Marathon Grill

Marathon Grill
40th and Walnut
Philadelphia
(Check out their website for other locations around the city)

I've had a bunch of salads from the Marathon Grill recently. This is the Provence steak salad. It's basically skirt steak and bacon bits over arugula and grilled asparagus. I told them to hold the parmesan and white beans (comes with the regular salad). I substituted some roasted peppers for the rest. The salad came with the lemon-dijon vinaigrette. Nice overall but the arugula was a bit overpowering.

Return to Cote's

Cote's
212 Maine Street
Brunswick, ME

It's summer in Brunswick, Maine. That means you should head over to Cote's to get some ice cream. Any flavor will do. Pictured here is their delicious chocolate chip. Watch for large crowds.
They're open in the afternoons and evenings. You will not be disappointed by this homemade ice cream.

(Read the previous post here.)

Roba!Dolce

Roba!Dolce
178 Angel Street (corner of Thayer St. and Angel St.)
Providence, RI
(Visit their website for other locations)

This is a fun little place near Brown University. I didn't realize that this was a chain store because it was so much like just a little cafe that catered to the college and tourist crowd. At least in the case of the Providence store, the service was very good. Enter the cafe and you are greeted by "Welcome to Roba!Dolce!"

The store offers a wide variety of drinks, meals, and desserts although it is primarily a cafe so you're going to get the most choice in the drink realm. For lunch though, they had a special Penini with turkey (or ham), American cheese, tomatoes, red onion, and Balsamic vinaigrette. My dining companion and I topped that off with some coffee, espresso, and two desserts: a raspberry pie and a chocolate covered (and lathered) cream puff. Pretty good overall. I would say the atmosphere in this store makes it worth the visit.

Marathon Grill

Marathon Grill
40th and Walnut
Philadelphia
(Check out their website for other locations around the city)


This is my favorite salad from the Marathon Grill. It's called the Marathon Chopped Salad and comes with an option of turkey or grilled shrimp. The basic salad is $8.95 (add $3.00 for turkey or $5.50 for shrimp). The basic comes with avocado, chopped tomatoes, diced eggs, sliced mushrooms, bacon bits over garden greens. All this is mixed with thousand island dressing, well mixed in. I've had it with the turkey a few times and am very impressed. Be warned that this is a giant salad and will fill you up very easily.

Kabob and Curry

Kabob and Curry
261 Thayer Street
Providence, RI
(Visit their website)

This is a nice two story restaurant right near Brown University. I had the lamb barba kabob salad, which consisted of lamb kabobs over lettuce, diced cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes. The salad also included walnuts and cranberries. I had it with balsamic vinaigrette but this dressing tasted different than the regular variety. I'm not sure if they added some sort of Indian spices to it or something but it was very tasty.

The seating was a bit crowded but the food was decent and the service wasn't bad when we first got there. Lunch hour is a busy time though but it looked like the wait staff worked well together.

The mango chicken was also very tasty but the portion seemed a bit small.

Tropicana Pure Valencia

I'm a big fan of orange juice, particularly Tropicana's Immunity Defense OJ. I was, however, skeptical when I saw the new adds for "Tropicana Pure Valencia." Still curious, I bought a bottle and tried it out. It's just regular orange juice as far as I can tell and the original still tastes better. Of course, the Valencia is more expensive and I have to think that half the cost went into the little booklets that came with the bottle. Bear in mind these are little booklets that tell you how wonderful what you're about to drink is. The first page boasts that this OJ was a "taste like you've never experienced" and an "orange juice like no other."

Why does Tropicana think that Valencia is so super? Here's their reasoning: "Because this juice is 100% Valencia, and the Valencia is a special orange. . . . Valencias spend more than a year ripening on the tree, developing a deep, rich color, exceptional juiciness, and an especially succulent taste."

It's also not easy to get picked to be part of this new drink! "Ultimately," the booklet tells us, "only the top 3% of our entire harvest is chosen for Tropicana Pure Valencia." The makers of Valencia "squeeze slowly, taking great care and concern with each step. And we embrace the smallest details to ensure only the very best juice." Apparently, Valencia is "out most luscious juice ever" and it is supposed to "change the way you think about juice."

As if all this wasn't absurd enough, the makers of Valencia take the time to tell you how to drink this super OJ! First, you must "Close your eyes and breathe in the incredible aroma." Then, "open your eyes and take in the deep, intense color." Third, "Swirl the juice in your glass to observe the full body." And, finally, "take a sip. Let every taste bud be entertained by teh luscious experience of succulent fruit."

I'm not at all convinced!

Where to Eat in Charlottesville

OK, so this is a week old but I've been busy. The Washington Post recommends a few spots, which I should check out when I'm in Cville. Among the recommendations are Mas, Revolutionary Soup, the Albemarle Baking Co., HotCakes, and Aroma's Cafe. I've been to a few of these but will give further thought before reviewing them. Check out the article to see what they have to say.