Wilmington Brewing Company

Next stop on the Wilmington Beer Trail was a visit to Wilmington Brewing Company on Kerr Ave. They started out as a small homebrew shop a few years ago and have grown to a 11,800 square foot facility. They still have a large homebrew supply section, and a nice bar area with a whole lot of beers on tap. 

They do not offer flights, but they are happy to let you sample any beer you want, so I tried three. First up was Blair's Breakfast Stout which weighed in at 7%. It was one of the finest Breakfast Stouts I have tasted and I took some home. Next up was the Jalapeño IPA. Nice and clean with a touch of heat. Last I tried the Sneaky Goose, a double IPA weighing in at 9.6%. I stopped there because I was driving, even though the samples were small. They do offer a short glass for about three bucks and that would be the best way to sample a few as the small samples don't really reveal the full flavor of the beer. 

So I opted for a crowler (can/growler) of the Blair's Breakfast stout. Now the crowler is something new, and cool. It is a 32 ounce can that they fill from the tap and pop a top  on. Next it goes onto the machine shown below where it is spun (you can see that in the photo) and sealed. A quick wipe off and it is labeled. Since the crowler is two pints, they just charge you for two pints of beer, in this case twelve bucks. 

I don't know what the shelf life is, but that didn't matter in this case as I popped the top as soon as I got back to the house. It has a nice taste, a hint of smokiness, and holds up well. Again, one of the finest breakfast stouts this writer has sampled. Next time I am going with an IPA, and maybe a few others.

They have a website for more information. Check them out, I know I will be there a few more times.

Bento Box- Wilmington, NC

Bento Box is in the Forum on Military Cutoff. We stopped by on a Thursday evening and while the interior is nice and well appointed, we decided to sit outside. 

After perusing the menu I decided on the Vietnamese ginger beef at sixteen bucks. It was quite good with nice flavor notes. Teresa went with the Bun Vietnamese noodle salad at eleven bucks and it was also excellent. Our daughter and son-in-law had the vegetable tempura and Japanese fried chicken and they were pleased as well. 

I would go again. They have a website for more information. 

Michael's Seafood Restaurant- Carolina Beach, NC

Coming back from Carolina Beach to run an errand I stopped off at Michael's Seafood restaurant for a quick bite. It is a nice place with friendly service and reasonable prices. I went with the fried oyster Po'Boy at nine bucks. It was quite good. My son-in-law had a tuna melt that he said was good as well. 

They have a website for information, menus, and directions. 

La Costa- Wilmington, NC

La Costa has a few location in the Wilmington area, we stopped by the one on Market Street in Porter's Neck. I was truly impressed as it was more authentic, and delicious, Mexican food at really good prices.

I had the shrimp tacos, under ten bucks, that came loaded with fresh shrimp. My wife had a combination platter, and my daughter got the fajita special. All three came to thirty bucks and all three were excellent. Service was good too. Stop by and see what I mean.

Good Hops Brewing- Carolina Beach, NC

There has been an explosion of micro-brewers in the Wilmington area over the past year or so and visiting them all looked like a nice little summer project. First stop on the beer trail was Good Hops Brewing on Dow Road in Carolina Beach with my son-in-law Allen. 

They have been around for about a year now, longer if you count their affiliation with Lookout Brewing in Western NC. When we stopped by on a Monday afternoon they had four of their own beers on tap, as well as three guest taps. 

We sampled all four of their brews and they were all quite good. The smoked ale had a nice taste that almost reminded me of a hint of bacon. I was assured that there was no bacon in it though. The Boardwalk Brown was one of the best brown ales I have tasted. The Pleasure Island Pilsner, and I am not a pilsner fan, was excellent and could make me a convert. It had a nice crisp taste. The Golden Ale was also good.  

After introducing myself, and telling them that I was going to write an article, we got a private tour of the facility. I was quite impressed. It was clean and had room for expansion, something they need to do as they are having trouble keeping up with the demand from local restaurants. 

The brewery does not sell food, so that allows them to be dog friendly and they are family friendly too. Don't worry, you can bring your own food with you and people have even had a pizza delivery come for them. No distracting televisions here, but they do have board games, a nice outdoor area, and friendly people. 

There are even plans to take the back area and turn it into a hall for parties and weddings. 

We decided to take home some beer and each bought a quart. I went with the Pilsner and Allen with the Smoked Ale. What they do is charge you for the two pints and add a buck for the mason jar. Cheap since the plisner was only three bucks a pint. 

Okay, first stop on the beer trail was a winner. Go there and see for yourself. They have a website for directions and information.

Fork n Cork- Wilmington, NC

Fork n Cork sits on Market Street, near the Dixie Grill. It is a small place and is well appointed with  plenty of wood and brick. We got there on a Saturday night and they were packed. The hostess took our name and phone number and said she would call us when a table became available. In less than fifteen minutes we got a call and headed back to be seated at the bar. 

I had heard that their burgers are quite good so I decided on the Hot Mess which had bacon, jalapeños, grilled onions, blue cheese, cheddar, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun for eleven bucks. It came with house cut fries. I decided to pair it with a Dirty Bastard from Founders. The burger was excellent and all of the ingredients married perfectly.

Teresa went with the special burger, the MoRockStar, at fourteen bucks. It was a turkey burger with mint, cumin, coriander, paprika, cheddar, cherry-olive chutney, mustard green, and sweet potato fries. She switched out the regular fries for a side salad for an extra two bucks. I had a taste and it was amazingly good. 

Overall, a cute place with very good food and service. We'd go back and I suggest you try them sometime. They have a website for more information. 

Elevation Burger- Willow Grove, Pa

Elevation Burger was started about a decade ago in Falls Church, Virginia and now has over fifty locations. Most of them are on the East Coast with a few in the Middle East. The founder, Hans Hess, came up with the idea of serving higher quality, grass-fed, meats and it was a novel concept at the time. They are what I like to call nouveau burger cuisine, those new slightly upscale burgers chains that have been popping up over the past few years. 

I had the Nyack location on my short list, but found there was one on the way down to our daughter's house so we stopped by the Willow Grove, Pennsylvania location to see what it was all about. Inside it has that modern burger place look, clean and neat. The menu is simple and easy to read and the service was friendly and helpful. 

I ordered the Elevation Burger, a double patty, with cheddar cheese and original toppings, lettuce, pickles, Elevation sauce, and tomato at $6.50. Teresa ordered a single burger with the same toppings and added caramelized onions at $4.50. We shared a regular fries at $3.25 and a drink at $2.25. Just a shade over eighteen dollars, comparable to the competition.   

So, how do they stack up to the competition in taste? The shoestring fries (fried in olive oil) were nice and crispy with good flavor. I like the fact that they have malt vinegar and Old Bay seasoning available. The burgers were quite good, equal to Habit Burger, Jake's Burger Fi and better than Shake Shake and Five Guys, but a bit below Smashburger. I would go again.

Billy Joe's Ribworks- Newburgh, NY

Billy Joe's Ribworks sits on the waterfront in Newburgh and I have been there a few times for happy hour on a Friday when they put out free appetizers. I thought it only right to stop by and have a meal so today being a gorgeous day we stopped by for lunch.

We sat outside to enjoy the view and looked over the menus. I was thinking of the Carolina burger, but I decided on the Brueben, a take on a Rueben, at twelve bucks. It was smoked brisket with cole slaw, melted provolone, and a BBQ mayonnaise on Texas Toast. It was quite good, the brisket was nice and tender, and came with some nice fries. 

Teresa went with the cilantro chicken sandwich, also twelve bucks. She opted for the sweet potato fries which were okay, but the regular fries were better. She said the chicken was good, but the portion was a bit small. 

Overall, a nice place with good service and good food. The view is excellent too. We'll go back again sometime. They have a website for more information. 

Mr. Sushi & Grill- Middletown, NY. My favorite sushi restaurant.

Mr. Sushi is my favorite sushi restaurant. We've been there a few times and each visit was amazing. This time I went away from a roll and ordered the cerviche at twelve bucks. It was an appetizer, yet there was plenty of amazing fish, fruit and so much more. With it I ordered uni sashimi and snapper sashimi at four bucks each, also both amazing. Teresa went with chicken pad Thai for fifteen bucks that she loved. 

Margaritas Mexican Restaurant- Wappingers Falls, NY

Margarita's is a cute little Mexican restaurant in Wappingers Falls, located in a strip mall on route 9. I've seen it a few time when we stopped at Kohl's and today we decided to see what it was like. Inside it is a bit bigger than it looks and is brightly decorated with Mexican music playing on the stereo system.

We were seated and looked over the menus. I was toying with the fish taco, the ceviche, the enchilada mole, and a seafood special. I went with the Fish Tacos, three soft flour tortillas with marinated grilled cod fish served with shredded cabbage, cheese, cilantro and onions in a white sauce for $15.95. It was very good. The fish was perfectly cooked and they put the toppings in a bowl so you can add as much as you like. The tartar sauce was excellent. 

Teresa ordered the Grilled Chicken Quesadilla which was a grilled flour tortilla stuffed with char-broiled chicken and jack cheese and served with sour cream and guacamole for $10.75. At first she thought it was a bit small, but that was because they put it on a huge plate. She said it was very good, and very filling. The guacamole was excellent. 

So, overall a very good meal. Good food at reasonable prices, good service, and nice ambiance. We will be back. They have a website for more information. 

Emeril's Burgers and More- Bethleham, Pa

Emeril Lagasse was the guy that got me hooked on the Food Network, and the guy that got me to try different things in the kitchen. I always loved his style and when I want a new recipe to try I start by looking at his on the web. 

I had his Burgers and More at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem on my short list for a while and we decided to stop by on Memorial Day while headed home. 

I went with the Black and Blue Burger at fifteen bucks and got the sweet potato fries as a side. I ordered it medium and it came out as a perfect medium. In fact, it was a perfect burger in every way. Not only was it cooked perfectly, but it was seasoned properly with plenty of flavor. Quite probably one of the best burgers I have ever tasted, and that is saying a lot. The sweet potato fries were okay, but a little undercooked.

Teresa ordered the Prime Burger with Swiss cheese at fourteen bucks with onion rings. Her burger came out a perfect medium-well and the onion rings were excellent. Next time I would order the rings too. 

So Emeril puts his money where his mouth is and runs an excellent restaurant. Stop by sometime if you are in the area. There is a website for more information. 

Sly Fox Brewing

Sly Fox Brewing came into being in 2012 and now has two locations. One is in Pottstown, and the one we went to is in Pheonixville. We went there a while ago and we liked it a lot, so a return visit was in order. 

Now brewpubs may have good food, they may have good beer, and they may have good service, but rarely do they have all three. This is one of those few places that gets all three right. 

I started with a pint of Odyssey Imperial Ale. It was quite good. So good that I had a second and got a growler to take home. I ordered the bacon blue cheeseburger and it also was quite good. A tad over the medium I'd ordered, but still good. 

Teresa and Nicole got the chicken gyro, and they said it was good. Brian ordered the special, venison sausage which had a nice flavor. The kids had mini burgers and they were good too. 

In addition to the growler I picked up a cold six-pack of 113 IPA to go. All told the bill was just $100 for four adults, two kids, five pints, a six-pack and a growler. Cheap. Also, the service was outstanding. 

We will be back again. They have a website for more information. 

Burger Fi- Poughkeepsie, NY

Burger Fi is a four year old chain of about 70 restaurants, 26 of them are in Florida where they started, modeled along the lines of the new trend of upscale burger joints. Their philosophy is to use quality ingredients, like grass fed beef with no hormones or antibiotics, and prepare it properly. They even show the calories on the menu which I like.

We stopped by the Poughkeepsie location, near Vassar College, for a late lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The inside is nice with wood, polished metal, and lots of natural light coming through the large windows. 

I was going to order the Twenty-eight Burger at $9.97 which is called that because the ground brisket is aged for twenty-eight days. It looked interesting, but I wanted to try their basic burger  to get an idea of how they stack up to the competition and decided though to go with the Burgerfi Cheeseburger at $5.57 which is a two-patty burger with cheese, house sauce, lettuce, and tomato. Teresa did the 'build your burger' with a single patty on lettuce in place of the bun. We shared a small order of fries (I would call them a large) and a soda. The total came to $16.52, less than most comparable restaurants. 

The burgers were good, quite good in fact. There was plenty of flavor, they were nice and juicy, and fresh tasting. The hand-cut fries were excellent. They were hot, crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle, just the way I like them. So, how does Burger Fi stack up to their competition? I would rate them on a par with Smashburger and Habit and that is saying something. 

They have a nice selection of craft beers and the Coke Freestyle fountain. We will definitely be heading back again sometime, I want to try that Twenty-eight burger and a Chicago style hot dog since they use Vienna Beef hot dogs.  Stop by and see for yourself. They have a website for menus and locations. 

YO! Sushi- Paramus, NJ

YO! Sushi is the largest sushi chain in the U.K. and they are making their way across the pond to the former colonies. The first location in the Northeast is in the Westfield Garden State Plaza, and they opened April 30th. We were invited to the soft opening and I thought it might be interesting to check out their unique concept. 

What makes them unique, at least here in the States, is that they have a long conveyor belt running called a kaiten around the restaurant on which dishes ride looking like flying saucers from an old sci-fi flik. You take what you want off of the belt and dig in. The plates are color coded and each color has a price. They tally up the plates when you finish, and you pay. The plates are covered, so they are protected, and they have a code on them which I assume tells them when to pull the item from the belt should it not have been selected. 

Don't see what you want? Don't worry as they have a menu of hot foods and more available. All you do is push a button at your seat and the white light next to you turns blue. Blink and a server instantly  appears (well it seemed so anyway). What you order is quickly delivered. In a real hurry? They have a cooler in front with items ready to go. 

We tried quite a few dishes and they were all very good. My favorite was the calamari with a ginger taste. It was lightly fried and the calamari was just the right texture. 

I also loved the spicy dragon roll. Not too spicy though, just the right amount of heat.

The salmon was fresh, tasty, and a generous portion.

I tried a seaweed dish that was good also. The dishes are not labeled, but there is a large full-color menu with pictures of each allowing the diner to easily identify the plate like using an Audubon book for bird watching. It actually is quite a fun activity.

Now I can see an upside to this system, and a downside. The upside is that you can start eating immediately upon being seated and see what the food looks like, perhaps leading to trying something different. The downside is that with everything passing by, those plates can rack up rather quickly on your table, as can the bill. I recommend exercising caution and eating slowly. 

Overall, the food is fresh and good. Not what I would call amazing, but quite good. The selection on the conveyor is simple, but the menu is more extensive. The ambiance is cool, the staff is friendly, enthusiastic, and helpful. I would go back again and you should stop by for a unique sushi experience. They have a website for more information.

Dinerluxe- New Milford, Ct.

Nothing says classic American fare as the diner, especially a good Greek one. When I go to a new diner I look at four aspects to determine whether they are great, good, or mediocre. First, the food, they must be able to present a perfect omelet, gyro, burger, or Rueben. If they can't, they should close up. Next, it has to be clean. Third, I want good service, and last I want reasonable prices. Oh, and cool looking is nice too.

We travel to Brookfield Ct. about once a month to hit the Costco and we like to try new places so when a colleague of Teresa recommended the Dinerluxe we decided to drive up and try them. 

I went with the Carnegie Reuben at $8.99. It was the way I like a Rueben, something that can be held in the hand and not some insane open-faced monster oozing cheese. The corned beef was quite nice, the marble rye bread was buttered and grilled on the flattop the way it should be, and there was just the right amount of Swiss and sauerkraut. With it came a copious amount of perfectly cooked fries, crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, a large pickle, and a small bowl of some of the best cole slaw I've ever had. 

Teresa went with the parmesan crusted chicken sandwich at $9.79. It had some darn tasty chicken, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and arugula with a side of basil vinaigrette, all on a very fresh bun. It also came with fries, pickle, and slaw.

So, let's see how Dinerluxe fared on my criteria. On food and price the place hit the mark. The service was excellent, pleasant, quick, and knowledgable. The place was quite clean too, including the bathrooms. The decor is very tastefully done with what I like to call modern diner chic, a cool nice mix of chrome and color. All that said, I would rate Dinerluxe as a great diner and we will certainly be popping back in the future. I want to try an omelet and a gyro. You should stop by too and see what I mean.

Update- We stopped by again and were just as pleased with everything. I got the Black Jack burger and they cooked it to a perfect medium. Teresa ordered a Cobb salad and it was excellent. 

They have a website for more information.