After another spectacular Yelp event, Kirstin and I decided to keep the party going and grab a drink and a bite to eat. Neither of us had been to Rizzuto's and we parked right around the corner from it, so we decided to give it a try. We walked through the revolving doors into a beautiful, classy space--high ceilings, warm colors, wood-burning oven on display and an ambiance that just makes you feel like you're going to have a great experience.
We were seated in a booth, a jug of water was brought to the table, drink orders were taken and a plate of warm bread with a bowl of marinara sauce for dipping was put on the table. We weren't too hungry after having munched on all kinds of goodies at the Yelp event, so we decided to split dishes--Organic baby arugula salad with pears, goat cheese (gorgonzola for Kirstin), toasted pecans and a fig balsamic dressing--the sweetness of the dressing and the creaminess of the goat cheese were an excellent compliment to the peppery arugula. I also loved that since the waitress knew were were sharing the "main" size salad, she had it split into two dishes with our cheese selections of the side for both of us--very accommodating! We then had the fig bbq'ed chicken pizza, with onion, cherry peppers, mozzarella on a whole wheat crust--loved the sweet and spicy contrast, the pizza was very crispy and tasted great.
After all that, we couldn't eat another bite if we tried. However, the waitress came over with free housemade limoncello as a digestif to our meal--it was sweet and went down smooth--what a lovely final touch to our evening! Overall we had a great time, service was excellent and the food was outstanding. Would most definitely return here to try the other items on the menu that caught my eye!
www.rizzutos.com
Sunday, June 24, 2012
6/20/12-Flaggstead Smokehouse, Farmington, CT
Date night with Rick! Dinner tonight was my choice, so I picked another BBQ place to compare with the last place we went. Flaggstead is a little building on Rt. 4 with a tiny dining area. It is charming and makes you feel at home, with it's worn in look, Texas decor and the smell of BBQ cooking. Seating inside was at a premium tonight, with a large table filled with a big family and only two other tables by the door, we were in a tight spot but we made it work. They do have an outdoor deck but with the temp being near 100 degrees today, inside was the place to be.
Rick and I both went with a two-meat plate. I had the brisket and ribs with my sides being garlic mashed potatoes and corn bread. The brisket was definitely the winner--tender, moist, with a nice smoke layer that had a great taste alone, but was also wonderful with the BBQ sauce on the tables. The ribs to me were on the dry side, making them really tough to eat unfortunately. My sides, however, were fantastic--the mashed potatoes were sooo garlicky, it was a good thing I wasn't going to be making out with anyone anytime soon! The cornbread was a nice big piece, moist and delicious, with a pad of butter on the top, melting down the sides. I also had the house sweet tea--not overly sweet, just perfect if you ask me.
Rick went with the half chicken and ribs, mac and cheese and cornbread. The chicken portion was huge, tender and tasty. We were told upon ordering that the mac and cheese was a new recipe they were trying out for the first time that night--Rick didn't care for it at all, saying he wouldn't order that again.
Overall we had a nice dinner. I would return and try one of their sandwiches--and definitely get some more of their cornbread!
www.flaggsteadsmokehouse.com
Rick and I both went with a two-meat plate. I had the brisket and ribs with my sides being garlic mashed potatoes and corn bread. The brisket was definitely the winner--tender, moist, with a nice smoke layer that had a great taste alone, but was also wonderful with the BBQ sauce on the tables. The ribs to me were on the dry side, making them really tough to eat unfortunately. My sides, however, were fantastic--the mashed potatoes were sooo garlicky, it was a good thing I wasn't going to be making out with anyone anytime soon! The cornbread was a nice big piece, moist and delicious, with a pad of butter on the top, melting down the sides. I also had the house sweet tea--not overly sweet, just perfect if you ask me.
Rick went with the half chicken and ribs, mac and cheese and cornbread. The chicken portion was huge, tender and tasty. We were told upon ordering that the mac and cheese was a new recipe they were trying out for the first time that night--Rick didn't care for it at all, saying he wouldn't order that again.
Overall we had a nice dinner. I would return and try one of their sandwiches--and definitely get some more of their cornbread!
www.flaggsteadsmokehouse.com
6/19/12-Joey Garlic's, Newington, CT
I haven't been to Joey Garlic's in quite some time, so it was nice to make a return visit with Dan. Admittedly, the last time Tom and I ate here, we weren't thrilled with what we had so I've been wanting to give this local favorite another shot.
When we arrived, even though it was a Tuesday night, the place was packed and people were waiting for tables--wow! Since we were on a time constraint, we sat down at the bar. In looking over the menu, I wanted something on the smaller side--if you didn't know, this place has HUGE portions. I couldn't have anything that required me to take leftovers home, so I was looking at the salads when I came across one called "Meatball Salad". Hmm, sounds weird and kinda gross, but intriguing at the same time. Dan encourages me to get it for just those reasons, so I did. This salad had everything but the kitchen sink in it--lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, red onion, capers, peppers, etc--and three meatballs drenched in marinara sauce on top of it all, with a large hunk of garlic bread on the side. This was entirely too big to finish but I did my best before I threw in the towel (leftover salad that's already been dressed? ick, no thank you.) Dan ordered his fav--the cheesesteak grinder. Sadly, he ruined my amusement and ate the insides out with a fork--it was so huge, surely it would have made a mess if he tried to pick it up and eat it! He also had a coconut milkshake, which of course made me want one, so I got an Oreo milkshake to go--so delish!
Dan and I had a nice dinner and I am happy to say that I'd be glad to return. Next time I'll plan to bring the leftovers home so Tom can enjoy my dinner too!
www.joeygarlics.com
When we arrived, even though it was a Tuesday night, the place was packed and people were waiting for tables--wow! Since we were on a time constraint, we sat down at the bar. In looking over the menu, I wanted something on the smaller side--if you didn't know, this place has HUGE portions. I couldn't have anything that required me to take leftovers home, so I was looking at the salads when I came across one called "Meatball Salad". Hmm, sounds weird and kinda gross, but intriguing at the same time. Dan encourages me to get it for just those reasons, so I did. This salad had everything but the kitchen sink in it--lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, red onion, capers, peppers, etc--and three meatballs drenched in marinara sauce on top of it all, with a large hunk of garlic bread on the side. This was entirely too big to finish but I did my best before I threw in the towel (leftover salad that's already been dressed? ick, no thank you.) Dan ordered his fav--the cheesesteak grinder. Sadly, he ruined my amusement and ate the insides out with a fork--it was so huge, surely it would have made a mess if he tried to pick it up and eat it! He also had a coconut milkshake, which of course made me want one, so I got an Oreo milkshake to go--so delish!
Dan and I had a nice dinner and I am happy to say that I'd be glad to return. Next time I'll plan to bring the leftovers home so Tom can enjoy my dinner too!
www.joeygarlics.com
Sunday, June 17, 2012
6/17/12-Sirinan's Thai & Japansese, Wallingford, CT
Decided to try a new-ish Thai place in town and were pleasantly surprised! Tom and I ordered all our favorites as a baseline to compare--Crab Rangoon (Tom said it was tasted like it actually had crab in it and was creamy and flavorful); Spicy Calamari (the calamari was a bit rubbery but the dipping sauce had a nice kick to it!); Drunken Noodles (excellent portion size, nice heat without losing flavor) and Pad Thai (light & refreshing). Looking forward to returning and trying something new!
www.sirinans.com
www.sirinans.com
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