Finnagel's

1531 State Rte 31
Clinton, NJ 08809

We were in the Clinton area around lunchtime, so turned to urbanspoon mobile. The only restaurant that came up, seemed like something that would work well for us, we could agree on, and was very close was Finnagel's, so despite the not so hot review that was already here, we decided to go for it. How bad could a place with pub food be, and if necessary, there were other places around, so if we pulled in and weren't happy with what we saw, we had alternatives.

Since it was lunchtime, we all got sandwiches--I had a buffalo chicken wrap, BAJ had some kind of chicken sandwich, and The Boy had grilled cheese. The waitress was really accommodating of our request to sub out his fries for something else, and he got a plateful of nice steamed veggies. My wrap was tasty, and BAJ said he liked his sandwich too. I was a little disappointed in how long we waited for our food, especially considering how empty they were, but nothing worth really complaining over. Otherwise, our service was very good. We ate in the dining room, which had a nice older tavern feel to it, but could also have chosen to eat in the "lounge" (aka: bar) instead. For our three sandwiches and soft drinks plus tip, our bill came to right around $30, which isn't too shabby!

BAJ also wanted me to mention that they are kid friendly--The Boy got crayons and an activity sheet, his drink came in a covered container (a big deal for anyone who has tried to give a toddler a regular styrofoam cup with a lid and regular straw), and there is a changing table (although in the women's room only). In addition, his meal was fairly inexpensive at around $4.

Blitzburger

108 Easton Ave.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

I don't think I ever reviewed Blitzburger. We started by heading to Tido's Junkyard Dogs, looked and the menus, got ready to order, then saw the sign that no credit cards are accepted. We started to search for an ATM when we saw Blitzburger, which was also on my mental list.
It was a beautiful day, so we sat outside. The lingering smell of stale beer from Olde Queens tantalized my newly pregnant nose.... The prices of their burgers really surprised me; they certainly aren't cheap by any stretch of the imagination. That said, their prices are fairly reasonable, considering the ENORMOUS size of the burgers (10 oz!), and they now have a $4.95 special menu. It was way more than my queasy stomach could handle, but it was REALLY tasty. BAJ got one of their chicken burgers, and liked it a lot too.

In short, it was really good, but a little on the pricey side for us. We thought their fries were good, and I think we had a shake too (as I said, it's been awhile!), but it was close to $20 for us to get sandwiches, fries, and two drinks...

The Mean Fiddler

266 W 47th St
New York, NY 10036
themeanfiddlernyc.com

Today, we went into Manhattan with some friends. After wandering for awhile, we decided to go looking for some lunch. Our original plan was to find Pommes Frites, having heard there was a new location in or near Times Square. Alas, the internet might lie to you, and there might be no Pommes Frites location in or near Times Square. So, to 8th Ave we went in search of some inexpensive yet interesting food. I looked down streets for places that looked interesting, and we stumbled across The Mean Fiddler. They had pub food for most of their menu; burgers, chicken sandwiches, etc, but they also had a nice looking Irish food part of the menu too. Having spent a chilly morning wandering the big city, I decided a nice warm Irish stew sounded like the perfect lunch to me. I wasn't at all wrong. My dining companions loved that there were mashed potatoes on top of my stew. I loved that it was so tasty! A friend got the "mean burger," which is much like Burger King's Angry Burger, but he said it was much fresher and tastier. My other friend got the Dublin Chicken Burger, and remarked that it was REALLY good. Finally, my husbad got the Rachel, and thought it was pretty tasty!

For the four of us, our meal came to $60; not too shabby for a NYC lunch for four... especially considering we were all so full we just had a VERY light dinner.

Salt Creek Grille

1 Rockingham Row
Princeton, NJ

After hearing rave reviews of the Salt Creek Grille, we decided to go here for our anniversary lunch. We were very impressed upon entering the restaurant by the ambiance and decor, although as the place filled, we decided the acoustics were pretty bad--it was really loud in there, good enough for the two of us, but had there been four at our table, we probably couldn't have heard each other.

The food was very good. We shared a bowl of lobster bisque (just right for sharing; way too much to eat before a meal!), and then we each had a sandwich platter. BAJ had a Guava Glazed Hand Pulled Chicken Hero and I had a French Dip. We were very pleased with our meals.

I have to say, though, that it was really expensive for a bowl of soup, two sandwiches, and two sodas. Our meal came to nearly $50, and we didn't even get dessert. Compare this to the prix fixe lunch at the four star Frog and the Peach, which costs $25/person for appetizer, entree, and dessert, and the Salt Creek doesn't even compare.

So, for us, this meal was really really good. The service wasn't bad, at least until our server clearly got "weeded" for the lunch rush, and the ambiance is fairly nice. Yet, it wasn't so good to justify the prices for a lunch.

Franco's Italian Kitchen

552 State Route 18, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
(732) 238-6777

A friend of mine mentioned that she really liked Franco's, so it was on my mental list. BAJ and I were driving around, trying to think of something for lunch, and decided to stop in. The place is really small, but has a nice atmosphere; we really liked the decor.

Our food was VERY good. We started with a caprese appetizer, which is one of my all time favorite things. This version had tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and was topped with a balsamic reduction (which was fabulous), sun dried tomatoes, and roasted red peppers.

We were also given a bread basket, which was served with bruschetta. The bruschetta was interesting in that it had jalapeno peppers in it. This wasn't something I was really into, but BAJ enjoyed the bruschetta a lot.

As for entrees, I had a meat lasagna, which was really good and a nice size portion too. BAJ had a sandwich; I don't remember which one specifically, but he liked it a lot. The bread looked REALLY good on it, although I didn't have a taste of his.

Service was a little perplexing... since it was lunch, they were really slow. I think we were served by the owner/chef, while another guy did pretty much everything else. I'd like to go back at a more typical time before I comment on the service.

In all, Franco's Italian Kitchen was a really good lunch, and one day, we'd like to go back to try their dinners!

Fresh.

562 Allen Rd
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
www.iwantfreshfood.com

Long time, no post. We haven't really been out to any new places. I know we've been eating out, but I can't even think of where we've been lately.

Anyway, today we wanted lunch out. I checked my handy dandy wishlist on urbanspoon and remembered I had wanted to try Fresh.

I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich, which came with a slice of very fresh mozzarella, some tomato, arugala, and herb mayo. It was excellent, and too large for me to finish.

BAJ ordered a turkey reuben. He liked it a lot. Not a fan of reubens, it's not a surprise that I wasn't a big fan of it, but I'm not the one to go on here.

I really liked the vibe of the shop too. Their decor is very casual and, well, fresh. The staff was very courteous. It's a counter store, but they bring the food out to your table, and as we were leaving, we were asked how everything was--he seemed genuinely concerned.

They have cookies in jars on the counter, which caught the attention of The Boy. They looked so good, as did the many other treats. Maybe another time.

We were very pleased... it's a good thing that BAJ only has a short time for lunch and is too far from here, or he might be going to Fresh for lunch every week!

The Frog and the Peach

29 Dennis St
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
www.frogandpeach.com

We have gone high class... err, we have gone to a high class restaurant. Feeling the need to eat and desire to splurge, we decided to go to The Frog and the Peach for their Prix Fixe lunch. For $25, a soup or salad, an entree, and a glass of wine or dessert at one of the best restaurants around sounded like a great deal. And a great deal it was... sort of. The food was exquisite; I had the salad, Pan Seared Organic Chicken Breast, and a glass of the house wine. BAJ went for the soup (broccoli cheddar), Beer Battered Jersey Dayboat Catch, and Creme Brulee. Everything was outstanding. The problem was that although $25 each for all this food, Everything it was way more food than we would have eaten, especially for lunch.

We were given the choice of eating in the "Garden room" or in the main dining room. Not knowing the difference, we said it didn't matter. Since they were not busy, they invited us to take a look at the garden room, and we were glad we did. It's got a nice vibe with plants and sunshine, and overlooks the outdoors. If you don't know any better either, go for the garden room!

The Frog and the Peach. Well worth the price, well deserving of the buzz.

Girasole

502 W Union Ave, Bound Brook, NJ 08805

I had heard a lot of buzz about Girasole and had been wanting to go for a really long time. We finally had the opportunity yesterday to go for lunch, and we are so thrilled we did.

First they brought out some of the best bruschetta I've ever had. My husband had the Mushroom Bisque soup special, and it was incredible. I sort of expected him to lick the bowl. We both received salads next, and the vinaigrette they use is delicious. It was a nice, leafy green salad--hooray for no iceberg!

We also were given a delicious, soft, fresh bread, which was served with oil and fresh garlic. This was really interesting, since we are so used to getting oil with spices or roasted garlic at Italian restaurants.

We each chose off the regular lunch menu for our entrees. They were both very tasty and we decided that the portions were a perfect size for a dinner entree and exceptionally large for lunch. I took some of mine home, and hope to have it for lunch today.

We were so full after our lunch that we ended up skipping dinner. Although my husband thought it was an expensive lunch, I figure that the cost of lunch combined with no cooking dinner surely balances out the cost.

We will return to Girasole SOON and OFTEN!

Fresh Food Kitchen

223 W End Ave, Raritan, NJ 08869

This place had very good smoothies, and a wide variety of sandwiches, but we felt that their prices were rather high for what we got. Everything was tasty, but we won't be going back.

Hansel and Griddle

53 Mine St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

We very much like this place. It's a place I probably would have gone to far too often had I been a Rutgers student for undergrad. They have great sandwiches and reasonable prices. Their barrel of pickles is always a tasty treat.

Check out their menu here

Legends

122 N Main St, Milltown, NJ 08850

Oh yum, is this place good. They have all kinds of interesting sandwiches and the bread is out of this world. It's a little bit of a hike for us, but always worth it.

FYI, they are not open on Sundays.

Check out their menu here

Sahara Restaurant

165 Easton Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

I went here with some friends for lunch a long time ago (I was only slightly pregnant!). One of the girls raved about this place and their salads. I had a hard time selecting something from the menu but eventually tried something....I don't mind trying new things at all, and my friends said that what I picked was typically good....I don't remember what it was but suspect it was Baba Ghanoush. My lunch was ok, but nothing to really write home about. Dunno, maybe Turkish food isn't my thing, maybe I just need to try something else.. but I probably won't be doing it at Sahara.

Food aside, their decor is delightful, with outdoor seating available (if you don't mind the lovely Easton Ave as your view).