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 were in the campus area looking for dinner and ended up at Crane Alley on W. Main St. in downtown Urbana, IL. We’d eaten there several years ago, but we hadn’t been back since. We got there right around 5, so the place was practically empty, except, unfortunately, for one other booth in the restaurant area which had four noisy and obnoxious students who ate nothing, yet were there the entire time. So it goes sometimes.

Sarah started with a salad and had a Turkey Reuben for dinner. I went with a New York Strip steak with garlic mashed potatoes. I also got a glass of merlot and was quite disappointed with the stingy pour. The price was right, 1/4 of a full bottle price, but the pour was far less than a 1/4 bottle. The steak itself was ok, although nothing special. Same with the potatoes. The highlight of my meal was the green beans, which were sauteed with bacon. Very tasty. Sarah’s turkey Reuben was fine and she liked the sweet potato fries. The meal was pretty decent, but the steak was overpriced, as was the wine.

Last week we were in Bermuda. The island is stunningly beautiful and we had perfect weather for exploring. We also tried a variety of different restaurants. For the most part, the food was ok, although nothing to rave about. Saturday night, because of flight delays, we got to the hotel near midnight, so we took advantage of the hotel bar and split a sandwich.

The next day we had lunch at Frog & Onion Pub at the Royal Naval Dockyard. The Frog & Onion has great atmosphere and excellent service. Sarah had a North Rock Cornish Pastie and I had Fish & Chips and great India Pale Ale (IPA) from the Dockyard brewery. It was one of the better meals we had the whole trip. My rating - Three and a Half Spoons. That night we ate at the Hog Penny Pub, which was supposedly the inspiration for the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston, which in turn was the model for the set of Cheers. Whatever. The hype certainly outweighed the food. Sarah had a curry dish (vegetables vindaloo) which could have been a microwaved TV dinner. I had bangers and mash, which were just ok. I also asked for a good bitter beer, but all they had were the standard American drafts and one German draft. So much for being a British pub. My rating – Two Spoons.

On Monday we ventured over to the south shore and had lunch at the Fairmont Southampton, the sister hotel to the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, where we were staying. I started with a really good Margarita on the rocks and I had a BBQ Chicken quesadilla. Very tasty. Sarah had a Caesar salad which was ho-hum. My rating –  Three Spoons. That night we went Thai and had dinner at Silk in Hamilton. The special that night was Thai BBQ ribs, which I had. Sarah had Chicken Penang. Again, mine was quite good. Sarah thought hers had a lot of flavor, but the chicken was tough and chewy, which became a running joke the rest of the trip (“old bird out back“). My rating - Three Spoons.

Tuesday we went cheap and local and grabbed sandwiches at the supermarket in Hamilton. It was very much like a Whole Foods with a half-dozen different fresh food counters. It was pretty good for the cheapest meal we had the whole trip. That evening we took a cab over to the House of India, which is unfortunately located in the worst part of Hamilton. If you plan on going, take a cab there and have the waitstaff call you a cab when you ask for your bill. The food there is worth the trip, though. Sarah had Coconut Curry Chicken and I had Chicken Tikka Masala, which was served Balti style (in a brass bucket). The CTM was very good, as was the raita and naan. Sarah’s dish was once again, just ok. Not the best culinary week for her. My rating – Three Spoons.

On Wednesday we grabbed a quick lunch at some pub in St. George. Nothing at all worth mentioning, though. That evening we stopped in at the Ristorante Primavera, which was basically across the street from our hotel. This turned out to be the most expensive meal we had in Bermuda. Sarah started with a Spinach Salad with gorgonzola, pine nuts, and walnut dressing. It was tiny and basically tasteless due the paucity of gorgonzola and dressing. I had their Bruschetta which wasn’t bad, but not something I’d order again. Not a lot of flavor there either. For dinner we both ended up with a ravioli dish. Sarah’s was the cheese ravioli special and mine was Ravioli Neri with lobster meat. Both dishes were well prepared and nicely presented, but were sort of underwhelming for the price. The highlight of the meal was the Tiramisu I ordered for desert. It was real Tiramisu with the cake at the bottom soaking in brandy and espresso. It was superb. Still, overall the meal rates Three Spoons, which is sad considering the bill just topped $100.

So there, in a nutshell, was our dining experience in Bermuda. Bermuda is a gorgeous place to visit. Just be prepared for sticker shock at mealtime and don’t expect to be wowed by the food.