Panchos & Gringos, Brookfield, CT

Enchiladas Mole

I may have a new favorite Mexican restaurant, or at least one that is at least equal to my favorite which is the Cafe Maya in Fishkill. We first came in contact with Panchos and Gringos about a month ago when I heard on the radio that there was a restaurant tasting in Brookfield at the Raymour and Flanagan store. We stopped by and our favorite was Panchos and Gringos. They were sampling a pulled pork that was as good as ours and they gave us a gift certificate for a free appetizer. We put them on the short list of places to visit.

We were headed to Costco and decided to stop by and pay a visit. I only hoped it lived up to the hype we'd built up. Outside it looks kitschy and Mexican, with a life-sized fake horse in the doorway. Inside it is tastefully decorated, not over the top like some Mexican places, and there is Mexican music playing. There is also a Mexican wait staff and I'd certainly hope a Mexican cooking team. We were given water, menus and chips and salsa. The chips were warm and the salsa had just the right hint of heat to them. Oh, the water was cold.

Appetizer Sampler

Since we had the gift certificate, we decided on the appetizer sampler. Everything on it tasted fresh and good, the chicken wings being the best part. It was a nice start to the meal. 

The problem was in choosing the entrees as there were too many things that caught our eyes. I was going to go with a fish taco, but the enchiladas mole with beef won out. I'm glad it did as it was simply amazing. The Mole sauce was rich, but not overpowering, with multiple flavor notes coming through. Quite possibly my favorite Mexican dish, that is until I tasted the dish Teresa ordered.

Enchiladas Tomatillo

Teresa ordered the enchiladas Tomatillo with chicken and I tasted it. Actually I ate one of hers and she had one of mine. The tomatillos gave a delightful sour taste that made me want to lick the plate to get the last precious drops of that amazing sauce. This is why Panchos & Gringos may just be my new favorite Mexican place. Oh yeah, the refried beans were quite tasty and I even ate some of the rice.

Overall, nice ambiance, good service and amazing food at reasonable prices. We will certainly be headed back to try some of the other dishes that interested us and you should stop by too.  

Inn of the Hawke, Lambertville, NJ

I can describe the Inn of the Hawke in one word, Brilliant. In two words, Bloody Marvelous. I use the British expressions because the restaurant has the warm, welcoming feel of an old English publick house blended with Colonial American charm. Wood floors, wood tables, wallpaper, paintings, romantic soft lighting and a cool outdoor garden area make for an interesting place. 

I had done some research to find a lunch stop on our way to Downingtown, a trip we make frequently. I wanted to try something different and this was the choice. I only hoped the food would live up to the ambiance.

After looking over the menu I ordered the Special Burger shown above. It came on a brioche bun with roasted poblano peppers, onions, avocado and queso fresco with a side of pub fries for $11.25. I ordered it medium and it was cooked to a perfect medium! As regular readers know, this is a bone of contention for me. Too often my burger comes out over cooked and dry, not so here. This quality burger meat was cooked to perfection giving a juicy, but not greasy, flavor. The combination of the ingredients worked very well. This was one of the best. The pub chips were tasty and they even brought malt vinegar for them. Quite civilized. 

Teresa ordered the Hawke burger with cheese at $9.75. Hers was ordered medium-well and that's exactly how it came out. She said it was good, and that I'd made a good choice in selecting the restaurant.

To sum it all up, ambiance very nice, service excellent, food quite good and prices reasonable. Looks like we'll be headed back in the near future.

Mountain Brauhaus, Gardiner, NY

Grass fed, local beef burger on a pretzel

The Mountain Brauhaus in Gardiner has been around for 58 years, they opened the year I was born, and has been run by the same family for all of that time. I say this because when you enter the restaurant you might just feel like you've stepped back in time, in a good way. It is full of dark wood, the waitresses all wear German dresses, German music is playing on the sound system and people are friendly. Old World charm is how I'd describe it best. I haven't been there since I was little and I don't think it has changed a bit since then. Now that can be a bad thing when a restaurant doesn't change and gets stale, and the third generation runs it into the ground. Not the case here as they have taken what works well and kept it up. They didn't try to fix what wasn't broken.

Rueben strudel

We were seated and our excellent waitress, Alisha, brought us water and gave us time to look over the menus. There were too many good choices and we decided to start with the Rueben Strudel appetizer. It was quite good with some quality corned beef wrapped in a strudel and covered with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. Around the edges were circles on dressing and horseradish. 

I ordered the local grass fed burger on a pretzel at $13.00. It had gouda, balsamic roasted red onion, spinach and a side of fries. There were other options. I ordered it medium and it was darn near medium, just a tad over. The beef was good and the flavors blended well. The pretzel was a bit much though and I left a bit of that behind. The fries were good too. Overall it was a good burger and I will certainly be back for another one (or another variation) soon.

Veggie burger

Theresa got the veggie burger after Alisha told her it was house made. She said that it was good, as good as one she'd make herself (Teresa said this). She had the salad and it was quite large. She originally had the onion dressing but she didn't like the dill in it (I did) and asked Alisha for a different one. The citrus dressing she brought was excellent.

Of course I had to have a beer and I chose a dark beer, a small Köstritzer Schwarzbier. It was good and I liked the way the bubble broke the head just as I took the picture. 

Two good burgers, a beer and an appetizer for under $36, tax included. Not bad at all. Overall, a very nice dining experience and we will certainly be going back again. There were quite a few things on that menu that interested us and we want to try them. I'd highly recommend you pay them a visit and experience Old World dining at its best. 

Mr. Sushi, Middletown, NY

Uni

I had a friend raving about Mr. Sushi for some time now and I finally decided to check it out and see for myself what Steve was talking about. I trust his taste in food, Scotch whiskey and cigars. 

I looked at the place from the outside and thought they had two things going against them, the name and the fact that they were located in a strip mall. Going inside you lose that strip mall feel and realize they did a nice job of decorating the place. They created a warm and inviting sushi bar without going over the top. As for the name, well it's not as hokey as something like New #1Sushi, or something like that. 

We looked over the menus and Teresa decided on chicken teriyaki instead of the chicken tempura. I'll get back to her dish at the end. I decided we should share an appetizer and that I'd get two loose pieces of sushi and a roll. 

Gyoza

We started with the chicken gyoza for an appetizer. There were six on the plate and they were quite tasty with a delicate flavor. 

Naruto Roll

I went with the Naruto roll for my main course. This is salmon, tuna and crab meat rolled in cucumber with an acidic sauce on it. It was good, but not something I want a whole plate of. This is something better shared when out with a group and ordering a whole bunch of different things. My own fault as what I know about sushi could fill a matchbook cover.

I decided to try two single sushi, the uni (sea urchin) and the red snapper. The red snapper was good, the uni was amazing. I know, Uni is an odd and acquired taste, but it was really good. I may go this route the next time and try some different items. 

The sushi and the gyoza were excellent. The chicken however was not. The first few pieces were very good, but the last were tough and rubbery, to the point of being inedible. We pointed this out to our waiter and he brought the manager, who in turn went to the kitchen and examined the chicken with the cooks. They agreed and the manager apologized profusely and comped the dish. In retrospect it could be that the one piece of chicken was over-marinated in an acidic liquid. This happens to shrimp in a lemon marinade and gives a similar consistency. 

The bottom line is how they handled it, and they did a good job of it. That impressed me. We will be going back as Steve was right. It is good.

Gunk Haus Revisited

Croquette with goat cheese

We were here before and we liked it, you can click here for the review. Tonight we started with the croquettes with goat cheese on a bed of greens with cole slaw. They were good, but I felt there was something missing. On the way home I realized what I wanted with them, a side of applesauce instead of the greens. 

Vegetarian Streusel

Teresa had the vegetarian streusel and she said it was very good. She said it tasted like an Italian dish her mother makes with spinach and beans but kicked up a bit and wrapped in a struesel. 

Three Cheese Chicken Sausage

I went with the three cheese chicken sausage with broccoli rabe, pretzel dumplings and an onion gravy. Good. Even better after I put some mustard on the sausage. 

Sacher Torte

We wrapped it up with the Sacher Torte, not that we had room, and it was excellent. Overall, excellent food, great service, nice relaxed, casual atmosphere and reasonable prices. The total bill was just under fifty bucks. Stop by sometime and see what I mean.

Brasserie 292, Poughkeepsie, NY

Burger

Brasserie 292 is located at 292 Main Street in Poughkeepsie, hence the name. The location, once the site of a Chinese restaurant, sat empty until about two years ago when the new owners renovated and created a cute, contemporary French Bistro. The tin ceiling is all that was left from the original and they used white tile on the walls, huge mirrors (spotlessly clean I might add) and nice lighting to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. 

Fried Oysters

The menu is not large, it fits on one page, but there some great choices. I was going back and forth between the duck, the mussel frites, the steak frites, getting a couple of appetizers (including the escargot) and the burger. I started with the fried oysters at $15 because friends were there the night before and recommended them. We both ordered the burger at $14.

The Oysters were delicious and they should be as the restaurant specializes in oysters. At the Best of the Hudson Valley Party I'd sampled quite a few of their blue point oysters. As I was eating the fried oysters with spicy pepper and aioli, a couple of orders of mussels passed by our table and the smell was intoxicating. Next time. The burgers were very good and we were given a few choices for the cheese. I chose blue cheese and a medium burger and Teresa chose gruyere and medium well. My burger was closer to medium rare, which was fine for me, and hers was medium. I asked if she wanted it to be redone and she said no and promptly finished it. I only point this out because if you are like me you are used to restaurants overcooking a burger so be aware that they are more prone to under-do it. By the way, the picture shows a salad with the burger. Behind that salad was a mountain of really good fries, the kind that a French restaurant does well.  

The service was excellent. Vanessa was our waitress and she was helpful, attentive and enthusiastic. A young man also stopped by to top off our water and keep us supplied with bread. 

Overall, a very nice dining experience and we will definitely be returning. I want those mussels and I want to try the escargot too. Oh, and I want more oysters. By the way, the restrooms were clean. Stop by and give them a try. 

Would Restaurant, Highland, NY

Duck

The Would Restaurant is an odd name for a restaurant and I'm not sure how they came up with it. What I do know is that I like it. I'd heard good things from some fellow food bloggers with similar tastes and decided we needed to stop by. 

They open at five and we got there at five on the button, without reservations. They weren't needed as it wasn't all that crowded in the ninety minutes or so that we were there. I've found that arriving right after they open usually works out well if you don't have a reservation. It is a rather interesting restaurant. I suspect that it was once the dining hall of a Villa, or resort, where city folk came during the summer to escape to heat of New York. As such it has more the rustic look of a lodge than a white tablecloth restaurant. In fact, I don't think the term white table cloth applies as they cover the tablecloths with white paper. 

As people came in we saw that they were far better dressed than we were, but I wasn't concerned. Jeans are fine in any restaurant where you can take crayons and write on the table. In conversations with friends who have been there I was informed that the regulars do indeed dress nicely to eat there, they look at it as a special place to go.

We started with the mac and cheese appetizer at $7. Our waiter, Tomasz, was excellent. He gave us space while being attentive, that perfect balance of good service. He informed us that the mac and cheese would take twenty minutes as it was made to order, as were all dishes. He also told us that they bake their own bread, make all of the deserts in house and even make their own ice cream. 

The mac and cheese, a good sized portion I might add, arrived about twenty minutes after being ordered and was quite good, and piping hot. It got even better and better as we ate it and it may have needed to rest a couple of minutes more before being served. 

I ordered the duck at $25. It was quite possibly the best duck I have ever eaten. I ordered it medium and it was delivered a shade below medium with a crispy crust, which was absolutely perfect. The cinnamon and pomegranate reduction sauce was just the right balance of sweet and heat and the corn and zucchini side dishes were good. Even the rice (I don't like rice) was good.  

Teresa had the vegetarian dish at $22. It featured risotto (delightful) and grilled vegetables. She said it was good, but thought that perhaps she should have ordered a different dish as there were a couple of others that struck her interest. I guess that means we'll have to return to try them.  

Vanilla Crème Brulèe

In spite of being quite full, at the end we decided on the Vanilla Crème Brulèe at $7. It was delicious and light enough to sit well after a rich meal.

Overall, a very good dining experience. There has been a bit of hype about The Would and I would say they certainly live up to it. I think you need to get there soon. We'll definitely be returning.

Burger with Crab Cake, Winner's Circle, Exton, PA

This is a burger with a crab cake on it and remoulade sauce from Winner's Circle in Exton, PA. It was good, but I really liked the photo and wanted to share it.

Franco Di Roma, Middletown, NY

Franco Di Roma is an unassuming place from the outside, it sits in a strip mall near the Middletown Farm store on Rt 211. Inside it looks better, but is still unassuming in a quant way. We were seated in the front, they have another dining room in the back, and given menus by a very pleasant waitress. Teresa decided on the eggplant parmesan at twelve bucks and I ordered the veal sorentino at seventeen bucks. Both came with pasta and a choice of soup or salad. These are two of our favorite dishes, and we often use them as a benchmark in comparing restaurants. 

Well, both were excellent. My veal was three pieces of meat with ample prosciutto and a delicate sauce that did not overwhelm the veal. The same sauce was on the penne pasta. The eggplant was quite nice as well with no bitter taste and a nice red sauce. 

Overall, I would say this is a place you should try sometime. It is a diamond in the rough.

Dixie Grill, Wilmington, NC

Dixie Benedict

I've heard some good things about this place, and from people I trust, so when it came time to have breakfast with my grandson I decided to try it. They were right.

I had the Dixie Benedict, shown above. It is a biscuit with a delightful fried green tomatoe, scrambled eggs and Vidalia onion sauce. I decided to go native and get grits as the side,in lieu of home fries. The benedict dish was very good and I think the grits were good, but since I come from a much higher latitude I don't know too much about grits. 

My seven year old grandson went for the strawberry pancakes. They come in 2, 4 or 6. He had two and inhaled them. 

Overall, good food at reasonable prices with excellent service. Stop by and see for yourself sometime. 

Update- I went back and tried them again, this time I had the Stafford burger (a nice mixture of beef and sausage, both of which are ground in-house) and it was delightful. My grandson had the black bean burger, which he loved. Good food, good prices, good service. 

Stafford Burger

Angelo's, Harriman, NY

I have to give one caution to this review. When you go, and I really think you need to go, and soon, make sure you bring cash as they do not take credit cards. That said, this is one of those out of the way gems so let's get into it.

Calamari

My friend Alicia has been raving about Angelo's for a couple of weeks now so when we went down to Woodbury Commons we swung over to try them. We got there at 4:15 and the sign said they open at 4:30. A nice gentleman was coming out, one of the owners, and after he talked to us for a few minutes he told us to go on in. We were seated and another of the owners introduced himself to us and told us a bit about the food. He also asked if we brought our own wine, it is BYOB, and finding that we didn't he suggested some soft drinks. We opted for tap water.

Veal cutlet with pesto pasta.

We started with the fried calamari and it was quite well executed. The calamari was perfectly cooked with a light breading that suggested they were made in-house. I did find the marinara sauce to be fresh tasting, but a bit bland. There was an option to have a spicy sauce (probably more like a fra diavlo) and that's what I'd do the next time. After we finished the calamari, we were brought small house salads with a nice vinaigrette dressing. 

Looking at the menu I found a few things that interested me, but I finally decided on the veal dish shown above. It is veal cutlet, perfectly cooked by the way, with home made ricotta and mozzarella on it with a wonderful pesto on the pasta, and the veal. Quite amazing, wonderful flavor and texture, good portion. I'd offer up more platitudes, but I'm sure you get the point.

Eggplant Parm

Teresa decided on the eggplant parmesan, her 'go to' dish. First of all, the portion was massive. I tasted it and it was really good, light in taste with delicate flavors. I asked her about it and she said it was one of the best she'd had, and she's eaten that dish in dozens of restaurants. She brought more than half of it home, that's how big it was. 

So you see what I mean? Get some cash together (Our bill was $60 before tip) and get there. It might be a good idea to call ahead as it looked to only seat about 30 in the section we were in. 

Cuisses de Grenoille a' la Provençal (Sautéed Frog Legs)

The French elevate simple ingredients, some of which may seem bizarre and unpalatable to the uninitiated, and turn them into culinary delights. Think escargot, or frog legs.

I took six frog legs (three pair before snipping them apart) and rinsed them off. Next they went into a bowl and were covered with milk, the bowl was covered, and into the fridge for thirty minutes. 

Next step was to pat them dry, salt and pepper liberally, and coat with flour. Into a sauté pan I put a half stick of butter at high heat until it started to sizzle. I cooked the legs for four minutes, turning once, until golden brown.

Let the legs rest while you wipe out the pan and heat a quarter stick of butter. Put in two cloves of garlic, minced small, some more salt and pepper, and a dash of lemon juice. Cook for about a minute stirring vigorously. Pour some of this over the legs and eat.

If you have never tried frog legs you will be surprised. The taste is a bit like a meatier talapia with a chicken consistency. Of course all that butter and garlic adds a new dimension. 

The Nu~Cavu, Consistently Amazing.

Lobster Tempura

I was thinking of a place to take my mother-in-law to for her birthday dinner and a few places came to mind. As I thought about it, I decided to take her to someplace I knew well, and that I was certain would not disappoint. Two places immediately came to mind; Beacon Falls Cafe and The Nu~Cavu. Beacon Falls Cafe was a distance to make two round trips, so we hit the Cavu, and it was a big hit.

Service was impeccable, as usual. Nick, a former student of mine, was attentive and knowledgable. Food was amazing, as usual. We started with fried calamari and the special lobster tempura (shown above). The calamari was great, but the lobster tempura was truly great. It came with a tempura sauce and a sweet and sour sauce with garlic and a bot of heat. Perfect. 

Mom (second generation Italian) said the marinara sauce on the Calamari was quite good, so good that she changed her side dish from potato and vegetable to a side of pasta. Her dinner choice was  the seafood scampi and she requested no garlic which they were happy to accommodate for her. I tasted the fish and it was good (okay, I would have wanted the garlic).

Seafood scampi

I got out of my comfort zone (The Pescadore) and ordered the Tuna Ahi and I was glad I did, It was delightful. I chose a side of garlic and oil that was delicious. The tuna was cooked to perfection.

Ahi Tuna

Teresa had the Gnocchi special with shrimp and it was delicious. They added a bot of the fra diavlo sauce which gave a subtle heat that was not over powering. Quite nice.

Gnocchi

Carmela sent out desert for us, and had the staff sing for Mom. This is indeed one of my favorites and you really need to stop by and try them. 

Beer Battered Bacon

A friend challenged me to do this after she saw something similar. 

For the batter-Combine the ingredients and mix well. This produces a nice thick batter. Feel free to add any seasonings, dry mustard might be good, or try a different beer. 

1 cup flour

1 cup beer, I used Pabst Blue Ribbon

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp ground garlic

Cut the bacon strips in half, coat with flour, coat with batter and immerse in hot oil until golden brown (three to five minutes or so)

I used buffalo blue cheese dressing, but I think a home made spicy remoulade, or a satay would have been better.

Poughkeepsie Ice House

Bridge Music Burger

The Poughkeepsie Ice House is a new place on the Poughkeepsie waterfront in an old building that was once a working ice house. Harvesting ice was once a very important, and dangerous, business prior to modern refrigeration. The building spent some time as a snack bar at Waryas Park, between the Mid-Hudson Bridge and the Walkway Over the Hudson. While the outside is unassuming, the new owners must have dropped some serious change in the interior remodel. The place is exposed brick, stone floors, wood and windows overlooking the Hudson River. I don't think there is a bad seat in the house.

They have been reviewed by North County and Hudson Valley Rambler and Hudson Valley Magazine. Having read both articles, I put it on my short list of places to visit. It was a rainy day when we went, giving an interesting view of the bridges and the ice flowing by. 

We were seated quickly and given menus and ample time to look them over. It took a while for our waitress to come. We both ordered the Bridge Music Burger at $11.50. I took the fries with mine and Teresa had the side salad. Mine was ordered medium and hers medium-well. Both came out close to well done. That said, the burgers were quite good with cheese, crispy bacon and aioli on a toasted brioche bun. The fries were really good.

They have a fairly good beer list (including Icehouse Beer), and wines, but I don't think they have a full liquor license as yet. This would be neat place to visit in nice weather to watch the boats passing by and walk along the water, which is what we intend to do. Definitely worth checking out, so pay a visit and see for yourself.