Hamilton’s, Charlottesville, VA

Hamilton’s on Main Street in Charlottesville, VA, USA serves up a fine meal. Stopped in here prior to arriving at The Whiskey Jar (which explains the delays in posting here at The Bent Page). So, here’s a look at the meal we enjoyed. Started with two appetizers. The first was clams with spicy risotto. Take a look at this inventive dish:

Then came a short rib in spicy Korean BBQ sauce that was quite tangy as you can see here.

Off to a good start, we doubled down on the entrees, ordering a pair of crab cakes which are shown in the next photo (and those things were LOADED with lump crab meat).

And finally a penne pasta with spicy Italian sausage. This was good, but there was quite a bit of heat in that spice which gave me pause and reason to drink a lot of water. Here’s a look.

Sorry, no room for dessert. A very good meal and I can recommend this place to you if you’re in this town. Just take it easy if you stroll down the street to The Whiskey Jar, which is another fine institution of alcohol education.

Taste of Belgium, lunch, Aruba

I posted about dessert at Taste of Belgium. Well, here’s a photo essay on the lunch there. First, let me say the service here is very good, professional, capable, friendly. That counts for quite a bit at a restaurant and this place gets it right. Now, on to the food. There were two of us, but we started with one salad, a chopped number with asparagus. It was crunchy-fresh delicious. Take a look:

I like my greens and that plate really hit the spot. Nothing was left out, just the way I like it. Moving on. There was a salmon wrap (not my thing) but reported to be tasty. Here it is:

Again, simply presented with the sauce on the side, highlighting a solid-to-the-tooth favorite. Finally, there was the ham and cheese shown here for yours truly:

Sorry to say, the ham was a little weak. However, the bread, the hard-boiled egg, the rest was well above my expectations. Thus, we were well satisfied. And I’ll be back to this place for all the reasons mentioned herein. Posts here at The Bent Page will be made accordingly. Bon dia from Aruba.

JoAnn Snack, Aruba, video

JoAnn Snack is a favorite stop on my lunch tour. I’ve been popping in here for snacks for more than 10 years. It’s only a few minutes drive from Aruba’s airport and full of friendly faces. Let’s head over there in this video:

The pork chop with salsa criollo is great. There are other things on the menu, all at reasonable prices. Given the easy location, you can find this place on your way roaming about the island or going back and forth to Baby Beach or just because you want to give it a try. Spanish skills are helpful, but the menu is in English, too, so don’t worry about it. They’re also happy to serve take out meals as well, in case you just want to tote the food back to your place. Bon dia.

Waverly Restaurant (NYC)

The Waverly is really a diner, a real New York City diner, not a theme park styled imitation. I first visited this place in 1986 and it’s been cranking out the breakfast hits for me ever since. Lately, my visits are fewer and farther between, but enjoyable when they occur. If you’re looking for a breakfast served quick and hot, this is the place. Here’s a view of the outside.

The above photo shows how the place looks at about 6:30 in the morning. Can’t miss the retro neon. The most recent interior renovations have rendered the counter a bit shorter, but there are more booths and it is a little easier to move through the joint when it gets crowded, which it does. Scrambled eggs and bacon, French toast, all the breakfast favorites can be had here in less than five minutes. Stop in and find out for yourself.

Published in: on January 29, 2012 at 2:59 pm  Comments (1)  
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