FAQ about this blog

Some of you have some questions about this blog, and my policies, so I thought I could clear them up for you. I may add more if the need arises.

Q- What happened to the Urbanspoon links?

A- I had a nice relationship with Urbanspoon and the links allowed me to give restaurant details easily. In return I gave them pictures and content. Urbanspoon was recently purchased by Zomato, an Indian company, and after perusing their site I was not happy with it. They don't seem to be a good fit for my style and we parted company. I still use them for research.

Q- Why did you change it so that I have to log in with an ID in order to comment?

A- While some comments are interesting, most of the comments I have been getting of late are people who want to spam me by adding a link on their comment to their useless web page. Others are anonymous ones which are usually negative, think comments made on Amazon reviews, and I'm not going to post them. I just had someone tell me to do something that was essentially anatomically impossible. This way it eliminates anonymous comments and I still screen comments. Sorry, it is my blog and I'll do whatever I want. 

Q- But I disagree with what you said. I need a forum to express my hatred of you.

A- Start your own blog.

Q- Are you available to judge cooking contests and competitions?

A- Yes, if it fits my schedule. I'd love to be a judge on a Food Network show. 

Q- Can I get you to join my network/page/site/cult/etc? I will give you a badge/hat for your page that directs traffic to me.

A- Um, probably not. I get at least one request per week and after reviewing their sites I see no advantage for me. All they want is for me to drive traffic to their page. Besides, we don't need no stinking badges. If you e-mail me I will most probably ignore you.

Q- Can you put a link to my product? I'll give you some crappy software for free. 

A- No!

Q- Do you take advertising?

A- Not at this point. I tried Google ads and after two years I still didn't meet the threshold for payment. The only ads I currently have posted are for my own books. However, I am amenable to an advertiser or two if it is the right fit, say a winery, a brewery, or a  restaurant supply company. I won't take ads from restaurants though as that would change the integrity of my reviews. If you are interested, e-mail me and we can discuss it.

Q- I want to advertise with you, what are your demographics?

A- About 55% of my readers are women between the ages of 25 and 50 from the Hudson Valley of New York, Wilmington, North Carolina, Eastern Pennsylvania, North Jersey, and Fairfield County Connecticut. 

Q- Do you take food and chef pictures for restaurants?

A- Yes, e-mail me for info. I'd be happy to do some work if your location and time fits my schedule, location, and my mood. Rates vary with location, time, etc. 

Q- Can I invite you to eat at my restaurant and write a review?

A- Yes, but that doesn't mean I'll be there. If the concept and location interest me, I may pop in. 

Q- Can I invite you to my food festival/beer festival/wine festival/ cheese festival/etc? I'd love for you to cover it.

A- Yup. Send me a press pass and I will go if it fits my travel and time schedule. I'll write a nice piece on the blog and give advance notice for the following year. I will be doing tours of some local breweries, wineries, and distilleries over the summer and if you want to be included, drop me an e-mail.

Q- I don't like the review you wrote about my restaurant. Can you change it? Can you come back again?

A- If I didn't like it, I probably won't go back. Remember, I pay for my meals and I have so many places I want to eat at, so I'm not inclined to return to someplace that was really bad.

Q- How can I help you so that you keep writing this blog?

A- Click on one of the book links and buy a book or two.  

Brookside Grille- Exton, PA

Blackened chicken tacos

The Brickside Grille in Exton is run by the same people who have The Drafting Room, one of my favorites, so we decided to stop by and see what it was all about. That and the fact that they run some nice specials. 

The restaurant is very large, and well appointed. I would say that it is on the slightly upper end of casual to the lower end of fine dining, which is a nice niche. They bill themselves as "upscale casual". The entrees ranged from the mid-teens to the high twenties and there were some good offerings. In my case I had a big lunch so I decided on six Blue Point oysters at a buck each, and the fried frog legs (mainly because they are rare to find on a menu) at nine bucks. The oysters were good, but this is not the best time for oysters. The frog legs were excellent, moist inside and crispy on the outside. I also had a Guinness pint, or two, at three bucks. 

Fried Frog Legs

Three of us got the blackened chicken taco special at six bucks and they said it was very good, and that there was plenty. The kids shared a small pizza. 

Blue Point Oysters

Overall, quite good and I would like to go back and try some of the more serious entrees. The service was excellent, the food was good, and the ambiance quite nice. 

Wyebrook Farm Market and Cafe- Honey Brook, PA

Wyebrook Farm Cafe is a farm to table restaurant with good food, neat ambiance, and sometimes even live music. We stopped by with the grandkids to check out the farm and decided to eat. I got the burger with bacon ground into it at $14 with a side of parmesan fries. It was good, but a bit past the medium I'd ordered. Teresa ordered the egg salad sandwich and she said it was good. The kids shared a corn-dog. 

Here's a look at the menu, or at least most of it, to give you an idea of what they have. Stop by sometime when you are in the Lancaster area and try them yourself. 

Chicken Rico- Waldorf, MD

We have driven past this place a few times when we were bypassing I-95 by using 301 and said, "Hey, that looks interesting. We should stop sometime." Well, today we were passing and we did stop. Turned out to be a great decision.

Teresa got the Pollo Parrillero at $8.50 and it was a huge portion of some delicious chicken with her choice of two sides. The mixed veggies were good, and the fried sweet plantains were amazing. 

I went with the steak sandwich at seven bucks which was great and came with some fries which were okay. Overall, we were quite happy and will make it a point to get there again. 

Casey's Buffet and BBQ- Wilmington, NC

I don't usually eat at buffets, but when I do, I prefer Casey's. Seriously, this place is amazing. Good down home Southern comfort food served up with super friendly service at reasonable prices. This is a locals favorite and it is now one of my favorites.

On the plate above there is fried chicken, on the bone catfish, fried clam strips, fried shrimp, mac and cheese, cole slaw, potato salad, and pork back strips. My next plate had pulled pork, fried okra, fries, and a few more delightful things. 

Everything was quite good and Judy was amazing as our waitress. Go here quickly and see what I mean.

Ruth's Kitchen- Wilmington, NC

Step into Ruth's Kitchen on Market Street and it feels like you're stepping back into 1972, in a good way. Ruth's Kitchen is a classic place to get simple fare and there is nothing fancy about it. The place is full of locals, and I got the impression that they were regulars. 

We went for breakfast and I ordered the meat lover's omelet at seven bucks and coffee. Teresa got two eggs and potatoes. Both were good, but since it was breakfast, neither were stellar. It was good, solid, home-cooked, breakfast food. Perhaps better than Goody-Goody Omelet House. The lunch menu looked interesting and I would go back to try a few things. I liked 1972.

Another Fork in the Road- Milan, NY

I've had this place on the short list for some time now, it is a bit out of our way somewhere near the middle of nowhere in Northern Dutchess County. It is about two miles off of the Taconic and about a mile from the famous fork in the road (literally, there is a giant fork in a patch of land at a fork in the road) and would be easy to miss as it is a simple blue building. Inside it is small, but well appointed with a sort of an upscale/rustic look. 

We looked over the menus (it was dinner) and we decided we weren't in the mood for duck or rabbit or any of the other interesting entrees so we both ordered burgers. Teresa got a plain one at twelve bucks, with a salad on the side, and I got mine with bacon and cheddar cheese and fries on the side for fifteen bucks. The burgers were very good, just a tad overcooked from the medium I ordered, and juicy. They were served up on a toasted bagel with a roasted tomato and some greens. The fries were excellent. 

Service was good, food was very good, quaint ambiance, a bit out of the way, but worth it. Stop by sometime.

Royal Fish and Chips- Bethel, CT

In a word, brilliant. In five words, bloody proper fish and chips. Seriously, fish and chips is one of my five favorite foods and I've eaten them all over, including the UK and Ireland, and these may just be the best I've had. 

The two large pieces of noble cod were fresh and were battered immediately prior to their final swim in oil giving them a lovely golden, and crispy, exterior with a soft and perfectly cooked interior. The chips, we'd call them steak fries, were also perfectly cooked and plentiful. The tartar sauce was fine and there was malt vinegar on the table. The only thing that would have improved them would have been a pint of Guinness, but they don't serve alcohol. 

Teresa ordered a spicy chicken shish kabob with rice and salad and she was quite happy with it. For eight bucks it was a rather large portion.

They also have gyros, another of my five favorite foods, but with the fish and chips being as good as they are I may never get to try them.

The restaurant is unassuming and you might miss it if you're not careful, and that would be a shame. The food was amazing, the service was friendly and helpful, the ambiance was simple but nice, the prices were reasonable (seventeen bucks total). We will be headed back and I'd recommend you try them sometime soon and see what I mean.

Oh, and since I listed two of my favorite foods you may be curious about the other three. Burgers, Ruebens, and shrimp and grits complete the list.  

Zinburger- Paramus, N

Hand-cut fries

Zinburger has taken that iconic American classic, the burger, and made it all grown-up with sophisticated taste and a bit of class served up in a slightly upscale setting and featuring a wide selection of wines, without going over the top. Yes, they are a bit pricey compared to burger joints, but I don't really think one can compare them to a burger joint. Zinburger is to burger joints as Morton's is to Ponderosa. Well, maybe Morton's is fancier, but you get the analogy.

We stopped by the Paramus location early on a Wednesday and the place was not crowded. It has an upscale, yet slightly casual feel to it. The service was excellent, friendly, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. Nia took good care of us. 

The Ringer

I ordered the Ringer which had jalapeño jack cheese, bacon, a spicy onion ring, and a big of hot sauce on a brioche bun. I ordered it medium and it came out a perfect medium with just the right amount of seasoning. The burger was juicy, but not greasy, and had no aftertaste. In short, it was delicious and worth every penny of the eleven bucks it cost. 

Teresa got the classic Zinburger at ten bucks and it had a mild Spanish cheese, onions grilled in wine, and lettuce on a brioche bun. It came exactly the medium-well that she'd ordered and she said it was delicious. 

We shared an order of fries, five bucks, and a salted caramel shake, six bucks. The fries were great and the shake amazing. 

Zinburger

Overall, really good food with excellent service and nice ambiance. We'll be back. 

The Harp- Wilmington, NC

Good food, friendly service, reasonable prices, and nice ambiance. In short, a nice Irish pub. I stopped by today with my son-in-law and three grandchildren, we were on a boys day while the women were at a baby shower.

I decided on the traditional Irish breakfast (shown below minus the sausages which came out about a minute later) at eleven bucks and it was quite good. Brian got the bangers and mash, also good, at ten bucks. The smaller children shared an ample plate of chicken tenders and the oldest got the Junior Harp Burger which he loved. It would have been big enough for me. We all were full and happy.

Whisky Creek Sports Pub- Wilmington, NC

Whisky Creek is a local sports pub with amazing food at great prices and excellent service. We went there with five adults and six children on a Thursday evening and were quite impressed.

I ordered the Tanglewood burger shown above. It came with onion rings, jack cheese, a side of fries, and a really nice sauce with just a bit of heat for nine bucks. The special tonight was that it came with a domestic draft beer as well. I ordered it medium and it was darn close to a perfect medium, and properly seasoned as well. The flavor profile was just right. My son-in-law ordered the Jamie's Way Burger for the same price and it had an egg on it, also amazing. Teresa had the CB burger, she opted for sweet potato tots, for the same price and she was quite satisfied. 

The other special going on was that kids ate free, and since we had four of them, that was quite a deal. They all had chicken tenders and mozzarella sticks with fries or chips, and they would have only been five bucks anyway. They were all very happy with their meals. Like I said, great food at great prices. 

The service was warm, welcoming, and friendly. They treated us like we were all long-time good friends and regulars. It does get a bit loud, but that's all part of the charm of a local neighborhood pub. Stop by and be amazed for yourself, we'll be back again.

Henry's- Wilmington, NC

We had an enjoyable meal at Henry's, and some really nice entertainment as well. When we went in we asked to be seated in the bar area as they had some appetizers for five bucks. There were two guys singing folk songs from the sixties, one was playing a guitar, and they sounded amazing. Songs from the Everly Brothers, the Beatles, Chad and Jeremy and so on serenaded us while we ate.

I ordered the fried green tomatoes to start and they were good. Teresa got a salad and a quesadilla, both five dollar appetizers, for her meal and I ordered the shrimp and grits with a pint of guinness. 

The shrimp and grits were good, but not amazing. They were served on a grit cake which was rather bland. The shrimp were pedestrian. What saved the dish was the copious amount of bacon, bacon makes up for a lot of sins, and the lick-the-dish creamy parmesan sauce served on top. That sauce elevated a bland dish to being very good. 

Overall, the food was good, cheap, and plentiful. The service was excellent, Megan was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. We'd go back again.

San Juan Cafe- Wilmington, NC

We stopped by The San Juan Cafe today for lunch and it was a good decision. I've had them on the short list for some time now.

They gave us water and a bowl of chips and salsa to start while we looked through the menus. There were a few items we wanted to try and we watched as food was delivered to nearby tables. Everything looked good and generous in portion. 

I had the Cubano sandwich at $7.95 and it cane with a generous portion of good fries. The sandwich was a proper Cuban with real slices of ham, nice thick slices of pork, and just the right amount of Swiss cheese on properly grilled bread. 

Teresa ordered the two tacos, she got one with tilapia and the other with beef, at $8.95 and it came with a side of beans. I tatted the tilapia and it was good. 

Overall, good and reasonably priced food, good service, and nice ambiance. We'd go back again.

Mellow Mushroom- Wilmington, NC

Mellow Mushroom is a southern pizza chain of about 150 stores, many of them franchised. We went to the one on Oleander in Wilmington on a Monday night to play PENGO, a variation of bingo put on by a local radio station for prizes such as concert tickets. Our kids go here often and it's fun.

There are quite a few pizza options, including build your own. You choose a size, the sauce, the toppings and it is priced accordingly, on Mondays they start at six bucks for the small. I was going to create my own when I saw, and ordered, a blue bayou pizza for fifteen bucks. It had shrimp, a blue cheese base, and andouille sausage. It was very good, surprisingly good in fact.

There is a good beer selection, we had the Highland Oatmeal Stout. The service is friendly, but a bit chaotic. The food is good, they even have an excellent gluten free option, and reasonable. The atmosphere is fun. I'd go back again. Oh, and we didn't win at PENGO.

Cape Fear Seafood Company- Wilmington, NC

Grouper Saltimbocca

In a word, excellent. I'll now give a whole bunch more words as to what made it excellent, and a few criticisms as well. 

Cape Fear Seafood Company sits in a strip mall in on College Ave on Myrtle Grove. It isn't all that big, and it is quite popular, so I would recommend making reservations. Inside it is tastefully appointed with an understated, yet bright, upscale coastal seafood restaurant look. The service was good and friendly and the restaurant pleasantly quiet enough to carry on a conversation with people at your table.

We ordered appetizers to start, the fried okra and hush puppies. The okra was well executed, crisp enough, and well seasoned with a remoulade sauce. The hush puppies were overly fried and a bit dark, but not terrible.

Figure Eight Flounder

I was debating between two dishes. One was the shrimp and grits, and the other was the Grouper Saltimbocca. While shrimp and grits is fast becoming one of my favorite dishes, and I have had some amazing interpretations of it, I wondered when I was going to have the opportunity to have a grouper saltimbocca again. I mean veal and chicken saltimbocca are amazing, why not grouper? Additionally both dishes had mushrooms listed in the ingredients and I thought that I could pick them out of the saltimbocca easier than from shrimp and grits. I don't like cooked mushrooms, especially cremini, to me they take on a taste of dirt and permeate any dish made with them. Raw mushrooms on the other hand I will eat. 

I went with the Grouper and I must say that it was simply amazing, in spite of the fact that the mushrooms that I asked to be omitted (the waiter said this could be done, but I think I caught a bit of an eye roll as he said it) were right there on the plate. No real problem as they were only partially cooked and edible, but I did leave a few on the plate. The prosciutto wrapped around the grouper was slightly crisp and the grouper was perfectly cooked. The spinach, goat cheese and sauce combined to make this one of the best, and most interesting, seafood dishes I've had.

Shrimp and Grits

Rachel ordered the small shrimp and grits after our waiter told her that it was one of the top five in the free world, or something like that. She liked it, and I tasted it. We both agreed that it was good, but not life-changing. There were too many tomatoes and far too many mushrooms which became the dominant flavor. Now, please bear in mind that this is simply based on my own personal tastes but my choice of the grouper turned out to be the right one. 

Hush Puppies

Teresa ordered the figure eight flounder and it was excellent as well. The veggies were a tad over seasoned though. AJ had a fried seafood plate which was good and came with nicer hush puppies than the appetizers. 

Fried Okra

We started with soup, Rachel and I both had the crab bisque and it was excellent. We ended by sharing a Crème brûlée which was good. 

Crab Bisque 

Overall, like I said in the beginning it was excellent with a couple of small caveats. I would definitely go back again and have the grouper or one of the other dishes that looked interesting. Check them out sometime and see for yourself.