Pontos Taverna (Norwalk, CT)

(I'm not doing the rating system anymore, I've decided its meaningless) 

What do you get when you combine a desperately unsuccessful job search with a general apathy for everything? If you take a look to your left at the dates between posts you'll get your answer. Well I've managed to drag my lazy hands out of an early retirement thanks to Pontos Taverna.

Being of Greek heritage, I suppose I'm somewhat qualified to comment on Greek food, although my spoken Greek is the linguistic equivalent of a car wreck about to be plowed into by a train. If you're from Norwalk, the best way I can describe the location is that its in the shopping center next to that movie theater that nobody goes to (you know the one). It used to be a club run by the Pontios Society that served food to only member and guests of members as I understood it. The food was similar to the current menu, but was cooked by a different chef and there are currently more menu items.

I've been to a few Greek restaurants before. Most people from this area have probably been to or at least heard of "Ambrosia" which is no longer in business. I never planned on writing a review for Ambrosia for a few reasons. For one I never really like the food, which was a mixture of Greek and other Mediterranean dishes, and two, the last few times I went the service was terrible, although the one bright spot I remember was that the seafood appetizer was some of the best seafood I've ever had. Other than that the main courses were always kind of "meh". Pontos Taverna serves ONLY Greek food, simple Greek food, but not simple to a fault. The menu is small when compared to what you might consider a high end restaurant, but I'd rather a place do a few things excellently than have fifty dishes of mediocrity.

So what's on the menu? For people who eat all that green stuff, there's a selection of different salads, including a Greek salad which can easily feed 2-3 people as a first course. There's also the "Xorta salad" which is a traditional boiled greens salad with red onions and lemons and a number of other choices. Appetizers are divided into two categories, dips and cheese (the best category a menu can have). The dips include the classic tzatziki sauce, an eggplant garlic spread, garlic potato puree, and one of my recently tasted favorites, the taramosalata. Its a creamy spready made with caviar that most places will serve out of a jar, but here its home made! All of these are of course served with fresh homemade bread or pita. The cheese menu contains four items all of which I've tried and all of which I recommend. However, I'm going to have to push Xtipiti the most. Its a salty, spicy mixture of mashed feta cheese with hot peppers and tomato. My mouth is watering right now, no joke.

For the main course there's a selection of seafood like grilled octopus along with a selection of various meat platters. These include souvlaki, gyro, lamb chops, and keftes (Greek meatballs). The one thing I will always order in some shape or form here is the gyro. This isn't that processed mystery meat crap you get at your average diner or food truck. You can tell this is cut from a slab of meat on a spit, since there is fat (flavor) interwoven between the strips of meat. Once you try this gyro you will stick your nose up snobbishly at the so called "gyro" you've had before. The souvlaki is always tender and the lamb chops are always well seasoned and cooked perfectly. My one small gripe is that the keftes are a bit over seasoned for my taste, but to each his/her own. You can also order a platter containing all four meats which is supposed to feed wto people. It can more accurately feed 3-4 people, especially since you will likely order appetizers. Every time I come here we always over-order so I expect the same from most people. Side dishes include fries which are seasoned (always nice), stuffed grape leaves, and an orzo with dill which is excellent.

If your fancy has been tickled, CLICK FOR THE MENU

Prices as you can see from the menu are pretty good, especially considering the volume of good quality food you're getting. If you leave hungry, you probably should get your blood sugar checked. Service is fast and attentive, top notch even. The food never took more than 15 minutes in between courses. To-go service is also ready in about 20 minutes which makes it a great option for lunch. If you haven't tried Greek food yet or are desperately seeking out a new Greek restaurant, then go to Pontos Taverna. If you just don't like Greek, well, go to hell :)

PICS WILL BE POSTED NEXT TIME I GO
Website + Address:
Pontos Tavern, 7 Isaac Street, Norwalk, CT • 203-354-7024

Los Molcajetes (South Norwalk, CT)

Value: *****
Taste: ****
Service: ***

This was probably my third of fourth trip to Los Molcajetes and I still had to Google the name to get the right spelling. I still don't know what the name means either, but lets put it this way, I haven't been to any other Mexican restaurant in the area since I first tried this place. Los Molcajetes is located in a shopping center in what can probably best be described as a hole in a wall. There isn't a ton of room in the place, just enough for the eight or so tables in there. The decor is fairly simple, a few paintings and pictures here or there. Needless to say, this isn't a place you go to for the atmosphere, its the food, which is the only thing I give a crap about. They of course offer take out and even delivery.

 

(Photo courtesy of Urbanspoon.com)

The menu here is extensive and full of both authentic and Amercanized/Tex-Mex/whatever-its-called items. It would help on your first visit to go with someone who knows some Spanish or a Spanish to English dictionary/iPhone app. Otherwise you'll end up being that guy who asks the waiter what everything on the menu is. As far as price goes, I challenge you to find a better deal around. You're looking at fish tacos for $2/$3 and burritos for $5 which damn near kick the crap out of Chipotle's gristle filled steak burritos. Speaking of, that's my usual at Los Molcajetes, the burrito. Normally I try something different whenever I frequent a restaurant, but for some reason I never want to miss out on the burrito, maybe next time... Anyway, as with most Mexican restaurants you get your complimentary chips and salsa. Los Molcajetes offers up a different twist on this however. The last time I went they only had one type of salsa, but usually you are given two. The type I was so sadly deprived of last time is a finely mashed, vibrant red salsa, almost the consistency of tomato sauce. It was served in a black stone mortar and was both hot and spicy. The other salsa was served cold and seemed more like regular salsa BUT interesting is mixed with cabbage and has a marked sweetness to it. Very good stuff. Here is a picture for your eyeballs to feast on:

(I forgot to take a picture before most of it was gone. Evidence enough that its delicious.)

Due to my laziness in writing this article (the pictures were taken more than a month ago) I don't remember exactly what was in the burritos, but I'll do my best to remember. You've got your choice of meat of course. There's steak, pork, chicken, ground beef, and chorizo. I've gotten the steak and pork and the meat both times was tender. I make a point of this because I've gotten a steak burrito at the Chipotle chain in Rhode Island, which although has decent burritos, I've had more gristle than meat within on more than one occasion. They seem to like to pile on every ingredient except meat at Chipotle as well. But enough about that, back to the important stuff. Los Molcajetes stuffs their burritos full of meat, rice, beans, some lettuce, and sour cream. They also give you some guacamole on the side which is some of the freshest and best tasting I've had. Here is the burrito:

(Delicious. Also take note of the plate in the back for later)

On one occasion at Los Molcajetes, a friend of mine ordered a chimichanga. Let me tell you, this was not a regular chimichanga! It was loaded with meat, at least the size of my burrito, and it was covered in a warm blanket of melted cheese. Due to my strong desire to live to 40, I have yet to order one, but may soon be forced to give in. The background plate above is a carne asada platter which I sampled. The steak was excellent. The portion sizes always seem to be just right, and you'll never leave still feeling hungry. On both occasions, meals for two came to under twenty dollars, and the last time that check also included a dessert. Quite frankly, you cannot get better Mexican food for the price, especially when cesspools like Taco Bell charge nearly the same price. Service was slow at times but not too bad and the people working their were always hospitable.

(Update: I originally started this review in...March maybe? Wow time flies. I checked back today and realized it was basically done and that I just never posted it. Anyway, expect more regular updates moving forward.)

Donovan's (South Norwalk, CT)

Value: ****
Taste: ****1/2
Service: ****1/2


So I took January off, sue me! Well actually I've been trying to scrounge up on some time between moving back into school and the bullshit work load I now have. So over winter break I checked out Donovan's for lunch in South Norwalk, CT. I'd been a ton of time mostly after 10 P.M. and always to drink. My mom kept nagging me over and over again to go try the food there. Apparently her and her friends cackled over many a lunch there. What the hell right? Couldn't hurt.My sister owed me big time anyway for being hella awesome, so she took me out to lunch.

First thing you'll notice about Donovan's when you walk in is that unlike most bars, it doesn't look like someone vomited a garage full of sports memorabilia onto the walls. The place looks like someone put a good amount of money into the wood work. Plus there's TVs everywhere, a must for any decent bar. Donovan's has been around a LONG time and apparently the original older sold it and then bought it back. Anyway who cares? You're here to read about the food right? For the sake of accuracy, here's a picture of the bar:

(Nice right?)

The menu isn't extreme in any way, shape, or form but I have a hard time calling is standard bar fair. Here's the menu if you are curious: HERE I've heard good things about salads and the combination of things you can get in them, but what kind of guy would I be ordering a salad, especially on a website that more than three people might read (I'm being optimistic). I've heard really good things about the sliders, the lobster one in particular but I didn't go that route.

Anyway, for starters we have the following: Cajun Popcorn Shrimp. You know its going to be good just from the name. Any meat in "popcorn" form is good. I challenge you to prove me wrong. What sets this shrimp apart from most is the dipping sauce. Its a Lemon Chipotle Aioli dipping sauce. Lemon and shrimp go hand in hand of course, but throw in chipotle and mayonnaise? Sold. Needless to say it was devoured in mere moments. PICTURE:

So before I get to the good stuff. Here's what my sister ordered. Being that she's boring and into being healthy or something, she got a Cobb Salad with grilled chicken. Yawn. I tried it though, it was really good but you didn't hear that from me. PICTURE:

(Cobb Salad couple with a nice creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette. I swear I'm straight!)

Now to the real stuff. The real GOOD stuff. Starting with the side order, I got the sweet potato fries. Its weird because I hate sweet potatoes but love them fried. I guess its that old adage that anything fried is good. They came with a molasses dip which most places serve with sweet potato fries. I've started getting them recently as a change of pace from the regular old spuds. Now for the main course, the coup de grâce to my hunger (I copied and pasted that out of Google after I searched its definition). The burger:

 (BEHOLD YE OF POOR TASTE BUDS. TIS YOUR SAVIOUR)

That my friends is a burger covered with jalapeno jack cheese and then camouflaged on top by a fried over-easy egg. Wonderful. I've been told by some that they haven't tried a burger with a fried egg on top. If you're a burger fan and haven't tried it yet stop reading and go get one NOW. I'm not kidding, GO DAMNIT! Its like breakfast and dinner's bastard love child. The burger was thick and juicy and perfectly cooked. (Applause for the chef). Also there was some coleslaw or something...

Now I leave you with a final stage of the meal, dessert. Whoever thought of this dessert was a depraved mad man. I'm assuming the thought process went something like this: "What already unhealthy, saturated fat filled, cream stuffed dessert can I take and wrap in egg roll wrapper to deep fry in a vat of oil? Of course! Cheesecake!" Yes that's right fried cheesecake. I'll just say one phrase to describe it. "Fucking great."

(If you eat this more than once a month you will die)

Now you probably took a look at the menu before, if you're lazy and didn't the prices are pretty standard for bar food. I would make the argument though that its above average bar food quality and more akin to restaurant food. The service was also great, the waitress was nice to us and every other customer in the place. She'd chat it up but the service was never slow and was a real pleasure to deal with. So Donovan's I apologize for thinking of you as just another place to drink. Your food is great.

Donovans

138 Washington St
Norwalk, CT 06854

Update

More reviews to come in the Fairfield County area after this week end, stay tuned.

J's Deli (Smithfield, RI) Review

Value: ****
Taste: ****
Service: ***1/2

Someone at J's Deli took a real estate course and know the three L's very well. Location, location, location! Maybe they're Bryant graduates, har har har. J's Deli is less than a two minute drive from Bryant University, maybe less if your driving style is of the "I need to get there before my bros" variety. The area is markedly devoid of anything quick to eat except for the adjacent "Quickets" that I'll be reviewing soon.Anywhere else and this deli might be considered nothing special by some, but personally I find J's Deli just different enough to be great. Granted its no Katz's Deli nor is it some stunning revolution in the deli formula, but its got a few things going for it.

 As I said, its conveniently located next to my campus. The sandwiches are also pretty well priced. You will get a huge sandwich for roughly $6-$8, or you can get a half a sandwich (that you'll pick up with your limp wrist) for a few bucks less. J's avoids the arch sin of most deli's and doesn't skimp on the cold cuts. You WILL get your monies worth of meat on a sandwich, not like that bullshit Subway doles out. The cold cuts are also good quality to. I think the majority of them are Boar's Head. ALSO BROKE PEOPLE TAKE NOTE: The nearby Stop and Shop prints coupons for a full Italian combo from J's Deli with the purchase of two sandwiches. This comes out to $15 for three huge sandwiches. Eat your heart out Subway.

First time visitors to J's Deli are bound to be overwhelmed when they walk in. The walls are plastered with names of sandwiches and their descriptions, many of them tailored to the local business students. There's "The Portfolio", "The Stockbroker", "The Freshman", "The Graduate", and the "Wall Street" to name a few. I often find myself having ordered and while waiting, I glance over to a sign or wall and think "Goddamnit I wish I saw that before". Be forewarned, look around as much as possible, your bound to miss the sandwich you wanted.

I've been to J's Deli numerous time and I'm confused as to why I didn't review it first. I'll use the excuse that its because I didn't have pictures, yah that's it. Even though last night I began noshing on my sandwich as you can see below, thankfully my room mate reminded me that I needed to take pictures for the blog. Below is a picture of "The Portfolio".

Its an interesting combination of pastrami, swiss, and coleslaw. The first time I ordered it I wasn't sure about coleslaw, but let me assure you, its hundreds of times better than plain mayo. Also, if you can't tell from the image, the pastrami is stacked on there nice and high, all you garbage sandwich chains take note. Pastrami isn't the cheapest of cold cuts either. The other favorite of mine is the "The Pilgrim" which I didn't order due to the turkey overdose that is Thanksgiving. Its a sub with sliced turkey, stuffing, American cheese, mayo, and cranberry sauce (I think you can get it with gravy to). Any place that put Thanksgiving dinner on a dinner roll is alright with me. My buddy got this thing, don't ask me what it was called, I can't remember but it looks pretty good:

Here's some of the other subs I've tried and remember off the top of my head:

The Wall Street - Pastrami and swiss with a generous helping of hot deli mustard (good stuff)

The Freshman - Breaded chicken cutlet with bbq sauce, cheese, and bacon (not bad, had a few too many though and got sick of them)

The New Yorker - A standard reuben served on sliced Italian bread (nice!)

Sausage and Peppers - The name says it all, nothing too special, just good ole' home made style sausage and peppers

The Graduate - Same as the freshman but with buffalo sauce

Italian Combo - Very good, they use real cappicola and all that other Italian stuff, not bland ham and salami like most delis

I've had other one's to but can't remember all the ingredients to them. Service can  be slow at times, even when no one's there but they slice the deli meat as needed and everything is made fresh so I can't complain too much. J's occasionally has other items as well including stuffed quahogs, pizza, stromboli, egg rolls, and a bunch of other stuff I have yet to try. The chicken finger and fries are awesome, along with anything fried on the menu (mozzarella sticks, curly fries, wings, and even fried cheesecake!? which I saw yesterday). The potato salad and macaroni salad are not bad but nothing to write home about. Chances are if you attend Bryant and aren't comatose you've been to J's Deli, but this site needs content so I'm here's this review anyway.

Tony's Pizza Palace (Smithfield, RI) Review

Value: ****

Taste: ****

Service: ***1/2

Tony’s Pizza Palace has a few things going against it from the start. Number 1, it’s in Smithfield whose best pizza place I’ve tried is Papa Gino’s (a chain). The area is notorious for bad pizza, especially around Bryant University. Don’t get me wrong, some of the more upscale Italian Restaurants probably have some good stuff, but we’re talking delivery/takeout/quick stuff here. Number 2, it’s near a liquor store and a variety store. This doesn’t necessarily mean anything, after all some of the best places are holes in the wall, but based on the building you’d think it’s another House of Pizza (never been but everyone’s told me it is terrible and that it resembles Ellio’s frozen pizza for $12). Prior to ordering I did a quick lookup of the place on google and the two reviews I found said the place was pretty good, so I figured what the hell? Normally I’d have to drive toward Providence for the good stuff so maybe I’d find a place much, much closer.

So I gave’em a ring and the guy on the phone told me my pizza would be ready in about 20 minutes, pretty standard pizza time.  No super powered ovens here. I decided to pick it up so I can see what the place is like inside. Nothing too fancy but definitely somewhere you’d be comfortable taking the family or your gang of bros for some chow. So what did I get? Let me show you:

You can clearly tell that half is pepperoni and mushroom, pretty standard topping. “But what is the other half!?” you say. No, those aren’t more mushrooms. 

One valuable lesson I’ve learned over the years is if you don’t want anyone else eating your pizza, whether it be close friends, relatives, or anyone else you’re supposed to like, you learn to like anchovies. “Ewwwww!!” you say. Ah, I pity your unrefined taste buds. Anchovies are like a fine wine, filled with salt and fish and has been floating uncorked in the ocean for 3 years. They’re the perfect topping to raise your blood pressure with the pizza that is clogging your arteries. If you happen to like anchovies, I won’t order pizza when you’re around.

Tony’s Pizza Palace is Greek style pizza, which for those who haven’t tried it, is actually pretty different from your standard Brooklyn/New York style pie. The crust is more bready, usually thicker. The sauce is usually a bit sweeter and has more oregano. The cheese is usually a blend of mozzarella and provolone, sometimes cheddar, and is laid on pretty thick. Tony’s crust isn’t particularly thick but you can taste the breadiness. It’s got a nice crunch to it to. The sauce is just sweet enough and in just the right amount. I can’t stand pizza with too much sauce, probably because it usually means I’m going to get heartburn. The cheese is probably a provolone and mozzarella meaning it’s not particularly salty. The mushrooms were cut in bigger pieces which I like and the pepperoni was pretty standard fair.

The price was $12.43 which with three toppings is not bad at all. It’s a good size pizza and plenty for two people or two meals for one, which is what I’ll be doing since my town house deserted me this weekend. Other reviews online said the grinders and other food is good and well priced. I’ll update you on that next time. All and all I’d say Tony’s is a good value for pizza, especially when crap holes in the area charge the same if not more.

Service was average. I didn’t eat there so I can’t say how the service really is. The pizza was ready when I got there and the place was busy so that's definitely a plus. I guess I have to give it 3.5/5, that’s average right? At least until I eat in.

So overall Tony’s Pizza Palace gets a thumbs up from yours truly. It’s one of the few pizza places around campus that I can buy a pizza and then not feel like I’ve been violently beaten and mugged, plus they deliver. Good stuff.

Tony’s Pizza Palace

Unit 1, 200 Pleasant View Avenue
Smithfield, RI 02917-1796
(401) 231-1010

Duchess (Norwalk, CT) Review

 [Stock images, sorry I'm 150 miles away]

Value:    **** 1/2
Taste:     *****
Service:  *** 1/2

I’m not one to judge others on the spot, but I do have one simple rule by which I measure the character of others. If you do not like Duchess, I do not like you. There are no ifs, ands, or buts, no negotiation, we cannot be friends. If you like Duchess, well nice to meet yah pal! How to describe Duchess…Well it’s like a diner, but there’s no waiters/waitresses, so it’s a fast food joint, with diner quality food. This place has been around since my dad came to this country, and I’ve eaten here since I was a kid. Telling me you don’t like Duchess is like tell me my Mom’s cooking sucks (even though it does). 

However, Duchess’ food definitely does not suck. It’s the opposite of suck, it’s…it’s…wonderful. It’s the freshest fast food you can get because, hell, it’s grilled right there in front of you. Duchess also loves you, yah that’s right, IT LOVES YOU. How do I know this? When you’re drunk at 2 A.M. and that shitty Taco Bell down the road is closed, and you don’t feel like getting food poisoning at Burger King, Duchess lights the sky like a shining beacon. There is nothing better than a sausage, egg, and cheese freshly grilled at 2 in the morning to offset that oncoming hang over.

So down to business:

Duchess is pretty fairly priced. You’re going to pay about what you pay at other fast food restaurants, roughly $6-$10 for a meal. The difference is in the quality and amount you get. Like I said, you get a diner type meal, so you get you soup and salad, with your meal and choice of potato and vegetables. You also have your standard sandwich/fries/drink type meal.

[Everything you'd ever need, ever]

Comparing the food at Duchess to McDonalds is like comparing real pizzeria pizza to that shit you get at your grocer’s freezer. You can really taste that the stuff at Duchess hasn’t been sitting under a heat lamp. It just tastes fresh. I usually switch it up when I order at Duchess, but when I’m not sure what to order I go with the classic hot dog. To the best of my knowledge, Duchess is well known for their hot dogs and I can see why. First off they fry these bastards just right so the casing has that good crisp bite to it. Second, bacon. What better to compliment the artificial chemicals and heart clogging wonder of a hot dog than to throw bacon on it.  Also the chili is kick ass.

Service is alright. A lot of the workers are young kids so you can’t expect too much. There are some employees there that have been working their forever and they’re always pleasant to deal with. Beware the lunch hour and rush hour though, you will be in line for a loooooong time, but I’d argue its worth it.

Duchess Family Restaurant
157 Main Street
Norwalk, CT 06851-3709




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