The Green Leafe: New Town

The Green Leafe (New Town Location)
Style: American Pub Fare
Website: Green Leafe Website

My Rating: 2/5

Likes: Great burgers, Salad and Onion Rings Substitutions

Dislikes: Wait Staff that seemed to walk off of the set of the Shameless TV series, taking an hour and a half for two beers and two burgers, having to ask for silverware (maybe I should I ordered it?)

Brad and I have been visiting the Green Leafe in New Town for about five years. When we first started going, the place was rocking. We used to go an enjoy a multitude of different microbrews, such as North Coast Red Seal, Weyerbacher Raspberry Stout, and Southern Tier Pumpking. They also had great food. The burgers were cooked and done to cooking preference. I have had the best bacon cheddar burger in the world there. They also have really good fish n'chips, sandwiches, and salads... my favorite is the calamari salad!

Brad and I went for a bite of lunch over the weekend. We have not been going as often as we used to because the place seems to be going downhill.. Their wait staff has gone down in quality and they have not had the beer selection that they used to. When we first got there, there was no hostess on duty and we were told to seat ourselves after five minutes of waiting by the ONE waitress. We found a clean table among all of the dirty ones,

Our server was the bartender, who reminded me of William H. Macy on the Showtime series Shameless. We ordered a beer, mine the only Southern Tier and Brad's the only Lagunitas on tap. Their beer menu has definitely gone down in quality. I really don't think of Michelob Ultra as high point. 

The atmosphere in the restaurant was terrible. It has become more like a sports bar. There were drunk guys yelling about the football game. Families who were drinking and yelling at the football game with their kids present (who were also roaming around the bar area because they were bored). All the tables around us were covered with dirty dishes. It was just weird.

After we ordered our food, it took it about 45 minutes to get to us. When the bartender brought us the food, I had actually finished my beer and was going to order another. But, another couple came up to him to complain that they had been sitting on the patio outside waiting for their check for over half an hour. He went to work with them, and left me with nothing to drink... and no silverware! We had to flag down the lone waitress with 12 tables and ask her for silverware and napkins.

I ordered the kona burger prepared medium with a side Green Leafe salad instead of french fries. The meal was very good. The burger was cooked almost well done, but it had a great flavor with ham, havarti cheese, and a pineapple salsa on it. My side salad was fabulous. It came with field greens, grapes, dried cranberries, grated parmesan, and candied pecans. With a side of ranch, the whole thing hit the spot!

Brad ordered the Kitty Hawk burger, which has been our favorite for years. The burger comes with bacon and a crab dip on the top, making it hearty and rich. He decided to have onion rings as his side instead of the french fries. He enjoyed his as well.

Overall, we will probably come here again, but not soon. We really have to have a hankering for a burger.

The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre

by Ann Rinaldi

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Goodreads Summary

Rachel Marsh is a servant in the Boston household of John Adams. But her loyalty to the Adams family is tested by her friendship with Matthew Kilroy, a British private who leads his soldiers in firing upon a mob of Boston citizens.

My Review

The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre is an excellently researched tale about the Boston Massacre. The main character, Rachel Marsh, was a nursemaid in John Adams' household for his many children. In this novel, she turns from a young teenager with a romanticized version of the world into a young woman with character and sense on her shoulders. She underwent this process by becoming friends with revolutionaries, such as Henry Knox, and British soldiers.

One aspect that I loved about this book was that Rinaldi captured different views people could hold about the situation in 1770's Boston. I loved the metamorphosis of characters' views as they pondered what liberty actually meant. Was it personal liberty? Political liberty? Liberty within a household? Friendship liberties? The definition of liberty was a clear theme throughout the book.

I also loved the views that she gave the soldiers in the novel. It shed some light on other feelings and viewpoints I had not yet considered. For example, the redcoats believed that they were supposed to be viewed as noble heroes because they were protecting their country. That was why a few had signed to be a party of the British army. In Boston they were not treated as such, and it turned out to be a grievous disappointment.

There were also some historical tidbits that I learned from reading the novel. I have a better understanding of how the relationship between the cousins of John and Sam Adams was characterized. I learned small facts about Abigail Adams' family, such as her grandfather was the found of a New England province. I also learned a touch more about Adams' defense of the soldiers after the Boston Massacre. Rinaldi picked out certain aspects and quotations to use that were appropriate and enlightening.

Overall, I would recommend this book to any American. It helps to illustrate the principles of what our country was founded upon. It also is an entertaining tale about how a girl becomes an educated woman. After putting the book down, I find myself yearning to find out what happens to Rebecca Marsh.

Bistro 27 Brunch

Bistro 27

Category: American
Rating:3 / 5
Website: Bisto 27

Likes:Interesting menu options, twists on the usual brunch fare, butter AND jelly for the biscuit, tasty food, dainty dishes

Dislikes:Bad coffee, slow service, not enough creamer on the table (which could quite possibly have fixed the bad coffee)

Comments:
I like Groupon. I can go to places that I like on the cheap once in awhile. Other times, it gives me an excuse to drag Brad places that he does not want to go. Bowling is the perfect example. Brad hates to bowl, but I think it is fun once in awhile. So when we are bored, I say, "Let's go bowling! We have a Groupon!" And then, we magically end up embarrassing ourselves at the bowling alley. 

 Today's Groupon inspired visit was Bistro 27, off of Broad st. in downtown Richmond. I met with a colleague for brunch. I got there early and was sat by a friendly hostess. The waiter immediately gave me coffee. That was the end of the good service. I actually do not think he was a server, but the manager waiting tables because he was out of uniform. 

The coffee was stale and tasted like it had been sitting on a pot kept hot for too long. It was served in cute little plain white mugs. They were quite dainty. I felt very posh sipping from them, but for a hearty brunch it did not hold enough coffee. There was a cute little creamer already on the table, but it did not really hold a whole lot of cream. It seemed as though the set up was designed for people to sip on as opposed to sit and cozy up to. Sometimes I think restaurants keep smaller mugs so that they evade "campers." Campers are people who sit at the table too long for the servers so that they don't get a good table turn over.

Stale coffee in a dainty cup

When my friend came, we chatted awhile. The server (aka manager waiting tables) did not really give her a lot of time to check over the menu. It took him way too long to come back and check. Perhaps I am being over sensitive since I used to be a server. But if a restaurant is concerned with table turnover, then they need to add prompt service to their small coffee cups. Once we ordered, they did bring out cute little biscuits though. They kept butter and jelly on the table to put on the muffin. Up north, I always chose to put either butter or jelly on breakfast breads. However in the south, Brad has taught me to use butter AND jelly on it... and that's exactly what I had.

Biscuit with butter AND jelly

The food menu was the best thing about the restaurant. They had all sorts of options, including scrambles, different types of eggs benedict, and wraps. My friend ordered brioche French Toast with Nutella sauce. She said it was good and it looked fabulous!

Brioche French Toast with Nutella

I always choose to get something a little different when I am at a restaurant. I like to find something that I wouldn't fix by myself or order at another restaurant. So, I ordered the Pork and Duck Hash. It was excellent! It has shredded pork and duck, mixed with home fries, peppers, and onions. The peppers put a little spice into the meal. Over the top, it had two eggs over easy. When they were broken and mixed in with the hash, it made for a warm and hearty treat. It was served with fresh fruit on the side. The cantaloupe and honeydew were ripe and tasted very good with the meal.

Pork and Duck Hash

Overall, I am not sure if I would return for brunch. Although the food was very tasty, the service was a hassle and it was kind of a far drive from my home. If it were closer, then I'd be back for sure!

Chipotle Pork Rolls

Brad and I have two odd grocery shopping realities. Living so far away from grocery stores, sometimes we have to survey what we have in stock at the house and put something new together. It is not worth driving 45 minutes to pick up essentials like eggs more than once a week. Second, we also pick an occasional weird item that we have never used before. This helps us stay out of the trap of cooking the same dish over and over.

Today we blended the two together. We had ground pork in the fridge, which is something odd we bought that was out of our routine. We had never made anything with it before. Brainstorming, we thought ground pork would be good Mexican style. We hit a bump in the road when there were no tortillas or lettuce in the fridge. We did have chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and some puff pastry though. Put it all together and we have chipotle pork rolls!

This ended up being a very versatile creation. It was excellent served out of the oven and warm. I did  blot the ends with a paper towel to get rid of some of the excess oil from the meat. They are also tasty after they have been chilled. I find that I can eat them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They are also excellent with smeared with Sriracha hot sauce!  


Chipotle Pork Rolls Recipe

Ingredients
1 package of store bought puff pastry (we used Pepperidge Farm)
1 1/2 pound of ground pork
1/2 yellow onion
1 large egg yolk
3-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (depends on how much spice you want)
1 egg beaten, for glazing

Method
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and chill. Defrost the pastry if it is frozen. Cut the pastry in half lengthwise. Roll each piece out into a 12 x 6 rectangle on a floured surface. Cover it with plastic and chill it in fridge for half an hour.

2. In a food processor, mince the onion and the chipotle peppers. When finished, transfer the mixture to a bowl. Mix in the pork and egg yolk with a wooden spoon into the onions and peppers. 

3. Lay the pastry on a floured surface. Form the sausage mixture into 2 rolled tubes and place in the center of each pastry slice. Brush the inside of the pastry with beaten egg. Then roll the pastry over and press the edges together. Pinch the seams. Cut each roll into 12 pieces.

4. Put the rolls on the chilled parchment baking sheet. Using scissors, cut 2 snips into the top of each roll so that the steam can escape while baking. Then, brush the tops of each roll generously with beaten egg. 

5. Bake the rolls for 15-18 minutes, or until golden and flaky. Peak at the sides to see that the meat is thoroughly cooked.

If I Stay

by Gayle Forman

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis: 

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

My Thoughts:

This story is about a teenage girl, Mia, who is on the cusp of womanhood and looses her family in a car accident. She is trying to decide if she should stay... meaning choose to live or choose to die. There is a book reviewer who calls the book, "achingly beautiful." I agree 100%.

I love how Forman created the cello as an instrument the central focus of her likes in life. I feel connected to the cello after reading this book... even though I play piano and not the cello. It made me put in a Yo-Yo Ma CD after reading a few portions.

It pained me to read what happened to Mia's family. I want them to be my family, too. Even though there were only snippets of these other characters, their development was detailed and developed in a succinct manner. It was hard for me to read certain parts concerning the family. I felt like I had to plow through some of the scenes so I didn't get too sad.

Overall, I would recommend this book to a stable young adult with a well-developed maturity. Younger or unstable readers may be shaken by this story.