What this blog is about.

Finding excellent food and service is often a challenge anywhere. So much can go wrong. Whether it be the food, service, atmosphere or price. I admit, I am a food snob. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy simple meals as well as those I expect to pay top dollar for. However, I believe one should get what one pays for. I hope to be able to guide you to the best places to eat in the shoreline area.

I have found that the biggest challenge in running a successful restaurant is consistency. And, I recognize that all places can have an off day, Therefore, should I end up trashing a local eatery, I will extend a second chance experience. However, I think it is important to be honest with you about my experiences. It is not my intention to close local business. Hopefully, they will receive my reviews as creative criticism.



Please contact me via email with your comments, questions, and restaurant review suggestions. davidkosky@hotmail.com.



Sunday, July 24, 2011

Alforno's - Old Saybrook

Alforno Trattoria and Brick Oven Pizza

1654 Boston Post Road
Old Saybrook, CT 06475-1600
(860) 399-4166

Price Guide

$$-$$$

Alforno's has been around for about 20 years now. I first ate there back in 1998 and had a terrific experience. Since then I have dined there on many occasions and have always had wonderful meals. However, the last time I was there, until recently, was two years ago. In my description of this blog I write that the greatest challenge in operating a successful restaurant is consistency. Well, the streak has come to an end. I could not have been more disappointed with my dining experience.

I'm not even sure where to start. When we headed out to dinner I made the comment that I felt guilty going to a "sure thing" for my next review. The restaurant itself is very inviting. The decor is fresh and modern and gives the feel of being in a larger metropolitan area. But, the staff is lacking in providing a welcoming feeling. Often when I sense this I can only think that it is reflective of management. What also bothered me is that most of the staff was either eating near the bar, talking to each other or chewing gum. Only after I took out my notebook did we seem to receive better attention.

Alforno's menu is pretty extensive without being confusing. They have an extensive wine list with prices ranging from $18 to $140 a bottle. They offer many appetizers, six different salads, 16 pasta dishes and many entrees in the Florentine style. With entrees, they offer a small portion and a regular serving with prices ranging from $9 to $22.

Usually, I like to include pictures of everything we ate. However, this time I've chosen not to because it doesn't matter what something looks like if it isn't good. That is the case now.

To start, we ordered two appetizers. Veal Ricotta Meatballs, $6 and Tempura Zucchini Blossoms, $12. I was really looking forward to the meatballs. Well, as nicely formed as they were, they equally lacked flavor and texture. The Tempura was fresh and nicely cooked, but, as what would become the theme, lacked any real flavor.

Next came the entrees. As usual, I tried to be diverse in our choices. We ordered their staple, the Tagliatelle Bolognese, the Shrimp Scampi over Spaghetti and finally, a special, Porchetta.

Their Bologneses has always been amazing. However, this serving was so lacking I found it inedible. It is very hard to describe something that just doesn't seem fresh or inspired. A major disappointment at $13 for a small serving.

The Shrimp Scampi was even worse and my wife loves shrimp. While the portion size was excellent for a small, it was pointless. The shrimp were far from being a scampi. Just boiled and boring. Since the scampi is the main attraction to the dish, the rest was hopeless. Bland, bland, bland. Not only was the entree awful but mixed into it were stray pieces of chicken and different types of noodles. Makes you wonder about dedication to quality. $13.

When my Porchetta arrived I saw promise. Porchetta is a Roman roast of pork with fresh herbs, portabello mushrooms, pistachio nuts and shallots. The presentation was excellent but you can't judge a book...... The roast was so overcooked it could not be eaten. If you remember my description of the pork chops at Tiberio's, well this was the opposite. Ugh. $19.50, you have got to be kidding me!

Well, I could not just let this experience go. When the waitress asked how everything was.... I told her. To her credit she listened and seemed to really care. The majority of our meal was taken off the bill. Thank you for that.

I should say that we did not have any pizza. I have heard nice things about their brick oven pizzas and maybe I will go back just to try that. I have also talked to many people about Alforno since this experience as well as reading other reviews. What seems to be consistent is the complaints about lack of seasoning and flavor as well as the service.

Recommendation: Pass and go to Tiberio.

Alforno Ristorante & Brick on Urbanspoon

Friday, July 1, 2011

The Black Seal - Essex

The Black Seal - Essex
15 Main Street
Essex, CT 06426
Tel. 860.767.0233

Lunch Hours
Mon-Fri
11:30 am – 3:30 pm
Sat & Sun
11:30 am – 4:00 pm

Dinner Hours
Everyday
5:00 pm – Close

Price Guide

$$-$$$


I didn't plan on doing a review on this particular evening. I was out on the Connecticut River with my cousin cruising along on his beautiful 36 foot Sea-Ray. We hit some back channels where, as kids, we use to jump from a rope swing. On returning, my cousin made a drastic swerve and said he just missed an eel pot. Or so we thought. Later, when we were able to open up the throttle, the left engine seemed to bog down. When we returned to the slip we found orange line float up from the left prop. Great. So, with a line hook, we started poking around and was actually able to remove some, but not all. That left only two options. Pay someone to go in the water or do it ourselves. Well, ourselves turned out to be me. With a knife, in I went. Twenty minutes later, submerged in grimy slip water, I was able to free our prop and get a free dinner. Back to Essex we went, tied off at the town slip and walked up to The Black Seal. Yes, we could have gone to The Griswold Inn but the idea of returning to a place I did a fair amount of "college day" drinking seemed cool. And no, I didn't know what to expect of the food.

 When we arrived I was surprised to see table cloths laid out. It was busy but not too crowed for 6:30pm. The bar had yet to fill so it was not too noisy. We were greeted, seated, and had our drink orders taken quickly. The menu had a lot to offer as well as specials. However, they did lack New England style clam chowder and instead had Rhode Island style. Which is the clear broth type. I passed on that. While looking over the menu, the cook did send out the French Onion for us to sample. This came in a crock style bowl with melted cheese all over it. It looked great. The three of us enjoyed the soup. My cousin loved it. I thought it was pretty salty but still enjoyed it very much. Our overall consensus was that it could have had more cheese. $5.50.

After the soup, we ordered two other appetizers. The Shrimp Cocktail and the Prince Edward Island Mussels. I was a little disappointed with the shrimp. The six shrimp were fresh, not frozen and came with a nice "Bloody Mary" cocktail sauce. They were cooked nicely, not overcooked, but they could have been bigger. $10.95 The Mussels were excellent. They too were fresh and served in a white wine, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, and roasted garlic cream sauce. The portion was large and was excellent for the three of us. $7.95.









Next came the entrees. All three came from the menu. My cousin ordered an interesting dish, Baked Bay Scallop Casserole. I say interesting because scallops have such a great taste on their own that I was surprised to see them offered in a casserole. Baked with the scallops was spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, feta cheese, garlic, white wine, and topped with an herb bread crust. Its side dishes were rice and vegetables. Now, this is tough to review. The first impression was wow. So much flavor. But as I went on, I found that there was just too much flavor. There were a ton of scallops and they were cooked perfectly and had great flavor all on their own. Then my pallet got confused. There was just too much going on to enjoy the scallops. If you do not like sun-dried tomatoes you will hate this. The dish is extremely rich but I would have really enjoyed a more simplified version that complemented the scallops and not over powered them. $19.95.



My wife's entree was the Grilled Salmon with chilpote mango BBQ glaze. It too was served with the rice and vegetables. The Salmon too was cooked nicely but my wife didn't care for the glaze. Again, a case of too much additional flavors hiding the natural flavor. Yet, it was very good. $18.95.



I had the 12oz New York Strip. It was a nice cut and cooked perfectly. It came with the same vegetables and a baked potato. All good. I wish the scallops had been as simple as this. But, I hate it when restaurants serve butter in those little foil wrapped packages. Pet peeve. $22.95



After dinner we ordered coffee and desserts. We got the carrot cake, tiramiso and the turtle cheesecake. All locally made and very good. $5.00 each.  All total for dinner, with drinks, about $140.00.

The Black Seal is an interesting place. I can see how some may not like it. But, for a place that is more known for its after sailing drinking, I was pleasantly surprised at its creativity. Any place can be picked apart but remember, The Black Seal is a couple notches above a tavern. That is a compliment. If I wanted a more formal dinner with an actual chef verses creative cooks, I'd go to The Gris. But, The Black Seal was fun and the food was good. I would not consider it particularly kid friendly so keep that in mind. And if you like to drink and hang out, this a great place for that as well. Also, I saw others who got the burgers and that looked very good as well.

Recommodation: The Seal is an enjoyable place. I would go again.