Aquitaine French Bistro

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum!!!

I met my husband there for lunch on a lovely sunny Friday afternoon in mid-August.  The atmosphere was cozy and warm with dark wood and French signs everywhere.  Despite the darkness of the interior wood, the sun came in through the windows and lit the place up perfectly.  There were patrons, but it wasn't busy or crowded so we were seated immediately.

They have a $12.95 lunch special that, in addition to being a great deal, includes some of their best menu items.  It consists of a choice of soup, a choice of sandwich and a soft drink or coffee.

I went for the lunch special and chose:

Roasted Tomato Bisque en Croute with Herbed Chevre and EVOO
Duck Confit & Gruyere Sandwich with Tarragon Mustard, Watercress and Pommes Frites
Club Soda

I don't know if I was just in the mood for it, but the bisque was absolutely perfect.  It was creamy and tangy, warm and satisfying.  And the big crouton with herbed chevre was like a cherry on the top of a hot fudge sundae.  Delicious!

I had never tried duck confit before and I was pleasantly surprised.  It was salty and very tender and was a nice contrast to the melted gruyere and the grilled, buttery toast.  It was quite satisfying although I only had room for half of it.The pommes frites were crispy and tasty.  They must have fried them in either really clean oil or a special kind of oil and/or at the exactly perfect temperature.  They were great!

My husband loved his meal, the Aquitaine Burger, which was cooked to a perfect medium and covered with smoked bacon and Boursin cheese and served on a soft brioche bun.  And he said his coffee was excellent.

Rocky and Carlo's, Chalmette LA

We were told that this place is a landmark in Chalmette and not to be missed.  The mac and cheese, they said, is the best.  "You have to go to Rocky & Carlo's," they said.  Even when I walked into the restaurant and saw the long line, a woman sitting at a table looked up at me and said:  "It's worth the wait."

We waited in line for about 50 minutes all in all.  I ordered the fried shrimp with the baked mac and cheese.  I have to say that I was underwhelmed by the shrimp.  I had had delicious fresh Gulf shrimp on the previous two nights, but  this tasted like previously frozen shrimp with a weird aftertaste.  Cafeteria food.

 I will give it to them on the baked macaroni and cheese, though.  While we were standing in line, I saw one of the cooks put a big pan of the stuff into the oven.  It was piled so high with shredded cheddar cheese that you couldn't see the noodles under it.  And there were two monster-sized slabs of butter on top of it all.

What I got was a mountain of baked buccatoni (long like spaghetti, but with a hole through the middle like macaroni).  It was oozing with butter and cheese and really was delicious.

This place is an icon of the community and, we found out later, it's mostly the older generation that speaks so reverently of it.  It combines Italian with Creole and Southern cuisines and includes such offerings as the Muffaletta, the Po' Boy and Veal Parmesan.

They've had their share of hard times first with Katrina and most recently with a fire in February that forced them to close for three and a half months.  They first opened in 1965 and from the line I stood in on a hot summer Thursday night, they'll easily be open for another 47 years.

Rock-N-Sake, New Orleans LA

My sisters wanted some really good sushi while we were in New Orleans.  Sushi in New Orleans?  Really?  Yes, really.

So, based on a recommendation, we found a place called Rock-N-Sake and it turned out to be less than a block from our hotel in the Warehouse District of downtown New Orlean.  We tried to call the order in, but they didn't answer their phone.  Strike One.  We walked to the restaurant with our order and the bartender who took our order was a snotty bitch.  Strike Two.

We had been told that this place was worth it so we placed our order and went outside to wait.  It was a beautiful evening and I always enjoy the company of my sisters so we didn't mind waiting too much.

We finally got our order and went back to the hotel where four hungry teenagers were eagerly awaiting their dinner.  It was late again.

Well, it was worth it.  I had the shrimp wontons.  They were shrimp and cream cheese stuff pouches served crispy and with a shrimp and garlic sauce.  They were the crispiest wontons I'd ever eaten.  The shrimp and cream cheese stuffing was heavenly and there were fresh, sweet shrimp in the shrimp and garlic sauce.  SO GOOD!!   The others ordered sushi and everyone raved about it.  We also got two orders of edamame which I usually love, but these were undersalted so they were just okay.

Overall, it was very, very delicious, chic Japanese food and I highly recommend it.

Rock-n-Sake, New Orleans LA

Cowbell NOLA

Some of my family recently spent a week in New Orleans helping rebuild a Katrina house.  I was amazed that houses still need work after seven years, but they definitely do.

Anyway, around our work schedule, we wanted to try some good local food.  One of the first places we tried was Cowbell in the Carrollton section of New Orleans.  It's definitely off the beaten path and we wouldn't have found it without the recommendation of one of my sister's friends, but I'm glad we did.

We sat outside as the sunset on a very hot, humid summer night.  Our table was an old wooden door which was very cute.  I would have preferred seating inside, but they didn't have a table for our party of seven.  It was almost eight o'clock at night so we decided not to wait. We started with a couple of appetizers:  their "famous" mac and cheese and an order of cheese fries.  They were both excellent.  The pasta was cellentani which are pasta tubes shaped like corkscrews.  They're one of my favorite pastas.  The waitress told us that the cheese sauce for the mac has Gruyere, parmesan, American and cheddar cheeses.  It was tangy and creamy and soft and just really, really great.

My entree, which was listed as an appetizer, was the Gulf Shrimp Quesadilla, with Black Beans, White Cheddar, and Chayote Slaw.  It came piping hot, the shrimp were sweet and tender, the cheese sauce was really good with just the right amount of heat for me.  I got full pretty quickly, but one of my travel companions  who had ordered the same thing, finished mine because she went through hers so quickly.  At $8.95, it was a great deal, too.

Cowbell is known for their burgers and those at my table who had them were very pleased as well.

My sister ordered a sangria and it was divine.  They did not skimp on the alcohol and it was the perfect mix of wine, fruit, brandy and triple sec.

I highly recommend this place to any and all, but I would suggest waiting for indoor seating to avoid the gnats and mosquitoes.
Cowbell, New Orleans LA

McCormick Café Bistro, Richmond, Quebec, Canada

This small cafe opened about a month and a half ago on May 22nd.  My husband and I stopped here for lunch before crossing back into Vermont after being in Canada for a couple of days.  It was off the beaten path and we wouldn't have found it without help from the Information Desk at a local rest stop.

Located about a mile from the rest stop at the intersection of Highway 55 and Rte. 243 in Richmond, Quebec, this is a small, homey, unassuming place.

It was light, airy and open inside with lovely simple decor.  The menu offered four different choices.  I almost went for the spaghetti with meat sauce, but then I saw the Quiche Lorraine with Salad and decided on that.

For $12.50 (Canadian) I got a big yummy piece of quiche loaded with creamy melted Swiss cheese and a few bits of bacon.  It was more like a tart than a quiche in that it came in a very shallow shell.   It was accompanied by a cold pasta salad.  The salad had fresh crisp cucumbers and peppers and chunks of feta cheese.  I loved that the vegetables were so fresh, but I didn't eat the pasta because I was pretty full after eating the quiche.

The meal included soup and dessert.  We tried the soup which was a warm, earthy tomato-based soup and we also tried the dessert which our waitress told us was called Poor Man's Cake.  It was a simple homemade cake with a melted apple layer...kind of like pineapple upside down cake with apples instead.  The cake was moist, dense and simple, but satisfying.

The waitress who I think may also be one of the owners, was friendly, helpful without being intrusive and fluent in both English and French.  I wish this cafe much success.  Bravo!

McCormick Cafe Bistro

Pub St-Alexandre in Québec City

On the advice of the information center in Old Quebec, we opted for Pub St-Alexandre in old Quebec City for our anniversary dinner.  This restaurant advertises itself as an authentic English pub.  It certainly has a huge selection of beer and the typical dark wood walls and the English pub feel.

To start, I ordered a sangria.  This sangria had the touch of sweetness that I like without it being overpoweringly strong.  It needed ice, but I took care of that by asking for some.

For dinner, I chose the chicken nachos.  This was a huge plate of nicely crisped tortilla chips loaded with olives, bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions and tender chicken.  It also came with sour cream, guacamole and salsa on the side.  I ate about 1/3 of it and my husband helped eat some more.  It was delicious and filling and exactly what I wanted although I should have stopped eating about 15 minutes earlier than I did.

My husband ordered a filet mignon with scalloped potatoes and mixed vegetables.  He loved the scalloped potatoes, but the filet was disappointing.  The first time it came out well done instead of medium.  The waiter was very apologetic.  The second time it came out partly medium and partly medium well so my husband kept it.  But the bigger problem is that the second time, it wasn't really a filet.  It was tough and chewy and flavorless....more like a flank steak.   It was a big disappointment.  My husband thinks the first piece of meat was a filet, but the second piece was definitely not.  The sauce that came with the steak, however, was really good.

We skipped dessert this evening.  Despite the filet incident, we would go back, but we would definitely not order a steak.

We're still searching for an anniversary dinner restaurant.

Pub St. Alexandra, Quebec City, Canada

Conti Caffe in Québec City

My husband and I found the Conti Caffe while walking down rue St. Louis in Old Quebec.  Although most of the restaurant had been reserved for lunch, they did find us a nice table.  The first notable thing about this restaurant is that the windows were wide open, the breeze blowing through the restaurant was really refreshing and we had a wonderful view of the people walking up and down the street.

We started with an appetizer of jumbo shrimp rolled in prosciutto and served with a spicy mango salsa.  The shrimp were a little bit overcooked, but not inedibly so, and the salt from the prosciutto added a lovely taste to the shrimp.

My entree was a simple club sandwich.  It was a boring sandwich with white bread, bacon, lettuce, tomato and turkey.  I do want to say that the slices of turkey were thick and tender which was a treat.  This meal came with a side of steak frites which were crispy and delicious.  My husband the had fettuccine alfredo lunch special with mushrooms and green onions.  It was a perfect lunch portion with a lot of good flavor.

We thought we were skipping dessert, but it turns out that either soup or dessert were included.  Since we didn't have any soup, the waitress automatically brought us each a thick brownie with chocolate chips.  It was dusted with confectioner's sugar and drizzled with chocolate sauce.  It was a very good brownie although it was a tiny bit too dry for me.

The atmosphere was light and happy.  The waitstaff, especially the head waitress, was organized, efficient and friendly.  We would go back.

Visit them at:  http://conticaffe.com/

L'Aromatik at the Ambassadeur Hotel in Québec

After a very long day of travel and traffic, we landed at our hotel outside of Quebec.  Although my husband would rather have gone elsewhere, I couldn't handle getting back into the car to find a restaurant at 8 o'clock at night so we went to the hotel restaurant which apparently just opened a couple of weeks ago.

I ordered the Potage du Moment (soup of the day) which was a zucchini cream.  My husband ordered the lobster bisque.  My soup was under-seasoned and needed salt and pepper.  My husband's bisque was almost like a tomato soup with a hint of lobster.  He wasn't excited at first, but he said the flavors grew on him.

For my main meal, I ordered Gyozas de porc poêlés sésame & vinaigrette au kaki.  These were typical Chinese potstickers, but they came with a balsamic reduction and really hit the spot.  The chef gets an A+ for presentation, too.  The plate was gorgeous.

For dessert, my husband and I shared the Millefeuille minute choconoisette.  I expected a multi-layered confection with Nutella-like filling.  What we got, however, was a yummy chocolate mousse between layers of puffy pastry.  Again, the chef gets an A+ for presentation.  It was visually stunning.

The bread was delicious and my  husband LOVED his coffee.  The waitor, Christian, was helpful and friendly and kind.  He helped us translate the menu when we needed it and gave us good suggestions.  The decor was modern and simple and very nicely done.  The prices for entrees range from $25 to $32.  The soups were around $5 and my pork appetizer was $7.50.

A nice experience after a long day.

Fish House Grill in Bar Harbor, Maine

After a wonderful afternoon of whale watching, I met my husband and sister-in-law at the Fish House Grill for dinner.

I ordered the lobster roll which was on special for $12.99.  That's really a deal for a lobster roll.  It came with a generous helping of lobster that had been very lightly tossed in mayonnaise.  One of my pet peeves with lobster rolls is over-mayonnaised lobster.  This was perfect; enough mayonnaise to moisten and bind, but not so much that it made everything soggy and tasting like mayonnaise instead of lobster.

The lobster was sitting on top of fresh, crisp lettuce in a lightly buttered and toasted hot dog roll.  Overall it was good, but the lobster was slightly mushy and didn't have the sweetness that you get with freshly steamed lobster.  It almost tasted like it had been frozen which is too bad.

My husband had the fish tacos which were a lovely surprise.  They started with blackened haddock and put it in a  fresh tortilla with lettuce and a spicy mango salsa.  Really yummy and innovative.

My sister-in-law had the pan fried flounder special with rice pilaf and green beans.  Her flounder was light, fresh and delicious.

We passed on dessert opting instead to head out for ice cream.

Our waitress was great; knowledgeable, friendly and very helpful.  The atmosphere was pleasant.  Although our view was obstructed, we were right on the waterfront next to the boat I had been whale watching in earlier that day.  It was a perfect summer evening and everyone left happy.

Visit them at:  http://fishhouse-grill.com/

The Slipway in Thomaston, Maine

Last Saturday evening, my brother and sister-in-law took us to a lovely little gem called The Slipway in Thomaston, ME.  This restaurant is located right on the public landing in Thomaston and is accessible either by car or by boat.  It was beautiful summer evening and we were seated on the screened porch.  This allowed us to have outside access without the bugs.  It was perfect!

I started with a glass of house made sangria.  It was a generous portion and it really packed a punch.  I never got the chance to ask what they put in it, but it was delicious, refreshing and strong!

To start, my brother-in-law ordered an appetizer of the steamed mussels which he shared with us.  The broth was a white wine, garlic, shallot broth and it smelled heavenly.  The mussels were perfectly cooked and really delicious.  My husband and brother-in-law kept asking for bread so they could eat it soaked with broth.

I chose the scallop basket for my entree.  It was a generous portion of fried scallops with a heaping mound of french fries.  The scallops were tender and creamy and perfectly cooked; exactly what I would expect from fried scallops.  I forced myself to finish them because they were so delicious.

The three others at my table all ordered the fish and chip basket and they were equally satisfied with their meals.

We finished the meal by ordering two desserts to share.  We selected a slice of ginger lemon cheesecake and a slice of chocolate pecan pie.  The cheesecake tasted more ginger-y and lemon-y than it did like a cheesecake, but it was refreshing and light.  The pecan pie tasted like typical chocolate pecan pie, but it was served cold and I think I would have liked it better if it had been room temperature so the chocolate chips would have been softer.

Visit them at:  http://maine-slipway.com/

This restaurant is a really cool find and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to go there.  I look forward to going back sometime.

Robert's Maine Grill

My husband and I started an adventure up to Quebec City by stopping in Kittery,  Maine for a little shopping and some lunch.  We landed at Robert's Maine Grill.  This restaurant is owned by the same people as Bob's Clam Hut which is a landmark in those parts.

Anyway, I ordered the fish and chips with sweet potato fries.  My fried haddock was a very generous piece of beer battered haddock.  It was golden brown, light, crispy and tender.  I was very pleased with it and my husband was jealous.  The sweet potato fries, although I had to pay an upcharge for them, were also crispy, tender and sweetly yummy.  This meal, along with some iced tea, was perfect and really hit the spot.

My husband had a big bowl of haddock and corn chowder.  It was a good broth and the flavor was fine..not a thick chowder, but not too watery either.  I think he wished there was more fish in it, but otherwise he liked it.

My fish and chips cost $16 and I paid $2 for the sweet potato fries.  The bowl of chowder was $8.00.  The atmosphere was relaxed and casual.  We ate on the second floor which is surrounded by windows and has a wonderful view of the water.  This was my second time at this restaurant and I'd go again.  Since this is an area with outlet shopping, there are a lot of chain restaurants and clam shacks.  Robert's Maine Grill is a nice, upscale change of pace from all of those.

On a side note, they definitely need a bigger parking lot.

Visit them at:  http://www.robertsmainegrill.com/

Cafe Escadrille...Not All It's Cracked Up to Be

My husband and I went for lunch at Cafe Escadrille in Burlington, MA on a cold, sunny afternoon in February. We had heard rave reviews from a couple of our trusted friends and were looking forward to a unique experience.

Well, it was not to be had. This restaurant seems to have come right out of the 1970s. I kept having flashbacks to restaurant experiences with my parents and grandparents when I was a kid.

The decor was not bad. We had a nice table for two right by some big windows so there was plenty of light. The restaurant was fairly full and the energy level was good. I did notice an abundance of old people dressed in their best Sunday-go-to-meeting attire.

The lunch menu itself was, well, basic. There were burgers clams, oysters and shrimp cocktail, clams casino, oysters Rockefeller, french onion soup, clam chowder, fruit salad, Caesar salad, pasta, burgers and sandwiches....Monte Cristo, Reuben, BLT, club. This is just to name a few, but you get the picture.

My hubby started with the French onion soup. We both really like it a lot. In fact, it was our favorite part of the entire meal.

For entrees, my husband had a burger which was okay. I had the Monte Cristo (which they called a Monte Carlo) with ham, turkey, swiss and french toast. It was okay as well, but the French toast was cold. I did like dipping it into the maple syrup (which was also cold, but oh well). My husband, who considers himself a coffee connoisseur, said the coffee was below average.

I was really looking forward to the Toll House Pie for dessert. I pictured a gooey, chewy, thick, rich, dense chocolate chip cookie in pie form. Instead I got a slightly dry, cake-like piece of pie with chocolate chips in it. Yuck.

So overall, I'd say it's always good to try something new, but will we go again? Most likely not.

Visit them at:  http://www.cafeescadrille.com/