When my husband and I heard that a macaroni and cheese place was opening nearby, we were psyched. Macaroni and cheese — the good homemade kind — is something we can all agree on and the idea of a place that does many varieties was totally alluring. Of course, it took months before we got to go there. When it finally opened this summer, we were so there.

MacDaddy’s in Monroe, Connecticut, is a smaller eatery set in an L-shaped strip mall. From the outside, you see the sign and the darkened windows. Yes, the windows have a dark coating to them. I don’t know why … maybe because some of the dishes are practically addictive?

Anyway, onto the macaroni.

The first time we went, we collectively tried the Mac U.S.A. (traditional mac and cheese with cheddar sauce), the Mac Doggy (with American and cheddar cheeses and sliced hot dogs) and the Mac French Onion (Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and applewood bacon), which is pictured. Everything was served in cast iron skillets, which are sizzling hot when they arrive with an orange handle cover. (They have since started bringing separate cool dishes for kids — which is a great move. Those skillets were dangerous for the little ones.)

The kids enjoyed their Mac U.S.A.s, but more so when I salted their dishes. The sauce is okay, but nothing to phone home about. The addition of a little ground mustard and a little more salt would go a long way. My Mac French Onion also needed a little more salt. Shawn was happy with his — but thought that the salty dogs probably helped. Overall, it was okay — and okay enough that I was willing to give it a second shot. Read the rest of this entry…

Lobster rolls are a big thing in New England. Cold lobster rolls — ones that have sweet pieces of lobster enrobed in a little mayo dressing and piled into a toasted New England hot dog bun — are what are most often served. They’re often called Maine lobster rolls and many, many people adore them. Those are the ones that you find all over.

But here in Connecticut, we have a special version of lobster rolls — hot lobster rolls. Sweet chunks of lobster is warmed, tossed with melted butter and stuffed into a toasted New England hot dog bun. And it’s amazing.

Last week, Shawn, the kids and I headed to Mystic for the day and our first stop was Costello’s Clam Shack. Of course, I ordered a Connecticut-style lobster roll.

The hot lobster roll at Costello’s is a little different though. Instead of the hot dog bun, it’s served on a toasted hamburger bun and piled so high that I worried that I wouldn’t be able to eat it. Fortunately, I managed.

The roll was very buttery, and when I pushed down on the roll the lobster smoothed into a patty-ish shape that was way more mouth-friendly. It was sweet and fresh, like just cracked lobster. And the lobster was plentiful, which is important. It came with coleslaw, pickles and a bag of chips.

Though it’s not your typical Connecticut-style lobster roll, the big chunks of lobster and buttery bun were really great — and totally hit the spot. I would definitely have it again (and again and again).

Shawn had the Fish and Chips, which is battered cod served with Costello’s super crispy fries and coleslaw. He liked the fish a lot. And the fries? Wow. They are really good.

The kids decided against fish, instead going for a hamburger and a grilled chicken sandwich. Both were fine, but really if you go to a place like Costello’s, you should stick to the specialty.

We ate on the second story balcony, which overlooks the harbor in Noank. It was a beautiful view.

Overall, I liked Costello’s. Shawn and I both enjoyed our meals. And the kids seemed to as well. But the prices are on the high end for a clam shack. Also, there isn’t a kids’ menu, so you have to order off the adult menu for little ones. It’s not a problem, but cost-wise it adds more to what you spend. Just something to think about …

Costello’s Clam Shack
145 Pearl Street
Noank, CT

I am a total sucker for roadside food joints. Particularly ones that have stood the test of time with a loyal following and a reliable menu. The Lake Zoar Drive-In definitely does this. I stopped recently with the kids to see if their burgers were as good as I remember.

This roadside burger place has been there for decades, although they changed hands (and names, I believe) in 1993. But one thing that hasn’t change is their burgers, which are something remarkable – tender, juicy patties on this amazing roll. I ate their as a child with my grandmother, as a teenager with my cousins and parents and now as an adult with my kids. Read the rest of this entry…

When Cate and I went to Seattle last month, we were lucky to enjoy a lot of really amazing food. Seattle is a total food town, and one that prides itself on its attention to local, sustainable ingredients. How could you not love it?

On our first night there, we arrived late and hungry. Though we’d hoped to try a nearby restaurant, we found that the only thing open was Lola in the lobby of our hotel, Hotel Andra.

Fortunately, just because it was our only choice doesn’t mean it should ever be considered a last resort in Seattle. Lola, one of Tom Douglas’ restaurants, serves up breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner with Greek flare. Situated in the lobby of Hotel Andra, it’s walking distance to Pike Place Market and other memorable parts of Seattle. Read the rest of this entry…

When Paige and Shawn headed out tonight for our school’s annual Father-Daughter Dance, I quickly packed Will into the car to head out for our own special dinner. It’s rare that my boy and I get one-on-one time like that, and I wanted to do something memorable with him.

Honestly, I wasn’t really sure where we were headed. I had lots of ideas – one of the Japanese places in town? A fabulous bistro on the other side of town? The really good hot dog spot? They are all good options and totally worthy, but I wanted to head to somewhere else. Before I knew it, I was turning onto the highway and heading west.

I wanted to take Will somewhere nicer than he’s been before. Shawn and I have been slowly exposing the kids to eating out at different restaurants. It’s not fair to them not to. After all, if you don’t expose them to eating out in different situations, how will they ever learn to behave respectfully in any situation? So tonight was about dipping our pinky toes into the idea of nicer restaurants.

We ended up in Danbury, Connecticut, at Ichiro Hibachi and Sushi Bar. I’ve wanted to try the place for a long time, but never had the opportunity before tonight.

From the outside, Ichiro is nothing to look at. Located inside a former diner, it still has the same retro diner-style stone exterior and row of fans on the roof. In fact, beyond the sign, not much has changed outside. But when you step inside, you instantly forget what it looked like out there. It’s clean, serene and modern inside. And you have a choice of two rooms for eating: the hibachi room and the sushi room. Read the rest of this entry…

When I arrived in New York last Sunday, after checking into the hotel, my first stop was meeting a good friend for lunch. We’ve been friends since college, when we were two skinny, food-loving girls. Of course, something delicious was in order.

Hallo Berlin Express

We headed to Hallo Berlin Express, a small German fast food joint on 9th Avenue, and feasted on wursts (German sausages).

Now, I am a total sucker for German food since it was a family favorite growing up. But, since I know what good German food tastes like, I am really super picky about it. That’s why we actually don’t eat a lot of German food at home — I don’t have a great source for wursts around here. The supermarket brands? They aren’t even in the same ballpark.

I really enjoyed my lunch at Hallo Berlin Express. The bratwurst and knockwurst were just as I expected them to be — snappy and tender, with just the right flavors. The sauerkraut was good, as was the red cabbage.

The real surprise was the mustard. Although I despise mustard, I forgot to ask the server to hold the mustard on my plate. Naturally, I was nervous to eat anything in the general vicinity of the mustard. But it didn’t bother me. Heck, it actually was kind of tasty. Of course, being a mustard-hater, I can’t attest to its authenticity or tastiness to someone who actually likes mustard. Read the rest of this entry…

Photo by Virtual Frolic

Traveling is among my chief passions. New places, new experiences, new memories … it all comes with a good trip. This past weekend, my kids, husband and I headed to Cape Cod for a fabulous weekend of eating, enjoying and attending a close friend’s wedding. And yes, it was a good trip.

Of course, we’ve been to the Cape before (many times for me), but this time was different. The weekend was all about seeing a dear, dear friend wed a wonderful, loving man. The ceremony was beautiful — the kind that leaves you with tears glistening in your eyes. But the moment from the wedding that will be with me forever is when the vows were done and they were officially married. The look of pure joy, pure happiness, on my friend’s face was breathtaking.

I told him to think of something funny ...

She just loves the beach.

The sky was amazing.

Other than the wedding, we had a pretty laid-back, unplanned trip. The agenda was loose. The plans formed as we went and we changed directions in a heartbeat. Relaxing …

We visited Nauset Beach, a lovely public beach in Orleans. The surf was wild that day, with tall, crashing waves hit hard with strong winds, sending a cloud of spray back as the waves rushed forward. It was mesmerizing. As for the kids, they laughed and giggled while they ran (and fell!) in the sand.

Of course, the long drive? Not so relaxing … The long weekend started with the kids and I dashing from school pick up to the train station to pick up a friend to the Cape. Unfortunately, by the time we made the more than four-hour drive northeast, the seafood restaurant we planned to eat at had closed for the evening. We ended up eating at Papa Gino’s on what seemed like the best veggie pizza and grinder ever. Honestly, we can’t say if it was hunger or truly good food influencing our opinions … Whatever it was, it was just right for the end of that day.

Where else did we dine? Read the rest of this entry…

Some foods are ubiquitous to areas. Philadelphia has its cheesesteaks. The south has its BBQ. New York has its cheesecake. Boston has its baked beans. But for every well-known regional food, there are dozens of lesser known ones that are just as wonderful — if not more so.

When it comes to greater Boston, one of those foods is the Roast Beef Sandwich. An area favorite, particularly north of Boston, it’s popularity extends across the New Hampshire line and down into Rhode Island too.

Let me introduce you to this glorious sandwich … The Roast Beef Sandwich is typically served on an onion roll, which is a soft sandwich roll that’s dotted with sweet bits of caramelized onions. My husband opts for a regular sesame roll, but you have to ask for that (and unless you are a total onion hater like him, I don’t suggest you do so). Onto that roll goes an eye-popping quantity of thinly sliced roast beef deli meat, which has been warmed on the grill. It’s doused with a spicy, loose barbecue sauce and served hot. The contrast between the sweet onions and the bite of the sauce is amazing.

Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my lips … this is an amazing sandwich. Read the rest of this entry…

Let’s take a break from cooking for just one day. I really want to tell you about what I did today, but I will forewarn you — I was invited to this event, a product launch. It’s not something that I generally talk about on this blog, but it was a great event at a great place so I just wanted to share a bit. And to be clear: I wasn’t asked to write about it, nor was I persuaded in any way to say something nice …

So, what was it? Starbucks has just launched Via, an instant coffee. Yea, I know. You are probably smacking your lips in disgust and shaking your head. I have some wonderful memories of traveling in Europe that are dotted with drinking way too much horrific NesCafe instant coffee … blech. It had this burnt, dirty taste that still makes me cringe.

The strange thing was that when I tried the Via, I actually liked it. It won’t replace the brewed coffee that my husband makes me every morning (thanks, honey!) and it won’t stop me from occasionally feeding my nonfat Caramel Macchiato habit. But it’s good and I wouldn’t hesitate to make it when Shawn forgets to brew me coffee once in a while.

Back to the event. It was held at Craftbar – one of Tom Colicchio’s New York spots. Sadly, I didn’t see Tom, but believe me, I looked. I have a huge chef-crush on that man. Seriously. That smile …

I digress.

The food, which came straight from the Craftbar menu, was out of this world. The mixed greens salad might have looked simple, but the shallot vinaigrette was extraordinary. I want that recipe (Tom, dear, would you send it over? If only it were that simple). I don’t even know that I can adequately describe the flavor — it was slightly sweet, full and salty, in a very good way. I could have stopped eating there and been a very happy woman … but I am glad I didn’t.

For my entree, I had Fried Organic Chicken, Collard Greens, Watermelon and Picholine Olive. If you read New York Magazine with any bit of regularity, you probably know that fried chicken is the “it” food of the moment in New York. Well, I can tell you that this chicken was to die for … Every crunch just screamed with flavor. If I was at home, I would have happily picked up the bones and sucked every bit of breading off. It was just so good.

And dessert … oh, dessert. Olive Oil Cake, Black Mission Fig, Rosemary Ice Cream, Pine Nuts … Swoon. First off, I have never had figs before. Heck, I have avoided them. When I think fig, I think Newton’s and they aren’t my fav. So, I just don’t do it … except today. When it arrived, I nervously took a bite. Then another. Then another. Turns out I happen to love figs. Who knew? As if that’s not enough, the rosemary ice cream tasted of fresh rosemary just plucked from the home garden — and I love that flavor. And the pine nuts? Salted and lovely. The cake was lovely too.

I’ll be back tomorrow with the recipe . . . sorry, don’t mean to be a tease, but I am awfully tired.