Max's Oyster Bar, West Hartford, CT November 2008 Grade: A-

Joanne and Amy write

Every once in a while it's nice to forgo the adventure of trying a new place and fall back on a sure thing, to sit down to dinner where you know your meal will satisfy. Max's Oyster Bar is one of those places. Dining there last night, for only $20.08, was extra pleasing.

Last night, like many others, Amy and I both knew what we wanted to order before we got there. The CT Restaurant Week menus were available on line and we had already made our decisions. No stammering indecisively over the menus, asking questions, or tying up an already in-the-weeds server.

I started with Max's classic chopped salad, with Gorgonzola and sherry vinaigrette, which was dressed perfectly. For my main course I chose their grilled Bay of Fundy salmon with a maple syrup glaze, served with a apple and potato hash and pomegranate nage. It was outstanding. The generous salmon filet was cooked perfectly with a beautiful crust and the precisely diced apple potato hash was sweet yet tart and a perfect accompaniment.

I chose the clam chowder to start. It came in a stainless steel mug that was poured into my bowl by the server, and was accompanied by a wax-paper bag filled with homemade oyster crackers. The chowder was thick and appetizing, with plenty of clams, few potatoes, and bits of applewood smoked bacon. The shellfish pappardelle was excellent as well. The papparedelle was made in house, and it was cooked al dente as it should be. There was plenty of shellfish also - two grilled jumbo shrimp and several littleneck clams and mussels - tossed in a fiery fra diavolo tomato sauce. The portion was just right. Creme brulee is one of our favorites, and we both chose it as our finale. The cool, velvety custard had rich vanilla flavor and a flawlessly burnt sugar crust. The only downside was the topping of too-tart chopped strawberries. A little shortbread cookie on the side was a nice extra touch.

This restaurant is typically busy, being located in West Hartford, but was even more so during Restaurant Week. Thus, it was easy to forgive the lagging service. Our friendly waiter (who Joanne mentioned was in-the-weeds) was as attentive as he could be given the situation he was in, delivering double-tiered platters of shellfish to tables of six or eight in addition to taking care of us and several other "deuces." Besides, the gap between courses gave us time to gossip and digest. Our water glasses were kept full and our table was cleared in a timely manner throughout the visit.

It was certainly worth our while to brave the unseasonably cold weather to visit Max's Oyster Bar for what we knew would be an excellent meal and an exceptional deal.

Ted's Montana Grill, South Windsor, CT November 2008 Grade: A

Joanne and Amy write:

I remember on one of my solo visits to Ted's Montana Grill, while sitting at the bar at a fairly quiet hour, thinking--as I looked around and burger juice dripped down my chin--"oh my god, Ted Turner is brilliant. This is a diner in disguise! Steak house style dining room in an upscale outdoor mall, with a flattop grill." Just then, I looked over and saw a stainless steel bowl going over a burger to steam it. Diner style, indeed. Despite higher-than-diner prices, Ted's consistently delivers a good burger worth the price. Because I love their burgers and onion rings so much (if I can keep my hand out of the dish of complimentary half-sour pickle coins long enough to eat them), I don't deviate on the menu. Amy, however, who also frequents with her husband, has delved deeper into the menu than I.

The first time I went to Ted's was shortly after it opened four years ago. My husband and I sat at the counter overlooking the kitchen. The cook working in front of us was busy, but he took the time to talk with us and gave us several samples - of the bison chili, the freshly cut french fries, and an onion ring or two. It was dinner and a show--with freebies! I ordered a ribeye that day, and I've ordered it several times since. Available in beef or the slightly sweeter-tasting and much leaner bison, it's always grilled to perfection and drizzled with butter sauce. Between my husband and me, we've tried different soups, steaks, burgers, chicken dishes and seafood at Ted's and we've never been disappointed or gone home hungry. In fact, the only time I didn't leave with leftovers was when I tried the perfectly-portioned Blue Plate Special (diner lingo--maybe Joanne is on to something) of short ribs over mashed potatoes. That one time, I completely cleared my plate.

I go back to Ted's often, not because of their prices, but because of the consistently good food and service I get within a unique concept restaurant. That concept is two-fold: fresh and green. Fresh: Ted's doesn't freeze or microwave anything. Everything is made to order, even the lemonade. Green: Each location recycles, is non-smoking, uses low-voltage lighting, and strives to be 99% plastic-free. The atmosphere also beckons me...I openly declare my love for the Craftsman-style decor while keeping my fondness for the hokey "Montana-at-the-turn-of-the-century" music more secret. But the burgers...that's where it's at. Thick, juicy, with any kind of topping you can think of, they are amazing. Just ask Joanne.

While I ate every single half-sour pickle coin in the dish, Amy started with the tortilla soup, a warm and creamy cup of comfort on a rainy day. For the main attraction, Amy ordered the "naked burger," medium-rare, with fries. I ordered the cheese burger (medium), with American cheese, loaded with mushrooms and bacon. Instead of french fries, I substituted onion rings. Our server accomodated Amy's request for a slice of raw onion, and mine for a side of their horseradish mayonnaise to accompany my onion rings--and which also found its way onto my toasted, buttered, burger bun. Once we assembled our giant creations, the task of getting our mouths around them was worth the reward of the moist and delicious burgers. (Ladies, there's nothing dainty about eating these!) Both my onion rings and Amy's fries were crisp and delicious as well. The Big Sky cabernet sauvignon (exclusive to Ted's) accompanied them well.

This and countless other great dining experiences for both of us at Ted's puts it firmly on our list of favorite restaurants.

Sauce, Glastonbury, CT October 2008 Grade: A -

Amy and Joanne write...

I've been wanting to try Sauce since it opened last December. I thought it brave for a restaurant to open around the holidays, when most of us, including me, are so busy and/or broke from shopping that restaurant dining isn't really an option. Early reviews from local newspapers brought raves and made me all the more excited to try it. However, a pair of bartenders whom we know and who are foodies, gave Sauce a bad review and I put it on my list of need-to-try-sometime-but-not-now. Then a few weeks ago, I was driving through Glastonbury and caught the sight of a happening place out of the corner of my eye. It was Sauce, and I realized the time is now. I checked out the website, which has a great look to it, and the menu, which is not overly extensive as Italian-American menus tend to be, with their pages and pages of pasta, seems to focus on what I'd call "contemporary Italian" dishes, made with seasonal ingredients.

I had only heard about Sauce through Amy, who forwarded a restaurant review. Other than that and the comments I heard from the aforementioned bartenders, which weren't very good, I hadn't heard much else. I did go on line as well, and was equally intrigued by the menu. But I was in Amy's hands, with an open mind, as we started last night's dining experience. Given our last "Italian" dining experience, I was feeling confident that a good meal was in store.

I started with one of their "cicchetti," or little snacks , choosing a simple salad of small pieces of fresh mozzarella and halved grape tomatoes dressed in a high quality balsamic vinaigrette. We shared this with the dark crusty bread that was offered with a hearty red sauce for dipping, while we waited for Amy's antipasto and my insalata. Things looked promising.

Years ago, my husband took me to a great Italian bakery in Hartford's Italian neighborhood and introduced me to arancine. I love arancine, balls of risotto stuffed with a variety of fillings and lightly fried so they are crunchy on the outside and soft and melty on the inside. Sauce's were exactly that and thus, did not disappoint. For $9, we received 3 large arancine (a very generous portion, in my opinion), and the arborio rice was mixed with spinach, fontina cheese, and onions, with a piece of prosciutto in the middle. They rested on a thin layer of marinara. They were delicious and I would have no qualms about stopping by one night when I'm out shopping by myself and having this appetizer and a glass of wine for my dinner.

I would like to say that I took a walk on the wild side when I did not order arugula salad, with which I am obsessed --but it wasn't particularly adventurous to order Caesar salad instead. In my defense, there are a lot of bad salads out there claiming to be Caesar salads, so it was a risk. I am happy to report that this was not one of them. The dressing was delicious. The garlic and anchovy did not overwhelm or offend. The herby croutons added a nice flavor and crunch, and were accompanied by little pieces of crispy, salty prosciutto--an unexpected and unique addition.

I haven't had a great penne with vodka sauce in some time, and unfortunately, even after last night, I still haven't. The penne was cooked appropriately al dente, and the large shrimp I requested to be added into the dish were perfect, but the sauce was too sweet and had the overpowering flavor of onions. It didn't have that red pepper bite that I associate with, and really enjoy in, a good vodka sauce. I could somewhat taste the ripeness of the San Marzano tomatoes in the sauce, but with each bite, the onion quickly prevailed. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either, and it certainly didn't outshine those amazing arancine.

For dinner I ordered the broccoli rabe with sausage and orecchiete. The dish was generous and tasty. At first I declined the addition of fresh grated Parmesan, but then reconsidered. The saltiness of the cheese added a nice bite to the slightly bitter broccoli rabe and the sweet sausauge. The sausage was browned nicely, but--for my liking--could have been broken into smaller pieces and had too many fennel seeds. Overall I liked it, but might try another dish before ordering this one again--perhaps the papardelle that the server recommended or one of their pies.

The server/busser team that waited on us was attentive and professional. The server was able to make recommendations and answer questions when we had them. The team anticipated and met all of our needs, including water refills, freshly ground pepper and grated parmesan, and other things for which we didn't have to ask. We left satisfied with all around.

That is, more Sauce, please.

Pazzo Ristorante, Springfield, MA October 2008 Grade: D+

Joanne and Amy write:

I admit I am a repeat customer at Pazzo. Despite mixed reviews, with the bad being really bad, I decided to try it. I had my niece for an overnight last spring and since it was next door to the Basketball Hall of Fame, and had a kids' menu offering "spaghetti and basketballs" and no line, we went. The meatballs were good, my pasta dish was nothing to write about, and the garlic bread was not kid-friendly. Our waitress took it back and had it taken off the check, although I hadn't asked for that. Given that excellent service, and my delicious arugula salad, I decided I'd come back. The menu had other interesting choices that I could try another time.

I did in fact go back for a late, leisurely lunch--on more than one occasion--this summer. I always get the arugula salad, and I have never been disappointed with it. One day I tried to recreate a dining experience from Italy (while Amy was actually there!) and ordered the prosciutto and arugula pizza. It would have been perfect if not for the Americanized red sauce on which the prosciutto and arugula sat. I made a mental note to order without sauce. Other things I have tried are the mussels and the pollo prosciutto lunch entree. The chicken dish is rich and delicious, a rather generous lunch portion, which of course is also more Italian-American than Italian...but I enjoy the leftovers and continue to patronize the restaurant. My service has been good and the food tasty enough to try it with Amy, and her discerning Italian palate, which we did last night.

Joanne has told me about her visits to Pazzo, while I had never eaten there before last night. I was aware of the mixed reviews, many claiming it's the best Italian in Springfield, many others, that it's the worst, and not much in between. I was a bit wary at first, but prior to the visit, as I often do, I perused the menu online, and it made my mouth water. When I got there and saw the wine list, I thought someone was reading my mind. All of my favorite red - from cabs to pinots to zins to great Italians - were there. I had to ask Joanne to choose because I'd never be able to make up my mind.

But back to the food. The appetizer that was especially interesting to me was the spiedini alla Romana, which was described as "mozzarella grilled Roman style." Unfortunately, what I got was a strange version of cheesy garlic bread. When it was delivered, I stared at the plate and thought, "I don't get it." Soggy, oily and served with a horseradish-based dipping sauce (!?!), it was like day old, microwaved French toast gone awry, and there was nothing "grilled" (the definition of spiedini!) about it. Joanne summed it up as a waste of good cheese, and I have to agree with her. Next I ordered their house-named salad which promised baby spinach with pancetta and crumbled gorgonzola cheese served in a phyllo cup with sliced green apples. How can you go wrong with bacon, cheese and pastry??? Well, apparently you can. Although the salad itself, large (not baby) leaves of spinach tossed with gorgonzola in a sweet and tasty dressing, was good, some of the bacon bits were hard enough to crack a tooth, and the apples were julienned and - unbelievable in October in New England - they were brown. The phyllo cup? Unspeakably bad. Pale yellow in color, I thought they forgot to cook it. Then I took a bite of it and my mouth was full of the taste of rancid, stale oil. So very very bad and so very very disappointing. The one hope of salvation came in the form of my entree. I went for a classic lasagne, and it was that. Layers of pasta filled with meat and cheese, it was quite good, but would have been better with less of the orange sauce in which it was drowning.

For me the only thing that didn't disappoint, besides the wine, was the arugula salad, which I suppose I can conclude now is the only consistently good thing on their menu in my experience. I was so disappointed, especially since it was Amy's first time there. Her name-that-cheese thing was so bad (not that the waitress noticed it was barely touched) that we shared my mussels done in white wine sauce. The preparation was simple and basic and hard to get wrong, but some of the mussels were a little mealy, so even that wasn't a great consolation. For dinner I chose swordfish, done with olives, capers, garlic, and tomatoes. I was in the mood for fish, and the Provencal/almost Puttanesca sauce seemed interesting. And it was good. Only the fish was swimming in it, pardon the pun. There was a lot of extra sauce but nothing to eat with it, as the dish was served with a side of polenta (a square piece) and vegetables.

The first time I went my server saved the day. Amy and I were not so lucky. As noted above, she didn't notice that things were relatively untouched, she did not come around--or send a bus boy--nearly enough to refill water, and she corrected our correct pronuncations of words that included a double-z, which sound like a ts. Like the restaurant name (after which Amy's salad was named), like intermezzo, like pizza for God's sake. http://www.wordreference.com/iten/pazzo Listen for yourself.

I agree that our server was unfriendly and inattentive. I think she filled our (small) water glasses one time in three courses. When she took away my salad plate, I said, "You may want to let the kitchen know that the phyllo cup tastes bad, like bad oil or something," she replied, "It's baked," and walked away. My mind's reply? "Baked or not, it tasted really bad, and by the way, you're a terrible server and I'm only leaving 15%!"

Would I go to Pazzo again? Hard to say. The prices were high, especially for what we got. If we hadn't had a gift certificate, we would have paid $100 each, which is the equivalent of two or three outings at one of our "favorite" restaurants. Joanne says their pizzas are good (with special instructions) and I'd like to say I'd be willing to give them a try. But I think it's going to take me awhile to get over last night's insult to Italian food.

Pazzo means "crazy," and honestly, I think we'd have to be to go back anytime soon.

Sonsie, Boston, MA December 2007 Grade: B+

Joanne writes:

Amy and I have a tradition of going to Boston for an overnight getaway in December, on the pretense of Christmas shopping, but it ends up being more of a culinary adventure than a retail one. I enjoy sharing with Amy the Boston I knew and loved when I lived there after college, one that she couldn't really experience when she was a student at BC.

While I was never a fan of the nightlife at Sonsie, or the see and be seen culture in general, I was a fan of the restaurant--especially for lunch. A college friend of mine and another foodie, Deanna, and I have been there multiple times and have always been pleased. So when Amy and I were wondering where to go to lunch, on our second day in Boston, I suggested Sonsie. Giada (DeLaurentis, of Food Network fame) had just been there on one of her weekend getaways, and she gave the brick oven pizza high marks. I had never tried their pizza, and Amy loves pizza, so it was a go.

Amy's selection of cocktail had her taking notes so she could recreate it for Chris at home. Unfortunately, she has since lost said notes and can't for the life of her remember what it was. I went the boring route, a Bloody Mary, and was ready to move on to lunch.

I got a mushroom pizza. One bite and I was in heaven. I was never so happy that Amy doesn't like mushrooms! Grilled mushrooms, caramelized onions, and brie, on a thin crust. I have made it my mission, since then, to recreate this at home. Amy must have really enjoyed that cocktail because, albeit almost a year later, she doesn't remember what she had. We both remember that as we finished, she ordered a pizza with butternut squash, melting cheese, and walnuts to take home for Chris so that he could experience Sonsie too. He loved it.

Interestingly enough, our server was the same young woman who served Giada. Unfortunately, she saw a group of businessmen gathering in the foyer as the bigger tip opportunity, and left us without service at various points in our meal, including when we were ready to order wine. At those times she was busy serving drinks to the men seated around the low table in the foyer, squatting as she placed the drinks on napkins, glancing up in suggestive servitude.

The food was better than the service, but it was good enough to put Sonsie on our list of favorite restaurants.

Ruth's Chris, Newington, CT October 2008 Grade: C-

Joanne and Amy write:

Clearly we don't go out to eat so that we can say, "that sucked!" We want to be satisfied, and on occasion we like to be wowed--inpsired to go home and recreate a dish, or get on the phone and recommend the restaurant. Usually our expectations are met. Rarely, we walk away feeling like it wasn't what we expected. Last night, at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, was one of those nights. Moreover, the dining experience was less than anyone should expect from the menu and for the price, and without stellar service to soften the blow.

I have been to this location before, and visited two of the New Orleans locations a few times when I lived there. The franchise began in the Big Easy in the 1960's and has a great backstory - the now-famous "Ruth" was a single mom looking through the Times-Picayune classifieds when she noticed an ad announcing "Steak House for Sale." She mortaged her house and bought the Chris Steak House whch thrived until a fire destroyed it in 1976. She bought a new property close by, but her contract with the original "Chris" wouldn't allow her to use the name, hence Ruth's Chris was born. Ruth's entrepreneurial spirit encouraged her to franchise, and since her death in 2002, the company has gone public and is based out of Florida. Based on last night's visit, they have all but lost the character of the original company.

We ordered a shrimp appetizer to share, and were off to a good start. Five shrimp, probably 31/40s, were served in a casserole full of creole spiced butter, an ode to Ruth's New Orleans style. They were not earth shattering but tasty, with good crusty bread for dipping. We also shared a steakhouse salad with blue cheese dressing, which they were kind enough to split for us. I loved mine--greens, red onions, grape tomatoes--but Amy's was way overdressed. On to the entrees.

I know that I should have ordered a steak, but I have had remarkable fish dishes at other high end steak houses. Halibut was a special on the menu, so I ordered it. I was not impressed. The preparation obscured the fish. Any delicate flavor of the halibut was lost to the generous mound of garlicky bread crumbs. I may as well have been eating cod or sole, and I can live with that. But not for $29. Especially since the sides left a lot to be desired as well.

How a restaurant feels it's okay to charge $6.50 for 1/2 pound of plain old blanched broccoli is beyond me. No salt, no butter, no seasoning whatsoever, and only lukewarm to boot. The au gratin potatoes, undercooked (think al dente potatoes) and covered in oily cheddar, were also not worthy of the Ruth's Chris reputation. What did hold up, however, was the Petite Filet - a generous steak, served on a sizzling plate; it cut like the "buttah" in which it was served. It was the highlight of the meal for me.

In comparison to other high-end steakhouses we have visited, the service and ambiance were under par. Specials were recited by rote memory without commentary or enthusiasm or, it seemed, any knowledge of the food. The personalization of service and the little extras that make experiences at restaurants such as this memorable were lacking. The bartender, although friendly and personable, fell short on professionalism and polish (she swore in front of us) and knowledge (she wondered aloud what Armagnac was). Even the mahogany--or dark cherry-- was missing. In place of traditional steahouse decor was cheap pine laminate. Sadly fitting.

California Pizza Kitchen, Farmington, CT January 2008 Grade: A

Amy writes...

A while ago, Joanne and I had both been wanting to go to Trader Joe’s for a stock-up and thought it would be fun to go together. Across the street from the store is a huge mall, and in that mall is a California Pizza Kitchen. We went there first, because it’s just never a good idea to shop at a grocery store hungry. Now, the two of us have always had a lot in common, but lately it’s been getting kind of creepy. So it didn’t really surprise either of us when we both ordered the exact same thing: the “Tricolore Salad Pizza” with a glass (or three…) of wine. We both tried “A by Acacia” Pinot Noir, a first for both of us. The wine was spicy and medium-bodied with hints of dark fruit, perhaps blackberries. It was easy to drink on its own but it also went quite well with our meal. Now, this salad/pizza (pizzalad???) is one of Joanne's favorites as it brings back memories of the pizza to end all pizzas she had in Florence, but it was my first time trying it. The crust was very thin and crispy, with parmesan cheese baked into it. There was also a hint of sweetness that neither of us could really place. We asked our server and she let out the secret - they brush the dough with corn syrup before cooking it that caramelizes in the brick oven and gives the crust that little extra something. Works for me. This amazing crust was topped with a three-color (hence the name) mix of arugula, radicchio and baby red leaf lettuce, as well as some chopped tomatoes tossed in a Dijon balsamic vinaigrette. I added grilled shrimp to mine, Joanne chose rosemary grilled chicken. Shaved parmesan was a great finishing touch to both, which really enhanced the parm found in the crust. The flavor profiles were spot on and – shocker! – I can tell it’s going to be a favorite of mine.

Our service was also very good. In most of our dining adventures, Joanne and I tend to sit at the bar because we find service is better there--especially at busy times. We were not proven wrong. Our bartender was friendly and efficient, and always within earshot. She checked on us without hovering, refilled water, and was knowledgeable about the menu, able to answer questions when we asked.

Overall it was a great experience, worthy of an A grade.