Carytown Bistro and Coffee House

1/26/13:

Stars: 4.9 out of 5

Pros: Service, Coffee, Seating, Atmosphere

Cons: No website

     Coffee... People thrive on. People love it. It's what gets them up in the morning and keeps them going all day. I personally can't stand it. Never have been a fan and never will be. But hot cocoa, now that I love. Always have and always will be. As I mentioned in my last post, AC and I walked around Carytown Saturday morning. All of that walking made us parched so a quick stop at Carytown Bistro and Coffee House was determined necessary.

     I will start off by my addressing my complaint, as it is minor and in no way a reflection of my experience. I'm annoyed that Carytown Bistro and Coffee House doesn't have a website. It's 2013 which means that there is no excuse NOT to have a website. The world is on-line now and as a business you have to get with the program. Like I said, that didn't influence my experience at all, it just bothers me a touch.

     The first thing I noted about Carytown Bistro was the large outdoor seating area they have. While Saturday wasn't a great time to utilize it, I still appreciated it. I can see myself sitting out here during the summer after a brief jaunt around town. Especially because Carytown Bistro serves wine and beer. And why not enjoy one of those on the patio?

     Carytown Bistro has your normal range of coffee drinks and pastry's  They also have sandwiches, wine and beer. I saw that they had a chalkboard with their wine list written on it. Unfortunately, I didn't really pay much attention to it. Shame on me as I should have snapped a picture. I did note that they had 2 taps behind the counter, one of which is a Legend beer. Local serving local, I like it. The staff greeted us right away when we walked up to the counter. The two girls were very friendly and joked with us while we ordered. They also made a few recommendations, which was great. They were also very quick making our order. Nice to see a happy motivated staff.

     AC got a coffee while I went with my customary "big-ass" hot chocolate. It was really good. Not gourmet, but good. It was rich and just the perfect temperature. I will not say I'm an expert on cocoa, but I drink enough of it to know good cocoa when I taste it. Enough about the cocoa, on to the coffee. AC said her coffee was very good as well. Now, I can't tell you what blend she had as I have no mind for that. All I know was that she had 2 cups. I always take that as a good sign.

     The seating inside is what you expect from a coffee house. Benches, tables, couches and pillows. Everything comfortable and pleasant to sit in. We sat at a table in the middle of the restaurant. We chatted and listened to the excellent music they had playing. It was like listening to the hits of the 90's, a personal favorite of mine. The music wasn't overpowering either. It was at an acceptable volume for both regular table conversation or doing work.

     I liked pretty much everything about Carytown Bistro and Coffee House. It's a place that has all the charm and comfort of your home with the quality of a Starbucks (but not the prices, thank god). If you need a place to study or just a brief recharge on a day of shopping, swing into Carytown Bistro and Coffee House. You'll be glad you did.

Weezie's Kitchen

1/26/13:

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: Lighting/Ambiance

Cons: Service, Food

     My goal this weekend was to get out and walk around town a bit. I am a big fan of Carytown so that's where I decided to wander. Since AC now lives close to there, I invited her to wander with me. But before we could wander, I needed a little fuel. I was a bit peckish, if you please, and I needed me some breakfast. AC suggested we try Weezie's Kitchen (Weezie's Kitchen). I'm always up for a new place to eat and a new post to write so I quickly agreed. You can never have to many new experiences, right?

     We met at the restaurant and hurried inside to get out of the cold. We got there around 10 in the morning so I expected it to be packed. It really wasn't. There were full tables, but we got seated right away. If it's your first time going just know there is a hostess. Her station is just built into the bar so it's a little confusing. She sat us at a nice little table towards the back of the restaurant. The one thing I really liked about Weezie's was the giant windows in the front that let in a lot of light. No matter where you sat in the restaurant was bright. I appreciated that. And that's about where my appreciation for Weezie's stopped...

     Our waitress came over and got our drink order fairly soon after we sat down. I will give her this, she was bubbly and friendly. I have no complaints about her attitude at all. I'll get more into my issues in a second. Patience people. When she brought us our drinks she gave us the breakfast specials. I believe there was banana pancakes, country-style eggs benedict and an omelet with ham, brie, roasted red peppers, spinach & shallots. That sounded like a winner to me. AC just stuck with coffee and I ordered the omelet. Our waitress was off to the kitchen and we settled in for some nice conversation.

     About 10 or 15 minutes later a different waitress came up (very confused I might add) with the omelet I ordered, but with cheddar instead of brie. Not mine lady, but thanks for asking. Not a minute later our waitress comes up and tells me that someone gave away my omelet. Fantastic. She said they were making a new one for me and it would be up quickly. She was right, as it was ready 5 minutes later. As she set it down on our table she asked me if I needed hot sauce. Do dogs pee on brick walls? Bring me that Siracha please. While I waited I began on my homefries and fruit. The homefries were very good. They were actually the best part of the meal. They were almost like twice-fried french fries. The fruit wasn't bad. It certainly tasted fresh and had a good variety in it. I started on my omelet (still waiting on my Siracha). I was greatly disappointed to say the least. There was no flavor and it lacked filling (note the large sections of just egg in the picture below). I had one little piece of brie in the whole dish... Give me the cheese. Maybe if I had gotten some hot sauce it would have helped, but it never came. Give away my food AND not bring me the flavor sauce? No bueno for Weezie's.

     Weezie's did nothing to endure itself to me the entire time I was there. I don't even feel like I want to give it a second try anytime in the near to distant future. And I certainly can't go out of my way to recommend it either. This is one Weezie that is NOT moving on up to the West Side. There will be no deluxe apartment in the sky. Thank god the day got better from here.

Stony Point Fashion Park

1/22/13:

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Dog friendly, open-air mall, variety of businesses

Cons: Expensive stores, caters to women

     After taking the dog to the vet yesterday I figured she would like to spend some time outside on a walk. I considered the dog park, but the fact that the wind chill made it 19 degrees outside I decided to go with some place that offered wind protection. So, I took her to walk around Stony Point Fashion Park (Stony Point) where we could duck into stores if need be. Plus, I have reviewed 2 restaurants from there already (Brio and Champps) so it was about time to review the mall as a whole.

     I remember the first time EG told me about Stony Point. She explained that it was an outdoor mall (strange concept to a native New Yorker) that was dog friendly. Sold. Any placed that I can shop, eat AND take the dog is a good place in my book. Means I don't always have to leave her alone at home, something I'm sure she doesn't love. Taking her yesterday was our first visit together. Even knowing it that it was a dog-friendly mall I was still a little nervous. What if she pooed on the sidewalk? What if she pees in the flowers (something she loves to do)? How do I know what stores I can take her in? So many questions and only one way to find out the answers. Boldly we plunged in, poo bag in pocket.

     Walking through Stony Point is almost like walking through a very long courtyard. It's mostly paved with cobbles. It has very nice fountains randomly through out. There are benches, tables and flowerbeds interspersed along it's length. Basically, very appealing for a shopping experience. Add in the fact that the sun shines down on you and there isn't a lot of wind and you have a nice place to stroll along. I appreciate the fact that I can go her instead of an indoor mall as a change of pace.

     As I was walking I noticed the answer to some of my burning questions. Randomly (well, their on the mall map) along the way there are Dog Comfort Stations. "What are these?" you ask while looking quizzical. They are troughs of fresh water, a poop bag dispenser, a shovel and a trash can. Pretty much anything you or your dog will need. They are conveniently located around the mall as are numerous water bowls. These are outside most stores. Kamea wasn't interested, but that could have been due to the ice that was on the top of most of the water as it was well below freezing. I also figured out how to tell if the stores were dog friendly or not. Yes, this is a dog friendly mall, but not every store needs a lumbering mass of dog wandering around inside it. All of the ones that accept dogs had stickers in their windows right by their front entrances that said so. Some of these stickers said "Small Dogs Only", like Sur La Table. I can only imagine the tail of an excited Great Dane sweeping stacks of expensive plates onto the floor... Just make sure you look really quick before springing Fido on the unexpected patrons and staff within each store.

     Now, I won't review any of the stores here as most are big chains, like Dicks and Coach, that we have all been too. Others are small places, like Three Dog Bakery, which I would like to review in the future. But, I'll give you a quick idea of what's at Stony Point. Like I said already there is a Sur La Table, Brio, and Champps. There is also a Subway, Chipotle, PF Changs, Louis Vuitton, Saks Fifth Avenue, Restoration Hardware, Yankee Candle, Gap, Banana Republic and so on and so forth. There are a lot of different places, but it seems most appeal to women. There were relatively few stores I felt a desire to visit. Plus, they are expensive stores. I can't afford to shop at Oakley or Brooks Brothers. And don't get me started on Paradise Pen Company. They have $300 pens!!! Who uses those? A $4 box of Bic pens write just as well.

     In short, Stony Point Fashion Park has a great idea going. Being able to take Kamea out in a social situation like this is good for both of us and I plan to keep doing it. The selection of stores is vast, if not a bit tough on the wallet. Still, it's nice to browse. Now if I can just get Stony Point to throw an Old Navy in then I would be all set.

Champps

1/14/13:

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: food, ambiance, bathrooms, portion size

Cons: so-so service, short happy hour

     Monday, the start of yet another work week. Generally a day of misery and annoyance. Nothing to look forward to on a Monday except for Friday. But this Monday was different. Our friend AV was coming to visit! It's been a while since I have seen AV so I was really glad she was making the drive to visit us. Now, the question of what to do for dinner was upon us. To cook or to go out? After a coin flip (yes, that's how real people settle things) we decided to go out. A second coin flip determined our destination to be the Stony Point Fashion Park. Well, Champps Americana (Champps) to be exact. So, out into the rainy 53 degree night we went.

     I was going to give a quick word on Stony Point here, but I decided it will be a separate post. We got to Champps at exactly 7:02 pm with the thought of a beer in our minds. Well, at least in mine. Low and behold, happy hour ends at 7 pm. Now, maybe this is all me, but I thought happy hour was supposed to be a little longer then 5 to 7. Is that not right? Am I the one confused? It just seems that ending at 7 makes it inconvenient to those of us that work until 6ish. Mayhaps I'm just bitter as I tend to miss happy hour all the time. But it still makes me a little unhappy. So, I chose water instead as did AV. EG did get a beer though. Granted, it was a Miller Light draft, but still it's a beer. And I will say that I have had beer here in the past. They have a very good selection. They have quite a variety on draft and in bottle. Make sure you take the time to peruse the menu. Champps certainly has beer down, that I'll give them.

     Champps is a fairly big restaurant for being part of a mall. It has a very open layout with no walls dividing sections. The bar area has a lot of tvs on which they play a variety of sports. They are also very accommodating when it comes to switching to a game you would like to watch. We have watched a VT game (if you call any time we played this season a game) here before. They also have a sort of open kitchen. Basically this means that you are able to see into the kitchen and watch them make your food. I always like that because that tends to hold the cooks to a higher standard.

     Let's talk bathrooms for a second. We have all been to places where, as a guy, I hesitate to pee. I can only imagine the acrobatics you ladies must do in such places. Champps has a nice mens room. It's clean and well maintained. While we don't always think about it, that's important. Do you want your cook using a bathroom someplace that I wouldn't let my dog do her business? Keep that in mind next time you go out.

     Champps also has a good menu. It's not all made from scratch or farm-fresh such as you would see in a local restaurant. But Champps is a chain and like any chain, their menu is fairly big. EG is a big fan of their appetizers because the portions are generous and the prices cheaper. I haven't had any of their "real" entrees, like pasta, steak or fish. But I have had their burgers. Good size burger cooked right with great toppings. Tonight I was feeling a salad though. It's rare for me to order a salad out at a restaurant bacuase they are so cheap and easy to make at home. But the urge hit me and who am I to argue? I chose to go with the Fajita Salad, which is a basic salad topped with grilled chicken served in a tortilla bowl with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. By no means a healthy salad, but I never said I wanted healthy. Both girls went with the Chicken Ranch Wrap and a side of tortilla chips.

     I will break in here quickly to discuss our waitress. She was... ok. Not great or even good. She was ok. Her personality was good and she was very friendly. She was just fairly over-attentive, especially after she dropped off our food. It felt like the flow of table conversation was interrupted every 5 minutes by her checking on us. While I much rather have that then a waitress that you never see, it's equally annoying. And maybe some of you think I'm a jerk for being annoyed by that. Well maybe I am, but I feel as a waitress you need to give your table some space. Any of my waitress readers care to give some imput? And she also did one little thing that annoyed only me. Every time I was out of water she brought me a new glass of water. She never refilled the old one, just brought me a second. I'm VERY happy she paid attention to my water glass. I just wish she didn't dirty so many in the process. Now, in past visits our waitresses have ranged from ok to great. I have yet to have a bad one so I won't deduct too much on the start scale for that.

     When our food came it looked pretty good. Both girls wraps were done nicely. The ends didn't hang open and they weren't soaking wet. Generally, if they have sat under the heat lamp or someone doesn't know how to drain lettuce they get soggy. That's never good. These looked great. And the tortilla chips are a nice change from french fries. They bring a whole different element to the side dish. Both girls really seemed to be pleased with their choice. My salad was bigger then I thought it was going to be. Granted a lot of the size came from the tortilla bowl, but still. The chicken was cooked and seasoned nicely. It was cut well with out the tearing that comes from a dull knife. Presentation wise it looked just as you would think it should. It tasted just as a salad should. Nothing mind-blowing, like everything sliced fresh and homemade. But I wasn't disappointed by low value ingredients or old produce. I also like the tortilla shell as it gave me a vessel which I could scoop up all the guacamole and other assorted bits. I would certainly order it again.

     Champps is a good casual dining restaurant after a day of shopping Stony Point or a good place to catch the game. They don't try to be more then they are and have taken the care to master that. Now if we could just extend that happy hour...

Barker Field

1/13/13:

                                                             Stars: 4.5 out of 5

                              Pros: Big, lots of seating, access to trash, lots of parking
                                 Cons: Entrance is tiny, hard to locate the first time

     One thing I missed about Blacksburg was the dog park. And I think my dog would agree with me. It was a great place to bring here to let her burn off a little (ok, a lot) of steam. So, upon arriving in Richmond, I searched for one. Apparently Richmond has had some issues creating them in the past, but due diligence allowed me to find one sorta close to home. So, Kamea and I headed out to Barker Field, Richmond's first dog park (Barker Field).

     Barker Field is located off Shirley Lane/Park Drive in Maymont/William Byrd Park. It was a touch confusing to find the first time, but now I just look for the giant tower by the Dogwood Dell Amphitheater. That's where the dog park is. A sign or two with an arrow wouldn't hurt either...

     The dog park was hopping by the time I got there. Granted, it was like 1 in the afternoon. I would say there were probably 15 dogs there, which is good. I don't mind an empty dog park some days, but I needed Kamea to run around so this was good. We went in through the double gate system, which is a great system. The only issue I had was that it was super small. There is hardly enough room for a person to get in, close the first gate and then open the second let alone a person and a dog. Even an extra 3 feet would have been great because having to keep the first gate open in order to open the second defeats the purpose. But, I understand that all the work and supplies here are donated and volunteered which means they did the best with what they had.

     The trash bins are right next to the entrance. They are giant bins that are fenced in so the dogs cant tip them over. Please make sure you clean up after your dog. Maybe even grab a little extra poo on the way to the bin. I understand that you come to the dog park partially to socialize, but please keep an eye on your dog. You should know when they have pooped. This is not a complaint against Barker as everyone I saw there cleaned up the poop. It's just a statement in general as I have seen it in the past. You wouldn't go to a playground and then not watch your kid... I'm very glad Barker and the City of Richmond provide such great access to poop disposal. Kudos. I also really like the message board. It allows not only for dog park related news, but also community info to be disseminated to the general public.

     The dog park itself is fairly large. There was a ton of room for Kamea to run and explore without being mobbed by dogs. She truly appreciates that. It's not overly convenient to bombing a tennis ball due to its layout, but I still found a place to toss her one. There is also a lot of seating, both covered and exposed. There were chairs, benches and picnic tables. One note on that, and this is directed ONLY to the stupid couple I saw doing this; DON'T BRING FOOD INTO THE DOG PARK!!! These two brought in sandwiches and then got annoyed that all the dogs swarmed them. YOU HAVE FOOD YOU IDIOTS!!! Sorry, I'm done now. I just can't abide stupid people. But, I digress. I appreciate the seating, especially the shaded seats. Sometimes the sun gets unbearable. And they are still open enough to allow a breeze. And there is enough so people aren't waiting on you to leave in order to snag your seat.

     For those of you with little dogs (why you would have a dog under 30 lbs. I'll never understand) don't you fret. There is a separate little dog area. It has it's own entrance and it's own seating. It's a good size for your little critter to run around with out being mistaken for a chew toy. And I have been to a park where this wasn't an option. Not good... You also have grass over there. Enjoy that, cause I wish we could. Wood chips are fine, but I'm a grass man.

     I will certainly take Kamea here in the future. Everyone there was extremely friendly and all the dogs seemed pretty well behaved. And the fact that there were so many and it still seemed empty and open is great. Less issues that way. So, if you're in the West End, take your pooch to Barker Field. They will thank you for it... after they wake-up from the 5 hour nap they'll take after leaving.

Kitchen 64

1/4/13:

     It's Friday night. Beginning of January. EG and I both had long days at work. We needed something to do. Anything that got us out of the house with a beer in our hand. So, I sent out about 100 messages to see what folks were into. Some had dinner parties. Some were going to weddings. Some were out of town. And one, DS, invited us to join him, EJ and some work people for drinks at Kitchen 64. And then he added we would be chilling with an up and coming pop star. Well, if you insist...

     So, we headed to Kitchen 64 (Kitchen 64) for 7:30. I'll start out by saying that the parking situation there is... interesting, to say the least. The main parking lot was jam packed, which is good to see. But that left us to park in the "overflow" part of the lot. That's fine, but it was dark and the spots were poorly marked. I had a slight concern the whole time that we would come out and my car would have been towed. That's not something that's huge, but it's a concern none the less.

     For all those who have never been to Kitchen 64 I just want to give you a heads up to avoid looking awkward. The entrance is the side door. The one in the front doesn't open. We made that mistake. Just looking out for ya. And I will say that the side door entrance is much better then what I imagine the front door one could be. It is convenient to both the front seating area and the back with room for a hostess station. So, kudos to the designer on that one.

     After we actually figured out how to get in, we quickly found our friends in a pretty full restaurant. Always a positive sign. I've learned 3 solid rules in my many years of eating:
1) Never eat in a chinese buffet where there are no asian patrons.
2) Any restaurant visited frequently by the local police and fire companies is bound to be good.
3) If your restaurant is not packed on a Friday night, you are doing something wrong.
Kitchen 64 is doing something right. All tables and bar seats were full. There were a few people waiting. I was happy to see that.

     The waitress quickly added one more table to the already giant table we had. The waitstaff is very accommodating  which was great. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. She took our drink orders and was very attentive to refills. DS told us to order whatever we wanted, food and drink wise. Well, I suppose I can manage a few morsels... and I was a bit parched... EG and I both ordered brews, because that's what we do. Plus, they helped wash down the stupid amount of shots and bombs that were being bought. Then we sat and learned about the person this dinner was all about. We were attending a quiet radio promotion for Conor Maynard. Now, not being a 12 year old girl, I will admit I didn't know how he was. He is out of the UK. He is a very nice, down to earth kid. I will gladly promote him here as he was nice enough to indulge my questions. Here is his website and the link to his latest hit with Ne-Yo (Conor Maynard & "Turn Around" feat. Ne-Yo).

     The food we ordered came out relatively quickly. There were appetizers and entrees everywhere. And all of them were HUGE! And for the most part, pretty damn good. Even the french fries and I don't like french fries. But they were well cooked and seasoned beautifully. I personally got buffalo shrimp, a dish I hardly ever order on my own. The shrimp were big and the sauce was tasty. I also appreciated all of the accoutrements they added to the plate. Gave me something to vary the flavor with. I was very very pleased with my selection. EJ got a burger with a fried egg on it, per the waitresses suggestion. He said the burger was cooked exactly how he wanted and that the egg was a perfect topping. One of our other table-mates got a club sandwich that was the size of my head if it was an inch. He only got through half before tapping out and getting a box. He was pleased to have leftovers for lunch. Our only complaint was that the veggie quesadilla that DS ordered was soggy. We concluded that this was likely due to the spinach in it not being properly drained. A rookie mistake in the kitchen to be sure. Aside from that, they do great work.

     We had a great great time at Kitchen 64. This place moved very high-up on my list of return visits. I suggest you branch out away from the usual tonight and head to Kitchen 64. Just remember, the entrance is on the side.

Brio Tuscan Grille

1/1/31:

     New Years Day... The day of hangovers, new resolutions and brunch. Also, the day of EG's birth. So, with our friends HA and AC, we all went to Brio Tuscan Grille (Brio) for brunch. Well, we thought we were going for brunch. Our phone call for reservations said we were going for brunch. Sadly, there was no brunch. We got to Brio for our 1pm reservation (severely under-dressed I might add). This is not a hoodie and jeans kinda place. If you're going to Brio, I suggest you take a second to get your life together. Just a friendly FYI. But, I digress. We got there at 1 and were promptly seated by a friendly and smiling hostess. I appreciate when you walk in the door and are greeted by a happy person. To often we see a face that is tired or stressed. A simple smile makes a great first impression. So, we sit and are handed menus. They aren't brunch menus. C'est la vie.

     Brio is a very nice space. It's bright and open. We hardly ever ponder how much space effects our dining experience, but it truly makes a giant impact. I wouldn't want to take my grandmother out for a birthday dinner at a dimly lit restaurant with lots of booths and candles just as I wouldn't want to take my girlfriend out to Chuck E.Cheese for our anniversary. Brio is a great place for a lunch meeting, a few drinks with friends, a dinner with the family, or brunch. Like I said, it's airy and bright. The decoration and colors are welcoming. It was a great setting for our birthday/recovery meal.

Our waiter was at our table soon after we sat getting drink orders and explaining the menu items. He told us that they only have brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. As it was a Tuesday, that solved the mystery of the missing brunch. He also urged us to take a look at the lunch menu pasta options as they are the same size as a regular order, but cheaper. I appreciate that he was looking out for us instead of his tip. He got our drinks and dropped of a basket of bread. The bread is delicious! Nice crust with a light and chewy inside. So very tasty that we needed a second basket.

When it was timer to order, we paid attention to the waiters advice. HA, EG and I all went with a lunch pasta that had chicken, cherry tomatoes, asparagus and Gorgonzola cheese in a cream sauce. AC went with a red sauced based meal. Wish I could remember what, but my memory is spotty at best. I also got a salad. Well, it was actually a wedge of lettuce with bacon, tomatoes and dressing. I didn't get a picture of it as I forgot before I housed it. It was good, for being so very basic. Hard to mess up salad though. The pasta dish was excellent. It was creamy with a nice bit of crunch from the asparagus. The Gorgonzola added a nice light salty taste. And the portion size was good. I felt pretty satisfied and full after I was finished. I look forward to trying some of their other dished in the future.

     I was overall very impressed with Brio Tuscan Grille. It kept pleasing from the minute I walked in the door to the second I left. All of the girls agreed with me. For a nice weekend brunch or a nice meal with the family, try Brio.

Bellytimber Tavern

12/31/12-

     Sorry for the lack of posts. The holidays kept us from going out much. But I'm back with an excellent place to tell you about. EG and myself met up with a friend of ours NW for dinner and some drinks at a place called Bellytimber Tavern (Bellytimber Tavern) on West Main. Not exactly sure where they got the name, but I suppose that really isn't the point. I will say right up front that I highly recommend this place. Now let me tell you why.

     We walked in and NW already had a table for us. The first thing I noticed was the lack of booths. If there were any, actually, I didn't see them. I'm a big fan of that. Being a bigger guy from a bigger family I have come to not appreciate the small amount of room booths provide. I like being able to push my chair back a little. I'm sure this is a debate that could rage back and forth all day, but for me tables are the way.

     EG and NW both got beers from the EXCELLENT tap selection. I saw they had a variety of selections including Arrogant Bastard and Southern Tier IPA, both personal favorites. One negative is that the chalk board closest to us with the selections is really placed low behind the bar. Perfect for all the seats at the bar to see, but impossible for anyone else to read. And as they didn't have a draft menu at the table this left us to wait for the waitress to rattle them off. There is a second board, as can be seen in the above photo, but the lighting also made it difficult to read. That possibly could have just been me though as I didn't have my glasses on...

     The menu at Bellytimber is a fairly basic one. By that I mean that it's 1 page, front and back. I appreciate that as they focus on what they are good at. I always look at a 5 or 6 page menu with apprehension. You can't be good at cooking all of that stuff. But Bellytimber knows what they cook well. They have the standard appetizers and salads on the front of their menu, but the real magic is on the back. They have a great selection of sandwichs and an amazing selection of pizzas. More on this soon. So, as EG and NW were enjoying their beers we began to peruse the menu. Suddenly the scent of wings struck my nostrils and they smelled AMAZING. The couple next to us had just received 30 wings in 3 different flavors.I was tempted to ask them for one, but I refrained. NW decided to get some wings, chipotle lime flavor. EG went with a simple grilled cheese with a side of mashed potatoes. I went with the Sausage Craft Amerikrainer with a side of mac 'n cheese. What is that, you ask? Allow me to explain. It is a sausage made with pork, beef, cheese and cherry peppers. It's put on a hogie roll and topped with peppers and onions. It was a very big sandwich. And it was delicious. The mac n' cheese was a great addition to this meal. I liked that they used elbow macaroni, which most places don't. It was also solidly cheesey, which is all one can ask.

     NW was very pleased with his wings. He felt that they had good spice, but they didn't burn your tongue out. He appreciated their size and felt that even thought you only got 10, it felt like 12. I stole one myself and I had to agree with his assessment. EW also liked her grilled cheese. She said her mashed potato side was good, but she wished she had the mac n' cheese. No one likes buyers remorse.

     After we were finished, we began discussing all the different types of pizza that the Bellytimber has. Not only do they have your traditional toppings, but they also have some VERY different stuff. They have locally made sausages, oyster mushrooms, arugula, and duck. That's right, duck. A personal favorite. So NW ordered the Duck Pie, a wood-fired pizza topped with duck confit, hoisin, cheddar, red onion and cilantro. To say that it was amazing is not doing this pizza justice. The duck was all that I hope duck to be. The punch of the cilantro and the snap of red onion played so nicely together on a wonderfully crispy crust. It was just a stellar pizza. I look forward to trying their other pizzas. If they are even half as good, then Bellytimber is my new go to pizza place.

     When our checks came NW revealed that Bellytimber had been on Groupon and he purchased the coupon. $30 worth of food for $15. Not a bad deal at all. I love when a business uses the tools at their disposal, like Groupon. It's a win for everybody. I would certainly recommend The Bellytimer Tavern to any and everyone. When you are looking for a different type of sandwich or an off-the-wall pizza, Bellytimber is the place to go.