velotrain's Profile
Looking for recs in Randolph-Morristown area
Thanks for the responses. I had also done some poking around, - when I wasn't so tired. Thai Nam Phet sounds good - of the five Thai restaurants in Morristown, all of them seemed to have enough negative reviews that I wasn't enthusiastic abouit them. although Origin is #7 of all Morristown restaurants on Tripadvsisor, so it may be the best of the lot.
Marjan looks interesting, but a bunch of folks think Pamir has declined since their move to downtown.
If it is to be Indian, I notice Saffron is Zagat's #1 Indian in NJ, so we would go there.
Any thoughts on Hibiscus, which is the Tripadvsisor #1 in Morristown?
Is it truly BYOB? I thought I saw one place described as if you could order wine from them but everything else had to be "ordered" from somewhere else, which seemed to suggest some other establishment brought them to you, which I thought rather odd. Are there "uncorking" or "glass" fees, or does this vary by place?
Of course, I'm just doing research, and have no idea what my hosts are up for.
Looking for recs in Randolph-Morristown area
I'm staying with some folks there in early January, and would like to take them out one night. Don't want anything too crowded (weeknight), noisy, trendy or expensive. Good-quality Indian or Thai might work, and I'm sure these are in or close to Morristown. Certainly open to other possibilities. Food quality/value trump all other criteria.
Best dinner choices in Malone and Saranac Lake?
I'm leading a Lake Champlain - Adirondack bike tour in mid-August, spending a night in each of these towns. The three top choices in Malone seem to be Gallaghers, Villa Fiore, and Sansone’s. Of these, Gallaghers looks a bit more contemporary, Sansone's is traditional Italian (open for 72 years - they must do something right), and the main thing I recall about Villa Fiore is having to walk through three sets of doors to get in, and it felt just a tad stuffy.
In Saranac Lake, the Blue Moon Café is highly regarded. On a scouting trip in May I ate at Nona Fina, which looks classy, but it serves very ordinary Italian food with awful bread, has no draft beer, and only Morelli bottled beer. YMMV
We're walking, so need somewhere in the town center, although I could unload the support van if there is something exceptional further away. I'm not planning to have us all eat together, but like to provide the best local options to my riders. We'll be there mid-week, so hopefully space won't be an issue.
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Blue Moon Cafe
55 Main St, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Ariana - new Afghani place in Allston
Yesterday I was headed to Dawat for their buffet lunch and discovered they were no longer there, so went to Punjab Palace instead. Tonight I walked to Ariana to check it out.
As noted elsewhere, the interior is elegant but spartan. The service is quite good, although I was surprised that I had to request a menu in an almost empty room with only one other table occupied, although three other parties came in while I was there. I was seated by the window, but left around sunset and realized how dark it was already in the back of the room. The music was reminiscent of Ravi Shankar in his Beatle days, a vast improvement over the Bollywood noise at Punjab Palace. Someone just told me last night that restaurants have found they do better business if it's a loud environment
Going with the most popular dishes (on Yelp) so far, I had the Kaddo and Qabili. They were both quite good. The Qabili arrives as a large mound of Pallow rice with raisins and what they describe as a glazed julienne of carrots. Hiding underneath this were the most tender chunks of lamb shank I've ever had. Someone else described them as "fall off the bone" and I took it literally, but that wasn't the case. However, although they are very high quality I discovered that they did need a bit of trimming, which isn't clear in their initial hidden state.
I had a hard time adjusting to the raisins and carrots, wishing it came with say onions and green beans instead. Next time I might have Korma Challow, a sauteed leg of lamb which does come with these and a bunch of other stuff. I've never been fond of dishes with just meat, or meat and starch as it was in this case. I couldn't really count the julienned carrots as a vegetable, and am willing to eat raisins in trail mix but little else.
There is a short wine "list", with everything available by the glass and bottle, and I think the most expensive one is $21, but I can't speak for the quality, although perhaps the fact that they all come by the glass is a clue. There is no printed beer list, but it seems to be very limited and I am unwilling to pay $4.50 for an uninteresting bottle. My water glass was regularly attended to, one of my major criteria in judging service. I have some fruit I need to use up, so didn't get dessert. Overall, most pleasant and I will be back.
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Punjab Palace
109 Brighton Ave, Boston, MA 02134
Middlebury, St. Albans dinners?
I'm leading a bike tour around Lake Champlain next week and wondered if there were any good places in these towns that I'm not aware of. We're in Middlebury Monday night, so I know Storm Cafe is closed. I like Tully & Marie's; some riders like Mister Ups. I know of Fire and Ice, but didn't like it when I went years back and can't imagine it changing. Anything else in the downtown area? How is the Indian place?
I haven't had dinner in St. Albans for over a decade and Jeff's Maine Seafood was the only real option at the time. Looks like Chow! Bella is another strong candidate. Is that it? I know there's lots of options in Burlington, but again this is a bike tour.
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Tully & Marie's
7 Bakery Ln, Middlebury, VT 05753
Jeff's Maine Seafood
65 N Main St, Saint Albans, VT 05478
Chow! Bella
24 N. Main St., Saint Albans, VT 05478
Mister Up's Restaurant
25 Bakery Ln, Middlebury, VT 05753
Anything new in Burlington, Vt. ?
Not too far? Mapquest shows 65 miles and almost an hour and a half driving. If you were in fact close to Hardwick (say, in Montpelier, which has good local destinations) OK, but why make this long trek when there are so many fine choices much closer?
Good hummus in Brookline
A menu/flyer for Khayyam at 404 Harvard St. (near Fuller) was left in the lobby of my building a month ot so back, and for the first time ever I didn't trash it right away. Apparently they had $6 lunch specials when they first opened in January, while most of them are $7 now, with the lamb higher.
I had the Chicken Barg today, and while the generous portion of chicken wasn't "juicy" as the menu described, the thick slice of lemon helped there. There was more than ample basmanti and a salad of chopped cuke, tomatoes and onion. I'm not a big hummus eater, but this was likely the best I've ever tasted, silky smooth and a large puddle at that; warm pita served with (before) the meal.
Drawbacks were the slow service (water and check) even though the place was empty (4 PM), and the radio - I'm not fond of listening to commercials while I eat, but they did turn it down when I requested it, although I really wanted to ask that it be turned off.
Saturday breakfast in Hinesburg or Vergennes?
BM - the only "Papa Franks" I can find mention of on the web is an Ialian place in Winooski. Is this a stealth place in Hinesburg or possibly called something else?
Perhaps Papa Nick's?
Saturday breakfast in Hinesburg or Vergennes?
I think we do want a full breakfast, or at least that option, and figured that Vergennes probably had someplace good. We'll be in Middlebury and I know those places, but it will be closer to lunch time by then. Thanks for the mention of Papa Franks, although I hope that's the owner and not the menu!
Saturday breakfast in Hinesburg or Vergennes?
Partly, but mostly that we'd like to get out of the Burlington area before having breakfast. We're actually staying across the street from Libby's but, unlike some, I'm not a fan of theirs.
Saturday breakfast in Hinesburg or Vergennes?
I know there's places in Burlington, but the good ones open at 8 AM on weekends and we want to get on the road early. We're heading south, so wondered if there are any recs for these towns or in that area. Doesn't have to be fancy and hopefully not too slow.
How is Pasha now?
Reviews for this place (Arlington) seem very mixed, especially with service issues when they first opened, but also on the general quality of the food. I just saw that it can be unpleasant in winter as there is a waft of cold air entering every time the door opens. Just wondering if anyone has been there lately and what your take is?
Bday/anniversary weekend in Waterbury, VT
Morganna - I've always liked Park Row for breakfast - they have great omelets, but I find their homemade-bread toast a bit heavy (I can barely get through one piece). If you're saying Juniper's Fare is a better breakfast, where is it as I'll be up there in 3 weeks?
Ocha Thai is good and I thought better food and more reasonably priced than their place in Montpelier.
Alchemist may have good brew, but often gets much too crowded and loud for my taste (no doubt due to the good brew).
Boston To Burlington, VT
Tip-Top Cafe in White River Junction is a good lunch stop northbound, but would be closed on the way back - there was some discussion maybe a week ago. Just follow the signs for WRJ when you exit 89 and then stay straight for the village when 4/5 turn left across the bridge - it'll be a block up on the left with a parking area adjacent. Be careful when you get back on 89N - easy to get on 91S instead. Plenty of past discussions on Burlington - many like Single Pebble while others are not so impressed. I like Restaurant Phoebe in Montpelier - maybe an early dinner on the way back?
St. Albans, VT - Breakfast
This is for St. Albans - not Burlington. If I wanted Burlington, I would have posted for it.
St. Albans, VT - Breakfast
I'm going to be there and don't want the hotel continental breakfast. There used to be a great place that I think was called Red Roof, but I can't find any mention of it. Don't know if the motel chain got after them for the name or what happened to them. Looking for a diner/family-type place that serves traditional (full) breakfast.
Westport, NY (Lake Champlain)
Any options for breakfast besides the hotel and inns? Recs for dinner - looks like 3/4 options.
Recommendations along route from Saint Johnsbury to Derby Center, Vermont.
Glad you liked it - just saw your review of East Side on your NEK thread and pointed out that you should have gone to Lago instead - apparently you did another night!
Vermont's North East kingdom
Lago Trattoria is a MUCH better choice in Newport - no view, but excellent food (not SYSCO).
Suggestions for Lunch and Dinner in Arlington/Bennington/Manchester Vermont Area
Since you don't want to spend a fortune, Pangaea is not the place. Instead, try Allegro in downtown Bennington (same owner). Alldays and Onions in Bennington is good all the time. I've passed through Arlington but not eaten there. My impression of Manchester is that it's a Vermont theme park for well-to-do New Yorkers et al.
Not quite N.E. - Plattsburgh, N.Y. breakfast
I realize there's a NYC board, but thought folks in the greater Burlington area might have more info on this, or perhaps Plattsburgh residents might scan this board.
I've led many bicycle tours through Plattsburgh and we've always stayed at the Super 8 on Rt. 9 at Moffitt Road because I didn't want to subject the riders to the traffic nightmare of the I-87/NY 3 interchange and Gus's (adequate) is across the street for breakfast. However, it looks like the quality (of the motel) has seriously declined and I'm considering more contemporary lodging in town or along the strip.
What I'm wondering is - what, if anything, is available for breakfast along the western end of 3, west of the interstate, as we may be at the Hampton Inn or Microtel to avoid the worst of the strip east of the interstate? These folks need serious fuel, not a hotel continental breakfast. Sometimes we went to the Cumberland Cafe, but that's been gone for years. Other lodging / breakfast ideas welcome - downtown/SUNY areas perhaps? For dinner, we plan to hit Iris's one night and Anthony's Bistro the other, as we've had good experiences with both in the past.
Burlington/UVM
Agree on Sweetwaters but find the Burlington Three Tomatoes (at least inside)unpleasant and much too noisy due to the hard surfaces - the one in Rutland is much more pleasant and relaxed. I used to go to the Brewery for the fine smoked porter (not for the food or atmosphere), but they stopped making it and instead put the smoke in the stout where it's totally wasted - what a dumb move.
I know board opinions are split on Leunig's, but they have an early (and late) bird special that I thought was a great deal (app. + main for $15) and even offer a $2 glass of wine with it - too bad you can't get a $2 pint!
Red's Eats in Wiscasset, Maine - Overrated?
Is that the place you can smell the grease from a mile away (at least approaching it by bike)
Recommendations along route from Saint Johnsbury to Derby Center, Vermont.
Lago Trattotia in Newport:
http://www.lagotrattoria.com/
Probably not dog friendly though - few top restaurants are,
Addison County recs?
A recent memory - I led a bike tour thru Brandon 2 weeks ago and eight of us had a very nice dinner there. Good food and non-tiny portions.
Good eating/weekend getaway within an hour of Peterborough, NH? Brattleboro?
A longer drive than you're looking for, but I'll toss out Middlebury as I'm partial to the Lake Champlain region and this puts you close with multiple lodging choices in town (Inns or B&B's) and several good restaurants (Storm Cafe, Tully & Marie's, Mr. Ups has a good salad bar but is otherwise ordinary), as well as nearby Vergennes (see recent posts).
Many Vermont restaurants focus on using local ingredients. You could make a day trip to Burlington for a good lunch and great views of the Adirondacks from the waterfront path. Both are good walking towns with college-owned art museums - if you care. I figure you have good mountain access where you live, so go for something distinct to the region - either Maine seacost (an even longer drive) or Lake Champlain area. Portsmouth is certainly pleasant, but likely not all that different than port towns local to you.
need recs for acadia np (maine)
This is late and the info is as old as what you have seen, but I'm a fan of Galyn's. The last time I was there the owner was in with his family for a birthday dinner and I spoke with him for a while. They have an amazing chutney (think it comes with one of the App's) and he had the kitchen write down the recipe for me. My girlfriend and I cooked up a batch, bottled and distributed them as holiday presents.
