Restaurant

Beer, Eating out, Food, Philadelphia suburb, Restaurant, Reviews, steak

The Refectory – Villanova, PA

January 9, 2022February 13, 2022 ILoveEatingOut

Wow just wow. It was just what I needed to restore my love of eating out and “talking” about it! Everything was simply perfect. The Refectory is located on Villanova’s campus below a student residence hall. But do not let this deter you because you would never know students live in the floors above and quite frankly, everything was so lovely that it really doesn’t matter.

When we first walked into the restaurant, we were pleasantly greeted and taken to our table. We had a reservation and I suggest you make one as this place was hopping. First impression was awesome. I loved the 80’s music playing in the background…not too loud, but just loud enough. The restaurant is quite large. There is a beautiful bar and several booths and tables, large enough to fit all your plates and glasses and tables spaced far apart enough that you aren’t too close to strangers. We were seated close to the open kitchen, so we got to see all of the happenings and it was very cool.

We ordered come drinks, nothing too crazy. A couple of us had wine, an old fashioned was ordered, a Monks sour beer and some chilled club soda. All were happy with their drinks. I did notice they have a nice beer and wine selection, as well as some interesting cocktails. I saw several of them being served throughout our evening and they looked lovely.

We started with some apps to share. We ordered Brussels Sprouts (bacon lardons, apple, balsamic mustard) for $12 and Buffalo Cauliflower (house hot sauce, buttermilk ranch) for $13 and lastly, Nova Fries (brisket, house wiz, pickled onion) for $9.

The cauliflower was lightly breaded and lightly tossed in sauce but still crispy. The brussel sprouts were charred as expected and the bacon consisted of nice chunks…no burnt bits. Also for flavor and added texture, there were delicious golden apple chunks. All were amazing! I personally enjoyed the fries the most, but I’d recommend all of these. You will not be disappointed.

Brussels sprouts and Buffalo cauliflower

At this point in the meal, we were all laughing about and almost had full tummies because we overordered on the apps (2 cauliflower, 2 brussel sprouts and the fries) but we knew we had another amazing course making its way to our table and I can’t wait to show you.

I had the Bronzino for $32. The fish was so good. The skin was crispy and seasoned heavily with herbs. It was served with chard fennel which is a first for me. It’s a veg I never really considered as a good side but let me tell you it was a nice change for something different.

Side note: while preparing this blog I referenced back to the menu, and I noticed that some of the dishes have changed. The branzino filet is on the menu for $23 with different sides and a different preparation. But if it is anything like the fish I had, you will not be disappointed.

The Hubs enjoyed the Kobe New York Strip for $32. The steak was served with onion soubise, royal trumpet mushrooms, cippolini onions and a bordelaise sauce. Just look at how perfectly cooked this delectable piece of meat was. I had a taste, and it was tender and delicious.

Our other party members enjoyed a Branzino (like mine) and one had a very special dish of the night. In addition to their standard menu, the chef had a special offering of wagyu beef starting at $40 for 2 ounces. Yes, you read that right. It was pricey. Below you can see the final presentation. We all tried a piece. The best way I can describe this is that I’ve never had anything like it before. The texture was soft. It was beyond tender. The meat literally melted in my mouth with minimal chewing involved. It was an unexpected feeling, and the taste was magnificent. Now if you like a steak with some structure to it where there is come chewing involved, this would not be for you.

Dessert was the only disappointment of the evening. We ordered the Zebra Cake which is passion fruit cake, coconut cream and dark chocolate for $8. The only thing I liked about the dessert was the passion fruit syrup served on the plate. The white “icing” encasing the cake was so weird. It literally had the look and texture of drying paint. I do not recommend this at all…although it did look beautiful. I guess that is the upside.

One note for the reader…parking is not the best. We had to park in a parkiing lot, across the street. Be prepared to walk a minimum of one block and cross a busy street. I did not see any closer parking or valet.

In conclusion, the vibe was uplifting and positive, and the food and service were tremendous (minus the disappointing dessert). If you are looking for an exciting and fun night out with your special person or even a girl’s night out, I recommend giving Refectory a try. I give Refectory 4.25 out of 5 forks. Thanks for reading and eat out more often folks!

BYO, Eating out, Food, Korean, Restaurant, Reviews

Mokja, Modern Korean – Ambler, PA

August 28, 2021September 1, 2021 ILoveEatingOut

“Traditional Korean meets American favorites”

I have never been a fan of Korean food. One taste of kimchi many years ago and I was out. Then I found out about this little spot hidden down on Main Street in the great food town of Ambler. My husband is a fan of Korean food and he convinced me that I would like it if I tried it so here we are at Mokja.

The menu is small but that’s ok, its packed with big flavors. We decided to try a couple of the appetizers. We started with the “mokja fries” for $7. The menu reads they are hand-cut fries with Korean chili and fresh garlic. First off, delish they were, however, I will have to disagree with the hand-cut aspect. They seemed like they could be frozen. Also, they lacked the fresh garlic. I honestly don’t know that I even tasted garlic. But don’t get me wrong, they were tasty (and very greasy) but they weren’t what I expected or as described.

The next appetizer was the Truffle Edamame Mandu for $10. The menu describes it as truffle edamame dumpling with bulgogi mushrooms. See pic below….NO MUSHROOMS. I’m more angry now about it as I type. When we were eating I did say “hmmm, I thought it was supposed to come with mushrooms”, but the dumplings were still yummy. The inside was super creamy with just the right amount of truffle flavor. I will say that the idea of it being accompanied with bulgogi mushrooms does sound quite fine so I’m annoyed that it was left off. Moving on…

Edamame truffle dumpling MISSING PROMISED MUSHROOMS

It’s entree time. BIBIMBOP! A must try for real. This is such a lovely dish. All of the food groups in one hot stone bowl for just $14.

The bowls comes with rice, lettuce, and various veggies. These bowls included rice, zucchini, carrots, sweet potato, mushrooms and scallions. Also included is a fried egg served on top to provide the creamy, dreamy, silky, sauce which mixes in nicely with the spicy bipimbop sauce served on the side so the eater can determine the spice level.

The protein I chose was tofu and it was really good. It was fried so the outside was crispy and the inside was creamy. Dan got spicy pork and he loved it. I tried it and it was ok. A little fatty and chewy for my taste.

Now the restaurant space itself……….

It was hot outside. Probably one of the hottest days of the year. (Actually I think the news said it was the hottest day in the last 3 years). With that said, it was warm in the dining room even with the air conditioners blasting at full speed. They were trying. The windows, glasses, and the floors were wet with sweat, so much that one of the servers slipped and fell right before our eyes. But she is probably 18 years old soooooo she bounced up like she tripped on a flower. It didn’t help that our delicious bowls were so hot because they were stone. They just exuded heat as they should! It was just a really exceptionally hot evening.

Final thoughts…its BYO so bring your fave beverage. We brought a chilled Rose and they kindly brought an ice bucket and glasses with NO cork fee!! This little spot is very cool (figuratively not literally). It’s small. Only about 10-12 small tables inside. I believe I saw a few outside but it was so freaking hot I don’t think anyone was into that. Because of the size, I would make a reservation. I’m not really sure how busy this place gets so it’s better to be prepared than to have to find another spot on a moments notice.

Dessert time!! The server was ready to check us out without mentioning dessert and I swear it was because of the heat but my husband loves dessert so I had to ask. She rambled off two different types and we chose the fried dough which is accompanied by a sugar sauce and a chocolate sauce.

In conclusion, the food was delicious. What I didn’t like was the false advertising. (NO hand cut fries and NO fresh garlic. Also, missing mushrooms on the dumplings!!). Besides all of that, it is a nice little spot for Korean food lovers or those looking for something a little different. I would totally return because there is so much more on the menu I want to try and I love to try new foods. So for my one time experience at Mokja, I give 3.5 out of 5 forks. The lower score is purely for the missing ingredients from my dishes. The servers, the food and the environment (except for the extreme heat) were lovely. So please check this place out.

Welcome back to dining out! Thank you so much for reading and eat out more often folks!!

BYO, Eating out, Italian, Philadelphia suburb, Restaurant, Reviews

Arugula Ristorante-Plymouth Meeting, PA

May 6, 2021 ILoveEatingOut

HELLLOOOOO Everyone! It’s so good to be dining out again! Wow what a trying time it has been for all of us foodies. I must admit, however, I didn’t just cook at home the last 400+ days. Noooo Way Jose! We contributed quite a pretty penny to many of our favorite local eateries and got take-out many times. While I enjoyed most of the orders, I was really missing going out so now here we go!

Recently, I have slowly made my way back to the outdoor dining scene since I’ve been fully vaccinated and more and more folks are being vaccinated. I feel I am finally ready to get back into doing what I love to do…EATING OUT AND TALKING ABOUT IT!

First stop…Arugula Ristorante in Plymouth Meeting. To my surprise I have never done a review on Arugula and it really is one of our favorite local Italian restaurants. So what better place to start for you with this “welcome back, happy vaccination, enjoy eating out again” dinner.

Arugula Ristorante is located in the Cold Point Village near the intersection of Plymouth Road and Butler Pike. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating. I’m still very cautious and prefer to eat outside but Arugula’s indoor seating is very comfortable as they have floor to sealing windows which they will open weather permitting. Outdoor seating is first come, first serve so by the time we got there it was full so we decided to eat inside and sat right by one of the open doors/windows and it was absolutely the best seat in the house.

Our server, who was clearly from Italy, greeted us with a small plate of complimentary bruschetta. One perfectly sized piece for each of us. He opened our special bottle of red………IMPORTANT MESSAGE!!! IT’S BYO!!……..Shortly after, he also brought us freshly baked Italian bread with a side of high quality olive oil.

Our first course is an all time favorite of ours…the grilled octopus. It is not on their regular menu. It is only offered occassionally as one of the appetizer specials. Since we love it so much we always ask if they have it and when they do we order! This dish is fresh, cool, lemony and briney. The ingredients all go together so well. It’s simply freshly grilled octopus tossed with peppery arugula, ripe diced tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, salt, pepper, lemon and olive oil. (I’m no chef but I think that’s the ingredients😆). The portion is very generous so it can easily be shared between two people. If you are watching your weight you might even consider it as an entree. I know I have BUT the entree dishes are way to good to pass up. The cost was $19 (I believe) and worth every single penny. (The picture below is only my portion so more than double it and that’s what we were served…score!).

My husband’s entree was the Vitello Milanese which is breaded & pounded bone-in veal chop, pan seared and topped with chopped arugula & tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil & lemon juice for $27. I personally am not partial to veal but my husband really enjoys it, especially this dish. He craved it over quarantine and was so happy to finally be able to enjoy this meal. It was as amazing as it looks. The chop was cooked perfectly with a deliciously seasoned crispy brown crust. The fresh salad on top was the perfect accompaniment to the chop.

I ordered the Pollo Romana which is sautéed chicken breast with mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, topped with asparagus spears and melted mozzarella cheese in a shallot brandy tomato cream sauce for $21. Man was this good. Seriously the brandy cream sauce was absolutely delicious. The chicken was pounded thin and was super tender and not overcooked one bit. The sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms complimented each other perfectly. However, I don’t recall any asparagus on this plate. Very odd 🧐. Seriously though I didn’t miss it because they added homemade mashed potatoes and broccoli which were both mouthwatering. The portion was huge. I was able to get three meals out of this bad boy but that’s because I ate bruschetta, bread and oil, and octopus all before this was served. I also ordered us a side of broccoli rabe (see below) sautéed in garlic and olive oil. I don’t know about you but broccoli rabe is hard for me to cook so I never prepare it. When I do see it on a menu I make a point to order it as a side. Arugula’s brocolli rabe was sooooo garlicky and juicy and satisfying 🤤.

As their website states, “EXPERIENCE EXQUISITE AMALFI COAST ITALIAN CUISINE” for reals. I highly recommend this place. Their website also indicates that they offer family style meals for larger parties. They also offer private party space but I think you might have to book the entire restaurant floor since it is not very big but don’t quote me on that one. Now I don’t know about you but I’m definitely keeping that in my back pocket for when I have a special occasion to celebrate. Me likely Arugula so much that it is getting a pretty good score based on this (almost) perfect experience (where’s my asparagus??). 4.5 forks out of 5 forks!! Well that’s all for now folks. Thanks for reading and get out there and EAT OUT!

Eating out, Food, Philadelphia suburb, Restaurant, Reviews, Take-out

TAKE-OUT, Benihana, Plymouth Meeting, PA

August 17, 2020 ILoveEatingOut

Great deal ALERT! Sushi take-out for two for $35.00. Have you ever heard of such a thing? It includes two salads, one appetizer and 4 rolls! Delish. It was perfect. Everything was fresh and it was presented absolutely beautifully. Note you choose which appetizer and rolls you want so you can customize it to you liking.

The only thing missing was the ginger and wasabi 🙄. Luckily we had it at home but make sure you ask if you want it.

We ordered:

SPICY ADAMAME (APP)

CHILI SHRIMP ROLL

LAS VEGAS ROLL

SHRIM LOVER’S ROLL

SPICY TUNA ROLL

If you want some yummy take-out at a decent price, give it a try.

I give talk-out sushi from Benihana 4.5 out of 5 forks. Thanks for reading and remember, eat out and ORDER OUT more often folks! Stay safe.

Burger, Eating out, Food, Philadelphia suburb, Restaurant, Take-out

Friday Night Date Night at Home! TAKE OUT from Redstone, Plymouth Meeting, PA

May 22, 2020 ILoveEatingOut

Friday Night Date Night! Well if you can’t get there, bring it home!

It’s not secret that The Hubs and I love Redstone. It’s close to home, they make the best cocktails and they serve delicious food. It’s known that the menu is a bit pricey so we save it for special occasions. We also like to go when I work late. We head over about 9 PM for a cocktail and some appetizers in the bar area. Man I CANNOT wait until we can do that safely again! Anyway since we can’t make that happen right now, we made our own cocktails and brought some of our favorites home for a date night!

Not bad for made-at-home cocktails!
Gin martini and an Old Fashioned – the drinks we order when we are at Redstone.

One of the items Redstone is famous for is their Buffalo Shrimp. They are expensive but they are good. We got the large portion of 5 shrimp for $19. The smaller portion is 3 for a few bucks less but trust me if you are sharing make sure you get the large. Delish.

What was great about the take-out serving is that they had everything packaged separately so the shrimp didn’t get mushy. The buffalo sauce and the very high quality blue cheese crumbles were both in separate containers. We put it on the crispy shrimp when we were ready to indulge.

We also ordered a Wedge Salad. This is one of my favorite salads ever. Sadly, Redstone took this salad off their main menu last year sometime. That was very disappointing. They said that they were trying to get all of their locations with the exact same menu for consistency so this was one of the salads that was removed. BUT HAPPILY THEY RETURNED IT TO THE COVID19 TAKE-OUT MENU HERE in Plymouth Meeting!

The lettuce was cool and crisp. It is made using thick, seasoned bacon and creamy blue cheese dressing. There is also diced green onion, perfectly ripe grape tomatoes and those high-quality blue cheese crumbles used on the shrimp. It’s a large portion and it was fine for us for sharing! (Around $10).

Mmmmmmm The Redstone Burger. (I believe it was $16). Let me tell you this is one of my top restaurant burgers. It is always cooked perfect. The chefs always get it right no matter who is on the grill. It’s toppings, including lettuce, tomato and pickles, are always fresh. The bacon is thick and crispy and the brioche bun is toasted and complimentary. The BBQ sauce is delicious. If they bottled it, I’d buy it. The fries…well they are just ok. They remind me of McDonalds fries which are good but I would expect a little more sophisticated fries from Redstone. If you are at the restaurant ask them to “truffle your fries” for a few extra bucks (I think $3). It’s totally worth it. They drizzle truffle oil all over the fries and load them up with herbs and grated cheese. You can probably substitute the fries with mashed potatoes or coleslaw. The other sides are probably available too with a small up-charge…usually $2. (I hate up-charges – I think they’re tacky).

Redstone did not disappoint. We were satisfied with all that we ate and it was worth every penny. I encourage you to support Redstone in Plymouth Meeting so that they can open again for us all to enjoy. Here is a picture of their current menu items available for pick-up. The only problem here is they don’t list their prices! You’ll either have to call for prices or just take your chances. 🤷🏼‍♀️

In addition to what I mentioned in my blog, I can also recommend for appetizers, the brussel sprouts and the wings with BBQ sauce. For main entrees I can recommend the classic chicken, the baby back ribs and the braised beef short rib. I’ve had them all and they are all Redstone classics (like the burger).

That’s it for this edition of TAKE OUT. I give Redstone a 4.75 out of 5 forks! Be safe everyone! Remember I wear a mask for you and you wear a mask for me. Thanks for reading folks! And don’t fret, we will be eating out again soon enough!

Restaurant

Homemade, EASY beef quesadillas! SO GOOD!

April 10, 2020 ILoveEatingOut

Are you one of the gazillion folks that love to make tacos because they are quick, easy, inexpensive and a crowd pleaser? Mix it up and try using the same ingredients but use soft tortillas instead and make quesadillas! We did for the first time and we loved them.

You can use chicken, beef, bean, shrimp, mushroom, corn, zucchini, or any other veggies you might have. If you have a seasoning pack SCORE, but if not, you can whip up an easy mix with a few ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard. Mix up a little onion powder, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, paprika and salt and pepper.

In our case we used ground beef. We shredded some cheddar and cooked them up on the griddle. We topped them with other ingredients we had in our frig. We shredded some lettuce and sliced some tomato. We also had some salsa, sour cream and some homemade pickled jalapeños that I previously made.

My homemade pickled peppers and really good salsa! Try it.

That’s all she wrote folks. Just an idea I thought some of you might want to try. I have a few more I’m going to post. Not being able to eat out and report won’t stop me! Thanks for reading folks and we will be eating out more often soon! Thanks for reading.

Eating out, Food, Indian, Philadelphia suburb, Restaurant, Reviews, Take-out

Choolaah, King of Prussia

April 4, 2020 ILoveEatingOut

Hey folks. Today I thought I’d share a yummy little place in KOP that is now offering delivery and take-out. It’s a nice choice for something a little different and inexpensive. Choolaah is basically fast casual Indian deliciousness. Their cooking method is an ancient clay cooking style. It’s healthy and exotic. Yes I am describing food people not a handsome gentleman LOL.

Build a bowl is their primary method. You pick a protein, a masala sauce and a base like rice and/or veggies. The proteins you can choose are chicken, lamb meatballs, veg croquettes, tofu, paneer and salmon. The masalas are tikka masala, chickpea masala and a couple different lentil daals. They offer both white rice and brown rice. Anyway, I could read you their entire menu but I think you should check it out yourself because there are so many different bowl or salad combinations.

Our Food

Below are pics of our bowls. I got half brown rice and a half roasted veg base with veggie croquettes and tikka masala. It was super good. Dan got white rice and a half veg base with lamb meatballs and tikka masala. He also enjoyed his. Actually, we both ate our entire bowls!

They offer other menu items like wraps, naan and additional sides. They also have a fixin’ bar with a variety of accompaniments. Above is a pic of a few of the sauces including but not limited to spicy mango and tamarind ginger. I tried most of them and they were all delish.

We went to Choolaah way back in October 2019 so we were able to eat inside. It was clean and super busy. The staff were so helpful and inviting. I remember commented on how well they must have been trained. They really seemed to care if we were enjoying our meals. I give Choolaah 4.5 out of 5 forks! So needless to say we will be back once this stay at home order is over.

I thought I would share this little place with you now since they continue to deliver and have take out. Give it a try for something different. Well,thanks for eating folks and soon we will be eating out again!

Beer, Eating out, Food, Restaurant, Reviews, Wings

Order Take-Out or Delivery TODAY! We did! The Whitpain Tavern / Blue Bell, PA

March 28, 2020May 3, 2020 ILoveEatingOut

Wing pic from their website…to put you in the mood.

We are all feeling it. This quarantine is trying in so many ways. Beside all of the other issues like employment insecurity, financial burdens and mental sanity to not say the least, not being able to eat out really hurts. It’s changed my routine for sure. Listen I’m not complaining, just stating a fact. This blog’s name for goodness sake is ILoveEatingOut….so duh.

Now is the time for us to buy at least one meal a week from your favorite local place to give them a little helping hand. You want them to still be in business when all of this craziness is past us right? You might have a concern over ordering take-out right now and I do too! I have copied a couple of Q and A directly from the CDC website regarding this so hopefully it will ease your mind if you have concerns. See below.

“Q: Can I get sick with COVID-19 from touching food, the food packaging, or food contact surfaces, if the coronavirus was present on it?

A: Currently, there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. Like other viruses, it is possible that the virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on surfaces or objects. For that reason, it is critical to wash your hands often, including utensils.

Q: Can I get COVID-19 from a food worker handling my food?

A: Currently, there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. However, the virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person in some communities in the U.S. The CDC recommends that if you are sick, stay home until you are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.

Anyone handling, preparing and serving food should always follow safe food handling procedures, such as washing hands and surfaces often.”

AND back to my thoughts…

Listen, it won’t hurt to follow some basic precautions while getting your take-out. While I’m certainly not an infectious disease expert by any means, I have the internet and TV to inform me (LOL). No seriously, I read and heard that stomach acids will kill the virus so there doesn’t seem to be any risk in investing it. Just be careful when you get your food home. Empty the food directly onto your own plates and discard the containers. Heat up your food in the oven for a bit or even microwave. Again, I’m not an expert and I don’t know if this will help but I can’t imagine it will hurt. WASH YOUR HANDS after handling the containers and before you eat.

The Hubs and I ordered from one of the local watering holes The Whitpain Tavern in Blue Bell, PA. We love to go there and listen to live music and just chill with some wings, fries, drinks whether its just us or with some of our neighbors. It was really nice of them to offer us delivery without a charge. I’m not sure what their requirements are but you probably have to be pretty local to qualify for this free service. Note they do have curbside pick up too if you need to get out and take a drive. OH! And they also delivered a 6-pack too so that was very convenient.

I’m lacking pictures this time folks sorry but I can tell you our food was great. We had hot wings, hot BBQ wings, and Shane’s French Onion Fries. The wings are always big and meaty. They are fried and generously tossed in your sauce of choice. The Garlic BBQ sauce is so good. Little pieces of real garlic mixed into the traditional BBQ sauce makes this very special. Wings are served with celery and blue cheese. The fries we got are sidewinder fries which are basically curly steak fries crispy on the outside and soft and hot on the inside. On top they melted provolone and Swiss cheese and then covered it with a layer of crispy onion straws and its served with the most delicious beef gravy I have ever had. Really if it was acceptable, I’d drink this gravy from a cup. Mmmmmmm drinkin’ gravy from a cup…LOL. I should mention that the fries weren’t as delicious as when they come directly from the kitchen to the table but that’s ok, they were still very satisfying.

Alright enough of my rambling. It’s getting close to dinner time so start thinking about what restaurant you want to support and I don’t mean McDonalds or Wendy’s people! I mean those small businesses that have delicious food we crave along with the warm environments we love. Help keep these places above water until they can get back on track. Thanks for reading folks and we will be eating out more often soon enough! Stay safe everyone.

Eating out, Philadelphia suburb, Restaurant, Reviews

Restaurants Closed…WHAT!?

March 17, 2020March 17, 2020 ILoveEatingOut

I’m gonna write something light and simple to get some of the (you know what) cleared from the blogs and the facebook feed. Speaking of feed, I’m a professional feedee. ILoveEatingOut, as you all know. So with restaurants closed I’m having a hard time adjusting. I mean besides my regular WaWa trips (there is one across the street from my work), I look forward to meals out with the Hubs and friends and family. This may present as a challenge for me in a few weeks. It’s been 10 days since my last meal out (besides the one pizza we ordered) and we have been doing pretty good setting so far but I thought it would be a good idea for us to share some recipes so that we don’t get bored with the same old stuff. We all have our regular go-tos like spaghetti and meatballs or sausage, tacos and baked salmon but what else I ask you. Help me set my table please. Some restaurant quality recipes would be awesome…so we can pretend!

Also, with all that is happening now we are trying to limit our trips to the market so we are really trying not to be wasteful, to use what we have, and to not throw out any food. With that said, today I am preparing a simple slow cooker beef stew. It’s a great dish for those lonely root vegetables you have just sitting around waiting to be loved. I was lucky enough to have a beef stew seasoning mix packers so I didn’t have to mess with anything else but a little water. But beef stew is very forgiving and you can use what you have. Spices like thyme and ground mustard go nicely in stew…fresh or dried spices will do! A can of beef broth or a bullion cube or two will add lots of flavor as well. Don’t forget the salt and pepper my friends.

You can serve this as is or over noodles (egg noodles are my fav) or rice or even another grain like barley or quinoa. Really whatever you have will work.

The veggies I am using are onions, parsnips, potatoes, carrots and celery. I’m not picky. In addition to a new onion, I’m using a half of one that was in the frig that was a little wrinkly. Also threw in there about 10 baby carrots that were left in the bag in the veggie drawer along with 3 fresh carrots. My point is that this is a dish to use up those “old veggies”.

I’m very excited to share this post with you before my meal is ready so we can all start sharing our ideas. I do have one photo and that’s the before. And here it is!

I hope this rough and unprecedented time passes soon and we can all be out and about meeting our friends and family so we can share a cocktail (OMG the liquor stores are closed too) and some delicious and prepared by someone else…food. Thanks for reading folks. We will be eating out more often soon enough. Stay healthy.