Steel House Restaurant, Kingston, NY

The waterfront in Kingston, the one by the Rondout Creek that is, is an area that has been gentrifying over the past few years. Many new restaurants have opened and it is a hopping place on a nice day. Today wasn't a nice day, rainy, so the place was deserted at four o'clock when we got there.

After looking around at some of the restaurants, and realizing that a couple of them didn't reopen for dinner until five, we decided on the Steel House Restaurant. We went in and were seated right away. It was quiet in there and they were starting to get ready for a school prom that night.

We looked over the menus and debated a few choices. I looked at the burger, but the menu said it was char burger, and I'm not crazy about burgers done in the broiler. We decided on seafood, Teresa got the shrimp scampi and I had the shrimp puttanesca, each were sixteen dollars. Both were good with plenty of shrimp. Mine had a slight heat to it, with a hint of something sweet in the background, perhaps the red onions.

The manager came over and chatted with us for a bit and the service was good. They have a website for more information.

DeStefano's Olde Erie Pub, Middletown, NY

DeStefano's, Chi Chi's, Scali's, Diana's, Tony Boffa's, are all names of good old school Italian restaurants in Middletown, NY. The only one left from the old days is Tony Boffa's, but DeStefano's is now called The Olde Erie Pub and is located on West Main. I shouldn't really say now, as they've been there for a few years. We've been there a couple of times for functions and always been pleased, so when we were going out with friends we decided to try them for dinner. In short, it was a good decision.

We got there at six-thirty and there was a crowd. The Kiwanis were meeting in the front room and there was an umpire's meeting upstairs. The bar was crowded, some of them people waiting for their meetings to start. We were shown to our table in the back room and given menus. I looked the menu over and there were some interesting choices. I decided on the Veal Savoya, beaded veal with prosciutto, roasted peppers and cheese with a lemon sauce. Teresa and Kathy got the Italian sampler special and Dan got pasta with scallops. We shared breaded and fried calamari as an appetizer. Everything was delicious and the portions were huge.

The bottom line? Good food, large portions, excellent service, good prices. You should stop by and pay them a visit. Skip the chains and eat good old school Italian food in a family run restaurant. They have a website for more information.

Pimento Burger and LA burger from Bobby's Burger Palace

No need for any comments here, the pictures speak for themselves.

Hot Pink Cake Stand, Wilmington, NC

This is a picture of that elusive dream I've been chasing, that Quixotic quest for bacon perfection, my Holy Grail. Yes folks, this is a bacon cupcake and I got it at the Hot Pink Cake Stand on Front Street in Wilmington, North Carolina. I figured since I tried the other cupcake place in Wilmington I should stop by here to do a comparison. Well, I'm not a cupcake aficionado so to me the two stores were close, but I'd give a slight edge to Hot Pink for moistness of the cupcake. I also like the fact that you can sit and watch them create the masterpieces.

The Bacon cupcake had bacon flavor in the cake part, the whipped part and of course on the top. It was mixed with a light maple flavor and tasted quite good, and quite addicting. We also had a Cadbury Egg cupcake and a lemon drop cupcake. Overall a neat experience and we'll be visiting them again.

They have a website with more information and you can friend them on facebook too.

Krispy Kreme Donuts, Wilmington, NC

We had a Krispy Kreme in Middletown a few years ago. One day when I went there for a donut and coffee I saw that they were closed, the windows covered with brown paper and my eyes covered with tears. I still get a lump in my throat thinking about it, heck I carried my coffee club card around for almost a year hoping it was just a temporary thing. It wasn't, and I didn't get closure on the issue until I finally threw the card away.

Given my love for the glazed Krispy Kreme you have to realize that whenever I find one I just have to stop. In Wilmington, on College, sits a beautiful building housing my favorites, glazed donuts and black coffee. Usually I stop out, eat two, and bring a dozen back to the house for the grandkids but today we were headed out for ice cream so it was a simple breakfast of two donuts and coffee. The donuts were pulled off the conveyor belt still dripping that glorious glaze.

I know, some of my Wilmington friends will tell me there are better donuts in town and I'm sure they're right. But a Krispy Kreme donut? That's my idea of true comfort food. Now if only they had one with bacon on it . . .

Olympia Greek Restaurant revisited, Wilmington, NC

Last Summer we visited Olympia in Wilmington and we had a great meal. This week we (eleven of us including four children) were set to go out to a restaurant that I've raved about and we had a $25 coupon from Restaurant.com that we'd purchased. When we looked at the door my daughter noticed a sign that said they were no longer accepting certificates from that company so we all looked at each other and debated where to go. After a few minutes we decided to go to Olympia where we knew we'd get a good meal and be taken care of.

There was a slight bit of confusion when we went in as to the number of us, but we counted once again and determined that there were indeed eleven of us. That allowed the waitresses to set up the tables for us.

I started with a Mythos. If you've never had one imagine a German beer like a Saint Pauli Girl and you're close.

I was thinking about trying something a bit different, like a seafood dish, but in the end I decided on the beef gyros, see the picture below. What I did try different was the Saganaki, which is cheese over sliced tomatoes and set on fire as it is delivered. A nice twist and a tasty dish. I've seen it done a bit better in Greek Town in Chicago with more fanfare, but the taste was very good. The others in our party had the personal pizzas, veggie pitas, two more gyros, chicken fingers for the kids, and hummus and pita. All were good.

As I mentioned before, I decided to have the gyros, my favorite here, and it was as good as ever with crisp fries and a very well executed taziki sauce.

Olympia is a good Greek Restaurant in Wilmington.

Coastal Cupcakes, Wilmington, NC

I’m not a huge sweets fan, but I had a craving for a cupcake while we were downtown in Wilmington so we popped into Coastal Cupcakes for a treat. I’d read once that they make bacon cupcakes and when I asked about it they said they do on occasion, but today wasn’t one of those occasions. No matter, we chose six different cupcakes and split them among four adults and four kids. They are rich enough that one is enough and a half of one is plenty for a small child.

Very good cupcakes, but a bit pricey at fourteen dollars for a half dozen. Okay, they were worth it and I still want that bacon cupcake. They have a website for more information.

The Basics at the Cotton Exchange, Wilmington, NC

My daughter Rachel told me about The Basics at the Cotton Exchange, she said she had a great burger there, so on this visit to Wilmington we decided to stop by. After eating there, all I can say is that she was right. The food is excellent, the service friendly and the prices right. Four adults and four children ate for fifty bucks plus tip. Well, three children ordered, the seventeen month old ate a bit from everyone else. About the tip, I forgot to add it to the charge (I was going to leave cash on the table and just forgot) and I called them a couple of hours later and apologized to the girl. She said she could add it to the bill.

I had the burger of the day, bacon and cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, with BBQ. I opted out of the BBQ. For the side I chose the salad with a nice blue cheese vinaigrette dressing on the side, but I could have had mac and cheese or any one of a few other choices. Teresa had the fried green tomato sandwich with bacon. Nicole had the grilled pimento sandwich with tomato soup and a side of the mac and cheese, two of the kids had chicken fingers (nicely spiced) with a side of fruit. All were very good, my burger was one of the best I’ve had.

If you haven’t been there yet, I recommend you pay them a visit, and soon. I do recommend the lunch menu instead of dinner. I think the selection is bigger and the value better. They have a website for more information.

Nu-Cavu, Wallkill. Another great meal.

One of my favorite places to eat is the Nu-Cavu Restaurant in Wallkill and I had an urge to go there for the Pescadore, it was a Friday in Lent after all. As always, the food was delicious, the service excellent and the atmosphere warm and friendly. Teresa had the eggplant lasagna and we shared the Raspberry Tower shown to the left. Raspberry sorbet coated in chocolate. Rich and tasty.

Bobby's Burger Palace, Paramus, NJ

Bobby Flay is one of the best-known stars on the Food Network and I've been watching him since his beginnings on his original show, Boy Meets Grill, when he fumbled a few lines. His fame has grown, as have his restaurant holdings and talents, and one often wonders if the celebrity chef's restaurants are as good as they should be. We've been to a few places that have been featured on the Food Network. I've had this place on my short list for quite some time now and the opportunity presented itself to stop by. And no, I did not expect Bobby Flay to be in the back cooking my burger, but it would have been cool if he were there.

There are five locations, and the restaurant we went to was in the Bergen Town Center, an outlet Mall off Route 4. The restaurant entrance is from outside the mall and we saw there was a line to get in. The line moved fairly fast and next thing we knew we were at the counter. You place your order and pay. They give you a number for the table (so they know where to bring the food) and you move to a short line where a server directs you to an open seat. For two or three this seemed quick, but it may be more problematic for large parties. After being seated the food came quick. Even though the place was packed, we weren't there all that long.

The featured burger was the Chicago Burger with all the trimming of a Chicago hot dog, only on a burger. I went with my personal favorite and ordered the Bobby Blue Burger, medium (see top photo). It was cooked perfectly with pink all through the inside and nice juicy flavor running down the mouth, and all over my hands. There was plenty of blue cheese and some very nice crisp bacon, lettuce and tomato and a fresh bun. I had it crunchified (potato chips on it) and added some chipotle ketchup. The price? $7.50 for what was probably one of the best burgers I've ever had.

Teresa had the Dallas Burger (second photo) with cole slaw, Monterey Jack cheese and spices for $7.50. She ordered it cooked medium well and it looked perfectly done and she said it was. We shared an order of sweet potato fries for $3.00 and they were very good with a dipping sauce. Add a soda and the whole thing came to twenty bucks. Good prices, great food, and a neat dining experience.

So the question I had earlier was indeed answered. Bobby Flay delivers in his Burger Palace and he has created a great burger and trained the staff to deliver it as he intended. Like I said earlier, it would have been cool if he were there, but he didn't need to be. The final product was his creation.

By the way, the mall has a Whole Foods store in it so we'll be headed back to do some shopping and to try out some of the other burgers. You should try them too. The website has locations and menu and all that stuff.

Raccoon Saloon, Marlboro, NY

The Raccoon Saloon on Route 9W in Marlboro, NY has been around for a very long time. The mid-eighteen hundreds in fact and the name comes from a family of raccoons that used to live on the property. The restaurant has changed hands a few times, but they've had a reputation for making a very good burger. Years ago there was a sign in front proclaiming they had the best burger in the Hudson Valley. We ate there about a decade ago when that sign was up and I disagreed with it.

A couple of weeks ago my son said he ate there and the burger was excellent. I trust his opinion, especially since he inherited and or acquired similar tastes to mine so we went there to check it out. We went on a Saturday night during restaurant week so there was a special Prix fix menu that had an interesting seafood fra diabolo on it, but I came to try the burger so that's what I looked at.

I got the 12 oz burger with bacon and Swiss cheese and I got the onion rings instead of the fries. The burger was $11.75 and the bacon and cheese added another two bucks and a quarter to make it a fourteen dollar burger. Teresa got the 8 oz burger with fried onions and that came to $11.75. This is not a cheap burger, so I thought it had better be a good burger. It was. The meat was fresh and well cooked, the onion rings were good, and they use their own home-made ketchup which has a sweet taste to it.

The food was good and the people seemed accommodating. We'll go back again to try something from the regular menu sometime soon.

Table Talk Diner, Poughkeepsie, NY

As I've said before, there are great diners, there are good diners, there are mediocre diners and there are bad diners. Table Talk fits somewhere between good and mediocre, a nice place but nothing special.

We stopped off the other day to try something different, we'd seen seen it on our last trip on Route nine and were seated fairly promptly. We were given menus and when we looked them over they featured fairly standard diner fare. The specials had quite a few fish dishes, probably because of the lenten season. They had a Kobe burger for six-fifty, but I seriously doubt that it would be real Kobe beef for that price. I was tempted to try it just to see, but decided against.

I decided on an Italian Panini, featured above. It came with french fries and had prosciutto, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and onions. What it needed was some moisture so I asked for some balsamic vinaigrette dressing and added it. Much better. Teresa had the vegetarian omelet with home fries and that looked and tasted good.

Bottom line, the food was okay and the service adequate. Not bad for a bite, but like I've said before; when in a diner get diner food. They have a website for more information.

Baba Ghannouj, Wilmington, NC

In the Independence Mall in Wilmington sits a fairly typical food court, with one exceptional gem. Baba Ganoushj. From what I understand, this is not a chain, but rather a locally owned restaurant that once was someplace else.

Liz Biro from the Star News raved about this place in an article. In it she said that it wasn't typical mall food and looking at the counter, I could see what she meant. The salads in the display looked so good I just wanted to take a fork to them all.

I was still quite full from an omelet at Sweet and Savory, but I just had to try this so I decided to order light. I had the gyro meat for four bucks, two stuffed grape leaves at fifty cents each and kalamata olives for seventy-five cents. Total was six dollars for what you see in the picture.

The gyro meat was very good, cut thick, and they'd grilled it. The grape leaves were tasty and came with a very nice taziki sauce, which came in handy for the meat as I didn't order a side of it. After I finished I went from slightly full to very full, but it was worth it. Stop by and give them a try sometime.

The Reel Cafe, Wilmington, NC

We were looking for a nice place downtown that was a different, yet family friendly enough for eight adults and three children. My daughters suggested The Reel Cafe on Front Street so we walked down and looked at the menu in the window. I love it when a restaurant does this as we can decide whether they are what we are looking for or not.

In this case the menu looked good, as did the prices. Even better, kids eat free. One children's meal free with an adult meal. We went in and were seated immediately as it wasn't busy. I've been past here in the Summer and it is usually packed, especially at night.

We looked over our menus and made our choices. I have that soft spot for a burger with bacon and blue cheese, so that's what I ordered. I got the black and blue and added bacon which brought the price to ten bucks. I ordered it medium and it was closer to medium well, but still juicy and full of flavor. My son-n-law ordered the same burger, but well done. The beer special was White Wolf, an American Ale I believe, so I got one. It was okay, but for the second one I switched to a Fat Tire. That was much better.

The rest of our party ordered; a Black and Blue salad (blackened chicken over a salad with blue cheese), a fresh catch sandwich (grouper), a meatball sub, a crab sandwich, two chicken sandwiches, a kid's burger and two kid's chicken fingers. All were good and the total came to eighty bucks, plus tax and tip. The one drawback is the restrooms as they are on the second floor and were, shall we say in need of a cleaning. Definitely not handicapped accessible. Overall it was a good experience and we'll be back.

No website that I could find, but they do have a facebook page for more information, you'd have to friend them though.

Sweet and Savory, Wilmington, NC

I have a long list of places to try in Wilmington, NC. I also have a short list of places I really want to see. One of them is, or rather was, Sweet and Savory. My daughter and my grandchildren have been raving about Sweet and Savory for some time now and we were going to try them last summer, but we never got the chance. This short trip down we decided this was a must visit and we went there on Sunday for dinner. I can see what she meant, this place was great and it is now on my list of favorites.

The menu is extensive and they have plenty of specials. On Sunday one of them was all bar sandwiches for five dollars with the purchase of a drink or soup. I looked at the beer menu and noticed they had Scotch Ale from Front Street Brewery, so that was a no-brainer. I ordered a pint and got the English Burger, a very nicely done burger with grilled onions (sweet and red, I think wine was involved in the cooking), cheese and bacon on a toasted English muffin. Oh, and lettuce and tomato with chips on the side. It was excellent, tasty and fresh.

Teresa had the Carolina Burger with slaw and BBQ sauce, it looked as good as mine, and she had a seafood soup with it that tasted just fine. Mike had the Gyro, and Sarah had a wrap, both of them had black bean soup. The three kids had chicken nuggets with fries. The whole order came to fifty bucks, tax included. They are definitely family friendly with the prices.

Service was great. Taylor was attentive and caring. She apologized for the wait, but I thought everything came out fast. My youngest granddaughter dropped her pickle and one of the servers brought her two more to keep her happy. By the way, the bathrooms are clean, at least the men’s room was as that’s the only one I saw.

They have a website for more information.

Photos in order are; Gyro, Chicken nuggets, Carolina Burger and the English Burger.

We are headed back for breakfast soon to sample either an omelet or eggs benedict. I'll be posting that soon.