DiOGi's

We were in Fayetteville, WV just overnight, a quick place to rest on our way from Buffalo to Asheville. We're glad we found DiOGi's, however, because we had a very nice dinner here. 

We happened upon solely thanks to Urbanspoon.com! We were going to eat at the restaurant at our hotel--until we walked in and found that the allowed smoking! No thanks! Fortunately, my Urbanspoon app on my iPhone let us to DiOGi's and we had a very nice meal.

I don't know where to start, because it was all so good. So I'll start with my entree, the Enchiladas Supreme. I had four enchiladas, filled with chicken, beef, cheese and refried beans. They were topped with a bit of lettuce, tomato, and sour cream, and served with refried black beans and rice. Everything were very, very good! The red salsa, the sauce they used, was very good, rich with a nice tomato and chile flavor and, I think, just a hint of chocolate. The rice also was above average, with lots of good stuff in it.

Tommy had the Carnitas Quiesadilla, and it, too was excellent. Tender chunks of fried pork (carnitas) were the star of this dish, with onions, jalapenos, and white cheese. It was served with a bit of pico de gallo and some sour cream. It was absolutely delicious and a huge portion.

He also had a fish taco--well, we shared it actually. And it was excellent. The star was a nice piece of fried fish, topped with some cabbage slaw, a bit of tomato salsa, and a remoulade, with a few bits of cilantro. It was very good and the fish was cooked perfectly

One of the most interesting parts of our meal was the chips and salsa they started us out with. These were no ordinary chips and salsa--they were fantastic. The salsa had a nice bit of gentle heat to it. Perhaps one of the best salsa's I've ever had, actually. I loved it a lot.

We are glad we stumbled upon this gem, it really was a great experience and a good value. Nice job!      

Elements on the Falls

We visited Niagara Falls. It is true, the US owns the falls, but Canada owns the view. So we decided to enjoy the view of the falls while we ate lunch at Elements on the Falls. We had a nice time and a decent lunch with a spectacular view and good service. I have no complaints and yes, it was a bit pricey, but well worth it.  

I started with a salad. It was everything a salad should be: fresh and enjoyable. Mixed greens were served with a slice of tomato, slice of cucumber, and a bit of shredded carrot. The raspberry vinaigrette on the side was perfect for it.

My friend Tommy had the Clam Chowder, and it, too was decent. Perhaps not the best clam chowder ever, but it certainly was good. And, because it was served with crackers, he was happy!

For my main dish I had the Pasta Carbonara. I'd say it was just OK and certainly a bit overpriced---but then again, there was the view of Horseshoe Falls--I know we were paying for that, and that was OK by me. There was not much meat in the dish but the sun-dried tomatoes added a lot of flavor. 

For his lunch, Tommy had the French Dip, and it was quite good. It came with cheese on it, and some fries. All was good and delicious.

Yes, we paid for the view, but we left happy, full, and satisified. Our waitress, Wendy, did a very nice job and took good care of us. This was a nice lunch.

Shula's 347 Grill

I've wanted to try Shula's 347 Grill for some time and we finally did. I'm glad we went there and we will be back for sure. We first had a bit of Shula's food at the Taste of Sanford in September of 2012. Though the purist in me complained that it's not a Sanford restaurant, but in Lake Mary, what we sampled there that night was the best bite of the Taste of Sanford, no doubt. So, when my friend Tommy's birthday rolled around, he got a coupon for a free entree with purchase. I figured it was a good time to give Shula's a try, and we had a great meal and experience there. 

First, a word about the service. Throughout our meal there, it was about the best dining experience I've ever had. We were taken care of completely. Our waitress, Catherine, did everything right, from replacing silverware to ensuring our glasses were full to making sure everything was to our liking. It really was top-notch service, on a par to the finest places I've ever dined.

We started out with an appetizer, the Sweet Chili Shrimp. It was very good. Small peeled shrimp had been lightly breaded, then tossed in a sweet chili glaze with a bit of cilantro. They were served on a bed of red and green cabbage and topped with a few scallions. The were absolutely delicious. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, warm and tender. The sweet chili glaze was not overly hot but still had a gently heat to it. The cabbage itself was delicious because a bit of the chili glaze flavored it.This was a wonderful dish and I'm sure I'll return and order it again.

My friend Tommy (the birthday boy) started his meal with a Fish Chowder that was very good, creamy and delicious. It had some nice chunks of potatoes in it and the fish itself was tender and flavorful. The broth was rich, creamy, and velvety. A nice, hearty start to the meal.

I opted to start with a house salad with the house raspberry vinaigrette on the side. It was a delicious salad Fresh mixed greens were the bed. It was accompanied by some nice thick slices of cucumbers, a few tomato wedges, some boiled egg, julienne carrots, bacon, and croutons. It was a very good salad, light (well, without the bacon and egg!) and fresh-tasting. The homemade raspberry viniagrette was delicious, nice and tangy with a gentle, subtle raspberry flavor.

For his main course, Tommy had the Double Cut Pork Chop. The thick-cut pork chop had been brined in a citrus brine and was served with sweet potato fries, grilled asparagus, and a bit of grilled apple. It was a very good pork chop, tender and juicy and flavorful. Probably not the best pork chop I've ever had, but it was right up there near the top and better than most. Everything on this plate went well together, too. The asparagus was fresh-tasting, tender and delicious. The sweet potato fries cooked just right and not at all greasy. This was a very good meal.

I chose the Pan Seared Shrimp for my meal, and it was a good choice. The shrimp were garlic-rubbed, then lightly pan fried, cooked just right. And they were jumbo shrimp! They were served on a bed of lime infused risotto--the risotto was very creamy and soft and the gentle taste of lime brought a nice highlight to it. This was all covered with a bit of citrus beurre blanc which added to the citrus notes of the dish. I had mine with haricot verts, fresh green beans, and they were cooked perfectly, nice and crisp. The whole dish was garnished with a few onion rings which added to the taste and presentation. I was very satisfied with this dish and ate ever last bit of it. Wonderful!

Finally, since it was Tommy's birthday, Shula's added a very nice touch. No, there wasn't any of that tacky "Happy, Happy Birthday" singing by all the waitstaff--this is a classy joint! But they  brought out a very nice dessert for us to share, a thick chocolate chip cake-cookie with ice cream, whipped cream and some raspberries, walnuts and chocolate and caramel garnish. Not only was the presentation beautiful, but it was very tasty. The chocolate chip "cookie" was warm, rich, tender, and tasty. But on top of this was the one thing that put this dinner over the top: they also presented Tommy with a birthday card that had been signed by all the restaurant staff! Now that was truly impressive. 

Overall, we had a great experience here from start to finish. Just one other thing to mention, and that's the price of a glass of wine. It was a bit steep at $9!  Next time I'll only have one! But when you take the wine off of our bill, it was a reasonable price for a very nice dinner. Of course, we did have that coupon. Hmmm, wonder where we'll go when it's MY birthday?  

Yellow Dog Eats Café

There was some good food to be had at Yellow Dog Eats Café on my recent visit there, but unfortunately it really didn't end up on my plate but on that of my friend, Tommy. Extremely salty soup and a messy sandwich with cold pulled pork left me sorely disappointed. But, let's start with the good. 

We arrived about 5 or so on a Sunday evening. Yellow Dog Eats Café is a very interesting place, quite unique. You order at the counter and find your own seat. There is plenty of seating, inside and out and it's quite quaint. We approached the counter and the friendly girl there asked if we'd been there before. Our answer was "no" and so she proceeded to tell us about the place. Maybe it was me, but she's done this once to often and needed to slow down a bit. But, we did catch a good part of what she had to say. Eventually we returned and ordered.

Tommy ordered the Holy Crap. This was mesquite grilled turkey on a dark bread, maybe pumpernickel, with bacon, lettuce, onions and cheese. It was very good and was definitely the best bite to eat I had. It was served with a coleslaw that was quite a surprise--a surprise because it was very spicy hot! It was a good coleslaw with a few craisins in it to give some sweetness, but it had a very definite heat as well, not for the faint of heart.

My meal was not so satisfying. When I was ordering, i saw "beer chees [sic]" on the chalk board and so I ordered the Beer Cheese Soup. Unfortunately, I could barely taste any beer or cheese--all i could taste was salt. I'll bet the chef or cook never tasted that soup. If they had, they would not have served it. I ate quite a bit of it, hoping with each sip I'd taste something other than salt, but no luck. I would never serve anything like that. The sandwich I ordered was the Blue Suede Shoes, billed as "smooth pulled pork topped with tangy bleu cheese, crispy bacon, thin sliced scallions, and red onions served on a soft bun." According to the menu, "this would make Elvis proud." I disagree. This would have had Elvis left wanting warm pulled pork and a huge handful of napkins. The botttom bun was placed on the plate, then cold pulled pork--not even warm-- was put on, then the other ingredients and a dose of BBQ sauce (admittedly a good sauce)--and it was the only warm thing. Unfortunately, it made it way under the bun and made for a very messy sandwich. I used a ton of napkins. The because the pulled pork was cold, it was hard to judge its flavor, but it seemed OK. However, the blue cheese was too much and overpowered the sandwich. I would not order this again. 

So, I entered Yellow Dog Eats hopeful based on all the good reviews I'd read. Even a good place can have a bad day--and a bad place have a good day. I'm hoping this was just their bad day because nothing I was served would entice me to return for a second visit. Be your own judge, but my experience was that this place did not at all live up to the hype.

Pannullo's Italian Restaurant

We had a very nice meal on a recent Friday night at Pannullo's Italian Restaurant in Winter Park. We first stopped by for a glass of wine on the Sidewalk on a beautiful Friday afternoon. But after walking up and down Park Avenue in search of someplace good to eat, we returned here as the menu and ambience were the most inviting we saw--we were not disappointed.

We started off with some wine and began our meal with an appetizer of Cheese Triangles: lightly breaded and fried mozzarella, muenster, and provolone cheeses, served with a marinara sauce. They were delicious and the marinara was excellent, one of the best I've ever had. It was a good way to begin.

We started dinner with salads and bread. The House Salad was an excellent mix of lettuce, olives, a few grape tomatoes, some mushrooms, red onions, a pepperoncini, and a house Italian dressing. The salad was fresh and flavorful and sure hit the spot. The bread was very soft and still warm, served with some olive oil and garlic--there may have been a touch of clarified butter in there as well. But it was very good and was also slightly warmed, a nice touch.  

For his meal, Tommy ordered the Fettucini Alfredo with blackened Chicken. It was very, very good. The Fettucini Alfredo was nice and cream and rich and had a huge cheese flavor. The blackened chicken was cooked perfectly and the spiciness of the blackening added a nice contrast to the creamy and smooth cheese flavors of the Alfredo sauce. Besides the huge flavor, it was also a huge portion, and we had a nice to-go to enjoy at home another time. 

For my entree I had the Chicken Gorgonzolla, a fair-sized breast of chicken that was stuffed with pepperoni and gorgonzola cheese, then served in a roasted red pepper gorgonzola sauce on a bed of fettucini. I loved this dish. the gorgonzola was not overpowering, but was very subtle. The roasted red peppers added a wonderful gentle heat, and the pepperoni added a spicy surprise to the chicken. As with Tommy's portion, this was huge, and I left with a substantial portion to enjoy at home at a later time.

When we first arrived at Pannullo's (the second time, that is), it was not very busy, but was also early on a Friday evening. But by the time we left, it was quite busy. We sat outside on the porch, right along the sidewalk (where there were other tables). The space had some overhead radiant heaters which took the chill off the Fall evening air. It was a beautiful night and great to eat outside. Our waitress, Steph, was efficient, friendly, knowledgeable, and fast, and provided good service. We really enjoyed our meal here. It was an excellent choice and a fine dining experience on Park Avenue in Winter Park. 

La Sirena Gorda Cabaña

We had a delightful dinner at La Sirena Gorda Cabaña the other night. The food was excellent, the atmosphere and ambience suberb, and the service spot-on. If I could have, I'd have eaten even more, but we left stuffed and happy, for sure, not even room for dessert--maybe next time.

La Sirena Gorda Cabaña is a new Mexican restaurant in downtown Sanford, just off of historic First Street. The dining room itself is beautifully decorated with warm and inviting colors and decor. But what sets it apart form the rest is the outdoor area with both a patio and lawn seating in a nice open space, well lit and decorate. When we were there, they had live music and we've enjoyed the live music previously as well. It really is a nice space for dinner, for appetizers, or just for a few drinks with friends. 

We are friends with owners Sherri and Lauren, and they were happy to see us again. We've been by a few times now for drinks and appetizers, but finally decided to give the food a try by having a meal. We were not at all disappointed, it was very, very good.

We started out with some drinks and chips and salsa. But then we got down to business. For my dinner I ordered the Tamales Chilangos with chicken. OMG! The tamale itself (there were two of them), the corn, was very moist and tender, not at all dry, and had a nice corn flavor. They had been steamed to perfection and were served over what I assume was a banana leaf, a nice presentation. The Spanish Rice was not the normal saffron rice you see everywhere, but was instead white rice with hints of corn and peas and onion and other flavors that made it very tasty. I had the black beans to go with and found them perfect when mixed with the rice. I've never been to Mexico, but I think this is what food in Mexico must taste like, and it was wonderful.

Tommy had the Burrito Mojado, a flour tortilla stuffed with shredded beef, chiles, Mexican cheeses, lettuce, and tomato, then baked  with an enchilada sauce and smothered with cheeses and sour cream. It was everything a real burrito should be, extremely moist and tender inside with a nice gentle heat from the chiles. The refried beans were a nice complement to the Spanish Rice and were not the typical, pasty fare you find most places--these were really homemade refried beans and were wonderful.

I may be a bit biased because we are friends with Sherri and Lauren (and much of the staff) and have known them for some time, but I really was impressed with the quality of the food, service, and atmosphere at La Sirena Gorda Cabaña. I think Sanford and the central Florida area has a real keeper here, a gem of a restaurant and a welcome addition to the food scene in the Sanford area. I know we'll be back for sure, sooner rather than later, and not just for drinks with friends--I'm left wanting more of that real authentic Mexican fare. Yumm! But, I encourage you to go there, give it a try, and let me know what you think. I think you'll enjoy your experience, start to finish.

Polska Chata

Polska Chata is a Polish and European Delicatessen and Restaurant in Rochester, NY. Thanks to urbanspoon.com for helping me find this gem! We were on vacation and visiting the Rochester area, so we just had to stop in for some good ole Polish food. Smacznego!

I had the Polish Platter which was a bit of everything good about Polish cuisine. The gołąbki was huge and pretty , smothered in a slightly tomato-ey gravy; I think it could have cooked a bit longer as the cabbage leaf outside was just a bit tough, and the filling just a bit dry. The pierogi were Ruskie style: cheese/potato/onion and were boiled and very tasty--but a side of sour cream would have been nice, I think. The real hit of the meal was, I think, the bigos, which was outstanding, just full of the great flavors of sauerkraut, cabbage, kiełbasa, mushrooms, and so much more. The kiełbasa was also good as were the potatoes. Heck, there was nothing I did not like about this meal--except maybe the size--it was a lot of food! 

Tommy had their Fish Fry, and what a feast it was! The portion of fish was huge, absolutely huge. It was served over chip (fries) and with some fried shrimp--also good, and some deep fried pierogi--they were a bit dry and could have benefit from a side of sour cream as well. 

I started out my meal with a bowl of żurek and it, too, was very good. It had a lot more "stuff" in it than i usually find, including some ham, but was full of flavor with just a tinge of the requisite sour/acid flavor from the sour-rye started used as a base. It was very good and went nicely with my Leżaisk beer!

Our service was somewhat slow and disorganized, and it seemed there was only one waitress for the place and she doubled as the deli counter person as well. I heard that some waitress called in or quit or something. But we did get our food and she was nice and pleasant, just very busy with a fairly busy place. My guess about our lone waitress is that she's the owner and maybe her husband the cook, and their  boy the runner and busboy? Well no matter, the food was great and she did a good job and worked hard trying to please everyone--and we were pleased!

The restaurant is upstairs and there was music playing and a few other diners as well, enjoying the evening. Downstairs is the deli and it's quite well stocked, not only with fresh food items, but also with a nice selection of imported Polish good. It's a very nice place and Rochester is fortunate to have such good Polish food and atmosphere. Smacznego!

Ireland's Four Provinces

After yet another long day in Washington, DC, being tourists, we had a late dinner at Ireland's Four Provinces in nearby Falls Church, VA. It was a good choice. We chose it because it was (a) close to our hotel and (b) had a great rating on Urbanspoon.com. We were not disappointed!

We came in and sat near the bar, finding a trivia contest in progress. We did participate, but we are no experts (as we soon learned). But it was fun and a nice way to pass the short wait for our food.

I started out with the Potato Leek Soup, and it was very good! It was rich, creamy, velvety, in the best tradition of a vichyssoise--though I did think I'd have preferred a bit more leek and a bit less potato flavor. Still, it was very good and I did like it a lot.

Tommy had the seafood gumbo and I did have a taste. Indeed, it tasted like seafood gumbo, like a gulp of the sea, a bit of fish, a bit of shrimp, it was all very good. 

For my main course I had the Fish 'N Chips. Wow, it was actually quite good. The fish was very good, probably haddock, with a nice beer batter type breading and fried just right. The fries were thick cut and tasty. My only complaint would be the small portion of coleslaw, but then that's all there was room for on the plate. I liked this a lot.

Tommy had the Seafood Platter and it, too, was very good with perhaps mahi-mahi for the fish, and scallops and shrimp. The scallops were very tender with a bit of blackening, the shrimp cooked well. There was a big portion of rice pilaf to go with this, but also some nice fresh veggies.

We had a good meal, good service, and a good time here. Nice!

La Côte D'Or Cafe

La Côte D'Or Cafe was right next to our hotel when we were in Arlington, VA recently, and was a delightful find for a late evening meal. We'd spent a long day walking all over Washington, DC, so when we found a restaurant so close by that had a great rating on urbanspoon.com, we just had to try it. It was a good choice.

Once we ordered, we were treated to a complimentary treat--a shot of consomme. It was awesome, so much flavor in such a small portion. It certainly left us expecting a very good meal, and that's just what we got. 

First off, the pictures do not do this food justice--my regular camera was back in the hotel and all I had was my iPhone. But the food was indeed very good.

I had the Marguez (spicy lamb sausages) served with spicy lentils. Now, the lamb sausages were just a tad on the dry side, but very flavorful and with a nice kick. The lentils were also very rich and full of a hearty meat flavor, and also spicy. I liked this dish a lot and ate up every last drop.

Tommy had the steak and fries, and ordered the steak medium rare. It came out perfectly cooked, juicy, tender, red in the middle, and full of flavor. They sure know how to cook a steak here.

We had good service and a wonderful meal here. I loved it. Two thumbs up, for sure!

Cafe Mozart

We had a delightful lunch at Cafe Mozart in Washington, DC recently. Earlier, we toured the White House, and so I only had my iPhone for food pictures. They do not do the food justice. We had an excellent meal and superb service here.

Cafe Mozart is a deli out front with a fine restaurant in the back. You can buy all kinds of German and European food there, including a wide deli selection. But we were there to eat lunch, and we did that with a vengeance!


Being in a German restaurant, I had to try a Schnitzel (OK, it's Austrian in origin, but that's another story), so I ordered the hunter schnitzel with pork. It was wonderful, a nice schnitzel covered with a rich mushroom and red wine gravy. To go with, i had the German potato salad (of course) and red cabbage. The cabbage was also excellent.

We started our meal with a latke, however, a potato pancake. It was perfectly cooked, nice and crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. Well done!

Tommy had a Chicken Schnitzel sandwich and it too was very good. As an added bonus, this was the picture that turned out the best--go figure!

Our service was great, the atmosphere great, and the food great. What's not to like?

Dogwood Tavern

We had a nice meal at Dogwood Tavern when in the area recently. We had a hard time choosing, it all looked so good, but eventually we decided to order some appetizer and split them.

First off we tried the Chesapeake Crab Sliders, four mini crab cakes on petite buns, served with lettuce, pickle, mayo, and a sherry wine sauce. These were real winners with a nice crab flavor that was not overpowered by the binder. Very good, we both loved them. 

We also had the Shenandoah Sliders, small Angus beef burgers on petite buns with caramelized onions and pepper-jack cheese, also served with lettuce, tomato, and pickle. Again, they were very good and we liked them a lot. 

We started off with some soup, though, and found them very good. I had the Baked Potato and Four Cheese soup, and it was absolutely delicious. Maybe not the most healthy choice, but it sure was rich and flavorful.

Tommy had one of his favorites, the Fish Chowder, and he liked it a lot too. It was nice and rich and creamy and had a nice "ocean" taste to it. We ate at a table by the bar, but service was attentive and quick. We enjoyed our meal here, definitely.

Coleman Public House

The food was good at Coleman Public House but there were a few disappointments here. Yes, it's a brew pub, but their wine selection was quite minimal and a very limited selection. The food was good but the server was quite green. Fortunately, the manager helped turn our experience into a positive one. 

I ordered a sampler of beer, 4 different 5 oz beer samples, they were all good but the Railhouse IPA was the best, followed by a local brew, the Westbrook Marzen.

When our food arrived, Tommy took one bite of the fish taco---it was very hot as in spicy hot. When he called the waitress over she said "well, the menu specified that." Ooops. Wrong thing. The menu mentioned no such thing. We summoned the hostess and she summoned the manager. He did all the right things and was very apologetic. He offered to make a new fresh fish taco without the salsa. He came back and said he tasted the salsa and it was indeed quite hot. He also said he spoke to our waitress. She was polite and efficient after that but a bit aloof, not very warm. But she did take care of us and the reprovisioned fish taco was indeed very good.

I had a southwestern salad, mixed greens, pepper jack cheese, black beans, corn, tomato salsa, and grilled chicken. It was very good. It did have a little bit of to heat which I liked.

Overall, the manager's great attitude and handling of the situation saw us leave happy and full, so overall, a good job.