Spinach Pie & Greek Salad ($6.95)
Town and Country is a great luncheonette - if you don't mind using plastic utensils and eating a foam plates. The meals are all home-made and they are very friendly. They make the spinach pie special about twice month and I always try to get it. The spinach pie is tasty and the crust is not rubbery like at many diners because they make it fresh that day. The "Greek salad" is not a traditional Greek salad, but rather, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, black olives, green peppers, and cherry pepper rings with feta cheese. For them.. it holds well it is tasty.. just not traditional. They are busy but also operate like a smooth oiled machine. Go there for breakfast or lunch (they close at (4:00 pm) They are located in the strip mall at the corner of Woodside Avenue and Newton-Sparta Road. There is a small lot. Make sure you visit this place for lunch. It is one of Newton's treasures.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Asian Island - Dinner
Grilled Sea Bass $20.00
The Asian Island is a Japanese restaurant in Sparta (next to the Post Office.) They have a lot of shushi and a shushi bar.. but I don't care for that so I asked for a recommendation the the Sea Bass was suggested. It was one of the more expensive things on the menu but was well worth it. The fish was served on a bed of diagonally sliced blanched asparagus with three sauces around it.. one was a mango sauce. There was also halved new potatoes, fried and the fish was topped with a flower blossom. I was not aware that the meal came with soup and salad, so I ordered the $6.00 Shumai (steamed shrimp dumplings.) These were wonderful with the dipping sauce. The soup that came with the meal was nice (could not identify it) and had small diced tofu in it. I don't usually like the fish stock of Japanese soup but this was good. The simple salad was dressed with some kind of Asian inspired dressing... Asian meals don't usally come with a salad, but I always like one. I drank tea which was a cloudy green tea with ground leaves in the bottom of the cup. The tea had a very pleasant body and flavor. My meal totalled for less than $30.00 but I got an expensive item along with an appetizer which I didn't need. The Asian Island is a pleasant, small restaurant. Since it is in the strip mall at the Post Office in Sparta, there is plenty of parking. I had an excellent dining experience. If you like Japanese food, check it out for a change. It has been opened for a year and I just heard about it.
The Asian Island is a Japanese restaurant in Sparta (next to the Post Office.) They have a lot of shushi and a shushi bar.. but I don't care for that so I asked for a recommendation the the Sea Bass was suggested. It was one of the more expensive things on the menu but was well worth it. The fish was served on a bed of diagonally sliced blanched asparagus with three sauces around it.. one was a mango sauce. There was also halved new potatoes, fried and the fish was topped with a flower blossom. I was not aware that the meal came with soup and salad, so I ordered the $6.00 Shumai (steamed shrimp dumplings.) These were wonderful with the dipping sauce. The soup that came with the meal was nice (could not identify it) and had small diced tofu in it. I don't usually like the fish stock of Japanese soup but this was good. The simple salad was dressed with some kind of Asian inspired dressing... Asian meals don't usally come with a salad, but I always like one. I drank tea which was a cloudy green tea with ground leaves in the bottom of the cup. The tea had a very pleasant body and flavor. My meal totalled for less than $30.00 but I got an expensive item along with an appetizer which I didn't need. The Asian Island is a pleasant, small restaurant. Since it is in the strip mall at the Post Office in Sparta, there is plenty of parking. I had an excellent dining experience. If you like Japanese food, check it out for a change. It has been opened for a year and I just heard about it.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
La Baita - Dinner
Salmon Vincente's (19.95)
The entree came with either a choice of soup or salad. I chose the salad which was a single kind of lettuce, onions, and cherry tomatoes, dressed correctly with a vinaigrette (nicely seasoned with the correct amount of oil.) The salmon was cooked perfectly.. flaky and moist in a tasty wine sauce with mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. The plate also had some nicely cooked vegetables and a wedge of a smaller potato - cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside while being soft and flaky on the inside. Things like side order potatoes are not always cooked correctly and this was. There was plenty to eat. The meal also came with a part of a warmed and slightly crispy part of an Italian bread loaf. I chose a desert - a cannoli which was drizzled with chocolate sauce. The shell was crisp and filled on order. The whole meal experience was wonderful. With this salad, entree with vegetables, dessert and coffee, my tab was under $30.00. That is a good price for an excellent meal at a quality resaurant. La Baita is in the former "Memories' Ice Cream Palor" on 7 Woodside Avenue. If you want to BYOB, Seplow's liquor store is off the same parking lot . If you haven't this place yet, be sure not to miss it for a fine Italian dining experience right in the heart of Newton, with adequate, free parking.
The entree came with either a choice of soup or salad. I chose the salad which was a single kind of lettuce, onions, and cherry tomatoes, dressed correctly with a vinaigrette (nicely seasoned with the correct amount of oil.) The salmon was cooked perfectly.. flaky and moist in a tasty wine sauce with mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. The plate also had some nicely cooked vegetables and a wedge of a smaller potato - cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside while being soft and flaky on the inside. Things like side order potatoes are not always cooked correctly and this was. There was plenty to eat. The meal also came with a part of a warmed and slightly crispy part of an Italian bread loaf. I chose a desert - a cannoli which was drizzled with chocolate sauce. The shell was crisp and filled on order. The whole meal experience was wonderful. With this salad, entree with vegetables, dessert and coffee, my tab was under $30.00. That is a good price for an excellent meal at a quality resaurant. La Baita is in the former "Memories' Ice Cream Palor" on 7 Woodside Avenue. If you want to BYOB, Seplow's liquor store is off the same parking lot . If you haven't this place yet, be sure not to miss it for a fine Italian dining experience right in the heart of Newton, with adequate, free parking.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
JC's Grill House - Dinner
Grilled Salmon $19.00
I ordered the grilled salmon with crab sauce. For $2.00 extra I added a house salad which was a nice option. The main course was spectacular - salmon cooked perfectly with a tasty crabmeat sauce. The vegetables were not overcooked, slightly crispy, just the way I like although some people may think they are undercooked. The rice mixture (white and long grain) was cooked well; the grains were separate and moist. The salad was a varied mixture of greens with freshly cut cucumber and some cherry tomatoes. Unfortunately the salad was over dressed with the vinaigrette which was way over seasoned and was mostly vinegar - not enough oil. When I was finished with the salad there was a puddle of vinegar on the plate. The french bread was warmed in the oven to the point of being too crispy - it broke when it was buttered. Finally, the waitress never came back and asked if everything was ok. Overall, it was a great dining experience. If those three minor things were improved, it would have been excellent. This is a great restaurant, reasonably priced with good food. JC’s Grill House is on Spring Street in the center of Newton. There is plenty of parking on the street or in nearby lots. Give it a shot.
I ordered the grilled salmon with crab sauce. For $2.00 extra I added a house salad which was a nice option. The main course was spectacular - salmon cooked perfectly with a tasty crabmeat sauce. The vegetables were not overcooked, slightly crispy, just the way I like although some people may think they are undercooked. The rice mixture (white and long grain) was cooked well; the grains were separate and moist. The salad was a varied mixture of greens with freshly cut cucumber and some cherry tomatoes. Unfortunately the salad was over dressed with the vinaigrette which was way over seasoned and was mostly vinegar - not enough oil. When I was finished with the salad there was a puddle of vinegar on the plate. The french bread was warmed in the oven to the point of being too crispy - it broke when it was buttered. Finally, the waitress never came back and asked if everything was ok. Overall, it was a great dining experience. If those three minor things were improved, it would have been excellent. This is a great restaurant, reasonably priced with good food. JC’s Grill House is on Spring Street in the center of Newton. There is plenty of parking on the street or in nearby lots. Give it a shot.
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