The Tower of Power - Champions Bar, Hempstead, NY

Serious Meat and Snee were enjoying a few cocktails last week at Champions Bar in the Marriott Hotel over in Hempstead, NY before heading to a wedding rehearsal that we were all in.  Looking to enjoy a light snack in between their dirty martini's, they decided to order the sampler, also known as the Tower of Power.  For $40, this massive, mini buffet included a couple dozen buffalo wings, half dozen or so sliders, a stack of onion rings, and a couple pounds worth of french fries covered in deliciousness (chili, cheese, olives, chives, etc.).  Looks like it was a great start to a wedding weekend.

- Lunch Pail

Tower of Power

After Shot

Benny's Fast Break - Stamford, CT (Updated)

June 2010 - I have added a few more pictures from a recent lunch at Benny's.  Similar to the hot dog, the bread to meat ratio on the chicken cheesesteak I had was unacceptable.  More meat is better than more bread, and it was kind of dry.  Needed lots of ketchup.

A few months ago Bennett Salvatore, the NBA referee and owner of Bennett's Steak and Fish House in Stamford, CT, opened up a hot dog/lunch spot called Benny's Fast Break on Bridge St in Stamford.  Since I am a fan of hot dogs and lunch I decided to give it a try.  Since it was my first time there I figured I would go with a couple of hot dogs.  I ordered a Special #3, which is a dog with kraut and spicy mustard, a Chili Dog, and an order of fried with chili on the side.  I will start with the best part of the meal, the chili and fries.  The chili had good texture and some nice spice. You were able to taste the chili and not just heat which was nice.  It is some of the better hot dog chili that I have had.  The fries were shoe string and had a nice crisp.  They were tossed in this salt and pepper blend as soon as they came out of the fryer which was an unexpected surprise that worked out real nice.

The hot dogs on the other hand were kind of a let down.  They serve an all beef hot dog which I like, but split it and cook it on the flat top which I don't like so much.  The next problem was the size of the bun compared to the hot dog itself, see picture below.  The bun to dog ratio was way to high for my liking.  They use a potatoe bun which I like, but not when it is paired with a small hot dog.  I felt like I was eating more bread than anything with every bite.  Lastly was the hot dog itself.  There was no snap.  I am a fan of the snap and was disappointed that there was no snap.   Maybe the massive amounts of bun absorbed the snap, who knows.  What I do know is that I will not return to Benny's for hot dogs.  Instead I would get a bowl of chili to go and put it on a hot dog I make at home.  I will go back for the cheesesteak though.  I saw a picture of it, and it looked awesome.  So there is still hope for Benny's, just not his dogs.

- Lunch Pail

Special #3 on the left, Chili dog on the right.  Check out the bun to dog ratio.  Unacceptable.  Plus an extra thumbs down for the non toasted bun.

Recently added pictures - June 2010

It's Always Sunny for Joe Scalo

Like most health fanatics, Joe "Serious Meat" Scalo believes that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and takes it very seriously.  Rather than yogurt, a fruit salad, oatmeal, or even a bowl of cereal, Joe puts a strong emphasis on protein in the morning while not forgetting the dairy or whole grains. 

Below is a glimpse of Joe Scalo's breakfast while he was mourning over the death of a sausage legend, Jimmy Dean.  Three sunny side up eggs (Protein), probably free-range and organic, two Italian sausage links (Protein), and two buttered (Dairy) pieces of whole wheat toast (Whole Grains).  He didn't forget about his fruits and vegetables either.  I am sure he used a decent amount of ketchup on the eggs and chased this meal down with a pint of OJ.

- Lunch Pail

Pigs in the Sunshine

Mina's Kitchen - Monroe, NY

Mina's Kitchen is a Spanish restaurant in Monroe, NY and specializes in Dominican cuisine.  I have driven passed this place numerous times and never figured to try it, until Joe "Serious Meat" Scalo was talking it up one day.  He said it was awesome, and one of the best lunches around.  Taking his advice I went there for lunch recently.  It is a small place with a cafeteria set-up and a hand written menu on a white board.  I imagine the menu is always changing, but the offer a variety of dishes including, roast pork, baked chicken, pepper chicken, ox tail, fish stew, and ribs.  I had no idea what to order, but I saw some guy eating something and asked what it was because it looked legit.  He told me to get the roast pork and to make sure to get a side of garlic sauce.  He even offered me a piece to try, but I declined.

This man did not lie.  This roast pork was delicious, tender, evenly spiced, and not too fatty.  The garlic sauce gave it a nice touch and was not too over powering.  With the pork I got the yellow rice with those mini bean/lentils and green olives, and some black beans.

Great recommendation Serious Meat, I will be sure to eat there again.

- Lunch Pail

Roast Pork w/ Yellow Rice

Lefteris Gyro - Tarrytown, NY

I recently moved to Tarrytown, NY, and am in the process of finding new places to eat at.  Everyone that I have spoken to so far has recommended Lefteris.  This past weekend I went for lunch, and the food stood up to all of the hype.  I went with an order of Skordali to start, which is a garlic and potato dip.  Think extremely garlicky mashed potatoes, but creamy enough to dip pita into.  I followed that up with the Gyro.  It was phenomenal and the best Gyro that I have ever had.  The pita was warm, the lamb was flavorful and not greasy, the tatziki was on point, and they had the right amount of lettuce, tomato, and onion.  The restaurant was busy with outdoor and indoor seating, but the service was great and the food came out quick and hot. 

I imagine that I will be eating at Lefteris often, as this meal was delicious, and everything else on the menu looked awesome.

- Lunch Pail

Gyro

Lucky's Classic Burger and Malt Shop - Stamford, CT

Here is a burger I had at Lucky's in Stamford a while back, and it probably one of the better burgers that I have had in Stamford.  I ordered a burger, cooked medium, with bleu cheese and bacon with a side of onion rings.  I then added a some onion rings and BBQ sauce to complete the masterpiece.  Bleu cheese and bacon is a powerhouse combination, and I have been hooked on onion rings and BBQ sauce since the Rodeo Burger days of Burger King.  This was all served up on a grilled brioche bun. 

It was an awesome burger, and probably one of the best I have had in Stamford.

-Lunch Pail

What did the Potato say to Canada?

Pom Frittes!

I spent Memorial Day Weekend in Montreal for a bachelor party.  On Saturday night we stumbled back into a bar that we started at around 1 in the afternoon to grab some dinner.  We got an order of Poutine, which was highly recommended by the bartender, and I orded some wings.

The Poutine was awesome.  It was a mound of french fries, or as the Frenchy'call them, pom frittes, with brown gravy and cheese curds.  They put regular gravy fries with cheese to shame (sorry New Jersey).  Sorry the picture is so dark and terrible below, things seem much better than they are after an afternoon of drinking I guess.  I added a second picture that I found online to get a better idea of what it looked like.

By the way, the wings were terrible.  I think they were pigeon.

- Lunch Pail

My Terrible Picture