Peppercorn's Grill

RRR headed into Hartford late Saturday night to check out Peppercorn's Grill. The menu was extensive. In addition to the wide array of items offered on Peppercorn's regular menu, there was a pretty long list of specials to add to the indecision.

We finally came to a consensus and decided to share the il piccolo ragù di funghi selvatici con il loro brodetto e polenta di semolina which is a fricassee of seasonal wild mushrooms in their own juices with parmigiano reggiano and semolina polenta. The polenta had a nice crusty outer layer and the rich sauce provided a nice bed for the earthy mushrooms.

For a main course, RRR had the sea bass special with haricot verts, artichokes, potatoes and olive and tomato bruschetta. The fish was fresh and perfectly cooked and the artichokes really stood out from the rest of the vegetables. Overall, a very well-rounded nice dish.

I chose my traditional pasta with seafood dish. The fettuccine was freshly made and toothsome and well coated by the rich thick hearty tomato sauce that came with it. Fresh clams, mussels, calamari, scallops and half a lobster tail were all well cooked and delicious.

Would I say it is the best Italian I've ever had? No. Would I say that it was a good restaurant option if you're in Hartford and itching for Italian? Yes.

Glastonbury Apple Harvest Festival

What are you going to do after you help your friend run his first 5K? Pig out at the nearest fair of course! After running the 34th Annual Apple Harvest Festival 5K road race, the 'official' race photographer (aka RRR) and I headed over to the fair grounds of the Glastonbury Apple Harvest Festival.

We perused the various stalls and made a few purchases including the adorable lunch bag (see post below) and a super cute pumpkin lantern for RRR. We tasted a few of the gourmet food items of some of the vendors but weren't moved enough to make a purchase.

And what's a fair without lots of fried goodness at your fingertips? The apple fritters seemed to be the item du jour and we chose a stand and decided to give them a whirl.

Basically, we're talking batter dipped apples that you coat with some powdered and cinnamon sugar. Yeah, it's fried dough with fruit in the middle. They were pretty good but RRR and I are 'purists' when it comes to fried dough (aka zeppoles to those not up on the Jerz slang) and weren't totally enamored with the fritters. Plus, this was not the apple fritters we remembered from our childhood...I believe those came courtesy of Mrs. Paul!

But there were more apples to be had and I followed the fritters with a slice of apple pie while enjoying the band playing at the fair. The pie was decent, but the chill in the air took a bit out of it... it would have been better if it was warm.

We didn't totally leave empty handed, however, and left the fair with bags of... what else? Apples!

Alidoro: A walk down memory lane (or Sullivan Street!)

My first job after college was at a small production company in SoHo. Back then, SoHo wasn't the 'outdoor mall' it is now, but an eclectic array of boutiques, artist's lofts and a few Mom and Pop stores.

One of my biggest treats (given my near poverty level salary) was to take a walk to the little Italian shop on Sullivan Street to get a sandwich. The menu was listed on the wall and you dare not deviate from the menu. A co-worker made that mistake once.... (once!) and was banned from the store. (This was well before Seinfeld's Soup Nazi). The older Italian man behind the counter may have been abrupt when serving you, but took great care in making your sandwich.

My favorite was the fresh mozzarella, sundried tomatoes and bel paese on semolina bread. After a few frequent trips to the store, he eventually warmed up to me and we would talk while he made my sandwich. He would tell me that I was way too pale to be Sicilian, that Alberto Tomba is a drunk but will once again bring home Olympic gold for Italy in Lillehammer, that I should be able to speak fluent Italian if only to show respect to my Grandmother and other Italian-related conversations. Okay, maybe it wasn't so warm and fuzzy but if I close my eyes I can still taste the sandwich.

There's the backstory... and since New York is really a small place, I now get my hair done at the salon next door to the old Italian sandwich shop. It is usually closed when I get there in the evening, but my Monday afternoon appointment made it a perfect opportunity to enjoy a bit of culinary nostalgia.

The shop is called Alidoro and it's not a well kept neighborhood secret. In fact, it never was. The old man is gone (I am hoping that he is just back in his beloved homeland enjoying retirement) and the couple behind the counter have a bit of his mannerisms.

The menu hasn't changed (not that I would dare deviate from it anyway) and on this visit I ordered the Mona Lisa: fresh mozzarella, artichokes, caponata of eggplant and bel paese on semolina.

The semolina bread is as crusty yet fresh as I remembered. The mozzarella as creamy and as smooth as ever. The artichokes were full of oily goodness and the bel paese brought all the ingredients together in perfect harmony. The caponata was a bit sweet; but if this is the worst thing about this sandwich, I'll take it. With my first bite, the memory of sandwiches past flooded back and were just as vivid as ever.

The Cutest Lunch Bag!

As someone who "brown bags" it to work, I am always looking for a lunch bag that will not only be able to contain the enormous amount of food I carry on any given day but will also not make me look like a complete dork.

For the past few years, my Lean Cuisine white and pink insulated bag (with proceeds going to Susan G. Komen) did the trick but it's seen better days.

Yesterday, while perusing the stalls at the Glastonbury Apple Harvest Festival (more to come on that!) RRR and I came across these stylish yet functional lunch bags! The company is called Posh Paks and it's one of those products where you say "why the heck didn't I think of that?".

Check out the link, while I love the pseudo-Burberry style of the Katie, I needed a bit more room and wound up leaving with the Brittany.

Can't wait to pack my lunch tomorrow!