Unfortunately the idea of a beer hall with no food has come and gone.

The Beer Garden in Stamford has closed.

I ventured for a quick lunch to see if all of the recommendations I have heard recently were deserved. As I approached this very off the beaten path location, which is more residential than commercial, the first item I noticed was the bright colors of the exterior. Parking is limited for about 10 cars and a little maneuvering is required.

Once inside, to the left there is a bakery with a hot salad bar (not self-served) and to the right is a dining area with ten to fifteen tables. Two HDTV oversee the dining area and during my visit they each were broadcasting an international soccer game.

The menu is as colorful as the exterior, full of a variety of Columbian cuisine. For some reason I was less than adventurous and ordered the Churrasco (medium rare), a grilled steak with Chimichurri sauce. It was served with arroz (rice), tostones (green plantains), frijoles (beans) and ensalada (salad).

The server brought a bowl of bean soup instead of the salad. The flavor of the soup was full of smokiness and with loads of al dente beans and pork, the soup was delicious.

The steak arrived while I was only halfway through the soup and my initial reaction was not positive. From the outside there was a lot of fat and grizzle and there were several slits through the main section, probably to check for the doneness. After a few bites my initial thoughts were confirmed, this was a fairly weak piece of meat, about 40% grizzle/fat, and it was medium-rare in certain spots and medium-well in others. On a positive note, the Chimichurri was outstanding. The rice and plantains were delivered as I was halfway through the steak. I liked the rice which brought just a bit if sweetness but the plantains were incredibly bland and boring.

Overall, I was not overly impressed with the food at La Sorpresa y Mas, the service was friendly but very disjointed. I blame myself a little for not ordering one of the dishes the regulars were enjoying at other tables. It is worth a revisit in the future but I am not rushing back.

61 Cedar St – Norwalk, CT 06854 – (203) 838-9809

I was excited when I saw the description on the menu as a Wagyu burger. But the burger was was somewhat flavorless and then the kitchen overwhelmed the limited flavor with the cheese. The highlight of the burger was the bun, which was excellent. The fries were under-cooked, still slightly hard on the interior but were nicely salted. Overall the burger at Sole was very disappointing.

As I worked my way through the myriad of restaurants and bars serving hamburgers in Fairfield County, the name Flipside arose more often than not.

I ordered my normal bacon cheeseburger at the bar, which was busy during the lunch rush.

The burger was pretty good. The meat was juicy and had a decent flavor, definitely not up there with the grass fed burgers in the area. The bun was very good (would have been better if they grilled it a bit) and the burger was properly cooked. The patty itself was thin variety and very wide and the bun was large enough to handle its dimensions. The bacon should be avoided as it was incredibly salty and I needed to remove from the burger to taste the meat.

Overall not a fantastic burger.

OK I am a Sally’s lover for 30 years but after hearing so many great things about Pepe’s, I decided to give the Fairfield location a shot.

Yes it is a very good pie, no doubt but I will not place above Sally’s, by any stretch of the imagination. First the place is very relaxing and if you get a seat in the front room you can watch the pizza maker use the 10-foot pizza peal to retrieve pizzas from the back of the oven. The crust is excellent, but again not as good as Sally’s and the toppings were average, nothing special.

The glasses for the drinks are a joke, the one I use in my bathroom in the morning is larger. This is basically poking my eye with thinking that a scalding hot pizza should be served with a 5-ounce glass of soda.

Overall I give Pepes a good solid 8, but this Sally’s lover with stay loyal.

After several visits to 1020, I’ve been more disappointed than satisfied. But in Darien, this restaurant offers one of the better choices in town.

Each time I visited 1020 the host seems to give the impression that you should be honored to each there, humility is not his greatest strength. The front bar area is a favorite for a burger and beer with friends to watch a ballgame or just hang out. This and Darien Social are probably the best bar in Darien

When the food arrives manage your expectations. On one occasion I ordered the clams and the broth was so bitter I needed to send it back to the kitchen. This was replaced with what the menu described as Lobster Mac & Cheese, but mine, unfortunately lacked any crustacean meat.

I was hoping the burger would be the saving grace, but alas, even this was a disappointment. It is a decent burger but not in my go-to list. The meat was over-seasoned in some areas and under-seasoned in others and lack deep flavors. The caramelized onions were soft, moist and very flavorful, but the bun was pedestrian. Not a recommended burger.

Overall, it is a bar trying to be a better restaurant, than a restaurant with a great bar.

Since I work in the area I visit Letizia for take-out pizza…and it is a good take out pizza. WIth few choices in the area, this is better than average pie, but the amount of toppings they place on the pie are just too heavy for the crust. Would I want them to reduce the toppings? nope, but they need to redo the crust to allow for someone to actually pick up a slice. If you are not adverse to using a knife-fork for eating pizza, not a problem, but for us old timers who like to raise the triangle and bite, this is a tough pie.

I always appreciate people who risk their livelihood to follow their dreams. So when I drove to Bridge Street Wienery in Stamford, I really wanted to love this place. And after eating a hot dog and hamburger I realized that sometimes people just want a basic hamburger or hot dog, looking for that Earl Scheib’s, “No ups; No extras.”

Bridge Street serves Sabrett hot dogs (6 to the pound) with more topping variations than I could ever eat, plus hamburgers, hot sausages, chicken sandwiches and steak and cheese sandwiches. The dogs are split and then grilled on a flattop. The burgers are 3-4 ounce (more to the former), also grilled on the flattop and served a la 5 guys, well done. The toppings are plentiful and are arranged in price groups on the menu. I saw a few people trying to figure out what their burger would cost. Me? Pretty simple, I ordered a dog with sauerkraut and relish plus a bacon cheeseburger.

If the owners, Steve and Mike, envisioned opening a burger and dog place to mimic a major league ballpark or a Sunday church BBQ event they absolutely succeeded. It is what it is, no ups; no extras. The dog was too small (I like 4 to the pound) to handle the toppings they generously place on top. When I saw them individually grill some onions, I was impressed. The burger was OK, nothing special, but a single is way too small for anyone over 12 years old. The bacon was flavorful but overpowered my single patty, it would probably be better with a double patty.

One item I did not like at all was the sexual double-entendres on some of the signs and posters. It’s a family place; I would not want to explain to my 10-12 year old what some of these inappropriate “jokes” meant. Focus on the food and leave the locker humor where it “belongs.”

Tacos Mexico is located in a small strip mall on Fort Point Street off East Avenue just south of I-95. I have been hearing good things from by buddies over at http://www.ctbites.com so I stopped by for a quick lunch and very much enjoyed almost the entire meal. I ordered the Chipotle Chicken Taco Lunch special ($6.49) and a single beef taco ($2.25).

Once I ordered my meal the server brought a basket of nacho chipss and two small bowls of red salsa. The salsas are almost identical except for a little difference in the heat and some of the ingredients in one were pureed. Both were delicious and I really liked the idea that they include little spoons. You can take a spoonful, place atop a chip and enjoy a good amount of salsa per chip.

The beef taco arrived first and it probably sat a bit before coming to the table as it was luke warm. The plate was much hotter than the food. The flavors were good but it needed the addition of the house green sauce for me to really enjoy. The chicken tacos arrived next. They were two rolled tacos filled with a creamy and delicious chicken. The beans and the rice that accompanied the dish were also delicious. This was a big winner for me.

So with the exception of the beef taco, I thoroughly enjoyed Tacos Mexico. BTW – Service is incredibly slow so if you are in a rush at lunch you should make mention of that when you order, maybe they can hurry the food from the kitchen.