Get Thee to Bridge Street Wienery! Stamford, CT

The one, the only, the extraordinary…Tater Dog

If Shakespeare was writing plays today, his version of Hamlet would have Ophelia drowning her sorrows (pun certainly intended) away at Stamford’s new hot dog shop:  Bridge Street Wienery.  She would meet her demise by downing so many Tater Dogs, Chicaaago Dogs, and Doc Sabes Dogs that she’d burst wide open.  Alas, Shakespeare is gone from us, so it is up to us to continue his passionate work, writing in iambic pentameter about Bridge Street Wienery…or just pentameter, iambic is so 1600.

The History (Scene 1)

Two guys named Steve and Mike opened up shop,

alas, Benny’s Fast Break was sold to them

and now they’re selling hot dogs and burgers

in hopes of complete world domination

The Tater Dog (Scene 2)

Oh, fried and crispy tater tots on top,

laying on spicy and yummy chili,

onions strewn about, giving a nice kick.

The dog has that snap and lots of flavor.

The Chicaaago Dog (Scene 3)

Chicaaago….

It’s so much fun to say Chicaaago Dog,

try it now, you will say it all day long.

Sport peppers kick it up a few notches,

Tomatoes, pickles, chopped onions, relish,

Yellow mustard, celery salt, poppy seeds:

this wiener’s got the razzmatazz, no doubt.

The Doc Sabes Dog (Scene 4)

THE Doc Sabes Dog

Begin with a spicy red hot, oh yeah.

Sauteed onions and peppers, so good.

The snap, the heat, the chili on your shirt.

The Fries (Scene 5)

No caption needed

Crispy, seasoned well, with a little kick.

Get them piled with plenty of fresh cheese

and loads of spicy and meaty chili.

The Menu

For fear that our brains might break, we are departing from verse.  You can order Sabrett Natural Casing All Beef Dogs any way you’d like it with a selection of their 10 free toppings, 13 toppings at .59, and bacon, avocado, and chili at .99.  Kraut is .19 more and sauteed onion & peppers are .79 more.  Not bad.  Or, let Steve and Mike (who bought Benny’s from Bennett Salvatore after working there for a while) pick for you with their Dogs or Red Hot specials.

You’ll also find burgers on their menu that are made with all natural Angus beef.  Don’t feel like eating a big burger?  Create your own version in slider size (beef or pork).  They also have steaks that are served on an 8″ Italian wedge, different chicken subs, and tons of sides like onion strings, sweet potato fries, mac & cheese bites, tater tots and shakes, too, if you’ve got that sweet hankering.  Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Black & White, Oreo Cookie, and Orange Creamsicle are your choices.  We went with a creamy and frothy root beer float.  Cool thing:  you can just go back in and refill the root beer when the ice cream to soda ratio gets out of whack.

And, for dessert, try out their Italian ices or a beautiful array of fried things (mmm fried things):  Oreos, funnel cakes, brownies (served over vanilla ice cream), and bananas foster (also served over vanilla ice cream).  All in all, we were really happy with our visit.  Steve and Mike are super nice, eager to please, and the dogs are topped nicely.  We’ll definitely be back!  So, get thee to Bridge Street Wienery.

Bridge Street Wienery

Noms: 4.0

Cost: $$

Address: 17 Bridge Street

                 Stamford, CT

Phone:  (203) 569-4990

Hours:  Monday-Saturday, 11 am – 9 pm

Sunday, 11:30 am – 8 pm

Chill Out or Chow Down at Mr. Frosty’s – Stamford/Harbor Point, CT

The Gastronomical Trinity: The Magic Potion Milkshake, Chili Cheeseburger, and Fries

When Anthony Luciani told us about his plans to open up a new place in Stamford, were were excited.  When he told us that he was weeks away from finishing we were more excited.  When he told us that Mr. Frosty’s in Stamford was open we couldn’t contain our excitement so we drove down to Harbor Point, mouths open and watering.

Find this sign and look for the building to the back right…that’s Mr. Frosty’s!

Now, it’s a bit hard to find so here are some clues. The addy is 200 Commons Park South, across from 101 Park Place.  Head down Washington and find a place to park by the new Walgreens mini-shop or the parking lot nearby.  When you cross the street you’ll see 101 Park Place, a sign for Commons Park, and what looks like a newsstand.  Except, this ain’t no newsstand, this is Harbor Point’s new heaven for all things breakfast, grub, and ice cream.  Yes, walk on down the path and you’ll see the brand new Mr. Frosty’s!  Around the area is a beautifully lit fountain, a playground, plenty of walls where you can sit, trails, and a table where you can munch on some food and ice cream.

Kristien, deciding what to get. So many great things.

So, it’s just like Mr. Frosty’s in Norwalk:  walk up to the menu, check out what they have to offer, order, then eat.  Here’s a list so you can be prepared:

• Burgers (with a list of toppings)

• Salads

• Hot Dogs

• Chicken

• Sides

• Breakfast (oh yes, they just did make you a complete addict)

• Soft ice cream and sundaes (hard ice cream coming soon)

• Milkshakes and tornadoes

• Seafood of the Day, Shake of the Week, Tornado of the Week, and Today’s Special

Even though it was a soft opening, a steady stream of customers came by on Wednesday.

You feeling us?  It’s the best of both worlds:  the awesomeness of Beach Burger paired with the frosty goodness of Mr. Frosty’s. We got our grub on with a classic burger for Kristien and the Chili Cheeseburger for me.  If you pay close attention, you might notice a slight difference in the taste.  Beach Burger in Norwalk uses a flat grill, but Mr. Frosty’s in Stamford charbroils their burgers.  Anthony is noticing a good difference in the burgers and is a fan of the charbroil grill.  Aside from that, the flavors remain true and carry over nicely from the burgers.  Kristien got a yummy Banana Foster shake and I went crazy with a candy lover’s dream:  The Magic Potion.

Even though it was a soft opening, a steady stream of customers came by on Wednesday.

Be aware that, just for a bit, Mr. Frosty’s in Stamford will only be serving Chocolate, Vanilla, and Swirl soft serve (you can still get all sundaes and shakes) because their freezer to hold their yummy ice cream hasn’t arrived yet.  When that comes in, though, you’ll be able to get ice cream practically any time of the day.  Wake up, feel like a banana split?  They’ll have you covered.  Want a lunch of a root beer float?  They’re there for ya! Want to finish off your dinner with an ice cream?  Well, you know the rest.

Click through to see their burgers, seafood, salad, and toppings menu

So, stop on by and check out the new kid on the block.  Just remember, they are open from March-November and it’s outdoor seating only.  The prices are good, they are open practically the entire day, and there’s something yummy on the menu for everybody.  Here’s to much success, Mr. Frosty’s!

Yours in gorging and Omnoming,

OmNomCT

Click through to check out their hot dogs, chicken, sides, and breakfast menu

Mr. Frosty’s

Address: 200 Commons Park South

Stamford (Harbor Point), CT

Phone: (203) 964-8245

Monday – Thursday 8:30 am – 10:00pm

March – November, Al Fresco Dining Only

Friday – Saturday 8:30 am to 11:00pm

Click through to see the sundaes, shakes, and toppings menu

Sunday 11:00 am-10:00pm

Cheeseboy Soon Offering Ooey Gooeyness to I-95ers in Milford, CT

Cheeseboy's Tomato and Basil. I'm in love.

Like your cheese with a side of sandwich?  Yeah, who doesn’t love grilled cheese?  If you don’t, then seriously…you’ve got to pack your bags and leave this country.  Disliking grilled cheese is a crime punishable by banishment or death.  As to whether you must have American cheese with your sandwich is another matter.

Now, onto a source of cheesevana:  Milford has been lucky enough to have a Cheeseboy at the Connecticut Post Mall, but because of the mall closing, they’ll be grilling at a new spot.  Yup, need a quick and ooey gooey bite on the road?  You’ll be able to stop in at the southbound service place of I-95 near the end of March 2012.

Cheeseboy has you covered no matter the cheese or stuffings–not toppings, because those go on the outside, duh.  Look at their four signature sandwiches:

• The Cheeseboy Classic: Italian bread & creamy white American cheese
• Tomato Basil Classic: Italian bread, creamy white American, sliced tomato & fresh basil
• Cheddar Delight: Rye bread, Cabot Cheddar, smoked ham & dill pickles
• Healthy Melt: Multigrain bread, Swiss cheese, roasted red pepper & spinach

Not stopping there, you’ll be able to make your own with Italian, rye, multigrain, or wheat bread.  Then, you can stuff that with American, cheddar, light Swiss, muenster, provolone, bacon, turkey, ham, pepperoni, tomato, basil, jalapeños, pickles, onion, spinach, and/or roasted red peppers.  There are also options for combos to add in soups (tomato,DUH, GIVEN!) or chips.  There are even breakfast sandwiches to get your daily FDA allowance of cheesy goodness.

I’m going with an Italian with American cheese, bacon, pickles, and jalapeños.  We’ve never had Cheeseboy, but we were one step away from getting some at South Station in Boston.  Oh, the humanity of missing that opportunity.

If you can’t wait until this spot opens, check out Cheeseboy in the Prudential Center in Boston, the South Station in Boston, Providence Place in Providence, South Shore Plaza in Braintree, Palisades Center in West Nyack, and Natick Mall in Natick.

Tell us your favorite or dream combos or suffer the consequences!

Getting Fired Up About Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza? – Darien, CT

The Paul & Young Ron Pizza

Ok, so hear us out.  We’ve never been fans of chain restaurants for a few reasons.  Usually, you’re served up sodium and preservative laden frozen meals that are so blah that you feel robbed of your calorie allowance for the day.  But we pushed these thoughts aside for Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza because a bunch of people recommended it, including Froggy on the Z100 morning show who said he was in love with their pizza.  Plus, Anthony’s twitter manager had been twalking us (Twitter stalking duh) to get us to try out their pies, so we had to oblige!

When we got to this new Darien spot, owned by Anthony Bruno and Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphin’s, we were sooooo hungry. So needless to say we were a little bummed when we were told there was a 40 minute wait, but then totally happy again when the wait only turned out to be 20 minutes. Love when that happens!  Plus, it was just enough time for us to pick out what we were going to eat.   Yeah, if you’re a serious eater, that’s the strategy:  get the menu while you wait. So here’s the play by play…

Game plan:  some roasted chicken wings, Anthony’s Classic Italian Salad, and the Paul & Young Ron pizza. Oh and craft beers, duh.

As we sat down, our very friendly server Tara told us about Anthony’s, in short:  always fresh, never frozen and “pizza well done.” More on the well done part in a sec.  Lucky for us, from 4-7 you can get $1 off draft beers, so you best believe we partook in some hoppiness.  Hoppiness, is a cold beer after all (get it?).  I asked for a Hooker, a Blonde one in fact, and yes I giggled when I ordered it.  Danny went with Blue Point Brewery from Long Island — the Hoptical Illusion and the Toasted Lager.

Touchdown:  Oven Roasted Chicken Wings

These wings are great, but they’re not your typical chicken wing at all.  Before they even roast them in their 800 degree coal oven, they marinate them overnight in salt, pepper, and rosemary.  The results?  The outside of the wings are crispy, a bit charred, and are full of flavor, especially with hints of rosemary.  The inside of the wings were nice and juicy, too.  Yeah, so the wings were great, but then they add on about 30 lbs. of beautifully caramelized onions.  Awww yeah my favorite.  For a different taste, put some of the onions on the wings, then chomp down. Also, try the same thing with the focaccia bread.  We will definitely order these again.

20 Yard Gain:  Anthony’s Classic Italian Salad with mozzarella

On the menu it says, “Enough for Two,” but we have to disagree.  It’s probably enough for four.  :)  The salad was piled on with lettuce, eggs, chickpeas, olives, red onion, tomato, celery, and some mozzarella.  They serve it up with a nice golden Italian dressing that has just the right balance of flavors.  Overall a much bigger, heartier salad than what most pizza joints serve up.

Field Goal:  Paul & Young Ron Pizza

And, we went bowling afterwards where I proceeded to kick Danny's butt! : O

So, back to their slogan:  ”Pizza Well Done.”  Basically, they just cook the pie until the crust becomes thick and not floppy, which, in a coal oven, usually means the outside is cooked well done, with a bit of char.  If you don’t like pizza cooked this way, you won’t like Anthony’s. But if you do, you’ll like how crispy and thick this crust is. It’s definitely not the kind of crust you’ve seen from places like Pepe’s or Colony Grill.  We’d say it’s a medium thickness, putting it somewhere between Chicago style and thin crust style. It was a bit on the dry side, but not too bad.

Now, onto the toppings:  meatballs, sausage, hot peppers, and ricotta.  Their toppings are super big and chunky.  Yeah, not the kind of place where you get a lame amount of toppings and come out disappointed.  Danny said his stingers were spicy, but the peppers I had weren’t really.  The sauce was zesty but didn’t overpower all the other ingredients.  The meatballs were big, plump, and kept their juiciness even through the baking in the coal oven.  This is definitely a hearty, hearty pie, so you’re going to fill up faster than at other pizza spots.  But, that’s okay;  That just means you’ve got more leftovers the next morning. In fact, Danny woke up the next day, dove right into the leftovers and declared it was really great cold, especially with the creamy ricotta.  Heating it up again, the pizza was still just as good and crispy which is always nice.

The Final Score

Yeah, we dug Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza for the most part.  My dad is a huge fan of pizza that’s well done, so he has already put it on his list of places for us to take him when he’s visiting.  We’d come back to get those wings, get some beers, try out some of the other pizzas and definitely try the ribs which we hear are delish.  If we’re ever in Darien for lunch, we’ll be sure to check out their lunch size pizzas and meals.  So, this is a good place to try out, especially if you’re one of those crazy Connecticuters who like thicker crust pizza.

Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza

Noms:  3.5

Cost:  $$$

Address: 319 Boston Post Road, Darien, CT 06920

Phone: (203) 655 – 2625

Site:  http://anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/AnthonysCFPizza