Cafe Du Monde

Cafe Du Monde
1039 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA
(Visit their website!)

This place is just awesome. They're a New Orleans tradition, which is open 24 hours a day. Perfect for the city that never sleeps and the French Quarter that never stops partying. I'm told that you're supposed to get drunk all night, come over to Cafe Du Monde in the wee hours of the morning, have some coffee and their famous beignets and go to sleep. Such a diet is supposed to overcome any hangover effects the next morning. Now, I don't drink that much and I certainly don't party into the wee hours of the morning so I did not try it. However, I did have a fine breakfast at Cafe Du Monde.

Now, the menu is pretty sparse because they just sell beignets. Well, there are drinks too so I had what I assumed was a traditional breakfast of coffee and beignets. Each order comes with three of these wonderful balls of joy. Yes, it's all just fried dough topped with lots and lots of powdered sugar. But that's all it takes to make a greasy and filling breakfast. The dough was nice and crispy on the outside, protecting the softness on the inside. Just a terrific and simple recipe, which you can bring home with you. They sold the dough but I don't have a deep fryer at home so I didn't partake. Plus, it wouldn't have tasted the same anyway. Beware of the falling powdered sugar, which gets everywhere. Enjoy!

Bavarian Chef

Bavarian Chef
5102 South Seminole Trail
Madison, VA 22727

What is this German restaurant doing out in the middle of nowhere? On Route 29 between Washington and Charlottesville, you'll come across this wooden structure with a Bavarian look. Hungry for German food and beer? You've come to the right place.

Now, the food at the Bavarian Chef is extremely heavy as is most German cuisine but it is quite tasty. I have had the Zigeuner Lendchen (pork medallions in a zesty mushroom, onion, diced pepper, tomato, and bacon sauce) and the Karlsbadener Sahnegoulasch (veal, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and fresh cream). Both were very good. The Zigeuner Lendchen was well cooked and held together while the veal was very tender and almost melted in your mouth. Orders come with a bunch of sides. I think it's something like 2 sides per entree. The potato dumplings (pictured here) are really, really good. They're a bit gooey and have a similar feel as mochi on the outside. The potatoes are wonderfully done and I just could not get enough of this dish. The zucchini was cooked with onions and came in a nice tomato sauce. String beans were fine. I generally don't like red cabbage and these guys did not give me a reason to. Nothing against how they do it though.

I do have to say that these people could be friendlier to their guests. I wasn't impressed by the service. To be fair, they were packed and they did wear some German outfits, which did not look comfortable but even the receptionist needed to work on the "willkommen" attitude. The place is also kindof expensive. If I'm paying a lot of money for good food, remember that I have to consider the energy costs because this place is far away from almost anywhere. Perhaps a friendlier staff would make me happier to pay their operation costs.

The place itself is really cool. A lot of the seating is upstairs in the attic and there are all these little nooks with tables and mini lamps. It's all very cute and it all has a nice Bavarian feel. A bit dark so not a good spot for photographs but pretty nice atmosphere.

I didn't get the beer although they had a wide variety of German ones. Don't order the HUGE steins because they are indeed gigantic and you could not possibly drink it on your own.

Scarlet Begonias

Pasta special at Scarlet Begonias

Scarlet Begonias
212 Maine St # B
Brunswick, ME

This is probably one of my favorite spots in Brunswick. Now, I sometimes have problems getting to their actual menu because their specials are always so tempting and fantastic. How can you turn down the delicious scallop pizza or the special club sandwich with sprouts and turkey? If you're there when they have their fish chowder or seafood chowder, try it! Everything is made when you order so sometimes this will take a while and they do have limited seating so if you show up during the lunch rush, you might just have to wait a bit. I love the fact that you can just pick up a pitcher of water from the counter and take it over to your seat.

Now, there are some regular items that I really love. If I can resist their specials that day, I go for Sallie's Choice, which is a pizza loaded with sausage, broccoli, roasted red peppers, cheeses, and herbs. There's something about that combination that just hits the spot. Wash it down with an ice-cold Pepsi with ice. That is a fantastic meal right there although you will need a nap. There is no getting around that.

Other people are really drawn to the pasta selection at SB's. The Rose Begonia seems to be the absolute favorite and it's a blend of bacon, chicken, mushrooms, and herbs over penne pasta. The sauce is a tomato cream one and it is wonderfully rich. I think the dish is great but a bit creamy. The portions, by the way, are pretty big and you may end up taking some items home with you.

Pricey? Just a bit but the food is well worth it and hey, this is a local restaurant with a nice decor and great food. Just enjoy the great food and atmosphere.