What a cool place to hang out.
I've been here on a few occasions, but apparently Tom has never been. So, on a rainy Friday in Hartford we stopped in to get some Southern food. The ambiance is very cool, with paintings of blues artists on the walls and the sound checks of a musician who is going to hit the stage later in the evening.
The menu has every Southern dish you might be craving (for us, that's pretty much everything!). We decided to start with fried okra and pickle chips--hot, lightly fried with a "Tennessee tartar" sauce for dipping--this disappeared fast! I never had either of these things fried before, but I would definitely have them again. For entrees, Tom had BBQ Beef Brisket platter, which came with coleslaw, red beans and rice and he ordered an additional side of garlicky green beans. The brisket came atop texas white toast and was a great portion. It wasn't fall-apart tender, but it wasn't tough either and had a nice smoky flavor. I went with the Southern Fried Chicken, which came with collard greens and mac n cheese. The chicken was out of sight--four pieces fried to perfection, nice and juicy on the inside yet crispy and a nice hint of spice on the outside. The mac and cheese was incredibly creamy and the collard were good (but not as good as the ones we make!)
We were too stuffed to even consider dessert, but we had a great meal! Can't wait to go back!
www.blackeyedsallys.com
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
7/19/12-Bricco Trattoria, Glastonbury, CT
Out to dinner tonight with a lovely friend from school, Kim. I was a fan of the restaurant that formerly occupied this space (Sauce) and hoped that this would be just as nice--and it is. Classy, upscale interior, friendly staff and great food. I was able to make a reservation via OpenTable (which I love) and was seated immediately upon arrival.
Kim had a draft beer to start, while I went with the bellini--perfectly balanced, not too sweet. Bread came to the table--soft and warm, seasoned, with a bowl of olives in olive oil. On to our entrees--Kim had the fresh potato gnocchi, which she enjoyed while I had the fresh cavatelli napolitano with braised pork sugo--the pasta was perfectly done, served with a nice amount of the braised pork, which was super tender and really added to the overall flavor of the dish.
To finish our evening, we went with the warm Valhrona chocolate cake. I was excited to try this, since Valhrona is my current favorite chocolate thanks to a chocolate tasting I did a few months ago. This was rich and chocolaty, not at all like the traditional cake I thought it would be and would definitely satiate any need for chocolate.
Overall, a lovely evening out. Would definitely return!
Kim had a draft beer to start, while I went with the bellini--perfectly balanced, not too sweet. Bread came to the table--soft and warm, seasoned, with a bowl of olives in olive oil. On to our entrees--Kim had the fresh potato gnocchi, which she enjoyed while I had the fresh cavatelli napolitano with braised pork sugo--the pasta was perfectly done, served with a nice amount of the braised pork, which was super tender and really added to the overall flavor of the dish.
To finish our evening, we went with the warm Valhrona chocolate cake. I was excited to try this, since Valhrona is my current favorite chocolate thanks to a chocolate tasting I did a few months ago. This was rich and chocolaty, not at all like the traditional cake I thought it would be and would definitely satiate any need for chocolate.
Overall, a lovely evening out. Would definitely return!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
7/13/12-Mike's Deli, Old Saybrook, CT
Tom and I grabbed some lunch before hitting the sand after his cousin recommended this place. Great deli!
This place is tiny, with no real semblance of order, but it all seemed to work out in the end. Tom had a salami grinder with all his favorite toppings, while I went with the house smoked turkey with my favorite toppings. There are a ton of choices for sandwiches, along with daily specials, soups and sides. The sandwich is huge, with enough stuff on the bread that it is bursting out the sides. The bread is nice and soft, but I wish it was a bit heartier and larger to better hold the contents of the sandwich. Otherwise, this stop made for a nice lunch on the sand--we'll definitely be back on our way to the beach in the future!
www.mikesmeatsanddeli.com
This place is tiny, with no real semblance of order, but it all seemed to work out in the end. Tom had a salami grinder with all his favorite toppings, while I went with the house smoked turkey with my favorite toppings. There are a ton of choices for sandwiches, along with daily specials, soups and sides. The sandwich is huge, with enough stuff on the bread that it is bursting out the sides. The bread is nice and soft, but I wish it was a bit heartier and larger to better hold the contents of the sandwich. Otherwise, this stop made for a nice lunch on the sand--we'll definitely be back on our way to the beach in the future!
www.mikesmeatsanddeli.com
Sunday, July 8, 2012
7/6/12-Pasta Cosi, Branford, CT
Tom and I headed out for dinner at Pasta Cosi, located in the cute downtown green area of Branford--such a nice quiet area compared to Rt.1! We had reservations, so we were seated right away and water glasses filled. The ambiance is nice for a date night and with only a handful of tables, it was cozy without being cramped.
I started with a glass of the house Pinot Grigio and Tom had a beer and a bread basket was brought over. I love good Italian bread, but this stuff was so hard, it surpassed the limits of the word "crusty". This was one breadbasket we definitely did not want refills on.
Hoping that things would turn around, our appetizer arrived--fried mozzarella. The mozz was definitely fresh (in the two odd-shaped pieces we got), but plating and portions were way off-balance. We asked for both of the sauces they had available on the menu for this item--lemon caper raddichio and marinara. The lemon caper came in a large ramekin, taking over half of the dish, with the marinara taking up another quarter, leaving the two mozz pieces in the rest of the plate. Plating issue aside, the flavor of the sauces worked nicely with the mozz and was enjoyable.
For my entree, I had the Amatriciana--pasta with a sauce of diced onion, pancetta, bacon, garlic, wine and red pepper, with sliced sausage on top. I loved the slightly smoky flavor to the sauce but I wish the pieces of pancetta and bacon were more plentiful and visible; otherwise, I enjoyed this dish and the housemade pasta. Tom went with his go-to pasta dish--clams in white sauce. He noted how filling the dish was, related to the housemade pasta but he also commented that the clams were a bit overdone. Overall, it was a nice meal but it didn't stand out enough for us to become one of our go-to Italian joints, or even for us to likely return to.
I started with a glass of the house Pinot Grigio and Tom had a beer and a bread basket was brought over. I love good Italian bread, but this stuff was so hard, it surpassed the limits of the word "crusty". This was one breadbasket we definitely did not want refills on.
Hoping that things would turn around, our appetizer arrived--fried mozzarella. The mozz was definitely fresh (in the two odd-shaped pieces we got), but plating and portions were way off-balance. We asked for both of the sauces they had available on the menu for this item--lemon caper raddichio and marinara. The lemon caper came in a large ramekin, taking over half of the dish, with the marinara taking up another quarter, leaving the two mozz pieces in the rest of the plate. Plating issue aside, the flavor of the sauces worked nicely with the mozz and was enjoyable.
For my entree, I had the Amatriciana--pasta with a sauce of diced onion, pancetta, bacon, garlic, wine and red pepper, with sliced sausage on top. I loved the slightly smoky flavor to the sauce but I wish the pieces of pancetta and bacon were more plentiful and visible; otherwise, I enjoyed this dish and the housemade pasta. Tom went with his go-to pasta dish--clams in white sauce. He noted how filling the dish was, related to the housemade pasta but he also commented that the clams were a bit overdone. Overall, it was a nice meal but it didn't stand out enough for us to become one of our go-to Italian joints, or even for us to likely return to.
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