The Food at Yankee Stadium

My sister called me last week to let me know that one of her vendors gave her tix to Yankee Stadium and to ask me to go. Of course I'd go! Even better, they were playing my Phillies!

She said we had good seats only 9 rows behind home plate so I was super excited. Little did I know that we were in the really good seats with access to the Legends Suite Club.

After walking around the stadium a bit and taking it all in, we found our way to the Legends Suite Club. I felt like I was walking into a nightclub, or a VIP area in a casino. After getting our wristbands, we walked into the first bar and restaurant. Opus One at a baseball game?

And the food! Sushi, crab legs, lobster, prime rib, salads, tons of fresh veggies, wings, shrimp, bacon wrapped asparagus, fruit salad, pasta made to order, several types of sausage, sliders, beautiful desserts, and an ice cream bar.

We went downstairs where there was another buffet and bar - this room also had a nightclub feel. It was very dark, cool, and sleek, and there must have been 120 plasma TVs between the two rooms. Oh, that's not including the TVs built into the mirrors in the bathrooms!

After enjoying a few innings of baseball from our amazing seats (look at this view!!)...

...we went inside to enjoy some of the food (all free, included with the ticket).

Now I'm all for eating well, but who eats gazpacho and calamari salad at a baseball game? Wow. Everything was really good, too. It didn't taste like buffet food at all. We both went back for seconds...

And if the two buffets aren't enough for you, you can order off this menu..yes, for free. Again, truffle fries at a baseball game??

If you still have room after all of that food, you can enjoy some of the treats the waitresses were offering during the entire game - ice cream sandwiches, water ice, Cracker Jacks, peanuts, and cotton candy. Just because I could, I grabbed a Hebrew National hot dog in the 10th inning (extra innings make my hungry!).

To top it all off, my Phillies won in the 11th inning. Who could ask for anything more? Thanks for a great day, Stacy!!

Night Out in Philadelphia: Osteria

After a wonderful day around the city, we went to dinner at Osteria, a restaurant that has been recognized as the best new restaurant in Philadelphia. Stasia and I had been there before with a group for work, but were excited to go with Dominick and Jon.

The inside of the restaurant is just beautiful - stained concrete floors, heavy wooden farmhouse tables, a semi-open kitchen with a wood burning oven, warm lighting, high ceilings, and just a few modern touches. Even with the modern touches, mostly of lighting, you still feel like you are in a Tuscan farmhouse.

When reviewing the menu, we decided to split a pizza, and then each order our own antipasto, first course, and second course.

Pizza
We chose the parma pizza - mozzarella, fontina, arugula, and prosciutto. The crust is so thin, and the ingredients were so fresh and delicious.



Next course - Antipasto.


I ordered the Mozzarella in Carrozza with Olive Oil Poached Pear Tomatoes and Capers. For being a deep fried hunk of mozzarella, it was still so light! The tomatoes were great, but I think they forgot the capers.


Stasia ordered the antipasto of the night - a tray of marinated, roasted vegetables and Parmesan cheese. The presentation was beautiful - rustic and appetizing.



Jon and Dominick both ordered the House Cured Salumi Plate. It featured four different meats, one of which was head cheese (note, not a cheese...). Again, a beautiful presentation.



Primi

I ordered the polenta pasta with a cream sauce and black truffles. This is one of the most amazing things I have ever tasted - little pasta purses stuffed with polenta! And my favorite flavor in the world, black truffles. Sorry the picture is blurry -


Stasia and Jon both ordered the Linguine with Meyer Lemon and Maryland Blue Crab. I tasted it and it was delicious. The lemon was not overpowering at all - Delicious. And I loved the little bowl it came in.
Dominick was the adventurous one and ordered the Gnocchi alla Romana with Snails, Pancetta, and Provolone Cheese. He loved it!

Secondi

I am glad that Stasia and I thought ahead and realized we would probably be full by this course. We split an entree - Chicken alla Griglia with Endive, Persimmon Salad, and Walnut Pesto. I wish I had a picture to share because the presentation was so beautiful. The chicken was so tender and white, and the flavor was unbelievable.

Jon and Dominick both ordered the Rabbit Casalinga with Pancetta, Sage, Brown Butter, and Soft Polenta. It came in a round terracotta dish - this restaurant really pays attention to plating and presentation. Jon had never eaten rabbit before, but he liked it. He was surprised to see that it was just as white as chicken. Their only complaint was that there were too many small bones, and in a dark restaurant, that is a little dangerous. I even tried the rabbit - to me it tasted a bit like chicken but the consistency was more like a flaky white fish.

Dessert

We all split a plate of 8 assorted iced creams and gelatos. My favorite was the pistacho!

This was such a fun night of good food, good wine, and good friends. Osteria has a great thing going, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for somewhere new to go in Philadelphia.

A Day in Philadelphia's Chinatown

We spent Saturday night in Philadelphia with our friends Stasia and Dominick. We all love food - eating it, cooking it, reading about it, shopping for it - so had a great day planned in Philadelphia.

After checking in at the Ritz Carlton we went over to Chinatown. Now Philadelphia's Chinatown is not as large as the one in San Francisco, but still, for a few blocks you feel like you are in a different place.

My parents always took us there for dinner and I still love walking through the streets and having a good lunch or dinner.


On Saturday we went to one of Stasia's favorite spots, Vietnam Restaurant. I was excited to try it, especially after hearing of my dad and sister's culinary adventures on their recent trip to Vietnam and Hong Kong.



The menu at this restaurant has so much to offer, and definitely has something for everyone.

We started with drinks - Tsing Tao for me, 333 Saigon for Jon, a pomegranate martini for Stasia, and a lemongrass martini for Dominick.

I took my dad's advice and tried rice paper spring rolls for my app - rice vermicelli noodles, tofu, mint, and chives with a soy dipping sauce. So fresh, light, and delicious -


Stasia and Jon both enjoyed the pork spring rolls and Dominick had the Vietnamese ravioli - all dishes were amazing.

For lunch I ordered another tofu dish - tofu with crispy noodles.


The noodles were very crispy, but as soon as you pushed them down into the incredible brown sauce, they almost melted and were very easy to eat. I wish we had a fridge in our hotel room because this was a huge plate and I am craving the leftovers right now!!

Stasia had a vermicelli chicken dish -

Jon had a beef dish and Dominick had a bowl with all sorts of things, including Vietnamese meatballs. I was too into my dish that I didn't get pics of theirs!

After a very satisfying lunch, we walked around Chinatown and had a great time shopping for ingredients in a Chinese market. I came home with lots of noodles, mushrooms, and sauces.


We then took a walk through the Reading Terminal Market, an unbelievable farmer's market in the middle of the city, before walking back to our hotel to drop off our purchases.

On the way back to our hotel, I snapped this picture of the front of it. Isn't it beautiful? I wish I had pictures of the rotunda that makes up the lobby.

We had a great time walking around the neighborhood around the Ritz and having drinks at a neighborhood bar. Back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. I have to share this picture of Philadelphia's City Hall at night as seen from our hotel room -


I have lived in or near Philadelphia my entire life and sometimes take it for granted, but this weekend it was so much fun to explore new areas and restaurants and acting like a tourist for just a bit.

Celebrating My 200th Post with a Glass of Monte Bello...

Jon and I just returned from an amazing week in St. Thomas and St. John to celebrate our 5th anniversary just a few months delayed. We ate very well all week, but our favorite restaurant was Havana Blue at the Marriott Morning Star Resort in St. Thomas, a restaurant featuring Latin food.


As soon as we walked into the restaurant, we knew it was not run by the Marriott (this is a good thing). While all of the restaurants and facilities at the Marriott featured your typical beachy/resort decor, Havana Blue looked like a big city restaurant that had been placed on the beach. Dark wood, blue lights, lots of candles, loud music, and flowing white chiffon fabric gave the restaurant a trendy yet cozy feel.


Jon is always in charge of choosing the wine, and I knew he had something up his sleeve when he wouldn't share his choice with me, and only ordered by bin number. As soon as I saw the bottle being placed on our table and the smile on his face, I knew what it was - Ridge Montebello. This wine is something Jon has been eyeing at the wine store and on wine lists for a while now, especially because we love so many of the Ridge wines. I'll let Jon give the review...

"So, I’ve mentioned in previous posts some of the fantastic wines we’ve had: Ridge Lytton Springs (especially 2002), Eponymous, Opus One and so on, but on our vacation we had the opportunity to try one that I’ve only rarely seen – Ridge Monte Bello. Now, I’ve seen a few vintages in some of the better wine stores, but have never found this in a restaurant. At Havana Blue, though, on the menu they had a 2004 vintage, which proved to be the perfect complement to this fantastic dinner.

Side note: when I ordered, the sommelier offered that they had a bottle of 2000 vintage available along with the 2004. For some reason, I was suspicious that, being in the Caribbean with the heat, humidity and unreliable utilities, the 2000 may have had a tough time in storage, and ordered the 2004.

When the bottle arrived, I declined having it decanted, and instead let the waiter pour a taste. What emerged in my glass was nothing short of the most lush, decadent, sultry and smooth Cabernet Sauvignon blend I’ve ever had. The wine is deep red in color, with a full feel and surprisingly dry finish. This wine, an amazing blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, easily surpasses anything else we’ve tried to date.

If you have the opportunity, save your pennies and treat yourself to a bottle of this for a truly special occasion. If you can find it, you’ll likely shell out in the area of $150.00 for a bottle, but for the right evening in the right company, this wine is certainly worth it."

The food at Havana Blue was just as good as our wine. We started with two appetizers - tacos de filet and lobster taquitos.

The tacos de filet were miniature corn-cilantro tortilla shells topped with grilled filet mignon, a tangy salsa, Manchego cheese, and cilantro. Heavenly is a word I'd use to describe this appetizer! The only downside was that there were only 4 - I could have eaten 20! It was pretty dark in the restaurant so I didn't get great pics of the food (and Jon probably would have crawled under the table from embarrassment if I turned the flash on...). Here are the tacos de filet -

The lobster taquitos featured miniature blue corn hard taco shells stuffed with a nice piece of Caribbean lobster meat, salsa, and cilantro. I don't eat seafood but I ate one of the taquitos. Crunchy with sweet and tender lobster meat topped off with the flavor of cilantro - refreshing and delicious.

For entrees, Jon had snapper (we can't remember exactly how it was prepared, we drank too much during the rest of our vacation :) and I had chicken breast stuffed with Manchego cheese, topped with a Cuban red sauce, and served with pigeon peas and rice. I couldn't get enough of this meal and practically had to be rolled out of the restaurant! Everything was so delicious, perfectly seasoned, perfectly prepared, fresh, and featured all of the flavors I love the most.

Finally, after dinner we had another drink at the bar when I noticed the saying on the back of the servers' shirts - this about sums up our experience at Havana Blue -

Now it's back to reality...can't wait to plan our next vacation!

Restaurant Review - Bobby Simone's in Doylestown

Saturday night, date night. A new restaurant opened in our town several months ago so we decided to make reservations for Saturday night - Bobby's Simone's.

A local magazine did a review last month and they described it as a steak house - this is not all they are. There is definitely something for everyone here.

Over the past several years, this location has been home to two other restaurants, so it was interesting to see the changes they made. The main building houses a small bar and restaurant. Half of the restaurant has hardwood floors, dark brown leather banquettes, and granite tables. The other half of the restaurant has a raftered ceiling with translucent window panels, some covered in taupe window coverings. All of the decor is brown and white - very soothing and a bit contemporary, but Jon and I both agree that white tablecloths would really enhance the decor.

The building across the alley also belongs to the restaurant and features a large bar and several highboy tables. You can also choose to eat outside in between the two buildings.

Upon reviewing the menu, we discovered that Bobby Simone's offered a lot more than steaks. The appetizers featured crab cocktail, pork spring rolls, gazpacho, a soup of the day, and about 6 other options. There were also a few salad options. The entree menu was very nice - filet mignon, NY strip, American Kobe, pork, chicken, a daily risotto, and lobster ravioli. They also had two seafood specials - swordfish and grouper.

After reviewing the wine list - a nice mix of wines by the glass and several good bottles, including 2 Ridge wines, we both chose a glass of the 2006 Ridge Three Valleys Zin. Following the wine, our server brought out a bread basket and small dish of oil. She didn't tell us what it was, but we both guessed that it was a sundried tomato infused oil with some red pepper flakes. The bread had sesame seeds - I think a simple baguette would have worked better.

We started with the crab cocktail. It was presented in a martini glass with about 10 pieces of jumbo lump crab with cocktail sauce and lemon. The crab was very sweet, fresh, and light, and cocktail sauce had just enough kick. Our favorite crab cocktail is at another local restaurant, Earls, but this one was also very good.

Jon had a wedge salad with bacon, tomatoes, and blue cheese that was also very good - the blue cheese was so mild and creamy. I ordered the gazpacho and I'm glad it didn't list the ingredients or I wouldn't have ordered it. I discovered that it included grapes, cantaloupe, and honeydew along with the tomatoes, peppers, and red onion. I don't normally like fruit in food, but this was great!! The crispy plantain chips were the perfect garnish.

Now the real test - could they cook a good steak? Yes, they could. Don't yell at me - I always order my steak well done. Hey, I'm a recovering vegetarian and it's the only way I can eat it! I love a good filet, and a good chef should be able to cook a filet well done and still keep it moist. When our plates were delivered, I took one look at the height of my steak and seriously doubted that it could be cooked well done. I was wrong - it was absolutely perfect and buttery and tender and just delicious. Jon's medium well filet was also perfect. Score a few points for Bobby Simone's!! The entrees were served with a very large portion of Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and grilled veggies - eggplant, squash, zucchini, and red pepper.

After devouring our entrees, we listened to the dessert offerings (great menu!) and Jon decided on the chocolate raspberry cake. The cake was several layers of cake and chocolate mousse with just a touch of raspberry. Mmm, creamy and chocolaty without being too rich or sweet. Jon even said "this may just be the perfect cake!"

The service was good as well - just enough, and not annoying or pretentious.

All in all, we were very happy to discover this new restaurant in our backyard. I can't wait until they put a full website up so others become interested and try it as well.

Just a few very, very minor notes, and they are all about the setup and decor, and the overall image. Like I mentioned before, white tablecloths would work well in the space - they would help break up all the dark wood, chairs, and granite. Second, the sugar packets area always on the dining tables - we both feel sugar should only be brought out with coffee, or if you request it with iced tea. Third, the gathered taupe curtains on the windows should be replaced with sleeker, transparent shades. I feel these would help with the contemporary look they seem to be going for. Finally, while fresh flowers are always nice, the small vases on each table didn't bring much to the overall look. Simple candles would have a much stronger impact. These simple things would complete this restaurant, bring it to the next level, and would complement the great food and menu that they offer.

Jon is extremely picky and hard to please at restaurants, and he gave Bobby Simone's an A-, and his only reasons for the minus are those I listed above about the decor.

If you are in or around the Doylestown area, definitely try Bobby Simone's. We'll definitely spread the word to friends, and will be going back again soon.

Our 5th Wedding Anniversary - Restaurant and Wine Review

Saturday was our 5th wedding anniversary. Where has the time gone? The past 5 years have been amazing, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I'm so lucky...

We spent the day together - out to lunch, some shopping, and then dinner at the Inn at Phillips Mill, and then came back to our home to enjoy a bottle of wine on our deck...reviews on the restaurant and wine follow.

The Inn at Phillips Mill is an old cottage and barn along the river. It has quaint little rooms for dining, and gardens for both dining and wandering. Walking into the restaurant felt like stepping back in time.

The menu at this BYOB restaurant features French cuisine and offers something for everyone - seafood, beef, chicken, duck, and lamb. Jon started with the crab salad over butterhead lettuce with caviar. It was our first time trying caviar and I don't think I need to eat it again, but I'm glad I tried it. Jon described it as eating the candy Pop Rocks without the fizz, and also like little BBs. The crab on the salad was very good. I enjoyed a poached leek salad with shallot vinaigrette that was delicious. We also enjoyed one of our favorite bottles of wine from our collection - a 2002 Ridge Lytton Springs.

For entrees we both had the filet mignon with a blue cheese butter that was so rich and delicious. Surprisingly, the meal came with a substantial amount of sides, not just a potato or two with a carrot or bean like you get at some restaurants. The dish featured mashed potatoes, carrots, sugar snap peas, and a beet.

Jon had the chocolate cake for dessert - I think it was called the chocolate obsession. VERY rich and not too sweet. Mmm. Our server, Ingrid, was soo sweet throughout the whole meal and she even put an anniversary candle in our cake.

The Inn is a very romantic restaurant with good food, and I would recommend it. I think our biggest complaint is about the wine glasses. Yes, it is a BYOB restaurant, but they should invest in really good wine glasses. Glasses DO make a difference. We love the Ridge wine, but it tasted different and not as good in these all purpose goblets that served as wine glasses.

When we got home we brought out the main event of the night - a bottle of 2004 Opus One. Jon has been dreaming about buying a bottle of this wine for years, and at $185 a bottle, celebrating an anniversary seemed like the perfect excuse.

I'll let Jon give the review...

The Opus One is a wine we've read quite a bit about, and with very few exceptions, each vintage has been very highly rated. A product of a unique collaboration between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe De Rothschild, this is definitely a legend in American wines. Even tasting immediately after opening, the wine was bright, smooth and fairly full, and proceeded to get better over the next hour.
Anyone who's read the earlier wine posts in this blog should be able to figure out that we like full, big, bold wines most of the time. This one didn't quite fit that bill, though. Yes, it's a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, but to us it lacked the body and richness of some of the other California wines we've had (see an earlier post for a description of the Eponymous Cabernet Sauvignon we had last week). This blend definitely had tastes of chocolate, blackberry and a nice, soft, feel, but it left us wanting a bit more.

Now, admittedly, a lot of true wine snobs would cringe at this description and review (as well as others previous and those to come), but this is not to diminish what is, in itself, a very good bottle of wine. In truth, this bottle should probably have been cellared for several more years to fully mature, but I lack patience when it comes to a good bottle of wine that's just waiting to be opened. For us, it was a mild disappointment, but only perhaps due to our tastes, and not necessarily worth the hefty price tag.

Restaurant Review: The Mansion Inn

Another Saturday, another restaurant. I love that we try to do this every weekend!

We have wanted to try The Mansion Inn in New Hope, PA for a while, so we decided to make reservations well in advance for August 4. We didn't realize when we made them that we'd be going on the 15th anniversary of the day we first met. I love the memories...Jon was a 20 year old partying frat boy and I was a 17 year old who had just graduated from an all-girls private Catholic prep high school getting my first taste of college life. The weekend I met him I told my friend that he was the man I was going to marry. It happened, not for 11 years, but I always knew that it would.

The Mansion Inn has a beautiful outdoor garden. We had planned on having a drink there before dinner but since it was about 94 degrees with 90% humidity, we went to the bar at Marsha Brown's. Their list of wines by the glass, while overpriced, offers a lot of variety.

We walked next door to the Mansion Inn and wished it wasn't so hot so we could eat outside. They have tables on the front porch which would be great for people watching. We were seated in the parlor - a large room with very high ceilings, low lighting, light jazz music playing, and elegant, Victorian, decor. Not our style, but it was still a beautiful room. The tables were very close, but were arranged in a way where you still had privacy. Even when the room became full, it was still very quiet. Great spot for a romantic dinner!

Most of the appetizers on the menu were seafood so I was happy to hear that they had an Italian meat and cheese board as one of their specials. It was a nice sized appetizer to share - 2 pieces each of 4 kinds of meat, and 2 pieces each of 3 cheeses plus a large pile of a really good blue cheese. It also came with a small bowl of olives which we didn't touch.

Salads - I'm not crazy about the salad choices at The Mansion, but that's because I don't like fruit, nuts, or anything sweet in my salad (they have a poached pear salad with zinfandel vinaigrette and a goat cheese salad with chocolate hazelnut dressing). I asked for a regular green salad but they couldn't do it because they don't have many types of dressing, so I ended up ordering the Cesar and it was ok, but Caesar salad isn't my favorite thing. They DO have a Caprese salad, but that would have been too much after the meat and cheese plate.

Entrees - I ordered the filet and Jon chose the swordfish. I was very happy with my filet - cooked perfectly and it melted in my mouth. It came with horseradish whipped potatoes (they went overboard on the horseradish), sauteed spinach (excellent), and onion frizzles. Jon's fish was good except for the citrus sauce on it (he also doesn't like fruity stuff in his food). Also, the crab risotto was very, very dry - not anything close to the risotto that I make! Overall dinner was good. Nothing really stood out, but I didn't have any complaints except for my potatoes and Jon's risotto.

Dessert - I never order dessert, but as soon as I saw Creme Brulee on the menu I changed my mind! It was probably one of the best Creme Brulees I've every had. Jon's molten chocolate cake was excellent - rich and not too sweet with a hot, creamy chocolate center. My tea, much unlike last week, was very hot and came in a miniature teapot so I could actually have a full cup and more if I so desired.

Service - our server and all of the other staff were wonderful. They were very quiet, attentive, and sincere.

Overall our dining experience was pleasant and we left mostly satisfied - I'd give it a B. However it wasn't a restaurant that had us dying to go back. There are so many fine-dining restaurants in this area and they all have SO much potential, but still, to this day, Earl's Prime is the ONLY one that has really impressed us. The other restaurants only need to make very small changes to become exceptional, and it's a little disappointing that they get away with charging the prices they do for being "almost" very good.

Restaurant Review: 552 Restaurant - Newtown, PA

Jon and I usually go out to dinner every Saturday night. We've been really busy and it's been a few weeks since we've gone out, so last night we decided to try somewhere new -
552 Restaurant in Newtown, PA. We were there a few times when it was the Stonehouse Bistro and the last time was a disaster. However the restaurant is now under new management, has new chefs and a completely different menu, and a few people have had good things to say about it.

Just in case you don't feel like reading a long review, I'll give our grade right now... D. Not even a D+. Just a D. Don't waste your time or money.

Let's get the good parts out of the way since they won't take too long...the bar had a good wine list, a very friendly bartender, cozy atmosphere, and comfortable leather armless bar-chairs. We enjoyed a glass of wine here before dinner, but started to wonder why there were only 6 other people in the bar (the bar could easily seat 30 or more, and it was 7 PM on a Saturday night). One other good thing - the restaurant has a very nice outside deck and dining area. We would have eaten out there if it wasn't so hot and humid last night.

Now I know this part of my review has nothing to do with the restaurant, but I can't let it go. There were 2 couples sitting down the bar from us - I'd say they were in their late 30s - and I couldn't help but overhear their conversation. The two women wouldn't stop talking about their diamonds and analyzing the size of every diamond in their rings. Annoying enough, right? Well then they told their husbands that since they had been married for 10 years, it was time for an upgrade, and that upgrades should occur every 10 years. She came up with this idea because one of her friends got a new diamond for her 10th and she seemed like the "keeping up with the Joneses" type. And one of these women actually said she'd rather have a new diamond than go on a nice, long vacation. I'm sure my husband would love for me to tell him that I'd rather get a new diamond than spend a week on vacation with him.

Ok, back on track. We were seated in the lower dining room where there were only 4 other tables of customers. Again, very strange for a Saturday night. I was seated facing the kitchen which has a large glass window allowing diners to watch the action. Usually these windows work well if they are actually low enough to actually see cooking, but this window cut off around shoulder height of the cooks and staff so you couldn't see a thing except for the occasional waiter pointing at the diners and talking, or the one waiter I saw sneaking food into his mouth from time to time. On the side of the kitchen is a hallway where lots of supplies and linens are stored. This really should be covered up - total eyesore.

Food - here is where the D grade comes in. I started with the special tomato soup described to me as a "tomato basil vinaigrette but warm and like creamy." I'm not lying. Still, I decided to order it. It tasted like Campbell's Tomato Soup with some pepper and cream mixed in. Jon's Caesar salad was soaked in dressing - not good at all.

For our entrees we both ordered the filet mignon, mine well done (I even specified that they could butterfly it), Jon's medium. I was shocked when our plates arrived... I've never seen filet served in thin slices. Isn't that how flank steak or London broil would be served? When I order filet, I want to be able to cut into it. My slices were small and round, and there wasn't an end piece to be found, and Jon's slices were wide and short, JUST LIKE London broil. And medium means pink center all the way through, right? Well at 552 Restaurant, "medium" means gray center, no pink whatsoever. When our waiter finally came back to ask how things were (more than halfway through our meal, too long considering the bus boy delivered our plates), his response to our complaint about Jon's steak was "maybe they switched the plates?" although he could clearly see that my steak was also very well done. No apology or solution offered. The sides weren't any better - dauphinoise potatoes layered with a mushroom mush, and rotten tasting sauteed spinach. How do you mess up sauteed spinach?

We should have called it a night and left, but decided on coffee/tea and dessert. The coffee cups were tiny to begin with, but then they only filled them halfway. My hot water for my tea was lukewarm and he didn't bring spoons. Once we asked for them, Jon was given one, but I was left to use my salad fork which was still on the table (along with the bread basket, butter plate, and bread plate...our table was not fully cleared after dinner). Jon's dessert, the chocolate truffle cake, was horrible. It wasn't sweet, but it wasn't rich either. Usually if a chocolate dessert isn't sweet, it's at least rich.

All in all, it was a disappointing night and unfortunately we wasted a good amount of money on the worst food and dining experience we've had in a very, very, long time.

Restaurant Review: Earl's Prime

Jon and I discovered Earl's about a year ago and it is still #1 on our list for steaks, overall food quality, service, and atmosphere. We've been back a few times, most recently on Saturday night. Although located in Peddler's Village, a country shopping village always filled with tourists on the weekends, the restaurant is the complete opposite of "country." They have done a great job with making you feel like you are in a NYC restaurant. It has a bit of a trendy feel, but is still very elegant, cozy, and quiet - much different than their biggest local competition, Marsha Brown's.

Every time we have been to Earl's the food has been amazing. We keep waiting for our first bad experience, but so far that hasn't happened. My only complaint is that their prices have increased quite a bit over the past year.

After Jon had the jumbo lump crab cocktail ($15) from their raw bar, we all started with the wedge salad. I wish I had pictures - the presentation of this salad is the best I've seen. It's a nice wedge of iceberg lettuce on a square plate surrounded by little piles of crispy prosciutto, tomatoes, very good blue cheese, and blue cheese dressing. We often recreate this one at home. Surprisingly this salad is only $5.

We all ordered Filet Mignon for our entree. Everyone always yells at me for ordering it well done (when you used to be a vegetarian, you don't want to see red in your meat), but at Earl's the meat is such high quality and they cook it perfectly - even at well done my steak was still like butter. When our server brought the steaks she asked us to cut into them to make sure they were done to our liking. From medium rare and medium to well done, they were all perfect. I love Earl's Bearnaise sauce and want to try to make it on my own someday. The steaks come with one side, and tonight it was Peruvian potatoes. They were purple which was a little scary, but very good! We ordered the creamed spinach but weren't that impressed - it was more like creamy spinach soup - however my father-in-law's stewed tomatoes were very good. The filet is $40 for the 8 oz and $48 for the 12 oz. Sides are $5-$8 and they easily serve 2 people.

Dessert - Jon's 7 layer chocolate cake was amazing! I don't like sweets but this cake was very good. Rich, but not overly sweet. Jim was very happy to hear that they had the Penn State Creamery Ice Cream back on the menu. Peachy Paterno it was.

If we could we'd go to Earl's every weekend, but the prices definitely make it a place to visit every few months. Expect to spend at least $100 per person for drinks, salad, entree, a shared dessert, and tip - more if you have any appetizers or selections from the raw bar. But you won't be disappointed with the food or the service. We end up comparing every other restaurant to Earl's and so far none have come close. It's our favorite restaurant by far, and if you go you'll know why.

Dinner Out

We don't usually cook on Saturday nights, so tonight we decided to go to a local restaurant in Doylestown, The Freight House. We wanted to go to Earl's but couldn't get reservations at such short notice.

The Freight House is the old train station which was turned into a restaurant several years ago. It feels like a city restaurant in the middle of our little town - funky lighting, red leather seating, creative martinis, a great bar with trendy music, and $$$ paintings for sale by local artists. The food is usually good, and tonight was probably one of the better meals we've had there (it's still nowhere near Earl's though!).

We started out with a glass of Malbec at the bar while watching the Preakness. I don't follow horse racing at all, but it was still exciting to watch the minute-long race while everyone in the bar screamed and clapped, while other groaned and bitched about their bets gone bad.

I started with the puree of asparagus with porcini mushroom foam. It was very smooth, and not too creamy like most pureed soups I've had. The foam added a sweet flavor on top of the salty asparagus puree. I really want to find a recipe like this to try, and I'm still trying to figure out how they make the foam. If anyone reading this has a recipe or knows the technique, please share!

We both had different salads - Jon had the wedge salad and I had the spring greens. Jon said while his salad was good, the dressing tasted a bit like the special sauce on a Big Mac!!! This left us agreeing that Earl's wedge salad is still the best we have had. Then we both had the 8 oz filet with baby vegetables and Yukon gold mashed potatoes. My Bearnaise sauce was amazing, and the horseradish cream sauce that Jon chose was sweet with a spicy kick at the end. The steak was good, but it's still not Earl's! I think we are spoiled from eating at Earl's. Nothing has come close, not even the steak Jon had at Ruth's Chris a few weeks ago.

If anyone is in the area, we'd definitely recommend The Freight House for a good meal in a cool atmosphere. But if you are looking for a GREAT meal, try Earl's.