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Not Your Average Joe’s

12-Oct-07

19307 Promenade Drive (Lansdowne Town Center), Leesburg, VA 20176571.333.5637www.notyouraveragejoes.comThis is my second visit to NYAJ in Lansdowne, I went with a friend for lunch today. Again, the foccacia and dipping oil was superb, but that’s as far as that went. I ordered the Spinach and Pear salad, and asked for them to add chicken to it, an option with all of their salads for an additional fee. When our lunch finally came the salad had no chicken on top and was absolutely swimming in the Maple Vinaigrette dressing, which tasted more like straight maple syrup. The pears were hard and crunchy and the spinach was at the end of its shelf life. Another 1/2 star out of 4 for this experience as well. I don’t think I want to go back anymore.

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Pearmund Cellars

05-Oct-07

6190 Georgetown Road, Broad Run, VA 20137
540.347.3475
www.pearmundcellars.com

I had heard a lot of good things about this winery, but why we waited so long to try them out is still a mystery. SQ and I were trying to decide what to do on this Friday, Syd was at school, and we wanted to get out for a new adventure. I suggested driving here, then heading over to their sister winery, The Winery at La Grange. After a forgettable burger at the Five Guys in Warrenton (I apologize to those of you who worship this now mega-chain), we drove out to Pearmund. The gravel driveway taking you back to the tasting room snakes through what seems like endless rows of grape vines. We were shocked that there were others already there, it was only noon. I took this as a good sign that the wine would probably have some merit. Pearmund offers a couple of tasting options - you can run the course of their ‘Classic’ wines for $5 per person, or you can do the Reserve tasting for $8 per person. We opted for the Classic, but as we stood there talking to Mark, who was doing the pouring, he ended up giving us some of the Reserve wines to taste. Smart guy…we ended up buying several bottles from that list.

Pearmund was voted Virginia’s Favorite Winery this year, and I think with good reason. They have a good selection and the wines are very balanced. They are also producing some really creative wine, most notably the Ameritage, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Mark was very knowledgeable with the wines and wasn’t afraid to offer opinions and suggestions for food pairings. I would comfortably say that Pearmund is in our Top 5 Virginia Wines.

So, what did we buy? The 2005 Ameritage Reserve was my absolute favorite, consensus of 3 1/2 stars with SQ so we bought two bottles. We also purchased the 2005 Petit Verdot (also on the Reserve list), the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 Estate Chardonnay (my other favorite, 3 1/2 stars!), and the 2004 Cabernet Franc. Pearmund also does winery tours, but we opted out for today. If a picnic at a winery is your thing, bring it with you…they have tables under a covered patio, or you can spread out your yummies in the grass. You can crack open the bottle you just purchased, or buy wine by the glass while you’re there.

If you can get out to the Warrenton area, try to stop by…they are open daily, and the visit will really be worth it.

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Clyde’s Willow Creek Farm

03-Oct-07

42920 Broadlands Boulevard, Broadlands, VA 20148571.209.1200www.clydes.comI met up with a friend, Amy, at the newest of the Clyde’s chain in Ashburn this evening. The weather was gorgeous so we decided to sit outside on their expansive patio. The restaurant itself is absolutely huge, constructed of something like three different very old buildings meshed together. The result is beautiful, and very very Virginia.This wasn’t my first trip to this particular Clyde’s, and the first few experiences were just OK from the standpoint of food quality, even to the point of being highly inconsistent. This time, I am happy to say, was completely different. I ordered the ribs, and they were honestly some of the best ribs I’ve ever had. I like them when they are so tender the meat literally just falls off the bone with little assistance, and the sauce is a bit tangy and a bit sweet. I think most places call that “Texas style” barbeque. These were exactly the way I like them. And they came with a side of baked beans in a cute little pot, with chunks of bacon mixed in - delicious! I was drinking a glass of Estancia Red Zinfandel, it seemed to pair well with the ribs.Overall, I would give this visit to this Clyde’s a rating of 2 1/2 stars (out of 4). The service was attentive but not annoying, and the atmosphere was certainly wonderful.

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Blue Ridge Grill

29-Aug-07

955 Edwards Ferry Rd, Leesburg, VA 20176
703.669.5505
www.brgrill.com

I have mixed feelings about Blue Ridge Grill. I don’t like the location, and it’s rather awkward to get to it. The atmosphere is bland and suburban, and people flock to it as if there is no other option in Leesburg. There are other options, there just don’t happen to be a lot of good ones. However, the food here is fairly consistent and good quality. What they are trying to do is certainly a good cut above the TGI Friday’s just down the street.

On this visit I opted for the Luau Steak, which is a nicely marbled ribeye marinated, grilled, and topped with a pineapple-teriyaki glaze. The steak quality was good, and it was cooked rare exactly as I asked for it. This is sometimes very hard to get, grill cooks more often than not want to overcook red meat, regardless of how you order it. The baked potato was fluffy on the inside just like it should be. The food here is not overly creative, but it is fresh and not overpriced. It’s a good casual place to go with your family as it’s very kid-friendly, and much better than most of the options in the area.

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Pastino’s Neighborhood Restaurant

26-Aug-07

1750 Clearwater Largo Rd, Clearwater, FL 33756
727.559.0506

Back in the Tampa area after our overnight outing to Siesta Key. This restaurant is actually in Clearwater, hiding behind some trees on Clearwater Largo Road. It’s very cute on the outside, and it’s exactly what it says on the inside - a friendly neighborhood restaurant. There are so many of us we seem to take up the entire mid-section of the restaurant, but they aren’t very busy at 2:30pm on a Sunday. We order a couple of Toasted Raviolis and some Antipasto prior to our pizzas. The ravioli is incredibly good, very crispy on the outside, and served with a side of marinara sauce. SQ, Syd and I decide to split Syd’s most favorite pizza - sausage and pineapple. It’s a bit weird, but actually pretty good. This pizza is great - the dough is hand-tossed, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The toppings are very fresh, and I think the pineapple is actually not from a can. Pastino’s does have several other Italian dishes on their menu, but how could you pass up the pizza? I really liked this place, very casual and comfortable with reasonably priced, really tasty pizza.

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Tommy Bahama Tropical Cafe

25-Aug-07

300 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34236
941.388.2888
http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/StoresAndCafes/TropicalCafes.jsp

Still in Tampa…Stacey wanted to take a drive down the coast until we found somplace charming and cute to stay the night. No specific plans, no specific destination, no reservations. Not the way I usually travel, and it unnerved my normally very ‘do advance research and plan’ self, at first, but I went with it. We drove through Old St. Pete and I was ready to move to Florida at this point.

After driving down through Bradenton, we cut over to Anna Maria Island and continued south to Longboat Key. We eventually drove into this completely charming and adorable area called St. Armand’s Circle. Stacey and I were yelling to park the car so we could get out and walk around. From the look of it, not many chain stores…it was full of unique, one-of-a-kind places to browse, my kind of places. We were starving as it was now about 2pm so we contemplated a couple of choices, then settled on the Tommy Bahama Tropical Cafe. I knew it would be expensive because of the name, but that was OK. It is a chain, but not a large one, and this one sits, guess…right above the Tommy Bahama store. It’s very cute and looks somewhat like a Disney version of Old Havana. I got a Mango Iced Tea, and SQ and I decided to split the Tommy’s Great Big Crispy Fish Sandwich. I’m not sure what kind of fish it was, the menu described it as a beer-battered local island fish. After taking a bite I didn’t care, it was just really incredibly good. I guess for almost $14 it should be. And it was also very big and very crispy, and topped with these incredible sweet honey-roasted onions. Final thoughts - I would give this 2 1/2 stars out of 4. A bit expensive, but you get your money’s worth.

After getting some dinner advice from the waiter, we left to shop around the area a bit. And we still needed to find a place to stay for the night.

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Turtle Beach Resort / Ophelia’s On the Bay

25-Aug-07

Turtle Beach Resort
9049 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key, FL 34242
941.349.4554
www.turtlebeachresort.com

Ophelia’s On the Bay
9105 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota, FL 34242
www.opheliasonthebay.net

After heading out from St. Armand’s Circle, we passed through Sarasota and on to Siesta Key. We were getting a bit desperate for someplace to stay for the night. Most of the places we had passed either didn’t fit what we wanted (ie, tall hotels with no charm) or only rented by the week. We finally found a place that seemed to fit our requirements - nightly rentals and lots of charm - but they had no availability. They pointed us down the road a bit further to a place called Turtle Beach Resort. I fell in love instantly when we pulled into the parking lot. It just looked like Old Florida and it was oozing charm. Stacey wasn’t so sure. She had really wanted something on the beach, and this was on the bay side of the island. No one was in the rental office, so we called the number posted on the door. They had availability for a 2-Bedroom cottage, very reasonable price, and it included a deal with Ophelia’s, the restaurant next door. For $40 per person you could get a 3-course meal there. This was also the restaurant that the waiter at Tommy Bahama’s had pointed us to. We decided to go with it, and the rental agent showed up about 15 minutes later to check us in. The cottage was really cute on the inside too. AND we had our own private hot tub on the patio out back, complete with a hammock and patio furniture. I kind of wished we were staying longer.

We called Ophelia’s and they were able to get us in for 7pm. It was too dark for any views of the bay by then, and it was still, in my opinion, too hot and clammy outside to want to sit out there. This IS August in Florida. It was also raining off and on. The inside of the restaurant needed a bit of updating. It reminded me of a remnant from the 1980’s, a lot of glass and mirrors. The waitress was a bit rough around the edges, and seemed a bit annoyed that we wanted to do the $40 special. And of course, the options are much more limited for that. I started out with a French Martini - not the best I’ve ever had, but still very good. I then opted for the Baby Arugula Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette for my first course. The salad was fresh, but overall the taste was on the flat side. I was hoping for something a bit more zippy for the salad dressing. My main course was the Yellowtail Snapper with Apple Compote. I was hoping to repeat a similar meal experience I’d had in Key West last summer, but this fell hopelessly short. Maybe I was just still full from our incredibly late lunch, but it just didn’t make a huge impression on me. I followed up with the Creme Brulee for dessert. It was very good, but I think it’s hard to screw up that particular dessert. This is the place everyone thinks is the best restaurant on the island. I then wondered where we would eat if would have stayed longer. Overall, I would give Ophelia’s 1 1/2 stars out of 4.

Back at Turtle Beach Resort, we decided to take a dip in the hot tub. SQ had, unfortunately, turned the heat up so high we couldn’t stand to be in it. We turned the temp. down, then Stacey and I decided to go walking out on the resort-owned docks. This place was incredibly quiet, mostly small families and couples staying here. It would be a really, really romantic place to stay. Each cottage has it’s own hot tub, and there is a swimming pool. They also have lots of water equipment - kayaks, fishing poles, etc. There are covered swings all over the place too, several on the docks - VERY relaxing. Well, it wasn’t on the beach, but this was really nice. I’m still not sure if Stacey was crazy about the place, but SQ and I really enjoyed it. Back to reality tomorrow.

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Michael’s 717 South

24-Aug-07

717 South Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606
813.250.1661
www.seven17south.com

We were in the Tampa area visiting our very good friends who have recently moved there from Virginia. This was our second evening down there, we were without all the kids so had our free run of going wherever we wanted.

I will start by saying that this is the most interesting concept I’ve ever come across in a restaurant. It sits in the Soho District area, and it is surrounded by several other restaurants. It is part Italian and part Asian, and the decor is very mod, Art-deco Italian. And ultra-hip, a very young and beautiful crowd. After trying to get into Sidebern’s on a last minute whim, this is where the valet there pointed us. The menu is split between the cuisines, so you can definitively go to the section you are in the mood for. What I liked about it is that they are taking dishes traditional to one part of the world and putting an Italian or Asian spin on it.

SQ and I split the Asian Pot Roast…it was late and I wasn’t extremely hungry at this point. After we started eating it I wished I had ordered one all to myself. It was that good. The pot roast was so tender you could cut it with a fork, and it had a wonderful Asian flavor of teriyaki and pineapple, but not overdone. We finished with some sort of Chocolate Lava Cake that was out of this world.

I would give it 2 1/2 stars (out of 4) - the service was attentive, the prices very good for the quality of food. The only downside is that there didn’t seem to be anyone there over the age of 29. Except us.

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Not Your Average Joe’s

22-Aug-07

19307 Promenade Drive (Lansdowne Town Center), Leesburg, VA 20176
571.333.5637
www.notyouraveragejoes.com

I had attempted to eat here before, but the power went out all over Lansdowne, all the way to Leesburg. All I had at that point was some of their foccacia bread and dipping oil. I should have quit while I was ahead and taken the power outage as a bad omen.

The restaurant itself has good atmosphere, and lots of outdoor seating for warm weather. It’s right on the main street in the new Town Center area of Lansdowne, where there is plenty of competition already. NYAJ is a small-ish chain that is primarily up in New England; this is their first, and only restaurant right now, outside that area. I took my daughter, Syd, and my mother-in-law here for dinner while SQ was out of town. The MIL and I split a pitcher of Sangria, after eyeballing another table of ladies sharing some. It was good, not great, but we were enjoying it. Syd and I also split a Mozzarella Tomato salad for a starter. The mozzarella was a bit tasteless, and the beefsteak tomatoes were not fully ripe yet. Also, the first batch of foccacia we were served was so hard I thought I was going to pull a tooth out trying to bite into it. Too bad…the dipping oil with grated cheese and red pepper flakes is really yummy. Syd and I then split the Chicken Carbonara for dinner. This too was rather bland and tasteless. MIL seemed to like her dinner, the Tuscan Shrimp. I didn’t have any of hers so I can’t comment on that dish. I do always like to give someplace new at least two chances, so I’ll come back another time to give it another try.

Rating: 1/2 out of 5

Would I return: probably not if it wasn’t nearby, but we’ll give it another shot

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Eamonn’s Dublin Chipper

20-Jul-07

728 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
703.299.8384
www.eamonnsdublinchipper.com

The BEST fish and chips in the US!! (I’ve not been to Dublin yet…) This tiny little place on a corner of King Street in Alexandria is owned by Cathal Armstrong, of Restaurant Eve fame, and named after his son. They don’t have many tables as it’s primarily a takeaway, or many items on their menu other than the battered cod and hand cut chips (fries). I think they have a burger and a sausage, but why bother when the fish is really THAT good. You order at the counter (a pint of Guinness is also a must), and they call your name when the food is ready. It all comes in takeaway bags, even if you’re eating there at the semi-communal tables. And it is so piping hot you have to wait a few minutes or you’ll burn your tongue off. But it’s absolutely worth the wait. And I love the motto on the door - ‘Thanks Be to Cod.’

We happened to be here on the Friday evening of the last Harry Potter book release, and all of Alexandria had been transformed into places from the books. Several of the stores were doing themed activities, and there were tiny wizards and witches running up and down the streets. The weather was beautiful and the kids looked absolutely adorable.

Overall, 3 stars out of 4 for Eamonn’s.

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