This post has been a few months in the making.  We actually visited the Crown Victoria over the summer after hearing that they hosting weekly pig roasts on Sundays throughout the summer.  Who doesn't love a pig roast?, well we do!  We went there bright and early only to find out that the pig was still cooking and it would be about an hour until it was ready.  As a result we settled in with some drinks and started the painful process of waiting for our pig to be done.  Too bad it was one of the hottest days of the summer and we too felt as if we were roasting.  That tid bit of irony was lost on us at the time.  The one upside to being there early was that we were able to get some quality photos of the pig cooking.  It also allowed us to learn more about the Crown Victoria as we had never been there before.  It turned out to have a pretty large bar on the inside which has a large weekend brunch.  It was the massive backyard that made us realize that the Crown Vic was definitely the perfect Summer bar hangout,  Especially when you want to sit out side and enjoy the sun with a cool one.  To top it off outside they also had bacci ball courts, cornhole and a volleyball court.  After what felt like 10 hours, finally the pig was about to come off the spit, so without further delay we present the Pig Roast.

The Menu:

The menu at Crown Victoria boasts plenty of bar classics such as wings, burgers and nachos.  They are also serving dishes like The Runny pig which is Pulled pork that is slow braised in Peak Organic Amber Ale served on a brioche bun with a sunny side egg or the Guinness Stew, made with hearty beef chunks simmered in a Guinness broth with potatoes and other seasonal vegetables.  This diverse menu is perfect because there is something for everyone here. 

What We Ate:

Slow Roasted Pig - in a spicy citrus marinade

Grilled Zucchini

Grilled Sweet Onions in a lemon marinade

Charred Fresh Sweet Corn with a spicy mayo

Homemade Corn Bread soaked in pork juices

The pig was worth the wait, it was fresh tasty. It had a slight citrus flavor thanks to the marinade and the meat was very tender.  The house made hot sauce added a nice amount of heat to the pork and another depth of flavor.  On our plate we had some of the shoulder as well as a rib.  The shoulder was much more tender and had better flavor than the rib.  The rib was a bit under cooked which is one of the common problems when roasting a pig.  However we have trained our systems to handle all food borne illnesses, so we continued to eat the meant anyway.  Another half hour would have finished off this pig nicely.  All in all it had some good flavor and was pretty cool to see a pig roast.  The corn was very good with tons of flavor that you get from good local summer corn.  The spicy mayo added a nice creaminess to the corn and just enough kick.  The onions were a strange side dish o serve but were cooked nicely and we enjoyed the lemon marinade they were in.   The Zucchini was pretty standard and nothing really to write home about.  The corn bread was awesome, when getting the corn bread we were offered i dry or wet.  We had never had wet cornbread before so we asked the chefs opinion and he said wet without hesitation.  The Chef knows best so we went with Wet, and he was right.  Corn bread soaked in the pig juices was delicious.  It added this salty smokiness to the corn bread without causing it to be too soggy.  It was a great addition to the meal.  The food was pretty good, but the price was a bit steep as the pig did not come with sides.  We paid about $25 each for the food and would have liked a bit more than what we got.  We would certainly go back so it is worth checking out especially if you are looking for somewhere to sit outside and enjoy the sun with a few friends and a handful of beers.

Should or Should Not Eat:

Crown Victoria has earned a Should Eat from us.  Offering a pig roast every Sunday in the summer was awesome and with a diverse menu it should please most appetites.  The food is not 5 star but it is good and coupled with the atmosphere make the Crown Vic worth visiting.

Restaurant Information:

Crown Victoria

Brooklyn, NY: 60 s 2nd St.> 917.719.6072

Website: www.crownvicbar.com

Bellwether is one of the newest restaurants to join the Williamsburg food scene.  It is owned by the husband and wife team Josh Cohen and Blair Papagni, whom over the past year have successfully opened both Calyer and St. Vitus.  Manning the kitchen at Bellwether is head chef Dan Ross, from the ever popular Fatty Cue.  We first heard about Bellwether from a friend who told us that the menu had an array of unique food not found on many menus.  Since we can't resist trying unique and unusual foods we jumped at the chance to visit Bellwether.

The Menu:
The menu at Bellwether offers a selection of unique dishes, the majority of them featuring seafood with Spanish influences.  These dishes include such combinations as fried oysters on a bun with tartar sauce, pickled jalepeños.  Roasted blue fish with corn, nardello peppers & pickled chanterelles.  Steamed clams on toast with roasted nardello peppers.  If you are not a huge seafood fan there are plenty of other options such as pork sausage & bacon braised with cranberry beans & kale or a cheeseburger & fries with tillamook cheddar, red onion, b&b pickles & mayo.  The only bad part of the menu is also the best part, it changes every few weeks to include seasonal ingredients and specials.  With so many options we decided to get a variety of dishes and share them around the table.

What We Ate:

Stuffed Squash Blossoms - stuffed with seafood and topped with salsa verde

Marinated white Anchovies - With toasted bread & butter with sweet pickled peppers 

Lamb Tartare - with fried bread, minted yogurt, pickled egg, capers & toasted spices

Spicy twice cooked oxtails -  with lots of herbs, peanuts & fried shallots

Pan Seared Grouper - with a fresh vegetable salad

Braised Chicken - with cilantro & almonds 

White pound cake - topped with icing and a fresh apricot sauce

Warm Chocolate Cake - filled with handmade peanut butter

The dishes at Bellwether were reminiscent of our favorite restaurant Traif.  They offered fresh ingredients mixed together and cooked in unique combinations.  We started the night with stuffed squash blossoms.  They were filled with seafood and topped with salsa verde.  The blossoms were similar to Asian dumplings, the stuffing was a salty mix of what seemed to be crab and shrimp.  The mild seafood flavor mixed with the intense salsa verde provided the perfect bite to start off the meal.  

The next dish to arrive at the table was marinated white anchovies with toasted bread & butter with sweet pickled peppers.  We have never been the biggest fans of fish, so this dish was a bit intimidating but we decided to go for it anyway.  Who would have thought we would actually like anchovies.  Since they were marinated and pickled they did not have the fishiness we were expecting.  The anchovies combined with the sweet peppers and toast were actually one of our favorite dishes of the night.  It was light but intensely flavorfull and has turned us on to pickled anchovies at least for the moment.

We didn't think anything could make us more squeamish than trying fish, but we were wrong, next to the was lamb tartare.  The idea of eating raw meat has always seemed a bit taboo.  We always hear that you need make sure your chicken is not pink and that your pork reaches 160 degrees, but somehow tartare is ok.  We were hesitant staring at the uncooked meat but decided that sometimes you just need to leap without looking.  We took our first bite and were pleasantly surprised.  Wrapped in a bit of pita you could not even tell that the lamb was not cook.  The combination of spices and ingredients made the lamb taste like a freshly made gyro.  We are not normally huge fans of lamb, but it was much less gamey than we thought it would be.  We never thought we would have liked lamb tartare but yet again Bellwether has broadened our horizons.

After cleaning our plates, the entrees arrived to the table.  The best dish we had was the spicy twice cooked oxtail with plenty of herbs, peanuts & fried shallots.  It was then topped with a lime infused soy sauce.  The oxtail was extremely tender but had the perfect crispy crust on the outside.  The oxtail had a pleasant beef like flavor that paired nicely with the shallots, lime and cilantro.  The meat effortlessly fell off the bone as we tried to soak up as much of the sauce as possible in each bite.  The only way this dish could have been better was if there was more of it.

The next dish we had was pan seared grouper with a fresh vegetable salad.  Since we already tried anchovies, the grouper was a walk in the park.  It was a delicate white fish with a nice sear.  It was well seasoned and was paired perfectly with a fresh salad of mixed vegetables.  This was a nice dish, but was over shadowed by the huge flavors from the oxtail. 

We also ordered the braised chicken with cilantro & almonds.  Just like the oxtail, the chicken was fall off the bone tender.  It was seasoned well and was braised in flavorful broth.  The chicken had a nice crispy skin which helped contrast the tenderness of the chicken.  While we enjoyed this dish and it was a very satisfying, it could not compare to the oxtail. 

After all of the amazing food we ate, there was still dessert to be had.  We made a little more room in our stomachs and dug into white pound cake with apricot sauce & warm chocolate cake with homemade peanut butter.  The white cake was light and a bit plain but the apricot sauce instantly elevated the dish.  It was super sweet but not overpowering.  It melded perfectly with the neutral vanilla flavors.   The real star however was the warm slightly molten chocolate cake filled with freshly made peanut butter.  It was very rich but 100% satisfying.  We could have used a gallon of milk each, but even without it we still devoured every morsel of cake.  

Should or Should Not Eat:

Bellwether offers up some of the best dishes in Williamsburg.  With fresh ingredients and unique combinations the food at Bellwether is a Should Eat.  Bring your friends for a night of good drinks, food and a relaxed dining experience.

Restaurant Information:

Bellwether

Brooklyn, NY: 594 Union Ave.> 347.529.4921

Website: www.bellwetherbrooklyn.com

As many of you already know, we have a true appreciation hot dogs.  We love all types and styles of dogs, but we just can't resist the allure of a deep fried hot dog.  Our first post on deep fried dogs was a result of our visit to  Crif Dogs.  While they were really good and we loved the numerous options at Crif Dogs, they were not our first.  Our first bite of a deep fried dog occurred at none other than Rutt's Hut.  

We had long been told stories of Rutt's from our friend Phil.  He told us of this place in Jersey that sells deep fried dogs.  We of course scoffed at the idea but he proceeded to tell us the tale of Rutt's and the "ripper'.  Rutt's is located right off of Route 3 and Route 21 in Clifton.  It is located in this plain brick storefront that in no way resembles an inviting restaurant.  The only way you know you would even know that you are at Rutt's is the glowing neon sign.  Once you have found yourself in the parking lot you realize the entrance is not very obvious.  On the side of the restaurant is a unmarked doorway, this is the way to the Hot Dog counter.  Rutt's also has a full bar and restaurant that is completely separate located at the front of the building.  That however is for another day.  We are just interested with the hot dog area for now.  

We must warn you, don't expect to see a sit down restaurant with tables, chairs, booths or welcoming hostesses. Instead you are walking into a small open-air room with two large counter tops to eat on with no seats.  Everything at Rutt's is eaten standing up.   Your friendly hostess has also been replaced with a handful of brash Jersey guys, attitude and all.  It would almost seem as if you are interrupting something important when you place an order with them.  This however is all part of the charm of Rutt's.  

The Menu:

We usually like to review the full menu at our destinations but here at Rutt's we are are focused on only one item, the "ripper".

What We Ate:

The "Ripper" - a deep fried hot dog with house made relish and brown mustard, with a side of fries.

The "Ripper" is a deep fried hot dog that get it's name from the transformation that occurs as it is cooked.  As the dogs cook in hot oil the outer casing tends to rip open, thus creating the ripper.   This process creates a crispy, crunchy outer crust on the dogs which complements the natural flavor of the hot dog.  The ripper is however not complete without a generous helping of Rutt's house made relish.  This bright yellow almost neon relish provides a spicy-sweet flavor that comes from the combination of onions, finely chopped carrots, and cabbage.  The relish offers up the perfect counterpoint to the salty crunch of the dogs with its sweet and addicting flavor.  The "ripper' is a hot dog at it's finest, simple but extremely satisfying. 

The fries at Rutt's are actually pretty plain, but still tasty.  They are your classic frozen fries that you would expect to find at any concession stand across America.  Nothing special here, but they do pair perfectly with a fresh "ripper".

Should or Should Not Eat:

Rutt's is home of the famous "ripper" and is a Should Eat for any hot dog lover.  Rutt's may be a no frills intimidating place, but it's rough personality grows on you.  You will come to appreciate it's charm and bring everyone you know.  The "ripper" is one of the best hot dogs in the entire country, so be sure not to miss a chance to try it.

Restaurant Information:

Rutt's Hut

Clifton, NJ: 417 River Road> 973.779.8615

Website: www.ruttshut.com

We have eaten pizza all over New York State and in more than a handful of states around the country.  We have had thin crust, deep dish, brick oven, Sicilian and just about any other type of pizza that is out there.  We have even worked in a pizza place, so we feel we have the credentials to judge any and all pizza.  To have a good pizza it all comes down to using quality ingredients and serving slices fresh.  As we have said in previous posts it is not fair to judge different styles of pizza against each other.  Brick oven pizza can only be judged against other brick oven pizza.  Regular slices can only be judged against other regular slices, and so forth.  You will always see people debate the best pizza in NY and it always seems to be two different styles going head to head.  We like to keep our best pizza in NY claims to specific styles and we think Paulie Geee's has the best brick oven pizza in Brooklyn and possibly the entire city.

Paulie Gee's does not receive the word of mouth and acclaim that NY's famous pizza places get, but it should.  We had never heard of Paulie Gee's until this past summer.  A few friends suggested we go there for dinner one night and we were game.  Those of us who had not been there before were expecting your typical pizza joint in NY.  When we arrived we found out it was actually a brick oven pizza restaurant.  There are a handful of these in Brooklyn, all with varying degrees of pizza quality.  It was not until we looked at the menu that we realized that Paulie Gee's was offering up pies that we have not seen any where before.  These pies were pushing the limits of what toppings you would expect to find on a pizza.  After our first experience we knew we had to take everyone we knew here, and now that we have our blog we needed to share Paulie Gee's with the world.

The Menu:

The first few pies on the menu are very similar to any pie you can find at any other brick oven pizza place. There is the Brian DeParma, a pie topped with Italian Tomatoes and Parmigiano Reggiano.  There is also the Regina, which is topped with Fior di Latte, Italian Tomatoes, Pecorino Romano, Olive Oil and Fresh Basil.  All pretty standard toppings, but after that it starts to get interesting.  Like the Hellboy, topped with Fior di Latte, Italian Tomatoes, Berkshire Sopressata Piccante and Parmigiano Reggiano and Mike’s HOT Honey.  Yes, you read that correctly we said hot honey and we agree it is not often that you seen honey on a pizza.  Then there is the Grapeful Dead, covered in Baby Spinach, Olive Oil, Mild Gouda, Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and Pickled Red Grape Halves.  If those were not interesting enough you can always get the Cherry Jones.  This one is topped with Fior di Latte, Gorgonzola Cheese, Prosciutto di Parma, Dried Bing Cherries and Orange Blossom Honey.  These are just a handful of the interesting pies being created here.  Check out their full menu for more crazy combinations.

What We Ate:

Mexican Cokes

Hellboy - The Delboy (Fior di Latte, Italian Tomatoes, Berkshire Sopressata Piccante and Parmigiano Reggiano)  with Mike’s HOT Honey

King Harry IV - Italian Tomatoes, Provolone, Beef Meatballs or House Made Vegan Fennel Sausage, Sliced Cremini Mushrooms and Golden Raisins

Hellified Porkpie White - Fior di Latte, Berkshire Sopressata Piccante, Sweet Italian Fennel Sausage, Sliced Red Onion, Chopped Fresh Garlic, Fresh Basil and Mike's Hot Honey

Mike's Hot Honey 

There is something about Mexican Cokes that we can't resist.  Some people claim there is no difference between these and regular cokes, but we beg to differ.  We feel that you can really taste the cane sugar as opposed to the high fructose corn syrup that is used in our boring American Cokes.  There is also something about drinking a Coke out of a glass bottle that makes it just a little bit better, we can probably thank marketing for that.  Once we saw them on the menu we had to get one and then about two more while eating.

The first pie listed is the Hellboy, and it is by far our favorite pizza.  The pizza is topped with Fior di Latte, Italian Tomatoes, Berkshire Sopressata Piccante and Parmigiano Reggiano and then drizzled with Mike’s HOT Honey.  Fior di Latte is fancy talk for Mozzarella.  The dough is cooked perfectly, with a slightly crispy bottom and a light and airy crust that retains a small amount of crunch.  The cheese and tomatoes are both fresh and top quality with tons of flavor.  There are two things however that make this pizza one of the best we have ever had.  It starts with the Sopressata Piccante which is an spicy Italian cured meat which provides an intense saltiness and a level of heat to the pie.  Thanks to the oven it even is a bit crispy.  The finishing ingredient is Mike's Hot Honey.  Regular honey would have been interesting enough, but Mike's Hot Honey is infused with chiles which imparts a amazing heat and kick into the honey.  This sweet delicacy combined with the saltiness of the Sopressata and the creaminess of the fresh mozzarella makes this not only one of the best meals we have ever had, but also one of the most unique pizza toppings ever.  It is seriously one of the best usages of sweet and savory flavor combinations we have had in any meal.  It is so addictive that once you have it,  the Hellboy is all you can ever think about.  In fact we are dying to have one right now.

The next pie we ordered was the King Harry IV, it had Italian Tomatoes, Provolone, Beef Meatballs, Sliced Cremini Mushrooms and Golden Raisins.  Like all of their pizzas, the dough was cooked perfectly.  This pie was topped with Provalone cheese which is not often found on pizzas.  It has a nice sharp flavor that worked well with the meatballs.  The meatballs had good flavor and added mounds of salty meat to this pie.  Then for added flavor there are the Cremini mushrooms that got a bit lost in the pie, but were tasty when found.  The pie was finished off with golden raisins, that added little explosions of sweetness.  Everything mixed together formed a very good pizza pie, it does not compare to the Hellboy but it can certainly stand up to any regular pie with ease.

The last pie we ordered was the Hellified Porkpie White.  Hellified of course means they added in our favorite new condiment, Mike's Hot Honey along with more of the Sopressata.  This pie included Fior di Latte, Berkshire Sopressata Piccante, Sweet Italian Fennel Sausage, Sliced Red Onion, Chopped Fresh Garlic, Fresh Basil and Mike's Hot Honey.  We wanted to try the white pie and were rewarded with another amazing pie.  Topped with  two salty meats the Hellified Porkpie White provides a ton of flavor.  The basil adds a nice fresh green and the garlic is not overpowering.  The Hot Honey proves itself again as an invaluable condiment that we now want to put on everything.  Paulie Gee really figured out the key to combining sweet and savory, and kudos for finding a great product like Mike's Hot Honey.  This was our second favorite pie, but again nothing comes close to the Hellboy.  Also, we have had the Cherry Jones in the past and would highly recommend giving it a try as it is another unique offering.

We also wanted to highlight Mike's Hot Honey for a second.  This honey is like nothing we have ever had before.  Honey is traditionally used as a sweetener in dishes since it is naturally sweet and adds its own unique flavor.  Mike's is taking honey one step further by infusing it with chilies.  As a result you get this sweet honey packed with a nice amount of heat that drives your taste buds wild. It is perfectly paired with these pizzas, but we have thought of more than a dozen uses for the honey on it's own.  You can purchase this honey right at Paulie Gee's or order it online at www.mikeshothoney.com.  We didn't buy any while we were there and now we are kicking ourselves, we see an online order in our future and be sure to keep an eye out for how we plan to use it on the blog.  We can specifically see it working with a nice Chicken Biscuit.

Should or Should Not Eat:

Paulie Gee's is making not only traditional brick oven pizza but also some of the most unique brick oven pizzas you can find.  Here you will find pizzas topped with golden raisins, fresh cherries, mounds of arugula and even chile infused honey.  Paulie Gee's is pushing the limits of accepted pizza toppings to the extreme.  As a result you should be pushing the limits of what you expect on your pie.  Paulie Gee's is a Should Eat thanks to their perfectly cooked dough and amazing selection of the most unique ingredients in New York.

Restaurant Information:

Paulie Gee's

Brooklyn, NY: 60 Greenpoint Ave> 347.987.3747

Website: www.pauliegee.com/home.php

Quaker Creek is by far one of our favorite stores/resturants.  They provide the best quality cuts of meat in all of Orange County. At Quaker Creek you can order almost any cut of meat you are looking for and if they do not have they will order it for you.  The store is located in the heart of of the famed Black Dirt Region in Goshen, NY.  As we have mentioned before the Black Dirt is named for it's noticeably deep black soil, which is extremely fertile.  Driving down Pulaski Highway, past the vast black dirt fields you will come upon a small store front.  This is Quaker Creek, and if you are going too fast not only will you get a speeding ticket but you might just miss the store completely.  

We first found out about Quaker Creek years ago and ever since we have been in love with them.  This family owned business is churning out quality, local,  homemade products and if our opinion is not enough, maybe Bobby Flay and Anthony Bourdain can change your mind.  Yes, both of these culinary stars have at one time or another visited Quaker Creek.  Flay visited the area well before he was an Iron Chef or throwing down all around the country.  He was filming for his show FoodNation with Bobby Flay at the time.  Anthony Bourdain on the other hand visited more recently and when he is not airing his dislike for FoodNetwork, he can be seen filming his show No Reservations for the Travel Channel.  In this episode Bourdain was highlighting some of the best culinary spots in the Hudson Valley and ended up at Quaker Creek. 

It should be no surprise that Quaker Creek has received notoriety from some of the biggest names in the culinary world, if you sell quality products people will find out.  As we stated before Quaker Creek is a full service butcher shop offering only the best quality cuts of meat any where.  They also handcraft the best sausages and hot dogs around.  Their sausages include Kielbasa, Bratwurst, Chorizo, Audouoille, and numerous Italian styles Sausages.  The hot dogs are made with natural casing which give them the coveted "snap" that we crave and as a result we refer to them as snappers.  They are linking up your classic hot dogs daily, but also offer specialty dogs like Jalapeno Cheddar.  If that was not enough they even make their own beef jerky.  If you have never had homemade beef jerky give it a try, it it much better than anything Sasquatch is eating.  Quaker Creek also makes their own cold cuts and stays true to their Polish heritage with their handcrafted Perogies.  

What We Bought:

Above are the Jalapeno Cheddar Hot Dogs and in the background is the Muscle Jerky and your classic Snappers 

Here is an up close look at the Muscle Jerky which offers up the perfect combination of flavor and chew to the meat. 

This right here is our pride and joy and it may even look a bit familiar, it is a fresh pork belly slab.  We ordered this bad boy for our Porchetta Recipe (click Here see).  We learned the hard way that pork products should always be ordered from Quaker Creek.  They sell only the best quality pigs which can not always be said for our local grocery stores.  You can tell the quality when working with pork belly or pork shoulders.  Often times lesser quality pork has a distinct aroma that suggest the pigs were not in the best living conditions.  This scent tends to stick in the fat and skin of the pigs, it by no means suggests that the meat is bad to eat, but just a small reminder that there are better products on the market.  

Any time we have ordered from Quaker Creek the pork has no smell what so ever.  It is a just a quality, clean slab of pork that may cost a bit more but in the end is worth it for both the flavor and piece of mind.  We have a huge bbq each summer and will only order our pork shoulders for our pulled pork from Quaker Creek.  These shoulders are choice cuts that always seem to have the best natural flavors.  This was our first time ordering pork belly from them but it most certainly will not be the last.  The meat was super fresh and very clean.  It made our Porchetta sandwiches by far one of the best things we have made in a long time.   

What We Ate:

We kept this a bit of a secret, but not only is Quaker Creek a full service butcher shop but they also serve a revolving menu of house made sandwiches and platters.  We often like to highlight these menus but Quaker Creek changes their daily, so you will have to call up or just take a chance to see what is on the menu.

Polish Lunch Platter - with stuffed cabbage, kielbasa & sauerkraut and cheese perogies.

Stuffed Cabbage

Cheese Perogies with local onions

Kielbasa with sauerkraut

What We Cooked: 

Regular & Jalapeno Cheddar Hot Dogs

The Polish Platter was exactly the type of homemade cooking you would expect to find from any Polish Grandmother.  Everything was made with that hint of love that you can only get from homemade food.  The stuffed cabbage was full of savory ground beef and spices wrapped up and steamed in cabbage.  It was then topped with this naturally sweet tomato sauce that is produced from local tomatoes.  It was a perfect combination of savory meat and sweet acidity from the tomatoes.  It was fork tender and full of flavor.

The perogies looked like they were going to be very heavy but were surprisingly light.  The dough was still soft but had that perfect crunch that comes from being seared on the flat top.  They were filled with cottage cheese and topped with local black dirt onions.  These perogies were like pillows of flavor, each bite had the light saltiness of the cheese and was complemented with the sweetness of the sautéd onions.

Then we tried the Kielbasa which is made in house.  It was so flavorful and salty just as it should be.  Topped with the sauerkraut and a bit of mustard, the kielbasa was a perfect bite of food.  The mustard added a nice tang that complemented both the sauerkraut and the kielbasa.  We could have eaten an entire plate of kielbasa.  This platter was a great example of traditional polish cooking at it's best.  Simple and fresh ingredients made with love.  

The food we brought home was just as good.  We grilled up both the regular and Jalapeno Cheddar hot dogs.  The regular dogs have a classic hot dog flavor that is much fresher since they are hand made.  They have the perfect snap and taste great with whatever toppings your heart desires.  As much as we enjoy a classic hot dog, the Jalapeno Cheddar may actually be our favorite.  Made with the same ingredients as the regular hot dogs, you will also find generous chunks of jalapenos and cheddar cheese.  In fact if you look at the pictures above you can even see some of the cheddar oozing out of these dogs.  The flavor is just so intense, you first get the hot dog and cheddar which work together very well.  Then all of a sudden you get hit with the heat from the jalapenos.  It is a great combination of ingredients and flavors, you do not even need to top these dogs with anything.  We highly recommend both hot dog varieties for any day full of grilling. 

Should or Should Not Eat:

Quaker Creek is a should eat for any time of the day. Whether you are looking to pick up a quality piece of meat for a special occasion or you want a homemade meal made with local ingredients.  They are serving the area with the best products around while keeping their family heritage alive and well.  Come for the meat, stay for the food and leave with a full stomach and maybe a hand full of the homemade jerky.  

Restaurant Information:

Quaker Creek Store

Goshen, NY: 767 Pulaski Highway > 845.258.3027

Website: www.quakercreekstore.com

That bit of advice jolted us back to reality, we love bacon and one bad experience can't ruin bacon flavored products for us.  Now that we were back in the bacon fan club, the next question to answer was how are we going to eat this?.  We thought about taking a spoon and digging in like a cup of pudding.  That did not seem to be the best idea.  Instead we decided that it needed to go on something.  It is of course a spread and not necessarily meant to be eaten by itself.  After looking in the fridge we decided that a piece of toast was the safest bet.  It would allow us to get the full flavor of the spread, while also giving us some texture that we were sure it would need. 

Results:

The first thing we did was look at what was waiting for us in the jar.  To be honest our first impression was that it looked like cat food.  It appeared to be some type of meat all mashed up.  Our next step was to give the spread a smell.  We braced ourselves for the worst especially since it looked like cat food.  It smelled very similar to bacon which was a good thing.  We felt a bit more confident now that it seemed to smell like something we would actually want to eat.  We took the knife and got spreading, it went on the toast just like any other spread would.  We picked up the slice, said our prayers, and took our first bite.  After we opened our eyes and began to chew we realized there was something tasty in our mouth.  Could it be, was this spread actually good?  

Skillet Bacon Spread was and is actually very good.  It reminded us more of pulled pork than bacon but either way it was still a pork product.  It had a sweeter flavor to it than we were expecting, but retained the smoky essence you would expect from bacon.  It was actually really good on our slice of toast and would be a nice addition to a poached egg.  We finished our entire piece of bacon toast and then started to brainstorm what we were going to eat this on next.

After our taste test we decided to do a bit more research on Skillet Bacon Spread.  It turns out the product originated in 2007 out in Seattle, Washington when Chef Josh Henderson created the Skillet Street Food.  Skillet Street Food is classic food truck though theirs is an Airstream trailer.  The menu features American-inspired food prepared with classic technique and seasonal ingredients.  After reviewing their menu we found out that they created the bacon spread originally for topping burgers.  Had we known all of this from the start we would have dug into this jar no questions asked.  However, now it all makes sense, this is a quality product not just some bacon gimmick.  This is certainly one of the most unique things we have ever eaten and it was well worth the risk.  Click here to see their website to order your own

Should or Should Not Eat:

Do not be afraid of meat in a jar, this spread is a unique Should Eat.  All bacon lovers out there will love this product.  It is a quick and easy way to get that intense bacon flavor without all of the mess.  It is stored in the fridge so it will last a while and can be used for burgers, sandwiches or any other ideas you might come up with.  If you are feeling brave order a jar and let us know what you think.

By now many of you have probably heard of Thrillist, they send out daily e-mail updates to their members highlighting events, restaurants and hot spots in your city.  Along with many of these articles members are offered a chance to purchase tickets or meals at a discounted prices.  The best part of Thrillist is that it is free so you do not have to pay to get any of these benefits.  We have been a member of Thrillist for awhile now and have seen some pretty cool events and deals in the past but never actually went to one.  That all changed when a friend of ours sent us the information regarding the Beer & Balls event.

Presented by Get Real Events, Beer & Balls featured 3 hours (actually 4 if you went VIP) of endless craft beers and gourmet meatballs.  There were 40 craft beers available sourced from brewers such as  Lagunitas, Dogfish Head, Allagash, Smuttynose, Kelso, Brooklyn, Cigar City, Sixpoint, Hill Farmstead, Wandering Star, and many, many more. To go along with these numerous libations there were 12 chefs from all around NYC making delicious balls of meat (and one vegetarian option).  These balls were not just your common meatballs instead they were created using only the finest ingredients and the meat from about eight different animals.  Each one had its own theme and regional flavor providing us with a nice variety of meatballs.  The best part of the event was that it was all you could eat and all you could drink.  

For an event like this you would probably expect to pay some where around $80 dollars.  Yet even after we decided to go with the VIP ticket because it gave us an extra hour of eating and drinking and we only paid $50.  Now talk about a deal, especially considering beer prices in New York City.  We saved up our appetite, skipped breakfast and headed out to see who would wow us with the best meatballs.  There was a close battle for the top spot, keep reading to find out which one came out on top.

Chef: Thomas Harder

Meatball Vitals: Wild Boar, grassfed Beef and Elk – Middle-Eastern flavored Meatball

Website: www.blindtigeralehouse.com

This was the first ball we got as soon as we walked it.  It was nice and hot and very flavorful.  It was a middle eastern style meatball so you could really taste the cumin in both the sauce and the ball.  The sauce had a nice amount of heat without over powering the dish.  You could not really tell that these meatballs were made from three animals.  They were good and a nice way to start off the event.

Chef: Thomas Mosera

Meatball Vitals: Beef and Pork Meatball Sliders

Website: www.tommylasagna.com

After the ball from Blind Tiger, we found this Italian slider.  This was a traditional Italian meatball with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce on a bun.  The meat was very tender and tasted just like an Italian meatball should.  The sauce complemented the meatball well with a nice sweetness.  The ricotta was an interesting touch and added a creaminess to the slider.  We were happy with the flavor of this meatball but it was a little bit cold and it took away from the dish. 

Chef: Chris Hamil

Meatball Vitals: Fried Pork, Bacon, Cheddar, Meatball

Website: www.manchesterpubnyc.com

The guys working the Manchester Pub section were super friendly and engaging.  They were not waiting for people to come to them instead if they saw you with a free hand they made sure they got a meatball in it.  As soon as we heard the ingredients we knew this was going to be good.  It was a deep fried pork, bacon, and Cheddar meatball.  We are not sure any description can do this meatball justice. It had a crispy outside and a juicy center.  It had this awesome smokiness thanks to the bacon that was mellowed out by the richness of the cheddar.  This ball was the only one that was not cooked in a sauce or had a dipping sauce with it  It did not need either one, they were prefect as is.  We started speaking with the guys at the Manchester and suggested they should serve these guys on a slider with some type of chipotle sauce.  These meatballs were so good that we lost track of how many we had.

Chef: 4Food Staff

Meatball Vitals: Wild Boar Meatballs w Toasted Coconut Rice & Spicy Sweet Chili Sauce

Website: 4food.com

After gorging ourself with the fried morsels from The Manchester Pub, we saw someone eating this meatball with rice.  Turns out it was coconut rice and we made our way through the crowd to try it.  This meatball was super tender and had a great sweet and spicy flavor.  The heat came from the chilli sauce while the coconut added the sweetness.  The rice was cooked perfectly and was infused with the coconut.  We loved the rice and it was a great side dish for these meatballs.  This was a good meatball, we may have gone back for more.

Chef: Jordan Andino

Meatball Vitals: All Natural Turkey, Wagu Kobe Beef for Fig and Tomato Meatball

Website: www.littletown.com

This meatball was a combination of both Turkey and Wagu beef and it helped create a nice light and fork tender meatball.  The ball had great flavor but the star in this dish was the fig sauce.  The fig sauce added this intensely sweet flavor that complemented all of the flavors in the meatball.  We found ourselves adding more and more of the extra sauce to each bite.  This was a really good meatball that added a different take on a the flavor profile of a traditional meatball.

Chef: Celsa Gonzalez 

Meatball Vitals: Berkshire pork, wild boar & venison meatball with chipotle and roasted tomato

Website: carinonyc.com

This meatball comes from the restaurant Corino located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  They have a reputation for having great tacos so we were a bit surprised to see them making meatballs.  They did however stick to their Spanish roots by making a meatball topped with a roasted tomato and chipotle sauce.  This meatball was moist and flavorful, but we felt the sauce was missing something.  We thought it was going to have more heat than it ended up happening.  The sauce did have a nice color but we think it needed some more body to help meld with the meatball.  Perhaps keeping some of the tomato chunky in the sauce would have been nice.

Chef: Clay Gordon

Meatball Vitals: Albondigas con Mole Poblano (all natural Turkey Meatballs in traditional Mexican Chocolate and Chili Pepper Sauce)

Website: www.thechocolatelife.com

This meatball is covered in a chocolate sauce and bacon, how often do you see that?  Unfortunately we were not huge fans of the mole sauce on this meatball.  We found it to be a bit bland and it did not add to the meatball.  The sauce looked awesome in presentation but that was about it.  We loved the addition of bacon to go with the turkey meatball but as a whole this was not our favorite.

Chef: Brian Yurko

Meatball Vitals: Berkshire Pork for Soup Dumpling Meatballs with Wonton Chips

Website: alewifequeens.com

This was one of the more unique meatballs we had all day.  It was a Pork Dumpling Soup meatball.  It was super tender with a liquid center that tasted exactly like dumpling soup.  It was paired with a crispy wonton chip.  It was a very solid meatball with a nice twist.

Chef: Jonathan Van Sleet

Meatball Vitals: Pork Meatballs with Sweet & Smokey BBQ Sauce

Website: mexiqny.com

MexiQ provided a nice pork meatball with a sweet and smoky chipotle sauce.  This was one of the favorites within the group.  The pork was cooked perfectly and married with the BBQ sauce.  The sauce hit you with a good amount of sweetness but then followed that up with a generous amount of heat.  It was not overly hot, but enough to make sure you knew there were chipotles in it.  They also added a smokiness to the ball.

Chef: Stefan Ching 

Meatball Vitals: Elk bourginion, Venison meatballs with tomato chili and Curry ballwurst

Website: kupersmithnyc.com

Kupersmith gave us some nice meatballs using elk and venison.  These had great flavor and were finished off with a tomato chili sauce.  The sauce was sweet but added some needed heat.  It provided a nice counter point to the saltiness of the meat.  These were tasty and we snagged more than one.

Chef: Phillipe

Meatball Vitals: Baked Vegetable Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Website: www.cafedalsace.com

We did say there was a vegetarian options and it comes from Cafe Dalsace.  Now it takes some confidence in your meatballs to come to a meatball event with a vegetable meatball.  You have to please us carnivores without an ingredient that is in the foods name.  We were pleasantly surprised with this meatball.  It was very flavorful and fresh.  If you did not know this was a vegetarian meatball you might not have known.  It did have more sweetness than regular meatballs but it had a similar texture and was a bold attempt.

Chef: Paul DI Bari 

Meatball Vitals: Polpettine, Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Website: www.panepanelle.com

Here we have the biggest meatball and possibly the best.  Pane Panelle gave us a traditional Italian meatball in a tomato sauce.  It sounds simple but not everyone can make a good Italian meatball.  These were by far some of the best we have ever had.  The meatball was huge and moist and seasoned to perfection.  It was then topped by homemade tomato sauce that tasted like your grandmother made it after salving over the stove for hours.  They then finished it all off with some pecorino romano cheese, we were in heaven.  We have about 5 of these and each one was so good.  These were one of our favorite meatballs, but was it the best?

Who was the best?

This was such a great event, we had awesome food and great beer.  After we sampled all of the offers for the blog we found ourselves chowing down on our favorite balls and washing them down with our favorite beers.  We did not get a chance to document all of the beers at the event but our favorites were the Golden Monkey and the Sasion.  We bet you are wondering which meatball was our favorite.  We found it very hard to choose just one.  Our top five in no particular order were from 4food, Pane Panelle, Manchester Pub, Little Town and Kupersmith.

It is hard to judge different styles of meatballs because they all offer something different but we did narrow our favorite down to two options.  The battle came down to The Manchester Pub's Fried pork, bacon and Cheddar, meatball Vs. Pane Panelle's Traditional Italian meatball.  We loved the deep fried balls of flavor from the Manchester Pub.  They had everything you could want in a meatball.  Crispy outside, salty inside and huge flavors.  Pane Panelle created the perfect Italian meatball which is something we can't get enough of.  In the end though we had to go with The Manchester Pub.

We loved the meatball from Pane Panelle and we will most definitely be going there to get as many meatballs as we can afford but the Manchester Pub takes home the Should Eat Award from us.  We can't say anything else about these meatballs except you have to try them, but interestingly enough that is where the problem is.

We mentioned we were speaking with the guys from Manchester Pub trying to see how they serve these meatball in their restaurant.  We figured they served them as a slider, but what shocked us is the response we got.  The Manchester Pub does not even have these on their menu.  We looked at them stunned, these were the best meatballs we had eaten all day and it was not even on their menu.  After about a minute of silence we had finally comprehended what they said and suggested that they better add them to the menu ASAP. We can only hope they have already or plan to very soon because they need to be eaten by everyone.

This event was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon and we suggest that everyone check out Thrillist and all of the events they have.  We know we will be checking out more of these events in the future. Click Here to Sign Up for Thrillist

The Hudson Valley is increasingly becoming known as a food destination.  Many of the restaurants in the area are using quality ingredients from local farms, so it is no surprise that people are flocking to the area to eat.  It has become so popular that the Hudson Valley even started the Hudson Valley Restaurant Week.  You may be familiar with the restaurant week concept that is popular in New York City and other places, where you get a three course meal at a discounted price.

In it's 6th year, the Hudson Valley Restaurant Week was held between March 18 - 31st.  During Restaurant Week (which was actually 2 weeks), participating restaurants offer a three-course, prix-fixe dinner menu for $29.95 per person (plus tax, beverage and gratuity).  Some restaurants even offered a three-course lunch menu for $20.95 per person.  These restaurants are encouraged to feature local Hudson Valley products in their dishes.  With this deal in place it seemed like a perfect time to try the Back Yard Bistro.

The Back Yard Bistro is said to be by many one of the best restaurants in the Hudson Valley.  We have had numerous people tell us we have to try the food here.  Restaurant Week provided us the perfect opportunity to try a bunch of their dishes at a great price, so we took full advantage.

Menu:

The menu at Back Yard Bistro is full of unique ingredients and unconventional combinations that are sure to cause plenty of discussion around the table.  Usually we like to go in-depth with some of the more interesting dishes on a menu, but at the Back Yard Bistro we would end up naming each dish.  The other reason we are not going to go too in-depth with the menu is that they keep their menu very fluid.  Many of this dishes are changed each month to reflect seasonal ingredients.  There are however a few dishes for April that look interesting.  One that has caught our eye is the Northwind Farm Fried Chicken with Garlic Chive Dipping Sauce and Roast Garlic Brussels Sprout Cups.  There is also the Ramp Ravioli with Parsnip Veloute, White Truffle Oil Drizzle and Potato Espuma.  One thing you can bet on at Back Yard Bistro is that you will try some fruit, vegetable or meat that you have never had before. 

As many of you know we pride ourselves on taking our own photos. Unfortunately we had issues with lighting and we felt it was important to show all of the dishes we ate,  so we had to use some images from the Back Yard Bistro's Facebook page.

What We Ate:

Amuse

Cold Poached Mussel - Served on Brioche "Shell" Red Pepper, Basil. Saffron Sauces

Appetizers:

Crispy Fried Colonial Farm Egg Yolk - Served with Duck Fat Poached Potatoes and Crown Maple Glazed Lamb Bacon 

Saffron Risotto Cake - Served with Romesco and Asparagus

Korean BBQ Hudson Valley Cattle Co. Beef Heart Steamed Bun - Served with
Kim Chee Pickled Tongue

Entree:

Smoke Roasted Pork Loin - with Pickled Mustard Seeds and Sprout Creek Farm Bogart Cheese Gratin

Grilled and Confit Northwind Farm Chicken -  Served with Buttermilk Mashed & Roasted HV Yukon Gold Potatoes

Hudson Valley Cattle Co. Balsamic Pulled Beef - with Oxtail Barley

Desert:

Almond Vanilla Cake - Served with Hudson Valley Apple Ice Cream and Cinnamon Crisp

Chocolate Cake - with Salted Popcorn Ice Cream

Frozen Yogurt Mousse Wrapped in Crown Maple Syrup Pudding - with Sweet Chipotle Spiked Shortbread

We got eat plenty of great and interesting food on this night.  It was more of an food adventure so we will walk you through the night.  Back Yard Bistro is not a big restaurant, they only have about 10 tables.  It seems a bit small inside but you are still able to have a bit of privacy.  It is certainly a nice setting for a date. We went in March so we could only sit inside, but also offer outside seating when it is warmer.  The first thing we noticed was that the staff was extremely friendly.  We received top notch service the entire night.  Our waitress was very knowledgeable regarding the unique menu.  She also provided the perfect balance of service, checking in on us but also allowing us to enjoy our meal.

The first item you will see pictured is the amuse, which was a Cold Poached Mussel served on brioche "Shell" red pepper, basil and saffron sauces. An amuse is a complimentary appetizer or taste to start off your meal. Our amuse was this tasty little morsel.  It was full if intense flavors thanks to the brioche and the trio of sauces.  While the sauces seem to be only a decorative part of the dish, they are packed with flavor.  This dish was very good our only criticism is that since the mussel was so small the flavor was not strong enough to come through with all of the sauces.  We would have been very happy to eat a whole tray of these.

For the true appetizer course we each got our own appetizer.  The best part however is that we like to share so we got to taste all of them.  Our favorite was by far the Crispy Fried Colonial Farm Egg Yolk served with duck fat poached potatoes and crown maple glazed lamb bacon.  This entire dish was so good we are not even sure where to start.  We would love eat this for breakfast every single morning.  The focus of this dish is egg yolk.  Yes it is truly an deep fried egg that was still runny in the middle.  It was breaded with a bit of panko breadcrumbs to give it a crunchy texture.  As soon as we touched it with our fork the yolk oozed out on to our potatoes.  The potatoes were poached in duck fat giving it a nice flavor.  The potatoes combined with the crispy egg yolk were almost perfect.  Perfection was found when we added a piece of sweet and salty bacon to mix.  Once all of these components were in our mouth we found the perfect bite of food.  Sweet and salty, crunchy and gooey, everything you could desire.  The bacon was so amazing that is has spawned our interest in trying to create our own.

The second appetizer we had was the least successful in our opinion.  It was the Saffron Risotto Cake served with romesco and asparagus.  We did not find the cake to be anything special it was cooked well and had a nice texture but we were not wowed by the flavor.  We also do not appreciate asparagus as others do, they were however cooked perfectly.  The best part of this dish was actually the romesco.  We had no idea what romesco was when we ate it, but we looked it up as soon as we got home.  Romesco is a sauce that originated in Spain.  It is typically made from almonds, pine nuts, and/or hazelnuts, roasted garlic, olive oil and nyora peppers.  It was the perfect complement to the risotto cake.  We felt the cake did not have any huge flavors, but it did provide a nice vehicle for eating the romesco sauce.  The sauce has a very sweet flavor thanks to the sweet red pepper and roasted garlic.  The risotto cake takes a back seat to the romesco sauce in this dish. 

Our final appetizer was the Korean BBQ Hudson Valley Cattle Co. Beef Heart Steamed Bun served with
kim chee pickled tongue.  We have had beef heart before, but never have we had tongue, so we were looking forward to this dish.  If you had been served this dish without knowing what type of meats were on the plate you probably would guess that you were eating beef.  Both the heart and tongue were very good but our favorite was the heart.  You may think that since the heart is a muscle that the meat would be tough and chewy, it was far from that.  It reminded us of a nice piece of steak on a very delicious steamed bun.  The tongue was not without its own charm.  It also was not rubbery meat you might imagine.  Instead it was very tender and worked well with the kim chee.  This dish was a tasty way to cross out two items on your "Foods To Try" bucket list.

For our entrees we started with the Smoke Roasted Pork Loin with pickled mustard seeds and Sprout Creek Farm bogart cheese gratin.  The pork loin was cooked perfectly to medium, as ordered.  It was juicy and tender and had a nice hint of smoke.  The mustard seeds also added tiny nice morsels of flavor.  We were however not huge fans of the gratin.  We think it has to do with the type of cheese used.  The bogart cheese had a distinct flavor that we did not enjoy.  The potatoes were seasoned well but we just did not enjoy the flavor of the dish. 

The second entree was the Grilled and Confit Northwind Farm Chicken served with Buttermilk mashed & roasted HV Yukon Gold Potatoes.  This dish was really good.  The grilled chicken was pretty standard, seasoned with salt and pepper and had nice grill marks.  It was tender and juicy but the real star was the confit chicken.  Confit is when a meat is cooked in its own rendered fat.  This chicken was very crispy and immensely flavor full.  We were even happier with the confit chicken skin chip.  While bad for our health, it was just heavenly.  The mashed potatoes were rich and creamy exactly how you want mashed potatoes to be made.  It is safe to say this plate did not last too long. We would highly recommend this dish if it is on the menu.

Our final entree was the Hudson Valley Cattle Co. Balsamic Pulled Beef with Oxtail Barley.  This was overall a decent dish.  Since we are pulled pork fiends, we were expecting a pile of pulled beef.  Instead it came served in the shape of what looked like a brownie.  It was most certainly beef and it had very good flavor.  It was a bit dry but that was helped by the ajus you can see on the plate.  We were actually excited for the oxtail barley hoping to try oxtail for the first time.  Unfortunately there were no chucks on oxtail mixed in with our barley.  Instead the oxtail must have been used to create the ajus that the barley was cooked in.  As for the barley it was our first time eating it, and it ended up not being one of our favorites.  It was a bit bland and had a uniquely soft texture.  Without the ajus we would not have wanted to finish the barley.  As an entire dish the ingredients went well together but the beef was the best part of the plate.

Now on to the dessert course, which was probably the best course all around. The Almond Vanilla Cake served with Hudson Valley Apple Ice Cream and Cinnamon Crisp was very good.  The cake was light and airy but still moist and was finished off with whipped cream. The ice cream with cinnamon crisp was our favorite part of this dish.  The ice cream tasted exactly like fresh apples, we wish we could buy this by the gallon.  It was sweet and creamy and the cinnamon crisp added a nice crunchy component. 

The second dessert we had ended up being our favorite.  It was the Chocolate Cake with Salted Popcorn Ice Cream.  The chocolate cake was moist and full of chocolate flavor, it would have been good all by itself. It was however served with one of the most original ice cream flavors we have ever had; salted popcorn.  It did in fact taste exactly like salted popcorn, it was fantastic.  When combined with the chocolate cake it provided the perfect blend of sweet and savory.  You do not often find sweet and savory associated with a dessert, but it was amazing. This dessert is a must eat if it is on the menu.

The last dessert we had was the Frozen Yogurt Mousse Wrapped in Crown Maple Syrup Pudding with Sweet Chipotle Spiked Shortbread.  This dessert was interesting thanks to the textures involved. Both the mousse and pudding were soft but were able to keep their form.  The shortbread added a needed hard texture as a counter point to the soft pudding wrapped mousse.  The mousse did not stand out nearly as much as the maple syrup pudding.  The pudding provided this intensely sweet flavor followed but the creaminess of the mousse.  The shortbread was mildly sweet and at first we thought it did not have much heat.  We thought it would would have been hotter being made with chipotle.  As it turns out we were a bit to fast to judge, as the chipotle made itself known subtly after being in your mouth for a few seconds.  Here is where the mousse helped counter act the heat of the shortbread.  Just like when the shortbread provided the crunch the mousse did not have.  It was quite the beneficial relationship for out palate.  This was another very good dish to complete our meal.  

Here is a recap of our favorite things from our entire meal.  As we said our favorite dish was the Deep Fried Egg Yolk with Maple Glazed Lamb Bacon.  Our favorite course was dessert. The most unique thing we had to eat was the romesco sauce.  Our favorite meat was the maple glazed lamb bacon.  Our favorite pairing of ingredients in any dish was the Chocolate Cake with Salted Popcorn Ice Cream.  Try just one of these items or try them all, Backyard Bistro will surely surprise your taste buds no matter what you eat.

Should Or Should Not Eat: 

To put it simply the Back Yard Bistro is a Should Eat.  They are creating dishes that put your palate on a roller coaster of flavor.  You are guaranteed to try something you have never eaten before, which does not happen in most restaurants.  Back Yard Bistro is not for those people who are looking to just end their hunger.  Instead they are creating dishes that make you think, talk and taste.  The Back Yard Bistro should be a destination for anyone who enjoys food and trying unique dishes.  With great food, a friendly staff and a quaint location you might just become a regular.

On a side note chef and co-owner Susan Crocker was recently a participant on the Food Network tv series Chopped.

Restaurant Information:

Back Yard Bistro

Montgomery, NY: 1118 State Route 17K > 845.457.9901

Website: www.holbertscatering.com/website/bistro.shtml

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/BackYard-Bistro/151007131576218

Orange County, New York sits in the lush Hudson Valley, which is home to many grass fed and organic farmers. With so many quality meats at their disposal it surprising to find a lack of BBQ restaurants in the area. They are so scare in fact that they should be put on the culinary endangered species list. There are just a handful of these joints scattered throughout the OC. From the places that do exist, there are only two good worth eating at. One of them unfortunately burned down a few years ago. Luckily for us BBQ lovers in the area the best place is still standing and cranking out quality BBQ 6 days a week. We are referring to Chumleys BBQ.

If you have not figured it out yet we are already fans of Chumleys.  Every time we go we are extremely satisfied.  We think Chumleys is serving the best BBQ in the area, outside of our own special recipe. You may be asking what qualifies us to judge BBQ being that we are from New York. Well other than eating BBQ up and down the East Coast, we have eaten our selves silly at the World BBQ Championships held each year during Memphis in May. For those of you not aware, the World BBQ Championships draws the best BBQ Pit Masters from around the country to compete for Best Barbecue.  Now that we have our credentials sorted out lets get back to what's important.

Chumleys is located in Florida, NY which is best known for their black dirt farms. If you drive too fast through this small town not only will you get a speeding ticket but you will pass Chumleys.  They have a small store front right on the main strip that runs right through the town.  Slow down a bit, find a parking spot and get ready to eat some quality BBQ.

The Menu:

Chumleys is serving up a variety of BBQ favorites as well as some of their own creations. They create most of their dishes starting with one of the following Boneless Ribs, Brisket, Half Chicken(grilled or fried), Ribs On The Bone, Grilled Hangar Steak (grilled with chipotle butter) or our favorite Pulled Pork. You can order any of these on a single platter with one side. You can also order the combo which is any two of the meats and two sides or if your are really hungry The Pig Out. Yup you guessed it, any three of the meats along with any three sides. All platters are served with homemade cornbread. They even offer two Family Meal deals.

Not looking to eat that much food, choose from one of their twelve different sandwiches. Among the most interesting options are the Royale with Cheese, a nod to the movie Pulp Fiction (click here) and the Charm City classic Pit Beef.  They are even cooking up a Shrimp Po Boy, but their most popular sandwich is the Pulled Pork.

We mentioned that all of the platters come with side items. These side include Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw, Macaroni Salad, Onion Rings, French Fries, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Baked Beans, Mixed Veggies, Rice & Beans, Sweet Potatoes Fries and Corn Bread. For those of you going to a BBQ restaurant looking for something other than meat (not sure why you would) they also offer a few salads.  The whole menu has plenty of great food which will make it hard to decide on just one meal. 

What We Ate:

Chumleys House Made White Birch Beer

Assortment of Chumleys Sauces: (left to right) Ozark Sauce, Root Beer BBQ Sauce, Spicy Root Beer BBQ Sauce, Chumleys Original BBQ Sauce and Chumleys Mustard Memphis Sauce.

Chumleys BBQ Platter: Pulled Pork w/ Macaroni and Cheese and homemade cornbread.

We started off our meal with one of Chumleys housemade sodas.  We had not seen these here in the past and decided to give it a try. They had a few different flavors to choose from, we went with the White Birch Beer. Birch Beer is made from the bark of a birch tree and tastes very similar to root beer.  It had nice crisp flaver and was a very refreshing soda.  We tried not to drink all of the soda before we got our food, but we only partially succeed.

Before we get into the meal, we need to point out that Cumleys offers a wide variety of homemade sauces. When eating BBQ there is always a debate of which sauce is the best. This seems comes down to where you are from and what type of sauce you grew up on. There are tons of sauces out there such as vinegar based dips, ketchup based BBQ and even mustard based sauces.  There are even some parts of the country that do no believe in sauce, instead they use only a dry rub.  We like all of the varieties of sauces and have eaten them all.  For us there is not one best sauce, instead it depends on what type you are in the mood for on any given day.  We have always loved traditional ketchup based BBQ sauce but we have found ourselves moving towards a more mustard based sauce over the years.  Even more recently we have started to really enjoy the tang you get from a vinegar based dip. With our palette constantly changing we would be hard pressed to choose just one sauce. Thankfully Chumleys offers plenty of options.

As you can see we have the sauces listed form left to right. We start with the Ozark Sauce.  This sauce appears to be made from apple cider vinegar infused with dry spices.  It is super tangy and has a really nice bite that goes perfectly with pork. The next sauce is the Root Beer BBQ Sauce. It is a ketchup based sauce infused with root beer which gives it this great sweetness. The third sauce is the Spicy Root Beer BBQ Sauce. This one uses the root beer sauce as a base and is then kicked up a notch with some added heat. Next we have Chumleys Original BBQ Sauce. It is a classic BBQ sauce which has a nice amount of sweetness while not being over powering. The last sauce we have is Chumleys Mustard Memphis Sauce. It is clearly a mustard based sauce paired with vinegar which adds a spiciness and tang.  These sauces are all very good.  We really enjoyed the Ozark, Root Beer and the Mustard Sauces.  We would recommend trying them all to see which your are in the mood for, but no one says you have to choose just one.  In fact we really like pairing the mustard with one of the ketchup based sauces which creates it own unique flavor profile.

For our meal we decided to go with one of our favorites in the world, pulled pork. We got the pulled pork platter with mac & cheese and corn bread.  Chumleys severs its platters with a generous portion of perfectly cooked pulled pork. The pork was tender and juicy but also had some crispy pieces.  It had great flavor by itself, but proved to be the perfect vehicle for all of the sauces. We were dipping the pork left and right, but really enjoyed it in the Ozark Sauce the best.  The sweet tang of the apple cider vinegar and spice paired perfectly with the mild taste of the pork.  In a close second was the root beer sauce.

Our mac & cheese was good but not the best we have ever had.  It was very simple but that's what makes it work. It was not trying to be some fancy four cheese mac & cheese. Instead it was the type of mac & cheese that makes you feel like you are at a summer BBQ.  In the end that's what matters most especially for a BBQ restaurant.  The corn bread was moist and sweet adding the perfect finishing touch to our platter.  We could have eaten about five more slices.  We really enjoy the food at Chumleys and you will too. We also love that the guys at Chumleys are Jets fans and are even found tailgating at home games.

Should Or Should Not Eat: 

Chumleys BBQ is providing all of Orange County with the best BBQ around.  They are making all of the classics with tons of flavor. Their generous portions paired with a variety of sauces makes Chumleys BBQ a Should Eat. We became regulars after just one visit and we are sure you will too.

Restaurant Information:

Chumleys BBQ

Florida, NY: 56 North Main Street  > 845.651.3663

Website: chumleysbbq.com

The Menu:

Fratellos menu consisted of exactly the type of food you would expect from a brick oven pizza/Italian restaurant. There was a large selection of appetizers such as baked clams, steamed mussels and fried calamari. They also offer a variety of salads.  Fratellos dinner menu is even larger, offering multiple dishes featuring chicken, fish and pasta. Everything on the menu sounded good but we came for the pizza and there are plenty to choose from. Fratellos has twenty-five different pizzas on the menu. They evem have some pretty unique pizzas like the Fresh Pear & Gorganzola Pizza.  It is topped with fresh sliced pears & tangy Wisconsin gorgonzola on a hearth baked crust with thinly sliced prosciutto & flame roasted walnuts.  We were not feeling that adventurous but we decided to order a few things.

What We Ate:

Honey Pecan Wings:

Pizza a la Vodka: Creamy vodka sauce topped with applewood smoked bacon & homemade mozzarella.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza: Fresh mozzarella & spicy buffalo chicken

We started our meal off with the Honey Pecan Wings.  It turns out they were actually Honey BBQ Pecan Wings, which was different than what we thought we ordered.  We are not sure if we just read the menu wrong or if it really did say Honey Pecan Wings. In any case, there were wings on the table and we were hungry. The first thing you will notice about the wings is that they are drowning in a very thick sauce.  These wings should have been covered in half as much sauce and even then that may have been too much. The sauce was your classic honey bbq sauce, with a sweet but smoky flavor.  It tasted good and mixed well together with the pecans. The wings were cooked perfectly and despite being soaked in sauce still retained the perfect crisp necessary to be a tasty wing.  The wings were also a good size.  Thesy would have been very good if not for the excess amount of sauce. 

For dinner we ordered two types of pizza. The first pie we got was the Pizza a la Vodka. We thought this sounded pretty good, but we were let down. The pizza was cooked nicely in the brick oven forming a tasty crust. The pizza looked great but once we took our first bite, we knew we were not going to be thrilled with this pie. The vodka sauce did not taste very much like vodka sauce. It actually tasted more like a regular tomato sauce. The other issue we had was the usage of bacon. We want to make one thing clear, we love bacon.  We come from the school of thought that bacon makes everything better (well almost).

Our problem in this case however was that we didn't order a bacon pizza, we ordered a Pizza a la vodka. We were served a Pizza a la Vodka but it tasted like a bacon pizza. This is because there was a generous amount of bacon on our pizza. Bacon is a very strong ingredient and if not used properly it can take over an entire dish with its deliciously smoky flavor. Unfortunately for us this is exactly what happened, the bacon invaded our taste buds and that was all we could taste.  In our opinion the Pizza a la Vodka would have worked better if it had been topped with chicken instead of bacon.

The second pizza we ordered was the Buffalo Chicken Pizza. This pizza looked awesome, so it was even more depressing when we grabbed the first slice. You can't see from the angle of our picture but the entire pie was not cooked.  On the outside it looked done, but the inside was still doughy and soft. We ate one slice and that was all. The chicken was cooked well and the pie had good flavor thanks to the buffalo hot sauce. It was not busy in the restaurant so for the pizza to be this under cooked was very surprising.  The pizza had plenty of potential but fell short due to execution. 

Should Or Should Not Eat: 

Fratellos has a good reputation and perhaps we caught them on a bad night but for us they are a Should Not Eat.  The food was just ok and being served under cooked pizza really ruined our meal.  Fratellos does have potential but they may need to take another look at their recipes and make some slight adjustments.  We will not be going back anytime soon though.

Restaurant Information:

Fratello

Warwick, NY: 22 Spring Street  > 845.986.7898

Website: www.fratellobrickoven.com/