Max Brenner, New York City

So once again we find ourselves dining at a restaurant that we had never heard of, but then again wifey poo and I don't get into the city as much as we would like to. My wife's dear friend treated us to lunch over the weekend to say "Thank you for helping to make her 40th surprise birthday party so perfect". Oh by the way did we ever mention that not only do we love critiquing food but we also are pretty good with decorating and floral arrangements too. But we will leave that discussion for another time. So off the four of us drove into the city. As soon as we walked into the restaurant we were like a bunch of kids in a chocolate candy shop. The entire restaurant has the aroma of chocolate, it is amazing. Our eyes were wandering all around as the smiles on our faces got bigger and bigger. I was thinking to myself that if Willy Wonka owned a restaurant this is how it would look and smell. The restaurant is known for its desserts, hot chocolate and coffee drinks. We decided to go lightly on lunch because we had seen the some of the desserts other patrons were having and wanted to save some room for the best part of the meal. My wife and I shared the Black and Tan Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings with dark chocolate ranch dressing and our friends shared Molly's White Corn Croquettes. The entrees consisted of  American Kobe Beef Hamburgers served with Waffle Fries that are dusted with Chili and Cocoa Powders,  Smoked Turkey Club and Rosemary Infused Waffle filled prosciutto, cheese, tomato and baby greens. Our waiter was so very friendly and helpful with the menu. His suggestions and elaborate explanations on the various dishes served were enlightening. Both appetizers tasted as good as they looked; that is to say they were spectacular. My wife really enjoyed her club sandwich and my friend and his wife had nothing but good things to say about their dishes as well. My Kobe burger was cooked exactly how I ordered my it; Medium Rare. The one thing that I am very finicky about when eating out is that I expect a burger or any other meat not to be served overdone. The seasoning of Chili and Cocoa powders on the Waffle fries could of been a bit more pronounced, never the less they were very good. Now onto the best part the desserts. We shared the Churros Fondue, Illegal Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Pancakes served with a warm white and milk chocolate in a tiny laboratory flask and the Banana Split Waffle. We could not stop indulging in their chocolate so we opted for a Double Espresso, coffee and  Mexican Spicy Hot chocolate. The espresso and coffee come in what is called a Kangaroo Cup. This cup has a rim designed to hold two pieces of chocolate to either eat as is or to drop into the coffee. Well what can we say the desserts were "Mind Blowing". It was the ultimate way to have ended our meals. In conclusion don't go to Max Brenner if you are counting calories but do go if you want to indulge in everything chocolate, this place is awesome!

They earned 5 out of 5 forks.

http://shop.maxbrenner.com/storelocation/index/edit/id/3/

 

 

Red Lobster, Ronkonkoma

 

Well hubby and I said right from the start that we would be blogging about the best, the worst and everything in between. So if you are wondering why Red Lobster, well I will answer that in two words “Endless Shrimp” need I say more. From the very moment my husband saw the commercial on TV he was determined to get there again this year, come hell or high water before the shrimp festival ended. So we got a group of our friends together and feast we did. The one and only reason why I would even entertain the thought of going is for the one thing Red Lobster makes that I can say is amazing. They always make it worth the trip to for their Cheddar Biscuits and I am sure most of our readers will agree with me. I enjoy them so much that for years I wrap some up in a napkin and take them home with me; and that applied to this visit as well. The women at the table ordered from the regular entrees on the menu and on the other hand the men ordered the endless shrimp. Our entrée’s were OK as could be expected. Hubby and his friends said the shrimp were good also. They had choices of fried, teriyaki glazed, scampi, parmesan crusted and shrimp alfredo over linguine. Everyone’s dish also came with a side and a salad. So 2 ½ hours or so later, watching the guys stuff themselves on shrimp we finally ordered coffee and a few desserts and called it a night. I mean really; we had to give other patrons a chance to get a table before the night ended. The restaurant was still filled well after nine pm. As we were leaving we could not get over how many people were still waiting to be seated... its Red lobster… but to each their own I guess. Now for the pictures, can we guess who ate the most shrimp; (twelve plates later) hubby had 128 shrimp and somehow found room for dessert.

The fork rating will not apply; this was a typical visit to Red Lobster. You know what to expect and that is usually what you get. As for us, we always have a good time with our good friends.

The Grill Room, Hauppauge

Sometimes you come across something purely by luck and this holds true for our wonderful dining experience at this restaurant, The Grill Room in Hauppauge. We happen to receive a gift certificate for this unknown gem that we would have never known existed otherwise. It is nestled away in the middle of the industrial park in Hauppauge. This is a very quaint and romantic place serving an American Fusion menu.

By now most of you know that as long as there is Calamari on the menu, wifey poo and I will always try it to taste the chef’s interpretation of it. So needless to say I am sure you can guess what our appetizer was. Crispy Calamari in a Jalapeno Gastrique served with two dipping sauces, a spicy tomato and a sambal. One of the most unique coatings and unlike the name suggests it was not over spicy at all. As a matter of fact we enjoyed this interpretation very much. Our meals consisted of Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with Risotto and Spinach complimented with a Buerre Blanc sauce and the Pasta Special which was the Chef’s own spin on Jambalaya. The fresh pasta was half linguine and half squid ink linguine with chorizo, shrimp, scallops and okra. Even though some of these ingredients are commonly found in most Jambalaya recipes, this dish was anything but common. At first I was apprehensive about ordering something with Squid ink because it is usually extremely fishy. For the first time I would have to admit I truly enjoyed the flavor as it complimented the dish perfectly. The wife said the Maryland Crab cakes were "by far some of the best I have eaten". The risotto was perfectly executed and topped with a delicious sautéed spinach and drizzled with Buerre Blanc sauce. The coffee that was very good by the way, came served in a unique metal cup and saucer. Unfortunately that night they ran out of pecan pie so we opted for the Truffle Chocolate Cake. It was light, rich and decadent. We are highly recommending everyone to find their way to this restaurant so you too can share in our “lucky find”.

They get 5 out of 5 forks on this visit.

http://www.thegrillroomrestaurant.com