Filippi Pizza Grotto – Napa CA

Dec9

Filippi Pizza Grotto is an Italian food restaurant with 14 locations throughout California. We chose the Napa location because we were going to Oxbow Market across the street but wanted more filling food than a taco. And we did not want something as ordinary as a hamburger. Filippi was across the street and we decided to give it a try after looking at their menu and prices. Their prices are comparable to Olive Garden, but the food tastes way better. The amount of food that they give is also a bargain. They are serving family size dishes here. There is enough food for two especially if you do not want to have a carry out box of leftovers.

We shared the spaghetti with marinara sauce and sausage ($9.45). All the pasta dishes came with Italian rolls. The Italian roll was about the size of a hoagie roll, crusty exterior with soft white bread on the inside. They brought it to the table warm and I ate two slices before I had a chance to butter the bread. It was that good. I am a sucker for good bread.

They make their own sausage and I could taste the effort that was put into it. The casing was a little chewy, but the meat inside was well seasoned and tender. The marinara sauce was thick and chunky with a lot of tomato pieces.

Overall: This was a hearty Italian meal served with friendly service at an affordable price.

Filippi Pizza Grotto 645 First Str Napa CA

707-254-9700

Hotel Fiesole

Dec9

There is a little hotel and restaurant in Skippack, PA called Hotel Fiesole. I went there a few times for catered company dinners.
Happy hour started with an assortment of cheeses (Parmesan, Blue, Brie), cream crackers, honey, walnuts, raisins, dates, and apricots, flatbread
with hummus, chips and guacamole, and meatballs. I could not stay away from the Parmesan/honey/crackers. Such a tasty combination! The bar
served beer, wine, and basic liquor drinks (e.g. rum and coke, amaretto sour, gin and juice, gin and tonic, margarita, martini). I asked for pina colada but unfortunately they could not make because they did not have a blender >>imagine my sad face<<. I ended up ordering amaretto

sour and then margarita on the rocks.
When we were called to the dining room, the main course was served buffet style: beef in puff pastry, Parmesan encrusted salmon, green beans with walnuts, mashed potatoes. The food tasted good, but it was not food that I would have preferred if I had ordered my own meal. The quality of the food and the preparation should be applauded though.
My favorite part of the meal was dessert. They had strawberry crunch, mini fruit tarts with vanilla cream filling, chocolate covered strawberries, and brownies with walnuts. The crusts for the mini fruit tarts were thick, buttery, and flakey. The vanilla filling was creamy and the fruit on top was sweet. When I requested hot tea to drink, I like that they brought a small tea pot with hot water and a selection of Mighty Leaf teas.

Overall: The whole experience was classy and the restaurant was what I would call "quaint".

Pascal’s Cafe and Grill – Greenwood SC

Dec9

When I want to treat myself or celebrate a special occasion, one of the places I like to go is Pascal’s This restaurant is considered upscale for Greenwood. They serve French-American style cuisine. Reservations are recommended to make sure you get a table in this small restaurant because they tend to get crowded. Some people have told me that they consider Pascal’s to be pricey, but I have been to other upscale restaurants and their prices are about par for what I expect. That being said, do not try to eat here if you are on a budget because plates average prices are probably about $20.

I am not very adventurous when it comes to trying different plates on their menu because I love the pork osso bucco. The meat is so tender that it falls off the bone. The rosemary demi-glace sauce is a wonderful complement to the mashed potatoes. And the asparagus qualifies as my serving of vegetables for the day because it is served al dente without having the life cooked out of it.

I do not know how many pork osso bucco Pascal cooks each night, but I always try to get there early so that I can get my order before they run out for the night. Pork osso bucco is so delicious that even after I am full, I might try to eat a little more. The only thing that keeps me from stuffing myself is the knowledge that I will be able to eat Crème Brulée for dessert.

Pascal’s Crème Brulée rivals Maggianos. I love the textural differences of the crunch of the burnt, slightly bitter caramelized sugar mixed with the soft, sweet, creamy, vanilla custard. It is like velvet in my mouth.

Overall: The service is good. I have never had a problem with any of the waitstaff. The quality of the pork osso bucco and Crème Brulée has always been top notch for me too.

Senor Chicken – Washington DC

Dec8

Senor Chicken was located in a little strip mall in Langley Park VA. I was hungry and wanted something other than McDonalds or Taco Bell. I found this place while shopping. Incidentally, I saw a lot of restaurants that said they served “Peruvian style chicken” and “Pollo a la brasa” (broiled chicken usually over fire). Of course you know that my mouth was watering at this point.
Since I was with my brother-in-law and his wife, we decided to order a whole chicken. It came with salad and a side. We got rice and beans. The
salad was average- cut up pieces of iceberg lettuce and small wedge of tomato. The rice and beans was well seasoned. I could taste the time and
effort that was put into preparing it.
The reason for the restaurant, the main course, the CHICKEN was delicious! Each piece, regardless if it was white or dark meat, was juicy. The seasoning permeated all parts of the chicken. It even seems as if the bones were seasoned well. It was not overly salty or spicy.

There was a little hint of smokiness since it was cooked over a fire in a brick or stone type of oven. It was served with two types of sauces. I
am guessing that the green sauce was supposed to be spicy. The cream sauce was almost like a thousand island type of sauce. I liked both so
much that I dipped my chicken in both sauces. This is not to say that the meat needed sauce. It did not need any sauce, ketchup, honey mustard
etc. It seemed to be more civilized to eat the sauce with my chicken instead of tipping the cup up to my mouth and drinking the sauce. I
think other customers would have agreed with me.

Overall: The chicken was scrumptious. IF can restrain yourself from eating a whole chicken and you are fortunate enough to have leftovers, the chicken does not lose flavor when it is reheated.

Gnomeo and Juliet

Dec8

Gnomeo and Juliet was a cute movie loosely based on the Shakespearean play Romeo and Juliet. In this case, the characters were opposing families of garden gnomes and other statues that come to life when humans are not around. A gnome is a red or blue based on the color of their hat. For as long as they can remember, there has been an ongoing feud of red versus blue. No one can remember how it got started, but they are sworn enemies. This lead to all sorts of destruction and mayhem on both sides in the name of defending the family’s honor. Because of a series of circumstances, Gnomeo and Juliet meet each other in another garden. The attraction is apparent before they know that the color of the other gnome’s hat. But even after the knowing that bit of information, they are still drawn to each other.

Like the play, their love is doomed to fail. But since this a children’s movie, the ending is not as tragic as the play.

This movie was a cartoon for children. There were very few jokes or innuendos that would be understood by the adults only.

Overall: If I had children, I would buy this for them because it was a cute, wholesome movie. As an adult without children, I do not think I would buy for myself.