Cauldron Restaurant and Bar, Montgomery NY

I've been meaning to go to the Cauldron Restaurant in Montgomery for months now, but it seems that I never travel that section of the road anymore, so I always seem to forget. The restaurant is owned by the family of one of my former students, Giovanni La Piana (one of my favorite former students), and I've tried their food at Montgomery Day and The Walden Harvest Festival and liked what I had. Well, today we were out and couldn't decide where to eat and suddenly it came to me. We've gotta give the Cauldron a try. We're glad we did and we've added a new favorite to our list.

The Cauldron isn't big. There is bar area with a few tables, and a small dining room. It's decorated in red and white with a warm feel and posters on the wall. Giovanni seated us, gave us the menus, and explained the specials. He told us that all of the pasta is homemade and all of the vegetables are local. From farm to table is how he explained it. If you're a localvore this will make you happy. Shortly after we ordered we were given fresh baked focaccia bread,

We ordered off the specials menu and I had the Cioppini (see the top photo). It was clams, shrimp, calamari, in a spicy sauce with carrots and celery over home made linguini. The best description is delicious with just the right amount of heat. The calamari was cooked perfectly and it almost melted in my mouth. The shrimp and clams were just right too, as were the carrots and celery. The pasta was amazing. There was so much on my plate I had to bring half of it home, and that's rare for me, but I have a nice lunch waiting for me tomorrow.

Teresa got the butternut squash ravioli with a nice white sauce on it. I took a bite and it was very tasty. Both of our meals came with a choice of salad or soup. Looking at the soup choices we decided that was the way to go. I got the French Onion, which was excellent. Teresa had the Tuscan soup with broccoli rabe that had a nice flavor that even I liked. She loved it.

Both dishes were eighteen dollars and worth every penny of that. Overall, this was a great meal out and I highly recommend the Cauldron Restaurant. They are located at 631 State Route 17K in Montgomery New York, next door to the Spruce Lodge. The phone number is (845) 567-1760. They also make a pretty mean pizza and they used to be known as Colletta's Pizza. Stop in and you'll be glad you did. Tell them I sent you.

Beacon Falls Cafe, Beacon, NY

Beacon New York is one of those small American cities which fell into a steep decline a couple of decades ago and it looked like it was never going to come out of it. Well, that all changed a few years ago when a few art galleries opened, along with some antique shops and some specialty stores. That brought a new crop of restaurants so that Beacon is now a destination.

Teresa and I went over to Beacon today to try something different. First choice was Poppy's, he's a champion on the Food Network show Chopped, but we decided to do that another time so we headed down the street to where we'd spotted a Mexican place once in passing. We parked and wandered around for a few blocks looking into some shops and we looked at the menus in a couple of restaurants. One choice was Thai, but it was pricey and I'm not a huge fan anyway. The Mexican place held promise, shrimp tacos being one of my favorites, but we decided to do that another day. What struck my eye was a small place called Beacon Falls Cafe, near the corner. There is a small waterfall nearby that was once used to power a nearby factory. We looked that the menu posted on the window (I love it when restaurants do this as it makes it so much easier to see what they have to offer, as well as the prices) and decided this was the place.

We entered and were told to sit wherever we wanted. The outside tables were full, and I'm not a fan of eating on the sidewalk anyway, the smell of diesel exhaust while eating isn't my idea of fine dining. There were a few tables available and we chose a table by the window as I wanted good lighting for the picture. It isn't big inside, but it is bright and clean and well decorated with the paintings of a local artist.

We were asked a few times what we wanted to drink and each time we said the water they'd already given us was fine. I'm a huge fan of tap water at restaurants and rarely order a drink while eating, especially if I'm driving. They do have a good wine and beer selection, but we passed on that. We were given menus and we watched them bring food to other tables. I like to look at what passes by as I decide what to order and everything looked good.

Regular readers of this blog know that I have a soft spot for a bacon and blue cheese burger. There's something magic about that combination so after perusing the menu I ordered my usual. Teresa ordered a special.

It took a little long to get the meal and the waitress apologized for the delay. No matter. When my burger arrived I smiled and took the camera out to get a portrait of my meal and placed the burger in the sun so it had a nice halo affect, kind of an ethereal glow. After the photo shoot, I took the top bun off and realized there was no bacon. Hmmm. Then I noted that the cheese was yellow. This wasn't my burger! I called the waitress over and said, "This is a beautiful burger, but not the one I ordered." She apologized and said she'd correct it. I told her it was okay, I'd eat this one. I was salivating over it anyway and it really didn't matter all that much.

Now here's what separates an ordinary restaurant from the really good ones, how they handle a mistake. The really good ones make up for it immediately. I received so many apologies as I ate that I think I got to know the entire staff. I kept saying it was all right and it really was. The burger I got was delicious with fresh meat cooked to perfection, on a fresh kaiser roll. The fries were crisp and hot and they had a small pasta salad with it too. Teresa said hers was good, I just can't remember what it was. Not a good thing for a food critic to do, but maybe I was so wrapped up in what I had. After we finished, and the bill came, we were told that the chef wanted to give us desert. We were full, but after hearing the choices, we decided we'd share a delightful chocolate mousse cake. So rich and tasty! Good thing we shared it as neither one of us could have finished it on our own. I also had coffee. Good coffee.

Now it is possible that I got made as a food critic, especially when I took a picture of the food as that's not something the average diner does, but I may be experiencing a bit of hubris if I think I'm that recognizable. I think they are genuinely concerned about customer service and that makes them a really good restaurant. No, maybe a great restaurant.

The bill came to $20.00, tax and tip included, for a great meal with great service and atmosphere. I'm definitely going back again, this time I do want that bacon and blue cheese burger. They have a website for more information.

Update- I did get back for that bacon and blue burger and it was worth the trip. Service was excellent and food terrific. If you haven't been there yet, what are you waiting for?

Another Update- Since this review we've been back quite a few times and the food, service and ambiance have been excellent. I've gotten to know Bob, the chef and owner, well. I have to say that BFC is truly a gem and is fast becoming my favorite place in the Hudson Valley to eat.

Hudson Valley Garlic Festival 2010

We just got back from the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties New York and you can probably smell the garlic reeking out of me from a mile away. Garlic everything. I had garlic clams to start, followed by a hot dog with garlic salsa. Next we shared a steak sandwich (not as flavorful as I would have liked) followed by garlic ice cream. That's right, garlic ice cream. What they do is mix roasted garlic into vanilla ice cream. The roasted garlic has a sweet taste made even sweeter by the ice cream. They have garlic gelato which may be better, I'll try that one next year. Oh, I had a garlic and beef empanada at the end. See where the smell is coming from?

In between these delightful things we tasted garlic, had shots of garlic vinegar, and sampled garlic flavored dips, cheese, and all sorts of tasty things. We also saw chef Ric Orlando do a cooking demonstration. He's a champion on the TV show Chopped and he's in the final four for the top chef. I'll post a picture of him cooking after the final airs on Tuesday. He made a risotto and strawberry, chocolate and garlic desert that tasted interesting. Plus, he gave some great cooking tips.

Overall, we had a great time and the weather was perfect. If you've never been, keep it in mind. The Garlic Festival is held on the last full weekend in September and is open from 10:00 to 5:00. Check out the website for more info.

Freskada Mediterranean Kuzina, Exton, PA

I know I've said this before, but I like Greek food and it's always nice to find someplace that does a good job. Freskada Mediterranean Kuzina in Exton, PA is one of those places. The menu isn't extensive, but they had quite a few good choices on it. I debated on a few dishes and finally decided on my favorite, the gyro. But first, a dish of stuffed grape leaves, or dolmades, to warm up.

The gyro was as delicious as it looked and it was full of thick-cut gyro meat in a grilled pita. The sauce was good as well. The fries were a bit lacking though, they could have been crisper, but they weren't bad. I should have substituted a Greek salad instead.

Nicole had the Grilled Chicken Roma sandwich and Teresa had the Grilled Hummus Chicken sandwich at $8.95 each. Bpth were good too. They actually had to take some of the chicken off as there was too much on it. They don't skimp on the meat here. Between the extra chicken on the two sandwiches, we brought home enough chicken to make another meal.

They have a website for info and the menu. Pay them a visit next time you're in Exton. You won't be disappointed.

Zaxby's Chicken, Wilmington, NC

I only had Zaxby's twice before, and only when someone else had gone there and had some left over. This time when my daughter and son-in-law wanted a quick bite I suggested the Zaxby's on Gordon Rd in Wilmington, and I tagged along. We did the drive-up and got the twenty piece chicken nuggets and an order of fried pickles, shown above.
Well, the chicken was good and we got it with the Zax sauce (very much like Mac sauce) and an extra hot sauce (that one was real good). The fried pickles at $2.75 were tasty too.

Zaxby's is a Southern chain, started in Georgia back in the '80's. They have a web site too for more info.

Main Street Bistro, New Paltz, NY

People have been telling me how great Main Street Bistro in New Paltz is for quite some time and we finally tried it. After having experienced it, my advice is to finish reading this and go there. This place is great and is one of my new favorites.

I had the Guaca Baca Burger, guacamole, bacon and muenster cheese on a fresh kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato and pickle, for $6.50. That's right, only $6.50 and it came with choice of regular fries, sweet potato fries or salad. I opted for the salad and there was plenty. Teresa had the Bistro Barn Burger, bacon, cheese and salad for $5.95. Total bill was under seventeen dollars tax and tip included. The burgers were not just cheap, they were very good too. I ordered mine medium and it came cooked just right.

They have a breakfast menu and a dinner menu too that include pastas, sandwiches and a whole lot more. Check out their website for menu and hours.

Update 9/18/10- We stopped by today and I got the same burger, even though I wanted to try something different. I just couldn't pass up this amazing burger and it was every bit as good as the memory of the first one. This may be the best burger I've had in the Hudson Valley, and I recommend a Hurricane Kitty, a hearty IPA from Keegan Ales to complement it. If you haven't been there yet, what are you waiting for?

Maya Cafe and Cantina, Fishkill, NY

About a year ago we visited Maya Cafe in Wappingers Falls and really liked it, so we decided to try the Fishkill location. Turned out to be a wise choice. They are located on Route 9, just below the Hess Station across from the Dutchess Mall, or what's left of it, in what used to be a bar many years ago.

Maya Cafe is brightly decorated inside and the staff is very friendly. Our waiter, Alejandro, was sincerely polite and accommodating, as were everyone else. They give you a bowl of salsa, just a hint of heat, and warm nacho chips. The problem we had was that there were too many choices on the menu.

After some deliberation I decided on the Tacos Camaron (shrimp tacos) at $10.95. Two deep-fried tortillas with shrimp, pico de gallo, and avocado. It came with rice and black beans. You can get the dinner portion as well, which is larger and comes with plantains for $14.95. Very tasty and the lunch portion was quite filling, but I had room left to order one of the interesting looking deserts. Or so I thought.

Teresa decided on the Tacos Barbocoa at $9.95. This was a delicious marinated steak that had a slightly spicy, slightly sweet flavor to it. There were three on her plate and I had to eat one of them as two were enough for her. So much for that desert idea. Next time I'll leave room. Although I could have sat there until I was hungry as they don't rush you. Not that they are slow, they just give you space, which I like, while making sure everything is good. A nice balance.

Needless to say, Maya Cafe is becoming a favorite. Try them sometime, you won't be disappointed. They have a website for more info.

Cookout, Wilmington, NC, Revisited.

About this time last year I posted a review of the Cookout Restaurant in Wilmington, NC and it has become one of the most popular reviews I've done. I'm a bit surprised since the review panned the ordering system and talked more about a mistake in the order. After some careful thought I decided that maybe they deserved a second look so I hit them the other day to see how it was.

The menu hasn't changed, it's still hard to read (lots of pretty colors and fonts are used) but this time I knew ahead of time what to order. I got two small cheeseburgers with ketchup, mustard, and pickles. I tried to get jalapenos so it would be the same burger I get at Five Guys for a comparison, but they don't have them. The burgers were cheap, real cheap. I paid about $2.70 for both of them. There were good too, in a fast food sense. I'd rank them as better than MacDonalds and Burger King, on a par with Checkers and Andy's, and nowhere near a Five Guys.

Olympia Restaurant, Wilmington, NC

I like Greek food, and my favorite dish is the Gyro, so when my daughter Rachel made the suggestion that we try the Olympia Restaurant on Oleander Dr in Wilmington, NC, I quickly agreed. It turned out to be a very nice Greek restaurant. Not too big and not too small, but they have a small party room and outdoor dining. Not that I’d eat outdoors when the heat index was well over a hundred degrees mind you.

We looked over the menu and I was leaning toward one of the seafood dishes or a pasta dish, but changed my mind. I wanted what I consider traditional Greek food. We shared the hummus with pita for $6.95 (it was a very large portion) and I had the Gyro Pita at $7.95 (please note the picture above), in fact we had three more of them at the table plus another one with chicken. The tzatziki sauce was excellent, creamy and garlicky and the pita was fresh too. The kids had chicken fingers with fries off the children’s menu and Teresa had the Greek salad and a side of Greek potatoes. Everything was great and all told it was just over ninety dollars, less tip, for six adults and three kids, including two bottles of Mythos. I had the Mythos, the kids had seltzer water. The lunch menu is a bit cheaper.

It’s a nice place to eat, and the bathrooms are clean too. That’s important when you take the family out for dinner. They have a website for more information.

Flaming Amy's Burrito Barn, Wilmington, NC

Hot, Fast, Cheap and Easy, that’s the motto of Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn on Oleander in Wilmington, NC. They have other comments too, like; if your food doesn’t arrive in five minutes, it probably will in another five or ten minutes, if it’s too loud you may be too old, lighten up, just because we call this a barn doesn’t mean you have to act like you were raised in one. The sign on the door says, no smoking, no idiots. I like that last one, but I wasn’t sure if I could go in. I did anyway and I was glad I did.

You enter and stand in line for the counter. The line can get long; in fact the line went out the door as we were finishing our meals. The line does move fast though and you have time to look at the menu on the wall to decide what to order. When you get to the counter you order and they give you a number for the table, the tattooed waitress brings you the food. The place has an interesting rough and kitschy feel to it, but good for a family.

I got the Big Fat Greek Burrito, black olives, banana peppers, spinach, red onions, lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese and your choice of meat. I got the chicken. Teresa had the Big Jerk, roasted red peppers, pineapple jalapeno salsa, sour cream, cheese, rice, beans and chicken. They each cost $6.95 and came with nachos on the side. Add a soda and it all came to $17.12 tax included. They have several specialty burritos, and you can custom order whatever you like. There are also quesadillas and nachos.

One of the neatest things is the salsa bar for the nachos. They have nine different kinds and my favorites were the chipotle tomatillo and the wasabi avocado.

Overall it’s a fun place to have some good food for a reasonable price. Check out their website for more information.

Country Griddle, Flemington, NJ

This is another place we've driven past countless times and wondered what it was like. The parking lot is always full, and there are some cheap specials listed outside. Well, today we decided to stop and try it. It's an older restaurant, styled after the homestyle family dining concept of the 70's and it's probably been around that long.

We looked over the menu and they had some nice specials. What caught my eye were two things; Country Fried Steak and eggs, and French Toast with eggs, bacon and sausage. The latter won out and we both ordered it. The portion was huge. Two filling meals for $16.00, plus tip.

They are located on Rt 202, just south of the traffic circle (or roundabout as my GPS calls it) in Flemington, NJ. Give them a try.

le Steak frites, Montreal

We wandered around Old Montreal a few times trying to decide what to eat when we saw le Steak frites on Rue Saint Paul. It looked interesting and I knew that frites means fries, and that steak means steak, so we stopped in.

I got the steak frites at $18.00 (Canadian) which was a nice cut of shoulder meat cooked medium rare, just as I asked, with green beans, a small salad, and fries. They give you a couple of good rolls too. Very good rolls. I also ordered escargot for an appetizer, good as well. Teresa just had French Onion Soup and some green beans, but I did get her to try a snail.

It is a BYOB restaurant, but they have soft drinks available. I'm a big fan of tap water myself. Food was good, service good, overall a nice experience. They have a website where they show you what some of the entrees look like.

Creme de la Creme Cafe, Montreal

Montreal is a very European city, and is probably as close to being in France as one can get without leaving the continent, this continent that is. The city is small and easy to get around in, and full of places to eat. Many of them are excellent and full of old world charm. Situated at 21 Rue De La Commune is a neat example of this called Creme de La Creme Cafe.

At first glance one sees a stone building with outdoor table service. We stopped to look at the menu and it was interesting, but we were still shopping for lunch and started moving on. What changed my mind was when I saw the waitress deliver two delightful looking melted sandwiches to a table. I got as close as I could to get a better look, and smell, without being blatantly rude of course, and decided this was our place. We decided to eat inside as the sky was getting dark and threatening.

Inside was stone and wood with a long bar. On entering we heard French music playing, a female vocalist. We chose a table near the door so that we could watch the passersby, and the impending storm. Our waitress came over and said, "Bonjour!" When we replied "Hello," she immediately switched to English with a lovely accent, more French than Canadian, and presented us with menus. We asked for ice water and I got a local micro-brewed stout. I forget the name, but that's probably because the beer was unremarkable.

What was remarkable was the food. I got baked pepperoni, ham and cheese with a spicy mustard. I came with a salad. Teresa had an open faced turkey melt with salad and coffee. The bread tasted fresh, as did the rest of the ingredients. Also remarkable was the service. Very polite, quick, and amenable. Très agréable, as the French say. Our waitress even saw me reading the local newspaper, I was looking at the horoscopes, and she asked if I wanted her to read and translate them for me.

It turned out to be a stroke of genius, or more like a stroke of pure dumb luck that we chose Creme De La Creme as it started to pour the minute we sat down and continued until we finished our meal. This did give a nice cool breeze and even more entertainment as we watched the pedestrians running down the street.

Good food, good service, and tons of atmosphere. Like most European restaurants, there is more than meets the eye. There is an upstairs as well which seats many more. If you are ever in Montreal, stop by.

Alaska Pete's Road House Grill, Stroudsburgh, PA

We've passed by Alaska Pete's a few times when we travelled through the Poconos to avoid interstates on holiday weekends and it looked interesting, but the timing was never right to eat. This time we'd spent two hours in traffic and were hungry so I pulled in. Inside it's a bit like Northern Exposure meets Outback. It is large, and they have a large parking lot so I assume they must get busy here at times, but it was fairly empty when we stopped in.

The menu is typical roadhouse with the usual steaks and sandwiches, plus a couple of burgers. I was a bit burgered out so I decided to try the Alaska Pete's Cheesesteak at $9.49 and Teresa had the Chicken Cheesesteak for the same price. They turned out to be good choices. The rolls seemed fresh-baked and the insides were flavorful. The fries were hot and crispy too.

We'll stop by again. Check out their website for more info.

Lancaster Brewing Company, Lancaster, PA

Pennsylvania is full of brewpubs, one better than the other. One nice find is Lancaster Brewing Company in Lancaster. It sits in an old building on North Plum Street, a few minutes away from the shopping outlets, and they kept the rustic charm. Lots of wood and beams with the brewing kettles exposed.

It took a few minutes to look through the menu, it isn't huge but I like a limited menu sometimes because when a restaurant limits the menu, they do things right. Brian said this and I agree with him. I decided on the Angus Burger, pictured above, with bacon, cheddar cheese and fries. A plate of deliciousness for nine bucks. Teresa had the Brewer's Chicken at eight bucks, Nicole had the Black Bean Burger at eight bucks and Brian had the Turkey Dagwood for eight-fifty, with a delicious bowl of white chile for five bucks. All told, four meals and four beers for under sixty bucks plus tip. Good bargain for good food.

My favorite beer is the Milk Stout, it has a good flavor without being heavy, a good summer stout. Pictured with the burger is the Hop Hog IPA, a nice hoppy IPA. I had one of each. Ashley did a nice job waiting on us, and apologized profusely that the chile came out with the meal, instead of before and said they'd take it off if we didn't want it. That was fine with us though as the chile was worth waiting for.

Overall, a great dining experience and I recommend them. Check out their website for more info and stop by to eat if you happen to be in Lancaster.