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!

‎

Mysore Woodlands, Rochester, NY

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
We were excited to eat at the first South Indian restaurant in Rochester on a Monday evening. We were immediately greeted by the host, sat down and served water. We were served appetizers within 10-15 minutes followed soon by main courses.

Mise en Scène
This location recently was bought out and renamed. Just previous to these owners, it was called India Palace, which served north Indian food. The place had been ‘shut down for renovation,’ but we did not notice much improvement to the décor. Décor can be much improved as besides the one beautiful picture of Lord Krishna near the greeter’s station, there are laminated photos of menu items. Quite honestly the photos displayed neither serve a purpose of being a [good] marketing tool nor interesting, ethnic décor.

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

Choosing a Veggie Treat
Mysore Woodlands bases their menu items on a region of India called Udipi in the state of Karnataka (the state in which Bangalore city is located). Udipi is known for Brahmanical pure vegetarian cooking. It’s interesting though that the menu has a wealth of non-vegetarian items on it, which we conveniently ignored.

Among the tempting vegetarian options, we ordered the sambar vada and aloo bonda for appetizers and the Mysore Masala dosa and bisi bele bath for main courses.

Sambar vada was very tasty. The accompanying coconut chutney was nothing to write home about. The vadas were nice and very large. In fact the two vadas soaked in this dish of sambar were bigger than the ones we had at Palace of Dosas and also a meal in themselves. The sambar that accompanied the sambar vada was tasty, with a thick consistency. I make a Mysore sambar for Pongal celebrations. My feeling is the specialty of Mysore Sambar is the fact that the dhal is boiled separately then rather than just placed in the sambar, it is blended into a paste along with other spices before putting into the sambar broth. This gives the sambar an overall thick consistency. I had hardly any room for the other food after eating this. The aloo bonda was ok, but then again aloo bonda is a North Indian treat and not so typical of Udipi or South Indian cuisine. The Mysore Masala dosa is a lentil crepe filled with mildly spicy potato filling. The dosa itself is also coated with a layer of masala (spice) – which is a mix of spiced ground and mixed in oil and lightly spread on the inside of the dosa. This was very tasty. The bisi bele bath was not on the menu. What was on the menu was bangala bath. I am still not sure what that is. When asking the waiter what it was, I asked if it was like bisi bele bath, which is a rice dish with veggies and spices. He said not really and offered me the bisi bele bath. I have to say I haven’t had bisi bele bath since I left Chennai in 2001 and it was so tasty and amazing. It had a spicy tasty but not hot spicy but a blend of wonderful tastes. The dish was accompanied by lemon ginger pickle. Unlike the lemon pickle I make at home, this one was made with oil as there were mustard seeds in it. However, the lemon ginger pickle had an amazing flavor as again though it did have some chili taste it was not too spicy and complemented the bisi bele bath very nicely.

Checking In
We were waited on in regular intervals by either waiter on staff. Service was courteous and prompt.

See you later
Bill was given in reasonable time and collected back quite timely. When paying the bill, they had packed my left over bisi bele bath. When I looked in the bag later, I noticed they packed the pickle in a separate container which was impressive. Even more impressive was the fact that they had given extra pickle than what was in the original helping. Thanks! (Incidentally, I had taken the leftovers for work the next day, eating the bisi bele bath with the pickle and potato chips, it was very tasty. In fact, it made me wonder why the bisi bele bath is not served with papad – Indian chips.)

Pay Scale
$11-15 per person (one vegetarian appetizer and main course per person)
Tips 10-15%
Star System 4
For an Indian restaurant it was good and quick service. Also liked the fact they gave me something not listed on the menu. Food is value for money as it was very filling and in comparison to other South Indian restaurants, somewhat cheaper.

To find/Contact
Mysore Woodlands
Located in Tops-Brighton Plaza
(Near back left corner where mall makes a turn)
1900 Clinton Ave South
Rochester NY 14618
Phone: unsure
Get Directions

Notes: If you want to come to Rochester to visit the Hindu temple and then go for some great South Indian food, here are the directions from the Temple to Mysore Woodlands!

View Larger Map

**As of the posting date, the old sign (India Palace) still hangs above the entry way with a Mysore Woodlands banner in the window. Not sure when the sign will change.

Related Links: My recipe for Mysore Sambar My recipe for vada Pongal Celebrations- What is Pongal and how I celebrated it in a remote Tamil village Palace of Dosas, Buffalo, NY

Mysore Woodlands Review in Democrat and Chronicle (nice review, explains South Indian delicacies from an American viewpoint)

tags:4 stars, rochester-ny, indian, south-indian, economical, restaurant review,

White Water Grill, Charleston, West Virginia

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet

We had come for a Sunday Brunch to meet some of my mom’s classmates for their 40^th high school reunion. Because of this, we did not have to wait in line. This was a good thing because the wait seemed to be more than 30 minutes at 11am.
Soon as we sat down the waitress offered us a choice of menu or buffet and offered us a choice of drinks. Within minutes coffee was served.
Also, as more people were added to our party, the wait staff was efficient in adding on to our table by moving in more tables and chairs.

Mise en Scène

Nice and spacious eatery. Dress seemed to be casual to semi-formal. Many people were in jeans and t-shirts. The areas were very clean and in order. The buffet was also well stocked and very clean. We were seated in a small room off the side of the main dining hall. It was nice and private. Besides, our party (about 15 members) only few other couples were seated in this room, which had easy access to the buffet.

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

Choosing a Veggie Treat

Looking at the menu there would have been several interested veggie omelets (I do eat eggs). But, as the majority of us looked through the items on the buffet, we decided to have the buffet. The buffet had breakfast items (a create your own omelet bar, fresh made pancakes and waffles station, fresh fruit, cereal, milk, and other hot breakfast items), lunch items (pasta, plain steamed vegetables, soups, and a few meat dishes), and deserts. Overall, I was impressed by the number of vegetarian options on the buffet. It was easy to find something to eat, and eat a lot!

Checking In

Wait staff came by frequently to clear plates and offer more drinks as we emptied our glass. No complaints. In fact, it was the most courteous, efficient wait staff I have interacted with in a long time!

See you later

The wait staff had given us the bill as she noticed we were finishing up. The bill with the credit card was collected as soon as it was ready. We had left the tip on the table in cash, so I had altered the staff as the room was empty and wanted to assure the tips got into the right hands. Even on our way out, the line was going strong. People seem to really like this buffet. I can understand why this place is busy- (1) friendly and efficient wait staff, (2) clean buffet with a lot of choices, (3) clean atmosphere, (4) price is economical for variety.

Pay Scale
$6-10 per person ($7.95 Bruch for Kids – price includes drinks)
$11-15 per person ($14.95 Brunch for Adults – price includes drinks)
Tips: We left $10.00 (over 10% of total)
Star System 4/5
I would definitely go back again!

White Water GrTo find/contact
White Water Grill
200 Lee St E
Charleston, WV 25301
(304) 353-3636‎
Whitewater Grille at Marriott Website
**This eatery is located inside the Marriott hotel in downtown Charleston, West Virginia.
Directions TO White Water Grill

Other reviews at Google

Note: As of November 2008, I changed the rating from 5 to 4. As I have more experience in what we are looking for in rating vegetarian restaurants, I realize this can not be a five from my limited experience. We have not eaten here during any other meal time and had to choose off the menu. I am not sure what options there would have been for vegetarians off the menu.

Bellacino’s, Charleston, West Virginia

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet

We were wandering around downtown Charleston late Saturday night due (1am!) to being on a trip there recently, and we were hungry. Being from Rochester, New York where things, especially downtown are closed late at night, we hadn’t expected to find eats. But, by accident as we turned down Capitol Street due to seeing a large crowd of youngsters walking around, we found this eatery. We immediately walked in. It was a walk up to the counter and order type of place. Once you ordered, you would sit down and they would either call your name and you’d walk up to the counter and pick up your food or they would bring it to your table. Though we were not greeted at the door by any staff, those who greeted us as the counter were friendly, helpful and answered all our questions sufficiently. As we waited for our meal, we noticed several others sitting around and waiting. Though the wait seemed to take forever (it must have been about 10 minutes), it was well worth it!

Mise en Scène

Upon walking in, we were happy to see it was well lit and clean. Yes, it was the only eatery in the area we could see that was open catering to the clubbers, so few drunks came it. That’s meant to happen, I suppose. But most of the people were lively, friendly and not drunk! Of course, because of this, the dress code is comfy and casual. No need for hi-fi dressing here!

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

Choosing a Veggie Treat

There were several vegetarian options on the menu- including pizza, cold subs, and toasted subs. (Here they called subs, grinders.) Basically, in these choices you get the same fillings but either on pizza or in bread toasted or untoasted. They did have a taco salad and taco toasted sub, but they had beef on it – no beans. I think they could consider adding refried beans or soyrizo (vegetarian chorizo) so vegetarians can enjoy this option.

Actually we loved the presentation of the sub. The sub was packed in a cardboard box that seemed to be eco-friendly. Once the box was open, it folded fully open, flat. The sub itself was amazing. “It was simple and tasty.” Vegetables were sliced thin, but were still crunchy. The bread was toasted on the outside, buttered on the inside but the bread was soft on the inside. This is what we liked. In fact, we had not expected our first order (sub and fries) to be as good as up to this point food had not been a highlight. But, because it was so amazing and tasty, we stayed longer and ordered an additional one!

Checking In

Because this was not a restaurant where you needed to be waited on, no comments required.

See you later

We paid at the counter, which makes it easy to get up and leave as soon as you’re done eating. The lady who waited on us was standing at the door when we walked out and she said bye to us.

Pay Scale: $5-10 per person

Tips: Not required

Star System: 4/5

(If we were meat eaters, I would have given 4.5 or 5 as the price was economical, but the veggie choices were limited.)

To find/Contact

Bellacino's
218 Capitol St
Charleston, WV 25301
(304) 343-0911‎
bellacinos.com
Directions to Bellacino's

Other reviews at Google.

Photos in this post taken by Jennifer Kumar.