Restaurant Review » Florida Coastal Cooking

Girls Weekend!

Camping, Restaurant Review 8 Responses »

Dec 132010

This past weekend marked the second campout with my new camper and the first ladies only trip….me, my mom and my daughter.

It started off a bit iffy…cold, rainy, electrical in the camper not working….but with the help of some park rangers, four to be exact, that came to the rescue, the electrical came on (and with it the heat and fridge) by using a very technical method.

Jiggling the power cord.

It kind of reminded me of when I call IT because my computer at work has an issue and the IT guy comes up and suddenly the damn thing works. Sigh.

But hey, I can’t complain, it stopped raining, everything was working in the camper, Saturday got up to almost 70 degrees and we started having some fun!

I voted this my new favorite close-to-home park. 45 minutes away and really rustic with dirt roads through gorgeous old Florida woods compete with multiple deer sightings and lots of great foliage. It has really nice restroom and shower facilities, it’s 20 minutes from downtown St. Augustine shopping and the entrance to the park is right off I95.

Oh yes, and the park rangers are so friendly and helpful.

Faver Dykes State Park

(Friday is pictured here…still a bit rainy)

There is a boat ramp and you can rent canoes and kayaks.

Saturday morning we had breakfast outside by the fire!

Trip to the very bustling St Augustine Farmers Market.

Lunch at my new favorite restaurant.

The Floridian.

Local, seasonal fare.

Cup of Indian Dal with lentils and sweet potatoes.

With each bite we said how amazing it was. Sweet, spicy and warm on a cool day.

Gala salad.

Marinated Jose’s tempeh over ginger caramelized sweet potatoes and NC apples tossed with quinoa, spinach and local lettuces in a honey-dijon vinaigrette, topped with local goat’s cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds for $10.50.

I think the description says it all.

Cute cortyard area where my little one could run around and not disturb anyone.

After lunch we took a walk down St George Street and saw this fellow.

A one man band!

Scarlett’s is Chris’s and my favorite bar.

I loved the lights at this wine bar. The “grapes” were made from plastic balls!

Of course, we shopped till we dropped!

Back at the campground we started up a fire and mom and I had some wine.

And then we all retired to the camper to watch the Wizard of Oz on the portable DVD.

Go Noles!

Restaurant Review: Chipotle Mexican Grill

Restaurant Review 13 Responses »

Oct 212010

This past Monday night we were on the way to the Jaguar game and I decided I wanted to stop at Chipotle Mexican Grill. Have you been there?

Their mantra is “Food with Integrity is our commitment to finding the very best ingredients raised with respect for the animals, the environment and the farmers.”

How can you not love that?!

I had been there before and gotten the burrito bowls, but that time I chose to get a salad. With each bite I said THIS IS SO GOOD. And I have been talking about it since.

When yesterday morning rolled around, I said to myself I was going back to get the same salad again. I sat down at my desk and told my co workers about it and spent most of the day drooling.

Fresh salsa.

Tender chicken.

Pinto beans.

Cilantro rice.

Grilled peppers and onions.

Honey Chipotle vinaigrette.

Finally 5:00 came.

Heaven.

Bite Club at Havana Jax

Restaurant Review 3 Responses »

Jul 082010

My third bite club event was at Havana Jax that features Cuban American food. After reading their menu I was very excited to attend this event. It was to be more of a mingling bar type atmosphere with two salsa dancing teachers on hand to teach us how to salsa!

Upon arrival we were given a sample mojito which was excellent. It had fresh lime and mint and was not too sweet.

The bar area has lots of comfortable seating.

My Bite Club date Justine arrived so we had to get a picture.

A little out of focus…..after four more tries….

There we go!

The menu handed out was extensive and I was very excited about the Cuban Rolls Tornado served with chopped salad and olive oil vinaigrette.

Justine, me and Ashlee

Fried App #1

First out was bits of fried pork and yucca. I wasn’t a huge fan of the pork. The bite I got was very fatty.

Fried App #2

Fried plantains with a bean paste.

I could barely taste the plantain after the breading and frying.

Fried App #3

The empanadas and croquettes. After biting into mostly fried shell…yahoo! A teaspoon of filling. I didn’t finish the croquettes.

Friends Justine, Courtney and Anthony

Bite Club veterans Lawrence and Lou

The desserts! I said to the waitress, “I would like to try the Key Lime Pie and one of those cakes.”

“No” she said. “You can only have one”.

“Oh. I guess I’ll try the key lime pie.”

It tasted like key lime pie.

I did swipe a mango cake sample there in the back left of the photo which was excellent. Crumbly and buttery graham cracker crust and what tasted like a perfectly sweet, ripe mango.

As far as the Cuban Rolls Tornado served with chopped salad and olive oil vinaigrette as well as several other apps that were listed on the Bite Club menu, I can’t tell you. They were never served. And the salsa teachers were not there which was disappointing.

I went home and ate a fresh apple.

Thanks to the Bite Club for free food and wonderful company.

I can’t say I will go to Havana Jax for the food but it did look like a fun bar atmosphere.

Sting Symphonicity Tour

Restaurant Review 4 Responses »

Jul 082010

Last weekend Chris and I made the two hour trek to Orlando, Florida to begin our 4th of July weekend away trip to see Sting in Tampa. Luckily we didn’t hit much of the Orlando 5:00 traffic as we were heading into the city.

We settled into the Westin Imagine which is a contemporary hotel 1.5 miles from Pointe Orlando and about five minutes from the outlet mall. They have fridges and microwaves in each room which is nice. After showers we headed to Pointe Orlando to dine at Tommy Bahama.

Mojitos in hand we had Island inspired dishes that included pecan encrusted goat cheese to start. We followed this up with entrees of sautéed shrimp and scallops with crisp/tender asparagus over a light and sweet coconut curry sauce as well as a chicken dish served over a cumin scented rice and beans with a small shell with fried plantains and a sweet slaw on the side. Finally we had the Pina Colada cake which was a layered rum cake with pineapple, white chocolate and coconut.

Friday morning I worked out, had a quiet breakfast of coffee, fresh berries and cottage cheese and then hit the outlet mall to shop till I dropped as Chris was doing an audit for work. (We combined business with pleasure this weekend and saved the fare for two nights at the hotel!)

I found a Barnes and Noble bookstore to stock up on books and magazines for reading by the pool that afternoon. One book I picked up was called Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I’m only through her trip to Italy and I can’t put it down. I envy the way she has mastered the description of food.

On page 80 she speaks of her trip to Naples to get pizza.

“The dough, it takes me half my meal to figure out, tastes more like Indian nan than like any pizza dough I’ve ever tried. It’s soft and chewy and yielding, but incredibly thin. I always thought we only had two choices in our lives when it came to pizza crust – thin and crispy, or thick and doughy. How was I to have known there could be a crust in this world that was thin and doughy? Holy of Holies! Thin, doughy, strong, gummy, yummy, chewy, salty pizza paradise. On top, there is a sweet tomato sauce that foams up all bubbly and creamy when it melts the fresh buffalo mozzarella, and the one sprig of basil in the middle infuses the entire pizza with herbal radiance, much the same way one shimmering movie star in the middle of a party brings a contact high of glamour to everyone around her. It’s technically impossible to eat this thing, of course. You try to take a bite off your slice and the gummy crust folds, and the hot cheese runs away like topsoil in a landslide, makes a mess of you and your surroundings, but just deal with it.”

As one foodie to another….pick this book up. You will love it!

That night I met my old college roomie, Cindy, for dinner and drinks at Season’s 52. I so wish we had one in Jacksonville. They feature seasonal ingredients and as the website states they “Celebrate Living Well” with the entire menu under 475 calories.

I chose the special of line caught grouper with citrus mint infused couscous and tzatziki sauce on the side and two shot glass desserts to finish. One was the creamy summer blueberry cheesecake and the other was the peanut butter chocolate mousse.

Cindy and I followed up with dancing at a little bar across the way and had such a great time catching up!

Saturday Chris and I hit Ikea (for two hours) and decided with all the eating that had been going on we wanted salads at Sweet Tomatoes. Have you ever eaten at one of these? We loved it! It was inexpensive and you can choose from a huge salad bar, fresh soups, home made breads and muffins, pasta dishes, fresh fruit and even fat free Edy’s Ice cream with toppings!

We went back to the hotel to relax (and read!) and then got ready to go see Sting at the Tampa Amphitheater.

We got dressed and headed out. We got there with not much time to spare for dinner and lo and behold the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino was across the street! Since we were in a rush to get to the concert (there was no opening act) we ate the food court. I know, it sounds terrible but for $9 I got a huge Greek salad with crunchy romaine, soft, dark red tomatoes and salty feta, a soft, chewy slice of vegetarian pizza and a small side of seasoned veggies.

We headed to the Ford Amphitheater and Sting started at 8:15. He is touring with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

We made our way to the seats. It was an older, quieter crowd than our usual concerts (for example, the Black Eyed Peas) and people basically stayed seated. When the orchestra started playing I got chills. It was such all encompassing sound. Sting’s voice rose over it clear and smooth and his backup vocalist, Australian born Jo Lawry, was sweet and jazzy.

Before each song he shared a brief story about where it was derived from. I thought the one about the song I Hung My Head was rather comical. He describes, in his British accent, how as a child he loved Country Westerns, in particular Bonanza. He imagined Adam, Ben and Hoss Cartright riding across the plains with him, “little Sting”.

I can officially say that in my 33 years of attending concerts, this was my favorite.

Sunday we made the trip home and relaxed at the house and Monday we took the boat out on the Intracoastal to Caps on the Water where our friend Jim proceeded to use our daughter as cute-waitress bait.

He said it worked well with her whole watermelon ensemble of matching top and shoes. The shoes were key.

But that’s a whole other restaurant review…..

Bite Club at Mandaloun Mediterranean

Restaurant Review 8 Responses »

Jun 112010

Last Tuesday was my second Bite Club event at Mandaloun Mediterranean. I have been to this restaurant before and it’s one of my favorites. I was so excited to go back and try a few items I have never tried!

I arrived just at 5:45 and people were getting drinks at the bar. The walls are painted with mountainous scenery, there are white columns and rich wood high tops that make for a charming and inviting atmosphere.

We were offered quite an extensive taste of the entire menu!

My friend Justine attended again.

Our foodie friends Kim and David also attended.

Justine brought her mom Madeline as her guest.

And finally, I also brought another foodie friend, Courtney!

To start, the owner came out and gave us background on the restaraunt and what we would be tasting.

And then the food began to come out.

Fresh pita with an oregano herb dipping oil.

Mezze Sampler

First up was the Hummus: A puree of chickpeas mixed with sesame cream and lemon juice.

Theirs is so smooth and creamy and has a little dip in the middle with extra virgin olive oil.

Baba Ganoush: Puree of grilled eggplant mixed with sesame cream and lemon juice.
This was the first time I actually liked Baba Ganoush. Normally it has this weird almost bitter aftertaste but this one was also very creamy and I loved the texture. I even went back in for seconds!

Tabbouleh: Finely chopped parsley, tomato, onion, touch of white pepper, crushed wheat, olive oil and lemon dressing.

There were ooohs and aaahhs when this came out. It was so fresh it had to have been made right then.

Fattoush: Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, radish, onion, mint, lemon pepper, crispy pita bread with olive oil, lemon and pomegranate dressing.

I think the Fattoush was the star of the show. The pomegranate dressing is tangy with that bite of vinegar that tickles the back of your throat. Is has sort of the sweet/tart cranberry-esque flavor. There are a ton of fresh aromatic herbs on top and then when you bite into the crispy pita you will swear you died and went to heaven. This is my most favorite dish there. I’ve tried to recreate it but there’s just no substitution for theirs.

Sambousek – Meat Pie: Deep fried Lebanese pastry stuffed with minced beef and pine nuts.

I, personally, am not a huge fan of fried foods but the outside was crispy and flavorful and the inside was tender, meaty and crumbly. If you like meat and fried foods I would go with this as an appetizer.

Sambousek Jebneh - Cheese Pie: Deep fried Lebanese pastry stuffed with feta cheese and mint.
When I bit into this one I was pleasantly surprised. I had forgotten there was fresh mint inside! I loved the combo of the aromatic mint and gooey salty feta.

Fatayer - Spinach Pie: Pastry stuffed with spinach, onion and pine nuts.
Out of the three pies this was my favorite as it was mainly veggie and it was baked! The onions added a sweetness and the pine nuts a delicious crunch. I would definitely order these again.

Main Course

Mini Kebabs: Chicken and Beef Kebabs served over rice.

The star of the main course, for me, was actually the rice! I did enjoy the grilled chicken, however the beef was a bit on the dry side. We all discussed the rice trying to guess all the flavors, I thought I tasted a cinnamon, David said tumeric, saffron and cumin. I believe everyone went back in for more on the rice.

Wine

I tried two wines. One was a Lebanese red, Le Prieure, Ksara, and one was a inexpensive Domestic Red, Five Rivers Cabernet. I took a photo of the Cab as it was excellent and so inexpensive.

I must say I’m terrible at describing wine so Courtney….if you read this you must tell us what you thought!

Dessert

And finally…the desserts. Both of them made me close my eyes and slowly savor. I ate each and every bite.

Baklava: Traditional Lebanese Pastry filled with nuts, pistachios and almonds.

This small round tube was so light and crispy with sweet/salty nuts crushed nuts.

Nammoura: Sweet coconut baked with semolina.

I loved the texture of the semolina and coconut. (Which is weird as I typically hear people say they like the flavor of coconut but not the texture.) Semolina is a form of wheat, I have also heard it called groats. It was baked into the bar form you see below with coconut and saturated with a thick sweet liquid. Each bite had texture and sweetness with the consistency of a thin honey.

My Weekend and a Shrimp Marinade Recipe

BPBD - Before Plant Based Diet, Restaurant Review 2 Responses »

Jun 082010

I finally got my photos from this past weekend and it was a good one.

It started out with a Girl’s Night In on Friday night. Since my husband Chris was out of town on a golf trip, my daughter, Mom and I had a sleepover. We started the night with steamed broccoli and a Kashi Caribbean Carnival Pizza and continued with the chick flick, Valentine’s Day (after the little one went to bed). It was really cute and had an all star cast.

Saturday started out with coffee and a chat on the back porch before the baby woke up and then I was off to yoga. All three of us went to World Market afterwards to do some shopping and then Mom and the baby took off to go to the pool thus starting the highlight of my weekend, Girl’s Night Out.

I headed out to visit my friend Justine at Jacksonville Beach. After a few hours in the sun we went back to her Aunt’s house to get ready.

Dinner was at Taco Lu’s as the original restaurant we were going to try, Salt Life, was way too packed.

Me and Brooke at Taco Lu’s.

Justine and Sarah at Taco Lu’s.

Super dark shot of Megan and Justine.

Taco Lu’s was excellent, as usual. I chose the first three items on the menu.

Baja Fish Taco: Beer Battered Mahi on a corn tortilla, cabbage, pico, chipotle crema, cilantro and lime
Bangin’ Shrimp: Spicy, Asian style fried shrimp, cabbage and lime
Mahi: Blackened fish on a corn tortilla with cabbage mango salsa and crema

I must say a few glasses of wine made it much easier to splurge on the two fried options and they were excellent. My favorite was the shrimp. The fried outer crust was thin and crispy with a light battered texture and then covered in a salty, sweet, spicy Asian sauce. When I bit through the inside was soft and tender shrimp. The addition of the cool cabbage and crumbly texture of the home made corn tortilla with a shot of lime was an excellent mixture.

We left there and hit the Penthouse at the Casa Marina Hotel for a drink. It was so gorgeous. Three floors up, overlooking the water. The weather was tropical Saturday night…hot and humid with a light breeze which made it the absolutely perfect weather to enjoy an evening cocktail.

A very unclear landscape of us at the Penthouse before we walked outside.

After that…dancing at the Brix. A local bar with great music and a young and lively crowd. There were two bachelorette parties that happened to be in attendance hence the photos of the BRIDE DANCEOFF.

Picture this…two brides in the middle of the floor and Lady GaGa comes on. The brides begin to do a sort of GaGa robot dance…..

You know that Bad Romance song the stations will not stop playing…GA GA OOLALA GAGA OLALA RAMAOLALA RAMA…..or whatever the hell the woman is babbling about in the song.

Now you can’t get that song out of your head can you?

Hubby was home the following night and we, of course, had to celebrate by grilling up some mixed veggies, corn and shrimp.

The Ghost Grilling shot.

I quickly jotted down a marinade recipe.

Hubby loves to grill wings.

The corn shot. Simply seasoned with olive oil and Tony Chachere’s.

We put this on EVERYTHING.

And I saved the best for last. The Shrimp.

Hi you little beauties.

Grilled Shrimp in Jerk Marinade

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp jerk seasoning (with lime)
1 tsp coarse ground mustard
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

1. Whisk olive oil through garlic in a small bowl.

2. Place shrimp in a medium bowl and pour the marinade over the top. Marinate for 20 minutes or so.

3. Skewer the shrimp on metal skewers. Place on preheated grill. Cook until shrimp begins to turn pink. Turn once and once shrimp is pink and cooked through remove from grill.

The Bite Club Event at The Grape

BPBD - Before Plant Based Diet, Restaurant Review 3 Responses »

May 122010

I arrived a little early for the Bite Club event at The Grape, Wine Bar and Bistro as I was so excited! It was put on by a local magazine called The Folio Weekly and hosted by Ashlee from A Year in The Kitchen.

Every day they have various events at The Grape.

There are fun tables out front to relax in the sun.

I promptly headed to the bar to order a glass.

After a glance at the wine list and a few suggestions/taste from the bartender I ordered the La Roche.

A French Chardonnay that had a bit of residual sugar so it wasn’t too dry and had a nice fruity crisp taste. It was refreshing in the warm weather.

6:00 rolled around and the event was starting.

To Start:

Seasonal Cheese Selection

Dinner:

New Zealand Lamb Nachos

Mini Crab Cakes with Jicama Slaw (paired with a wine)

Dessert:

Raspberry Mousse in a Chocolate Teacup (paired with a wine)

Ashlee, the hostess with the mostess greeted each Bite Club member as they arrived.

I’m so happy to have met another fellow foodie/blogger in the area!

Bite club members finding their seats and waiting for things to start.

My guest was my BFF and fellow foodie, Justine.

The food started to come out.

First, the bread.

It was a bit dry and rather unimpressive. I would have preferred an artisan whole grain baguette with some personality.

Next the Hors d’oeuvres

The seasonal cheese. This was the star of the show for me…the Blueberry Stilton. WOW. I could have had it for dessert. It was creamy with chunks of blueberry; a perfect balance of sweet and mild. I should have added this to my Bucket List a long time ago so I could cross it off. Great choice Grape!

Ashley and her hubby JJ pause for a portrait.

The First Wine

Next came out our first wine tasting.

Spy Valley, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2009. Cool, citrusy grapefruit taste. Divine. (Could I be turning into a white wine drinker?)

Dinner

The Jicama Slaw with a light vinaigrette. I went back in for seconds.

The Lamb Nachos with Hummus and Goat Cheese.

Original idea and great presentation but the hummus baked onto the nacho chip was a bit dry. I would prefer to see fresh, creamy hummus on the crispy nacho chip with the warm lamb and a bit more goat cheese layered on top.

We had to really hunt for the goat cheese and the taste was lost under the red sauce.

Next were the crab cakes. They were ok; a bit bready and a bit fishy.

I probably wouldn’t get them again.

The Chicken Quesadilla ordered on the side by some fellow dining mates. Inside was warm melted cheese and fresh pesto with an exceptionally crispy exterior. I would definitely order this next time. I love the pesto inside.

Dessert

The dessert was a light raspberry crème in a dark chocolate cup over chocolate mousse. This isn’t something I would normally order as I eat so much fruit I tend to shy away from it when splurging on dessert but this was to die for. Some thought the chocolate mousse inside was too much chocolate but I loved it. (Granted I’m a chocoholic) It didn’t seem too overpowering when paired with the fluffy, light raspberry.

Here is Ashlee double fisting it with the dessert cups. (Don’t blame her…you go Ash!)

Final Wine Tasting

This was the lovely, fizzy wine that came out with dessert. It was slightly sweet without being too heavy and overpowering. Can someone tell me what this deliciousness was? By now I was a few drinks in and forgot to get the name.

Overall we had an amazing experience meeting new friends and trying new things.

Thanks to Ashlee, The Bite Club, The Grape and The Folio Weekly for putting on a wonderful event. I look forward to trying out for the next one!

Mossfire and Ben Harper

BPBD - Before Plant Based Diet, Restaurant Review 4 Responses »

Apr 302010

Mossfire Grill

We had a dinner and concert last night. Dinner was at Mossfire Grill, “a blend of New American and Southwestern traditions” is what the description is on the website. We have eaten here many times and usually get the fish tacos.

Chris went with “the usual” but when I saw the Yellowfin Tuna -Grilled, topped with cilantro pumpkinseed pesto, I immediately knew that is what I wanted.

The Usual. Tuna tacos ordered rare.

See that salsa there? OH MY. I ate three of those little cups.

Fire roasted tomatoes with a blend of seasonings that is pure perfection.

Our friend Lauren got the chicken quesadillas.

Another couple, Melissa and Jason got the beef empanadas.

The best part about this dish is the crispy, flakey exterior.

And here is my tuna with the cilantro pumpkin seed pesto.

Doesn’t look too bad huh?….

….I was so bummed, it was a big disappointment! The best part about this dish was the black beans and rice and the cilantro garnish. In fact I stole everyone else’s cilantro garnish to try and give my tuna and pesto some taste. It was so bland and boring.

Not usual for this place so next time I’ll be going back but next time I’ll be trying the hummus on a flatbread.

Ben Harper Concert at the Florida Theater.

If you live in Jacksonville and like concerts I highly suggest going to the Florida Theater. It only holds 1900 people so wherever you sit you feel close to the artist.

The girls: Jen, Lauren, Melissa (a trooper at 23 months pregnant!) and me.

He played a lot of newer stuff but we stuck around to the end and were pleased to hear just Ben and his guitar.

I have some more photos to add later but I wanted to get our night posted so here it is!

Foodies Unite! (At Lemongrass)

Restaurant Review 5 Responses »

Apr 222010

For lunch today I met up with a new friend and fellow foodie blogger, Devon, from Run Sleep Rinse Repeat. We had lunch at an incredible Thai restaurant called Lemongrass. Not only did we both graduate from FSU we will soon be living in the same area as she is building a house out my way! We have a future date to check out a place called Cork and Keg and we’ll be sure to do a review of this cute little wine bar.

We chose Lemongrass as it was a great mid point and is well rated; voted Top 25 by Jacksonville Magazine as well as Folio Weekly’s Best of Jax! I had been there previously but it had been quite a while.

To start, we got the fresh spring rolls. They were crunchy, with that hint of mint that pairs well with the peanut dipping sauce. So refreshing.

Devon chose a Thai favorite called Phad Thai and is shown here as the gorgeous model of this amazing dish. Good choice Devon!

According to Wikepedia, “Pad Thai or Phat Thai (Thai: ผัดไทย, IPA: [pʰàt tʰāj], “fried Thai style”) is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce (Thai: น้ำปลา), tamarind juice, red chili pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts, coriander and lime, the juice of which can be added along with Thai condiments. Pad Thai is one of Thailand’s national dishes.”

She raved about this dish so I know it must have been good.

I like things a little spicy so I branched out (as I would have typically chosen Phad Thai too) and got the “Hot Peppers: Your choice of meat sautéed with garlic, bamboo, straw mushrooms, onions, sweet peppers, wood ear mushrooms, green peas, jalapeno peppers and topped with Thai sweet basil”. I chose the tofu as my protein. The chewey texture and firm, crisp exterior when it’s cooked properly gets me every time. The sauce had just the right amount of spice (that will wake you up!) and flavor. The color was just gorgeous. To soak up the fiery sauce I chose simple rice noodles and they did their job.

If you are ever in Jacksonville and like Thai food I would definitely check out Lemongrass.

Plus:
Great service (granted we got there just before closing so we were the only patrons)
Excellent Food
Decor/Atmosphere
Not afraid to bring the heat
Large portion size

Minus:
Only open during the week from 11-2 and it’s really busy up through 1:00.

Overall:
On a scale of 1-10 I’ll give it a 9.5

Father-Daughter night at Flavors Indian

Restaurant Review No Responses »

Mar 102010

It was another Indian food night for Dad and me on Tuesday night. Woo Hoo! Good thing we got there early to beat the crowds.

I’m sure they were coming.

Probably a little later.
This is not an unusual phenomenon for our father-daughter dinners. Our first one was to an Asian restaurant where not only were we the only patrons but the hostess ended up being our waitress and disappeared for a while so I think she was the cook too.

Before I went I checked out the menu on line and made a list of the items I wanted to try so I could ask the waiter which one he would prefer.

(I know, kind of embarrassing but it was just me and Dad so I didn’t care).

For the appetizer he suggested the Chicken Manchuria for $7.99.

This fiery appetizer was listed as “boneless chicken spiced with masalas and cooked in a wok with Manchurian Sauce”. I think this was Dad’s favorite dish of the night as it was the spiciest! I loved the flavor and how tender the chicken was.

Look at this excited face.

After quizzing the server several times on what he would choose out of my listed options I settled on the Baingan Bartha for $9.99 which is eggplant baked in an oven and cooked with onions tomatoes and spices and a side of the Masala Kulcha for $3.99. Naan bread stuffed with spiced chopped onions and herbs.

I was absolutely delighted by the Baingan Bartha and will be learning how to cook this dish for myself. It was a slightly sweet and had a creamy texture and a perfect balance of spices. I did like the Masala Kulcha but I think next time I’ll try the Kashmir Naan $3.99, “A clay oven baked bread filled with almonds, Cashew and raisins” that I completely missed on my first look at the menu. How good does that sound?

Dad chose the Garlic Chicken – Dish for garlic lovers $11.99 and the Garlic Naan, $2.99. Sorry mom! (Dad is obviously a garlic lover).

The garlic naan is always a favorite. You just can’t go wrong. Big flecks of fresh garlic baked on a white tender bread. Deeeelish. And the garlic chicken was also tender with a moderate amount of spice and it wasn’t too garlicky. It would be a great go to dish for a first timer.

Listed clockwise from bottom left:
Baingan Bartha, Garlic Chicken and Chicken Manchuria

We were served white rice on the side and

pictured at the bottom is the garlic naan and the Masala Kulcha

Plus:

Good service

Excellent Food

Nice facility

Not afraid to bring the heat

Good portion size

Great value

Minus:

Bathrooms could have been a bit nicer and needed to be stocked

Overall:

On a scale of 1-10 I’ll give it a 8 in comparison to other Indian restaurants I’ve visited. Excellent food. Bathrooms need some love.

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