Posts Tagged ‘American’

PC Kitchen

Sunday, July 1st, 2012

Now open for three months, PC Kitchen doesn’t seem to have its identity set. First, it’s supposed to be an offshoot of Pancake Cafe, but it doesn’t draw nearly the same size of crowd. That may be because of its location in a strip mall by Woodman’s–it’s just weird to go to one to eat.

The name also is confusing, as it sounds like the place either fixes computers or is politically correct. Finally, the restaurant took over for the former New Town Pub, so there’s still a big bar in this family-friendly establishment. Overall, the food is good and the staff is welcoming, but will it be enough to overcome its inherent obstacles?

I tried the Homemade Biscuits & Gravy ($6.99), which comes with two eggs and hashbrowns. The biscuit was wonderfully soft; so many places give you a rock-hard biscuit. The gravy was rich and creamy and topped with slices of sausage instead of sausage crumbles, a nice touch. I would have preferred my hashbrowns crispier, as they didn’t have enough brown to them.

The Spinach Omelette ($6.99) is made from three eggs and comes with choice of cheese, hashbrowns and mushroom dipping sauce. It was really big and would have been tastier had the cheese been spread out a bit better. The mushroom dipping sauce was creative and helped boost the flavor of the omelette.

On a future visit, I’ll probably try the Bacon Pancake or Bacon Belgian Waffle ($5.99 each), both stuffed with bacon. The lunch menu is mainly comprised of sandwiches and burgers, such as the PC Kitchen Burger (Canadian bacon, American cheese and a sunny side up egg with red pepper aioli for $8.99).

PC Kitchen is open 365 days a year for breakfast and lunch. I hate when restaurants take cash only, and this is another such place, so be prepared.

PC Kitchen on Urbanspoon

The Rigby Pub and Grill

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

During its final months, the Casbah was in such disarray that some days it was open, others closed, then open, then closed again, that I was glad something finally replaced it. That something is the Rigby Pub and Grill, a Beatles-themed establishment located a block from the Capitol.

I’m a sucker for burgers named after a restaurant, so of course I started with the Rigby Burger ($8), which is topped with onion straws, melted cheddar cheese and “magical mystery sauce,” which was a tasty mayonnaise-based sauce (I suspect). I enjoyed the combination of flavors. As with all the sandwiches, you get your choice of potato chips, coleslaw or potato salad on the side.

The Bigger Than Caesar Wrap ($7.25) was hearty with the grilled chicken and came in a spinach and herb wrap. Other items include the Dear Reuben ($8), Lonely Hearts Turkey Club Band ($7) and the Let it BLT Wrap ($6.25).

I also had the onion straws ($5) as an appetizer, along with the And Your Curd Can Sing ($6.50). I actually prefer these types of fried cheese curds with the crispier exterior. I could take or leave the accompanying buffalo ranch sauce, though it went well with the onion straws.

The Rigby has daily food and drink specials and a DJ on Saturdays. The upstairs can be rented out for private parties and includes a pool table.

Rigby Pub and Grill on Urbanspoon

The Egg and I

Sunday, October 16th, 2011

The Egg and I opened last month in the same development where Bonfyre is, near American TV. The chain restaurant is similar to a Denny’s or Perkin’s, except it only serves breakfast and lunch.

While the food was good, the terrible service left a bitter taste in my mouth. For some reason, the Egg and I had four hostesses at the entrance (plus the manager), yet I only counted three waitresses. We sat at our table for almost 10 minutes without any contact, which forced me to tell a hostess that we hadn’t been visited by a waitress yet.

Our waitress apologized to us without a decent excuse; I heard her apologize to her other tables as well. During the meal, which took a staggering 25 minutes to arrive (it’s just eggs, after all), two other waitresses dropped trays of dishes. I’m recommending that you wait another 3-4 months (if this place is even still open) to give the staff more time to train.

Now, on to the food. The corned beef hash ($8.79) was very good and definitely not out of a can. It was served with two eggs and a side of Hollandaise sauce, which surprisingly complemented the corned beef hash quite well. I added a side of bacon, and it was perfectly cooked in the seemingly hard-to-reach medium between too crispy and too soggy.

The waffles also were good–moist and tasty. In addition, I was pleased that there were a few flavors of coffee, all freshly ground and bottomless. I enjoyed my seasonal blend.

I would not recommend the Wisconsin Scramble ($7.29), which was three eggs scrambled with Swiss, Monterey Jack, Cheddar and cream cheese. It may sound good in theory, but in actuality, the dish is too soupy. Other skillets and scrambles include the Texas (includes steak) and the Athena (includes feta cheese and spinach).

The rest of the breakfast menu consists of omelettes, frittatas, pancakes/waffles/french toast, benedicts and “Smarter Choices” (aka healthier).

The Egg and I is open every day. It also has a free meeting room and WiFi.

The Egg & I on Urbanspoon

    North Italia Urban Air

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