Where I've been eating

I’ve been the biggest procrastinator when it comes to my blog, or just too busy to worry about it. Besides how many of you actually read it? Anyhow, I’ll cut to the chase. Today I’m going to include reviews of two restaurants I tried in December. Due to reader’s attention spans, I will include a review of two other restaurants in a new blog post in a day or so.
The first restaurant I’d like to tell ya’ll about is Mick’s Bistro. I went there with a date on a chilly Friday night after trying to go to the Kris Kringle parade; didn’t make the parade, but glad we made it into Mick’s. Mick’s replaced Jennifer’s Restaurant on Patrick Street. Not much has changed about the atmosphere of the establishment except some minor lighting changes; it’s still colder than diners should have to put up with, but luckily we sat by the fire. We started with an appetizer that was delicious. I don’t remember the name but it was Brie cheese baked into what I recall being something like a pastry puff. As a complement for choosing Mick’s that night, the chef offered us Fried Chickpeas. They were good also. The aioli sauce that accompanied the Fried Chickpeas made it the right balance of salty crispiness and savory spiciness. We were almost finished the Brie and chickpeas when our main courses arrived. Mine was a large chunk of pan cooked Pork Chop. It was a superb experience especially with Mac n Cheese made from scratch and fresh cooked green beans flanking the sides. To wash it all down I had ale that was brewed in a whiskey cask. It was a fitting beverage for the meal and night; the ale and pork harmonized on my tongue and the ale with its hint of whiskey warmed my insides. I had a second one. For dessert we shared a serving of bread pudding. Theirs was definitely not like Mom’s: she makes hers with hot dog rolls or sometimes on special occasions with Krispy Kremes. Theirs had raisins and was topped with a warm pecan rum sauce. I must say I left Mick’s Bistro thoroughly satisfied and am looking forward to dining their again. The final bill was a bit pricey, but nothing outrageous. Not the kind of place you can eat every night, but maybe you can: their sandwiches are reasonably priced and they have lighter entrees that cost between $10-14. It also helps to order only water, not two beers and a glass of wine; skip the desert also if money saving is on your mind.
The second restaurant I experienced for the first time was Mangi Ebevi in Urbana. Mangi Ebevi is an Italian restaurant. I wouldn’t say they specialize in any type of Italian cuisine except the good kind. The atmosphere is an inviting family atmosphere, so you don’t necessarily have to wear your Sunday’s best while dining there. They have a flat screen TV in the one dining section. I had the Red Wine of the Month to drink and honestly do not remember the name of it. It was good though. I ordered an appetizer sampler of sorts that included roasted red peppers, chunks of mozzarella, green olives, and basil leaves. It was a great start to the meal and served as a conductor of my appetite along with the crunchy bread and oil for dipping. For my entrée I ordered Penne Putanesca- Mangi Ebevi has virtually every pasta dish you can think of and their other dishes not centered on pasta looked appetizing as well. I had never had this dish before and I will probably never have it anywhere except a localized Italian restaurant…or Mangi Ebevi. So if the eatery is Olive Garden, Macaroni Grille, or Carraba’s I’m going to steer clear and just order spaghetti with meatballs (Only kidding. I’m not that boring). If you don’t like anchovies I would not recommend it, but if you’re open to broadening your culinary palette then go for it! The desert was amazing also. It was a layering of chocolate puddings and sauces and fluffs and the sort of sweets you can expect from Italian cuisine. With that said, I had yet another excellent first time experience at a restaurant. Mangi Ebevi is a restaurant where you can dine at a reasonable price given you don’t order an appetizer, alcoholic beverages, or desert. The pasta dishes range from $12-16 depending on the ingredients. They also serve oven-baked pizza. I think the next time I go there that’s what I’m going to try…