Down on lower Decatur street lies a true conundrum, an Italian restaurant that features seafood but whose claim to fame is Fried Chicken?  Well that would be Fiorella’s!  And I must say…is it ever finger lickin’ good.  The Colonel should bow down to the General of chicken.  First…I had long ago heard of the legend of Fiorella’s fried chicken…the name is legendary in the Quarter and surrounding environs.  But…there are just so many places and I am a creature of habit and of little pay.  I don’t go “out” to eat often.  But a friend was in town, we were at the French Market and I suggested Fiorella’s.  We perused the menu which served up a panoply of options from Cajun to seafood to traditional Italian and fried chicken. She had the fried shrimp platter which was quite yummy.  I ordered the Combo Chicken plate (two pieces white, two pieces dark) which came with a choice of sides.  I chose the mashed potatoes with an amazing, savory dark brown gravy, of which I am still dreaming.

Then the chicken!  I picked up one chicken breast and it was slightly larger than my fist.  But I quickly put it down because I realized the other breast was one-and-a-half times larger!  When I bit in to it it was hot, juicy, and the breading used was indescribably delicious.  Whatever their “secret recipe” consists of is just that kind of taste that makes you want to take another bite before you’ve swallowed the first.  To top it off, the piece I ate was so big I could only finish that one.  The other three and half of the potatoes went into a box and were greedily consumed the next day.

The prices there are totally reasonable floating around French Quarter standards.  The seating and decor are nautically themed and they also have seating on the sidewalk where you can sit, eat, drink and watch the Quarter go by.  They’re on 1136 Decatur Street right on the “front-side” of the French Market.  They are currently closed Tuesday and Wednesday but that may only be for summer hours.

If you got a hankerin’ for some amazing down-home fried chicken, beat feet to Fiorella’s.

When we invited our downstate friends to join us at the Taste of Chicago this year, we were a bit nervous to find out that one of our friends maintains a gluten free diet. Not knowing if the Taste of Chicago could accommodate wheat and gluten restrictions, we headed down.

Beverages were the east part. Although there are some gluten-free beers in the market, they were not available at the Taste. No worries, because bottled water, wine and vodka-lemonade were all readily available, are gluten-free and easy to locate.

Entrees and taste portions were around but not always apparent. Being on a gluten-free diet eliminates anything with bread and dough, which takes all sandwiches, pizza and everything breaded out of the game. This means no toasted ravioli, no breaded steak sandwich or fried veggies in sauce. We ate corn from the Abbey, amazing chicken tacos on corn tortillas from Carbon and steak with plantains from Las Tablas. I can’t believe I have not been to Las Tablas or Carbon before the Taste, but they are on my go-to list now!

Desserts were sparse but the ones we found were worthwhile. Reggio’s Italian Ice was tasty and refreshing on such a hot day. Dominick’s offered watermelon, fresh cherries and grapes. I would have liked to see more gluten-free desserts.

Can someone with dietary restrictions attend and enjoy the Taste of Chicago? The answer is Yes! But there is room for improvement.  More labeling of gluten-free offerings would be helpful. And I sincerely hope someone engineers gluten-free fried dough, beginets and churros for next year.

Jump on the ferry to Algiers Point – it is just across the Mississippi water and runs every half an hour – free for foot passengers. Walk to the passenger terminal on Poydras where the aquarium is and enjoy the 5 minute “cruise” over to the quaint area called “The Point”. Make your way to Tout de Suite Cafe a couple of blocks by foot - a very funky yet very clean and organised operation open 7 days a week 7am-7pm. Fabulous breakfasts and pancakes in all kinds of flavors and options (they even offer REAL maple syrup) in 4 stack and 2 stack portions. Sandwiches, soups and other lunch/deli sundries available all day.

After brekkie take a stroll around the delightful area “The Point” – its like going back to the 1950s and the houses are all a wonderful concotion of New Orleans architecture in a small few blocks space. Real village feel to the place.

Cafe Tout de Suite, 347 Verret Street, New Orleans, LA 70114-1023(504) 362-2264‎

Toute de Suite (one of Nolas best kept secrets) has live music from 9am Saturdays and Sundays and draws quite the crowd on Sundays. Local art can be bought for an inexpensive price and the whole operation is run from a tiny kitchen with no more than a griddle and an electric stove – incredible work girls!!

Two burgers were ordered.  First up was the Black & Bleu with a Cajun spice rub and bleu cheese.  I liked the simplicity of the beef, bun, spice, and cheese.  No extra toppings, like lettuce and tomato, to get in the way.  The potato chips made for excellent delivery vehicles for the extra cheese that dripped off the burger.  Salty and tangy are two descriptors that I like.

The Waikiki Beach Burger has grilled pineapple, ham, bacon, and teriyaki sauce.  The fried egg is an optional add-on.  This one had a great combination of sweetness from the pineapple and saltiness from the ham and bacon.  Both burgers came with a side of cole slaw that looked soup-y and tasted watery.  Not exactly an accompaniment I would rave about.

A non-food note to point out is the steep stairs to the restrooms – step carefully!

Boston Burger Company is worth checking especially for an easy going meal.

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Details:

Boston Burger Company

37 Davis Square

Somerville, MA

http://bostonburgerco.com/

Walking distance from the Davis T (Red Line)

The meal started off with some fresh baked bread and olive oil. I got the pasta di mare because it’s one of my favorite dishes.. why commit to one kind of seafood when you can have them all? It had shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels, and clams all for only $14.  The portion was just enough. None of that: one meal can feed you for three days nonsense. Simply Pasta is about quality and not quantity. I would never normally order penne alla vodka at a restaurant, but I got a chance to try it here and it was surprisingly good; rich and creamy and flavorful.  I finished the meal with a tiramisu and an espresso which was the perfect end to a perfect night.

Overall Simply Pasta offers great food and a fabulous atmosphere at a reasonable price.  I would definitely recommend the experience.

Simply Pasta

120 West 41st Street, NYC

212.391.0805

www.simplypastanyc.com

(323) 654-2287

Before you guffaw at the concept of there being a decent mini-chain restaurant (gasp!  The horror!  Oh, the humanity of it all!) and close this browser, hear me out.  I, too, have shared similar assumptions.  Normally, I stay as far away from chain restaurants as possible.  In my opinion, they just can’t seem to bake the same love into their dishes as independently owned restaurants.  However, I feel like Barney’s Beanery deserves a chance from all of us.  Yes, really!

Is it the world’s best food?  No; but I’ll get into that more a little later.  Will you have some sort of existential, transcendental experience?  Not likely; although anything is possible.  You will find, however, that it’s just a fun place to hang out and enjoy yourself, especially after a hard days’ work.

The decor is playful, with multi-colored booths, pool tables, a number of  televisions tuned to sports, and tables with a thick layer of celebrity photos.  To put it simply: the interior is definitely a conversation piece.

I like the beer selection a lot and often opt for the Arrogant Bastard Ale.  Their food menu is extensive, which is good because people tend to be a little indecisive when drinking; I know I am, at least.  If you’re in the mood for a greasy treat, I recommend the potato skins, or cheese fries.  Both offer just the right amount of ooey-gooey-cheesy-deliciousness required to be considered comfort food.

For my meals, I tend to stick to the sandwich selections.  The food is not the most amazing I’ve ever had, but their selection is still good in that bar-food need-to-eat-after-drinking kind of way and is quite tasty.  Tonight, I had the tuna salad and was pleasantly surprised; not as salty as most places (hooray!) but flavorful and filling.  I always leave Barney’s Beanery full and in a good mood. 

The atmosphere of Barney’s is laid-back and friendly.  Don’t be afraid to sneak into your neighbor’s conversation and make some new friends.  Sometimes, it can get a little loud so it’s probably not the best choice of venue for that romantic night out you’ve been looking forward to.  The service is very non-chain-like, which is awesome.  The servers are accommodating and will do what they can to make sure you have a good experience, even if they have to go a little out of their way to do so.

Certainly, I can understand that everyone has a favorite bar or two that they are loyal to and I’m not saying you should consider changing   that.  But, take a chance one night and head over to Barney’s Beanery.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Actually, I’m downplaying this a little. What I enjoy about the food at the Rockit is the gourmet twists it gives to regular American upscale bar-style cuisine. The macaroni and cheese is baked with four cheeses. The signature burger is made with Kobe beef, brie, shallot and medjool date aioli on a red onion brioche bun; the fries that come with your burger are cooked in truffle oil. I love the sweet potato fries, which arrive dusted with brown sugar salt and with a chipotle mayo dipping sauce. The NY strip steak, which I have admittedly never tried, is served with a worchestershire caramel sauce. Even the house salad is spruced up with candied pecans and a balsamic hazelnut vinaigrette.

Rockit serves salads, soups, a kids’ menu, “rockcorn” shrimp appetizers, flatbread pizzas, sandwiches and more, so even though the menu isn’t extensive there’s still something for everyone. And there’s a selection of well-mixed “Rocktails,” designed to ease your way into the evening. It’s become a regular spot for me and whoever I’m taking to the Metro that night because it’s got exactly the right atmosphere–it’s a comfortable sit-down restaurant, but casual and on the loud side, with plenty of TVs to watch the game and just enough of those high-class culinary touches to make it feel like a special night.

Rockit also offers brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, along with karaoke Friday and Saturday DJ mash-ups, if you’re into that sort of thing. And even though I always to go to the Wrigleyville location, there are two in Chicago.

Rockit Bar & Grill
www.rockitbarandgrill.com

22 W. Hubbard St., Chicago
(312) 645-6000

3700 N. Clark St., Chicago
(773) 645-4400

I was watching Adam Richman from Travel Channel’s Man v Food take on “The Unit”, a 22 inch, full- pound Vienna hot dog served on a baguette at Alice Cooperstown in Phoenix, AZ and it occurred to me that the Friendly Confines have some super-size offerings worth noting. The offerings have changed, but have included Chicago classics in sizes made for sharing.

Two years ago Wrigley offered a true Chicago classic, the Italian Beef, a two-foot sandwich served in a party box with a convenient carrying handle. The beef was served on a large French bread with lots of topping options, including one of my favorite condiments, tangy giardinere. The beef sandwiches are still available but only in a single-serving size.

It’s not hard to start a conversation inside the Ivy, but if you are at a loss, try walking to your seats with the four pound pretzel.  Yes, I said 4 POUND PRETZEL!!! It is a tasty Bavarian-style pretzel that’s served hot and fresh in a pizza box with three dipping sauces. Who doesn’t love dipping sauces? It took four of us to almost finish one. I think that means we each ate a pound of pretzel. And everyone around you will want to at least take a look if not ask where on Earth you found it.

This year the Friendly Confines is offering helmet nachos. Literally, a baseball helmet filled with nachos. I’m talking, ooey, gooey nacho chips slathered in yellow cheese sauce, optional jalapeños, chili, olives and sour cream.  Beer, nachos, a sunny day and baseball…..does it get any better?

 It’s my hope that the Ricketts will keep up the tradition of sharing in years to come.  Brontosaurus burgers, anyone?

Sometimes you just want a burger. Let me clarify: Sometimes I just want a burger. Not a fast food burger, even if In-N-Out makes a killer one, but I’m looking for a hand-formed burger, made with good quality beef, a little bleu cheese, fresh tomatoes, red onions and lettuce and a bun that’s tasty, but not too doughy. Seems an easy proposition, but it’s not. There’s a handful of great burger joints in LA that are known for their predictable deliciousness, but it shouldn’t take a jaunt across town to satisfy that craving. (410 Boyd in Little Tokyo made my favorite burger ever, tucked into rosemary bread–but those were the days of Kash Brouillet, long before he opened Blue Star.)

One hot afternoon, not too many days ago, we stepped into 38 Degrees Ale House on Main in Alhambra to sample one of their 40+ beers on draught. Their beer menu was pretty impressive, packing a good number of classic brews, with some we’d never heard of and some local faves like Eagle Rock’s Solidarity. The menu seemed pretty standard bar & grill fare, with burgers, salads and the like, but I was focused on the burger. I chose the namesake 38 Degrees Burger with Angus beef, bleu cheese, onion relish, baby arugula, and garlic aioli. It’s hard to get a burger cooked rare most places, but here it came out delightfully red, not pink, not pinkish–but red, just the way I like it. My husband’s cheeseburger was cooked perfectly medium well and my daughter tossed back the mini sloppy joe sliders like a pro.

The decor is very early-2000 brewpub, but a lot of seating faces huge big screens that are playing various sporting events, so it’s a good place to go watch a game or several. Considering the amount of sports watching going on in the bar area, the space isn’t too noisy at all (and there is a separate dining section). Settle in with friends, drink a beer or two, enjoy the AC.

I’ll be back for the burger.

38 Degrees Ale House & Grill

100 W. Main St.
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 282-2038
www.38degreesalhambra.com/

310-477-1061

 Hours: Mondays-Thursdays, 7am-1am; Fridays-Saturdays, 7am-4am; Sundays, 8am-1am.

Every couple of weeks or so, the Nuart theater will be showing a movie that strikes my fancy.  Of course, if I’m going to make the trek out to Santa Monica from downtown, I’ll need to fill my tummy up with some delicious diner fare.  That’s where Dolores comes in.     

I take comfort in dining at Dolores because it’s a cozy and quiet place where I can just relax and get away from the crazy hubbub of LA.  And it’s located within walking distance of the Nuart, so it makes for a perfect dinner-and-a-movie date night; they do offer a free parking lot to patrons.  There’s never been more than a handful of tables filled when I go to Dolores, which means that you can exchange meaningful dialogue with your group without having to shout over excessively loud music, as with the more trendy restaurants.  Your vocal cords will thank you for this. 

The service is usually spot on and I’ve never experienced any problems with either service or food.  The servers actually take the time to say hi and chit-chat for a few, which is always appreciated.  In addition, they are very friendly and accommodating, even on busier nights.  It’s hard to find places to eat where they are concerned about more than just $$$, but Dolores is like an old friend: reliable, and always there when you need them.  

I think this one’s a keeper!