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Tag Archives: review

Colony Diner and Restaurant (Wallingford, CT)

September 23, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , , 2 Comments
Colony Diner and Restaurant (Wallingford, CT)

Coming home from the trip to New England, we decided to stop at one last diner in the Northeast: The Colony Diner and Restaurant.  It’s located close off the highway, so it seemed like the perfect stop.

Colony Diner and Restaurant Wallingford CT

Atmosphere: B
When we arrived at the Colony Diner, it was packed. We had to wait for a table for about 15 minutes which wasn’t a big deal.  The front has minimal wait space which made it awkward for both the people waiting and the people eating in surrounding booths.

Colony Diner and Restaurant Wallingford CT

The Colony Diner has plenty of tables, booths, and even a full-length bar.  It would blend right in with any diner in NJ.

Coffee: A
The coffee was good, but there was nothing to write home about.  What impressed me the most was the waitresses bringing out bottomless refills.  It was nearly every 5 minutes a different waitress came around asking if we needed more coffee.

Colony Diner and Restaurant Wallingford CT

Food: A
The Colony Diner has everything you want in a diner.  There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.  There were a few specials, but nothing spoke to me.  There were so many unique pancake items that you don’t often see that I wanted to try the “cinnamon bun pancakes”.

Colony Diner and Restaurant Wallingford CT

The cinnamon bun pancakes were essentially pancakes with cinnamon and frosting on top.  What made the cinnamon bun, was the toppings but they were great.  The pancakes themselves were huge, and I have no complaints.

Service: B
Our primary waitress didn’t come over much.  She was friendly, but there was a point we could have used more water and napkins.  We did, however, get plenty of coffee.  The staff we interacted with were all friendly.

Cost: $$
For the pancakes and coffee, it was $14. It’s a little more for pancakes than I was expecting but they were good, and I was full all the way home.

Overall Summary/Thoughts:
I liked the Colony Diner and Restaurant, and I would definitely go back. They had plenty of options that I would love to try more of!

Atmosphere: B
Coffee: A
Food: A
Service: B
Cost: $10-25
Overall: A

You Can See All Diner Reviews Here:

Questions for you:
Where are your favorite pancakes from?
Do you like cinnamon buns?

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Miss Portland Diner (Portland, ME)

September 16, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , , 2 Comments
Miss Portland Diner (Portland, ME)

On the drive to Maine, we decided to stop in Portland for lunch. A google search yielded the Miss Portland Diner in Portland.

Miss portland diner portland maine

Atmosphere: A
When we arrived for lunch, it was packed!  Packed means, good right?  It was about a 15-minute wait which wasn’t a big deal.

Miss portland diner portland maineThe diner itself is everything you picture a neologistic diner to be.  It’s in a shiny train car, with several booths, and tables.  There is also outdoor seating which we were lucky enough to get.

Miss portland diner portland maine

Coffee: A
The coffee was brewed hot and fresh.  I could have used a few more refills, but they were busy. The diner mug itself was cute.  It was a bright yellow, logo mug.  It was so cute, I ended up buying one.

Miss portland diner portland maine

Food: A
The Miss Portland Diner is open for breakfast and lunch, so they serve breakfast and lunch.  There aren’t any dinner specialties but there are the typical breakfast options in a diner.  I decided to order French toast and eggs.  I guess I’ve been in a French toast mood lately.

Miss portland diner portland maine

The French toast was some of the best I’ve had.  It was thick but still soft.  Maybe it was the Northeast maple syrup adding bonus flavor.  Anyway, it was great, and I have no complaints.

Service: B
The waitress was friendly and nice.  She took our orders and came back when she could.  It was obvious the place was packed, and she was moving from table to table.  Something interesting that I’ve never seen is the servers telling people there was a 10 minute backup in the kitchen to take orders!  Not that that is a big deal, I’ve just never seen it before.

Cost: $
For my French toast, coffee, and a coffee mug, the cost was $21.  The coffee mug itself was only $10.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I liked Miss Portland Diner, and if I’m in the area again, I would definitely go back!

Summary:
Atmosphere: A
Coffee: A
Food: A
Service: B
Cost: $8-14
Overall: A

You Can See All Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:
Have you ever bought restaurant merchandise?
What is the longest you’ve waited for food?

Empress Diner (Lyndhurst)

September 15, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment
Empress Diner (Lyndhurst)

While driving up to Maine, I wanted to stop at a new diner.  Early in the summer, I went to more, and it’s since slowed down.  I’ve wanted to get to the Empress Diner for a few years, and it seemed to work out the best this trip.

Empress Diner Lyndhurst nj

The Empress Diner itself is located in downtown Fairlawn, NJ.

Atmosphere:
The outside is a well-kept building.  It isn’t a metallic, or shiny building but it’s well kept which matters.  There are only a handful of parking spots, and we had to circle around and park on the street since there was no parking available.

Empress Diner Lyndhurst nj

The inside is a lot bigger and can fit more people.  There is a full-length bar, plenty of booths, and plenty of tables.

Coffee: B
The coffee was good, but nothing too exciting. I could have used more refills, but since I was getting on the road, it was probably a better idea not to have too much.

Empress Diner lyndhurst

Food: B
I had no idea what I wanted to order.  The Empress Diner has everything you would want in a diner.  There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and specialty items.  There are several salads as well.

I decided to order the French toast on challah bread with a side of “Taylor ham.”  If you don’t know the state of New Jersey, how you say Taylor Ham (or Pork Roll) is a big deal.  The North says Taylor Ham, and the South says, Pork Roll.  As someone who didn’t grow up in New Jersey, I don’t have a “side,” but it seems like everyone in NJ does…ha!

Empress Diner lyndhurst

The French toast was good, and the challah bread was thick.  The Taylor Ham was delicious, and I have no complaints.

Service: B
The service was decent, but I definitely felt as though I could use more refills on my beverage.  Luckily the food came out quick.  The server and hostess were friendly as well.

Cost: $10
For my French toast, ham, and coffee it was $10.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I was happy with the Empress Diner and I have no complaints.  I would definitely go back, and they have an extensive menu, so you always have plenty of options.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Service: B
Cost: $8-20
Overall: A

You Can See all 210 Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:
What is something unique about where you live?
Do you like French toast?

Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

September 8, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , ,
Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

Recently I stopped by the Schuyler Diner with Cyd, IE NJ Isn’t Boring.  I was on my way to Vermont, and it worked out to a perfect meeting spot.

Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

Atmosphere: A
When we arrived, we were the only ones in the entire restaurant.  There are very few diners I’ve been to that have been empty.

The Schuyler Diner has recently been reopened, and it’s very different from what people have remembered. It’s also attached to an Indian Restaurant which makes it one of the most unique restaurants I’ve been too.

Inside there is also a giant fish tank which is cool. In all, it’s a unique dinner.Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

Coffee: B
The coffee was good. There was nothing overly unique or special, but it wasn’t bad either.

Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

Food: A
The Schuyler Diner has everything and anything you want. They have one of the biggest menus I’ve seen and a lot of specialty items. There is pizza, flatbread, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I decided to order the grilled portabella wrap which was stuffed grilled portabella, as well as other vegetables, goat cheese, and pesto. It was incredibly packed and tasted great.

Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

Service: C
The waitress was nice but often forgot parts of the order. For being the only ones in the restaurant, the food did take a while to come out.

Cost: $
For my wrap and the coffee, the cost was $12.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I liked the Schuyler Diner and it was a nice surprise. The service was a bit slow but other than that it was great.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Service: C
Cost: $8-15
Overall: B

You can see all 209 diner reviews here.

Questions for you:
What is your favorite grilled vegetable?
Goat cheese: yay or nay?

Jacks Diner II (Albany, NY)

September 2, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , , 1 Comment
Jacks Diner II (Albany, NY)

While coming home from Vermont, I stopped in Albany to see one of my friends from college, Justin.

Originally we were going to go to Jacks Diner (I guess the original) but it has an extremely long line. So we drove down to downtown Albany and after walking past multiple crowded restaurants, we stumbled across Jack’s Diner II.

Atmosphere: A
We were shocked because Jack’s Diner II was very quiet and had barely anyone in the diner. It was quiet and a single small room with several booths.  It is located on the main street of Albany.

Jacks Diner II Albany, NY

Coffee: B
The coffee was fresh and hot. The waitress brought plenty of refills and I appreciated that. While they didn’t have whipped cream, it was still good coffee.Jacks Diner II Albany, NY

Food: B
Jack’s Diner II has everything of a typical diner. It isn’t fancy, but Jack’s Diner II has a solid menu of breakfast and lunch options. There aren’t many fancy or healthy options but there are plenty of options to choose from.

Jacks Diner II Albany, NY

I decided to order the Gyro Deluxe which came with a gyro on pita, French fries, and small Greek salad. In all it was a good meal and I have no complaints.

Service: A
The food came out quickly and we had plenty of refills on our drinks. I have no complaints.

Cost: $
For my Gyro deluxe and coffee, the cost was $12.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I really enjoyed Jack’s Diner II. If I come back to Albany, I would definitely go back.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Service: A
Cost: $8-12
Overall: A

You Can see All Diners I’ve Been too here.

Questions for you:
Do you like gyros?
Are you a Sunday brunch person?

OB Diner (Point Pleasant)

September 1, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

Recently, I met Cyd of New Jersey Isn’t Boring in Point Pleasant. Initially, we were going to go to a different diner, but neither of us could find the other one.  After a quick decision, we decided upon the OB Diner.

Atmosphere: A
The OB Diner is everything you expect in a diner.  There is a big metallic sign outdoors.  It’s located on the corner and easy to find with plenty of parking.  What does OB Stand for?  Ocean Bay Diner!  I had no idea until I saw the mini sign too.

The inside is beachy, with a cool centerpiece made of driftwood.  There are plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar.

OB Diner Point Pleasant NJ

Coffee: C
The coffee was okay.  It wasn’t good or bad, but I could have used plenty more refills.  There were a few grounds at the bottom, but at least it was hot.  Yes, even in the summer time I drink hot coffee.

OB Diner Point Pleasant NJ

Food: A
I had no idea what I wanted to order.   I wasn’t starving and the hot weather (I think it was 95 that day) had me craving something cold.  There are plenty of options including a lot of lunch specials.  I was disappointed because the lunch specials seemed very targeted to pasta options.  If you didn’t want a heavy lunch, there weren’t smaller options.

OB Diner Point Pleasant NJ

I decided to order the first thing on the menu: “the Albuquerque Salad”.  It came with salmon on top of arugula, cucumbers, and sundried tomatoes.  The salad was huge!  I was shocked at the size of the salad.  It was one of the biggest diner or even restaurant salads I’ve had.  The quality was excellent, and I have no complaints.

Service:  C
The waitress was nice, however, the food took a long time to come out.  It wasn’t crowded and there were no more than five other parties in the restaurant. However, it took nearly 40 minutes for the food.

Price: $$
My salad and coffee was $22.  While yes, it was a big salad, I don’t think it was a $20 salad.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:

I liked the OB Diner and would go back.  The food and quality were good.  I would be hesitant during a peak time, but other than that it was a good diner.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: C
Food: A
Service: C
Cost: $12-20
Overall: B

You Can See all 207 Diner Reviews here.

Questions for you:
Where have you gotten the biggest portion sizes before?
Do you go to the beach during the summer?

Underarmour Horizon BPF Trail Running Shoe Review

August 29, 2018 By in Gear Review, Running Tags: , , , , , , 20 Comments
Underarmour Horizon BPF Trail Running Shoe Review

Recently, I tried the Underamour Horizon Trail shoe.  Between the Underamour Sonic and the Trail Horizon BPF, it has been my first time logging significant mileage in an Underamour shoe.

I’ve wanted to try both the street shoes: the Bandit as well as the Sonic.  Anyway, at the Copper Mountain Trail race, I tried them on and thought they felt very comfortable.  As poor of an idea as it was, after my initial try on, I thought they were extremely comfortable, and I raced in them.  They felt great, and as most people know, I had a good race.  So yes, my first time running in the shoe was the Copper Mountain 25k.  They did well and I would 100% wear them again for the race.  It is definitely not something I recommend with any shoe, but they felt great and I couldn’t be more pleased.  I also recently raced the Killington 25k and they were just as good.

underarmour Horizon BPF shoe review

Underarmour Horizon BPF Fit:

I typically wear between a women’s size 10-11 wide.  I found the women’s 11 to be the most comfortable on my foot.  It’s relatively true to size.

The upper of the Under Armour Horizon is durable and is very breathable.  Since the primary function is a trail running shoe, it also provides a lot of protection from rocks and trail debris.  The great part is it’s waterproof which came in handy when I was plowing through mud puddles in Killington.

underarmour Horizon BPF shoe review

Ride:

The outsole has a high-traction rubber which is actually designed by Michelob tires.  So yes, the same rubber your tires have, your shoes have.  Most people know I’m incredibly clumsy and I found the shoe to grip every part of the trail.  I never felt as though there was a surface I couldn’t handle.  I found the rubber extremely helpful for Killington and I’m not sure how well I would have done with something less aggressive.

But the shoe is not all rubber! The Underamour Horizon also has plenty of cushioning and is both soft and lightweight. It is not as rigid as many trail running shoes and provides plenty of cushion during your run.  I like the shoe a lot for running because it’s soft and relatively light for a trail shoe, with plenty of traction.

underarmour Horizon BPF shoe review

Conclusion:

Right now, this is my favorite trail running shoe.  I also own the Brooks Cascadia which I find better for hiking but the Underamour Horizon better for running on trails.  If you are looking for a good, sturdy trail shoe, I would definitely look into this shoe.  It will probably stay my primary trail racing shoe (when I do trails).

Questions for you:
Do you run trails?  What is your favorite trail shoe?
What is your favorite running shoe?

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