Destination: Oneida County

Hi - My husband and I will be renting a cabin on a lake in Woodmere NY at the end of the month, driving up from CT. Any recommendations in the area or on the way? Road food to fine dining. We have no agenda and are willing to detour for anything interesting.

Thanks!

lunabug in New York State (exc. New York City)

Foodies through the Finger Lakes

Twisted Soul in Poughkeepsie is worth the hour drive from our home. We go regularly. Everything is great, particularly the Fried Chicken Noodle bowl, chickpea fries and bubble teas. And the dulce de leche cupcakes. Cheap, casual, fresh and yummy.

Also, Formosa Cuisine, just across the street from Marist. Really great Taiwanese.

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Twisted Soul - Food Concepts
47 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

lunabug in New York State (exc. New York City)

Chicago-style Italian Beef hits Connecticut

Thanks for the tip. My husband is a Chicago boy and a chef with fond memories of the fabled Italian Beef - he has tried recreating this delicacy to no avail. The closest he's come to having it in recent years was when a friend had the sandwich makings overnighted to him from Gino's in Chicago for a recent big birthday. Very yummy, but it will be great to try it fresh.

lunabug in Southern New England

Must-have eats between NYC and Boston

Are you going 95 or 84? If the latter, Denmo's in Southbury. A great roadside drive-in with yummy fried seafood, lobster rolls, dogs, milkshakes, sweet potato fries.

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Denmo's Famous Original Drive
340 Main St S, Southbury, CT 06488

lunabug in Southern New England

Lunch in West Hartford - quick and ethnic?

Thanks all for the intriguing responses! Unfortunately circumstances (torrential downpours, an employee who doesn't like spicy food, unfamiliarity with the area, time constraints) made exploring impossible today. We ended up at Gyro Palace where I had a surprisingly good sandwich - Cubano panini - tasty and fresh. Salads looked good, too.

I will definitely be scheduling a ride back to the area for that banh mi! Didn't know they existed in CT.

lunabug in Southern New England

Lunch in West Hartford - quick and ethnic?

Hi - I'll be in Hartford for a meeting tomorrow morning and heading back westward around lunchtime. I'll have an employee with me. Looking for an interesting, quickish spot to stop in W. Hartford, preferably ethnic.

Any ideas?

lunabug in Southern New England

Formosa in Poughkeepsie - a fabulous find

We had a wonderful authentic Taiwanese lunch today at Formosa in Poughkeepsie. Read about the place just this morning on Chowhound, in a thread about bubble tea in the Hudson Valley. It sounded so good (with equally rave reviews on Yelp) that we drove the hour from western CT. Well worth the trip (for hardcore foodies like us).

We sampled 5 plates - all winners.

Scallion pancake with sliced beef and egg (lovely)
Steamed pork bun (yum)
BBQ pork
Calamari
Fried rice with shrimp (best fried rice we've ever had)

Bubble teas were also great. At $30 total, it was a steal for food of that quality and deliciousness. The place has been open just two months. A bit hard to find - tucked into a strip mall across from Marist - but a lovely space inside. The owner was sweet and delightful and so excited that we had come from so far and were not sorry. She graciously treated us to the kitchen's own housemade sausage - so good.

We will definitely be back and hope that fellow Chowhounders in the area check this place out and frequent it. It's awesome to have authentic Asian cuisine in the area - let's keep it here!

And thanks to Chowhound for the tip!

Formosa
11 Marist Drive
Poughkeepsie, NY

lunabug in New York State (exc. New York City)

Verti Marte reopening status?

Thanks for the update! I really just need them to be open by 11/6... please oh please oh please.

lunabug in New Orleans

Will this itinerary win over my husband?

Yeah, I've actually only ever been to the bakery side - for banh mi, buns, etc. We were planning on doing that, eating at Bayou Sauvage and getting back into town to watch the Saints game somewhere. Thanks for the tip on Ba Mien. Maybe we'll hit that as well! And I think we're going to be early birds all week - between the time zone change and the clocks changing that weekend, we're going to be two hours ahead of ourselves!

lunabug in New Orleans

Will this itinerary win over my husband?

Yeah, we were planning on just picking up a couple slices on the way back from Bacchanal. It will be interesting to us to see what's considered great pizza in Nola and we love the pop-restaurant idea.

lunabug in New Orleans

Will this itinerary win over my husband?

Well... we've always had Luke on our to-do list and don't really have room for it for dinner. The menu is intriguing and they also offer a breakfast buffet - I am an absolute sucker for a breakfast buffet. It might be good time to branch out and try Stanley, though. We'll see...

And we're not staying in a hotel. We've been fortunate to have found a great spot in the lower Quarter where we always stay. It helps to give a real taste of life in the city, plus a fridge for doggie bags!

lunabug in New Orleans

Verti Marte reopening status?

Hi - Does anyone have an update on Verti Marte's reopening? The last I heard they were hoping for Halloween weekend.

lunabug in New Orleans

Will this itinerary win over my husband?

Thank you so much! That looks perfect for us. And I remember seeing that show and making a mental note of it (yes - my husband dives for the remote whenever Guy Fieri comes on the screen). Thanks for the reminder! This will be the first time that I take advice from a Red Sox fan...

Just 10 days until our trip! I will definitely report back.

Here's the current itinerary:

Saturday (arrive 2:30)

Lunch – Verti Marte/Merliton Festival
Dinner – Felix’s (oysters?) / Green Goddess

Sunday

Breakfast – Croissant D'or
Lunch – Dong Phuong’s
Dinner – Bacchanal
Fourth Meal? - Pizza Delicious

Monday

Breakfast – Luke
Lunch – Parkway/Liuzza’s picnic by the lake
Dinner – Boucherie

Tuesday

Breakfast – Surrey's
Lunch – Cochon Butcher
Dinner – August

lunabug in New Orleans

Will this itinerary win over my husband?

Oh yes, we know all about Port of Call!! My husband is very disappointed that we won't have time (or capacity!) to go there this time. But you never know, we may go with the flow and end up there at some point!

Thanks!

lunabug in New Orleans

Will this itinerary win over my husband?

Yes! Bacchanal, definitely! What an excellent idea. I've always wanted to go there and I think he will love it. So I'll reschedule August to either Monday or Tuesday.

I appreciate your advice about Dante's - it looks like a great neighborhood joint, but maybe not wow-worthy enough for this trip. Boucherie looks amazing and will probably be our Tuesday night choice, leaving August for Monday. Boucherie will also be interesting as we are exploring the idea of starting up a food truck if we move there and I know that the Boucherie chef runs the Purple Truck.

As far as what has underwhelmed him in the past, it's hard to put a finger on it. Our first trip was early in 2006 and we had no idea what we were doing foodwise and were working so hard that food wasn't the priority. I'd be embarassed to say where we ate. We did manage to make it to Herbsaint for the first time on that trip - that was the highlight. I think the biggest standout disappointment on his second trip was Dick and Jenny's two years ago. We thought it was mediocre at best, nothing was really prepared right or well, and we continue to be confused by the raves it receives.

I'm excited to share some of my recent faves with him and to explore new things. Thanks for helping to put the finishing (?) touches on it. Of course, we are a spontaneous pair who like to keep things loose, so none of this may happen at all!!! But it's good (and fun!) to have a plan!

Thanks, all!

lunabug in New Orleans

Will this itinerary win over my husband?

Thanks - I hadn't heard of Walker's. Looks great, We'll be out that way on Sunday, though for Dong Phuong's. Our back up plan, if VM isn't open, is to head straight to the Merliton Festival on Saturday.

Anyone know the latest on VM? Last I heard they were shooting for a Halloween weekend opening.

lunabug in New Orleans

Will this itinerary win over my husband?

I think we've decided to nix off breakfast at Stanley and will opt for a bite from Croissant d"Or while we wander the Quarter on Sunday morning. All of Stanley's breakfast options looked pretty heavy and I wouldn't want anything to hinder my enjoyment of Luke that night.

Wow - I had forgotten that Besh was doing the restaurant at the DDay Museum! That looks amazing and fun - right up my alley! The museum was definitely on the itinerary, but I don't have an open lunch slot! The plan for Monday lunch involved getting a fried shrimp poboy at Liuzzas, a roast beef at Parkway and taking them up to the lake for a poboy picnic with some sides from Robert's Fresh Market. Should we bump that for lunch at the museum? Maybe we'll make it weather permitting...

Why aren't we staying another day!?!?!

lunabug in New Orleans

Will this itinerary win over my husband?

Nice to hear from a couple of former tri-staters - I'm in CT (though from NY) so we complete the trifecta. Thank you both. Hope to join you soon!

We've tweaked the itinerary a bit. My husband thought our last meal should be a little more special so we're thinking Bayona or possibly Brigstens for Tuesday night. Unfortunately Patois, which looks great, isn't open Tuesday. When I was in Nola in May I ran into Anderson Cooper and he recommended Eleven79 - that was my main motivation in wanting to go there. :)

We plan on spending time in the Magazine Street area either Monday after Luke or Tuesday morning.

lunabug in New Orleans

Will this itinerary win over my husband?

Saturday (arrive 2:30)

Lunch – Verti Marte (always the first stop for an All That Jazz; hoping they've reopened before 11/6)
Dinner – Felix’s (oysters?) / Green Goddess

Sunday

Breakfast – Stanley
Lunch – Dong Phuong’s
Dinner – August

Monday

Breakfast – Luke
Lunch – Parkway/Liuzza’s
Dinner – Dante’s Kitchen

Tuesday

Breakfast –
Lunch – Cochon Butcher
Dinner – Eleven79 or Brigstens or Patois

A little about us: my husband is a chef (Northern Italian but his greatest influence in his early days was Paul Prudhomme) and we are both serious foodies with high standards, be it high-end innovative cuisine or a really good hot dog. I have spent six weeks in NOLA over the past five years doing rebuilding work and my husband has joined me on two of those trips. We have fallen in love with the city and are seriously considering moving there from the NYC area. We are viewing this as an exploratory trip of sorts.
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I’m feeling a bit of pressure to wow my husband foodwise on this trip – there’s a lot riding on it! I have had more of an opportunity to experience different places in the city than he has and have found some favorites that I want to share with him this time (Green Goddess, Dong Phuongs, Liuzzas). His experiences during his two trips were hit and miss but we have been to and loved Herbsaint and Cochon a couple times each. We both love Verti Marte and Felix’s. Everything else on the list is new to both of us.

We’re looking to experience a range of cuisines throughout the city, exploring some new neighborhoods and some local favorites. We are staying in the lower Quarter but will have a car - I know my way around pretty well.

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks!

lunabug in New Orleans

NY to Cleveland along 80

Hi - I'll be making the long haul from NY to Cleveland (and back) in a few weeks. Is there anything chowish to break up the monotony that is Interstate 80?

lunabug in Pennsylvania

Good grub walkable from the Hyatt Regency Downtown?

Hi - Will be at the Hyatt for a few days and looking to escape the convention fare. First time to the area. Any recs for good, casual food within walking distance?

lunabug in Dallas - Ft. Worth

Very early morning breakfast options in Fairfield County?

Dropping someone off at Westchester County Airport at 5:30 on a Saturday morning. Not normally being conscious at that hour of the day we thought we'd take the opportunity to find some good breakfast grub on our way back to NW CT. Any good 24/7 diners in Stamford/Norwalk or north up Route 7?

lunabug in Southern New England

Very early morning breakfast options in Westchester?

Hi. Dropping someone off at Westchester County airport at 5:00 AM on a Saturday. Having rarely seen that hour of the morning, we're looking to take the opportunity to find some good breakfast grub before we go home to nap. We'll be headed back to NW CT, but are willing to go anywhere in Westchester/Fairfield. Any good 24/7 diners around?

Thanks!

lunabug in New York State (exc. New York City)

Local Restaurants to the Wellmont Theater Montclair

Thanks. In the mood for Middle Eastern. Can anyone rank Jackie's Grillette, Falafel Hut and Beyond Pita in order of preference? We will probably need something fairly quick and casual.

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Beyond Pita
82 Church St Ste A, Montclair, NJ 07042

Jackie's Grillette
614 Valley Rd, Montclair, NJ 07043

Falafel Hut
213 Bellevue Ave, Montclair, NJ 07043

lunabug in New Jersey

Local Restaurants to the Wellmont Theater Montclair

Ha! I posted the same question last night but for some reason it never showed up! Enjoy the show tonight, we're going tomorrow - driving in from CT.

This site may be helpful - there's a list of restaurants in Montclair down the right. Haven't had a chance to explore it yet. Would love some local insight.

http://www.baristanet.com/food/

Enjoy the show and please post if you have any luck with food!

lunabug in New Jersey

New to the Adirondacks/Vermont border Area

I hope you check back - I've got three great tips for you. We live in CT but come up to the area to x-country ski a couple times a year. We have found three places that we absolutely love in the area:

Bistro Tallulah - Glens Falls - really excellent French/New Orleans inspired cuisine. Great place. Lovely owners.

Marco Polo - Warrensburg - divey little pizza/sub shop with wonderful subs - meatball, sausage and peppers, and the eggplant parm is really divine

Oscar's Smokehouse - Warrensburg - amazing in-house smoked meats and cheeses, etc. - the best jerky I've ever had

We are big-time food snobs and often think about making the drive up just to hit this trifecta. Check it out!

lunabug in Northern New England

Thanksgiving Weekend a good time for a visit?

This information is most helpful. We are definitely looking for a quieter weekend. We'll pick a different one. Thanks so much!

lunabug in New Orleans

Thanksgiving Weekend a good time for a visit?

Hi - My husband and I are looking to plan a long weekend trip to NO later this fall/early winter. Thanksgiving just opened up for us (i.e. we're being abandoned by our families). Any thoughts on whether or not that would be a good weekend to visit? We want to eat as much as possible :) and I don't know if the holiday would limit us at all. Any particular Thanksgiving traditions we should experience?

Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

lunabug in New Orleans

Any way to overnight mail order a sandwich from Verti Marte?

Crazy idea, but if you've had the sandwich you'd understand. I'd love to overnight an All That Jazz to a friend in Chicago for his birthday in a couple weeks. Unfortunately, I'm in New York. Anyone know of any services in NO that do this sort of thing or if the Verti Marte itself might be willing, for a price?

My Dad just brought me one home yesterday and it survived the 12 hour trip (airport delays) unrefrigerated. (I'm still licking the Wow sauce off my fingers - what's in that stuff?!?!) I'm thinking a little blue ice in the package to Chicago would be a good idea.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

lunabug in New Orleans