Toby Goodshank Original Art 2025

Life with Chicken and Broccoli

Posts

Blog

  • Wing Review: Buffalo Wild Wings – Danbury CT

    Wing Review: Buffalo Wild Wings – Danbury CT

    What hasn’t been said about Buffalo Wild Wings, the epitome of wing excellence, sitting atop the tallest ivory tower in Foodom? I was weary of this place for years. I thought it was a hole. A certain kind of hole, the kind that things come out of, not the kind things should be going into.

    I finally changed my tune when I found out they fry their wings in tallow, only to later have my heart broken by Bobby Parrish and his insidious green thumb of approval (or disapproval). So what you’re saying is that both natural and artificial flavors are bad for me? I can’t live like this! RFK couldn’t have come quick enough to remedy what ails me. Anyway, enough of that business, so says Mr. Morrow.

    The recent trend in all these chain dining restaurants is to have a digital layout of the space so they know where to Amber Heard you around. When I go in now, I run away from the entry check-in stand and look to see where I want to sit. I don’t care about what is good for them, I want to know what is good for me. I don’t care about efficiencies or how many tables Karen or Steve has. I’m Veruca Salt and I want it now.

    On this visit, I deferred to my son who was left defeated when our hostess directed us to one unseated table to complete her Tetris puzzle block of placement and win her manager’s approval for “Most Sauciest!”

    His hesitation to push back on the seating choice had everything to do with our hostess, who stood about five feet tall but commanded the Danbury location with an iron fist of efficiency and unshakable determination. Her rolled-up sleeves revealed full-arm tattoos that seemed to carry stories of pain, struggle, and maybe even a flicker of hope for a better day. If wings ever needed a guardian angel, she was it. You just knew she wasn’t about to let a single ranch cup go unaccounted for.

    It’s always hit or miss with the servers. We have had some great ones and then we get some schlubs. Our server today was known as TT, TT the cookie making aunt, and she was super sweet. She even offered to make us cookies next time we came in, but we had no way to let her know when we’d be back.

    We always ask how many flavors we can get and it’s always six on thirty wings, one flavor per five wings. Our family staple is Salt and Vinegar. My wife enjoys Buffalo Mild and daughter Judy likes Barbecue. Then my brother and sister in-law are the wild cards. They check out the new flavors while still paying respect to the classics. No matter what we ate, my brother was getting something later so did it matter, did it ever matter?

    We get sodas and they come in giant plastic glasses and they keep them flowing. Coke Zero or is it Pepsi, then the seltzers. Don’t you ever forget the seltzers! If you are married to an Italian from Westchester County, they always have a seltzer with lemon. No water. Not now. Not ever. And sometimes we just tell them, “Get a pitcher!”

    The wings are small to medium sized and always cooked perfectly. We asked that they come “Crispy”. The cafeteria dining tray we receive with the flavors and a separate tray for our blue cheeses, carrots, and celery are always welcome sights. We knock down the first thirty and order another thirty. There are also some American burgers ordered with fries. The American Smash Burger they have there is what you want when you get a fast food burger. It is delicious and probably good for you. Probably.

    Final Verdict: 8.15 out of 10
    Some of the best wings around. You know it.

  • Restaurant Review: Mangia Mi East – Sandy Hook, CT

    Restaurant Review: Mangia Mi East – Sandy Hook, CT

    Saturday night before Mother’s Day and we arrive at this beautifully renovated house-turned-restaurant on the hill in Sandy Hook, CT. Taking the Missus out the day before Mother’s Day to avoid the crowds and share just a small token of the gratitude and thankfulness I have for her.

    We were fortunate enough to call at 5:10 PM and get a reservation for 5:30. However, when we arrived, most of the interior dining area was sparsely filled. It was a beautiful spring evening and we wanted to sit outside, though we hesitated as the building faces west and we didn’t want the setting sun in our eyes. Fortunately, the front porch area is spacious and there was a four-top right beside the exterior door that provided shade and a warm breeze.

    The outside area was more lively, still about halfway to capacity. There was a table of four beside us that was a little boisterous, probably due to some well-deserved spring daydrinking. One of the cocktails of choice that I overheard reordered was a Jack Daniels on the rocks, which I can only describe as Sandy Hook chic.

    The restaurant location is pleasant. However, sitting outside, there is a construction site adjacent to the porch which you can’t do anything about. The property line of the restaurant could use some landscaping TLC maybe a mow, a bed of flowers, or even a well-shaved bush.

    My wife’s family is Italian and they are all exceptional cooks, so we really need a draw to go out for Italian food. I was hoping for a large seafood entrée like a Zuppa di Pesce with all the bountiful umami of the sea. Mangia Mi does make their own pasta, which is so critical when you have so many Italian restaurants and ever-increasing, inflated costs. How can you justify a $35-plus entrée for dry spaghetti that costs two dollars a pound?

    The wait staff was all younger local kids. They were very friendly and helpful. Our waitress was especially kind and knew the menu well, able to help with questions or assist with a selection.

    We decided on the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with crispy pancetta and shaved pecorino, and my wife wanted the Blistered Cherry Tomato Crostini. I feel like the price point on these was $18 for the sprouts and $13 for the crostini, which is important because there was a vast difference between them not unlike Alfredo’s Pizza Café and Pizza by Alfredo.

    The Brussels sprouts were delicious, cooked through so they were soft but still had a little char and crisp from the roasting heat. The shaved pecorino provided a complementary texture, along with the salty and generous cubes of pancetta. My mild case of OCD kicked in, separating the food to get each bite to include a trio of the ingredients.

    Now, as lovely as the Brussels sprouts were, the crostini was disappointing in the other direction. It reminded me of when my mom used to do cheese and crackers for the daycare kids except I would have much rather preferred those. For thirteen dollars, you got three small pieces of crostini, a tight smear of cheese, and around six to nine small cherry tomato halves. There was no flavor and it was just blah. It hurt my frugal heart.

    For our entrées, I got the Shrimp Fra Diavolo over homemade linguine, and my wife got the Crispy Chicken Piccata with capers, lemon, and wine over tagliatelle. My entrée was good, but I can only describe it as and now I know what it means to say one dimensional. The pasta was cooked well but had no flavor. The fra diavolo sauce was good but again, just missing something. It felt like some red sauce with a nice bit of heat, but I wanted to add salt, pepper, and garlic. The shrimp was also very well cooked but lacked seasoning and depth. It felt as if each part had been cooked separately, and when combined, they weren’t feeling one another  so they kept their distance. There was no love, no sweet Italian serenade on my plate.

    My wife’s entrée was another story. The ingredients were old friends. They had obviously been hanging out and enjoyed one another’s company. The crispy chicken was thin, flavorful, and pan-fried wonderfully. The piccata sauce with capers soaked into the chicken and tagliatelle, with a beautiful lemon freshness dancing around shouting “Look at me!” It had that mangiami (eat me) attitude. I ended up taking parts of her dish and incorporating them into mine to bring out some flavor, and it worked nicely.

    After our meals, my wife was excited to get a dessert called banana bread pudding which she had before. However, we found out it was part of the seasonal menu and they didn’t have it. That was okay because we were content to have our decaf cappuccinos, however we found out they don’t have those either. In the end, we were sitting quietly on the deck and thought it would be nice if they had some light background music, when all of a sudden “Make It with You” by Bread started playing from somewhere.

    The gentle breeze and warm tune lifted us up and carried us quietly back across town.

    Final Verdict: 7/10
    This was our second visit, and I’m hopeful that they will pull it all together for a third-time’s-the-charm experience.

  • Diner Review: Laurel Diner – Southbury, CT

    Diner Review: Laurel Diner – Southbury, CT

    Had breakfast this morning at Laurel Diner, a Southbury staple. It’s a local favorite, particularly with the senior crowd  and as someone who’s now officially past the “middle-age hump,” I’m grateful to be in the mix. I was probably 30 years younger than most of the guests, but not quite young enough to be throwing stones or passing judgments.

    Located just off Exit 14, head up the street a bit and it’s tucked on the left side of South Main Street. You’ll almost miss it if you’re not looking, it’s that kind of classic small-town spot. There’s an overflow lot just past the building on the left; I parked there. The whole place gave me a nostalgic hit: when I lived in Woodbury with my Yia Yia (Grandmother), she’d take me to Southbury Foodmart. I’d watch in a bored glee as the elderly gently collided with one another in the parking lot, politely assessing the bumper damage before offering a shrug and going on with their day. “In my day, the bumpers could actually take a bump!”

    Inside, all the 4-tops were taken, so I grabbed a seat at the coffee-bar stools while waiting for my wife. She had to move the car after parking in front of a neighboring business which I’m sure has to fight for its spots with all the traffic going to Laurel’s. As she came in, a couple near the back got up, and we quickly grabbed the freshly vacated table. It’s tight in there, charmingly cramped and while we fit, we had several knee-collisions. I’m 6’4″, and once I sit, I don’t move. My wife, 5’5″ (give or take an inch), kept knocking into me every time she adjusted.

    We both ordered decaf, which was fresh-brewed and served in Laurel’s own classic, local business advertisements coffee mugs that feel like they came straight from a 1978 truck stop in the best possible way.

    Laurel Diner has apparently won awards, I don’t recall the specifics, but I recently saw it featured in a Connecticut Diner Bracket Challenge, and it was holding its own in the final rounds.

    I’ve learned to ask what a diner is known for before I order, and I’m glad I did.   Our server said the homemade hash and the cinnamon raisin toast were house favorites. I went with “The Kiki” special, which included both. My wife stuck with eggs, bacon, and a pancake to share.

    The food came out quickly, not quite “Greek diner with Mexican cooks” fast, but close. Everything was excellent. The homemade corned beef hash was zesty and flavorful, the home fries were seasoned well and crispy, and the cinnamon raisin toast was a treat.  It reminded me of Cinnabon without the frosting; rich, buttery, and just sweet enough. The bacon was solid, better than average diner bacon, but nothing that will haunt my dreams. The pancake we shared dressed in extra butter and syrup was also amazing; light and fluffy. My wife noted her eggs looked more golden with a deeper yellow hue, which led her to guess they might be pasture-raised. Of course, we’re just speculating and don’t know what we’re talking about, but that didn’t stop us from saying it.

    Price Check

    It’s a bit pricier than your average diner, I estimated about 27% higher but for the quality, it felt justified. The portions were generous, the food was excellent, and the vibe was clean and welcoming.  Big note is that they only take cash, which for some reason I didn’t have that much today and felt like a kid again looking through my wallet and wife’s purse to make sure we had enough to pay for our meal.  Luckily we didn’t have to wash the dishes.

    Staff & Space

    The servers were friendly and competent, without the tired diner attitude I can’t stand. The space is snug, and with the heat from the grill and a packed house, we were starting to sweat a little. It’s not the kind of place you linger for hours in but it delivers what it promises: great food, fast, with a little local soul and a gentle whiff of Bengay.

    Final Verdict: 7.75/10

    A little cramped, a little pricey, but totally worth it for the taste, quality, service, and charm. Would I go back? Absolutely!