Tweet Balzano's Family Restaurant

180 Mount Hope Ave.

Bristol, RI  02809

(401) 253-9811

www.tweetbalzanosrestaurant.com

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL MENU

March 26, 2011

We decided to end our Bristol eat-a-thon with a very popular restaurant.  On a very cold Saturday afternoon, we found ourselves parking in Tweet Balzano's empty parking lot at 3 p.m. They were just about to open for the day, hence the emptiness. We got a great parking spot, though. As we were just sitting in the car talking, a waitress was motioning us to "come on in".  I thought maybe she thought that we didn't know they were open. Laura thought she was being pushy, but I think I was right. Anyway, we ambled on in and were quickly seated.

We've been coming to Tweet's since my kids were small. As a matter of fact, Mallory (who is now 25) was a great source of amusement to other diners when she took the empty clam shells from her father's plate and clicked them high above her head. "Look at the baby," was the cry around the dining room. Good times. The place has changed quite a bit since then. They had a fire which closed the place for quite awhile, but their patrons were thrilled when they reopened. After all, they've been in business for over 50 years and are an institution in Bristol.

We were seated in a booth in a dining room that also had tables. The tables were nicely set and people started trickling in. Our waitress Jayne approached with menus and took our drink order for two Diet Pepsis. Everything looked good and I noticed that they seem to carry a lot more seafood than I remember. There are more seafood dishes than Italian ones, it seems. Jayne returned quickly with our sodas and some Italian bread with butter. Yeah, butter - not dipping oil, for a change. The bread was nice and soft, but not particularly flavorful. We told Jayne we'd start with an order of mozzarella sticks.

These mozzarella sticks were a thing of beauty. They were large, filled with cheese and came seven to an order. They had a nice crunchy outside and were cooked perfectly. The only downside was that the cup of marinara along side was cold. I love when the accompanying sauce is nice and hot. It just goes better with the hot sticks. They have a lot of appetizers here like littlenecks, calamari, shrimp, smelts and non-seafood items like potato skins, chicken tenders, meatballs and so much more. You'll have trouble deciding. We had trouble deciding on our entrees but finally gave Jayne our orders.

Laura decided on the chicken Florentine which was a large chicken breast covered with sauteed spinach and pepper cheese. It came with a salad (she got blue cheese dressing), a medley of mixed veggies and given a choice of potato or pasta, she chose fries. When it arrived we had to note that Tweet's certainly wasn't skimpy. This was one full plate ... only Laura wished it had tasted better. Her chicken was very dry and she couldn't cut it with her knife. The veggie medley looked like it came out of a bag of frozen mixed that you get at the market. The fries were OK but lacked any seasoning - not even salt - which made them very bland. The salad, however, was great. It was fresh with lots of veggies and the dressing was tasty. She wished the chicken tasted as fresh.

I ordered the chicken cutlet parmigiana with spaghetti. It came with a salad and I got French dressing for it. Like Laura's salad, mine was fresh and crisp and the dressing creamy and sweet. This was a great little salad. My entree was as large as Laura's had been. A large chicken breast covered in sauce with a square of mozzarella melting on top. It was funny to see the shape of the cheese on top of the chicken. The sauce on my spaghetti was dark (very dark), almost black. I think I know why. This didn't taste like fresh sauce. It tasted like sauce that had been cooked way too long and had reduced far too much. It was heavy, bitter and had a burned aftertaste. I think I got the bottom of last night's pot. At least it tasted that way. Not good. I prefer a nice, fresh, light-tasting tomato sauce that doesn't overpower the pasta. Plus, my chicken had the same problem Laura's did - way too dry. I also couldn't cut it and it gave me the impression that this chicken was not freshly cooked when we ordered it. Again I think this was yesterday's chicken, heated up and then served. There was no moistness to it at all. Very disappointing. Neither Laura nor I ate much of our meals and you know us, we don't like to waste.

What happened Tweet's? I remember the food being so much better than what we were served yesterday. I know restaurants have to cut costs and save money but please, not with the food. The pastas and sauces should be made fresh daily. Please don't reheat meats. Chicken, meatballs, etc., do not taste better the next day.  They taste old and dried up.

Tweet's has an extensive menu of seafoods like shrimp, scallops, swordfish, scrod, clams and mussel dishes. They also do a few steak, veal and chicken dishes. They do spaghetti by the pound and a couple of other pastas like ravioli, lasagna or manicotti. Plus you can get meatballs or sausages on the side. But mostly I'd say this is a seafood place as their menu is overwhelmingly seafaring. I hope the seafood dishes are fresher than the landlubber meals we were served.

As for service, it was generally great.  However, we were not offered refills on our drinks. When Laura asked for change, the waitress scooted off before we could tell her exactly what we wanted.

THE VERDICT:  I don't think we'd rush back to Tweet's and I never thought I'd say that.

Our total came to:

2 Diet Pepsis - $3

Mozzarella sticks - 7.99

Chicken Florentine - 11.99

Chicken Parmigiana - 10.99

Subtotal - $33.97

Tax - 2.72

TOTAL = $36.69

With a 20% tip for Jayne, it came to $44.  However, minus the $10 gift certificate from we had from MenuJoy.com, we only paid $34.

We checked out the ladies' room and were surprised to find the trash cans full since the restaurant just opened. Generally though, it was clean.

Tweet Balzano's is open from 4-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 12-9 p.m. Sunday.

Don't forget to check out MenuJoy.com for great restaurant menus.

Green Eggs

576 Metacom Ave.

Bell Tower Plaza

Bristol, RI  02809

(401) 253-3443

www.ilikegreeneggs.com

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL MENU

March 23, 2011

Hey guys! Laura here. The reason Mom isn’t doing this review is because she already did … but it was accidentally deleted. She threw such a tantrum over it that I decided to step in and write about our FANTASTIC breakfast at Green Eggs (no ham).

Mom had read great things about this place on the Internet, and being that we still had two more restaurants to visit in order to complete our “Tour of Bristol”, we decided to check it out. We needed some nourishment since we had haircut appointments later in the day, so we visited the restaurant at 11:20 a.m.

The restaurant is adorable! Beautiful colored flowers accented each table, cute little decorations hung on the walls and the ceiling (including a rubber chicken), and each table had a stack of colored menus on it for your viewing pleasure. The daily specials were written on a whiteboard which hung on the wall between the two large front windows. Although there were several tables, you could also sit at the counter if you were dining alone. It is really a cute setup.

We were immediately greeted by our waitress (we unfortunately didn’t get her name) as we entered the restaurant and sat ourselves. She offered us coffee ($1.75 each) and we accepted. She then pointed out the specials on the whiteboard, which is where I saw my future meal – the Hey Jude omelet ($8.75). This omelet was comprised of bacon, tomato, avocado, and mozzarella cheese. It also came with homefries and my choice of toast (I chose oat). How could I not get this? Mom took a few minutes to look over the menu and finally settled on three chocolate chip pancakes ($7.50) and a side of bacon ($3.95). Our waitress retreated to the open kitchen to get the food party started.

Green Eggs has pretty much everything you could think of when it comes to breakfast. They have heavy things like the “Monkey Business”, which is an order of Texas style French toast stuffed with bananas ($6.75) served with butter and powdered or cinnamon sugar. They have light things like the “Soldier Boy”, which is an egg white omelet with fresh tomato, Swiss cheese, and spinach ($8.25). Green Eggs also makes fresh egg sandwiches with your choice of fillings, waffles, muffins, and you can even make your own omelet. They have a kids menu and a long list of sides if you dare to add on to your big breakfast choice. It seems that Green Eggs uses quality ingredients that you may not find at your local breakfast dive, which is a nice change of pace for the average diner.

When our food arrived, both Mom and I were surprised at how big the meals were. At first we had been thinking that the prices were a little on the high side, but now we knew why – you get a LOT of food. My omelet was out of this world. The tomato helped break up the dense avocado while the mozzarella cheese held it all together. The toast was fantastic and the homefries were actually red potatoes cut into chunks and seasoned. My plate, as well as Mom’s, was topped with a slice of cantaloupe that was fresh and juicy. Amazing!

Mom’s pancakes were huge, but the taste was light and fluffy. She was actually afraid that she wouldn’t be able to eat it all (we hate having to bring food home), but they were so airy that she ate every bit. There were chocolate chips inside every bite and her side of bacon was tasty and cooked perfectly. Our waitress returned to the table several times to check on us and to refill our coffee. She has also brought over two glasses of water upon Mom’s request. She was excellent!

Stuffed, we threw in the towel and waited for the check. Our total came to:

Hey Jude omelet - $8.75

Chocolate chip pancakes – 7.50

Bacon – 3.95

2 coffees – 3.50

TOTAL = $23.71

It doesn’t look like our girl charged us for tax, which I didn’t notice until now. Oops.

With 20% tip, we left her $28. We did not visit the restroom, but if it’s anything like the dining room, I’m sure it looks great.

This will NOT be our last visit to Green Eggs. Tucked away inside the Bell Tower Plaza, the restaurant is hidden from the road. However, once you taste the fabulous food, it will soon become one of your favorite restaurants in Bristol.

"Would you, could you come again?

Would you, could you with a friend?"

"I would, I could come here again.

I would, I could come with a friend.

We love Green Eggs and cannot wait

To set another breakfast date."

(C’mahn … Green Eggs? Did you expect us not to give Dr. Seuss a shoutout?)

Green Eggs is open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Boat

945 Ashley Blvd.

New Bedford, MA  02745

(508) 998-2411

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL MENU

March 11, 2011

Because we happened to be going to New Bedford to do our recyclables (don't ask), we decided to interrupt our Bristol tri-city reviews and have a late lunch at The Boat. We'd resume our Bristol reviews (click here for Redlefsen's), within the next few weeks. So it was at 3:30 p.m. that we found ourselves facing a boat - yes, a real boat - right on Ashley Boulevard.

We walked up the plank (lol, walkway) into what I thought was the restaurant. However, we were instructed to take a left into the actual boat. I was thrilled. I thought the boat was just a gimmick to show that this was a seafood restaurant. I didn't really expect to be eating in it, but we were, and I was like a kid in a ... boat!  There was additional seating in the non-boat part of the restaurant.

We seated ourselves at a very worn booth (the seats of most of the booths were taped) and looked around. This place was all nautical themed and kitchy. There were anchors and wheels and fish galore. There was a huge Betty Boop on the upper "deck". The restaurant was cute and busy, although a little well-worn. There was so much stuff to look at, my head was on a swivel.

A cute young lady brought us our menus and took our drink order - two Diet Cokes. We perused the menu and everything looked good. This is like your favorite clam shack, but inside. For appetizers they have stuffies, clam cakes, onion rings and more. They also have chowders and salads, club sandwiches, hot dogs and burgers. They have seafood rolls (tuna, shrimp, scallop, clam, oyster and lobster). They also have seafood that is baked, done Mozambique style, fried up in plates or pints, and even clam boils. Homestyle dinners are even on their menu, like salmon and meat pies and chicken and buffalo tenders, all served with two side dishes. For dessert you can try some chocolate, bread or Grapenut pudding, pie or ice cream. That's a big menu for such a small place. They'll even make up party platters (with notice).

When our gal returned with our drinks, we ordered six clam cakes to start our repast. Then Laura went with the baked stuffed fish and I ordered the regular-sized fish and chips. Laura ordered fries and cole slaw as her two sides and mine came with both. It didn't take long for our clam cakes to arrive. Maybe that was the problem. A couple of them were a little too underdone. They were quite doughy instead of being light and fluffy as I prefer. They didn't taste horrible, just heavy and with a raw dough aftertaste.

Laura's baked stuffed fish wasn't stuffed!  There was a crumb-like mixture on top of the fillet but in no manner was it stuffed. The fillet itself - which the waitress told us was cod - didn't taste bad. Cod and haddock (which we prefer) is usually all white, but this fish had a darker underside. It did not, however, taste "bad" and along with the pretty good fries and vinegary cole slaw made for an ok meal.  Perhaps they should have chosen a better grade of cod.

My fish and chips were a nice sized portion of two fried fillets over a mound of fries. A little cup of slaw was included. I had the same problem Laura did - that dark undersection of fish was just unappetizing. I ended up bringing half my meal home. Hubby wanted to try it and heated it up for himself. He too wasn't impressed. It's too bad because I love fish and chips and order it often. Maybe the fish should have been of a higher quality?  I'm not sure. The fries were ok, the cole slaw ok but again, a little vinegary.

THE VERDICT: I don't think we'll be coming here again. I know this place has its fans but I have to be honest, we've had much better seafood at other places. I don't even mind that the place is kind of run down; actually that's part of its charm. But the food should be a lot better especially in New Bedford, which has several fine seafood restaurants.

We checked out the restroom, as we always do, and it was very neat and clean and all nautical. Very cute.

Our total came to:

2 Diet Cokes - $3

6 Clam Cakes - 3.75

1 Regular Fish & Chips - 7.75

1 Baked Stuffed Fish w/2 sides - 10.99

Subtotal - $25.49

Tax - 1.78

TOTAL = $27.27

With 20% tip, we left $33 including a $10 gift certificate from MenuJoy.com (so we really only paid $23 - yeah!).

The Boat doesn't have a website, but you can check out their full menu by clicking here.

The Boat is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, and 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday.  The restaurant is closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

P.S. - To our cute waitress, who was very nice and polite, please don't sing constantly in the dining room. Some people like that ... but some don't.

Don't forget to check out MenuJoy.com for great area restaurant menus.

Market Finds

It amazes me that no matter how many times I go to the market (and I've been going once a week for years), I always find either new products or those I haven't ever tried. Almost without fail, I bring home something new (to us) each shopping trip. On one recent trip, it seemed the market was teeming with products we've never tried. So of course, to help the economic climate (I'm such a good citizen), I bought a bunch of new "stuff".

********************

Talenti Sea Salt Caramel Gelato

Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto (click here to view the website) is a company that specializes in "made from scratch" gelatos and sorbettos. They're made in small batches with exotic ingredients and only recently appeared on our grocer's shelves. We were attracted by the novel container - a screw top jar that looks like a peanut butter jar. But inside ... oh my. Laura was the first to try one . She bought the sea salt caramel gelato pictured above. To say it was delicious is an understatement. It was one of the best tasting "ice cream-like" products I've ever had. Laura thought it was incredible and after I tasted hers I concurred, and then bought my own. Check out their website for a list of the amazing flavors they offer like toasted almond, white chocolate raspberry, black cherry, Caribbean coconut and several more. Their sorbettos include peach champagne, blood orange and more exotic flavors. Laura's sea salt caramel was so thick and creamy and yes, you could taste the butteriness of the caramel with a salty undertone; and no, it didn't taste like ice cream. It was unique, different and I can't wait to taste some more. Maybe double dark chocolate or caramel cookie crunch or ...

********************

T.G.I. Friday's Potato Skins

Laura was looking around the market for an easy treat (you know Laura and cooking) and came upon the Friday's frozen appetizer section. Friday's has taken most of their most popular restaurant appetizers and boxed them up to offer you some great take home options. They offer buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and so much more. Check out the whole selection here on their website. Laura decided on the cheddar and bacon potato skins. All she had to do was put them on a sheet pan and bake.  She loved them. She said they had a good potato taste and of course the bacon and cheese added so much flavor. Only complaint was she wished there were a couple more in the box!

********************

Newman's Own Thin & Crispy Pizza

Now here's a product I've gotten before and loved - Newman's Thin & Crispy Four Cheese Pizza. It doesn't have that cardboard-like taste that most frozen pizzas do. The crust is nice and thin, the sauce a mixture of sweet and spicy, and the cheese more "real " than the stringy mess that tops most frozen pies. Paul Newman was really into fresh and natural foods so you can count on his products being of a high quality. There are several varieties of his pizza which you can check out here on their website.  I love this pizza and if you haven't tried it yet I say give it a shot. It's really tasty.

********************

Sara Lee Original Cream Cheesecake

Sara Lee has had frozen products in the market almost as long as there have been markets. Reknown for their baked goods, they have also ventured into deli meats and cheeses. But almost everyone I know has tried the original cheesecake. Recently they were on sale for $3.99 (not bad), so I bought one. It's been awhile since I had one but it tasted just as I remembered - cold, creamy and tasty. Does it taste like a thick, rich real New York style cheesecake?  Of course not. The filling is more cheesecake-like pudding with a cream-like topping in a graham cracker shell. Not a Junior's, but a nice, creamy, tasty dessert for anytime. Check out their website for more Sara Lee Cheesecake products.

********************

Mama Rosie's Manicotti

I really like the Mama Rosie brand of frozen pastas. They have a very unfrozen-like taste when heated up. I often buy the cheese ravioli, put on my favorite sauce, sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and voila - a really great tasting meal. However, on sale this week were the manicottis. I've bought these before and will buy them again; they're so good. They are eight nice-sized manicotti in a package. The pasta shells cook up perfectly al dente and they are filled completely with a delicious ricotta cheese mixture. All you do is cover with sauce and bake. Delicious. Check out their website here for more great products .

********************

Entenmann's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know that you know about the fabulous Entenmann products that are at the end of the bakery aisles in every supermarket. Cakes, donuts, danish, oh my ... a world of goodies. Well, they also have these little chocolate chip cookies that I had never tasted. So we brought home a box and dug in.  They were softer than I thought they would be. Truth be told I like a crisp cookie, but these had a nice chocolaty taste. Hubby, who loves soft cookies, scoffed these up. Entenmann's has such great products. Check them out here on their website.

********************

Thomas's Hearty English Muffins

I love Thomas's English muffins. The original are my favorites but we've been venturing out into other varieties as well. That's how I came to try Thomas's Hearty Light Multi-Grain English Muffins. Wow, did English muffins get smaller? They were so small, but I guess that's how you keep the calorie count down. But how did they taste? Very good. They had a heavier, more whole-grain breadiness than the regular English muffin.  At a third more fiber and a third less calories, they can be part of a very healthy breakfast.  But don't burn your fingers trying to get them out of the toaster! Check out their website here for more varieties.

These were the products I found in just one week. The funny thing is, I know next week will bring me face to face with more new stuff. These companies ... I don't know how they do it, but I'm glad they do.

Don't forget our friends at MenuJoy.com for great area restaurant menus.

Happy (early) St. Patrick's Day!

Hey guys!  Laura here.  Since we're going to be busy on March 17th, Mom decided to make our St. Patrick's Day feast a few days early.  Actually, we would have eaten it yesterday had the ham cooked properly.  Instead, we settled for a Big Mac and some fries.  Oh well ...

Round two:  The ham actually cooked all the way as well as the kielbasa, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and a really big onion.  We also had some delicious country white bread on the side and fancy schmancy cream puffs for dessert.  Sound good?  It was.  My father ate like a pig and so did I.  Mom ate a little lighter (show off), but enjoyed every bit of her magnificent feast.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Redlefsen's Rotisserie and Grill

444 Thames St.

Bristol, RI  02809

(401) 254-1188

www.redlefsens.com

March 5, 2011

New city/new three-part dining experience!  We've been going by Redlefsen's for years always vowing to stop in "some day". Well, with the encouragement of a $10 gift certificate from MenuJoy, we were on our way. It was on an unusually warm Saturday afternoon that we arrived at 3:20 p.m. We were able to park right across the street and took the opportunity to take this picture:

What a pretty place. Lovely white lights zig-zagging across the ceiling framed the main room beautifully. There were several wooden tables strategically placed around the room to provide the maximum in comfort and ambiance. Real flowers in glass vases were atop each table, as was a white paper tablecloth. With lovely murals all over the walls, it was a warm and inviting interior.

We were immediately approached by a friendly waitress named Jennifer. She proved to be very cheery, knowledgeable and efficient throughout our visit. She asked us if we'd like to be seated by the windows, and we did. We were able to look out at the park across the street, and the water beyond that. Jennifer brought us menus and took our drink order - two Diet Cokes. We had the lunch menu, but I had also read the dinner menu online, and both were interesting and eclectic. They carry dishes for every appetite, whether you feel like having steak, chicken, seafood or German specialties, but with an upscale twist. They also have some unusual appetizers (littlenecks and chourico, Jonah crabcakes, asparagus pfannkuchen, etc.) along with soups and salads. You can also get a burger or a pasta dish or some sandwiches/wraps. Finally, you can end your meal with a fantastic dessert (apple strudel, creme brulee, crepe, mousse cake, and more). We had a tough time deciding what we wanted.

When Jennifer returned with our sodas we gave her our order. We decided to start with the Jonah crabcakes which turned out to be an excellent choice. Two beautiful crabcakes strewn with red peppers and spices were served with whole grain mustard creme fraiche and a wasabi mayo garnish. Laura and I both enjoyed our crabcake and found them nicely spicy and very flavorful. I'm thinking of getting this next time as a sandwich.  Mmm ...

Laura decided to try The Ultimate Grilled Cheese, which was goat cheese and fig puree on grilled sourdough bread. It was served with fries and a side salad. She absolutely loved this sandwich. She found that the sweetness of the fig and the saltiness of the cheese combined to make a sandwich that tasted like a sweetened cream cheese. The bread was buttery and toasty and held the filling very well. Her fries were terrific and the salad tasty. She was more than pleased with this meal.

I decided on the baked cod, which turned out to be a nice-sized piece of perfectly prepared cod fish topped with crispy Panko breadcrumbs. It was accompanied by crispy potato cakes and a side salad. Great choice. Everything was delicious. The fish was flaky, moist and fall-apart tender. The potato cakes were like tater tots that had been flattened into patties and fried crisp - yummy. The side salad was fine. This was a great lunch.

Several times during our meal Jennifer checked on how we were doing. We were doing just fine, and she was great. As she cleared away our empty plates, we asked to see the dessert menu. We usually don't do dessert, but everything had been so good we decided to indulge.

Laura got the Grand Marnier creme brulee which came in a shallow oval platter. After she broke through the crystallized topping (don't you love that?) she rolled her eyes in ecstasy. It was so creamy and delicious and you could really taste the Grand Marnier. She let me taste a spoonful and I concured; it was terrific.

I chose the the warm apple strudel, which was a large slice of strudel filled with apples and golden raisins and topped with slivered almonds with whipped cream on the side. To say it was delicious is an understatement. I'd get this again in a minute. I let Laura taste it and she felt the same.

To say we had an excellent lunch is also an understatement. We will be back Redlefsen's, sooner than later. Ambiance, service and food couldn't have been improved upon. Even the restroom (which we always check out) was clean and attractive.

THE VERDICT: Run, don't walk, to Redlefsen's for a wonderful dining experience.

Our total came to:

2 Diet Cokes - $3.90

Jonah crabcakes - 8.95

Baked cod - 13.95 

Ultimate grilled cheese - 9.95

Apple strudel - 6.95

Creme brulee - 6.95

Subtotal - $50.65

Tax - 4.05

TOTAL = $54.70

We paid $66 with a 20% tip for Jennifer, however, thanks to our $10 gift certificate, we really only paid $56.

Redlefsen's Rotisserie and Grill is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Don't forget to check out MenuJoy.com for great area restaurant menus and to win gift certificates of your own!

Bite of the Week - The Ingredient Finder (MarDona Oils)

www.theingredientfinder.com

The great folks at The Ingredient Finder contacted us to see if we would like to view their website. Well, being interested in all things "food", we were happy to check it out. What we found was a whole new world of access to unusual oils, spices, grains, pastas, condiments, sauces and salts. Not to mention recipes, gifts, wines and exotic ingredients from all over the world. Need a spice from Africa?  An oil from Spain?  A grain from Tunisia? Well, the crew at The Ingredient Finder will help you find it. Besides the great recipes you'll find, you'll be able to fill your shopping basket with the most rare and delicious cooking essentials from the comfort of your home. Now you have no reason to tell your partner you just couldn't complete their favorite dish because of one "elusive" ingredient. It's all here.

We were thrilled to receive a trio of oils to sample. They were MarDona Lemon Olive Oil, which came in a gourmet spray bottle; MarDona Raspberry Balsamic Glaze, which was in a chef-style squeeze bottle; and completing the trio was MarDona Garlic Olive Oil, also in a gourmet spray bottle. Hubby can't leave the garlic olive oil alone. He's sprayed it on everything from roasted potatoes to his macaroni and cheese lunch, lol.  It's definitely a superior product. The garlic does not override the gentle olive oil taste and it portrays an almost creamy texture. I can't wait to try the raspberry balsamic over vanilla ice cream (suggested on the bottle). The lemon oil will be pared with some chicken and served over pasta for what I am sure will be a tasty repast.

On their website (see above), you will learn the story of how a group of fine home cooks came together to offer the kind of ingredients they couldn't find in stores. Now they are able to offer them to you. If you love to cook and are frustrated by a lack of unusual herbs, spices, oils and other ingredients in your local venue, then click on the link above to be carried to a whole new world of flavor. You'll be glad you did.

Don't forget to check out MenuJoy.com for great area restaurant menus.