Goody Goody Omelet House, Wilmington, NC

Goody Goody Omelet House is a small, unassuming place on Market Street in Wilmington, NC and I've heard some good things about them. I've been meaning to stop by for quite some time and finally got the chance when I was passing by with a friend and we decided we were hungry.

It was about eleven on a Saturday morning and every seat was full except for a table they were cleaning off. We grabbed the table and looked over the menus. When the waitress came we ordered coffee and we both got the omelet with swiss cheese and sausage at $6.97. We had a few choices for sides and ordered the hash browns, shredded with toast. While we waited, it wasn't a long wait, a line was beginning to form by the door with people waiting for a seat. I took that as a sign that the food was good.

The omelets were very good. Nice and fluffy, large, and packed with fresh sausage and cheese. The hash browns were more like a potato pancake and perfectly cooked. The coffee was good too. Everything was just right and we left full. Yeah, that sign was right, it's a nice homey place with good food at good prices. I can see why they were crowded.

They've been there since 1977 and the same people still own it, in fact the owner was working the register. They are only open from six in the morning until two in the afternoon and they close at one on Sunday. They take cash too, no credit cards. They have a website for more information.

Tomato Cafe, Fishkill, NY revisited

We were here in June and had a great experience so we decided to try them again today. Well, they certainly lived up to my expectations and we had a great meal with very good service. Here is the link for the original review.

Chocolate Ribs recipe

To continue with the theme of cooking with chocolate let's look at chocolate and coffee ribs. This is a tasty way to experiment.

First, start with a rack of ribs. I used beef ribs for this one, but I think pork would do better.

For the rub- Take two tablespoons of brown sugar, one tablespoon of cayenne pepper, one tablespoon of paprika, one tablespoon of coffee grounds (expresso would work nice here), two tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa, a dash of salt and a dash of pepper.

Coat the ribs and leave them overnight in the fridge, covered of course.

Now get the grill going and cook the ribs using indirect heat until they hit about 150 degrees for beef or 165 for pork. The time will depend on your grill. Just be careful not to overcook the beef ribs, or to undercook the pork ribs. The chocolate gives a subtle flavor and seems to temper the heat of the cayenne. Feel free to experiment with this and let me know how it works out. I'll be experimenting myself and I'll update as I do.

Chocolate Chili recipe

If you think chocolate goes with everything, you're right. This is true of chili too and this is easy to make. Okay, I didn't use the grill for this one, but I could have put the pot there just as well as using the range.

Take about a pound of ground beef, with a bit of salt, and cook it in the frying pan. Drain and put on a chopping board. Chop the beef fairly fine and transfer to a pot.

Dice a medium hot pepper and half of a sweet red pepper and throw in.

Next, add a small can of black beans, drained of course, and add about two-thirds of a medium can of crushed tomatoes.

One tablespoon of paprika, a half tablespoon of cayenne pepper (less if you want less heat), and three tablespoons of cocoa powder.

Cook for about an hour on low heat, covered, and there you are.

Escargots with wine recipe

Escargots with wine

I don't do my snails in shells as it doesn't make sense. Think about it, you take a snail and remove it from it's shell. Next you clean it and prepare it in a shell not its own. When done you remove it from the shell to eat. Too much work. Better to simply eat them with a spoon from a dish.

Ingredients

One can of snails

Half stick of butter

Three garlic cloves (diced)

¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)

One small shallot (diced)

One cup red wine (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. Save the rest of the bottle for dinner)

Two tablespoons breadcrumbs (Panko would do nicely)

Open the can of snails, drain and rinse well with cold water and pat dry. Place the snails and the wine in a small bowl and add the minced garlic, shallots and chopped parsley. Cover and marinate for two hours in refrigerator.

Place the snails in a small oven safe dish and pour in the marinade. Cut the butter into pats and spread on top. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top and bake at 450 degrees for twelve to fifteen minutes. They are done when the butter is boiling.

Eat with fresh bread and make sure to soak up that delightful wine and butter sauce. Have a glass of the wine you used in the preparation while eating.

Feel free to vary this recipe as you like. I'm going to add a touch of citrus the next time with some orange zest.

Steak Sandwich from Rosy Tomorrows in Danbury

Carolina Girls Grillin' Cafe, Wilmington, NC

I read about this place once and threw it in the back of my mind to stop by and try them, but every time I passed them on College I wasn't hungry. Well, finding myself on College and being hungry, I decided to stop.

Inside it's nice with a long kitchen/prep area so you can watch the ladies prepare your food, and see that they keep a clean looking kitchen. On the other side are tables. I looked at the menu and decided on the Cubano Sandwich, shown here.

What you see is half of the sandwich on a plate at home. It was quite good and large with flavor probably coming mostly from the pork. Teresa had a quesadilla which looked good as well.

Next time I head down College I'll make sure I'm hungry so I can stop by and try a few more things on the menu.

There are two locations, one is on Castle Hayne Road and the other on College. They have a website for more information and it has a short video which shows the interior of the restaurant.

Caprice Bistro, Wilmington, NC

We were in Wilmington on Bastille Day this year and we'd already eaten at another place when we looked at the menu at the Caprice Bistro and said, "Darn, we should have eaten here." Well this time when we were walking downtown we stopped by and looked at the menu. After about thirty seconds I saw what I wanted and asked Teresa if she saw anything. She said there were a few things that interested her so in we went.

Caprice Bistro is small and looks like every bit like a French bistro. We were seated right away, they weren't that busy, and our waiter Jay appeared. He was very pleasant, personable and helpful. I knew what I wanted, the escargots gris (shown above) and the duck confit (shown below). Teresa decided to get out of her comfort zone and she ordered the pork tenderloin (bottom photo) instead of a chicken dish.

Jay brought us fresh bread and soon the escargot arrived. The smell was delightful and the taste even better. The snails were perfect and were swimming in a garlic sauce that I sopped up with the bread. A small bowl of heaven for eight bucks. Normally I prefer my escargots Burgundy style, but this was amazing and I could have eaten a soup bowl of it. Next up were the entrees. Between the two dishes the table smelled wonderful. My duck was perfectly cooked with crispy skin and tender meat that fell off the bone. It came with grilled potatoes and a small salad with the house dressing and each component blended in sweet harmony with the others. More than eating, it was a sensual experience of French comfort food done right.

The pork was equally good with an amazing sauce and fresh mashed potatoes and carrots. We passed a few things back and forth to try and at one point I wound up with some food in my water glass. No problem, Jay immediately replaced the glass for me.

The total bill was $44.51 plus tip for a gourmet meal. We looked at the deserts and while a creme brulee and coffee would have been the perfect finish, we were full. Next time though. Maybe next time I'll go on a Wednesday when they have rabbit.

So the bottom line. Service, impeccable. Food, perfect. Ambiance, very good. Prices, reasonable. Stop in sometime and enjoy a classic French meal. It will fill your belly and warm your heart. They have a website for more information.

Update 04/13/12- We went back for another meal and it was simply amazing. I got the mussels Bruxelles and Teresa got the Coq au Vin. My mussels were the best I've ever had. They were cooked in beer, garlic (lot's of garlic), mustard and cream.

Winner's Circle, Exton, PA

Yes, that picture is what you think it is. It is a burger with bacon and cheese on a glazed donut, and yes I did eat it. It is called the Krukker and it was from The Winner's Circle in Exton, Pennsylvania. I'll get back to the burger in a minute.

Winner's Circle is a sports bar in Exton across the street from the mall. It is fairly bright and adorned with sports memorabilia and plenty of televisions. The wait staff is friendly and the service is good. There is a good beer selection and I decided on Hop Devil from Victory. The menu has some good choices, but I focused on the burgers. You can build your own burger; choose the meat, choose the roll and choose two toppings. The combinations looked good, until I looked at the craft burgers and saw the Krukker for $9.00. That was what I was going to build anyway. It was a half-pound burger with American cheese and bacon on a glazed donut. With it came an ample supply of fries and a wet-nap.

The burger was good. I'd ordered it medium and it was past medium-well, but still tasty. The sweetness of the glazed donut combined nicely with the saltiness of the bacon and the taste of the beef. The glazed donut however was sticky and messy, hence the wet-nap. I've seen this done elsewhere and they invert the donut so the sticky side faces the burger. While not as pretty, this practice makes it easier to eat. Overall it was good, but I think I'll try some other combinations next time we go there.

Actually, one of the main reasons we went was that on Tuesdays kids eat for a buck. My grandson had a hot dog, yogurt, apple slices and an ice-cream for a dollar and my wife and daughter got wraps. Good food and good service. They have a website for more information.

Greek City, Ramsey, NJ

Now here's one of those places we stumbled upon quite by chance and we almost passed it up. We were in Jersey to do some shopping when Teresa wanted to stop at the Kohl's in Ramsey. As we were leaving I noted what looked like a small place in the mall with a sign that said Greek Food, or something like that. We debated and decided to try it out, figuring it to be a hole in the wall dive.

Well, inside it looked totally different. It looked classy. So classy that we looked at the menu before deciding to eat there. We found a nice selection and the prices were okay so we went in. We were seated at a table, but the booths are cooler with frosted seats and lights behind them. We were given water, bread and a small bowl of kalmati olives. The waiter brought a plate by to show us the daily fish selection and gave us time to decide.

Teresa decided on the Chicken Souvlaki (above) at $17.00. Those lovely things in the front are lemon roasted potatoes, which were delicious. I am not a big potato fan, but I could eat those every day. It also had a good tzatziki sauce and the chicken was good.

I went out of my comfort zone and instead of ordering the Gyro platter at $15, I got the Kohilia Lakonia at $25. Pan seared sea scallops over fresh spinach with garlic and olive oil. When it came I was a bit disappointed as it looked small, but at the end there was just plenty on the plate. On top of that it was quite well done. The scallops were perfectly seared and the spinach was just right.

I was considering dessert, but passed this time. Next time I want to try the one of the calamari dishes and see how their saganaki is. Oh yes, we will be back again, and again.

In short, the food was excellent, ambiance pleasant, the prices fair, and the service good. It does take some time for the food to come, but well worth the wait. You need to try this place sometime. They have a website for more information. By the way, lunch prices are cheaper.

Gunk Haus, Highland, NY

I've been hearing about this place for a while, and from some reliable sources, so we decided to pay a visit on a clear summer day. Now the address is Highland, but it is closer to Clintondale. I'll give you the website and you can find directions and other stuff.

Gunk Haus bills themselves as a German Gastropub using local and organic food as much as possible. As a result the menu changes almost daily to reflect what is available and fresh. The beer menu changes as well to reflect pairings and seasonal offerings.

Inside it is fairly large and open with plenty of windows. Unfortunately they don't have shades so some of the tables are in severe sun. The staff is friendly and welcoming and we were seated right away. We did have to move over a table though because of that light.

We looked through the menu and quite a few offerings looked good. After careful deliberation we ordered a side of potato salad (pictured) for an appetizer that was very good with sliced pickles on it.

Teresa decided on the pork tenderloin sandwich, with salad on the side and she said it was good. I was pondering the array of sausage based meals and I finally went with the Haus burger, with smoked gouda on it and the Haus cole slaw instead of fries. I ordered it medium and paired it with a Mother's Milk, a fine Milk Stout from Keegan Ales in Kingston. The burger came on a fresh baked pretzel roll and it was a thick eight ounce burger. When I picked it up juice ran out onto the plate. I bit into it and it looked a bit overcooked. Further investigation found it to be much closer to well done and most of the juices were in my plate. I pointed it out to the waitress and she quickly offered to make another one. I said no, this wasn't bad, and it really wasn't, I only pointed it out so they would know and because this is getting to be an issue with me lately. Every time I order a burger it seems to come out cooked a step or two above what I ask for. Several other people came and apologized as well. The cole slaw was okay, but it needed something, it was a bit flat tasting.

Now we don't do this often, but the five desert offerings looked so good that we saved room for desert. The winner was the cherry and blueberry strudel shown here. It was good and finished off the meal perfectly. In retrospect we should have ordered coffee to go with it, but we inhaled it anyway.

Okay, the bottom line is this; good service, good prices and good food. Out of four dishes we ordered, three were perfect. If something isn't right they take care of it and you can usually customize parts of the meal, like leaving out an ingredient you don't want. The whole thing was forty buck plus tip for two entrees, an extra side, a beer and desert. We'll be back to try them again and that time I'll look into those sausages.

Update- We went back and found it to be as good as the first time, maybe even better. Click here for the review.

Maggie McFly's, Brookfield, CT

We saw a billboard for this place while we were on Rt 84 and the logo looked interesting so we decided to pop in and give it a try today while we were headed to Stew Leonard's. It is just north of Stews, and above the Five Guys across from Costco.

It is big inside with lots of wood and big leather booths. In spite of that, it is bright enough to see and you can eat outside as well. We were seated fairly quickly and presented menus. After some deliberation Teresa chose the lunch Thai Salad, shown here. I debated between the local grass-fed beef burger and the Kobe Burger. I chose the Kobe after the waitress said it was the better choice. Since I didn't try the local grass fed I don't know that it was.

Teresa said the Thai salad was good and I found the burger good as well. I ordered it medium and it was close to somewhere between medium well and well. I have this problem almost everywhere though, there are darn few places that can do a proper medium burger. I also found that the burger was a bit dry, a problem with a lean beef like the Kobe, especially when overcooked. The fries were nice and crispy and the presentation was pretty. The service was a bit slow, especially considering the fact that the place wasn't that busy.

The prices were good though, and they had a good selection of food and beers available. One note, they require proper for gentlemen only, no tank tops, no half shirts and no sleeveless shirts. I guess the ladies can wear whatever they want. They have a website for more information.

Chester Springs Creamery

Here's a cool place in Chester Springs, PA, just north of Downingtown on Uwchlan Ave for fresh ice cream. They make it right there and it tastes like it. Good. I had the Joy's Peanut Butter Fudge with hot fudge on it and it was quite good. You can even walk around and see the cows that the cream comes from. They have a website for more information.

Copper Penny, Wilmington, NC

See the sign? Kids eat free. Every Monday at the Copper Penny kids eat free after four o'clock. See the other part of the sign? Specialty burgers for $7.99. One of these would be enough to drag me in, but the combination of the two was irresistible. Add to that the fact that my daughter and son-in-law have eaten here and said it was good, and we were there.

The Copper Penny is much larger inside than it looks from the outside. It is long with a large bar and tables, and fairly wide. The walls are full of Phillies and Eagles stuff, as well as beer memorabilia.

I chose the bacon and blue cheese burger, one of my favorites, and I got it with fries even though there were a couple of options. It came cooked perfectly on a fresh roll with plenty of blue cheese. It also came with a small side of cole slaw that was very good. With it I had a Gaelic Ale on tap. They have a large selection of beers and everyday there is a drink special of some kind.

Teresa had a Southwestern burger that she said was good and the kids had their favorites, chicken tenders which they said were good. They even got a Gogurt package on each meal. Mike had a steak sandwich and Sarah got a specialty sandwich wrap.

The service was good and personable. Nice place with good food that is kid friendly and had reasonable prices. We'll be back again. They have a website for more info.

Britt's Donuts, Carolina Beach, NC

I have a soft spot for donuts, especially the glazed variety, so when my daughter said the most amazing donuts were in Carolina Beach we had to check it out.

Britt's is on the boardwalk of Carolina Beach, the Redneck Riviera. We found it easy enough and I was looking for a display case or a listing of types of donuts. All there was is a sign with the prices. Eighty-five cents each and on. We liked the $4.25 a half dozen. A woman behind us asked her friend about kinds of donuts and the friend replied, "They don't have kinds, they have a donut." We figured out that there was only one kind and that was glazed, which is the best kind of donut anyway.

At any rate, we got six and ate three each before we even made it to the beach to walk around. Quite probably the best donuts anywhere. Check them out at their website.