Jun282010

Olive Garden – Totally Uninspired

By Fat Phantom | June 28, 2010 | Posted in Around Town | Tagged | Comments (30)

Do they really cook like this in Italy ?

No sooner had Phantom posted his recent review for Carbellas, where Phantom blasted Olive Garden for food no better than a banquet microwaved-frozen dinner, did Phantom receive as a gift from a friend, a gift card to Olive Garden.  After my most recent trip to Olive Garden in Manchester the Phantom owes a heart-felt apology to the good people at Banquet Frozen Foods.  Phantom did not mean to degrade your good products by comparing them to the over-cooked, over-salted, burnt and under-sauced items served at the Olive Garden.  Banquet deserved better and so did Phantom and party.

The start and end to the meal were barely OK, it is just that what came in between the appetizer and dessert was utterly disgusting, devoid of flavor, over cooked, over salted, under sauced, and just plain lacking.  Free is free but Phantom is wishing the gift card came from some where else, any where else.

Arriving at 4:30pm on a Tuesday (to avoid the long lines that form later) Phantom and guests were quickly dispatched to a table surrounded by ‘rustic’ looking décor by a pleasant greater.  Our waitress quickly took drink order and returned to take our appetizer requests.  We selected the deep-fried lasagna slices coated in parmesan, as well as our dinner order.

The appetizer was just OK as nearly over-cooked pieces of lasagna arrived covered with a minuscule amount of marinara.  Quickly dispatched by the hungry party.  Hoping for more and getting less we now waited waited for our soup and salad requests.

From previous experience at Olive Garden Phantom ordered something simple.  Simple to prepare and hard to mistreat.  A personal pizza of sausage and onions.  Other orders were placed and the server brought the salad and soup to our table with an endless supply of breadsticks and at $3.50 an extremely over priced ¼ cup of cold marina sauce for the dipping.

Our server interrupted the fight at the table, were a salad for three served family style came with two little hunks of tomato to deliver our soup and some bad news.  Unfortunately they were out of pizza.  All now laughing at the message that an “Italian” (and I apologize for comparing Olive Garden to any other Italian eatery) restaurant was out of pizza I began to review the menu dreading the decision I was about to make.  That decision being what other item on the menu to select.  I opted for the traditional, and again who could screw up, chicken ptarmigan with pasta.  As long as your not out of Pasta I quickly added.  No of course not was the reply.

First up was the Pasta Fagioli soup.  A pleasant looking and ultimately tasteless-greasy concoction that was over salted, under-cooked (the beans) and left un-finished.  Dining guest also left unfinished the Chicken and Gnocchi soup describing the texture of the dumplings as the paste you had in the second grade but lacking the nice paste flavor.  However now continuing to eat the soup only to find the one lone piece of chicken in the bowl to prove that it was indeed Chicken and Gnocchi soup. 

The small group consumed three entrees:
Fettuccine Alfredo
Served in plate too large for the portion provided a totally uninspired dish consisting of over cooked pasta and barely, barely enough gritty-thick Alfredo sauce to cover the pasta.  By the end of the dish there was no sauce left for the now un-finished heap of noodles at the bottom of the plate.  Standard by any measure but insulting at a price of $12.25.

Chicken Parmesan
Featuring a paper thin layer of chicken covered in an inch of breading the chicken arrived over-cooked (burnt actually), over-salted, dry, and under-sauced.  Two bites into the shoe leather preparation I quickly summoned the waitress who did not appreciate the humor when I noted that’s why I wanted the pizza, it’s hard to screw that up.  The manager correctly apologized for the over-done preparation (including burnt spaghetti ) and offered a new dinner, but twice smitten I opted for the refund.

Mixed Grill
Featuring skewers of grilled marinated steak and chicken with a rosemary demi-glace, served with grilled vegetables and Tuscan potatoes, a pleasant looking dish.  The steak arrived well done, in-spite of the request to cook to medium-rare and full of fat and gristle.  The over-cooked, dry, and over-salted chunks of tasteless chicken were no compliment to the tasteless chunks of over cooked squash and bland, dry and over-salted potatoes.  Partially eaten and left unfinished.

Phantom loves bread.  Plain bread, toasted bread, pita-bread, and even whole-wheat bread.  Phantom loves them all.  I am not sure if what is served at Olive Garden counts as bread as Phantom has discovered something called bread he wont eat. 

Dinner, if one could now call it that, ended on a ‘better’ note.  We opted for desserts that came from the freezer, and thankfully not prepared on site.  The chocolate gelato came cold creamy and choclately.  The berries in sorbet and zambione was as advertised, and the Black Tie Mousse cake was still partially frozen when served but none the less the chocolate over dose needed to forget an otherwise truly awful meal.  Even with the deduction for the burnt chicken parm the bill for three with one drink came to over $80.

Near the Mall of NH there are four other chain restaurants all within visual range of the Olive Garden.  You are all better off going someplace else; even if it means standing in line.

On our Fat Phantom five-fork scale………  
Service – 2
Food – 1
Value – 1  –  OVER priced for the quality
Overall – 1.5  -  Totally Uninspired

If you still want to go to the Olive Garden, they are locataed at 1888 South Willow Stree – just south of the mall.  Phone is 603-668-8871

Images courtesy of Olive Garden

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By Fat Phantom | Posted in Around Town | Tagged | Comments (30)
Jun112010

Carrabba’s Italian Grill – Not Your Typical Chain

By Fat Phantom | June 11, 2010 | Posted in Around Town, Columns | Tagged , | Comments (3)

I observe the editors have placed a vote on the home page for what business Londonderry would like to move into the soon to be vacant ‘old’ home of Market Basket.  After two trips in recent weeks to Carrabba’s Italian Grill I vote to add Carrabba’s to the list, as does Mrs. Fat Phantom.

We visited the Carrabba’s in Tyngsboro (on Rte 3 – just south of Pheasant Lane Mall) and in Bedford (on Rte 3 – in the Macy’s parking lot) and were awed by the pleasant efficient service and rock solid Italian comfort food with a few surprises along the way.

Carrabba’s is not the typical chain restaurant.  In comparison, Olive Garden is to Italian food as Taco-Bell is to Mexican food.  Why anyone would wait in line for hours at the Olive Garden for food no better than a banquet frozen dinner cooked in a microwave is still beyond my level of comprehension.

First no surprises at Carrabba’s.  The kitchen is fully open including their large wood-fired-brick oven.  On both trips to Carrabba’s the most favored seats were the diners who elected to eat at the counters with full view of the well orchestrated kitchen.  Not a microwave in site.  Tables can be slid together for large parties and couples or small families can find comfort in warm inviting booths.  A restaurant where any Italian grandmother would feel right at home.

The menu from antipasti to pizza to Italian favorites and a few Carrabba’s unique creations is extensive and not overwhelming (gluten free items as well).  The wine list is equally complete, though a little pricy.  There is of course a Bambini Menu and a full “large-party” carry out menu for that large Italian family event when no one can cook Italian.

Of particular note is the seasonal special offerings  On our trip to Bedford we discovered the Lobster Macaroni & Cheese appetizer.  Large enough to be ordered as an entrée for smaller appetites.  Elbow macaroni expertly drenched in velvety creamy cheese sauce and lumps of large succulent lobster meet.  Mrs. Phantom was wowed by the creation.

Phantom twice opted for Mama Mandola’s Sicilian Chicken Soup.  A home-made spicy blend with chunks and chunks of juicy white-meat chicken in a tomato based broth.  Phantom had a cup in Tyngsboro and recognizing his mistake had the bowl in Bedford.  All the appetizers are yummy delicious and alone well worth the trip.

Phantom in Bedford opted for the Italian Chicken pizza (no pine-nuts please – no problem replied our wonderful waitress).  Thin crust pizza perfect for one included a tangy sweet-sour Italian sauce, strips of grilled chicken, scallions and romano/mozzarella cheese blend.  An excellent dinner pizza from first bite to last crumb.

The signature pastas dish Linguine Pecatore was an overflowing bowl of linguine with shrimp, sea scallops and shell-in mussels in a spicy marinara sauce.  Ordered with extra marinara, no problem.  As with all the entrée’s sampled over our two family visits this one tasted and looked home-made, lovingly prepared and enough left for lunch the next day.

Smaller appetites can be accommodated by either ordering the appetizer for an entrée, don’t forget the salad, or as in the case of many of the family classics section of the menu in a small or large (regular) size.  Most dinners come with choice of salad or soup and all get a fresh loaf of Italian bread and olive oil for the dipping.  Phantoms only fault noted is the olive oil poured into dried herbs with not enough time for the dried herbs to release their flavor into now what was just olive oil for the dipping.

Don’t skip dessert.  We almost made that mistake in Tyngsboro and were fully prepared for them in Bedford.  Well at least one of them.  As stomachs were full we ordered, for three, one Bacino dessert.  Bacino, or little kisses, are min-desserts served in large-shot sized glasses and little spoons.  Three varieties including seasonal restaurant specific treats are offered.  The chocolate Coconut Mousse was rich and satisfying including a topping of baked coconut and a (I think) candy pecan as the crowning event.  The vanilla pastry cream with bananas and strawberries was equally decadent and the Raspberry Panna Cotta with whole fresh raspberries being the best one of all.  On our trip to Bedford we ordered two…..  Other desserts include Limoncello Bread Pudding, a chocolate mousse/brownie concoction and the expected Tiramisu 

Servers were friendly accommodating and left us alone to enjoy our meals with water/soda glasses being refilled as soon as they were emptied.

Our last trip to Bedford for three included two appetizers, three entrees, two desserts, soda and one-glass of wine.  A little pricy at $110 before tip.  Though Carrabba’s is a chain, it lacks that chain feel and well worth the trip to Bedford or Tyngsboro.  Phantom says give it a try and save me some Panna Cotta.

On our Fat Phantom five-fork scale………

Service – 5 forks
Food – 4 forks
Value – 4 forks
Overall – 4 Mama-Mia Happy Forks

Carrabba’s Italian Grill has two local locations:
Bedford – 2 Upjohn Street (in front of Macys on Route 3)  – (603) 641-0004
Tyngsboro – 386 Middlesex Road (just over the border on Route 3) – (978) 649-8388

Images courtesy of Carrabba’s Italian Grill
www.carrabbas.com

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By Fat Phantom | Posted in Around Town, Columns | Tagged , | Comments (3)
May282010

Woodmans Catering at Mels Funway Park

By Fat Phantom | May 28, 2010 | Posted in Around Town, Columns | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)

How can you argue with Forbes Magazine, Zagats Restaurant Guide and the Travel Channel where all declare Woodman’s of Essex the best sea food anywhere (Boston, world, America, universe; depending on the publication).

The original Woodman’s in Essex since 1914, where the fried clam was invented, has been serving seafood year around from its historic location.  Recently they opened a new operation in Litchfield at Mel’s Funway Park bringing a menu of seafood offerings and sides to New Hampshire.

The Phantom has been traveling for work recently.  After countless visits from the room-service guy at various unremarkable cookie-cutter Marriott hotels the last thing Phantom wants to do is eat out.

As luck would have it Phantom received a free invite (through his employer) to attend a kick-off event at Mels Funaway Park in Litchfield.  Woodman’s is now running the restaurant and catering business at Mels.  Trying to jump start their catering business they held a invitation only event for several hundred people last week.

The fish and food may have arrived fresh in Litchfield they left the recipes and flavor locked up in the secret vault down in Essex.

We started our meal with two relatively large lobsters with butter eager for the dipping.  The first lobster was an over cooked piece of chewy rubber that butter did little to do in helping make it taste better.  The second lobster was under cooked and returned.  We should have ordered a third to see if they could find the happy middle ground of cooked.

The oysters prepared in a white wine concoction were utterly tasteless, soggy and did I say without flavor.  Did someone forget to add seasoning or salt or something.  Maybe the oysters were so fresh they had no flavor, I don’t know but dining companion was unable to discern any notable flavor.  However, the award winning clam chowder was clammy, chunky, thick and served utterly cold.

Switching to the enormous hamburgers served on even larger buns we faired no better.  Phantom admits he likes his meet cooked more to the well done side but when the first of three burgers served Pittsburgh rare (charred on the outside and raw blood dripping rare and mooing in the middle) the Phantom gasped.  Some may like their stakes prepared that way but that is no way to treat a hamburger.  The other two uneaten  hamburgers did not get any better.  The large natural casing hotdog was served on a too small soggy bun.

Sides included potato salad prepared with chunks of under-cooked potatoes and mayo.  No flavor, no seasoning and no one working in the kitchen.  Forgive us for not trying the cole-slaw.  On a side note the corn-on-the-cob was nice.

The catered event included warm soda and water and a prepared strawberry short cake served with fresh ripe strawberries.  Phantom admits he had two of these as this was the only part of the meal, other than leaving, that the Phantom enjoyed.

Woodman’s offers a variety of menus for their catered events.  This high-end menu had all the parts but not all the skill in preparing.  This new service at Mels will need some time to get their kitchen staff in order.  The event area is tented and they also offer bar service (maybe being drunk would make the food taste better) and other options for events include free access to the funway parts at Mels including miniature golf, go-carts and batting cages.  Phantom and guest enjoyed them all.  Mels is a real fun place.

The event ended in a fire works display at dusk.  Unfortunately Phantom did not stay that late as he needed to stop on the way home and get something else to eat.  Phantom never being one to skip a free meal should have this time.

Woodmans @ Mels Funway in Litchfield

On our Fat Phantom five-fork scale.
Service – 2
Food – 1
Value – 1 - Free but not good
Overall – 1 – Play golf, take a swing at the batting cages or ride the go-carts instead

Mel’s Funway Park is located at 454 Charles Bancroft Highway (Rt 3A) in Litchfield
Phone: 603-424-2292
http://www.melsfunwaypark.com

Images courtesy of Mels Funway and Woodmans of Essex

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By Fat Phantom | Posted in Around Town, Columns | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)
Apr162010

A Milford Fat “Favorite”

By Fat Phantom | April 16, 2010 | Posted in Columns | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Ambience.  Or in other words it’s not what you’re eating but where you’re eating it.  This world is too full of must dine places that are more about the “place” than the food.  Of course it should be about the food.  Clean table, clean knife, clean bathroom is about the only ambience I care about.  Throw in a couple old things on the wall and “poof” you have a restaurant.

However, my gut observation may be a little off.  Sometimes, and in this case all the time, the destination itself is by far the star of the show.  No not a ‘true’ dinner show but close enough to count.  Some might be thinking Chunky’s Dinner Theatres in Pelham and Nashua and you would be close, but not right.  Who doesn’t love Chunky’s; dinner and a movie in the comfort of a bucket seat ripped from a Lincoln Continental.

But this place isn’t Chunky’s.  Think more like the 1950’s and you know exactly where I’m headed.  Now that summer is almost here, or at least warm enough to spend a few hours in the car, head down 101A from Nashua to 101 in Amherst (or 101 directly out from Bedford/Manchester) to 101A in Milford for an experience one will never forget as it brings back memories of an earlier-simpler time. 

If you haven’t guessed by now it is the Milford Drive In.  If you have never been there, and why not, it is about 40 minutes from Londonderry where 101 runs back into 101A; hang a right hand turn and in a mile you will see the sign on the left for the Drive-In.  Travel down the lane with the corn fields to the right the trailer park (excuse me Londonderry citizens, that would be modular workforce housing)  to the left and watch out for the speed-bumps and there you are, “The Milford Drive In”.

Two screens, $20 a car load, concession stand, bathrooms, playground for the kids, dirt ruts and yes the steel poles (no longer used, all FM sound now) where one used to hang the speaker in your car and there you are at the drive-in.  Ambience, this place is pure ambience.  Did I mention the kids concerts before the shows on some Friday nights ??

To be clear and up-front you can find better hamburgers, better french fries, better chicken fingers, cleaner bathrooms, and probably better anything else (pizza, ice-cream, nachos, etc etc).  It wont matter.  Stop by and give the nice people a try at the concession stand and indulge for a night.  Value is measured not by the number of buttery kernels in the pop corn bucket alone or how big the Blue-Berry slushy is.  Value is all around you.  Sit back relax and drink it all in.  Every last precious drop.

Don’t like deep-fried or griddled food.  No problem.  Pack that cooler from home with your favorite ‘beverages’, a few sandwiches, chips and snacks for the kids.  Too much work.  Well stop by and grab a pizza or two on the way or stop by the Subway a little further down on 101A.  Bring what ever you like, drink what ever you like, and bring everyone you like.  Even bring the dog.  I bring mine all the time.

Where else can your family, your dog, and even granny go and enjoy not one but two first run movies.  Enjoy the food you like in the comfort of your own car, from the back of your own truck or SUV, or lawn chair placed in front of your car.  No where else.  Don’t forget to bring a blanket or two, and on those warm nights bring the bug spray.

So whether you go once, go twice or go every weekend; just go, and go now.  The Milford Drive In ((and that includes Bob in the projection booth.  In a nice way, he  reminds me of ‘Carlton your doorman’.)) is a TRUE JEM that needs to be savored and enjoyed over and over and over again.  Who knows you might see the Phantom there.

What are you waiting for.

On our Fat Phantom five-fork scale………
Service – 3
Food – 2 – or bring your own !
Value – 5 forks
Overall – Priceless & not to be missed – A “Fat favorite”

The Milford Drive In is open now for the season (Friday and Saturday until summer).

See what’s playing and join their e-mail list.
Milford Drive in web-site

Milford Drive in is located on Route 101 on the west side of Milford near the intersection of 101A.  They can be contacted at 603-673-4090

Images courtesy of Milford Drive In

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Mar262010

Country Tavern in Nashua – Amherst

By Fat Phantom | March 26, 2010 | Posted in Columns | Tagged , , , | Comment (1)

In retrospect it was probably a mistake to show up for dinner on a Thursday at 8:40pm when the restaurant closes at 9:00pm.  We were not the last diners of the day however as another party showed up a few moments after us.

The two parties now seated alone in a large dining room already being ‘torn-down’ for the night was the last thing the wait staff (the one that was left anyway) and what ever passed as a cook still in the kitchen wanted to see.  And we paid the price.

The Country Tavern is located on Route 101A in Nashua or is that Amherst or is that Merrimack.  It certainly isn’t as far out as Milford.  One never can tell on 101A where exactly you are, must drive the post office crazy.

The Country Tavern and Pub boasts a bar, excuse me a Pub, a restaurant and associated catering business and a ‘famous’ Sunday brunch.  The menu runs the gamut from pretty typical pub fair to more “American” style eating (steak, veal, chicken, seafood), some of it red spoon.

Our party of four arrived late, hungry, and eager for a good meal.  Well two out of three ain’t bad.  We ordered three appetizers to split.  The chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks  were nothing to write home about.  Frozen, deep fried and delivered with some out of the bottle dipping sauces.  Standard stuff, with a price tag a little higher than expected for some thing you could make at home in the microwave.  The bruschetta.  Where do I begin.  They obviously had the recipe as the parts where there. What came out from the kitchen looked more like something Andrew Zimmern of “Bizarre Foods” would actually think twice before trying.  But that’s just an observation, as hunger took over and it tasted almost as good as it should have looked.

Our luck got a little better with dinner, that is if you ignore the French onion soup with just a “tad” to much salt (I can’t resist French onion soup).  Mrs. Lovely Companion ordered the Seafood Fettuccine that included shrimp, scallops and enough lobster to justify the price, all in an alfredo sauce.  Enough for dinner, and as Mrs. Lovely Companion notes; enough for lunch the next day.  Dinning companion had the haddock and fries.  An ample size portion and a heap of fries exactly what one would expect at a good price.  The sautéed veal parmagiana was simply OK, though served with entirely too much marinara.  A little pricey.  #1 son had the half-rack ribs and fries from the Tavern menu (items listed at under $10).  Though he ate them all and the fries; his only comment was a little ‘narley’ to chew.

Entrees come with a pedestrian garden salad and a roll.  Just one roll.  Only one roll.  Just one.  I felt like a Dickens character needing to step up to the waiter with empty plate in hand asking, “please sir may I have another”.  I don’t remember frankly if we had dessert.  Mrs. Lovely Companion reminds me I was muttering to myself most of the next day that they only gave me one roll.

With lots, and if you have not seen 101A recently, lots of choices on 101A to dine.  You may want to skip the national chain restaurants and stop by and give a locally owned business a try.  Keep the money local.  As I said several paragraphs above, this may have been all our fault by arriving 20 minutes before close with a party of four expecting dinner, and more than one roll.  We’ll have to go back and try the brunch, where I can probably get more than one roll.  Brunch ?  Did some one say buffet.

On our Fat Phantom five-fork scale
Service – 3.5 forks
Food – 2.5
Value – 4 forks – dinner for four with a few drinks came to under $90
Overall – 3 forks – Could be better, don’t go late.  Kid friendly too.

Country tavern is located at 452 Amherst St. in Nashua, take 101A out towards Amherst.  There phone is 603-889-5871.  Visit their website.

Image courtesy of Country Tavern. Country Tavern also offers function rooms and a full take-out menu.

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By Fat Phantom | Posted in Columns | Tagged , , , | Comment (1)