Saturday, February 2, 2013
Beaufort, North Carolina--Clawson's Restaurant
Clawson's 1905 Restaurant
425 Front Street
Beaufort, North Carolina 28516
252.728.2133
www.clawsonsrestaurant.com
Why Clawson's? Better Than It Might Look (at First)
I must say, the exterior and entrance of this place aren't particularly appealing, nor is it that appealing to be in a back room that looks like a restaurant I'd have found in my undergraduate days. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you.) The place is cavernous and brown, with a kind of overwrought rustic look, and, well, it can seem somewhat uninviting.
But as you've likely heard much of your life as I have mine, "don't judge a book by its cover." (Hmm. Wonder what e-books will do to that old adage? The subject for another blog, I suppose.)
So, don't let the posted beer specials on the windows and door fool you, as they almost did me.
We couldn't score a reservation for eight of us to a local trendy, boutique-y style restaurant, and Clawson's is big enough to accommodate us. We went. My expectations were very modest.
The server impressed us immediately by asking which group of us was with which group, offering from the first to give us separate checks without our having to ask (or, as it often happens, to beg). She was attentive, friendly, and appropriately unobtrusive. The menu is fairly comprehensive, and my husband had the special: blackened fish over cheese grits, with collards on the side. Naturally, I took several bites (I confess to gulping down most of the collards), and the meal was delicious.
I took what I thought would be a risk and had the crab cakes. Risk? No. They were full of crab--what little filler there was was unnoticeable--and absolutely delicious. I also chose the brocolli salad on the side, which was also very nice. Our son had the Monterey Chicken, which looked terrific. Other folks had the quesadillas (a huge portion, which our friend noted was excellent); the cobb salad (huge, nicely cooked and moist chicken atop); and pasta with shrimp and scallops.
Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert (and when we're back, I'll have "Death by Chocolate"). But Clawson's was quite good--I admit, it was a surprise--and, unlike other places in town, more moderately priced. A good bet.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Chicago, Illinois--Ras Dashen
We'd wanted to try Ethiopian food once again--after a reasonably good experience in Phoenix--and especially at one of the many well-known places in Chicago.
So...when a recent, special occasion made room in the schedule (interestingly enough), we came here for a family dinner to celebrate a significant birthday and anniversary.
I've heard several people complain that they don't like Ethiopian food because they don't like the injera, the very spongy bread that serves as the vehicle for the delicious foods set atop it. I'm reasonably certain that the restaurant will provide you with a fork, if you so desire, as the toppings are not to be missed.
As you might assume, then, the five of us enjoyed the food tremendously, ordering two appetizers (one would have been enough, given that we had a large meal afterward) and five entrees, which we shared on the injara.
The food was delicious, and it's possible, I think, to order only four entrees for five people. But everything is very, very good, and it's one of those instances where more does, indeed, seem better than less!
We had the chicken and egg (national dish of Ethiopia), lamb, beef, lentils, split peas, beets, red cabbage--all delicious. The service was un-rushed, very nice and helpful--and mostly attentive.
We had bread pudding for dessert (one to snack on for the five of us), and it was a tasty finish to an eclectic, tasty meal. (I suppose one could argue that it was a set of meals, given the mix of vegetarian and meat entrees that we shared.)
The restaurant can be somewhat pricey, as things do add up; but rest assured that this is a completely worthwhile dining experience, whether for couples or a family of every age group. During our visit, the restaurant comfortably welcomed an impressive variety of customers ranging from neighborhood, Uptown hipsters to seniors to families to everyone in between.
So...when a recent, special occasion made room in the schedule (interestingly enough), we came here for a family dinner to celebrate a significant birthday and anniversary.
I've heard several people complain that they don't like Ethiopian food because they don't like the injera, the very spongy bread that serves as the vehicle for the delicious foods set atop it. I'm reasonably certain that the restaurant will provide you with a fork, if you so desire, as the toppings are not to be missed.
As you might assume, then, the five of us enjoyed the food tremendously, ordering two appetizers (one would have been enough, given that we had a large meal afterward) and five entrees, which we shared on the injara.
The food was delicious, and it's possible, I think, to order only four entrees for five people. But everything is very, very good, and it's one of those instances where more does, indeed, seem better than less!
We had the chicken and egg (national dish of Ethiopia), lamb, beef, lentils, split peas, beets, red cabbage--all delicious. The service was un-rushed, very nice and helpful--and mostly attentive.
We had bread pudding for dessert (one to snack on for the five of us), and it was a tasty finish to an eclectic, tasty meal. (I suppose one could argue that it was a set of meals, given the mix of vegetarian and meat entrees that we shared.)
The restaurant can be somewhat pricey, as things do add up; but rest assured that this is a completely worthwhile dining experience, whether for couples or a family of every age group. During our visit, the restaurant comfortably welcomed an impressive variety of customers ranging from neighborhood, Uptown hipsters to seniors to families to everyone in between.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Chicago, Illinois--The Gage Restaurant
THE GAGE
24 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60603
http://www.thegagechicago.com/
Why The Gage? A Reliable, Good, Chicago-Style Restaurant--Great for a Conversation (If You Can Hear One Another)
24 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60603
http://www.thegagechicago.com/
Why The Gage? A Reliable, Good, Chicago-Style Restaurant--Great for a Conversation (If You Can Hear One Another)
We've been to The Gage several times, and recently I chose it to have
lunch with a friend who I hadn't seen in a long time. The menu is very
good, with numerous choices to please a range of diners--from light, salad-style fare to burgers to fish.
Interestingly, it's a good, upscale-seeming place to have a private conversation, but for reasons you might not expect: It's very, very noisy! So, as long as you can hear your companion(s), your conversation will stay between you. And, as you can imagine, this can be quite a conversational advantage if your goal is to keep things, well, "quiet."
My friend had the burger, which she said was delicious (with the "upgrade" ingredients!); I had the hangar steak salad, which also was terrific and perfectly prepared. The service is friendly, the vibe is hectic, the prices aren't unreasonable given the location (although some might find it a bit pricey, I suspect), but it's a good, very Chicago place to eat.
My husband swears by the Scotch Egg--a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, breaded, and deep-fried! Not exactly weight-watchers, but apparently a very delicious, traditional form of bar food.
Cost? Whether this qualifies as a $$ or $$$ place depends, as is often the case, on what your order, but the range of prices makes it a bit easier to watch the bill than at other places.
Interestingly, it's a good, upscale-seeming place to have a private conversation, but for reasons you might not expect: It's very, very noisy! So, as long as you can hear your companion(s), your conversation will stay between you. And, as you can imagine, this can be quite a conversational advantage if your goal is to keep things, well, "quiet."
My friend had the burger, which she said was delicious (with the "upgrade" ingredients!); I had the hangar steak salad, which also was terrific and perfectly prepared. The service is friendly, the vibe is hectic, the prices aren't unreasonable given the location (although some might find it a bit pricey, I suspect), but it's a good, very Chicago place to eat.
My husband swears by the Scotch Egg--a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, breaded, and deep-fried! Not exactly weight-watchers, but apparently a very delicious, traditional form of bar food.
Cost? Whether this qualifies as a $$ or $$$ place depends, as is often the case, on what your order, but the range of prices makes it a bit easier to watch the bill than at other places.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
New York City, NY--Giorgio's of Gramercy
GIORGIO'S OF GRAMERCY
Why Giorgio's? ..For Its Amazingly Caring Staff and--oh, yes--Very Good Food
I'm not usually one for whom the personal back story has much of an effect on whether we like a place or not.
But, I confess, the extraordinary attention from the staff at Giorgio's enhanced what was we would discover was a very good dining experience as well.
 |
| The view from the Battery--not from Giorgio's! |
Our experience at Giorgio's started out with a bit of drama: we were
meeting friends for dinner, and when we arrived, we learned that one of
them had left her purse at a cafe in Brooklyn! The staff members were
trying to be very helpful, even attempting to find the name of the cafe
so that my friend's husband could call to see if the purse had been
found. He then just decided to go back to Brooklyn--insisting that the
rest of us should be seated and eat--and believe it or not, came back
about an hour later with the purse! (The owner of the small cafe in Brooklyn had found it
and held on to it.)
I regale you with this narrative because all of the restaurant staff had demonstrated incredible concern; various staff members came to our table now and then, telling us how pleased they were that the purse had been found! (Frankly, we were equally astonished that the purse made it back from Brooklyn.)
I regale you with this narrative because all of the restaurant staff had demonstrated incredible concern; various staff members came to our table now and then, telling us how pleased they were that the purse had been found! (Frankly, we were equally astonished that the purse made it back from Brooklyn.)
And (wouldn't want to forget to mention this part, of course) the
food was quite nice, too--my friend ordered a strip steak (which she
then shared with her husband when he returned triumphantly from Kings County) and extraordinarily crispy and tasty fries; my husband and I each ordered scallops (good, nicely seasoned, very
filling) and a side of roasted Brussels sprouts; and the four of us shared Tres
Leches cake--as good as the cake we'd had in Puerto Rico--and Baked Alaska.
Even with the drama of the evening, and perhaps because of it, we were able to focus on the graciousness and attention of the people who served us and to notice that the food was, well, pretty darned good, too.
Even with the drama of the evening, and perhaps because of it, we were able to focus on the graciousness and attention of the people who served us and to notice that the food was, well, pretty darned good, too.
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