Applebee’s, Fairport, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet

Entering on a Christmas Eve afternoon, we were immediately greeted and sat in the bar area.

Mise en Scène
This Applebee’s like any other Applebee’s we have visited was set up in a typical Applebee’s fashion. The bar flooring area is ‘sunken’ a few feet lower than general seating that surrounds three sides of the bar area. The bar area also generally has ‘high tables’ with tall chairs with additional seating at the bar. The seating encircling the bar is comprised of regular tables and chairs or booth seating. As usual, the seating area is spacious, clean and inviting.

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

Choosing a Veggie Treat

Actually, for vegetarians there are not many straight forward vegetarian options. Lunch time has a nice menu with combo choices of vegetarian soups (cream of mushroom or tomato basil) with salad or sandwich (only vegetarian sandwich is a BLT grilled cheese- without the “B” or bacon). Other than this, in the meal menu, there are pasta entries that are listed default with meat ingredients. Most of these possibly can be made without the meat, but have yet to try that order. We like the ‘burger’ choices here as the regular size burger sandwiches can all be substituted with veggie burgers. Keep this tip in mind as the burger options are interesting. On this trip we received the quesadilla burger (remember to ask to omit the bacon in the cheese spread) and the cowboy burger (without the bacon). We have had the quesadilla burger and find this to be a unique option, as we have not had this at any other restaurant. Though we are quite certain to have the quesadilla burger again, this is not so true with the cowboy burger. Though overall the taste of the cowboy burger was tempting, the bar-be-que sauce was very distracting, especially for us that don’t prefer the smoky smell or taste of bar-be-que. We did not get the bruschetta burger, though we have in the past and highly recommend this as it has a fresh and addicting taste.

We did order an appetizer, the potato skin sans bacon. The potato skins were good, but bland. Would have been nice to have it as a nachos dish, topped with jalapeños and beans or have something crunchy on top, like diced red onions.

They did not have hot sauce as a condiment, though did mix ‘wing sauce’ for us, which was tasty and fulfilled the spice requirement, but had a texture and smell that was a little odd for me as it did remind me of chicken wings so I did not eat much of it.

Additionally, as I occasionally enjoy a mixed drink, I did try the pomegranate margarita on this visit. It was very tasty as it was mixed with POM brand pomegranate juice. It was so tasty and fruity that we neither noticed the strong taste of the alcohol or the bitterness of pomegranate juice. They seemed to balance and ‘even each other’ out. I recommend this drink to anyone who likes margarita sans salt.

See Applebee’s Menu

Checking In

Our waiter was attentive and very friendly. Though it was quite busy, he attended to us timely and refilled our drinks as required.

See you later

No concerns here, bill was received by us and paid in a timely fashion.

Pay Scale

$16-20 per person (1 appetizer, 1 coffee, 1 mixed drink and 2 main meals)

Tips 10-15% I think we gave closer to 12-13%

Star System

Overall 3.5/5

Though we appreciate the flexibility of the menu to create vegetarian options out of non-vegetarian ones and the ability to omit meat ingredients to do the same, we often find it challenging to choose a menu item. We like to come to Applebee’s because of the appetizers, ambiance and service, but we always come in with a hesitation as we know, as vegetarians, that finding a tasty option is a little challenging.

To find/Contact

Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar
applebees.com

585 Moseley Rd
Fairport, NY 14450

(585) 425-4700‎

Get directions: To here - From here

Notes: I have also eaten at these locations with similar feedback: Pittsford Plaza, Penfield (Webster), Rochester (Irondequoit), Paddy Creek Circle (Rochester/ Greece), Cortland, NY

Notes: One reason we have tried so many locations is due to getting a ‘free’ gift card to Applebee’s when purchasing the special car wash coupon packet from Delta Sonic.

Review based on October 2008 visit.

Have you eaten at Applebee’s? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

El Pacifico, Farmington, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.


Meet and Greet
We approached this eatery on a Sunday evening around 7:30pm. The location of the building is a little tricky to find in the dark, but we managed to get off the fast moving 332 to enter the establishment’s parking lot. We were a little wary at first to enter because there was only one car in the lot. We were a little confused why it was so empty, but we ventured inside. Immediately upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly, smiling waitress who immediately sat us down and took our drink orders.


Mise en Scène
It is a large establishment, with booths and tables. We were sat in booths near to the kitchen area. Though we were the only customers in the house, that did not stop the eager workers of the establishment from keeping busy. The one car out front was a real trick to our senses as there must have been maybe 4-6 workers in the establishment at the time. Because of their work ethic, it goes without saying that the dining area also was spotless. Tables, chairs, benches, floors, all very clean. In addition to this, there was pleasing Spanish ambient music playing and a Spanish television program on the television in the far corner.
**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!


Choosing a Veggie Treat
We were impressed by the number of vegetarian options outlined on the menu. There was a vegetarian section specifically for combination plates. Also within the list of “non-vegetarian” combination plates were plenty of choices for vegetarians as replacing meat with beans is something the staff is happy to do. (This is a stark opposite of Chilango’s in Spencerport which had very few vegetarian menu options on the menu, and making non-vegetarian menu options vegetarian was not easy.) Our order consisted of:
Appetizer: Beans Dip
The nachos accompanying this dish came toasty hot, a much needed small touch that we have not experienced before. The bean dip was tasty, and though it was coated with more cojito cheese than anticipated, it was devoured by us in no time flat!
Krishna ordered: Vegetarian combination of cheese enchalada, burrito and tostada.
Tostada is the large, round tortilla chip with beans and salad on top. Krishna liked it but wished the salad pieces were chopped finer. Though the dish looks like it has a lot of cheese, because it was the cojito cheese, it was not noticed much. Overall the taste was amazing and it was finished off very quickly.
I ordered: Non-vegetarian combo substituted with beans: beans, rice, burrito and chile releno
This combination plate was actually not listed under vegetarian options, so the burrito was with beans substituted for meat. Chile rellano is a stuffed poblano chile. This can come vegetarian or non-vegetarian (check your menu for filling), but here I got it with cheese inside. This is one of my favorite dishes as I love the taste of the chile warmed up, it’s texture, smell and spice level in this state is fantastic. It is not overly hot and spicy for those used to eating spicy, especially Indian food, it can be considered mild. It has it’s special kick, that is why I like it.


Checking In
We were waited on in regular intervals and all our needs were attended to. In fact, for Krishna the memorable part of the service was when our main dish was ordered and we were offered a refill of hot, toasty nachos without asking.


See you later
Everything went seemlessly in getting and paying for the order.
Pay Scale
$11-15 per person including appitizer
Tips
10-15%, we left something in between 10-15%
Star System 4/5



To find/Contact
El Pacifico
1680 Rochester Rd.
Farmington, NY 14425
Directions to El Pacifico, Farmington, NY
Phone: (585) 398-0310


Notes: This is not our first visit here. This may be our third visit. With each visit we appreciate this place more and more for a few reasons. The first reason is as El Tomatlan in Canandaigua has let us down over the last year or so (reviews here); we needed to find another good Mexican eatery. The second is as we have come, each time it has gotten better here at El Pacifico. The food, the service and the ambiance is really suitable to our tastes. We would like to see more people frequent this establishment, though as each time we have gone, it was quite empty.


tags: "comparison of Mexica eateries",farmington ny, mexican, 4 stars, comparison, great service

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.

Panzari’s Italian Bistro, Rochester, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
We were immediately greeted upon entry. The hosting area was quite small, one could see the entire establishment from the host station. It immediately appeared to be a small, intimate eatery. We were drawn in by the homely interior design and seating arrangement.

We were asked if we had a reservation. It seems reservations are recommended, but not required. Entering on a Saturday night, a little past peak hour, a few tables were free. Though our table was near the entrance/exit, we did not breeze or bothered by people coming in or out.

Mise en Scène
The interiors were nice, cozy and intimate. Though tables were close to each other, we did not feel crowded in or overwhelmed by the full house of guests.

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

Choosing a Veggie Treat
We were impressed by the number of already set vegetarian options mentioned on the menu. (Find the menu through clicking on their main page- panzaris.com.) Though it is easy to get some vegetarian items at Italian eateries, most often we have to ask to have (meat) ingredients excluded. This was not the case here. There were so many ready made vegetarian options that we couldn’t decide!

When talking to our waitress (who I am sorry I forget her name), she asked us specific questions about the type of vegetarian food we wanted- with or without egg, cheese, dairy, etc. This was one of the most memorable restaurant experiences in a long time because most of the waitresses we encounter really have no idea what being vegetarian means, and even after requesting something like ‘no meatballs,’ we get some anyhow! Of course, we later found out our waitress used to follow a vegan diet (without meat and dairy) and currently follows a vegetarian diet. Because of this, she appreciated when we opted out of the minestrone soup, though packed with vegetables is based in a chicken broth.

So, after all the wonderful conversation and debate, we ordered the greens and beans as an appetizer, and for the main course, I ordered the mushroom ravioli and Krishna ordered a three cheese stromboli.

Our opinion on the greens and beans: It was the tastiest greens and beans ever (Whole Foods recipe reference). Though the two main ingredients in this dish, cannellini beans and escarole, are bland on their own, along with the mix of Italian spices, it was one dish we savored to the last drop. It was best enjoyed with the small slices of complementary bread dipped in the juice. (The complementary bread was initially served with complementary olive oil mixed with freshly grated parmesan cheese. This was a new sight as we have seen the olive oil served with either crushed red pepper or fresh grated black pepper. We do actually prefer the pepper over the cheese.)

My opinion on the mushroom ravioli: I loved it. It was tasty and the texture of the mushrooms pureed inside each piece was appreciated. I would like to compare this dish to the mushroom ravoli I usually have at Olive Garden.

Olive Garden: About nine or ten raviolis are placed in a single layer covered in an white cheese sauce. The insides of the pasta appear to be more natural pieces of mushroom. The portion size always leaves one wanting more. Menu description taken from site: (source)

Ravioli di Portobello
Portobello mushroom-filled ravioli in a creamy smoked cheese and sun-dried tomato sauce. 11.95

Panzari’s: The more than ten (though exact count, I am unsure) ravolis are layered in the bowl drenched in the tomato based sauce. The mushroom inside the pasta is pureed and has an inviting texture. The portion size is very healty and one would find it very easy to pack some to-go. Menu description taken from site: (source)

Ravioli Calabria
Sautéed spinach, roasted red peppers and artichokes in a tomato basil cream sauce with portabella filled ravioli. 16.95

Krishna’s impression of the three cheese stromboli: a little too big and heavy. Crust was good and cheese was tasty, but it was too heavy. It would be nice if there was something else mixed in the filling, like vegetables as it can get monotonous.

Checking In
The service was top notch. Because we had a waitress that understood the intricacies of a vegetarian diet, that made our visit more memorable. We did leave a healthy tip.

See you later
This part of the visit, like all others, went smoothly and without any issue.
Pay Scale
$21-25 per person (Actually it was a bit more and would have went over $30 with desert, which we opted out of. Though one of the more costly eateries on this blog, it was worth every penny.)
Tips 15-20% - service overall from wait and kitchen staff was phenomenal
Star System 4.5/5

To find/Contact
Panzari's Italian Bistro
panzaris.com
321 Exchange Blvd (Corn Hill Area)
Rochester, NY 14608
(585) 546-7990
Get directions

Review based on October 2008 visit.

This review is linked on outside.in.

Have you eaten at Panzari’s Italian Bistro? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

Patria, Salamanca, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
Soon as we entered on a Monday evening around 7pm, we were quickly greeted and sat at a nice table. The interesting thing I found about the seating process was being sat across from each other in the chairs closer to the wall. It was cozy, in fact. (Photo of Fried Ravioli, left,by Jennifer Kumar.)

Mise en Scène
The place was amazingly nice, and in some senses lavish being in a casino. Just outside the entry to the restaurant (which is on the fourth floor) is a lighting decoration on the ceiling that changes color every few minutes. (Keep tuned into my husband’s photos to see photos of this display.) It is a semi-upscale restaurant, but I don’t believe there is a dress code.

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

Choosing a Veggie Treat
Being that Patria was touted as an Italian eatery, we rested assured to get some good vegetarian food here. There were at least three appetizers that were vegetarian. We ordered the eggplant/ sundried tomato dip that reminded us of hummus made with sundried tomatoes added. (Photo by Jennifer Kumar.) It was very tasty. The other appetizer was fried ravioli. The ravioli was filled with ricotta cheese. They are dipped in some kind of breading then deep fried. They smell a little like ‘Chinese’ fried food of some kind. They were served with something that looked like pesto. It was not only very tasty, but unique to our palate. There were a few pasta dishes on the menu, but when we tried to order the chicken vegetable medley without chicken, our waitress actually offered to go and ask the chef to make us something vegetarian with a garlic olive oil sauce! We did request to split the dish, and was told by our waitress there would be a dish splitting fee of $6 if done in the kitchen. To avoid this charge, she would bring out the main course and an extra plate, and we’d split it ourselves! We were genuinely impressed, especially being the night before at Hotel Manor and the bad experience with our waitress there. When this dish was presented to us, we were awestruck. The taste was amazing! It had red bell peppers, artichokes, cipollini onions, and capers with an olive oil garlic sauce. Unlike other pasta dishes, it did not feel like an endless black hole of the same old-same old. It was full of variety and taste! This was the first time we both had capers and they give a slightly bitter taste along with a different, much needed slight crunch.

Checking In
Our waitress leaves us speechless! In fact, her service was the most thoughtful and thorough that we have experienced in a long, long time. She was friendly, attentive and creative. I say creative because she only offered to ask the chef to make us a vegetarian plate rather than minus chicken to save us money. I say creative because she asked us more detailed questions about our diet to assure we weren’t vegans (ex. Do you eat pasta with eggs in it?). I say creative as she offered us a separate plate to split our own meal to save us money. Of course all her creativity inspired us to give her a hefty tip.

See you later
Everything went smoothly and timely. Nothing could be better!

Pay Scale
$16-20 per person (We had 2 appetizers and 1 main dish all split between us was more than enough to fill us.)
Tips: We left 15%
Star System 4.5/5

To find/Contact

Seneca Allegheny Casino
Patria Restaurant
777 Seneca Allegany Blvd
Salamanca, New York14779
(716) 945-3767

Notes: We chose this place as it happened to be the last ‘tourist spot’ on our Pennsylvania Adventure Trip.” Do check the hours on their site before you go as they are generally open in evenings, not for lunch and completely closed for two days during the week.

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

Thank you for reading.

The Lodge at Woodcliff, Fairport, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
Walking into the Woodcliff Lodge is always an amazing experience. I always feel larger than life when I enter this place because it is so shiny, grand and full of well-dressed business men and elegant ladies. This occasion has to be the third or fourth visit we have made to this restaurant. With each visit, the staff always greets us with a smile; seat us without reservations (though I think they recommend reservations).

Mise en Scène
The lodge sits on the side of a hill, where looking to the North and West, one can experience the views of Rochester. Though window seats are preferable, most tables in the restaurant will offer a good view. However, this time we were placed at a prime location for a viewing of the setting sun. Luminous dark blues, purples, yellows and oranges encompassed us as we ate our anniversary meal.
On a side note, we joke that ‘Mr. Sun’ is always teasing us. Whenever we plan to meet him setting or rising with camera in tow, he doesn’t shine or show his face to us. However, on these occasions when we don’t have a camera, there is Mr. Sun full, bright and eager to show off to us! The beauty of the sun only is shown to us when we can actually experience it eye to eye and not through the eye of a camera!
Looking around the restaurant, one will see the well dressed business men and graceful women in elegant dresses. Though it is true it’s best to dress to impress, we have seen people wear semi-formal and business casual while enjoying their time here. I would not recommend wearing jeans and a t-shirt here. I don’t think they would turn you away, but one may feel out of place dressed down. A bar is attached to this restaurant, where I believe the dress code is a bit more lax. In fact, one has to enter the restaurant through the bar only.
Sitting down, the table is set for a three course meal full with different size of wine glasses. Since we aren’t wine drinkers, we still have yet to figure out why there are different size wine glasses. In any case, the waitress finds out we want coffee (which is one of the tastiest cups in the area), and quickly clears the wine glasses.
Upon desert time, the waiter will bring a plate of deserts so you can see what they look like. Up close and personal, who can deny themselves? Because of this, on several occasions visiting this location, we have had a “backwards meal” (having dessert first, main course, followed by appetizer).

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

Choosing a Veggie Treat
They have updated their menu from the one on their website. The new, improved menu has small tags saying ‘veggie’ next to them if they are vegetarian. There were at least 4-5 veggie appetizers and one veggie entrée.
For appetizers, we got a corn flan and black bean spicy cakes. Both were nice and tasty. I usually don’t like flan, but since I had never seen flan for anything but a dessert item, I chose that. It turned out to be nice. It has its own taste, which was very smooth. But, we liked the spicy black bean cakes better as they were like small spicy handmade veggie burgers.
Since there was only one veggie entrée, we chose the spicy Udon noodles. We were told that this menu item was not available and were given other options that would have been handcrafted just for us by the chef. These choices were mainly other types of pasta dishes. Luckily, for the Udon dish the only thing missing was the actually Udon noodles, but the veggies and sauce was available. So, we got the same dish but substituted the Udon noodles with linguine. We had ordered only one serving and asked to share it. When it was served, it was served to us on two different plates, ready to eat. The taste was amazing. We savored it to the last drop of sauce.
For dessert we got a banana bread/ice cream dish and a peanut butter mouse type of dessert. Both were very good. In fact, I was impressed by the smoothness of the peanut butter. The only problem I had with the peanut butter dessert was the size. I am not sure who could eat that much peanut butter at one sitting. It was truly a shame to have left some behind, though.

Checking In
One of the reasons we return on subsequent visits to this location is because of the prompt, friendly and individualized service. It is truly the service that makes the higher price of this location an afterthought.

See you later
Receiving the bill and waiting for payment to return is timely.

Pay Scale
$6-10 per person for appetizers each and desserts
$15-25 per person for the entrée
**We spilt the main course. I think they charged us a fee of about $4 to split it. They did serve the entrée split in half on two plates.
Tips
15-20% is recommended due to superior service. Service is always great.
Star System: 4 or 5 out of 5.
4 out of 5 if this above your budget because it is pricy.

5 out of 5 if it falls within your budget or you can save up and have a nice night out.

To find/Contact
Horizons Restaurant
199 Woodcliff Dr
Fairport, NY 14450
(585) 248-4825
Mapquest location map

Other reviews at Google.

Have you eaten at The Lodge at Woodcliff? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

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