Monthly Archives: May 2012

Hamburgers… Hot Dogs… Baseball… And Parades! Happy Memorial Day!

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HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY from Sunday Diners!!

Memorial Day is the day when we give our thanks and support to all of the men and women who protect America.  The Memorial Day Weekend is also the unofficial start of summer and a great time to celebrate with some very American things… like Hamburgers! Hot Dogs! Baseball! And Parades!

On Friday night, we started off the weekend with a trip to my favorite burger place in Norwalk and Fairfield County –

Beach Burger, 10 First Street, Norwalk CT www.thebeachburger.com

If you are a regular visitor of Sunday Diners, you know that I love The Beach Burger.  Beach Burger burger’s and shakes are fresh and always give me something to smile about. :) I usually have “The Beach Burger” which is an all-natural beef patty served with cheese, red onion, lettuce and tomato on a potato roll!  They are juicy and delicious.  There are two sizes – small and large — I had the LARGE one.  The fries are also excellent.  Beach Burger is also famous for their Shakes – which are great on a hot day and they make all kinds of great combos!  I had the Strawberry Cheesecake Shake which is made with Vanilla Ice Cream, Strawberry Jam and REAL Cheesecake!  It was thick… and so rich…  I couldn’t finish it.

If you’re ever in Norwalk, definitely check out Beach Burger, you won’t be sorry!

CITI Field, Home of the New York Mets  and Nathans Famous Hot Dogs!

Suzanne from CitiField

On Saturday, I went to Citi Field to see my favorite team, The New York Mets play the San Diego Padres. While watching the ball game, I had what everyone says, including me, are the BEST hotdogs at Citi Field– The Nathan’s Famous Hotdog.  

I spoke with our server Suzanne (or was it Suzann?)  and asked her what her favorite thing to eat at the ballpark was and she said… “The Nathan’s Hot Dog!”  Citi Field has some really great other places to eat, like Shake Shack, Blue Smoke (for BBQ and ribs!) and the Brooklyn Burger”. I’ll be sure to try those next time when I see The Mets beat the New York Yankees in June!

PS: The Mets beat the Padres 9-0! Let’s Go Mets!!

Finally… here’s a picture of me marching in the Norwalk Memorial Day Parade with my Music School – we played the Star Spangled Banner!

Estia’s American In Darien… A Little Taste of Long Island In CT!

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Estia’s American, 1020 Post Road Darien www.estiasamerican.com

Today we visited Estia’s American, in Darien.  We wanted to try something special, because our friend Anne Marie was visiting from New York. So, we decided on Estia’s, which was originally in Long Island by the beaches in the Hamptons.  Anne Marie went to the original Estia’s and liked it.

Estia’s is very hip, they have a bar, cool art on the walls and lots of books, it has a very homey feeling.

And now about the food.  All four of us had different things. My dad, Anne Marie and I were happy with our choices… Mom liked hers… but just thought it was just “OK”, she had a California Omelet with just jack cheese and avocado…  which is very healthy but not very flavorful.  Now, Dad had the Red Flannel Hash which is chorizo, potato, peppers, onions topped with two scrambled eggs – I tried that and I LOVED it — it was spicy and really good.  Anne Marie and I both had the Short Stack — she had blueberry (she wanted banana, but they were out of them) and I had chocolate chip pancakes.  They were very tasty and fluffy. We both had a side of Bacon, which was crispy and HUGE – we really only needed to order one.

I spoke with Ell who is the bartender at Estias and asked her, “Where did the name Estia come from?”

She said, “The restaurant was started in the Hamptons in a town called Amagansett.  When this owner bought it he kept the name because people knew it.  I’m not sure where the original name came from but our owner says Estia stands for EST-ablished I-n A-magansett”.

I also asked her what her favorite item on the menu was for breakfast.  Ell likes the A’s Pop —  a breakfast bowl with chicken, Organic Red Quinoa, Egg Whites, Veggies and Avocado.

That sounds Healthy & Flavorful – maybe that’s what Mom should have next time!

The Sunday Diner Rating (out of 5)

FOOD  * * * * * (5) (For Dad, Anne Marie and Me)

* * * (3) (For Mom)

SERVICE  * * * * * *  (5)

LOOKS  * * * *  (5)

BATHROOM: * * * * *  (5)

This Breakfast Blue Me Away! The Olde Bluebird Inn In Easton

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The Olde Bluebird Inn, 363 Black Rock Turnpike, Easton, CT

We’ve been wanting to try out the Olde Bluebird Inn for a while, but have never had the chance.  Dad and I thought it was a little too far to drive, but in fact it’s really only about 20 minutes away —  it just looked far away on the map.  The Olde Bluebird Inn, has been around since 1919 — and it has that old-timey country look.  We sat in the front part of the cafe which had lots of geranium plants, so many that I felt like I was in a greenhouse. The Olde Bluebird is very popular with kids, and today there were lots of them there.

One thing about the Olde Bluebird, is even though the breakfasts are big, you don’t leave with your tummy feeling full – probably because everything is made with fresh ingredients.  Today I had Texas French Toast with Fresh Strawberries and Fresh Whipped Cream.  The French toast was really fluffy and the fresh strawberries juicy and sweet.  My dad has an omelet with Tomatoes, Cheese and Sausage — the cool thing about this was that it came with a huge piece of coffee cake — it was warm and tasted like it was just baked.  I also had some of his home fries – which were also very good.  The Chocolate Milk was freshly made and really cold!

Ewa Pogorzelski owner of the Olde Bluebird Inn

I spoke with Ewa Pogorzelski, the owner of The Olde Bluebird and asked her, “Is the inn part of The Olde Bluebird still open”?

She said, “No, just the restaurant part, the Inn has not been open in over 40 years”.

I also asked, “Does the menu change every weekend”?      

She said, “Yes, we have different breakfast specials every Saturday and Sunday”.

Finally, I asked Ms. Pogorzelski what her favorite thing on the menu was.  She loves the Sweet Potato Pancakes that they serve.  She also told me that she sometimes makes Polish food for lunch.

Maybe someday, I can bring my Grandma (who is also Polish and owns an Inn) to try that!

The Sunday Diner Rating (out of 5)

FOOD  * * * * *  (5)

SERVICE  * * * * *   (5)

LOOKS  * * * * *  (5)

BATHROOM: * * * * *  (5)

Get Fired Up With Breakfast At The Firehouse Deli In Fairfield!

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The Firehouse Deli, 22 Reef Road, Fairfield CT www.firehousedelifairfield.com

The Firehouse Deli is located in… you guessed it… An old firehouse that has been made into a deli.  The Old Firehouse, is a historic building that was built in the late 1800′s. It’s painted fire engine red on the outside and inside and is decorated with some cool firehouse artifacts, like an old ladder and extinguisher.

The Firehouse is across from the Town Green in Fairfield and has tables outside so you can sit outside and enjoy your food and the view.  It’s not only kid-friendly… but also dog-friendly.  Today there were lots of dogs and their owners… maybe I’ll come back someday with my dog, Coco *

Today I had the Sunshine Wrap — a Whole Wheat Flour Tortilla filled with Eggs, Monterrey Jack Cheese, Bacon and Salsa!  It was awesome.  I thought that it would be spicy, but it actually tasted sweet.  Since I was still hungry, I also had a homemade Cinnamon Muffin which was also good.  They do not make their own Chocolate Milk at the Firehouse, so I had Hood Milk Chocolate Milk.  which reminds me of a corny joke my dad tells me every time I have Hood Milk…

What do Baby Gangsters drink? 

Answer: Hood Milk! :)

I spoke with Caitlin our server  and asked, what she likes for breakfast. Caitlin loves the bacon egg and cheese sandwiches.

I also asked her what is her favorite Firehouse menu item of  them all. She said, “I love The Thanksgiving it’s roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry and mayo on a hard roll”

That sounds stuffing!

The Sunday Diner Rating (out of 5)

FOOD  * * * * * * (6)

SERVICE  * * * * *   (5)

LOOKS  * * * * *  (5)

BATHROOM: * * * * *  (5)

* Here’s  picture of my dog Coco

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY FROM SUNDAY DINERS!

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Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Mom’s, Grandmoms, Aunts and Guardians everywhere!

We’ll be back next week with a special Mother’s Day Brunch post!

Love,

Alex and the Sunday Diners team!

The CTbites / Beach Burger “What’s On Your Burger?” Contest… Wish us Luck!

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Last weekend, we found out about a great contest from the CTbites  website to create a burger and shake combo for my favorite Burger spot — BEACH BURGER!!!!!

Dad was having problems posting it, but Jeff at CTbites was nice to help post it for us.  Click on the picture (or click here) to enter the contest yourself!  And if you’re in Norwalk, definitely try Beach Burger – it’s awesome!!

Image

Here are the two combos we entered! 

Combo #1

The Sunday Diners Breakfast Burger
- Beach Burger All Natural Beef Patty -
- Fried Egg Sunny Side Up -
- Sharp Vermont Cheddar -
- Apple Wood Smoked Bacon -
- Served on a Toasted Everything Bagel -

With

The Belgian Waffle Shake
- Strawberry Ice Cream -
- Fresh Strawberries -
- Bits of Belgian Waffle -
- Topped with Whipped Cream -

Combo #2 (for those who don’t like breakfast on their burger!)

The Ultimate Pizza Burger
- Beach Burger All Natural Beef Patty -
- Stuffed with Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella and Pepperoni inside -
- Topped with Marinara Sauce and Fresh Basil -
- Served on Focaccia Bread -

The Cannoli Shake
- Vanilla Ice Cream -
- Mixed with Fresh Cannoli Cream -
- Cannoli Shell Bits -
- Chocolate Chips -

 Wish us luck! :)

Thanks CT Bites and Beach Burger !

     

Brendan’s 101 – Scores 101% For Great Breakfasts In Rowayton!

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Brendan’s 101: 101 Rowayton Avenue, Rowayton CT Brendan’s www.brendans101.com

Brendan’s 101 has been serving customers for over 23 years.  They are well-known for their ice cream and lobster rolls and also their breakfasts.  The restaurant is decorated with beautiful art, because it is also an art gallery and lots of maritime stuff, because it’s right on the river in Rowayton.

Today, we were lucky to have along a special guest who took all of the great pictures in today’s blog.  His name is David Straiton, and he is my dad’s friend from California. Dave is a TV and Film Director, which is why the pictures look extra good today.  Dave loves boats — so he really loved Brendan’s — and he also likes breakfast a lot — today he even went back for seconds!

Today I had French Toast with Honey Butter and Bacon.  The French Toast was outstanding! It was light and fluffy and the butter was sweet!  The bacon was crispy.  Unfortunately, they do not make fresh chocolate milk at Brendan’s – so I had a Nesquick.

I spoke to Lisa and Jeff, customers who were getting their breakfast and asked them “What do they like on the breakfast menu”?

Jeff said, “I love the Egg Sandwiches”  Lisa told me “I like the bagels”.

Even though it was very busy, I  also spoke with Celeste, our server, about Brendan’s Ice Cream.  I asked her, “What is your favorite ice cream flavor?”

She said, “I like the coconut ice cream”.

I also asked her, “Does anyone ever order ice cream for breakfast”?

She said “No”.

Maybe next time, my dad and I can be the first ones to do that!

The Sunday Diner Rating (out of 5)

FOOD  * * * * * (5)

SERVICE  * * * * *   (5)

LOOKS  * * * * *  (5)

BATHROOM: * * * * *  (5)