Elements Bistro

My hubby and I are off from work this week and had the opportunity to try a new spot in the Elmwood section of West Hartford for lunch. The spot is as ecletic and modern as they come and is called Elements Bistro. For a Tuesday afternoon it was rather busy but we were seated quickly. The decor was modern yet inviting with a clean brown and blue palette.

To eat, I ordered the red chili and their signature Elemental Salad (they also have a vegan chili on the menu called green chili). The salad comes in a small and large portion size. I opted for the small and was not disappointed. You could taste the fresh cilantro which tempered the spicy ancho vinaigrette which is a signature dressing of the bistro's. Also in the mix was crisp jicama, grape tomatoes, thinly sliced poblano & red peppers and the delicately fried goat cheese ball. It was refreshing and I imagine the large would be quite filling as a meal of it's own.

The chili was made with sausage and shredded beef which was fork tender and made for a nice consistency to the dish on a rather chilly Connecticut day. It was topped with shredded cheese, scallions and tres (three) tortilla chips. Only peeve is I would have delighted in more tortilla chips on the side to eat with the spicy chili....next time I'll be sure to ask.

My husband opted for the simple burger (who'd a thought :) with cheddar cheese. It came with a healthy portion of fries and a slaw of sorts on the side which he piled atop his burger.

The service was average. Our waitress was pleasant but not overly attentive. It was during Christmas week craziness so we'll cut some slack.

Overall I was satisfied with the food and the vibe. Greatest part is how affordable it was. For the two of us we spent under $20 for a tasty and satisfying lunch, a great save in this economy!

Our plan is to come back for dinner as the entree menu appears to be extensive and imaginative. I can't say if it is intentional but I definitely feel there is a southwest flair throughout their menu choices which definitely helps add some spice and versatility to Elmwood's budding restaurant scene.

Overall Score - 4 out of 5


Definitely one for you to taste n see!

http://www.elements-bistro.com
1128 New Britain Ave
West Hartford, CT 06110
Phone: (860) 233-8125

One Dish Chicken Wonder

Here is one I made last night. I was surprised at how quick the chicken cooked. I used two bone in chicken breast but as the recipe mentions you can use a variety of cut up chicken pieces. The chicken was very moist and tender. For the greens I used Swiss Chard. My first time cooking it and it had a nice taste especially when you squeeze the lemon juice over it at the end. I skipped the grain part because my hubby wouldn't eat Bulgar and just heated up some rice from the night before. He told me it was good so I hope you like it too!

TO VIEW THE RECIPE LARGER & PRINT IT, CLICK ON THE IMAGE

Later

Aimee

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The Other White Meat

This one was very yummy. The pork came out really tender with a nice sweet & tangy balance. You definitely have to use the bone in pork chops for the best results. Once again to conserve calories I skipped the mashed potatoes but they did sound yummy. The green beans reminded me of a slow cooked Sunday side dish at mom's but the whole meal was super quick to throw together. Pork is not my hubby's favorite due to the fact it can dry out but even when we reheated the next day the pork was still very moist.

Let me know if you try it!

CLICK ON THE RECIPE TO VIEW IT LARGER AND PRINT.

Muy Bueno

Hey I have been trying some new recipes this week and wanted to share the ones I really liked with you. I love that each recipe has the nutrition info. These tacos were so flavorful I even skipped adding cheese and sour cream on mine ( of course my hubby had the works!) . One tip I learned from my Mexi-Cali cousin when cooking tacos is to use corn tortillas and to heat them in a lightly oiled pan (vegetable oil or cooking spray) till they puff and brown lightly on each side. You don't want them crispy but just lightly browned and warmed so you can fold them and stuff accordingly!!!

Hope you enjoy. If you try it let me know what you thought.

TO VIEW THE RECIPE LARGER, JUST CLICK ON IT!

Bobby Flay's coming to CT!

If your a food network viewer then your familiar with the spicy southwest flare of Bobby Flay. Well great news, he's bring the heat to CT ( boy do we need it with our 12 inches of snow presently falling!). Flay will be opening not one but two restaurants at Mohegan Sun Casino. Unfortunately we'll have to wait till the summer of 2009 to savor his flavors. Bobby will be opening a moderately priced Bobby's Burger Palace which will have a variety of burgers to show off Bobby's world travels and the second spot will be Bar Americain which will be on the upper class of the casino's food spectrum.

Can't wait to sample his food, he is one of my favorite celebrity chefs.

Ciao!

P.F. Changs China Bistro

Hey guys, you may already be aware that P.F. Changs recently opened at the West Farms Mall here in Farmington CT. I visited the new spot this past Monday. Since the place is new, it would only be fair to allow them a little more time to get into a groove. My first impression was the food was great but the service was still very fresh and inexperienced.

My eats were the Singapore Street Noodles for an appetizer ( typically an entree or side dish but we shared amongst a foursome) They were tossed with shrimp, chicken, purple cabbage and other crispy veggies in a light curry sauce that definitely had a kick! The noodles were my favorite part of the meal. For entrees, we shared the Kung Pao Chicken, Orange Peel Chicken and Beef A La Sichuan, all very tasty. One thing I will tell you is don't look at the nutritional info. I checked the restaurant's website the next day and to my surprise the Orange Peel Chicken alone was a whopping 1151 calories! That is almost my total daily calorie intake for a day! Ridiculous! Dessert was a Great Wall of Chocolate Cake, and great it was, too much for even four chocolate lovers to devour. The cake was very rich and needed a dollop of ice cream or whip cream to balance it out but when we requested it, we were advised none existed on restaurant premises.

Side Note - There is a "trio" of condiments at each table that your server will show you how to mix and you can add it to your dish to kick up the intensity, tang, and flavor. Very yummy!

Anywho, next time I visit I'll take pics and provide a rating. Just wanted to let you know I made it and overall it was a good experience for a chain restaurant at the mall scene.

Tootles!

322 West Farms Mall Farmington, CT 06032 Phone: (860) 561-0097
http://www.pfchangs.com/

Foodie Getaway!

Over the summer I visited the Pinecrest B&B in Gorham Maine. The innkeepers Matt & Amy really have a spectacular inn and the food scene at the inn is inventive and satisfying. A fellow foodie friend of mine passed on the tidbit that the inn is advertising a special Foodie Weekend" getaway package. Check out their website for details. You know I'm there!

http://www.pinecrestmaine.com/foodies-weekend-getaway.htm

La Salle Market and Deli

So this is it, the place that inspired me to start my blog! The second I stepped into LaSalle Market located on a quaint streetfront in Collinsville I knew I had to spread the word about this great food find.

Ambiance - the vibe here is a cross between an eclectic coffeehouse and your Buddie's living room. The mismatched tables and vibrant artwork call out to both a young and old crowd alike.

The Food - This spot boasts an extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menu and also has an in house market. On my first visit I was all about the breakfast. The french toast special with fresh stawberries was exceptional and just how I like it on a thick brioche style bread. I also dug into a side of Canadian bacon which was as tasty as Canadian bacon can be.

Taste Test Score - Since I only visited for breakfast I will base my assessment on that and and update you with more details on my next visit. The french toast special was rather tasty. Only peeves so far is the slow service for a mid Monday morning and the lack of fresh squeezed orange juice. I really expected a homey place like this to offer my fav, freshly squeezed o.j.
Overall Taste Test Score - 3 out of 5

104 Main St. Collinsville CT 06022
860.693.8010


http://lasallemarket.com/