Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The Boat House: They will make you feel stranded!

The Boat House
8 Coryell St. at the Porkyard (Across from Hamilton's Grill)
Lambertville, NJ
609-397-2244

NHY Rating: 2 of 10
Food: None, strictly a bar
Serves: Cocktails and beer
Price: Pricey of course. It is no TGIF with drink specials.
Ambiance: Nautical, very unique style. Chairs downstairs are unbearable, very uncomfortable, must be made of twigs or something but upstairs has comfy couches.

Comments: Here's all I have to say about this place. Rude, rude and more rude. We have visited this place a total of 3x. Yes, I said 3. First time, nice service. Second time, so-so service. Third time, extremely bad service. Seeing a trend here? Minus the unique nautical interior, this place has nothing to offer. The employees appear to have worked there since the beginning of time and are not all that friendly to "non-regulars." So if you are new they seem to take their sweet old time getting you drinks. Regulars appear to get their unlimited amount of time with conversation so if you are thirsty, be patient. I am not quite that laid-back especially when I'm thirsty. There are a ton of places to drink in Lambertville and New Hope; my advice, try them first.

To read other reviews that mention The Boat House, click here.

49 North Main: A Pleasant Night Out

Update: Oh no, it looks like this place has been replaced with a new Mexican restaurant! Why did you go? No reviews yet on the new eats at 5 de Mayo.

49 North Main Restaurant

49 N. Main Street
Lambertville, NJ
609-397-5990
www.49northmainrestaurant.com


NHY Rating: 7 of 10
Food: American, BYOB
Serves: Lunch and Dinner Only (They have a Brunch on certain holidays, see website for more info)
Price: Lunches range around the $8 and up. Dinners from $9 (burgers) to $25 (seafood stew)
Ambiance: The decor is casual. It is small, cafe-style with a nice family feel.

Comments: This restaurant was what I would call a "pleasant surprise." We initially came to know it by visiting restaurant.com which offers great coupons for cheap (for example: a coupon for $25 off bill that costs you $7) and decided to make a go of it. It was certainly worth the $$ with or without coupon. Their menu has an exquisite range of options and each plate looked like it was a piece of art. The sauces were delightful. They have a Pear Gorgonzola Tart ($9) that looks scrumptious. We had their appetizer sampler of the day and caesar salad. They have a wonderful Grilled Porterhouse Pork Chop ($25) which was done to perfection and although we didn't try these, they have a Roasted Yellow Pepper Ravioli ($19) and a Lewis Island Seafood Stew ($25) which sound like heaven. I looked up their website for some price info and they also show pictures of these yummy dishes if you are interested.

Their customer service was fair on this occasion. They were a bit busy and a little short staffed. After they called in reinforcements, things became more satisfactory. They were friendly, apologetic and helpful.

As far as bringing the tots along I would say it is fair game considering it is casual although it appeared to be a quiet type of restaurant that really did not cater to little ones that may want to run around.

To read other reviews, click here.


Saturday, September 22, 2007

Spotted Hog: A Mixed Bag

Update: The Spotted Hog has closed as of 6/08 and will be renovated into a new restaurant bar. See here.

The Spotted Hog Restaurant

Located in Peddlers Village just 3 miles from New Hope
Rte. 202 & Street Rd.
Lahaska, PA
215-794-4040

NHY Rating: 5 of 10
Food: American
Serves: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Price: Dinners range around the $10.95 and up. Average is around $16.95. They do also have burgers sandwiches as well starting around $8.50.
Ambiance: The decor is mostly country. The obvious of pigs and rooster icons around. The ceiling has a strange drapery attached but the restaurant is large and appears mostly clean.

Comments: This restaurant caters a bit toward the "older" crowd. I definitely would not recommend bring kids for two reasons. One they usually have a wait, a long wait, and two, because the waiting area is also a gift shop which contains toys as well as breakables. I am not sure what genius thought this would be a good idea but I am assuming they won't change it since they probably make most of their money from children breaking the glass roosters that are right next to the stuff animals.


As far as the service I would say it is a mixed bag. I have been to this restaurant at least 6 times and I would say the service is somewhat of a hit or miss. Entrees are pretty basic. Dinner includes items such as Stuff Flounder, Country Ribs, Pork Chops, and Grilled Salmon. They also serve pizza and several pasta dishes like Fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken Chipolte Alfredo and Shrimp Pasta.

To see other reviews, click here (they're not pretty)


Monday, September 10, 2007

Wildflowers: A Wealth of Options

Wildflowers Restaurant
Garden Cafe and Thai Corner
8 W. Mechanic Street
New Hope, PA
215-862-2241
www.wildflowersnewhope.com


NHY Overall Rating: 8 of 10
Food: Variety of American, Italian, Thai and Mexican cuisine
Serves: Lunch and Dinner
Price: $$. Reasonable.
Ambiance: Garden cafe style. Small but fresh and airy.

Comments:
There is not enough I can say about this hideaway restaurant on Mechanic street. This lovely garden cafe has such a fresh and romantic atmosphere. The murals of flowers and the trickling sounds of the water fountains are soothing. It is definitely a small place but not too overcrowded. It is good for couples or parties of 4. I wouldn't recommend for a group setting. They have a great outdoor patio with burning torches at night. It overlooks a small creek and although set back a bit there is still a view of the main street. The only drawback in my opinion is the little over-bearing gold deco but I am sure that is to accentuate their style. I believe their signage with the gold emblems is relatively new.

We have eaten there several times and have never disappointed by the food. They have a HUGE variety on their menu. My lunch favorite is the Herb Tuna Melt for $6.75 and the vegetable fondue for $9.00 which I love sharing with mom and sis. They serve a nice mix of Thai specials like the Pad Khing, Pad Thai, Pad See-ew or Gang Dang.

For dinner, they have one of the widest menus you will ever find in New Hope so this is a great place to take a picky eater! They have down home favorites such as Chicken Cordon Bleu ($14), Meatloaf, ($14) and Vegetable Lasagna ($14). They also have several pasta dishes with my favorite sauce, pesto! And of course yes, you guessed it, Thai dishes. And if any of those don't suit your mood that night, go for their Mexican dishes such as Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas ($10) to Sweet Chili ($10) and Vegetarian Taco Salad ($8).

Whenever we have been to Wildflowers they have always had a nice casual friendly service. The employees sort of that have that, "we want to treat you like family" feel. They are not white-gloved but certainly provide warm customer service. They are somewhat kid-friendly during the day but in the evening it sort of weens out to a more calm, romantic place. In my opinion, it is not a half bad place to even get engaged : )

To read other reviews, click here.

Karla's Restaurant: An All-Around Favorite















Karla's Restaurant
5 W. Mechanic Street
New Hope, PA
215-862-2612
www.karlasnewhope.com

NHY Overall Rating: 9 of 10
Food: American but with a mix of different ethnic flair, very original
Serves: Lunch, Dinner, and Sunday Brunch
Price: $$. Average range for New Hope
Ambiance: Cozy but airy. Elegant and romantic. See slide show from their website.

Comments: By far,
my personal favorite is Karla's. A delightful atmosphere with some outdoor patio seating, they have the most unique sampling of quality food and wine. How does Poached Pear, Gorgonzola and Walnut Salad or Smoked Salmon, Cucumbers and Capers Salad sound? And to move onto entrees, their Veal Cutlet Milanaise and Seared Asian Spiced Duck will send you swimming. My old favorite is the Lemon Tilapia.

I also applaud the wonderful customer service and personalized attention. They do have a separate bar area which is also partially outside. Although they are not located on the river side, the restaurant interior is very pleasing and the quaintness is enough to make you feel warm and fuzzy. This is a perfect spot for a romantic date. Not kid-recommended.

If you happen to also be a local, take advantage of their Monday night locals special which includes a soup or salad, entree and dessert from $12-19.

To see other reviews, click here.