Monday, December 5, 2011
Siena
seven came out to Siena last Thursday and although december is here the weather felt more like october/autumn.
appetizers were excellent - lobster pot pie, artichoke hearts, filet mignon pizza, ahi tuna, stuffed peppers and gnocchi. main course not too bad - veal cutlets, sausage pasta and a couple of other dishes that i don't remember. no dessert.
sorry people about mailing this review of Siena in. the group agrees that it gets *** out of four mannillos. you can visit http://wnydining.blogspot.com/ to read the entire review (but don't expect much more).
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Roycroft Inn
if you haven't been there, the Roycroft Inn is a rustic, Frank Lloyd Wright-esque east aurora institution. i've been eager to try it out for some time.
with it's great wood and stone made building (you can easily imagine a roaring fire in a giant stone hearth on cold evenings) i anticpated a home-ccoked meal-type selection but was pleased to find some fine dining choices on the menu.
the group started with figs stuffed with gorgonzola and wrapped in proscuitto and served over a balsamic syrup drizzle, i enjoyed it but not as much as the excellent strawberries stuffed with goat cheese and served over aged balsamic. the french onion soup was good as well i was told. i also tried their baked brie. although it was served with a hot pepper jelly, i didn't get a taste of that but i do like brie so i appreciated that it was a selection. lastly the group finished the appetizers with their Inn madew hite truffle oil chips which were served with smoked gorgonzola. i'm not as much of huge fan of truffle oil as some of the others and found them to be o.k.
for entrees, two of us had the loster ravioli which was good but somewhat ordinary. i was told the sme of their osso bucco. i tried the beef tenderloin and was disappointed. i heard the lobster tail, served over some type of risotto was good as was there spanakopata and rack of pork.
the Roycroft is pleasant and comfortable as one would expect from East Aurora's best. however, i felt the food was hit or miss and certainly not extraordinary by any stretch so it gets ** out of four mannillos.
with it's great wood and stone made building (you can easily imagine a roaring fire in a giant stone hearth on cold evenings) i anticpated a home-ccoked meal-type selection but was pleased to find some fine dining choices on the menu.
the group started with figs stuffed with gorgonzola and wrapped in proscuitto and served over a balsamic syrup drizzle, i enjoyed it but not as much as the excellent strawberries stuffed with goat cheese and served over aged balsamic. the french onion soup was good as well i was told. i also tried their baked brie. although it was served with a hot pepper jelly, i didn't get a taste of that but i do like brie so i appreciated that it was a selection. lastly the group finished the appetizers with their Inn madew hite truffle oil chips which were served with smoked gorgonzola. i'm not as much of huge fan of truffle oil as some of the others and found them to be o.k.
for entrees, two of us had the loster ravioli which was good but somewhat ordinary. i was told the sme of their osso bucco. i tried the beef tenderloin and was disappointed. i heard the lobster tail, served over some type of risotto was good as was there spanakopata and rack of pork.
the Roycroft is pleasant and comfortable as one would expect from East Aurora's best. however, i felt the food was hit or miss and certainly not extraordinary by any stretch so it gets ** out of four mannillos.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Amici's
For appetizers the table ordered bruschetta, bocconcini (fried mozzarella balls) and clams casino. i'm not a huge fan of bruschetta and there was nothing special about theirs that would change my preference (although they have a roasted garlic bruschetta as well that might change my mind). The bocconcini on the other hand was fantastic. similar to, but much better than ordinary mozzarella sticks. the clams casino were good as well.
Entrees:
I had chicken their margherita - breaded chicken cutlet served with breaded eggplant cutlet and ham on top. The portion was giant but other than the sound of it, it was average. i also tried the lobster ravioli which was good. i didn't try the Sicilian steak but it looked interesting.
the bill at Amici's was somewhat higher than i expected especially in light of the fact that the entrees didn't seem too expensive on the menu. the expense may have simply been attributable to the alcohol but i didn't study the check to verify that. regardless, Amici's was solid but not spectacular so it gets *** out of four mannillos.
Entrees:
I had chicken their margherita - breaded chicken cutlet served with breaded eggplant cutlet and ham on top. The portion was giant but other than the sound of it, it was average. i also tried the lobster ravioli which was good. i didn't try the Sicilian steak but it looked interesting.
the bill at Amici's was somewhat higher than i expected especially in light of the fact that the entrees didn't seem too expensive on the menu. the expense may have simply been attributable to the alcohol but i didn't study the check to verify that. regardless, Amici's was solid but not spectacular so it gets *** out of four mannillos.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Acqua
with trepidation (at least for me after reading the reviews) five ventured to Acqua on the waterfront last night. i really want this place to succeed so take this review with a grain of salt.
Acqua has a great view and despite the dreary evening, the awesomeness of the niagara river and view of canada still stood out. the menu selection was interesting and although nothing jumped out at me (see my entree selection), i found it to have respectable choices.
the table started out with their clams and lobster diablo appetizer. it was great! spicy, sweet and unique. truly a must order. they also served a duck lettuce wrap. i enjoy p.f. chang's lettuce wraps and these are comparable. chopped duck is provided with various sauces (hoisen, sweet and sour and some other spicy sauce)along with lettuce leaves to create your own 'lettuce taco.' excellent. i was told the lobster bisque was good - spicy but not overpowering. i ordered their caprese which was equally part mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and salad. it had syrup-y balsamic dressing so you know i liked it.
so far so good.
for entrees, the table had their pork tenderloin served over a white bean and corn succotash with a cherry compote. i thought it was a little dry but still ok. also ordered was their titan shrimp and scallops served with orzo, fennel, artichokes (also a big lure for me) in a pernod (orange) broth. not too bad but not outstanding. their yellowfin tuna was very good served with kimchi and honey wasabi. seared outside and pink inside. the most controversy came from the pecan crusted sea bass. this was a huge piece of fish. there was no pecan to be found although i thought i was spiced well. the problem is that the inside was not cooked enough and it's easy to understand why as it was so thick. it did come with a delicious sweet mashed potatoes though.
and i ordered, wait for it, their all-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatballs. i know, i know. very olive garden. the pasta was blah and there was some discussion of whether the meatballs (pork and beef) were any good. i enjoyed them more than the others but they had a strong flavor that i couldn't put my finger on. very similar to Toro's meatballs.
for dessert i ordered their chocolate bread pudding. although the cinnamon stood out more than the chocolate, i thought it was pretty good. also ordered was their cake parfait. Acqua serves various desserts 'shooter' style in a smallish glass which makes for good sampling of the various desserts but not really good for sharing. regardless, the small bite i tried was good but i was told that there was something 'funny' about it, especially the berries.
as i stated earlier, i really want a buffalo waterfront restaurant to succeed. my expectations were minimal after the horrendous reviews i encountered looking for their website but i have to admit that Acqua exceeded my expectations. in addition, they took the sea bass off the bill even though we never requested it. although not perfect, it's clear they are trying. so Acqua gets *** mannillos.
Acqua has a great view and despite the dreary evening, the awesomeness of the niagara river and view of canada still stood out. the menu selection was interesting and although nothing jumped out at me (see my entree selection), i found it to have respectable choices.
the table started out with their clams and lobster diablo appetizer. it was great! spicy, sweet and unique. truly a must order. they also served a duck lettuce wrap. i enjoy p.f. chang's lettuce wraps and these are comparable. chopped duck is provided with various sauces (hoisen, sweet and sour and some other spicy sauce)along with lettuce leaves to create your own 'lettuce taco.' excellent. i was told the lobster bisque was good - spicy but not overpowering. i ordered their caprese which was equally part mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and salad. it had syrup-y balsamic dressing so you know i liked it.
so far so good.
for entrees, the table had their pork tenderloin served over a white bean and corn succotash with a cherry compote. i thought it was a little dry but still ok. also ordered was their titan shrimp and scallops served with orzo, fennel, artichokes (also a big lure for me) in a pernod (orange) broth. not too bad but not outstanding. their yellowfin tuna was very good served with kimchi and honey wasabi. seared outside and pink inside. the most controversy came from the pecan crusted sea bass. this was a huge piece of fish. there was no pecan to be found although i thought i was spiced well. the problem is that the inside was not cooked enough and it's easy to understand why as it was so thick. it did come with a delicious sweet mashed potatoes though.
and i ordered, wait for it, their all-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatballs. i know, i know. very olive garden. the pasta was blah and there was some discussion of whether the meatballs (pork and beef) were any good. i enjoyed them more than the others but they had a strong flavor that i couldn't put my finger on. very similar to Toro's meatballs.
for dessert i ordered their chocolate bread pudding. although the cinnamon stood out more than the chocolate, i thought it was pretty good. also ordered was their cake parfait. Acqua serves various desserts 'shooter' style in a smallish glass which makes for good sampling of the various desserts but not really good for sharing. regardless, the small bite i tried was good but i was told that there was something 'funny' about it, especially the berries.
as i stated earlier, i really want a buffalo waterfront restaurant to succeed. my expectations were minimal after the horrendous reviews i encountered looking for their website but i have to admit that Acqua exceeded my expectations. in addition, they took the sea bass off the bill even though we never requested it. although not perfect, it's clear they are trying. so Acqua gets *** mannillos.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Sinatra's
i'm not saying i'm Kreskin or anything but i'm Kreskin as i somehow managed to correctly guess and reserve for eight (2 rookies) last night as a number of people dropped in and out over the past few days and last minute for Italian at Sinatra's on Kenmore Avenue. we've been to a bevy (i've been playing a lot of Words with Friends lately) of Italian restaurants in the 2 1/2 years of doing this and i must say that they are my favorite (San Marco, Carmelo's and Mulberry being the crème de la crème) and Sinatra's almost joins that trilogy (pun intended).
it was another pleasant evening (except for the rain, again) but the camaraderie was terrific. i've attached documentary proof of some of our conversations - enjoy. that doesn't include some of our talk about Cary Grant and basil leaves among many other things.
the table started with two orders of their specialty - braciole. it was awesome - tender and delicious. i also sampled their artichoke francaise (so much for watching my cholesterol) which was almost as awesome as the braciole. the table also split their stuffed peppers (see my previous commentary).
for entrees:
i did not try their ravioli or their lasagna and i did not hear how they were except for the lasagna didn't have braciole on top as advertised. apparently the grilled seafood (crab legs and lobster) was pedestrian.
i tried the veal piccata (lemon and butter goodness) which was very good. i also had their shrimp fra diavolo over spaghetti - the spaghetti was perfectly cooked and the sauce was perfectly spicy - an excellent dish. i personally ordered their veal palermo as opposed to their chicken palermo at the urging of another. i'm not a huge fan of veal for a couple of reasons. one being it's usually tough and chewy and usually doesn’t add any more flavor than chicken which i quite enjoy but Sinatra's veal was excellent - thin and tender. atop the veal was eggplant parmesan which was also fantastic. for a side i had al dente spaghetti with red sauce - all together it was an excellent choice.
i sampled their assorted berries and cassata cake for dessert - both were pretty good.
although Sinatra's doesn't quite make it to the pantheon of San Marco, it gets close. so out of a possible four mannillos, Sinatra's gets ****. nice, eh?
at some point, i'd like to revisit some of the restaurants we've gone to already so let me know if there are any someone is dying to try. i'd also like to possibly hand out new grades for past restaurants relative to the entire group that i've tried, but we'll see about that.
it was another pleasant evening (except for the rain, again) but the camaraderie was terrific. i've attached documentary proof of some of our conversations - enjoy. that doesn't include some of our talk about Cary Grant and basil leaves among many other things.
the table started with two orders of their specialty - braciole. it was awesome - tender and delicious. i also sampled their artichoke francaise (so much for watching my cholesterol) which was almost as awesome as the braciole. the table also split their stuffed peppers (see my previous commentary).
for entrees:
i did not try their ravioli or their lasagna and i did not hear how they were except for the lasagna didn't have braciole on top as advertised. apparently the grilled seafood (crab legs and lobster) was pedestrian.
i tried the veal piccata (lemon and butter goodness) which was very good. i also had their shrimp fra diavolo over spaghetti - the spaghetti was perfectly cooked and the sauce was perfectly spicy - an excellent dish. i personally ordered their veal palermo as opposed to their chicken palermo at the urging of another. i'm not a huge fan of veal for a couple of reasons. one being it's usually tough and chewy and usually doesn’t add any more flavor than chicken which i quite enjoy but Sinatra's veal was excellent - thin and tender. atop the veal was eggplant parmesan which was also fantastic. for a side i had al dente spaghetti with red sauce - all together it was an excellent choice.
i sampled their assorted berries and cassata cake for dessert - both were pretty good.
although Sinatra's doesn't quite make it to the pantheon of San Marco, it gets close. so out of a possible four mannillos, Sinatra's gets ****. nice, eh?
at some point, i'd like to revisit some of the restaurants we've gone to already so let me know if there are any someone is dying to try. i'd also like to possibly hand out new grades for past restaurants relative to the entire group that i've tried, but we'll see about that.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Bacchus
don't look now but someone has a man-crush on Johnny Depp (and it's not me). we had a smallish group last night at Bacchus as 5 (one rookie) came out. we ate inside as their patio is under construction - it looks like they will no longer be hosting the summer film series as well. it was somewhat fortuitous as a torrential downpour interrupted our meal halfway through. the conversation was the highlight of the evening barely beating out a terrific meal.
we had interesting conversations about the aforementioned Mr. Depp (can you name two bad movies he's been in?) as well as Al Pacino. we also talked about Jimmy Fallon's prowess as a singer/imitator: http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2010/11/neil-young-and-bruce-springsteen-whip-my-hair/ and yes that is Bruce Springsteen with the assist (bonus points if you know who the local attorney is who Fallon went to his prom with).
onto the food:
for apps we had their roasted beets served with goat cheese, pickled onion, orange and a citrus vinaigrette. good; their crispy calamari and rock shrimp served in a sweet and spicy glaze. excellent; their steak and eggs with carpaccio beef, egg crostini, reggiano cheese and truffle oil. interesting but very good; their tuna tartar served with cucumber, jalapenos, asian guacamole and wonton chips. I dind't have any but I was told it was very good; and their berry salad with cinnamon walnuts. very good.
for entrees, I had their grilled filet mignon served with a merlot demi glaze, potato gnocchi and mushrooms. it was fantastic. others had: the bouillbaise served with shrimp, scallops, mussles, spicy chorizo in a spicy tomato fennel broth. spicy and very good; the panko ahi tuna served over a miso salad with sweet sticky rice. it was tender, asian influenced and delicious; the pecan crusted atlantic salmon was served with carmelized sweet potato hash, chorizo vinaigrette and honey burre blanc. I was told it was a.o.k.; and their pasta putanesca. I was told it was good but slightly overcooked.
for only the second time I believe no dessert was ordered but the appitizer's and entrees were excellent. so out of a possible four mannillos, Bacchus gets . you can thank dan gigante for being able to see my mug.
we had interesting conversations about the aforementioned Mr. Depp (can you name two bad movies he's been in?) as well as Al Pacino. we also talked about Jimmy Fallon's prowess as a singer/imitator: http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2010/11/neil-young-and-bruce-springsteen-whip-my-hair/ and yes that is Bruce Springsteen with the assist (bonus points if you know who the local attorney is who Fallon went to his prom with).
onto the food:
for apps we had their roasted beets served with goat cheese, pickled onion, orange and a citrus vinaigrette. good; their crispy calamari and rock shrimp served in a sweet and spicy glaze. excellent; their steak and eggs with carpaccio beef, egg crostini, reggiano cheese and truffle oil. interesting but very good; their tuna tartar served with cucumber, jalapenos, asian guacamole and wonton chips. I dind't have any but I was told it was very good; and their berry salad with cinnamon walnuts. very good.
for entrees, I had their grilled filet mignon served with a merlot demi glaze, potato gnocchi and mushrooms. it was fantastic. others had: the bouillbaise served with shrimp, scallops, mussles, spicy chorizo in a spicy tomato fennel broth. spicy and very good; the panko ahi tuna served over a miso salad with sweet sticky rice. it was tender, asian influenced and delicious; the pecan crusted atlantic salmon was served with carmelized sweet potato hash, chorizo vinaigrette and honey burre blanc. I was told it was a.o.k.; and their pasta putanesca. I was told it was good but slightly overcooked.
for only the second time I believe no dessert was ordered but the appitizer's and entrees were excellent. so out of a possible four mannillos, Bacchus gets . you can thank dan gigante for being able to see my mug.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Kentucky Greg's
a decent contingent showed up last night as 8 1/2 (1 1/2 rookies) came out for Depew's best barbeque at Kentucky Greg's.
Kentucky Greg's menu consisted of standard bbq fare of: bbq pulled pork, chicken, beef, ribs and of course in cheektowaga, polish sausage. for sides they offer: corn bread, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, macaroni salad, black eyed peas ('let's get retarded'), collared greens (fuzzy zoeller anyone?) , fried okra and french fries.
the group started with their fried banana peppers - awesome and we also sampled their deep fried, breaded catfish - good.
for the main course i ordered their combo with bbq pulled pork (above average ) and their bbq chicken (average) even though i was in the mood for their polish sausage (insert joke here) but decided to go with traditional bbq. for sides i had their collard greens (not that good) and their corn bread (average at best). i also sampled their ribs (decent), baked beans (good) and fried okra (good).
. i enjoyed the evening and the experience at Kentucky Greg's. although I am not a bbq connesouir, i wouldn't say Kentucky Greg's can compare with say, dinosaur bbq but Kentucky Greg's is what it is - a dirty spoon that serves average bbq in an area that doesn't have other bbq options. bridget was out only member who responded to my new rating system comment and suggested that i start something like a 'three mannillos' system. i like it. so out of a possible four mannillos, Kentucky Greg's gets three mannillos.
Kentucky Greg's menu consisted of standard bbq fare of: bbq pulled pork, chicken, beef, ribs and of course in cheektowaga, polish sausage. for sides they offer: corn bread, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, macaroni salad, black eyed peas ('let's get retarded'), collared greens (fuzzy zoeller anyone?) , fried okra and french fries.
the group started with their fried banana peppers - awesome and we also sampled their deep fried, breaded catfish - good.
for the main course i ordered their combo with bbq pulled pork (above average ) and their bbq chicken (average) even though i was in the mood for their polish sausage (insert joke here) but decided to go with traditional bbq. for sides i had their collard greens (not that good) and their corn bread (average at best). i also sampled their ribs (decent), baked beans (good) and fried okra (good).
. i enjoyed the evening and the experience at Kentucky Greg's. although I am not a bbq connesouir, i wouldn't say Kentucky Greg's can compare with say, dinosaur bbq but Kentucky Greg's is what it is - a dirty spoon that serves average bbq in an area that doesn't have other bbq options. bridget was out only member who responded to my new rating system comment and suggested that i start something like a 'three mannillos' system. i like it. so out of a possible four mannillos, Kentucky Greg's gets three mannillos.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Seabar
there was another big turnout last night as 13 (1 rookie) came out and 12 actually participated in dinner in the restaurant in celebration of cinco de mayo.
this type of place is tough to review as there are so many smaller dishes that make up the meals but i'll take a stab at the highlights. for the most part, each person shared their selections with the rest of the table:
we started with pork enchiladas which were pretty good. the table also ordered seafood tacos. i have to say that seafood or fish tacos have always scared me a little - the combination to me is simply food poisoning waiting to happen but i was pleasantly surprised as they were excellent (and as a bonus there was no ill side effects either). meatballs. good. their glazed duck breast was awesome. i heard afterward that their oysters are fantastic but sadly no on ordered them. i ordered their thai coconut curry soup which was excellent as well as their foie gras which was good as well. i also sampled some edamame.
there were a bunch of sushi rolls and pieces ordered but their caramel crab roll stood out. i can't imagine that i would have liked it but it was great. i also had their beef on weck roll which was good but didn't knock my socks off.
for dessert i ordered their coconut rice pudding - it wasn't very good (especially compared to Courtyard Café's rice pudding that i had earlier in the week) as it reminded me more of oatmeal than rice pudding. i also sampled their chocolate ice cream sundae - pretty good except for the peanuts. i hate peanuts in my ice cream. as an aside, i do love peanuts and peanut butter but do not like peanut butter flavored desserts - so that's no to peanut butter cookies, ice cream and cake but yes to peanut butter on my ice cream and reese's peanut butter cups. put that somewhere near balsamic vinaigrette in your minds.
i will say that i am somewhat surprised at the variety that Seabar offered - at my previous visit there the place was 1/2 the size and served primarily sushi. as can be seen by their menu and by our selections, Seabar was not limited to sushi or seafood for that matter. i was going to give Seabar a B+ but two people took me to task and nearly started a riot insisting that Seabar get an A- so Seabar gets an A-. i think i need to come up with a new grading system - i'm leaning toward a 4 star approach but am open to suggestions.
this type of place is tough to review as there are so many smaller dishes that make up the meals but i'll take a stab at the highlights. for the most part, each person shared their selections with the rest of the table:
we started with pork enchiladas which were pretty good. the table also ordered seafood tacos. i have to say that seafood or fish tacos have always scared me a little - the combination to me is simply food poisoning waiting to happen but i was pleasantly surprised as they were excellent (and as a bonus there was no ill side effects either). meatballs. good. their glazed duck breast was awesome. i heard afterward that their oysters are fantastic but sadly no on ordered them. i ordered their thai coconut curry soup which was excellent as well as their foie gras which was good as well. i also sampled some edamame.
there were a bunch of sushi rolls and pieces ordered but their caramel crab roll stood out. i can't imagine that i would have liked it but it was great. i also had their beef on weck roll which was good but didn't knock my socks off.
for dessert i ordered their coconut rice pudding - it wasn't very good (especially compared to Courtyard Café's rice pudding that i had earlier in the week) as it reminded me more of oatmeal than rice pudding. i also sampled their chocolate ice cream sundae - pretty good except for the peanuts. i hate peanuts in my ice cream. as an aside, i do love peanuts and peanut butter but do not like peanut butter flavored desserts - so that's no to peanut butter cookies, ice cream and cake but yes to peanut butter on my ice cream and reese's peanut butter cups. put that somewhere near balsamic vinaigrette in your minds.
i will say that i am somewhat surprised at the variety that Seabar offered - at my previous visit there the place was 1/2 the size and served primarily sushi. as can be seen by their menu and by our selections, Seabar was not limited to sushi or seafood for that matter. i was going to give Seabar a B+ but two people took me to task and nearly started a riot insisting that Seabar get an A- so Seabar gets an A-. i think i need to come up with a new grading system - i'm leaning toward a 4 star approach but am open to suggestions.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Torches
good day mates,
next month we'll be going back to the city to, (sigh), Seabar (http://seabarsushi.com/).
if you wish to visit Seabar on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. send me an email at least a week in advance.
congrats to Jeremy Colby who is our new County Attorney. maybe he will now grace us with a dinner visit.
on another happy note, soon enough i'll be down under, not like the 'thunder from down under' that Smith first thinks of, but this: http://www.lakeplazahotel.co.nz/Sudima-Hotel-Lake-Rotorua/Golf-Courses-in-Rotorua_IDL=5_IDT=3396_ID=19854_.html - doesn’t look like a bad start to my trip.
there was a big turnout last night as 11 (2 rookies) came out to the (insert pejorative adjective) hamlet of Kenmore to feast at Torches. with my mind on my money and my money on my mind (actually my mind is on an appeal i have to finish in 3 days) this will be abbreviated.
the food.
appetizers.
Amuse bouche - thai chicken on a stick in a lettuce wrap - good
Caprese - very good
Pasta & peas - excellent
Sweet potato & pumpkin gnocchi - excellent
Stuffed (cajun andouille) calamari - good
Clams casino - ok
entrées.
Filet mignon with scallops & shrimp) - very good
Sea bass - excellent
Creole pork tenderloin - good?
Fish taco - good
Mac & cheese (buttermilk fried chicken, blue cheese alfredo) - good
Cuban pork tenderloin - very good
skirt steak - average
Strip steak - good
dessert.
Chocolate boubon pecan pie - very good
Concord grape pie - very good
Torches gets an B+.
next month we'll be going back to the city to, (sigh), Seabar (http://seabarsushi.com/).
if you wish to visit Seabar on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. send me an email at least a week in advance.
congrats to Jeremy Colby who is our new County Attorney. maybe he will now grace us with a dinner visit.
on another happy note, soon enough i'll be down under, not like the 'thunder from down under' that Smith first thinks of, but this: http://www.lakeplazahotel.co.nz/Sudima-Hotel-Lake-Rotorua/Golf-Courses-in-Rotorua_IDL=5_IDT=3396_ID=19854_.html - doesn’t look like a bad start to my trip.
there was a big turnout last night as 11 (2 rookies) came out to the (insert pejorative adjective) hamlet of Kenmore to feast at Torches. with my mind on my money and my money on my mind (actually my mind is on an appeal i have to finish in 3 days) this will be abbreviated.
the food.
appetizers.
Amuse bouche - thai chicken on a stick in a lettuce wrap - good
Caprese - very good
Pasta & peas - excellent
Sweet potato & pumpkin gnocchi - excellent
Stuffed (cajun andouille) calamari - good
Clams casino - ok
entrées.
Filet mignon with scallops & shrimp) - very good
Sea bass - excellent
Creole pork tenderloin - good?
Fish taco - good
Mac & cheese (buttermilk fried chicken, blue cheese alfredo) - good
Cuban pork tenderloin - very good
skirt steak - average
Strip steak - good
dessert.
Chocolate boubon pecan pie - very good
Concord grape pie - very good
Torches gets an B+.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Russell's Steak House
greetings,
meat was back on the menu at Russell's Steak House last night. they say the month of March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb so maybe it was another ridiculously cold day that kept the numbers down or maybe it was the trip to the suburbs or maybe people were just sheepish, but six (no newbies) decided to venture out to Amherst (not too far from mane street) last night to the roaring comfort of Transit Road (cut me some slack on the baaaaad puns). the restaurant was hopping and the group ran into a bunch of notables dining out as well. the group stayed entertained as the conversation turned from such topics as Chris Lee to skydiving.
onto the food. i find that with most steakhouses that i've eaten at, the first steak is always the best - subsequent visits seem to always let me down. this may be the case with Russell's as I had a fantastic filet.
the table started out with some bread (duh) along with some crispy raisin 'toast' slices (almost like bagel chips) served with sides of butter, honey butter and an olive tapenade.
for an appetizer, i ordered the artichokes francaise - deep fried, breaded artichoke goodness in a butter sauce - i thought it was absolutely terrific.
and surprise, surprise, I also opted for their beefsteak tomato and mozzeralla (their spelling) caprese - served with a balsamic glaze with chunks of blue cheese. an interesting twist but tasty. someone had their onion soup - thick cheese over basically french onion broth. i was told it was nothing out of ordinary. their beef carpaccio was different: basically antipasto served over thinly sliced raw beef. although i'm not a huge fan of antipasto, if you like that, you would enjoy their carpaccio. although i didn't sample it, their chopped salad got a thumbs down.
for my entrée i had their filet neptune. chunks of lobster and a seafood sauce over filet mignon. i ordinarily prefer to order steak, usually a strip, with just a rub or a butter sauce, but the neptune was delicious. the rest of the table ordered steaks: goat cheese crusted filet, bone-in ribeyes and a filet. all steaks got the thumbs up from the consumers.
for sides, the table shared lobster mac & cheese, pretty good but i thought it was missing something to make it excellent; cheddar bacon mashed potatoes - excellent (it has garlic and bacon, only balsamic would make it better); their sautéed garlic rapini was very good; and their wild mushroom medley was very good as well.
and truly surprising, i opted not to order dessert as i was stuffed by that point but the table ordered their warm apple tart which, i was told, that the crust was excellent but the filling not so good. their belgium chocolate cake was surprisingly light and was very good.
although the waitress was somewhat annoying, the company was great and the food pretty good. the consensus was that Russell's gets an A-.
meat was back on the menu at Russell's Steak House last night. they say the month of March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb so maybe it was another ridiculously cold day that kept the numbers down or maybe it was the trip to the suburbs or maybe people were just sheepish, but six (no newbies) decided to venture out to Amherst (not too far from mane street) last night to the roaring comfort of Transit Road (cut me some slack on the baaaaad puns). the restaurant was hopping and the group ran into a bunch of notables dining out as well. the group stayed entertained as the conversation turned from such topics as Chris Lee to skydiving.
onto the food. i find that with most steakhouses that i've eaten at, the first steak is always the best - subsequent visits seem to always let me down. this may be the case with Russell's as I had a fantastic filet.
the table started out with some bread (duh) along with some crispy raisin 'toast' slices (almost like bagel chips) served with sides of butter, honey butter and an olive tapenade.
for an appetizer, i ordered the artichokes francaise - deep fried, breaded artichoke goodness in a butter sauce - i thought it was absolutely terrific.
and surprise, surprise, I also opted for their beefsteak tomato and mozzeralla (their spelling) caprese - served with a balsamic glaze with chunks of blue cheese. an interesting twist but tasty. someone had their onion soup - thick cheese over basically french onion broth. i was told it was nothing out of ordinary. their beef carpaccio was different: basically antipasto served over thinly sliced raw beef. although i'm not a huge fan of antipasto, if you like that, you would enjoy their carpaccio. although i didn't sample it, their chopped salad got a thumbs down.
for my entrée i had their filet neptune. chunks of lobster and a seafood sauce over filet mignon. i ordinarily prefer to order steak, usually a strip, with just a rub or a butter sauce, but the neptune was delicious. the rest of the table ordered steaks: goat cheese crusted filet, bone-in ribeyes and a filet. all steaks got the thumbs up from the consumers.
for sides, the table shared lobster mac & cheese, pretty good but i thought it was missing something to make it excellent; cheddar bacon mashed potatoes - excellent (it has garlic and bacon, only balsamic would make it better); their sautéed garlic rapini was very good; and their wild mushroom medley was very good as well.
and truly surprising, i opted not to order dessert as i was stuffed by that point but the table ordered their warm apple tart which, i was told, that the crust was excellent but the filling not so good. their belgium chocolate cake was surprisingly light and was very good.
although the waitress was somewhat annoying, the company was great and the food pretty good. the consensus was that Russell's gets an A-.
Friday, January 7, 2011
The Blue Buffalo
our biggest turnout yet - fourteen!!! (two rookies) came out to witness drama at the Blue Buffalo last night. what should have been a positive for the Blue Buffalo was a negative as the sarah mclaughlin concert was happening at Shea's whose Pearl Street doors are directly across the street from the Blue Buffalo's doors. you would think that the restaurant would look forward to the increased traffic of a Shea's special event but sadly Blue Buffalo was unaware and didn't plan accordingly so there was a significant wait to be seated and served despite having a reservation for our 14. in fact, numerous people left after standing at the hostess stand being unattended for quite a long time. we had to wait over a 1/2 hour at the bar to be seated because, i'm guessing, they took apart our table to accommodate other diners. on top of that, it seemed that everyone was working their first day and for one girl, her last. bluesy music sporadically played in the background = a song played, silence, 5 minutes later another song played, silence . . . you get the picture. regardless, there's a bunch of people who will probably not give the Blue Buffalo a second chance. eat there soon if this food review appeals to you because they won't last long with how they're being run.
with that being said, the table started with a bunch of appetizers. i ordered the deep-fried pickles with honey mustard dipping sauce - interesting and good. the pork egg roll was worth sampling. their corn chowder was good (after it had to be reheated), their crab cakes were very good and bar-b-q shrimp over biscuits was not so good - a lot of sauce was too sweet drenching the shrimp and biscuits. they also have beef brisket over nacho chips - awkward. I was told the quesadilla was good.
i also ordered their chicken and andouille sausage gumbo. it was confusing as the dish wasn't sure it wanted to be a soup or a solid but it was tasty.
For entrées, i had their cajun macaroni and cheese (as opposed to their southwestern mac & cheese). Both were very good.
i was tempted to order their fried chicken and chicken fried steak but fortunately only sampled their chicken steak which was served over bar-b-q collard greens. this dish reminded me of the russian restaurant that i skewered last year. the chicken steak was flavorless, tough and chewy. i heard their brisket entree was chewy as well. the jambalaya was very good though.
amanda made short work of her fried chicken slowly turning the heavily breaded pieces into something that would better be served in a pulled chicken sandwich but I enjoyed my taste of it.
the highlight of the night (or lowlight) was when another table complained to the waitress that they no longer wanted their food as they waited for over a half hour for it. that made her cry and she apparently walked out on an already short staffed restaurant. that is too bad since it truly was not her fault but the poor planning of the restaurant management - hang in there honey - as U2 sang "don't let the bastards get you down"
by the way, I swear they turned the heat off during our dinner.
anyway, I was undaunted and ordered dessert for the table - pecan pie ala mode - excellent, and bread pudding - just ok.
notwithstanding how the place was run, the food was hit or miss so i'll give the Blue Buffalo a 'C.' if i considered the other factors it would get an 'f.' fyi - another table loved their food so take it for what it's worth.
with that being said, the table started with a bunch of appetizers. i ordered the deep-fried pickles with honey mustard dipping sauce - interesting and good. the pork egg roll was worth sampling. their corn chowder was good (after it had to be reheated), their crab cakes were very good and bar-b-q shrimp over biscuits was not so good - a lot of sauce was too sweet drenching the shrimp and biscuits. they also have beef brisket over nacho chips - awkward. I was told the quesadilla was good.
i also ordered their chicken and andouille sausage gumbo. it was confusing as the dish wasn't sure it wanted to be a soup or a solid but it was tasty.
For entrées, i had their cajun macaroni and cheese (as opposed to their southwestern mac & cheese). Both were very good.
i was tempted to order their fried chicken and chicken fried steak but fortunately only sampled their chicken steak which was served over bar-b-q collard greens. this dish reminded me of the russian restaurant that i skewered last year. the chicken steak was flavorless, tough and chewy. i heard their brisket entree was chewy as well. the jambalaya was very good though.
amanda made short work of her fried chicken slowly turning the heavily breaded pieces into something that would better be served in a pulled chicken sandwich but I enjoyed my taste of it.
the highlight of the night (or lowlight) was when another table complained to the waitress that they no longer wanted their food as they waited for over a half hour for it. that made her cry and she apparently walked out on an already short staffed restaurant. that is too bad since it truly was not her fault but the poor planning of the restaurant management - hang in there honey - as U2 sang "don't let the bastards get you down"
by the way, I swear they turned the heat off during our dinner.
anyway, I was undaunted and ordered dessert for the table - pecan pie ala mode - excellent, and bread pudding - just ok.
notwithstanding how the place was run, the food was hit or miss so i'll give the Blue Buffalo a 'C.' if i considered the other factors it would get an 'f.' fyi - another table loved their food so take it for what it's worth.
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