#39 Try 10 New Restaurants and Write a Review with Pictures

7 of 10~ Last Chance, Cheese and Antiques, Tannersville, NY

While upstate we checked out this cute little place for lunch. Expecting it to be laid back and have great food. The place sucks!! Don’t go to this one while in the Catskills. The food was bad and the prices were so high. I remember Dan ordered an open steak sandwich and it was the portion size I would feed a child not an adult.

And most importantly…the drinks were weak!! I had to switch to Woodchuck Cider because the cost of my drink and the amount of alcohol I was getting was just silly. Also watch out for the poorly behaved children who decide to sit behind you and rest their head on your back…NO JOKE. Their parents sit at a separate table next to them having a grand ole time with their just out of a catalog outfits and cannot be bothered disciplining them while the nanny has the weekend off. Boooooo!

http://www.lastchanceonline.com/

6 of 10~ ZAZA Italian Gastrobar, Stamford, CT

Brittany brought me to this fun restaurant in Stamford I had not gotten a chance to eat at yet. It has a really cool, trendy atmosphere with a full wall open to the outside. Almost like a garage lol. We sat outside until the weather got a little scary.

The menu had a lot of great options. Healthy ones too since as you know I am trying to watch what I eat. We both ordered salads and I got a glass of wine for the occasion ;). I would definitely recommend it for a girls night or a date spot!


http://www.zazagastrobar.com/

5 of 10~ Chuck's Steakhouse, Darien, CT

There is nothing fancy about this place and from the picture of the outside below you can tell why I probably have never gone prior.  Inside it pretty much the same compared to the outside.  Dark, a lot of wood, reminded me of down below an old ship or something.

If you can get past the atmosphere the food was actually really good.  I had the prime rib and for once it was actually cooked correctly.  I have done out numerous times and just been disappointed by steakhouses.  This one is really doing it right by focusing on the food and not the ambiance.

4 of 10~ In and Out Burger, Los Angeles, CA

Ok so no one said these places needed to be high class.  When I talked to a couple co-workers about my upcoming trip to LA everyone said you have to try In and Out.  So after a lunch appointment where my contact thought lunch meant a coffee or tea from Starbucks I had to grab a quick bite to eat before my next appointment.  What could better timing then trying an In and Out.

I was impressed by the amount of veggies they stick in their burgers. The burger was the perfect size, wrapped for the car so it was easy to eat and not spill everything on myself while rushing to my next appointment. The fries were kind of lacking. They give you a whole bag of them but when they aren't that great am not sure what you need a whole bag for. I would go again on my next trip to LA if I need a quick bite to eat but it would probably not be my first pick for lunch.

3 of 10~ Seoul Jung, Los Angeles, CA

On my recent sales trip to LA a very nice client brought me to try Korean food for the first time.  For those of you who know I am a very picky eater, you can probably guess how nervous I was when they first told me what was for lunch.  I would have to say they were a great couple of people to try Korean food with for the first time though.  Very thoughtful and helpful when ordering.

What was very cool is each table has a little stove in the middle for you to cook your own dishes.  When the server first come out with food she brings you all these little tasting bowl shown below to almost warm up your palette.  They also bring out a soup that is to cleanse the palette in between the different dishes. 

We ended up ordering noodles that are made with a sweet potato type of flour (our something) that made them clear.  It was kind of weird seeing your fork through your noodles.  They were really good though.  We then had white rice with this seasoned beef, really great.  We didn't get much work done during this lunch appointment.

2 of 10~ Presto's, Hackensack, NJ

Laura asked me come over her house one night after work and help her put a platform bed together.  After all of our hard work we went out to dinner at Presto's in Hackensack, NJ.

It sucked!!  We ordered the special for the day a tomato, mozz, basil stacker with arugula and shrimp.  The mozzarella was not fresh.  It tasted like it had been pre-made and sitting in the frig.  It was not worth the money we paid and if you are going to highlight a special for the day then it really should be great.

For dinner I ordered risotto and asked if they could just put some vegetables in it.  They wouldn't let me pick what vegetables I wanted, the waitress said "they make it special for you".  Then she said "is that gonna be enough for you".  How mach food does she think I am going to eat!! Well needless to say the risotto was not good and we constantly were waiting around for the waitress.  I had enough of her calling us "honey" or "sweetie".

Overall I would say it was bad and I will never go again.

1 of 10~ The Catamount Restaurant, Mount Tremper, NY

The Catamount Restaurant at the Emerson Resort in Mount Tremper, NY, serves classic American fare in a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere. The mouth-watering menu features a selection of home-style favorites guaranteed to satisfy the heartiest of appetites

The atmosphere for this restaurant is very appropriate for the Catskill Mountains. It was like a log cabin design inside with two fire places and vaulted ceilings. The chairs were all made out of wood with exposed bark and so was the bar. The menu was very family friendly. It was surprisingly well priced compared to its sister restaurant The Phoenix.

The service was good once we got going. We had to wait a long time to have our order taken. I think it was because they were understaffed. After that the service was prompt, around when we need them and not intrusive.

The wine list was lacking but the food was great. I enjoyed a Grilled Rib Eye Streak with asparagus and mashed potatoes. I have to admit it was comparable to the $40 steak in Boston I am used to.

Overall I would say it was a good choice and I will definitely go again.