Forgive me, it’s been a crazy few weeks.
The good news is, I’ll have some fun material later this week. Several bloggers and I are working to plan a gathering at Miya’s Sushi tomorrow evening. Haven’t heard of Miya’s? Shame on you. It could be one of the most inventive and exciting sushi restaurants in the entire world.
Stay tuned…
I have a fairly disgusting confession to make: This past week, I ate red meat for four consecutive days.
Between the steak at Spoleto Thursday, barbecue Friday from a place I’m hoping to review in the next few weeks, kielbasa at our friends’ Jack and Jill party Saturday and a birthday cookout Sunday, I feel like I might have eaten a cow and a pig all by myself. This is rare for someone who – at least in the past – has gravitated toward chicken and seafood. Obviously it was time for something fresh and healthy.
Crostini trio: filet and asiago, shrimp and cannelloni, tomato mozzarella basil
Although I love Restaurant Week promotions, sometimes eateries don’t live up to expectations.
Last year, a group of friends and I made RW reservations at one of Northampton’s most vaunted restaurants, only to receive some of the worst food and service I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. (We ordered a half-dozen oysters as an add-on, and received five weak, watery specimens – and one empty shell. Our server rolled his eyes as he took back the plate. It all went downhill from there.)
Zen's Pyramid Roll
Restaurant Week promotions are foodie paradise. Multicourse meals for less than the cost of an entree? Sign me up, several times over.
Northampton held its annual event this past week, and when the menus came out, everything looked incredible. Several of the restaurants stepped up their game, incorporating high-end ingredients like lobster and good cuts of steak with lots of variety, like appetizer and dessert samplers. Remember, all three-course meals cost a mere $20.10.
Diana Guay / ctnow.com
When we posted notice of it on A La Carte, the response was overwhelming. It was as if no one in the area had ever eaten fast-casual burritos. Despite the fact that Moe’s Southwest Grill is about a mile away.
So, my coworker Sara came up with a brilliant plan: a blind taste test of the restaurants’ burritos.
After a blind tasting of chicken, steak and veggie burritos from both Chipotle and Moe’s, our nine Courant tasters voted. Chipotle won 5 to 4.
As I was running the test, I stayed out of the tasting fray. But I snagged some leftover Chipotle later – and gotta say, Moe’s was the clear winner for me. Really not a fan of Chipotle’s cilantro-lime rice.
What do you think? Got a favorite?
A La Carte
Leeanne Griffin is a freelance writer and food enthusiast.