Pat's Colonial Kitchen, Newtown, PA

Pat’s Colonial Kitchen is a really exceptional little restaurant located on South State Street in Newtown, Pennsylvania.  It is located within the historic Whitehall building which was originally a hotel from 1843 to 1979.  During the early 80′s is almost burned to the ground but it reopened in 1983 after being extensively renovated.  Pat’s is family owned and has a feeling like you have stepped right into someone’s home. There are plenty of smiling faces and colonial decorations on the walls. There are also a good amount of signs on the wall that promote good energy. They are open 7 days a week for breakfast and dinner only. Before we went there for the first time last year, we had heard so many people from miles around, raving about Pat’s for their delicious breakfast. Needless to say, we tried it back then and have kept going back ever since. One thing to remember is that Pat’s is only open from 7:00 am until 2:00 pm every day. But they do serve both breakfast and lunch during those hours.

Pat's Colonial Kitchen, Newtown, PA

Pat’s is truly a warm and fuzzy experience. The servers are all friendly and casual, as well as the one of the owners, Lisa. When you step in Pat’s, you know you are going to have a great meal. The last time we had breakfast there, we had Judy as our server, but we have also had Bernie and Ginny.  Judy always makes me feel like a move star when we go in. She says that I look like Jeremy Renner, and always asks when my next movie is coming out. I certainly don’t mind that at all.   Thanks, Judy.

Pat’s offers all of the traditional breakfast entrees and always some specials of the day.  Always wait for your server to mention the specials because one of them might tickle your fancy.  They offer really good home cooking, so be prepared to eat a lot when you go there.  They have an extensive amount of breakfast selections as well as sandwiches, quiches, burgers and salads. There is really something for everyone.

Two Eggs Over Easy with Bacon

Today, Ria ordered her usual two eggs over easy with bacon and home fries. She truly loves this breakfast there. The eggs are always perfectly prepared and the bacon (and sausage) has great flavor. Their home fries are really awesome, soft and full of zesty seasonings.

Meat Lover's Omelette

Ren ordered one of our Must Eats- the Meat Lovers Omelette. This omelette is packed with good stuff like cheese, ham, bacon and sausage. It comes with the same delicious home fries on the side. We always order our omelettes cooked soft, and they do them just right. The Meat Lovers Omelette is always awesome. The flavor is really terrific. Ren also ordered a short stack of Pat’s pancakes on the side, He really loves his pancakes!

Side of Pancakes

I ordered the Eggs Benedict with Sausage patties instead of the usual Canadian bacon. I really love Eggs Benedict made with sausage. Oh wow! The flavor is wonderful and their Hollandaise sauce is really perfect. It is also great to have the sauce to dip my home fried potatoes into.

Sausage Eggs Benedict

Pat’s also features really delicious homemade jams and jellies. The one they always have on the table is the strawberry jam. Oh wow! When we say their jam is good, we mean it!  Just slather it on your toast, pancakes, English muffin etc, and you will just go crazy over it. It is addictive. By the way, don’t you just love the word, slather? LOL

Pat's Colonial Kitchen, Newtown, PA

When we talk about Good People, Good Food, Good Times, we always have all three at Pat’s Colonial Kitchen. This place really gives you a real idea of what Newtown is all about….a wonderful Quality of Life.

Vecchia Osteria, Newtown, PA

The other day we had another terrific dinner at Vecchia Osteria by Pasquale, located in Newtown, PA.  We have done several reviews of restaurants in Newtown.  The town is quaint and upscale and full of life’s good things.  Anyway, we have been to Vecchia Osteria before and decided to do a review tonight.

We were very fortunate to have Salvatore as our server again.  He is warm, professional and has a great Italian accent to match the delicious food.

Vecchia Osteria is small and has a cozy atmosphere.  The servers are all very welcoming as well as Pasquale himself.  During the warm weather, they have a huge outdoor seating area which we look forward to enjoying as soon as the warm weather arrives.

The menu of V.O. has many traditional Italian appetizers, soups, salads, pasta and meat and seafood entrees.   There is something for everyone.

Appetizer Platter

Salavatore brought over a delicious assortment of marinated roasted Italian vegetables and cheeses to start with.  In addition, he brought over some delicious Italian bread and delectable olive oil for dipping.  For appetizers, we decided on the special for the evening, the Fried Zucchini Blossoms.  These are always a favorite of ours, when restaurants offer them, and they did not disappoint!  The breading was delicate and the blossoms were filled with delicious gooey cheese! Yummy!

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

For dinner, Ria ordered the Vitello alla Parmigiana with a side of Angel Hair Pasta.  Ren and I ordered the Pollo alla Parmigiana.  Wow! All of them were simply delicious with BIG portions to boot.  The bread crumbs are of the panko variety which is one of our favorites.  The cheese is buffalo mozzarella  which adds to the really wonderful taste of the perfectly prepared meat.  Our entrees came with the roasted potatoes which are amazing.  Our dinners left us wanting to come back very soon.

Chicken Parmigiana

Veal Parmigiana

Ria left a bit of room for dessert so she ordered the Tiramisu.  She really loved it.  It really made her go “Mmmmm.”.

Tiramisu

Our two experiences at Vecchia Osteria have really been awesome.  Salvatore is excellent.  He always makes us feel right at home.  Thank you, Pasquale for the special treat as well.  You really know how to make everyone want to come back for more.

Check out Vecchia Osteria‘s website for more information!

http://www.vecchiaosteriabypasquale.com/

Be sure when you visit Vecchia Osteria by Pasquale in Newtown, PA, that you say you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

As you well know by now, our motto is “Good Food, Good People, Good Times”!  A key ingredient to that, is Social Skills.  So below, we have embedded a guest post from the esteemed Coach Timothy, a very wise life coach (and familiar face!) from his blog on LifeCoach4Hire.com!

Read below, or follow the link over to LifeCoach4Hire.com.  While you are there – sign up for email alerts, so you don’t miss the rest of the series!

Enjoy!

“Roy & Ren”

http://lifecoach4hire.com/blog/2012/03/01/social-skills/

The Pineville Tavern, Pineville, PA

The Pineville Tavern resides in a very historic building built in 1742, which was originally a feed mill, then a general store and eventually a hotel.  In 1969 it was purchased and made into more of an eatery and then in 1989 was purchased by the present owners and expanded into what it is today.  The Pineville Tavern was featured last year on Guy Fieri’s TV show, “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” where he visits “greasy spoon” restaurants and local hot spots.  In this case, we know he considered it a local hotspot, rather than a greasy spoon.  It is definitely not a greasy spoon.

The outside of The Pineville Tavern is very inviting.  They have an entrance to the bar area up front, where you can get good casual food and drinks.  There is a separate take out food section with its own entrance.  Their take-out menu is extensive including, beer, soups and most of the menu that the Tavern serves.  In the back you can enter the dining room, where we saw that they must have a great outdoor dining area during the warm weather.  They also have free valet parking.  If you don’t want to use the valet parking there is a huge parking lot in the back.

The Pineville Tavern, Pineville, PA

We decided to eat in the rear dining room today.  As we passed people exiting the restaurant, we quickly took a poll and they all had enjoyed their food, so we knew we were in for a treat.  When you walk in you see a small bar area to the left and then the dining room ahead of you.  The dining room is quaint with some historic charm and some modern accents thrown in.

We all sat right near the fireplace, which we don’t believe that they use anymore, but it definitely is reminiscent of olden times.  Our server was Chelsea.  She was friendly, knowledgeable and full of friendly hospitality.  She definitely helped to make my brother’s birthday lunch enjoyable and full of fun.  Chelsea was really great with her suggestions and served us with a smile.  We arrived at the Tavern between the lunch period and dinner but we all had huge dinner appetites, so we asked for the dinner menu.  Their menu has a large range of foods from appetizers, sandwiches, soups, pizzas and burgers to dinner entrees, with a good selection of steaks.  This is why we mention that the prices are from moderate to expensive, depending on what you order.  Drinks will also tack on some additional expense for sure.

Chelsea advised us of the items that we would not be able to order at the time we arrived, being that dinner would not start until 5pm.  There are a few items that we will definitely want to try next time, during regular dinner hours, including the Prime Rib, the Veal Chop and the “Lugar Style” steak for two, which we were dying to try.  Oh well…until next time!

Well, we were all so hungry but we just couldn’t make up our minds and Chelsea was really patient.  We did manage to order the famous Garlic Bread to start with which was fantastic.  It was full of fresh garlic and butter with some fresh parsley sprinkled on top.

Famous Garlic Bread, The Pineville Tavern

We all ordered soups as an appetizer. Ren, Ria (Mom), Alfie and Mellie ordered the Onion Soup.  They all loved it and I even got to try some of Ren’s and some of Mom’s gooey cheese.  Yummy!  The onion soup was also not overly salty which was a definite a big plus for us.  We have had many TOO salty onion soups in our lives.  To be adventurous, I decided on the Snapper Soup which was featured on Guy Fieri’s TV show.  It was definitely a unique experience and I am glad I can now say that I have had Snapper Soup.  I might just need to develop a taste for it.

Onion Soup, The Pineville Tavern

Snapper Soup, The Pineville Tavern

For dinner, Ria and Alfie order the Baby Back Ribs with the BBQ sauce on the side.  Ria ordered them with mashed potatoes and onion rings.  Alfie ordered them with the mashed potatoes and cole slaw.  Mellie ordered Chicken Fingers with Cheese Fries.  Ren ordered the 8 oz Filet Mignon with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach.  I ordered the PVT Steak and Cake, which was a 5 oz Filet Mignon with a small crab cake with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach.

Baby Back Ribs, The Pineville Tavern

Ria and Alfie really enjoyed their ribs and mashed.  Ren and I both really enjoyed Mom’s onion rings.  They were awesome!  Ren and I actually got to taste everything.  The ribs were tender and full of flavor.  The filet mignons were very good, but could have been cooked more rare.  We do love our meat rare for sure!  The crab cake was also good, as well as the chicken fingers.  One thing I must mention is that their honey mustard sauce, which came with the chicken fingers, was totally delicious!  I wonder if they make a face cream made with their honey mustard sauce. LOL!  We all really enjoyed the mashed potatoes which were moist and fluffy.

Filet Mignon, The Pineville Tavern

Chelsea and the chef also presented us with a full order of the home made Cheese Ravioli which Guy had on his show during his visit at PVT.  It was really terrific and light.  The sauce was really delicate.  Thank you!

Homemade Ravioli, The Pineville Tavern

For dessert, Ria and Alfie ordered the famous PVT Rice Pudding.  We all sang Happy Birthday to Alfie (including Chelsea and a few other patrons) when their rice pudding arrived.  It was a really a festive experience for all.  Ria and Alfie both really gobbled up their entire serving of Rice Pudding.  We wouldn’t have turned down a little taste of it, but….LOL.  I don’t think they even looked up as they were eating it.   Alfie mentioned later that night that he really loved the rice pudding as well as his ribs.

We all had a really awesome time at PVT.  The service by Chelsea was terrific, the food was great and the atmosphere was awesome as well.  We will definitely dine at PVT at dinner time next time, so we can try the Veal Chop and Prime Rib.  The “Lugar Style” Steak for Two, is number one on our list to try, as Chelsea recommended it very highly to us.  I don’t know how we will finish all that food, but what the heck!

The Pineville Tavern, Pineville, PA

Today’s experience definitely fits our tag line…Good Food, Good People, Good Times!  We look forward to dining at PVT again real soon.  One last item that I MUST comment on – the rest rooms.  They were immaculate!  Now, that REALLY made us feel like we were right at home for sure!   Great job, PVT

Duck Sauce, Newtown, PA

Duck Sauce is an awesome Asian restaurant located on South State Street in Newtown, Pennsylvania.  It is located within the historic Whitehall building which was originally a hotel from 1843 to 1979.  During the early 80′s is almost burned to the ground but it reopened in 1983 after being extensively renovated.  There are a few other establishments within the same building and we will be posting a review shortly for another one that is famous for breakfasts.

Duck Sauce, Newtown, PA

Now back to Duck Sauce.  Upon entering the restaurant, you sense its homeyness and coziness.  We have been there several times, and each time we have, we have been promptly greeted and served.  One can also see how popular Duck Sauce is with the locals, because there is always plenty of patrons there dining on their delicacies.   There must also be a lot of take out orders, as evident by the amount of to go bags on the counter during the evening.

Glass Chandelier, Duck Sauce, Newtown, PA

There are basically two dining rooms in Duck Sauce, one being in the rear and housing a large hand-blown multicolor glass chandelier.  When you go to Duck Sauce, be sure to check it out.  The menu is extensive, containing a large selection of soups, salads, appetizers and entrees.  It also has a large selection of Asian fusion items which we will try out next time.

Tonight, we were served by Angel and really had a great time talking with her.  She really made us feel like we were right at home.  We have also had two other great servers during our other visits, Bill and Raymond.  Every one that we have had is very professional and knows how to take care of someone.

Steamed Dumplings, Duck Sauce, Newtown, PA

Tonight, the three of us decided to order the Steamed Pork Dumplings as an appetizer along with a very nice order of Chinese Spare Ribs.  The dumplings are really delicious and have just the right thickness of dough.  The dipping sauce is also very tasty.  The spare ribs are all very large with a lot of meat to eat.  The taste is perfect…and not too sweet either.

Spare Ribs, Duck Sauce, Newtown, PA

For dinner we ordered Fried Rice with Chicken.  They also offer shrimp, beef and pork as additions to the rice.  We have ordered shrimp and pork as well as chicken and they are all fantastic.  Their chicken, really has a very fresh taste to it and is extremely tender.  Their fried rice is wonderful.  This time, we didn’t even take any home.

Chicken Fried Rice, Duck Sauce, Newtown, PA

For dinner, we ordered our favorite, the Wok Seared Beef, that Bill had recommended to us the first time we were ever there.  We have ordered it every time since.  It is basically thinly sliced beef, quickly seared in a wok to give it a very distinct crispiness and tossed with a garlic and spice sauce.  It is mounded into a tidy little pile on top of fresh baby spinach.  The beef is also topped with very thin crispy onion straws.   The beef is truly very delicious.  The texture is divine.  We like to wilt the spinach by soaking it with the sauce and beef.  Then you can really appreciate the spinach.  We really eat up every bite of the Wok Seared Beef. T hanks to Bill for starting us on it.

Wok Seared Beef, Duck Sauce, Newtown, PA

We also ordered Pepper Steak with Onions, which is self explanatory of what it contains, but it really is delicious as well.  The meat at Duck Sauce has tender written all over it.   Other entrees that we have had in the past are, Chicken with Sting Beans and Garlic Chicken.  Everything is good there and one can really have an enjoyable experience.

Pepper Steak with Onions, Duck Sauce, Newtown, PA

To sum it up, we had another terrific time at Duck Sauce.  The food was delicious as always, the peacefulness of the restaurant, really added to our experience as well.  Thank you, Angel for making us feel right at home and for laughing with us.  It was a lot of fun!

Duck Sauce, Newtown, PA

We will be posting more reviews of restaurants in Newtown, being that there are so many great restaurants within a couple mile radius!

Be sure when you visit Duck Sauce in Newtown, PA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

Five Napkin Burger, Hell's Kitchen, NYC

A few days ago, Ren and I had the opportunity to eat at Five Napkin Burger in the Hell’s Kitchen section of NYC. We had been there before in the past, but only for martinis.  This time we were able to enjoy the entire experience.

It was a really cold day in NYC , but we were quickly warmed up by the wonderful food of Five Napkin Burger. The atmosphere is really New York! One can see how popular it is by the crowd inside. We had a slight wait, but it was definitely worth it. There is both a large bar area and a big dining room area, and both of them get jam packed.

Five Napkin Burger, Hell's Kitchen, NYC

The menu of Five Napkin Burger is pretty large. There is plenty of wine, beer and cocktails to choose from. There is also a vast array of starters, sushi rolls, BURGERS, entrees, and plenty of sides. They also offer fish tacos and shakes. If you can’t find something to eat there, you are an exception.

Our server for our adventure was Joseph S. , but he said that he was “Just Joe”. That was fine with us. He was very efficient and friendly. To drink, we decided on one of our staple cocktails, Grey Goose Martinis with a twist of lime. Oooh la la. They were deelish… and ample in size as well!

Grey Goose Martinis with a Twist of Lime

For our starter we decided on the Pork Taquitos, which were really delicious. They consisted of miniature taco shells filled with roasted pork, queso fresco, salsa and drizzled with sour cream. The presentation was picture perfect. The taste was wonderful. The seasonings were right on. We actually could have easily eaten a few orders of these, but that would have been a bit pricey.

Pork Taquitos

For our entrees we ordered two Original 5 Napkin Burgers, cooked rare. This burger comes with 10 oz of custom ground beef, caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, rosemary aioli, on a soft white roll. When I tell you this burger was delicious, I mean it. The taste of the beef was so fresh and rich. Truly wonderful! The cheese and onions combined with the soft roll really skyrockets this burger to one of our favorite burgers of all time. Our eyes really rolled back into our heads as we ate them. We cannot say enough about them.

Original 5 Napkin Burger

The crowd in the restaurant was fun loving and such a great blend of people from all walks of life. To the one side of us was a table of four friends, enjoying each others company and chatting. We started chatting with them, after Gary was kind enough to give us a sample of their Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip starter. He had seen me admiring it and it was great that he let us try it. Definitely delicious! The four of them were really great and a lot of fun. Let’s give a shout out to: Gary, Tina, Maria, & Jennifer.

On the other side of us, were Maria and Keith.  They were in NYC for a couple of days from Delaware. Maria had ordered the Egg Benedict Sliders which were 2 oz. beef sliders with cheddar cheese on an English muffin and topped with Béarnaise.  I think I could bathe in Béarnaise, I love it so much!  Man, they looked delicious and she confirmed it to us that they were awesome. Now for a shout out to Maria and Keith.  Hope we enhanced your trip to NYC.

Five Napkin Burger is a really great place to get a delicious reasonably priced meal at any time of the day.  The food is fresh and innovative.  The service is friendly and upbeat.  The atmosphere is typical NYC.  We had an exceptional time and look forward to dining there again.

Now THAT's a Rare Burger!!!

Check out Five Napkin Burger’s Website for more information:

http://5napkinburger.com/hells-kitchen-new-york

Make a reservation today for Five Napkin Burger, Hell’s Kitchen using Open Table.

Five Napkin Burger is located:
630 9th Ave
@ 45th Street
New York , NY 10036

Be sure when you visit Five Napkin Burger in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren fromTwoSquirts.com.

Il Gattopardo, Richboro, PA

Il Gattopardo is a wonderful new Italian restaurant located in Richboro, Pennsylvania. After only one time, it has become one of our favorite Italian restaurants. That is not surprising, being that one of the owners is our friend, Benny, former chef at another one of our favorite restaurants in the area.  Benny has a way of working his magic with everything he creates. He is warm, passionate and has a heart of gold. With that combination he will go very far in life. Il Gattopardo is Italian for The Leopard. It is a novel by Giuseppe Tomas di Lampedusa that chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society during the Risorgimento (English: Italian Unification.) It eventually was made into a movie in 1963. The atmosphere of Il Gattopardo is inviting, crisp and artsy. There is a beautiful grand piano right in the center of the two sections of the dining room. The colors are warm and the tile gives a nice contrast to the wall color.

Il Gattopardo, Richboro, PA

We decided to dine at Il Gattopardo on opening night and we were glad we did. We were greeted immediately by Loreto,  who escorted us with a big smile and remembered us from a private celebratory event the night before. Loreto let us know that Dylan would be our server for the evening. It was only a second until Dylan came over and cordially welcomed us to the restaurant and let us know we would be in good hands for the evening. Dylan was very polished, polite and was an excellent server for the evening.

The bread at Il Gattopardois phenomenal and comes straight from Brooklyn, NY. The flavor and texture are fantastic and when coupled with butter, sends ones heart a flutter. We all decided to order two appetizers and share them, There is a long list of them, so it wasn’t easy narrowing it down to only two. The first one was Calamari Saltati, which was sauteed calamari with a white wine sauce. The flavor of this dish was remarkable. The sauce was delicate and was hinted with fresh herbs and white wine. The calamari was very tender and pearly white. Totally outstanding.

Sauteed Calamari

The second appetizer, Mozzarella Impanatta, was just as phenomenal, but may have made our eyes roll a teenie bit further into our heads than the first. It consisted of breaded loaf fresh mozzarella, pan seared then salamander roasted. topped with fresh plum tomato and basil salsa and crunchy breadcrumbs. You must be wondering what salamander roasted means. A salamander oven is a a small broiler oven used to quickly brown, broil, or toast various foods. The sauce was “Right On”….Molto rico. Benny really does have a way with sauce, every one we have had is delicious with the perfect amount of herbs. Benny is a sauce wizard. All of us could have eaten the Mozzarella Impanatta all night long.

Mozzarella Impanatta

Now for our dinner entrees. Ria ordered her traditional Grilled Domestic Lamb Chops. Benny knows exactly how Ria likes them and without fail, grills them to perfections and finishes then with extra virgin olive oil and lemon. They are served over sauteed broccoli rabe, but Ria added some delicious red roasted potatoes. When I say that Benny makes delicious lamp chops, I mean it. They are absolutely wonderful and luckily, Ren and I get to assist Ria in devouring them. Yippee!

Domestic Lamb Chops

Ren and I ordered two entrees and shared both. Dylan even mentioned that he would bring us sharing plates without us even having to request them. How is that for service! Our first entree was Chicken Saltinbocca, consisting of succulent chicken, spinach, prosciutto, sage and fontina cheese and then finished with sherry wine sauce. It was rich in flavor and again the sauce is so fresh and bursting with delicate flavor. Our second entree was Tre Moschietieri. It was a combination of chicken breast, veal and shrimp, tossed in a white wine scampi sauce. This entree was exceptional. It was excellently prepared and presented. The taste was wonderful.

Chicken Saltinbocca

Tre Moschietieri

“How could we not get dessert tonight?”, is what we asked ourselves. Well, we answered that question very quickly. Dylan brought out a really nice dessert tray full of some really great desserts. Ria ordered the Tiramisu and we ordered the Chocolate Pyramid. Both were rich and very decadent.

Chocolate Pyramid

Benny came and visited with us throughout the evening, and introduced us his cousins & co-owners of Il Gattopardo,  Vito & Enzo. Benny has always made us feel like royalty, because he is truly so accommodating and treats us like family. He is truly a gem and a joy to spend time with. All of the people that evening, Benny, Loreto, Dylan, Vito and Enzo,  made it a special dinner for sure. It was also very special to be introduced to more family members at the end of the evening as well.  Needless to say, our evening was truly a night to remember and we congratulate Benny in his new venture. We are sure that Il Gattopardo will be a hit with the locals as well as not-so-locals. We look forward to trying some of the homemade pastas next time we visit.

Thank you, everybody for everything!

Check out Il Gattopardo’s Website for more information:

<Website Coming Soon – Check Back!>

Be sure when you visit Il Gattopardo in Richboro, PA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

Park & Orchard, East Rutherford, NJ

A few weeks ago, our friends, Arlene and Eric, along with Arlene’s mom, Ethel, invited your favorite TwoSquirts, “Roy & Ren”, as well as Roy’s mom, “Ria” out to try one of their favorite restaurants. So on a leisurely Sunday afternoon, we made our way up to East Rutherford, NJ to Park & Orchard.  We were a little unfamiliar with the area, but thanks to GPS, we found our way to the restaurant, which seemed to be a little bit off the beaten path!

Since we were meeting for a late lunch/early dinner, when we arrived, we weren’t quite sure if the restaurant was open, as we were literally the first people to arrive. Lol. But it was most certainly open, and apparently, when they are really busy, on a Friday or Saturday night, you may even have to park in a lot they have around the corner, as the sign we saw pointed out!

When Arlene, Eric, & Ethel arrived, we all greeted each other outside, and took the customary photo that they always do with the friends they bring there!  We already felt like family!  Hee hee. We went inside, and were greeted by the hostess. The restaurant had a 1940′s art deco, nostalgic, type of feel.

There were so many things to choose from on the menu, but we were so hungry, we couldn’t decide on one  They had such delicious loaves of bread, we skipped the appetizers and went right to the entrees.

Arlene and Eric both ordered their favorite stir-fry dishes. It is one of the things Park & Orchard is known for. Each one is customizable. Arlene’s wasn’t even on the menu anymore, but they still made it for her! How is that for service?!  Ethel likes to try something different every time. This time she opted for the crab cakes, and they were a hit!

Stir Fry

Park & Orchard has a little bit of almost all ethnicities of food. So Ria opted for Mexican, and had the cheese enchiladas. They were yummy, but she did wish they had refried beans. The only option was black beans.

Cheese Enchiladas

As for us, we decided to share two dishes, which the restaurant nicely split each on onto two dishes. Always a nice touch when a restaurant does that for us when they hear us say we are going to share!  Our first dish was one of our favorites to order: Chicken Parmesan. It was definitely tasty, but by far our favorite dish was our second one, the Short Ribs of Beef!  They were very tender and flavorful, and were served with outstanding, smooth, mashed potatoes!

Chicken Parmesan

Short Ribs of Beef

We had a wonderful, relaxing afternoon, catching up with good friends, and making new ones, all while eating some yummy food!  You are sure to enjoy your visit to Park & Orchard too.

Park & Orchard, East Rutherford, NJ

Check out Park & Orchard’s Website for more information:

http://www.parkandorchard.com

Be sure when you visit Park & Orchard in East Rutherford, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

We have a review in the works for you all.  (We had a delicious meal at a new restaurant the other night!)

Watercolors and Water Media

In the meantime, we wanted to let you know of an upcoming art show, by a very gifted artist, who is also our personal friend, Stephanie Boffice!

The picture above is a photo we took of one of her pieces!  We have bought some of her pieces, previously!

So if you are (or will be) in Central NJ, be sure to check out her show!

Watercolors and Water Media

Works by Stephanie Boffice

Highland Park Public Library

31 North 5th Ave

Highland Park, NJ

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Reception 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Enjoy!

Roy & Ren

Lilly's Cocina Loca, Newtown, PA

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of a leisurely stroll through the streets of Newtown, PA, enjoying their Second Annual “Takin’ it to the Street” Summerfest block party. Not only was the block party a blast, but we also came across Lilly’s Cocina Loca. We peeked in and saw a cute little Mexican getaway, in the heart of Newtown, on Sycamore street. As it was still early, and we were enjoying the street festival, we made reservations for dinner.

When we arrived for dinner, the place was bustling with diners enjoying the evening. We were seated at a festive glass table adorned with bright colored napkins, and a few sombreros, to boot! We selected a bottle of wine, only to find that they were out of it. Turns out they don’t really sell too much wine – we guess most people opt for the margaritas! Our gracious waiter, Phillip, actually said it was only the 3rd bottle he’s ever served! Regardless, it was an enjoyable white wine!

As we quite often do, we started with an order of the fresh, homemade guacamole! This guacamole was the perfect combination of creamy avocados, garlic, onions, lime and cilantro! They served it with delicious house made chips, freshly prepared corn tortillas and even some fried flour tortilla chips that were amazing! It was so good (and we were so hungry!) that we even forgot to take a picture to show you all! (We will go back and be sure to update this with a photo, one day soon!)

Three Amigo Enchiladas

Our review from here is a simple one, because we all ended up selecting the same meal! We got three orders of the Three Amigo Enchiladas in a row. It was three different types of enchiladas, 1 Pulled Chicken, 1 Ground Beef, and 1 Pulled Braised Short Rib. They were indeed served in a row, and covered in ranchero sauce, and drizzled with delicious Mexican crema! While all three were yummy, our favorite by far, as you can see above in the must eats, was the Pulled Braised Short Rib Enchilada. I can’t say if we’ve ever had a Baised Short Rib Enchilada before, but I do know we will be having them again – the next time we go to Lilly’s! Maybe even two…or three!

Lilly's Cocina Loca, Interior, Newtown, PA

So the next time you have a craving for Mexican food, and you are in the Newtown, PA area (or near their other locations in Doylestown, PA & Lambertville, NJ) we definitely recommend you try Lilly’s Cocina Loca. We are certainly looking forward to returning, and trying some more of their delicious Mexican delights!

Lilly's Cocina Loca, Newtown, PA

Check out Lilly’s Cocina Loca’s Website for more information:

http://www.lillysgourmet.com/cocina.html

Be sure when you visit Lilly’s Cocina Loca in Newtown, PA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

By now, you’ve all probably been wondering where your favorite TwoSquirts have been!

Have no fear, we are still here, and eager to bring you all new TwoSquirts reviews! But we have been a little busy lately. As you can tell by the picture above, we are moving! You heard that right, we sold our house – to awesome people with great energy!  It is true that energy attracts like energy!

We actually sold our house so fast, that our new home isn’t even ready for us, yet.  So we are actually moving to a temporary place first, before our dream home is ready at the end of the year!  Needless to say, we have been very busy lately, planning and packing.

So unfortunately for you all, we haven’t really had time to seek out new and exciting restaurants to review for you, lately. However, the good news is, that we will be in a new area soon, and have lots of new opportunities to seek out for your reading pleasure!

Hang tight, we will have new, mouth-watering reviews for you soon! In the meantime, watch for our updates on Twitter and UrbanSpoon, as we re-visit our favorite locations, before we move away!

Enjoy!
Roy & Ren

Black Horse Tavern, Newtown, PA

Hello TwoSquirts Fans!  If you are new to our blog, then Welcome!  We hope you enjoy, and stick around!  If you are a loyal reader, then welcome back, you are in for another mouth-watering TwoSquirts review, from your fav foodies, Roy & Ren!

Well, once again, we have found ourselves in historic Newtown, PA! We have been drawn to the town recently, and one of the reasons is most certainly the food!   This time we are in yet another historic building.  According to the sign, the Black Horse Tavern was built in 1747.  We couldn’t find anything on the history of the building for you, and we are sure it has housed many fine establishments since 1747, but apparently, it has been the Black Horse Tavern since April 2010!  There is a historic feel both on the outside and the inside, but the food is certainly modern and delicious!

First off, some logistics.  The Black Horse Tavern is right in downtown Newtown, so plan time to find a place to park, and walk to the restaurant.  Luckily, right across the street, behind the Starbucks (Yay, Starbucks!) there is a municipal parking lot, with free (yes, you heard that right, FREE!) parking!  There are also two entrances to the building.  On the actual corner, is the entrance to the Tavern part of the Black Horse Tavern. When we arrived, that is the entrance we unknowingly entered.  It wasn’t busy at the time, but one could imagine that later in the evening, you may not want to maneuver your way through the bar.  On the side of the building there is another entrance.  Upon entering, the friendly host will take you right up a staircase, to the main dining room on the second floor.  It is so nice upstairs in the main dining room, with a warm fireplace, with candles arranged nicely inside.  You almost forget you are on the second floor of a building built in 1747!

Hummus Platter

So, as is usual with us, we were hungry and ready to get to some food!  We had a variety of servers helping us through our feast, but the first was Danny.  We also had Glen, and Adam.  (On the way out, we found out Adam is one of the proprietors and one of the sons of the owner Michael!)  He brought over some bread, with some yummy sun-dried tomato puree that was amazing.  That held us over for our order of hummus.  As this wasn’t a Mediterranean themed restaurant, we were surprised to find hummus on the appetizer menu, but Yaza! was this ever some good hummus! It’s kind of hidden by the pita in the picture above, but we promise you, its there!  Oh, and the Pita that was served with the hummus was delicious!  We requested multiple orders of the pita, even after we ran out of hummus! Lol.

Roast Pork Loin

So next, it was on to our main entrees.  After some sharing and swapping, we actually ended up sharing all three, so let me just get to the descriptions for you!  First up, was actually one of the specials.  It was a Roast Pork Loin.  The Pork was actually wrapped in bacon and then roasted.  It was served with a brown sauce with a variety of things in it, peas, and such.  The most amazing part of this dish was not the pork, though.  It was the gnocchi (and the sauce).  The chef, Michael Sultan, had actually come around to the tables, to see how they liked everything, so we got a lot of tid-bits for you all on how he makes certain things.  The gnocchi are actually hand made everyday, and were truly the high point of the dish.  If you are able to order any dish with the gnocchi when you go to the Black Horse Tavern, do it! Hee hee.

Hanger Steak

Next up,was a hanger steak, medium rare.  It was served with some fluffy dollops of mashed potatoes and asparagus.  The hanger steak is a flavorful cut of steak, and theirs was no exception.  What really makes the steaks here at the Black Horse Tavern, is the demi-glaze reduction sauce.  This sauce was out of this world!  Michael explained to us that he cooks this sauce at such a low heat, that it actually takes FOUR days for it to cook.  It really ensures the flavors are ready to burst out of the reduction sauce and into your mouth!  All that extra pita came in handy – we didn’t let any of the sauce go to waste!  And luckily, this wasn’t the only dish that was served with it!

Filet Mignon

Now, for the king of steaks at the Black Horse Tavern, the Filet Mignon.  All of the meat they use is Certified Angus Gold.  Now we aren’t sure exactly what that means, but we know it means that is is absolutely dee-li-cious!  We honestly have to say, that this is quite possibly one of the absolute best filet mignon we have EVER had in a restaurant  EVER!  It was served with the mashed potatoes and asparagus, as well as the fantastic reduction sauce.  Our filet was perfectly prepared, medium rare, and was so tender, it practically melted in your mouth.  It was like butter.  If there has ever been a dish that we recommend you simply MUST order at a specific restaurant, this is that dish!  This was another plate that I don’t think they had to wash.  After we were done with it, one may have wondered if there was ever any food on it at all! LOL

Homemade Brownie

Well, our readers, we are going to tell you something shocking.  All of that delicious food, must have put us in a delightful mood, because your TwoSquirts, Roy & Ren, actually ordered dessert! Hee hee.  Michael asked us if we wanted to try his homemade salted fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream on top.  We could not say no to that!  It was warm gooey chocolaty goodness, cooled down with a scoop of (melting) creamy vanilla ice cream.  We savored each bite, knowing that we don’t frequently order dessert.  But this is a lesson for you all – everyone needs to be good to themselves once in a while, and splurge on something extra yummy.  Give yourself a treat and enjoy!

So as you can tell, we had another fantastic meal in Newtown, PA, one that we hope we will be able to experience again someday.  One interesting thing to note, especially if we got your mouths watering.  We heard, directly from the chef himself, that in a few weeks, he is switching over to all all Tapas menu.  Hopefully one of those tapas, will include the fabulous filet mignon, and we are sure that all his tapas are going to be as wonderful as the creations we had.  But we thought it was only fair to warn you, that you may have to get there soon, to enjoy the dishes as we have described to you here!

Black Horse Tavern, Interior, Newtown, PA

Make a reservation today for The Black Horse Tavern using Open Table.

Check out The Black Horse Tavern’s Website for more information:

http://blackhorsenewtown.com/

Be sure when you visit The Black Horse Tavern in Newtown, PA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

The Saloon, Newtown, PA

Recently, we had the opportunity to dine again in Newtown, PA, and we were delighted with yet another excellent meal. This time we ate at The Saloon. The name of this restaurant is a bit deceiving.  The name comes from the fact that the building was built in 1836, and over the years has taken on many functions.  The building has served as a private residence, a jail, a hospital, a church, a speakeasy, and indeed, was also once a Saloon.  Once you go inside, you see that looks (and names) can be deceiving!  Inside is a sleek, contemporary dining experience.  Once inside the doors, you will totally forget that you are in a historic building that is over 150 years old!

The Saloon, History, Newtown, PA

The food is definitely not Saloon food!  First off, our wine.  We don’t know of many local pubs that serve such a delicious Carmen Sauvignon Blanc from Chile as we had!  It had fresh citrus fruit flavors that really had a nice kick.  It was definitely a wine with some oompf!

Our server for the evening was Max “with an X”!  He was very attentive and helpful.  We especially liked his signature move of making an “X” with his index fingers, so that we were sure to know his name was Max, and not Matt. Lol.  We had a full, busy day, and we were hungry.  So to get us started, all three of us ordered the French Onion Soup.  Our long-time readers will know that French Onion Soup is one of our favorites, and we quite often order it.  And in this case, man, were we glad we did! The French Onion Soup at The Saloon is amazing!  Just the right amount of gooey cheese, soup-soaked bread and delicious, savory onions!  It was served in a large crock, but we couldn’t get enough!

French Onion Soup

So now that our appetites were whetted, we were onto the main courses!  Ria opted for one of the specials.  It was a Wild Mushroom New Zealand Veal Chop.  It was a 13 oz. pan roasted veal chop that would have normally been served with a wild mushroom ragout along with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.  As you know from reading our reviews, all you have to do is ask, and most places will customize any dish for you, even one of their specials.  The Saloon was no exception.  Max (with an “X”) was very accommodating, and Ria was able to order it with no mushrooms and no asparagus.  Regardless of what it was served with, this veal chop was amazing!  It was so thick and juicy.  It was perfectly prepared! (Yes, Ria, allowed us to sample some, of course!)  The picture below will make your mouth water, for sure…..

New Zealand Veal Chop

The Saloon offers a variety of seafood dishes, prepared in various different ways. Each fish dish can be served with either Salmon or Tilapia.  We ordered both of ours with the Salmon.  The first was Salmon Olivia.  This delightful concoction was sautéed with black & green olives , sliced zucchini & roasted red peppers in a white wine sauce.  Our second dish was the Salmon Toscano.  This delectable dish was pan seared and topped with roma tomatoes , basil and prosciutto in a white wine butter sauce.  On both, the salmon was perfectly prepared, light and flaky, and not too well done – just the way we like it!  The flavor combinations were outstanding.  I don’t think we could decide which one was better!  We also look forward to returning to the Saloon, so we can try some of the other dishes, as well as trying some with the Tilapia!

Salmon Olivia

Salmon Toscano

All in all, after a long, busy day, The Saloon, was the perfect place to relax and celebrate!  It had a feeling of being in a historic setting, yet inside, a relaxing contemporary restaurant, with delicious flavor combinations!  We will definitely be returning to The Saloon for more Good Food, Good People & Good Times!

The Saloon, Newtown, PA

Make a reservation today for The Saloon using Open Table.

Check out The Saloon’s Website for more information:

http://www.thesaloon.us/

Be sure when you visit The Saloon in Newtown, PA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

La Stalla, Newtown, PA

Hello TwoSquirts Fans! Happy New Year to all of our readers! We are back after a much needed break over the holidays. We are so excited to bring you a new year of delicious TwoSquirts reviews! Onto our first review of 2011 – and our first in Pennsylvania!

The other day, we had the opportunity to travel to beautiful, Newtown, PA. It was a nice, snowy day, making the picturesque town, even more scenic. Newtown is another very historic town, whose roots can be traced all the way back to 1682! Newtown has some unique claims to fame, such as serving as one of George Washington’s headquarters in the Revolutionary War, as well as having the first theater in the U.S. Of course, they have a lot of yummy restaurants, and we have one to tell you all about – La Stalla!

La Stalla has a unique history of it’s own. La Stalla is actually in a restored barn, originally built in 1929 as part of the Lovett Farm. Although it is no longer a farm, the barn, that once housed dairy cows, has been beautifully restored and transformed into a Tuscan themed, family-style, Italian restaurant. The owners, Marc & Vince, have created a beautiful Italian restaurant, with a unique look, and delicious Italian favorites, most of which can be ordered for “one” or “family-style”!

So, how about we start telling you all about the delicious food!

Side of Meatballs

La Stalla has a large selection of wines to choose from, including a listing of reasonably prices wines, as well as more pricey ones. So to start our Tuscan feast, we opted for a reasonably priced wine. We ordered a 2009 Grayson Cellars Chardonnay, a nice crisp white wine that was a perfect accompaniment to the food that was to follow! First up, was a side of meatballs. The meatballs were soft and magically delicious. The sauce was smooth yet tangy, and went right to the list of one of our favorite tomato sauces in a restaurant!

Grilled New Zealand Lamp Chops

Ria ordered the Grilled New Zealand Lamb Chops. To say that these were some of the best lamb chops we’ve ever had in a restaurant, would NOT be an exaggeration! On the outside, they were nice a crispy, yet, on the inside was delicious tender meat! They were served with some light and fluffy mashed potatoes. It was all so delicious, that Ria gobbled them all up (but not without letting us sample the savory lamb chops, of course!)

Pollo Saltimbocca for Two

We ordered a “family-style” portion of the Pollo Saltimbocca to share. The chicken was perfectly sautéed and was topped with prosciutto, spinach, sage, fontina cheese and served in a light white wine sauce. To say this dish was delicious would be an understatement! It was so fabulous, that we practically devoured the dish! (we were hungry, after all – ok, you got us- we are always hungry! Lol)

Our evening at La Stalla was such a wonderful dining experience. Our servers, as well as the other guests, were all so friendly. The food and wine were delightfully delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed the rustic charm of the restaurant. Can the delicious food of La Stalla persuade us to move closer to Newtown to be able to enjoy the food more often? You’ll have to keep reading TwoSquirts Reviews to find out!

La Stalla, Interior, Newtown, PA

Check out La Stalla’s Website for more information:

http://www.lastallarestaurant.com/

Be sure when you visit La Stalla in Newtown, PA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

Elements, Princeton, NJ

A few weeks ago, your favorite Two Squirts, (yes, that’s us – Roy & Ren!) ventured down to one of our favorite towns for a special anniversary celebration!  We wanted it to be special, and man, was it ever.  Elements opened in 2008, and we had heard great things about it.  We were waiting for just the right special occasion to dine there, and this evening certainly provided just that!

First, let’s start off with the atmosphere.  Elements is really impressively designed.  You would never guess that it actually used to be a gas station!  Only after you find that out, can you notice the beams where the bay doors used to open!  The restaurant has such a relaxed feeling to it.  The natural tones and stone, along with the delicious food, make the perfect atmosphere for a relaxing dining experience! We actaully spent a good amount of time just looking around, taking in the atmosphere, before we even looked at the menu.  (Thanks to elementsprinceton.com for the interior shot below!)

Dining Room, Elements, Princeton, NJ

The host & waitstaff are all extremely professional and well mannered.  No matter who came to the table, they were extremely friendly! Justin was our server for the evening.  He actually recognized us from one of his prior jobs before he came to Elements!  More on Justin in a bit.  On the way out, we chatted with the hostess, Emelia.  She was very gracious and had even checked out TwoSqurits.com before we arrived!  She was so kind that she even gave us two yummy pieces of pound cake to take home, that we enjoyed the following morning with our Starbucks!  Ah – but we are getting ahead of ourselves, we aren’t ready to leave just yet – let’s get back to all the yummy food!

Grey Goose Martinis, Elements, Princeton, NJ

As we said, Justin was very polished and accommodating.  He brought us our usual cocktails, Grey Goose Martinis, to start off our experience while we soaked in the atmosphere and learned about the menu.  Justin explained to us that the menu at Elements is constantly changing.  The chef, Scott Anderson, uses locally grown ingredients to create new and unique flavors.  He is constantly coming up with new dishes, and therefore the menu is constantly changing.  We will certainly tell you all about the ones we had!  The chef also provides a tasting menu.  Justin knew we were in the mood for sampling & sharing various items on the menu, so we ended up creating our own tasting menu.  Justin presented each of our selections as it’s own course, and divided each entree into two plates, as we were sharing everything!

Another member of the friendly staff, brought over a cute little assortment of breads and oil.  The various breads were all so delicious, light and flaky! The infused oil was superb!  It was so good, we had to have seconds!  The chef then sent out a small sampling tray of three bite-sized creations he whipped up.  We couldn’t even tell you what they were, but they were definitely delicious!

Delicious Breads & Oil

The first course of our self-created tasting menu was up – the Local Potato Croquettes.  These were little fried delights!  They were served atop a Fall Vegetable Slaw, sprinkled with “Old Bay” seasoning, with a bit of Serrano ham, and some tobiko aioli.  Tobiko is a Japanese fish egg, commonly used in sushi.  Aha – now you can see some of the unique flavor creations the chef comes up with!

Local Potato Croquettes

Next course, the Macaroni & Cheese.  Macaroni & Cheese is one of Ren’s favorites, so we had to give that a try!  It was creamy & delicious.  They offered it with optional white truffle shavings on top, but we opted to skip that this time.  We really enjoyed the unique bowls it was served it, as you can see below. (Remember, all of our entrees were split into two, so the portions in the pictures look smaller than they really are!)

Macaroni & Cheese

Next course was one of our main entrees, the Florida Swordfish.  The menu described it as having “pumpkin butter.”  We aren’t sure if they meant the swordfish itself, or the sauces drizzled on top, but one thing we are sure of – it was perfectly prepared and absolutely divine!  It was served on top of a festive fall mix of brussel sprouts, ham, quinoa, & beets, that was yummy, as well!

Florida Swordfish

Our next course was our second entree, the “48 hour” short ribs.  We can only assume by the name, that it takes two days to make these, but man are those two days worth it – they were fantastic!  It is normally served with cauliflower, Swiss chard, maitake, & apple.  But maitake is a mushroom, and as you know from being a devoted reader, Ren is allergic to mushrooms.  So we aren’t entirely sure what the chef substituted for Ren, but we know it was delicious!

"48 Hour" Short Ribs

Now, although we usually will skip dessert, this was a special occasion, so we made an exception this evening.  And were we ever glad we did!  Our final course for the evening was the Chocolate Tart.  It was served with a delicious scoop of vanilla ice cream and was full of chocolatey goodness!  The dish was smeared with the most amazing salted caramel, smoked maple, & malt.  We didn’t let any go to waste, we scooped up every last bit!

Chocolate Tart

We had an amazing experience at Elements.  Not only was the food delicious, the relaxed atmosphere and impeccable staff really made it a wonderful occasion for us!  And although we cannot guarantee you will have the same flavors & dishes we enjoyed, we are certain you will have equally exquisite creations!

Make a reservation today for Elements using Open Table.

Check out Elements’ Website for more information:

http://www.elementsprinceton.com/

Be sure when you visit Elements in Princeton, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

Trattoria Mediterranea, Bedminster, NJ

On a recent extended weekend, we sought out a special new restaurant to review for our favorite TwoSquirts fans. Many of you are always giving us wonderful suggestions of new restaurants to review.  We do always remember them and keep them in the back of our minds. This particular one came from our friend, Sari. She recommended Trattoria Mediteranea in Bedminster, NJ.

Trattoria Mediteranea is a wonderful little BYOB Italian restaurant in Bedminster, NJ. They offer authentic, family-style Italian food, including delicious homemade pastas.  You know it’s authentic, as the chef and co-owner, Chef Michele, was born and raised in Calabria, Italy!

The night we were there, there was a huge party in the main dining  room. Although it was a little noisy, it certainly didn’t stop us from enjoying the delicious food!  We were in a cozy little room to the right with four tables in it, and a nice view out the window. Our server for the evening was Lisa. Lisa was cordial and polite, and as the evening progressed, we warmed her up even more.

Once we were settled in, Lisa came right over, opened our special bottle of Barolo red wine we brought with us, and told us the specials for the evening. Everything on the specials and the regular menus sounded so good, it was hard to make up our minds!  When Lisa told us that all the pastas are fresh and homemade, we knew we had to include some pasta in our selections!

We were starving and needed to get some food in our tum-tums, so first up we ordered the Pane Aglio e Olio. It was a delicious homemade, Italian style garlic bread topped with delectable cheese! It was so light and crunchy with just the right amount of garlic, oil and cheese. We devoured it all!

Pane Aglio e Olio

Now for our meals. Ria ordered one of the specials: Short Ribs of Beef. They were served with roasted potatoes and sauteed escarole. The short ribs were tender and scrumptious. The potatoes were yummy and soft.  This dish was perfectly prepared!  We had a few bites, so we can vouch for that!

Short Ribs of Beef

We started with two entrees to share; Pollo Ripieno & Vitello Parmiagian. After we placed our order, we kept thinking about the homemade pasta. that Lisa had highlighted to us. We did really want to order something with fresh, homemade pasta, so we put in an order for a third entree- Veal & Beef Stuffed Canneloni.

First up, was the Pollo Ripieno. It was an organic chicken breast stuffed with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, & spinach and then topped with a light cream sauce.  It also came with some sauteed greens.  This dish was so very flavorful, tender and bursting with flavor.  We really enjoyed it so much!

Pollo Ripieno

Next up was the Vitello (veal) Parmiagian with homemade Linguini – our first taste of their delicious pasta!  The veal was delicately prepared, so tender and lightly breaded with the perfect combination of sauce and cheese. Fresh does not even begin to describe the delicious linguini. We tend to pass on the carbs, but there was no stopping us with this delicious pasta! Mmmmmmmmm. We still think about this veal dish to this day. We WILL have to go back.

Vitello Parmiagian

Our third entree was the Canneloni. This was pure perfection of meat and pasta!  We were so glad we added it on to our order, for sure!  Again, the pasta was homemade, and rolled with a heaping amount of ground beef and veal. It was topped with a delicious red sauce and delectable béchamel sauce. The flavor of this dish was phenomenal – it melted in our mouths and was bursting with flavor!

Canneloni

For dessert, Ria ordered homemade cream puffs. They were deelish!  Lisa tried to tempt us with some homemade Italian sorbets, that she made herself. Being that we had already eaten so much, we  turned her down, but she brought us two little scoops to sample anyway- one scoop of hazelnut and one biscotti. We liked the biscotti the best, but we also really enjoyed the hazelnut.  All of our desserts were so yummy and hit the spot. We really did have a nice dinner at Trattoria Mediteranea. We look forward to dining there again, when they don’t have a large party in action. We are sure it will be even nicer than this time.

Homemade Cream Puffs

Check out Trattoria Mediterranea’s Facebook Page for more information:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bedminster-NJ/Trattoria-Mediterranea-Bedminster-NJ/454827720211

Be sure when you visit Trattoria Mediterranea in Bedminster, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

Trattoria Mediterranea, Bedminster, NJ

We are truly thankful for each and every one of you! We put a lot of effort into every review and our website for you.  We appreciate your comments and feedback!

TwoSquirts Thanksgiving Table

To say thank you for continuing to read our reviews, we wanted to share a few pictures of our very own Thanksgiving.  We are always posting reviews of our experiences out to eat, but we do like to cook at home, too!  So we are sharing that with you today!

TwoSquirts Thanksgiving Spread

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Roy & Ren

Time to Eat!

P.F. Chang's, Princeton, NJ

A few years ago, we saw a new restaurant going up on U.S. Route One in Princeton. We were giddy with excitement, hoping for some place delectable. Sometime later, we saw the familiar giant horses, and we were soooooooo excited! We KNEW it was P.F. Chang’s! We had been to a few of their other locations, and we were so happy to have one coming near us.  We looked forward to enjoying their delicious modern day Asian food dishes.  To this day, a lot of locals continue to be excited, as the wait can be over two hours on a weekend!

P.F. Chang's Horse

We’ve eaten there many times since they opened, and we finally decided to do a review, for you, our loyal fans.  Our server for the evening was the very professional and bubbly, Adrienne. We also see Adrienne occasionally on Friday evenings, as she sometimes works with her mother, Gail.  Gail, is our sever every Friday at Dusal’s, and was featured in one of our very first reviews!

Adrienne is bright, energetic and full of life, qualities she gets from her mother! Not only was she so knowledgeable on the menu and helped to make some yummy decisions (more on those later), but, Adrienne was also able to give us some info on the restaurant. The name actually comes from the two founders, Paul Fleming (P.F.) and Philip Chiang (shortened to Chang!) PS- One additional little history lesson from us: Paul Fleming went on to open Fleming’s Steakhouse, another favorite spot of ours.

Now on to our “Puff” Chang’s (as we affectionately like to call it) experience! We started with a few appetizers; Steamed Pork Dumplings, Chang’s Spare Ribs, and Northern Style Spare Ribs. The dumplings were very soft, delicate and tender.  They have just the right amount of dough – not too thick! Both types of ribs were delicious. Chang’s Ribs have a delicious sweet barbecue sauce and are sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds. The Northern Style ribs have a dry rub with some “out of this world” spices. We almost didn’t order them, but boy, were we glad we did! They may just have become our new favorite.

Chang's Spare Ribs

Northern Style Spare Ribs

Now, before we move on to our main meals, one more update for all of you. We were so happy to see that our friend, Becca, is now a manager at Puffs! We knew her from her previous job at Ruby Tuesday’s. She is also so nice, warm and friendly. She also gave us some inside P.F. Chang’s scoop. In the back, there is a big line of woks that all the food is prepared in. When your order is ready, the servers get them from the big line of woks! It shows you that this is a special experience at Puff’s!

Next, for some main courses. At Puff’s, the dishes are all served “family style” so they are perfect for sharing. Our first dish off the wok line was the Pepper Steak. The red and green peppers and the onions were so soft and tasty. The steak was so tender, that it melted in our mouths!

Pepper Steak

Next up was the Mongolian Beef. This is one of our favorites at Puffs and one of their signature dishes. We almost always order it. It was in Adrienne’s top five dishes too! It is loaded with scallions and garlic with equally tender and delicious beef. Definitely a must eat!

Mongolian Beef

Our third main dish was on Adrienne’s recommendation, the Chengdu Spiced Lamb. We almost ordered a different lamb dish, but Adrienne said this one was her favorite, so we dove right in. The lamb was marinated in a delicious spicy sauce and tossed with cumin, mint, tomatoes and yellow onions, making an absolutely delicious delight of a dish! We will definitely be ordering this again! Mmmmmm

Chengdu Spiced Lamb

Now, as if all that food wasn’t enough, Adrienne did not let us get away without ordering dessert! Ria ordered the. Wow, what a wall it was! Six layers of chocolate cake with gooey chocolate frosting in-between and mini chocolate chips on top, all served on a pool of raspberry sauce. It was decadent! How do we know? Well, they now offer these perfectly sized mini desserts that come served in shot glasses. There are about 10 or 12 varieties. We couldn’t say “No” to these perfectly sized delights! We shared two. The first one was a cute mini version of the Great Wall of China. It even had a little raspberry sauce on the bottom! Yum! The second was the Chocolate Mousse. It was equally delicious. We gobbled both of these mini delights! It’s a wonderful addition to the menu for people like us who like a little taste of something sweet for dessert, but will rarely order a full dessert.

Great Wall of Chocolate

Mini Desserts

We had a fabulous time at P.F. Chang’s. The food was outstanding, and Adrienne (and Becca) made sure we had a fun-filled (and food-filled) evening! Our tagline sums it up perfectly, it was most certainly a night of good food, good people, good times!

P.F. Chang's, Interior, Princeton, NJ

Check out P.F. Chang’s website for more information:
http://www.pfchangs.com/

Be sure when you visit P.F. Chang’s in Princeton, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

Cafe Colore, South Brunswick, NJ

When we are in the mood for some local Italian comfort food, we have plenty of choices, in Central New Jersey! We have reviewed a few of them already. One that we like to visit, but haven’t reviewed until now, is Cafe Colore located in South Brunswick, NJ.

Cafe Colore is in the same shopping center as another restaurant we’ve reviewed, One South,  on U.S. Route One (South, of course…lol).  It has a couple of attributes that we really enjoy- it is local, and it is a BYOB. Yay! One recent Saturday evening, we decided to hop on over for a delicious Italian dinner!

Our server for the evening was Shelly. We have had Shelly as our server for years and always have such a nice time with her. She always remembers us, and greets us with a smile. She came right over and told us all about the daily specials. They always have a long list of yummy sounding specials every night, it often makes it hard for us to decide what to get!

Our first decision of the evening was on the appetizer. Tonight, we wanted to finish the meals, so we opted to skip the appetizer. However, we have had their fried calamari in the past, and Shelly did tempt us when she described a calamari special with four different variations of fried calamari. But we stayed strong for you, our readers, and went right to the next course.

The dinners at Cafe Colore always come with a choice of soup or salad. Personally, we can never turn down their famous Italian Wedding Soup!  Tonight was no exception, as we all ordered yummy bowls of the soup!  They make theirs with tons of delicious mini meatballs, lots of scrumptious spinach, and nice soft little pastini balls. A perfect combination every time!

Italian Wedding Soup

For dinner, we ordered three different meals. Mom went with one of her favorites, Shrimp Parmigiana with angel hair pasta. It was delicious, as we can vouch for, since we sampled a few shrimp, just so we could tell you, our loyal fans!

Shrimp Parmiagiana

Roy & I split two meals to share. One was one of our staples there – Chicken Parmigiana. We opted to skip the pasta and ordered Sautéed Spinach instead. The Chicken was a large piece filling the whole plate and was smothered in gooey mozzarella cheese and plenty of their tasty sauce!

Chicken Parmagiana

For our second entree we had to try one of the scrumptious specials! It was a NY Strip Steak marinated in a chimichurri sauce! We do like things spicy ,and you all should know by now that Mexican food is a major favorite of ours, so to get some chimichurri steak in an Italian restaurant, was a perfect combination to us!  It was served with some gnocchi. Even though we usually go light on our starches, we gobbled them all up!  They were delicious!

NY Strip Steak

So if you are in the mood for a nice, local, home-town feeling meal, and you are in central New Jersey, you should definitely check out Cafe Colore, in South Brunswick. Be sure to ask for Shelly, and tell them you read about them on TwoSquirts.com!

Check out Cafe Colore’s website for more information:
http://cafecolore.com/

Be sure when you visit Cafe Colore in South Brunswick, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

Metropolitan Cafe, Freehold, NJ

Downtown Freehold sure has changed a lot since it was first incorporated over 300 hundred years ago on October 31, 1693!  Downtown Freehold has maintained it’s historic feel, but has added a modern flare and become a nighttime gathering spot including a few trendy  & traditional restaurants.  Metropolitan Cafe is one of those, that manages to combine the comfort of a traditional American bistro with a hip, sophisticated flare.  We were wowed by some of the Pacific Rim & Latin flavors bursting in the food that comforted us so nicely the evening we visited the Metropolitan Cafe!

As this was our first time dining in downtown Freehold, one thing we didn’t expect, was the parking situation.  As we said, the downtown area has become a gathering spot, and we were there on a Saturday night, so we spent quite some time looking for a parking spot.  Although we arrived a few minutes late, we were seated right away.  The friendly hostess let us know that they actually have complimentary valet out back.  They validate your ticket for you. We will definitely use that next time, and we highly recommend you do as well!  It was also their first night on Open Table, which we had used to make our reservation! (Don’t forget you can too, using our handy link!)

Once we were seated, our friendly server, Jennifer greeted us.  After ordering some delicious Grey Goose Martinis, that even came in cute little mini shakers, that Jennifer shook right at the table, Jennifer brought over a little basket of rolls. They came with two accompaniments, that both had a tasty surprise.  The first one looked like your average butter, but this butter was magical maple butter, and we couldn’t get enough of it!  We were unsure of what the second accompaniment was, but it was a red, creamy delight.  Jennifer was happy to inform us that it was actually roasted red pepper hummus!  There wasn’t any of that left, when we were done with it!  Needless to say, we already knew we were in for a special meal, after those special treats!

We were starving that day, and couldn’t wait to order an appetizer. We decided on the Sweet ‘N Spicy Calamari & Shrimp.  It was tossed in a sweet & spicy garlic sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.  In addition to being so incredibly yummy & delicious, the presentation was so cute.  It was presented on a plate with a Chinese food take-out container, on it’s side, with the calamari & shrimp spilling out, as if someone knocked it over onto the plate, and then into our mouths! Lol

Sweet 'N Spicy Calamari & Shrimp

As we usually do, we shared two entrees, so we could both enjoy these bursting flavors and share them with you!  First up, was the Certified Angus New York Strip.  Is was served with a scrumptious scoop of mashed potatoes and some tender sauteed spinach.  The steak itself was piled high with melting herb-infused butter.  This steak just melted right in our mouths, butter & all! Wow!

Certified Angus New York Strip

Next up, was the Must Eat of this review: The “Twice Cooked” Cuban Steak.  This amazing skirt steak was char grilled and then wok seared with the most delicious seasonings!  The unique combination of Latin & Asian flavors on the steak were outstanding! The steak itself was tender & soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, every bite bursting with Latin & Asian flare!  Adding to the Latin flavors of the steak, were the yummy sides, black beans, arroz verde (also known as green rice) and some tomato salsa!  It was all so delicious, it soared right to the top of our must eats for this review!

"Twice Cooked" Cuban Steak

All in all, we had a wonderful time at the Metropolitan Cafe.  Jennifer was so nice and knowledgeable on the menu, and helped us make some delicious choices.  If you find yourself in  downtown Freehold, and are looking for a delicious meal with modern, Latin, Asian flare, we highly recommend you check out Metropolitan Cafe.

Whether you have visited, plan to visit, or just enjoyed this review, please leave us a comment below! We’d love to hear from every one of our beautiful readers – especially YOU!

Yummy Breads, with Maple Butter & Roasted Red Pepper Hummus!

Make a reservation today for Metropolitan Cafe using Open Table.

Check out Metropolitan Cafe’s website for more information:
http://metrocafenj.com/

Be sure when you visit Metropolitan Cafe in Freehold, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

Cheesecake Factory, Bridgewater, NJ

A few months ago, Ren made an exciting discovery.  He was at a training class across from the Bridgewater Commons Mall in Bridgewater, NJ.  When he took a walk over to the mall at lunchtime, he noticed a new building under construction.  It certainly looked like a restaurant, and when a worker saw Ren wondering what it was, he confirmed that it indeed was going to be a new Cheesecake Factory.  Ren immediately texted a picture (you can see it below!) to Roy and then we both anxiously awaited for construction to be completed.  You see, we’ve always enjoyed our dinners at various locations of the Cheesecake Factory, in NJ, NY, VA among others, AND we really like going to grand openings of restaurants!

Cheesecake Factory Contruction, Bridgewater, NJ

So we waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Then, one weekend, we just happened to call, and it just so happened that the next Monday was the grand opening.  We set our calendars, set our watches, and got our appetites for food & fun all ready for that Monday!

We certainly weren’t disappointed!

One thing you have to be prepared for at the Cheesecake Factory, is a LOOOOOONG wait.  Yes, they are usually so extremely popular, that you can easily have a 1+ hour wait.  Well, we arrived just in time.  Perhaps, since it was the grand opening, and it was a Monday, people didn’t realize it was open yet, because we only had to wait 1 or 2 minutes for our table. Yay us!

Our server for the evening was John.  John was a blast!  Even amidst the hustle & bustle of the first night of the restaurant, he was able to spend time chatting with us about everything from the stock market to Jersey Shore fist pumps!  He was so knowledgeable about the Cheesecake Factory‘s extensive menu, he was able to guide us to some yummy choices from the over 200+ menu items!

Since we were celebrating the grand opening, we started with some Grey Goose Cosmopolitans.  We’ve had some delicious drinks at other Cheesecake Factory locations, and this one did not disappoint! Yummy!  Also, since we were very hungry, and wanted to get food in our tummies as soon as possible, we ordered two appetizers to share – Guacamole Made to Order and a Quesadilla.  We had our own little Mexican Fiesta!  During our appetizers, we made two new friends, Lori & her daughter, Ariel, sitting at the table next to us.  They like to go to grand openings of restaurants too, and Lori also gave us lots of suggestions for future TwoSquirts restaurants, we will most certainly be checking out soon! Thanks Lori & Ariel!

Guacamole Made To Order

So after delicious drinks & appetizers, and nice conversations with our new friends, it was time to eat! Yay!  Mom had the Beef Ribs, with a side of Macaroni & Cheese.  There were 6 savory, fall off the bone beef ribs!  We volunteered to help her a bit on those ribs, so we can tell you first hand, how delicious they were!

Beef Ribs

We shared two dishes, so we could maximize the variety of food to tell you all about!  First up, a Grilled Coulotte Steak.  It was so tender and juicy, it just melted in our mouths!  It was served with two jumbo deep fried onion rings (perfect amount to share a taste!) and some sauteed spinach, both muy delicioso!  We ate the whole thing!

Grilled Coulotte Steak

Next up was a Cheesecake Factory Favorite, the Crispy Chicken Costoletta.  If you’ve never had this before, you should try it, you will be in for a treat!  It is three chicken breasts, pounded flat, then breaded and lightly fried.  Then, rather than topping them with sauce, they gently lay them on top of a delicious creamy lemon sauce, that you want to make sure to dip each and every bite into it!  It is served with yummy red skinned mashed potatoes!  We must admit, that we had eaten so much already, that we had to take some of our chicken to go, for lunch the next day!

Crispy Chicken Costoletta

Now, we were all completely stuffed.  We know you are thinking, “How could they go to the grand opening of the Cheesecake Factory and not order cheesecake?”  Well, John managed to twist our arms, (not that he had to twist them too hard) and we ordered a slice of Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake to go. We unfortunately don’t have a picture to show you, as it was no longer picture ready, after getting bumped & dropped on our way out of the restaurant, but it was still certainly yummy!

All in all, we had a wonderful time at the grand opening of the Cheesecake Factory in Bridgewater, NJ.  We are sure if you go to any of the Cheesecake Factory‘s locations, you will have delicious food.  The Bridgewater location, however, stands out by having excellent, extra-friendly service as well, inspiring us to write this TwoSquirts review, just for YOU!

As a added bonus, we even signed up John, Lori & Ariel, and also the manager, Mo for our TwoSquirts mailing list, using our new MailChimp App (Chimpadeedoo) on our iPad!  (Hey – if you haven’t signed up, you always can, using the form on the right, or by clicking here!)

Cheesecake Factory, Bridgewater, NJ

Check out The Cheesecake Factory’s website for more information:
http://thecheesecakefactory.com/

Be sure when you visit The Cheesecake Factory in Bridgewater, NJ, (or any of their other locations,)  that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com.

Cheesecake Factory Ceiling, Bridgewater, NJ

Stinking Rose, San Francisco, CA

Ren and I were fortunate to enjoy a fantastic garlic themed dinner at The Stinking Rose in San Francisco. This is the brother restaurant of The Stinking Rose that we reviewed in Beverly Hills last year.  (Here’s a handy link for you, in case you missed it, or if you just want to see more yummy pictures of garlic-y food!)  For those not familiar with the restaurant, it is a garlic lovers paradise!  Literally everything on the menu has garlic of some form in it!  We really like this location just as much as the other one, but this one has a little element that sets it apart from the other: a small patio dining area upstairs in the center of the restaurant. If you are lucky enough to get there at a good time, there are three small tables up for grabs there, so plan accordingly. Also, be prepared to make reservations, because this place gets packed. After you taste the food you will understand why.

Our server for the evening was Alicia. She was really fun loving and enhanced our experience with her great personality and efficiency. The weather was perfect so the outdoor patio was the perfect place to be.  After taking our order for a great chianti wine, Amanda brought over dinner rolls and a totally wonderful garlic dipping sauce which had chopped raw fresh garlic, olive oil and fresh chopped parsley. Oh wow, did this sauce pack a punch….a lasting one at that! . The taste was exploding with garlic flavor and paired with the dippage of the rolls in the garlic infused olive oil was phenomenal!

Ren and I ordered two entrees and, as usual, shared both. The first was the Garlic Roasted Prime Rib.  The prime rib was deeeeelicious, and had lots of garlic flavor, and plenty of roasted garlic on top.  It was accompanied by super yummy garlic yukon gold mashed potatoes as well as some creamed swiss chard.  We had wanted to order this in Beverly Hills last year, but we had so many yummy choices, we couldn’t fit it in.  Man, we were glad we ordered this this time- it was so full of garlic-y goodness!

Our second entree was the Garlic Encrusted Baby Back Ribs.  We always enjoy baby back ribs in the many restaurants that we frequent, but when they are encrusted in garlic, we just can’t get enough!  They also came with garlic yukon mashed potatoes, so we were carbing out for the night – but since we walked the many hills of San Francisco to get to the restaurant, we figured we could treat ourselves! Hee hee

Towards the end of our meal, we started chatting with the family at the table next to us.  They were visiting from the East Coast as well, and we were able to share restaurant recommendations with each other for vacations, as well as for when we got home. It was a perfect evening, between the weather, the outdoor patio table, Alicia & our new friends, it just reinforced our decision for a repeat visit to The Stinking Rose, whether in San Francisco, or Beverly Hills!

Garlic Spread, Garlic Oil & Garlic Bread - YUM!

Garlic Prime Rib

Garlic Baby Back Ribs

Chianti Room, The Stinking Rose, San Francisco, CA

Stinking Rose, San Francisco, CA

Make a reservation today for The Stinking Rose using Open Table.

Check out The Stinking Rose’s website for more information:
http://www.thestinkingrose.com/

Be sure when you visit The Stinking Rose in San Francisco, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Garlic Rose, The Stinking Rose, San Francisco, CA

Espetus, San Francisco, CA

Ren and I had a truly fantastic dinner at Espetus Churrascaria, in downtown San Francisco. The restaurant is a real gem, within an area of town that does not have many gems. It is refreshing to enter Espetus Churrascaria, as it is tasteful and warm with nice dark wood accents. It feels as though you are indeed in Brazil. We can say that from personal experience of being in Brazil. Everyone who works at Espetus Churrascaria, is warm and welcoming, one of the characteristics of Latins!

Green Means,

For 6:30 on a Monday evening, the restaurant became progressively busier as the night went on. That says a lot, as many restaurants tend to be slow, and therefore, even closed, on Mondays. Espetus is a Churrascaria, which means that if you are a meat eater and hungry, you will be in heaven. As in Brazil, this type of restaurant, will keep bringing many different hot skewers of various meats to you, over and over until you say STOP. It can vary by restaurant, but in general, just remember that Green means “Yes” and Red means either “I need a slight break”, or “I can’t eat any more!”. At Espetus Churrascaria, they have a little plastic apparatus, on each table, with a movable wheel that rotates from Green to Red to Green again. You are also equipped with a pair of tongs to help remove the meats from the skewer when they are brought over to your table. You choose how much you can eat, and what meats you want to eat. This is why, even though the price of this meal is expensive, it can totally be worth it. Ren and I tend to always get our money’s worth, so we were unbelievably happy.

Anyway, at this and at other Churascarias, there is a salad bar full of various selections to accompany your meal. Some places have more items, some have less, but you will definitely find some things to suit your tastes. Espetus had some great selections of salad items but also black beans, rice and a couple of other fish entrees. The black beans were yummy and the rice was great as well.

To accompany our meal, we chose a really delicious Malbec wine from Argentina. The Cariocas (i.e. locals as they are called in Brazil) tend to drink many delicious wines from Argentina. Argentina has an impressive wine industry and its proximity to Brazil, makes them very popular. What a perfect wine to accompany our Brazilian meal. For those of you who have not tried Malbecs, you should give them a try. They are deep red wines with a full body and smooth finish. This was right in line with that. Outstanding.

In addition to our main server, there were many more Brazilian servers, who came to us to bring us food and make sure we were well taken care of. Every one of them was exceptional.

On our table we were treated to a small but delicious appetizer which was comprised of two delicious light and fluffy cheese puffs, two fried bananas, and two fried polenta. Oh wow, what a great start to a delicious meal. It was so hard to decide which was our favorite, so we gave up.

When we came back from our visit to the salad bar, the very attentive Brazilian servers, started their parade of skewers. Oh man! Each and every one of the selections was awesome. As they brought the skewers over, each one would ask if we were interested, and as long as our Green sign was posted, we said yes…LOL.

The meats were all bursting with juice and included skewered chicken, pork, beef, lamb and shrimp. There tended to be a few versions of each, whether it was some kind of parmesan encrusting, garlic or wine marinade, or bacon wrappage. There was also skewered pineapple which was definitely tasty, in addition to the many meats. For the more daring diners out there, like me, there were also marinated chicken hearts, which I simply could not get enough of.

When we finally changed our sign to Red, after a good long time, we were satiated and deeply satisfied. Can anyone think of anything else that leaves you that satiated?

Our experience at Espetus Churrascaria really was excellent and truly enjoyable. Every one of the servers there was professional and attentive. There was never a time that we felt that we were not in good hands. They were also really great with our taking pictures of the skewers of meat, so we could show them to you. We do really recommend Espetus Churrascaria, for a really wonderful meat-fest of a meal!!!

Espetus Appetizer

Alcatra - (Top Sirloin)

Peito de Frango com Bacon – (Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast)

Coracao de Frango – (Chicken Hearts)

Carneiro – (Lamb Chops)

Espetus, San Francisco, CA

Red Means,

Note: We do recommend that if you are planning on walking to Espetus Churrascaria; that you choose daylight hours, otherwise take mass transit or a taxi, for added security.

Make a reservation today for Espetus Churrascaria using Open Table

Check out Espetus Churrascaria’s website for more information:
http://www.espetus.com/

Be sure when you visit Espetus Churrascaria in San Francisco, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

On our recent trip to Sonoma, CA, we had the opportunity to take a unique wine tasting tour of Sonoma…on Segways!!!  We hope you enjoy the above video we made, but please continue reading to find out all about the experience!

If you aren’t familiar with Segways, you may have seen them in your local shopping mall.  They are being used more and more by mall security, and were even featured in the 2009 movie “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” Lol!

While waiting to speak to our hotel concierge, we noticed a brochure for Sonoma Segway Tours, and we were immediately intrigued!  We asked about the tour, and the concierge hadn’t tried it yet, but she called for us to find out more details.  It was scheduled to be a 3 hour tour, and it was very reasonable, only $99 per person, so she set it all up for us!

We met our super friendly tour guide, Hunt, in a parking lot behind the downtown square in Sonoma.  Hunt arrived and took out a few Segways from his van and we filled out all the required paperwork, while Hunt got everything ready for our training session. It turned out that we were the only two on the tour, se we really felt like we had the royal treatment from Hunt all day!

For about 20 minutes, we practiced in the quiet parking lot. The Segway has only two wheels and a lot of internal gyroscopes to keep you balanced, so the first lesson was actually getting on the Segway! One foot at a time, without leaning was the only way to do it  Once we mastered that, we were ready to start moving.

Hunt kept the Segways in “training mode”, so they wouldn’t accelerate too much as we learned. Making the Segway move is very intuitive. Lean slightly forward to move forward.  The more you lean, the faster you go!  Likewise, lean back slightly to slow down.  Turning left or right, was a simple lean or shift.  Hunt said it was just like how you would turn if you were skiing, but since we have never been skiing, we’ll have to take his word.

After twenty minutes or so of practice, we were ready to go!  Hunt set the Segways to “regular mode”, and we were off. The Segways are allowed on the bike/walking paths as well as on the less busy local streets.  First stop was General Vallejo’s home.  Hunt explained a lot of the history of Sonoma, and took our picture, on the Segways.

Roy & Ren at General Vallejo's Home

Since it was just the two of us on the tour, Hunt was able to get us to two wineries for some wine tastings!  So we were off to our first one.  After a nice drive through the bike path, we headed out to the quiet local roads, through the many picturesque vineyards of Sonoma!  We arrived at the oldest winery in Sonoma, the Buena Vista Winery. After some more history from Hunt, and some delicious tastings, we picked up a bottle of wine to take with us, and we were off for some more riding. Let’s just say that any nervousness or hesitation we had on the Segway was completely gone. We were driving like experts now!

Sonoma Grapes

On our beautiful ride to the Bartholomew Park Winery, Hunt even filmed us for a bit. (See video above.) Hunt had more great stories to tell here, and then he waited while we sampled a few of their wines. This time we ordered some to be shipped home, and took a quick look in their museum.

Now you would think that was a full tour, but we had one more stop!  Hunt took us to the Vella Cheese Company. Not only did we have special parking there, but Hunt was able to take us behind the scenes to see where fresh cheese is made, and even out to the storage units where the cheese was aging. Man, it smelled yummy in there!  Then we went into the main building, where they had a huge assortment of soft & hard cheeses and bleu cheeses for us to try! We purchased some of our favorites including smokey bleu & Vella cheese with Pesto!

Vella Cheese Sampler

Roy & Ren & LOTSA Cheese!

Well, we really had an amazing time, and our three hour tour ended up being more like 5 hours, and we weren’t ready for it to be over even then!  We selected our complimentary bottle of wine (included in the price of the tour) which was another excellent value!  We really appreciated Hunt taking the time to make the tour extra special. He has so much knowledge of the area, and was so kind, it felt like a long-time friend taking us around town for the afternoon. While chatting with Hunt during our day, we found out that he is also the manager at a local restaurant, Murphy’s Irish Pub. That night was Barbequed Oysters night, which you can read about in our review and on PickleBubble!

Segway Parking Only!

For more on Sonoma Segway Tours, check out their website:
http://sonomasegway.com/

Be sure when you take your Sonoma Segway Tour in Sonoma, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Robert Mondavi Winery - Entrance, Oakville, CA

Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley, California features an Al Fresco Lunch in the Garden on Thursdays.  This is an absolutely “must do” if you are a wine lover and are in the California Wine Country.  It is both an educational and totally enjoyable experience.  They do accept reservations for up to 12 people for the lunch. Keeping it small keeps it more intimate and fun.

The 3-hour experience starts off with a tour of the winery, including the vineyard, and the facility where the grapes are processed and turned into wine and stored.  It is a fascinating tour of the facility and there is always something to learn even if you have experienced the tour multiple times before.  Walking through the vineyard is really so relaxing, and chances are, the weather will be perfect.  All of your stress just seems to fade away during this tour.  For our lunch, the weather was about 82 degrees with virtually no humidity.

Our tour guide for the event was Mr. Jon.  He was the best tour guide we could have had.  He had extensive experience in wine and in producing wine himself, both in France and the United States.  He had a vast amount of knowledge and was very enjoyable to converse with.  He lives a part of the year in France, and we hope to see him when we are in France next year.

We were even more fortunate that there was only one other couple on our tour, Brandi and Mike from Ohio.  We all had great chemistry during those several hours and had many laughs during lunch.  We could not have asked for a better time.

After Jon took us through the tour part of the experience, we all strolled through the herb garden and then to our personally set table directly in the garden.   We were wined and dined while surrounded by the vineyards.  What a pleasure this was.

The food was outstanding!  We were presented with a truly delicious spread of various culinary delights including a Garden Greens Salad (Galia Melon, La Quercia Prosciutto, Pickled Red Onions & Toasted Hazelnuts and tossed with a Verjus Vinaigrette); Fingerling Potatoes with Garden Pesto; Wild Mushroom, Cipollini Onions & Garden Romano Beans; & a Local Chicken Duo
(Roasted Chicken Breast & Glazed Thigh with Smoked Tomato Vinaigrette).  Everything was delicious but we must put the potatoes with pesto and the chicken way at the top of our list.  The taste of both of them was phenomenal!  Each course of our lunch was accompanied by a special wine which really was fabulous.  Our first two wines were a white (2008 Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley Fumé Blanc) and a red (2008 Robert Mondavi Winery Carneros Pinot Noir).

After we were all done with our main course, we were presented with our individual Peach & Blackberry Cobbler topped with Vanilla Cream for dessert  What a perfect ending to our exceptional lunch.  Mmmm good.  Of course, our dessert was accompanied by an delicious Moscato wine (2008 Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley Moscato d’Oro).

Being that we were all having such a great time with our group, we decided to play some bocci ball in the garden.  It was a blast!  Time flew by so quickly that we barely made it to our next wine tasting down the street.  It was totally worth it.  Thank you, Jon, Brandi and Mike for making our Robert Mondavi Al Fresco lunch, one to remember. We will always highly recommend this lunch/ wine tour to our TwoSquirts friends.

Robert Mondavi Grape Fields

Close up of Robert Mondavi Grapes

Robert Mondavi Wine Aging in Barrels

The Robert Mondavi Spice Garden

Our Al Fresco Table, All Ready for Us!

Our Al Fresco Menu & Place Setting

The Delicious Robert Mondavi Al Fresco Lunch

Peach & Blackberry Cobbler

Ren, Roy, Mike, Brandi & Mr. Jon

Check out Robert Mondavi’s website for more information:
http://www.robertmondavi.com/

Be sure when you visit the Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Lokal, Sonoma, CA

Ren and I had a great dinner at Lokal, a little Hungarian – German restaurant in downtown Sonoma, right near the town square.  It was a tasteful small restaurant, with nice colors and  a friendly staff.  A bonus was that it was not crowded the night we went, which enhanced the relaxing experience for us.  Our server for the evening was Alison, who was cordial and very accommodating. She never rushed us and was really cool with us asking a lot of questions about the menu and bringing us sharing plates.

To start our adventure to Hungary and Germany, we ordered a Gundlach Bundschu, 2009 Gewürztraminer wine from a local Sonoma winery to enjoy with our meal. It really had a fresh flare to it and was refreshing to boot. Next up, we ordered two appetizers to share. The first appetizer was the Tivoli Two Dog Dipper, which was basically a beef frank and a German  Nuernberger with no bun and a mustard sauce and ketchup for dipping. We always really enjoy all types of sausages, so this was a great appetizer for us. It was easy to gobble these dogs down in no time, because they were so good!

Our second appetizer was Spaetzle and Cheese (with bacon).  This was really delicious.  Spaetzle is basically German flour dumplings, and we ordered them with crumbled bacon.  The taste was similar to macaroni and cheese because of the cheese factor.  The flavor and texture were right on target.  Real comfort food for sure!

We ordered two entrees to share between us – one Hungarian entree and one German one.  Our Hungarian entree was our favorite out of the two of them –  Chicken Paprikas with Hungarian Dumplings. Oh man!  The flavor of this dish was awesome.  There was even a nice healthy dollop of sour cream right on top of the dish. Yummy!  Sour cream is always one of my favorite things in the world. I even like to put sour cream on pizza. Yes- on Pizza!  Don’t knock it until you try it….and Yes, you just might like it. The chicken was so moist and tender and the dumplings were wonderful. This dish is a Must Eat for sure.

Our German entree was the Hamburg Platter. It usually comes with German potato salad but we ordered it with more spaetzle instead of potato salad. There were three kinds of delicious sausages: Smoked Chicken Sausage, Nuernberger & Swiss Bochwurst. All of them were excellent. They also came with a really tasty sauerkraut. I actually couldn’t get enough of the sauerkraut, and it was not even sour at all.

Our dinner at Lokal was really a great experience. Having German and Hungarian food together in one meal was terrific.   Our server, Alison, was refreshing, friendly and attentive. After eating at Lokal, you are right near the town square  so you can walk around and walk off your meal. There are plenty of shops and other establishments to explore.

Gundlach Bundschu, 2009 Gewürztraminer

Spaetzle and Cheese (with bacon)

Tivoli Two Dog Dipper

Chicken Paprikas with Hungarian Dumplings

Hamburg Platter

Lokal, Interior, Sonoma, CA

Make a reservation today for Lokal using Open Table

Check out Lokal’s website for more information:
http://www.lokalsonoma.com/

Be sure when you visit Lokal in Sonoma, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Bottega, Yountville, CA

Michael Chiarello is one of our favorite chefs on television, and we finally had the opportunity to eat at his award winning restaurant, Bottega. His restaurant is located in Yountville, California, a small town in picturesque Napa Valley, California. Right next to Bottega is Michael’s store named, Napa Style, which is full of wonderful items you can buy for your palette and home.

When we walked into Bottega, we were impressed by the tasteful and rustic atmosphere and the warm inviting greeting we received from the hosts. We were promptly led to the dining room which is impressively homey. It has always been one of my dreams to have dinner at Michael Chiarello’s home, as his friends are fortunate to experience on his television show. By the wonderful atmosphere of his restaurant, we can only imagine how he entertains his friends.

We were very lucky to have Laurie N. as our server for the evening. She was professional and vibrant and was the perfect person to lead us through our dining adventure. The menu at Bottega features an excellent selection of appetizers and entrees. When we hopefully get there again in the future, we will try more of them.

To start off our dinner, we ordered a delicious Charles Krug Chardonnay 2008. It was fresh and fit our meal perfectly. For appetizers, we selected two items that were truly exceptional. The first was the Green Egg and Ham. Laurie told us that this was an award winning dish and we can attest to that. It consisted of olive oil poached Delta asparagus, a crispy soft boiled egg, pecorino cheese pudding and prosciutto bits. The presentation is awesome and the flavor is outstanding. For egg lovers, this is Nirvana. I wish we could have eggs like that every morning!

Our second appetizer was the Polenta Under Glass, another award winning selection. It was truly a fascinating presentation. The polenta is served in a glass canning jar with carmelized wild mushrooms and then drizzled with balsamic game sauce on top. Being that Ren is allergic to mushrooms, we ordered them on the side. As soon as Laurie brought it over to our table, she plunged the spoon into it, stirred it around for us, and then, after we snapped a picture of it, served us a nice portion of it. Oh man, the taste was phenomenal. The consistency of the polenta and the creaminess of it, was amazing. Too bad we ate it so fast.

There were many tempting entrees on the menu, so it was very difficult to narrow down our selections, but with Laurie’s help we decided on two and shared both of them. The first was the Smoked & Braised Natural Short Ribs. The were served with preserved meyer-lemon spinach and smokey ju. The portion is excellent and the taste is absolutely amazing. Laurie told us that the short ribs are prepared over a three day period. Smoking is done on the first day which really gives the short ribs a superior flavor to remember and truly outstanding tenderness. The spinach was a terrific accompaniment with a delicate lemon taste. This dish was simply delicious.

Our second entree was the Wood Grilled Rack of Grass Fed Lamb, prepared medium. They were accompanied by fresh local fig and fennel seed dressing and creamy ancient grain polenta. The lamb was bursting with wood fire taste and the texture was delicious. The polenta was creamy and light and truly addictive. This was another delicious entree for sure.

Our experience at Bottega was really one to remember. The atmosphere, the service and the food were all simply exceptional. Laurie, our server, really knows how to pamper her guests. We look forward to dining at Bottega the next time were are in Napa Valley. Chef Michael Chiarello really knows how to do it right. Thank you, Michael.

Bottega, Yountville, CA

Green Egg and Ham

Polenta Under Glass

Smoked & Braised Natural Short Ribs

Wood Grilled Rack of Grass Fed Lamb

Bottega, Interior, Yountville, CA

Make a reservation today for Bottega using Open Table

Check out Bottega’s website for more information:
http://www.botteganapavalley.com

Shop at Napa Style’s website:
http://www.napastyle.com

Be sure when you visit Bottega in Yountville, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Grand Cafe, San Francisco, CA

The Grand Cafe is located in the Union Square district of San Francisco. There is definitely an impressive air to the restaurant and it has a classic look to it with high ceilings and an atmosphere of grandeur. One can easily see how it got its name.

As is customary with TwoSquirts, to add a personal element in mentioning our servers in our reviews, our server for the evening was Gary. We do have to honestly say that the service we received from Gary was not in line with the rest of our experience at Grand Cafe. TwoSquirts take pride in being positive, but we also must always be honest. After we were taken to our table by the friendly restaurant host, it took a really loooong time for our server, Gary, to even acknowledge us and to even take our drink order. We estimate between 10 to 15 minutes to be specific. After a while, we actually thought that we were not even assigned a server. While we were attempting to wave down another server to see if someone could take our order, Gary finally came over and acknowledged us. He apologized for the long wait, but did appear to be aloof and disinterested in taking care of us, even afterwards, throughout our entire dinner. We did notice, however,  the other servers being very attentive to their own guests, but definitely not “our Gary” (yes, a bit of sarcasm).

We did place our order, with Gary, for a Chateaus La Commanderie de Queyret, Entre-Deux-Mers 2008 (Bordeaux Blanc), but we were brought over a red wine in error by the sommelier. We are sure, that our selection was not relayed to the sommelier correctly.  The sommelier was indeed very apologetic and was cordial and then happily brought over the correct one to us. Anyway, the wine was delicious and fit our meal very well.

For an appetizer, Ren ordered the Soup a L’Oignon Graitnée (French Onion Soup) which he enjoyed; especially the nice hint of thyme which added a savory flair to it. I ordered the Escargots de Bourgogne, which were burgundy snails baked in persillade butter. They were really outstanding and very tender and bursting with flavor. If I could have, I would have ordered another order.

For dinner, we ordered two entrees and shared the both of them. The first was the Friday Fish Special which was grilled salmon, which came with a really delicious julienne-style vegetable ensemble. The salmon was perfectly prepared, and the vegetables were really tender yet hearty.

Our second entree was the Cassoulet Maison which was somewhat like a stew with boudin blanc (white pudding), duck confit, lamb shoulder, garlic-pork sausage, smoked bacon and butter beans. This was our favorite out of the two entrees. The meat was outstanding and the beans were fabulous- truly buttery and tender.

Our experience at Grand Cafe was definitely a mixed one- excellent in terms of food and disappointing in terms of service we received from our server, Gary. This is not a very common experience for us at TwoSquirts. Instead of not posting a review for Grand Cafe, at all, we chose to justly praise the restaurant for their food, but we also had to be honest about the service from our server being substandard. We could have not left a tip at all for Gary, but we did still leave one, just not the customary 20% or more that we leave for excellent servers. We did leave him 15%, as a professional courtesy, but not more than that.

As we mentioned earlier, in observing the other servers with their guests, we are sure that one could have a fully satisfying experience at Grand Cafe.  We do have to suggest that the management of Grand Cafe, take note of how their servers are interacting with their guests. One never knows when a review will be posted about one’s experience at their restaurant. One could argue that it might have just been an “off” day for Gary, but we tend to not think that. Besides, one should never allow him or herself to have an “off” day when serving guests.

Escargots de Bourgogne

Soup a L'Oignon Graitnée

Salmon Special

Cassoulet Maison

Grand Cafe, Interior, San Francisco, CA

Make a reservation today for Grand Cafe using Open Table

Check out Grand Cafe’s website for more information:
http://www.grandcafe-sf.com/

Be sure when you visit Grand Cafe in San Francisco, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Murphy's Irish Pub, Sonoma, CA

After an exhilarating day of touring through Sonoma, California on segways, our tour guide, Hunt, invited us to come to Murphy’s Irish Pub to try BBQ’s Oysters. He is the general manager there in the evenings. On Tuesday evenings they feature live music outside. Murphy’s is definitely a gathering spot for the locals of Sonoma. When you step inside, you feel like you really are in Ireland.

Ren and I were really hungry, but we really wanted to enjoy a lot of different items on the appetizer menu. Well, we certainly did what we set out to do. Our very friendly and warm server for the evening was Lucia. She really let us have a relaxing experience and never rushed us.

For our beverage for the evening, we chose a refreshing Kenwood Vineyards Vintage Table white wine. Hunt really wanted us to try the BBQ’d Oysters. I had tried oysters in the past a few times, but they were never on my hit parade. Ren had never tried them before, so this was a big event. Hunt assured us that we would like them, so we trusted him Our first course was an order of eight Oysters. Four of them were with Murphy’s homemade barbecue sauce and four were with their parmesan garlic lemon butter sauce. We were pleasantly surprised at how good they were. Ren still needs to grow more accustomed to oysters, but I really enjoyed them, especially the BBQ’d ones, so much that we ordered 4 more of them.

Our next course was truly the most amazing one out of all them. We ordered the Sausage Rolls with Vella Habanero Jack. Oh wow! They were truly delicious and fit right into the “Stick to your Ribs” comfort food category. The crust was amazing, the habanero cheese really added a kick to them and the sausage was top notch. These sausage rolls made it to our Must Eats for this restaurant.

Lucia told us that we would really enjoy the Homemade Buttermilk Onion Rings, being that they really are home made. Well, she was right. They were delicious! The batter was excellent and the mustard sauce for dipping was addictive.

Lastly, we ordered the Spicy Buffalo Wings, but with barbecue sauce instead of the buffalo sauce, being that we had become addicted to the barbecue sauce from the oysters. They brought the sauce on the side for us, so we could dip. The wings were very tasty. We really like their barbecue sauce.

Needless to say, we ate a lot of great food that night at Murphy’s. It was great to see Hunt again and to meet Lucia. We even took pictures of all of us after our meal. Thank you, Hunt and Lucia. We really saw why Murphy’s is such a great gathering spot for Sonoma locals.

Grilled Oysters, Murphy's Irish Pub, Sonoma, CA

Sausage Rolls, Murphy's Irish Pub, Sonoma, CA

Buttermilk Onion Rings, Murphy's Irish Pub, Sonoma, CA

Oysters on the Grill, Murphy's Irish Pub, Sonoma, CA

Murphy's Irish Pub, Sonoma, CA

Check out the latest PickleBubble to see who liked their first oyster!

Check out Murphy’s Irish Pub’s website for more information.

http://www.sonomapub.com/

Be sure when you visit the Murphy’s Irish Pub in Sonoma, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Frankee, Dimple, Whiskers, Tiny & Spotty

Hello TwoSquirts Fans!

We know it’s been a while since we’ve brought you some mouthwatering, TwoSquirts reviews.  If you’ve been following the TwoSquirts Facebook page, you know that we have been trying to find loving homes for some adorable kittens that we rescued.

We are down to the last 5 (There were 11 in total!)  They are really cute and very playful, but we are both VERY allergic and unfortunately can not keep any of them! Please, if you would like to adopt a kitten, or know anybody who would (and are in the Central NJ area, or can get here on your own!) let us know.

Use the comments below, or send us a email to royandren@twosquirts.com

Thank you all!

Roy & Ren

PS – Check out the latest PickleBubble, to see what we caught the kittens doing last night!

Things have been a little busy lately for us, but we just wanted to wish all of our fans a very happy 4th of July!

Stay tuned for more mouthwatering reviews as well as some fresh new ideas we are cooking up for you!

Enjoy your barbeques and hope you see some fireworks tonight!

Roy & Ren

Witherspoon Grill, Princeton, NJ

Witherspoon Grill is one of our favorite restaurants in Princeton, NJ. Take note that the same owners own the Blue Point Grill, which is also located in Princeton and one of our favorite restaurants as well. You can see our review of the Blue Point Grill on TwoSquirts.

Princeton is a wonderful town.  It has character, is culturally diverse and has so much to offer. It was a beautiful day when we chose to dine at Witherspoon Grill for our review. It was sunny and warm and the outside dining area was in full swing. There is a great big courtyard in the front of the restaurant, which is very popular as a gathering place for people.

The atmosphere of WG is classy and tasteful with white tablecloths. Weather permitting, the outdoor dining area adds a good amount of seating. However, we chose to dine indoors and admire the interior design. Upon entering Witherspoon Grill, we were given a warm enthusiastic greeting by Charles who guided us to our table which was a very comfortable booth.

Our server for the evening was Amanda.  She came over right away and gave us a bright greeting. Amanda can be described as very professional and polished yet possessing quick wit and warmth.  We really enjoyed our experience with Amanda.

The menu of Witherspoon Grill is excellent. Truly! Everything we’ve eaten there during the times we’ve been there is excellent. Their wine selection is top notch and they have a selection of reasonably priced wines, as well as much more expensive ones. They have a bevvy of appetizers, soups, salads, hearty meat selections and some seafood dishes as well. They also have a special entree for each day of the week which is an excellent value.

For starters, we all ordered the Baked “Five Onion” Soup.  Oh wow!  The flavor was outstanding. The onions were succulent and the cheese was too good to be true. Yes, we are cheese lovers!

For dinner, Ria ordered the 12 oz Filet Mignon cooked “medium”. Ren and I ordered two entrees to share: the 21 Day Dry Aged Delmonico 14oz and a special of the day, the Veal Porterhouse. We like to try two different entrees and have the best of both worlds. We ask for two dinner fresh plates on which to serve ourselves.

For sides, we ordered Scalloped Potatoes, Creamed Spinach and Two Hour Onions. Let’s start with the meats. All three were perfectly prepared and like “buttuh”. Oh wow, do they know how to cook meat. The Filet was ultra tender and flavorful. The Delmonico steak had a rich deep taste, due to the dry aging. It was perfect. The Veal was wonderful.

All of our sides were awesome!  The Scalloped potatoes were tender and cheesy and melted in our mouths. The Creamed Spinach was to die for and the Two Hour Onions were dee-licious!

Needless to say, we had a wonderful experience at Witherspoon Grill.  The atmosphere, the service and the food were all outstanding. We truly enjoy both the Witherspoon Grill and the Blue Point Grill and cannot say enough good things about them. They have a permanent place in our hearts and stomachs.

Baked "Five Onion" Soup

Creamed Spinach

Two Hour Onions

12 oz. Filet Mignon

Veal Porterhouse

21 Day Dry Aged Delmonico

Witherspoon Grill, Princeton, NJ

Make a reservation today for Witherspoon Grill, Princeton, NJ, using Open Table.

Check out the Witherspoon Grill’s website for more information.

http://witherspoon.jmgroupprinceton.com/

Be sure when you visit the Witherspoon Grill that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Char Steakhouse, Raritan, NJ

Recently we had a great dinner at Char located in Raritan, New Jersey. Char has a unique feel to it, very dimly lit with an interesting style to it. The restaurant has a really cool outdoor fire burning which gives it a dramatic appeal. When you walk into the restaurant, you immediately see that it has a NYC feel to it.  There are a few different dining areas and a large bar in the center.  Make sure you eat within the bar area of the restaurant or the dining room in the front of the restaurant. If you sit in the front, you’ll be able to see the outside fire from your table which will really add a great feel to your experience, especially after dark.  The rear dining room is a bit too dark for our tastes and a flashlight is needed to even see the menu. The theme of the restaurant is “fire”, so there are a few displays in the restaurant that add to that theme. In addition, the preparation of their food reflects that theme.

The menu is a meat lovers paradise, and most of the items have a “charred” finish to them. Because of this, don’t expect to find Roast Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus on the menu. You will find charred rib steak, however. For those not in the mood for meat, there are a few non meat entrees as well. Keep in mind that the entrees on Char’s menu are all a la carte, so when ordering multiple side dishes, the cost can really add up.

Ren and I ordered a full bodied Catena Malbec to accompany our dinner. It was delicious. For starters, we ordered the Fried Calamari and French Onion soup.  Both of these items were great. I really enjoyed the spicy dipping sauce that came with the calamari. I am a saucy kind of guy, as you know. LOL.

For dinner, Ria ordered the 8 oz Fillet Mignon, being that the 12 oz was sold out. The taste was delicious and the meat was tender and tasty.  Ren and I ordered the 48 oz Porterhouse Steak for two. The steak was sliced for us and presented very nicely. The taste and texture was outstanding. We did, however, feel that $78 was a bit pricey for the amount of steak we received. Perhaps the bone, took up too many of the 48 ounces.

Each of our entrees came with a whole head of roasted garlic and I managed to eat every one of them!  I truly can’t get enough of garlic I guess. We did order a couple of side dishes, the Baked Potato and Sauteed Spinach, that were both great.

For dessert, Ria ordered the Chocolate Gelatto which came with a sizable 3 scoops!  Very nice! Ren and I had a delicious Ice Wine for dessert.

The food at Char was great.  We do feel, however, that the prices are a bit pricey, and are about as costly as other restaurants of higher distinction that we have been to.

Pretzel Roll

French Onion Soup

8oz. Filet Mignon

48oz. Porterhouse Steak for Two

Fire Tornado, Char Steakhouse, Raritan, NJ

Char Steakhouse, Raritan, NJ

Make a reservation today for Char Steakhouse, Raritan, NJ, using Open Table.

Check out Char’s website for more information:
http://www.charsteakhouse.com/

Be sure when you visit Char in Raritan, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from Twosquirts.com.

La Taverna, Dayton, NJ

La Taverna Restaurant and Bar is located in Dayton, New Jersey. It was recommended by our friend, Linda T. many times and we finally had the opportunity to try it. Their building used to be a private home a while back and dates back to the 1700′s. We like the atmosphere because it is quaint and has a historic feel to it. They do have a great menu filled with Italian dishes and specials. One can choose from many appetizers, salads, meat and seafood entrees and pasta dishes.

Our server du jour was Roxanne. We sensed her warmth from the start and knew right away we were in for a fun evening. It was late and we were beat after attending a function earlier in the evening, so Roxanne was a great server to have.

For appetizers, we ordered the Fried Calamari, which was really terrific.  The serving was very sizable and the taste was great. The appetizer, however, that REALLY warmed our hearts was the French Onion Soup.  Our eyes really lit up when Roxanne brought it over to us.  The size of the crock was huge – just the right size for us!  Oh wow this soup was delicious!  The cheese on top had the perfect amount of toastiness and cascaded over the sides of the bowl. There were plenty of succulent onions and just the right dose of bread to add some body.  The French Onion soup is definitely a Must Eat.

For dinner, we ordered one of the specials of the day. It was a chicken dish consisting of fresh mozzarella, spinach, and sliced fresh tomato sandwiched between two BIG chicken breasts on top of a bed of asparagus with a delicate wine sauce drizzled on top. The chicken was moist and tender and the sauce was the perfect topping.  It was really awesome.  The chicken came with roasted potatoes, which were quite tasty.

Our experience at La Taverna was a great one. Roxanne was terrific and made us feel as though we had known her for years. She even brought the chef and owners out and introduced them to us. You could definitely see how proud they all are to work at La Taverna. Thank our friend, Linda T. for recommending that we try out La Taverna. You were right on, Linda.

French Onion Soup

Fried Calamari

Chicken Special

La Taverna, Interior, Dayton, NJ

Check out La Taverna’s website for more information:

http://latavernarestaurantandbar.com/

Be sure when you visit La Taverna in Dayton, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Hanami, Princeton, NJ

Hanami is an elegant Asian restaurant, located in Princeton, New Jersey. It has a very elegant style and a vast amount of visually appealing accents.

The furnishings at Hanami are very tasteful and classy. There is a sparkly crystal tree in the center of the main dining room that really adds to the elegance of the room.  There are a few additional rooms, as well as a sushi bar. If it is dark outside, and you are able to sit along the windows, you will be able to enjoy the view of the pretty landscaping and lighting outside of your window. Hanami definitely has an upscale feel to it, but the prices are pleasing and the portions are excellent. That is definitely a plus in our book.

Hanami has a really terrific menu with a large selection of Asian food. That was one of our comments we made to ourselves when we were trying to decide. There were so many items to choose from including Chinese, Japanese and Thai.

Our server for the evening was Lee. She was professional, yet had a great sense of humor.  She really entertained us with her great personality and lightheartedness. We were all really famished, so we ordered a little bit too much food but we did have some great leftovers for the next day.

All of the  food was delicious and came with an excellent presentation. For appetizers, we ordered soup and steamed House Dumplings.  The dumplings were especially great.  The dough was just the perfect thickness and the meat was very tasty.

For dinner we ordered several items for all of us to share.  We ordered Pepper Steak, Pork Lo Mein, Sauteed String Beans with Beef,  Sliced Chicken with Sweet Basil and Sauteed Spinach with Garlic. Every one of them was delicious. The flavor just jumps out at you.  The food was very pleasant to look at in addition to pleasant to eat.

For dessert we ordered the Fruit Platter which was like a small work of art.  The fruit was cut and arranged so nicely, that we felt bad dismantling it.  We also tasted Hanami’s delicious Gelato. Yum!

Our experience was terrific, thanks to Lee, the rest of the staff and of course the food. If you are hungry and you want to eat Asian food in an elegant atmosphere, definitely try Hanami.

Steamed House Dumplings

Sautéed String Bean with Beef

Sliced Chicken with Sweet Basil

Pepper Steak

Hanami Fruit Platter

The Hanami Tree

Check out Hanami‘s website for more information:
http://hanamiprinceton.com/

Be sure when you visit Hanami in Princeton, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Please leave your comments below using Disqus Comments!

One South, Monmouth Junction, NJ

We had a terrific experience at One South Steakhouse, located in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey. We were all in the mood for a relaxing evening so we decided to give this place a try. Boy, we picked a good place for sure. It was a Sunday night, so it wasn’t as crowded …perfect for us!

The atmosphere at One South is very pleasant with a rustic yet elegant twist. There is also a Tiki Bar outside which we heard gets really crowded and hopping during the warm weather months. It was a wee bit chilly the evening we went, so we couldn’t try it out. The staff was really friendly and seated us immediately when they saw our hungry faces. As we walked to our table and looked around, we could see how all of the patrons enjoy this restaurant.

Our server for the evening was Naomi. She greeted us with a huge smile and made us feel right at home. Naomi was professional, warm and very knowledgeable about the menu, even though she was a pretty new server at One South. She does however, have a vast amount of experience at other restaurants, which really showed. She was right on target with all of her recommendations; which is a good sign of a seasoned professional. (We went to One South again and had Shelly as our server and she helped reinforce our last experience at One South, as she was so friendly and accommodating! We highly recommend Shelly, too!)

Their menu is full of terrific items to choose from. For starters, they have many appetizers, soups and salads. For the main course, there are hamburgers, steaks, chops and seafood dishes. There are several delicious Mexican selections as well, and we know they are delicious first hand.

To start our evening of decadence, Ren and I ordered Grey Goose Martinis with a twist of lime. Oh wow, these martinis were delicious and big!! Pure nirvana. For appetizers, we decided on a couple of Mexican treats. The first was the Fresh House Recipe Guacamole. Oh my goodness, it was a nice healthy size and made with fresh avocados. It was creamy and full of flavor. The tortilla chips were fresh and tasty with a perfect crunch. The second appetizer was the Quesadilla, stuffed with cheese and steak with sour cream and pico de gallo. It was incredible. It was huge and delicious. Wow!

For dinner, Ria ordered the Steak Fajitas. They were awesome. The steak was tender and perfectly seasoned. She thoroughly enjoyed her spread of Fajitas.

Ren and I decided to try their cheeseburgers. Naomi told us that the meat at One South was excellent and she was right. We ordered two Bacon Cheeseburgers with cheddar cheese and grilled onions,prepared medium rare. We ordered creamed spinach as our side instead of French fries. When we took our first look at these cheeseburgers, our eyes lit up. When we sunk our teeth into them, they practically rolled back into our heads. LOL. They were unbelievable! The bun was dreamy and the beef was so fresh and tasty. We savored every bite.

Naomi was excellent and we really enjoyed chatting with her, which really enhanced our experience at One South. We came here with the intention of having a relaxing evening and it came true. There are many items to choose from and the food is delicious! We look forward to heading over to One South one day again soon.

Grey Goose Martinis

Fresh House Recipe Guacamole

Quesadilla

Steak Fajitas

Cheeseburger

One South, Monmouth Junction, NJ

One South, Monmouth Junction, NJ

Check out One South Steakhouse’s website for more information:
http://www.onesouthsteakhouse.com

Be sure when you visit One South Steakhouse in Monmouth Junction, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Please leave your comments below using Disqus Comments!

Bocca di Bacco, New York, NY

We were most fortunate to dine at Bocca di Bacco located in the Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan, NY.  It is a totally awesome Italian Wine Bar with a great atmosphere, great staff and totally wonderful food. The icing on the cake is that this little gem of a restaurant has reasonable prices – in NYC!!! How can you beat that!

The appearance of Bocca di Bacco is very unpretentious, with simple rustic furnishings. The staff is friendly and very attentive, including our server for the evening, Mark. He really was awesome with a great personality, warmth and attention to our needs. The restaurant has an excellent wine list with a bevvy of wines from all over the globe. We chose an excellent Damiano Ciolli 2006 Silene Olevano Romano Cesanese. It was a delicious Italian white wine that was light yet full of body and flavor.

When we saw the menu, we were overwhelmed by all of the tantalizing items to choose from. For appetizers, we ordered two orders of the Polpette Al Pomodoro, which were  classic meatballs in chunky tomato sauce. They were soft and bursting with flavor. Ren and I ordered the Zuppa di Cipolle (Classic Onion Soup). The onion soup goes right on our list of Must Eats.  Their onion soup is vegetable based and has a light creamy texture to it. The cheese, the onions, the broth all come together into a delicate work of art for the tongue. This soup is definitely unique!!!

As if the appetizers weren’t terrific enough, all of our dinner entrees were supreme. Ria ordered the Costa di Manzo Brasata (Slowly Braised Short Ribs), served with mashed potatoes instead of stewed cabbage. Ria was delighted when she sunk her teeth into these short ribs. The texture was perfect and the taste was phenomenal. The mashed potatoes were creamy and fluffy.  We were so fortunate to be able to lend Ria a hand in eating her meal. Oh man, they were wonderful.

Ren and I ordered two entrees and shared them. The first was the Tagliata al Tagliere (Grilled Angus Sirloin Steak), served with mashed potatoes with a barolo wine reduction. The steak was out of this world and perfectly prepared medium rare. The quality of the meat was outstanding and the flavor was delicious. The mashed potatoes were just like the ones we make at home- wonderful!

Our second entree was the Costoletta di Maiale (16 oz. Pork Chop) served with caramelized vegetables and potatoes. Unbelievable!  The pork chop was huge, juicy and to-die-for. The vegetables were tender and succulent.  It truly was hard to decide which entree out of the three of them was our favorite.  I think it will need to be a tradition to order all three and share them!

We really can’t say enough about the perfect experience we had at Bocca di Bacco.  From the moment we stepped in, we felt pampered and in good hands.  The food is wonderful; the prices are excellent.  If you want wonderful food with great value, this is the place for you.  We are all looking forward to dining at Bocca di Bacco again very soon.

Zuppa di Cipolle

Costa di Manzo Brasata

Tagliata al Tagliere

Costoletta di Maiale

Make a reservation today for Bocca di Bacco, Hell’s Kitchen, NY, NY, using Open Table.

Check out Bocca di Bacco‘s website for more information:
http://www.boccadibacconyc.com

Be sure when you visit Bocca di Bacco in Hell’s Kitchen, NY, NY that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Bocca di Bacco, Interior, New York, NY

Please leave your comments below using Disqus Comments!

Chimney Rock Inn, Bridgewater, NJ

A few days ago we had a great dinner at Chimney Rock Inn, located in Bridgewater Township NJ. We had heard great things about this place and about the good value, so we decided to do a review. It was a Saturday night, so we did have a 45 minute wait.  Be prepared to stand and wait on a busy night, because unfortunately, there are no seats to sit on as you wait. There is plenty of parking which is a big plus, however, as they can get very crowded.

Chimney Rock Inn is a great place for everyone to enjoy. It has a menu full of many heart warming selections for the very young all the way to the most mature tastes. There is a full bar, full of reasonably priced libations and wine. It’s great how you can order a “liter” of wine served in a carafe.

There are many great appetizers to choose from, along with their famous pizza (which we did not get to try yet), sandwiches and full entrees. We were seated by a friendly hostess and sat near the bar.  It really was a lot of fun, surrounded by many smiling hungry faces.  Our server for the evening was John.  We described him as peaceful and friendly.  We would definitely like to have John serve us again.  He was excellent.

We ordered the Fried Calamari for an appetizer. We were starving already, so this was an excellent choice.  The breading and texture were great and the red sauce was the perfect compliment to the calamari.

We made it easy on John by all ordering the same entree for dinner; the Chimney Rack Ribs. We ordered them with French Onion Soup as our side, which was great. It could have had more onions though, but it did have a good taste and a good amount of gooey cheese melted on top.  The ribs were delicious.  They were extra meaty, soft and had an excellent rich texture. We ordered one with mashed potatoes and two with sauteed spinach as the vegetable. They were all tasty and yummy to the tummy.

Our experience at Chimney Rock Inn was really great. The prices, the service, the food and the whole mood of the restaurant were terrific. It was definitely a heart warming time.  We do recommend Chimney Rock Inn for a good time and good food. One can see how popular CRI is because of the large crowds it attracts.

Fried Calamari

French Onion Soup

Chimney Rack Ribs

Check out Chimney Rock Inn’s website for more information:

http://www.chimneyrockinn.com

Be sure when you visit Chimney Rock Inn in Bridgewater Township, NJ that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Chimney Rock Inn, Interior, Bridgewater, NJ

Please leave your comments below using Disqus Comments!

The Squirt: Classy and Sophisticated Seafood with Superb Presentation
Must Eats: Wild Pacific Shrimp
Prices: Expensive

Water Grill, Interior, Los Angeles, CA

The Host and staff are professional and courteous and pay close attention to the needs of their patrons. The menu of Water Grill ranges from an extensive raw bar selection to shellfish, sashimi and fresh fish selections.

Our server for the evening was John.  He was very pleasant, accommodating and had a great sense of humor. We had fun each dishing out some humor.

The preparation of every item on Water Grill’s menu is exquisite with attention to detail and presentation.  For appetizers, Ren and I ordered two and shared them.  Our first was 1/2 pound of Wild Jumbo Pacific Shrimp. When they say “Jumbo” they mean jumbo!.  The presentation was awesome.  The shrimp come arranged nicely on a bed of fresh crushed ice and lightly seasoned.  The taste of their shrimp is phenomenal and the texture is perfect. The cocktail sauce is freshly made and delicious as well. Our second appetizer was the Australian Hamachi Sashimi. It consisted of Yuzu, red radish, Asian pear and shiso. Again, the presentation was terrific and the taste was supreme.

For dinner, we ordered the Line Caught Morro Bay Swordfish. It was seared and served with Sicilian puttanesca, pepperoncini orzo and grilled zucchini. We really liked the presentation of the swordfish.  There were two medallions of swordfish that resembled two boneless pork chops. The taste and texture of the swordfish was superb.  It was cooked to perfection and the orzo was also delicious. The orzo seemed like it was quickly pan fried in olive oil because of its slight toastiness. We really enjoyed it.  The puttanesca sauce added a great little zip the the fish.

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Water Grill.  The atmosphere, service and food are wonderful. Be prepared to have a costly meal, however, because the menu selections are pricey and the portions can leave you a wee bit hungry afterward.

Wild Jumbo Pacific Shrimp

Austrailian Hamachi Sashimi

Line Caught Morro Bay Swordfish

Water Grill Desserts

Make a reservation today for Water Grill, Los Angeles, using Open Table.

Check out Water Grill’s website for more information:

http://www.watergrill.com/

Be sure when you visit Water Grill in Los Angeles, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Please leave your comments below using Disqus Comments!

Water Grill, Los Angeles, CA

The Squirt: Amazing Food in a Chic Hollywood Atmosphere
Must Eats: Eva’s Avocado Guacamole, Shrimp & Chorizo Flatbread, Chili Rubbed Skirt Steak
Prices: Expensive

Beso, Interior, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA

We had an awesome experience at Beso in Hollywood, California. Beso is brought to us by Actress Eva Langoria and Chef Todd English and located right on Hollywood Boulevard. When Ren and I arrived, in the pouring rain, (Yes, it was pouring rain in Sunny Southern California) the valet attendants were extremely accommodating. The host was friendly and attentive as well and took us right away to our table. One could see he is used to seating many other celebrities besides the infamous Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com (hee hee).

One thing that strikes you as soon as you walk inside is the spectacular atmosphere. There are high ceilings, long sparkling chandeliers, and sensuous lighting. It’s definitely high style, chic and romantic. Upstairs is Kiss Nightclub if you are in the mood for dancing with the Hollywood crowd.

We sat at a really cool curved booth, which gave us a wonderful view of the entire restaurant. Our server, William, greeted us right away and made us feel relaxed and right at home. The menu of Beso is unique, combining traditional Steakhouse cuisine with Latin inspiration. The menu is not huge but it has a really awesome assortment of delectable goodies bursting with flavor. Flavor is a key element in all of their menu items.

To accompany our dinner, we chose a delicious Malbec wine. It was full bodied yet smooth and It matched our food selections perfectly.

We ordered two appetizers to share. The first was Eva’s Avocado Guacamole served with homemade tortilla chips. Her guacamole was dee-licious! It was full flavored and ultra creamy and tasted oh so good on the tortilla chips. Our second appetizer was even more amazing. It was the Shrimp and Chorizo Flatbread with manchego cheese, harissa, cream fraiche and scallion. Oh man, when we sunk our teeth into it, our eyes really lit up. For those of you who haven’t heard of “harissa” it is a hot red pepper paste used in North African cooking. It really added an unbelievable sparkle to this dish. Our two appetizers made it right to our Must Eats.

For dinner, we chose two and shared between the both of us. William was nice to bring serving plates for us so it would be easy to share. Our first entree was the Chili Rubbed Skirt Steak, prepared rare and served with tortilla fattoush. If you are in the mood for truly tender steak bursting with flavor, this is an excellent choice. After one touch on our tongues, this was an instant hit. The flavor was outstanding and will warm your heart as you eat it.

Our second entree was the 14 oz. Sirloin, prepared medium rare with a trio of sauces (Cabrales Crema, Beso BBQ, & Chimmichurri) on the side for dipping. This was indeed another great choice. The flavor was fantastic and our favorite sauce was the Beso BBQ sauce. It added a delicate smokey flavor to the tender meat. To add to our meal, we ordered the delicious Veracruz Corn and Harissa Potatoes.

Our experience at Beso was one to remember. The atmosphere, the service and the totally awesome food really made it wonderful. We can’t wait to go there again. Perhaps, next year at Oscar time again. LOL.

Beso has another location, Las Vegas, so will definitely be going to Beso again in the next time we do Las Vegas!

Eva's Avocado Guacamole

Shrimp & Chorizo Flatbread

14 oz. Sirloin

Chili Rubbed Skirt Steak

Make a reservation today for Beso, Hollywood, using Open Table.

Check out Beso‘s website for more information:

http://besohollywood.com/

Be sure when you visit Beso in Los Angeles, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Please leave your comments below using Disqus Comments!

Beso, Hollywood, Interior

The Squirt: Amazing Comfort Food, Warm Atmosphere, Great Prices
Must Eats: Wagyu Kobe Burger, Engine Co. Meatloaf, Braised Lamb Shank
Prices: Moderate

Engine Co. No. 28, Los Angeles, CA

We had a simply memorable meal at Engine Co. No 28, located in Los Angeles, California. The restaurant resides in a restored 1912 Firehouse which adds to its charm.

When we arrived, we were immediately greeted by the super friendly staff. They led us, with a smile, to the table of our choice. Right from the beginning, we knew we would be taken care of. That is a strong feeling you get right from the start at Engine Co No 28.

Our server for the evening was Jose. He was the ultimate server. Right from the beginning, he was friendly, attentive and considerate of our needs. He was also very warm and down to earth, which are characteristics that are very inherent in this restaurant.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is terrific. The ceiling is really high, and the decor is warm and inviting. Their menu is full of comfort food….and Man oh Man, it definitely gives you comfort.

Appetizer lovers will have a field day with the long list of tempting appetizers, soups and chili. Continuing beyond that, there is a lengthy selection of salads, sandwiches, pastas and dinner entrees. It really takes a while to work through the menu and the vivid descriptions of each item. The prices are surprisingly reasonable.

Ren and I were totally in the mood for some comfort, so instead of ordering a traditional appetizer, we decided to split one of their entrees as our appetizer. Our choice was the Wagyu Kobe Burger with smoked gouda that was featured on the Specials Menu. We ordered it cooked medium rare and it was right on the money. They were nice to cut it in half for us to share as an appetizer. It was served on a soft delicious bun that melted in our mouths along with the simply delicious Kobe beef. It was sheer amazing! The taste, the texture and the flavor- all fabulous! The smoked Gouda added a wonderful addition to the meat without detracting from it. The burger was served with a garlic mayonnaise. Oh wow! I was so tempted to just take my spoon and eat it all up. Lol.

We told Jose that we were going to share everything, so he took charge and presented all of our items to us as individual “courses”. They were indeed three totally wonderful decadent courses!

Our next course was the Engine Co. Meatloaf. OMG! The meatloaf was just as amazing as our burger. It was served with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach with garlic. Oh Man! When we say this meatloaf was amazing, we mean it! The piece was big and thick and bursting with flavor. This was true comfort food to the max. The meatloaf was zesty, with fresh ground beef, a hint of ground pork, savory spices and roasted peppers all meshed together into a tasty masterpiece. The mashed potatoes were indeed delicious- light and fluffy. The spinach was both delicate and robust at the same time.

Now, on to course number 3 – the Braised Lamb Shank. Wow! We were served two hungry man sized lamb shanks, both nicely arranged on top of pappardelle noodles. Our eyes were very pleasantly surprised when this arrived. We couldn’t wait to sink our teeth into these shanks. The meat was outstanding. It was tender, full of flavor and fell right off the bone. All we had to do is look at it and it succumbed to our carnal thoughts. It was totally delicious!

Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Engine Co. No 28. Jose and all of the other staff were awesome. Their service was top shelf and the atmosphere added to their warmth. The food was outrageously delicious. It is definitely a place to go to for heart warming goodness and value. We highly recommend Engine Co. No 28. This restaurant has quickly joined several other of our top favorite restaurants in Los Angeles.

Wagyu Kobe Burger

Engine Co. Meatloaf

Braised Lamb Shank

Make a reservation today for Engine Co. No. 28 using Open Table.

Check out Engine Co. No. 28‘s website for more information:
http://www.engineco.com/

Be sure when you visit Engine Co. No. 28 in Los Angeles, CA or any of their locations across the US, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Please leave your comments below using Disqus Comments!

Engine Co. No. 28, Los Angeles, CA

The Squirt: Upscale and elegant with truly outstanding gourmet Mexican food
Must Eats: Guacamole en Molcajete; Tablones, Alambre a la Mexicana
Prices: Moderate

Rosa Mexicano, Interior

The other day, we had a simply amazing dinner at Rosa Mexicano at LA Live in Los Angeles, California.  Rosa Mexicano is one of our favorite Mexican Restaurants that we like to frequent whenever we can.  We’ve been to a couple of their other locations – New York and Washington DC and every one of them is wonderful. This location is within the fairly new LA Live area in downtown Los Angeles which features several other eating establishments as well.

The atmosphere of Rosa Mexicano is really elegant and upscale.  It’s very stylish and features some really authentic Mexican artwork and accents. The atmosphere combines with the food to create a wonderful experience. Our server for the evening was Matt. He was polite and really professional. He always made sure we were well taken care of and made sure everything was prepared to our liking.

Ren and I ordered a wonderful full bodied Malbec from Argentina.  It was reasonably priced, yet delicious and smooth. Just the way we like it.  For our appetizer, we ordered the Guacamole en Molcajete, which is prepared right in front of you with all fresh ingredients. The preparation of guacamole is always fun to watch. It also makes our mouths water as we watch the merging of so many fresh savory ingredients. Mmmm.  Their guacamole come with a heaping basket of delicious tortilla chips and a cute little container of tiny fresh soft corn tortillas that taste simply wonderful with heaping amounts of the fresh guacamole.  We were also served a few wonderful dipping salsas, that were the perfect accompaniment to the salsa, as you can lightly drizzle the salsa onto your guacamole and tortillas.  Totally amazing!

Guacamole en Molcajete

Alambre a la Mexicana

Tablones

Rosa Mexicano

Make a reservation today for Rosa Mexicano using Open Table

Check out Rosa Mexicano‘s website for more information:
http://www.rosamexicano.com/

Be sure when you visit Rosa Mexicano in Los Angeles, CA or any of their locations across the US, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Please leave your comments below using Disqus Comments!

Rosa Mexicano, Los Angeles, CA

The Squirt: Small, stylish and relaxed with excellent drinks and exceptional entrees
Must Eats:  Risotto Croquettes, Double Cut Pork Chop, Char Grilled Strip Steak
Prices: Moderate to Expensive Food Entrees; Expensive Drinks

One 53, Rocky Hill, NJ

The other night, we went to One 53, located in Rocky Hill, NJ. We’d gone by this place many times before and finally had the opportunity to experience it.  It has always looked really inviting from the outside and one can see that it is popular.  We’re so glad we gave it a try. It is a small building with great large windows that allow you to see the stylish interior and the patrons enjoying their experiences there.  There is a small parking lot located in the rear of the building, and you don’t have to walk far to enter the restaurant from the parking lot.

After walking up the steps and entering the restaurant, you immediately see large drapes which you draw open and step right into the full bar area of the restaurant and the host stand. The bar area is lively and very popular among the locals.  After turning around the corner, you see the rest of the restaurant, which is stylish and tasteful with nice furnishings. After being seated, we spent a few minutes absorbing the atmosphere and enjoying the relaxed feel of One 53.

The wine list is excellent and they offer a full drink menu to one’s hearts content. Our server for the evening was Leah.  She was polished, professional and courteous. To start off our experience we chose two Grey Goose martinis with a twist of lime.  Though they were pricey, our martinis were top notch.  (A pic of them even made it to our home page!) They were served in large crystal clear martini glasses with true “twists” of lime. Mmmm good and definitely top shelf in our book. Oooh La La…

For the table we were served a couple types of delicious bread to snack on before appetizers and also a totally wonderful olive oil with white bean puree for dipping.  Lucky for us, we had spoons so I could finish every drop, including seconds. Lol.

To start off our feast, we ordered three appetizers. Ria ordered Macaroni and Cheese which came topped with bread crumbs and served in a ramekin. She loved it. Ren and I ordered two appetizers: Escargot en Croute and Risotto Croquettes.  The escargot were served encased in a delicate pastry and drizzled in a very tasty lemony butter.  They were delicious! The Risotto Croquettes were made with arborio rice and stuffed with sausage and cheese. They were awesome!

For dinner, Ria ordered the Double Cut Pork Chop served with mashed potatoes with celery root and a small mixed salad tossed in a light vinaigrette. The pork was perfectly prepared and very sizeable. Delicious!  The mashed potatoes were excellent as well and the salad was the perfect addition to her meal.  Ren and I both ordered the Char Grilled Strip Steak, one with French fries and one with the mashed potatoes.  Both were served with a small mixed salad as well.  The steak was topped with a spicey pepper butter which added the perfect kick to the flavor. The steak was wonderful and tasty.  The french fries were totally yummy. Oui Oui!

We all ordered desserts that evening. Yes, Ren and I actually cave in to dessert!  Ria ordered Vanilla Ice Cream topped with cooked apples and cinnamon which she really enjoyed.  Ren and I ordered a dessert to share – Blood Orange Sorbet topped with fresh whipped cream. OMG, we really enjoyed our sorbet and finished it in no time flat.

Needless to say, we all thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at One 53. It really is a great place, the atmosphere and ambiance are excellent and the food is outstanding. We did spend a good amount of money that evening, but it was definitely worth it. Leah was terrific and we also had a great time talking with one of the other employees, Augusto.  They both helped to make our experience one to remember.  We will definitely go there again.

Macaroni & Cheese

Escargot en Croute

Double Cut Pork Chop

Char Grilled Strip Steak

Blood Orange Sorbet

Make a reservation today for One 53 using Open Table

Check out One 53‘s website for more information:
http://www.one53nj.com/

Be sure when you visit One 53 in Rocky Hill, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Please leave your comments below using our Disqus Comments!

One 53, Interior, Rocky Hill, NJ

The Squirt: Very popular BYOB restaurant serving excellent Italian food and other grilled specialties.
Must Eats: Fried Shoe String Zucchini, Stuffed Veal Chop Entree
Prices: Moderate

LouCás, Edison, NJ

This past Saturday evening we went to LouCás Restaurant located in Edison, NJ. We made reservations a week earlier which we strongly recommend to do if you want to eat on a Friday or Saturday evening. The first thing we noticed when we entered was that the restaurant was packed, which showed how popular it is. LouCas has several dining rooms and additional seating downstairs in the basement for banquets. The decor is pleasant and inviting.

One thing that stood out to us was the noise level.  Granted, it was a Saturday night and it was packed, but it was unusually loud, even with that in mind. It was hard to hear ourselves speak and we did have a lingering hum in our ears after we left the restaurant. Next time we will go on a week night or a Sunday evening. Maybe there is something the owners can do or install in order to absorb some of the noise.

Our server for the evening was Mike.  He was great  Even with the restaurant being extremely busy and noisy, he was pleasant and very accommodating with us.

Being that LouCás is a BYOB, we brought an excellent French white wine to accompany our dinner. As we sat, we were able to see all of the wonderful looking entrees go by and sizable portions to boot. LouCas has an excellent menu, full of many appetizers, salads, pasta, traditional Italian dishes along with steaks, chops and seafood.  The menu is extensive and overwhelming in a good way of course. We will have to go there many more times so we can try more of them.

It did take us a while to decide on what we were going to order but Mike never rushed us the entire time; which we appreciated.  That is a characteristic we look for in a server.

Ria ordered the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail as an appetizer.  She was served three huge succulent shrimp and a very tasty cocktail sauce.  Ria gave us one of her shrimp and we were very pleased at how fresh and tasty the shrimp was. We were also served a basket of totally yummy bread which had a warm soft yellow interior and crusty golden brown crust with sesame seeds.  Topping the bread with a nice dollop of their light whipped butter made it totally addictive.

Ren and I ordered the Fried Shoe String Zucchini appetizer which we gobbled up in no time.  The zucchini was so delicate and so tasty. We were amazed at how delicious it was. The zucchini is a definite must eat.  Totally awesome!

For dinner, Ria was in the mood for lamb, so she ordered the Grilled Baby Lamb Chops, prepared medium well. She ordered them with garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach and garlic. The lamb chops were very tender and flavorful.  The mashed potatoes and spinach were the perfect accompaniments to the lamb.

Ren and I wanted to try two items tonight and share them. One was Veal Parmigiana, served with sauteed spinach and garlic instead of pasta. It was very tasty and had a great taste. Next time, though, we would go back to our usual Chicken Parmigiana tradition. Our second entree was our favorite- the Stuffed Veal Chop which was one of the dinner specials.  It was totally amazing and HUGE.  It was a really large veal chop, stuffed with peppers, prosciutto and cheese and lightly breaded. It was PERFECT!  We still can’t stop thinking of it!

For dessert, Ria ordered the white and dark chocolate mousse dessert.  It was rich, yet very light- a perfect ending to her meal.

Our meal at LouCás was totally delicious and definitely impressed us. It lived up to all of the recommendations that we had received to try LouCás. The servings are large and definitely a good value. The taste of their food is top notch and the service is terrific. Due to the high noise level, however, we will choose a less busy evenings to dine there. Maybe LouCás can install some sound proofing devices or just tell their patrons to keep their voices down. We certainly were tempted to!  Lol

Shrimp Cocktail

Fried Shoe String Zucchini

Grilled Baby Lamb Chops

Veal Parmigiana

Stuffed Veal Chop

Check out LouCás’ website for more information:

http://www.loucasrestaurant.com/

Be sure when you visit LouCás in Edison, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

LouCás, Edison, NJ

The Squirt: Excellent BYOB for Delicious Grilled Steaks, Chops and Seafood
Must Eats: Rock Shrimp Arrabiata; Chilean Sea Bass; Double-cut Swordfish Steak
Prices: Moderate

Fresco, Milltown, NJ

The other day, we went to Fresco Steak and Seafood Grill located in Milltown, NJ. We’ve had really great experiences there in the past, and decided to do a review on them.  Our experience there the other night was really wonderful.

Fresco has three dining rooms. All three of them are nice, however, the newest dining room is the nicest; having a warmer wall color and dimmer lighting.  It makes that room more intimate and enhances the mood.  We were told that they will be remodeling the first two dining rooms to be similar to the newest and more intimate one. We look forward to seeing the renovations.

Our server for the evening was Eman. She was excellent.  She was warm, friendly and had a smile the entire evening.  She really went out of her way to accommodate us and never rushed us.  Being that Fresco is a BYOB restaurant, we brought an excellent Sangiovese Red wine to accompany our meal.

Fresco has an excellent menu full of delicious selections ranging from soups, appetizers and salads to meat and seafood selections. They also have an extensive list of specials which round out the menu selection.  For the fish lovers out there, Fresco does a great job in preparing their fish entrees. My all time favorite fish dish at Fresco is their double cut Swordfish steak, which they happened to be out of that evening. Big Sad Face!  Eman broke the sad news very gently though.

For an appetizer, Ria ordered Split Pea Soup which she thoroughly enjoyed, We also ordered a wonderful appetizer special; Rock Shrimp Arrabiata in a totally amazing lemon butter sauce that was truly amazing.  Eman recommended that we try it and she was right on target. We were also served delicious bread which had a delicious crust and a soft interior.  We actually couldn’t stop eating it. Eman then brought over a batch of fresh olive oil with herbs and fresh diced garlic.  We were doomed at that point.  Truly amazing!

For dinner, Ria ordered the Grilled Baby Lamb Chops prepared medium well.  The portion of lamb was sizeable and perfectly seasoned.  Ria ordered them with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach with garlic.  The lamb was so delicious and tender.  Wow!

Being that Fresco was out of the Swordfish, Ren and I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass prepared in the same way as the Swordfish is usually prepared. It was grilled ever so delicately and served with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach with a lot of garlic.  Mmmm. The fish still came with the usual roasted potatoes but Eman brought the mashed potatoes on the side. The Sea Bass was totally delicious and flaky. Definitely a must eat..along with the Swordfish.

For dessert, Ria had the fresh fruit with a heaping dollop of fresh whipped cream. The berries were fresh and the whipped cream was delicious.

To sum up our evening, we all had a wonderful time at Fresco. Sunday evening was the perfect evening to eat there. It was relaxing and the restaurant was not overly crowded. Eman really helped to make the experience fun and enjoyable. Every time we have eaten at Fresco, the food has been scrumptious.  We highly recommend Fresco and look forward to eating there again.

Our next review will be on LouCás which is owned by the same owners in Edison, New Jersey. Stay tuned.

Rock Shrimp Arrabiata

Grilled Baby Lamb Chops

Chilean Sea Bass

Fresh Fruit

Check out Fresco Steak & Seafood Grill’s website for more information:

http://www.restaurantfresco.com/

Be sure when you visit Fresco Steak & Seafood Grill in Milltown, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Fresco, Interior, Milltown, NJ

Chianti, Ferraro's, Westfield, NJ

The other night, Ren, Ria and I went out for a terrific dinner with our long time friends, Bernie, Christina and Corinne.  We ate at Ferraro’s in downtown Westfield, NJ, their home town. Ferraro’s is a casual yet tasteful Italian restaurant that offers a nice selection of Italian dishes. Over the years, the space of Ferraro’s has grown and now encompasses a large space. It actually surprised us when we saw how much the restaurant had grown since the last time we walked by there.  There are a few different entrances to Ferraro’s, each taking you to a different atmosphere.  One entrance takes you to the lounge / bar area, which has a really sophisticated relaxing atmosphere. The next one takes you into the casual dining room where you can order from the full menu and also order pizza. The last entrance leads you right into the elegant dining room when you are in the mood for a fine dining experience.  Depending on your mood for the evening, you can choose any one of them and you can walk from one to another with ease.

The menu at Ferraro’s includes all of the traditional Italian entree selections including  lasagna, pasta, meat and fish dishes. In addition, there is a wide selection of appetizers, salads, pizza and specials of the day. There is also a great wine menu with a good amount of reasonably priced wines. For the table we ordered a tasty Chianti Classico, Piccini which several of us thoroughly enjoyed.

Our server for the evening was Edison.  He was friendly, efficient and very pleasant. For dinner, Mom (aka Ria) ordered Shrimp Parmigiana, one of her staple dishes. It was served with sauteed spinach and mashed potatoes.  The shrimp was baked, not breaded and fried.  The flavor was excellent.  We know this first hand, because Ren and I each tried of piece of Mom’s shrimp and were very pleased.

Bernie ordered the Chicken Balsamico which came with a generous portion of pan seared chicken breast, chopped tomatoes, in white wine balsamic demiglaze. The chicken was served over seared spinach. We knew she thoroughly enjoyed her meal because she had a nice smile on her face as she was eating it.

Corinne ordered the Ferraro’s Salad which was a nice healthy sized portion of organic baby greens, fresh strawberries, goat cheese & sugar coated walnuts. She ordered the salad with grilled chicken on top which made it a filling meal for her. We could definitely tell that she really enjoyed her salad.

Christina, Ren and I all ordered the Chicken Francese and we were definitely were glad we did.  To our delight, we all received a generous portion of chicken in a really terrific Francese sauce. Having big appetites and being very hungry, being served big portions was very important to us. The chicken was tender and delicate in flavor. We ordered our chicken with a nice portion of mashed red potatoes and grilled vegetables.  In addition, we ordered a side of sauteed spinach with well done garlic.  Yummy!  We would definitely order the Chicken Francese again.

Our evening at Ferraro’s was really awesome.  We enjoyed a great meal with our close friends, excellent conversation and great service. The Host, James, was also very personable and welcoming.  He really had a great sense of humor which helped us to feel relaxed even as he was seating us. He also kept coming to our table to make sure we were content.  Thank you all for a great experience! We look forward to visiting Ferraro’s again.

Ferraro's Salad, Ferraro's, Westfield, NJ

Shrimp Parmigiana, Ferraro's, Westfield, NJ

Chicken Balsamico, Ferraro's, Westfield, NJ

Chicken Francese, Ferraro's, Westfield, NJ

Check out Ferraro’s website for more information:

http://www.ferrarosrestaurant.com/

Be sure when you visit Ferraro’s in Westfield, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Ferraro's, Westfield, NJ

The Squirt: Great Spanish/Portuguese restaurant with a friendly relaxed atmosphere.
Must Eats: Chorizos (Spanish Style) for appetizer; Baby Back Ribs for dinner
Prices: Moderate

Atlantic Manor, Odgensburg, NJ

We all had a terrific dinner at Atlantic Manor Restaurant located in Ogdensburg, NJ. The restaurant is a blend of Spanish, Portuguese and Brazilian Rodizio style menu selections. My mother, Ria, actually grew up in Ogdensburg, right down the street from the restaurant and even went to the School across the street! All of these years of visiting relatives and friends in Ogdensburg, we never found any real notable restaurants in Ogdensburg, and more often, no restaurants at all. It was truly a surprise when our friend, Barbara K., recommended that we try a new restaurant that had opened recently and looked nice from the window in Ogdensburg. Her son lives not too far from there. Thank you, Barbara for the tip.

The restaurant has a really cozy feel to it. Being that it was a frigid 7 degrees outside, we desperately needed to have a “cozy” experience. We arrived there late in the evening, at around 9:30 pm, and we were starving. When you walk into the restaurant, you walk right into the bar area. There are two large dining room areas beyond that. Darry was our host / server and immediately welcomed us and made us feel right at home. She could see the hunger in our eyes and our need to unwind. We had just attended a wake service for one of Ria’s cousins in Franklin, NJ, so we needed an uplifting experience.

Darry is a really down to earth, soothing and very accommodating server. We also met the restaurant owner, Carlos, and had a fun time chatting with the both of them about our trip to Portugal several months ago. Carlos grew up in Portugal and still lives part time over there.

Now for the really good part…the food! Atlantic Manor really has a great menu, full of very reasonably priced food selections. It was very pleasant to see such great foods and at great prices. We ordered a really great Portuguese Vino Verde (white) wine to accompany our meal. It was a great white wine also at a great price.

On the table, we were served a basket of soft delicious bread, flavorful olive oil and totally awesome olives. The olives put us right back in Portugal. Ahhh memories! They actually import their olives right from Portugal. For appetizers, we ordered the Shrimp Cocktail which was tender and excellent! We also also ordered the sliced Chorizos, Spanish Style. They were sliced, sauteed Spanish / Portuguese sausages. I grew up eating chorizos and they will always be one of my all-time favorite foods. They were so delicious and gave us that comfort food feeling. Wow!

All dinner entrees come with a bowl of the soup of the day, which was a White Bean and Escarole soup. It was really delicious and something we really needed to warm up. I actually finished mine and even moved on and helped Ren finish his. Lol.

For dinner, Ria ordered the full rack of Baby Back Ribs. Well, when her entree came we were really impressed by the presentation. They actually arranged the perfectly cooked ribs in the shape of a crown, almost like a crown roast. Placed in the center was a heaping pile of freshly fried French fries. Not only did Ria really enjoy her meal, we all did! There were enough ribs for Ren and me to help Mom eat them. Yummy!

Ren and I both ordered the Chilean Sea Bass for our dinner. We were extremely pleased with our selection. We were served a very generous portion of sea bass accompanied by Spanish Safron Rice and vegetables. The fish was prepared just right. It was flavorful, light and flaky with an excellent texture. The rice was tasty and went very well with the fish. We were pleasantly surprised by the excellent value of the Sea Bass entree. It was a large portion of a traditionally pricey fish, but at a reasonable price.

Our experience at Atlantic Manor was really what we needed. It was relaxing, the service and staff were terrific and the food was excellent. We definitely will go there again when we are in that area. We also promised Carlos, that we would bring our coffee table photo book of our pictures from Portugal to show him. He loves to see pictures and talk about his home country. Thank you, Darry and Carlos for a great evening.

Olives, Atlantic Manor, Odgensburg, NJ

Shrimp Cocktail, Atlantic Manor, Odgensburg, NJ

Chorizos (Spanish Style), Atlantic Manor, Odgensburg, NJ

Baby Back Ribs, Atlantic Manor, Odgensburg, NJ

Chilean Sea Bass, Atlantic Manor, Odgensburg, NJ

Check out Atlantic Manor’s website for more information:

http://www.atlanticmanorrestaurant.com/

Be sure when you visit Atlantic Manor in Ogdensburg, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Atlantic Manor, Interior, Odgensburg, NJ

The Squirt: Fantastic & friendly NY Steakhouse, that will make it a night to remember
Must Eat: French Onion Soup
Prices: Expensive

The Capital Grille, NYC

(Hello TwoSquirts fans! This is Ren! Roy usually takes care of the writing duties for our reviews, while I do photos/editing/posting of the reviews to the website. But since this review was for Roy’s Birthday, I thought I would surprise him again, and take care of writing this review, so Enjoy!)

For Roy’s Birthday this year, I surprised him (& Ria) with tickets to “Mamma Mia!”  We made a day out if it in NYC, and decided on The Capital Grille for the celebratory Birthday dinner.  We had always wanted to go there, and boy, were we glad we did! They really made it a special and scrumptious Birthday for Roy!

When we arrived, we had an inkling of how special they were going to make the evening, when the hostess asked which one of us was Roy, and wished him a Happy Birthday!  I had mentioned in the reservation on Open Table, and they not only noticed, but it seemed everyone there knew it was Roy’s Birthday and made sure to give him their well wishes! Nice!

We were then escorted to our table, and on the crisp white tablecloth, there was shiny Birthday confetti and a Birthday card from The Capital Grille! Wow! Now we knew for sure this was going to be an extra special dinner!  But the treats didn’t stop there! Our server, Sonny, came over and introduced himself, and not only wished Roy a Happy Birthday, but also brought over a complimentary champagne toast for all three of us!

Sonny was a delight, and was so knowledgeable on the entire menu, and really helped us to make our selections.  He also did some nice finishing touches to make Roy’s Birthday even MORE special – but more on that later. You all want to hear about the food, I’m sure!

We made our wine selection for the evening, a delicious Conundrum Meritage, and Sonny brought over a delicious assortment of breads – including a super yummy crispy flat bread that was just what we needed to hold us over for our appetizers!  Since it was VERY cold out that day, and we had been walking around NYC, enjoying all the Christmas decorations, all three of us decided to warm up with some French Onion Soup.  This soup was soooooo yummy, I actually am finding it hard to find the words to describe it!  Each one was a huge crock, that had delicious gooey cheese draped over it, melted down the sides, and toasty brown on top! Deeeeeelish for sure! (And it really did the trick for warming us up!)

Following our warming up theme, Roy & I both ordered the Dry Aged Steak Au Poivre with Courvoisier Cream Sauce!  The sirloin was so flavorful and tender, and the peppercorns in the Au Poivre really did their job heating up our mouths!  It was my first time having a Courvoisier Cream Sauce, and boy, it did not disappoint!  Ria opted for one of the chef’s suggestions, and had the Seared Tenderloin with Butter Poached Lobster.  We had a taste of that too, and we can certainly vouch for it’s yumminess.  Oh yes!  We also had a side of Creamed Spinach, which is one of our favorites.  Let me tell you, the menu says it will have you “dreaming of seconds” – try thirds and fourths! Lol

Next, it was time for Sonny to add more to the specialness of the evening.  He brought over a digital camera and took our picture and then proceeded to come back, moments later, with a printed photo in a nice paper frame to commemorate the special evening! Again – Wow!  And then, as if The Capital Grille hadn’t already done so much to ensure a special evening, they brought over the yummiest Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake for Roy’s Birthday – again, on the house!!  It was full of dense, chocolaty goodness, a perfect wrap up to our meal!

The Capital Grille, really went above & beyond, to make it a very special Birthday dinner for Roy.  In addition to the food being excellent, the service was one of the friendliest we have experienced to date in an expensive restaurant!  To top off the evening, after dinner, we walked down the street to see “Mamma Mia!” for Roy’s birthday surprise!  Its a great show (especially from the third row!) and since it’s so close, you could make an evening out of both, like we did!  You will definitely have a great time at The Capital Grille!

French Onion Soup, The Capital Grille, NYC

Dry Aged Steak Au Poivre with Courvoisier Cream Sauce, The Capital Grille, NYC

Seared Tenderloin with Butter Poached Lobster, The Capital Grille, NYC

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake, The Capital Grille, NYC

Make a reservation today for The Capital Grille using Open table

Check out The Capital Grille‘s website for more information:
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com

Be sure when you visit The Capital Grille in New York, NY, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Birthday Greeting, The Capital Grille, NYC

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of our wonderful amazing Fans!

Thank you so much for all of your support of TwoSquirts.com

Be on the lookout for a review of The Capital Grille in NYC coming VERY soon!

We are truly thankful for each and every one of you!

Best Wishes,

Roy & Ren

A Merry TwoSquirts Christmas

Hi Everyone! This is Ren.

Today, December 11, is a VERY important day – it’s Roy’s Birthday!!!!!!

Please take a moment to wish Roy a super happiest of birthdays, using our comments below!

Happy Birthday to my Roy!

Happy Birthday Roy

Must Eat: Sweet Sausage with Broccoli Rabe and Large White Beans

Prices: Moderate

VIA 45, Red Bank, NJ

We had a really fantastic experience at Via 45, located in Red Bank, NJ. It was truly an experience characterizing our motto, “Good Food, Good People, Good Times”. Via 45 is a rustic BYOB Italian restaurant with a really relaxed, quaint and casual atmosphere. Our dinner was a really delicious family style dinner with several of our good friends that we definitely want to relive again sometime.  We had all attended an Art show that Via 45 hosted for our famous artist friend, Stephanie. There were 12 of us and we all sat very comfortably at a really cool wooden table in the center of the restaurant. It felt like we were in someone’s home in Tuscany and we felt right at home for sure. The entire time, we felt relaxed and never rushed and were able to take in the delicate intoxicating aromas of the food being prepared in the kitchen.

One can see how much pride the restaurant owners, Claudette and Lauren take in their restaurant and on their cooking and they do their best to make you feel pampered, content and well fed for sure. Their menu changes and is always based on fresh ingredients. Claudette is an Italian food chef, while Lauren is the pastry chef. Our server for the evening, was Kiera, who really added to the pleasantness of our Sunday dinner experience.

Our feast started off with a healthy serving of warm freshly baked breads and olive oil.  The bread was delicious!  We actually couldn’t stop eating the rolls. The first delicacy that we were served was Sweet Sausage with Broccoli Rabe and Large White Beans, sauteed with olive oil, garlic and white wine.  The taste was wonderful. It was fresh and bursting with flavor. The sausage was unbelievably amazing! The broccoli rabe was tender and not overpowering.  The white beans were tasty and full bodied and the size of large lima beans.  Yummy! This sensation made it to our Must Eat category.

We were then served a wonderful presentation of Fresh Mozzerella, Roasted Peppers and Sliced Artichoke Hearts. This was all delicately drizzled with sweet balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with freshly chopped basil. It was so pretty that we felt bad disrupting the presentation. The taste was wonderful and delicious.

Our next course was Tri-color Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce which was also tasty.  Now, if it had some of that wonderful sausage in it…oh man!

We were then served Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Red Onion…mmm good! Last but definitely not least, we were served Chicken which was sauteed with rosemary, lemon and white wine. This was outstanding! The chicken was tender and the lemon wine sauce really complimented it in a delicate way.

For dessert, we were served a multitude (and I do mean multitude! ) of warm freshly prepared desserts including: Chocolate Ridge Raspberry Brownie; Caramel Banana Bread Pudding; White Chocolate Creme Brulee; Dark Chocolate Creme Brulee; Warm Chocolate Cake with a White Chocolate Center; All Butter Pound Cake; and lastly, Banana with Chocolate Frangipane in Puff Pastry.  Wow!  What an assemblage of delights.  They were all yummy! Needless to say, Ren and I have been at the gym 24 hours a day every day since that dinner.  ;-)

To sum it all up, this experience was truly one to remember. It was like we all teleported to Italy for a sensational Sunday dinner. It was really so much fun and the food was truly exquisite.  We will definitely go to Via 45 again and we thank Claudette, Lauren and Kiera for a dinner to remember. Now, back to the gym to work off those desserts.

Sweet Sausage, Broccoli Rabe & White Beans

Roasted Peppers & Fresh Mozzarella

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Rosemary Chicken

Make a reservation today for Via 45 using OpenTable

Be sure when you visit Via 45 in Red Bank, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Various Desserts

The Squirt: Great place for truly delicious Italian food in an eclectic intimate atmosphere.
Must Eats: Very Garlic Bread; Lasagna; Pork Osso Bucco
Prices: Moderate to Expensive

Catherine Lombardi, New Brunswick, NJ

Ren and I had an exceptional dinner at Catherine Lombardi located in the Theatre District of New Brunswick, NJ. It is a wonderful Italian restaurant with a really eclectic, upscale and elegant atmosphere. The two cozy fireplaces add a real cozy intimate feel to one’s experience. There is plenty of stone, cream painted moldings and red accents to keep you visually occupied for a while upon entering. They offer various types of seating including sofas, chairs and curved booths with high backs. There is also a small bar area in addition to the large dining room. Catherine Lombardi is located on the second floor, above their other restaurant, Stage Left. At the front entrance, there is a friendly attendant to open the door for you. For those not wanting to ascend the long staircase up to the second level, there is an elevator available.

Our server for the evening, was Jane, but we were mainly served by Stephanie who was really fantastic.  Stephanie was very knowledgeable about the menu and offered her own helpful suggestions of menu items that we might enjoy. Thank you, Stephanie.  We were also greeted by and given excellent wine suggestions by Mark, the manager and resident wine expert. Catherine Lombardi has a really extensive wine list displayed in a thick binder, from reasonably priced to extremely expensive. Being that it was an extra special occasion for us, we did splurge on a pricey bottle of wine. We ordered the Cantalupo Ghemme for $75. Mark decanted it for us into a really nicely shaped crystal decanter. It was a totally wonderful rich red wine. Truly exceptional!

There were so many items on the menu that we wanted to try, but we did manage to make our selections. Ren and I didn’t order appetizers this evening.  Instead of an appetizer, we ordered the Lasagna with Meatballs and Sausage. The beef was actually small chunks of shredded beef with ground sausage nestled between ricotta and mozzerella cheeses. This lasagna was totally delicious. We definitely recommend that you try their lasagna and it is definitely a good choice for an appetizer to share.

We both ordered the Pork Osso Bucco, which was a wonderful recommendation by Stephanie. It was simply delicious. The meat was tender and fell of the bone with ease. It was placed on top of a totally yummy creamy polenta and topped with sauteed spinach.  Ren and I really enjoyed the polenta, which was the first time that Ren had ever tasted it.  It was also the first time that I actually liked polenta.  There are not many things that I don’t like, and polenta is one of them,  If it was always prepared this way, it would actually be on my hit list. To accompany our meals, we were served Italian bread along with really delicious olive oil.  We really have been having some extra great olive oil lately. We also ordered the Very Garlic Bread.  Oh man, their garlic bread is awesome.  There is plenty of fresh garlic and savory butter melted on small crispy pieces of Italian bread.  Wow!

Ren and I really had a wonderful time at Catherine Lombardi. Between our usual enjoyable conversation, expert service by Stephanie and Mark, the wonderful atmosphere and the marvelous meal, it was the perfect evening. We look forward to going to Catherine Lombardi again very soon. Perhaps we may be able to have Sunday Dinner there.

Update: We had such a nice time at Catherine Lombardi’s, we took Ria there for a special Christmas weekend dinner!  We had another great server, Mike, who it turns out, remembers up from Bensi, (which coincidentally was our very first review!) as well as Dierdre. This time, we ate practically the same yummy meal, we just topped it off with a delicious Dark Chocolate Martini (Thanks Dierdre!)  Mmm Mmm Good!

Cantalupo Ghemme

Very Garlic Bread

Pork Osso Bucco

Lasagna with Meatballs and Sausage

Make a reservation today for Catherine Lombardi using Open table

Check out Catherine Lombardi’s website for more information:
http://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Be sure when you visit Catherine Lombardi in New Brunswick, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Catherine Lombardi, New Brunswick, NJ

The Squirt: Three floors of elegant, yet casual, Italian Mediterranean dining.
Must Eat: Rustic Baked Lasagna
Prices: Moderate to Expensive

Tre Piani, Princeton, NJ

Tre Piani is located in the Princeton Forrestal Village in Princeton, New Jersey. It serves excellent Italian-Mediterranean cuisine. The atmosphere is causal elegant and has an open feeling dining room on the main level with high ceilings and other dining rooms on the 2nd and third levels. They are also excellent for parties for larger groups. I can verify for that, having attended a suprise birthday party at Tre Piani a few years ago. They have a great menu selection ranging from appetizers, salads, light entrees and pastas, all the way to excellent regular dinner entrees. They do have many fish selections, for fish lovers, as well as meat dishes.

Our server for the evening was Ashley, who was very pleasant, efficient and easy going.  She was also didn’t rush us to make up our minds on what we wanted to order.

Ren and I ordered an excellent Rizzi Barbera d’alba from Italy. It was a delicious red wine with a full rich flavor and an excellent finish. We were given some yummy Italian bread and olive oil for dipping.  We have to say that the olive oil was one of the best we’ve ever had.  It had a unique wonderful flavor to it.  We are going to search high and low for this olive oil so we can have it at home.  The bottle was even pretty and picture worthy.

For appetizers, we ordered an order of their famous Fried Local Calamari, which was tossed in an Italian sweet and sour sauce.  It really was great and had a really tasty flavor. We also ordered a Pizzette with four cheeses, pepperoni, spinach and ricotta cheese.  It was a very thing crusted pizza with a really wonderful flavor to the crust. It tasted a little smokey in flavor and was truly unique.  Yummy. Many times, we order a smaller entree for an appetizer so we can try a bit of everything.  It expands your dining capabilities.

For dinner, Ria ordered the Rustic Baked Lasagna, baked in a terra cotta pot with , four cheeses. bolognese sauce and béchamel sauce.  It was really delicious!  The béchamel adds a very rich flavor to the lasagna.

Ren and I were both in the mood for fish that evening.  We ordered the Swordfish skewers with safron risotto. The taste of the swordfish was phenomenal. It was so tender and had an essence of the smokiness that pizza crust had.  The risotto was really flavorful and moist and went very well with the fish.  There was a delicate white sauce drizzled on the plate that we were able to dip the fish in.  Very delicious! Molto squisito!

For dessert, Ria ordered the fresh fruit with home made whipped cream, which she gobbled up in no time.  ;-)

Needless to say, we enjoyed our meal at Tre Piani. The lively fresh atmosphere, terrific service from Ashley and delicious food all added to our excellent time that evening.  We look forward to dining at Tre Piani again.

Pizzette

Rustic Baked Lasagna

Swordfish Skewers

Make a reservation today for Tre Piani using Open table

Check out Tre Piani’s website for more information:
http://www.trepiani.com/

Be sure when you visit Tre Piani in Princeton, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Tre Piani, Princeton, NJ

3 West, Basking Ridge NJ

3 West is located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, an upscale picturesque community in Somerset County. We always enjoy exploring Somerset County at all times of the year.  Today, we ventured out for dinner at 3 West, which is located right next door to its brother restaurant, Ciao.  They are both part of the Harvest Restaurant Group which operates several wonderful upscale restaurants within the central-northern part of New Jersey. We have been to 3 West before and had an excellent experience there and today was just as terrific.

When you walk into 3 West, you immediately notice the atmosphere.  The restaurant is warm and inviting and there is a real wood-burning fireplace (two-sided) situated right in the middle of the restaurant, adding to its character. There is plenty of dark wood, brick and very artsy accents, which all combine to create a very classy feel to the restaurant. The bar area is large and quite impressive with high ceilings and plenty of seating surfaces to enjoy cocktails and wine.

The service at 3 West is always very professional and efficient, and the restaurant offers a wonderfully extensive wine list with many top-notch wines.  We have purchased several of the wines that we’ve enjoyed at Harvest Restaurant Group’s restaurants, after we have left there.  They are that excellent!

Our server for the evening was Adam, who was friendly and professional.  We ordered a totally excellent red wine blend from the Mendoza Region of Argentina for the evening, named Enamore. It was one of the best wines we have had- so smooth on the tongue and simply delicious.  Adam decanted the wine for us in a stylish bulbous wine decanter, which added to the wine experience. In case you are wondering which wines were part of the blend, they are: 60% Malbec, 23% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Syrah and 3% Bonarda.  This wine was truly exceptional and is definitely on our wine shopping list.

For appetizers, we all decided on salads. Ria ordered the Mixed Salad, while Ren and I ordered the Caesar Salad. I must say that the Caesar dressing was absolutely delicious.

For dinner, Ria ordered the Pan Seared Dayboat Scallops, served with Potato Gratin, instead of the Risotto that usually accompanies it. The scallops were delicious and the potatoes were excellent. Ren and I were both in the mood for steak that evening, so we both ordered the Char-Broiled 12 oz. New York Strip Steak, prepared medium rare.  It was served with Braised Spinach, Garlic Confit (yummy), Tempura Onion Rings and Potato Gratin.  The steak was perfectly prepared and rich in flavor. The onion rings were awesome and the potatoes were delicious.  Being that I am a garlic fiend, Ren gave me his share and I gobbled them up, single-handedly. Wow!

Our experience that night was really enjoyable and the food was truly delicious as always. Earlier in the day, when we were deciding on where to eat for dinner, we were craving a place with atmosphere. We immediately thought of 3 West, as it is in our list of top places with a warm upscale atmosphere.  When we made our reservation, we requested to be near the fireplace, and that really added to our warm and cozy experience.

We highly recommend 3 West, as well as Ciao next door. Harvest Restaurant Group really knows how to operate successful restaurants.  We are definitely looking forward to experiencing all of the others in their group. Look for a future review of Ciao.

Enamore, Mendoza, Argentina

Pan Seared Dayboat Scallops

12oz NY Strip Steak

Check out 3 West’s website for more information:

http://3westrest.com/
http://www.harvestrestaurants.com/

Be sure when you visit 3 West in Basking Ridge, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

3 West, Basking Ridge NJ

The Squirt:  Great BYOB restaurant for excellent authentic Greek food.
Must Eat: Arni Souvlas; Beefteki
Prices: Moderate

Pithari Taverna, Highland Park, NJ

Ren and I went for Greek food at Pithari Taverna with our good friends, Stephanie and Dina.  Ren had never had Greek food before and this was the perfect time to have him try it. Pithari is a really excellent authentic BYOB Greek restaurant located in Highland Park, NJ. It has a really excellent atmosphere which makes you feel like you’ve stepped right into Greece. We picked a Friday night, which is a busy night at Pithari and kind of loud but it was a really great experience anyway.  The tables are close together so it was great that we had good table neighbors, Ron and Brian.  They were a lot of fun and it was enjoyable sitting next to them.

We were starving, as usual, and started with appetizers.  Before they came, we were brought a nice assemblage of Greek Olives which were delicious.  We were also brought some fresh pita to snack on as we waitied for our appetizers. We ordered three appetizers: Hummus, Kalamari Tiganito (Fried Calamari) and Tigania Hirino tou Merakli. The hummus was really good and zesty.  The fried calamari was delicious and tender and came with a great red dipping sauce.  The Tigania Hirino Tou was our favorite.  It was roast pork, pan fried in olive oil and red wine.  It was outstanding and so very tender.

We ordered four different entrees.  One was the Red Snapper Filetto, which was filet of red snapper char-broiled in red wine and cinnamon.  It was a really great portion, the sauce was bursting with flavor and the fish was perfectly prepared.  The snapper was served with sauteed dandelion greens which were really tasty.

The next entree was the Lamb Souvlaki Platter.  It was served with tzatziki, lettuce, tomoatoes, onions and dandelion greens and fresh pita.  It was very good.

The third entree was Arni Souvlas, which was skewered lamb chunks, served with lemon potatoes. The meat was tender and moist and full of flavor. Absolutely delicious!  The potatoes were really tasty with a very light lemony twist to them.  We would defiinitely order this entree again next time.

Lastly, but equally as wonderful, was the Beefteki, a Greek hamburger steak.  They describe it as the “most delicious on earth”. We haven’t tried every Greek hamburger on this earth, but this one was absolutely amazing.  It was soft, bursting with flavor and remarkable.  This was served with Greek fried potatoes. These potatoes are so full of flavor and addictive.  Amazing!

Our friends ordered the traditional Greek dessert, Baklava. They really enjoyed it.

Our first experience at Pithari was wonderful.  The food was truly delicious, our server was excellent and our conversation and experience with our friends was really one to always remember.  It was a really enjoyable time and we will definitely go to Pithari again. It is really a great asset of Highland Park ans we have been craving to go back ever since.

Tigania Hirino tou Merakli

Red Snapper Filetto

Lamb Souvlaki Platter

Arni Souvlas

Beefteki, Greek Hamburger Steak

http://www.thepithari.com/

Be sure when you visit Pithari Taverna in Highland Park, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Pithari Taverna, Highland Park, NJ

The Squirt: Great BYOB restaurant for truly delicious authentic Mexican Food!
Must Eat: Guacamole Nachos
Prices: Moderate

Tortuga's Mexican Village, Princeton, NJ

We had our typically great experience last night at Tortuga’s Mexican Village, located in Princeton, NJ.  We were joined by our friends, Jean and Bob for this event.

Tortuga’s Mexican Village (TMV) is a small neighborhood authentic Mexican Restaurant, on a little side street near Princeton Hospital. It has been a landmark there for over 20 years. One thing to remember before you go there, is to have cash on hand, being that it is a cash-only restaurant and be prepared to hunt for a parking spot on the local streets.

The atmosphere is really authentic, with Mexican art and colors in abundance. On Friday and Saturday evenings, be prepared to wait for a table. Keep in mind, that this is a small place, so there isn’t much waiting room. TMV will suit everyone’s tastes from vegetarians to meat and seafood lovers. Their menu has a multitude of delicious items to choose from.

The food at TMV is wonderful.  Everything we’ve ordered over the years has been delicious.  Our server for the evening was Yocenia.  We’ve had her before and she is always friendly, pleasant and efficient.  We’ve also had Jennifer, who is also friendly, pleasant and efficient. (We think Jennifer looks like Helen Hunt, so we actually call her, Helen!)  Both of them are terrific to us and help to make our experiences at TMV delightful. We also must acknowledge our “amiga,” Lucia.  Lucia helps everyone out in the whole place and is always friendly and warm and has a smile, even when it is packed in there.

Our friends, Jean and Bob had never dined at TMV before.  They had no idea how good the food would be. We ordered the appetizer we can never do without, the Guacamole Nachos. Two orders of them!  If you’ve never had Guacamole Nachos, you must try them at TMV.  Oh man, they were delicious as always and Jean and Bob loved them as well.  Picture this: a pile of warm home-made tortilla chips surrounded by delicious freshly made guacamole and melted cheese. They put the metal tray in the oven and bake it until it is this delightfuly decadent masterpiece. Totally amazing!

Well, now for the rest of our food. Most of TMV’s entrees are served with refried rice and beans.  Their beans are delcious and so creamy.  Their rice is excellent as well. Bob ordered the Enchiladas Del Mar, which consisted of shrimp and crab sautéed in salsa verde and cream, wrapped in tortillas, lightly covered with cheese and baked.  Bob really loved it. Jean, Ria, Ren and I all ordered combination platters.  To make your combination platter, TMV offers 6 different items to choose from, with your choice of filling and sauce.  You can select two or three items. We all ordered so many items, in various combinations, so here are some of the items we ordered between the four of us. The Cheese Enchiladas were delicious, generously full of cheese and topped with a red sauce. Both the Pork and Beef Tamales were nice and plump, generously filled with savory meat and bursting with flavor. Delicious!  Our personal favorites are the Chiles Rellenos. They are truly authentic as I am used to.  They are made with Roasted Poblano Peppers, filled with cheese and dipped in an egg batter then lightly fried. Truly Awesome! We could literally eat their Chiles Rellenos several days a week.  We highly recommend them for vegetarians and non vegetarians alike.

Other items that we have had in the past and recommend are: Fajitas; Enchiladas Oaxaca; Enchiladas Supremas; and Mole. Our evening was terrific.  Tortuga’s Mexican Village is a tasty treat and a real gem in Princeton. Our evening all came together exactly how we like evenings to be, with Good Food, Good People and Good Times!

Guacamole Nachos

Chili Relleno, Cheese Enchilada, Pork Tamale

Enchiladas Del Mar

Chocolate Mousse

http://www.tortugasmv.com/mexicanvillage.htm

Be sure when you visit Tortuga’s Mexican Village in Princeton, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Tortuga's Mexican Village - Interior, Princeton, NJ

Villa Blanca, Beverly Hills, CA

As you will recall, from our Vegas trip, one of our favorite things to do is to enjoy an afternoon cocktail! Here are two mini reviews of a couple of the places we went to in Beverly Hills for cocktails!Roy & Ren

La Piazza
189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA

We had a couple of Grey Goose Martinis at La Piazza, which is located at The Grove. It is positioned right near the exit of the Valet Parking section of the parking deck. It’s a terrific place to sit and have cocktails while people watching. Our server was, Suzanne, who was a load of fun and full of wisdom about Beverly Hills and the surrounding areas. It was great to have birthday cocktails with her and just sit and take in the sunshine. She also made a delicious concoction of her own for us, which was the perfect treat. Totally tasty and tantalizing.

While sitting there and sipping cocktails, we happened to see Jessica Simpson walk by a few times. We also saw Rihanna, Michael McDonald from Mad TV and Tony Geary from General Hospital. It was a blast to see some celebs doing shopping, as we do. Thank you, Suzanne, for being such a pleasure.

Check out La Piazza’s website for more information:

http://lapiazzaonline.net/index.htm

Villa Blanca
9601 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills, CA

Villa Blanca, Beverly Hills, CA

Villa Blanca is located in downtown, Beverly Hills. We just happened to go up one of the side streets and found this special place. Located on the corner, it drew us in. The restaurant served Spanish / Mediterranean food as well as good old American food. We were basically interested in a snack and some relaxing time. We picked the perfect place. The atmosphere is whimsical and romantic. The color scheme is all white, which they pull off really well. The restaurant has a wonderful open feel to it, with it’s outside seating which progressed into the open air dining room. There are fresh white flowers all throughout the restaurant, white antique columns and stone, and some really awesome seating surfaces. The table we had was half couch with big fluffy pillows and half chairs. It was really cool to sit on the fluffy couch side and look out into the beautiful sunshine and feel a gentle cooling on your face, while smelling the aromatic flowers. This is a place for romance and chilling out for sure.

Our server was Kirstin who was bright and sunny in her own right. She was truly a joy to spend time with. We had fun chatting with her and learning about the frequent patrons of the restaurant. Everybody who works there seemed to be bursting with friendliness and optimism. The manager, Brian was also great and chatted with us for a bit as well.

For snacks, Ria ordered the chopped garden salad with oil and balsamic vinegar which she thoroughly enjoyed. Ren and I ordered the fried calamari, served with a really delicious red sauce for dipping. The calamari was delicious and came with a very generous amount of the tentacles which we find to be the most flavorful.

Our experience at Villa Blanca was terrific. The atmosphere is really wonderful. Thank you to everyone at Villa Blanca who made our experience, one to remember.

Villa Blanca, Beverly Hills, CA

Villa Blanca, Beverly Hills, CA

Make a reservation today for Villa Blanca using Open Table

Check out Villa Blanca’s website for more information:
http://www.villablancarestaurant.com/

Be sure when you visit La Piazza or Villa Blanca in Beverly HIlls, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Villa Blanca, Beverly Hills, CA

The Squirt: A Garlic lovers dream place to eat for excellent food and eclectic atmosphere
Must Eat: Bagna Calda; Garlic Braised Boneless Short Rib
Prices: Moderate

The Stinking Rose, Beverly Hills, CA

The Stinking Rose is a totally awesome Garlic Restaurant located in Beverly Hills, California. It’s a truly unique experience for garlic lovers. There is another location in San Francisco that’s really awesome also. Be sure to visit both locations, if you are fortunate to visit both Beverly Hills and San Francisco.

The atmosphere is very eclectic and you will find yourself spending a good amount of time, just looking around at all of the amusing decor. It’s really a lot of fun! There are various dining rooms and sections within the restaurant. In the center of the restaurant, there are semi-private booths with velvet drapes. In other areas, there are other interesting themes, such as a chianti cafe, where the ceiling is lined with empty chianti bottles. In the back area, there is a table that has a back drop of wine corks stringed up and hanging on the walls. This restaurant breeds fun. Our server for the evening was Julio. He was an excellent server- very efficient and professional.

Ren and I ordered a bottle of #326 Borgetta Chardonnay from Sonoma, a reasonably priced wine, which served us well. After a week of some very pricey meals and too much shopping, it was just right. Their menu has many items for the garlic lover, ranging from garlic soup, to garlic pizza, to garlic rubbed entrees. They even feature garlic martinis, garlic wine and garlic desserts.

For the table, we ordered the Bagna Calda, which is garlic soaked in a hot tub. Basically, it’s a load of roasted garlic cloves, soaking in a bath of olive oil and butter with a hint of anchovie. The taste of the garlic is wonderful and all you have to do is scoop some up and smear it on the delcious garlic rolls that are brought to your table. You can also smear it on whatever else your heart desires. We also ordered the Fried Calamari which was excellent as well.

For dinner, Ria ordered the Garlic Braised Boneless Short Rib, which was so tender that all you had to do is look at it and it fell apart. It was outstanding and pure meat and very lean. We all got to try it, and it was wonderful. It was served with garlic mashed potatoes, which were scrumptious, and delicious sauteed spinach.

Ren and I ordered two entrees to share, the Forty Clove Garlic Chicken and the Garlic Encrusted Baby Back Ribs. Oh man! Both were served with garlic mashed potatoes. The chicken was served on the bone, tender and delicious. The ribs were excellent and bursting with garlic. Excellent!

Unfortunately, we had no room for dessert that evening. We were stuffed. On the way out, we took a tour of all of the various rooms of the restaurant. It was like going through a museum, dedicated to garlic. They also have walls and walls of the celebrities who have visited The Stinking Rose over the years as well as souveniers that can be purchased. We had a terrific meal and a great experience at The Stinking Rose. It really is a flavorful restaurant, to say the least.

Bagna Calda

Garlic Braised Boneless Short Rib

Forty Clove Garlic Chicken

Garlic Encrusted Baby Back Ribs

Make a reservation today for The Stinking Rose using Open Table

★ Also, be sure to check out the latest PickleBubble to find out who we saw at The Stinking Rose!

Be sure when you visit The Stinking Rose in Beverly Hills, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

The Stinking Rose, Beverly Hills, CA

The Stinking Rose, Beverly Hills, CA

The Squirt: Excellent place for breakfast! (Must be for dinner too!)
Must Eat: Lumberjack Omelette
Prices: Moderate

Farm of Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA

We had breakfast at The Farm of Beverly Hills which is located on North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, California. It has a really unique style about it.  Outside is a really cool dining area if you want to sit in the open air.  Inside is very farm like with high ceilings and a really unique and fun style to it.

Our server was Jenna, who was efficient and professional.  Ren and I ordered coffee, which was actually very rich in flavor.  We are huge Starbucks fans, so we are picky, but their coffee was really good.  Ria ordered English Breakfast tea which was served in a tea press. Their mugs are nice and big – the way Ren and I like things to be.

They have an extensive Breakfast menu full of wonderful items. Ria ordered the Belgian Waffle which she totally loved.  It was topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. She said it was the best one she ever had.

Ren and I both ordered the Lumberjack Omelette.  The omelette came with cheddar cheese, and was stuffed with turkey sausage, bacon, sauteed peppers and onioins.  It was served with fresh (shredded) hash browns and a cup of fresh fruit. Oh Man!  The omelette was delicious!  The bacon was out of this world.  The hashbrowns were the way we like them – shredded and slightly browned.  Totally delicious.

We recommend The Farm of Beverly Hills for breakfast.  We have also heard that it is great for dinner too.  We did read the items on their lunch and dinner menus and all of them look wonderful.  We hope to get there again soon, hopefully during this trip, but definitely the next one.

The manager, Brad was very cordial and friendly as well.  We really had a great start to our day eating at The Farm of Beverly Hills. We look forward to dining there again.

Farm of Beverly Hills - Interior

Lumberjack Omelette

Belgian Waffle

Make a reservation today for The Farm of Beverly Hills using Open Table

Check out The Farm of Beverly Hill‘s website for more information:

Be sure when you visit The Farm of Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Farm of Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA

Morels French Steakhouse, Beverly Hills, CA

Morels is located at The Grove in Los Angeles, California. We had a really great outdoor dining experience with our friend, Retta, from Parks and Recreations. It was another sunny day in LA and we felt like dining al fresco. Morels features two dining experiences; one is the bistro which is downstairs on ground level, with the outdoor dining section.  The elegant steak house section of the restaurant is located upstairs.

Morels has a great wine selection.  In addition, they feature a great artisan cheese selection. It’s a really terrific experience, sitting in the open sunny patio area while dining on fine cuisine.  Our server for this experience was Jillian.  She was friendly, efficient and professional.  She also had a pleasant sense of humor and went a long with some joking moments.

For appetizers, three of us ordered the Onion Soup. It was actually one of the best crocks of onion soup we’ve ever had.  The bowl was really deep and the soup was wonderful. We also chose several of the cheeses from their artisanal cheese menu which were awesome. Lastly, we chose the olive sampler with several varieties of olives.  Delicious!

All four of us chose the  Veal Osso Bucco for dinner. It was fabulous. The meat was extremely tender and it was served with roasted carrots and celery and mashed potatoes.  It was really delicious.

The whole experience at The Grove was one to remember.  It was definitely a people watching paradise.  Between the paparazzi snapping video shots of celebrities and people walking by with their pet chihuahuas wearing doggie sunglasses, it was fun.  We were able to enjoy being together while eating a delicious dinner in the fresh open air.  Thank you, Jillian, for enjoying this experience with us.

Grey Goose Martinis

Cheese Tray

French Onion Soup

Veal Osso Bucco

Make a reservation today for Morels French Steakhouse using Open Table

Be sure when you visit Morels French Steakhouse at The Grove in Beverly Hills, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Olive Tray

Spark Wood Fire Grill, Beverly Hills, CA

Spark Woodfire Grill is located in Beverly Hills, California.  It is small and very intimate and has a real cozy and relaxed feel to it.  It is not pretentious at all, but is actually popular among the Fox Studios staff and celebrities. We were beat and really just wanted something light to eat after having a full day in Pasadena. We also wanted something low key after living it up at our Mexican Fiesta.  Well, we picked the perfect place.

Our server was Aaron, who had a great relaxing, no rush way about him.  He was really in tune to us and our needs and really helped us to “veg” out. We also had a nice conversation with him about our day in Pasadena and about the history of Beverly Hills.  He also recommended that we take a day trip to Santa Barbara while we were here if we got the chance.

Anyway, Ria just ordered dessert, because she was still full from our Mexican feast a few hours earlier. It was just the right size for her too. Ren and I ordered the Seven Spice Riblets which were awesome.  The sauce was fantastic and the meat literally fell off the bone.  They were so tender.

Being that we weren’t that hungry (yeah right!), we each ordered the 1/2 pound Kobe beef burger with cheddar cheese and carmelized onions.  I ordered mine with slices of avocado as an addition. Well, these burgers were “to die for”.  The meat was so fresh and tasty. Coupled with the melted cheddar cheese and totally amazing carmelized onions, they were a very fulfilling treat for our palettes. The avocado really rounded out my cheeseburger.  Mmmm good!

We really had a cozy relaxing time at Spark.  We just unwound and enjoyed a nice late night meal.  Aaron really was a great server as well. What is really great about Spark, is that you can get a really terrific meal at a reasonable price.  It was a great value in addition to being delicious.

Grey Goose Martinis with a Twist of Lime

Seven Spice Riblets

2 Pound Kobe Beef Burger

Chocolate Mousse

Make a reservation today for Spark Woodfire Grill using Open Table

Be sure when you visit Spark Woodfire Grill in Beverly Hills, CA, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Spark Wood Fire Grill - Interior, Beverly Hills, CA

Spago, Beverly Hills, CA

We went to Spago in Beverly Hills, California for Ren’s special birthday dinner. Spago is famous for its food, atmosphere and for being a top celebrity hot spot in Beverly Hills. It is the flagship restaurant of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group. Ren and I had been to Spago in Las Vegas, in August, and had a terrific experience, so we wanted to come here for Ren’s birthday on this trip.We all arrived at Spago and received a warm welcome from the valet service attendants.  Spago is very stylish on the outside and is very impressive when you walk in as well. It is very classy and visually stimulating.  The decor is high style and smart in detail.  Spago has an open air dining area within the center of the restaurant with attractive white lights wrapped around the trees.  On cool nights, like this one, they ignite their propane heaters for the outside diners, to keep them comfortable.  We chose the interior dining room for our experience. Our room was loaded with attractive artwork and unique design treatments.

This was a busy night at Spago, and it was only a Wednesday.  Our server was Christian, who was very gracious, friendly and had a great personality. We had a great time chatting with her about our trip and she really helped to make us feel relaxed and taken care of, considering how busy it was that night.

Spago has a huge wine list in a one inch thick binder from which to choose your wine.  The prices range from about $45 to over $5500 or more per bottle.  That shows you how extensive the selection is. We chose a Chateau Senejac 2003 Cru Bourgeois Haut-Medoc.  It was outstanding.

Now for the appetizers. Ria had the Mixed Green Salad with oil and balsamic vinegar on the side.  Ren and I ordered the Spago Caesar Salad. Their caesar dressing was delicious and it even came with a couple of tasty anchovies draped on top of the salad. Yummy!

For dinner, Ria ordered the Grilled Prime New York Steak, cooked medium.  The sauce on the steak was amazing and the meat was wonderful.  The quality of the beef at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants is always supreme. Ria’s steak came with buttered haricot vert which were tender and flavorful.

Ren and I ordered the Prime “Cote de Boeuf” grilled over charcoal, for two. The chef brought out the whole piece of meat for us to inspect (and salivate over) and then took it to the kitchen to cut up for us and came out with it served on our two plates. The meat, as always, was outstanding and was topped with Armagnae-Green Peppercorn Sauce.  The taste was phenomenal.  Our meals came with sauteed swiss chard, which was delicious.

We all ordered the Pomme Aligot, which were mashed potatoes magically whipped with several different cheeses.  The chef came to our table and presented them to us.  It was fun to watch him do a quick swirl in the pan, and then raise up his hand about 3 feet off the table and let them cascade onto our plate in nice round delicate swirls.  These potatoes were wonderful! All of our entrees were truly rich and exciting to our tastebuds.

For dessert, Ria ordered the Fresh Fruit Cup served with fresh whipped cream which she thoroughly enjoyed. Being that it was Ren’s birthday, Ren and I ordered dessert this time, but we shared it.  We ordered the Zebra Torte, which consisted of cocoa nibs cream, deep chocolate cake, and bittersweet chocolate sorbet. Christian was nice to bring over our dessert with a nice long slender candle in it for us to sing Happy Birthday to Ren. This desset was light, yet decadent.  Delicious!

We really had a great experience at Spago.  We had wonderful food and service within a great atmosphere.  Christian was a great server, and great to talk to. Spago is an excellent restaurant to treat yourself to, if you are in Beverly Hills. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that it is very pricey.

Chateau Senejac 2003 Cru Bourgeois Haut-Medoc

Spago Caesar Salad

Prime "Cote de Boeuf"

Prime "Cote de Boeuf"

Zebra Torte

Make a reservation today for Spago using Open Table

Spago - Interior, Beverly Hills, CA

Spago - Interior, Beverly Hills, CA

Paseo Cantina, Pasadena, CA

Paseo Cantina is located in Pasadena, California. We were walking around for the afternoon in Pasadena and happened to come by this place.  For days, we had been craving good authentic Mexican food and that is exactly what we were in for. It was lunch time on Sunday when we spotted them at the top of the escalator in the Paseo Colorado Mall. There happened to be a big private Sunday Brunch party with Mariachi Singers and Dancers going on. That is what drew us in. All of the festivity reminded us of all the latin weddings we’d enjoyed so much over the years.  Latins really do like to have fun! Anyway, we couldn’t  resist walking in and seeing if we could join the party. The restaurant is very big, and it has some really awesome artwork with scenes from various areas of Mexico. They also had some really interesting Mexican artifacts on display. We enjoyed looking at them all.

We were able to order from the regular menu, which is what we preferred to do, rather than doing the brunch. Our server was Hector, a really warm and down to earth person, who was efficient and very accommodating.  He really helped to make us feel right at home, among all of the other partiers. He was really maginifico! We enjoyed chatting with Hector about our trip and we all shared some personal stories!  For our wine selection, we ordered a delicious Estancia Cardonnay which was an excellent pairing with our entrees.

We ordered the freshly made Guacamole for an appetizer. It was prepared right at our table with the freshest ingredients.  The Guacamole maker was so gracious, he let us video tape him making the guacamole for us.  The Guacamole was wonderful and the chips were amazing and prepared in the restaurant.  We also were supplied with both green and red salsas for dipping, which were also both enjoyable.

Ren and I ordered the Chiles Rellenos with rice and beans.  They were prepared to perfection. The taste was fabuloso!  They were filled with white mexican cheese and topped with an excellent delicate red sauce.  The chiles were served with Mexican rice and beans.  Ria (Mom) ordered the Cheese Enchiladas with the addition of chopped raw onion and sour cream.  They were also served with Mexican rice and Beans.  The enchiladas were fantastic and we all devoured everything. If we could have, we would have licked our plates clean. Lol.

The show was truly a spectacle to watch. They were true Mariachis who played their various instruments with true gusto.  There were singers and Flamenco dancers as well.  What a sight to behold to watch them as we dined on truly authentic Mexican food.  This was the type of Mexican food that I grew up eating and it was such a pleasure to just sit and watch a show while dining on such wonderful food.

The main dancer, Consuelo, came and chatted with us and even took a picture with Mom for us. She was really so nice and really enjoyed meeting us as well. We felt like we were actually in Mexico at Paseo Cantena. The food was fabulous, the servers, the dancers and Mariachis were really fantastic. We laughed and really had some great conversation. We left there feeling really good inside; from both the delicious food and the wonderful time with Hector, the entertainers and the other patrons and staff.  We would go back to Paseo Cantina in an instant.

"Mariachi Los Angeles"

Fresh Guacamole

Chiles Rellenos

Cheese Enchiladas

Make a reservation today for Paseo Cantina using Open Table

Conte's Pizza, Princeton, NJ

If you are in the mood for great thin crust pizza, in a fast paced, no-frills, college town landmark, then Conte’s Pizza in Princeton, NJ, is for you.  It’s very popular among the locals and they can get really crowded and hectic on Fridays and Saturdays, so be prepared for a long wait if you happen to go on one of those nights. Conte’s is located on Witherspoon Street; a bit away from the center of town.

Our advice is to park your car in the rear of the building, where there are more parking spaces. You should also enter through the back entrance, being that’s where the line forms when you walk in.  There is no list to put your name on when you enter but someone will eventually come to you, while you are standing, to take your pizza order. They will then call you when your table is ready and then bring your pizza out to your table. If there is a lengthy wait time, there is a long bar there, where you can order a drink and stand or sit at while you are waiting to be seated.  Their portions of wine are very generous, so you will definitely be pleased if you are into wine, as we are.

The main thing you go to Conte’s for is the pizza and not the ambiance. The decor makes you feel like you’ve just stepped into the past and there is usually no time for the servers to strike up any conversation with you.  They also don’t have an extensive menu, nor do they have a huge selection of toppings that you can order for your pizza, but what they do offer is excellent.  They have their menu on the wall and they basically offer pizza, spaghetti, sandwiches and salad. We always order their pizza because it is always excellent!

We ordered two large pizzas for dinner. One was with extra cheese and pepperoni. The other was with extra cheese, homemade sausage and red roasted peppers.  We ordered both of our pizzas cooked light. One thing to remember is that Conte’s tends to prepare their pizza on the crispy side. If you like your pizza cooked light, then order it the “way that Cynthia likes it”. However, if you do like your pizza crispy, then you will be just fine.

Our server for the evening was Laine, who was the nicest server we’ve had at Conte’s so far.  She was warm and friendly and even though the restaurant was packed, she made time to greet us and have some conversation with us.  She was great.  She helped to make this experience at Conte’s a nice one. When Laine saw, in the kitchen, that our pizza was prepared too crispy, she immediately had them make us a new one, without us having to ask.  That was great! Our pizza did end up being perfectly prepared and delicious and our experience was a fun and tasty one. We will definitely ask for Laine the next time we go to Conte’s.

On the way out, we met Gerry at the register, and he gave us a couple of Conte’s magnets, and let us leave a couple of TwoSquirts magnets by the register. So, when you go there, be sure to look for them!

Conte's Pizza, Interior, Princeton, NJ

Large Pie with Pepperoni & Extra Cheese

Homemade Sausage & Roasted Peppers

Close Up of Pizza - YUMMY!

Check out Conte’s website for more information:

http://contespizzaandbar.com/

Be sure when you visit Conte’s Pizza in Princeton, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Conte's Pizza, Princeton, NJ

Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY

Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe is located right in Rockefeller Center. It is a terrific place to go to if you are into wine.  We both are huge fans of wine, so this is the perfect place for us. They have a retail store right next door where one can make a purchase from their selection of 2,000 wines by the bottle. In the Wine Bar, one can choose from 50 different wines by the glass or many more by the bottle.

During the warm weather, one can sit outside on the patio and gaze upon the sightseers of Rockefeller Center.  This day was perfect being that the weather was 80 and perfectly sunny with gentle breezes. It was so relaxing to sit outside and sip wine. We chose a Discovery Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  It was the perfect summer wine with a citrus essence to it.

Our server for the event was, Angela.  She was relaxed and easy going and just let us sit and relax and enjoy the experience. She made our time there a great one. Ren and I have made it a tradition to stop there for some wine whenever possible when we visit NYC for the day. During the cold months, it’s fun to sit inside at the bar, for the entire wine bar experience.

Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe is a really great place to visit.  They also host wine tastings at various times of the year. It truly is a place to visit if you are a wine lover.

Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe, NYC

Make a reservation today for Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe using Open Table

Check out Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe’s website for more information:
http://www.morrellwinebar.com/

Be sure when you visit Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe in New York, NY, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Salt Creek Grille, Princeton, NJ

The other night, we went to Salt Creek Grille in Princeton. We have been there a few times before and have always enjoyed the total experience and food there. This time, we wanted to do a review. Salt Creek Grille is located in the Princeton Forrestal Village and has really great parking and easy access from US Rt 1. The building has a very tasteful rustic look and in the colder months they light their great outdoor fireplace.  This gives it a really great ambiance and as if you are entering a mountain cottage. Salt Creek Grille has two locations in New Jersey and three in California. They also feature specials on various days of the week, whether it is a buy-one-entree-get-one-free or discounts on wine. Of course, these specials are always subject to change.  We will enjoy them while they last.The restaurant has a really great atmosphere with high ceilings and a casual yet classy feel to it. The bar area is very impressive, and it is the first area you see when you pass the host stand.  Our server for the evening was, Luke.  He was bright, efficient and really easy going.  He really made our evening a relaxed one. That was the type of evening we had hoped for and that is what we got.

Salt Creek Grille has a great menu with a great selection of appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, hamburgers and seafood and meat entrees.  They also have an excellent wine list from which we selected a really great Cooper’s Creek Sauvignon Blanc from new Zealand. For an appetizer, we chose the Caesar Over Mesquite salad. The romaine lettuce has a really great flavor to it, being that they grill it quickly on the mesquite grill and top it with Asiago cheese and Caesar dressing.

For dinner, we chose three entrees so we could taste a few different items. The first one was a Special for the evening: Blackened Swordfish with a chipotle honey glaze served with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. The mashed potatoes were substituted for the rice that would have come with the entree. We do tend to customize our meals and the restaurants are always happy to oblige. The fish was tasty and seasoned just right and cooked nicely.  The mashed potatoes were delicious.

Entree number two was the Grille Chop which was a Double‐Thick Pork Chop, which we ordered with a bacon‐wrapped potato gratin and prosciuto green beans. The taste of the meat was phenomenal.  The texture was tender and juicy.  It had a real essence of the mesquite wood that they use for their grill.  The potato gratin was outrageously decadent yet delicate.

Now for the third entree – the Mesquite Grilled Baby Back Ribs. The restaurant describes them as “Slow-Roasted, Falls of the Bone!” and they are right!  The texture and taste leave you pleasantly fulfilled and craving more.  The ribs normally come with delicious Salt Creek Garlic Fries, but tonight, we ordered them with a baked potato with all the fixings. Yummy!

As a final accompaniment to dinner, we ordered the flourless double fudge brownie with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Delicious!

We really continued our tradition of having great meals at Salt Creek Grille.  The atmosphere, the service and the food was excellent!  Luke, our server, was really terrific and we will definitely ask for him again.  Thank you, Luke!

Update: We visited Salt Creek Grille again today for another great meal and experience.  Luke wasn’t there and we had the opportunity to have Theresa as our server for the evening.  She was warm, professional and we really enjoyed speaking with her.  She also made it a special experience at the Salt Creek Grille. Now we have two people we can ask for!  Thank you, Theresa!

The Grille Chop

Blackend Swordfish

Mesquite Grilled Baby Back Ribs

Make a reservation today for Salt Creek Grille using Open Table

Check out Salt Creek Grille’s website for more information:
http://www.saltcreekgrille.com/

Be sure when you visit Salt Creek Grille in Princeton, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Salt Creek Grille, Interior, Princeton, NJ

Hotoke, Exterior, New Brunswick, NJ

A couple of nights ago we had a truly terrific exotic experience at Hotoke, in New Brunswick, NJ. Hotoke is an upscale and seductively exciting Asian influenced restaurant. The restaurant reminded us of Tao in Las Vegas with its captivating atmosphere. When you walk in, you see two big doors and do not really know what lies behind the closed doors. As soon as you open them, you are truly awstruck at the sight.  The sight is dramatic, chic and very cosmopolitan. This is the type of restaurant you would see in New York City or Las Vegas.  It’s nice to know we have such a chic and stylish restaurant nearby.The service is exceptional right from the start.  The host greeted us with a smile and enthusiasm and led us to our table. After sitting down, we all spent a while just taking in the atmosphere. The restaurant is very impressive and eye catching. There are two levels which lends to its attractiveness. The lighting fixtures and decor are very attractive.  In addition, the mood of the restaurant is very intimate. There is a huge dramatic Buddha statue in the center of the restaurant, which lends to the dramatic atmosphere of Hotoke.

Our server for the evening was Martina, who really helped make the evening a satisfying one. Her demeanor is professional and polished and fits an upscale restuarant as Hotoke. At the same time, she has a down to earth friendliness which combines with her other qualities.  She is excellent.

There are so many items on the menu to choose from.  It really takes a while to look through all of them and decide. To accompany our dinner, we chose a wonderful Fume Blanc wine from California. The taste was light and fresh and paired well with all of our food selections.  We ordered a few appetizers, the first being Miso Soup, with extra tofu. It was delicious and flavorful. We also ordered warm steamed Edamame lightly dusted with salt, which tends to be always an enjoyable item to eat and savor.  The next was the Hotoke Skewer Sampler.  There were three types of skewers; chicken with a peanut sauce, shrimp with a tamarind barbeque sauce and beef skewers with another exotic seasoning.  The taste of all three was wonderful and tantalizing to the taste buds. The last appetizer was our favorite, Seared Sashimi which was Fluke. This was Ren’s first undulgence into the world of Sashimi. It was truly amazing, with a tangy soy sauce and tiny greens sprinkled on top. The flavors totally danced on our tongues and the texture was outstanding.  Ren totally enjoyed his first experience with Sashimi.

We ordered three entrees for our main course. Ria (Mom) ordered the Baby Back Spare Ribs. They were covered in a tamarind barbeque sauce and served with a Mashed Potato Stick and an Asian Slaw.  All three items were fantastic.  The sauce on the ribs was tangy and pleasant, the potato stick was awesome and the Asian Slaw was totally addictive – so fresh and unique. Our second entree was Grilled Ginger Chicken, topped with a Thai chili sauce and served with jasmine rice. It was tender, flavorful and totally terrific. Our last and favorite entree was the piece de resistance- Steamed Chilean Sea Bass, served atop a black bean sauce and parsnip puree.  The fish was perfectly prepared and flakey.  It was totally phenomenal. Ria ordered the Fresh Fruit for dessert, which was fresh seasonal fruit, served with a mini apple spring roll craftfully placed on top with whipped cream.  We all were pleasanly satisfied with this finale to dinner.

Martina brought the General Manager, David, to meet us, early on in the evening.  She filled him in on TwoSquirts.com and he was so happy to meet us  He stayed and chatted with us for a good while a few times throughout the evening.  It was really great to talk with him and Martina.

The three of us really had an exceptional evening.  The ambiance, the food, the company and the conversation were all wonderful. It was the kind of evening that we always enjoy the most. One can sum it up perfectly in the catch phrase of TwoSquirts.com – Good food, Good people, Good times!

Seared Sashimi, Fluke

Steamed Chilean Sea Bass

Grilled Ginger Chicken

Fruit-Tini

Check out Hotoke’s website for more information:

http://www.hotokerestaurant.com/

Be sure when you visit Hotoke in New Brunswick, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Hotoke, Interior, New Brunswick, NJ

Carrabba's Italian Grill, Green Brook, NJ

The other night we all went to Carrabbas Italian Grill.  Carrabas has always been good when we have eaten there.  We’ve been to several locations and have always had a good experience.  Now that we have our website, twosquirts.com, we will share this one with you.

Our server for the evening was Jennifer. She was energetic and full of positive energy.  We asked her if they could concoct something special for Mom and she was very obliging.  She got the approval from the kitchen to put it together for her.  Yay Jennifer! Yay also for Wine Wednesdays where wine is 50% off. Woo hoo! We ordered the Newmans Own Chardonnay.Well, we were starving for sure.  We had waited all day to eat. We ordered the Zucchini Fritte for our appetizer.  They make them like french fries and serve them with a garlic aioli for dipping. They were light and extremely tasty.

For dinner, Ren and I ordered a Tilapia Special with artichokes and sundried tomatoes.  We ordered sauteed spinach with extra crispy garlic garlic as our side.  The taste was fantastic. The fish was just right and the spinach was excellent. Now for Mom’s concoction.  She had a Brick-Oven, Shrimp Parmesan pizza.  She had felt like both tastes and couldn’t decide, so I suggested getting them both.  Her pizza was delicious.  The shrimp was lightly breaded and so tasty along with the pizza. Ren and I tried a piece and were very pleased as well.

We had another great time at Carrabbas.  The prices are always reasonable and the food is very good. Compliments to Jennifer for helping to make the experience a great one.

Fried Zucchini

Tilapia Franchaise

Shrimp Parmesan Pizza

Check out Carrabba’s website for more information:

http://www.carrabbas.com/index.aspx

Be sure when you visit Carrabba’s in Green Brook, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

One of our favorite things to do in Las Vegas (or anywhere!) is to enjoy an afternoon cocktail!  Here are two mini reviews of a couple of places we went to for cocktails!

Roy & Ren

Parasol Down, Las Vegas, NV

Parasol Down
Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

While strolling around the Wynn Hotel and enjoying the eye catching scenery within the hotel, we came across the Parasol Down cocktail lounge.  This is actually one of the prettiest cocktail lounges we have ever been to.  The ceilings are full of eye catching, brilliantly colored decor.  This place is a feast for the eyes for sure.  This is a must-do if you like cocktails.  We sat there and enjoyed two Grey Goose martinis with a twist of lime.  Our server was Maria, who really was a pleasure. When we asked for a “twist” of lime, they really gave us a twist.  They do it right. They also serve a good portion of mixed nuts with an array of coverings and flavors to enjoy while sipping your cocktail. The prices of their drinks are typical of luxury hotels, so be prepared when the bill comes.  This place was wonderful for a relaxing and eye catching experience.

Grey Goose Martinis

Check out Wynn’s website for more information:

http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/#nightlife/resort_bars/

Double Helix Bar
The Shoppes at the Palazzo, Las Vegas, NV

This is a relaxing and stylish wine bar located in the center of the shopping center.  It has a trendy look to it, with its circular shaped bar area. It is very popular because each time we went by there, they had people enjoying nice conversation while enjoying wine and other cocktails.  We had two Grey Goose martinis there as well and the servers were all really attentive and friendly. They also have a large wine selection, something we will explore next time we are in Las Vegas.

Check out Double Helix’s website for more information:

http://www.doublehelixwine.com

Be sure when you visit Parasol Down or Double Helix in Las Vegas, NV, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Parasol Down, Las Vegas, NV

Grilled Shishito Peppers

We had a great time at Woo.  We had cocktails and appetizers and really just chilled for a bit.  They have a really good selection of small plate entrees to choose from.  One can have a little taste of several items if one chooses, and we did. Our server for the experience was Jill.  She reminded us of the comedienne, Chelsea Handler, and really had a sunny disposition.  She really gave us great menu suggestions and we had a great time chatting with her.

We ordered two Grey Goose Martinis and four appetizers to share.  The first was Calamari Tempura which was really tasty and lightly crispy. The pieces were long and topped with toasty grilled cerrano peppers. Yum!

The next was our favorite, Bacon Wrapped Shisito Peppers with Curry Cream Cheese.  Wow!  These were truly awesome!  We could have kept popping these little numbers in our mouths all day.  Remember, Shisito Peppers are our latest addiction.

We also ordered a serving a warm steamed Edamame (not Edadaddy! lol) which were lightly salted and so yummy and healthy too boot! Oh and you will never guess what we ordered as our third. Being that we were still hungry, we ordered Roasted Shisito Peppers, They were simply roasted and delicious. What is it about shisito peppers that makes them so good?

Needless to say, we had fun at Woo.  They had great cocktails and food and we would like to have dinner there in the future. Thanks to Jill, for enhancing our experience even more!

Bacon Wrapped Shishito Peppers

Tempura Calamari with Salt and Pepper Cerrano

Grilled Shishito Peppers - Aftermath

Make a reservation today for Woo using Open Table

Check out Woo’s website for more information:
http://www.woorestaurant.com/

Be sure when you visit Woo in Las Vegas, NV, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Bouchon, Interior, Las Vegas, NV

Bouchon is a very elegant and visually appealing French Bistro located in the Venezia Tower of the Venetian Hotel.  Bouchon was another terrific experience for us.  It all started when we went to the restaurant during the day to make our reservations for dinner. We were greeted by Rebecca, the host. From the moment we met her, we clicked. She really has a fun loving and bright disposition. We really felt at ease chatting with her and had fun joking around with her during that short amount of time, while we made our reservation.  She reminded us of the famous singer, Vanessa Williams, so by the end, her nickname became, “Vanessa”.  We all looked forward to reconnect when we arrived for dinner.

When we arrived for our reservation and were escorted into the dining room, we were able to notice and absorb more of the attractiveness of the restaurant. It really has the charm of an authentic French establishment.  Our server, for the evening, was very polite, knowledgeable about the menu items and very professional.   His service was top notch.  Rebecca, made sure to come over to welcome us back and we chatted for a bit.

We ordered a wonderful Bordeaux wine to have with dinner. Bordeaux is always one of our favorite wines and is always remarkable. Onion soup was our choice for our appetizer, which was excellent, as expected. The cheese was truly delicious.  We could have eaten globs and globs of that cheese.

For dinner, we ordered two different entrees so we could try both. The first was a special on the menu, the Braised Lamb Shank. Normally, it is served with mushrooms, but we omitted them, due to Ren’s mushroom allergy. It was served over a sautéed green leafy vegetable, similar to spinach, but a little more robust in taste and texture.  The lamb was outstanding.  It was tender and full of flavor. One could see that great care was taken in preparing it.

Our second entrée was Steak Frites, which was pan-seared prime flat iron steak, served with French fries. The taste was phenomenal and the meat was cooked perfectly medium rare. The French fries were scrumptious and oh so addictive.  Both entrees went well with our side dish of Haricot Verts.

Our experience at Bouchon was a memorable one. The service was great, the food was fantastic and Rebecca really added her vibrance and personality to the experience.  She also made us happy when she told us that Bouchon is set to open a new location in Beverly Hills, hopefully in October when we are there on vacation.  To make this even better news, she will be relocating there, when it does open. What a pleasant coincidence! Hopefully, we will all be able to reconnect again in Beverly Hills.  We will keep our fingers crossed that Bouchon is open when we go there.

Bouchon Bread Braids, Bouchon, Las Vegas, NV

Steak Frites

Lamb Shank

Make a reservation today for Bouchon using Open Table

Check out Bouchon’s website for more information:
http://www.bouchonbistro.com/

Be sure when you visit Bouchon in Las Vegas, NV, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Bouchon, Interior, Bouchon, Las Vegas, NV

Carnevino, Las Vegas, NV

Carnevino is a wonderful steakhouse co-owned by Chef, Mario Batali and Winemaker, Joe Bastianich.  It features high quality meat and an excellent international selection of wine. The atmosphere is warm and very elegant with dark wood and fine furnishings typical of a very upscale restaurant.We had lunch at Carnevino because we are big fans of “Big Fat Juicy Cheeseburgers”.  We had noticed their menu the day before, as we were walking through the Shoppes, so we made a point of coming back for a tasty lunch.  This ended up being one of our most enjoyable dining experiences in Las Vegas.

First of all, the warmth and friendliness that we encountered at the host stand, carried on throughout the entire experience at Carnevino.  Our server was Cooper. The three of us had chemistry from the start.  It was as though we had known him for years, even though it was only our first meeting. He was friendly, personable, professional and very down to earth. We all chatted about the restaurant, Las Vegas and Cooper’s life adventures.  We also shared with him about TwoSquirts.com.  Being a seasoned web site expert himself, Cooper was able to relate to our fun we have with our website. He shares the same fun with his own. (Check out our Links Page!)

We also met with and chatted with the General Manager of Carnevino, Chris Crocetti.  You can really see his enthusiasm about Carnevino.  Along with Cooper, he helped to make our experience one to remember.

To start everything off we ordered a bottle of 2006 La Mozza I Perazzi Morellino di Scansano. This was a delightful Sangiovese made by the owners, Batali and Bastianich. We really found out how ordering wine at Carnevino is an experience in itself.  After giving Cooper our wine selection, he let us know that the wine master would come and give us the full wine “service”.  He came with a rolling cart with BIG wine glasses and a smile on his face. He then opened and presented the wine for us in fine wine connoisseur fashion.  It was very impressive, indeed. We really enjoyed the show.

So that we could try two different items on the menu, we ordered two entrees to share. One was the Cheeseburger, which was served with pancetta and exquisitely carmelized onions and cheddar cheese; prepared medium rare. Oh wow did our eyes light up when we sunk our teeth into this delicacy. It was totally amazing.  The meat was fresh and full of flavor and the roll was top notch to match. The seasonings were wonderful. The cheeseburger came with delicious homemade potato chips which were totally addictive.

Our second entrée was the Saba-Braised Pork Ribs served over lentils and pancetta. The meat was tender and flavorful. The sauce was tangy and rich.  These ribs were scrumptious.  Both of our entrees went so well with our choice of wine.  They were all paired in heaven.

This was such a relaxing and fun experience at Carnevino. We had supreme service from beginning to end and we met some really great people that we plan on staying in touch with, and hopefully, see again.  Everyone, including the hostess, the table attendants, Cooper and Chris were all terrific. We could not have asked for a better lunch experience than we had.  We will make sure we eat dinner at Carnevino the next time we are in Las Vegas.  We have still been craving to have another one of those “Big Fat Juicy Cheeseburgers” ☺

2006 I Perazzi La Mozza

Burger with pancetta, onion and cheddar

Saba-Braised Pork Ribs with Lentils

Make a reservation today for  Carnevino using Open Table

Check out Carnevino’s website for more information:
http://carnevino.com/

Be sure when you visit Carnevino in Las Vegas, NV, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Carnevino Steakhouse, Interior, Las Vegas, NV

Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, Las Vegas, NV

One of our favorite dinners was at Mesa Grill.  This restaurant is the creation of Bobby Flay, one of our favorite chefs.  There is another location in NYC which we will be going to very soon.  The flavor is southwestern and the ambiance is great! We have always heard of Mesa Grill but were never fortunate to dine there until now. Boy, we are happy we did!

Our server, Nicholas, was really excellent. He was pleasant, professional and very knowledgeable about the menu. He also did not rush us in placing our order. We were in the mood for a relaxing evening.  There are so many menu items to choose from and only so much tummy room to fit them so we needed to choose carefully. Thank you, Nicholas!

We ordered two appetizers. The first was our other addiction, Zucchini Bloosoms. They were stuffed with ricotta cheese, corn and both sweet and hot yellow pepper sauce.  They were totally supreme! Our taste buds were dancing with joy.  We also had the Corn Meal Crusted Anaheim Chile Relleno, as an appetizer, which is on the optional side items menu. It was stuffed with white cheddar cheese, black beans and rice. It was delicious and definitely a treat, as well. Both of our appetizers were simply delicious.

For dinner, we decided to order two different entrees and share so we could taste both of them.  The first entrée was the Black Angus New York Strip Steak served with their House-Made MESA Steak Sauce. This steak really was amazing. It was tender and the flavor really was superb.  Our second entrée was the Sixteen Spice Crusted Chicken. It was served with Mango – Garlic Sauce and Mango Salsa. The chicken was just as amazing as the steak. All of the food was truly sensational.  This is the type of restaurant that makes you crave it again after you leave there.

We are so happy that we were able to eat at Mesa Grill. It is truly an excellent restaurant with amazing food and top notch service.

Zucchini Bloosoms

Corn Meal Crusted Anaheim Chile Relleno

les Sorcieres

Check out Mesa Grill’s website for more information:

http://www.mesagrill.com/lasvegas/

Be sure when you visit Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, NV, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Tao, Interior, The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV

Tao was a really excellent experience. Even the entrance is cool and it only gets better as you continue to walk further inside. The atmosphere is amazing and one can see why it attracts celebrities. It is a feast for the eyes.  We had a really great server, named Zaban, who actually grew up in New Jersey. He was friendly and fun and made us feel very comfortable and relaxed. We ordered an excellent Sauvignon Blanc wine from their extensive wine list.

We were starving, so we ordered three appetizers, the first being our new addiction, the YUZU roasted shisito peppers.  They were delicious and flavorful.  They truly reinforced how much we enjoy them.  We also ordered the Dragon Tail Spare Ribs which were truly amazing. Lastly, we also ordered the Satay of Chicken with Peanut Sauce. Every appetizer was rich and flavorful.

For dinner, we ordered two entrees. The first was, Hong Kong XO Shrimp with Long Beans and Jasmine Rice. The taste was light, flavorful and pleasing to ones taste buds. The second entrée was Swordfish served with Asparagus Tempura. The swordfish was perfectly prepared and we could have eaten the asparagus all day.  Both entrees were amazing in taste and presentation. To top everything off, we were served chocolate fortune cookies – our favorite type of fortune cookie.

To sum it up, Tao is a really terrific place for a chic experience and excellent food. We can see why one of our favorite clothing designers, Kenneth Cole, hangs out there when he is in Las Vegas.

Shishito Peppers

Hong Kong XO Shrimp with Long Beans

Swordfish with Asparagus Tempura

Make a reservation today for Tao using Open Table

Check out Tao’s website for more information:
http://www.taolasvegas.com/

Be sure when you visit Tao in Las Vegas, NV, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Tao Asian Bistro, The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV

Sushi Samba, Las Vegas, NV

When we saw Sushi Samba, while walking in the Shoppes at the Palazzo, I was so excited. It has always been a favorite restaurant of mine. I had been to Sushi Samba, a few years ago, in South Beach, Florida and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I really wanted Ren to try it and this was our opportunity! Their menu is really unique; combining essences of Brazilian, Peruvian and Japanese culinary influences. Our server was great and so accommodating.  He really enjoyed making suggestions on what we might like.

For an appetizer, we ordered the Otsumami, which was an assortment of edamame, green bean tempura and Shisito peppers.  Shisito peppers are mild Japanese peppers. They were grilled and served with sea salt and a hint of lemon.  Oh wow these were delicious.  Once we got a taste of these peppers, we ordered them again at two other restaurants through the course of our stay in Las Vegas.  We are now addicted. They are flavorful and the taste is awesome. We are going to look for them at home and prepare them for ourselves. For dinner, we ordered two types of Anticichos; Beef Tenderloin and Aji Panca, and Sea Bass with Miso.  They are skewers marinated in their own special concoction of flavors.  The taste of these skewers was simply amazing. The skewers were served with Peruvian corn. The corn kernels were about 5 times the size of the corn that people are used to in the United States.

Our appetites forced us to order another set of the Sea Bass skewers. Two other patrons on a date near us, were noticing how much we were thoroughly enjoying our meal. They actually came over to us and asked us what we had ordered.  We were happy to oblige, and filled them in on our selections.  They immediately told their server that they wanted exactly what we ordered. Needless to say, we really enjoyed our experience at Sushi Samba.  The service, the food, the ambiance and our fellow patrons were all really wonderful.

(We are sorry for not having more pictures of the delicious food. The dark interiors, and a camera malfunction, caused our pictures to not save ☹ )

Sushi Samba, Interior, Las Vegas, NV

Make a reservation today for Sushi Samba using Open Table

Check out Sushi Samba’s website for more information:
http://www.palazzolasvegas.com/sushisamba.aspx

Be sure when you visit Sushi Samba in Las Vegas, NV, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Sushi Samba, Interior, Las Vegas, NV

Spago, Las Vegas, NV

Spago is one of Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants, located in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace Casino near the Coliseum Theatre.  The menu features seasonal American cuisine with influences from around the world. The atmosphere is very chic and attracts celebrities, two being Roy and Ren from Two Squirts.com .   The wine list is extensive and very international, and they offer many other libations as well.  Our server, Ben was friendly, professional and extremely attentive.  We ordered a delicious French white wine and our glasses were always refreshed by Ben. The service by everyone was excellent and the food was simply amazing.

For an appetizer, we ordered the Buffalo Lollipops, which were really nicely presented buffalo wings.  They make them in the shape of lollipops by cutting around the bone at the narrow end and pushing the meat towards the larger end, exposing the bone like a lollipop stick. They were really yummy.  We could have eaten many more of them!  For our entrée, we ordered the New York Strip Steak which had a wine reduction sauce drizzled over it. It was served with smashed fingerling potatoes and grilled vegetables. The steak was absolutely delicious and perfectly prepared. The bread that we were served with dinner was the perfect accompaniment.

We would definitely go to Spago again and will make a point of visiting Spago in Beverly Hills in October when we are there.  We really had a wonderful time and look forward to the food again.

Spago, Las Vegas, NV

Buffalo Lollipops

New York Strip Steak

Make a reservation today for Spago using Open Table

Check out Spago’s website for more information:
http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/9044

Be sure when you visit Spago in Las Vegas, NV, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Enoteca San Marco, Las Vegas, NV

Enoteca San Marco is located in the famous Piazza San Marco in the Venetian Hotel.  This restaurant is the second Las Vegas project for Mario Batali and his partner, winemaker Joseph Bastianich.  The atmosphere is excellent, whether you sit inside or outside.  If you sit outside, you feel like you are really outdoors in Venice.The service was great and the food was truly excellent. Sabrina was our server and she was very efficient, professional and offered us guidance on what she thought were the best items to order.  It was our first night in Las Vegas, and we were starving, so this was the perfect way to begin our Las Vegas eating tour!

We ordered the Fried Zucchini Flowers for an appetizer which were stuffed with cheese.  Oh man, they were good.  Yes, we are hooked on zucchini blossoms.  We also selected the Fried Zucchini which was almost just as good. We decided to eat light, so we had two personal size pizzas. The first was the Quattro Formaggi, which had tomato and four different cheeses; taleggio, cacio, ricotta and mozzarella.  Each cheese was separate so you could enjoy each one individually.  Delicious! The next pizza was the Sausage & Peppers pizza, which had their house sausage, roasted peppers and mozzarella.  This pizza was wonderful, as well.  We couldn’t decide which one we liked more. Our food was accompanied by an outstanding Italian Barbera D’Asti red wine.  We really like Barberas!

Our experience at Enoteca San Marco was terrific.  The food and atmosphere were excellent, as well as the service. We would have gone there again, if we had time during our trip.  Remember, we had so many restaurants to try and tell you about.  We will definitely go there again the next time we are in Las Vegas.

Fried Zucchini & Zucchini Flowers

Quattro Formaggi Pizza

Sausage & Peppers Pizza

Baby Barbera

Make a reservation today for Enoteca San Marco using Open Table

Check out Enoteca San Marco’s website for more information:
http://www.mariobatali.com/restaurants_sanmarco.cfm

Be sure when you visit Enoteca San Marco in Las Vegas, NV, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Shogun 27, Kendall Park, NJ

The other night we went to our other favorite Japanese restaurant, Shogun 27, located in Kendall Park. Shogun 27 has an intimate relaxing atmosphere.  It is nicely decorated and has a cozy feel to it.  It is the perfect place to go to after a stressful day at the office. Shogun 27 does have its hopping nights, however, when the bar area becomes crowded and the hibachi side of the restaurant is packed with customers. We tend to like to go there between Monday and Thursday when it is more tranquil and conducive to conversation.

We have been going to Shogun 27 for many years and have always had really great memorable experiences there. Upon entering, one is always greeted and taken to the dining room of your choice. There is a hibachi dining room and also a sushi / sashimi dining room. In addition, there is a bar area that has many frequent patrons. Janice is one of the managers at Shogun 27 and is top notch.  She is personable, warm and friendly.  Her sister, Melica also works at Shogun 27, as a server, and it is evident that good genes run in their family.  Melica is warm, personable and full of life.  During our visits both sisters come by to see how we are and chat with us for a bit. They always make us feel right at home.

There are two other servers that we will acknowledge as well: Fiona and Jennifer. Fiona has a bubbly personality and is warm and fun. She always gives us a nice experience, as Melica and Janice do. And then there is Jennifer, who has unfortinately moved on to greener pastures. She has a really excellent sense of humor and never fails to make us laugh and relax. She really should be on stage. We do still keep in touch with her though. Shogun 27 really seems to attract high quality servers and they do remember our special requests when we dine with them. That is really important to us, being that we tend to make many special requests.

Melica was our server for the evening and helped to make the evening really fun and relaxing. To accompany our meals, we ordered Kamikazes, which are really awesome at Shogun 27 and totally compliment any meal.  For dinner, we ordered the steak hibachi (no mushrooms). Their hibachi dinners come with the salad bar (most nights), soup and your entree cooked right in front of you. We always ask for sesame dressing instead of the ginger dressing. Their sesame dressing is amazing. We literally cannot get enough of it.  We always substitute Miso soup for the clear broth that comes with hibachi dinners. They really make excellent Miso soup.  Jason, one of the owners, was our chef for the evening. He was personable and friendly, and cooked our entire meal to perfection. He put on a great show for us and kept us entertained as he whipped up fried rice, Japanese noodles, grilled vegetables and our steak. The steak was delicious.  It was juicy and prepared as we requested; rare. Jason also made garlic sauce for us, being that  we are huge garlic fans.

For dessert, we had orange serbet and also a combination of two ice creams; chocolate and red bean.  The two ice creams really blend well. It is definately a “must try”.

To sum up the evening, we really had another great experience at Shogun 27. We left the restaurant totally stuffed and we all felt pleasantly relaxed.  Melica was great as always, and Fiona came over to visit us and say hello as well. It was also great to meet Jason and let him know about TwoSquirts.com. We look forward to having another great experience at Shogun 27 very soon.

Kamikazis!!

Salad with Peanut Noodles

Hibachi Fireman

Hibachi Steak, Fried Rice, & Noodles

Check out Shogun 27′s website for more information:

http://shogun27.tripod.com/

Be sure when you visit Shogun 27 in Kendall Park, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Chili's, North Brunswick, NJ

Chili’s is always one of our favorite reasonably priced hangouts for really good food and a great experience.  The Chili’s in North Brunswick is our favorite location, as each location can vary in terms of the experience.  This location has the best food and also the best staff. Overall, however, we have never had a bad experience at any Chili’s that we have been too.  It is truly a great restaurant chain.

The server who is one of our all time favorites is “Mike E.”.  He is intelligent, warm, polite and has an excellent memory.  Mike E. is an all around nice guy and his service is top notch. He always remembers our usual special requests and goes out of his way to make our experiences memorable.  We have other favorite servers on Mike’s days off like Eli, Michael, Nichole, and Chelsea, but Chelsea and Nichole don’t work many days anymore.  For some reason, the Chili’s in North Brunswick attracts friendly people to work there.

Our favorite manager there is Jillian. She is very personable, and always catches up with us on how life has been since our last visit.  She has a strong commitment to providing excellent service and food to every customer.

Chili’s has many items on their menu for every person’s tastes and dietary needs.  They are always willing to make substitutions on request.  It is totally possible to eat healthy or very decadently at Chili’s. That’s one of the reasons we like it so much.

Chili’s has many excellent appetizers, salads, chili, soups, sandwiches and entrees. They also have a wide variety of libations as well. Everything is delicious and reasonably priced. Over the years, we have had their nachos, buffalo wings, quesadillas, salads and their awesome cheeseburgers and baby back ribs. Chili’s also has the best french fries and corn on the cob.

Mike E was our server again this evening. We ordered two orders of Wings Over Buffalo, which are the buffalo wings on the bone. One of them we ordered with honey barbeque sauce and ranch dressing for dipping.  The other order was the traditional style with buffalo sauce and blue cheese for dipping. As always, they were delicious!

For dinner, we ordered one full rack of baby back ribs with honey barbeque sauce with a side of their awesome french fries and corn on the cob. We also ordered our customized cheeseburger entree. Basically, we order the Old Timer Burger with just cheese, cooked medium with an extra hamburger patty, without the bun.  We always have that with sauteed peppers and onions (no mushrooms) on the side, cooked well done. We also have the lettuce and tomato on the side, their awesome corn on the cob and a small side of honey mustard sauce for dipping.  Mike E always remembers all these special requests and we never have to tell them all to him anymore. It shows what a great memory he has and what a great server he is.

Needless to say, we had another great experience at Chili’s and Mike E. always makes it special. If you are wondering why we refer to him as “Mike E.”.  Well, seems to always be several “Mike’s” working at this Chili’s at any given time, so we need to differentiate between them. We definitely look forward to another great meal at Chili’s in North Brunswick.

Toasted Head Chardonnay

Wings Over Buffalo

Honey BBQ Ribs

Bunless, Double Patty, Old Timer

Check out Chili’s website for more information:

http://www.chilis.com/

Be sure when you visit Chili’s in North Brunswick, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Martino's Cuban Restaurant, Somerville, NJ

Interior, Martino's Cuban Restaurant, Somerville, NJ

Roast Pork Cuban Style

Breaded Steak with Onions

Be sure when you visit Martino’s Cuban Restaurant in Somerville, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com!

Spain 92, Raritan, NJ

This past weekend, we went to Spain 92 Restaurant in Raritan, NJ.  Spain 92 is an elegant Spanish restaurant with a relaxing authentic atmosphere.  The outside of the restaurant is stately and appealing. The inside is nicely furnished with real Spanish tile, wood accents and brick arched walkways.

That evening, the dining room was packed with patrons, but it still had a relaxed feel to it. The wait staff was attentive and paid much attention to detail. We had multiple servers for the evening, but Hugo deserves to be highlighted. He was warm, friendly and went out of his way to accommodate us.

Our wine selection for the evening was the Montecillo 2007 Rioja (white). The taste was crisp and paired really well with our food selections and the price was excellent ($27). Dinner came with a bowl of light vegetable soup and really wonderful dinner rolls and butter. These rolls have an amazing taste to them. It was definitely hard to eat just one.

We ordered two appetizers for the evening. The first was Calamares a la Romana (fried calamari) served with a very light marinara sauce. They were perfectly round  rings of calamari with a very delicate but flavorful taste to them. The second appetizer was our true favorite; Chorizos Espanoles. They were Spanish sausages, sliced and then grilled with sliced green and red peppers. The flavor was Muy Sabroso!!!   We just could not get enough of them. We are still craving more of them, a few days later.For dinner, we ordered the Arroz Con Pollo, which was cubed white meat chicken served in saffron rice with fresh peas, peppers and sliced chorizo sausages. The taste was phenomenal. We also ordered the Shrimp and Scallops 92 served in a marinara sauce. These were served with rice and home made potato chips.  This was another really tasty dish.

For dessert, we ordered the Tiramisu, which was uniquely served in its own porcelain baking dish. Their Tiramisu really tasted amazing – light but with a rich flavor.  We also had white port dessert wine, straight from Europe.  How could we not! This was still another tasty treat.

The owner, Sergio, came over to talk with us after we ate. He actually pulled up a chair and sat with all of us and chatted for a good while. He really made us feel like we knew him for years even though we had just met him that night. He gave us the lowdown of how he started in the business and the history of his restaurant. One can see how proud Sergio is of his restaurant and his patrons.  He goes all out to make you feel like family.

Spain 92 has various theme nights each month. These include Flamenco, Tango and “Running with the Bulls” themed nights.  Sergio even plays musical instruments and sings.  How is that for entertainment!  He also talked with us about his family and we talked about ours. We truly had a nice conversation with him. He even brought over his business partner, Manny the chef, and included him in the conversation for a bit. We let Sergio know about TwoSquirts.com and he took great pride in hearing that we were going to write about our wonderful experience at Spain 92.  We really did have a terrific experience there; between the food, the service and the the really great conversation with Sergio.  We really felt like we were right at home. We even went out with a really tasty sampling of flan and rice pudding that we enjoyed the next day.

Now for the amazing part. Ren and I received a really awesome email from Sergio the very next morning. He had visited TwoSquirts.com that evening and really loved it.  He pointed out how he really liked how we put the “personal” touch into what we write and liked how we really highlight the “experience”.  Sergio was our first restaurant owner to write to us with such a great compliment as that.  Now, in turn, we can say that we take great pride in TwoSquirts.com.

Spain 92, Interior, Raritan, NJ

Chorizo

Arroz con Pollo

White Port

Spain 92, Interior, Raritan, NJ

Be sure when you visit Spain 92 in Raritan, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from TwoSquirts.com!

Teresa Caffe, Princeton, NJ

Last night, we had an experience to remember at Teresa Caffe, in downtown Princeton, NJ. This restaurant is part of the Terra Momo Restaurant Group, as is Eno Terra, which we reviewed last week on TwoSquirts.com.  We really like Princeton, because it has so much to offer.  It is always a great town in which to to walk around and there are many shops and restaurants for everybody’s tastes and price ranges. The weather was great last night and we both had a stressful day at the office. We just needed an experience to “take us away”. Well, this experience was definitely better than Calgon. We whisked Mom away with us to enjoy the evening, and what an eveing it was for all of us. It could not have been more perfect.

Teresa Caffe has a more casual artsy feel to it than the other Terra Momo restaurants. Their menu ranges from salads and gourmet pizza to regular dinner entrees. It is very popular among the Princeton University crowd and very international.  We have dined over the years next to people from all over the world. The restaurant also has a very extensive wine selection, listed nicely in a multi page leather bound book.  We have had many of our best wines at Teresa, and have actually searched for and bought some of them afterwards for further enjoyment at home.

Teresa Caffe, Wine Wall, Princeton, NJ

Upon entering the restaurant, we were immediately greeted by friendly people. The manager, Carlos, quickly came to say hello to us with a huge smile and a handshake. He even brought Mom a chair to sit in while we waited. How is that for consideration!Theresa, our server for the evening, also came over with her usual big bright smile and said hello. It ‘s only a coincidence that her name is “Theresa”, but as you can see, she uses the “h”. We have been served by Theresa a few times before and have always had great times with her.  She is warm, down-to earth, vibrant and full of life. What a nice mixture of qualities. She really goes out of her way to make people feel relaxed and pampered. Last ngiht was especialy nice.

We both felt like white wine last night. Carlos recommended the Italian Gavi- Vendemmia 2008.  It was an excellent white wine with a nice delicate flavor- perfect for summer drinking.  Ren and I both “pre-balanced” out our eating during the day so we could eat a lot last night. Needless to say, we were famished by the time we got to Teresa Caffe. Everything on the menu last night looked and sounded great.  To start, Mom ordered the onion soup with carrots and cheese and she was pleasantly satisfied. We also ordered two appetizers. The first one was Polpette, which consists of Simply Grazin‘ COGF beef and natural pork meatballs, pepperonata sauce and gruyere cheese.  The taste of these meatballs and sauce really is heaven. The cheese really adds a nice element to them as well. How can you go wrong with cheese!

Our other appetizer, the Quattro Formaggi, really brought Mom and me back to long ago – well not so long. They were zucchini blossoms, stuffed with 4 cheeses, delicately battered and lightly fried and served with tomato coulis. Phenomenal taste! Growing up in a Mexican household, I remember going out to the garden and picking the male zucchini flowers while the flower was still spread open. The flower blossoms close up as the morning passes. The male flowers are the ones that will not turn into a zucchini, so they are the ones that are used in cooking.  Mom would prepare them, Mexican style, by stuffing them with muenster cheese, dipping them in an egg batter and frying them. Mmm good!  This was Ren’s first time eating a flower, ever! This was a landmark event for Ren and he loved them.  Over the last several years, since meeting me, he has become a very adventurous eater.  I’ve created a world class food connoisseur.

For dinner we all ordered the Grilled Strip Steak, prepared medium rare. We were introduced to Chef Luis Martinez the last time we were at Teresa Caffe and he made sure he had this steak on the menu for us for last night.  Thank you, Chef Luis!  The steak was marinated in olive oil, rosemary and garlic and we tasted a hint of cumin. It was topped with cranberry mustard glaze which really increased the flavor even more. The taste was absolutely amazing and the steak was cooked to perfection.  We all had lightly sauteed spinach as a side.  It was also served with a wonderful Avocado Salpicon, which consisted of avocado, grape tomatoes, red onion, cucumber and fresh mint. We love avocados and I could have eaten this all day.  It was phenomenal.  We are definitely going to try making this at home for summer parties.

For dessert, Mom ordered the Tiramisu, which kept her on cloud nine as she ate it with a smile.  Ren and I tried a teenie bit, but our dessert was a quadruplet tasting of dessert wines. They were presented in fluted dessert wine glasses, and Theresa even placed them in the order in which we should drink them. They were, in order of appearance: Jacopo Poli Moscato Grappa, San Marco Moscato d’Asti, Coppo Brachetto d’acqui and Macualan Torcolato. What a nice finale to the meal.

Theresa and Carlos really went all out, as always, to make last night an evening to remember. Carlos is Portuguese and moved to the United States several years ago. The last time we went to Teresa, we mentioned to him that Ren and I took Mom to Portugal in May for her landmark birthday present. We also told him that we created a coffee table photo book of our trip. He asked for us to bring it last night and we did. Boy, his face really lit up as he reminisced about his home country while he looked through the book. Theresa was also captivated as she looked at our book. Who knows, Portugal may soon have a flood of people visiting there very soon!

To put everything in a nutshell.  Last night will go down in history as one of our best experiences at Teresa Caffe.  We all laughed and chatted and really had a wonderful evening.

Oil & Spices

Italian Gavi - Vendemmia 2008

Polpette

Quattro Formaggi

Grilled Strip Steak

Quadruplet Tasting of Dessert Wines

Tiramisu

Make a reservation today for Teresa Caffe using Open Table

Check out Teresa Caffe‘s website for more information:
http://www.terramomo.com/rest_teresacaffe.php

Be sure when you visit Teresa Caffe in Princeton, NJ, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Sahara Restaurant, New Brunswick, NJ

Sahara Restaurant, New Brunswick, NJ

A few nights ago we went to Sahara, a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant located in New Brunswick, NJ. This is one of our favorite ethnic BYOB restaurants. It is also reasonably priced for the generous amount of food that you are served. We have always received a very warm hello upon entering, and have had very friendly and efficient service. That night was no exception. It was a beautiful warm sunny evening and the entire atmosphere made you feel like you were actually dining in the Mediterranean. The long windows were open, allowing a nice gentle breeze into the restaurant and there were people dining outside.  We did choose the inside dining room however, near the windows. That way, we had the best of both worlds.

Classic Hummus

Spicy Lentil Soup

Shawarma, Shish Kebab, Adana Kebab, Kafta Kebab, Chicken Adana Kebab, Chicken Kebab

Rice & Peppers

Eno Terra, Kingston, NJ

A few days ago, we went to Eno Terra for a special relaxing dinner. This is always the perfect place for that! Eno Terra is located in Kingston, New Jersey on the site of the old historic Winepress restaurant from long ago.

As you pull in to the parking lot you’ll notice the simple quaint appearance of the restaurant. When you exit your car, you are treated to a wonderful aroma from the oak and cherry wood burning stove inside. This aroma immediately puts you in a relaxed state of mind. It is true aromatherapy for the senses. We always take our time walking in, to savor this aroma for as long as possible.

There are two connected parts of the restaurant. The right hand side is the very tasteful and classy wine bar with high ceilings and views of hundreds of wine bottles, all very nicely displayed. If you like wine, this is the place for you. There are many fine wines available from their extensive wine list, from reasonably priced to very expensive.

To the left, is the dining room. The atmosphere is peaceful and relaxed. You feel like you’ve entered your home – your “dream home”. Everything is tasteful and stylish with a relaxed feel. The interior colors accentuate the artwork, stone  and wood treatments.  There is a bread, meat and cheese cutting station with a stone wall as a backdrop. Take a few minutes to look around.  You will be pleasantly captivated. The staff will be happy to give you a tour of the facility and even take you upstairs to the party rooms overlooking the downstairs. You will definitely be impressed with Eno Terra‘s attractive fine wine storage.

“Eat local” defines Eno Terra. Most of the ingredients that are used in their food are grown within 50 miles of the restaurant.  They have a strong commitment to supporting local businesses and farms… and it is is all delicious! You can, read more about their philosophy on their website below.

All of the servers we have experienced at Eno Terra are excellent and high quality. They are very professional, yet friendly and down to earth.  Tonight, we had Steve and Eric.  They both helped make the experience an enjoyable and relaxing one. All of the staff is great and regularly make sure we have everything we need. You feel totally taken care of at Eno Terra.

Our wine selection was the Trittico Poggio al Sole Super Tuscan 2006 wine from Italy. This was truly a wonderful red wine that makes you go mmmm.  We were served a basket of artisan breads.   The bread is served with olive oil with a litle drizzle of white bean puree in the middle for dipping. There is truly something special about their olive oil.  The taste is phenomenal. All of their breads are made fresh and available for purchase at the Witherspoon Bread Company. The parent company, Terra Momo owns that too.  To start, we ordered the Salumi and Formaggi appetizer. It really makes you feel like you are in Europe. It is an assortment of cheeses, warm freshly roasted cashews, olives, sliced meats and wonderful home made bread sticks. The taste of the blue cheese was amazing.

Our dinner entree was the double cut pork chop, prepared medium rare.  This came with wilted spinach, a crispy potato pancake and candied spring onions. The taste of the meat was supreme and was hinted with the oak and cherry wood smoke flavor that you preview in the parking lot.  The potato pancake was truly a treat as well.

We did not order a dessert but were treated to a tray of delicious freshly baked chocolate cookies with some fresh blueberries. What a nice ending to our meal!

Our experience was truly terrific.  Our servers and hosts all helped to make that happen. You leave Eno Terra feeling like you have just had a spa experience – a “food spa”.  What a nice concept!

Delicious assortment of breads

Salumi & Formaggi

Simply Grazin’ Double cut Pork Chop

Yummy Chocolate Cookies!

Make a reservation today for Eno Terra using Open Table

Check out Eno Terra’s website for more information.
http://www.enoterra.com/

Be sure when you visit Eno Terra in Kingston, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Fuji Japanese Steakhouse, Dayton, NJ

Fuji is a friendly BYOB Japanese restaurant located in the Liberty strip mall on Rt. 522 in Dayton, NJ.  Don’t let the outside appearance fool you, because you are sure to have a fun experience inside.  This is a great hometown restaurant with a really warm and family like staff.  They really go out of their way to greet you and remember your name for the next times you come in.  Ren and I always have special requests, and each server will make a point of remembering what they were the next time we have him or her. At Fuji, we always eat hibachi but there is also a sushi bar area as well.Fuji has many regular customers who dine there from the general vicinity. All of the servers are authentic but have easy to remember names. Nancy is usually the host and her husband, Alan is our favorite hibachi chef. They have two really cute little daughters, Selena and Maggie, who hang out with their parents often. They have amazing memories, excellent manners and remember all of our names as well.

We’ve had many regular servers over the years at Fuji, but some of them have gone on to other pastures, either back to their native countries, or to other parts of the country. We just go with the flow and make new regulars. Lately, our regular server is Tina. She remembers our names every time and always asks how everything has been since the last time she saw us. She knows what table and seats we like to sit in and takes us there right away. She really helps to make our experiences there memorable and fun.

We usually order the friend calamari appetizer which is really tasty.  They are shaped like plump french fries and have a dipping sauce that is tasty and spicy. For dinner we usually order the hibachi steak dinner, but we have ordered the shrimp and scallops which also are delicious.  Usually we are so hungry (aren’t we always?) that we tend to order the steak. Dinner is always served with a clear broth soup, but we always substitute miso soup instead. A side salad also comes with your meal served with a really awesome ginger dressing.  I usually never like ginger dressing but this one I could get a bowl of and eat like soup.

The height of the fun starts when Alan, the chef, comes out wheeling his cart of hibachi ingredients. (No mushrooms for us – Ren is allergic!) He actually puts on a performance before your very eyes. Between his jokes, which we chime in with our own, his spinning knives, the onion volcano, and the flinging of the zucchini, it’s a fun time. This is a great place to have parties, because everybody seems to get into the fun.

Be prepared to eat a lot of food.  If you can’t fit it all they will give you containers to go. Each of the items is served as they are prepared so be ready to eat as they come. Chop chop. You are served dipping sauces, a hibachi shrimp appetizer, lo mein, fried rice, fried vegetables and your meat or seafood selection. We always order the steak rare and Alan always makes it soft and succulent. He remembers that we like garlic sauce, so he always makes that for us.  Feel free to ask any of the chefs for garlic sauce.  They are always happy to oblige.

Your dinner also comes with your choice of ice cream or orange sherbet for dessert. We like to get a chocolate / red bean ice cream combo and mix them together like soft ice cream.  Yummy! Needless to say we always leave Fuji feeling full, relaxed and good on the inside. This is another place at which we tend to generate a hugfest on the way out.  We have had many good times at Fuji, whether they were birthday parties, family “get togethers”, or just dinner out. All of them have been fun. By the way, there are coupons for Fuji in the local coupon mailer and Alan is featured in the photo.

Fuji Hibachi Dining Room, Fuji Japanese Steakhouse, Dayton, NJ

Onion Volcano

Hibachi Grill Accompaniments

Hibachi Steak

Check out Fuji‘s website for more information:

http://fujidayton.com/

Be sure when you visit Fuli in Dayton, NJ that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que, New Brunswick, NJ

The other night, we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Famous Dave’s on US Rt. 1 in New Brunswick.  We definitely make sure that we “pre-balance” out before we eat there, because the portions are BIG.

We actually have a ritual before we go there. Early in the day, we text message our favorite server, Famous Olivia, to make sure she is working that day.  She gets excited to get our text message because we always have a great time with her. Even the manager comes by and chats with us during our visits.  Stay tuned for more on Famous Olivia in a bit.

Anyway, now for the tasty part!  The ribs are excellent. We ALWAYS order a full slab of the XXL Ribs, “The Big Slab”.   That’s because we have XXL appetites.  The ribs are hand-rubbed with a secret blend of tongue-tingling spices, pit-smoked for 3-4 hours, slathered in sauce, then flame-kissed on the grill. It’s that kiss at the end that makes the meal.  These ribs are truly awesome!  They are big and meaty and with hardly any fat. My mouth is even watering all over again.  You really don’t feel guilty for long after eating these.  They are really a treat and a site to behold.  We always order the ribs with a baked potato with all of the fixings on the side and extra corn on the cob. If that’s not your style, they have various options to pick from, including Wilbur beans.

There are many other items on the menu, like baby back ribs, chicken, hamburgers and salads, but we can’t bring ourselves to order anything other than our favorite ribs.  On the table, patrons are supplied with their own roll of paper towels and several squeeze bottles of barbecue sauces, from mild to steaming hot.  We do make good use of these paper towels and even bring along our own supply of moistened wipes. We definitely keep the paper industry in business.

If you happen to go to famous Dave’s, be sure to ask for Famous Olivia, but not on a night we’re there.  We want all of her undivided attention.  She is full of life and is so personal and attentive.  She truly cares about us when we go there and is honored that we each wear her name badge when we go there.  Yes, we do each actually wear Famous Olivia’s name badge…even Mom.  It shows how much of a fan we are of hers.   She gave us a few of her name badges to have as souvenirs during one of our past visits. By the way, everybody is “Famous” there, so get used to it. There are indeed many great people working at Famous Dave’s, including the Store Manager, Lance, and Olivia’s sister and brother just to name a few.

XXL St. Louis Style Ribs, Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que, New Brunswick, NJ

You'll need these!, Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que, New Brunswick, NJ

Famous Olivia, Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que, New Brunswick, NJ

We’ve never had a disappointing time at Famous Dave’s.  Be sure to visit Famous Dave’s (http://www.famousdaves.com) and when you do, be sure to tell them that Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com recommended you.

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Princeton, NJ

Last night, we went to a Caymus Wine Dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Princeton. We had an awesome time. First of all, Ruth’s Chris is our favorite steak house. It’s a top notch steak house with locations all over the world. We’ve been to other locations including New York, Hawaii, Virginia Beach and Washington DC, to name a few. Some stand out more than others, but they are all excellent.

Last night was no exception.  All of the wine dinner attendees were seated in their own room.  Our main server for the evening was Jackie. We had never met her, but by the end of the evening, we were shooting the breeze, laughing and having a great time. As always, we have an experience to remember. More on Jackie later.

There were 5 courses, each accompanied by its own unique wine. With the 4th course, we were served 2 wines, so there were 6 different wines all together. We must say that every one of the wines was delicious. The selections included, a Conundrum, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, two Cabernet Sauvignons and a Port during dessert, Our favorites were the Conundrum, and the Caymus Special Selection Cabernet. The Port was delicious, as well, and reminded us of our trip to Portugal last month, being that this one was actually from Portugal.  The representative from Caymus let us know that Portuguese wines will be really “exploding” soon.  They are going to really be “big” here in the United States. We’ll see. All of the Caymus wines we had were definitely top shelf and impressive.  We will definitely be making a purchase very soon.

Now, let’s talk about the food. Course #1 was a shrimp appetizer in New Orleans style sauce.  Oh wow was that good. Luckily we had some toasted garlic toast to snatch every drop of that sauce. Course #2 was a mixed green salad with a creamy lemon basil vinaigrette. Course #3 was pasta stuffed with veal osso bucco and fresh mozzarella. We usually don’t order pasta but we really enjoyed this…a bit too much.  Course #4 was filet mignon au poivre perfectly prepared by the gods of mignon. Last, but not least, was a flourless chocolate sin cake. This was true decadence in every sense of the word. Yes, we ate the whole thing!

Every wine and every dinner course was perfectly paired and prepared. The taste of each was unbelievable. This is typical for Ruth’s Chris. Mind you, Ruth’s Chris is expensive, but it is definitely worth it.  We make a point of eating at a Ruth’s Chris several times a year.

Jackie, our server for the evening, was bright and full of life. Ren and I had a great time chatting with her, and even found out that she is a best friend of one of our other favorite servers from the past. See, good people hang with good people. Her service was excellent and  she had a great disposition. We will definitely request her in the future. Mike, one of the managers, even came by to chat with us for a bit.  He recognized us from our past visit to Ruth’s Chris. How is that for personal service!

We can’t wait for another wine dinner at Ruth’s Chris.  Who knows, as we progress, TwoSquirts may even be asked to sponsor a wine event. Be sure to put out a good word for us.

On a scale of 1-5, this experience definitely rates 5 Squirts.

Shrimp Appetizer, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Princeton, NJ

Mixed Salad, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Princeton, NJ

Pasta stuffed with Veal Osso Bucco, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Princeton, NJ

Chocolate Sin Cake, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Princeton, NJ

Make a reservation today for Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse using Open Table

Check out the Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse’s website for more information.
http://www.ruthschris.com/

Be sure when you visit Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Princeton, that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Blue Point Grill, Princeton, NJ

Blue Point Grill is our favorite seafood restaurant. It’s located in downtown Princeton, right on Nassau Street. It is a classy yet casual restaurant and the entire staff is very professional, friendly and warm.  A really great crowd frequents this place being that this restaurant is located in a world famous college town, drawing people from all over the world. This is another BYOB restaurant and if you happen to forget to bring your wine there is a wine shop right down the street within walking distance. We have been going there for years and have never had a bad meal. If we are in the mood for a seafood experience, we go there.

Blue Point Grill is a very popular hotspot and you can expect a substantial wait if it is a Friday or Saturday night, but it’s definitely worth it. if you plan on going on one of those busy nights, definitely bring an extra bottle of wine.  The regulars know that they are welcome to sit in the waiting area and sip wine as they wait for their table. The hosts are more than happy to open your bottle of wine and give you wine glasses so you can relax in a conversational atmosphere. If you are drinking white wine, they will also put your other bottle in the kitchen refrigerator to keep it chilled for you for when you sit at your table. The time passes quickly and before you know it, your table is ready.  During the warm time of the year, they have outside dining available which adds a real nice feel to the experience.

We have had so much fun at the Blue Point Grill over the years. The experiences we have had their are memorable. As usual, we have regular servers.  Here, they are Kristina, Cindy, Beth, and Katie.  We’ve also had Danny, Kelly and Karen.  Sheila is Katie’s sister and one of the hosts. She will always greet you with a smile and make your first impression a good one.

The service at the Blue Point Grill is warm and superb. The restaurant is managed so well that the wait staff actually enjoys working there.  You can even see it in their faces. The bread is phenomenal and is from Brooklyn. The fish is perfectly cooked every time.  It’s the way that Ren and I make it at home. You never have to worry about your fish being previously frozen at this place.  They even own the fresh seafood store right next door. You need to definitely check that place out too. If you do, check it out before you eat being that they close early.

Our servers for the evening were Christina and Beth, who as always lived up to their reputation of excellence. Tonight, we had their buffalo calamari for an appetizer, which is always amazing. They use cornbread breadcrumbs and then slather it in buffalo sauce. It has just the right amount of spiciness. On other occasions, we’ll order the regular fried; four spice; or the grilled calamari versions.  Every one is delicious.

Our next course was the iceberg wedge salad.  It is served with blue cheese crumbles, and thousand island dressing. They can customize it for you as well, if you desire. The blue cheese really adds that element of decadence.

Tonight, our fish selection for the main course was the arctic char. This fish is similar to salmon, but much better. We also usually order the tilapia, swordfish and chilean sea bass.  This time we chose mashed potatoes and cole slaw as our sides.  As always the fish was perfectly prepared and the taste was top notch.  We also ordered a side of creamed spinach.  If you like creamed spinach, this is a must. All we can say is, “Yummy!!!”.

We usually don’t order dessert, but it was still Mom’s birthday weekend so we did.  Mom ordered the fresh fruit and we ordered the organic strawberry sorbet, which is from the Bent Spoon, another local establishment in Princeton. We do rarely indulge in dessert, but this was an excellent way to top off the meal.

Needless to say, this was another memorable experience at the Blue Point Grill. We can’t say enough good things about this place.  They also own the Witherspoon Grill in Princeton next to the Princeton Library on Witherspoon Street.  That restaurant is another great place that does serve drinks.  We will let you know how that place is soon.  Stay tuned.

Blue Point Grill, Interior, Princeton, NJ

Arctic Char, Blue Point Grill, Princeton, NJ

Creamed Spinach, Blue Point Grill, Princeton, NJ

Fresh Fruit with Whipped Cream, Blue Point Grill, Princeton, NJ

Check out the Blue Point Grill’s website for more information.

http://bluepoint.jmgroupprinceton.com/

Be sure when you visit the Blue Point Grill that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Dusal's, Kendall Park, NJ

Dusal’s is always one of our neighborhood favorite restaurants. Located in Kendall Park, it is right down the street from home.  This is great, because we believe in supporting our local businesses as well as those around the world. Plus, it’s a BYOB so we can bring whatever fine wine we desire. The food has always been excellent and, especially important in these economic times, is offered at a good price. Life is short, so we always aim for an “experience” in whatever we do. At Dusal’s, it is easy to have that.  We are always greeted with a warm hello and a smile and have had many great conversations with our regular servers and that makes the experiences memorable.

Today was a special event, celebrating Mom’s birthday.  We made sure we had our long time regular server, Gail.  We go back years. She is warm, friendly and professional.  She makes us feel like family. However, we can’t forget our other regular servers,  Barbara and Felicia. Barbara came over as well to see how our trip to Portugal was and chatted with us along with Gail. Each one of our regulars is great and has her own individual style. All of our regulars make our experiences at Dusal’s special and make us feel at home.

Now for the good part – THE FOOD! We started with our latest favorite appetizer. It is a nice assemblage of great tastes. Gail would know the name, but all we say to her is, “you know, our favorite appetizer” and she works her magic.  Basically, it is fried shrimp, topped with smoked mozzarella, and a zesty tomato sauce.  The smoked mozzarella adds a real awesome taste to the dish and to your tongue.

Our next course was the side salad, which is always fresh with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and an olive.  Feel free to ask for extra olives.  They are always happy to oblige.  You can top your salad with the house vinaigrette or a serving or two of Ken’s salad dressing.

Our dinner entree was chicken parmigiana.  Dusal’s chicken parmigiana has a generous portion of chicken, lightly breaded and topped with a smooth red sauce and mozzarella cheese.  We do typically have it topped with a heaping portion of meat sauce instead, but we were balancing out today, in anticipation of a Mom’s birthday weekend full of eating. We do always request to have our cheese made “toasty” to add an additional element of taste.  Something to note, if you do order the meat sauce, be sure to know that you may need a doggy bag.  We have huge appetites so, we rarely walk out with left overs. LOL.

Because we practice a lower carb lifestyle, we substitute the usual side of pasta that comes with many of Dusal’s entrees with sauteed spinach with extra amounts of garlic and extra crispy too.  YUM! The taste of the crispy garlic is phenomenal.

Without even being asked, our friendly staff came out with a huge shareable italian ice cream dessert, for Mom, that had vanilla and chocolate ice cream encased in a hard chocolate shell.  Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Mom which brought an even larger smile to Mom’s birthday girl face. Even the fellow diners sang along and chit chatted with us.

Experiences are what we remember in life. You carry them with you always.  As always, Dusal’s gave us that experience.  Gail and Barbara, along with the other singing staff made us have an awesome night.  To top it off, it was a huge hug-fest with all of the staff as we walked out.  Talk about “warmth”. We felt like we were with our family.

Our Favorite Appetizer, Dusal's, Kendall Park, NJ

Sauteed Spinach, Dusal's, Kendall Park, NJ

Chicken Parmigiana, Dusal's, Kendall Park, NJ

Yummy!, Dusal's, Kendall Park, NJ

Check out Dusal’s website for more information.

http://www.dusals.com/home.nxg

Be sure when you visit Dusal’s that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.

Bensi, North Brunswick, NJ

Now for our first blog entry…let’s talk about Bensi in North Brunswick, NJ.- one of our fave restaurants and one we frequent quite often. The prices are good and the food is always a hit. What stands out, is the friendly atmosphere that Bensi provides.

We always have an awesome time when we eat there. Nichole is always the pleasant host, Matt is a gracious manager and the wait staff is always friendly.  Our server for the evening was Roxanne. She is always down to earth and very professional.  As always, she greeted us with a hearty smile and throughout the evening, we were well taken care of. Last night, we ordered the fried calamari for an appetizer with a side of cool pesto to dip.  Yummy! As always, a good choice. We also ordered a cup of cream of asparagus soup which was also excellently prepared. Our wine pairing was Citra chardonnay, an Italian wine, which is a very good wine at a great price.

Next were our entrees: Grilled chicken ceasar salad, and two orders of Tilapia Parmigiana. The tilapia was actually a concoction of ours and they were happy to oblige with our special request.  It was a spur of the moment idea, and we had no idea it would be so good.  The fish was tender and breaded with panko bread crumbs and was delicious prepared parmigiana style. Instead of pasta we always order sauteed spinach with garlic. We have to balance out somewhere!  lol.

Needless to say we left nicely full after our hearty but healthy meal.  Roxanne helped us to have a nice experience and on the way out we even had a nice conversation with Matt, the manager.

We had another great dinner and experience at Bensi.  We are always recommending it to our friends. Check  it out!

Fried Calamari, Bensi, North Brunswick, NJ

The Wine Wall, Bensi, North Brunswick, NJ

Bensi, North Brunswick, NJ

http://www.bensirestaurants.com/index.html

Be sure when you visit  Bensi that you say that you were referred to them by Roy and Ren from twosquirts.com.