Left at the Fork

the road | the food | a new direction

Month: October 2014 (Page 3 of 5)

Pesto Infused Omelette, from one morning's breakfast specials menu: egg whites infused with homemade pesto and filled with tomatoes, avocado, and diced onions. Sue asked them to hold the grilled portobellos.

Daphne’s Diner, Robbinsville NJ

October 15, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Our new favorite local diner! Especially after the sale of Mastoris in Bordentown a couple of years ago Daphne’s, open since October of 2011, has become our go-to breakfast out spot. Actually, we should say Daphne’s reopened in 2011, because this spot was once occupied by Daphne Wilczynski, up until 2005. Then Daphne closed the diner to focus on catering, and the old diner alternated between vacancy, a brief run as the Italian restaurant Diamond’s, and another brief episode as Fernando’s.
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We can think of no better totem of autumn than a glass of sweet, crisp, and fragrant fresh-pressed apple cider.

It’s Fresh Cider Time in Northern Michigan

October 15, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Cold, crisp, sweet, and spicy cider, freshly pressed from apples just off the tree – is there anything else that evokes fall quite so vividly? Apple growing regions all over America are currently picking and pressing. Apple farms are holding apple festivals and frying up cider donuts, the perfect accompaniment to a cold cup of cider. Continue reading

Purple Door artisan ice cream is the new king of Milwaukee.

Kopp’s of Milwaukee Dethroned by Purple Door

October 14, 2014 / / 0 Comments

The shocking news is out! OnMilwaukee has been posting their annual Best of Dining awards, which apparently are voted on by readers. For ages, when we thought of ice cream and Milwaukee, we thought of Kopp’s and their thick custard. Doesn’t everyone? Apparently not because, while Kopp’s won OnMilwaukee’s award last year for the category Milwaukee’s Best Desserts, they finished second this year to Purple Door. What makes this more remarkable is that Purple Door makes ice cream, and Milwaukee is a custard town. The only constant is change. Continue reading

Started in 1939 as a convenience store, transformed into a restaurant around 1970, Wolf Lodge has become a favorite of those looking for great steaks in an Old West setting.

Steaks and Trout in Northern Idaho

October 14, 2014 / / 0 Comments

With a decor featuring rustic wood and stone, saddles, and implements of the cowhand trade, servers in boots and cowboy hats, and a menu of steaks, big steaks, and bigger steaks, Wolf Lodge of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is an Old West aficionado’s dream. Continue reading

Smothered fresh sausages were on Thursday's menu, along with smothered cabbage and white beans. Glenda's famous stuffed turkey wings are available Monday through Thursday, and we nabbed the last one of the day.

Glenda’s Creole Kitchen, Breaux Bridge LA

October 14, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Whenever we go in search of Left at the Fork eats, our fantasy revolves around finding that perfect, out-of-the-way, unassuming lunch spot with a local clientele, good food, and low prices, run by an out-front, hands-on proprietor who knows her customers. Such places are simply not that common. Well, that fantasy was fulfilled by Glenda’s outside of Breaux Bridge, LA. Continue reading

Arnold's roasts three of these each day to be assured of having enough for everyone.

Arnold’s Country Kitchen of Nashville Gets More Love

October 14, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Best Reward for Standing in Line. That’s the category in Nashville Scene’s 2014 Best of Nashville awards, won by Arnold’s Country Kitchen, for their roast beef. It’s available every day and is one of Arnold’s most popular items. Continue reading

Zuppardi's Apizza, of West Haven, CT, makes a glorious version of Connecticut's pizza specialty, white clam pie.

Zuppardi Feud

October 13, 2014 / / 0 Comments

What is it about great pizza and family feuds? Here’s the latest complicated story, Zuppardi edition. Zuppardi’s Apizza was founded in 1947 in West Haven, CT by Anthony Zuppardi. Son Robert later took sole ownership of the restaurant. Eventually, Robert’s sisters, Lori and Cheryl, became co-owners, with Robert, of the business. In 2005, Robert’s son Tony began his own pizzeria, with dad Robert’s assistance, in Wilmington, VT and called it Tony Zuppardi’s Apizza. Continue reading

Homemade donuts for the 16th Annual Harvest Moon Pumpkin Fest and Tractor Parade

Saturday: Pumpkin Festival and Tractor Parade in Hadley MA

October 13, 2014 / / 2 Comments

Bring your tractor to Hadley, Massachusetts this Saturday, October 18th. That’s when you’ll have the opportunity to participate in the big tractor parade that takes place as part of North Hadley Sugar Shack‘s 16th Annual Harvest Moon Pumpkin Fest. Over 40 farm tractors are expected. Don’t have a tractor? Not a problem! Hitch a ride on one of the many tractors that will be pulling wagons for tours of the surrounding landscape. Continue reading

Beer and cider outdoors on a beautiful, sunny day

Checking In at: Harpoon Brewery, Windsor VT

October 13, 2014 / / 2 Comments

We’d been to Harpoon Brewery in Vermont before, and have certainly enjoyed their bottled beer many times over the years. On the way to our Vermont rental we thought we’d stop by the brewery for a couple of growlers for the house. The day was gorgeous, people were cavorting about as if it was the grassy commons on the first spring day at college, and Harpoon offers plenty of outdoor seating at picnic tables and Adirondack chairs set around a fire pit.  Continue reading

Look closer. They are not what you think they are. These are sugar cookies with a bacon/brown sugar glaze!

Cake Nouveau of Ann Arbor Will Be Closing

October 13, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Master baker Courtney Clark will be hanging up her rolling pin, at least professionally, within a few months. She’s decided to close her eight-year-old shop in Ann Arbor, MI, called Cake Nouveau, to spend more time with her family. She’s earned it. Best of luck, Ms. Clark, and we look forward to your future culinary endeavors when the kids are grown! Continue reading

Betty Murphy at Mastoris Diner, from Candacy A. Taylor's new book

The American Coffee Shop Waitress

October 12, 2014 / / 0 Comments

It’s surely not too early to be thinking about gifts for the holiday season. Here’s one for your friends and family who appreciate LAF (Left At the Fork)-style dining: Counter Culture: The American Coffee Shop Waitress, by Candacy A. Taylor. Ms. Taylor, a former waitress herself, has spent years collecting stories from, and photographing, career waitresses at coffee shops, truck stops, and diners across America. You can see a sample from the book at The Guardian. Place your order here. Continue reading

Zada Jane's offers plenty of veggie and vegan options on its interesting breakfast and lunch menus.

Going Veggie in Charlotte

October 12, 2014 / / 0 Comments

We don’t envy anyone trying to keep to a strictly vegetarian diet while traveling in the American South, but it’s far more doable than it was even ten years ago. Courtney Devores, writing for the Charlotte Observer, runs down the wide spectrum of options available in Charlotte, NC for vegans and vegetarians. The options range from raw food emporiums to regular eateries with an elevated health consciousness. Continue reading

A white pie with broccoli from Grimaldi's in Woodbridge, CT

Just What New Haven Needed: A New Grimaldi’s

October 12, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Finally! Grimaldi’s has brought their NYC-inspired pies to the pizza-starved New Haven, CT region. The new pizzeria is located in the suburb of Woodbridge. This is the first of a planned six to ten Grimaldi’s planned for Connecticut over the next two years. A check of their online menu does not reveal a clam pie. Will one be forthcoming?

They are already open but they’re holding their grand opening this Tuesday. Is this venture hubris or ignorance? Only time will tell. Continue reading

Don't be fooled by the "culinary confetti" garnish, this is grandma's turkey dinner.

Aunt Lucy’s Dinner House, Kingston ON

October 12, 2014 / / 0 Comments

CLOSED

REVIEW

“Time-tested recipes for that familiar taste of home,” says Aunt Lucy’s website, and that statement pretty much sums it up. Aunt Lucy means to coddle you, not challenge you. There’s nothing to eat here that you haven’t eaten before, at home. And hallelujah for that! Continue reading

1920, Coney Island - nickel franks!

A Brit’s View: 10 Signature NY Dishes

October 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments

A pastrami sandwich at 2nd Ave Deli… pizza from Patsy’s Pizzeria… hot dogs by the Coney Island boardwalk at Nathan’s… cheesecake from Junior’s of Brooklyn… these are four of what Jon Langford calls the 10 signature New York City dishes in his BBCAmerica story. Jon writes a column called Mind the Gap: A Brit’s Guide to Surviving America. We’d say he’s surviving quite well; it’s a very reasonable list. We have a few disagreements but nothing on his list is out-and-out wrongheaded (like, he didn’t recommend getting pizza at Sbarro). See the whole story here.  Continue reading

Shrimp remoulade as served by Galatoire's

Louisiana Seafood Festival Going On Right Now

October 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments

It’s hard to think about Louisiana without thinking about all the incredible seafood they pull out of the local waters. And nowhere else in America is seafood prepared with such care and passion. If we were in NOLA this weekend we’d head straight for the Louisiana Seafood Festival, going on in City Park through Sunday. Continue reading

Cornbread in Nashville is often made, like pancakes, on a griddle.

A Meat-and-Three Classic

October 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Bill Addison is still writing about Nashville for Eater. Here’s an article about three important restaurants in the city. One of them, Arnold’s Country Kitchen, we find particularly interesting. It’s one of our favorite places to enjoy a meat-and-three lunch in the Music City. As Mr. Addison says, “Plush yeast rolls will tempt, but cornmeal hoe cakes flipped fresh on the griddle evoke an even stronger sense of place.” Continue reading

The Green Mountain Smokehouse does about as little as possible to call attention to itself.

Green Mountain Smokehouse, Windsor VT

October 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

We were a little surprised by the Green Mountain Smokehouse. We’d read about it elsewhere and were expecting something more than what we found. The smokehouse has a small retail room, but they’re really geared towards their wholesale business. Oddly, we found very little selection among the smoked sausages. Most of what they offered were fresh, and frozen at that. The aroma was truly intoxicating, however. The kid manning the retail area told us he couldn’t even smell it anymore! Continue reading

Donuts at Annie's Donut Shop

Six Great Donut Shops in Portland, OR Not Named Voodoo

October 10, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Voodoo Doughnut of Portland, Oregon is wonderful. Everyone knows this. But did you also know that there are other places in Portland where one can purchase donuts? Freshly-made donuts? Good ones, too! Yes, surprising as it may seem, there’s more than one game in town, and GoLocalPDX will show you six of their favorites if you’re interested. Among the six: the Cambodian-owned Annie’s Donut Shop. See all six here. Continue reading

It’s Better Than Flipping Burgers

October 10, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Which approach do you think will accumulate dough quicker: flipping burgers or selling burgers? If you’ve always dreamed of getting into the business, read The Motley Fool’s story about the rumored Shake Shack IPO. They like what they see so far. Ballpark estimate of value: about a billion dollars. Continue reading

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