#47 - Eat at a New Restaurant Once a Month (contributed by Anna Bass)

January 18, 2009 - Yummy Yummy Pizzeria Restaurant in East Lyme, CT - Post-birthday-party lunch with Sara and Allen Weston and Krista Turner. I had a fried fish grinder, and we got a Greek Pizza and an order of onion rings to share. With good food and friendly service, it proved to be a nice way to recover from the party.


February 21, 2009 - Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, DC - Ben's is a DC landmark, and has apparently become more popular ever since Barack Obama ate there with DC Mayor Adrian Fenty. It was actually a bit of a pain. We had to wait outside in line for several minutes, and then faced the prospect of standing in another line inside waiting to order food, followed by hoping in vain to find a table for the four of us. Luckily we were able to group up with two dudes in line and get a table in the seating area at the back of the restaurant, which is apparently only for groups of 6 or more. I had the "Bill Cosby’s Original Chili Half-Smoke", which was quite tasty. I decided to spare my stomach and my companions the discomfort associated with my consuming a milk shake, but I hear they're pretty good too.




February 26, 2009 - American Flatbread Hearth in Burlington, VT - Home to delicious wood-fire-baked pizza and tasty beers. Pre-Smuggs dinner with Mike Reed, Meghan Barker, Chuck Strand, Dave Bass and Noel Pelzarski. The beers are offered in "half" sizes so you can taste more of them. For pizza, the only one I can recall trying was the "Pinctuated Equilibrium", a combination of kalamata olives, roasted sweet red peppers, Vermont goat cheese, rosemary, red onions, other cheeses and fresh herbs. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.


March 7, 2009 - Oldcastle Restaurant and Pub in New York City - A simple Irish Pub with a typical American menu. We were in town to see Anna Bass dance. Lunch included Mike Reed, Morgan Galante, Kendra Zaugg, Dan Smith, Steve Schmitt, and Justin Svrcek. Mike and I shared a Tuna Melt and a. . . a. . . I think a Ranch Chicken Wrap? Obviously not too memorable.



April 3, 2009 - The Spot in Hermosa Beach, CA - I was in LA for Jason Rossi's bachelor party. He's a vegetarian, so the best man (Steve Taylor) set up a dinner at this natural food restaurant, reputedly the oldest natural health food restaurant in LA. Sorry, but I'm working on the whole remembering to get a photo of these places thing.




May 11, 2009 - Buck's Naked BBQ in Freeport, ME - I was on a business trip to Bath Iron Works, and we went to dinner Monday night at Buck's. Decent food. I had the Brisket on Horseback dinner with baked beans and potato salad. It's tough to find barbecue that can compare to what I grew up on in Texas, but it's imprtant to keep trying. Buck's wasn't fantastic, but it was certainly tasty. I definitely got my fill. I could barely move afterward, and I was still feeling it the next morning.


Okay so it was around this time that I got really bad about keeping this particular page updated. Below is the abbreviated version of the remainder of the year.

June - Sunflower Organic Dining in Boulder, CO.

July - Pongsri Thai Restaurant in NYC.

August - The Bistro at Billy Goat Gruff's in Ouray, CO.

September - Countless places in Barcelona and France.

October - Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Mystic after the Mystic Aquarium Penguin 5k.

November - Among others, Rita's on the River in San Antonio (two nights prior to the marathon).

December - Elephant & Castle in DC.