When my boyfriend and I go on vacation it tends to be less about scenery and more about all the places we can eat. A food tour, if you will. Well, we just spent the last week eating our way through the mid Atlantic and up into the North East. Our agreement for the week was to not discuss calories or money. Well now reality hits and I understand that maybe we went a little overboard.
First stop: Hamden, CT
Restaurant: Mikro
This is a laid back restaurant just outside of New Haven. If you didn't know exactly where you were going, you would definitely miss this place. It's located in a strip mall and is easy to overlook, but you don't want to (especially if you enjoy beer the way my boyfriend does). Definitely worth stopping in!
Appetizer: Local Burrata- "fresh creme filled mozzarella/olive oil confit tomatoes/arugula/basil oil/balsamic" vinaigrette with kalamata olive spread.
I am not kidding when I say that this was the most delicious appetizer I've ever eaten. It was so simple and light. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it!
Main Course: Pork Belly Cubano- "cured ham/gruyere/spicy mustard/garlic mayonaise/pickles"
A bit disappointing after the AMAZING appetizer but still nothing to turn your nose up at. Enjoyed it, but wouldn't go back and specifically order it again. HUGE sandwich with a very large amount of fries. If you get this, do what my boyfriend did and opt for a side salad instead of a side of fries. You will not regret it.
Link to Mikro website: http://mikrobeerbar.com/menu/
Second Stop: Manchester, NH
Restaurant: Red Arrow Diner
I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this place. But it is definitely not for a shy person. Right when you walk in you get the classic diner feel. The place is surprisingly small and we were lucky we had the iphone app "TV Food Maps" to help us along the way!
First off, our waiter was the most enthusiastic waiter I've ever had. I hope I love any job I do one day, even half as much as he seemed to love being a waiter at Red Arrow Diner. He asked us if we'd ever been to the diner before and when we replied that we had not, he made an announcement to the entire diner that this was our first time there and to give us a warm welcome. Then they gave us stickers that say: "I've been de-virginized at Red Arrow Diner".
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But it wasn't just the experience that made us wanting more. The food was amazing. I ordered a burger and my boyfriend ordered a burger with chili on the top. Although I couldn't finish it, I wish I could have, it was that good.
For dessert we wanted to try their famous pies. Because we were so full, we told the waiter we would just split a slice. The waiter informed us that he had messed up on our pie order and forgot we were splitting a slice, so we each ended up with a slice of "Zebra Pie" which is chocolate and vanilla creme pie. It was heavenly.
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| Forgot to take a picture until I was almost done with the pie.... |
So what if I could only waddle for the next day or so...
Link to Red Arrow Diner website: http://redarrowdiner.com/#
After that we spent a relaxing and calorie pleasing two days at my boyfriend's parents' lake house. Enjoying beautiful views like these...
Two days later, we were on our way to Harrisonburg, VA (hometown of my alma mater...GO DUKES!). We went to Harrisonburg for two reasons: a romantic getaway and more importantly, Harrisonburg houses the most delicious restaurants in the country.
Third stop: Harrisonburg, VA
Restaurant: Jack Brown's Beer and Burger Joint
Ask anyone I know and they will agree that my boyfriend and I are not kidding around when it comes to Jack Brown's. This restaurant has a cult-like following that we proudly admit to being a part of. If you like fancy restaurants and don't think bras hanging from the ceiling have a place in a culinary setting, then this place is NOT for you. But they know burgers and they know beer. Every day is a specialty burger. Anywhere from the "Elvis" with mayonnaise, peanut butter and bacon on a burger to the "Greg Brady" which is a burger topped with mac-n-cheese and BBQ chips. Not to mention, at any given time there are 100 different beers on the menu.
But since we were there on a special day, the 4th of July, there was a special burger called the "Uncle Sammy" which has a house made chili on top of a burger and topped off with cole slaw. Now I'm not a cole slaw fan, but Jack Brown's never disappoints.
Side note: Always get the fries because the Jack Brown's home made sauce that the fries are paired with is to die for!
And we can't forget their delicious dessert. Most people will sneer at this when they hear about it for the first time, but just try it once and you will be a fan for life! Always, always, get the fried oreos when you go to Jack Brown's. I remember thinking, eh, I'll try it but it probably won't be very good. I was so wrong. It was amazing. The creme and chocolate of the oreo melt and it turns into one amazingly, unhealthy dessert. Link to Jack Brown's: http://www.jackbrownsjoint.com/home.html
After gorging ourselves with this deliciousness, we watched the Harrisonburg 4th of July parade then headed back to our B&B for the night to watch some "Undercover Boss" (obviously the best show ever).
We stayed at a place called 'By the Side of the Road' which allows you to rent your own private cottage. When we walked into the cottage for the first time there was soft music playing, rose petals on the bed, champagne and the room was personalized to Alex and me. But even better, every morning they brought us breakfast in a basket and left it outside of our door! Below is breakfast from the first morning there which was heart shaped waffles with a homemade toffee sauce, fruit and bacon!
Restaurant: Billy Jack's Wing and Draft Shack
Billy Jack's is basically an extension of Jack Brown's. It comes from the same creative owners and is almost as equally delicious. Billy Jack's also has an extensive beer menu and has an even more extensive food menu. They specialize in wings, but my boyfriend and I opted for sliders (one of which was a Greg Brady type slider) with Greg Brady fries (macaroni and cheese and BBQ chips, along with bacon over french fries).
For dessert, I got a psycho girl scout donut. This is no joke the best donut you will ever, or should ever, eat in your life. It has chocolate chips, peanut butter and burnt marshmallow on it and it is sent from the gods. However, my boyfriend opted for a "Redneck Monte Cristo" which is a deep-fried PB&J.
Heart attack in a meal, I know.
Link to Billy Jack's: http://billyjacksshack.com/
Final Stop: Harrisonburg, VA
Restaurant: Joshua Wilton
Last, but CERTAINLY not least, was Joshua Wilton. This is, no joke, the best food you will ever have in your entire life. I'm not a picky eater, but I know what I like and I know what I don't like. But even the things I know I DON'T like, I like at Joshua Wilton. Not only is is a restaurant, it is an almost 125 year old house turned Bed and Breakfast. But, I will warn you right off the bat: this is not like the other restaurants. This requires nicer clothes and a way bigger check at the end of the meal. But it is worth every bite and every penny.
Appetizer: Seafood Trio- Tuna Tempura over ginger, soy noodles. Shrimp and grits. Salmon over a jicama and mango salad.
Amazing. I can not even begin to tell you how delicious this appetizer was, especially the tuna. Words would only fall short. You truly have to try it to understand just how delicious it is!
Main Course: Pan-Roasted Halibut "over mascarpone-penne 'mac-n-cheese', summer vegetable confetti and roasted red pepper vinaigrette".
I basically licked the plate, that's all I will say. There is a reason I don;t have any pictures of this food and it is because when that food came out, you are not thinking about taking pictures for your blog. You're not thinking about anything except for how truly delicious the food is and how incredibly talented the chef must be to make something so wonderful.
Link to Joshua Wilton: http://joshuawilton.com/?page_id=5
Needless to say I gained about ten pounds in the last week. And my adventure of learning how to work out (sans swimming) starts tomorrow.
Hopefully, you will be lucky enough to read this post and go try this food! Wish me luck on being a "real girl" tomorrow at the gym.
In the words of Chris Farley..."Diet starts Monday!"
More Chris Farley explaining my week...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YfvBbxE1vU
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