Tag Archives: Pancakes

THE NEW STATION HOUSE – YOUR STOP FOR INNOVATIVE PANCAKES IN WEST REDDING CT

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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.

IMG-20130303-00781I 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 IMG-20130303-00780keep 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”.

IMG-20130303-00782

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!

NORWALK’S MURO’S ORIGINAL NEW YORK BAKERY… WHERE EVERYONE’S A REGULAR!

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Muro’s Original New York Bakery, 52 Main St, Norwalk, CT www.originalnyb.com

Like Muro’s Original New York Bakery on facebook

Muro’s Original New York Bakery has been baking in Norwalk since 1949.  It’s a family-owned business run by three brothers and their dad.  Today I got to meet Dom (the dad) and two of the brothers (Ken and Keith).  My friend Joey’s Aunt Tiffany, told us that they make great breakfasts — especially pancakes, and today we went to try them.

The first thing you notice when you walk in the door is the crowd — there are tons of people lined up to buy bread and pastries, others ordering breakfast and every seat is taken. That’s a good sign that the place is excellent.  You also notice that there seems to be a lot of customers who come there a lot.   This makes sense, because the food is great and their service is quick and the Muro’s really make you feel like you’re at their house.

Today, I had Pancakes with a side of Bacon and an Orange Juice.  The pancakes were thick, fluffy and cooked to golden brown color — they were perfect pancakes.  The bacon was crispy and very good… and the Orange Juice was Tropicana!  I prefer fresh squeezed orange juice — but Tropicana is pretty good too. Dad had a Feta Cheese and Spinach Omelet with Fresh-Baked Rye Toast — it was also very good and so were the Home Fries.

The Muro Brothers Ken (l) Keith (r)I spoke with Ken, one of the Muro brothers and asked him, “How many different kinds of pastries do you make a day at the bakery?”

He told me, “We make at least 40 different pastries here a day.”

 

I also asked him, “What is his favorite pastry?”

“That’s hard, there are so many good ones — but my favorite pastry has to be the Cigar Danish”

Mr. Ken was so nice he gave us two to take home which we will  have for dessert later!

If you’re looking for a real New York-Style bakery in Connecticut you’ll feel right at home at Muro’s Original New York Bakery.

The Sunday Diner Rating (Out of Five) 

FOOD * * * * * (FIVE)

SERVICE  * * * * * (FIVE)

LOOKS * * * *   (FOUR)

BATHROOM * * * *  (FOUR)

One last thing.  I want to thank Mr. Muro for not charging us for breakfast.  At Sunday Diners, we always like to pay for our breakfast, so today, we are making a $20 donation to the American Red Cross to help people who were affected by Superstorm Sandy – Thanks Mr. Muro!

EAT GOOD … DO GOOD!

Home… Home On The Range… Where The Pancakes Are Tasty And Light!

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Home On The Range, 2992 Fairfield Avenue  Bridgeport, CT

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Today we went to Bridgeport the second week in a row to check out Home On The Range which is located in the Blackrock section of town. I’ve heard great things about Home On The Range, especially about their pancakes, so we decided to try it.

The first thing that you notice when you get there are two signs… one says “Great Food Fast” and the other says.. “Voted Best Breakfast In Fairfield County” in 2008 and 2011!  So, we knew that we made a great choice even before we tasted anything!

Home On The Range is a very small, neighborhoody place.  It’s located in a very old building which is very close to anther one of my favorite places, Timothy’s Ice Cream Shop.     There is only about ten tables in the restaurant – so – if you don’t get there early you might to wait.  But today, we got there early enough to get a table before it got really crowded.

Home On The Range has great breakfast specials which are displayed on a little sign that has drawings, colorful lettering and sometimes even funny names for the specials that the chef and owner Steve Penna makes up.

Today I had the pancake special… Pancakes With Fresh Strawberries, Nutella, Fresh Hazelnuts Topped With A Strawberry Yogurt Sauce.  At first I ordered two pancakes, but it was so delicious that I asked for one more!  The strawberries were very fresh and sweet, and the pancakes were very light – I really loved them.

My dad has the omelet special – which was Peaches, Ham, Manchego Cheese (from Spain) and onions — I tried it was great – salty and sweet!  I also tried the home fries and they were also good.

I spoke to Joanne McGillicuddy, who owns Home On The Range with her husband Steve Penna (our chef today) and asked, “The food is so fresh, where do you get your produce?”

She told me that,”We get some of our produce from local farms and farm stands, some of it is organic, and some we get from stores.” 

“What is your favorite item on the breakfast menu?”

Joanne told me that, “Usually, I’m pretty boring! Eggs, bacon and toast, but I really love one of our specials, The Nuovo Benedicto.  It’s like Eggs Benedict – but it’s Eggs on a  Toasted English muffin with farm fresh Tomato, Mozzarella with Basil Mayo.”

My mom would love that – because she LOVES basil! 

Home On The Range is also great for kids of all ages!

The Sunday Diner Rating (out of 5)

FOOD  * * * * * (5)

SERVICE  * * * * *   (5)

LOOKS  * * * *   (4)

BATHROOM: * * * *   (4)

The Early Bird… Catches The Tweats!

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The Early Bird Cafe, 88 Danbury Road, Ridgefield CT

Be Sure To Visit The Early Bird Cafe on Facebook

Happy New Year! Welcome to our second year of Sunday Diners!

Let’s kick off 2012 with the Early Bird Cafe in Ridgefield, which has been open for over 20 years. The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door was the great holiday decorations and TONS of crayon drawings and art by kids. Which makes sense, because there were a TON of kids there!

The Early Bird has an open kitchen, so you can see the cooks… cook and even though it was crowded, we were seated quickly and got right down to business.

I had chocolate milk (which was freshly made) and for breakfast I had The Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes – which were awesome – and tasted just like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!!! — YUM!  I also had a side of bacon, which was very smoky and reminded me of the smoky flavor of the Hibachi Grill dinner I had over the holidays at Fuji Japanese Restaurant in Darien.

I spoke with China, our server and asked her a few questions…

What is the most popular breakfast for kids?

She said, “Kids love the Mickey Mouse Pancakes, which are shaped like Mickey Mouse and are served with fruit”.

I also asked her, what her favorite breakfast “Tweat” was, and she answered, “The French Toast, which is SO good”.

Our final question, was about their great holiday decorations.  I asked her if they decorate the cafe for all of the holidays.

She told me that, “Yes we do, we decorate for all of the holidays, on Easter we even have a GIANT Easter Bunny. Our owner, Judy Cusack, loves to decorate and comes in early at around 4:30 in the morning to decorate the restaurant”!

Thanks China! I’m definitely going to come back to check that bunny out!

The Sunday Diner Rating (out of 5)

FOOD  * * * * * (5)

SERVICE  * * * * * *  (6)

LOOKS  * * * * * (5)

BATHROOM: * * * * * (5)

A Perfect Score… Plus Extra Credit! :)

PS: Here’s a picture of me at Fuji of Japan over the holidays which is also super fun for kids!

Me at Fuji of Japan!

Cheeseburgers For Breakfast? … At The Family Diner In Norwalk, YOU CAN!

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Family Diner, 71 Main St, Norwalk, CT

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The Family Diner in Norwalk is a family-friendly, Retro, Fifties-Style diner.  It’s been serving Norwalkers since 1959, and many years ago, it moved from its original location across the street (which is now a parking lot) to its current location.

Here's where the Family Diner was originally...

... And here's where it is now... across the street!

Breakfast at the Family Diner is great, and the service is fast! I had the Chocolate Chip Pancakes, with 2 Scrambled Eggs and a side of Bacon.  I also had a Chocolate Milk which was super cold and fresh.

Even though, the name of the diner is, The Family Diner, I didn’t see a lot of kids there, maybe it was too early or Sunday is not popular with families (maybe they were all at church).

I asked our server, Georgia, who has worked at The Family Diner for over 21 years.

How did they move the diner across the street?

She said, “They lifted it up with cranes and put it on a big truck to take it across the street to where we are now”

I also asked her what was her favorite item on the menu?

She said, “Everything”!

The Family Diner also does something I have never seen before, if you don’t want bacon, ham or sausage as a side order, you can have a hamburger or cheeseburger with your eggs!  WOW !! Burgers for Breakfast!?! — I’m totally trying that next time!

The Sunday Diner Rating (out of 5)

FOOD  * * * * * (5)

SERVICE  * * * * *  (5)

LOOKS  * * * *  (4)

BATHROOM: * * *   (3)

New To Chew – The EJ Bowman House, Bed and Breakfast!

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The EJ Bowman House, 2674 Lititz Pike (Route 501), Lancaster, PA

(717) 519-0808    www.ejbowmanhouse.com

Last month, the Sunday Diners crew visited Lancaster PA… where my Grandma and Poppey own a Bed & Breakfast called The EJ Bowman House.  The breakfasts are so amazingly good, that people come from all over the world to have her cooking. When I was there, there were people from drove all the way from Nova Scotia, Canada and Ohio to stay there. People have even come from as far away as Japan, Germany and Ireland!

I got to see my Grandma cook breakfast for the guests, and them join them in the dining room where my Poppey serves and hosts.  Here’s what was on the menu that morning:

Plum Coffee Cake

Peaches with Lemon Mint Creme Anglais and a Raspberry Puree

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with A Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Maple Glazed Sausages

Here’s a video that my mom took of me chatting with her about today’s breakfast.

If you’re ever in Lancaster, The EJ Bowman House is a great place to stay!

Make sure to tell them that Alex sent you!

Grandma and Poppey’s Mini Cooper

Orem’s Serves A Breakfast Big Enough For A Lumberjack… But Good For Kids Too!

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Orem’s Diner, 167 Danbury Road, Wilton CT

www.oremsdiner.com

Orem’s has been serving Wilton and other towns great food since 1921!  I’ve been going to Orem’s since I was a baby.

Orem’s is very popular with kids and adults, so, if you go on a weekend morning, be prepared to wait for a table… but the wait won’t be very long, and it will be worth it.

Their menu is HUGE and there are lots of different delicious choices for breakfast.

I had the “Lumberjack” breakfast, which is 3 Pancakes, Two Eggs (I had mine scrambled), Bacon, 2 Sausages AND… a slice of Ham!  It as BIG enough for a Lumberjack – and I could barely finish it!  The chocolate milk was freshly made and cold!

I asked the manager, Chris Papanikolaou, whose family owns Orem’s, how many eggs does Orem’s use on a Sunday:

He said “Wow, a lot, during a typical week, we go through 20 X 60 cases of eggs

That ‘s a lot of eggs!

Mr. Chris also told me that pancakes are the most popular item on the menu for kids.

The Sunday Diner Rating (out of 5)

FOOD  * * * * * (5)

SERVICE  * * * * *  (5)

LOOKS  * * * * * (5)

BATHROOM: * * * * *  (5)

Orem’s has a great website with has lots of cool stuff about its history — they were even once in a Hi and Lois Sunday Comic in the newspaper! So definitely check it out!

http://www.oremsdiner.com/

New To Chew… Caramel Apple Pancakes!

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New To Chew… Caramel Apple Pancakes!

Welcome to our first Sunday Diners “Special Post” which I call “New To Chew”. This is where you can find cool new recipes and places that I like that are not breakfast joints.

For our first “New To Chew” I wanted to try something that I never had before… Something that you can make in the fall… Caramel Apple Pancakes

I asked my mom to if she could help me make my idea for a recipe for Caramel Apple Pancakes with Warm Caramel Sauce and Apples on Top. She said OK!.  

Here’s the recipe, have fun making it with an adult!

- Slice  2 large Macintosh apples very thin, like paper.

- Prepare two cups of your favorite instant pancake batter prepared. You can use any one that you, mom’s is made by The Barefoot Contessa.
- Pour pancake batter onto griddle
- Layer  in the very thin slices of apple – Don’t use them all!

- Cook your pancake as like it

Next…
- Sauté the remaining apple slices in a pan with butter, cinnamon and a pinch of salt

- We didn’t have time to make our own caramel sauce, because we were going to New  York today for the Medieval Festival at the Cloisters.

- So, mom bought some from Stonewall Kitchen

- Put cooked apples onto pancakes

- Warm up the caramel sauce in microwave and then and pour onto pancakes

- Makes six pancakes or three servings

Sometimes the best breakfasts start right at home!

PS: Here’s a picture of me at The Medieval Festival

Stamford’s Bull’s Head Diner Hits The Breakfast Bullseye!

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Bull’s Head Diner, 43 High Ridge Road, Stamford CT

www.bullsheaddiner.com

The Bull’s Head Diner in Stamford, is a old-style diner.  It looks like it is really old, but we found out that you can’t judge a book just by looking at its cover!

The first thing that you see when you walk in is a HUGE display case of yummy desserts. The interesting thing is that today, I had something that what was part breakfast and part dessert!

There were so many choices on the menu, including many things I’ve never seen before in a diner — but when I saw The Cheesy Stack — I knew I had to have it.

So, what is The Cheesy Stack?  It is three pancakes that are filled with CHEESECAKE!  That’s right — you heard it here — CHEESECAKE!  And you know what, it was REALLY good.  The pancakes were light and fluffy, and the cheesecake filling was sweeeeeeet!  In fact, I didn’t even need syrup.  I also had a side order of bacon and a chocolate milk (which was freshly made).

I asked Bobby Kitsios, the manager, how long has Bull’s Head been open?

He said, “This year is our 20th anniversary, the building looks like an old retro diner, but is really not that old”.

I also asked about the Cheesy Stack…

He said,  “The Cheesy Stack is one of our most popular items on the menu, but we only have it on the weekends, the cheesecake filling is homemade here at the diner by our chef. Kids also like The Peanut Butter & Jelly Pancakes which are filled with PB&J and our Pumpkin Spice Pancakes”.

We’ll definitely be going back soon for another STACK!

The Sunday Diner Rating (out of 5)

FOOD  * * * * * (6)

SERVICE  * * * * *  (5)

LOOKS  * * * * * (5)

BATHROOM: * * * *  (4)

If you like your breakfast with a little dessert — this place is a must!

You’re Really Going To Flip For Chip’s New Home In Fairfield!

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Chip’s Family Restaurant,   525 Tunxis Hill Cutoff, Fairfield, CT www.chipsrest.com

When I heard that one of my favorite breakfast spots, Chip’s Family Restaurant was opening a new location in Fairfield, I knew I had to go there!  It’s been over two years since I’ve been to Chip’s, mainly because the original one is in Orange, CT which is about 40 minutes away.  Now that they are in Fairfield, I can go there more!

Chip’s is famous for their pancakes!  They have over 40 types for you to try – so there’s something for everyone.  And they even have cool syrups! There are six different types for you to try:  Maple, Pecan, Strawberry, Apricot, Coconut and even Boysenberry!

If you don’t want pancakes, they have all sorts of other food on the breakfast menu and are also open for lunch and dinner too.

Chip’s is SO awesome, they have their own mascot — Mr. Chip, The Pancake Prince! Their own SONG! And even a commercial on TV!

Check it out!

I had the M&M Pancakes — which were very fluffy and delicious — a side of bacon and a chocolate milk which was freshly made by our nice server Samantha!

I asked, Adam Kindilien, the manager of Chip’s,

“Why did Chip’s want to open in Fairfield?”

He said, “So many of our customers love Chip’s so much that they drove to Orange from all around — like Darien, Westport, Stamford and even Norwalk, so we thought it would be good to open in Fairfield, to be closer to them”

I also asked him,

“What’s the most popular pancake at Chips?”

He said, “The most popular is the German Apple Pancakes which is made of fresh sliced apples cooked inside five buttermilk pancakes, topped with cinnamon and powdered sugar. All served with a raspberry purée sauce!”

I’ll be trying that next time!

Chip’s is great for kids, they let you color the placemats and they will display your art on the wall — the new Chip’s is open now, and because they are so popular, the lines ARE HUGE! So get there early. The official grand opening is on September 9th.

The Sunday Diner Rating (out of 5)

FOOD  * * * * * (5)

SERVICE  * * * * * * (6) Thanks Samantha!

LOOKS  * * * * * (5)

BATHROOM: * * * * * (5)

So, if you’re near Orange or Fairfield Connecticut, come and Flip For Chip’s!

PS: Here’s a picture of the first time I went there and had the Black Forest Pancakes!