Our favorite restaurants in the US
During a visit to Montérégie, the agricultural territory outside Montreal, we visited a pub Hemmingford known for its fish 'n chips ($15.95). The batter-fried fish comes with french fries, tartar sauce and a salad dressed with their maple vinaigrette. Tasty - especially when washed down with an icy cold brew! - bonnie Witsend Resto Pub 488 Rue frontière Hemmingford, QC Canada (450) 247-3597
Philadelphia Center City Restaurant Week runs for two weeks from Sunday, September 30 to Friday, October 5, 2012 and Sunday, October 7 to Friday, October 12, 2012, featuring over 100 participating restaurants offering 2-course lunches for $20 and 3-course dinners for $35. For additional information or to see a full listing of participating restaurants and their menus, click here. -guest contributor
I had one of the worst meals of my life at East by Northeast. I'm sharing this review only to warn you. We opted for their prix fix meal ($25 for three courses) as both entrees we were interested in were on that menu. The starter consisted of three tastings: a perfunctory edamame dumpling, a demitasse cup of tomato soup and ceviche so past its prime it bubbled with rancidity. The next course wasn't much better. My dining partner ate only two of the not-fresh mussels served in murky water, my Caesar salad was better but served warm. Normally I would have asked for management, but no one but the [...]
Walking around downtown Montauk, we noticed a welcoming diner-like restaurant just off the Plaza. We learned that La Bodega had just opened Memorial Day weekend and serves Puerto Rican fusion cuisine in a laid-back environment. The restaurant offers breakfast all day, including traditional items like French toast and waffles, plus a Dogman's Bowl, with apple juice, acai, banana and honey ($8.50). My friend ordered 2 fried eggs with home fries and bacon ($8.50). I was a bit more adventurous selecting Huero Caballo, two eggs over easy on top of Puerto Rican rice served with beans and Los Cinderinas bread ($8). The lightly spicy beans contained diced potatoes. A nice touch [...]
Met some friends at Elizabeth's Cafe in Madison recently. Had great conversations, with good food and service, ableit a bit slow to start.We started with the heirloom tomato Napoleon stacked with mozzarella, baby arugula drizzled with olive oil and a balsamic glaze ($10) and the polenta-crusted fried oysters with celery root remoulade over a BBQ Vinaigrette ($12), We wished there had been more of each. The one disappointing dish is the avocado roulade with a sliced avocado, micro greens, grape tomatoes ($14) with the menu promising crab and lobster salad. The seafood was so miniscule in quantity, we thought they had forgotten to include it. We continued with the house [...]
With a warm inviting fireplace and re-purposed wood from the Yale bowl, you know this ain’t no McDonalds as soon as you walk into New Haven’s newest restaurant…Shake Shack. It's open daily from 11:00am - 11:00pm. Owned by restaurateur Danny Meyer — of Gramarcy Tavern, The Modern and Union Square Café fame — the New York Shake Shack locations are known for their long lines to get made-to-order 100% all-natural Angus beef hamburgers ($4.75 and up), split and griddled hotdogs ($3 and up), fries ($2.70),frozen custards, vegan burgers and even gluten-free items. And, alcohol. Yes, alcohol — beer, hard cider and wine, under their own label. The Shake Shake has [...]
I was hesitant to return to the conveniently located Park Central Tavern in Hamden, as I had experienced amazingly mediocre food and service when it first opened. Word had it with last year's joining forces with the owners of New Haven's Caseus Fromagerie Bistro team that the food had improved. I checked it out for brunch recently. While looking over the menu, their bloody Mary ($7.50) hit the spot. So far so good. We than sampled the Tavern Benedict with poached eggs, sliced fresh avocado & smoked salmon ($15) a top a toasted English muffin and covered — of course — with Hollandaise sauce. A nice presentation with fresh fruit [...]
San Diego Restaurant Week runs from Sunday, September 16 to Friday, September 21, 2012. Selected participating restaurants will be offering 3-course prix-fixe menus for dinners at $20 / $30 / $40 and 2-course lunches at $10 / $15 / $20. Prices are per person and do not include beverage, tax, or gratuity. For additional information or to see a full listing of participating restaurants and their menus, click here.
The vegetarian Red Lentil restaurant, across the street from the Bow Tie cinemas on Temple Street in New Haven , is convenient for catching a bite before or after a movie. And, if you buy an entree you can purchase a $7 movie coupon, saving as regular admission is $11.50, senior $8. (Those coupons are also available to AAA members!) This time we tried two entrees: The unusual tasting and deliciously filling sweet potato quesadilla -- filled with roasted sweet potatoes, grilled asparagus, roasted plum tomatoes, spinach and Jack cheese, accompanied by a fresh tomato salsa ($9.50). I recommend highly. And a moussaka pizza - with grilled eggplant, grilled onions, [...]
I don’t think anyone is going to walk out of the New Haven Meatball House saying their mother should be ashamed of herself for making inferior meatballs to what's being served. That said, the meatballs are very good, and there's something for everyone as they offer a variety of meatball options – beef, pork, chicken and yes, vegetarian. You can have a bowl of meatballs, meatball sliders, meatball sandwich, meatball salads, all with the option of a variety of pastas or other side dishes, including kale, mashed potatoes, quinoa, macaroni & cheese and more. Sauce selection includes traditional tomato, pesto, creamy parmesan and mushroom. Everything on the menu is very reasonably [...]
Union League Cafe is one of my favorite New Haven places to dine. (I also loved Robert Henry's, its previous namesake.) The food is consistently fabulous, service professional and setting elegant. While looking at the menu, we nibbled their house made (addicting) vegetable chips and sipped on a glass of Chenin Blanc, Saumur 2010 Domaine Gullaman ($9.75 per glass) The rich chilled local corn soup with chorizo and pequillo pepper oil drizzled over the top and crunchy pieces of chorizo was deliciously filling ($7.50). Knowing the chef always has it's perks! Jean-Pierre had come to the table to say hi, and then sent out the most delicious carnaroli risotto made [...]
A return to Kitchen Zinc (located behind Restaurant Zinc) after seeing the new fast-paced Bourne Legacy...Betting this is only the first of new Bourne series with Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz. Who would have thunk: Lobster mac and cheese on pizza? It's a white pie ($14.95) with a creamy lobster sauce, whole wheat rigatoni, lobster, roasted tomatoes and mozzarella. Worth the visit alone. We had the BLT, too, also a white pie ($13.95) with Applewood smoked bacon, watercress, blue and mozzarella cheeses and fresh tomatoes. - bonnie Follow @BonnieBOTB Kitchen ZINC 966 Chapel St [behind ZINC] New Haven, CT 06510 (203) 772-3002 kitchenzinc.com
Arizona Restaurant Week runs from Saturday, September 15 to Sunday, September 23, 2012, featuring participating restaurants with selected three-course prix-fixe dinner menus at $30-$40. Prices are per person and do not include beverage, tax, or gratuity. For additional information or to see a full listing or participating restaurants and their menus, click here: -guest contributor
Midtown Atlanta Restaurant Week runs from Saturday, September 1 to Sunday, September 9, 2012, featuring a variety of participating restaurants offering prix-fixe three-course menus at $25. For additional information or to see a full listing of participating restaurants and their menus, click here. -guest contributor
Las Vegas Restaurant Week runs from Monday, August 27 to Sunday, September 2, 2012. Selected restaurants will be offering dinners from $30.12-$50.12 and lunches from $20.12-$30.12. For additional information or to see a full listing of participating restaurants and their menus, click here. -guest contributor
A few weeks ago I discovered Indigo when looking for a place by water to get a drink after a day at the beach! (That was about a month after it opened) Their mighty big refreshing and inexpensive (well compared to NYC) drinks come in32-ounce mason jars. The Margie is only $8, and the Mojito $10. Since then I've been back from those same drinks again -- but this time with an app - a dip with mashed avocado topped with fresh lobster (and lots of it) served with fried plantain slices. Rich, and creamy - I just wish the plantains were thinner! ($15). I returned for dinner with a [...]
Boston Restaurant Weeks runs for two weeks this August. Specifically, from Sunday, August 19 to Friday, August 24, 2012 and Sunday, August 26 to Friday, August 31, 2012, featuring a variety of restaurants offering prix-fixe menus for lunch and/or dinner: 2-course lunch for $15.12, 3-course lunch for $20.12, and 3-course dinner for $33.12. Prices are per person and do not include beverage, tax, or gratuity. For additional information or to see a full listing of participating restaurants and their menus, click here. -guest contributor
At lunch recently at Zinc, we requested to have each of our plates split for sharing. The kitchen was more than accommodating, presenting us with attractive half portions. (So realize the photos are only half an order.) For our appetizer, we began with an order of house made feathery light ricotta gnocchi, tossed with fresh feta cheese, charred fresh corn, caramelized fennel, diced tomato and fresh basil ($13). Half a portion was perfect! Next we shared seared salmon atop green salad with chick peas, paper thin marinated cucumbers, diced avocado and olives in a light tahini dressing ($14). I'd return for — and recommend — both dishes. The crisp Laurent [...]
Alexandria Restaurant Week runs from Saturday, August 18 to Monday, August 26, 2012. Selected participating restaurants will be offering three-course prix-fixe dinner or dinner for two at $35. For additional information or to see a full listing of participating restaurants and their menus, click here. -guest contributor
Attended Noise On 9 earlier this month to try to support local New Haven merchants. The event — run by a rude older woman - coddled some local bloggers, feeding and imbibing them with wine hoping they'd tweet about it. Sadly, she had little regard for regular attendees. Not a good thing when promoting a city! Since there was little going on, we ended up having a nibble at Michaels's Downtown in the space that Blue Pearl had occupied on Court Street. The appetizer portions are almost entree size. Filling indeed. We shared their fried (actually sauteed) calamari in a spicy Sicilian marinara sauce, replete with capers and fresh scallions [...]
