Jfood’s Top 10 Bar Burgers – Greenwich to New Haven – #10 Louis Lunch

Posted on May 5, 2013 by jfoodeats

Over the last year I sampled over over 60 burgers in search of the best Bar Burgers and Best Restaurant Burgers.

NUMBER 10…

Louis Lunch (New Haven) – This institution is still serving a great patty using its patented vertical flame grills from 1895. You can ONLY order cheese, onions or tomato, served on toasted bread. The beef was excellent, great flavor and nicely seasoned. The cheese was well melted and the toast held it together. The tomato and bread were not in the same league as the incredible meat, but the historical claustrophobic ambiance and its inclusion on everyone’s “Burger Bucket List” gave Louis the #10 slot.

Apologies for the poor photo. Impossible at the table with so much pushing and shoving.

Read the entire Top 10 List at:

http://www.ctbites.com/home/2013/5/5/top-10-bar-burgers-from-greenwich-to-new-haven-2013.html

Lobstercraft – Very Cool Truck Food

Posted on April 19, 2013 by jfoodeats

Lobstercraft features four different combinations. The basic “Coastal” includes buttered lobster claw meat (it looked like approx. 4 ounces) on a toasted bun or you can add some spicy butter and enjoy their “Heatwave”. And Captain Mike has two additional combinations up his sleeve. His “LBLT” adds bacon, lettuce & tomato) and the “California”tops the lobster meat with avocado, cucumber and a wasabi soy sauce. I chose a Coastal and some bisque.

The lobster claw meat was delicious, moist, with good buttery flavor; but the ingredient that elevated the flavors was the “secret seasoning” on top. The sandwich also includes a side of truck-made spicy coleslaw, which adds little heat and was a great side for the roll. The Lobster Bisque was more broth than the creamy version I expected. Captain Mike adds a scoop of chopped lobster meat to the bisque at the last minute. A second visit is in the cards to try another cup of bisque plus I made grab some MAC. The location varies. I saw the truck on Bell Street at lunchtime the other day but you may also find it at Harbor Point.

Tavern on 7 (Norwalk) – Not a Good Burger

Posted on April 17, 2013 by jfoodeats

As my search for great bar burgers continues, I wandered up the street from my office to try Tavern on 7. Located just north of the DMV on the opposite side of the street, there is parking on the side and when I entered midway through lunch service the place was bustling with a full house. Evryone seemed to be enjoying their meal, including burgers, fish & chips, salads and sandwiches.

I was there for a burger and the menu included five choices, an “Angus Cheeseburger,” a “All-Star Burger,” A “Veggie Burger,” a “Turkey Burger,” and my choice the “Tavern Brew Burger,” which included black angus beef topped with Fontina cheese, smoked bacon and caramelized onions.

As I waited for the burger to arrive I was impressed with the energy and the chatter around me. This was a go-to spot for many. The burger arrived and after one bite my disappointment kicked in and nothing in the subsequent bites eliminated this first impression. The meat tasted as if water was added to give it a level of juiciness, the bacon was very basic and boring and the onions were more greasy than tasty. The bun was cold and right out of a plastic bag.

I am glad others enjoyed more than me, but I am not anxious to return and have another burger.

Harvest Wine Bar (Greenwich) – Outstanding Opening

Posted on April 14, 2013 by jfoodeats

Harvest Wine Bar, located on the lower end of Greenwich Avenue, elevates the restaurant offerings in downtown Greenwich to a much higher level. The Sigueza brothers, Vicente and Kleber, can now add another fantastic restaurant to their portfolio, which includes Cave Wine Bar in New Canaan, Scena Wine Bar in Darien and 55 Wine Bar in Fairfield. A beautiful casual dining space in the front area is dominated by a large brick wall and accentuated with wood tables and chairs. You can continue walking to the rear of the restaurant and enjoy the long bar or tables, all with views through the large west-facing windows lining the entire rear wall of the restaurant.

Overseeing the kitchen is Chef Eben Leonard who is migrating from Scena Wine Bar where CTbites enjoyed his creativity and culinary talent on numerous occasions. His opening menu combines aspects from southern Europe with a modern twist to American classics. “Snacks and Shares” to enjoy at the bar include a creative short rib mac and cheese, carpetbagger oysters with beef carpaccio, and grilled pork tenderloin sliders. ”Starters” include salads, crudos and seafood. The entrées (“Seconds”) include several pasta dishes (I was assured that theof other Ricotta Gnocchi Bolognese from Scena is duplicated), but the emphasis of the menu is wood-fired, grilled meats, poultry and seafood.

I sampled three of the appetizers and two were outstanding.

The “Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad” with a Parmesan risotto cake and truffle vinaigrette is delicious. The tower of Brussel sprout rests atop a warm parmesan risotto cake, surrounded by a small dollop of parmesan sauce. The focus of the dish is the shaved, raw Brussel sprouts, accented with olive oil, lemon, truffle oil and parmesan. The Brussel sprout and Parmesan cheese combination is a tremendous flavor combination; the bittersweet Brussels sprouts work exquisitely with the saltiness of the Parmesan cheese. Texturally, the dish includes the crunchiness of the raw Brussel sprouts, the cake’s exterior and slight bite from the risotto offset by the creaminess of the cake’s interior and the Parmesan sauce.

The “Scallop Crudo” with blood orange segments and topped with shredded Kombu (Japanese kelp) salt and micro greens is delightful and incredibly light. The mild flavors of the scallops are pleasantly complemented by the saltiness of the Kombu. The blood orange segments add a slight sweet-and-sour to the dish with a small amount of citrus. This was my introduction to Kombu and it reminds me of shredded beef jerky, offering a hearty saltiness. The addition of a few micro-greens adds a level of freshness to the dish. This is also an wonderful start to the meal.

The “Charred Octopus” with red wine braised lentils, bacon, avocado, sweet Piquillo peppers and cherry tomatoes was not to my liking. The octopus itself is delicious, but the rest of the ingredients do not add to the overall dish; overall it lacks textural contrasts and many of the flavors meld together versus complementing. The bacon, peppers, tomatoes and cilantro attempt to add contrast and flavors but the avocado is subsumed by the lentils.

Both of the two entrées that I sampled were outstanding.

My favorite of the two entrées is the “Wood Grilled Veal Chop” with creamy spinach, veal raviolis, baby carrots, truffle red wine glaze and a touch of parmesan. Chef Leonard told me he sells “a ton” of this entrée and after one bite I completely understand. The chop is perfectly grilled and seasoned, beautifully moist and full of a delicious veal flavor. The spinach is a perfect complement to the veal, slightly creamy with a deep flavor and the veal ravioli are delicate, which pairs well with the red wine glaze. To add a sweet component, the dish includes a few sweet baby carrots atop the chop. Overall this is one of the best veal chops I have tasted in a while.

The “Wood Grilled Salmon” with cranberry beans, kale, preserved lemon and charred tomato vinaigrette brings a new dimension to a basic dish. The preparation differs from so many in Fairfield County where a simple grilled salmon filet and vegetables are served. Yes Harvest’s is grilled salmon, but the other ingredients add a totally different flavor profile to this interpretation. The kale and cranberry beans bring earthiness; and then the preserved lemon increases the dish’s complexity with citrus to take the palate in a different direction. This is a salmon presentation to satisfy both sexes.

And for those interested in one of the best hamburgers in Fairfield County, Harvest delivers. The “Harvest Burger” is comprised of grass fed, all natural beef (from Minnesota), with Applewood smoked bacon, crispy onions, smoked tomato mayo, Grafton cheddar on a toasted English muffin, served with “everything fries.” This could be the best flavored meat in Fairfield County, a deep rich flavor and with enough fat to absorb a good level of smokiness. The thick cut bacon adds more smoke and saltiness and the smoked tomato mayo augments with just a touch of flavor to the muffin. I was initially suspect of the “everything” seasoning on the fries; but after several fries I am a fan, the poppy seeds bring a new flavor dimension to the traditional salty fries.

Harvest has a few fun desserts to end the meal. The banana split sundae includes a brownie (which is actually Chef Leonard’s grandmother’s recipe), with two scoops of ice cream, one of peanut butter cup and the other espresso nugget, and topped with strawberry sauce, chocolate sauce, chocolate covered espresso beans and nuts. I really like this dessert and what else needs to be said about a sundae, other than it is a great frozen treat and a perfect and relaxing way to end the meal.

After a few months, Chef Leonard and Harvest Wine Bar are preparing some excellent dishes. From crudos to pastas to grilled steaks and chops, the food at Harvest will make this a go-to restaurant in Greenwich.

Shake Shack (Westport) – What Happened?

Posted on April 6, 2013 by jfoodeats

What happened to Shake Shack? What I enjoyed during their opening week when I reviewed for http://www.ctbites.com, has completely fallen from favor, or should I say flavor. The Shack Burger is now some flavorless meat, cooked to medium-rare at least, with two slices of under-ripe tomatoes, a little lettuce on a soft bun. The bun is the best part of the burger. Hard to believe Meyer let this happen. And the fries are better than the opening week, but it is hard to get excited about some frozen crinkle fries thrown in oil and not salted.

Too many other choices in the area to want to go back.

Brennan’s (Stamford) – Disappointing Burgers

Posted on April 2, 2013 by jfoodeats

I really wanted to enjoy Brennan’s, something about a local haunt that supposedly serves great burgers. Unfortunately my tally or the four bacon cheeseburgers was…three overcooked, one raw and only one with bacon. There was a certain looseness and tenderness to the texture of the meat that indicated that the burgers were hand formed on-site. Nice crust on burgers I really enjoyed the flavor of the sirloin meat with its nice, rich, deep flavor did not deliver the juiciness I was expecting, omitted bacon from both burgers. The onion rings were crunchy and the interiors were soft and moist with a good onion flavor. The waffle fries were also crispy while still moist on the inside.

Overall, it could be much better if the grillmaster would just deliver as ordered

Terrain (Westport) – Burger Better than Responsiveness

Posted on March 29, 2013 by jfoodeats

We arrived and were impressed with the interior space. Unfortunately it overlooks the yard and the garbage outside the windows was a bit distracting and should be addressed.

A warm bread loaf in a pot was brought. The bread was very good and still warm.

I ordered the Café Burger described as Painted Hills Beef, caramelized onion, mushrooms, Cheddar cheese, and horseradish aioli, served on a brioche roll. This is an enormous and vertically demanding burger. The meat is ground on premises and had an interesting texture, more pieces than ground beef. Some, including me, may not like the texture, it was almost a gelatinous feeling. The caramelized onions were perfect…they were soft, sweet and delicious. The cheddar was a good addition and complemented the rich flavors of the beef but the mushrooms were lost in the other flavors, they were not needed. The enormous swath of aioli was a great addition and the Brioche from Balthazar in NYC, was first grilled and it added a nice, sweet flavor to offset the bold flavors of the other ingredients. The skin-on French fries were very good, nicely seasoned, crispy on the exterior and soft on the interior.

Overall it was a very good burger, but could use a little adjustment of the textures and the ingredients to improve.

My wife ordered the lobster roll. The lobster was mushy and did not taste right. She experienced some post lunch issues and I contacted the restaurant. The manager scolded me, told me that she and others ate the lobster that day, but said she would look into and call back. I never heard back from her. I was very disappointed in her lack of caring, and no follow up is unacceptable.

It might be understandable if the kitchen has a bad day, but more often than not, the reason for non-returns and “doesn’t like” relates to the management. At Terrain the burger was pretty good, the lobster roll was bad and management was unresponsive.

Little Pub (Ridgefield) – Tasteless Burger

Posted on March 28, 2013 by jfoodeats

The place was hoppin’ when I arrived for my medium rare bacon-cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. I sat in the protected outdoor area and watched other guests seemingly enjoy their lunches. The restaurant was very understaffed and I felt bad for the servers who were running around, but each maintained an incredibly pleasant attitude under some pretty difficult conditions. Management should be ashamed.

The burger arrived, and I cut it in half. The interior was a little overcooked, probably more medium but was oozing juice. After one bite I knew looks were deceiving. The meat was juicy, but that is where the good news ends. There was no char, no flavor, no seasoning, nothing to separate from a basic diner slap on the flattop burger. The two slices of bacon were thick but overcooked and again flavorless, and the cheese was basic store bought American. The burger was served in a grilled Kaiser roll and again, no flavor, bland. And Little Pub is consistent. The sweet potato fries were crispy, but without flavor or seasoning.

Overall, there is nothing in this experience that is causing me to return.

Nola Oyster Bar – First Bites

Posted on March 25, 2013 by jfoodeats

Several weeks ago I announced on CTbites the opening of Nola Oyster Bar in South Norwalk, described as a seafood restaurant with dishes from Maine to New Orleans. After my initial visit, it is apparent that much of the food is influenced by the great flavors and traditions of New Orleans, but the creative interpretations are singularly of Chef Dan Kardos.

Exposed brick walls, wood and tin columns, and wrought iron rails dominate the interior with white “antique” chandeliers hanging from the ceiling to create a very New Orleans visual. The front area includes a large, arced granite-topped bar that seats 10, plus a large reclaimed “Bankers’ Table” that seats an additional eight guests overlooking the floor to ceiling windows. The center section of the restaurant overlooks the kitchen, plus the rear room is available for regular dining or a private event.

Nola Oyster Bar is a place for fun, drinks and great food.

The kitchen is under the direction of Chef Dan Kardos (The Whelk, Harvest Supper). The menu is divided into four sections: raw bar, small plates, salads, and entrees. The starters include raw oysters, clams and tuna Crudo, chowder, gumbo, seafood pan roast, tacos, mac and cheese, plus greens and sides with traditional salads and other unique combinations. The entrées include two burgers (tuna or beef), tacos, sandwiches, shrimp and grits, scallops, skate and several meat options.

The “Tuna Crudo” is a delightfully light choice to start to the meal. Thin slices of tuna are topped with a sauce comprised of soy, hot sesame, jalapeño and candied ginger. While a sesame-soy combination is a traditional accompaniment to raw tuna, Chef Kardos takes the dish in a unique direction with the addition of the candied ginger. This sweet component creates a distinctive and delicious flavor combination when combined with the saltiness of the soy and the spiciness of the diced jalapeño.

The “Black Kale Salad” includes pears, sautéed squash, toasted hazelnuts, and pepitas and is another delicious dish to start the evening. The kale has a rich earthy flavor plus a touch of bite, and the crunchiness of the dish increases with the toasted pepitas and hazelnuts. The thinly sliced pears are a great addition to the dish, bringing a wonderful level of sweetness. The entire salad is beautifully dressed in a light citrusy dressing. I really enjoy how the sweetness of the pepitas and the pear complement the earthiness of the kale. The squash, unfortunately, does not add to either the flavors or the textures of the dish.

For a soup with a hint of spice, Nola Oyster Bar offers a delicious “Spicy Seafood Gumbo” with shrimp, oysters, clams, mussels, and Andouille. This rendition would make the French Quarter proud. A deep rich base made with a dark roux brings deep, rich flavors when combined with the delicateness of the traditional seafood additions. The oysters and mussels bring brininess to the gumbo, and the shrimp add a touch of sweetness. The spiciness of the Andouille sausage kicks up the heat just a little. I would characterize the flavor as sweet-spicy, but not too intense.

The “Poached Lobster & Cornbread Waffles” is the decadent option that combines breakfast and dinner. Chef Kardos’ begins with two delicious cornbread waffles topped with large pieces of succulent, butter-poached lobster. These are surrounded by one of the most flavorful brown sauces that I have ever tasted, reminiscent of those served on New Orleans’ famous Grilled Shrimp. The dish is garnished with a few grilled scallions and finished with Queso Fresco cheese. The waffles are wonderfully sweet, crispy on the exterior and moist and soft on the interior. The lobster is perfectly poached and full of sweet buttery flavor and texture. The scallions bring just a touch of bitterness and the melted cheese creates smoothness to the dish. This is one of the most memorable lobster dishes I have tasted in a very long time and should not be missed.

Remember the raves of Chef Kardos’ hamburger at Harvest Supper in New Canaan? The “Saugatuck Butchery Dry Aged Burger with Hand Cut Fries” at Nola is even better. It starts with dry aged beef from Saugatuck Butchery and then topped with slices of Sugardale bacon, XO Beemster cheese, oak tree shitake mushrooms, black pepper mayo and served on a Challah roll from Wave Hill Bakery. The flavor of the meat is outstanding and the toppings are perfect complements. The cheese is flavorful and the sautéed mushrooms add an earthy tone. The thick-cut bacon is perfectly cooked but I found it a little too salty for the other ingredients. The sweet Challah roll and the pepper mayo are both great ways to envelop this fantastic burger. The hand-cut curly fries are scrumptious, fun and a wonderful addition to the burger; and the burger is a fantastic accompaniment to the unique varieties of beer.

The draft beers feature eight unique varieties including Maine Beer Company Mean Old Tom Aged Stout, Two Roads Workers Comp Saison, Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale, Green Flash West Coast IPA, Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale, Schlitz Lager “60’s Formula,” Berkshire Brewing Drayman Porter and Sixpoint Brewery Righteous Rye Ale. Ten wines are available by the glass, plus forty wine labels ranging in price from $28 to $100.

After a couple of months Nola Oyster Bar is producing some incredibly delicious food with inspired twists on New Orleans’ classics.

This was originally posted on March 24, 2013 at

http://www.ctbites.com/home/2013/3/24/nola-oyster-bar-brings-seafood-to-south-norwalk.html

Sycamore Drive-In (Bethel) – Go for the Buzz

Posted on March 22, 2013 by jfoodeats

The Sycamore Drive-In is a throwback to the ages where teeny boppers listened to the Big Bopper and Elvis was too risqué. As you pull into the lot, don’t be surprised if you see a real T-Bird, a Vet or another souped-up car from the 50’s or 60’s sitting next to a hand built roadster.

Go inside and sit on a red vinyl covered seat, grab a menu and view what a diner meant fifty years ago. Eggs, pancakes, burgers, dogs, salads and specials. You almost expect to see a “Blue Plate Special” scribbled on a chalkboard to one side, but that would interfere with the life-sized cut-out of “the King.” And you would also expect a gum-smackin’ red-headed waitress in a poodle skirt sashaying up to the table for your order.

There is nothing special about the menu. I ordered a cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, some fries and a root beer. The root beer was really good, but the rest was basic diner grub. The fries were frozen crinkles and the burger contained more iceberg lettuce than meat and cheese. As much as this is a relic and fun to visit the burgers are not that good. Go for the buzz not the burger.

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