Tom and I were in the area on business and was looking for a place to get a nice lunch. We decided to try out Burton's in Evergreen Walk, a definite power suit kind of place. We were brought some warm rolls and our beverages and we decided to start with the Philly spring rolls--really interesting take on a philly cheesesteak, I loved the gooey, melty cheese coating the thinly sliced steak inside the roll--the spicy ketchup dipping sauce did nothing for me, but Tom enjoyed it!
For my lunch, I went with the California chicken sandwich--bronzed chicken breast, cure 81 ham, chipotle mayonnaise, avocado cream and pepper jack cheese on griddled ciabatta, hand cut french fries--the concept was a good idea but I felt that the avocado cream and the chipotle mayo pretty much canceled each other out. Tom had the Mediterranean chicken--pan seared chicken breast topped with sun-dried tomatoes,
goat cheese and provolone, served over spinach risotto, finished with a delicate lemon butter sauce--the risotto was nicely done and a good accompaniment to the chicken.
Service was prompt and efficient, always a plus at lunchtime. It was a bit pricey for lunch but we left satisfied with our choice.
www.burtonsgrill.com
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
11/3/12-McLadden's Irish Publick House, West Hartford, CT
Tom and I headed out for the night in one of my favorite towns to dine in--West Hartford--and decided to try something a bit different. McLadden's was hopping when we got there, with a large crowd of people in the bar area and quite a few more waiting for tables. We were seated after about a 20 minute wait. I like the feel of this place--dark, wooden seating area with the signature Guinness harp towards the back of the room, beer taps mounted onto shelves along the walls and a stage area for live bands. I've never been to Ireland, but this is what I hope a traditional Irish bar looks like.
To start, we shared a bowl of the French Onion soup. Our waitress told us that so many bowls of that soup had been ordered tonight alone. Maybe it was the chill in the air that got people craving some warmth in their souls or patrons just know how good this soup is, either way, it was a great choice. The onions were cooked perfectly and just melted as they hit your tongue. The Gruyere and provolone topping a crostini gave the soup that bite that hits you in the back of your mouth, while the beefy broth melded all the flavors together.
For entrees, Tom went with the corned beef and cabbage. The portion size was excellent and adding some mustard to the mix really made the dish for him. I am not a big fan of corned beef myself (contrary to my red hair and fair complexion, I am not Irish in the least) but the few bites I stole were pretty good. I decided on Bangers and Mash for myself--the Irish sausages had that distinct flavor that I expected, but it was the three onion gravy that really ramped up the flavor in this dish. The potatoes were fluffy and plentiful and also benefited from the gravy.
We were quite full by the end of this evening and we overall had a good experience. I would definitely come back--maybe next time to hang out at the bar and enjoy my own crock of french onion soup!
www.mcladdens.com
To start, we shared a bowl of the French Onion soup. Our waitress told us that so many bowls of that soup had been ordered tonight alone. Maybe it was the chill in the air that got people craving some warmth in their souls or patrons just know how good this soup is, either way, it was a great choice. The onions were cooked perfectly and just melted as they hit your tongue. The Gruyere and provolone topping a crostini gave the soup that bite that hits you in the back of your mouth, while the beefy broth melded all the flavors together.
For entrees, Tom went with the corned beef and cabbage. The portion size was excellent and adding some mustard to the mix really made the dish for him. I am not a big fan of corned beef myself (contrary to my red hair and fair complexion, I am not Irish in the least) but the few bites I stole were pretty good. I decided on Bangers and Mash for myself--the Irish sausages had that distinct flavor that I expected, but it was the three onion gravy that really ramped up the flavor in this dish. The potatoes were fluffy and plentiful and also benefited from the gravy.
We were quite full by the end of this evening and we overall had a good experience. I would definitely come back--maybe next time to hang out at the bar and enjoy my own crock of french onion soup!
www.mcladdens.com
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
10/13/12-Sandpiper Restaurant, East Haven, CT
Starving after a long day, Tom and I headed out to get dinner. I've been wanting to go out for seafood for a while now (I just don't feel like I got to it enough this summer), so we took a short drive down to Cosey Beach. This restaurant is in a prime location with a bright, clean interior. We waited about 20 minutes before being seated in a booth by the window.
I decided to deviate from my normal choices for dinner and went with the broiled cajun swordfish, served with a a side salad and french fries. The fish may have been a tiny touch overcooked but I could completely overlook that because the overall portion and taste was excellent--Tom agrees, as he stole more than one bite from my plate! Tom went with one of the night's specials--fried shrimp and clamstrips, served over french fries. He said the clam strips were average and comparable to most places and also said that the shrimp may also have been a tiny bit overcooked, but the portion size was nice.
Overall, we had a nice dinner. Service was prompt and the owner/manager could be seen walking around checking on patrons. A perfectly good place to stop in and feed that need for seafood!
www.sandpipereasthaven.com
I decided to deviate from my normal choices for dinner and went with the broiled cajun swordfish, served with a a side salad and french fries. The fish may have been a tiny touch overcooked but I could completely overlook that because the overall portion and taste was excellent--Tom agrees, as he stole more than one bite from my plate! Tom went with one of the night's specials--fried shrimp and clamstrips, served over french fries. He said the clam strips were average and comparable to most places and also said that the shrimp may also have been a tiny bit overcooked, but the portion size was nice.
Overall, we had a nice dinner. Service was prompt and the owner/manager could be seen walking around checking on patrons. A perfectly good place to stop in and feed that need for seafood!
www.sandpipereasthaven.com
10/6/12-Sakura Garden, Glastonbury, CT
Tom and I came here for my birthday dinner. When we arrived, we opted to go with regular seating versus hibachi tables and was brought to a lovely, modern dining room. You could watch the sushi chefs at work nearby, which was neat.
For appetizer, we got the beef negimaki, which looked like sushi! Thin beef strips that were rolled around a bunch of scallions and coated in teryaki sauce--really interesting, nicely plated and pretty tasty! Tom was excited to order sushi, so he got an eel roll and a shrimp tempura roll--he enjoyed both and voiced that he could definitely eat another roll. Instead I let him finish my entree, which was Yaki Soba. My noodles were ok, but not very exciting. I felt that they lacked in flavor and I've definitely had better.
We opted to skip dessert, as I had some awesome cupcakes waiting for us at home. We had an overall OK experience and if we came here again, we'd go for the hibachi.
www.sakuragardencuisine.com
For appetizer, we got the beef negimaki, which looked like sushi! Thin beef strips that were rolled around a bunch of scallions and coated in teryaki sauce--really interesting, nicely plated and pretty tasty! Tom was excited to order sushi, so he got an eel roll and a shrimp tempura roll--he enjoyed both and voiced that he could definitely eat another roll. Instead I let him finish my entree, which was Yaki Soba. My noodles were ok, but not very exciting. I felt that they lacked in flavor and I've definitely had better.
We opted to skip dessert, as I had some awesome cupcakes waiting for us at home. We had an overall OK experience and if we came here again, we'd go for the hibachi.
www.sakuragardencuisine.com
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