Sugar and Spice, Cortland, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
We were not met or greeted at the door. It appeared to be a sit yourself establishment. It was crowded when we entered around 12:30pm on a Sunday. Only one corner table was free and shiny clean, so we took that. Though in my opinion the Feng Shui of this sitting area is not suitable for any position one could sit in at this table. It’s difficult to face anyone you sit with at the table, and at most angles it feels as the traffic of the establishment is coming toward you or that all others can watch you eat. It’s not a comfortable seating arrangement. But as we were not approached by any waitress to discuss other seating arrangements, we took this table.


Mise en Scène
Part of this has been discussed under ‘meet and greet.’ There are other aspects of the environment besides the physical surroundings that must be noted. Maybe it’s because I am more of a city dweller and am used to seeing well dressed, clean and friendly waitresses that I will say what I have to say next, or maybe it’s because we were out of towners too. Firstly, after sitting down, we were not offered menus for about 10-15 minutes. We were waited on by a well-trained waitress, but approaching us with a casual dress and an uninterested attitude in serving us. To elaborate, her outfit consisted of an untucked, oversized t-shirt with large pictures and words not relevant to the establishment and pants that to me seemed like pajama pants- with patterns all up and down the legs. In comparison to the other waitresses, there was not much difference. Another waitress had a very similar outfit, looking more like a pajama set than a waitressing uniform. Another waitress had more of waitress-looking outfit on- white pants and white shirt, but with stains all and down the front of her dress. Of course, being a waitress one may spill on themselves, but at other establishments this is overcome by wearing some type of apron.

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!


Choosing a Veggie Treat
We stuck to the breakfast menu, with egg options as there were very few interesting vegetarian options on the menu, including lunch options. Lunch options for vegetarians who also eat eggs included a short list of: grilled cheese ($1.95), egg salad sandwich ($3.20), and of course sides such as French fries, onion rings, cheese sticks, jalapeño poppers, and fried mushrooms and zucchini. If a vegetarian would come here during a dinner hour, there are no vegetarian meal options unless breakfast options are available at this time. Within breakfast options, many egg options exist, including pancakes also.

I ordered two hotcakes with over easy eggs ($3.25). It’s good that this is not easy to mess up, though the eggs were closer to over hard than over easy. The hotcakes tasted like any other pancakes I have had, so no issues with that.

Krishna ordered the fried egg sandwich. He said the egg tasted ok, but there was something about it he would have improved. Not sure what that was.

Checking In
Our waitress bought our drinks, then our food. She did not check in between to refill coffee or ask us if we wanted anything else.

See you later
We waited a long time for the bill, longer than should be expected. We approached the register to pay. They accepted all forms of credit card as payment.

Pay Scale
$1-5 per person
Tips
10% is standard. We gave 10% though I would have preferred to give much less.
Star System 1.5/5
The only aspect of this visit that accorded a good score was value for money. The food is really cheap, but as they say ‘you get what you pay for.’ I actually wonder if the locals feel the same treatment when they enter as we did. They did not seem to mind the atmosphere as it was fully crowded throughout our stay.


To find/Contact
Sugar and Spice Restaurant
3901 Route 281 #6
Cortland, NY 13045
Directions to Sugar and Spice
Phone (607)756-4606

Hours: Daily 6a-9pm
Delivery Mon-Sat. 8a-2p and 5p-8p

Review based on October 2008 visit.

Have you eaten at Sugar and Spice, Cortland, NY? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

Note #1: This Sugar and Spice is not affiliated with the Sugar and Spice in Horseheads, NY that I reviewed earlier (here).
Note #2: I had hesitated to post this review as this is the first one I have done that overall is not favorable. This is indeed one establishment I would not reenter. This blog is here to explore the good and not-so-good in terms of not only cuisine, but service, ambiance and overall experience.

Chat-a-Whyle Family Restaurant, Bath, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
We came to Bath to visit Mossey Bank Park, but before we travelled up the hill to the park, we wanted to get something to eat. We attempted the two Mexican eateries, but both were closed on Sundays, and then attempted to find other open eateries. This location, Chat-a-Whyle, seemed to be the only eatery open in Bath at this time (beside maybe pizzerias). Because of that, this place was fully crowded. Though it was fully crowded, we were immediately greeted and sat in a prime location, near the window.

Mise en Scène
This is set up like most other diners. When you enter, there is a bar patrons can sit at bar stools, and tables lined up along the window. We were not sat in this area. When entering, we were led around the entry to the right to a larger seating area. They had many tables to sit us at, all covered with their restaurant logo and local business advertisements. A nice way to keep us occupied, no doubt!

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
Upon reviewing the menu, the only ‘vegetarian’ options we located were breakfast items, all egg based. This is a good place for non-vegetarians to visit, especially on Sundays. They have a grand listing of dinners on the back of the menu titled “Complete Sunday Dinners” that are amazing amounts of food for a relatively low price.

I wish to have seen a pasta dish or eggplant parmesan (as there was veal parmesan) listed on the menu, but since we were not so lucky, we finally opted for a breakfast option.

Appetizer: Loaded potato skins and thick cut fresh potato chips. We both agreed these were very tasty. Though I have made the fresh cut potato chips at home, this is the first restaurant I have seen them on the menu. It is a welcome change from the regular run-of-the-mill French fries. The cheese on the potato skins was nice as it did not loose heat or become hard after sitting for sometime. Not sure what that means about the kind of cheese it is, but it was a good thing for us in relation to taking photos for this blog. We often realize the food is cold by the time we start eating if we take photos for this blog! So, this was not the case for this dish. (Note: Loaded potato skins usually come with bacon, which we declined.)

What I ordered: Scrambled eggs with mushrooms, toast and home fries. Overall, it was good, but I have to remember to ask for the eggs well done, as in browned.

What Krishna ordered: Spanish omelet, toast, home fries. He liked the omelet, but was a little surprised to see black olives in the Spanish omelet, as this was a first. We both agreed we also need to remember to ask at every location to have the home fries well done. Though they were fully cooked, they come to us with a white look, they are not crispy and crunchy as we prefer. This is only a personal preference.

Checking In
Everything was absolutely perfect in this aspect. Though it was a full house, we were not neglected. We were checked on in regular intervals and even at the end of our meal when I asked to see the menu again (mostly so I could take the photo in this post); our wish was quickly fulfilled and immediately followed up on. There were no problems with our orders; everything was given as we ordered.

See you later
The bill was left on our table and we went up to the register to pay.
Pay Scale
$6-10 per person
Tips
10-15% is sufficient
Star System 3/5
I am sure most locals would scoff at my rating. This rating is based on the following factors- value for money 4/5, ambiance 4/5, service 4/5 and range of veggie options 1/5. Since this blog review focuses on vegetarian restaurant reviews, it is only in this category there is a request for improvements. There were vegetarian options for egg eaters within breakfast items, which are available after regular business hours. However, far as special dinners and other vegetarian options on the menu, I did not see anything of much interest. If I was in Bath again on a Sunday, I would not mind coming here, but if I was on the way to Corning, I may go the extra distance for a Bob Evan’s Breakfast or any other options in Corning.

Notes: If you are local, this restaurant seems to make deliveries. Call to inquire further details.

To find/Contact
Chat-A-Whyle Restaurant
www.chatawhyle.com
28 Liberty St
Bath, NY 14810
(607) 776-8040
Get directions

Review based on October 2008 visit.

Have you eaten at Chat-a-Whyle, Bath, NY? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

Photos in this post by Jennifer Kumar. More photos of Chat-a-Whyle on flickr.

Texas Lunch, Lock Haven, PA

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
We came to this location purely by accident. Our GPS mentioned some other restaurant, which lay in a vacant space on the other side of Main Street. So, as we walked to the other end of Main Street, we found the glittery sign and being it the only place we could find open, by default, we walked in. We were surprised it being so nicely decorated inside and looking well established that this location was not logged in our GPS.

This is another seat yourself diner. We did not know that when we walked in and the waitress let us know we could choose our own seats. Within minutes of sitting, we were served coffee and menus.

Mise en Scène
Seems this place is a 50s theme restaurant in décor. Waitresses and staff though are not dressed in 50s garb. Some booths have art work next to them. Next to our booth was a painting called “Game of Chance.” In this paining Jimmy Dean was getting ready to shoot pool. On the other end of the table was Marilyn Monroe while Humphrey Bogart was chalking his cue. While all this was going on, Larry, Curly and Moe were standing in the corner (right side of drawing) laughing or talking. We could not figure out what tied together all these people in the ‘Game of Chance.’ Do you know?

I liked the décor inside, with the fire engine red vinyl seats; white table tops with red designs on it, and the black and white checker board floor and neon signs within. We had sat across from the open air kitchen. We could see the cook’s heads and also see our reflection in the wall partition that was covered in a metal decoration that showed us our broken reflections. The setting of the restaurant outside on Main Street is also scenic with mountain and river views. (Photo right: Lock Haven's fancy parking meters. Can't beat the look and price of parking!)

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
I guess breakfast treats for vegetarians that eat eggs are the extent of veggie treats offered. I say this though I haven’t studied the lunch or dinner menus, but I say this as Texas Lunch is the ‘home of the growler,” a chili dog- which I think is a hot dog covered with beef chili. Knowing this I had made a fatal mistake in my own ordering. I had decided to try the Greek Eggs which were scrambled eggs with few vegetables and chili. Somehow when I read this, I thought chili meant ‘chili peppers’ and not beef chili. Though I thought it was odd Greek themed eggs would have chili peppers, I did not question this. When our order came, I gave a surprised look and commented to the waitress that it wasn’t what I expected. When I told her I was a vegetarian and thought chili meant ‘chili peppers,’ she immediately took it back without hesitation and asked me what else I wanted. Though my husband offered many times to take it and exchange his vegetable (Spanish) omelet with me, the waitress said, “The Spanish omelet is what you wanted, this is not what she wanted. You choose something else you want.” I opted for the Greek Omelet, which was different- stuffed with feta and olives.

The one thing I noticed about the omelets was the egg whites were visible in the omelet. For us, seeing egg whites is not only tempting but told me they are using real eggs. Often times (especially at Denny’s), I get the feeling some kind of egg batter is used rather than fresh eggs cracked on the grill. The eggs were not only very tasty, slightly browned but the contents of both the Spanish and Greek (feta and olives) omelets were perfectly proportioned. With the Spanish, we had a side of well done breakfast potatoes, while mine was done regular style. There was a difference. The well done ones were indeed well done, browned and crispy on the outside. These potatoes also tasted ‘real’ rather than the processed ones that we get in other locations that are perfectly shaped and deep fried.

The other memorable food item here was actually the drinks- we ordered coffee. Here they actually served coffee with real milk in a metal container. We were in heaven, especially since up to this point coffee had been served along with coffeemate which we abhor.

Checking In
Our waitress was fantastic. She was flexible and friendly. Offering us another dish without hesitation was refreshing, and quite memorable. Our waitress checked on us in regular intervals and made sure our coffee cups were always filled to the brim.

See you later
We got the bill within the time of finishing our meal. We decided to pay with cash. We had thought of leaving the money on the table and leaving. Instead, I decided to pay at the counter. There was a little wait to do so, but that was no problem.

Pay Scale
$6-10 per person
Tips We left 20%. The service was fantastic and the food was good value for the money.
Star System 4/5

I would have to study the menu for vegetarian options for lunch and dinner to adjust the rating. Being known for chili dogs, one may think it’s a typical ‘greasy spoon’ establishment, where all foods are dripping with grease. Not true! This is one aspect of the experience that ups the rating for me!

To find/Contact
Texas Lunch
204 E Main St
Lock Haven, PA 17745
Phone: (570) 748-3522‎

Get Directions: To here - From here

Edit

Reviews at Yahoo!

Photos in this post, courtesy Krishna Kumar. More of Krishna's photos of Lock Haven, PA here.

Have you eaten at Texas Lunch? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

Sugar and Spice, Horseheads, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
We arrived about 11am on a Saturday morning. Walking in, guests are expected to seat themselves. Guests are then greeted by waitresses once they have sat down and made themselves ‘at home’. Though the seats were about 80% occupied, we were able to sit in the corner booth, which was spacious and comfortable.

Mise en Scène
It is like most country diners, with some booth seating and some table seating. I remember the décor to be spacious, light and open. The tables and booth seating were nice and clean.

The one interesting thing I remember of the décor was the paper placemats they have created. On the placemat, each side of the rectangle has a town name on it. I said out loud “Fairport” as that made me think of Fairport, NY (outside Rochester). I was curious why it said Fairport on it. When I asked the waitress, she said Horseheads used to be called Fairport until [they dug up Horsehead skulls in the area] the town near Rochester decided to take it for themselves. Though that is true, I am curious where is the ‘port’ in Horseheads?

**As another interesting side note, there could have been two Fairports in New York. There are two Rochesters in NY. The metro being in Monroe County, the rural one in Ulster County.

Restrooms were clean and spacious.

Choosing a Veggie Treat
We came here for breakfast. There were plenty of breakfast options for us as we eat eggs. We choose the same dish, scrambled eggs, toast and mini potato pancakes. The mini potato pancakes were a little different than expected, but they were tasty, especially dipped in the side of sour cream. The portion size was perfect, it was not too overwhelming. We felt full after eating, not stuffed.

Checking In
Though our waitress checked on us a few times, our coffee was not refilled promptly as compared to other similar diners we have visited.

See you later
Waiting to get and pay for the bill was no issue.

Pay Scale
$6-10 per person
Tips 10-15% depending on your interest
Star System 3/5
(Good value for money, tasty food, but would have expected better service in a small town diner.)

To find/Contact
Sugar & Spice Restaurant
300 Watkins Rd
Horseheads, NY
Phone: (607) 739-5303
Directions

Reviews at Yahoo!

Have you eaten at Sugar and Spice in Horseheads, NY? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

‎

Lehigh Restaurant, Henrietta, Rochester, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

We broke our no-egg-on-Saturday rule today by eating breakfast at Lehigh Restaurant. Actually, we had to take our car for servicing on that side of town and wanted to check out that area of town as we rarely go there. Instead of Tim Horton's (what kind of real breakfast is available there, anyhow?:), we tried this place for the first time.

We were impressed by the breakfast menu. For vegetarians who eat eggs there are a lot of choices.

One of my favorite breakfast items is biscuit with country gravy, which in some places is made exclusively with flour and water gravy. Though some places call it sausage gravy, some places don't add the sausage in the gravy while making it. But this is exception, I guess. Lehigh makes it with the sausage in the gravy, so then I opted for another choice.

I enjoyed the Greek omelet - eggs with tomato and feta. It was very nice as some places overload the feta and since feta is salty it can be overwhelming if it is made this way. But the feta was just right. Though I think they make 4 egg omelet as it was huge. I had home fries, well done and rye toast with coffee.

Hubby had the Spanish omelet. He thought they would dice veggies and mix in the egg batter. But, they cut the veggies in large slices (red and green peppers, onions and tomatoes) and fold them in the middle of the fried egg. Not the best choice for him. He doesn't much like vegetables made like this and ended up eating the egg, and leaving the veggies. He also had this with home fries, rye toast and coffee.

The experience here was pleasant and we do plan on going again. They had a nice bakery section with lots of sweet pies and baked items that I hope to try in the future. Since it is a little distance from home, it may happen only if we go to Marketplace mall do some other shopping in that area. The waitstaff was pleasant and catered to our needs.

Within $15 a nice filling breakfast that will hold us over through lunch also :)!! Thank you!

Lehigh Restaurant on City Newspaper, Rochester.

To find/Contact:

Lehigh Restaurant

4835 W Henrietta Rd
Henrietta, NY
(585) 334-2520
Directions to Lehigh Restaurant


Have you eaten at Lehigh Restaurant? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

Bob Evans, Erie, PA

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
We were greeted at the door instantaneously by a hostess and whisked off to a nice table. Within a few minutes of being seated, coffee was served. The waitress did not take much time to take our order. But, waiting for it to arrive to our table, seemed to take about 15 minutes, which seemed a bit longer than what we are used to. (Photo left: Krishna Kumar- big size click here.)

Mise en Scène
Right off the interstate 90 highway on exit 24, you will find Bob Evans right next to the highway. This location is quite a bit bigger than the ones I have gone to in the past. It was big and spacious and at the time we showed up, about 7:30pm on a Sunday night, was not very busy.

Though the place was quite empty, I was surprised to find that many tables had not been cleared. I originally thought possibly they were to be cleared very soon; maybe the people had left just before we arrived. The tables had not been cleared throughout our stay there. Though hubby did not mind it because customers would not be seated near us (and the staff allowed him to charge his cell phone at a nearby table yet to be cleared), I thought it did not add to the cleanest environment that I usually find at Bob Evans.

** I did use the restrooms at this location. The restrooms were spacious, had a different kind of layout, and were very clean.

Choosing a Veggie Treat
It seems Bob Evans changes their menu on a yearly or sometimes a seasonal basis. Possibly menus are targeted to certain regions also. In my favorite location (Corning, NY), they had some veggie Chinese stir fry on the menu along with some pasta choices with non-meat based sauces. This was not the case at this location. There were no vegetarian dinner meals (though plenty of vegetarian side dishes), so I opted for a breakfast menu item. Again, with Bob Evans one can not go wrong in wanting Breakfast, as there are a multitude of choices. At my preferred Bob Evans location, they used to offer (saying used to as I have not been there in a long time) the ‘sausage gravy’ breakfast without sausage. That means the flour gravy is cooked separate from the sausage and the sausage is added on the top. But, it seems most locations (and restaurants that I have visited that have this menu item) do not make it this way anymore. If you want this menu item, it will have the sausage mixed into the gravy. It’s a shame as besides vegetarians, Muslims and some Hindus also do not eat sausage (as it is pork). I went for my second choice, eggs Florentine (without ham).

Overall, my suggestion is to add more vegetarian dinner items and to take the sausage out of the gravy!

Checking In
Once our food was served, our waitress did not come back to check on us until she bought the bill. Luckily we did not need anything. I also admit during the whole time we were eating, I was bothered they had not worked on clearing the surrounding tables. It actually is not appetising to see all those dirty place settings all around you.

See you later
After the bill was handed to us, we waited about 10 minutes for her to return and collect our payment. She did not come, so we went up and paid at the register. This may not have been the waitress’ fault as what I have noticed is that the habit of collecting the payment depends on the location. (Photo to right: Jennifer Kumar)

**Interestingly enough, the lady who took our payment at the register was very knowledgeable about Rodeos and seems to travel to many different places to see them.

**While sitting at the table, I read about Bob Evans. Till this visit, I did not realize Bob Evans was a real person. But, I was happy to find out he was and the restaurant is based on a business he used to run on his farm. In fact, there is a Bob Evans farmstead where they do events throughout the year.

Pay Scale
$6-10 per person
Tips
We left $3.00
Star System: 3/5
(Could be improved by adding more vegetarian options and clearing off the tables. We love the Bob Evans coffee that is what keeps us coming back in addition to knowing something can be had from the breakfast menu.)

To find/Contact
Bob Evans Restaurant
8041 Peach St
Erie, PA 16509
(814) 864-5444‎
bobevans.com
Other reviews at Google

tags: 3 stars, breakfast, diner, pennsylvania, restaurant review,

Denny's, Fishers, NY

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

We went to eat breakfast at Denny's near Victor, NY the other day.

For the most part, we have avoided Denny's for being remembered as an oily spoon kind of joint- too much oil for one person to handle in one meal! When finishing the meal, I could literally see my reflection in the plate in the oily residue left behind.

Things we liked:
* Happy to admit, the quantity of oil used in our meals was much less than anticipated.
* We also liked the variety of breakfast choices. I had french toast and he had veggie omelet.
* I had a tasty new berry blended drink on the menu called New Very Double Berry.
* The service was fast and courteous in spite of the amazingly full house.
* Affordable, and a coupon deal on top of that!

To find/contact:
Denny's

7503 Main
Fishers, NY 14453

(585) 924-9270

dennys.com
Directions to Denny's, Fishers, NY

Simply Crepes: Rochester, NY

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

We ate a late breakfast at Simply Crepes in the Rochester Public Library today. We have ate at the Pittsford location for dinner on two occasions, where we had 'dinner' and 'desert' crepes. This is the first time we have gone for breakfast, though.

I had an item called Raspberry Gulle. The simply crepes menu describes it as:
Fresh raspberries folded inside a sweetened egg batter dipped crêpe, lightly sautéed and topped with our house-made fresh raspberry sauce and powdered sugar.

My husband had the Crêpe Épinards. The simply crepes menu describes it as:
Fresh spinach and tomatoes sautéed with scrambled eggs and feta cheese.

We also had a side of fried potatoes with coffee.

The food was tasty and overall wonderful. The coffee, on the other hand, was not so much so.

Price is a little higher than other restaurants, but paying more for the presentation is justifiable, I suppose. The service was also commendable.

To Find/ Contact this location:
Simply Crepes site Rochester Public Library
114 South Avenue
Rochester, NY 14604(585) 383-8310

Follow up:
May 3, 2008. I visited Simply Crepes in Shoen Place in Pittsford with a friend for breakfast.

At this location, we sat outside on a verandah over looking the street. On the opposite side of the street is the Erie Canal. The downtown location doesn't have facility to eat outside.

I had the Raspberry Gulle (again!) and was very pleased. The portion size was perfect, not too big and not too small.
My friend had the Crespalla Florentine which is described in the menu as:"A blend of 3 cheeses (Ricotta, Parmesan, Swiss) rolled in a crêpe with fresh spinach, topped with our house-made marinara sauce and drizzled with a white cheese sauce and fresh parmesan." The portion size on this is large. It is meant for one who is ravenous with hunger. My friend finished about 1/2- 3/4 and boxed the rest to take it home.
We shared the fried crepes with creamy dipping sauce. I don't remember the name of this, and I can't seem to find it on the online menu. The chips did leave more to the senses, but the creme dip sauce was very tasty.

We each had a nice bottomless coffee with our meal. The total bill was roughly $30 with tip.


To find/contact this location:
Simply Crepes Cafe
7 Schoen Place
Pittsford, NY 14534
(585) 383-8310

Follow up: July 5, 2008
I read in the newspaper today that Simply Crepes has opened up a third location in Canandaigua. I have yet to go. I am sure the service and food is just as impeccable as the other two locations. Here is the contact information for that location:
101 S Main St
Canandaigua, NY 14424
(585) 394-9090
Get directions

Alice's Kitchen Buffalo, NY

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

In December 2007, we visited Alice's Kitchen in Buffalo, N.Y.

We came here for breakfast. We were impressed with the menu. There were so many choices for all meals. They even had spaghetti with butter and cheese only. Simple, plain and seemed tempting. Since we were there for breakfast, I chose 'cheese blintzes' and he chose 'potato pancakes.'

I liked the cute coffee cups and saucers. All the plates and cutlery were clean and shiny. No problems, until the food actually showed. My blintzes were new to me until I saw them and realized they were what I grew up eating for dinner - palachinta- a Hungarian dish of crepes rolled with cottage cheese in the middle. It came with a huge side of sour cream and apples- like the ones in a pie. I am not sure who can eat so much of sour cream, but the apples- I was not happy with. They seemed to be the pie filling apples from the supermarket can. Those kinds of apples have scared me since being a small kid, and now even more since I know they are full of High Fructose Corn Syrup. So, I skipped that. And, his potato pancakes appeared to be heated hash browns - fresh from the freezer section. I have to say- YUCK.

YUCK in taste and in price. For the heat and eat delights and coffee- that were not even enough to fill us- was $20.00 with tax. I was no longer impressed and decided I would not want to come back for the noodles.

Though, the service was commendable and the place was spacious and clean.

To find Alice's Kitchen-
http://www.aliceskitchen.com/
3122 Sheridan Dr Amherst, NY 14226
(716) 834-4182