Mr. Sushi and Grill- Wappingers Falls, NY

Mr. Sushi and Grill in Middletown is my favorite sushi place. When I heard they were opening a restaurant in Wappingers Falls, I got excited. Well, it took quite some time for them to open and I saw the 'coming soon' sign every time we went up route nine. We stopped by for lunch today and I can say that it was worth the wait. 

The inside is tastefully decorated, nice and bright, and friendly feeling. The service was excellent and the food was every bit as good as the other location. 

I started with the Mr. Sushi cerviche at twelve bucks. It was very nice. My lunch was a bento box of chicken, California roll, rice and vegetable tempura for nine bucks. There was plenty of food and it was excellent. Teresa ordered the shrimp hibachi lunch special at twelve bucks and it also was excellent. 

I now have a new favorite sushi place in Dutchess County. We will be there often, and I think you should stop by sometime and see for yourself.

Blue Collar Brewery- Poughkeepsie, NY

Blue Collar Brewery has been around for about two years now and they occupy an old factory building in Poughkeepsie, just a bit off the main drag of the arterial. Since they are not in a busy area there is ample parking which is a plus. On entering, you pass through a long corridor with the open kitchen on the right and a nice view of the brewing tanks to the left. I always like a kitchen that has nothing to hide and I saw that the chefs were hand forming burgers to throw on the grill. 

We were seated in the bar area and I ordered a flight at ten bucks, and a glass of water to cleanse the palate. The photo above shows them arranged in the order of the menu below. The ESB, my favorite of the lot,  was excellent with a nice fresh taste. The Cream Ale was also good. The Dunkelweizen was okay, but I am not much of a wheat beer fan so don't take my word. The IPA was quite nice and I liked the Porter a lot. 

We both ordered burgers. I got the ten ounce at eleven bucks and added American cheese for another dollar. I ordered it medium, but they cooked it well-done. No big deal as it was not dry and there was a nice char on the outside and the meat was nicely seasoned. The roll was fresh and there was plenty of cheese. The steak fries that came with it were quite good and properly cooked. Overall, quite good. 

Teresa ordered the six ounce burger at nine bucks and added blue cheese for another dollar. Her request of medium well was answered with well-done, but the same comments as what I said above apply. 

Nice place, good beer, good food, good service, and great ambiance. Stop by sometime. They have a website for more information. 

Mezon Tapas Bar and Restaurant- Danbury, Ct.

We came across Mezon at the Greenwich Wine and Food Festival this past September and after sampling their wares we put them on the short list of places to visit. It did take until December, but we finally stopped by for a bite on a Saturday afternoon. 

After perusing the menu I decided to start with the Cerviche Fuego at $13.00. It was an interesting, and quite delightful, interpretation of a classic dish. The roasted peppers gave a nice balance to the tartness of the lemon juice. 

Teresa had the Cigaros at $8.00 which was a mashed potato rolled and fried on a bed of an amazing olive tapanade. Very nice.

My second dish was the Cubanitos, a pair of Cuban sandwich sliders at $7.00. I was indeed quite impressed. 

Teresa had the Quesidillas at $8.00 for her other course and I had one of them. They were excellent. 

Overall, excellent food with nice ambiance. We'll be back again. They have a website for more information.