12/23/10
A very new comer to the Fredericksburg dining scene. I would not have even known this one was there, if I hadn't saw the article in the Free Lance Star. It's in the little store front next to the old Colonial Theater (for those of you who've been around a while - otherwise it's at 909 Caroline St.) . There is no sign, just a peace sign on the door. The interior is covered with rock memorabilia from the 60's and 70's mainly. The bar stools are from the cover of either the Destroyer or Love Gun Album from KISS and are pretty cool. Food wise I think the place did OK for being only open a couple weeks. I had what they called the Southwestern Pizza with Andouille Sausage. The pizza was good and had surprising things in it like corn, which added a nice taste. The crust was OK, but I would have liked a more crispy crust, with a bit more flavor, but I think that will come with time. They have a nice selection of beers and very friendly bartenders. The couple Blue Moons I had went nicely with the pizza. Starting on New Years Eve they will start having musical acts. I think this one is a good addition to downtown.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Blarney Stone Public House
11/24/10
I really wanted to like the food here, but alas it was average at best. I ordered what their menu called "Fredericksburg's Best Fish N' Chips" for lunch today. I really hope they aren't the best in Fredericksburg, because they weren't that good. It was an obviously pre-frozen piece of fish, cut into a non-fishlike polygonal shape, not the nice piece of fresh fish I was hoping for. At least it was fried properly and was warm on this cold day. The fries were steak cut and were fine, although I would have preferred a more traditional cut. Sadly the star of the plate was the curry dipping sauce that came on the side. It had a nice curry taste that made up somewhat for the fish.
I'll probably give the food another chance sometime in the future, but for now I'll probably just stick with a pint of Guinness.
I really wanted to like the food here, but alas it was average at best. I ordered what their menu called "Fredericksburg's Best Fish N' Chips" for lunch today. I really hope they aren't the best in Fredericksburg, because they weren't that good. It was an obviously pre-frozen piece of fish, cut into a non-fishlike polygonal shape, not the nice piece of fresh fish I was hoping for. At least it was fried properly and was warm on this cold day. The fries were steak cut and were fine, although I would have preferred a more traditional cut. Sadly the star of the plate was the curry dipping sauce that came on the side. It had a nice curry taste that made up somewhat for the fish.
I'll probably give the food another chance sometime in the future, but for now I'll probably just stick with a pint of Guinness.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
I Hate the word "Foodie"
I hate the word "Foodie" with a passion. First, is sounds pretentious; second, it sounds stupid, as do most words ending in "ie", and lastly it is way overused nowadays. Can't somebody who enjoys food and wine just go out and do just that without being labeled? You know the term is way overused when you hear some rube, who wouldn't be caught dead eating something like marrow or sweetbreads, call themselves a "foodie". So, what is a better word? Culinary Explorer, Gastronaut, Food Guy? Does it really matter? Probably not in the big scheme of things. I just wish people would stop using the word so much. It bugs me for some reason. It's not to the nails on the chalkboard level yet, but it's getting close.
2400 Diner
November 14, 2010
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So my thinking is you better make it a good one. 2400 Diner does that in spades. What the interior space lacks in size, they make up for in portions of food on the plate. I ordered the 3 stack pancakes with a side of bacon, the waitress suggested I start with 2, and she'd bring another if I was still hungry. Man, I am glad she said that. When the plate came out it was covered in 2 hubcap size pancakes, with 3 huge slices of bacon. The pancakes tasted awesome. No fancy fruit covered or nut filled pancakes here, just straight up pancakes and syrup. It was everything I could do to eat those 2 pancakes and the bacon. I didn't eat again until dinner.
Looks like I may have to become a regular at 2400.
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So my thinking is you better make it a good one. 2400 Diner does that in spades. What the interior space lacks in size, they make up for in portions of food on the plate. I ordered the 3 stack pancakes with a side of bacon, the waitress suggested I start with 2, and she'd bring another if I was still hungry. Man, I am glad she said that. When the plate came out it was covered in 2 hubcap size pancakes, with 3 huge slices of bacon. The pancakes tasted awesome. No fancy fruit covered or nut filled pancakes here, just straight up pancakes and syrup. It was everything I could do to eat those 2 pancakes and the bacon. I didn't eat again until dinner.
Looks like I may have to become a regular at 2400.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Bistro Bethem
November 6, 2010
I have loved this place from the first time I went to it a few years back. Tonight’s meal was the best I’ve ever had there. Both my App and Main were Specials. I started out with the Grilled Spanish Anchovies served with a green tomato salsa, preserved lemon and olive oil. The combination was very tasty, the lemon and salsa were a perfect accompaniment to the nicely charred fish. For my main I went with the Braised beef short ribs served with baby tomatoes, white beans and salsa verde. I have one word for it. Awesome! I finished up the meal with a Chocolate Pot du Crème served with peanut brittle. A very nice dessert. I broke off pieces of the brittle and scooped up the chocolate with it. Mmm good. My better half seemed equally happy with her meal. She started off with the Prince Edward Island Mussels, which are sautéed in a garlic-chili-seafood broth. This is a good sized App, so if you’re not big eaters you could probably share this one. For her main she chose the Fresh local rockfish served with apple wood bacon potato hash and baby bok choy. She ate everything on the plate, so you know it must have been good. She finished the meal with Vanilla Crème Brulee served with Chocolate cookies. The cookies taste good, but are shaped like dog bones for some reason.
Can’t wait to go back for my next meal.
http://www.bistrobethem.com/
I have loved this place from the first time I went to it a few years back. Tonight’s meal was the best I’ve ever had there. Both my App and Main were Specials. I started out with the Grilled Spanish Anchovies served with a green tomato salsa, preserved lemon and olive oil. The combination was very tasty, the lemon and salsa were a perfect accompaniment to the nicely charred fish. For my main I went with the Braised beef short ribs served with baby tomatoes, white beans and salsa verde. I have one word for it. Awesome! I finished up the meal with a Chocolate Pot du Crème served with peanut brittle. A very nice dessert. I broke off pieces of the brittle and scooped up the chocolate with it. Mmm good. My better half seemed equally happy with her meal. She started off with the Prince Edward Island Mussels, which are sautéed in a garlic-chili-seafood broth. This is a good sized App, so if you’re not big eaters you could probably share this one. For her main she chose the Fresh local rockfish served with apple wood bacon potato hash and baby bok choy. She ate everything on the plate, so you know it must have been good. She finished the meal with Vanilla Crème Brulee served with Chocolate cookies. The cookies taste good, but are shaped like dog bones for some reason.
Can’t wait to go back for my next meal.
http://www.bistrobethem.com/
Sunset Thai
November 6, 2010
I should have known something was up when I walked into the place and no one else was in there. I was hoping that it was just a slow Saturday for shoppers and not many had ventured in yet. Unfortunately I was wrong. This was the worst lunch I have had in a long time. I ordered the Red Curry Chicken, which included a side salad and spring roll. There was a consistent theme that ran throughout the meal. That theme was “flavorless”. None of the food had any taste to it. From my first bite of the salad to my last bite of the chicken curry there was no depth of flavor to anything. While lettuce is not known for tremendous amounts of flavor, this had none; I do not know what they did to render it so bland. The spring roll was the same story, bland, bland, bland (any very small). I was hoping the curry would redeem the meal, but alas it did not. There was no “savoryness” to the curry like you would expect. It was like they used a drop of coconut milk in it, instead of the correct amount.
This meal sucked. Don’t think I will be going back anytime soon.
I should have known something was up when I walked into the place and no one else was in there. I was hoping that it was just a slow Saturday for shoppers and not many had ventured in yet. Unfortunately I was wrong. This was the worst lunch I have had in a long time. I ordered the Red Curry Chicken, which included a side salad and spring roll. There was a consistent theme that ran throughout the meal. That theme was “flavorless”. None of the food had any taste to it. From my first bite of the salad to my last bite of the chicken curry there was no depth of flavor to anything. While lettuce is not known for tremendous amounts of flavor, this had none; I do not know what they did to render it so bland. The spring roll was the same story, bland, bland, bland (any very small). I was hoping the curry would redeem the meal, but alas it did not. There was no “savoryness” to the curry like you would expect. It was like they used a drop of coconut milk in it, instead of the correct amount.
This meal sucked. Don’t think I will be going back anytime soon.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Old Towne Grill
October 30, 2010
I've walked by this place a million times, but never went in. My Loss. I always noticed how packed it was when I walked by, and now I know why. The interior is not much to look at, a well worn counter and maybe a dozen tables, but who cares when the food is good. I sat at the counter and ordered the Garlic Burger, a nice size burger with a great garlic aioli, cheese, and beautiful fresh tomatoes. The first bite into the burger is awesome, it is super juicy and you taste the garlic right away, but not in an overpowering way. It's the best burger I have had in a Fredericksburg restaurant in a long time. I can't wait to go back and try breakfast one morning.
I've walked by this place a million times, but never went in. My Loss. I always noticed how packed it was when I walked by, and now I know why. The interior is not much to look at, a well worn counter and maybe a dozen tables, but who cares when the food is good. I sat at the counter and ordered the Garlic Burger, a nice size burger with a great garlic aioli, cheese, and beautiful fresh tomatoes. The first bite into the burger is awesome, it is super juicy and you taste the garlic right away, but not in an overpowering way. It's the best burger I have had in a Fredericksburg restaurant in a long time. I can't wait to go back and try breakfast one morning.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen
October 2, 2010
Man, Poppy Hill was slammed tonight, which may have explained the food we received on this visit. There were two very large groups there, plus every table including the ones outside were full. I ordered my old reliable Balsamic Chicken, which I normally love, however on this visit it was dry and not as flavorable as it normally is. My wife got the sea bass special which looked nice when it came out, but was dry as well. I think both must have spent some time under the heat lamp because of the crush of people that were in there. The Sangiovese I drank however was great.
The other thing that bothered me this visit was the noise level. The two large groups and one particular four top were extremely loud. One of the things I like best about Poppy Hill is that it is usually has a more chilled vibe about it. The amount of noise this night was not the restaurants fault, but it did add to a disappointing evening at one of my favorite restaurants.
Hoping my next meal there will be better.
Man, Poppy Hill was slammed tonight, which may have explained the food we received on this visit. There were two very large groups there, plus every table including the ones outside were full. I ordered my old reliable Balsamic Chicken, which I normally love, however on this visit it was dry and not as flavorable as it normally is. My wife got the sea bass special which looked nice when it came out, but was dry as well. I think both must have spent some time under the heat lamp because of the crush of people that were in there. The Sangiovese I drank however was great.
The other thing that bothered me this visit was the noise level. The two large groups and one particular four top were extremely loud. One of the things I like best about Poppy Hill is that it is usually has a more chilled vibe about it. The amount of noise this night was not the restaurants fault, but it did add to a disappointing evening at one of my favorite restaurants.
Hoping my next meal there will be better.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
MISO
August 28, 2010
Me So Hungry, Me Love You Long Time! Wow, the sushi is really good here. I popped in for a quick lunch and got the "Sushi Bar Lunch Special", which consists of 2 rolls for $7 or 3 for $10, plus your choice of miso soup or salad. I chose the 2 rolls option with the salad. The salad was the typical one you would expect in a sushi type restaurant consisting mainly of lettuce with a few onions and tomatoes thrown in, with a really nice sesame dressing on it. Now, onto the sushi. I chose the Eel & Cucumber roll and the Spicy Scallop roll. Both were excellent. I love eel sushi and Miso's was excellent. It was savory and refreshingly light at the same time. The spicy scallop roll was even better in my opinion. The sweetness of the scallop combined with a not overpowering spiciness made for a great flavor combination.
If I might say a quick note about Miso's interior. I like it. It looks nice, you wouldn't have known the building used to be a Burger King back in the day, until you walk outside and see the remnants of the drive thru on the side of the building. I look forward to going back to Miso and trying some of the other items off their menu.
Me So Hungry, Me Love You Long Time! Wow, the sushi is really good here. I popped in for a quick lunch and got the "Sushi Bar Lunch Special", which consists of 2 rolls for $7 or 3 for $10, plus your choice of miso soup or salad. I chose the 2 rolls option with the salad. The salad was the typical one you would expect in a sushi type restaurant consisting mainly of lettuce with a few onions and tomatoes thrown in, with a really nice sesame dressing on it. Now, onto the sushi. I chose the Eel & Cucumber roll and the Spicy Scallop roll. Both were excellent. I love eel sushi and Miso's was excellent. It was savory and refreshingly light at the same time. The spicy scallop roll was even better in my opinion. The sweetness of the scallop combined with a not overpowering spiciness made for a great flavor combination.
If I might say a quick note about Miso's interior. I like it. It looks nice, you wouldn't have known the building used to be a Burger King back in the day, until you walk outside and see the remnants of the drive thru on the side of the building. I look forward to going back to Miso and trying some of the other items off their menu.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Castiglias Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria
July 5, 2010
Didn't so much pick this restaurant, as have it thrust upon us. It was one of the only restaurants open on the evening of July 4th in downtown. I had been wanting to try the pizza here, so we said why not. Unfortunately, the best thing I can say about the pizza is that the crust was good. It was crisp and had a nice flavor to it, but that is about all the good I can say. The sauce was average, the mushrooms were from a can and the peperoni seemed to come from a grocery store. I make a better pizza than they do. My wife had the lobster ravioli, the sauce it came in was nice, but the ravioli lacked any real pizazz. It was some pasta filled with lobster, nothing special. We did try their private label Syrah and found it to be not too bad, especially considering the $14.95 price for a bottle. Not the best wine in the world, but worth the money for what we got.
Didn't so much pick this restaurant, as have it thrust upon us. It was one of the only restaurants open on the evening of July 4th in downtown. I had been wanting to try the pizza here, so we said why not. Unfortunately, the best thing I can say about the pizza is that the crust was good. It was crisp and had a nice flavor to it, but that is about all the good I can say. The sauce was average, the mushrooms were from a can and the peperoni seemed to come from a grocery store. I make a better pizza than they do. My wife had the lobster ravioli, the sauce it came in was nice, but the ravioli lacked any real pizazz. It was some pasta filled with lobster, nothing special. We did try their private label Syrah and found it to be not too bad, especially considering the $14.95 price for a bottle. Not the best wine in the world, but worth the money for what we got.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Soup and Taco, Etc...
5/31/10
Another trip to Soup and Taco. We went really simple this time and just ordered the Fish Tacos (Pescado) with a side of refried beans and rice (Arroz con frijoles). Man the fish tacos are awesome. They are probably the best fish tacos I've tasted. They use nice portions of Tilapia topped with Pico ge gallo, napa cabbage and crema. Squeeze a little lime over the top and you're ready to go. Mmmm good. The refried beans and rice were really nice as well. They mix the rice with chopped cilantro, which gives it a more savory flavor. The refried beans were a combination of whole beans and smashed beans, not the typical bean puree you see at a lot of restaurants.
In my opinion, Soup and taco is the best meal for the money in town.
Another trip to Soup and Taco. We went really simple this time and just ordered the Fish Tacos (Pescado) with a side of refried beans and rice (Arroz con frijoles). Man the fish tacos are awesome. They are probably the best fish tacos I've tasted. They use nice portions of Tilapia topped with Pico ge gallo, napa cabbage and crema. Squeeze a little lime over the top and you're ready to go. Mmmm good. The refried beans and rice were really nice as well. They mix the rice with chopped cilantro, which gives it a more savory flavor. The refried beans were a combination of whole beans and smashed beans, not the typical bean puree you see at a lot of restaurants.
In my opinion, Soup and taco is the best meal for the money in town.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen
5/29/10
Poppy Hill is one of my favorite places to eat at in the Burg. They have consistently good food and wine. While tonight's meal was not the best one I have had there, it was still above average.
We started off with the Mussels Marinare. A good classic preparation, prepared in white wine. Nice size, tasty mussels and a nice sauce to dip bread in. For main courses I went for the Mushroom Carbonara Special and my wife went for the Baked Trout Special. The Carbonara was a bit different in that instead of the more traditional bacon, the Chef used Steak Tartare. It gave a different, but good taste to the dish. The baked trout was served, skin on over a bed of risotto and grilled asparagus. The trout was cooked well, and as usual, the risotto was great. The Chef really knows how to make risotto here. I have had bad risotto at restaurants; it's not a fun experience.
We had a nice bottle of Bearboat Pinot Noir 2006 that went well with both dishes. It had a lot of red fruit and was nicely balanced.
http://www.ciaopoppyhill.com/
Poppy Hill is one of my favorite places to eat at in the Burg. They have consistently good food and wine. While tonight's meal was not the best one I have had there, it was still above average. We started off with the Mussels Marinare. A good classic preparation, prepared in white wine. Nice size, tasty mussels and a nice sauce to dip bread in. For main courses I went for the Mushroom Carbonara Special and my wife went for the Baked Trout Special. The Carbonara was a bit different in that instead of the more traditional bacon, the Chef used Steak Tartare. It gave a different, but good taste to the dish. The baked trout was served, skin on over a bed of risotto and grilled asparagus. The trout was cooked well, and as usual, the risotto was great. The Chef really knows how to make risotto here. I have had bad risotto at restaurants; it's not a fun experience.
We had a nice bottle of Bearboat Pinot Noir 2006 that went well with both dishes. It had a lot of red fruit and was nicely balanced.
http://www.ciaopoppyhill.com/
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Foti's
5/2/10
You'll have to forgive me a bit on this one. I waited a little too long to post about this meal, so my recollection is a bit fuzzy.
Culpeper is a bit outside of the Fredericksburg area, but close enough. My wife and I took a spur of the moment road trip and ended up in Culpeper as our base for visiting some wineries the next day. I'd never heard of Foti's, but it looked interesting from their website. The Chef is the former Sous Chef from the Inn at Little Washington.
We started out with appetizers of scallops and lamb. The scallops were grilled nicely and were sweet and delicious. The lamb was shaved thin and placed on a crostini, it was great. Our main courses were a trio of duck and monk fish. Both dishes were above average. The duck consisted of a pan seared breast, a sausage made with cabbage and pan fried ravioli's. while they were all good, I think I could have eaten about 20 of the ravioli. The monk fish was cooked with tomatoes on top of couscous. Monk fish can be tricky to cook, but this one was cooked perfectly.
If you find yourself in Culpeper, I would encourage you to stop in and try the food at Foti's.
www.fotisrestaurant.com
You'll have to forgive me a bit on this one. I waited a little too long to post about this meal, so my recollection is a bit fuzzy.
Culpeper is a bit outside of the Fredericksburg area, but close enough. My wife and I took a spur of the moment road trip and ended up in Culpeper as our base for visiting some wineries the next day. I'd never heard of Foti's, but it looked interesting from their website. The Chef is the former Sous Chef from the Inn at Little Washington.
We started out with appetizers of scallops and lamb. The scallops were grilled nicely and were sweet and delicious. The lamb was shaved thin and placed on a crostini, it was great. Our main courses were a trio of duck and monk fish. Both dishes were above average. The duck consisted of a pan seared breast, a sausage made with cabbage and pan fried ravioli's. while they were all good, I think I could have eaten about 20 of the ravioli. The monk fish was cooked with tomatoes on top of couscous. Monk fish can be tricky to cook, but this one was cooked perfectly.
If you find yourself in Culpeper, I would encourage you to stop in and try the food at Foti's.
www.fotisrestaurant.com
Old Towne Butcher
Old Towne Butcher
Man, I am so happy we have a butcher in town now. I think it is something that was sorely lacking and from my last visit there, I can see a lot of people agree with me. The place was packed with customers getting steaks, roasts, bacon and of course their famous sausage. I was there to get some ground lamb, which they ground fresh, right in front of my eyes. In talking with the butcher, he said he can basically get anything you want (in my case a whole lamb) if you let him know a little ahead of time. While I haven’t ordered that whole lamb yet, I plan to at some point. I also want to take his sausage making class. Talking to some of the other customers there that had taken it, they said it is both fun and educational. I wish good luck and prosperity to Old Towne Butcher, it’s a welcome addition to the Fredericksburg area.
www.oldetownebutcher.com
Man, I am so happy we have a butcher in town now. I think it is something that was sorely lacking and from my last visit there, I can see a lot of people agree with me. The place was packed with customers getting steaks, roasts, bacon and of course their famous sausage. I was there to get some ground lamb, which they ground fresh, right in front of my eyes. In talking with the butcher, he said he can basically get anything you want (in my case a whole lamb) if you let him know a little ahead of time. While I haven’t ordered that whole lamb yet, I plan to at some point. I also want to take his sausage making class. Talking to some of the other customers there that had taken it, they said it is both fun and educational. I wish good luck and prosperity to Old Towne Butcher, it’s a welcome addition to the Fredericksburg area.
www.oldetownebutcher.com
India Queen
4/24/10
Normally I wouldn't be caught dead at a buffet, but it was lunch, it was an Indian restaurant and I was hungry. If I can stay on the buffet theme for a second, I will say I was the only person in the restaurant with a normal B.M.I. Overweight people seem to be able to sniff out buffets better than a Bloodhound chasing a criminal. But I digress, so back to India Queen. It was the typical Indian lunch buffet set-up. Several dishes, plus some kind of dessert. The entrees consisted of a number of vegetarian Kormas, plus coconut chicken, butter chicken and tandoori chicken. I was a bit disappointed that all the meat entrees were chicken. A lamb Vindaloo or some Rogan Josh would have been nice. The only thing that stuck out at all for me was the butter chicken. It was nicely seasoned and the spiciness came through well. The other dishes didn't really standout as anything special. This place will do if you are hungry and nearby, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get there for a meal. The lunch buffet ran $8.95 on a Saturday.
www.indiaqueen.com
Normally I wouldn't be caught dead at a buffet, but it was lunch, it was an Indian restaurant and I was hungry. If I can stay on the buffet theme for a second, I will say I was the only person in the restaurant with a normal B.M.I. Overweight people seem to be able to sniff out buffets better than a Bloodhound chasing a criminal. But I digress, so back to India Queen. It was the typical Indian lunch buffet set-up. Several dishes, plus some kind of dessert. The entrees consisted of a number of vegetarian Kormas, plus coconut chicken, butter chicken and tandoori chicken. I was a bit disappointed that all the meat entrees were chicken. A lamb Vindaloo or some Rogan Josh would have been nice. The only thing that stuck out at all for me was the butter chicken. It was nicely seasoned and the spiciness came through well. The other dishes didn't really standout as anything special. This place will do if you are hungry and nearby, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get there for a meal. The lunch buffet ran $8.95 on a Saturday.
www.indiaqueen.com
The 3/50 Project
The 3/50 Project
This is pretty cool. It’s a website set up to help support local independent businesses. Since my site is about food and restaurants I really want to support this cause. I hate chain restaurants. They make uninspired, lowest common denominator food. The true heart of a community comes from the local businesses and we need to support them wholeheartedly. The website for this great project is www.the350project.net/home.html .
This is pretty cool. It’s a website set up to help support local independent businesses. Since my site is about food and restaurants I really want to support this cause. I hate chain restaurants. They make uninspired, lowest common denominator food. The true heart of a community comes from the local businesses and we need to support them wholeheartedly. The website for this great project is www.the350project.net/home.html .
Jake and Mike's
4/17/10
OK. I have to admit I was a little nervous when I went inside and saw the bad faux paint on the walls, not to mention the tacky pseudo-Italian Kirkland’s wall decorations. My apprehension was compounded further when the waitress said they were out of burgers. How does a place that specializes in burgers and sandwiches for lunch run out of burgers? With none of their many burger choices available, I went for the Blackened Mahi sandwich with Cajun aioli. WOW, I’m glad they were out of burgers. I overheard the Chef say to the waitress when he handed the plate to her thru the pass-thru, “Now that’s a good looking sandwich”. He was right, it was nice looking. A nice thick piece of mahi, with lettuce, tomato and the aioli all on grilled bread, cut across the grain. My spirits were lifted further when I took that first bite. The spice, the moistness of the fish and the aioli blend to make a great first impression on your tongue. As you continue to eat the sandwich, the heat builds and in my case started to clear out my sinus. Not overwhelming heat, but a nice amount. At $14.95 it might be a bit pricy for some, but I found it worth the money.
www.jakeandmikes.com/
OK. I have to admit I was a little nervous when I went inside and saw the bad faux paint on the walls, not to mention the tacky pseudo-Italian Kirkland’s wall decorations. My apprehension was compounded further when the waitress said they were out of burgers. How does a place that specializes in burgers and sandwiches for lunch run out of burgers? With none of their many burger choices available, I went for the Blackened Mahi sandwich with Cajun aioli. WOW, I’m glad they were out of burgers. I overheard the Chef say to the waitress when he handed the plate to her thru the pass-thru, “Now that’s a good looking sandwich”. He was right, it was nice looking. A nice thick piece of mahi, with lettuce, tomato and the aioli all on grilled bread, cut across the grain. My spirits were lifted further when I took that first bite. The spice, the moistness of the fish and the aioli blend to make a great first impression on your tongue. As you continue to eat the sandwich, the heat builds and in my case started to clear out my sinus. Not overwhelming heat, but a nice amount. At $14.95 it might be a bit pricy for some, but I found it worth the money.
www.jakeandmikes.com/
Kenzo
4/10/10
Had a Bento Box for lunch. Love those things. Little apartments with their own edible occupants. I got the seafood bento box. Of course it starts with some Miso Soup. The box itself consisted of seafood teriyaki, California rolls, a salad, fried rice and some tempura. The teriyaki seafood mix consisted of squid, shrimp and scallops. I know the sauce it’s in probably gave me a week’s dose of sodium, but damn it’s good. The California rolls were typical, as was the fried rice. I love sesame dressing, so that’s all I really need to make me like the salad. The tempura was light and crispy. Fried vegetables, hmmm, the Japanese must have some Southern relatives. Warning it’s a lot of food for lunch, it will definitely fill you up.
Had a Bento Box for lunch. Love those things. Little apartments with their own edible occupants. I got the seafood bento box. Of course it starts with some Miso Soup. The box itself consisted of seafood teriyaki, California rolls, a salad, fried rice and some tempura. The teriyaki seafood mix consisted of squid, shrimp and scallops. I know the sauce it’s in probably gave me a week’s dose of sodium, but damn it’s good. The California rolls were typical, as was the fried rice. I love sesame dressing, so that’s all I really need to make me like the salad. The tempura was light and crispy. Fried vegetables, hmmm, the Japanese must have some Southern relatives. Warning it’s a lot of food for lunch, it will definitely fill you up.
Soup & Taco, Etc...
4/2/10
Soup and Yummo is more like it.
First time trying this place. Looks very small from the outside, but when you walk thru the doors there are a surprising number of tables.
I ignored the menu and ordered some of the daily specials posted on the chalk board above the counter.
I started with Menudo. No not the 80's Mexican Pop band featuring Ricky Martin, but the soup made with hominy and tripe in a clear broth (I think mine had both stomach and lung). Mmmm offal. The soup was heavy on both onion and cilantro, and had quite a nice kick from the spices. This was the best thing I ate during this meal.
Next I tried the Carnitas Tacos. These were done a bit differently than other carnitas tacos I've had. The pork was plain, with no sauce like you see in some other places. Inside the double flour tortillas was the pork (of course), plus onions, cilantro and avocado. A lime wedge on the side adds a nice bit of acid if you choose to use it. I did, and it helps bring the flavors together. Not the best carnitas I've had, but not the worst either.
Lastly was the Pupusas. Here they use hand made corn tortillas and stuff them with either beans and chicken or cheese and pork. I found the cheese and pork ones to taste better. There was a depth of flavor there that I didn't really pick up with the bean and chicken ones.
2 tacos with a cup of soup is only $8.95. That's a good deal.
Kybecca Wine Bar
3-27-10
Wow. Kybecca was busy this evening. The fullest I’ve ever seen it. Every seat, stool and booth in the place was filled and this was before the night’s musical entertainment showed up. Service was a little slow at first, but smoothed out nicely as the evening went on.
Let’s start with the Enomatic machines. They were acting a little wonky and actually charged me for a half glass, but didn’t dispense the goods. The problem was quickly remedied by Matt, one of the Co-owners, who had to run downstairs to the guts of the machine and make some adjustments. He then credited me for the wine.
Getting into the actual food and wine we consumed.
Thai Red Curry Mussels – Very Tasty. The curry had a slight sweetness to it along with just a hint of spice. The broth itself was excellent to sop up with the baguette provided. Remember to ask for an extra baguette to enjoy all the broth. Also remember not to eat unopened mussels. There were a couple barely open in the bowl, that we elected not to risk eating.
Lamb Chop trio – These are served with a dollop of house-made pistachio pesto and shaved pecorino. There is a nice salty explosion when you first bite into one of these little meat lollipops.
Lentil Salad – I really like this salad. It’s simple, but delicious. Lentils, mixed with a bit of goat cheese on a bed of greens.
Shrimp & Grits – While I have had better shrimp and grits as an entrée, this small plate version was not bad. I would have liked the grits a bit creamier, but the taste was pretty good.
Chocolate Pot de Crème – I’ve had this dessert at Kybecca before. This night it tasted better than I remember. The chocolate taste really came thru and went very well with the Cote du Rhone I was drinking at the time.
Domaine Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone – This was the wine that stood out for me tonight. It’s on the by the glass menu, not in the enomatics. It had a nice dark ruby color and a medium body. A lot of pepper on the tongue. I thought it went equally well with both the lamb chops and chocolate Pot du Crème I had.
All in all, an enjoyable night at Kybecca.
http://kybeccawinebar.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)