If I had my way, I’d try out new restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day. But budgetary, dietary and geographical restrictions prevent me from channeling my inner Guy Fieri. With that in mind, I’ll be having guest bloggers share their far-flung dining experiences here from time to time.
My former colleague Sandy Csizmar, a web producer at the Hartford Courant, received a delicious surprise this weekend when her husband, John, took her on an impromptu road trip to Sonic Drive-In in upstate New York. As New Englanders are pretty obsessed with Sonic, Sandy was stoked to finally try it out. She was nice enough to share her experience with us all…
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Cheese and pepperoni nirvana
Ask anyone in the area what the city of Springfield is known for – and if their immediate response isn’t “violent crime” it might be “hoops.” And their second answer might be “Red Rose Pizzeria.”
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After two full turkey dinners, I don’t even want to look at the pile of leftovers in my fridge. But each meal was delicious.
At my parents’ house Thursday, we had cheese and crackers and amazing shrimp cocktail before heading into the main event of turkey; stuffing made with sausage, apples, onion and celery; sweet squash with brown sugar and butter; luxurious homemade mashed potatoes; my grandfather’s decadent Morton’s Steakhouse creamed spinach recipe and flaky rolls. Oh, and Ocean Spray cranberry log, as we call it, sliced up into manageable pieces. Dessert was our choice of Junior’s caramel apple cheesecake, a Milky Way mousse cake, pumpkin pie and gourmet cupcakes created by my aunt’s friend, a baker in Worcester.
Dinner at the in-laws was decidedly more healthy, but the turkey was perfect. My mother-in-law said she stuffed the turkey’s cavity with fresh oranges and bell peppers. While I couldn’t taste those flavors in the meat, I wonder if it added to its moistness. The white meat was fabulous. Wine selections: Beaujolais for the Griffin meal, Hobnob Pinot Noir at the Zielonkas.
Your turn: what did you eat on Thanksgiving? Did any dish particularly stand out to you? Any turkey techniques you want to share?
Fun with Carbs is going to be eating two Thanksgiving meals this week (I’ve got in-laws now) so posting will be light. Here’s a roundup of news-you-can-use as you prepare for your own Turkey Day:
Wines: If you missed it, our guide to Thanksgiving vino.
Turkey Day Guide: Recipes, tips and more
Thanksgiving Dinner at CT Restaurants: If you’re not up for cooking a 20-pound bird.
Leftovers: Food Network’s guide to next-day recipes.
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving meal? Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pie? And does anyone love canned cranberry sauce as much as I do? It’s hideous, I know, but I love how it retains its cylindrical can shape.
Five Guys is opening soon in Enfield, CT. (flickr.com)
Interesting predictions piece in Nation’s Restaurant News about dining trends in 2010. Menu trends analysts at Mintel outlined five predictions for industry trends in the coming year. The bottom line? A return to basics, a focus on quality food and drink instead of price-cutting.
The five predictions: a return to simplicity (the article mentions the ‘white-hot better-burger movement’ exhibited by quick-service chains like Five Guys) ; menus featuring locally-sourced ingredients and produce; healthful, lower-calorie choices; the introduction of more retail products from restaurant chains; and ‘regional ethnic’ foods (for example, restaurants serving entrees from the Tuscan region of Italy or North Carolina barbecue.)
Restaurants have obviously had a tough couple of years due to economic downturn, and despite a flurry of promotions like prix-fixe multi-course meals and 2 for 1 deals, the industry’s still hurting. Just today I saw news of a local closing: Hops Restaurant and Brewery in Newington, the last Connecticut outpost of the chain. (There was one in Manchester until recently, too.) For those of us who adore dining out, let’s hope 2010 is happier and healthier for restaurateurs.
If I had my way, I’d try out new restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day. But budgetary, dietary and geographical restrictions prevent me from channeling my inner Guy Fieri. With that in mind, I’ll be having guest bloggers share their far-flung dining experiences here from time to time.
Leeanne Griffin is a freelance writer and food enthusiast.