jfood's Profile
Phil's Grill Opens in Darien CT
Phil’s Grill opened last week in the Noroton Heights section of Darien amid a flurry of press so I took a road trip to check out this new entry into the diner scene. Located on the western end of Heights Road, local donut shop owner Phil Santomassi and his wife have done a great job in decorating their new restaurant space that includes seating for thirty at tables, four four-person booths plus seven high seats along the window overlooking the entrance. As the warm weather arrives additional seating will become available on their terrace. Phil seats everyone at their tables and wanders from table to table socializing with the customers. There are three large screen TVs that were televising the Ranger-Flyer, Yankee-Tiger games plus the PBA tournament on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
The menu contains over forty different choices including hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, sandwiches, plus dinner entrees, a bit ambitious for a first time entry into the diner scene. I noticed that many groups ordered the family-sized nachos, the Kobe beef sliders, a few salads and several orders of the fried chicken. The portions can best be described as substantial. When Phil stopped at my table and sat for a quick chat (he did so at almost every table) he indicated that the menu will be pared over the next few weeks to be more manageable .
I ordered the “All American” that included a hamburger, cheese, bacon and red onion on a roll plus French fries, a side order of onion rings, plus a chocolate shake. An early read on the food found the daily house cut French fries very good and the onion rings were tasty. I was surprised that the 8-ounce burger, delivered fresh and pre-formed from NJ, was small and wondered whether it was a full half-pound of meat but enjoyed the Beldotti’s supplied hamburger rolls. The burgers were prepared over a flame grill which allowed for some nice charring flavor, but the staff is still working on the doneness consistency. The menu is not inexpensive, the cost for my All American, a shake and onion rings was over $20 plus tip, expensive compared to other diner burgers.
Like all recently opened diners, Phil’s is working through opening week kinks. It is definitely a neighborhood haunt; as each party left, they stopped to shake Phil’s hand, and thanked him for the new spot in their neighborhood. On its first Friday it served almost 300 hamburgers and the staff returned for the weekend, always a good sign. I may return in a few months to see how Phil modifies the menu and works through the normal opening kinks.
www.ctbites.com
Filling Station in New Canaan - Anyone have the scoop?
thanks sub...I have to go back and give it a shot.
In-N-Out Burger sucks (moved from L.A. board)
Totally consistent
First line in the linear program:
Taste of burger meat = good
Once that occurs I think ketchup is a must because i love ketchup on a burger, if there is bacon within reach, please add, and caramelized onions, getting close to heaven.
But there is a difference between those flavors "complementing" the flavors of the good burgers I love versus a mustard glaze that is "required" to make it edible. The naked meat at I&O could not stand up when I tried it in NV (even with cheese and ketchup) while the burgers that make the "good burger" list can do so out of a paper bag eating with my fingers.
Hope that clears any confusion.
In-N-Out Burger sucks (moved from L.A. board)
I am a fan or mustard on meats (so no disagreement whatsoever) and i could eat many mustard covered meats til the cows come home. but if a burger "requires" a slathering of grilled mustard to make it good, then it is not good without the mustard.
If i had not eaten the animal style i would have placed the I&O into the "whats the big deal" bucket, but the animal style made it better
Granted it is not my cup of tea and if people love it, go for it, but I am not on the greatest thing since sliced bread bandwagon.
BTW - the TK mustard topped braised short ribs sound great.
In-N-Out Burger sucks (moved from L.A. board)
Full disclosure...east coaster here.
First I&O last November in NV, a double-double. I ate about half of it and did not get the hype and threw out the rest.
Last month in Sf and someone told me about animal style so I tried a double-double animal style. And I thought it was better. But if you need to coat a burger in mustard and grill it to give it flavor, not a good sign.
I do not understand all the hype.
Filling Station in New Canaan - Anyone have the scoop?
Hey sub and welcome to the boards.
No argument that HS had a great burger when Kardos was in the kitchen, but he left >6 months ago and I have not been here since. Out of curiosity when did you try the HS burger to see if it was a Kardos or a post-Kardos burger.
BTW - No need for the $18, been there and liked it. And I hate truffle fries.
40th Birthday weekend - Need help with restaurants!
The only thing inconsistent at August are fantastic, delectable and great dishes.
I went for my 55th in January and glad I did. Here is my full review.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/762903
Fairfield County Food
I agree with the great recommendations here with certain exceptions:
- Harbor lights - i think the quality has gone down over the last 5 years. I was an early lover of this place, but it sorta fell off the go-to places. Another entry to great fish dishes is Bistro Bonne Nuit in New Canaan, the daily specials are out of sight.
- I've also been disappointed by the dogs at Rawley's, not my cup of tea
- Likewise with all the really good burgers in FFD county, Flipside does not even make my top-10 list. Much better choices down county.
- A sleeper burger can be found at Farmer's Table in New Canaan. Meat from John Boy's in Cambridge NY and it is fantastic.
- For pastas I would also add Cava in New Canaan and its sister restaurant Scena, in Darien. Ten of us ate at Cava last night last night and everyone raved over their dishes.
- Never been to the Fairfield version of Colony but the original in Stamford is an experience, that should be, well, experienced.
Ciao and enjoy
www.ctbites.com
Any Westchester/CT Restaurants with live MUSIC???
M
Have you been to North Star? How is the food. Hav not been since the horse left the front yard and only a couple of miles from the house.
TIA
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North Star Restaurant
85 Westchester Ave, Pound Ridge, NY 10576
Ketchup & Hot dogs
Priceless, priceless, priceless.
HDL, I need a NJ hot dog favor. Could you post an email address on the blog page of my profile and i will dlete it asap.
BTW - I need to bring back close to 40 pounds of Best's Dons in 2 weeks. Getting major traction with my friends as their backyard grilled dog...mustard only.
Thx
Balducci's or Fairway?
Unless you want to buy milk, stay away from stews, real mid-level quality.
Balduccis has great produce and meats but waaaaay overpriced. I used to go there for fruit at times if i was in the area but that stop a while ago since other places opened nearer with as good quality and less dollars.
Fairway has very good and good. As I have described the place, I really like the outside and do not even venture into the inside aisles. Enter at produce, very nice organic choices, continue to smoked salmon (yum-yum), lots of olive oils and cheeses, make a right and see if the fish is fresh (has been hot or miss since it opened). The the butcher has some nice choices, wander down for the bagels and bialys (avoid the other baked goods, not to my liking). Grab a popper and put some honey peanut butter on and head up the milk aisle with their organic milk and then lots of egg choices.
Take a deep breath and enter the cashier queue. Some are good and some are challenged.
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Balducci's
1050 E Putnam Ave, Riverside, CT 06878
OK I'll bite - what do the Twitter counts on threads mean?
It means that engineering needs to re-prioritize the to-do list.This gets to the top of the list? Wow. At least they were considerate in the color, very easy to ignore.
Anyone know how to turn it off on Explorer?
HOLD ON....MAJOR LUCKY OR STUPID EVENT.
I increased the size of my fill so the posts consume more of the screen and the annoying stuff on the left converted to a red
S
H
A
R
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tab
Now if engineering can make that tab grey it will really disappear
Are condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, aioli, etc.) necessary for burgers?
and if they are small they are not sliders either. :-))
The Slider Phenomenon
B
Jfood had a leisurely ride to Laguardia last week and stopped for a 6-pack in the Bronx. The were about $4.50 but i did not have fries or soda (that is 10X of my childhood price).
As a lifelong WC lover i will say that the memories were better than the burgers. The meat was real beef but lacked any seasoning and was somewhat bland. I still liked the onions ketchup and roll with the meat but it may be I have outgrown these as well.
I only find them about once a year (closest to my house is >20 miles) and that time frame may get longer. I will still defend the use of the word slider should only relate to these steamed little gems though.
I know its your Birthday, but......
The kid is clueless, selfish and self-entiled. He is also a schnorrer.
First, you make a party for yourself, you invite people, you pay. If the friends put the party together, the b'day person's meal is split amongst the friends.
If this yutz is a friend, you need to have a heart to heart with him and tell him to man-up on this one.
BTW - I have never heard of b'day person and gf eat for free.
Brasa's Current Menu (March 2011) - Like the old one better
My usual go-to take to the hotel meal is a couple of sandwiches and a pudding.
This week I needed a fix so I chose the beef and the chicken sandwiches plus the butterscotch pudding.
The beef was tender but a little dry and for the second time in a row they forgot the sauce in the bag (will always check in the future). It did not have that great brasa flavors and crispy textures from the last version. The chicken was just all over the place. Although the chicken was juicy the flavors of the slaw addition just did not make me as happy as previous versions as well.
I like the butterscotch but would really like them to offer my favorite banana pudding from the past.
Still a favoritie but the current choices do not hit me with the same love as previous.
Are condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, aioli, etc.) necessary for burgers?
That's cool.
I do not think they are "getting in the way". I think they are adding additional flavors to complement, the salty, spicy, sweet... philosophy.
Are condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, aioli, etc.) necessary for burgers?
Tier 1 (Musts) - Good bun and ketchup
Tier 2 (Really Like) - Bacon or caramelized onions
Tier 3 (If available) - Pickle chips, tomato, lettuce, mayo and in the mood
When to salt a steak? My research.
I will also raise my paw in thanks that we all now have a homework assignment to add data to Ms C1 data base. Tough road to hoe but a steak-eater's gotta do what a steak-eaters gotta do.
Buying shrimp...21-25 count....what would you do?
There is a MAJOR difference in 21-25 and 36 count shrimp.
I would call the store and let them know. See how they respond. Sometimes the fishmonger either dumps the wrong bag into the case or grabs the wrong shrimp if they are lined up next to each other. Could be an honest mistake.
4 nights in Minneapolis--got the basics, looking for input
Add Bar La Grassa and book it now.
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Bar La Grassa
800 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401
4 nights in san jose del cabo
As long as an old thread has reopened, we were in Cabo last week as well:
Casiano's was great. A bunch of small inventive tapas style dishes made for a great evening with some unbelieveable tequila. my favorite was the black mullett canneloni stuffed with shrimp and a red sauce, and the lamb and filets were fork tender.
Morgans was so good we went twice. The appetizers are huge and you should consider spliting a few. My favorite was the fried artichokes and the brusshetta was outstanding. Entrees of steak and pork chops were fantastic. And make sure you enjoy the caramelized stuffed bread with the balsamic to start. The favorite dessert was the chocolate mousse.
For lunch we sat outside at Tropicana. My fish tacos were good but i would absolutely stay away from the nachos and chicken, looked like the after picture from a long night of drinking.
Peking Duck in Stamford Area?
cris
my guess is that you may, and repeat may, have a couple responses to this questions. but if you do not have it is because there just may not be any in the area. similar questions have gone unanswered in the past. do not take it personally. :-)
to your question, though, I have not found any, and i hope i am wrong.
When to salt a steak? My research.
In honor of Sammy above.
The CI recipe was for an eye round. I treid is once and the outside was extremely salty. I think there was a thread on that subject. I would never try with rib eyes
Peace Sam-I-Am
Rueben Sandwich advice
Many of us believe that substituting pastrami for the corned beef still keeps it within the definition of a Reuben or Ruben and does not cross the line to Reuben-style.
Rueben Sandwich advice
There is quite a bitof controversy on whether the Reuben Sandwich was created in NY or Nebraska, but their is evidence that the bread was buttered and grilled in the NY version and my not have been in the Nebraska version. C'est la sandwich.
For my 50 years of eating Reubens on the east coast they were always grilled in a bit of butter.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries is coming to Pelham Manor
As much as I loved the atmosphere , the history and the dedication to the product, the burgers at White Mana in Hackensack is nothing to write home about. They are similar to 5Gs in taste, as in not much, but was I glad I ate there to experience 80 years of burgerdom? Yup. Need to go back? Nope.
Rueben Sandwich advice
and bread is mainly flour. would you eat corned beef with flour.
