1. 3 Chicken Breasts
2. BBQ Sauce (choose your favorite; I personally prefer Honey BBQ because it tastes best with the Ranch dressing)
3. Ranch Dressing
4. 1 Ripe avocado
5. French’s Fried Onions
6. Shredded cheddar cheese
7. Pico di gallo
8. Thawed frozen corn
9. Head of lettuce

Directions

1. Drain some of the pico di gallo juice into a saute pan on medium-high.  Warm lightly.
2. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.  Add chicken breasts to the saute pan.  Cover chicken breasts with aluminum foil.
3. After 15-20 minutes, check chicken.  If they are cooked halfway through, flip chicken breasts in the saute pan.  Do not re-cover with the aluminum foil.
4. Chop lettuce.  Combine all other salad ingredients to taste (I like lots of fried onions and cheese, and very little pico di gallo… it’s really up to you).
5. Add Ranch and BBQ sauce to taste.
6. Check chicken.  Coat in BBQ sauce, turn up heat in pan, and caramelize BBQ sauce onto the chicken breasts.
7. Remove chicken from pan and allow to rest for five minutes before chopping and adding to salad.  Enjoy!

I created this salad after becoming addicted to the BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad at the Cheesecake Factory; granted, it’s not an exact copy, but it’s pretty darn close, especially if you make it as huge as they tend to at CF.  This recipe generally makes two very large salads or a single huge side salad for a family.  Double this recipe for 4 guests, or for a single family meal.

1. 1 bag of cole slaw mix
2. 1 can light red kidney beans
3. 1 small can sliced black olives
4. 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
5. 1/2 cup red salsa
6. 1/2 cup green salsa
7. 1 cup taco sauce
8. 8 burrito-size tortillas

Directions

1. Combine cole slaw mix, drained kidney beans, drained black olives, 1/2 cup red salsa, 1/2 cup green salsa, and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese in a large bowl.  Mix thoroughly.
2. Warm tortillas in microwave.  Roll filling into tortillas in burrito fashion.  Do not be afraid to “over fill” your chimichangas, the filling will shrink as it bakes.
3. In a rectangular baking pan, lightly coat the bottom with taco sauce (roughly 1/4 cup) so that the chimichangas do not stick during baking.  Place your rolled chimichangas seam-side down in the baking pan.
4. Cover with remaining taco sauce and cheddar cheese.  Bake for 30-45 minute at 350* until golden brown.
5. Serve with Mexican rice and vegetarian refried beans for a tasty vegetarian meal… No meat necessary!

When my aunt first served me this meal, I was prepared to go on hunger strike: cole slaw mix in a mexican dish?  Absolutely not.  I took one bite and I was hooked.  Now, eight years later, I make this dish on an almost weekly basis for myself and Dave, who also balked at the idea, but now can put down three of the chimichangas alone.

Give it a try, really.  Its a great way to disguise lots of veggies for those kids who just don’t want to hear it.

1. 2 cups brown rice
2. 1 zucchini, sliced
3. 1 onion, sliced
4. 1/4 cup honey
5. 1/4 cup dijon mustard
6. Salt
7. Pepper
8. Butter

Directions

1. Make rice (the fashion in which you cook your rice is irrelevant).
2. Saute zucchini and onions in a medium-high skillet until the zucchini is soft and the onions are transparent.
3. Once rice has finished cooking, add your rice to the onions and zucchini in the skillet.  Add both honey and mustard and combine rice, honey, mustard, onions, and zucchini.  Do not be surprised if the mixture looks too wet: it will cook out when you toast the rice.
4. Turn skillet to high.  Spread the rice out in a layer in the skillet, returning every few minutes to turn it with a spatula so that the rice becomes crispy.
5. Season to taste.
6. Once rice is toasted and brown, remove from the skillet and serve.  It makes an excellent side dish, or as a quick and easy dinner.

I created this dish while trying to lose weight my sophomore year of college.  It’s absolutely delicious with chicken, but it makes a delicious full meal as well.  Sometimes it can be a little dry, but that can be remedied by adding either melted or “butter spray,” at which point it becomes even better and saltier.  It’s pretty low in calories and big on taste, and after you eat it it becomes completely addictive.  I used to make it four cups at a time in two skillets, and I would save half for when I started craving it in the middle of the night.  Believe me, add it to your diet instead of potatoes, and you’ll definitely cut the calories.

First of all, Mulligan’s is a bar with an attached lounge.  If you’re not into sitting at high top tables, booths, or at the bar, the option is always available to seat yourself on the left hand side of the restaurant, which is separated from the bar by a swinging door.  Don’t be confused about the two entrances once you have gone through the front door: the door to the right leads directly into the bar, while the door on the left leads into the lounge.  While those of you with children are, I’m certain, determined that they should not be in a “bar,” Mulligan’s is incredibly family friendly: on an average Friday night, it isn’t unusual to find the bar populated with college students, young professionals, some older folks, a few families, and groups of friends just having a night out.  Of course, the bar does permit smoking while the lounge does not, so if you’re a nonsmoker or prefer a smokefree environment, the lounge is probably the way to go.

The bar is large, but compact.  There are roughly 8 high top tables, 3 booths, and the bar for a seating area, so on weekend nights it’s essential to get there early or risk standing around waiting for a table.  Large tv’s are in every corner, while the bar boasts a giant tv as it’s backdrop.  A word to the wise: do not request that they change the channel.  They are always turned to the following: The Pittsburgh Steelers, The Pittsburgh Pirates, The Pittsburgh Penguins, The Pitt Panthers, or The Nittany Lions.  Occasionally if there isn’t anyone playing they will put up NASCAR, but it’s only on rare occasions.  The lounge, on the other hand, has none of these things; it is simply a room with tables.  So always sit in the bar.  Take my word for it.

The menu is extensive and truly represents its’ city: normal bar fare is available, like mozzarella sticks, wings, and nachos, but try some of the more local specialities, like the hot pepper cheese balls, stuffed banana peppers, and grape leaves.  Many of the entrees feature lamb, mainly because there is a very large Syrian population in New Castle; if you’ve never had lamb, I would suggest trying it for the first time if you’re planning on passing through.  The lamb salad (like a steak or chicken salad) is unforgettable (and my mother’s favorite), but a note about entree salads in New Castle and much of the surrounding area: we serve our salads with french fries mixed in, so if you’re looking to watch your weight, request that the fries be removed.

A large portion of the menu is Italian, because like New Castle’s Syrian population, we have a larger Italian population in town, which influences the menus at many of the local restaurants.  But it has to be said: they do it right.  I would drink the tomato sauce at Mulligans: it’s perfectly flavored, sweet and yet never overpowering, and pairs perfectly with their meatballs, pasta, and cheeses.  It is even used as a dipping sauce for many of their appetizers, from the hot pepper cheese balls to the mozzarella sticks.  Be sure to mop it all up with a slice of their homemade Italian bread, which is replenished as it’s consumed at no cost.

The Italian portion of the menu is relatively familiar ground: spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesean, etc.  What you might never have come across are cavatelli, which are small, less dense cousins of the potato gnocci, which are made both out of flour and ricotta..  Mulligans uses a flour-based recipe, and their cavatelli are made fresh daily by the owner/operator’s mother.  They can be ordered in both small and large portions; order the large and take whatever you don’t eat home with you, because believe me, you’re going to want it.  The small portion is served with one meatball, the large with two.  That also applies to the rest of their pasta dishes.

Most of their entrees come with a side salad; as I have already mentioned, the homemade ranch dressing is amazing.  Order a side of it with whatever you happen to order; it is served with salads, french fries, and their wings/chicken fingers.  They offer a large number of wing flavors and dipping sauces (I prefer the garlic and bbq sauces), which you can order in multiples of 5.  Monday night is “Wing Night,” so if you can make it to “the Mull” on a Monday for 25 cent wings, it’s definitely worth the trip.  Their chicken fingers are not offered as an entree, but rather as an appetizer, complete with dipping sauces and a side of french fries.  The portion is reminiscent of a full meal, so don’t order the chicken fingers and fries with an entree: it is simply too much food.

On another note, the drinks are relatively low and well priced, though it is a small establishment so they cannot offer margaritas, pina coladas, etc.  Try a Captain and Coke or a Maker’s Mark and Ginger Ale: both are cheap and tasty.  Yum yum!

Would I suggest you check out Mulligans?  Absolutely.  And if it’s around a holiday and I’m at home, you just might see me hanging out there as well!

Location:

• 1403 Butler Ave., New Castle PA  (724) 658-9405

1. 3 packages of cream cheese
2. 1 cup diced onion
3. Pepper
4. Celery Salt
5. Garlic Salt

Directions

1. Unwrap cream cheese and place all three blocks into a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave on high for 90 seconds.  Check consistency.  The cream cheese should be completely melted and of a thick sauce consistency.  If it is not after 90 seconds, continue to heat it until it is.
3. Remove cream cheese from microwave and thin with hot water.  The final consistency should be of thick yogurt.
4. Add 1/2 tablespoon of black pepper, 2 tablespoons celery salt, and 1 tablespoon of garlic salt.  Mix to combine in cream cheese.
5. Taste test: if it is too salty for you, add additional pepper as desired.
6. Add diced onion.  Mix to combine and enjoy!

This dip is generally best with the rippled kind of potato chip, simply because it is a heavier dip and it needs a chip that can stand up to it.  Experiment, try this dip on Salt & Vinegar chips for a real kick!  And as an additional note, it is absolutely delicious on pizza.

First things first: Coney’s is a large room with a central aisle, which delivers you to the counter which spans the width of the restaurant.  From this counter you order, pick up, and can watch your food being prepared in Coney’s open “kitchen.”  Quite literally, they are creating your order not two feet behind the person taking your order.  Adding to the nostalgia of the experience, the order takers call the order back to the cooks, who line hot dogs up their arms and dress them faster than a human being should move.

The booths are wooden, so be prepared for a slightly uncomfortable seating experience; the walls are papered in diagonal red and white lines, which can be distracting; but the food is phenomenal.

Obviously the number one item to order is the hot dog “with everything.”  This could mean something different in every place you might be, but in New Castle a hot dog “with everything” means chili, mustard, and diced onions.  While that terminology might be simple, the hot dog lingo gets more difficult from there: a hot dog ordered as “ketchup everything” means chili, ketchup, and diced onions, while a hot dog ordered “ketchup with everything” means chili, mustard, ketchup, and diced onions.  But don’t worry, Pittsburgh is more lenient with their hot dogs than Philadelphia is with their cheesesteaks.

But just because the hot dogs are what made Coney’s famous, don’t pass up a chance for one of their amazing burgers.  From a regular hamburger to a double chili cheese monster (Dave’s preference), no matter what combination of toppings you choose, it’s going to be fantastic.  The burgers are cooked to order, so a word of warning: you do have to wait for a burger, usually around five minutes from placing your order to receiving your food.  If you order both a hot dog and a burger together, the order takers will ask if you want the hot dog first, or if you’d like the hot dog and the burger together.  My word of advice?  Two hot dogs and a burger, because by the time you’ve finished the hot dogs, your burger is ready to go.

Now, for the important topic of french fries: they are cooked to order, are a deep gold, lightly salted, and always the most crispy fries I have ever eaten.  Ask for ketchup packets, because there isn’t any on the table.  This is because, while we are a Heinz 57 town, Coney’s fries are best eaten when soaked in vinegar and doused with salt.  The vinegar is located on a small shelf across from the counter, where the napkins and straws are also located.

If you get a chance to visit Coney’s, please make sure that you give it a try; there are two locations in New Castle, one in Neshannock township across from Weingartner Florist, and the other downtown in the town square.  Both are fantastic, but I generally prefer the location in Neshannock because it is larger, brighter, and was the location I frequented as a child.

A word of warning?  The left hand side of Coney’s dining room is non-smoking, the right hand side is smoking.  Sit as far away from the center of the room if you are offended by the smell of smoke.

Would I suggest you check out Coney’s?  Absolutely, no question of it.

Locations:

• 9 East Washington St., New Castle PA  (724)654-6761
• 2712 Wilmington Rd., New Castle PA  (724) 654-4522

1. 3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
2. 1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
3. Cherry/Grape Tomatoes (we prefer grape, as they hold up better to sauteing)
4. Diced roasted garlic (make your own, or buy the bottle at the grocery store)
5. Angelhair pasta
6. Olive oil
7. 1/2 cup melted butter
8. Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pour 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of into a saute pan on medium-high.  Warm lightly.
2. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.  Add chicken breasts to the saute pan.  Do not spoon balsamic/oil mixture over chicken.  Cover chicken breasts with aluminum foil.
3. After 15-20 minutes, check chicken.  If they are cooked halfway through, flip chicken breasts in the saute pan.  Do not re-cover with the aluminum foil.
4. Begin boiling your angelhair pasta.
5. In another saute pan on medium-low heat, combine butter and garlic.  Warm lightly.
6. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar into a small pot set at medium.  Allow this to reduce until you have assembled your dinner.
7. Halve yout tomatoes.  Place them into the butter and garlic mixture to heat and soften slightly.  Once the pasta is al dente, drain the water and add the pasta to the butter, garlic, and tomato mixture.  Toss to coat and heat lightly until you have rested your chicken.
8. Remove the chicken, place them on a plate, and cover with aluminum foil for five minutes.  Once they have rested, cut the chicken into slices or bite-sized pieces.
9. Remove the pasta, plate a serving, and add chicken.  Drizzle pasta with the reduced balsamic vinegar and enjoy!

Dave and I created this recipe (as we do many of our mutual recipes) because I loved the Bruschetta Chicken Pasta from T.G.I. Fridays, but we couldn’t afford to eat it as often as I liked (we were poor college students at the time).  It’s actually better than I remember T.G.I. Friday’s pasta being, since I haven’t eaten their pasta after having created my own with Dave.

Dave and I had just discovered that the Virginia Beach area, without our knowledge, had a Brazilian Steakhouse when the urge to gorge overcame me and I insisted on going for lunch.  I will not deny, the allure of the website’s promise (two meats and the all-you-can-eat salad bar for $11.95) definitely attracted me.  When you generally pay through the nose (between $35-$45) for the full experience, the lunchtime meal deal was, to me, a definite deal.

Finding a parking spot was downright impossible.  Dave and I ended up having to park in a parking garage three blocks away from the restaurant.  The restaurant itself was nearly impossible to find: buried in the middle of two other restaurants, only the sandwich board advertising the lunch special clued us in that this was Espeto Na Brasa.  The restaurant itself was dark and gloomy for a cloudy day in February, and the tables were oddly spaced: I personally prefer to sit against a wall, but although this was requested and there were no other patrons save a large family celebrating a birthday, we were still seated in the middle of the room.

I hate it when a server comes over and tries to explain their “dining concept.”  I’m not stupid, and you’re not my tutor.  I’m a twenty-four year old college educated woman, and even without your help I can probably figure out that red means “No more” and green means “More please!” on the marker set on the table.  However, the server was helpful and considerate and always replaced my drinks quickly and correctly, so that saved him from the wrath of Angry-Dave-Low-Tipper.  The only real problem that I had with the wait staff was that there were so few people dining at the restaurant that they began to hover and remove plates which we hadn’t finished, necessitating another trip to the salad bar/more meat being requested.

Dave and I both chose the two meat option, which we were told was sirloin and chicken.  Fine.  I like both of those things.  But first I wanted to check out the salad bar.  What a disappointment.

The lettuce was wilted.  The tomatoes were soft.  There was no sushi, no cheese, none of the things which I expected.  There was, however, some questionable cucumber salad, corn salad, seafood-something, and unmarked salad dressings.  Now, normally I’m okay with that.  I can tell the difference between Italian and French.  At Espeto Na Brasa, I couldn’t tell the difference between Blue Cheese and Ranch, not because of the color, but rather because they were both lumpy.

Feeling rather deflated, I chose some mashed potatoes (they were delicious), a small salad with Thousand Island dressing, and a hesitant serving of the cucumber salad.  The Thousand Island was too thick for my taste, but it was obviously homemade, which was a mark in their favor.  The cucumber salad was okay for the first two bites, but after that I just pushed it away.  There was also no all-you-can-eat fried banana on the table, but they did provide the small rolls.  They were okay, but after a basket of them and our salads we were still hungry, so Dave and I opted out of another trip to the salad bar in favor for the meat.

Bring on the sirloin!  The first time around, the sirloin was amazing: a perfect medium, caramelized and crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, just the way I like it.  The meat was not as fatty as sirloin can occasionally be, which was great for me since I hate any meat with fat on it (yes, I know, picky eater).  The second time around, the sirloin I was served was so rare that I’m almost certain it wasn’t cooked; Dave requested the server bring it around again when it was a little bit more done.  Five minutes later, the server was back with a piece of sirloin which was so over-cooked that I didn’t want to eat it.  Frustrated with the server’s inability to cook meat to the requested medium temperature, I decided that I didn’t want any more beef and waved them away for the remainder of the meal.

The chicken?  No one told me that the chicken which I had ordered was a chicken thigh (I don’t eat dark meat) wrapped in bacon (I don’t eat pork products) still on the bone (I don’t eat meat off the bone).  Needless to say, I did not have any chicken.

Dave went back to the salad bar for dessert (a poorly made fruit salad) and I requested the check.  It was reasonable enough for a meal which I didn’t enjoy, coming in at about the $30 mark once drinks were counted in; unfortunately, I ended up having to spend an additional $6 at Wendy’s on my way home because I was starving.  That having been said, the restaurant was clean and quiet, though far too dark, and is two stories which I can only assume they fill at night.  There is also an outside dining option.  It was also smoke-free inside, though outside smoking is permitted.  The two meat option is only available for lunch; you can also get an eight meat option for an additional $6 at lunch, or the full menu option which is available during their dinner service.  It really filled up once we were roughly halfway through our meal, so it is better to get there early during their seatings so that you don’t have to wait.

Would I suggest you check out Espeto Na Brasa? Maybe.  If you like both sirloin and chicken, the lunch could be worth it.  I’m almost certain that the larger menu options would have been better choices, but I was on a budget and opted out of them.

Location:

• 233 Granby St., Norfolk VA  (757) 313-4363

Upon entering the diner, we were greeted by a hand-written dry erase board displaying the morning’s specials: a Waffle combo (with two eggs and your choice of two strips of bacon, two links, or two patties of sausage), an Egg Sandwich, and the “Pop’s Special,” which includes two eggs, your choice of two strips of bacon, two links, or two patties of sausage, your choice of homefries or grits, and toast.  Now, I’m not really a breakfast person, so I knew that these specials didn’t apply to me, but Dave had decided on the Pop’s Special even before we were seated.

We were greeted and seated immediately, with our waitress coming to take our drink order within moments.  We went with our staple: Diet with a slice of lemon, to which I add a packet of Sweet N’ Low.  Generally I determine whether or not the dining experience will be a good one by how quickly my drink is refilled (I can go through 10+ in one meal) and whether or not a new lemon is provided for each drink.  In this case, my drinks were replenished immediately, and I was given a new lemon with each.

As it was my first time at the diner, I did have to request more time to look over the menu.  Generally I hate having to do this, as I’ve come to believe that the phrase, “I need a little more time” means roughly “Go away and don’t come back for at least 45 minutes” to servers.  On this occasion, I was given roughly 10 minutes to look over the menu, before I chose what I always choose on my first experience in a new restaurant: a cheeseburger with fries.  I also ordered a side of onion rings to share with Dave, even though he had ordered breakfast: two eggs over easy, two strips of bacon, homefries, and wheat toast.

It took roughly 20 minutes to be served, which is an acceptable length of time to wait, and in the end, the wait was definitely worth it.  I judge every restaurant I patronize by the quality of their cheeseburger.  On the first experience, I do not add or subtract anything from the burger listed on the menu, but rather try to eat it exactly as provided.  The cheeseburger was delicious: charred, but without any burnt taste, cooked perfectly medium-well, and definitely seasoned to my taste.  I chose american cheese, though they give you the choice of american, swiss, cheddar, and mozzarella; the cheese was bubbly and warm, and covered the entire burger, which was a feat in and of itself, as the patty was rather large.  Rounding out the burger was lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion slices, and a generous helping of mayo.  The bread was delicious as well, neither overpowering or overshadowing the meat.

The fries were exactly the sort I like, which I would compare in size and shape to McDonalds.  There, the similarities ended: they were perfectly salty, not one fry was at all limp, and they remained crunchy to the end of the meal.  The onion rings were some of the best I have ever eaten: the batter was of the tempura variety, the onions snapped when you bit into them, and not once did I take a bite, only to pull the entire onion out of its batter.  They did not provide a dipping sauce for the onion rings, which I personally prefer, which was the only downfall of my entire meal.

Dave’s toast was incrediibly buttery, of which he is not at all fond; however, it was toasted without being burned, and it was wheat, which he had requested.  He claimed his bacon was delicious, which I had to take his word for, as I do not eat any pork products.  His eggs were very slightly undercooked: the whites around the yolk were still runny, and there was no crisping of the outer edges, which is how he prefers his eggs to be cooked.  But, in defense of his breakfast, the homefries at Pop’s Diner were immaculate: they tasted vaguely of onions without actually containing onions, they were heavily seasoned, and yet they managed to be neither too salty, too peppery, or too garlicky, and they paired perfectly with ketchup.  They are not cooked as thoroughly as I like, though there were a few that I picked out which were crunchier than the rest.

We got out of Pop’s within an hour of entering, which I like: fast, good, and relatively cheap.  Our entire meal came to only $21.00, which, with a $3.00 tip was less than we would have spent at either of the other restaurants we were considering.  The restaurant was clean, relatively quiet, provides free WiFi access, and is smoke-free.  The best times to go are over lunch during the week: watch out for the weekends, when it’s completely packed.

Would I suggest you check out Pop’s Diner?  Yes.

Location:

• 2808 Sabre St., Virginia Beach VA  (757) 340-6085