Due to the undeniable love for Jack Brown’s between me and my fellow classmates I have decided to do my last and final blog post on the beer and burger joint that has served me well this past year.  This past Saturday I took my parents to Jack Brown’s.  To be honest I wasn’t going to take them any place else.  I raved about the phenomenal burgers and sweet potato fries and they were in. YES!  Because I know that Jack Brown’s does a burger good, I decided to try the special of the day, the Hawaiian.  This immaculate burger was topped with sliced ham, pineapple, and teriaki sauce.  The taste that rolled in my mouth was simply amazing and before I knew it the entire burger was gone.  My parents, not as daring as I, enjoyed a simple cheeseburger with the delicious Jack Brown’s sauce.  If you’re not a fan of the daily special I would totally recommend a simple cheese burger or even two! (My apologies for the lack of picture, the burger was gone before I even remember to take a snap shot)

Although I loved the Hawaiian it was no comparison to my all time favorite Greg Brady.  Jack Brown’s definitely had me hooked.  As my parents said, “Do one thing and do it well”.  Oh hell yeah Jack Brown’s!

I write this blog with tears as I am graduating in a week.  To my readers I hope you have enjoyed this blog.  I will somewhat try to continue my writing, but can not make any promises since I will no longer be in the Harrisonburg area.  It has been a pleasure sharing my eating experiences! Hopefully my critiques were up to par and you actually went out to try some of the delicious food this town has to offer.  To my fellow graduates, best of luck to you and all of your future endeavors.  Never forget the wonderful times here at JMU.

Located at 14 East Water Street Pennybackers dates back to the 1850’s and has historically been a carriage house or Pub. Its past names include The George Washington Inn as well as the Blue Swan Tavern. One of the early owners was a man named Derrick Pennybacker, and the building is known as the Pennybacker Building. Going with the penny theme, the majority of the tables in the restaurant were auctioned off at the Harrisonburg Children’s Museum’s annual fundraiser. Auction winners  were able to design their own tabletop using the tail side of pennies, with the exception of 10 heads on each table. See if you can find the 10  heads!

The awesome thing about Pennybackers is the roof top, the fact that they serve beer in a mason jar, and umm hello…tater tots!  Upon my first visit I was unable to sit on the roof (due to weather conditions), but the inside was extremely cozy.  For dinner I ordered the Liberty Bell consisting of your choice of Chicken or Angus Roast Beef, smothered in Provolone Cheese, Grilled Bell Peppers and Onions, then topped with Mayo, Mixed Greens, Tomato and Banana Peppers served on French Bread.

I ordered my sandwhich with chicken and to be honest it wasn’t anything special.  To Pennybackers advantage, I think I just ordered the wrong thing.  More than anything, I really enjoyed the tater tots!  I don’t think I have had them since middle school haha!  They were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  If I am able to go back to the Pennybackers before graduation I think I’m going to order a grilled cheese to go along with my middle school theme.

For those of you who don’t watch much T.V. Bobby Flay is quite arguably one of the best chefs around.  Bobby Flay’s culinary versatility is evident in the multiple talents he brings to the field: as critically-acclaimed chef/restaurateur, award-winning cookbook author and television personality. However his first priority always remains with his restaurants.

Flay possesses a remarkable ability to create and retain the individual character of each of his projects, insisting on uniqueness and integrity. He works tirelessly to challenge diners’ expectations and influence the way Americans view and taste food – making it bold, zesty and always fun, something I definately found true when I visited his restaurant in the Borgata.

Flay is known for his preparation and cooking of meat, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to order a delicious Philadelphia Style Strip Steak in a provolone cheese sauce paired with caramelized onions.  HEAVEN! This is by far one of the best dishes I have ever ordered.  I never order meat when I go to restaurants, but I am so glad that I did.  I like my meat well done (apparently an insult to most chefs), but I wouldn’t have eaten it any other way.  If you have the opportunity to make it to AC I would highly recommend stopping by the Borgata and eating at Bobby Flay Steak.  The price is well worth the food!

For dessert my brother and I ordered Chocolate Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with peanut butter ice cream & banana rum caramel.  Sounds tastey huh?  Unfortunately I have never had bread pudding so I am not sure exactly what it is supposed to taste like.  The flavor was excellent, but the bread was a little dry.  I would recommend some other dessert on the Flay menu.

I went to Atlantic City New Jersey for Easter weekend and my Grandfather’s 80th birthday.  To say it was an awesome weekend is a huge understatement.  I forgot how great it is to go away with your family and not have to worry about paying for food…tehehe.  Of course that wasn’t the only awesome part, but it was definately a huge perk.  One of the restaurants we attended was called the Knife & Fork Inn.

Under the direction of new owner Frank Dougherty, the Knife & Fork, a legendary Atlantic City steak and seafood restaurant, has been restored to its original grandeur. The transformation recaptures the look and feel of the landmark restaurant’s Prohibition era roots, including rich mahogany millwork, hand-painted ceilings, a sweeping staircase and balcony and lushly appointed dining rooms.  We were lucky enough to sit in the private dining area, which sat 10 people at a round table.

As an appetizer we ordered beer batered string beans with lemon aioli sauce.  The lightly breaded vegetables were the best.  Dipped in a little bit of sauce and you were set.

For a side dish I ordered the soup special, tomatoe and white bean soup.  The portion was extremely large and the soup was simply perfect.  The beans complimented the diced tomato and made for a rich somewhat thick soup.

The main dish I ordered was a chicken milanese with arugula and tomato vinaigrette.  It wasn’t the best dish I have ever ordered and not really anything special.  Unfortunately I do not like seafood so I didn’t order the dish that the restaurant was known for.

Our final dish was a delicious berry tart for my Papa’s 80th birthday.  The thin sugary wafers were the perfect balance with the blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and vanilla creme.

Happy Birthday Papa!! LOVE YOU!

Two weeks ago I went home for a job interview in New York City and went to the infamous Carnegie Deli located on 7th avenue and 55th street.  Known for their pastrami, corned beef, brisket and many other sandwiches, including the famous “Broadway Danny Rose” this place is one awesome deli!  All of their gargantuan sandwiches are overstuffed with at least one pound of meat and specializes in old world favorites such as: knishes, matzoh ball soup, stuffed cabbage, and of course pickles.

I learned a valuable lesson while attending the deli with my boyfriend; order what a restaurant is known for!  My boyfriend was smart, for he ordered what else but the biggest pastrami sandwhich I have ever seen.  Now I am not a fan of pastrami whatsoever, but this was to die for!  The meat was perfectly sliced and seasoned.  It was tender and full of flavor with each and ever bite.  I ordered a cheeseburger, which was also very tastey, but a typical burger.  (I think Jack Browns may have one up on the burger situation compared to Carnegie’s).

Anywho…if you are in the Times Square area and are craving a huge and awesome sandwhich, Carnegie Deli is definately the place.  The atmosphere with pictures of celebrities who ate at the deli makes you feel like you too are part of the family!

I have been to L’Italia many more times since my last post, but decided that the new dish I tried was more than worthy of a review to my dedicated readers!  Presenting the delectable tri-colored tortellini in a bolognese sauce.

Ok, so the picture doesn’t do it justice (you should see me taking a million pictures in a restaurant I look like a creep), but I think this may have to be one of my new favorite dishes.  I always passed it by on the menu because it seemed like something so ordinary, but L’italia does it right.  The sweet and salty sauce is a perfect combination with the cheezy pasta.  Top with some parmesian cheese and you are set!

Of course this would not be a proper L’italia post without the notoriously sinful bread knots (which are free with your meal….SHWING!).  Since I know most of the people who work there and I ate with two of the waitresses our table got HOOKED UP! Check it….

I must guiltily admit that me and my two friends ate two of these baskets….whoopppssss

Once again, thank god I can eat!

Shank’s Bakery is owned and operated by Randy & Janet Shank of Broadway, Virginia.

Local farmers for more than 30 years, Randy & Janet Shank began bringing sweet corn, vegetables, and bedding plants to the Harrisonburg Farmer’s Market about 8 years ago. After supplementing the farming business with baked goods for many of those years, the demand for their breads and pies had become too large for their home kitchen. At the end of July 2005, Shank’s Bakery opened in their current space adjoining the Water Street parking deck in downtown Harrisonburg, which allowed for a larger variety and quantity of baked goods, and the addition of a coffee shop.

I decided from the assortment of baked goods to go with the blueberry muffin, a personal favorite.  It’s difficult to mess up a blueberry muffin, and Shank’s didn’t let me down.  For $0.89 this muffin was nothing special, but certainly worth the price.  The top was coated in thick sugar crystals, but the inside was somewhat dry.  I would purchase the muffin again, but there are definately other places (i.e. Dunkin’ Donuts) that will serve bigger and better muffins.  Try it for yourself and let me know what you all think!

If you read my previous blog you would have learned that I was home for a weekend to celebrate my dad’s birthday.  We celebrated with a delicious Paula Deen Apple Crisp and it was heaven.  I will admit that I felt somewhat quilty since we all know Paula Deen loads the butter in her recipes, but felt that this was probably one of her healthier desserts.  Hey, at least there’s fruit in it right? RIGHT! WOOO HOOO!

This dessert was perfectly sweet and crunchy all together.  The carmelized apples gurgled in the soup of brown sugar and butter above it, making for a perfect combination in my mouth.  Pair this piping hot masterpiece with some vanilla bean ice cream and you are good to go!  The dessert is extremely easy to make, especially for those who are not the best in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

Directions

Apple Mixture:
10 cups apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins

Topping Mixture: 1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups oats
2 tablespoon lemon zest
1-tablespoon cinnamon
1-teaspoon nutmeg
1-teaspoon cardamom Vegetable oil or cooking spray

Combine all ingredients for apple mixture in a bowl. 

In another bowl, cut the butter into the flour and stir in remaining topping ingredients. 

Spray interior of camp Dutch oven with cooking spray or wipe with vegetable oil.  Spread apple mixture in bottom of camp oven.  Top with topping mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees by placing 8 coals under and 16 on lid.  Continue cooking until apples are cooked and topping is brown.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ease of preparation: moderately easy

Check out some of Paula’s other recipe’s on www.pauladeen.com.  Once again, thank god I can eat!  I’ll leave you all with this bahahaha:

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and my dad’s 50th birthday I celebrated with my family and grandparents with a wonderful Irish Coffee.  Now I’m sure that there are multiple ways of making this delicious beverage, but I will have to admit that my Italian Grandma’s recipe is a perfect mix of coffee, whiskey, sweet sugar and cream.  RECOMMENDATION: Irish Coffee should be enjoyed as an after dinner drink.

How To Make Irish Coffee:

Ingredients:

-medium sized coffee mug (easiest if clear)

-brown sugar

-Tellamore Dew Irish Whiskey (or any Irish Whiskey)

-freshly brewed coffee (do not use instant)

-whipped cream

Directions:

Put 3 large crumbs of brown sugar into the bottom of the mug.  Pour about a shot and a half in the mug or just enough to cover all of the sugar.  Fill the mug 3/4 of the way with coffee and top with whipped cream.  It is tradition that you sip the coffee through the cream (making an interesting conversation when it covers your entire nose).  Pair with a deliciously sprinkled dougnut hole and you have an awesome Irish dessert courtesy of my Italian Grandma; ironic huh?

Drink responsibly

I am re-writing my review on Cuchi Guido’s, the Italian Restaurant that has recently opened downtown, because I have had a change of heart and feel that I owe it to you all to give an honest review.  Cuchi Guido’s is really nothing to brag about or a place to bring your family when they come to visit.  It was difficult for me to write a negative review on the restaurant probably because 1) it was my first review, 2) I wanted their food to be good and 3) the owner gave us a four course meal for free!  So can you blame me?

I would have to say that Cuchi Guido’s specialty is their steak and cheese sandwhiches.  They are perfectly greasy and salty; exactly what a Philly really should be like.  On the other hand, their pizza is nothing like that of Brooklyn, New York or New Jersey.  Though the dough and crust is closest to that of those up North, there seems to be something missing in their sauce.

Their panzarotti is unlike anything I have ever tried.  Again it is greasy, yet tastey, but the feeling you get afterwards is not the most enjoyable.  I would say that after their sandwhiches, the panzarotti is the next best thing on Cuchi Guido’s menu, but I would not recommend getting it every time.

It seems as if the restaurant still has some kinks to work out, including staff, lighting and atmosphere.  I would recommend trying Cuchi Guido’s for yourself.  Once again I may just be a picky Jersey girl.  I have especially high standards when it comes to anything Italian.  If you are downtown I would recommend you visit Jack Brown’s, Dave’s or Clementine before you choose to visit Cuchi Guido’s.