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Category Archives: Restaurant Review

Ruby Tuesdays First Timer

03 Oct

I was away for a weekend and eating out is a necessity. When away I like to try different places to eat, or at least something different. I had never eaten at a Ruby Tuesdays before and there was one close to my hotel, so I decided to give them a try. I was glad that I did.

There was no wait when I arrived and was seated immediately, My server, Lauren, was right over to take my drink and appetizer order. I chose the Mixed Berry Iced Tea for my drink and the bowl of Broccoli Cheese Soup caught my eye. My beverage and app order in, I perused the rest of the menu for my main entrée choices.

My drink came fast, the tea was just the right amount of sweet and the berry flavor was present, My soup arrived not too long after. The cheese soup was maybe a tad salty for me, I use very little salt regularly, but not overbearing. The broccoli was abundant enough in the soup and had just the right amount of crunch and texture. A couple of packs of saltines accompanied the soup.

Next up, my main course. I chose the Top Sirloin & Crispy Shrimp. A 6oz sirloin with a crispy cooked jumbo shrimp. The order comes with two sides, I went for the basic French fries and the grilled zucchini. The meal came in a timely manner and was served with a smile. The steak was cooked to my desired doneness, medium rare. Nice and juicy in the middle and still hot, the steak had a nice fresh flavor, I could not taste any spices other than salt and pepper. The shrimp had a nice crispy coating and were deep fried. A side cup of cocktail sauce was served with the shrimp and had a nice tang to it. The grilled zucchini was a nice surprise, thin cut rounds lightly grilled with butter and a hint of garlic. The fries were your basic thin cut potatoes and were crispy on the outside with a nice soft center.

I opted not to have dessert at this time, as the meal made me quite full. The restaurant was nice and clean. The atmosphere was comfortable and I did not feel rushed in any way, even though the dinning area seemed to be filling quickly. For a first experience I have to say this was top notch, great atmosphere, friendly and courteous servers and great food for a fair price. Ruby Tuesdays will remain on radar for weekend trips.

 
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Posted by on October 3, 2018 in Restaurant Review, Travel, Weekend Trips

 

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TGI Fridays Enfield

24 Jun

First Timer

So, I travel a bit, a weekend trip once a month for the past five years. This is the first time that a TGI Fridays was close to where I was staying. Needless to say, this was my first time eating at a Fridays. It was a very pleasant experience.

I had almost no wait time, just needed to wait for the couple who entered just ahead of me, before I was seated. My server, Susane, was cheery with a pleasing smile.

I started off with a Strawberry Passionfruit Iced Tea, I will say that although I did enjoy the first one, the second one was a bit tart, making me think that each one is flavored to order.

For an appetizer I went for the White Cheddar Broccoli Cheese Soup. The soup came quickly and was steamy hot. Creamy and full of broccoli and plenty of cheesy flavor. Main course for this evening was the Center Cut Sirloin and Shrimp with mashed potatoes and lemon butter broccoli. I am sensing a theme. My order came in a timely fashion, all the food was nice and hot and cooked to my preferences. The steak was nice and tender, the spices complimented the meat perfectly. The potatoes had a nice smooth texture to them with plenty of butter. The lemon butter broccoli was, well, lemony. I found the lemon to be a bit overpowering and actually covered the flavor of the broccoli. The broccoli itself was cooked to a nice tender feel.

I finished my meal with a Red Velvet Sparkler Cake. An interesting dessert idea, I thought. Red Velvet cake, layered with a nice, smooth cream cheese frosting, a dollop of whipped cream on top with some sprinkles, candy bits sprinkled around the cake. Some pocky sticks stuck in to give the impression of sparklers and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. This was a large dessert and I found myself only able to eat about a third of the cake. Susane was kind enough to bring me a to go box so that I could take the rest with me and enjoy the remainder at my convenience.

The restaurant is very sports oriented, with big screen tv’s about the dinning area playing sporting events. The volume on the tv’s was not loud and did not interfere with my dinning experience, but they are there if this is your interest.

I found the restaurant to be clean and comfortable, my table had no evidence of a previous dinner guest and the condiments were all filled.

My first experience with a Fridays was one that makes me look forward to my next meal at a Fridays restaurant.

 
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Posted by on June 24, 2018 in Restaurant Review, Travel, Weekend Trips

 

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China Pan

07 May

Was staying in Farmington Hampton Inn for a weekend, front desk gave me a menu for a local Chinese restaurant that delivered to the Inn. Oddly enough, getting the menu is what got me thinking about Chinese for dinner. Went out to do a bit of shopping and looking for a place to eat and my head kept going back to the menu, so I decided to get Chinese Delivery. Got back to my room, called in my order and waited. It took about a half an hour, I got a call from the restaurant saying that the driver was almost at the hotel and would I like to meet him in the lobby or have it delivered right to my room. I wanted to get a coffee from the hot beverage station, so I met him in the lobby.

Brought my order to my room, checked it and had everything I had ordered as well as some egg rolls and an extra box of white rice. My order, a Beef Egg Foo Young, an order of vegetable Lo Mein, some crab Rangoon and boneless spare ribs.

There were a few things that were different than I am used to in my order. With Egg Foo Young I am used to the egg patties and the gravy being together, China Pan puts the egg patties and the gravy in separate containers. I actually liked this, it gave me the chance to put the amount of gravy on my eggs. Second, the boneless spare ribs, the sauce was a bit sweeter than I am used to. I am just making comparisons to where I get my Chinese when I am home and a restaurant away from home.

The order came with plenty of duck sauce, some plates, napkins, forks and knives and a couple of packages that included soy sauce, hot mustard and the dry noodles. The amount of food for what I ordered was a bit more than I had expected, fortunately for me, my room had a microwave and a minifridge, so I had leftovers for the next day.

If I find myself in the area in the future I will consider ordering from the China Pan again.

 
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Posted by on May 7, 2018 in Restaurant Review, Travel, Weekend Trips

 

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Longhorn Steak House Manchester Connecticut

03 Apr

Surprise Comfort Food For Me

Recently found myself in Hartford Connecticut and looking for a place for dinner. Came across a Longhorn Steakhouse and thought, steak sounds good right now. I am glad that I did

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I had a very short wait for a table, less than 15 minutes. Once I was seated it was just a minute or two before my server came for my drink order. I chose an unsweetened black raspberry iced tea and a glass of water.

Got my tea and water and placed my dinner order. Start with a bowl of the Loaded Potato Soup, then the Flat Iron Steak with a Mixed Green Salad with Ranch Dressing and the Maple Roasted Spaghetti Squash.

I got my Loaded Potato soup and Mixed Greens Salad served with fresh baked bread and butter. The bread was nice and warm and tasty. The Loaded Potato soup was just that, loaded. There was plenty of potato pieces and bacon bits and lots of flavor. The salad had a good mix of greens, some iceberg, romaine, chicory and chives, as well as some tomato chunks, slices of cucumber and some croutons with a little side cup or ranch dressing.

The Main dish, Flat Iron Steak, named so because it resembles an old fashioned flat iron, gotta love the irony. Ok so my steak came out nice and hot and cooked to a perfectly warm pink middle, medium as I ordered it. The steak is marinated in a house sauce for fuller flavor. I did enjoy the steak, the marinate has a bit of a zing to it that I was not expecting.

Seeing Spaghetti Squash on the menu was a bit of a surprise to me. I have not seen this item on a menu anywhere to date. Growing up my grandfather grew his own spaghetti squash and I enjoyed this unusual vegetable very much, so I had to order it. Maple Baked added a fantastic flavor to the squash and the texture brought me back to my childhood and good memories, it was a nice comfort food for me.

I finished the meal off with the Chocolate Peanut Butter Jar. A small jar filled with chocolate cake, whipped cream and mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. A tiny, decadent dessert perfect for finishing off my meal.

The restaurant had a very rustic feel. Exposed beam ceilings and barnboard walls as well as all sorts of western barn accessories about the restaurant.

My server, Amy, was very cheery, with a pleasant smile, adding a pleasantness to my entire meal.

 
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Posted by on April 3, 2018 in Restaurant Review, Travel, Weekend Trips

 

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99 Restaurant Groton – Quick and Easy Take Away

16 Mar

It was a bit later than I had expected and I didn’t really feel like waiting for a table so I called in a take away order. I ordered from the winter specials menu and got the Sirloin and Baked Scallops with an order of steamed broccoli as my vegetable choice.

The order was ready for me when I arrived, I paid and headed back to my hotel room. The order came in a large take out order box, this made the order seem a little smaller than it really was. I also got a knife and fork pack with a salt and a pepper packet and a napkin. The knife impressed me as it did a great job of cutting the steak.

The steak was cooked just the way I like it, medium rare, and was nice and tender and very flavorful. There were not as many scallops as I had expected, but for the price it was fair enough. The scallops were baked to perfection, the cracker topping had a nice garlicy flavor to it, but I would have liked a little more of the topping. The broccoli was a bit crunchier than I prefer but was flavorful and had a bit of butter on it.

I was glad I ordered out and enjoyed the meal, even if I would have liked a few more scallops.

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2018 in Restaurant Review, Travel, Weekend Trips

 

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