http://www.roadfood.comRestaurant reviews from the most memorable local eateries along the highways and backroads of America.en-us(c) 2009, Roadfood.com. All rights reserved.30Wright's Farm began as a chicken ranch whose proprietor started serving al fresco barbecues. It has since become the biggest of Rhode Island's several chicken dinner halls, with seats for up to 1,500 eaters at a time and a gift shop that is a virtual museum of kitsch. Despite its cavernous accommodations, Wright's Farm is so popular that a hour's wait is not uncommon before you actually get a seat. No, it is not intimate or cozy or anything like Sunday supper at grandma's, but if you are looking for the best chicken dinner in Rhode Island, maybe the best non-fried chicken anywhere, put this gastronomic Gargantua at the top of your hit list. What's so especially good about the chicken itself is that in addition to juicy, fall-apart mouthfuls encased in gossamer skin, there are significant surface areas where the skin has pulled away during roasting and the bare exterior of the meat itself turns firm, becoming chewy, moisture-beaded bark with flavor even more intense than the softer succulent parts within. Along with the chicken come hot rolls, cool salad, macaroni shells with red sauce, and fabulous thick-cut French fries. The meal is all-you-can-eat. If ever a bowl is emptied, it gets replaced with a full one. Legend says that one big man came to Wright's some dozen years ago and consumed eight whole chickens before deciding dinner was over. Note #1: Wright's farm will take reservations for between 10 and 36 people. Note #2: It is open for lunch and dinner Saturday through Wednesday, but for dinner only (starting at 4pm) Thursday and Friday. Note #3: Reservations (for 2 to 20) are required for Easter and Mother's Day and accepted (but not required) for New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Father's Day and Thanksgiving. Note #4: Credit cards are not accepted. An ATM machine is available near the front door.http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6731Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:33:00 GMTStretched leisurely through the rolling fields and hills of northwest Connecticut, Roxbury is a wonderful place for a ride on a pleasant day. Actually, it is a nice place for a ride any day, but when the weather is nice, you can have breakfast or lunch on a picnic table on the broad lawn of Mamie's. I first came for lunch a couple of summers ago because I had arrived at nearby Clamp's hamburger stand at 2:10pm; and Clamp's, per strict company policy, stops serving precisely at 2. I have returned for many meals since then, and this place has become a favorite. The small cafe, which started as a bakeshop and still offers a magnificent array of cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins, cupcakes and donuts, has a handful of tables indoors, but you cannot beat the al fresco dining facilities. It is perforce casual, but in no way downscale. Even at the rough-hewn picnic tables, you'll get a thick white napkin and solid silverware; and while the menu is not much more than sandwiches, salads, and breakfast, everything is several notches above ordinary. Mamie can cook! Eggs are free-range, and taste it: bright, sunny, farm-fresh. The bacon to go with them is thick and full flavored. Buttermilk pancakes have a fetching tang and come with local maple syrup. House-made seven-grain bread, toasted and buttered to go with breakfast, is deeply satisfying. It also is available on good sandwiches of turkey, ham or roast beef. It behooves anyone who eats here to venture inside at some point during, or preferably after the meal to peruse the pastries, which are beautiful. Note: Mamie's also serves dinner Friday and Saturday nights. BYOB. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=5627Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:47:00 GMTA hard-to-find restaurant in a mostly residential neighborhood, the Goulash Place is a treasure-trove of Eastern European gastronomy not far from Interstate 84. John and Magda Aczel lived upstairs in the back of their little Hungarian café, which they operated for a quarter century. Although Magdi passed away a few years ago, you will likely meet John, or at least see him when the kitchen door swings open. He is the chef. Made-from-scratch specialties include three kinds of goulash, including our personal favorite -- Transylvanian, which is velvety hunks of pork adrift in sauerkraut. Other favorites include chicken paprikash, roast pork, and stuffed cabbage. It is a dilemma choosing side dishes, for Mr. Aczel's mashed potatoes are chunky, soulful spuds served with a bit of gravy from whatever they accompany; on the other hand, there are always nockerli, which are little hand-fashioned dumpling squiggles in a butter sauce that go so well with paprikash. With any meal, it is essential to fork into a bowl of traditional Hungarian cucumber salad – a refreshingly pickly tastebud-refresher. Start with a bowl of wondrously aromatic chicken soup and finish with palascinke -- tender crepes wrapped around apricot and chopped-nut filling. From soup to nuts, this superb food is presented with Old-World charm so genuine that sometimes you feel that you are dining not in a restaurant, but at the home of a favorite relative. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=99Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:56:00 GMTAlthough I managed to find my own (rare) parking space on Atwells Avenue, I had a chat with the valet in front Andino's who, when I asked him what was good, exclaimed without hesitation, "Snails!" It's hard to pick which Italian restaurant to visit among the dozen or more in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence, but the snail factor had me in the door at Andino's and on the way to a table. The waiter beamed when I ordered snails without his prompting and when they arrived, he pointed out what a connoisseur of this unique Rhode Island specialty will recognize immediately: Andino's snails are different. Typical Ocean State snails are sliced pepperoni-thin and marinated in garlicky dressing. Andino's are cut into bite-size chunks and served on a bed of lettuce with no adornment other than a couple of lemon wedges. Cruets of oil and vinegar come alongside and hot sauce is available, but these snails need to be tasted with nothing more than a drop or two of fresh lemon juice. They have a gentle marine sweetness (they are ocean snails, not like in the garden!) and their dense meat provides just enough tooth resistance to make chewing fun. One appetizer-size serving is enough for at least two people. As familiar as snail salad is strange, linguine aglio e olio is another Andino's winner. Hefty al dente noodles arrive swimming in oil with a judicious measure of garlic. It's a comfort-food meal unless you pay a few dollars extra to add the salty kick of anchovies. The good linguine also is available with clams or clam sauce (red or white), meatballs or sausage. Beyond pasta (which includes manicotti, ravioli, lasagna and even fried ravioli appetizers), Andino's menu covers a full spectrum of Italian-American food from chicken parm to veal saltimbocca. Ambience is pure Providence, decor a scrapbook of Rat Pack posters and the sort of Italian-American pop culture stereotypes that the Sons of Italy don't like, including pictures from The Godfather and Frank Sinatra's famous Bergen County mug shot. We ate our snails to the tune of "That's Amore" on the house sound system and leftovers were packaged and put in black bags that had the sheen of a Tony Soprano dress shirt. Note: although credit cards are accepted, the menu asks that gratuities be paid in cash. Also, it should be noted that whereas most lunch entrees are under $10, dinner is closer to $20 or more.http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6853Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:42:00 GMTAsheville is to North Carolina as Austin is to Texas: an isle of non-conformity in a culture known more for allegiance to traditional values. It is tempting to use Tomato Jam Cafe as evidence of this proposition because it is a restaurant with a unique personality unlike anything conceived in a McCorporate board room. It is so dedicated to using local groceries that it sports a chalkboard listing suppliers, farms and bakeries with which it deals; its avowed purpose is to make food "a rich part of daily being"; its published philosophy avows, "We at Tomato Jam consider our customer's health and well being as important as our own." None of this is typical restaurant hype; indeed, it is pretty darn unusual for a restaurant even to have an avowed philosophy! But when you think about it, aren't those attitudes and goals the most traditional values of all? Let's just say that this cheerful, kitschy-retro cafe is not only one of a kind; it is one wonderful place to eat. For nothing other than biscuits we put it high on the Roadfood honor roll – cat head biscuits in particular, so named because they are closer to the size and shape of a big cat's knobby noggin than they are to a smooth and symmetrical hockey puck. Made using whole-grain flour, they are biscuits of color rather than the more familiar lily-white ones; and while they are not lighter than helium, they are quite elegant and deliver serious flavor. Have one plain or lightly buttered and top it with sweet, fruity tomato jam; order it with sausage gravy or milk-smooth creamed chipped beef. We love it as the bookends for a breakfast BLT, which includes apple-smoked bacon and broiled tomato, and preferably is ordered with a side of chunky cinnamon-spiced apple sauce. As for the amazing meal listed on the menu as Uncle Funky's Grit bowl, Rebecca of Tomato Jam Cafe explained, "Uncle Funky is a friend, who was a culinary student at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College at the time he started coming in. He liked to order basically this meal to get him through on test days. He irritated the snot out of Charlie [Rebecca's partner] the first few times he came (sporting a wiry beard and fauxhawk before they were popular), because he dissected the food he'd order and asked all sorts of questions. He's become a good friend and an amazing chef." Tomato Jam is a good place for devout vegetarians; you even can have vegan sausage on the side of breakfast (which can be vegan, assuming you resist the creamy, buttery stone-ground grits). At lunch, in addition to hamburgers made from grass-fed cow meat, the menu lists a black bean burger and a pseudo-burger made of a marinated portabella cap. There are lots of different grilled cheese options as well as pimiento cheese, available hot or cold, with or without roasted tomato, and with the option of that good apple-smoked bacon. Desserts we intend to try when we stop in for lunch include banana pudding, red velvet cake and cashew-studded brownies. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6849Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:05:00 GMT"The way I see it, the tamale is like a sandwich," says Todd Martin, who started the Tucson Tamale Company in 2008. "You can do anything with it you can imagine." Among his imaginings are vegetarian tamales and vegan tamales, as well as a thermonuclear "Tucson Tamale" for which the corn masa is supercharged with grilled jalapenos and cheese. Each is hand-rolled and huge, made with ingredients that are sparkling fresh. We especially love what Todd has labeled the Arizona tamale – roasted sirloin and smoky chipotle chilies – as well as the Santa Fe tamale, made with pork loin and green chilies. "Simplify, Sustain and Celebrate" is the motto of Martin's sunny storefront, which vends hundreds of dozens of tamales every week – by mail and take-out for cooking at home, warm for eating on premises at a handful of tables (along with glorious house-made salsas in three heat levels), and at farmers' markets and some dozen grocery stores as far south as Bisbee. Martin is an engaging advocate for the steamed-moist cylinder of cornmeal dough that is most commonly laced with beef and in some places topped with chili. "People think of the tamale as a Mexican thing," he says, "But it goes back to pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, long before the Spanish. So many cultures around the world have their own take on the concept." Martin schooled us in green corn tamales, which he offers during their traditional season, about three weeks at the end of summer when corn is ripe and the chile harvest has begun. He explained that tamales ought never be made by a single, solitary cook. They should be the inspiration for a party. In fact, the traditional tamale-making party, a harvest-time ritual in Sonoran Desert country, is so much fun that it changed Todd Martin's life and ultimately led him to abandon his job as a corporate executive and start the restaurant. "The first time I ever made a tamale," he recalls, "was when my sweetheart – now my wife – invited me to her parents' house to make tamales on a Sunday in early September. I expected to spend a few hours helping here and there, but it turned out to be a whole day, and they did it right. They had exactly what you need to make green corn tamales: five bushels of corn, twenty-five pounds of roasted chiles and twenty people. Plus five cases of beer for the tamale makers to drink. That is the rule of green corn tamale making: one case of beer for each bushel of corn." http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6845Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:33:00 GMTWe by no means expect this to be our last word on the new Yonkers Pepe's. This fifth branch of the New Haven pizza legend (and the first to open outside of Connecticut) opened on Monday, November 2, 2009. We paid them a visit on Sunday, 11/8. There was already a long line outside the restaurant when we arrived; we had about a 15 minute wait for a table. They seemed a bit overwhelmed by the crowds; there was an extremely long wait between the time we placed our order and the time the pizzas arrived. We trust that, over time, that will be worked out. The pizza: first the good. Above the crust, our white clam pizza was extraordinary, as good as any we've ever had. They used a free hand with the fresh garlic and fresh clams. Also, we never paid much attention to this before, but the oregano really stood out. It must have always been there but the guy who made the pie used more than usual. Not unpleasant, but a little different. The problems: the crust is just not right. The blackening is there, as is the irregular shape. What's missing is the texture. Both pies were soft and bready. Not enough salt in the dough either. And they apparently use little or no oil on these pizzas. The lack of oil and soft texture may be intentional, or it may indicate a work in progress. But seeing as how the chewy crust is the best part of a Pepe's pie, we think this needs to be corrected. The crust on our red pie was even worse. They are using a far too heavy hand with the toppings, especially the cheese, and it's killing the crust. We eyed the pizzas on other tables and they looked the same: a flood of melted mozzarella (very nicely browned, though). We'll report back on future visits. The question is, if things do not change, if the way the Yonkers Pepe's is now is the way it will stay... would we return? And the answer is yes, for the white clam pie. It wouldn't be a substitute for a New Haven pie (unlike the Fairfield branch, which is as good as the new Haven original), but it's still very, very good. We might even order a red pie and ask them to not put so much cheese on it, and we'd try asking for well-done pizzas to get a better crust. Could we ask them to put a little oil on the pies too? That might be pushing it. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6842Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:10:00 GMTSmall-town cafes don't get more Roadfoodly than Doris's. When Linda Daigle, the late Doris's sister, turns on the lights and unlocks the door at 5am, the group of guys who have been waiting on the porch (which the cafe shares with the Fort Kent Mills Post Office), walk in, grab mugs from the pegboard on the wall, pour their own coffee and chat amongst themselves. "On Parle Francais Ici" says a sign on the door, and sure enough, most of the morning conversations are in French or in English with such a dense Acadian accent that it sounds just as foreign. While the regulars socialize, Linda gets the home fries cooking, stirs up some ploye batter, and starts toasting thick slices of the bread made here every day. Good as the toast is, Doris's ployes demand attention, too. The crepe-like buckwheat pancakes, a specialty unique to the Acadian northeast, are great for mopping egg yolks in the morning or gravy from the excellent hot turkey lunch or ham-centered boiled dinner. As we spread butter on our hot ployes, a discussion broke out among customers about what, exactly, defines a proper one. "You want that butter to spread, not get sucked up," said one counter denizen, maintaining that ployes must be cooked long enough for the top to get a bit firm. An eavesdropper at a distant table held a point-of-order fork in the air, warning that overcooking is the worst thing you can do to a ploye because if it's too firm it will not absorb enough butter or gravy. Our waitress could not help but chime in and voice her opinion that it is so wrong for the old timers to spread ployes with molasses when butter and brown sugar make such a better choice. Now, about potatoes. This is potato-growing country and folks around here take them seriously. Breakfast home fries are beautifully crisp with a tender, full-flavored center in every hunk. The French fries served at lunch, hand-cut of course, are superb. We like them just plain salted, but the culinary explorer needs also to get them as the foundation for poutine: topped with dark gravy and shredded cheese that melts from the heat of the spuds. We prefer more traditional poutine, made using cheese curds, but these potatoes are so good that nothing can eclipse them. Pies and cakes are homemade, the standout among them known as "JJ apple pie." No one could explain the meaning of the name, but that's OK. This pie is memorable, made from big hunks of spiced apple with a crumbly, buttery crust that is laced with a ribbon of caramel. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6841Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:24:00 GMTA neon sign in the window of Jerry Lee's, a strip mall butcher shop / convenience store in Baton Rouge, shows a boiling pot with this legend underneath: "If it's not Jerry Lee's, it's not Boudin." While a lot of Cajun boudin is fire-hot, Jerry Lee's is only haloed by pepper … all the better to savor the flavor of rice that is its dominant ingredient, along with the luxe of ground pork that is its soul. In a heated case near the cash register, you will find the boudin already extracted from its casing and piled into rolls along with cheese, the latter, in our opinion, completely overwhelming the refined flavor play of the former. The better choice is to forgo the fixins and get a couple of links, which cost about $1.75 each. Their natural casing is tough, virtually impossible to cut with teeth alone, but once it is severed with a knife, the filling erupts, sending forth the sweet perfume of hot pork touched with pepper and onion and virtually melded to whole al dente grains of rice. Like so many boudin purveyors in this region, Jerry Lee's offers no dining facilities. For travelers, it's a dashboard-dining experience, using plastic knives and forks and paper napkins. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6273Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:29:00 GMTThere are two BK Carne Asadas in Tucson. At the 12th Avenue BK's, you dine at permanently fixed picnic tables on a covered patio that is rimmed with nozzles to spray cool water around the perimeter and take the edge off arid desert air. There is a kitchen with a menu that ranges from huevos con jambon (ham and eggs) for breakfast to pastel de queso (cheesecake) for dessert. As the name of the place suggests, carne asada (high-spiced beef cut into strips) is a house specialty, and it is terrific. With big, smoky character and enough body to reward a good chew with tidal waves of flavor, it is ideally suited for filling a taco made from your choice of flour or corn tortilla. Other available tacos include chicken, carne adobada, cabeza (yes, that is cow's head), and fish or shrimp. All are served completely plain. It is the customer's job to step up to the salsa bar and load up on guacamole, salsa verde, salsa cruda, chopped raw onion, sliced radishes, sliced cucumbers and wedges of lime. But please do not fill up on tacos (or quesadillas, burros or tortas), for the other part of BK's name must not be ignored. This is one of the city's premier sources of "hot dogs estilo Sonora" – the words emblazoned on the BK cart where they are made. As is true of other local vendors that are permanently anchored to some real estate, BK has one kitchen where everything else is made and another dedicated to the cooking and assembly of Sonoran hot dogs. Unlike the rest of the menu, these baroque bunned beauties do not get dressed at the salsa bar. The hot dog maker does that. He will follow your specifications, but it would be wrong not to have it with the works. The combination of bacon-wrapped beef hot dog topped with chopped tomatoes, a scattering of onions and pinto beans, a line of yellow mustard, a green ribbon of hot jalapeno sauce, and an artistic squiggle of mayonnaise, all nestled in a big, soft Mexican roll cannot be improved. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6837Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:32:00 GMT