Here it is, the night after Halloween, and we couldn't ask for better weather to hop on the train and head to Manhattan to celebrate our anniversary, albeit a few days late. But with busy schedules, it made perfect sense to save a special celebration for a weekend night! Tonight we are dining at Gordon Ramsay At the London. We are both huge fans of Chef Ramsay, and we have wanted to dine here for months. I originially wanted to bring Zelda here for her birthday, but I had no idea that you have to book 2 months in advance, to the day. That being said, I made our reservation first thing on the morning of September 1st, and here we are.
Upon arriving at The London, you will see the bar and restaurant "Maze," also ran by Gordon on the right hand side. We were greatest by the hostess when we walked in, who immediately sent us to the host stand on the left. Upon looking around, Maze is a more laid back restaurant and bar, compared to the more formal dining that is in the main dining room. There was all sorts of attire, ranging from nice dresses and suits, to more casual blue jeans.
We were led to the back of the room left, and brought to a glass door, and upon opening this door, it revealed a gorgeous dining room. Gorgeous chairs with table settings with white linen and very nice china plates. Everything sitting perfectly, and everything uniformly spaced, from the placement of the napkins, to the placement of the silverware, to the wine glasses, water glasses, etc. Everything was set with a masterful precision, and I am sure that they would not settle for anything less.
Other things that I noticed was their gorgeous climate controlled cellar in the back of the restaurant on the way to the kitchen. This cellar is done in stainless steel and glass, with wire racking stacked nearly 15 feet tall. You can see this plain as day upon entry, and it is a gorgeous view! As we sat, we see a gorgeous Champagne cart being rolled around the dining room, with many different types of Champagne being poured. A few moments later, a cheese cart containing at least 25 different blocks of cheese rolled by, that looked like absolute heaven! YUM!
More to come when I get more time!
More to come when I get some more time!
Another restaurant we have been looking forward to reviewing, and another great meal at Vidalia tonight!
We have been meaning to get over here for years, and we finally got the chance to check it out for a light dinner before the Dessert Theatre in Hopewell.
Vidalia is nice and cozy, and a very comfortable restaurant to come to. It is small and quaint, with nice decor, and you just feel at home there in front of the large picture window. Even sitting right next to the door, I felt as though I was in a nice atmosphere, and this would be yet again another great place to hang out on a cold winter day, watching the snow fall on the quiet streets of Lawrenceville.
We had a reservation for 6:15PM, but they had no problem accommodating us 15 minutes early. The service was very friendly, and we started off with soup and salad. Zelda opted for the caprese salad, that had nice tomatoes, and very good fresh mozzarella cheese, over a nice salad. Was it worth $10? Probably not, but it was still good. I opted for the Vidalia onion soup, that was absolutely perfect. It came to the table still bubbling in a nice crock, smothered in cheese, with a nice crouton. At first, I thought that this needed just a hint of salt and pepper, but once it cooled enough taste it well, I realized that I was 100% wrong. This is a nice, understated soup, seasoned perfectly, and not overpowering. I think that he makes an onion base to start this soup, as it does not taste like a beef stock. Regardless, it was grand, and I look forward to trying it again, along with the stuffed Vidalia loaf.
For dinner, we both opted to eat easy and light, but there were some great things on the menu that I would love to go back fo in the future. Zelda opted for the vodka rigatoni, which had a nice sauce and fresh pasta. I found this very tasty, and the sauce had a different bit of flair than the conventional vodka rig you have at most places. It was a pleasant surprise.
I opted for the linguini in clam sauce, and was vey pleasantly surprised. Sure, there is nothing hard about either dish that we ordered, and both of these dishes are not truly representative of what this restaurant really is. The linguini was very nice with a good broth that let you taste nice fresh clams. The only think I would change on this dish would be to add some fresh diced clams as a bit of a filler. There were however 12-15 clams, and they were wonderful.
More to come when I get a chance!
21 Phillips Ave
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Tel: 609-896-4444
http://www.restaurantpassion.com/listing.aspx?a=188&sid=8&sn=NJ
Another outstanding bottle enjoyed at Oliver - A Bistro tonight in Bordentown. It's just a matter of time and this will be a 93 point wine in my opinion. Popped and poured with more of the same on the nose from past bottles: blackcherry, blackberry, blueberry, and plum, with some subtle hints of spice. Another creamy explosion on the palate with cherry, blueberry, and vanilla, with a nice lingering finish. It's hard to imagine that this wine is going to get better with time, but I am sure it will. It's also hard to believe that we have already blown through 3 bottles. Yikes! But have no fear, 6 still in the cellar, and 6 more on the way! 92 points, heading to 93 soon! Cheers!
Great restaurant with an amazing menu and good wine list. Full review to come!
Chef Brad's Macaroni & CheeseA new twist on our favorite comfort food. Tender cavatappi pasta and shaved black truffles tossed in a cognac cream sauce baked golden, then finished with a black truffle infused oil. $21.99 Add Lobster $29.99
Choice Filet MignonTenderloin of beef crusted with fresh garlic and black peppercorns served with grilled peppers
Longfellows Hotel, Restaurant, and Conference Center 500 Union Avenue Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Phone (518) 587-0108 Fax (518) 587-6649
Another fun release from Tobin James, and another a bit over the top wine. They claim that this wine is rich and creamy, and it really is. Nose has some passion fruit, citrus, and a hint of grapefruit. On the palate, lots of caramel and vanilla that I attribute to the 100% new French Oak. This wine is very creamy as stated, with hints of grapefruit and citrus. It also has a certain sweetness to it, and combined with that texture, it really reminds me of a Sauternes. Regardless, it's a fun wine, and I would love to get my hands on some more. 89 points! Cheers!
After a long day at school, this was the perfect sipper to enjoy out on "the bistro" to celebrate Mrs. Johnson's 80 something birthday party. Being at the bottom end of their sparkling line, I wasn't sure what to expect with this, and I wasn't sure how long it would age. Needless to say, it aged well. Formal notes to come
Who would have thought that this bottle had any fruit left in it whatsoever? I surely did not, but what a pleasant surprise. This was popped and poured tonight at Oliver - A Bistro in Bordentown. Upon opening, I cannot tell you how worried I was that this bottle was not going to be pleasant in the least. The cork came out in about 30 pieces, but regardless of how many pieces it was in, and how long it took to get it out, the cork did it's job, and the wine was still a pleasure to drink.
Upon first pour, it looked as though there was a little bricking in the glass. I've never seen this in a pinot, but it is more common in older Bordeaux. Upon first smell, the nose was pretty muted, and I expected the worst. I thought for sure there would be some vinegar on the nose, with no fruit, but I was wrong. The nose had some floral notes, and was predominantly cherry. Tiny hints of blackberry and raspberry were there, but you really had to concentrate hard to pull them out of the mix.
The palate was a little muted at first, but by the time we finished the first half pour, this wine was in its perfect drinking window...at least for this particular wine a this particular moment. Ideally, I would guess that the perfect drinking window for this would have been sometime between 1999 and 2003. There was however a lot of cherry on the palate, and this wine really reminded me us of a cross between the 2004 Sanford, and the Benton Lane pinot noir. Seeing as this is a Kistler, that is not necessarily a good thing, but we were really expecting the worst.
Regardless, this was a very enjoyable wine, and the most aged pinot noir we have had to date. It had a smooth finish, with no tannin whatsoever, and a very pleasant after taste making it worthy of 92 points. This wine just proves that Kistler is produced for the long haul. Cheers!
Dinner at Oliver - A Bistro in Bordentown on a Friday night? Go figure! Another great meal! Kudos to the Oliver crew!
Crispy Chicken
Salmon
Tonight we enjoyed this bottle at Ristorante Giangela, and it was yet again another great bottle. Notes were exactly the same as last time, and this is such a great bottle of juice! Popped and poured, this had a gorgeous dark ruby color in the glass! Tons of floral notes, along with tons of dark fruits...black cherry, blueberry, blackberries, and plum. On the palate, the creamy fruit explodes! More cherry and blueberry, with hints of vanilla and caramel, which I attribute to the new French oak that they used in some of the barrels. Just the smallest hint of spice makes this wine absolultely incredible. A nice 30 second finish with surprisingly manageable tannins so early on with this wine make it perfect to drink now, or over the 5-7 years. Kudos once again to Paul and Stef. This wine is a winner now, and we look forward to seeing how it develops. The only difference between this bottle and the last, was that I think the floral notes on the nose really stood out in the glass this time. Such a great bottle for the price! 91 points. Cheers!
Tonight was a great night to try Ristorante Giangela as they were donating 10% of every check to the Anchor House Ride. That said, what better night to go give this place a try, and to support the Anchor House?
Upon arrival, the parking lot was full, but we did drive through and found parking on the side of the restaurant. Upon first entering the restaurant, you will notice the warm decor. Nice white pillars, and nice white trim on the ceiling. The walls are painted a nice cocao color, and the tables are nice and simple with a lite tan table cloth. Soft lighting makes this restaurant nice and romantic.
We were greeted and brought to a nice 2 top in the center of the restaurant. There were 7 other tables when we arrived, including a large 8 top, so it was good to see the place full of patrons. That had at least another 6 tables they could have sat, so they do have nice table space. The hostess then told us that they had bread in the oven, and it would be out shortly.
The bus boy came out a few minutes later and filled up our water glasses and took our wine to open for us. I have never understood why some restaurants will open the wine away from the table, but this is not the first time I have seen it. Tonight we popped a 2006 Stefania Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah, and it was marvelous as always. Fresh, hot bread came out shortly after, and Zelda filled up the plate of dry spices that was on the table with olive oil. The bread had a nice firm crust, and was very soft in the middle. Good stuff!
Looking around the restaurant, you could see some unhappy faces, but at this point, we were not quite sure why. About 10 minutes later, our waitress came over and asked us if we were ready to order. She never told us about the specials, and didn't ask if we had any questions, and we didn't, but it would have been a nice gesture.
Zelda opted for the Ravioli in saffron sauce, with a house salad, and I ordered the Chicken Parm with a caeser salad. In my opinion, I think that I can get a good feel for a restaurant based on their chicken parm....it's an italian staple.
Salads came out about 20 minutes later, and I was starting to see why people had the long faces in the restaurant. You could tell that the food was coming out of the kitchen slow, but the servers were also slow as well. On the 8 top, we both noticed how they brought out the entrees one at a time. With that said, it took almost 10 minutes for the 8 top to all receive their entrees. I know that if I were the first person to receive my food, I would have been a little upset having to wait for everyone to receive their food as mine cooled off. This seemed to be a trend with all the tables, and I found it rather interesting. Why not get a big tray and bring everyones entrees out at once? Or maybe the kitchen is small and they don't have room for all the platings in the window. I don't know.
So back to the salads, my caeser came out with the dressing drizzled on, topped with some cheese. Upon first taste, the dressing reminded me of Ken's, straight out of the bottle. I don't think that it was bad, but it definitely did not taste homemade. If you want to make a name for yourself, take the time and make a nice, homemade dressing. Zelda's salad was the house, and her dressing too tasted like something out of the bottle. She made a great point that it has been a while since we have had a salad that "wowed" us! There's nothing to making salads, and all you need is good, homemade dressing. Why can't restaurants get this right anymore?
So a good hour has passed now, and we see Chrissy, a friend of ours from town come in with a friend of hers. At this same time, our entrees come out, and like the other tables, they came out one at a time. Very odd! Zelda's ravioli looks great! Huge, what look like homemade ravioli in what looks like a rich butter sauce. I enjoyed this very much, and I could see ordering it. The only gripe that I had, which is a gripe that I have often with ravioli, was that the inside took too much water, making the cheese inside very mushy and watery. The sauce again was very rich, and it had a nice, pungent saffron taste to it. For those who are not big fans of saffron, I wouldn't recommend this dish. If you are however a saffron lover, then this is for you.
My chicken parm came out with a side of fettucini, and it looked great. A nice large piece of chicken pounded very thin, with a good crust, nice melted cheese, and the perfect amount of sauce on top. Upon cutting into it with my fork, there was a good crunch to the crust. The chicken however was a bit on the rubbery side, and had they gotten this right, it would have been better. The sauce on the other hand was ok, and it had a very sweet taste to it. I don't know if this was a good thing, or a bad thing. All in all, I thought the dish was just ok, and I wouldn't order it again if we went back.
After dinner, we opted to skip dessert, and we finished out bottle of wine as we chatted with Chrissy and her friend. As their dinner came and our wine ran out, it was time to go home.
In short, I think that this restaurant has a lot of potential. It's BYOB so that is a bonus, the decor is nice, although we would change the drapes, and the food and service need some work. I don't know if I would call it a "fine dining experience" as they claim, but I wouldn't be surprised if we head back sometime, but not in the immediate future. I was however glad to see that they were making the donation for the Anchor House Ride, and that was a good excuse for us to give the place a try.
A great night for some tomato pies with Zelda's family! Zelda's parents and her uncle picked us up, and off to Delorenzo's we went. Upon arrival, you could see about 15 people waiting outside for a table, and another 10 or so inside waiting. It was absolutely packed tonight, but that was expected. If it weren't, then we'd be worried! That just goes to show just how right Sammy and his crew are doing it over there! We were told the wait would be an hour to hour and 15 minutes, but we were seated in about 50. As I always say, it's worth the wait! There is nothing like Delo's, and it cannot be beat!
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With 5 of us, they say us in one of the nice, cushy booths, and we had plenty of room! We opted for 2 salads as appetizers, and this was the first time that we have had these. Very good appetizer that hit the spot, with the fancy lettuce, candied walnuts, and the slightest drizzle of dressing that did not overpower the salad at all. Nice slices of fresh green apple topped this salad off nicely. It was the perfect starter!
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For pies tonight, we ordered 3 larges. Uncle B opted for the broccoli and mushroom, Zelda and her Mom went for the sweet pepper and mushroom, and her dad had 1/2 pepperoni, while I opted for 1/2 sausage and sweet peppers. Uncle B's pie came out first, and he and Zelda dug right in. The cheese was still bubbling when it arrived, and our mouths started watering! Next came the 1/2 sausage and sweet pepper, and 1/2 pepperoni. In we dug, and this one too was hot, bubbling, and covered in sausage and sweet peppers! The last pie came out, and we were all some happy campers. Even Uncle B was commenting on how good the pie was, and he lives near a great pizza place up North. But as he stated, this is a lot different than a pizza, it's a tomato pie!
That said, it was another tasty meal, with great service, and you have to love the fact that it is BYOB. See the review of the Chalone Cabernet Sauvignon that we brought along as well. Kudos to same and the staff at Delo's! Look forward to seeing you guys again soon!
It's been a while since we have been able to make it to Oliver's for lunch, so what better day than after the 4th of July? We arrived around Noon, only to find 2 other tables in the restaurant, but by the time we left, they had quite a few more tables sat!
We got a great seat in the window, and it was nice to see our friends Pat & Frank having lunch at Oliver as well. As usual, Bruce took great care of us, and it is always a pleasure. Owner Danielle came over and spent quite some time chatting with us, and that is always nice. Not only are her and Matt great restaurateur's, they are also damn nice people, and good friends.
Zelda opted for her usual today, the West Coast Wrap, which is filled beautifully with grilled chicken, avocado, and a delicious sauce. This is one if Zelda's favorites, and is ordered quite often with roasted potatoes on the side.
I opted for my usual as well, the Jack Mack burger. This is a great bistro styled burger opposed to the down and dirty greasy burger. It's topped with a delicious cheese spread and bacon, and I too opted for the roasted potatoes on the side. I love the buns that they serve this burger one. They have a nice crunch on the outside, yet are so soft in the middle. It was cooked medium and perfect, and was such a tasty meal!
What can we say? Another great meal at Oliver's, and that's why we keep coming back! I'm sure a lot of you are sick of reading about this place, but we just cannot get enough! Kudos guys!
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