We’ve been in NYC since Monday and have had some outstanding meals. I’ll list them all here.

Monday – Bello (863 Ninth Ave, corner of 56th Street) – Usually when we stay at the Mid-town Holiday Inn on 57th St, we walk to a local place for dinner the first night. We’d passed Bello several times and have always talked about stopping in someday. Well we finally did. We had no problems getting a table and the service was excellent. The menu is typical high-end Italian. Three items on the specials list that night caught our attention. We split an Avocado Salad, which was very tasty. Sarah ordered the Chilean Sea Bass, which was prepared with a leek and tomato sauce. I had the Rigatoni with bacon and peas in a tomato cream sauce. Both were superb. Sarah’s fish was a sizable portion and was light and sweet. My pasta was perfectly prepared and not overwhelmed with sauce. Not to sound like Hannibal Lecter, but I enjoyed mine with a fine Chianti. We finished up with a piece of Tiramisu and a cappuccino. It was a great way to start our stay in NYC. Five Spoons – High End

Tuesday -Mitali East - 334 E. 6th St – Mitali East has long been one of our favorite places to eat in NYC. I’ve rated it very highly in the past. We invited one of Sarah’s friends with us this time, so I guess we set ourselves up to be disappointed. Always happens that way when you rave about a place and then bring friends, no? There was nothing particularly wrong with our meal this time. It was just missing that special something that makes for a memorable meal. Sarah had the Shaag Paneer, I ordered a favorite, Chicken Balti, and Sarah’s friend had the Chicken Tikka Masala. Sarah’s saag was a bit overwhelmed with a sourish cream sauce. My balti was ok, but virtually devoid of spices. The chicken tikka masala was the same, decent, but lacking zip. The service was, as always, excellent. Maybe it was just an off-night for the chef. Three Spoons – Family

Wednesday – Thai Basil – (860 Ninth Ave) – Thai Basil is another of our favorites. It is also an easy walk from our usual hotel. Thai Basil is a typical NYC hole-in-the-wall eatery. Not much atmosphere, but really good food. Luckily, that hasn’t changed for Thai Basil. We started with Vegetable Dumplings, which were, as you would guess, minced veggies wrapped in lettuce. Very tasty. Sarah ordered Eggplant Basil Sautee (which included tofu) and I went with Siam Beef (which came on fried rice). Sarah really liked her eggplant and my beef was perfectly done. I loved the fried rice that came with it. It was truly rice and veggies fried up in a wok, not some mixture of rice and sauce or the yellow rice we get in the midwest. As always, an excellent meal. Four Spoons – Family

Thursday – Bistango Ristorante - (415 Third Ave at 29th St) – We chose Bistango because we were joining a friend of Sarah’s who happens to have a gluten allergy. Bistango has many gluten-free offerings. They even have gluten-free beer. The atmosphere is dinner casual and very comfy. The service was excellent and the waitstaff was very knowledgeable about every detail of the food preparation, which can be a godsend to those with allergies. Sarah’s friend was very pleased and surprised at the wide choice of gluten-free food as well as the staff’s knowledge. She ordered the gluten-free ravioli, which she said was the first time she’d ever seen it in a restaurant. It looked pretty tasty, which she confirmed. She had started out with the calamari appetizer, which she said was also very good. I’ll take her word for it as I don’t like calamari. Sarah and I split a Caesar salad, which was served wedge style. Not my favorite way to enjoy a salad. The Caesar was ok, but a bit pricey considering it was basically a wedge of romaine with some grated cheese and dressing on it. For entrees Sarah had rigatoni and meat sauce. I had the boneless pork chop. Sarah’s rigatoni was good, although the meat sauce had shredded meat instead of the typical crumbled hamburger. My porkchop was pounded flat and breaded, like a schnitzel. It came with a small portion of mashed potatoes, a large helping of spinach, and was served over sauteed onions and hot cherry peppers. The porkchop was quite good, as were the potatoes. I’m not a big fan of spinach and the onions and peppers were very spicy, so I only had a couple bites of those. We all had the excellent Gelato and Sorbet for dessert. Sarah and I split coffee gelato and mango sorbet. The gelato was creamy and rich. The mango sorbet was eye-opening strong. If you really like mango, you’ll love the mango sorbet. Sarah’s friend had vanilla gelato and blackberry sorbet. She raved about both. Despite my little nitpicks, the meal was quite good, the service was, as I said, excellent, and the atmosphere was enjoyable. Four Spoons – Family

Friday – Molyvos – (871 Seventh Ave) – We originally tried to get into a smaller Greek place close to our hotel, but it turned out to be basically a tiny cheese and wine bar and was, of course, packed on a Friday evening. So we walked on over to Molyvos on 7th Ave, which the bus to the Javits Center passed every day. We were able to walk in and get a table right away. It’s a surprisingly large place. The atmosphere is very upscale, yet comfortable. We were expecting the usual Greek fare with gyros and moussaka and such. No gyros to be found here, although they do have moussaka. The waiter quickly supplied us with warm pita triangles and bread with a spicy feta spread. We also ordered the Tzatziki. We went through the first basket of bread and were promptly supplied with another. Both the feta spread and the tzatziki were excellent. For entrees Sarah ordered the stuffed pepper and I had the beef short rib (Vodino Stifado). Sarah’s pepper was stuffed with eggplant and rice and such. It was very, very good. My beef short rib was melt in your mouth tender and delicious. We split an order of potato kefte, which was quite good, although we really could have done without it as the entrees were more than ample. I had a couple glasses of a really good mavroudi wine, which went perfectly with the beef. We will definitely return to Molyvos. It seemed only right that we should bookend our trip with two fantastic meals. Five Spoons – High End

Once again this year we trekked out to New England for Christmas. We only ate out a few times thanks to superb cooking by Sarah’s mom (delicious beef brisket and latkes) and my sister (awesome beef tenderloin). On the way out we stopped at Blue Colony Diner in Newtown, CT. It was our first time there and we weren’t quite sure what it would be like. We had just seen a billboard on the highway and thought we’d give it a try. Turns out Blue Colony Diner is a well known landmark. It’s very large for a diner and the menu is huge. So are the portions. Sarah had some seriously meaty lasagna which became three meals. I had a really good pastrami Reuben.  A gentleman sitting near us had the baked haddock. It was the largest helping of food for one person I’ve ever seen. Great place to stop if you’re passing through the area on I-84. Three and a Half Spoons

Whenever we get out to Massachusetts we try to grab a meal at The Chatta Box in Bridgewater, MA. The Chatta Box is simply the best Asian fusion restaurant we’ve ever encountered. The food is sublime. I ordered our longtime favorite, Mango Stir Fry with Chicken. It’s the near dish in the picture below. It’s served in a mango shell (the purple you see in the picture). It’s sweet and spicy and fresh and delicious. Sarah ordered Tropical Explosion, which was tofu with pineapple and peppers and mango and onions. Similar to mine but just different enough. Both were excellent. Five Spoons

Lastly, Sarah’s parents took us out to Butterfly Restaurant in West Hartford, CT. (Thanks, Judy and Steve.) We usually make it to Butterfly on our trips. We each order a dish and then mix and match. This time we had pork fried rice (which was a welcome treat as good fried rice is hard to find out here in IL), crispy orange beef, sesame chicken, and broccoli and garlic. All were very tasty. We really miss having a good Chinese restaurant nearby. We thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Four Spoons

We’re in Chicago for the American Library Association (ALA) conference. Tonight we went to dinner with four of Sarah’s colleagues and settled on Roy’s  at 720 North State Street in Chicago, IL. Roy’s is billed as Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine. That’s a fancy way of saying “delicious.” We had no problem getting a reservation for six and were seated immediately. Sarah and I arrived a couple of minutes early, so I ordered a Hawiian Martini, which is their signature drink. It’s “pineapples infused in SKYY Vodka, Stoli Vanil Vodka, and Malibu Coconut Rum.” It was dangerously drinkable. Very refreshing. Sarah had a Mai Tai, which was also very good.

The rest of the gang arrived so we ordered dinner. Sarah had the Butterfish, which was a tasty whitefish in a cream sauce. I went with the Prix Fixe menu, which at $35 was a steal. I had the Crispy Shrimp Lumpia for an appetizer and shared them with Sarah. There were four shrimp eggrolls in a spicy/sour mango sauce. Quite good. For an entree I went with the Pulehu Sirloin with truffled fries, accompanied by a nice merlot. The sirloin was nicely prepared, although smallish. The truffled fries were like crispy angel hair. I figured out the best way to eat them was to mash them down to a manageable size. They were very good, though. For dessert most folks went with the chocolate souffle, but I opted for the Keris Creamsicle, which was an orange Yazu cake (heaven on earth). I wanted something coffee-like, so I ordered a coffee martini and was surprised it was served cold. I guess I should have known. It was awesome, but I was still in the mood for hot coffee, so I ordered that before dessert was done. 

The entire meal was superb as was the service. We were there for at least two hours and happily enjoyed every minute. It’s not a place we can afford to go often, but for the occasional splurge, I can’t think of any place I’d rather be.

Tonight we went out for my birthday dinner to Escobar’s on E. Columbia Ave. in Champaign, IL. We’ve never had a meal at Escobar’s that was less than stellar. Tonight was more of the same. We were able to park right in front and got a table right away, although it was about 3/4 full when we left. The special tonight was Scallops over Fried Rice in a Thai Red Curry Sauce. That was Sarah’s pick. I went with the Cowboy (bone-in) Ribeye with Mashed Potatoes and a port merlot demi-glace. We both started with salads; Sarah’s was the spinach with goat cheese and pears and mine was a classic Greek salad. Both were a good size and very tasty. I opted for a Horseplay “Rollicking Red” Cab-Merlot-Syrah wine with dinner. I wanted something hearty to go with the steak and this one was perfect.

Sarah’s scallops were quite large (4 of them) and nicely browned. She thought the curry sauce was spicy but delicious. Her only nitpick was that she thought the dish could have used more rice. My steak was perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious. The demi-glace was a great accompaniment, and the potatoes were excellent. We finished off the meal with a Guatemalan rum and mango cheesecake and two lattes. A perfect ending. Escobar’s continues to be the best Champaign has to offer.

Today we had an early dinner at Escobar’s on E. Columbia Ave. in Champaign, IL. We’d been there once before and had a great meal, so we were hoping for a repeat performance. We were not disappointed. As before, we got there early and had no problem getting a table. We even were able to park right in front of the restaurant, although there is plenty of parking right across the street.

One of the specials tonight was Great Lakes Whitefish in a cilantro-lime beurre blanc sauce with cilantro-lime rice and vegetables. That sounded perfect to me. Sarah went with the Crab cake stuffed chiles rellenos with guajillo cream sauce. A commenter on my original Escobar’s review told me that the house White Sangria was very good, so I ordered that for dinner. It was indeed good and went well with the meal. (Thanks, Keri.) 

Sarah’s stuffed chiles were excellent. I even liked them and I’m not a big fan of chiles rellenos. They weren’t overpoweringly spicy, but they did have a nice, slow burn. My fish was nothing short of spectacular. Easily the best meal I’ve had in a long time. The fish was sweet and the sauce was very rich. The rice was also quite tasty and the vegetables were perfectly cooked. I ended up with a second glass of Sangria, which finished off the meal perfectly. The biggest surprise was that we got out of there for just about $60 with the tip. Fanatastic food at a reasonable price.

This afternoon we finally made it into Escobar’s on E. Columbia Ave. in Champaign, IL. Escobar’s menu has always caused us to shy away, as non-traditional as it is, but we had a fantastic meal today. We had no problem at all getting a table, as we were there well ahead of the dinner crowd as usual. Sarah started with a spinach and goat cheese salad which had strawberries and walnuts with a chili-mango vinaigrette. I opted for the Baked Brie en croûte with fresh fruit and baguette slices. I was expecting brie to spread on the baguette, but got a large pastry with brie inside. It was much larger than I had expected. This is definitely better shared by two. It was very good, though, as was Sarah’s salad.

For dinner Sarah went with the evening’s special, which was Sturgeon in a tempura batter with a mango red curry sauce, and fried rice. It was delicious and perfectly prepared. I had the Medallions of Filet Mignon in a Vanilla Sauce (and some other reduction they didn’t specify) with Monterey Jack mashed potatoes. The vanilla sauce was not too sweet and it went perfectly with the steak. I also had a glass of Hob Nob 2006 Pinot Noir. It was excellent with and was quite a generous pour. All in all it was one of the best meals we’ve had in quite some time. I don’t think it will be long before we’re back there for another.

Tonight we returned to the Athena Restaurant on Cathedral Place in old St. Augustine, Fl. We had eaten there during another Christmas trip two years ago and we were eager to return. We were not disappointed. The restaurant was full, but not so packed we couldn’t get a table. The waitstaff was friendly and quick. We had drinks and an appetizer in short order. Our appetizer was tzatziki with pita and veggies for dipping. It was perfect. The tzatziki had a nice tang and the pita and veggies were perfectly prepared. For entrees we ordered Pastitio for Sarah and the Greek Combo #2, with gyro, Greek salad, tzatziki, and stuffed grape leaf for me. Sarah’s pastitio was very tasty, especially with the tomato sauce, which came on the side. My gyro and salad were perfect and the extra tzatziki was an added treat. We were both very pleased with our meals. It’s a shame it may be years before we get back there again.

No, this isn’t about a restaurant. It is about Christmas Eve dinner at my sister Donna’s house and the best BBQ ribs I’ve ever eaten. Plus some great chicken, baked beans, and potato salad. I couldn’t stop eating, it was so good. Her husband, Jack, said the secret is to cook the ribs most of the way in the oven and then finish them on the grill. I’d say it worked. Awesome meal.  Thanks, Sis.   

Tonight we took advantage of a very generous gift certificate (thanks, Julie and Jill!) and had dinner at Silvercreek on Race St in Urbana. Silvercreek has been one of our favorites since we moved here over 5 years ago. The atmosphere is really nice but not stuffy, they have a great wine and beer list, and the food is fabulous. And tonight we even got to listen to some live music.

We both started with salads, Spinach and Strawberry for Sarah and the classic Silvercreek salad for me. Both were excellent. Sarah ordered the Filet of Beef, which comes with bleu cheese crumbles on top and bleu cheese au gratin potatoes. Her steak was cooked to perfection and delicious, and Silvercreek’s bleu cheese au gratin potatoes are to die for. The special tonight was Pan Seared Whitefish in a ginger tamari beurre blanc sauce with pineapple fried rice and green beans. It sounded interesting, so I took a chance and ordered it, hoping it wouldn’t be too gingery. It was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. The fish was perfectly cooked, light and flaky, and the sauce was rich and delicious. The fried rice was also very tasty. I had a very nice pinot gris with my meal.

I rarely order dessert, but tonight I wasn’t too stuffed after dinner, so I ordered a coffee and Bread Pudding. Normally bread pudding comes in a small bowl with maybe a bit of vanilla sauce on it, but this was a large helping in an awesome Amaretto almond sauce. It was sooo good.

All in all, it was one of the best dining experiences we’ve had this year, and that is saying a lot.  

My favorite seafood restaurant in Massachusetts (or anywhere, for that matter) is closing soon. Isaac’s and many of the surrounding buildings will be replaced with some upscale shopping, condos, and such. It’s a shame because Isaac’s and the ground floor t-shirt and trinket shops are classic New England waterfront places. But like so many such places, they don’t bring in the money needed to justify occupying such precious real estate. But before it closed for good, I wanted to get back there and have one last meal. This past Tuesday was my parents’ 52nd wedding anniversary, so we took them out tonight to celebrate. We got the corner table with great views all around.

My folks got their usual baked schrod, which is always a safe bet at Isaac’s. Sarah got the Baked Stuffed Schrod, which is baked schrod with excellent crab and bread crumb stuffing. I had been dreaming about Isaac’s outstanding Fishcakes, but found out they’re only on the lunch menu. The waitress was kind enough to ask if I could get them anyway and the chef agreed. I didn’t forget that when it came time for the tip. Sarah’s dinner was very large and quite delicious. I had some of her leftovers the next day and was impressed. My fishcakes were as awesome as I had remembered. I was the stuffed one when we left.

 What a shame it will be gone soon.