State Line Diner- Mahwah, NJ

A well-executed Reuben sandwich can often be considered to be one of life's greatest pleasures. Four simple ingredients and a condiment in the hands of a proper diner cook can be elevated to a meal rivaling the offerings of a Michelin starred chef.

That said, we stopped off at the State Line Diner in Mahwah today and I ordered what I usually get at a diner, a Reuben. My logic is that a diner should be good at the basic diner staples such as; Reubens, omelets, gyros, burgers and salads. 

This was one of the best Reubens I've had in a while. The rye bread was of good quality and grilled with butter, the corned beef (no, I do not get pastrami) was nice and lean, the sauerkraut was fresh with a bit of a tang to it, and there was just the right amount of Swiss cheese. They gave me a few mustard packets, but I went with the very nice thousand island dressing on the side. 

After looking through the rather extensive, and heavy, menu, Teresa decided on a panini with chicken, hot peppers, cheese and mixed greens on the side, also very good. 

Overall, good food at good prices with friendly service. Marcello took good care of us. 

Walden Frostee Freeze- Walden, NY

One of my favorite places to get a gyro is at the Frostee Freeze in Walden, just a quick hop in the car or a short walk from my house. I usually get it to-go and with an order of fries it's about nine bucks. The sauce is very good too. We occasionally get ice cream, but I usually stop for the food.

Half Moon Restaurant and Saloon- Kennet Square, PA

I saw the Half Moon Restaurant and Saloon on the Travel Channel a while ago, I think it was one of the burger episodes, and I put it on my wish list shortly thereafter. What appealed to me was the fact that they specialize in wild game and I am always in the mood for something different. The last time we were in the area it was Sunday and they were closed. This time we decided to pop in on a Saturday. 

Kennet Square is the mushroom capital of the world and it is also a fairly upscale, and trendy, little village near the Delaware border. It is also the home of Longwood Gardens, a remnant of the DuPont family. The restaurant is on the main drag and when we entered it was bright and roomy with friendly staff. We were four adults and two children and we were seated near the back.

We started with the chef's choice wild game sampler. Tonight it was bison, lamb (not really wild game), and elk. The bison was overcooked and tough, as was the elk, but the lamb was perfect. 

I decided on the wild boar sliders and there were three of them. One of them was rather dry as there was no relish on it, the middle one had just the right amount of relish and the other was swimming in the relish. Overall, they were good, but nothing any more special than pulled pork.

Brian, my son-in-law, tried the bison tacos and he really liked them, but he said he could eat a dozen more and there were only three small ones on the plate. Teresa and Nicole each has a veggie burger and they liked them. The kids shared a kid's meal of chicken strips and fries (we told Adam that he was getting kangaroo, shhhh) and there was plenty to share. 

Total bill was a C-note for four adults and town children, before tip. Overall I would say not bad, and not great either. Would I go back? Yes, I would. Would I rave about it? No, I wouldn't. My impression is that they are a bit overpriced for the quality and quantities, but that is possibly a result of being in a trendy town and having been on TV. My overall opinion then is middle of the road. The service however was excellent. 

Fuddruckers- Middletown, NY

We've been to a few Fuddruckers in New Jersey and in South Carolina, so when I heard that the old Cheeseburger in Paradise in Middletown was being converted into a Fuddruckers I got excited. When I caught an article in the paper that they were opening today, well we decided that was what we were doing for dinner. 

We got there at about five and they weren't crowded, but there was some build-up when we left. I could see they did a nice job of converting the old Cheeseburger into a Fudds while retaining some of the old character. The center bar was still there and the manager said it still had the same drink menus as before. Since the two restaurants share the same parent company it seems logical that they combined the best of the two.

The bar area has table service, but we opted for the traditional Fuddruckers experience wherein one orders at the counter, pays, and takes one of those buzzers to a table to await the signal your food is ready. When it buzzes, you go up and get it.

I got the 1/3 pound Southwestern burger which had guacamole, bacon and pepper jack cheese on a fresh roll. I ordered it medium and it was darn close to a perfect medium. I added fries and a soda and headed to the fix in's bar where some peppers, pickles, and tomatoes were added to the plate, and cheese sauce on the fries. 

Teresa got a special 1/4 pound burger and she ordered hers a medium-well and it was a perfect medium-well burger. She added onion rings, excellent onion rings I might add. 

All told we were under twenty bucks for the whole thing. Very good food, nice clean place, friendly people. This is our new go-to place in Middletown.

Jake's Wayback Burgers- Monroe, NY

I like Jake's Wayback Burgers better than Five Guys and Shake Shack, and about the same as Smashburger. The quality of the burger is excellent and the prices are right. I'd been meaning to hit the new one in Monroe for some time now and a trip to the city led me past there on the way back. Sorry, bad pun. 

I had the Burger of the Month at $5.99. It was a double Chorizo burger with chipotle mayo, lettuce and tomatoes. It was quite amazing indeed and I would call it a four napkin burger, not from grease but rather from the juices. I added a side of fries for $1.99 and they were hot and crispy. Good, but nothing extraordinary. I also had the Shake of the month, salted caramel, at $4.29. It was large and delightful.

Overall, a great visit and I would suggest that you stop there sometime and see for yourself. Oh, I forget to add that this location has a few beers on tap as well. 

Citrus- New Windsor, NY

I like Indian cuisine, unfortunately I know very little about it. Recently I asked an Indian fellow I met where he eats and he recommended Citrus in New Windsor. He said that his family eats there regularly. We were out and decided to try something different, so we stopped by. 

We were seated and given menus, along with those nice chips and three dipping sauces shown above. The problem was what to order, but after a few minutes we came to a decision. 

Teresa went with the Lentils Tadka Dal at eleven dollars. She said it was quite good and I tasted it and agreed with her. Nice and hearty, with some interesting flavor notes. 

Our meals came with a bowl of rice to share. Now I am not a rice eater, but this was very good. My only comment is that there should have been a bit more for two people to share. We ordered the Peshwari Naan at four bucks which had cottage cheese and fruit cooked into it. It was good and the flavor held up to the tastes of our food.

I ordered the Shrimp Tiki Masala at seventeen dollars. The sauce was a delightful with just the right amount of heat and there were a half-dozen large, fresh tasting, shrimp swimming in it. Excellent is all I can say.

Overall, it was a very lovely dining experience. The food was excellent, the service equally so. We will definitely be returning.

IKEA- Conshohocken, PA

Gravlax

Ikea is not something you would think of as a fine dining dinner destination, but if you are there on a shopping excursion I would recommend eating there. 

I had the gravlax at five bucks which included a small salad. I added a side of Swedish meatballs (five of them) for another buck. The gravlax was very good, some of the best I've had, and came with a dill sauce. The meatballs also were good. My grandsons had the children's chicken meal with fries and chocolate milk and the chicken and fries were also good. 

Of course there is the snack bar downstairs where one may purchase an all beef hot dog for fifty cents. Not a great dog, but hey, two for a buck? Cinnamon buns, hot ones I might add, for a buck each too? You can't go wrong. Plus Ikea is an amazing place for people watching, a mini United Nations what with all of the diversity.

Americana Diner- Middletown, NY

French Onion Soup

A Rueben at a diner, it doesn't get much simpler than that. Whenever I try a 'new to me' diner I always go with a Rueben, a burger, a gyro, or an omelet. Any of these are simple and so easy to get right, yet so many don't. I use these dishes as a benchmark and I must say that the Rueben I had at the American Diner today was quite possibly one of the best I have sampled. 

Rueben Lunch Special

We went for lunch and one of the specials was the Rueben for under eight bucks which came with fries, soup ($1.50 extra for the French Onion), and desert. The sandwich was what they called a half sandwich sitting on only one slice of bread. It was plenty filling though with copious amounts of fresh, moist, lean corned beef, just the right amount of Swiss cheese, and fresh sauerkraut. 

Dish of sides

The onion soup was good, tasted home-made, and Teresa liked her bean soup. We were stuffed so we took the rice pudding home with us. Service was good and friendly, food very good, prices reasonable. We'll be back again.

Putnam House- Bethel, Connecticut

Sirloin Burger

The Putnam House in Bethel Connecticut is one of those neat colonial American restaurants, the building dates back to 1852 and was once a hotel near the train station. It reminds me of some other places we've been before in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. 

I decided to go with the sirloin burger at $9.25 (add .50 each for the bacon and gorgonzola cheese). I ordered it medium and it came out a perfect medium with plenty of cheese and bacon. It was quite good indeed. Teresa had the cheddar sliders at the $9.75 and they were good, but a tad undercooked for her. She didn't specify a doneness, one usually assumes sliders will be overdone, so it wasn't the restaurant's fault the they were a perfect medium. The fries that came with both were hot, fresh, and tasty. 

Cheddar Sliders

Overall, good food at reasonable prices, warm, nostalgic ambiance and good service.

Twisted Soul- Poughkeepsie, NY

Caribbean Baguette with sausage

A friend who once lived in Poughkeepsie recommended Twisted Soul and since I trust her tastes, I put it on my short list of places to visit. Well, today was the day and I'm glad we stopped. 

Twisted Soul is an interesting, and eclectic, fusion of soul, Caribbean, and Asian foods. They specialize in small plates and it took a few minutes to decide what we wanted. While we were thinking we were greeted by Chef Ira Lee, the owner, and he was very friendly and helpful in making our selections. You order, and pay, at the counter and they bring the food to the table.

Teresa chose the chicken Bahn Mi, a Vietnamese sandwich, and she said it was very good. I took a taste and agreed with her. We shared a beef empanada which was also quite nice. I had the Caribbean Baguette at $9.50. It was pulled pork, cilantro, a Caribbean sausage and cheese (plus more things that I forget). It was quite tasty indeed with a sweet taste and many flavor notes. 

They also have an extensive cupcake menu and while they looked good, we didn't have room to indulge. Next time, and there will be a next time. Stop by and see what I mean. They have another restaurant across the street called Intro which looks interesting. 

The Pour House- Exton, PA

There are two Pour House locations. One is in Jersey and the new one is in Exton, Pa at the former Cheeseburger in Paradise location. That's the one we went to at about five o'clock on a Saturday evening with four adults and two children. It wasn't crowded when we got there, but there was a large group of people waiting for tables when we left.

I ordered the 'Second Coming Burger' at fifteen bucks. It came just a shade overcooked from the medium I'd ordered, but after one bite that was irelevant. That burger was one of the best I've ever had. It was Pat Lafrieda 100% dry aged sirloin beef with gruyere cheese, tomatoes and an amazing garlic aioli on a fresh brioche bun. There were also some nice shoestring fries and a pickle.

Teresa had a salad with asparagus and she said it was very good, and loaded with asparagus. My daughter had a black bean burger, which she liked, the kids shared a huge portion of chicken fingers from the kids menu and my son-in-law had the pour hose deluxe burger which he said was great.

The service was excellent and the beer selection extensive. Atmosphere nice and not too loud when we were there. Well, there was one table singing in harmony like a barbershop quartet, but I don't think that's a regular fixture. 

I would recommend you pay them a visit and try that burger. It may ruin you for others. 

Sushi at Yobo

If I remember correctly, the first sushi I ever ate was at Yobo about twenty years ago. I tried them again after having been to many other places and found Yobo to be every bit as good as I remember. Plus, I wanted to post and share this picture.

Fuddruckers- Myrtle Beach

I like Fuddruckers and we've been to a couple in Jersey so when we passed one in Myrtle Beach we decided to pop in. It was similar to the others with an open seating area.

I got the Southwestern burger with guacamole, Swiss and bacon in the one-third pound size and I added fries. I ordered it medium and they cooked it a nice medium. It was fresh tasting meat cooked just right on a fresh roll. The fix in's bar allows for tomato, peppers and pickles, as well as melted cheese for the fries. In Jersey they give free refills on the fries, but not here. 

Overall, a nice burger and consistent with other visits. 

Izumi Fusion- Fishkill, NY

Sushi Regular

Izumi Fusion is in the Westgate Center in Fishkill, right near Sam's Club and we've passed by it for quite some time. We stopped by today for lunch and it was okay. 

I got the Sushi Regular, shown above, which consisted of seven pieces of sushi and a California Roll for seventeen bucks. The fish was good, but nothing special and even with the miso soup and salad it was a tad overpriced. Teresa had the vegetable hibachi at thirteen bucks which was quite good and included a clear soup and a salad. 

The service was good and the ambiance was that neo-asian look with blue lighting. I would go again.

Carbonella's Coal Fired Pizza- Middletown, NY

Calzone

My neighbor Sam went here and his whole family was raving about how good it was, so when we passed by today we decided to stop and see for ourselves. To make a long story short, Sam was right and now I'm raving about it. 

We were trying to decide what to get and debated between two personal pizzas, a main dish, or a pizza and a calzone. The Capricciosa Pizza with prosciutto, artichoke hearts, mozzarella,  plum tomatoes, basil and kalamata olives along with a cheese calzone won out. The calzone was good, the pizza was amazing. The coal fired oven gave a crispy crust and the combination of ingredients gave a nice salty flavor. 

Capricciosa Pizza

Overall, very good food at reasonable prices and good service. Stop by sometime and see for yourself. We'll definitely be going back to try some more pizzas.