Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

Rayuela, pronounced rye-u-well-a, is a freestyle Latino restaurant on the Lower East Side and derives its name from the novel by Julio Cortazar and is the Spanish word for hopscotch. The chequered theme runs not just through the décor, but is woven into the bold and innovative menu that captures the abandon with which executive chef Máximo Tejada taps into Spanish, Mexican, Caribbean and Asian cuisines.

This spacious and glitzy restaurant has several comfortable lounge and dining areas with subtle lighting and pulsating music. The high point of the décor is a beautiful olive tree on the first floor, with its long leafy arms reaching the main dining rooms on the second floor, through an opening. In the dining room upstairs, soft couches nestling up to the tables and linen curtains spell style as well as comfort.

While the menu is in sections for soups, salads and appetisers or mains, a few of the dishes, defying classification, like in the game of hopscotch, would move categories, depending on whether one stops here for brunch, cocktails or dinner.

Some of their specialties are the grilled scallops with lobster coconut rice and the tuna rellena, made up of thin slices of tuna forming a pouch around crab, shrimp and a chipotle aioli to tickle the palate.

Similarly, the lobster revolution yields layers of effects - the sweetness of grilled pineapple and the tropical waft of coconut and lemon grass giving way to a blaze of jalapeño while the tremendously flavorful arroz con pollo comes with slices of chicken breast fanning out around paprika-seasoned rice, generously laden with chicken sausage and cubes of  meat.

The homemade bread cleverly combines yucca flour, cheese, milk, butter and leaves a lingering taste in your mouth, as do the desserts, particularly the apricot tart. The great food is ably supported by the creative cocktails and the extensive wine list leaning mainly towards Spanish and Latin American varieties.

Mealtimes here can be quite crowded so we recommend booking a table well in advance, their Website should help you to make that decision.

Dine at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Boston and be prepared to change your mind about standard steak houses. The difference is palpable as soon as you enter the restaurant as you are treated like a friend. From the pleasant greeting and warm handshake to the familiar sound and smell of the sizzle, the atmosphere is very informal and inviting.

Steaks, being their mainstay are taken very seriously and are carefully selected and aged for tenderness, cut thick to ensure juiciness and seared to perfection at eighteen hundred degrees. With just a dash of salt, pepper and parsley, and topped with fresh butter which sizzles seductively on your plate, you can relish the natural flavour and taste of great beef.

The beautifully presented food, the familiar sound of the sizzle and the perfectly cooked food ensure that you not only have good meal but carry great memories as well. It explains why this award winning restaurant goes beyond just nice décor and comfortable surroundings, has very satisfied clientele who keep returning.

The steak house chain has come a long way from its humble beginnings on Broad Street in New Orleans and now has over one hundred branches across different locations. In fact they celebrated their fortieth anniversary in 2005 and paid rich tributes to Ruth Fertel, the enterprising woman who battled against odds to start the steak house and whose values of quality food and genuine hospitality are the driving values there.

The best ingredients are used from the kitchen to the bar, which boasts of a wide selection of wines, spirits and cocktails. You'll find that they offer some of the finest vintages from different parts of the world by the bottle or glass. Their twenty-five-year-old Macallan single malt Scotch has warmed the heart of many a connoisseur.

You could start your meal there with a barbecued shrimp, sizzling blue crab cake or the veal osso buco ravioli with its subtle flavor of saffron and fresh mozzarella, served with sautéed spinach and a white wine demi glace. As accompaniments choose the colorful house specialty of Ruth's chop salad or go for vine ripe tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad with its sliced beefsteak tomato, basil, mozzarella cheese with a light drizzle of vinaigrette dressing.

Potatoes are served in various styles here from the humble mashed variety with a trace of garlic to lyonnaise style and baked sweet potatoes with a pecan crust. For mains try the stuffed chicken breast or the grilled Portobello mushroom or choose from the day's special seafood selection. Caramelized banana cream pie, warm apple crumb tart, homemade cheesecake or aptly called chocolate sin cake are perhaps sinful but very delightful ways of ending a meal here.

As you would have discovered that while steak is king here, the royal family is large and the menu extensive, making it necessary for you to visit Ruth's Chris steakhouse again to sample something new and enjoy a sizzling meal, however, at least you can find out more in advance by visiting their Website.

Fair Deal Café opened its doors over 18 years ago and is the brainchild of Koshy Chacko whose single handed determination to go beyond his humble beginnings to realize his dream has won him several accolades. Being located close to shopping areas and theatres in the affluent White Plains suburb has its own advantages; it certainly ensures a steady stream of shoppers and theatre-goers, and who would not love to relax over a reasonably priced, premium quality meal after a day of retail therapy.

The atmosphere is fun and friendly and definitely one for all to enjoy, while the banquet hall is truly a place for all occasions. There’s even a meeting room for the corporate honchos and al fresco dining for those who prefer fresh air and sunshine at lunchtime.

The cooking takes in influences from Italy and Spain and also works in tandem within the American culinary lexicon. For a start, the breakfast menu brings a delightful set of choices such as bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, pancakes, waffles, bagels and freshly baked scones. If you like a steaming cup of coffee there are plenty of flavors to look forward to, think vanilla hazelnut and French vanilla.

Different options grace the lunch and dinner menu each day of the week to prevent the palate from slipping into boredom. Once you’ve dealt with those Monday morning blues settle down, perhaps, with a chicken noodle soup, kielbasa with pepper or meat lasagna. From Tuesday through to Friday, the repertoire ranges from fresh roasted turkey and haddock scampi to spaghetti arrabiata and Salisbury steak. If daily combos and chicken from the rotisserie seem enticing, just plump for the boneless ribs, fish nuggets, meatballs and fillet of flounder. An interesting range of side dishes include dilled potatoes, spinach and mushrooms, herbed corn and carrot tarragon.

The delicious smoky flavor of meat which arrives sizzling hot off the grill has made many taste buds twirl and Fair Deal’s grilled chicken sandwich, pastrami or corned beef and Philly cheese steak roll are all there for those who wish to tread the meatier terrain. If you prefer to eat light there’s a gourmet salad of potato, macaroni and coleslaw, tuna or the tri-color pasta, which keeps the Italian flag flying high.

Fair Deal prefers to be known as a service rather than a stereotypical business; it’s all about keeping costs low and not compromising on quality. If you wish to know more about their activities such as off-premises catering, party planning and various packages and pricing that are on offer, then a visit to their  Website is highly recommended.

Carmen Anthony Vacalebre grew up Connecticut and always wanted to be in the restaurant business. Learning everything about hamburgers from his stint with McDonald's, he then became a franchisee for Arby's and also opened ME-MA's in Waterbury. In May 1996, his dream finally became a reality when he opened Carmen Anthony Steakhouse. His total commitment to quality and his attention to detail soon made his restaurant popular and won him awards from critics and customers.

Encouraged by his success, he went on to open a second, and then a third restaurant, this time called Carmen Anthony Fishhouse in Woodbury and then Avon and followed this by opening a branch at Wethersfield. All this happened in a short span of four years and in June 2004, he opened the second steakhouse and the company's fifth outlet as Carmen Anthony's Steakhouse in New Haven, and there has been no looking back since.

This new steakhouse is on the first floor of the prestigious One Audubon Building, has three dining rooms, the Audubon, State and City and can accommodate two hundred and fifty six guests. The elegant bar has floor to ceiling concave windows that overlook the bustling area. A very popular feature of all the Carmen Anthony outlets is the exclusive wine lockers offered to discerning customers. They also take pride in offering the best steaks, sea food and grills, accompanied by a full selection of grappa, scotch, bourbon and cognac. Year after year, all Carmen Anthony wine lists are awarded the prestigious 'Award of Excellence' by Wine Spectator Magazine.

In the New Haven steak house too, the Carmen Anthony staff take great pride in serving the county's best thick Angus steaks and chops and fresh seafood, including live Maine lobsters. One cannot miss their award winning potato encrusted crab cake with its special remoulade sauce or their signature colorful salad. Vegetarians love their fresh Portobello mushrooms stuffed with spinach, artichoke hearts, and roasted red peppers in a gorgonzola cream sauce and topped with Ritz cracker crumbs. The clam chowder they serve has been voted the best in Connecticut.

The choice of mains is mindboggling, not just in variety but also in the treatment. Diners can choose from a range of regular as well as specialty steaks, cooked to perfection - rare to well done. Other choices are the boneless chicken breasts, breaded and sautéed with homemade garlic butter, served with the chef's selection of fresh vegetables and potato, or the Maine lobster meat in a spicy red sauce over linguine.

For those who like to balance the elements, there is the interesting land and sea platter offering eight ounce filet mignon and cold water lobster tail. The side dishes, predominantly potato or vegetable based, complement the mains and the combination of lobster, sausage and Black Angus beef filling with the pretty name of surf, turf and oink mini sandwiches captures the imagination.

In a steakhouse, desserts may not always get the attention they deserve, but the sweets there hold their own. The Carmello Anthony torte, the white chocolate cheesecake and the key lime pie certainly clamour for attention while a healthy option is to look the other way, and settle for a choice of coffee and herbal tea. For full menu details and much more, we would suggest a visit to their Website.

Located close to downtown Boston in the heart of the theatre district, Jacob's Wirth is a classic European restaurant on Stuart Street that has been a favourite with the locals for many years. Serving a cuisine that is a blend of American and traditional German specialities, guests can enjoy their food in the dining room made up of simple mahogany tables, wooden flooring and a long mahogany bar that serves beers, spirits and ales.

The menu too is a mix of traditional and modern classics and consists of appetizers of potato pancakes served with cinnamon crème and fire roasted apples, crispy fried chicken fingers and fried pickles with ranch dipping sauce. Mains include German specials of sauerbraten, a sweet and sour braised beef with dill spaetzle, gingersnap gravy and red cabbage. Jake's Caesar salad with crispy romaine in a creamy dressing with parmesan cheese and anchovies, and Jake's burger of stuffed hamburger patty with vegetables are the other fare that is much in demand.

With a huge selection of domestic and imported drinks, the inn is a perfect stop for a meal before the theatre or for an after-work drink.