International Bites of the Week

Mom and I are always looking for new things to try for our Bite of the Week posts, but this week we were stumped ... until we got to the international food aisle at Stop & Shop. A few weeks ago, we saw a Japanese cookie-type dessert called Yan Yan ($1.19). We joked about buying this if we were ever at a loss for a Bite. Yesterday, after spotting it in the aisle, Mom decided that we should buy it. Soon after the Yan Yan went into the shopping cart, it was followed by other treats from every featured ethnicity: Portuguese Maria cookies ($1.09), Galaxy and Bounty bars from the UK ($1.89 and $1.69), Madeleines from Canada ($2.99), vanilla tea biscuits from Israel ($.59), mango cookies from Turkey ($.79), and orange soda from Mexico ($.99). We even found Puerto Rican flan in the freezer section ($1.99)! All excited with our crazy new foods, we couldn't wait to get them home and try them. Here are our thoughts on each one:

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THE VERDICT:

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JAPANESE Yan Yan: Both Mom and I enjoyed these cookies. Mom said that they reminded her of Dunkaroos because of the frosting-like dip in which to coat the cookies. The cookies themselves were fresh and crisp, and the strawberry frosting was sweet and tasty. Each cookie had strange sayings on them, such as "Horse Gallop Away" and "Octopus Lucky Number Eight." Those crazy Japanese!

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CANADIAN Madeleines: Mom was looking forward to trying these tea cakes the most. Through the bag, they looked moist and felt soft. However, upon tasting them, they turned out to be dry. Very dry. Actually, a glass of milk is mandatory if you even want to swallow these cakes. The taste, however, was very good. There was a slight lemon flavor that was very pleasant. Thank God, because the cake was stuck to the roof of our mouths for a long time.

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TURKISH Cookies: These mango sandwich cookies were the ones that Mom was the most leery about tasting. Mango? Not for Mama. However, what a nice surprise! The outside cookie was crisp and tasty, and the adequate amount of mango filling was sweet and fruity. They were really good.

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UNITED KINGDOM Chocolate Bars: The Bounty bar is the UK version of a Mounds bar. It was very dense with moist coconut filling and had a thick, dark chocolate coating. It was really delicious. The Galaxy bar was very similar to a Cadbury Caramello bar. This bar had more of a milk chocolate coating with a sweet caramel filling. Both bars were very tasty.

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PUERTO RICAN Flan: Coming three-to-a-pack, these personal flans were excellent. It really made for a different dessert. It had a sweet caramel sauce on the bottom, while the custard flan in the middle was cool and tasty. They can be eaten right out of the freezer, and each flan was the perfect serving size for one person.

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MEXICAN Soda: The orange-flavored soda had a mild taste. It was slightly sweet and didn't seem to be as carbonated as American soda. We really enjoyed this sugary drink.

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JEWISH Tea Biscuits: These cookies would be great with a nice cup of tea (maybe that's why they're called tea biscuits). They have a very light texture, were slightly crisp, and had a mildly sweet taste (we chose the vanilla cookies). We both enjoyed them.

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PORTUGUESE Cookies: A little firmer and heavier than the Jewish tea biscuits, the popular Maria cookies are plain, crisp, and found in almost every Portuguese person's home. They are great with morning coffee or afternoon tea. Beware - they are addictive! Like Lay's Potato Chips, you can't eat just one.

Baskin Robbins - What the F?

Remember the review I did on Baskin Robbins back in May 2008? Well, if not, click here. The gist of it was that although the ice cream cake was good, the frosting consistency had drastically changed. It was soft and mushy versus the normal ice cream frosting that my family had been eating for years. I decided that it may have just been the particular "special order" cake that we had requested, so today I made a spontaneous decision to drop by the Somerset location to pick up an experimental cake from the freezer. The cheapest one I found that was topped with the frosting in question was $15.99, and was made of white cake and pralines and cream ice cream. One of our favorites! When I walked the cake to the car, I noticed that the frosting looked whipped instead of frozen. Oh boy, here we go again.

Close up of said frosting.

After dinner, when Mom cut into the cake, she noticed that it was very easy to cut. Too easy. Normally, she would have just about broken her wrist trying to get the knife through the ice cream and the frozen frosting. Not today! The knife went through like buttah. When I grabbed a piece of the thick, green frosting that had lined the edges of the cake, I was disappointed. It was whipped frosting. It was soft and a little on the warm side. Mom said that it seems as though Baskin Robbins has created a frosting that doesn't freeze, because it remains soft both on top of a log of ice cream and after being kept in the freezer. Did people complain about the severity of the frozen frosting? Did Baskin Robbins receive a lot of bills for sprained hands and carpal tunnel diagnoses? Who cares?! That was the fun of eating a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake!

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Soft and mushy? That's not the real frosting!

I usually frown upon frosting. I find it too sweet and it's really just not my thing. However, the Baskin Robbins frosting used to be my all-time favorite. It was the only frosting that I loved to eat, and I used to request to have my birthday cakes from there just to get a taste of the sweet stuff. Now, I'm limp with dissatisfaction. Yes, the cake was good, but it just wasn't the same. I want the old frosting back. I wonder - could it be the location? Is Somerset using a different frosting than all the rest? They shouldn't be because I think all the Baskin Robbins locations should be using the same frosting recipe. Maybe the nice people at the Baskin Robbins headquarters could send us a cake with the real frosting so that we could reminisce and fall in love with them all over again (I hope, I hope, I hope). We miss the fragrance and the added flavor that the frosting used to provide, making the Baskin Robbins brand very recognizable and special. Either way, we like the cakes, but we don't love them. Not like we used to. *sigh*

Bite(s) of the Week - NEW STUFF!

What the Heck is going on at the market? Each aisle was loaded with brand new, delicious-looking food items that New England Bites just had to bring home. Mom and I had a hard time narrowing down what we wanted to feature as this week's Bite, so we decided to throw everything into one blurb and let you pick and choose the new item that you want to try. The above items include: Skinny Cow strawberry shortcake ice cream sandwiches (on sale for $3.99), Pepperidge Farm triple nut granola cookies, Alexia onion strips, Kellogg's Corn Flakes flavored with honey, Edy's spumoni ice cream and tart honey slow churned yogurt (on sale for $1.99 each), Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash cut russet potatoes, and A&W root beer soda pops (we found these at Dollar Tree).

THE VERDICT: Although we can't give you our opinion on most of the items as we only purchased them yesterday, we can tell you about the tasty granola cookies and the amazingly good onion strips. The cookies (eight to a pack) were crisp and filled with crunchy granola and lots of nuts. They are fairly large in size and go great with a glass of milk. The savory onion strips were a surprise. In the commercial, the Alexia company states that the strips are filled with real Spanish onions. I was on the fence about this and looked forward to seeing if there really was going to be a real onion in the excessively crunchy strip when I bit into it. I was pleasantly surprised! The seasoned strip was very tasty, and although there wasn't that much in the bag (I polished it off pretty quickly), it left me wanting more. Both items are two that we would definitely purchase again.

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UPDATE: The A&W root beer ice pops had a weird aftertaste. Both Mom and I could taste the bitter root beer at first, but then we noticed this bizarre iron flavor which reminded us of dirty water. We were a little disappointed. Maybe that's why they were being sold at Dollar Tree.

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UPDATE #2: Edy's spumoni ice cream is excellent! Each flavor (chocolate, cherry, and pistachio) has a very strong taste, and the almonds and cherries added texture against the creamy ice cream. It is exactly like a spumoni that you would get at a restaurant.

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UPDATE #3: As for the tart honey yogurt, the strawberry shortcake sandwiches, and the honey Corn Flakes, they were fantastic - with the exception of the frozen yogurt. Although the texture is very smooth and creamy, the taste is strange. It is almost too tart to enjoy. I don't think that we'll be getting this flavor again. As for the Skinny Cow sandwiches, both Mom and I were surprised that the cookie part was vanilla instead of chocolate. It was also very easy to eat because the cookie didn't break apart when we bit into it. The strawberry flavor was fresh and delicious. Last, but certainly not least, the Corn Flakes were very tasty. Although they had a similar flavor to Frosted Flakes, they were much less crunchy and sugar-coated. They were just lightly sweetened Corn Flakes.

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UPDATE #4: The Ore-Ida potatoes were creamy, delicious, and very easy to prepare!

Ma Raffa's

1142 County St.

Somerset, MA 02726

(508) 324-0909

85 Rockdale Ave.

New Bedford, MA 02740

(508) 992-8467

www.maraffas.com

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SOMERSET DINE-IN MENU

Date visited: Monday, July 6, 2009

We love Italian food, but there aren't any Italian restaurants in Fall River. Thankfully, just over the Brightman Street Bridge is Ma Raffa's, a wonderful restaurant that our family has been going to for years. We've gotten takeout platters for holidays, treated family members to birthday dinners, and taken advantage of the restaurant's great dinner deals. After Mom spotted a coupon for a buy one/get one free entree that was only good for that day, we decided that it was time to do an official review of Ma Raffa's. We pulled into the parking lot of the Somerset location at around 3:45 p.m., and to our surprise, actually got a space! This place is always packed.



After walking up the oddly long cement stairs (people with short legs, a.k.a., Mom and I, are confused by them), we entered the restaurant and were quickly seated at a booth by the window. We were soon greeted by Liz, who has been our waitress on several different occasions. We ordered our drinks - two diet colas ($1.99 each) - and looked over the menu. Since the only specification on the coupon was that the entree had to cost $8.99 and under, we stuck to menu options that were around that price. Thankfully, there is a lot to choose from.




After picking our entrees, Mom told me about an appetizer which she had seen on the specials board that we had never had before - fried macaroni and cheese bites ($4.99). At first we were just going to stick to the entree, but since we were saving money by getting a free meal, we decided to walk on the wild side and order these bites. When Liz returned to the table, she took our order. Mom chose the spaghetti with meat sauce ($7.99), while I ordered the stuffed shells with tomato sauce ($8.99). We also went with the macaroni and cheese bites, which Liz said were very good. A few minutes after Liz left the table, she returned with a whole loaf of warm, delicious bread.





The inside of Ma Raffa's is very pretty, but you wouldn't necessarily think that judging by the plain brick exterior. It has a good mixture of both booths and tables. It also has a lovely bar area where you could sit down and have a meal or a drink with friends. The staff is very attentive, and the restaurant is always very clean. Since we've seen so many of the same waitresses over the years, including Liz, we get the impression that Ma Raffa's is a great place to work. Mom also noticed that Ma Raffa's has been issuing a lot of coupons and specials as of late. We hope that this is simply to provide extra savings to the customer, and not because of the failing economy. We really want Ma Raffa's to stick around for good!



After a few minutes of waiting, Liz brought over our appetizer. There were so many bites on the plate! We figured that there were going to be about five or six - not 15! Mom thought that they were going to be bigger, i.e., larger size/smaller portion. Accompanying the appetizer was a cup of marinara sauce for dipping. Now, both Mom and I found a little fault with these bites. Although they were tasty, there was too much cheese and not enough macaroni. Mom even cut one open and there was no pasta inside at all. We only felt that the taste improved when we dipped them in the sauce. It broke up that thick, cheesy flavor. What we did like about the appetizer was the batter. It was nicely thin and crisp.
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While we were still eating our appetizer, Liz brought over our entrees. They were both very fragrant and we couldn't wait to dig in. While we were eating, a man nearby mentioned that he felt that his meal had too much sauce. This does tend to happen sometimes at Ma Raffa's, although with Mom's plate, there was a perfect ratio of sauce to pasta because the portion of pasta she had was very large. When she got to the bottom of the dish, there was still some sauce left, and she enjoys that. The meat in the sauce is minced very finely, and the taste is very fresh. This is one of Mom's favorite spaghetti dishes.

Hey! Where are my shells? That's pretty much what I asked Mom when Liz put my plate of food on the table. I could vaguely make out five lumps scattered around the bowl, and when I touched them with my fork, realized that I found the buried treasure. I definitely had way too much sauce on my plate. They should have drizzled the tomato sauce over each shell, but what can you do? My aunt actually asks for sauce on the side simply because some restaurants tend to overdo it. Once I found the shells, they were outstanding! I just felt bad that some of the taste of the ricotta filling was overpowered by the tangy tomato sauce. I ended up scraping off the majority of sauce to get to the pasta.

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Because Mom's pasta dish was so large, she ended up taking some of it home. We also took home the rest of our appetizer and some slices of bread. Liz happily placed everything in Styrofoam for us and brought over the bill with Mom's entree removed because of the coupon. The total came to:

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2 Large sodas ($1.99 each) - 3.98

Macaroni and cheese bites - 4.99

Spaghetti w/meat sauce - 7.99 (FREE W/COUPON)

(5) Stuffed shells - 8.99

Subtotal - $17.96

Tax - .90

TOTAL = $18.86

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What a great deal! We left $22 on the table for Liz, which included a 20% tip for the meal without the added entree. Oops. Etiquette says that one should leave a tip based on the bill without coupons. We forgot!!! Sorry, Liz! Before leaving, Mom and I decided to use the restroom. Like always, it was clean and neat.

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Mom and I have never been to the New Bedford location of Ma Raffa's, but we heard that it is just as great as the one in Somerset. Although we love coming here, they should really ease up on the sauce and let customers enjoy the great food that has made the restaurant a favorite of Somerset residents and those of us who live over the bridge.

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For more information, visit their Web site at www.maraffas.com.

IHOP

www.ihop.com

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL MENU

Date visited: Tuesday, July 7, 2009


Mom and I can't resist a tempting food commercial, so naturally when IHOP started advertising their new line of Hawaiian pancakes, we just had to go and check them out. By "check them out," I mean eat them. They just sounded too great to resist - pineapple upside down, banana macadamia nut, and strawberry passion fruit. Now, the only two IHOP restaurants that we've ever been to (Middletown, RI, and Dartmouth) are constantly busy, but we figured that, on a Tuesday morning, it would be safe to visit. We were dead wrong. We pulled into the packed parking lot of the Dartmouth location at around noon.
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We actually had to wait for a table, and this drives me absolutely crazy. Thankfully, I wasn't dying of hunger so there were no meltdowns to be had. We sat on one of the two long benches at the restaurant's entrance and waited for our name to be called. Mom and I had forgotten that the first week of July is normally America's vacation week. That's why IHOP was saturated with so many frenzied fathers, distracted mothers, and loud children. When we gave our name, the hostess told us that we would be waiting for about ten minutes. Thankfully, she was right! Mom and I were shown to a half booth/half table combo by the window (we asked for a table, but we didn't mind one of those). We were told that a waitress would be with us in a moment.
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Please note that the above picture was taken after the crowd had died down. When we first arrived at IHOP, there was no way I could have sneaked a shot without someone catching me. If you notice, there are several Hawaiian decorations in the window (palm trees, leis, pineapples, etc.). This adorable theme ran throughout the entire restaurant. Hawaiian luau music played in the background, palm trees were scattered across the dining room, and everything was colorfully decorated. The Hawaiian theme is the perfect promo for summertime breakfasts!
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Mom and I were soon greeted by our waitress, Carol C., who was very pleasant although she was quite busy waiting tables. She took our drink order - two mocha iced coffees ($2.49 each) - which we'd never had before but enjoyed very much. It was quite sweet and didn't need to be doctored up with any cream or sugar. When Carol returned to the table, she took our order. Mom chose the bacon and egg combo with pineapple upside down pancakes ($7.99), while I chose the ham and egg combo with banana macadamia nut pancakes ($7.99). Mom ordered her eggs scrambled, while I chose mine fried, which in restaurant terms is called "over hard." Who knew? Now everyone knows that I have hated eggs for a good 20-25 years, but have been trying to embrace them. I figured that I would just plop the ham on top of the egg and shove it in altogether like I was eating an omelet. I still can't eat plain eggs without gagging. I know; I'm weird.
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Considering the restaurant was so busy, both Mom and I were surprised that our food came out so quickly. IHOP really does have a great system for bringing out food and cleaning up the dining room. The customer isn't gone from the table for a minute before there is someone clearing off the dishes. I love that! It seemed that everyone around us was getting a side of Hawaiian pancakes, and Mom and I were no different. Mom normally doesn't get the hashbrowns that always come with a breakfast plate, but she forgot to ask for their removal, so they arrived on the side of her bacon and eggs. Her bacon and scrambled eggs were cooked perfectly, but IHOP usually never gets this wrong. The meats and eggs are always done well. Although Mom picked at the crispy top of the hashbrowns, she didn't really get into it because she's not a fan of any sort of potatoey sidekick. When she finally got to the pancakes - the star of the meal - she found them to be absolutely delicious and much lighter than expected. She was afraid that they were going to be overly sweet and on the heavy side with all the pineapple and whipped cream, but she was happily incorrect. They were light and airy, the pineapple gave them a candied taste, and the whipped cream on top made them moist enough to eat without any added syrup. It was a sweet end to a savory meal.
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My ham, eggs, and homefries were excellent! The ham was perfectly cooked, which I was quite thankful for as I don't usually order ham because I'm afraid it will be chewy. The over hard egg were nothing more than a big, flat egg. PERFECT! I put the ham on top, put a little pepper on it, cut it up, and enjoyed it. It was fabulous. The homefries, which are really just shredded potatoes, were tasty and crisp. I covered them in ketchup and ate every last one. My side of pancakes was heavenly. I, too, thought that they were going to be too sweet, but I was completely wrong. The pancakes, which had real bananas and crunchy macadamia nuts, were excellent. They really had so much flavor that, like Mom, I didn't need syrup. My cakes were also topped with whipped cream and a cherry, and that was all they needed. Although already full from my ham and eggs, I made sure to devour every inch of those pancakes. It wasn't hard, trust me.

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Filled to the brim, Mom and I were just sitting there in a pancake coma when Carol returned to bring over the bill. We told her that everything was amazing and she was very glad to hear it. Our total came to:

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2 Mocha iced coffees ($2.49 each) - 4.98

Bacon and egg combo - 7.99

Ham and egg combo - 7.99

Subtotal - $20.96

Tax - 1.05

TOTAL = $22.01

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We left $26.50 on the table for Carol, which included a 20% tip. She was an excellent waitress. Before leaving, Mom and I paid a visit to the restroom. Normally at busy times of the day, a restaurant bathroom can get pretty disgusting. Thankfully, this was not the case. It was very clean and organized.

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Thinking back, Mom and I have never had a bad meal at IHOP. Although it can get a little loud and crazy, and the Middletown location's long and narrow building makes for some uncomfortable seating, we always know what we're in for when we visit IHOP - good service and great food. Plus, they serve breakfast all day. Mom and I love late night omelets!

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The IHOP in Dartmouth is located at 47 Faunce Corner Road. For more information, call (508) 996-1999 or visit the Web site at www.ihop.com.

Bristol House of Pizza

55 State St.

Bristol, RI 02809

(401) 253-2550

Date visited: Wednesday, July 8, 2009

What a circus! On Monday, July 6, Mom and I decided to pick up a pizza for Dad on our way home from our day out. He's loved Bristol House of Pizza for years, and was very happy to see that we'd brought him his favorite - a small house special ($10.50 - 11.35 with tax). Since Mom and I still had a few errands to run, we gave the pizza to him and continued on our way. Only later did we realize that we had not taken a picture of the pizza, and when we returned home, saw the empty box in the trash. Yikes! Needless to say, I was furious at myself for not having taken a picture, so I decided to recreate the pizza event two days later. I pulled into one of the few spots in front of Bristol House of Pizza at around 4:30 p.m.


When we were there on Monday, Mom and I had noticed that the pizza parlor had been remodeled. The long cafeteria-like tables had been replaced with smaller tables and chairs made of a dark wood, and the booth area - which had a tricky step that I always made sure I didn't fall over - was replaced by booths that were on the same level as the tables. There are also a few scattered tables just outside of the restaurant. The large menu on the wall had been updated, and the bar area had been painted and lined with wooden bar stools. It is a classier look, but I'm sure no one really visits Bristol House of Pizza for the decor - they come for the delicious food.

Bristol House of Pizza has one of the best - if not the best - cheese pizzas that Mom and I have ever had. When we visit, we usually get a large, extra cheese pie ($11.50), two cans of soda ($1 each), and an order of shoestring fries ($3). Where else can you get a meal like that for under $20? The prices are amazing, and the food is to die for. Some items include the Greek pizza ($10.50-15.50), grilled chicken pita ($6.75), spinach pie ($2.95), pasta with chourico ($7.50-8), four piece chicken dinner ($8), "Kapama" - Greek pasta - served on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday ($9.50), calzones ($6.75-8.75), stromboli ($11.95-15.95), appetizers ($1.50-7.50), and a children's menu ($2.50-5.99). They also serve wine and beer. As you can see, this is definitely the place to visit if you're on a budget, or if you simply want to taste some of the best pizzas and subs that Bristol has to offer.

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Since I was there getting a replacement pizza for Dad (the house special - $10.50), I also got something for Mom and I to have. I chose a large white pizza ($14) which has no sauce and is made from cheddar, mozzarella, and feta. My total came to $27 with tax. While I was waiting for my pizzas to be cooked, I went across the street to Jesse James Antiques. It is a quaint little antique store that sells a lot of furniture, paintings, and ceramics. Plus, there is an adorable little Lhasa Apso named Lillie that has the run of the place. As luck would have it, I ended up finding something for my collection - a Goebel Friar Tuck figurine! I quickly busted out the checkbook while chatting with the two owners about more local restaurants that I have to try - and some that I should stay away from. They were great, and I believe that was the first time that I openly admitted to someone that I was one half of New England Bites! After all, we like to remain anonymous.

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The new Friar seems to be intimidated by our ominous wallpaper.

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Armed with my new Friar, I went back across the street to pick up my pizzas, which were waiting for me on top of the large metal pizza oven. The service at Bristol House of Pizza is always fast, accurate, and pleasant. We've never had a problem, and we've been coming here for years. After being caught in traffic for a bit (thanks, Braga Bridge), I got the pizzas home. Mom threw them into the oven for a few minutes just to warm them back up. Dad was a bit surprised to be having the same pizza again - only days apart - but he didn't complain. The house special is topped with hamburg, mushrooms, olives, sausage, pepperoni, chourico, salami, onions, peppers, and cheese. Geez, I got a hand cramp just typing all of those ingredients! Dad likes that, because the pizza is covered with so much stuff, they have to put a layer of cheese both on the crust and over the toppings to contain everything so that each slice is neat to eat. Dad said that this pizza is as good now as he remembered it from years ago. It is still one of his favorites after all these years.

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Mom and I had never had Bristol House of Pizza's version of a white pie, so we were excited to try it. We both thought that it was very tasty due to the blend of three different cheeses. The feta gave the pizza a nice tang that you don't often get with just regular mozzarella. Mom is slowly beginning to add feta cheese to her list of acceptable toppings, so I'm very pleased that this pizza didn't disappoint. The crust was thick, crisp, and had a nice homemade flavor. Even after traveling from Bristol to Fall River, everything was still in perfect condition.

All three of us can see why Bristol House of Pizza has been a staple in the town for over 30 years. It is family-owned, family-operated, and the food is made with care and love. Everyone I know who has been to Bristol House of Pizza has left satisfied, and I'm sure that they'll be around for many years to come. We only wish that it was located a little closer to Fall River so that we could take advantage of the delivery service!

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Bristol House of Pizza is open during the summer from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and 12-9 p.m. on Sunday. During the winter, the hours change to 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Bite of the Week - Starbucks Chai Truffles

The new line of Starbucks truffles are some of the most delicious - and expensive - candies that Mom and I have ever eaten. At a whopping $4.99 per box (and there's only 10 candies in that box), we've only broken down and purchased them when they were at a $3.99 sale price AND when Mom had a $1 off coupon, which - coincidentally - is found inside each box of chocolates. Each flavor that we've tried has been phenomenal (espresso, mocha, vanilla), but the one that has stuck out the most for us has been the chai. Since Mom had scored a coupon out of our last box of candies and they were on sale this week at Stop & Shop, we decided to get another box of chai truffles.



THE VERDICT: Deliciously sweet and spiced. The milk chocolate coating is thick and rich, while the creamy center tastes exactly like a cup of Tazo Chai black tea, which is what the candy is flavored with. Even when you unwrap the truffle, you can smell the distinctive aroma that only chai has. The Starbucks candies are great to eat alone (God knows you can go through that small box by yourself), but they're decadent enough to put out when company stops by. We'll definitely get them again ... but only when they're on sale.

Barcello's Family Restaurant

1214 Stafford Road

Tiverton, RI 02878

(401) 624-6649

Mom and I have received a few suggestions recently to try two restaurants in Tiverton, RI - Nonni's Pasta and Barcello's Family Restaurant. Since Nonni's was about 30 seconds closer than Barcello's, and since I was already famished, we decided to stop by and have some pasta. Little did we know that there was a gas leak, and the entire plaza had been shut down. I mean, we saw the firetrucks, and the police, and the ambulances, but we still didn't get it. It actually took the woman at Nonni's to yell out, "Ladies!! We're closed! There is a gas leak!" for us to get back in the car after bypassing the emergency services. Fuming with anger and dying of starvation, I sped up the street and pulled into Barcello's. I was just praying that - due to the proximity to the Nonni's plaza - Barcello's didn't have a gas leak as well. Thankfully, the restaurant was open and free of toxic fumes. We entered the dining room at 3:20 p.m.


What a beautiful dining room! Mom and I just happened to be the only customers at the time, so we really got a chance to look around and take in the lovely atmosphere. Pretty lighted sconces and chandeliers hang over the tables, which are adorned with wine-colored, fanned napkins and stark white tablecloths. At the other side of the building is the lounge, which is separated from the restaurant by a swinging door. There were several patrons at the bar watching sports on the large flat screen television. After waiting for a few minutes, Mom and I were greeted by a friendly waitress, who seated us at a table by the window and handed us two lunch menus to look over. Although there wasn't a lot to choose from (there is much more on the dinner menu), each dish sounded better than the next.

The waitress came over to take our drink order - two Diet Cokes ($2 each) - and then returned to the table to talk about the daily specials. She mentioned a few things that sounded great - one of the dishes being baked stuffed scrod ($9.95). Normally I love baked stuffed scrod, but when the waitress told me that it was stuffed with Ritz crackers, I just couldn't get the image of a sleeve of crackers wrapped in a piece of fish out of my mind. Even though both Mom and I were still undecided, we quickly went with what sounded best. I chose the Barcello's style golden fish fillet ($9.95), while Mom chose the broiled chicken breast ($8.95). For my potato and vegetable option, I chose corn and house fries, while Mom went with corn and seasoned mashed potatoes. A few minutes after the waitress put in our order, she returned to the table with two very large, fresh Portuguese rolls and a take-out menu that Mom requested. They were excellent, and just the thing to get rid of my hunger pangs.

The food actually came out really quickly, and it may have been because when we first ordered, we were the only two in the dining room. However, it was quickly filling up now that it was getting closer to dinnertime. After the waitress brought over some ketchup and vinegar for my fries, Mom and I dug into our meals. Her chicken breast was large and butterflied into two pieces. It had beautiful grill marks on it and you could tell that it had been resting in a sweet marinade before it was grilled. The chicken was cooked perfectly. The white meat was moist and tender, and the exterior had a smokey taste. The mashed potatoes were definitely homemade. They even had little lumps in them, which Mom loves. They were topped with paprika and parsley, which added a nice spice to their flavor. The corn was average and tasted like it came from the can. Mom enjoyed everything and said that it had an excellent taste.

My fish was amazing! The golden batter on the large fillet was light, and didn't break when you cut it apart. Perhaps it was because it was topped with marinated yellow onions, which had a deliciously vinegary taste to them. The house fries, or "chips", had a great potato taste and did not overwhelm the plate. The corn was ... corn. I don't know. It really didn't do anything for me. Perhaps I should have thrown some butter into the dish to give it some flavor, but I was too busy with my fish and fries to worry about it. Mom said that the look of my plate made her want to get an order of fish and chips on our next visit.

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After we were finished, Mom and I were contemplating dessert. We were going to go with an order of flan ($3) and Grape-Nut custard pudding ($3), but the waitress came over and dropped the check on our table so quickly that we figured that we were done! Oh well, maybe that was a sign that we should just stop at the entree, or maybe she's just used to regulars who order dessert in advance. Either way, we did get to eat the two chocolate mints that came along with our bill. Our total came to:

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2 Diet Cokes - $4

Barcello's style golden fish fillet - 9.95

Broiled chicken breast - 8.95

Subtotal - $22.90

Tax - 1.83

TOTAL = $24.73

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We left $30 on the table, which included a 20% tip for the waitress. She was very good, and really seemed to know every customer that came into Barcello's. She also told us that she had given us the lunch price because we had arrived just after they started serving dinner. Both Mom and I swear that we had dinner portions because each plate had a large amount of food, which was fine with us! Before leaving, Mom and I decided to use the restroom. It was very clean and organized.

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Although Barcello's is a family restaurant, it has a predominately Portuguese menu. Entrees include Paella Valenciana (market price) with lobster, littlenecks, mussels, scallops, shrimp, chicken, chourico, and rice; Codfish Gomes Sa, which is shredded sundried codfish with onions, potatoes, and egg ($14.95); Portuguese style sirloin ($14.95); and Portuguese style pork ($11.95). They also serve the popular shrimp Mozambique for an appetizer for only $9.95, and my sister's best friend really loves their chourico plate.

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Although Barcello's wasn't where we originally set out, we are certainly glad we ended up there. Who would have thought that a gas leak would have allowed us to try a restaurant that we should have visited years before? Barcello's Family Restaurant is definitely a place worth visiting, whether you're a local or just passing through. We just know that our fans are saying "we told you so", and they couldn't have been more right. We will definitely be back.

Holiday Bite of the Week - Tastefully Simple Chocolate Bliss Cheese Ball Mix

For Mother's Day, my sister gave my mother an entire basket filled with foods from the Tastefully Simple gourmet foods company. Mom received various dips, bread mixes, and something called a Chocolate Bliss cheese ball mix. We were dying to have an occasion on which to have a chocolate cheese ball, and it seemed that our preliminary Fourth of July home party was the perfect thing. Now the recipe instructed us to blend the chocolate mix with an eight ounce block of cream cheese, chill for two hours, and shape into a ball. Then, serve with pretzels or pound cake. Sounds good, right? Well, knowing my family, we weren't happy with just pretzels and pound cake. We wanted to turn this cheese ball into a mousse/cheesecake - mini mousse/cheesecakes to be exact. With just a few simple ingredients (and the handy recipe on the side of the box), we made a most excellent holiday treat.

STEP ONE: Blend eight ounces of softened cream cheese with the Chocolate Bliss cheese ball mix.

STEP TWO: Fold in eight ounces of thawed non-dairy whipped topping (a.k.a. Cool Whip).

STEP THREE: Fold in a half cup of mini chocolate chips.

STEP FOUR: Fold in about a half cup of chopped pecans.

STEP FIVE: Spoon mixture into baking cups. For added beauty, throw a large pecan on top of each cup. Chill for four hours and enjoy!

THE VERDICT: Excellent! It was more like a chocolate cheesecake-flavored mousse than a plain cheesecake because it didn't have any sort of bottom. However, it was chock full of delicious chips and nuts that made each bite extra tasty. The flavor was rich and sweet, and a little half cup serving goes a long way. Mom and I - and even Dad - thought it was delicious. We would definitely recommend this simple treat and look forward to trying the rest of the goods from Tastefully Simple.