Michelangelo's Ristorante & Caffe

Two years ago when I first moved to NB, Goose and I dinned at Stop #36, Michelangelo Ristorante, funny that it would line up for the two of us to do so again for CC.  Last time we were lured in with the offer of a free glass of wine, both ordered a pasta dish and agreed that the food was just alright. Dining there this past weekend was like deja vu. Again we had a card for a complimentary glass of wine and appy. We both did not want the house wine so we passed on that and were offered a free soda, which I took them up on. They then brought olives, bruschetta, and my Sprite to the table- free of charge before we even ordered our meal. Very kind of them. Goose had the Chicken Alla Valdostana: breast of chicken topped with fontina cheese and ham in a rosemary and white wine sauce. It was decent. I had the  fettuccine pasta with homemade meat sauce. It was decent as well, but a little bland. The service was good, the prices were average, and the atmosphere was nice. Although we did witness a bit of drama at the table next to us when a husband & wife were arguing about disciplining their children. The man got so angry he stood up, pounded his fist on the table spilling drinks everywhere and quickly left the restaurant. Awkward. The best part of dinning at Michelangelo’s is what is delivered with the bill- cookies & gummy bears! Who doesn’t like gummy bears?  

Two Ciabatta loaves

Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Café is smokin'

Stop #35, Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Café brought two of my favorite things together: Consuming Columbus & book club. I got to dine with six girlies while discussing our latest novel- Bond Girl. A must read for chicks who love chick lit, btw. The conversation was great and the food complimented it well. Mario’s is cozy and not set up for parties of seven, but they were very accommodating. Not all of us ordered food, but those that did were really satisfied. Laura had the lasagna, which had a bit of a sweet flavor to it. Jenn had my fave dish of the night, the oven baked meatball sammy with swiss cheese, onions, and marinara on onion focaccia bread. The focaccia, which came highly recommended lived up to the hype. The crunch of the bread, melted cheese, tender meatballs, and the warm sauce was a perfect combination. Megs had the grilled chicken #1 sammy- dijon mustard, pepper jack cheese, and onions on the amazing focaccia bread. This one was good too. I had the caprese salad- fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil pesto. This was tasty, the pesto was awesome. The consensus was the same as it was for the book, we loved it. Mario’s is priced right, the service is excellent, and the food is terrific. To quote Bond Girl, “I’m a buyer of this place in size”  

4 Ciabatta loaves

Volare- Very, Very Good

Stop #34, Volare is another NB staple for me, so I was excited when it became the largest dinner group so far. The service & food is always great and this time wasn’t any different. For appys we had carpaccio, bruschetta, and because I think it’s the best thing on the menu, the gnocchi agli spinaci, Volare’s own homemade spinach and potato dumplings in a gorgonzola cream sauce. Gnocchi is not typically ordered as an appy, but because of how amazing it is I felt it was necessary to get an order for the table to share. Everyone one agreed it was absolutely delish. The carpaccio was good, but the bruschetta was really dry. As for the main courses, Shawn, KO & Goose all had the saltimbocca. The consensus was that is was really good, just a little on the salty side. I find it funny when peeps think this dish is salty, I mean it tells you that right in the name! Mendy Poo had the pollo piccantina & FZ the pollo marsala, which they both really enjoyed. The two pasta dishes that were consumed were by Carolyn who had the linguine primavera & Kimmee who had the spaghetti Bolognese. Both of them were happy with theirs, and Kimmee said hers had good texture & flavor. Gosling had spaghetti with butter & cheese, her comment was “yummy”. Stealing a bite of it myself, I had to agree with her. Little Lakyn seemed pleased with all the bites she was given as well. I had the scampi sauté- prawns sautéed in white wine, garlic, lemon, parsley and extra virgin olive oil with veggies & smashed potatoes. YUM! Overall there were no complaints, except for KO who hates smashed potatoes. We also had a coupon for $25 off from restaurants.com, which I’ve found are regularly available. So, if you are looking for good service and food, I recommend Volare. Get the spinach gnocchi, but maybe not to share.

5 Ciabatta loaves

Il Pollaio is more than ok-aio

Stop #33, Il Pollaio is mainly known for its grilled chicken, so that’s what I ordered. I got the half chicken with fries. It was more than enough food for me and tasty. The fries were thick cut, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The chicken had a flavorful seasoning and was very tender. No complaints, priced right and tasted good. I would consider buying a whole chicken to go in the future and using it in salads or other dishes.  

4 Ciabatta loaves

La (lovely) Boulange

Stop #32 was La Boulange. My lunch companion Erin said it best, so I’m going to steal her words, “I’ve never eaten anything here I didn’t like.” This is so true. Boulange is amazing. I eat here about once a week. Huge fan of their salads & chai lattes. The chai & coffee drinks are best enjoyed when dining in because they are served in big bowl-cups, aka cups of happiness. Erin had the open-faced smoked turkey, tomato, provolone, and aioli sammy with a side salad. This is my fave warm sammy on the menu. It tastes like eating a healthy slice of pizza. I had the warm goat cheese salad- herbed goat cheese, candied pecans, tomatoes, and greens in a vinaigrette dressing served with organic toast. Dee-lish. This is my go-to menu item, but Boulange has so many great options its always hard to decide which one to order. Most of their items are organic and on the healthier side. Love when healthy food tastes so good.

http://laboulangebakery.com/

5 warm Ciabatta loaves