Caprice Bistro, Wilmington, NC

We were in Wilmington on Bastille Day this year and we'd already eaten at another place when we looked at the menu at the Caprice Bistro and said, "Darn, we should have eaten here." Well this time when we were walking downtown we stopped by and looked at the menu. After about thirty seconds I saw what I wanted and asked Teresa if she saw anything. She said there were a few things that interested her so in we went.

Caprice Bistro is small and looks like every bit like a French bistro. We were seated right away, they weren't that busy, and our waiter Jay appeared. He was very pleasant, personable and helpful. I knew what I wanted, the escargots gris (shown above) and the duck confit (shown below). Teresa decided to get out of her comfort zone and she ordered the pork tenderloin (bottom photo) instead of a chicken dish.

Jay brought us fresh bread and soon the escargot arrived. The smell was delightful and the taste even better. The snails were perfect and were swimming in a garlic sauce that I sopped up with the bread. A small bowl of heaven for eight bucks. Normally I prefer my escargots Burgundy style, but this was amazing and I could have eaten a soup bowl of it. Next up were the entrees. Between the two dishes the table smelled wonderful. My duck was perfectly cooked with crispy skin and tender meat that fell off the bone. It came with grilled potatoes and a small salad with the house dressing and each component blended in sweet harmony with the others. More than eating, it was a sensual experience of French comfort food done right.

The pork was equally good with an amazing sauce and fresh mashed potatoes and carrots. We passed a few things back and forth to try and at one point I wound up with some food in my water glass. No problem, Jay immediately replaced the glass for me.

The total bill was $44.51 plus tip for a gourmet meal. We looked at the deserts and while a creme brulee and coffee would have been the perfect finish, we were full. Next time though. Maybe next time I'll go on a Wednesday when they have rabbit.

So the bottom line. Service, impeccable. Food, perfect. Ambiance, very good. Prices, reasonable. Stop in sometime and enjoy a classic French meal. It will fill your belly and warm your heart. They have a website for more information.

Update 04/13/12- We went back for another meal and it was simply amazing. I got the mussels Bruxelles and Teresa got the Coq au Vin. My mussels were the best I've ever had. They were cooked in beer, garlic (lot's of garlic), mustard and cream.

Winner's Circle, Exton, PA

Yes, that picture is what you think it is. It is a burger with bacon and cheese on a glazed donut, and yes I did eat it. It is called the Krukker and it was from The Winner's Circle in Exton, Pennsylvania. I'll get back to the burger in a minute.

Winner's Circle is a sports bar in Exton across the street from the mall. It is fairly bright and adorned with sports memorabilia and plenty of televisions. The wait staff is friendly and the service is good. There is a good beer selection and I decided on Hop Devil from Victory. The menu has some good choices, but I focused on the burgers. You can build your own burger; choose the meat, choose the roll and choose two toppings. The combinations looked good, until I looked at the craft burgers and saw the Krukker for $9.00. That was what I was going to build anyway. It was a half-pound burger with American cheese and bacon on a glazed donut. With it came an ample supply of fries and a wet-nap.

The burger was good. I'd ordered it medium and it was past medium-well, but still tasty. The sweetness of the glazed donut combined nicely with the saltiness of the bacon and the taste of the beef. The glazed donut however was sticky and messy, hence the wet-nap. I've seen this done elsewhere and they invert the donut so the sticky side faces the burger. While not as pretty, this practice makes it easier to eat. Overall it was good, but I think I'll try some other combinations next time we go there.

Actually, one of the main reasons we went was that on Tuesdays kids eat for a buck. My grandson had a hot dog, yogurt, apple slices and an ice-cream for a dollar and my wife and daughter got wraps. Good food and good service. They have a website for more information.

Greek City, Ramsey, NJ

Now here's one of those places we stumbled upon quite by chance and we almost passed it up. We were in Jersey to do some shopping when Teresa wanted to stop at the Kohl's in Ramsey. As we were leaving I noted what looked like a small place in the mall with a sign that said Greek Food, or something like that. We debated and decided to try it out, figuring it to be a hole in the wall dive.

Well, inside it looked totally different. It looked classy. So classy that we looked at the menu before deciding to eat there. We found a nice selection and the prices were okay so we went in. We were seated at a table, but the booths are cooler with frosted seats and lights behind them. We were given water, bread and a small bowl of kalmati olives. The waiter brought a plate by to show us the daily fish selection and gave us time to decide.

Teresa decided on the Chicken Souvlaki (above) at $17.00. Those lovely things in the front are lemon roasted potatoes, which were delicious. I am not a big potato fan, but I could eat those every day. It also had a good tzatziki sauce and the chicken was good.

I went out of my comfort zone and instead of ordering the Gyro platter at $15, I got the Kohilia Lakonia at $25. Pan seared sea scallops over fresh spinach with garlic and olive oil. When it came I was a bit disappointed as it looked small, but at the end there was just plenty on the plate. On top of that it was quite well done. The scallops were perfectly seared and the spinach was just right.

I was considering dessert, but passed this time. Next time I want to try the one of the calamari dishes and see how their saganaki is. Oh yes, we will be back again, and again.

In short, the food was excellent, ambiance pleasant, the prices fair, and the service good. It does take some time for the food to come, but well worth the wait. You need to try this place sometime. They have a website for more information. By the way, lunch prices are cheaper.

Gunk Haus, Highland, NY

I've been hearing about this place for a while, and from some reliable sources, so we decided to pay a visit on a clear summer day. Now the address is Highland, but it is closer to Clintondale. I'll give you the website and you can find directions and other stuff.

Gunk Haus bills themselves as a German Gastropub using local and organic food as much as possible. As a result the menu changes almost daily to reflect what is available and fresh. The beer menu changes as well to reflect pairings and seasonal offerings.

Inside it is fairly large and open with plenty of windows. Unfortunately they don't have shades so some of the tables are in severe sun. The staff is friendly and welcoming and we were seated right away. We did have to move over a table though because of that light.

We looked through the menu and quite a few offerings looked good. After careful deliberation we ordered a side of potato salad (pictured) for an appetizer that was very good with sliced pickles on it.

Teresa decided on the pork tenderloin sandwich, with salad on the side and she said it was good. I was pondering the array of sausage based meals and I finally went with the Haus burger, with smoked gouda on it and the Haus cole slaw instead of fries. I ordered it medium and paired it with a Mother's Milk, a fine Milk Stout from Keegan Ales in Kingston. The burger came on a fresh baked pretzel roll and it was a thick eight ounce burger. When I picked it up juice ran out onto the plate. I bit into it and it looked a bit overcooked. Further investigation found it to be much closer to well done and most of the juices were in my plate. I pointed it out to the waitress and she quickly offered to make another one. I said no, this wasn't bad, and it really wasn't, I only pointed it out so they would know and because this is getting to be an issue with me lately. Every time I order a burger it seems to come out cooked a step or two above what I ask for. Several other people came and apologized as well. The cole slaw was okay, but it needed something, it was a bit flat tasting.

Now we don't do this often, but the five desert offerings looked so good that we saved room for desert. The winner was the cherry and blueberry strudel shown here. It was good and finished off the meal perfectly. In retrospect we should have ordered coffee to go with it, but we inhaled it anyway.

Okay, the bottom line is this; good service, good prices and good food. Out of four dishes we ordered, three were perfect. If something isn't right they take care of it and you can usually customize parts of the meal, like leaving out an ingredient you don't want. The whole thing was forty buck plus tip for two entrees, an extra side, a beer and desert. We'll be back to try them again and that time I'll look into those sausages.

Update- We went back and found it to be as good as the first time, maybe even better. Click here for the review.

Maggie McFly's, Brookfield, CT

We saw a billboard for this place while we were on Rt 84 and the logo looked interesting so we decided to pop in and give it a try today while we were headed to Stew Leonard's. It is just north of Stews, and above the Five Guys across from Costco.

It is big inside with lots of wood and big leather booths. In spite of that, it is bright enough to see and you can eat outside as well. We were seated fairly quickly and presented menus. After some deliberation Teresa chose the lunch Thai Salad, shown here. I debated between the local grass-fed beef burger and the Kobe Burger. I chose the Kobe after the waitress said it was the better choice. Since I didn't try the local grass fed I don't know that it was.

Teresa said the Thai salad was good and I found the burger good as well. I ordered it medium and it was close to somewhere between medium well and well. I have this problem almost everywhere though, there are darn few places that can do a proper medium burger. I also found that the burger was a bit dry, a problem with a lean beef like the Kobe, especially when overcooked. The fries were nice and crispy and the presentation was pretty. The service was a bit slow, especially considering the fact that the place wasn't that busy.

The prices were good though, and they had a good selection of food and beers available. One note, they require proper for gentlemen only, no tank tops, no half shirts and no sleeveless shirts. I guess the ladies can wear whatever they want. They have a website for more information.

Chester Springs Creamery

Here's a cool place in Chester Springs, PA, just north of Downingtown on Uwchlan Ave for fresh ice cream. They make it right there and it tastes like it. Good. I had the Joy's Peanut Butter Fudge with hot fudge on it and it was quite good. You can even walk around and see the cows that the cream comes from. They have a website for more information.

Copper Penny, Wilmington, NC

See the sign? Kids eat free. Every Monday at the Copper Penny kids eat free after four o'clock. See the other part of the sign? Specialty burgers for $7.99. One of these would be enough to drag me in, but the combination of the two was irresistible. Add to that the fact that my daughter and son-in-law have eaten here and said it was good, and we were there.

The Copper Penny is much larger inside than it looks from the outside. It is long with a large bar and tables, and fairly wide. The walls are full of Phillies and Eagles stuff, as well as beer memorabilia.

I chose the bacon and blue cheese burger, one of my favorites, and I got it with fries even though there were a couple of options. It came cooked perfectly on a fresh roll with plenty of blue cheese. It also came with a small side of cole slaw that was very good. With it I had a Gaelic Ale on tap. They have a large selection of beers and everyday there is a drink special of some kind.

Teresa had a Southwestern burger that she said was good and the kids had their favorites, chicken tenders which they said were good. They even got a Gogurt package on each meal. Mike had a steak sandwich and Sarah got a specialty sandwich wrap.

The service was good and personable. Nice place with good food that is kid friendly and had reasonable prices. We'll be back again. They have a website for more info.

Britt's Donuts, Carolina Beach, NC

I have a soft spot for donuts, especially the glazed variety, so when my daughter said the most amazing donuts were in Carolina Beach we had to check it out.

Britt's is on the boardwalk of Carolina Beach, the Redneck Riviera. We found it easy enough and I was looking for a display case or a listing of types of donuts. All there was is a sign with the prices. Eighty-five cents each and on. We liked the $4.25 a half dozen. A woman behind us asked her friend about kinds of donuts and the friend replied, "They don't have kinds, they have a donut." We figured out that there was only one kind and that was glazed, which is the best kind of donut anyway.

At any rate, we got six and ate three each before we even made it to the beach to walk around. Quite probably the best donuts anywhere. Check them out at their website.

Winnie's Tavern, Wilmington, NC

I've heard from some people that I trust, most especially Paul Stephen of Port City Foodies, that this is one of the best burgers in the area so it has been on my short list for quite some time. Today we finally got the opportunity to stop.

Winnie's Tavern is located just south of Wilmington in an industrial area and from the outside it looks like a dive bar. When you get inside you know it is a dive bar. The people are friendly and the bartender acted as if we were long lost friends who'd come over to visit. The people on either side of us were similar. The one fellow next to my wife was talking her ear off like she was a regular.

The menu is very limited, but I knew what I wanted. We both got cheeseburgers, I had bacon on mine. We added grilled onions, lettuce and tomato, all at no extra charge. Now one of the problems with hearing so much good about a place is that you can be in for a serious letdown when you do try it. Not the case here. The burgers came out in about fifteen minutes (this is not fast food) and they looked great. I picked mine up and looked it in the eye, well a burger doesn't have an eye but if it did I would have looked in it, and took a bite. I took a second one right away and I was in agreement with Paul. This is a darn fine burger, one of the best I've ever had and that's saying something. It would have gone real well with a couple of beers, but since I was driving I stuck to iced tea. The fries were okay.

Make sure you bring cash, because that's what they take. You don't have to bring a ton of it though. Two burgers, two iced teas, tax and tip was under sixteen dollars. The guy next to us said he gets a burger and fries along with three beers and with tip he's under twenty bucks. How can you beat that?

No website that I could find, but you can be a facebook friend. One word of caution, they've been getting some good press lately and they may be a bit busy. That's a good thing, we want them to do well. Also, this may not be a place to bring the kids so make it a date night. A cheap date night.

Update- I stopped back for a burger and it was every bit as good as the last one. I also had a nice chat with Dee and I peeked over her shoulder into the kitchen and I saw her secret for making a juicy burger. I won't tell you what it is though, you'll have to go have one there yourself. If you haven't been there yet, what are you waiting for?

Indochine, Wilmington, NC

I'd heard quite a bit about Indochine, and it was all good. So when my daughter suggested we go there for a late dinner I readily agreed. Now I'm not a huge fan of Thai and I've never had Vietnamese food, but I like Indian and Chinese. After looking at the menu I saw there is something for everyone.

They have a good beer selection and I ordered a Bellhaven, a Scottish ale and the waitress aproved of my choice. Hearing her accent I could see whay and I placed her as being from somewhere in the British Isles.

I decided to go with three appetizers instead of a full meal as I wanted to try some different things. I had the calamari, shown to the left, and it was crunchy and properly cooked. I also got the dumpling sampler, six different dumplings all excellent, and the Galloping Horses, shrimp wrapped in chicken. All were amazing. Teresa ordered spring rolls and a Satay while Rachel got chicken with peanuts and AJ ordered a shrimp in curry sauce. Every dish was perfect.

The service was excellent, prices reasonable, the food amazing and great atmosphere. We'll be back. They have a website for more information.

Station Taproom, Downingtown, PA

We've been meaning to go here for a bit, but they're always busy when we've tried. My son-in-law raves about the Lamb Burger and the Thai Curry. He also pointed out that they have a rather large beer offering as well.

They were offering Fuller's ESB on cask, but I was informed the cask kicked. I went with a double IPA from Great Lakes Brewing and it was quite nice. I followed that with an American Pale Ale from Weyerbacher that was okay. The food menu isn't that extensive, but it seems they do what they do right. I'd rather see a limited menu done well than an extensive menu done mediocre.

Teresa got the Greek salad at $6 and a small plate (rather large plate it turned out to be) of edamame for $5. My daughter had the Black Bean Burger, my son-in-law the Thai Curry and the bay chicken fingers.

I debated the lamb burger, the fish and chips, and the Cuban panini and decided on the duck salad at $13. It was duck cooked to perfection over mixed greens with brie, walnuts, apples, and dried cherries. Very good. Turned out to be a wise choice.

Overall the food was excellent. The restaurant is clean and well decorated with a brick arch separating the small kitchen area from the diners. I like a restaurant that has nothing to hide and allows you to view the chefs cooking. From what I saw it looked like the cooks were enjoying what they did.

They have a website for more information.

Brick House Tavern and Tap, Willow Grove, PA

Kobe Burger

Here's a place we've been passing by for a few years now and always wanted to stop. Two things kept us from doing so though. The first is that we pass by often at night when the parking lot is packed and the second is that we are less than an hour from our destination when we pass by. Today we planned on stopping and at 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon (on July 3rd) the place was almost empty.

It has a sports bar feel inside (TVs all over tuned to sports gave that away) and there is quite a good beer selection, both draft and bottled. They even have a few cask beers and they have some cool sounding drinks mixing beer with other things. For example, the French Kiss which is Blue Moon with champagne.

I looked over the menu and decided on a burger, the question was which one. I decided against the black and blue burger at $9 and went with the Kobe Burger with wagyu beef, sauteed onions, brie, roasted tomato, spring mix, red pepper aioli and a brioche bun for $14. It came with a generous supply of good fries. The kobe beef was good and almost cooked at the medium I requested. The combinations of the other ingredients were very good and brought that lean flavor of the beef out nicely. Teresa had the regular cheeseburger for $8 and she said it was good.

I never knew it was a small chain of about seventeen locations. They have a website for more information, and locations.

Update- We went back a second time and I got the Kobe Burger again. It was just as good as the first time and it was perfectly cooked to the medium I'd ordered. 

Tomato Cafe, Fishkill, NY

A week or so ago we drove through Fishkill, after having already eaten, and noted that a few new restaurants deem to have popped up on the main drag near route 9. I made a mental note to stop back sometime when we were in the need of food, and today was the day.

I found a spot to park on the street and we looked at a few restaurants to decide where to eat. The first one we looked at, The Tomato Cafe, won out because the menu looked interesting and there was a nice smell to the place. The aroma of fresh sauce filled the air. We were seated and given water and menus.

Looking at the menus there were just too many options to choose from, and the prices were reasonable. I decided to go simple and ordered the BLT on sourdough rye and added a cup of tomato soup. They are called the Tomato Cafe after all. $6.95 for the sandwich and $2.50 for the soup. That soup (pictured above) was delicious. It had a nice texture to it and there was just a bit of heat added, as well as some basil. The sandwich was good with plenty of bacon. I originally ordered a salad in place of the fries, but after I realized my sandwich was going to be a salad sandwich I quickly changed it to a side of fries. I also added a bottle of Hurricane Kitty.

Teresa had it narrowed down to two choices and the waiter recommended the Chicken Sandoval. She ordered the half portion, at $8.95 plus a caesar salad. I tasted the chicken and a piece of the pasta and it was delicious. Our waiter was right. She thought at first that the portion was small, but then she said that if it were the full size she would have brought half of it home so I guess it was just right.

Service was excellent, food delicious, prices reasonable, free wi-fi and clean bathrooms. I recommend you stop by and give them a try. I know we'll be back. The website will give you the menu and directions.

Cowboy Burger, Ward's Bridge Inn.

A personal favorite of mine is Ward's Bridge Inn in Montgomery, NY. I don't get there near often enough, but every time I've been there the food has been delicious. I've reviewed them before. Today I was there for an end of the school year lunch with some colleagues. Most of my dining companions got the special, a filet medallion steak sandwich, but I wanted the burger. Look at the picture and you'll see why.

This is the Cowboy burger, one of my favorites and quite possibly one of the finest burgers I've ever had anywhere. It starts with good quality beef and perfectly cooked. I ordered it medium and it was perfectly that with a bit of red in the center and cooked on the outside. That wonderful beef sits atop a fresh kaiser roll with cheese and bacon and a whole bunch of crisp onion straws. They gave me the option of fries, salad or Caesar salad. I got the Caesar salad and it was quite large.

My friends were all as pleased with their meals, especially the steak sandwich, but mine was perfect. If you haven't been there yet, make it a point to stop in.

Headwaters Pale Ale, Victory Brewing

I haven't done a beer review in a long time now, and since the title is Burgers and Brews Food Reviews it is about time. Add to that the fact that I have found my new favorite beer and here we go.

Victory Brewing Company is located in Downingtown, Pennsylvania and my daughter and son-in-law live in the area. I've been there quite a few times and I've done a review of the restaurant there, as well as this one of the beer. The food is good, especially the pizzas, but the beer is great. My favorites are; Storm King Stout, Hop Devil, Hop Wallop and Uncle Teddy's Bitter. They have a few beers on cask as well and what a difference it makes.

At any rate, I sampled their newest offering, Headwaters Pale Ale, a few months ago and loved it. I had a draft of it at the brewery and it was even better. It seems to me to be a cross between an English Pale Ale and an IPA. Smooth, slightly hoppy, and crisp. You can have a couple of them since it is only 5.1% and no after taste. This is my new favorite beer.

Check out the companies website for the beer.