Burgers and Brews Food Reviews

Cheeseboy, Palisades Mall, Nyack, NY

2012-02-11T16:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a brilliant idea if ever I saw one. I hope it works out well because whoever came up with this is a genius. What it is is total simplicity making comfort food. They make grilled cheese sandwiches, many varieties thereof, and tomato soup out of a mall kiosk.

I had the special of the month, featured above, which is an Italian sandwich for five bucks. Grilled cheese, basil, pepperoni and tomatoes on italian bread. The whole thing is done in a press (not a panini press as there are no grooves) so the grease goes away. Good sandwich. Next time I'll try the soup too.

Like I said, sheer genius. Maybe I'll open a peanut butter and jelly restaurant, but it's probably been done already. They have a website for information, menu and locations, as well as philosophy and philanthropy.

Lakeview House, Newburgh, NY

2012-02-11T06:03:00.000-08:00

One of the fun things about travelling to visit the grandchildren is that we discover some interesting places and have some great food. Sometimes we don't have to travel far to find a treasure, like the Lakeview House on Orange Lake in Newburgh, just a few miles from our back door.

We've been meaning to stop for quite a while and I've heard rave reviews of the duck, but we just never got around to it. That all changed when were there with a few friends to celebrate the retirement of one of them and the meal was the gift of her financial consultant. A free meal with old friends (we've known them for over thirty years) at a nice restaurant that I've wanted to try? Perfect.

The inside has a warm sort of 1940's feel to it with plenty of wood, tin ceilings, and windows overlooking the lake. There is a patio as well for warm weather dining. I recommend the Lake Room if you are there at sunset. They do have a large beer and wine selection, but most of the beers are lagers or German beers (sadly no IPA, stouts other than Guinness or porters). The waitress kept bringing me samples of a few beers to get me to find one I liked, but I stuck with water. I do like the fact that she tried though. In fact the whole restaurant was accommodating as one of our party has food allergies and they prepared his dish exactly as he asked. Another asked for her dish done a bit different for dietary reasons and they did so.

I started with the escargot au Provence. Sorry, no picture since I forgot I had the camera with me. The snails were cooked in butter, garlic, parsley, parmesan and some type of wine or vermouth that added a delightful flavor note. That was followed by a small salad with gorgonzola and balsamic vinaigrette. For the entree I had the Long Island duck shown above. It was a half duck with a crispy crust and juicy meat. The sauce changes daily and that day they had an apple sauce which was quite good. I must say that the duck lived up to its reputation. I also ordered desert, something I rarely do but since most of the table got something I followed suit by ordering the chocolate creme brûlée. Quite delicious, but very rich.

Everyone else had a great meal. Teresa had the red snapper, a few people had stuffed flounder and one had a pasta dish. The overall consensus was very positive. Nice atmosphere, good view, excellent service, very good food at moderate prices (average entree $20 to $25). We will be back again soon, and probably often. They have a website for more information.

Big and Juicy Burger, Wendy's

2012-02-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

I've seen this one on TV and thought it looked good. In reality it is probably the greasiest burger I ever had. The meat is okay, the bun seemed fresh and the toppings were fresh. It's just that the bun was soaked in grease.

Now I do have to say that this is better than the standard fare they've been producing, but the grease is too much. The other problem I have with Wendy's is that I've had to wait too long to get to the counter lately no matter which one I've been to. They need to improve the efficiency of the line. I still like them better than MacDonald's and Burger King, and a whole lot more the Hardee's.

The Fireplace Restaurant, Ramsey, NJ

2012-01-28T17:57:00.000-08:00

I have passed this place hundreds of times. Sometimes I wondered what it was like and wanted to stop but Route 17 was busy and by the time I could get into the right lane I was already past it. Other times I'd already eaten. Well, today I made the effort to be in the proper lane and we stopped by. I'm glad we did.

Remember those restaurants on the side of the road before the Clown, the King and the red-headed girl with the pigtails took over? Well, that's what The Fireplace Restaurant is. This place isn't a retro burger place like so many companies are trying to create, this is the real thing like it used to be. It was started in the late fifties by an FBI agent and his family.

You place your order at the counter, pay them, and wait a few minutes. Your order is handed to you on a tray and you find a seat. Simple and pretty quick.

We ordered three cheeseburgers, a combo of fries and rings and a vanilla shake. The total? Fourteen bucks. The burgers were good, not phenomenal, but good. You can tell they're either flame broiled of car-grilled because you can taste it. The shake was nice with just the right amount of thickness. The rings were okay and the fries were a tad undercooked. You could tell the fries and rings were frozen, but they were good quality.

There are three sections to the restaurant. The burger counter (they offer a lot of other things too), the pizza counter upstairs, and the breakfast counter in the back that was closed when we were there.

The bottom line is that you really should stop by and taste a bit of Americana past at its best. They're better than any fast food place (except for a Five Guy's or a Jake's) and comparably priced. They have a website for directions, menu and all that stuff.

Jake's Wayback Burgers, Thorndale, PA

2012-01-15T15:08:00.000-08:00

Jake's Wayback Burgers is a burger chain started in Delaware back in 1991 and they are beginning to spread throughout the Pennsylvania area. I spotted one in Willow Grove awhile back and it looked interesting, but on the wrong side of the road to stop. When one opened in Thorndale I decided to see what they are all about.

Inside the restaurant has a nice warm feel to it with a burgundy and tan motif. Looking at the menu there are a few voices beyond the traditional burgers such as; chicken, salads, garden burgers, turkey burgers, chili and hot dogs. Oh, and they have milk shakes in quite a few flavors.

I ordered the regular cheeseburger (a two patty burger) at five bucks with ketchup, mustard and pickles. I like them simple. I made it a combo with large fries and a drink for $2.99 more. We got a kid combo, burger, fries and drink for two bucks for the grandson and added a shake too. The burger was quite delicious. It reminded me of an old fashioned grilled counter burger, just like the first one I ever had. It was not greasy and it tasted fresh. The fries were very good, but needed seasoning. That was easily fixed with a little salt from the shaker on the table.

The way it works is that you place your order and pay, they ask you for your name instead of giving you a number, and you take a seat. When your order is done they bring the order to you and even clean your table for you.

The big danger here is to compare them to Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Okay, I guess I have to. I would put the fries a step above Five Guys and the burger on a par with them. The edge goes to Jake's for the greater variety of offerings for my non-burger friends. The only down side is they don't have peanuts to eat while you wait. I will definitely be visiting this Jake's again, and when I see one along the road I will make it a point to stop. They have a website for locations and menu.

Sly Fox Brewery and Eatery , Phoenixville, PA.

2012-01-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

Pennsylvania is full of good brew pubs and I like brewpubs. They have everything a guy could ask for, beer and burgers and sometimes both the beer and the burgers are very good, like Front Street Brewery in Wilmington. Sometimes they are not, such as Capitol City in DC where both are not too good. My daughter and son-in-law had been to Sly Fox before and said it was good, plus we had a dining coupon, so off we went.

We had the Imperial IPA and it was quite tasty with a nice happiness to it, but not overpowering. We sampled the two bitters, but stuck to the Imperial for the refills. The bitters were good, but the Imperial was excellent.

The dining coupon was for two appetizers and four entrees (sandwiched and burgers included). We ordered the chicken fingers, Buffalo style and the Nachos for appetizers. The chicken came out quite spicy, juicy and the portion was big. The nachos were ample, but there was nowhere near enough cheese on them.

Brian and I each had the Birchrun Black and Blue Burger at $9.00. It had cajun seasonings, plenty of blue cheese and came on a brioche roll. We both ordered them medium and they were much closer to well-done. Teresa got the Swedesford Burger with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese. She ordered it medium well and it was well-done. The burgers were good and flavorful, but a bit dry as they were overcooked. The cajun spices did add a mild heat and the roll was fresh. They both came with fries and they were good.

For my grandson we ordered the children's chicken fingers with fries, milk and ice cream. His portions were large and even though he is a champion eater at two years of age, half of his food came home with us.

Speaking of takeout, they have cans, growlers and 22 oz bottles of selected beers for sale. The bottom line?

Prices good
Beer very good
Food okay to very good
Service good

They have a website for more information.

Panda House, Danbury CT.

2012-01-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

We tried The Panda House in Danbury a few years ago and found it to be good, but not stellar enough to have gone back right away. Today we were debating where to eat and decided to give them another try. We were there at half past four on a Saturday, so they weren't crowded, but they started to fill up as we ate.

I'd forgotten that they were a Japanese and Chinese restaurant so I concentrated on the Japanese part of the menu and I ordered the sushi appetizer at $8.95 and there were four nice pieces on the plate; tuna, salmon, shrimp and yellowtail. It took a while to get to the table, and I saw the sushi chef working away, so it must have been fresh. My salad (lettuce with a sort of spicy russian-like dressing) and the miso soup came before the sushi. The miso soup had seaweed, tofu and I think a fish base to it, too much of it actually, and it wasn't that good, and it was a bit smelly. The sushi was tasty though.

Teresa got the Moo Shu Pork at $9.50 and I ordered the Shrimp Tempura at $17.95, which came with the salad and soup mentioned above. Yes, the prices are a bit high. I tasted the Moo Shu Pork and it was good, as was my tempura. The shrimp tasted fresh and there were sweet potatoes, beans, an onion ring and a carrot in the mix as well. The batter was right and they were fried just right.

My overall impression is that the food is good, for the most part, the service was okay and the prices are a bit high. Will we go back? Yeah, but we won't be rushing. They have a website for more information.

Chili's Southern Smokehouse Burger

2012-01-04T16:36:00.000-08:00

I haven't been to Chili's in a while so I forgot how much I like them. You see, Chili's is one of the few casual dining places I like. We looked at the two for twenty deals, but none of the appetizers interested us so I ordered the Southern Smokehouse Burger at $9.99 and Teresa got a taco special at $9.29.

My burger was excellent. The default temperature is medium well so I didn't specify how I wanted it. When it came it was a perfect medium well, maybe a bit more to the medium, with a nice flavor. I asked for the BBQ sauce on the side so I could add the amount I wanted. The fries were crispy and hot with enough salt already on them. A good burger at a good price.

Chicago Uno, Wappingers Falls, NY

2011-12-31T16:22:00.000-08:00

I need to add a place to my list of restaurants that know how to properly cook a burger, Chicago Uno on Route 9 in Wappingers Falls.

Above and below please note the 'Bring Home the Bacon' burger with hot pepper cheese and bacon on a challah roll. What you can't see is the center of the burger which was a dark pink. That's right, a perfectly cooked medium burger. Teresa had the Firecracker Chicken sandwich which she said was okay.

Unos started in Chicago on East Ohio Street about sixty-five years ago serving deep dish pizza. They have grown to over 160 locations, some of them franchised and if you like deep dish pizza, and you're not in Chicago, Unos is the place to get it. The one in Wappingers is franchised by Banta Restaurants and sits on the old Steak and Stein location. They try to buy locally as much as they can.

Unos a nice place to get a bite to eat and they have a respectable beer selection as well. They even have their own Uno Amber, which has a nice clean taste. Happy hour specials include some cheap appetizers too. The inside has a nice warm look to it and is decorated with pictures of Chicago, memorabilia, and TVs in the bar area.

Have I ever mentioned how much I like Five Guys?

2011-12-30T19:17:00.000-08:00

I think that Five Guys is quite probably the best fast food burger, period. There are a few who say that In and Out is the best, but I haven't been there yet. I also think that Five Guys is one of the best burgers out there. Now I'm not going to compare them to a half-pound of premium meat cooked to order at someplace like the Raccoon Saloon or the Beacon Falls Cafe, but compared to most places it is equal or better.

There is something amazing about the simplicity of the whole operation. Burgers, fries, dogs and grilled cheese with dozens of toppings available to allow for hundreds of potential creations. My favorite is the little cheeseburger with pickles, ketchup and mustard, and occasionally jalapeños. I get two of them and we share a small order of Cajun fries. I also like the fact that they have malt vinegar for the fries.

Hacienda, Goshen, NY

2011-12-23T15:24:00.000-08:00

We've been here a few times before and liked it. One of those times was on May5th for Teresa's birthday, also Cinqo de Mayo which is the Mexican equivalent of Saint Patrick's Day. That would be the day to stay away as they are extremely crowded, unless you want to wait. Today at four in the afternoon wasn't a problem since even though the parking lot had quite a few cars, they weren't that crowded inside. I think there were a few people in a room upstairs for a private party.

Outside it looks like a large house that has been converted to a restaurant. Inside the decorations are bright and colorful with designs on the chairs. We were seated and given water and nachos with salsa, a salsa that started out medium and the more you eat the hotter it becomes. We looked over the menu and I ordered the Camarones diablo. Teresa got the enchiladas suizo. While we waited for our food the waiter brought us each a small quesadilla which was quite nice.

My shrimp tasted fresh and the sauce was slightly spicy with some sautéed onions in it. The re-fried beans were okay and the rice not bad (I don't usually eat rice so it must have been okay for me to have finished half of it).

Overall, the service is good, prices average to a bit high, and the food is fairly good. As we ate we decided that we liked Cafe Maya in Fishkill better. I know that some people will disagree with that, but that's our opinion.

Molly Darcy's, Danbury, CT.

2011-12-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

We had to go to Trader Joe's today so we did a few stops in Danbury and the next thing we knew it was time for lunch. I'd spotted Molly Darcy's once or twice in the past and made a note to stop sometime. Today was that sometime and the question is, should you stop?

It was relatively empty for a Saturday afternoon and we were asked where we wanted to sit. We took a table in the main dining area and the waitress gave us menus and went for water. I looked around and it's a typical Irish bar/restaurant with plenty of wood on the floors and tables and pictures on the walls of Irish things.

After looking through the menu we decided on bacon cheeseburgers. I ordered mine medium with rashers (Irish bacon that is somewhat like Canadian bacon, but crisper) in place of the standard bacon and Teresa ordered hers with regular American bacon, cooked medium-well. We both opted for cheddar cheese. I was thinking about fish and chips or the traditional Irish breakfast, but the blood pudding with the breakfast isn't my favorite so I passed.

We waited for quite some time to get the burgers and we were wondering if they ground their own beef and were chasing the cow around the back yard. Our waitress did bring us more water while we waited. When the burgers came I could see why they took so long. My medium was a well-done and Teresa's was an extremely well-done. They were hot, but they were over done and lacking in flavor. The fries were not bad. Maybe I should have gone with that breakfast.

Overall experience? Not impressed. So back to that earlier question, maybe you shouldn't stop. There are many better places to go nearby, like Rosy Tomorrows.

Over 30,000 people have read this blog, you should too.

2011-12-11T09:31:00.001-08:00

Wow, I've had over thirty-thousand pages views since I've been tracking this blog. That doesn't mean thirty-thousand people, like the title says, but rather how many pages have been viewed over the last two years. Still, that's pretty cool. There are some people who have come back often. I have a few people who use this blog to decide where to eat.

The demographics of the blog is over 60% female readership between the ages of 18 and 60 (these figures come from the Facebook page). Most of the views are specific to a particular restaurant search and Google is the main source, followed by Facebook and Port City Foodies.

Readers have come from 74 countries and 49 states over the last year. I need someone from Montana or Wyoming to hit the blog. The UK and Canada provide some fans too.

States with the most visits?

New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
New Jersey

Burger Boyz Revisited

2011-12-10T12:46:00.001-08:00

I went here a while back and said that it was good, but nothing special. Since then one of my regular readers suggested a few times that I stop and try them again. Noting that the earlier review is one of my most read posts, I decided to do it.

They have moved to a new location on Route 17K and share a building with Planet Wings, an establishment that makes, you guessed it, chicken wings. When I looked at the menu it seemed they have pared it down a bit and that may be a good thing as they were trying to do too much before. The new menu reminded me of Five Guys, as did the boxes of potatoes piled near the windows.

I decided to go simple and ordered the cheeseburger with tomato, pickles, ketchup and mustard. I ordered fries and there was a choice between curly fries and fresh cut fries. I opted for the fresh cut version. It was $8.49 for the burger and fries, tax included. I think the prices went up since I was last there.

The burger was good. It was juicy, but not greasy and tasted fresh. I could tell it was grilled and they pressed it down on the grill to get a nice char on the meat. The roll was soft and fresh. The fries were good also, but they could have been crisper. They were a bit soggy. There were plenty of them and two people could share an order with no problem.

As I was taking the pictures the guy behind the counter was staring at me, but he didn't say anything. Nobody ever does. Oh, and inside I saw who voted them one of the best burgers in the Hudson Valley. It was Hudson Valley Magazine. Mystery solved.

Bottom line? Good burger, okay fries. Stop in if you're nearby.

Scotch Eggs recipe

2011-12-04T10:01:00.001-08:00

I saw this on the Food Channel, I think it was Chopped, and thought it was interesting. Hard boiled eggs wrapped in sausage, breaded and deep fried. What can be wrong with that?

It is real simple to make too. Just hard-boil four eggs, let them chill and peel them. Coat with flour and wrap them with breakfast sausage. Next you flour again, dip in egg and bread crumbs. Fry at 350 for about ten minutes, until golden brown. Eat them hot, warm or cold. A little spicy mustard is all you need.

Beacon Falls Cafe, a perfect burger.

2011-12-03T13:30:00.001-08:00

I have been ranting quite a bit lately about ordering a burger cooked medium and getting it closer to well-done so I thought it would be appropriate to praise a restaurant that gets it right consistently, especially since there are so darn few that do.

This magnificant picture is of the burger special I got today at one of my favorite places, The Beacon Falls Cafe. This beauty is a half-pound of top quality Angus beef with a mountain of blue cheese, several strips of bacon, tons of roasted hot peppers, red onion, lettuce and tomato on a fresh bun. The list of ingredients is a mouthful and the burger itself was a handful. No, make that two hands full. When the waitress dropped it off I was wondering how in the Dickens I was going to pick it up, but I managed.

Now here's the best part. When I bit into it, the outside had a nice crust while the inside of the burger had a sweet pink cast to it. That pink extended throughout the interior of the entire burger. It was cooked to a perfect medium. Teresa ordered her burger cooked medium-well and the color was perfect too with a slight pinkish cast. Both were juicy and full of flavor.

In my burger the blue cheese slightly mellowed the heat of the hot peppers, but I did break into a sweat from the heat. The flavors of the ingredients all worked in concert to make this one of the best burgers I've ever had. I went through two napkins wiping the delicious juices from my face. The fries were delightful, crisp and hot, with a hint of seasoning on them. Unfortunately, I left quite a few behind on the plate since that massive burger filled me up.

Beacon Falls Cafe is a favorite of mine, I've reviewed them before. Go over and see them, tell Bob I sent you. Whatever you order, it will be good, but I strongly recommend a burger. They also have a good beer selection and I had a Red Wagon IPA from Fire Island Beer Company that was hoppy, yet smooth. If you go during Happy Hour (3 to 6) there are a few $3.00 pints.

Drafting Room, Exton revisited

2011-11-27T13:20:00.001-08:00

Calamari

One of my favorite places in Pennsylvania is The Drafting Room in Exton. We've been there a few times, twice I had a burger and once we had the Sunday brunch. Each visit was excellent with good food and service. One of the bet points about the place is the tap beer selection which rotates depending on season. This time the season was hoppy harvest ales and that was for me. We got two very nice beers. One was Hair of the Dog Blue Dot and the other was Flying Dog Centennial Hop. What I like about the Drafting Room is that you can get a five ounce, a ten ounce or a fifteen ounce glass. All the better to try a few different beers. They also have an amazing Scotch menu with some darn fine single malts offered.

I ordered the calamari with aioli sauce to share. The sauce was quite buttery with a good garlic flavor, not overdone. For my dinner I got out of my comfort zone and ordered the Scallops and pumpkin ravioli with leeks, roasted garlic and pine nuts shown here. Teresa got the Ravioli with olives, asparagus and capers and it had a taste similar to a putanesca. Very nice.

Bangers and mash

Brian got the Bangers and Mash, sausages on mashed potatoes, and it looked quite nice. Large portion and nice presentation.

Overall, a good meal and some good beer. The Drafting Room is a winner.

Mario's Pasta Garden, Brookfield, CT

2011-11-19T16:18:00.001-08:00

Fried Calamari

Mario's Pasta Garden is on Federal Road in Brookfield, Ct just before the Costco. Years ago we went here about once a month or so when we went to the Danbury Mall and Stew Leonard's with the kids. It was a good place to take four kids because the prices were good, the food was good, and there was something for everyone. We stopped going about fifteen years ago when we let the Costco membership lapse and today I thought we should stop in and see if it was as good as I remembered.

What I remembered that I liked about the place was that they made their own pasta fresh and baked their own bread and that was still true. The decor hadn't changed in fifteen years and while it didn't look bad, it did look a little long in the tooth the last time we were there and it hadn't changed since. Of course you don't eat the ambiance and I'm all about the food so decor doesn't really matter to me.

We were there when the lunch menu still applied so there were quite a few bargains. After some looking I ordered the fried calamari at $6.99 to share while Teresa was trying to decide on dinner. She finally decided on the Gnocchi with meat sauce at $7.99 and I ordered the Rigati carbonara at $6.99. We were told to help ourselves to the breadbasket by the soup. For ninety-nine cents extra you can get all the soup you want and the bread comes with the meal. The bread was delightful. Twenty-four bucks for two entrees, an appetizer and tax, and we took some home too.

The calamari came and it was perfectly cooked. Just the right amount of breaded, lightly fried, and perfect texture. The marinara sauce on the side was light and fresh tasting. Now I love a good calamari and this was one of the best. We shared it (read that inhaled it) and I even ate the little crumbs on the plate.

When the entrees came they looked good and tasted good. I think Teresa's dish was the better of the two and the meat sauce was lightly meat flavored and didn't overpower the sauce. Mine was a cream sauce with bacon and sautéed onions and was a bit flat at first, but a dash of salt took care of that.

The bottom line is this, good food at reasonable prices and defiantly worth stopping by to check them out. They have a website with the menu and all that stuff.

Metro Diner, Flemington, NJ

2011-11-13T13:12:00.001-08:00

The Metro Diner sits on Route 202 just south of Flemington, on the northbound side, and we've passed by saying we should try them sometime. Well, today was the day.

Inside it has more of a restaurant feel than a diner, but the menu was pure diner with all of the standards. We looked through the menu and debated back and forth over the rueben, the French dip, the Philly cheesesteak and the club sandwiches.

Teresa got the triple decker turkey club with fries and I got the French dip. We shared so I can comment properly on both. The club sandwich had a ton of smoked turkey on it, so much that I took a bit out to make it easier to handle. The French dip had quality roast beef sliced on it with a bowl of au jus that could have been a bit darker, but it wasn't bad. The fries were nice and crispy and hot too.

I looked at the food going to other tables and the burgers, the omelets and the Ruebens all looked good. Our food, and what I saw going by, had a different feel than typical diner food. It seemed a bit more upscale, a fact that was not reflected in the prices as they were quite reasonable.

Overall, good food at reasonable prices with good service. They even had a piano player in the front room belting out some songs and pictures of famous actors on the walls.

Victory Revisited (again)

2011-11-11T11:21:00.001-08:00

We've been to Victory quite a few times and found it to be a mixed bag when it comes to the food and the service. We've been there and had a great meal with excellent service and we've been there and I left disappointed.

Of course the best thing about Victory is shown at left, the beer. I had a Headwaters Pale Ale and my son-in-law went with a cask conditioned Hop Wallop. The Headwaters was so good I picked up a case on the way out.

There were eleven of us and we sat at the cool table with the brewing kettle hood over it so the acoustics were amazing. You could talk in a normal voice and be heard on the other side of the table easily.

I had a sautéed pear with brie, caramelized onions and a raspberry sauce on a brioche roll for ten bucks. I added bacon for another three bucks (quite the up charge but I thought it needed something salty) and I swapped out the fries for a salad. It was not nearly as good as expected. The pear had little flavor and the whole thing was a bit dry.

I recommend you stick to the pizzas, the Stockyard is the best, and the specials. But really, the main reason to go to Victory is for the beer.

Sweet Lorraine's at Peddler's Village, New Hope, PA

2011-11-11T06:39:00.001-08:00

In our quest to find good places to eat, we like to try different places so we stopped off at Peddler's Village, a shopping area in New Hope, PA, for something different. Looking around we saw Sweet Lorraine's Cafe next to the Golden Plough Bed and Breakfast and decided to stop in.

I went with the Fireworks Burger at $11. It had havarti cheese, jalapeños, peppers, bacon, lettuce and tomato with fresh made chips. I ordered it medium and there was a bit of pink in the middle so it was closer to medium than I've been getting lately. The burger was good with a nice flavor and the combinations of ingredients added some good notes.

Teresa had the quesidilla shown here at $10 and there was plenty. She said the salsa was a bit bland and I agreed, but the guacamole was good.

We had water with the meals, but they did have a good beer selection. Service was excellent and there was a nice ambiance. Overall a good experience. Nothing amazing, but good food at reasonable prices. They have a website for more informations.

The Wherehouse, Newburgh, NY

2011-11-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

Hot Spot Burger

I've heard a lot of good things about the Wherehouse in Newburgh, some from a nice Greek writer named Anonymous who has commented here, so it's been on my short list for some time now. Well, today we were coming back from Fishkill and decided to swing through Newburgh to check it out.

The restaurant is on the South part of Liberty Street, just a short block from Broadway, near Washington's Headquarters. The neighborhood is an area that is a few blocks from the booming restaurant row on the waterfront and right near where a couple of entrepreneurs are building a brewery. Inside the place is not too big, but warm with old album covers hanging on the brick walls, plenty of wood and a neat looking bar with quite a few tap handles. We were told to sit where we wanted and took a table near the window so I had better light for the pictures and we could keep an eye on the car.

The menu was extensive with plenty of good choices but there was a separate menu for the burgers and that's what I came for. There were two full pages of interesting choices. I decided on the Socrates, grilled kalmata olives and feta cheese, medium. Teresa debated between the Chicago Fire and the Hot Spot. The Hot Spot burger, shown above with hot peppers on it, was her choice and she ordered it medium well. I also got a Saranac Ginger Ale.

Socrates Burger

When the burgers came they looked good. You can see what I mean by the pictures, they did a nice presentation. I tasted mine and it was very good, but much closer to well done than the medium I ordered. That said, it was still a delicious burger with plenty of flavor and it wasn't dry at all. The grilled olives and the feta cheese gave a nice flavor to the burger and complimented the beef. No ketchup was needed. I tasted Teresa's and it was good too, if not a bit busy with all of the flavors going on. There was a heat coming from the peppers, but tolerable without overpowering the burger. She said that the next time we go she wanted to try a regular burger and I agreed. I'll try a simple bacon cheeseburger. I didn't like the fries all that much as they were cut too large and were more like fried potato wedges, but that's more a matter of personal taste. I'll have to ask about other options and see if a side salad or mac and cheese can take the place of the fries.

The bottom line? Very good food, good service, nice ambiance and fair prices. The burgers were a shade under ten bucks each. When you're in Newburgh, skip the waterfront and head a couple of blocks uptown for a good burger. They have a website for information and you can Facebook them too.

Denny's Slamburger

2011-11-04T18:12:00.000-07:00

Slamburger

We haven't been to a Denny's in years. We used to go there quite a bit when we were first married and had no money. Later when we had kids and no money we went occasionally. Then we stopped going. Well, today we were driving past and decided to stop and see what they were all about now, especially after seeing some of their new ad campaigns billing themselves as America's Diner.

Inside I noticed the counter was missing and it was all tables and booths. After looking at the menu for a bit I decided on the Slamburger, a burger with home fries, cheese, bacon and an egg. I said I didn't want the egg runny and I wanted the burger medium-well (in chains I do this instead of medium mainly because that's that way it's coming and partly because I'm not as trusting of the meat since it was probably frozen). Teresa ordered a chicken dish from the back menu. The staff was friendly and as we waited for our for I heard a few mistakes at nearby tables, all of which were corrected quickly by the servers. Things like French Fries instead of Home fries and such.

The burger was good. I could tell it was griddle cooked, but I didn't taste any grease until the last two bites. The egg was perfect, closer to the an omelet sitting on the burger, and the shredded home-fries were a nice touch. I'd gotten the seasoned fries on the side and they were hot, crispy and tasty. $7.99. Not bad.

Escargots avec le lard, le beurre, l'ail et le vin

2011-10-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

A little different recipe this time as I used bacon to add a new dimension to the flavor. I used less butter than usual since the bacon added fat with more flavor. The next time I may substitute a hoppy IPA like Hop Devil for the wine to see what that does. The beer might just elevate the flavor.

1 can snails
1/2 half small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs parsley
1 cup red wine
2 strips cooked bacon, chopped up
1/4 stick butter cut into pats

Marinate the snails in the wine for an hour in the fridge, covered. Place snails in oven safe dish and add a little of the wine from the marinade. Spread onions, garlic, parsley, and bacon on top. Add pats of butter to top. Bake at 450 for about fifteen minutes.

The bacon adds fat, and a flavor note, making less need for butter. Quite tasty with a more delicate taste than the traditional escargot de bourgogne.

Italian Stallion from The Winner's Circle in Exton, PA

2011-10-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share this photo of the Italian Stallion Burger from The Winner's Circle in Exon, PA. It has sausage and pepperoni mixed in the meat so it tastes a bit like a large, flat meatball. Quite good. The picture was interesting though as I switched to portrait mode in the color balance and shot it at ISO 800 with no flash at a 30th second f2. I thought the color saturation came out nice.