Someone asked me last time about the tomatoes – so here’s a shot of the relevant portion of the menu. 

DLS went with pork chops smothered in country gravy, Texas toast, and hash browns.  He really enjoyed this – and I tried a bite of his pork chop, and it was rather tasty – juicy and properly cooked. 

I decided to go big or go home and ordered the triple of hash browns, smothered, covered, diced, capped, and country.  The gravy was missing, so a whole bowl was brought to me when I asked about it.  On the side is my very sad looking $1 hamburger that I just had to order to find out what a $1 burger looked like here. 

Oh, right, DLS also got a salad with his pork chops.  Ummm… it was bagged salad. 

I wanted sausage for my hash browns, so I added on an order. 

This is a close up of my burger.  With a sausage patty on top of it for size comparison.  The burger was terrible – completely overcooked, shrunken, and just awful.  Strangely, someone came in later and ordered the burger to go – that was it.  It wasn’t a homeless person, just a regular guy – do people actually like these types of burgers?!  Blegh. 

And my plate, at the end, with me clutching my belly moaning “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!”  Okay, I didn’t, there’s still some potato there… but eesh.  I may have shocked DLS…

Yvo says: Once again, a completely satisfying meal at Waffle House for super cheap (though I don’t remember the final total).  Perfect road trip stop! 
it is what it is: cheap road trip pit stop food!

© Feisty Foodie for The Feisty Foodie, 2012. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: DLS, hash

One restaurant that has been on “The List” for a while now is Barbuto owned by Chef Jonathan Waxman. We met him at Meatopia a couple of years ago and were rooting for him on Top Chef Masters. He seemed like a real down-to-Earth guy that cooks simple, rustic food very well.

Since they don’t take reservation for parties of two, we went a little earlier than we planned in case there was a wait. We had no other plans that night so if there was a long wait, so be it. Fortunately, it turned out that the wait was only 45 minutes and there was plenty of room at the bar for us to have a cocktail and relax. While enjoying the unique cocktails, the hostess informed us that we could be seated earlier if we sat at the communal table. We were feeling adventurous and agreed to sit there. We were surprised to find that the communal table was empty and although most places would have squeezed at least six people if not eight, they only sat one other two-top during our meal. So we ended up having plenty of space to enjoy our meal!

Instead of bread service, we were given a small bowl of olives. They were quite good especially because they were plump and firm. I don’t like those soft and mushy olives.

Since none of the appetizers looked especially interesting, we decided to share a pasta to start. Rigatoni con Polpetti ($20). The polpetti (meatballs) were made with pork & veal. This was one of the best “simple” pastas I have ever had. The rigatoni was perfectly al dente mixed with just the right amount of tangy sauce. The meatballs were excellent and could definitely compete with the best of them at Meatball Madness. Although I am not Italian, if I had an Italian grandmother her dish would come out tasting exactly the same way.

We decided to share two entrees including the famous roasted chicken and some sides.

Agnello ai Ferri ($27). Grilled leg of lamb, Swiss chard gratin, shaved fennel and pecorino. CT and I both are big fans of lamb. This was an excellent preparation. Simply seasoned and grilled, the Chef let the meat speak for itself.

We were really there for the Pollo al Forno ($19). Roasted jw chicken with salsa verde. Most people I know, including myself, hardly ever order a chicken dish at a restaurant let alone go to a restaurant specifically for chicken (fried chicken notwithstanding). Chef Waxman’s chicken has gotten so many rave reviews over the years that this was the exception. From what I could tell, every table ordered this dish. Lo and behold, it was really great! The chicken was super juicy and was perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of salt and pepper. The skin wasn’t super crispy, but it was pretty great. The salsa verde was very herby and elevated the other flavors. Also, it was a pretty sizeable portion for the price. I think it would be difficult, but not impossible, to eat this yourself. It made for great leftovers too!

I decided on the Verdure ($8) on the side to be “healthy.” It was sauteed greens, chili, garlic and ricotta salata. It was ok, but nothing special. It reminded me of sauteed greens you get at a Chinese restaurant.

CT convinced me that we should also order the Patate ($8). It was crispy potatoes, pecorino, and rosemary. Boy am I glad she did. These were some of the best potatoes I have ever had! Super crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. It looked like they boiled the potatoes first then fry them up till they explode. I could not stop eating these, that’s how good they were. (As I type this, I wish I had some right now.)

We were stuffed yet still had leftovers to take home. That meant no dessert for us.

All in all, Barbuto was excellent. Our server was very friendly and had a good rapport with us. The food was very, very good. It felt like a real neighborhood kind of place, even when being so close to the horrors of the Meatpacking District. You should definitely put this on your list if you are hankering for some good “home cooking.”

© TT for The Feisty Foodie, 2012. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Top Chef Masters

Christmas morning in Hell’s Kitchen found DLS and I wondering what to eat – if anything would be open, that is.  Luckily, the diner a rather short but chilly walk away was open, so we headed inside to grab a quick breakfast. 

The brunch menu was in effect since it was a Sunday morning.  A biscuit arrived, which I thought a bit odd as we’re in the north and as a born&bred Yankee, biscuits aren’t really what I reach for on the table in the morning.  A small plate of fruit salad accompanied the brunch special. 

DLS and I both wavered between two choices, so in the end, we each got one; he got the California eggs benedict, which had tomato and avocado instead of Canadian bacon, along with a small salad and hash browns.  I tried some of this and thought it was really good – the creaminess of the avocado with the tomato, and the Hollandaise, broken yolk… so good.  I enjoyed it and would definitely order this the next time I’m here! 

My choice was the lox omelet – smoked salmon in an omelet with onions.  Mine also came with a small salad and hash browns, which were sufficiently tasty.  My omelet was a little too salty for me – like they’d salted the eggs as well as the smoked salmon, which is already salty, so I had trouble eating all of it.  I probably wouldn’t order this again – or mix it with the potatoes to temper the salt level, anyway. 

Yvo says: I really enjoyed the California Benedict, which I haven’t seen on other menus – and I’m a Hollandaise fiend, so I would definitely notice if I saw that, though I admit I tend towards smoked salmon benedict… yum… – and I would love to go back and order my own California Benedict platter next time! 
recommended

© Feisty Foodie for The Feisty Foodie, 2012. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Brunch, DLS

It was a small, low-key party in the back room of the restaurant, which was right up my alley. We were able to sit down while the waitresses brought food and drink “samples” to us. Now that’s what I call service.

First up were some mini tacos. On the left was “Korean beef” and the other was shrimp. Both were tasty and fresh with the beef winning hands down. The kimchi slaw on top was mild, so it didn’t overwhelm the beef.

CT says: These were my favorites of the night and I may have even insisted on staying until I had another round. The beef was definitely the overall winner, but with my second tasting the shrimp had significantly improved. I think they freshly made that 2nd round after I asked if there would be any more tacos, so that might have been the reason for the improvement… either way, I enjoyed them both.

Mini grilled cheese. I believe it had a couple of different cheeses including gruyère. The bread had a nice crunch from the butter and time on the flattop.

CT says: These were on rye bread, so I was a little hesitant at first. I’m a grilled cheese purist and it’s one of the few times I indulge in white bread. However, I really like the taste the rye bread added to the dish (and I’m not a big rye-bread fan to start with). I probably wouldn’t make it this way at home, but I would be happy to eat it again.

Go Burger has a couple varieties of boozy milkshakes. This was one of two we sampled. I think this one had a vanilla ice cream base with bourbon and cookie crumbles. I don’t drink milkshakes very often, but this brought me back to a time when calories didn’t matter. Having some alcohol in it, didn’t hurt neither.

CT says: Both shakes we sampled that night were delicious – creamy without being too thick (I hate when you can’t even suck it up the straw!) I also really liked the small glasses they were served in. I wish all milkshakes were offered in these sizes because it is really the perfect amount. I had pull myself away from finishing both, knowing that my tummy would be super upset even after the first sip. Whoops!

Pigs in a blanket topped with a little sauerkraut. Pretty standard, but still delicious.

CT says: Meh – I like pigs in blankets, but there was better stuff to be tasted.

Tuna Tartar. Very fresh, but I would have preferred a squeeze of lime.

CT says: Ditto to the lime comment. I would think as a served dish, it would include a few wedges. However, as a passed snack, the lime probably would’ve made the chip soggy? Still, the tuna was fresh so I indulged in a couple of these.

Fried Mac & Cheese Ball. This dish has taken over bar menus all over the country. It is a great, indulgent idea, but usually it is poorly executed. Fortunately, this was not the case here. The mac & cheese was nice and creamy. It didn’t dry out as it did when I have had it before at other restaurants.

For the Super Bowl this year, Go Burger created two burgers to represent each team and had a contest to see which burger was ordered more leading up to the game. For us, they made the burgers into sliders.

Big Blue Burger with Maytag blue cheese, bone marrow shallot jam and sea salt and black pepper potato chips. This was quite a tasty little burger. It was cooked to a nice medium, so it was still juicy. I guess the Chef read the Beer Boor’s review and adjusted his seasoning of the burgers before cooking. Unfortunately, the slider buns were stale. Not a big deal since I was already getting full and wanted to slow down my carb intake. I think more burgers should come with potato chips as a topping.

The “Brady Bunch Burgah” with maple glazed double smoked bacon, Vermont cheddar, Boston lager mustard, Boston lettuce and Old Bay seasoned tobacco onions. It took a while for these sliders to make their way over to us, so by that point my stomach was not very happy with me, so I didn’t fully appreciate this. I enjoyed the salty-sweet bacon a lot with a little kick from the Old Bay spiced onions.

CT says: I enjoyed both burgers. The patties were juicy, which is tough for a slider, and the toppings were complementary, but not dominating flavors. I love stacking chips on sandwich, but have never put them on a burger before… major fail on my part, but happy for the new idea.

Although the Patriots didn’t win the Super Bowl, I would have voted for them to win the burger bowl. Although I had never been to Go Burger before, I liked the new menu additions. It is good to give more options to your customers so you don’t have to eat a burger even if everyone else in your party wants to. Thank you again to our hosts for having us.

Please note that everything was courtesy of Go Burger. I received no monetary compensation for this review, nor was I obliged in any way to post about the food and drink, positively or otherwise. This is my own opinion and I feel it was unbiased; you are free to take from this what you will.

© TT for The Feisty Foodie, 2012. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Giants, Patriots, press event, Super Bowl

Why did we go to Montreal?  I’m nothing if not an indulgent friend, so when DLS said “I really like poutine” – yes, we went to Montreal to eat poutine.  (Background: we were having yet another ‘argument’ about why NYC is awesome and if he dislikes it that much, he should just move back to the West Coast already… and I said “think of all the things you can get here that you can’t get anywhere else! Name a food! Just name it, and I bet we have it, but not Mexican, I’m tired of hearing Mexican is better on the West Coast.” – and he said poutine, so I took him immediately to Pommes Frites to get poutine and said, “BAM. What now?”  Anyway, that’s why we were talking about poutine.) 

In any case, one of my friend’s husbands is actually from Montreal, so he gave me a list of places to hit, and one of the suggestions for poutine was Resto La Banquise.  Our first stop, our first poutine of a poutine-filled weekend! 

Of course one of our choices was regular poutine, which was fantastic – crisp frites, gooey curds, and lovely, savory gravy.  DLS practically housed this before I could even take a bite – I eventually had to take this plate from him. 

…mostly because, in keeping with my being an indulgent friend, when our server came around to take our order, DLS ordered this one – poutine topped with green peppers and onions – apparently without registering that a minute earlier, when he’d suggested this one, I’d said “No, I don’t like green peppers.”  The poutine was good as before, but the flavor of green peppers really dominated a large portion of it, so I gave up on this one and commandeered the other one.  (DLS said he totally didn’t hear me.)  I wouldn’t mind going back and trying some of the other varieties of poutine… though DLS noted that it seemed the addition of green peppers and onions, two things he really likes, didn’t do much for it, and said he might just enjoy classic poutine best. 

Yvo says: If you’re in Montreal, there is no reason you shouldn’t stop by Resto la Banquise and sample one of their many poutines.  While we did prefer the classic over the poutine Rachel (with green peppers and onions), there are so many different varieties that it would be a shame to stick to just one!  Really properly fried frites.  Oh, they have other food there, but we opted to not fill up since we were literally in Montreal to have poutine…
recommended

© Feisty Foodie for The Feisty Foodie, 2012. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: DLS, poutine