Missy "Sweet 'n' Sassy" S.'s Profile

Having grown up in an area where there were a LOT of Portuguese bakeries, and not finding many (good) quality places here in greater Hartford, I was excited by the news (when my friend Ron told me) that there was a new bakery....and so close in Newington!

We immediately went here, but i must say, I was surprised at the service (or lack thereof) that we received. It was pretty appalling!

I had not noticed Ron's note about the employees parking in front but I was able to get one one space in front (there were no handicapped spaces that I saw, I was just lucky one space had freed up when we pulled in).

Then when we got in, we had every intention of trying a couple of the sandwiches that sounded so yummy......BUT THERE WAS NO ONE BEHIND THE COUNTER......so we stood and waited, and waited, me with my cane, hardly able to stand at all......yet there was a table in the corner of people yucking it up, having a grand ole time.....
and weren't we surprised as we were just about to turn and leave, one of the people at the table GOT UP AND CAME AROUND THE BACK OF THE COUNTER...to wait on us! SO SHE WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME...... IGNORING US!!!!!

At this point, there was no way we could order and wait for sandwiches (I could barely stand long enough to pay at this point), they seemed soooo slow (obviously) so we ended up ordering a Raspberry Turnover (hubby didnt care for it, very little filling and said the pastry was very dry), and a Croissant (it was good, but i had really wanted to try a chocolate croissant, but they did not have any and when i asked if they might have some out back, the girl just said she didn't think so. She didn't want to go look. In fact, she was a fountain of non-information I asked several questions about things and she could not tell me much at all.

We also got something that looked like a corn muffin but i still have no idea what it was, she could not explain it. It was dry and not very flavorful....and we also got 3 Portuguese rolls, which i was super excited about, but in all honesty, were no better than the ones u can get here locally in the grocery store (CT grocery stores do sell Portuguese items).  They were not even very fresh feeling or tasting. As i mentioned, I grew up on Port. bakeries, the real authentic ones that make Malasadas (Im told this place makes them on Sundays, so that is worth a point) and the most wonderful white bread (which i am addicted to and we even drive to Ludlow MA to get some very authentic loaves) and the sweet bread that most people equate with Portuguese bakeries......(THEY do not make either type!!!!!!).....In fact, i would be surprised if they make the rolls, as if they would go to the trouble to do that, why not make loaves of bread as well?

Oh and the other thing we got was a log shaped bread that looked as if it had a hot dog in it (that was the size of it) but we were told it had 'some sort of sausage' in it. I asked if it was Portuguese Linguica (yummy) in it, she said yes. It certainly did not taste like it! I took one bite and gave it to the hunny. I'm not sure if he enjoyed it, but be warned, it is not a fat piece of Linguica (or whatever type of smoked sausage) it was thinly shaved slices, one slice every inch or so. It was heavily smoked but not tasty like I know Linguica to be.

To be honest, the plain croissants were the best part of the visit, and due to tthe lack of customer service (and that they would see a HANDICAPPED person standing at the counter...AND JUST LEAVE THEM THERE SO LONG WITHOUT SO MUCH AS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT), and the fact u can get super Croissants at First and Lake Bakery or Patty Cakes, I can't see us going here again.....

if u do ever go there to get a sandwich, i highly suggest you phone it in first, or u could be standing there at least 10 mins if not more!

Oh and I do not get what makes this a 'European setting' as another yelper mentioned. I was born in Europe and believe me, cafes and patisseries over there are very warm and comforting, and inviting.....they do not have the stark chairs and tables. I found the place to be very austere. Maybe the fact that there were none of the 'warm smiling faces' greeting us. And also, behind the counter, felt more like a retail office supply store than a bakery! i was surprised they did not have the rolls or breads on display, they were stuck away where u could not see them in a big bag....European or cozy were definitely not the vibe we received!

Ok, this place deserves 5 stars mostly, but i have subtracted one for these reasons....

1) They only make their incredible Italian Bread on the weekends (and its not ready until around 11 to 12, which if u wait that long to go, then you miss out on most of the bagels, as they will be sold out.

SOOOOO it kind of necessitates 2 trips (and we are not very close, so its not very convenient).

AND

2) even if u go super early on other days, the garlic bagels are almost always gone, or they only have a couple left. They do not make very many garlics, apparently. HUGE bummer, since they are delish!

That being said, their bagels are the BEST in the area (we have been on a bagel quest for over a year, looking for the best in greater Hartford area) Hers RULE! AND their homemade cream cheese is super scrumptious!

Had a sub from here once and it was good (Chicken, cheddar, Bacon, lett, and tomato). Haven't tried the steak and cheese which i hear is phenomenal!  Their Sicilian pizza slices are very good as well. Their Croissants are good, and hunny bought himself a cherry pie because they make them with the cookie crust he loves, and he said it was pretty good.

We have not had anything here that we did not thoroughly enjoy! Run to Patty Cakes now, if u need a bakery fix!

I'd give it a solid 3.5 stars......

We have been here a few times, I really enjoy the Chicken Rollatini which is chicken breast rolled with ricotta, prosciutto, and mozzarella inside. Served with a marsala sauce (yummy). HOWEVER, it usually comes on a bed of Linguine.....I got it that way only once, because the noodles were soooo overdone, they were more like soup noodles. Definitely not al dente.  So, now I get it with the mashed potatoes and i really  like it.

Hunny has gotten their daily specials which they have a few entrees that are only 10 bucks and comes with a salad (like the regular entrees....they also come with a salad).  He usually gets the Mushroom ravioli special or the Chicken Victoria.

Their French Onion Soup is not bad, but not AMAZING like you can find at Luce in Middletown. They use Swiss cheese on top but the broth is a bit salty and just not the best....but not bed. I get it every time.... (so far)

This has become our go to place for a quick Italian meal when we cant decide on any other place, or if we just want a nice casual and good tasting meal.

If u get takeout as we frequently do, and if u order my favorite, Chicken Rollatini, i recommend getting the sauce on the side, so your chicken will stay crispy! :o)

I would be inclined to give this place 4 stars, except i was not very impressed with their Sunday brunch. We were given a coupon when we told them it was our first time at Elaines, they told us they do a brunch, (12.95) so we decided to try it....it wasnt bad, but wasnt awesome either....

This place definitely has some delish burgers. I had a bacon cheddar burger and the bacon was just as wickedly crisp as I love it! The cheddar was very strong and flavorful. The lettuce and onions were nice and crisp and fresh. Bun soft and fresh.

Hubby had the buffalo burger and really enjoyed it. We both really loved the fries, very crispy and super hot.

The dog was slightly disappointing. We ordered the slaw dog, (slaw, onion and mustard...usually a fave) however, one bite and the slaw was so spicy (and unexpectedly so, as it was not said to be spicy) it made me cough and lose my breath!  Hunny ended up eating it, i could not. Also, their chili is super spicy too!

The guy at the counter was very nice (even tho he forgot to make our shake).....and i had forgotten i read about them having Hosmer sodas (my fave!) on yelp, as we saw no signs and we ended up having (blah) fountain drinks.  I was super bummed when i got home and remembered they supposedly had Hosmers sodas!!!!!!!!!

I didnt know what to expect from this place (other than good burgers from all the 5star yelps) altho i was thinking it would feel more restaurant or cafe- like inside, i was picturing it to be warmer and more inviting than the austere, plain atmosphere that u find......but, who is there for the atmosphere, i guess?  The chairs are not very comfy, but luckily it doesnt take long to eat. All the orders are served as if they are takeout anyway (in a brown bag, with everything wrapped up).......so i guess the chairs and tables are just there mostly for convenience, not to attract customers.......

also, for those that live or work near here....I saw a sign saying THEY DELIVER! how cool is that????? I wish i was close by!

and btw, i have always been a devoted 5 Guys fan, since i used to go to the original locations in No. VA b4 they expanded.....but the last time i ate at 5 Guys Farmington i was not very impressed......

GOLDBURGERS is now my go to place for a damn fine burger!

**** This is not handicapped accessible. They have a nasty step when you go into the place****

This place definitely deserves a sold 4 stars for diner type food and ambiance. They also have very nice servers adn the cooks are super FAST!

We have essentially been here 3 times in the last week (ok, actually the last 4 days)....

We had dinner on Wed night, takeout on Fri night (i was sick and hunny brought me their yummy chicken rice soup and a tuna melt....great comfort food that was indeed comforting, as well as very yummy!) and then on Saturday we went for a late brunch. Each time was very satisfying, so this place definitely deserves4 stars in my book. I am very fussy about diners, I love diner food if its made with good quality ingredients, which they definitely use. They also are very accommodating.

For Dinner we had: Ham Steak and Mashed potatoes and corn (me) as well as a bowl of Chicken Rice Soup (yummy)! which comes with dinner. Also had a ginger ale (they offer free refills, which i don't care much about, but i know some yelpers do!).  This to me is a very classic diner meal, and it was very good. The gravy they serve with the taters is really yummy also! I'm not a big gravy person usually, but i did enjoy it!

The hunny had the fried boneless pork chops, with the same sides. He also really enjoyed his. He could only eat one chop, and ended up eating the other one for breffie the next day, adn really loved it! LOL

For our Saturday brunch, we each had an omelet, I had ham, cheddar and onion, and it was awesome! We also had a side of French toast and crispy bacon, both were really delish....I loved how the french toast was nice n soft , and piping hot. The bacon was super crisp just like we like.  Hunny had the Greek omelet, with tomatoes and feta, and wheat toast. He was very happy.

Oh and their home fries were good, definitely fresh (not frozen potatoes) they needed a bit of S & P....next time im going to ask for them a bit crispy. But i loved that they were chunked up and done on the griddle, not the deep fried frozen crap u get some places!

My English muffin (i like them grilled) was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT, just as i like it, You would not believe how friggin hard it is to get it done just right at most places. i joked i should take a pic of it and bring it to MO's and other breffie places around to show them how it should be done. Most places give u the damn thing practically uncooked. This diner's was golden brown perfection! I'm telling you, i was so happy, they earned one star just in that darned english muffin!.... hehehe! :o)

Its so hard to find a decent breffie place around here (let alone one that serves all day) or to find a decent diner that does other meals justice as well, This place is great, and the ambiance is fun and retro.....and it has been very clean when I've been there. I'm a neat/clean freak and i felt very comfy. The waitresses have been wonderful and attentive and accommodating as well!

btw, this place has a good clientele, we were amazed both times we came out there were more cadillacs, bmws, and SUV's in the lot, and no beaters! LOL....

This place is FAB-U-LOUS!  We have been there twice now (THIS WEEK!) .....we went first time on Thurs late afternoon. We were in a hurry as we had to get to a meet and greet for a Show at the Oakdale Theatre (we were meeting Guy Fieri from FoodNetwork, so that should tell you what foodies we are!!!!)   :o)

When we arrived, we realized since we were in a time crunch that we may only have the ability for a soup and salad.....but we asked upon arrival if they thought it was possible for them to feed us soup, salad and dinner in like.....30 minutes? They said ABSOLUTELY!

Sure enough, they did, yet we did not feel rushed!  So, here is what we had.....

2 French Onion soups. (I am a F.O.Soup aficionado) and theirs is absolutely AMAZING! Ive been craving it ever since! Not the slightest bit salty, and unlike a lot of places, they use the proper Gruyere cheese! My only comment about that is....You need to ask for extra cheese if u like it to be nice-n-gooey. They put ONE slice of Gruyere on top of the crouton.....not enough IMHO but they happily bring u extra slices to break up and put in it, or when we went again tonight, i just asked for extra cheese when ordering.

We then split a Caesar salad, and without our even asking, they split it for us and brought us each a very generous bowl of salad! Btw, they make their own homemade Caesar dressing! Very creamy and delish!

For dinner, the hunny got the Pan Seared Diver Scallops with Wild Mushroom Risotto....he really loved it!

I got the Chicken medallions (sans the asparagus and mushrooms-yuck-LOL) that comes in a tomato sauce with plum and sun dried tomatoes, served on a plain Risotto.....It was lovely. The chicken was very moist and the risotto was great, especially once she put a little grated cheese on it for me!

We got out of here exactly when we needed to, with our leftovers packed up for us. We had a wonderful waitress, i cannot recall her name but she was very accommodating.

Tonight (4 days later) we went back on a late Sunday afternoon. Today we sat in the bar area (they have a bar menu that u can only order in the bar.....altho u can also order off the dining room menu as well. We again had the amazing French onion soup, and hunny got a Grilled Chicken Panini (that had tomato, spinach, red peppers and Provolone) and came with fresh made potato chips and a little side salad.....

I ordered the appetizer Chicken fingers, and a side order of mashed potatoes. The mashed side only cost $4 but was the size of a loaf of bread! LOL it was huge (and very tasty!) and the chicken fingers (i did not get the sauced ones, just plain with honey mustard dipping sauce) were also wonderful My only comment was there were only 4 of them, and the plate was a big one so they looked a little lost. One or two more fingers would have been nice, but only for taking home, as it was i only could eat 2, and brought the other two home with the giant mashed 'taters.

Their dessert menu looks very intriguing, we are not big dessert people altho we did get a lava cake to take home (have not eaten it yet) but it comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a couple of strawberries......the menu has some amazing sorbets that come in their own 'shell', for example, the lemon sorbet come in a lemon. Same for the peach, it comes in a peach shell.

Oh, and the BREAD! Its true Italian bread, not sourdough like a lot of Italian restaurants seem to serve these days....Its crusty, soft in the middle and oh-so flavorful! They also make their own herb infused Olive oil, the oil is so light in texture (imported from Italy) and the herb mix is their own. Most of the stuff on the menu is all homemade there, from salad dressings to desserts! The bread is delivered every day from a local commercial bakery.

This place is wonderful, and the people have ALL been so nice and accommodating! Its a laid back type of place, very casual yet refined in feel. We felt very comfortable there. Today our waitress was Lizzy, she was AMAZING!

I had been wanting to try this place for a long time and I'm kicking myself for not going sooner!

must b honest, havent been here in months since the last time we got eggs benedict (takeout) ate it as soon as we got home and I was VIOLENTLY ill (will spare u the details, but think projectile) within minutes...I barely had time to text hubby on the first floor to please bring me a trash bag on 3rd floor where i had gone to lay down because I felt so poorly......thank GOD hub got the text and reacted quickly!

I really did obviously like the place...will probably try it again....I dont think the owners were there that day, hub said the guy who cooked it had a really bad attitude, (when he had asked to be sure the bread was the Gluten free bread) the guy was super rude......so between those two things, we have NOT been back....I really didn't want to pass this along, but i am honest to a fault, so needed to let u all know.....

WOW......I have now tried several of this companies' gluten free products that are available in Whole Foods and some other high end markets.

I am new to the gluten free thing (henceforth to be referred to as GF, so i dont have to keep typing that)....I mean very new....and I am a LOVER of everything bread related, and the thought of having to go without is not an option for me, I would rather go thrut the massive pains i experience when eating foods that included gluten (if anyone wants to know my story...let me know, amd thinking of starting a blog somewhere where i rate each products I try....

The one thing you will find (and it totally scared the crap out of me when we first bought Aleias Farmhouse white bread.....They WEIGH a TON....as tho if u threw a loaf at someone, it could do serious head damage.! I am NOT kidding! BUT....some sort of remarkable change takes over when these products are heated or toasted.....they morph into a soft yummy tasty bread!  It's freaky!

Items should be kept in the freezer to remain fresh.

Both Whole Foods, Highland Park and Trader Joes seems to sell this brand as well as other brands (i just tried a French Canadian co's bagels tonight and I am lking them....

As for Aleias, the bread i mentioned, the bag of choc chip cookies are yummy and we have also tried some stuffing (and am hoping i can maybe use the stuffing cubes as some croutons....if not, i will just make my own using some leftover bakery bread.....

Let me know if u ever come across a store that sells even more of these items than WFoods...They are a good start, but these baked goods are really wonderful! One reason for the 4 stars and not 5? The stuff is VERY CALORIE AND FAT DENSE!  to my dismay, i discovered online (its not on the pkg) that each slice of bread is over 200 calories (230 I think) and 4 grams of fat .....EACH!  That is very disheartening for ppl like me who need to also lose weight!

BUT.....id rather have the lack of horrible tummy pain and have to deal with an extra few grams of fat....I think once i can find some wraps, that things will work out better.....Those i can fill with veggies from out gareden

Went here for a lovely Easter Brunch, it is a historical building right at the entrance to Old Sturbridge Village (but you do not need to purchase tickets to be able to eat there). I was halfway expecting an old, very dark wood paneled place, but it was remarkably light and airy inside, with nice historical details, yet in a fancier setting....

We were a party of 10, they were a bit backed up on the reservations for large parties, ours was supposed to be at 1:45, I think we were probably not seated until almost 2:30 (part of our party was late getting there anyway, so no real big deal...we were smart not to mention that part when we initially checked in at 1:30)...

They had all the usual breffie Items I sooo love....Bacon, Sausage, scrambled eggs, potatoes, omelet station, pancakes AND waffles (darn, I had neither, but I heard they were good!), as well as a huge table of pastries and bread and bagels for toasting (too many buffets forget about the need for toast! What is an egg if u have no toast? LOL). The one hing missing was my very favorite...Eggs Benedict, but with all the choices, I really didn't even notice! I mist say, usually the ''scrambled eggs' one gets at a big buffet are more of the powdered/steamed eggs, but these were very tasty and were seasoned perfectly with black pepper....They had a nice flavor.

Then, for the more 'lunch' than breffie inclined, they had Leg of Lamb and Roast Turkey at carving stations, they also had mashed potatoes (the Turkey and potatoes and gravy were yummy!) and they also had Scrod, and a few other dinner things, as well as a huge salad area, a special table that had kids fare like mac n cheese, chicken patties (kind of like flattened nuggets) and a couple of other items....

oh yeah, and they had a dessert table that was double the size of everything else!  And I saw some fruit on someones plate, but I did not see that in person.....(lol fruit rarely finds it's way on my plate at a buffet...altho I would rather finish with fruit than any dessert!). I actually did make it to the salad table...but alas, it was to grab a small piece of Broccoli quiche! LOL

The cost for their special holiday Brunch was $25 per adult, kids were only $5. Their usual Sunday Brunch is 18.95  I believe.  I would DEFINITELY go back there for brunch, and I would be likely to try their regular menu also...Although they only seem to be open from 11:30 to 5pm during the week, and then I guess they have a special on some Friday nights where they serve a special Prime Rib Dinner, or during Lent they had special Friday night Fish n Chips Dinners (it varies and they do not do it every week). If u go to the website I provided, then open the tab that says "Activities and Events" for Old Sturbridge Village.

I see on their schedule they are doing a Mothers Day Brunch....I would definitely recommend taking your Mom or Grandmother there, they would like it for sure!  Oh, and one special note, it doesn't work on holidays, but if u go to their regular Sunday Brunch, you can get in for half price into the Village! :o)

*The only reason I did not give them 5 stars is due to 1) first time there, and 2) extra time waiting on our reservation.  Will revise as needed when we go again.

** For those people in CT, it was only appx 40 miles from Hartford (depending on where u are), it was very close and a quick ride!

*** Worked out perfect for us, we had family in New Haven and Boston, and it was smack dab in the middle for both of them (an hour each) and we lucked out with the closest ride!

WOW!
YUMMY!!!

This is a Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Nut-Free bakery, and I do not understand how she can make such incredible goodies!

I am brand new to the Gluten Free way of eating....due to some really awful health problems, it's become apparent that this is what I should be doing....

Thus, one of my wonderful yelp friends, who is always 'in the know' (Ron S) sent me a link to a recent Hartford Courant review of this bakery.....

http://www.courant.com...

so I decided I needed to try this place ASAP. The bakery is surprisingly open til 6pm (at least it was today, a Thursday...not sure of their other hours)....

So, hub was dispatched to Whole Foods to get a few diff gluten free products for us to try, and then was going to this bakery. The breads from Whole Foods were frozen and weigh about a thousand pounds each, and are still hard as rocks, even after thawing! We got a Sandwich Bread (which could kill someone it's so heavy), and also got some English muffins (like heavy metal flying saucers).....and some dried pastas that I'm looking forward to trying......now....onto the AMAZING bakery......

In STARK contrast to what was found at Whole Foods (ie: nothing in the fresh bakery cases, even tho their website makes it seem like they have it).....Dees Bakery, had bread so piping hot (even at 4:45 pm!) that she had to put it in a special bag, and give us a plastic bag and tie to use once the bread cooled off!!!!  The bread was not cheap, it was appx 7 bucks for the loaf (not sure what the loaf is called), but it is soft and tender and oh-so yummy!  Even without butter it was tasty!

Then,.......the MOST AMAZING find, was their chocolate Cupcakes....I am a CUPCAKE FANATIC.....and very few can pass my test. I hate the ones u get at the regular grocery store...BORING!  And really, there are only a couple of bakeries that actually make decent cupcakes...Mike's Pastry in Boson, and Central Bakery in Ludlow...both in Mass.........until i tried this cupcake from DEES!!!!!

Ohhhhh, i started moaning instantly, and i had only taken one bite, but the frosting was damn perfection, and the cake was soft and moist, and fudgy almost....you would definitely want a big ass glass of ice cold skim milk (i only like skim) with this delectable cupcake of perfection! How the hell she gets that kind of taste and texture out of a gluten-free, dairy free concoction is beyond me.

Not only is Dee 'One Smart Cookie' but she is one helluva magician! I cannot wait to 1) try more of her stuff and 2) get to know her!  She is a wealth of knowledge because she has Celiacs Disease, which is how this wonderful pastry chef, became a gluten free pastry chef! (read the Courant article link, for much more detail on her!)

I highly recommend at the very least the cupcakes for non gluten free peeps, you will never know the difference!......The bread, well, as delish as it is, if i didn't have to eat gluten free bread, I wouldn't, but am thrilled to have her bread for a delicious option!

I sure as hell would eat these cupcakes, no matter what!  She also has tons of other items, altho at the end of the day she was picked pretty clean...I'm still amazed they make bread throughout the day, that is sooo rare!

I will update as we try other items she has....I look forward to being able to go there myself and peruse the bakery cases!  :o)