Greetings all!
It has come to my attention that I currently have no way of grading my dinning and exploring experiences and need, like Junior year English class, a way to score and assess restaurants like my, eek, writing.
So, taking inspiration from my collegiate days as food reviewer for the Wheaton Wire, http://www.thewheatonwire.com/ I will revive my rating system of 1-5 "whisks" or now, more appropriately, Forks to give my eating time a more quantifiable and tangible grade for you! (Hold your applause please)
Soooooo...
The grading will be on a 1-5 scale and will cover the three major factors of a food experience:
The food itself (most important)
Service (the theater of the food world)
The value (am I being ripped off or man that was cheap!)
Additionally, if you see score of 1-5, these mean something more, a more emotional grade of the overall experience and also how innovative and local the food is, very important given almost everything today has corn syrup in it, yucko!… enjoy the descriptions below!
1 Fork: disappointing experience or fail... i.e. visit said establishment at your own risk.
2 Forks: Passable but nothing special... i.e. if you want a similar experience, go to that little gas station and you tell me how good their pizza really is, sober.
3 Forks: Good and would go again, if no other options are presented... i.e. its the upscale chain restaurant or the tried and true "establishment" where the rolls are hot, the salad fresh-ish, but the menu was last updated 10 years ago, a guilty pleasure.
4 Forks: Great and excited to tell people about it... i.e. that place where not only the food is delish but the service matches, and would have been a 5 if the prices were only a bit more of a value, but it still rocks.
5 Forks: You get what you pay for, which is good... i.e. that special restaurant where the food is ever changing, fresh, and inventive, the service is great and easygoing, and no matter how much you pay it really doesn’t matter because you want the food, like seriously crave.
Here you have it, my grading system. (Fab I know)
Now if you get too attached, don’t be surprised if I, a.) Change it at any time, b.) Have some opinions that go against the system, c.) Make no apologies for changing or diverging opinions stated in a. or b. I promise that the insanity of my actions will make sense, as not all food joints are created equally, but, as I have found, good food can be found anywhere.
So enough of this jibber jabber, enjoy your day world! And remember, eat anything you want, the treadmill will always be there... as a clothes rack.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Organic Pizza, music, and beer... oh my!!!
Well last night I was hungry and big surprise I reached toward pizza again (I know I know, I'll be checking into the Papa Johns clinic soon, make room Lindsay...) but when two good high school friends ask you out for Flatbreads Pizza, http://www.flatbreadcompany.com/,... located on Commercial Street in Portland's Old Port district... you go, because you know the pizza will always be good and the atmosphere, on an unseasonably warm Monday night, will be fun and relaxed. And it was!
When we got there around 7:15pm, a fantastic acoustic musician was in full swing, singing her bum off! (Her name escapes me but man was she good!) I started dinner with an old standby, a Shipyard Pumkinhead (seasonal delicious) and two of the three of us started with Flatbreads amazing salads, complete with goat cheese and fresh seaweed on top, yummo! Then we all shared a large "Coevolution," which is a sauceless pizza with goat cheese (yes more) olives, fresh herbs, red peppers, and red onions. However, if you get this same pizza with both red and caramelized onions, its that much better, as the sweet onions play off the olives briny, savoriness. Its also a pretty good value at around $19 bucks for the flat bread, and its really big, so great to share with friends!
Then, as if we were not full enough with our pizza and spirits, we all shared my favorite part of Flatbreads, their dessert. The best, semisweet chocolate and cinnamon brownie sundae with organic ice cream, need I say more?
What can be gleaned from this fun Monday night? Well, when friends ask you out, go because its nice to feel loved, but also, go Go GO to Flatbreads! Simply because it is my favorite pizza, and if you HAVE been there before, you know what I mean.
(Since this post was published, I have arrived at a rating system, and will give flarbreads a 4 Fork rating, because it totally rocks)
Thoughts for the day?
Go out there and explore, try a new restaurant, and drink a little wine. Life will be better and you'll live longer. Proven fact (I think)
When we got there around 7:15pm, a fantastic acoustic musician was in full swing, singing her bum off! (Her name escapes me but man was she good!) I started dinner with an old standby, a Shipyard Pumkinhead (seasonal delicious) and two of the three of us started with Flatbreads amazing salads, complete with goat cheese and fresh seaweed on top, yummo! Then we all shared a large "Coevolution," which is a sauceless pizza with goat cheese (yes more) olives, fresh herbs, red peppers, and red onions. However, if you get this same pizza with both red and caramelized onions, its that much better, as the sweet onions play off the olives briny, savoriness. Its also a pretty good value at around $19 bucks for the flat bread, and its really big, so great to share with friends!
Then, as if we were not full enough with our pizza and spirits, we all shared my favorite part of Flatbreads, their dessert. The best, semisweet chocolate and cinnamon brownie sundae with organic ice cream, need I say more?
What can be gleaned from this fun Monday night? Well, when friends ask you out, go because its nice to feel loved, but also, go Go GO to Flatbreads! Simply because it is my favorite pizza, and if you HAVE been there before, you know what I mean.
(Since this post was published, I have arrived at a rating system, and will give flarbreads a 4 Fork rating, because it totally rocks)
Thoughts for the day?
Go out there and explore, try a new restaurant, and drink a little wine. Life will be better and you'll live longer. Proven fact (I think)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Connecticut or Bust!
So, after a fun-filled and sleep deprived weekend in Mystic, CT, visiting a college friend, i have come to understand two, or maybe three truths about the land of famous pizza 1.) Pizza is good from this town, 2.) Eclectic American bistro food is even better, 3.) you really do wish Julia Roberts was around (had to, sorry).
My friend and I, after walking around town, sat down to Azu Restaurant & Bar, at 3 pm, and had a blast. Minus the random time of day and being the only two to sit at the bar, we had a great and affordable meal. I had some delish oysters, followed by a perfect Salad Nicoise, and my cohort scarfed down a Grilled Salmon sandwich and fries. The atmosphere was relaxed and cozy, the waitress/bartender friendly and fun to talk to, and the meal was cheap, 13 bucks for each of us!
Here is their website, its worth checking out! www.ckrestaurantgroup.com/azu/azudinner.shtml
The following day, a slightly sleep deprived Sunday, I wanted pizza, so I was directed to Pizzetta, the answer to the touristy but also good Mystic Pizza. The space is the first thing you take in, a charming, rustic and artistic restaurant where fresh ingredients and a sense of humor take center stage. We split a Green Salad, which was alright with only feta and olives, but the main event, a pizza with Ricotta Cheese, Eggplant, onions and Basil, was divine!
Again, their website to check out. www.pizzettamystic.com/
So, what can be summed up by all of this analysis? Food in Mystic is good, and if you try something other than what the free town tourist guide tells you, you'll be happy, and full.
Until next time, keep a fork on you, you never know when you'll need it. Trust me.
My friend and I, after walking around town, sat down to Azu Restaurant & Bar, at 3 pm, and had a blast. Minus the random time of day and being the only two to sit at the bar, we had a great and affordable meal. I had some delish oysters, followed by a perfect Salad Nicoise, and my cohort scarfed down a Grilled Salmon sandwich and fries. The atmosphere was relaxed and cozy, the waitress/bartender friendly and fun to talk to, and the meal was cheap, 13 bucks for each of us!
Here is their website, its worth checking out! www.ckrestaurantgroup.com/azu/azudinner.shtml
The following day, a slightly sleep deprived Sunday, I wanted pizza, so I was directed to Pizzetta, the answer to the touristy but also good Mystic Pizza. The space is the first thing you take in, a charming, rustic and artistic restaurant where fresh ingredients and a sense of humor take center stage. We split a Green Salad, which was alright with only feta and olives, but the main event, a pizza with Ricotta Cheese, Eggplant, onions and Basil, was divine!
Again, their website to check out. www.pizzettamystic.com/
So, what can be summed up by all of this analysis? Food in Mystic is good, and if you try something other than what the free town tourist guide tells you, you'll be happy, and full.
Until next time, keep a fork on you, you never know when you'll need it. Trust me.
The First Day!
Hello everyone!
Well I did it, I bit the bullet, took the plunge, fell off the wagon (correct reference?) jumped the shark, (now i know I have it wrong)... anyway, I created a blog! Yay, but now what? Well, plagued with unemployment and wayyy too much time on my hands, I decided to create this blog to talk about my many loves and hopefully help YOU, the restaurant customer, sift through the endless gastrointestinal choices afforded to you. I'll give you some great places to eat, and detail some of the fun I've had exploring, with my stomach, our 50 States, (or the places easy to drive to)
Along the way, I'll give my advice on other things, from where to shop, galleries to visit, and places to see (the tourist stuff), so sit back, relax, and enjoy the ramblings of an opinionated consumer. I hope you enjoy!
Well I did it, I bit the bullet, took the plunge, fell off the wagon (correct reference?) jumped the shark, (now i know I have it wrong)... anyway, I created a blog! Yay, but now what? Well, plagued with unemployment and wayyy too much time on my hands, I decided to create this blog to talk about my many loves and hopefully help YOU, the restaurant customer, sift through the endless gastrointestinal choices afforded to you. I'll give you some great places to eat, and detail some of the fun I've had exploring, with my stomach, our 50 States, (or the places easy to drive to)
Along the way, I'll give my advice on other things, from where to shop, galleries to visit, and places to see (the tourist stuff), so sit back, relax, and enjoy the ramblings of an opinionated consumer. I hope you enjoy!
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