Is Home Depot a Date Night Destination? Ruby Tuesday Review - Middletown, NY

It is only on the rarest of occasions and often a matter of convenience that we will eat at the big box restaurants.  Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Ruby Tuesday are a few in Middletown and we dine there when we are combining a night or afternoon or errands with food.  A recent Friday night found us in Home Depot picking out new bathroom flooring:

These are tiles designed to look like wood flooring and for the sake of the photograph are laid out on the bedroom carpet.

Once we completed our selection and a few other errands it was a quick drive across the parking lot to Ruby Tuesday.

I do have a weak spot for biscuits.  All biscuits.  I was content and calmed by the plate of biscuits which came to our table not long after we ordered.

Next up, a classic Margarita.  I have a confession to make; the summer of 2013 has been one filled with the fun and salty Margarita.  Once I find a cocktail I like it is hard to make a switch to something else.  This explains why the last 10 years or so have been filled with Cosmopolitans.

We decide to share an appetizer and the Mr. leaves the decision making up to me.  Sometimes it feels like a trap.  He knows I am more than aware of what he likes and I do want us both to be happy.  Shrimp fondue?  Well, that is what the menu called it, but in reality it was a cheesy dip for tortillas with some small shrimp mixed in.  Fine.  Not a dish I would lose any sleep over if I could never have it again.

Ruby Tuesday does offer a streamlined ordering process by listing the variety of available side dishes at the bottom of the menu. Once I decided on the steak it was easy to put it all together with some mashed cauliflower (not available everywhere) and spaghetti squash (also not necessarily on locally owned restaurants).  I'm kind of excited for my meal.

Fancy?  No, not at all.  Well prepared, yes and bottom line, I enjoyed eating it.

The Mr. went out of his restaurant comfort zone and ordered seafood.  The lobster meat was sweet and tender (yes, he gives me little forkfuls on my plate so I can try it) and I politely said no thank you to the shrimp as well as the macaroni and cheese.  I took his word for it that they were well prepared and seasoned.

A date night.  Conversation roams over the routine and the meal, the upcoming bathroom renovation and we are content. Comfortably Fed Well.  The big box has its time and place and I watch as a mother switches the hip her baby is resting on as she holds a plate from the salad bar.  I missed seeing how she was able to place food on it while holding the little one.  A father walks a young boy to the bathroom.  We are in a place for families and really, what could be bad about that?

Cafe Maya

If life is like a stream, sometimes flowing gently and smoothly, rushing with force over rocks or in danger of drying up, I am quite happy with the current, slightly musical but calm place mine is right now.  My birthday has arrived and though I may be a bit apprehensive about the new number, overall, everything is fine and I am grateful.  I suggest a family birthday dinner on Sunday though my birthday is Saturday and this confuses my sons.  I thought Sunday would be easier for everyone, no one would be working and so they feel bad when they realize I have no plan for the anniversary of my date of birth.  My older son offers to treat us all to Cafe Maya - Wappingers Falls.

Click here for Cafe Maya's website

My older son's girlfriend tried to make a reservation for our group of 5 but was told reservations are not accepted on the weekend.  I was a little apprehensive about having to wait for a table, but we were seated outside relatively quickly.

The only thought I have about the decor is my recent concern about silk flowers and plants.  I understand they are used for atmosphere and low maintenance, but I can't warm up about liking them.  In this case they serve as sort of screen from the outside dining area to the parking lot and street in front.

How best to kick off a birthday celebration or any event for that matter at Cafe Maya, a classic Margarita on the rocks with a salted rim of course!

One of the evening's specials included a pineapple guacamole.  Thing is, not everyone is equally adventurous and I have to admit I was hesitant.  I asked if we could have the pineapple on the side and those who wanted to try it would be able to mix it in.

Of course my first taste was of the pure version and after awhile I warmed up to the idea of the pineapple.  I think I am still on the purist side, but it was flavorful and refreshing.

Next up, a glorious version of shrimp cocktail served over a bed of lettuce with some avocado.  The shrimp were sweet and enough to share.

Time for main courses.

I had a shrimp dish that was the special and served with risotto and beans with a bit more guac.  I was in love.

Here are the other orders:

Traditional rice and bean sides

Beef Mexico City Tacos

Texas Ribs

I did sample the ribs.  The meat was pull apart tender and the smoky flavor although present was not overpowering.

Fish Tacos

A Cafe Maya Sampler Platter

We were well taken care of, the food and environment were colorful, the atmosphere a bit lively and honestly we were fine without a Mariachi band!  I can't really tell you about the bill because my older son treated us all.  A sure sign that he was raised to ensure his family and those he loves are Fed Well.

Manalapan Diner After Great Adventure

Food in New Jersey?  After visiting a theme park?  For a group with varying tastes?  Yes, a diner.  While my sister drove, all passengers were on the lookout for a diner and the Manalapan was where we stopped our search.  Looked like it was recently updated and with cars in the parking lot, we thought it seemed like a good choice.

One of the best features of a diner is the variety.  Not only are the novel size menus filled with hundreds of options, diners can order any meal any time of the day as well as any number of specials. My sister and I opt for the seafood bisque. 

The Mr. typically stays away from anything that remotely resembles baby food and the soup is no exception. It could have used a bit less salt and though the crackers are provided for texture, I would have preferred oyster crackers if I had a choice.

A packed bread basket includes a cheese danish.  I've never seen that before.  

Had a moment of confusion as we received the bread and soup long before drinks.  When I asked for our drinks, our waitress was a bit sharp and then when she returned with them (one was wrong but we were afraid to say anything), she told us a story that included her revealing her age (73).  Was that designed so we would give her a break?  Not sure.  She seemed lovely, but that wasn't the point.  I was thirsty from the salty soup is all.  I worried the mood was ruined.

The Mr.'s wrap. Yes, chicken.  He was happy.  The fries were crisp, the pickle was dill-icious and snappy.

A classic order of spaghetti and meatballs (well, one large) for my older nephew.

The younger nephew also chose a classic; penne a la vodka.  A beautiful and large portion.

My sister enjoyed the eggplant parmigiana. 

Where is my dish?  Well, it was delicious.  I simply put the camera away and forgot all about it.  I did have sweet potato fries and a shrimp salad wrap.  I avoided eye contact or any verbal exchanges with our waitress and she paid attention to my sister.  Awkward.  

However, as part of her peace offering, she allowed my nephews to order a complimentary dessert upgrade (I was never asked if I wanted anything).  Here's what they both decided on:

They loved it.

The rest of the ride home included stories of the day, reviewing the photos on my cell phone, telling a few jokes and memories that will feed us well for a lifetime.

Giovanni's Inn

We used to live in the general area of Giovanni's Inn and I remember visiting quite a few years ago but leaving after reviewing the menu. At the time, the prices were more than we could pay for a young family of four.  When the Mr. and I have a chance to go out to dinner, 95% of the time we opt for a locally owned place rather than a chain and if the Mr. has a say, he wants Italian food. By Italian food he means either Chicken Marsala or Parmesan with a side of pasta smothered in a sweet tomato sauce. He likes his salad with bread and his coffee not too strong.  A simple man to please, right?  

The challenge is adding my palette and opinion. I am a bit more willing to take a risk but I do eat with my eyes and want to be impressed. I also judge the appearance, decor, staff, wait times, friendliness, cleanliness, atmosphere and overall likelihood of ever recommending a restaurant. Would I take an out of town visitor to this restaurant?

I'm not quite sure about Giovanni's Inn.  I will let you decide.

First impressions:

While nothing is glaringly wrong, it reminds me of something that has passed its prime; worn, not as cared for, a bit dull.

We are told we can sit anywhere and honestly, I walked in, looked around and if I didn't think the Mr. and our son would die of mortification, I probably would have left. I thought a table by the window may be best and this was our view into the restaurant.

If you look very carefully on the right hand side of the photo you may make out a lady with blonde hair in a black top sitting at a piano.  Marilyn was one of the evenings highlights (but more about her later). The wall behind me as well as the one to my right were covered in ribbons.  I believe they were for show dogs but I can't be sure. The mounted deer head in the left of the photo (not the various ones over the bar) was across from a lovely stuffed raccoon, and a number of "God's Eye" pieces hung on the walls. The feeling was cluttered and forlorn. I am still hopeful.

We order our drinks and I perk up a bit. The presentation is lovely and our son swears it is the best iced tea ever.

My Cosmopolitan tasted like the proportions were just a little bit off, but the glass was chilled. Fabulous.

Who can resist a classic or vintage vibe in glassware?

Marilyn Kennedy continues to play the piano and sing facing the wall.  Her voice is crystal clear and wonderful though my husband and song have yet to recognize her choices.  I decide to request, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and we chat for a few moments. Marilyn is absolutely lovely and nails my request.  In the meantime, a young couple are seated and asked their server if she could turn the music down. They never saw Marilyn and didn't realize they were being treated to a free and live performance.

First course was a clam appetizer that was not listed on the menu but a special told to us by our server.

The clams were amazing and though the Mr. picked out all of the chunks of garlic, the sauce was flavored beautifully.  However, what was the circle outline from on our dish? A price tag? I was going to edit the photo, but thought it best if readers see it the way we saw it.

Honestly, I want to like the restaurant and am a huge supporter of local businesses. I ask our server how long they have been in business - 22 years. Maybe the owners/managers no longer see their business through a new customer's eyes.

Salads were next. Crisp lettuce, red onions and cucumber were in our individual dishes. A bowl of "cucumber salad" was also placed on the table for us without any further explanation. None of us tried it. The ribbons of cucumber were swimming in something and since we weren't really clear about the contents of the dish we decided not to try it.

Time for our main courses. For the Mr....

I tasted it.  The sauce was little thin, but it was quite flavorful and I knew it was almost exactly what he would want in Chicken Marsala. He doesn't really like the wine to overpower the dish and it was a fairly healthy serving of chicken.

For our son...

The chicken looks too familiar. The serving size is generous, but it just looks a little sad doesn't it? Penne a la Vodka with Chicken.  

And here's mine...

One of the evening's specials, described as "Scallops and Shrimp Risotto."  Not quite what I pictured. BUT, it was good.  The seafood was a decent texture and the sauce hearty. Risotto? 

Marilyn continues her serenade, the young people are eating, the regulars are chatting and I overhear the dessert specials. I must try the cannoli.  They are described as, "a crispy shell that is filled with a fresh creamy ricotta filling when ordered."  Yum.

Cannoli deserve 2 views:

They were in fact, delicious.

See how hard it can be to review a restaurant.  In this case, a star system could have been useful as certain individual items would have scored at far ends of the spectrum. We had a wonderful time together and felt especially entertained by the star, Marilyn Kennedy.  I bought her CD so the memory of the evening can continue to be revisited and leave me feeling musically Fed Well.

Waterfront-ish Dining at Miller's

A vacation near the beach somehow indicates that at least one meal will be eaten "waterside."  Though the term could be further defined as either bayside or oceanside, but in this case I can appreciate the broader, "waterside."

We'd been past a row of restaurants which seemed to fit the bill and so I made a crude list using, yes - pen and paper then when we were back at our vacation house I dragged out the ever-faithful laptop and looked up menus.  The next generation would likely Google search on the fly with their smart phones or use the mobile app, "Urbanspoon" which I myself do contribute to and utilize but for some reason I went with the method I described.

The list narrowed by price (too expensive) and menus with limited non-seafood items (I'd felt enough guilt about my mom eating chicken tenders) and so the choices were down to three.  Although I hate to admit, I also judged the restaurants by their website layout/design and names.  Yes, I know I shouldn't base my culinary choices on an owners inability to approve or create a decent web presence, but in all fairness, wouldn't you?  

If I were a restaurant owner, I would want every detail about the business from the name and decor to menu offerings to be inviting and welcoming to potential patrons.  I would want it to scream with clear personality.  I would insist the website and Facebook page be current, updated, etc.  And so, yes, I do rule out the boring, old, and tired because I do assume the dishes will be as well.  Whew.  I said it and I feel better for admitting it.

The ironic part is, my first choice on the list, well, we passed it in the car and so I said the next one would be fine and that is the real back-story to how we ended up at Miller's.

A line of waiting beach folks stretched a mile ahead of us and included at least two crying little girls. My mind raced, "Should we leave?"

I spoke with the hostess and said we were a group of 6 and she felt the wait would be minimal and smiled when I asked if I had to sit next to Little Miss Sunshine?  I also wanted to sit by a window. It seemed my Genie could only grant 2 wishes that night.  We were seated within minutes, not near the lovely lil miss meltdown, but were quite a distance from "waterside."  I put on my brave big girl face and took what I could get.

A crisp cool Cosmopolitan smooths everything over.  I barely notice the lack of lime wedge.

Hush puppies.  These are I have to admit the sweetest and crispest outer edge version we have had to date.  They can almost be compared to a donut hole or munchkin.

Another lesson learned when dining out with more than 2 opinions, it can be a challenge to please everyone, every time.  I opt for a simple lobster roll with fries and honestly, it was a good choice for the restaurant.  It was not overly dressed, it was flavorful and I chose to eat the filling with a fork rather than as a traditional sandwich which allowed me to cast the roll to the side though it was toasty and I'm sure tasted just fine.

Crab seemed to be on the mind of my men.  For younger son, the crab legs.  He thoroughly enjoyed the flavor and the cavemanish behavior attached to his food.  He broke apart each limb with patience and rejected his father's offer of help in pulling the meat from the shell.  This was his experience and he would not be denied, coddled or interfered with during his meal.

The Mr. has few food fantasies, but I can assure you one might involve him being able to have soft- shelled crab anytime he has the urge.  His eyes light up as he orders 3 (yes, the regular order is two but just $4 more he can have a third) and I smile at his sincere excitement with both the choice and the bargain.

Our older son opts for a surf and turf choice of steak with soft-shelled crab.  If Dad loves it that much, he must reason it is something he should try.

I am able to taste the crab legs as well as soft-shell and though I was initially upset the entire experience wasn't PERFECT (what is), the meal turned out well.  When we are done I ask the waiter if we can walk out on the pier at the rear of the restaurant and he responds with the most serious face, "No, we just want you to get the hell out," then smiles.  Ah, he won us over with sarcasm.  We walk out to the gazebo at the end of the pier and listen to the singer/guitarist perform for a few minutes, take some touristy pictures and head out.  Another child is crying and one lost a beloved sippy cup into the water.  I remember how hard it is to travel with young children as a take the only photo of my sons on the trip then I have one taken with just me and my mommy.

The evening provided more than a meal as many gatherings with food are about more than nourishment.  We are three generations, traveling together, with and without levels of understanding about technology, but together we are always Fed Well.

Everybody Snacks Sometimes - Duck Donuts

I used to have a problem.  Hello, my name is Fed Well and I used to need a cup of Dunkin' Donuts French Vanilla EVERY DAY.  I have since cut back to maybe one or two cups on the weekends only. Thing is, many folks thought that since I had coffee, I was also enjoying donuts or other baked goods.  Truth was,  I wasn't.  Ever. I was however quite addicted to the coffee.

While on vacation we do allow ourselves a bit of room for indulgence and at the recommendations of both a neighbor and friend, I remembered we had to try Duck Donuts while in the Outerbanks, North Carolina. A small chain of 4 locations, I thought it was pretty easy to fit in.

Once inside, the store not only offers donuts made to offer, but a variety of merchandise with Duck Donuts' logo and humor as well.  

Since we are fairly light sweet snackers I only ordered one donut for each of us in the group and an order of 6 may have seemed a surprising, but we enjoyed a fresh, made-to-order and delicious product.

It all begins with dough dropped when the order is placed that deep fries in a golden bath of hot oil.

Employees work in an smoothly coordinated assembly line to frost, top, sprinkle and package the orders relatively quickly.  A plexi-glass wall allows patrons to watch their order as it goes through the process and a low and wide step is in place so the smallest of visitors can enjoy the process as well.

Glazed, chocolate, maple, vanilla, strawberry and some with rainbow sprinkles are our completed order. The donut has a nice density and a bit of a crusty skin which sets it apart from certain chain goods or grocery store pastries.  Six thumbs up from Fed Well vacationers.  I'm running out now for a cup of French Vanilla, need anything?

Happy Hour - what is that again?

The Mr. and I have been parents for almost 25 years.  It has been a journey like all others, filled with smooth and rough road, pleasant scenery and stormy weather.  A moment of reflection came at an unlikely time during vacation.  We had just spent a hot afternoon at the beach with our younger son who will be starting his Junior year at college in just a few short weeks, the sand burned the bottoms of our feet and we were feeling just a little droopy.

"Let's get a little something," I suggested.

"We can go to Goombay's," said our younger son.

I knew what I wanted.  Yes, another vacation Margarita on the rocks with a salted rim.  No, I don't need an intervention.  In fact, when the glass was placed in front of me at the bar I said, "This is my first happy hour in about 20 years."

To which my son said, "Geeez, thanks Mom."

It wasn't meant as a point of guilt, but more of a mile marker on the road.  By no means do I think I will suddenly be planting myself at the local bar and have a stool with my name on it.  However, the Mr. and I are now in that place with a bit of freedom, extra choices and no need to hurry home, rush through dinner and head out to a game/practice/activity or whatever.  

A happy hour of appreciation and in fact, one we shared with our son.  It is not an empty nest.  It is a Fed Well nest in which occupants can now relax and kick back every now and then.

Link to Goombays