Dish 

Port Coffee House

2889 Fairfield Ave Bridgeport, CT 

www.dineatdish.com

www.portcoffeehouse.com

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Sorry we haven’t posted for so long.  I’ve been very busy with school, baseball and even took a vacation to Savannah, Georgia… which we will be blogging about next week but for today we’ll be telling you about one of our new favorite places… Dish!

As you all know, today is Cinco De Mayo, which put me in the mood for a Mexican-inspired breakfast.  We also wanted to try out Dish  – so we were really happy when we could do both!

Dish was started by Janet Habansky, she learned to be a chef by cooking for her family, on her website she calls this learning how to cook at ““School of Mom and Grandma”.  So we knew this was going to be good.

As soon as you walk in, you enter through the Port Coffee House, which is attached to Dish.  Here you are greeted and given a slip of paper which has all of the breakfast choices on it… you check off what you would like, order your drink, then you go through an archway next door to Dish which looks like a big open kitchen in someone’s house.  Then you give your order to the chefs who then make it fresh for you.  The tables are big, because you get to sit on the tables with other families and diners who you don’t even know  - which is fun.  It’s really popular with kids — there were a lot there today.

Now about the food — since it was Cinco de Mayo, I decided to have Huevos Rancheros!  Black Beans, “Fresh Chunky Salsa”, Fresh Guacamole, Eggs, Cheese and Sour Cream served on a Tortilla.  It was excellent.  I told the staff that there is a difference between gourmet and simply just amazing… and this was amazing!  I also had a side of Bacon — which was flavorful… and to drink… I had a Hot Chocolate which was also really good.  I tried my Dad’s French Toast, which is one of their specialties and some of their Homemade Sausage which was superb.

I spoke with Chef Dave and asked him, where Dish got their ingredients, and his favorite breakfast

He told me, “From a lot of places, we special order things, some things come from the market… some things even from BJ’s!” “I love Egg Whites and  love what you had, The Huevos Rancheros!”

I also spoke with Jerry, at Port Coffee House and asked what the most popular baked good is.

He told me, “People love the Apricot Scones and our Gluten-Free breads!”

Thanks to everyone at Port Coffee House and Dish for being so nice and for the delicious breakfast… we’ll definitely be back!

 Sunday Diner Rating 

FOOD * * * * * (Cinco)

SERVICE  * * * * * (Cinco) (Thanks Kate!)

LOOKS * * * * *   (Cinco)

BATHROOM * * * * *  (Cinco)

 Little Pub,59 Ethan Allen Highway Ridgefield, CT

http://www.littlepub.com

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1 – Little Pub looks very cool and Medieval!

2 – Little Pub has a ton of AWESOME Burgers! I had the Over Easy, which is a Half-Pound Burger, with Bacon, Cheese and an Over Easy Egg on top! IT WAS EGGCELLENT!! The Fries were really good too!

3 – It’s fun for kids too, they even give you Wiki Stix to play with — I used them to make these glasses!  And they have sports on the TVs.

4 – The desserts are great — I had the Reese’s Pie – YUM!

5 – The service is as great as the food.  Matt Poole, the manager told me that the Steakhouse Burger is the most popular… I’m coming back for that.  Nicole DiScala, our server was really nice to us!

Thanks Matt and Nicole!

The Sunday Diner Rating 

FOOD * * * * * (Five)

SERVICE  * * * * * (Five)

LOOKS * * * *   (Five)

BATHROOM * * * *1/2   (Four and a Half)

O’Neill’s Pub & Restaurant, 93 N Main St, Norwalk, CT

http://www.oneillsono.com

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HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY FROM SUNDAY DINERS

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we decided to go for a real Irish Breakfast – so we went to the most Irish place in Norwalk, O’Neill’s Pub & Restaurant.  O’Neill’s is owned by Ollie O’Neill, his brother Mick and their best friend Donny (who’s real name is Donal) Leahy — Ollie and Mick are from Tipperary, in Ireland, so you know breakfast is going to be seriously Irish!

The first thing I noticed — it was not like any breakfast place — O’Neill’s on St. Patrick’s Day is more like a party at 9:00 AM!  There were tons of people dressed in green, an Irish musician playing, a bagpiper and a line for the Irish Breakfast Buffet.   The pub looks like an authentic Irish pub with Irish signs and it was decorated with lots of shamrocks.  The place also seems very popular with police and firemen, because there were a lot of them there!

After we found a table, we headed straight for the buffet!

Here’s what dad and I had… Scrambled Eggs, Sautéed Tomatoes and Mushrooms, Baked Beans, Rashers (which is a type of Irish Bacon), Bangers (an Irish Sausage) and Black & White Pudding – which is definitely not dessert pudding.  Black & White Pudding is kind of sausage.  What is the difference between the Black and White kinds?  Black Pudding is made with Pigs Blood — I know that sounds GROSS!  But… it tastes REALLY good — so good I had seconds.  White Pudding is the same thing but made with liver and not blood.  It’s really good too.  I also had O’Neill’s Special Irish Soda Bread, which is Mr. Ollie and Mr. Mick’s mom’s recipe — I told Mr. Ollie that it was so good it tasted like having Butter on Butter!!!

If you’re really hungry, the Irish Breakfast is the thing for you!

I spoke with Victoria Walsh, our server, about St. Patrick’s Day at O’Neill’s and how many people will visit the restaurant today.

She said, “I don’t know but I would guess thousands! “

She also told me the main difference between a Banger and an American sausage is the texture.  Our sausages are more meaty… Bangers are more grainy.

I also spoke to Kristi Crivellone, who told me a bit about the pub.  She told me:

“Ollie and his brother are from Tipperary, and Tipperary’s colors are blue and gold, those colors are part of the look of the pub.”  

Wow – Blue and Gold are also my school colors!

Thanks Mr. Ollie, Ms. Kristi and Ms. Victoria! Hope you have a Great St. Patrick’s Day!

The Sunday Diner Rating (in Bono’s)

FOOD * * * * * (Five Bono’s)

SERVICE  * * * * * (Five Bono’s)

LOOKS * * * * *   (Five Bono’s)

BATHROOM * * * * *  (Five Bono’s) 

Stew Leonard’s 100 Westport Avenue Norwalk, CT

www.stewleonards.com

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For any one who doesn’t know, Stew Leonard’s is The World’s Largest Dairy Store, and I’m so lucky that it’s right here in Norwalk, CT. I’ve been going to Stew’s since I was a baby.  They sell great bagels, fruits & vegetables, fried chicken, and of course… lots of dairy products.  Their milk comes from their own cows, on their own farm – you can even see them on live video in the store… and sometimes in Stew’s Little Farm right in the parking lot.  My favorite at Stew’s is the ice cream!  Stew’s is super fun for kids – there’s lots’ of great displays and there’s always new things to try and taste!

Today, instead of going out for breakfast, Dad and I decided to make breakfast at home.   There’s a great recipe from their “Winning Recipes Cookbook” that’s written right on the back of their Cage-Free Egg carton label… “Goat Cheese Scrambled Eggs”.  It’s really easy to make, with some help from an adult… it’s delicious and healthy.  It’s also a lot of fun to cook!

But first… we had to shop!  So we drove over to Stew Leonard’s and got our ingredients… here’s what you’ll need:

8 Large Eggs

2 Tablespoons Chopped Chives

1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper

2 Table Spoons of Butter

2 Table Spoons of Water

4 Ounces of Crumbled Goat Cheese

Step 1: In a large bowl whisk together the Eggs, Water, Chives, Salt and Pepper.  If you don’t have a whisk, you can use a fork.. if you don’t have a fork… you can use your arm (but don’t… cause that wouldn’t be cool )

Step 2: Melt the butter in a large frying pan on medium heat — MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN ADULT HELP YOU!

Step 3: Add the egg mixture and cook — remember to stir frequently, so that the eggs don’t stick to the pan

Step 4: Add the Goat Cheese and cook… Keep Stirring until the eggs are fluffy and the cheese is melted!

And there you go — four servings of Awesome!!!!

We served it with Stew Leonard’s “Naked” Uncured Bacon, because it’s little healthier and Fresh Raspberries.  I also had a French Toast Bagel, which is a Bagel that tastes like French Toast (as you could probably guess!).  I also had a delicious cold glass of Stew’s famous Milk!

Hope you get to try this at home — it’s a lot of fun to cook!

Today, I got to meet Mr. Stew Leonard himself!!  His Mom and Dad started Stew Leonard’s in 1969, and now he runs the stores.  Mr. Leonard was very nice to talk to me, even though he was busy.

I also spoke with Jeff Fanning, the Manager of Stew Leonard’s and asked, “What are some of the most popular things that people buy at Stew’s?”

Mr Fanning said, “Milk and Butter definitely!, and Rao’s Tomato Sauce…. especially when it goes on sale!”

I also asked, “How many bagels do you sell in a day?”

“About 7,000!”

WOW! THAT’S A LOT OF DOUGH!

THANKS TO ALL OF MY FRIENDS AT STEW LEONARD’S!

L’il Chef! is a new Sunday Diners feature… Where I get to cook easy recipes that kids can try at home!  Stay tuned for more coming soon — and if you have a recipe for us to try — let us know!

Sardi’s, 234 West 44th Street, New York, NY

http://www.sardis.com

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Last Sunday, I went to see The Lion King on Broadway with my Aunt Martha and Uncle Peter.  It was my first Broadway show and it was exciting!  But before the show, I went to the world-famous Sardi’s.  Sardi’s is a restaurant that many actors like to go to after their shows – the walls are covered with drawings of all the stars and celebrities that have eaten there.  It was super fun, and the service was excellent!

The food was great – I had The Angus Burger.  There was a 10 ounce burger, but I chose the 5 ounce — and it was still so big that I couldn’t finish it!  I could barely hold it!  For dessert, I had the Warm Chocolate Cake with Melted Center, Vanilla Ice Cream, Crème Anglaise and Dots of Chocolate Sauce.  It was warm and comforting on a very cold Sunday.  My Aunt Martha also had the Angus Burger (but with no bun) and loved it.  Uncle Peter had the Coconut Vegetable Tofu Curry – he liked it a lot – and it seemed very healthy!

The Sunday Diner Rating 

FOOD * * * * * (Five)

SERVICE  * * * * * (Five)

LOOKS * * * *   (Five)

BATHROOM * * * * * * (Six – It was a REALLY nice bathroom!) 

Thanks Aunt Martha and Uncle Peter for a great time! 

The New Station House, 3 Side Cut Road, West Redding, CT  

www.thenewstationhouse.com 

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The New Station House is owned by Abe Ali and is located right by the West Redding Metro North Train Station. It is in the old train station house.  You might be wondering, if it’s in the old station house…. why it’s called The New Station House… but we’ll get to that later.  The ride to the restaurant was very beautiful, you get to drive through some very pretty scenery… get to see some very old houses, woods and you get a really good view of the Saugatuk Reservoir.  The New Station House is decorated pictures of the train station many years ago and there is also some very cool art that are called Vortex Paintings  which are 3-D paintings made with ground sandstone and are supposed to have healing powers.

And now let’s talk about the food.  Today I wanted to try something different, and I heard that The New Station House had some interesting varieties of pancakes.  When  l looked at the menu I saw something I’ve never seen before — Corn and Cheddar Pancakes — they even had little kernels of corn in them – it tasted like a corn muffin meets a pancake it was really good with Real Maple Syrup and a Side of Bacon.  I also had a Hot Chocolate.  Dad had a Brie, Artichoke and Spinach Omelet which he liked a lot — I got to try the Home Fries  - they were excellent, crispy, huge chunks of potatoes.

I spoke to Abe Ali, the chef and owner of The New Station House  and asked, “I had a very different pancake this morning, the Corn  and Cheddar, are there other combinations I should try?”

Mr. Abe said, “We also have sweet potato pancakes today, which are topped with granola.  We always change the pancake specials to keep it interesting!”

I also asked, “What is your favorite breakfast?”

Mr. Abe said, “I love the Florentine Omelet… which is Spinach and Feta, it’s my kind of flavors”.

So… why is the restaurant in the “Old” Train Station House  called the “New” Station House?

According to one of our servers, Barbara… “They changed the name when Abe became the NEW owner!”

The Sunday Diner Rating 

FOOD * * * * * (Five)

SERVICE  * * * * * (Five)

LOOKS * * * *   (Five)

BATHROOM * * * *1/2   (Four and a Half)

Thanks Mr. Abe, Ms. Rachel and Ms . Barbara – we’ll be back!

Whistle Stop Bakery 20 Portland Ave Ridgefield, CT (Branchville Metro North Stn.)

www.whistlestopbakery.com

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The Whistle Stop Bakery has been serving both Metro North commuters to New York City and locals for over 30 years.  It is owned by Lolly Turner and they make great muffins, cookies, pies and even chicken pot pies!  As you can guess from the name, Whistle Stop is not only located at the Branchville train station, it’s inside the old station house itself. It is decorated with all sorts of train signs, photos and paintings and even an old toy train.  The windows look out over the rails… so you can see when the trains come in.  It’s big inside,but there are only two tables, why?  Because, it’s mostly a place where you grab-and-go before you get on the train.

So, let’s talk muffins!  Today dad and I split a Carrot Muffin and a Sour Cream Almond Muffin.  The muffins were fresh-baked and tasty and big enough to split.  I liked the Almond Muffin, but… I LOVED the Carrot Muffin — the top was crunchy like a cookie and the bottom was moist and delicious.  It was a 24-Carat Carrot Muffin!

I also tried one of their specialties called the Breakfast Cookie — it’s a really big and nutritious oatmeal cookie — it is like having a whole bowl of oatmeal that you can take on the go – I had the raisin one – it was really filling!

I didn’t get to meet Ms. Lolly, the owner of Whistle Stop, but I spoke to her on the phone and asked…

Alex: “How busy is it here during the mornings?”

Ms. Lolly: “It’s really busy, we open at 5:30 AM because so many commuters going to New York come here to get their breakfast before they go.”

Alex: “How many Muffins do you make a day?”

Ms. Lolly: “It depends… but probably dozens and dozens.”

Alex: “What is your favorite muffin?”

Ms. Lolly “My favorite is The Morning Glory, it’s carrots, smushed apples, raisins, coconut, whole grain flour and a drizzle of honey — no sugar at all!”

That sounds Healthy AND Delicious!

A big thanks to Ana for being so helpful…

The Sunday Diner Rating 

FOOD * * * * * (Five)

SERVICE  * * * * * (Five)

LOOKS * * * *   (Four)

BATHROOM * * * *   (Four) 

HAPPY PRESIDENT’S DAY!

Rosie, 27 Elm Street, New Canaan CT www.rosienewcanaan.com

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Today is Super Bowl Sunday and the Baltimore Ravens will be playing the San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans.  Here at Sunday Diners… we’re live in New Canaan at Rosie for the 2013 Benny Bowl!  But… we’ll get to that in a minute after we tell you a little bit about Rosie.  Rosie has been open since 2004 and is owned by George and Rosie Nammack. I have one one word for Rosie and it’s… AWESOME!

The first thing you notice when you walk into Rosie is the art on the walls and all of the delicious baked goods on display like muffins, cookies, whoopee pies and especially their Famous Carrot Cake.  The art is by a local artist named David Stevens who paints in a very colorful style and likes to paint people with dogs… there’s even a painting of a pug (which is what my dog Coco is).  Rosie is a very comfortable place, it’s really great for kids, they even have games, toys and books for little kids.  The staff is very friendly and they really make you feel at home.  And now about the food!

Today’s menu had lots of great choices, but since it’s Super Bowl Sunday, my dad and I decided that we would have our own battle pitting two different types of tEggs Benedict on the menu against each other and so, The Benny Bowl was born!

Louisiana Crab Cakes Benny

My choice: Representing the AFC and the City of Baltimore (with a little bit of New Orleans) the Louisiana Crab Cakes Benny — Poached Eggs, on Crab Cakes with Hollandaise Sauce.

Eggs Benedict Rustica

Dad’s Choice: Representing the NFC and the City of San Francisco, The Eggs Benedict Rustica — Poached Eggs, on a Crusty Baguette, Thick-Sliced Peppered Bacon, Roasted Plum Tomato, Fresh Basil, Hollandaise Sauce and Cracked Black Pepper.

Both were so good, if this was a real football game we’d go into overtime!  I’ve never had Crab Cakes for breakfast before – they had a little kick to them (get it?) – but they were really good, I also tried Dad’s Rustica and it was really great too.

And Now For The Halftime Show (Not Starring Beyonce)

For the halftime show, instead of Beyonce we had a really special treat; a fresh from the oven Ginger Scone with Maple Butter and a real Honey Comb (made by real bees!)  I never knew that you could eat the honeycomb itself — it was a really great combination.  To drink I had a Chocolate Steamer with Whipped Cream and Cinnamon - YUM!

I spoke with Rosie Nammack, and  asked for her Benny Bowl 2013 pick;

She said, “I would say it’s a tie, but I really like the Rustica, because I’m Sicilian!”

I also asked her, “What time do you get in to start baking in the morning?”

Rosie told me that, “I get in at 5 AM, to start baking… you really have to be a morning person for this job!” 

Rosie’s favorite restaurants are the Whelk and Le Farm in Westport and she told me all about her other favorite, Blue Hill at Stone Barns. 

She said, “There is no menu, they give you a list of ingredients and then ask you what things you like and they make it for you, everything is fresh because it comes right from their farm.”  

I also spoke with Mr. George, who told me that, “Rosie is like an extension of our home, which is what makes it so special”

We were so full, that we did not get to try their Famous Carrot Cake, but we took some home for dessert when we watch The Super Bowl.

Rosie invited me to come back and spend a day working in her kitchen – that would be a lot of fun, so maybe you’ll read about that in in a future post.

Thanks to everyone at Rosie for such an excellent meal!

The Sunday Diner Rating (Super Bowl Edition) 

FOOD * * * * * (Touchdown with a Two-Point Conversion!)

SERVICE  * * * * * (Touchdown With The Extra Point!)

LOOKS * * * * *  (Touchdown!)

BATHROOM * * * * *  (Two Field Goals) 

PS: GO RAVENS!

Lorca, 125 Bedford Street, Stamford, CT www.lorcastamford.com

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Lorca is a new spot in Stamford that specializes in Churros.  A Churro is a type of fried dough that is from Spain, it’s like a Spanish dounut, but you get to dip them in delicious sauces.  I never had them before, but my dad did when he would visit Spain, sometimes his grandma made them for him, he also told me that it’s popular in Spain to have Churros as a late-night snack after you go out to nightclubs.

The first thing that I wanted to know was who or what was Lorca?  I found out that Lorca is the name of a very famous Spanish poet, Frederico García Lorca, who the owner loves.  Lorca is owned by Leyla Dam who grew up in Spain and Brooklyn.  She learned how to make Churros in Spain, which is why they are so good.

Outside, Lorca looks like any other coffee shop or restaurant, but when you go inside you see a neon sign that says in big letters “Coffee and Churros”… and a beautiful, colorful mural that reminded my dad and I of the Spanish artist Miro.  There are a few small tables, cool lights and they play great music.  The staff are also very nice.

Now about the food. I started with a Vanilla Steamer, which is steamed milk with Vanilla -it tasted just like melted ice-cream. Dad had a Cortado coffee that they made a design of a heart in the foam.  For breakfast I had Churros!!!  I had them with two of their dipping sauces – Dulce De Leche and Dark Chocolate.  They also have a hazelnut chocolate dipping sauce that I will try next time.  The Churros are crunchy but are soft on the inside and are made fresh for every customer, by Leyla herself – and they were tasty – I had five and could have had twenty more!

I spoke with Leyla Dam, who owns Lorca about Churros and asked, “What’s the difference between an American donut and a Churro other than the shape?”

She told me that, “Even though they are both a type of fried dough, Churros, are not made with yeast, so, you don’t have to wait for it to rise after you make the dough to fry it.”

I also asked Leyla, “What is your favorite dipping sauce?”

She said, “I love the dark chocolate dipping sauce, because that’s the one I grew up with in Spain.”

Lorca is a great place for kids because it’s fun and because kids love to dunk everything!

The Sunday Diner Rating (Out of Cinco) 

FOOD * * * * * (Cinco)

SERVICE  * * * * * (Cinco)

LOOKS * * * * *  (Cinco)

BATHROOM * * * * *  (Cinco) 

Thanks Catherine, Leyla and Dave for the great food and for being so nice!

Caroline’s Crêperie, 155 Elm Street, New Canaan

carolinescreperie.com

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Today was pretty foggy out, which reminded me of when I visited Paris. So we decided that it would be a perfect day to have crêpes and got into the car and headed to Caroline’s Crêperie in New Canaan.  The first thing you notice about Caroline’s is how much it looks like a real French café… except for one thing — the pictures of the New Canaan High Cheerleader Squad on one wall, which the owner’s daughter is a member of but there are also French signs, posters and even a picture of the Eiffel Tower in the bathroom.  I did not get to meet Caroline today, but I heard that she grew up in Bordeaux, in France… so I knew the crêpes would be really be good.

Caroline’s has lots of choices on their menu for breakfast, but today we were here for the crêpes. For those of you that don’t know, crêpes are a French pancake but are lighter and thinner.  They can be sweet or savory… and can be stuffed with meats, cheeses, fruits, basically anything!

Today I had Le Paris, which is a Savory Crêpe stuffed with Parisian Ham, Scrambled Eggs, Mozzarella Cheese and Mushrooms.  I also had their homemade Hot Chocolate, which I couldn’t stop drinking.  Dad had an omelet, which he liked because it had mushrooms and caramelized onions.  After, dad and I shared a sweet crêpe, which was topped with Dulce De Leche — it was so delicious.  If you like, you can even add a scoop of ice cream to any crêpe on the menu – I’ll have to try that sometime.

I spoke with Valerie St. Armand and Brendan Finn and asked, “How many different types of crêpes are there at Caroline’s?”

Brendan said, “There are 36 on the menu, but really it’s almost infinite… we can make you any combination that you want.”

I asked Valerie, “What is the most popular crêpe for kids?”

She told me “Definitely, the Banana and Nutella, but they also like the Mikey V – which is Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and Cheddar.”

I also asked, “What is the difference between a  crêpe and a pancake?”

For this, they asked the chef, Jesus, who told us, “Crêpe batter is lighter, and is  made with more eggs and no milk – They are also much thinner than pancakes.”

Thanks everyone for making a foggy morning a little sunnier!

The Sunday Diner Rating (Out of Cinq) 

FOOD * * * * * (Cinq)

SERVICE  * * * * * (Cinq)

LOOKS * * * * *  (Cinq)

BATHROOM * * * * *  (Cinq)