A lovely dining experience!
Tom and I decided on dinner here before taking in a theatre performance. Finding the restaurant is tricky since it is in an odd location, but follow the signs to the parking lot around the back of the building which will bring you to the restaurant's door. They have a patio, which I'm sure is lovely in warm weather but since it was late November, a table indoors for us. The waitstaff was very attentive, filling water glasses and bringing fresh ciabatta style bread to our table. They have a Louisiana-style grill menu for the specials this month, which is fitting since the owner has roots there. Speaking of, Matthew himself was seen making tableside caesar for another party and was consistently involved in the dining room, checking on customers and helping his staff--always nice to see this.
For my dinner, I decided to go with the Louisiana mixed grill--herb crusted lamb chop, andouille sausage with house mustard sauce and a petite filet, cajun blackened with a demi glace, all served with chive whipped potatoes and fresh veggies. Wow. This plate had it all! The filet was my favorite--cooked perfectly to my order of medium rare, with a nice flavor from the blackening. The chive whipped potatoes were a perfect accompaniment, and the carrots and asparagus was also a nice touch. Tom went with the NY strip steak--also cooked perfectly to his liking. The steak was very tender and he had a great portion of sauteed spinach and potatoes.
I wish we weren't full by the end of this delightful meal because I wanted to have those beignets, but maybe another time. Service was professional and very efficient in taking care of the dining room patrons, topping off an excellent experience. Would definitely come back!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
11/29/12-Michael's Deli, Cheshire, CT
Had some job training near home today, so got to have lunch with the hubby on my break. We decided to check out Michael's Deli. It had a comfortable, homey feel to it with a few tables for the lunch crowd. There are specials posted on their website everyday, so I already had an idea of what I wanted today. We shared the cheeseburger soup--chock full of ground beef and diced tomatoes that gave it a nice, hearty texture and flavor. I had the chicken caesar asiago wrap--not sure where the asiago was since it appeared to have american cheese, so the wrap was average, nothing special. Tom had the Junior's favorite--grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, pesto mayo, provolone cheese and greens--very enjoyable!
A nice place to stop instead of the usual lunch choices. Business was steady the entire time, which is always a good sign!
www.michaelsdelicheshire.com
A nice place to stop instead of the usual lunch choices. Business was steady the entire time, which is always a good sign!
www.michaelsdelicheshire.com
Monday, November 26, 2012
11/23/12-Spicy Green Bean, Glastonbury, CT
Tom and I headed out to lunch with Jill and Cory. I've been talking about wanting to go back here since a Yelp event a few months ago, so I'm glad we finally made the time. Even though it was pretty busy when we arrived, we got a nice big table by the window.
Jill and I both got the "Big Bangin Monster Steak and Cheese"--and it was all of that and more. Real steak, cooked up perfectly with a great spice blend that gave it an amazing peppery flavor, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato on a hefty roll, served with fries (regular for me, sweet potato for Jill). The steak sandwich was delish and was the envy of Tom--but where was the mayo? There could have been more cheese, too--there was a barely there sprinkling of cheddar melted atop the steak. These two things didn't stop me from enjoying this sandwich. I want another one right now, just thinking about it.
Cory and Tom had burgers--Cory's all-American burger must have been good, since it was inhaled. Tom went with the Chimi burger, which had the house chimichurri sauce on it--but where was the sauce?? A very, very light coating of chimi sauce was found upon opening up the burger, but it really couldn't be tasted because there definitely wasn't enough of it. Tom also ordered a roast beef sandwich to go, and he had the same problem again--he ordered it with a garlic mayo and it was barely there. It seemed that maybe the kitchen just does a small squirt in the middle of the burger/sandwich and doesn't layer it out to the sides of the meat and bread--we all love creative condiments, so let them shine! Next time I will be sure to order an additional side of the sauce to meet my particular taste.
Oh and the fries were incredibly good! I don't know how they make or season them, but they are damn tasty and addicting! The sweet potato ones were ok, nothing special, especially in comparison to the regular fries.
Service was friendly (and even hooked us up with cookies because of the Yelp check-in!) and we were all stuffed by the end of lunch. We will definitely return!
www.spicygreenbean.com
Jill and I both got the "Big Bangin Monster Steak and Cheese"--and it was all of that and more. Real steak, cooked up perfectly with a great spice blend that gave it an amazing peppery flavor, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato on a hefty roll, served with fries (regular for me, sweet potato for Jill). The steak sandwich was delish and was the envy of Tom--but where was the mayo? There could have been more cheese, too--there was a barely there sprinkling of cheddar melted atop the steak. These two things didn't stop me from enjoying this sandwich. I want another one right now, just thinking about it.
Cory and Tom had burgers--Cory's all-American burger must have been good, since it was inhaled. Tom went with the Chimi burger, which had the house chimichurri sauce on it--but where was the sauce?? A very, very light coating of chimi sauce was found upon opening up the burger, but it really couldn't be tasted because there definitely wasn't enough of it. Tom also ordered a roast beef sandwich to go, and he had the same problem again--he ordered it with a garlic mayo and it was barely there. It seemed that maybe the kitchen just does a small squirt in the middle of the burger/sandwich and doesn't layer it out to the sides of the meat and bread--we all love creative condiments, so let them shine! Next time I will be sure to order an additional side of the sauce to meet my particular taste.
Oh and the fries were incredibly good! I don't know how they make or season them, but they are damn tasty and addicting! The sweet potato ones were ok, nothing special, especially in comparison to the regular fries.
Service was friendly (and even hooked us up with cookies because of the Yelp check-in!) and we were all stuffed by the end of lunch. We will definitely return!
www.spicygreenbean.com
11/13/12-Saybrook Fish House, Rocky Hill, CT
Tom and I headed to Saybrook Fish House for dinner this evening and from the minute you walk in the door, you can tell this place has been around for quite some time. This place definitely has a worn-in feel to it with a steady stream of regular neighborhood customers--if my grandfather was alive, he would come here. Even though we were probably the youngest couple in there, we didn't feel uncomfortable. We were brought a large bread basket, with a few different varieties to choose from (even those cellophane-wrapped breadsticks that no one has seen since the early 90's). Then a family-style salad was brought to the table. I am a bit of a purist when it comes to my salad, so I didn't care for the large piles of sliced veggies, but this did make it easier to pick off the ones you didn't like. For an appetizer, we had Rhode Island style calamari--nice and spicy, just the way we like it and the calamari was cooked perfectly.
For entrees, I had the special swordfish--blackened, served with asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. No complaints for my dish! The fish was cut thick and had a nice, blackened taste to it and the potatoes were nice and garlicky. Tom had a special Louisiana style pasta dish, with shrimp, chicken, clams, mussels in a spicy red sauce--very filling dish that yielded leftovers for the next day.
We were stuffed by this point, so dessert wasn't an option. However, they give you a free fruit bowl and they offer to wrap it so you can bring it home. This was impressive, with 2 large strawberries, melon slices, pineapple, canteloupe, an orange and an apple.
You definitely get a lot of food here and we had a good experience--however, I still felt like it was overpriced. It would have felt far too pricey for us had we not had a groupon, so I don't anticipate returning anytime soon. If you are looking for a place to dine with the grandparents, this is it!
www.saybrookfishhouserestaurants.com
For entrees, I had the special swordfish--blackened, served with asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. No complaints for my dish! The fish was cut thick and had a nice, blackened taste to it and the potatoes were nice and garlicky. Tom had a special Louisiana style pasta dish, with shrimp, chicken, clams, mussels in a spicy red sauce--very filling dish that yielded leftovers for the next day.
We were stuffed by this point, so dessert wasn't an option. However, they give you a free fruit bowl and they offer to wrap it so you can bring it home. This was impressive, with 2 large strawberries, melon slices, pineapple, canteloupe, an orange and an apple.
You definitely get a lot of food here and we had a good experience--however, I still felt like it was overpriced. It would have felt far too pricey for us had we not had a groupon, so I don't anticipate returning anytime soon. If you are looking for a place to dine with the grandparents, this is it!
www.saybrookfishhouserestaurants.com
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