Waterline Brewing Company- Wilmington, NC

I saved one of the best breweries for last on the tour. Waterline Brewing sits on the Cape Fear River, well not exactly on it but pretty darn close, in the shadow of the upper bridge. There is plenty of parking, a nice outdoor area, and the inside is spacious and well appointed with eclectic artwork. Oh, and the people are friendly.

The beer was amazing. I started with the flight shown above. On the left is a Pale Ale at 6% which really grew on me, so much so that I brought home a 32 oz growler. Next is the IPA at 6.5% which was good. This was followed by the Rye IPA at 7% which was amazing. I had a pint of this and my son in law picked up a growler of this. Last was the Oatmeal Stout at 6% which was quite nice. I had a glass of the Belgian Triple at 9% later and it was perhaps my favorite of them all. That was the next day from the growler my other son in law picked up, otherwise I'd still be on the floor there. 

They have a website for directions and hours. Stop by and check them out sometime. I'll certainly be going back a few times over the summer.  

Broomtail Craft Brewery- Wilmington, NC

North Carolina is known as first in flight, but my home in Wilmington is fast becoming first in flights with six breweries within a fifteen minute drive from my front door. I hit four of them over the Christmas break, plus one in Carolina Beach, leaving two more for the Easter break. 

We stopped by Broomtail first. It sits in an industrial park between Market and Gordon on the North side. The beers were good, not amazing, but good. The atmosphere was friendly. Overall, it was not bad at all and I'll stop by again. 

They have a website for directions and hours. 

Trattoria Locanda- Fishkill, NY

I love Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. It gives us the opportunity to sample new places, and different dishes, at a really great price. $20.95 for a three course lunch is an amazing deal.

Today we went to the Trattoria Locanda in Fishkill for lunch. We got there shortly after they opened and had the place to ourselves. Emily, our server, was friendly and very helpful making a few suggestions for us. 

I started with the oysters and Teresa ordered the fresh mozzarella. Both were excellent, as was the fresh bread with a caponade. 

For our entrees, I went with the chicken Sorrentino on a bed of spinach with a lovely red wine sauce. It proved to be an excellent decision. Teresa had the Chilean Sea Bass over risotto which was outstanding. 

For desert we both got the cheesecake. We shared one and took the other home for later. Overall, it was an amazing lunch and we will definitely be going back soon. We looked over the regular lunch and dinner menus and the prices looked nice. Stop by sometime.

Zinburger- Nanuet, NY

Stopped by the Zinburger in Nanuet the other day and found them to be just as good as the one in Paramus. They are a bit pricier than the other chains, but the extra price is well worth it. I ordered a medium and it was a perfect medium.