Must Eat Monday: L'Orcio, New Haven

Restaurant week, how do I love thee, let me count the ways. Numbers one, two, and three: L'Orcio.

For some reason, we forget how amazing this place is and every time we go we're always blown away. 

Restaurant week is a great time to go because you can get three courses for about the price of an entree, which is always nice for the wallet. 

The beef carpaccio was exceptional. Fresh, shaved, and topped with an arugula salad.

We also had their escargot appetizer, not served in the typical way, and was delicious.

We ordered our toddler their gnocchi with butter and parm as he devoured it. We get it to come the same time as our appetizers because it's a big portion and it takes him a while to eat it. 

 

The butternut and sage ravioli was light and fluffy and the sauce was slop-it-up-with-bread-worthy. 

The veal saltambuca is truly extraordinary. Like no joke. The best dish on the menu.

For dessert, we had nutella crepes and their chocolate torte special. Both were simply amazing. 

And our son enjoyed a small dish of whipped cream, so he was happy as a clam! 

Have you ever been to L'Orcio? If not, you should totally go! 

Must Eat Monday: Vue24, Foxwoods

We have friends that live outside of Boston and they are fellow foodies. SO when we meet up for dinner, we MEET UP FOR DINNER. Ha ha. We tend to find restaurants on the nicer end of the spectrum and look for not just a dinner, but moreso a dining experience. Enter Vue24. 

We picked Vue24 because it had very good reviews and was classified as one of the nicest restaurants at Foxwoods and that's where we were headed to meet them. Last time, we went to David Burke Prime and it blew us away. So, we figured we'd let Vue24 blow us away too. 

It is located on the 24th floor of the Pequot Tower and has views of the surrounding area. Sadly, at night, you can't see anything out the windows because it's all woods. The decor of the restaurant is nice but when dining at a casino you must always remember, you're at a casino...

Dinner begins with fresh homemade bread topped with olive oil and sea salt. NO butter needed because this melts in your mouth before you even chew it! 

They have a very good wine list and I was happy because they had a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir by the glass, which is my favorite region for wine, so I splurged! And yes, that was quite a nice pour, right?! 

The amuse-bouche was a cream of asparagus shot and it was slightly chilled and delicious. I would've had a whole bowl of it! 

We shared three appetizers. The first was a bucatini egg yolk pasta. People. If this was a dish on their dinner menu, we ALL would've gotten a bowl of it. Delicious melt in your mouth yummy. 

Their tuna tartar was honestly nothing special. It tasted purely of lime juice and had chuncks of baby tomatoes in it so those two flavors masked the tuna. Sad. 

Foie gras. Fantastic. With some toasted brioche, a balsamic drizzle, it was the perfect proportions to kick off our dinner! 

My husband and our friend's wife both got the Veal Oscar, a giant veal chop topped with fresh crab meat served on top of seared vegetables. Yum. 

Our friend's husband got the aged ribeye and it was glorious and seared to perfection. Seriously yummy.

We shared a side of the roasted whole mushrooms and boy was I glad we did. This side dish complemented everyone's meal perfectly. 

I got the sea bass, topped with crab meat. I don't even remember what else it came with but the crab and sauce and side was lick-the-plate good while my fish was a bit dry. 

We always get dessert and this time we couldn't decide so we did four. I got the profiteroles and they were heavy. Good, but heavy. I only ate one. So sad. 

Our friends got their peach special, which was amazingly delicious, and the creme burlee which was average.

My husband got the bourbon cake dessert and needed some time to sober up after having it! Ha ha! Even I liked it and I don't like bourbon!

Why not end the night with a mirror selfie?! Have you been to Vue24 before?!

Must Eat Monday: Red Rooster, Newtown

Have you ever been to Newtown, Connecticut?! It seriously has more restaurants than any other small town I know. And they're all great restaurants! Every time we're there we try to find a new place to go but the Red Rooster is our new family favorite. They classify themselves as a pub and while they have a great beer list and plenty of cocktails, they're VERY family friendly and I wouldn't necessarily classify them as a pub because of that. But that's just me 

Their staff is super friendly and very attentive. We've now been three times, three different servers, and all were fantastic with our family and friends. They have pub-ish food mainly, flatbread pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and a handful of main plates. 

This time, I got their blue cheese, pear, and roasted garlic pizza. Mainly because I didn't want to share with my husband who hates blue cheese. Ha ha! But it was SO good. I got the small and not only had it for dinner last night and lunch today but will also be having it for lunch tomorrow. For $14, you can't deny that deal! 

Our friends got two different kinds of burgers and both were delicious. They come with a gourmet pickle, which is always a plus for us! 

My husband got the steak sandwich and to quote him, "it seriously just melted in my mouth". How can you deny a guy's description life that?! 

We ordered the banana pudding even though we were all stuffed and it is definitely toddler-approved! 

Plus, which is one of the coolest parts of the Red Rooster, every kids meal comes with a light-up cup that you can take home. Seriously. That makes the trip 1000 times worth it! 

Have you ever been to the Red Rooster?! 

Must Eat Monday: Bar Taco, Westport

Are you a Bar Taco fan?! If not, you have NO IDEA what you are missing out on. And as a mom of a toddler, I am always incredibly grateful for Bar Taco as they are family-friendly and their staff is exceptional with kids!

I learned something new this visit- I can order a kids guac and chips and there's no spice added to it! #winning over here with that! Then I got myself the tomatillo salsa and mixed it for me.

Little sticky fingers always has to have one more chip.

The Bar Taco location in Westport has the BEST views as it's right on the water. Just beware, their parking is minimal so you often have to park across the street then walk. But that view is totally worth it!

OK. The kids small tray is always more than enough food for more kids. They get a quesadilla, a taco of their choosing, a corn on the cob plus a fruit skewer and drink. WHAT?! And it's only $6. Why do get a happy meal when this meal makes everyone HAPPY!

I tend to stick with my one-of-each-method when we go for lunch because I usually end up eating some of his food too! But my favorites are the baja shrimp, the fish, and tuna lettuce wrap. I always try a secret taco and this time it's a marinated cod which is delectable. When we go back in two weeks, because I'm sure it'll happen, I'm getting 4 secret tacos!!

After lunch there, we also take a walk on their little boardwalk. But this week, we had a little dance party. Because, well, why not?! 

Have you been to Bar Taco yet?! 

Must Eat Monday: 116 Crown, New Haven

First off, we went for a girls night here for my book club on a Thursday night. We sat in a cubby booth (as we called it) in the bar area and had mostly off of the happy hour menu because we couldn't resist the items and prices, but for the life of me I can't remember what some of them were, so my apologies in advance. If you're in the market for fun cocktails and delish apps and food, 116 Crown is the place for YOU!

My friend's face says it all, right?! Sorry, Alyssa! This is one of the specialty cocktails where they don't tell you the ingredients until after you order and it comes to your table. And yes, that's fire.

One of these was the Glitterati, and sadly I don't remember the other one. But both were so good we ordered them again! 

The deviled eggs. A MUST get!

Fish tacos special. We licked the paper for more sauce they were that good! 

Nachos special. SO good. 

Polenta special. Served with some balsamic amazingness underneath a seared and grilled polenta cake. The herb butter on top tasted great even on extra nacho chips!

Their risotto did NOT disappoint even our pickiest friend who came. A self-proclaimed risotto aficionado too! 

A cocktail with a spear of fresh English peas. I mean, who comes up with this?!

Almost too pretty to drink. Almost being the key word. We drank it.

Another special I don't remember - sorry!

Phenomenal salad, light, airy, and super fresh!

The fromage and charcuterie choices were exemplary and we had a blast devouring this board! 

And of course, dessert. Who doesn't want do-it-yourself s'mores after indulging for two hours?!

Have you been to 116 Crown in New Haven yet?! What are you waiting for??