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.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Brookfield CT

Five Guys has ruined me for other 'fast food' burgers. The burgers there are tasty and fresh, a handful of happiness. I use the term fast food carefully since everything is made fresh, so it does take a few minutes. The short wait is worth it though.

The Five Guys in Brookfield is on Federal Road, just up from the Stew Leonard's so we decided to go eat first, then do some grocery shopping. We changed our mind when the Five Guys lot was full so we shopped first and tried it again. This time there were a couple of spots available, but there was quite the crowd inside. It isn't as big as the one in Poughkeepsie since it is an old diner that's been converted, causing an odd interior. The food, however, was every bit as good though.

This time we decided to try the regular Five Guys fries instead of the cajun fries. They were good, but bland compared to the spicy ones. I had two little cheeseburgers with pickles and Teresa had a little burger with onions. Plenty of good food for a little over eighteen bucks with a soda.

I may start planning trips revolving around Five Guys locations, at least until they put one in Newburgh. If you haven't tried Five Guys yet, shut down the computer and take a drive. You can find their locations on the company website.

Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant, West Chester PA.

West Chester Pennsylvania is a neat little place. A college town with interesting stores and lots of places to eat. My favorite is the Iron Hill Brewery on 3 West Gay Street. We were there about a year ago and I remembered it as being really good, so when we were discussing dinner options and Iron Hill came up, I voiced my opinion. So Teresa and I, Nicole and Brian, and our friends Annette and Rob headed off for dinner.

Now I rate a restaurant on food quality, food quantity, service, price, and ambiance. Not necessarily in that order. In this case I'd rate the service as top-notch. We called ahead and put our name on the list, a good idea for any popular place, and only had to wait five minutes after we got there. They seated us in a booth. Problem was that my daughter is eight months pregnant, and a couple of us are in the extra large category. My wife asked for a table, and the manager got us one right away. The waitress also turned off the fan above us at our request. Orders were taken promptly and the food, and beer arrived fast and hot, Not the beer, that was nice and cold. I'm sorry I forgot our waitresses' name because she was awesome.

About the food, it's good and reasonably priced. Normally I'd get the burger, but I'd already eaten two that day, so I opted for the fish and chips. I picked up a taste for them when I was in England and I've found fish and chips to be better here. Iron Hill makes a good fish and chips, please note the picture above. Rob had the chicken pot pie, baked in a bowl with only a top crust. He liked it. Annette had the salmon burger, looked great and she said it tasted great too. Brian had a burger and Teresa had something off the special list and Nicole had a wrap. Everyone was quite full, and happy.

And the beer. I had the Ryesing, and American rye IPA with a slight hoppy taste and a hint of citrus flavor. Nice and refreshing. So much so that we left with a growler. Brian had the Heater Room, a brown ale with a smokey taste. They make some good beers here and there is something about a fresh beer with no preservatives in it. It just tastes cleaner.

And since we're hitting all of the criteria here, Iron Hill has a nice ambiance. Lots of wood, fairly bright, and you can even look into the food prep area, at least from where we were sitting. I like a restaurant that puts it all out there. Nothing to hid.

You really have to try this place sometime. They have a few other locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. For more information check out their website.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Poughkeepsie NY

I know, I said I don't usually do a Zagat rated restaurant, but this place is different. Five Guys Burgers and Fries has won accolades all over and I'm about to add mine.

This chain started in the DC area a few years back and it is growing fast. It isn't a typical fast food joint as many locations are in an office building, as well as the free-standing ones. They have a successful business model. Do one thing, do it right, and be consistent. They have burgers, dogs, soda and fries. That's it. Nothing complicated, nothing fancy. Just good food served right.

A regular hamburger has two patties and the little hamburger has one. They are all cooked well done for safety reasons, and to make the operation simpler. This way when the order is placed it's simply a matter of how many patties they have to make. Then you can add any of fifteen toppings, ketchup, mustard, peppers, onions (grilled or raw), etc, plus the cheese and bacon if you ordered that. Sodas are large and regular, as are the fries. The fries come or Five Guys Style, or Cajun. Regular or large. Regular size is plenty enough for two people to share.

We've been to the Poughkeepsie location twice now, and found it to be great both times. You place the order and they tell you your order number (it's on the receipt too) and the approximate wait time, and have a seat. On the way you can pick up some roasted peanuts in the shell to pass the time. Five minutes or so later, and they call your number. Each order is cooked fresh. I usually get the little burger as I'd rather have two of them than a single regular burger. The burger is good too.

Stop by at your local Five Guys for a nice burger. Check out the website to find one.

Update 12/19/08- I went here with seven people who have never been to a Five Guys before and they were impressed. We had all been at a party, and ate there, but we managed to chow down pretty well. I ate two burgers and even though I was stuffed, I could have had another. These are probably the best 'fast food' burgers out there.

Red Lobster, Middletown

My Mother-in-law was over and we, my wife and I that is, decided we should go out to eat. Mom loves shrimp, and Red Lobster has that never-ending-shrimp special going on so . . . well there we were.

First I have to tell you that the staff was great. We were seated right away and our waitress took good care of us. We decided on the never-ending shrimp (I was actually considering getting a lobster tail and a steak, but changed my mind). Well our waitress kept coming back to refill our water, and our shrimp.

The shrimp comes several ways, and you start with two, and refill with any choice. I tried them all. In order of favorite:

1. Cajun on rice pilaf

2. Scampi swimming in butter

3. Fried

4. Teriyaki

5. Coconut

None of them are truly stellar, the food is good, hot and prepared right, but Red Lobster isn't a great seafood place. It's a good seafood place. We did eat our fill however and left quite a few spent shrimp tails on the bread plates. Maybe next time I will get the tail, or try the new grilled menu.

MacDonald's, Chicago

At the intersection of Clark and Ontario Streets in Chicago sits the biggest Mac shack I've ever seen, and one of the best. It's actually a museum as well with some interesting pictures and memorabilia all over. On the first floor is the regular food area and there is a second floor where they serve gelato. Gelato at a Mac Donald's is pretty cool. Almost as cool as getting a beer in the London locations. The view from the second floor is good. Check it out when you're in town.