Johnny Rockets, Pentagon City Mall

I was in Washington, DC over the weekend, along with twelve other adults and 147 ninth graders, on a school field trip. Yeah, I know I'm crazy. We were at the Pentagon Mall for dinner One of the chaperones suggested Johnny Rockets. Since I never tried them, I agreed and six of us went to Johnny Rockets. The other six hit a few other places.

Now Johnny Rockets is one of those fifties' retro places with plenty of chrome and formica and fake jukeboxes on the counter and the staff dress like they belong in the movie Pleasantville. They started out in LA back in '86 when the big fifties' craze in diners was at its peak. Their claim is that the burgers are fresh and hand pressed and that the shakes and malts are hand dipped. The menu looked interesting, and the prices reasonable.

I had what I think was called the Houston, or Dallas. I can't remember exactly and I can't find it listed in the online menu. At any rate, it was a burger with jalapeno peppers and pepper-jack cheese. I ordered it medium well and it came closer to well. I found it rather pedestrian. Oh, sorry. I forgot I don't use words like that on this blog. Let me rephrase it as boring. Not that it was a bad burger, I just wasn't all that impressed. I think my biggest complaint was that the bun was too big for the burger, so there was quite a bit of dead space on the bun. I hate dead space. I'd rather have the burger overhanging the bun. The meat was okay, though a bit dry, and the cheese was melted properly.

I had a vanilla shake and it was very, well vanilla. I don't mean that in the flavor sense, but in the boring sense. No real flavor. The fries were very good though. Fresh tasting, crisp, and hot.

The company website can give you information on locations and menu.

Uno Chicago Grill, Wappingers Falls NY

Today we found ourselves on the East side of the Hudson River debating where to eat, when I said, "Let's go to Unos in Wappingers." We used to go there quite often when our daughter tended bar there, but we haven't been in over a year since she moved south.

Unos started in Chicago on East Ohio Street about sixty-five years ago serving deep dish pizza. They have grown to over 160 locations, some of them franchised and if you like deep dish pizza, and you're not in Chicago, Unos is the place to get it. The one in Wappingers is franchised by Banta Restaurants and sits on the old Steak and Stein location. They try to buy locally as much as they can.

We were there at lunch during the week so they had some nice specials available. Teresa got a quesadilla and she had a choice of unlimited soup or salad for under eight dollars. She looked at the soup and decided that was for her. Good choice as they had several to choose from, and she sampled them all. I took a taste of each too and my favorites were the clam chowder and the vegetable, with the French Onion coming in close. Teresa liked the broccoli and cheese and the clam chowder.

I got the "Bring home the bacon" burger, pictured above. It was cooked medium, just as I asked, and served on a fresh Challah roll, with spicy cheese and crisp bacon. Delicious.

Unos is a nice place to get a bite to eat and they have a nice beer selection as well. They sometimes carry Goose island Honkers Ale on tap, and they have their own Uno Amber, which has a nice clean taste. Happy hour specials include some cheap appetizers too. The inside is brick and is decorated with pictures of Chicago, memorabilia, and TVs in the bar area. It has a nice warm look to it.

For more info, check out the website.

Bacon cheeseburger from Ward's Bridge Inn.

No need to comment, other than to say delicious.

Philly Burger from Applebees

I haven't been to an Applebees in quite a while so we stopped off today in Middletown. I had the Philly Burger and Teresa had one of the salads. Hers was pretty much unremarkable, but my burger was good. It has sauteed onions, peppers, melted cheese and a burger on a toasted hoagie roll.

Rosy Tomorrows, Danbury, CT

Buckshot Burger

If you're in the mood for kitschy, try Rosy Tomorrows in Danbury Connecticut. Part of it is an old railroad caboose attached to an old house. The place is full of remnants of the old Danbury Fair including the fortune teller, the funny mirrors, and other fun stuff. A train even runs above the bar, you just insert some coins and the money goes to charity. Model airplanes and rowing shells hang from the ceiling.

The food is good, my favorite being the Buckshot Burger shown above. It has horseradish dressing, onion straws and cheese on a nice toasted kaiser bun. With it you get a generous portion of sweet potato fries for $10.50. My second favorite is the blue cheese burger where the blue cheese is put in the middle of the burger. That one has bacon on it. I also like their French Onion soup and they make an interesting six-layer flower pot salad.

They have a good beer selection too, including a house ale which is pretty good. We've been there a few times and we took the grandchildren once. They loved all the stuff hanging on the walls and from the ceiling.

Overall, an interesting dining experience with good food at reasonable prices. Check out their website for more information.

Terrazzo Trattoria

With apologies to my Southern friends, about twenty-five years ago I remember getting a pizza in the South and thinking the box it came out of tasted better than the pizza. All that has changed over the years as good food has made its way south of the Mason-Dixon line. In the larger cities you can get some darn good pizza and Italian food, plus the grocery stores are stocked with better selections. Its gotten much more cosmopolitan over the years.

If you are in Wilmington, NC you definitely have to check out Terrazzo Trattoria at 1319 Military Cutoff Rd. It is a nice Italian restaurant with good food at reasonable prices, and good service. We went there with seven adults and four children (one of whom is only four months old, so he didn't eat) and the bill was about $133.00. Not bad.

I had the Penne Positano, a nice penne pasta in a creamy pesto sauce with mussels and shrimp for $17 and added a side salad for .99. The pesto sauce had a nice garlic taste, without being overpowering and the pasta was cooked just right. There was plenty of shrimp and mussels in it too. We shared calamari and chicken tenders, and the some of the other dishes my party had were: Chicken and Penne Naxos, Chicken Satlimboca, and Eggplant Parmigiana. All were good.

Now back to that pizza. We ordered a pizza, half cheese, half pepperoni, for the kids and I tried a piece. It had a nice crispy crust, good flavor, and wasn't greasy. A cold piece later that night was just as good.

Terrazzo Trattoria is family owned and they are nice people. They are closed Sundays, and are only open for dinner on Saturday. They have lunch and dinner during the week. For more information, check out their website. Better yet, check out the restaurant some time. You won't be disappointed.

Checkers, Wilmington, NC

Checkers is a Southern chain featuring some darn good burgers, at darn good prices. We stopped at one in Maryland last year on the way home and I thought it was one of the best fast-food burgers I'd ever had so when we headed south this spring, I had to try it again. Now please note that I ranked Checkers #2 in fast food burgers in this blog.

I got the Fiery Jalapeno Double, only $1.50 since for three dollars you can get this and a shake. Well, this was one fine burger. Hot, juicy and flavorful (Flavourful for my English fans). We got seasoned fries for the kids, not overly seasoned, and shakes that were so thick they were hard to get through the straws.

For those of you who've never been to a Checkers, they are set up primarily as a drive through with a line on either side. I imagine it would be harder to reach across the passenger side to get your order if you are alone, so I recommend the line to the right. There is no inside seating, or counter. There is a walk-up window in the front, and ample parking, so I get out and order. I don't eat in my car, and I like to look at the menu for a few minutes before ordering, especially when I'm trying some place I'm not all that familiar with.

So if you've never been to a Checkers, give them a try. The burgers are surprisingly good, and cheap.

Cafe Mayo, Wappingers Falls, NY

Here's a place we've been driving past for a few years now and always say, "Hey we should stop there sometime." Well, we finally did today and I have to say it is good Mexican food. Now to start off, I'm not a huge Mexican food fan, which is surprising because I love cilantro, lemon juice and pico de gallo. Maybe its the meat I don't like because when we have Mexican lately I've been ordering seafood and I'm fast becoming a fan.

Tonight I had the Tacos de Camaron, shrimp tacos. Three tacos filled with grilled shrimp, black beans, lettuce and tomato covered in a nice sauce with fresh avocado slices. A couple pieces of grilled plantain, and some refried beans and rice on the side completed the meal. All for $16.95. Teresa had chicken enchilada for $13.95. My dinner was delicious and fresh tasting. There were many flavor notes that combined perfectly.

For desert I tried the fried ice cream. They take vanilla ice cream, coat it in frosted flakes and coconut, and fry it. Then they pour on caramel and chocolate, and add whipped cream. At $4.95, I had to try. It was okay, but not as fantastic as I thought it would be.

Give them a try sometime and you'll not be disappointed. They have another location in Fishkill and you can get more info from their website.

Cafe Mio, Gardiner NY

Gardiner New York is just off of Route 208, between Walden and New Paltz, and is remarkable for its view of the Shawangunk Mountains. It is now remarkable for a cute little bistro called the Cafe Mio. We tried to go there when they'd first opened a few months ago, but they didn't take credit cards then, and not having cash we left. Tried again recently and they take credit cards so we were all set.

Inside it's a nice restaurant with the paintings of a local artist shown, and for sale. The kitchen is exposed and you can see the chef at work, nothing to hide here. I had the shrimp po' boy at $10.50 and Teresa had the pesto, fresh mozzarella, and tomato panini at $8.50. Both came with a small side salad, note the picture above of my meal. Both were good, the bread was fresh, and the portions were good. The only slight negative we found was that we thought the pesto was just a bit too oily for our taste.

We'll be back as there were a few things on the menu I want to try, plus they are nice people. Check out their website for more info.

Alexis Diner, Newburgh NY

The Alexis Diner in Newburgh used to be called the Lexus Diner until the car company sued them over the use of the name. It didn't matter that the diner had the name first, I guess the corporate suits were worried that some of their customers may not be able to tell the difference between a Japanese luxury car and a corned beef sandwich. They may have been right though, both a burger and a car can some deluxe, but who wants fries with a coupe? But, as Shakespeare said, what's in a name? The Alexis Diner by any name is one of the best in the Mid-Hudson Valley.

I can speak on this with some authority, I've probably eaten there somewhere between fifty and a hundred times and it's been very good almost every time. The few times it wasn't was a few years ago when I think they were temporarily under a different management, since that they've been back up to snuff. The menu is extensive, the service is good, and the prices are reasonable.

As for the food, the Rueben sandwiches are good, and huge, the Gyros are good and come with a small Greek salad (see the picture above), the burgers are good, the deserts are very good, the salads are fresh and huge, the omelets are fluffy, in fact, just about everything is good. Of course I follow my rule of ordering diner food in a diner. By the way, if you order a salad, order the small one because it is plenty even for me, and plan on sharing a desert too. The pie slices are big.

My daughter was visiting from North Carolina and we were watching Man Versus Food on TV. It was the episode where he ate a huge corned beef sandwich. Rachel said she wanted a Rueben. You see, they don't have diners in the South. They have places they call "meat and three', meaning you get a meat and three sides. We went and she got her rueben, I got a gyro (again I pronounced it right, yee-ros, and the waiter said gyro. Of course he wasn't Greek, he was Mexican) and Teresa got a burger. All were good.

Stop by sometime for a good meal. You won't be disappointed. For more info, visit their website.

Red Robin, Exton PA

Red Robin is an interesting chain. They create some really cool burger combinations, give you bottom-less fries, have good beers and give a fun atmosphere to enjoy them all. The Exton location is as good as any Red Robin I’ve been to, maybe better since they have Victory Beer. I was at the tail end of a long drive so I passed, but a Hop Devil sure would have gone well with my meal.

I’ve tried most of the burgers, my favorites being the Guacamole Bacon, the Blue Ribbon, and the Royal [with a fried egg on it]. This time I tried the Burnin’ Love burger, [from the website] “crispy-fried jalapeño rings, tangy salsa and spicy Pepper-Jack cheese layered on top of our cayenne-seasoned beef burger. It’s topped with shredded lettuce and tomato to cool things off and served on a jalapeño-cornmeal Kaiser roll with Chipotle mayo,” for $9.79. It was very good with heat in everything on it, but not overwhelming. I have a new favorite.

Service was good, restaurant was clean, including the rest rooms, and the food came hot and cooked right. If you’re passing through Exton on Uwclan Ave, stop and eat. You won’t be disappointed.

Now the rest is about Red Robin Restaurants in general. My experience at Exton was very good.

One thing I recommend, as soon as they bring your meal, order the second round of fries. This way they’ll bring them as you’re finishing the first round (They don’t give you a lot the first time). The second round is bigger, hotter, and taste better. Yeah, I don’t know why either. The other recommendation I make is to check the bill. They are notorious for making a mistake somewhere but they are so accommodating about fixing it. At some locations I’ve gotten the wrong order, been billed wrong, had them forget to bring my wife’s order, you name it. But they always fixed it, gave coupons, freebies, whatever. I don’t mind mistakes as long as they make up for them.

Sonic, Wappingers Falls NY

I've been to a few Sonic's when I was in the South and found them to be okay. The drinks are good, but the burgers are nothing special. When the chain started to come up here I decided to stop off at the Wappingers Falls location. It had recently opened and there was quite a bit of hype about it.

First off, the place is busy. Very busy. The line for drive-through was about ten cars deep and most of the drive-ups were full. I parked in the lot and ordered at the board by the tables. Two cheeseburgers and a chocolate shake seemed right. Well, after sitting there for about twenty minutes a girl came out and said the trays had gotten mixed up and my order would be out soon. Soon was another five minutes. When I got it the burgers were a bit cold, but I'd already paid, and I didn't have another half-hour to spare waiting to have them redone, so I ate them. Like I said before, the burgers are nothing special, but when cold they really leave a lot to be desired. The shake was good though.

As I finished I was thinking that I should have driven a few miles north and gone to Five Guy's. I was also thinking about how the roller blades were going to work out in the snow. Maybe they'll flood the parking lot and give them ice skates.

Cup and Saucer Diner, Pine Bush NY

Pine Bush New York is one of the UFO capitals of the world. There have been many sightings over the years, well mostly a few years ago. So when a new diner opened up in Pine Bush they came up with the cheeky name of Cup and Saucer and designed a spaceship logo. It's cute and interesting.

What's even more interesting about the Cup and Saucer Diner is that it is a very good diner. We've been there quite a few times and almost always the food was excellent. The only times it wasn't was when we deviated from traditional diner fare to try something different, like a special. But that's true of most any diner. If you stick to what they make al the time, it should be done right.

This time I had the gyro, I pronounced it yee-row and the waitress said, gyro. I should have written it for her in Greek, γύρος. It was very good with a Greek salad and I upgraded to sweet potato fries. I've also had the Philly cheese-steak sandwich, the rueben, omelets, and the triple decker club. Every time what I got was good.

Stop by and pay them a visit. Check out their website for more info.

Update- 9/30/11. I've been back a few times since I wrote this and the food has always been very good. Most recently I had what I thought was the best Rueben I've ever had.

Franco's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant, Walden NY

The little village of Walden, about 7,000 people, has three Chinese restaurants, one diner, two ice cream places, two bars and five pizza places. The pizza places range from just above mediocre to pretty good. Franco's is one of the pretty good ones and is also more of a restaurant in that they serve more traditional Italian dishes. We've been there a few times to eat, and gotten take out a couple more.

Franco's is located at the Thruway Shopping center in the old laundromat. The conversion came out well and it's a pleasant place inside with tables and booths.

In the latest visit I had the Veal Sorrento, veal cutlet with prosciutto, eggplant and provolone cheese on linguine with a white wine sauce. It came with a good salad and garlic bread and the price was $13.95. Teresa had the manicotti, also with a salad, for $8.95. Reasonable prices and decent sized servings. Mine was good. Not great, but good. I thought it was a bit flat tasting and had to add salt and parmesan cheese. The manicotti was good too, but the sauce was bland, like it came from the can and didn't get enough seasoning.

In the past I've had the veal parm hero, it was okay, and the stromboli, not very good. The pizza is good though, probably one of the best in the village, and they have a $9.00 special on Mondays. Anyone out there remember the old five dollar pizza nights? They offer a few specialty pizzas, and the calzones are good.

Overall, Franco's is good. Not great, but good. Pay them a visit sometime.

McKenzie Brew House, Malvern PA

On Route 30, in Malvern Pennsylvania, sits a nice large, new restaurant called McKenzie Brew House. My son-in-law and I stopped off for lunch, he'd been there the day before, for a quick bite on the way to visit my daughter who was in the hospital in labor (she had a boy two days later, my fourth grandchild).

The restaurant is large, clean, and well laid out. Even though it was crowded for lunch, we were seated right away in the bar area. It really is quite large inside. I ordered the half-pound burger with buffalo sauce and blue cheese crumbles, and Brian got the burger with caramelized onions and blue cheese sauce. $9.25 each. They came out exactly the way we ordered them, medium, on a fresh baked bun with quite a bit of fries. They were also delicious and juicy. The buffalo sauce on mine was just the right heat. It added flavor without overpowering the burger.

I didn't try any beer, we were on the way to the hospital, but Brian said he sampled one the night before and that it was good. Rest assured I'll be back to try a couple. By the way, the beer prices are reasonable at $4.00 for a pint and only eleven dollars for a growler.

The service was good, and the food came out quick. A nice unpretentious place with good food, just what I like. This is going to be one of my favorites and I'll do an update soon, with beer reviews. They aslo have another location in Chadds Ford. Check out their website for more info.

Update 11/13/09- I went back a few days later and ordered the same burger. It was just as good, except that I forgot to order medium. The default is medium-well in most places if that happens. It was still good. I also had a pint of their IPA, Wicked Will's I think it's called. Very good, slightly hoppy, and satisfying. Next time I'm going to try the sampler.