The Week’s Best Reviews
Photo by stroonz
Need some foodie inspiration? Read our favorite Menuism user reviews from the past week for ideas on where to go and what to eat!
As many of us have learned through experience, a restaurant’s ambience can make or break a dining experience. In a recent review of Forksville General Store & Restaurant in Forksville, PA, Embersigh writes:
If you are touring the World’s End State Park area, and the beautiful Loyalsock Creek; you MUST stop at the Forksville General Store and Restaurant! This place is great for anyone just passing by; but is also worth a specific trip just to eat here. It is the gem of the lovely, picturesque Loyalsock Creek area.
The Forksville Restaurant is an attractive, old-fashioned building, seated along the creek; and you have to cross a covered bridge to get to it!
It is family-owned and operated, with the owners living upstairs.
You may be greeted by one of the owner’s friendly cats. I am a cat lover and am pleased to say that the lovely black one always remembers me; and greets me as soon as I get out of my car!Once inside, you will find the owner, Big Mike, seated at the cash register. He is a very friendly guy; give him a hearty hello!
Further into the review, Embersigh elaborates on the restaurant’s coziness and charm that elevated her dining experience to pure foodie bliss:
The dining room is rustic, cozy, and dark. The decor is ‘old barn with ecclectic touches’. There are both booths and tables.
The menu is large and varied; and low-priced. Some of the house specialties are Philly Cheesesteaks, Hoagies and Pizza.
We have tried the cheesesteaks, hoagies and pizza; and all were so good, that we haven’t gotten to anything else yet!
I think I will try the famous Reuben next…….They do not serve alcohol; but I believe you are welcome to bring your own bottle on certain evenings.
There is another feature to be enjoyed there, on certain evenings: the Dining Room has a little stage, and Big Mike, known as Sax Daddy, gets down with his bad self and his sax! Sometimes his daugher will sing too!
I have not had the pleasure of catching the show yet, because we usually stop earlier in the day when we are doing a daylight tour; but I will make a point to catch it, and so should you!
Good food, friendly staff, a charming atmosphere and live music? You’ve got our full attention!
Another one of our favorite reviews came from FareCritique, whose exuberant review of Ristorante Di Pompello in Troutdale, OR emanates passion and wonder:
I suppose my son and I were among the first patrons of Ristorante Di Pompello. I remember our first dining experience there in March of 2008. The atmosphere and service were a little rough around the edges but the fare was “Splendido” and the prices were ridiculously “economico”. Saul (pronounced sah-ool), the proprietor, endeavored diligently to provide an enjoyable dining experience for all who passed through his door. We savored several meals before, much to our dismay, arriving one evening in May to find his doors closed. We were disconsolate over the loss of our newfound gem and reminisced many times during that following summer about the fabulous food we enjoyed there.
Imagine our delectation when driving through Troutdale in September and casting a disheartened glance in the direction of our once adored eatery only to find the doors open once more. I immediately negotiated a u-turn, parked the truck and made for the entrance posthaste. Same name, same proprietor, same delectable victuals. “This time”, we promised ourselves, “we are going to frequent this establishment as much as the ol’ pocketbook will allow and we are going to sing praises of Ristorante Di Pomello to all of our friends, relatives and heck, to anyone who will listen!” No more keeping this place our own little secret. We need it to succeed so we can dine here indefinitely! Apparently others made the same commitment because over the course of the next 18 months or so, we went from often dining alone during the lunch and dinner hours to actually having to wait to be seated. We now consider it prudent to call and make reservations a couple days in advance if we want immediate seating for dinner on a weekend.
The menu must have over 70 items and I believe I have gormandized them all by now. Several years ago my son took a friend and his family there and when the mother asked the server what she recommends, the server replied “Ask Daniel, he’s eaten more of a variety from our menu than I have!” The salads and soups are exquisite. The main courses, whether healthy or a little more on the fattening side are full of flavor and the sauces are incredible.
If FareCritique’s review serves as any indication, there’s no feeling quite like discovering that an old favorite restaurant has been brought back to life.
Our last review highlight of the week takes us across the border to Faberge Restaurant in Montreal, QC, where rwarren69 indulged in retro cartoons and hearty breakfast fare. In rwarren69’s review, she talks about a restaurant experience that’s reminiscent of a simpler time:
I visited this charming little eatery for Sunday brunch. We had been warned before arriving there might be a wait for a table, but happily there was no wait at all.
Besides the regular menu, there are also specials on the wall blackboard, and retro cartoons playing on TVs all over the restaurant. Popeye may be older than I am, but he’s still funny! For more traditional entertainment, a huge window was wide open onto the street, perfect for people-watching.
Who says cartoons are reserved for kids? For those of us who grew up eating Sunday breakfast with our eyes glued to the tube, Faberge Restaurant is like a walk down memory lane. That is, if the streets of memory lane are also lined with poutine and pulled pork sandwiches. Rwarren69 writes:
You can expect your usual breakfast fare, along with a couple of lunch items, all expertly presented. Coffee refills are free and plentiful. One of the more unusual items is a “breakfast poutine”: soft chunks of potato, cheese curds, hollandaise sauce, and an egg any style, with optional meat. I did taste a forkful, and found it soft and comforting. Don’t know if I could have eaten a whole bowlful though. The one who ordered it could swear he heard his arteries hardening while he ate.
I would definitely go back here, although there are few choices for those avoiding eggs.
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