Albright Mansion/Absinthe House - Jim Thorpe

Albright Mansion/Absinthe House
66 Broadway
Jim Thorpe, PA


☆ ☆ ☆ 3/5 stars

We popped in for breakfast during the Fall Foliage festival and had quite an enjoyable experience. From the historical information (including supposed ghost sightings) to the era-rich decor inside, our short breakfast was delightful.

I had chocolate chip pancakes, a side of sausage and a mimosa and my partner had the full english breakfast and a bloody mary. Breakfast food is always hard to review as it is quite simple. But, as a chocolate chip pancake-lover, I am always critical of the batter and moisture of the pancakes and I was quite pleased - they absolutely tasted as though they were made from scratch and had a hint of buttermilk taste.

Both breakfasts were quite satisfying and the prices were very good. Though I can't speak to their fine dining and dinner menu, I can say that if I am in Jim Thorpe again on a weekend morning, I will absolutely pop in and grab breakfast; I recommend that you do as well.

red Steakhouse - Mt. Airy Casino

red Steakhouse @ Mt. Airy Casino
44 Woodland Rd., Mount Pocono, PA


☆ ☆ ☆ 3/5 stars

We ate at red Steakhouse a few months ago when we were much newer to the area and desperate to find a good steak (now we know of a good local butcher and can make our own).

I almost always prefer to cook my own filet because the taste and price are unbeatable when you have the right tools (simple enough you just need an cast iron stovetop griddle and some aluminum foil - I can further explain at a different time). But, as it was, we weren't yet unpacked and were also in the mood to visit the nearby casino.

We started our meal off with a few appetizers: the Trio of Tuna and Prime Beef carpaccio - the tuna was delightful but the beef escapes my memory (which means it couldn't have been too wonderful). For my main course, I ordered the petit felit, cooked medium, while pricey at $37 (though for casino-based restaurants, reasonable) - the cook and cut were right on point.

But, I must resort back to my old gripe: the dreaded wine choices. For a place with entrees that cost upwards of $30 per person, Sutter Home should not be on your wine list at all. We ordered a bottle of Rodney Strong Chardonnay for the table, as it was more affordable than ordering by the glass for other choices. On a positive note, they did have Kendall Jackson Chardonnay as a choice to order by the bottle (it is one of my favorites).

All in all, the atmosphere did boast a certain higher-end dining than many of the restaurants in the area and the servers presented the food quite formally.

I would say it's basically on point for the price to dine. You pay for the casino-based location and the steaks were much better than other restaurant choices.

For the menu

Mollies - Stroudsburg, PA

Mollies Restaurant
622 Main Street, Stroudsburg, PA

☆ ☆ ☆ 3/5 stars

As mentioned, we are always seeking good dining options in the Poconos area. Also, keep in mind our ratings aren't just about quality of food (we aren't high brow, self-righteous critics), they also reflect prices and environment. Because, like most working people in this area, we are looking for the best option for the price.

Moving on. We visited Mollies in Stroudsburg on Friday, November 18. Going all out on a Friday night is tough so we were initially seeking pizza but, on our way to Goomba's on Main Street, we decided we should sit down and enjoy our meal. Among the row of restaurants, I chose Mollie's for two reasons: 1 it was rated as the second best dining option in the Poconos by Urbanspoon and 2 the live music that filled the street lured us in.

Walking in was a bit confusing - there wasn't a hostess stand so I had to walk up to the bar where a woman greeted me and then showed us to a table by the live music. I don't know who was playing but I have to say, the female lead singer sounded very much like Alanis Morrisette. Oddly enough, it was extremely loud (the crowd that is) and the decor doesn't hint at toward a drunken-college-bar environment. Either way, the music was still enjoyable.

Menu-wise, I am not sure if it was the time of night or if there are additional menus that we didn't see, but we were able to choose from a menu titled, "Wine Handles." It was a small menu with mostly appetizer-sized portions.

We had two appetizers, the baked brie and the pork empanadas. Neither were particularly impressive but were adequate in flavor. For our "entrees," we ordered the Tuna Nicoise Salad and the Margherita flat bread, which were quite fitting because Margherita pizza is my absolute favorite pizza and Ahi Tuna is my partner's favorite fish. I can't say either were phenomenal, however. The tuna was sliced a bit too thick and was a little over-seared (that is a matter of preference but personally, I like my tuna as raw as you can get) and the flat bread was a little off - but again, it is my preference that margherita-style anything should use sliced fresh mozzerella rather than shredded. The flatbread itself was crunchy and delightful (if only the pizza places around here could get the hint and use thin crusts).

Okay, the bad. As mentioned, the food was decent, but nothing to write home about but, my real problem, was the wine list. While the selection was good for all (from pinot grigio to pinot noir), having about 4 choices per - the pricing was WAY OFF. I had two glasses of Santa Margherita pinot grigio, each glass was $12.00. A $12 glass of wine should come from a $30+ bottle of wine not from a $20 bottle of wine. My choice was, of course, the most expensive pinot grigio on the list - which says a lot. Restaurants around here need to understand the value of good wine. All too often wine selection includes brands like Sutterhome or Cavit and charge between $7-12 per glass. These are low-grade brands and should not even be on menus.

Okay, my wine gripe aside, Mollie's was pleasant in that it offered a nice decor with good live music. I must add that it is a wise decision to put your stage by the street/sidewalk entrance - it allows the music to travel outdoors and attracts potential diners. Great environment and decent pricing (besides the wine).

Village Squire Restaurant

The Village Squire Restaurant
Blakeslee, PA


☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 4/5 stars

When entering the Village Squire, don't be fooled by the dingy, dated atmosphere - the food is quite good.

While the menu hosts many traditional meals, the specials prove that the chefs' expertise is a bit more refined than one might think. As a meat-and-potatoes person, I typically go for a steak however, one mark against the Squire is their filet. If you go petit, you might as well order two, as you DO NOT get your money's worth. Instead, try a sirloin - their meat is tender and well seasoned.

While I dine here frequently as it is local and inexpensive (I eat here over the Blakeslee Inn when craving a hearty meal) - the success, or lack there of, of the Squire in drawing a bigger crowd is their limitation to push the envelope a bit more as a pub. I could imagine doing my Sunday football outings here due to it's woodsy, boy's club feel HOWEVER, they need to put some large flatscreen TVs in there - the one small TV limits their appeal to pub-goers.

My other issue with the Squire is the limited wine selections. You can basically choose red or white - don't bother asking for a brand, they don't have choices. As a wine enthusiast, I tend to enjoy a nice glass of chardonnay or pinot grigio with my dinner unfortunately, if I order a glass of white wine, I end up with a low-grade, unnamed brand. The beer selection is adequate but, they do have some good label vodka.

All in all, I gave this place 4 stars because of the value and quality of the entrees.

Barley Creek Brewing Company

Barley Creek Brewing Company

Tannersville, PA
☆ ☆ ☆ 3 stars/5

Though it's not entirely fair of me to write a review for this place as a few friends and I merely stopped in for an appetizer and some brew prior to having dinner elsewhere, I thought it was an appropriate selection for Fall fun.

Barley Creek, by all appearances, epitomizes the Poconos. The lodgy, natural wood feel brings an expected pleasantry for tourists and visitors alike. It was the bright spot of a summer day that was almost entirely wasted at Camelbeach waterpark (I could go off on a tangent about the awfulness of that place, but I won't).

My friends and I sat at a high top table with views of the beer refinery behind us - rustic and inquistive. We ordered two beer samplers to try the in-house made brew. Of the six small samples we had (which also came with a free little glass), two were very good - the Antler Brown Ale has a delightful full-bodied taste to it; rivaling Guiness (I think I would prefer the brown ale to Guiness actually) and the Iron Arm Belgium Wheat Style Witbier - though I am a bit bias as I usually prefer Blue Moon-like beers. Their wheat beer was a little sweeter, not something that could be consumed as a six pack but was refreshing along side of the buffalo wings we had.

Food wise - they had the bruschetta appetizer and two variations of buffalo wings: traditional buffalo and the honey garlic. The Bruschetta could have been very good had it had less onions (and perhaps white rather than red) and the right kind of breadsticks (the bread selection clashed with the bruschetta). The wings on the other hand, particularly the honey garlic were very good. The traditional buffalo was adequate while the honey garlic was the show-stopper; the combination of sweet and garlic proved to be a harmonious marriage of flavors - I highly recommend them.

All in all, the rustic atmosphere and wings and beer made the experience worthwhile; resembling a true Poconos feel. And, on a side note, beer enthusiasts should prepare as it appears Barley Creek will be hosting an Ocktoberfest celebration on October 8, 2011.

Blakeslee Inn

Blakeslee Inn
Rt. 940, Blakeslee, PA

☆ ☆ 2 stars/5

Where to begin? We had visitors staying with us who were seeking a fine dining experience. Unfortunately, while the country club-like atmosphere boasts just that, and the menu fits the bill, the food itself was an underachiever.

The food is very overpriced, not sure if it's because the Blakeslee Inn is the only fine dining option in town or if it's because someone in the management office is greedy.

Either way, the most impressive part of the dining experience was the selection of quality beer (they have all Chimay variations, which is hard to find in many restaurants) and the quasi-appetizers - these little fried balls of tastiness (we were told they were Chicken Cordon Bleu bites, though the wait staff was unable to point us in the direction of a recipe).

Now, here's the bad: I had filet, cooked medium. The cut of the steak was okay but the tenderness left much to be desired as did the side vegetable (overcooked and bland). One of my guests had the chicken special (not sure what it is called, this was a month or so ago) but suffice to say, the chicken was very overcooked - it's dryness did provoke us to order more Chimay but the indulgence of beer or any beverage caused a whole other issue...their bathrooms were not in working order.

Not sure how long they didn't have water for, so I won't assume they continued serving without a public restroom for the remainder of the night, as we didn't hang around much longer. We took our open bottle of Chimay to go, paid the steep bill and never returned.

My suggestion is: buy your own steak and find a gourmet recipe. If you have 100+ bucks to spend on dinner for two, visit a local pub then go bowling, otherwise your empty stomach will be accompanied by an empty wallet.

Finally, good sushi nearby!

Mirakuya Japanese Restaurant
695 Kidder Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 4 stars/5

Having lived in basically every state in the Mid-Atlantic prior to moving to the Poconos, I took for granted the availability of good sushi and great pizza. Since I moved here, I have been on the hunt for both and finally I have found some tasty sushi (and hibachi) at Mirakuya Japanese Restaurant.

From the highway, it doesn't look like much - being nestled in a shopping plaza usually isn't a great sign. But, the inside was clean, the wait to sit non-existant (on a busy Friday evening) and the service was prompt. I sat in a booth (rather than hibachi) though the relentless "Ole, Ole, Ole" of the Hibachi chef was probably the one annoyance of the evening...Either he was a huge Montreal Canadiens fan or he didn't know any other phrases in English.

Either way, the food was surprisingly good. I had the pepper tuna appetizer which was a nice-sized portion and the quality of the tuna was Good (not great, but good) and the spicy sauce was right on point.

I am an adventurous orderer when getting sushi so I had a "special" roll - the Volcano roll which was a mixture of shrimp tempure and spicy tuna. I also ordered my favorite roll, a Dragon roll - not for the amateur sushi eater as it is an eel-based roll.

The Volcano roll was EXTREMELY good - the size, quality and texture were all what you would expect from a good sushi joint in more populous areas but the Dragon roll wasn't as successful, the texture was a bit off and the roll itself was kind of flimsy.

All in all, if you are vacationing here and have a hankering for sushi, take the 30+ minute venture out to Wilkes-Barre to Mirakuya.

View the menu

Recipe: Garlic Teriyaki wing sauce

Just in time for football season! Good wings are hard to come by, and buying a couple of dozen wings for a Sunday football party can get pretty costly. Inside, make your own. This recipe is a crowd-pleaser and super easy.

What you will need:

The wings:

• 2+ packages of chicken tenders (or breasts - cut into tenders)
• 1 cup of flour
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil

The sauce:

• 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce
• tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of hot sauce

1. Whisk all the "sauce" ingredients in a large bowl until they are mixed evenly.
2. Cut the fat away from your tenders, then lightly dip them in flour
3. In a skillet on medium, cook the tenders until they are brown (and cooked through).
4. Place cooked chicken tenders on a plate with a power towel (to drain excess oil)
5. Once drained, dump your tenders in your large bowl and make sure all are lightly coated with sauce.

Enjoy!

The "Breakfast King" or Jubilee Restaurant

Jubilee Restaurant - Route 940, Pocono Pines, PA
☆ ☆ ☆ 3 stars/5

There's nothing better than a good breakfast out prior to hitting the slopes or going fishing. Having tried Jubilee Restaurant
for a variety of meal types, I think it's safe to say breakfast is their bread and butter (though their wings aren't too bad, either). The breakfast rates are very affordable and the menu is super-sized. Whether you go for the "Country Boy" breakfast or some delightful french toast, your meal will be well-rounded; served with coffee and fruit.

However, don't expect service with a smile. Cranky waitresses will make you wait before serving you and aren't exactly attentive. The food comes out quick...once you order BUT, make sure you have your order ready when your unpleasant server first comes to the table.

All in all, if you are starving on a Saturday morning, stay home and make breakfast...if you have leisurely time and thick skin, go visit the Jubilee. It's a shame their wait staff isn't nicer, they could easily have a four star rating.

View the menu