Flatbreads in Farmington Valley

During a marathon day of shopping (Ms Foodie doing her part to help the economy), I stopped for lunch at Flatbreads in Farmington.

Flatbreads has the feel of a chain with the coziness of a local eatery. The rustic farmhouse vibe of the wood burning oven and the open kitchen add to the charm of the place although I didn't quite get the point of the large rock I wound up sitting next to...

There were two types of pizzas to chose from: with sauce and without. You can also build your own pizza so there is certainly is variety in the menu. My server touted the "organic" ingredients on the menu and while I appreciate organic farming, it doesn't necessarily sway my choice of eatery. Sorry, just being honest. But I digress...

After perusing the menu, I decided to go with one of the intriguing specials, a pizza with caramelized onions, butternut squash, roasted cranberries and goat cheese. I paired this with a blueberry wheat beer recommended by my server.

The flatbread had a nice combination of savory and sweet and I enjoyed the thin crust of the pizza. Unfortunately, I found the beer less satisfying. It basically tasted like a Budweiser with the blueberry essence. A small pizza was more than enough for a light lunch and I will certainly be back to try one of their salads. If you are looking for a casual friendly place with decent food at a reasonable price, Flatbreads if for you.

Shrimp fra diavolo foodie style!

It's Sunday, I'm watching football and what goes better with Sunday football than a big bowl of pasta? (especially after the 5k I ran in the morning)

I indulged my craving and took this carbo-opportunity as a chance to clean out my pantry and fridge. While my pot of water was boiling, I defrosted and peeled some frozen shrimp I had in the freezer. I heated up my trusty large saute pan and set two cloves of minced garlic and about a quarter of a thinly sliced white onion to soften. I prefer white onions in tomato based sauces for the sweetness it adds to the dish. A can of crushed and a can of peeled tomatoes joined the onions and I let that simmer for about ten minutes.

As the angel hair pasta was cooking, I added some julienned basil and a few chopped sundried tomatoes to the sauce. Finally I added the shrimp and continued to cook until the shrimp turned pink. Along the way I continued to season with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder and a hefty dose of crushed red pepper.

After adding the angel hair to the sauce and giving it a twirl with my tongs; I garnished with a bit of parsley from my herb garden and dinner was served!

Who says you can't get good Italian in the burbs?