Bar Americain

Bar Americain
152 West 52nd Street
New York, NY
(Visit the restaurant's website.)

The highlight of my recent Bobby Flay eating tour was visiting the Iron Chef's own Bar Americain. Chef Flay has a couple of restaurants in New York City but this one was the closest to where I was already headed and it is the restaurant featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay. I had to try it. To be brief, it was spectacular.

I visited Bar Americain with a dining companion for brunch and we just ordered as much as we could. First, I have to say th

at the setting is very inviting and nice. The tall ceilings and decor were light and refreshing. Everything was very clean and professional. The whole place seemed to scream "business casual."

We started out with some cocktails, which were a bit pricey but very tasty. I tried the "Kentucky 95," which is a blend of Maker's Mark, champagne, lemon and orange juices. It was delicious but was it worth $12? My dining companion had the Pimm's Cup, which is made of Pimm's No. 1, lemonade, and cucumber. Yes, cucumber. Cool, refreshing, and different what with the taste of the cucumber and all. The drink was so good that she had to order another one.

Our meal began with a delicious basket of bread and coffee cakes. And these were the best coffee cakes that either of us had ever had. They were so warm, fluffy, and chocolaty. But don't think that it was too heavy. Nothing at Bobby Flay's restaurant was too heavy. He's found the perfect way to make food tasty and light so that you can keep stuffing yourself. The rest of the bread was served with very delicious Jalapeno butter.

But onto the actual appetizers. We couldn't decide on one in particular so we chose the sample platter, which included jumbo shrimp and tomatillo dip, crab in a light coconut milk, and lobster with avocado. I have to say that I am no fan of crab meat but I was willing to give it a chance here at Flay's. Well, I'm sold. This was just tender crab and the light sweetness of the coconut milk (and mango?) was perfect. I couldn't get enough of it. The lobster was perfectly cooked and tender. The meat tasted wonderfully with the avocado too. The shrimp was also tasty but not as good as the other two. We would have ordered more but there were other items to look forward to.

The main courses did not disappoint either. I was torn between the burger and the steak. This being Bobby Flay's place, I had to try one or the other. I went with the strip steak since Flay has often bragged about how he likes grilling steaks. This perfectly portioned slice came with an array of sauces including a home made steak sauce with a kick to it. The fries weren't anything special unfortunately but the meat itself was cooked very well and quite tasty.

My dining companion had the red snapper tacos since there had been a recent episode of Throwdown with the dish. These were perfectly cooked red snapper pieces served with cabbage slaw, a few salsas, and soft flour tortillas. The combination of flavors and the texture of all the ingredients was unbelievable. Now, that's a fish taco. It was perfect.

We were full by the end of the meal but we just had to have dessert. We finished off with a blueberry lemon crepe and a Granny Smith apple tart. The former was wonderfully smooth with brown sugar and brown butter while the latter came with delicious maple walnut ice cream.

Did we overdo it? Yes. But it was worth every bite.

Anthony & George's Steak House

Anthony & George's Steak House
7505 Staples Mill Road
Richmond, Virginia
(Check out their website)

I honestly did not expect a whole lot when I walked into Anthony and George's Steak House near the Staples Mill Road Amtrak Station outside of Richmond. It was a convenient location for someone just passing through and the sign outside said that they had lunches for under $5. The place looks like an old and perhaps somewhat worn down diner from the outside. But I was in for a real surprise because the food was great, fast, and cheap. This is one of the diners that you miss in the age of chain stores and trendy food. This is the sort of diner that you wish you had around the corner and could go to every day for their lunch specials and dinners. While I was there a bunch of regulars came through the doors and sat down. They were greeted by all the waitstaff and it really seemed like a nice place to hang out. Yes, the service was very nice and everyone was very friendly. Never judge a restaurant by how it looks outside.

They had a lot of lunch specials to choose from too. Being in a steak house, I tried to Delmonico. It was delicious. The beef was cooked perfectly and the cut had just the right amount of fat. The meal came with two sides. The broccoli was delicious and very well cooked. The beans were also good. I also have to say that the fried fish sandwich was wonderfully prepared. The fish was lightly battered and cooked very well. There are many ways to mess up a fish sandwich but these guys do not mess it up. It was probably one of the best fish sandwiches I've tasted.

And then there's the freezer full of desserts. Who serves pie and cake for under three bucks these days? These guys do and they have a rotating selection so there is no set dessert menu. I can testify that the carrot cake was very good though.

So, Anthony and George's Steak House, I apologize for underestimating you at the outset. You're great! I wish you were in my neighborhood. I will definitely stop there again if I'm back in that neck of the woods.

Molly's Restaurant & Bar

Molly's Restaurant & Bar
43 South Main Street
Hanover, NH
(Check out their website)

Molly's appears to be a place where a lot of Dartmouth people hang out. It does seem like a spot that would be attractive to the sports crowd at a university. There are TVs and what looks like a nice bar. I was there for lunch and at the table behind me, a professor was taking one of her students out to talk about the coming academic year.

I shouldn't have ordered the fried calamari but I was thrilled by the idea that they would be like a dish that I had recently enjoyed at another restaurant. Unfortunately, these were the bar food type calamari rings that were heavily breaded and fried. Although they claimed that they would be "lightly breaded," there was nothing light about this meal. Sauce wasn't that great either. Not something to write home about but probably OK if you're at a bar and you don't care what you eat.

But, Molly's came through at the end with the entree that I ordered: the lobster pizza. With real lobster too! This dish is a bit pricey but they have a nice lunch deal so it wasn't that bad. The pizza is topped with tomatoes, scallions and a bunch of cheeses (cheddar, fontina, gorgonzola, parmesan, and mozzarella). I thought the cheese blend was very good as was the lobster and scallion pairing.

I really shouldn't have ordered the calamari because I was already feeling full by the time the pizza arrived.

Nachos at Distrito

Check out their website for the full menu.

I thought Distrito was OK the first time around and didn't really want to go back to it. But one hot summer day, I found myself willing to give it another shot. Well, I went back and I think I found my favorite dish on the menu. It may seem pretty simple but the Nachos Libres Encarnacion is a great dish. What makes it fantastic is the burnt cheese that gets stuck to the skillet. So, after you've had the tender slices of steak, refried beans, and cilantro, you can also enjoy that wonderful cheese. As a side, try the Aguacate Y Jitomate, which seems to be avocado and tomato in some oil with a dash of lime and cilantro. I still think the place is a bit overpriced but I'm sold on going back for a more filling meal soon enough.

Tip Top Cafe

Tip Top Cafe
85 N Main St. #100
White River Junction, VT

(Check out their website!)

I was just staying in White River Junction for a few days and didn't know where to eat. The hotel had a little guide that said the Tip Top Cafe was a local vegetarian place. Not being very hungry and finding myself near the restaurant, I decided to give it a try. Well, it's not a vegetarian restaurant. They have a full menu for the more carnivorous among us. But there's a bit for everyone and everything I had there was fantastic. It was so good that I went back to the restaurant a few days later just as my business in White River Junction was concluding.
Start out with the crispy fries with garlic aioli.

This tower of really wonderfully crispy fries was just delicious. And even though I wasn't that hungry, I couldn't stop eating them. The garlic aioli dip made the dish. The fries might have been too salty on their own but together they were a terrific combination.

But don't worry if you didn't order an appetizer because their fresh bread was served nice and warm with a garlic and cilantro dip that was so delicious.

Need just a salad? The mixed greens, gorgonzola, and walnut salad served with tomatoes and maple balsamic vinaigrette will keep you very happy. Everything is nice and fresh too.
As for the entrees, you can't go wrong. I had the very wonderful sesame crusted tilapia served over a bed of mixed greens and mango salsa. The fish was cooked perfectly and the blend of the mango over the salad was just perfect. The tilapia salad is a definite winner. The pork and ginger meatloaf served with mashed potatoes and asparagus was also very good. The pork had a hint of sweetness that really complimented the dish.

I also tried this one other item that doesn't seem to be listed on their website. There are of course some seasonal dishes. From what I remember it was a squash inside a crispy shell drizzled with something slightly sweet. I want to say that there was honey involved but really cannot remember. In any case, that was creative and tasty too.

Overall, great food, good atmosphere (live music at certain times), and a good waitstaff. This is a definite must for anyone in the area.

Three Tomatoes Trattoria

Three Tomatoes Trattoria (Lebanon location)
1 Court Street
Lebanon, NH
(Check out their website to see all TTT locations)
It was a really long day and I ended up in Lebanon, New Hampshire around dinner time. Three Tomatoes Trattoria looked like a good spot to eat and so I gave it a try. The place was well decorated and it looked like they were running a fine business. I tried the house veal meatballs with tomato basil sauce. These were pretty good but I didn't think they were spectacular or unique in any way. They were also a bit pricey, coming in a $2 a piece. And then there was the shrimp fra Diavolo (pictured). This was a pretty nice blend of shrimp, olives, crushed red peppers, garlic, white wine, and tomato basil sauce. I will say that these guys use a lot of garlic and that's a definite plus in my book.

This would have been a pretty good meal except for the fact that I had terrible service. My waiter didn't seem really friendly at first and I didn't pay any attention to that. She brought out the water, rolls, and appetizer pretty fast. But then I waited a really long time for my entree. She never came back to refill my water and I sat there for half an hour after my plate was very clearly clean before she even came back. And when I asked for the check, that took another ten minutes. I didn't want to pay with cash but I also didn't want to wait for her to come back, take the card up, and swipe it.

Maybe I would have liked the place better if I had had better service. As it stands, I cannot give this place a particularly good rating.

Apfelschorle

When people think Germany, the drink that always comes to mind is beer. But there's also a German non-alcoholic beverage that has a strong hold on German thirst, albeit without an October festival dedicated to its consumption.

Apfelschorle is just carbonated apple juice. Germans can't get enough of it - especially the brand Lift, which is at least as ubiquitous as Coca-Cola in German stores. It's a tasty alternative to lemonade on a hot summer day, and its lack of phosphoric acid makes it less teeth-rotting than cola.

One would think that there could be a lucrative market for apfelschorle in America, although maybe not, since the Germans' love of carbonation in water never caught on here either.

Amada

Amada

217-219 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia PA

(Check out Amada online.)

This visit to Amada was part of our "Bobby Flay & His Challengers" tour.

I came to Amada with high hopes. It is, after all, part of Jose Garces's line of restaurants (I previously visited Distrito). Garces was a chef challenger on Iron Chef America and beat Bobby Flay in "Battle Mellon" (and brain freeze too).
Begin your experience at Amada by trying their sangria (a mix of wine, fruit, herbs, orange liqueur and Spanish brandy). There are a few options by I was fortunate enough to sample the "Blanco" - white wine with apples, pears, and oranges - and "Tinto" - red wine with oranges, apples, and a touch of cinnamon. Both were wonderful and refreshing. Perfect for a summer day.

Since Garces beat Flay in a battle with melon as the secret ingredient, we had to try the Melon Con Jamon" - slices of melon (cantaloupe) wrapped with Serrano ham and lightly drizzled with a yogurt and sherry reduction. It was exquisite. It was so exquisite that my dining companion and I considered ordering a second dish.

Luckily, we didn't do that because we had quite a feast ahead of us. Next came the Ensalada Verde, which was a green salad with asparagus, fava and green beans, and avocado. This also came with slices of cheese, which complement the flavors very well. Beware as this was quite the stack of greens. The nice fresh taste of this dish certainly helped with the other dishes that we ordered. The richest of those was probably the Pulpo A La Gallega or Spanish octopus. This came in a sizzling plate with what seemed to be little wedges of potatoes. The octopus itself was wonderfully succulent but I was glad to have the potatoes to help tone down the saltiness. I wish they had given us more of those potatoes. The dish might have been small but it was well portioned as the octopus was really rich.
The Almejas Con Chorizo (clams & chorizo) also came on a sizzling plate. This was terrific as well. The chorizo was just so tasty and the clams were delicious. I'm not sure how to describe one of the best dishes I've had. It probably wasn't all that great for me but it sure was a wonderful experience. Our final dish was the Escalivada, a medley of roasted peppers, eggplant, Cippolini onions & confit tomatoes. The onions were almost creamy on the inside and just perfect.

And then there was dessert. My dining companion and I tried the "Arroz Con Leche," which is a saffron rice pudding with blackberry compote, lemon jam, cinnamon bric, and fromage blanc. No, this is not your regular rice pudding. My companion, who had been a little hesitant with the saffron rice, loved it. But I also really liked the "Crema Catalana De Chocolate," which is a caramelized dark chocolate custard with strawberry gelee, and a berry sorbet. This was just fabulous. The sorbet had a really fresh taste the the custard itself was just perfect. It was rich with chocolate, very slightly crispy on top, and moist inside. A wonderful way to wrap up a fantastic meal.

Yes, Amada is a little pricey but you rarely get a treat like this.

Cazon Tropical

Note: Apologies for the long hiatus. Who knew that the semester would take away all my time to travel and explore new restaurants?

Cazon Tropical

Wood Brook Shopping Center
1871 Seminole Trail - (In the Wood Brook Shopping Center behind the Kohr Brothers Frozen Custard place with the merry-go-round)Charlottesville, Virginia
(Check out their website and browse their entire menu here!)

A bit tucked away behind some stores, this spot on Route 29 North is a tasty one. Specializing in Dominican, Hondurian, and Salvadorian food,

they make a good meal for the hungry traveler. The prices are really reasonable as well.

Start off your meal with the chicken-filled corn tamals, which are wrapped in plantain leaves and are really, really hot inside. After your tongue stops burning from the first bite, try another and savor the tender meat and mushy corn. Or, start off with some Salvadorian meat pies, which are also really hot but delicious. They are actually sort of like fried pouches of ground beef.

Hungry for a big meal? Try the Pica Pollo, which is a "Dominican style" fried chicken, served with plantains and coleslaw. Be prepared because this is about half a chicken fried for your enjoyment. And enjoy it you will. I generally dislike white meat because it can come out really dry if not done correctly. Well, these guys know how to do breast meat because it was very crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. But the meat was also really rich and tasty. Perhaps some special seasoning makes this "Dominican style"?

If you feel like something smaller but just as good, try the Fajitas Tropicales. You get your choice of meat. This is mixed with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and melty mozzarella and served on a tortilla. It's so soft and tasty that you'll wish you had ordered more than one.

But wait, there's more. Try the Tipico Salvadoreno, which is a grilled sirloin served with rice, beans, cheese, chorizo, and avocado. This is one tasty dish. Mix the meat with the other items provided and you get a good blend of the flavors all together.

For dessert try the deliciously soaked Tres Leches or the caramel flan. But you may be too full by then.