Before going to New York the other day, I looked for new and upcoming eateries in the Columbia-Barnard area. One that caught my eye was Panino Sportivo, which is located beneath Barnard College’s Plimpton Residence Hall in an area that once held rundown and rarely frequented ethnic eateries.

For starters, just seeing people at this restaurant was a good sign to me. There were people coming and going, and a number of tables filled in the small space. That’s a huge improvement from the restaurants that filled those spots when I was a Plimpton resident five years ago.

Looking at the menu, it was difficult to choose just one sandwich. There are so many varied and unique combinations. The Arzu, for instance, combines smoked ham, goat cheese and pesto. The Andrea on the other hand has sliced Bartlett pears, brie cheese, arugula, toasted pine nuts and honey. I chose to try to the Ronaldo, which features Parma proscuitto, mozzerella di Bufala, tomato and extra virgin olive oil.

It was delightful. The flavors blended and melded together in such a glorious fusion that I couldn’t believe my mouth. It was creamy and savory all at once…Oh I am salivating just remembering it. I wholeheartedly recommend this place.

This originally appeared on Cucina Bella Reviews.

Ok, so, I need to complain.

I went to the Friendly’s in Danbury, Conn., with my husband and son (just over a year old) today for lunch. Figuring that it’s a good, family friendly restaurant, I thought it would be a good place for a treat for my boy. He’s been such a trooper about going to daycare for the first time over the past month that I feel like he deserves it.

Anyway, back to the rant.

We were seated right away (yay!) but by the bathroom (boo! but someone has to sit there, and it really doesn’t bother me that much). We weren’t given a children’s menu (boo! toddlers eat too) until about 15 minutes later when our waiter decided to finally greet us.

Yes. It took 15 minutes to greet us.

Now, I understand that they were busy. And I can appreciate that it might have taken him that long to take our order, but he’d been within feet of our table at least twice without saying anything.

Finally we got to order…another 5 or 10 minutes later. Ugh. Cheesy mac and franks for Will, a barbecue beef sandwich for me (hold the ranch!), and honey barbecue chicken fingers for my husband (and the waiter asked if he wanted double fries instead of coleslaw, which Shawn was very happy about).

Another 10 or 15 minutes go by and our food finally comes. (Are you seeing the time issue here?!?) Despite the fact that it was the waiter’s idea, Shawn’s plate came with coleslaw and fries instead of the double fries. Despite my very clear request, there was a big squirt of ranch dressing on my sandwich. And poor Will, for whom this treat was all about, got a plate of mac and cheese that looked like it was at least a day old.

I sent mine back, and Will just ate the franks…he wasn’t into the mac and cheese at all. Frankly, I cannot blame him. Shawn sucked it up. Their fries aren’t that good anyway.

The food was otherwise a mediocre ok, though Shawn’s honey barbecue tenders looked NOTHING like the photo in the menu (ahhhh, false advertising?).

What else bugged me? The fact that despite my name clearly being embossed on the debit card, the waiter handed my husband the receipt to sign, for one. The fact that my son’s food was so awful. The fact that the children’s portions are WAY too big and we weren’t even ASKED if we wanted to take it home. The fact that the options were devoid of vegetables. The fact that I practically had to beg for a refill on my drink.

Oh, and most of all. Friendly’s has raised their prices. They are now on par with other chains like Chili’s, Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesday’s. Well, if I am going to spend money on food like that, I would rather have something a slot above mediocre.

Rant ended.

Mexicali Rose in Newtown doesn’t look like much from the outside – just another storefront eatery with a clever sign. Located on Route 25, you can’t let the location fool you though. This isn’t just some hole in the wall.

When you walk in, you are met with a cute assortment of vintage tables and vinyl chairs and interesting decorations on the walls. You order from a small counter at the rear of Mexicali Rose, where a wall menu, chalkboard with specials and a rack with fresh tortilla chips are crammed together.

The authentic Mexican food from the Yucatan Peninsula is freshly prepared and masterfully seasoned. If you like your food authentically hot, then let them know. Mexicali Rose offers simple but delicious dishes served up fast.

The beef fajitas contain well-seasoned and tender meat and crisp-tender peppers and onions. The very fresh salsa is slightly sweet (from the tomatoes) and just a little spicy. And the homemade tortillas practically melt in your mouth. All the flavors come together in a glorious harmony. Mexicali Rose also offers fajitas with chicken or pork.

Mexicali Rose’s guacamole is awesome, definitely get a small container of it to go with whatever you choose.

The soft tacos come on homemade corn tortillas, which aren’t my favorite in general. However Mexicali Rose does their corn tortillas well, so even I liked them. The shredded chicken is moist, which is always a plus.

If you are a cheese lover like me, pay close attention to what you order. Many things on the Mexicali Rose menu come sans cheese including the fajitas and soft tacos. Hard tacos feature cheese though, as do some of the burritos and all of the quesadillas (well, that should go without saying…it is a QUESAdilla, after all).

The prices at Mexicali Rose are average – Most items are around $6. Tacos are the exception, coming in at an inexpensive $1.95. Portions are a good size too, you’ll definitely be full after eating.

If you are planning on take out, they prepare things pretty quickly (our order took about 8 minutes) so it’s okay to just drop in. Tables are available for eating there as well. Next time I’ll be calling ahead though, since there really isn’t much room to wait.

Mexicali Rose is family owned and operated, which is always nice in these days of fast, fast, faster and the ever growing chain restaurant. They are closed Mondays.

Virtual Frolic and I ventured to ChikaLicious Dessert Bar the other afternoon in search of something sweet and scrumptious. It was decidedly small, with only a handful of tables and some seats at the bar. The decor had a clean simplicity to it, which was nice.

We selected a table near the door and perused the brief but unusual menu. We had a three-course dessert for $12, but only got to choose the middle course. Everything else is decided by the restaurant.

It started off with a mint sorbet and rhubarb jelly. The sorbet tasted like fresh mint, just picked from your container garden. And despite the odd texture, the rhubarb jelly was a surprisingly good accompaniment.

Next came the courses we selected. I had ordered a Warm Chocolate Tart with Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream and Red Wine Sauce. I was surprised by the ice cream – it exceeded my expectations but I found the wine sauce a bit awkward in terms of pairing. To me, the tastes just didn’t meld. Now, as for the warm chocolate tart, let me just say OH MY GOODNESS! It was fabulous. I loved every tiny bite of it and could have eaten more of that for sure.

Virtual Frolic had the Honey Parfait in Blackberry Soup with Tarragon and Lace Crisp, which she said was enjoyable too.

For the final course, we were given a plate of six petit fours – two each of three varieties. There was a soft and airy coconut marshmallow, a delicious chocolate truffle and one other, that I cannot recall the name of – it had a small cracker topped with a bit of some sort of soft cheese.

The Verdict? Well, we had great service and they continued to fill my water glass for a good time after we’d finished eating (always a good sign in my book). Also, they didn’t rush us at all, which was also a nice aspect.

My one complaint was the portion size. Everything is done on a minuscule basis, I assume since you receive such a variety of things, but it didn’t leave me entirely satisfied at the end. Increasing the portions a bit would definitely go a long way.

However, the imaginative and unique selections is worth going for just once.

The Steak Gorgonzola is amazing. The thin fried onion wisps that adorn it and the mashed potato bed melts in your mouth. Once in a while they have Chicken Gorgonzola, which is really delicious too, but isn’t quite as breathtaking as the steak version.

Villa also makes a mean cheeseburger.

The mid-week Prix Fixe menu is a good deal but it can be a lot of food. It includes an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert from an abbreviated menu. If you like variety in your meal, like I do, then this is a good thing.

I had an amazing burrito here – it was the steak fajita burrito with cheese and mild salsa. The tortilla was soft and light. The peppers and onions were cooked just right – crisp and flavorful. And the salsa had a hint of bite, but didn’t toss my shoes across the room. And it was HUGE. I felt so full when I was done, which doesn’t happen all the time.

My foodmates also enjoyed the steak burrito with guacamole and cheese and the chicken tacos with sour cream.

It was so great to see them make it fresh in front of me, and build it totally to order. And even better, the people who work there were friendly and smiled. Now that’s a rarity these days, if I do say so myself. And it’s a chain, so this isn’t limited to Manhattan.

The Caveat: reading the overhead menu is a little confusing. You read the boards from right to left to figure out what to order. I just winged it, and only realized later what each of the boards meant.

The stools, which are the only seating in the place, also weren’t particularly comfortable. It took a moment or two to get into a position where I wouldn’t fall off.

I get reminiscent every so often about all the good food I ate while studying at Barnard College in New York. My friends really opened my eyes to some great ethnic foods that I might not have sampled otherwise.

There was Zula, the Ethiopian restaurant that has since closed, where my friends and I would share great vegetarian dishes and eat until we were stuffed. Then, we’d order rum cake to top it off. I was so sad to learn that it had closed. I really want to locate another Ethiopian restaurant since that ranks among my favorite food.

Then there was Mill Korean at 2895 Broadway. Fortunately that is still there, and still serving the streaming Bi Bim Bap in a hot stone crock. I have never tried anything else there because that was just so delicious with the red chili sauce stirred in. If I remember correctly, that was the first restaurant my roommates and I went to when I started school at Barnard in the Spring 1999 semester.

I would be remiss to forget Saigon Grill, located at 1700 2nd Avenue on the Eastside and at 620 Amsterdam Avenue on the Westside. Their chicken satay with peanut sauce is to die for. Served over rice noodles, I just cannot get enough of it.

Of course, Che Bella at 1215 Amsterdam Avenue makes a good pizza. And Wrapp Factory at 2857 Broadway makes a mean (and large) wrap. (Update 8/2008: Wrapp Factory has closed.)