We had a hard time deciding where to meet for Fancy Friday this week. We are in the second best city for restaurants (according to Esquire magazine) and, when it comes right down to it, we are kind of spoiled having our guests make the suggested picks. So please continue to spoil us and apply here. We need you.
See? Pretty!
A co-worker of mine saved the day and recommended Hoyt’s, which has a great outside patio that overlooks the river. It was really popular, actually, so we opted for the immediate seating inside. It’s nice inside too, actually, so totally don’t feel cheated if there’s a long wait for the patio and you end up inside.
The menu on this place is reasonably limited, and I mean that in a good way. There’s enough choices for everyone to find something they like but not so many like Cheesecake Factory or Grand Lux, where you feel like you need a year just to get through the menu. The waiter suggested the burger or the sliders and I wish I would have followed his recommendation.
Instead, I ordered the homemade ravioli. It was stuffed with spinach and was in, as described in the menu anyway, as a pesto-type sauce. It read well.
Thick ravioli ... and what? Vegetables?!
When it came, I was surprised to see carrots and zucchini in the sauce. I mean, I like carrots and zucchini, but I just wasn’t expecting them. And it took the dish from kind of a light ravioli to more of a rustic ravioli. Know what I mean? Anyway, I may have been able to forgive that if it was good but you could tell it was homemade. And I don’t mean that in a good way. The pasta dough was really thick and I couldn’t really taste the insides. The sauce was kind of more like a broth instead of a sauce. I don’t know. It just wasn’t satisfying and, I’ll admit I ordered the wrong thing. I should have ordered the burger or the sliders, which is what Maureen did. I don’t think there is a better transition than that, so take it away, Maureen!
Pay no attention to those sliders - check out that pickle jar!
Maureen:
I did a little website research before we went there, and saw a jar of homemade pickles next to a burger. I LOVE homemade pickles, so I wanted to make sure I had those! I also love pulled pork, so when I saw that on the menu, I was sold.
The sliders were a nice, small size, and they had a good meat/sauce ratio. They were also topped with a little slaw, which gave it a nice crispiness. The buns were topped with onion bits, which were also good.
I was a little taken aback by how small the pickle jar was, because it looked huge on the website (and looks huge here!). But then I was like “well. . .how many pickles do I really need?” They were delicious, but Carrie and I couldn’t help but notice that the burger came with both fries and pickles. Did they think I wanted pickles in lieu of fries? I mean it’s fine, because workouts and I are taking a break. But still. . .
Carrie:
Chocolate pudding. Can you find Maureen?
So, for dessert I really wanted the ice cream truffles. I have no idea what they are, but they sound delicious. I guess I’ll never know because they were out and I had to pick something else. The fact that I refused to budge on the ice cream truffles actually was the sticking point that caused Maureen and me to order our own desserts. And then I had to order something else. I ordered the chocolate pudding jar with whipped cream and fruit. Blueberries and strawberries to be specific, which happened to be my favorite. I am not a super huge pudding fan, but this dessert was really good. I love fresh fruit and it, combined with the whipped cream and pudding, was delicious. The pudding was rich and creamy. It looked so good that I pulled a Maureen and dove into it before taking a picture. Sorry!
Cappuccino, because it's Friday!
Lest you be concerned, I did order the cappuccino. It was illy, which is Italian for delicious.
Because Maureen’s dessert was in stock, it came out first … and with two spoons. There were lots of glares and near-pinky swears that I would share my dessert when it came out, which, of course, I readily agreed to. I mean, the odds are that she’s going to get filled up before my dessert arrives anyway, right? I’m kidding! I’m kidding! I’m happy to share, and let the record show that I kept pushing my pudding on her and, after a bite or two, she declined. I was a pudding pusher.
But Hoyyyyttt's. . .I don't wanna share!!!!
Maureen:
I have a soft spot for fruit desserts, especially when they are crisps or cobblers. I am constantly talking myself out of baking fruit pies because I know I’ll eat the whole thing in about 2 days! Anyway, just take a moment and look at this thing.
. . .
. . .
. . .
It’s in a skillet! And so much ice cream on top! The ice cream had a really strong vanilla flavor, which I really appreciated. As it melted, it got into the apple and crisp and I was hoping Carrie’s pudding would get here quickly. I love when there’s lots of crisp topping, and this definitely had that. I tried Carrie’s pudding, which was good, but a lot of dairy for me. I’m also not a huge pudding person, so it was fine.
(Carrie: Her apple crisp was really delicious. The ice cream tasted homemade and the crisp itself had hazelnuts in it. Mmmm. I would order it again.)
Final takes:
Carrie: I would go back for happy hour and stock up on appetizers and sliders. I am kind of bummed I ordered the wrong thing because everything else looked delicious.
Maureen: I would go back for pickles and dessert. And no, I’m not pregnant.
Fancy Friday 