest of Tom's leftovers. Now, usually at this point, the waitress either asks if you want dessert and coffee (if they offer this) or gives you the check. Neither happened. After wondering where she went for quite some time, we finally caught her eye and when she came over, her response was "Oh, are you ready for the check now?" Ummm, duh! By the time we were paid and on our way, we had spent over 2.5 hours here. Don't get me wrong--we love to take our time and enjoy our food when appropriate, but this place just wasn't that type of place. We both agree--we'll never return.
http://c-o-jonesct.com/
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
6/1/12-Robb's Farm & Ice Cream, South Glastonbury, CT
With a little help from my Yelp app, we were in search for great dessert in the area--we found it! Super creamy, homemade ice cream straight from the farm! I got a scoop of their "Goat Tracks"--vanilla with hardened peanut butter ribbons and mini peanut butter cups--just heavenly. Tom went with his usual standby, mint chip. Even though it was a bit chilly as the sun was setting, we sat outside to enjoy the beautiful view from the farm of the hillsides around us. Robb's Farm has an incredible amount of flavors available for such a small operation and the quality really shines through with every lick of your cone. Can't wait to return!
6/1/12-Rooftop 120, Glastonbury, CT
Tom and I headed out for the evening to check out this relatively-new place. When we arrived, we were told that the wait to eat out on the rooftop was 30-45 minutes (we had reservations but apparently the rooftop is first-come first-serve) so we decided to just eat inside. Rooftop 120 is a beautiful space--very chic, modern and classy. We were at a cute little table in an alcove that gave us the feeling that we were all alone. Our waitress came and took our drink order--a Blue Moon for Tom and a Rooftop Sunset martini for me--my drink was delish but $12.75 for ONE martini? Yikes.
On to the food! We started with the Cuban Eggrolls--because who has ever heard of a Cuban Eggroll? We were so glad we went with this one and I almost wish I had ordered two! Pork, ham, swiss all rolled up and deep fried with a creole mustard on the side--how could you go wrong with this? For our entrees, we both decided to get a burger--Tom with the Rooftop Cheeseburger and me with the Gourmet Turkey Burger. Tom's burger was nothing to write home about--cooked almost well done, it lacked flavor for him; however, the truffle fries we got on the side were pretty good. It also came with a half pickle on the side--we described it as a cross between dill and bread and butter pickles--odd and unexpected but not terrible. My turkey burger wasn't great, either--it was charred black on both sides--that being said, it was still moist inside. My big problem was with the brie--the slices were so thick that the flavor from the brie completely took over the rest of the burger. I could barely taste the turkey burger itself, nevermind the caramelized onions! With such a slamming burger place down on the first floor, I wouldn't get a burger here again.
Service was a bit on the slow side so by the time we got the check, we decided to venture elsewhere for dessert (especially after seeing that ONE slice of red velvet cake was a staggering $12.75). We loved the atmosphere and would like to come back again, but I think our money would be better served sitting at the bar and enjoying the happy hour menu (not to mention that the bartender seemed like she was much more personable than our server)--plus, I'd really like to get those cuban eggrolls again! Definitely worth checking out--I hope they'll improve in time and get their prices in check!
www.rooftop120.com
On to the food! We started with the Cuban Eggrolls--because who has ever heard of a Cuban Eggroll? We were so glad we went with this one and I almost wish I had ordered two! Pork, ham, swiss all rolled up and deep fried with a creole mustard on the side--how could you go wrong with this? For our entrees, we both decided to get a burger--Tom with the Rooftop Cheeseburger and me with the Gourmet Turkey Burger. Tom's burger was nothing to write home about--cooked almost well done, it lacked flavor for him; however, the truffle fries we got on the side were pretty good. It also came with a half pickle on the side--we described it as a cross between dill and bread and butter pickles--odd and unexpected but not terrible. My turkey burger wasn't great, either--it was charred black on both sides--that being said, it was still moist inside. My big problem was with the brie--the slices were so thick that the flavor from the brie completely took over the rest of the burger. I could barely taste the turkey burger itself, nevermind the caramelized onions! With such a slamming burger place down on the first floor, I wouldn't get a burger here again.
Service was a bit on the slow side so by the time we got the check, we decided to venture elsewhere for dessert (especially after seeing that ONE slice of red velvet cake was a staggering $12.75). We loved the atmosphere and would like to come back again, but I think our money would be better served sitting at the bar and enjoying the happy hour menu (not to mention that the bartender seemed like she was much more personable than our server)--plus, I'd really like to get those cuban eggrolls again! Definitely worth checking out--I hope they'll improve in time and get their prices in check!
www.rooftop120.com
5/20/12-Tschudin Chocolates, Middletown, CT
Took my mom on a chocolate tour here for her Mother's Day gift and although the tour may have been a bit rocky at times, we still ended up learning a lot and enjoying some great chocolate!
Tschudin is a tiny chocolate shop in downtown Middletown with an even tinier kitchen. I wasn't sure how the seven of us on the tour were going to fit back there with the chef and his two assistants, but we managed! The chef showed us the process of creating a piece of his chocolate creations from start to finish--from tempering the chocolate to putting it in the molds to getting the filler to just the right temperature. Chef then had us helping in the kitchen, learning to dip pretzels and frozen mousse bars. We then got a tasting of different chocolates from around the world to get a feel for what we might really like to indulge in. This had to be my favorite part of the tour, as now I have a few names of chocolate brands that are just exquisite! To top off the tour, we were each given a small box and we got to fill it with any of the chocolates available in the case. Tschudin had some very creative options, such as earl grey infused and chipotle spiced.
At this point, three hours had gone by--what a tour! We were all told we could stay as long as we liked and the chef was more than willing to answer any questions we had. Overall, we had a nice afternoon and enjoyed the educational experience. The only off-putting moment we had was how the chef spoke to his assistants, who were culinary students--having worked in the restaurant business, I understand it is part of the culture, but to those who don't (like the members of our tour group) it made for a few uncomfortable looks (the chef at one point did address the way he was speaking to them, clarifying that it was so the students would learn). The two of us left with a whole new respect for chocolatiers--who knew it was so time consuming and intensive? I am looking forward to stopping by in the future with the hubby so he can pick out a few chocolates for himself and so we can enjoy those frozen mousse bars I helped to make!
www.tschocolates.com
Tschudin is a tiny chocolate shop in downtown Middletown with an even tinier kitchen. I wasn't sure how the seven of us on the tour were going to fit back there with the chef and his two assistants, but we managed! The chef showed us the process of creating a piece of his chocolate creations from start to finish--from tempering the chocolate to putting it in the molds to getting the filler to just the right temperature. Chef then had us helping in the kitchen, learning to dip pretzels and frozen mousse bars. We then got a tasting of different chocolates from around the world to get a feel for what we might really like to indulge in. This had to be my favorite part of the tour, as now I have a few names of chocolate brands that are just exquisite! To top off the tour, we were each given a small box and we got to fill it with any of the chocolates available in the case. Tschudin had some very creative options, such as earl grey infused and chipotle spiced.
At this point, three hours had gone by--what a tour! We were all told we could stay as long as we liked and the chef was more than willing to answer any questions we had. Overall, we had a nice afternoon and enjoyed the educational experience. The only off-putting moment we had was how the chef spoke to his assistants, who were culinary students--having worked in the restaurant business, I understand it is part of the culture, but to those who don't (like the members of our tour group) it made for a few uncomfortable looks (the chef at one point did address the way he was speaking to them, clarifying that it was so the students would learn). The two of us left with a whole new respect for chocolatiers--who knew it was so time consuming and intensive? I am looking forward to stopping by in the future with the hubby so he can pick out a few chocolates for himself and so we can enjoy those frozen mousse bars I helped to make!
www.tschocolates.com
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