Ravac's Profile
Savin Rock Roasters? Was Harborside in Stratford, CT
My wife and I had lunch there this past Saturday and were generally pleased with the place. It was a beautiful day, so we opted to sit out on the patio like everyone else. We tried their 'Cornmeal Crusted Calamari' which was very good. The cornmeal coating was an interesting twist and the calamari was cooked to perfection. The red pepper sauce was alright - I would've like a nice spicy marinara instead.
My wife had the 'Seafood Burger' which is a combo fish, scallop, crab, and shrimp cake served on a bun. She really enjoyed it, and the bite I had was very tasty, though I think the big, fluffy bun made it a bit bready. Would probably be better as an open-faced sandwich or as a salad.
I had a pastrami Reuben which was good. The pastrami was really lean, maybe too much so, but piled high. There must've been close to a 1/2 pound of pastrami on that sandwich. Could've used a bit more Russian dressing, but the seeded Rye was grilled nice and dark. Pickle was ok, and the slaw was forgettable.
I had a chuckle at the menu and had two "New Castle" beers and my wife just drank soda.
Service was a bit sketchy - the food came out in timely fashion, but our server never checked up on us and in fact, our water glasses sat empty after the entrees were served. My wife tried a dessert - some previously frozen, single-serving cheescake in an Oreo crust thing - which was as good as you'd expect.
Total for the app, 2 sandwiches, 2 beers, 2 sodas, a manufactured dessert, and the tip was $60.
The view of the river on a sunny Saturday was good. We'll stop again sometime before it gets too cold to sit outdoors.
Looks like the last Krispy Kreme in Milford CT is going!
Drive 5 minutes north on the post road to Julia's. Been there the whole time.
Whole Foods in Milford, CT?
Do they have a storefront? Or just mail-order? I work about a mile away, and it seems foolish to mail order something from a place just up the road aways.
Fish and Chips? Where's the best in New Haven, Central CT or Naugatuck Valley Area?
Yes. :-(
Actually, we just tried Jennies Pizzeria just over the border in Monroe, on Rt. 111 this past weekend. We got a white clam pizza with garlic, and it was as good as anything served on Wooster St. New Haven. Definitely going back. Their dining room is being remodelled, so it's a take-out only place at the moment.
Marisa's is acceptable Italian, if a bit over-priced. As a very Italian friend once said, "It's Italian food for white people that fled the city." Portions are decent, and the food is prepared well, but it just misses the mark of real excellence. The last time I was there, I had ravioli that were either frozen or were seriously over-worked... very tough dough. On an earler visit, I had gotten the beef brasciole, which was very good, but the sauce tasted like it was out of a can.
Ichiro's Japanese Restaurant in Trumbull Center is really good. Been there several times.
Homemade corned beef hash in New Haven/ Fairfield county?
Hehe - told you it was good. All I ever get there is the hash and eggs. For sammiches - my wife swears by their pastrami reuben.
Fish and Chips? Where's the best in New Haven, Central CT or Naugatuck Valley Area?
Try Stowe's Seafood on the corner of Washington Ave and Beach St in West Haven. Everything a clam shack should be. I go at least twice a month for lunch. Never been disappointed.
Do you have a favorite I'm-alone-now-so-nobody-will-know favorite dish?
Will have to try the peas. My doctored version is a chopped up hot dog and a teaspoon of beer mustard blended in. Heaven.
Homemade corned beef hash in New Haven/ Fairfield county?
If you're ever in the north end of Bridgeport, try the hash at The Galaxy Diner on Main Street. It's made with real corned beef and minced potatoes, not that glop that comes from a can. It's absolutely terrific. Especially if you ask 'em to fry it crispy. Heaven!
Regarding Chip's in Orange - I'm pretty confident they use the canned hash. I tried their CB hash omelet once and was disappointed in it because the hash was mostly potato. If you're in Chip's, stick with the pancakes, imo.
Family foods I thought was normal
My grandmother was off-the-boat Polish, and she served us butter & peanut butter sammiches all the time!
Your REAL thoughts on super-processed, horribly delicious food...
Try Guilden's mustard in your mac-n-cheese with hot dogs.
Home alone food.
Favorite restaurants in South County, RI?
The Mews Tavern right in Wakefield is very good. Typical pub/tavern kind of place (as opposed to a fine dining establishment calling themselves a 'tavern'), casual, and good service. Was there a few times last summer, and enjoyed the apps and burgers we had in the bar area. Huge selection of micro-brewed beers. Haven't tried their dinner menu yet.
http://www.mewstavern.com/
New Thai restaurant in Milford, CT
Went for a second visit this past Saturday.
On our first trip, my wife and I started with the Spring rolls, which as mentioned, were just out of the fryer and piping hot. Very good and not greasy at all. I had the Green Curry with scallops, and it was phenomenal. Scallops done to perfection, nestled amongst green beans, bamboo shoots, bell pepper, and eggplant sitting in the curry sauce. The sauce was a bit deceiving, as it wasn't that spicy up front. But after a few minutes, the heat became apparent, and I was in heaven. My wife ordered the 'Drunken Noodles' which were large, flat noodles stir-fried with shredded chicken, onions, bell pepper, & eggplant in a spicy sauce. She raved about it. Service was impeccable, with the owner checking on us a few times without hovering.
This past trip, we started off with the Tod Mun, little fish cakes pan fried and served with a cucumber sauce. There were 10 of them, about the size of a half-dollar, and orange in color. Not what I was expecting, for sure! But they were pretty good although the texture was a bit weird - like over-cooked squid - kind of rubbery. For all I know, maybe they use squid in the recipe. Nonetheless, we enjoyed them. I then had the Pad Pik Pow with scallops (I've been on a scallop bender lately) which again were done to perfection, served with green beans, snow peas, cashews, & bell pepper in a light, savory, brown sauce. Very good, but I think I prefer the green curry so far for its increased heat. My wife, creature of habit that she is, had the Drunken Noodles again. Great, friendly service again. In fact, we were each given a shot of Pan? or Pen? (a liquor, I think, made from sticky rice) because we had to wait all of 4 minutes for our waiter to ring up our check. The drink was good, slightly sweet, but it was somewhat pulpy - like cooked ground rice in liquid. (I hate to admit it, but when I first tried it, all I could think of was the liquor made from chewed-on and spat-out roots from the rain forest tribes.)
It's definitely become one of our favorite spots.
best lobster in New Haven?
I honestly don't know if they do steamed, whole lobsters, but Stowe's Seafood in West Haven seems like it'd be a much shorter trip, and it's right on the beach. It's a typical New England clam shack, and their fried food is tough to beat. Fresh fish, clams, oysters, and other goodness flash-fried when you order.
Likewise, there are a few places in West Haven right on the shore where I'm sure you could find lobsters. I just haven't been to any of these except Stowe's.
http://www.newenglandsite.com/ct-westhaven-restaurants.shtml
Best Wings In CT
There was a time in my youth when the whole focus of my existence were the wings and pints of Newcastle at The Bidwell Tavern.
I'll second the mention of wings from Archie Moores'. Though I get 'em from the Milford location. Very good indeed.
The only place to go in Monroe, CT
We recently tried Senor Panchos for the first time since moving to Trumbull two years ago. The parking lot is always full, so we were expecting great Mexican food. What we got could've come from Taco Bell. At 2 AM. We were seriously disappointed. Especially after eating at Sloppy Jose's in Milford a few weeks prior.
