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. 

Pauly's Burgers- Walden, NY

Pauly's Burgers is a seasonal mobile restaurant parked at Tin Brook Bed and Breakfast. I've passed by hundreds of times, they are just down the road from my house, and said that I had to give them a try. Today I stopped and I will be stopping by again, often.

I got the bacon cheeseburger to go at $8.75 and it came with copious, and delicious, fries. The burger was 1/4 pound and seasoned perfectly with American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and pickles. 

They have a website. 

Newburgh Brewing Company- Newburgh, NY

Fish Tacos

The Newburgh Brewing Company has only been around for a couple of years, but they have gotten a good reputation in that short time. It took me a while to get there, but a nice sunny day brought me out near the waterfront and I must say that I have been missing out by not having gone there earlier. 

I was there on a Saturday at about 2:00 and there were only a few people there. I believe that it could be a bit noisy when crowded, but it was nice and quiet when I visited. The place has the feel of an old beer hall with plenty of open space, it was once a factory, and long wooden tables. It is brick, wood and has many windows with a view of the Hudson River. You order and pay at the bar, just like they do in Europe, and the food is brought to your table. 

Ginger DIPA

I wanted a flight to sample a few beers, but they don't do flights. They do allow you a sample of whatever you want so after sampling I started with a Ginger DIPA. It had a nice taste, a bit unusual, with the ginger not overpowering the double IPA. No nasty aftertaste either, but I don't think I could have had more than one of them. It was five bucks for a 10 oz glass and weighed in at 8.1%. 

Hop Drop IPA

I followed it up with a Hop Drop double IPA and that was amazing, one of the finest double IPAs I've ever had. The bartender told me it was the same basic beer as the ginger, without the ginger added. It weighed in at 10%, a tad heavier, and cost five bucks. Two heavy beers was my limit as I was driving and between them I ate. 

The food menu is limited so I went with the fish tacos, shown above. There were three of them for eleven bucks and they were quite well executed. Fresh tasting and crispy fish in a blue tortilla with cabbage slaw, cilantro and jalapeño. I would have like a bit more heat, but that is my personal taste. 

So overall, this is one of those rare brewpubs that has both good food and good beer. Oh, and all of the staff that I met were friendly and helpful. I can see why they have such a great reputation and I will certainly be headed back again. They have a website for more information.

Buck Shot Burger- Rosy Tomorrows, Danbury, Ct

Just wanted to share this profile of one of my favorite burgers. This little gem has cheddar cheese, horseradish infused aioli, onion straws, and red onions on a toasted bun for eleven-fifty. It comes with sweet potato fries and they also cook it properly to a perfect medium when so ordered. 

Wake N Bake- Carolina Beach, NC

When I travel south I just have to get some donuts, especially when I get to carolina Beach. An annual trip to Britt's has been a tradition, but they are only open in the summer, so when I heard about a new place called Wake N Bake I had to give them a try. When we got there the place was crowded and there was a line. The line moved quick though and the staff was friendly and helpful. 

I got a dozen for fifteen bucks (there were four adults and six children in our group) and mixed them up. Three glazed, a Carolina sand, a Loopy Morning, a Pebble Rock, a Samoa, a maple Bacon, a Couch Potato and a couple more. All were good, my favorite being the Samoa. The glazed were okay, but I do prefer Britt's glazed. 

They have a website for directions and stuff. 

Rucker Johns- Wilmington, NC

Rucker Johns has been around for about 25 years and they have three locations. One is in Greenville, the other in Emerald Isle, and the one we went to in Wilmington. Actually it was in Myrtle Grove, more commonly known as Monkey Junction, on Caroline Beach Road.

We were headed back to the ILM from the aquarium and decided to stop by and see what it was all about. The restaurant has a nice feel to it with the elements of a chain, but a bit more homey. The service was excellent, and the prices seemed good.   

I got the Carolina Burger at eleven bucks which consisted of a half-pound of burger, lettuce, tomato, onion, Monterey Jack cheese, bacon, Thousand Island, and sour cream all on a nice brioche bun. I switched out the fries for spicy black beans, a wise choice. The burger was quite well executed.

Everyone else liked what they got and I would go back again. They have a website for more information. 

Camarons Acapulco at Pancho's & Gringo's- Brookfield, Ct.

Shrimp wrapped in bacon, perfectly spiced, laying on a bed of queso sauce. What's not to love about it? Pancho's & Gringo's is fast becoming our favorite Mexican place and a dish like this just explains why.