Patrick F.'s Profile

I was fortunate enough to spend a few days working at the Askinose factory recently and I'd give them five stars just for being the most wonderful people to be around. Even if they were all jerks, however, they'd still get five stars. This is truly delicious chocolate that can stand toe-to-toe with any chocolate on the planet.

So much of their operation is done by hand and that attention to detail can be detected in every product they offer (Chocolate Bars, Nibs, Powder, etc). The beans are carefully sourced for their quality from farmers that they maintain working relationships with (and profit sharing). As if the chocolate wasn't enough, you can feel good because the money is benefiting real farmers in less developed parts of the world.

I would love to have a shop like The Coffee Ethic within walking distance of me (1,100 miles is a little to far for daily visits). The space is bright and open with really nice custom tables. They serve perfectly prepared PT's Coffee coffee varieties from all corners of the coffee growing world. There also seems to be a genuine sense of community involvement and investment from the owner, Tom.

Coffee shop owners of Hoboken, this is how you should do it!

Some really nice hikes only 10 minutes or so from downtown Eureka Springs. Trail length ranges from 1 mile to 4 miles with the longest circling the entire length. We opted for the Miner's Rock trail Which takes you along part of the route from the Cherokee Trail of Tears. The namesake rock served as a dwelling for some of the native Americans passing by.

Like Bre L says, finding a place like this in Springfield was a total surprise. It had the vibe of a place you could expect to find in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) or the East Village (Manhattan) except with pleasant staff. We ate here twice in a four day stay. If I lived in Springfield, I'd probably end up eating most of my eat-out meals here, too. Great burger, solid stead sandwich, great winter soup rotation and lots of salad options.

I'd say more like 3.5 stars. I don't have anything too negative to say. I had a Black Bean Pepper Jack Burger that didn't taste bad - it just didn't bring a whole lot of flavor. Fries were tasty enough. My lunch companion raved about her Greek salad - so maybe try that.

After eating here, I was surprised to find out they were a small chain (70 restaurants and counting). The menus were really the only thing about it that were chain-like. The food lacked the usual heaviness (oiliness / butteryness / whatever) you'd find at a Denny's or an IHOP or something. Additionally, the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Obviously, the food quality is most important - and it did not disappoint. I had an omelet with veggies, ham and cheese. The vegetables were definitely fresh and crisp. Ham and cheese was added in appropriate proportion to the rest of the toppings. This wasn't a change-my-life omelet or anything, but it was exactly what I wanted. We also had a pumpkin pancake on the side which was great - and I'm not wild about pumpkin.

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for First Watches next time I'm on the road.

If this review prevents even one person from eating at Rocky's, I will consider this day a success.

Since moving to NJ, I have eaten more than my fair share of Italian food. All of the family dinners I attend are either home cooked Italian or out at an Italian restaurant. Was it wise to pick a random Italian joint in Missouri under these conditions? Maybe not ... but we were starving and figured Italian food is pretty hard to screw up too bad.

I ordered spaghetti with marinara - items which can be purchased at the grocery store for $4 and feed an entire table. It won't be amazing, but it's pretty solid. Not at Rocky's! Spaghetti at Rocky's costs $10. Spaghetti at Rocky's is served so overcooked that it offers zero resistance on being chewed - it just kinda melts into mush in your mouth. Marinara sauce on your spaghetti will have no hint of tomato flavor in any way. Bread served with your pasta will be stale and tasteless.

You have been warned.

The smokey smell when you enter the joint is pretty intense. When we got to our hotel room, it was apparent it stayed with us. I suppose that's going to be the normal with bbq.

I tried the pork ribs and the burnt ends on our waiters recommendation. I liked both, though the pork ribs were the clear winner. The baked beans were fantastic - after tasting them, I quickly polished off the whole bowl before returning to my meat plate. The cheesy corn bake was guaranteed to cause instant cardiac arrest. We managed to put down a couple of bites, but quickly abandoned it.

The runaway favorite of our night was a southwestern chicken and bean soup. It was perfectly seasoned and topped with just the right amount of cheese. It's obviously strange to recommend a chicken soup at a barbeque place, but if it's on the menu when you're there - don't miss it!!!!

I really enjoyed their coffee - especially after spending a few days in Omaha (where all coffee is apparently watered down due to secret city ordinance). On two separate occasions I had a Sumatra Mandheling and a Brazilian coffee which were both quite tasty. We also grabbed some beans (Honeymom's blend) for home and found those to be a nice treat as well. Friendly staff, too!

Good pancakes. Ok Bacon. BAD coffee.

Pretty ho-hum until you get your breakfast bill for two comes to $14. Holy smokes that's cheap!