I have lived in
Verona since 1996 and have never been. The last several years have had me perusing the want ads and Charlottes is ALWAYS in there. That does not speak well for working conditions. I'm just saying. OK, so we went. Henceforth, "we" means Jahn and I. He is my dining and other partner (plus, he's a really good wine picker-outerer).
We entered the establishment wondering whether we were under-dressed. Upon entrance we encountered a guy in khakis and flip-flops. Worry was put to rest. The hostess station girl ascertained our reservation status - None, number in party - two and patience level - moderate. Before she could usher us to the bar the hostess comes up and starts machine gunning questions at us. Number in party? Reservations? Wait at bar? Jeesh, we just went through this with the nice patient girl only seconds ago. The hyper hostess had a table for us and ran (literally RAN) us to the table. Nice room, cozy.
Anthony, our server, was quick to arrive, only to find out that we were ordering a bottle of wine and not a "Bud Light" and a "Cosmo." He granted us time. We made use of it and ordered a pinot noir (Robert Mondavi, Private Selection, 2005) and greens for an appetizer.
Anthony made us aware that NO SIDES accompanied dinner. They were to be ordered as extra. Also, when salads were to be selected it was Caesar or Garden. No soup? Nope, no soup. OKayyyy.... I happen to hate salad, but here ya go, green stuff or green stuff with onions. Whatever.
The greens came and were very good, albeit too spicy for me. Good flavor, lots of stuff (hot peppers and Italian bacon/ham). It was good, flavorful and spicy. It made my nose run, so off to the bathroom I went. Big mistake.
The bathrooms are off the bar. There was a singer doing some Sinatra number RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BATHROOMS, so already I am queered out, by people watching me wait for the toilet. There are 2 doors, Women and Men. I try the door to the Ladies, it opens. In the crack made by the open door, I am privy to the bathroom mirror, in which I see a white hair lady trying to strong arm the door to prevent my entrance. (Um, how 'bout using the locking mechanism?) SO, everyone watching the singer was watching me open the bathroom door on an old lady caught unaware (read - with her pants down). My nose no longer needs attention.
I return to the table and await my entree. I ordered a NY strip, medium rare and Jahn ordered the Chicken Riggies. The entrees arrive. My steak is smothered in some sorta gravy. I can't bitch cause it's
as described on the menu. However, the cook tried some sorta Emerial move and "bammed" it with green dried spices. Oregano, basil and parsley overtook my steak. It was cooked to perfection and ruined with herbs. A good steak only needs salt, all I could taste was basil.
The riggies, we brought home, likely to rot in the 'fridge.
My assesment... Charlottes wants to come off as a fine dining establishment. It doesn't. Nice ambience. Nice atmosphere. Mediocre food. Poor choices (no soup? WTF), no sides with the entree? An overabundance on green herbs (you don't have to do that with a GOOD piece of meat).
Service and atmosphere - A. Choices and selections - C. And yes, I've been to many upscale eateries in several major cities. Charlottes doesn't cut it and is not worth the price ($130+).
I revoke my Price Chopper review. The standards and prices have made it a poor choice for dining.
Colosseo's Restaurant
at 469 West Seneca Street (aka Route 5) in Sherrill doesn't have a web site. With all these local Mom & Pop's not having an online address, someone should be offering their webmaster services. A market to be had.
Anyway, all my reviews can't be favorable. Maybe it was an off night (Monday).... or the regular cook's night off.... or any number of things. I was not impressed.
We ordered 2 lasagnas to go. I live less than 2 miles from them so the meals should have been hot. They were not. The rolls were not only cold, but day-old stale. The salad was iceberg lettuce with 1/4 tomato, one slice of cucumber and a smattering of grated carrots. I found it unimpressive and lacking. The sausage was bland and severely ground (Chef Boyardee meatball consistency,
remember those?) The whole meal could've been served in a nursing home. Really.
Another place with no website (link to expedia map.)
Full disclosure - I am a friend of the owner. But friend or foe, this place is a great breakfast spot. Located on Seneca Street (aka Route 5) in Vernon makes it only 20 minutes from Rome, take Route 26 or 365.
There ample parking in front and eastern side. Once inside you'll find a very clean and open bar with stools (no alcohol) for those eating solo or with a newspaper. Beyond the bar is the dining area with tables for 2 or up to 8. It's family friendly. The servers always have a smile and a pot of coffee. There's a board with daily specials, but the everyday breakfasts are great.
For me, it's always 2 eggs over easy, bacon, toast and home fries (extra crispy). The eggs are
always perfectly over easy (important to me because I only eat the yolks), the bacon is
always crispy (they give you more than 2 strips), and the home fries are
always crispy. I often ask for onions and/or peppers with the potatoes. The greens served here are phenomenal,
if you like them with lots of flavor.
My breakfast date got an omelet. It's more than enough for a filling breakfast, especially if you order sides.
Make sure you have green in your pocket, they don't take credit or debit. Do bring your appetite.
The Colonial at 8752 Turin Road in Rome is my favorite lunch spot.
It doesn’t appear that they have a site. (The above link goes to Google Maps.)
Native Romans remember Fric and Frac’s Flying Food Factory on Dominick Street. Well, now the Colonial serves Fric and Frac’s fares.
The sandwiches are generous, the staff friendly, the service fast and the surroundings comfortable. They offer Quick Draw, several arcade games and in the warmer months, outdoor seating.
I eat there several times a week and heartily recommend the following sandwiches.
Mr. Magoo’s Got the Blues – This Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich is made with chicken fingers, ham, Swiss cheese, and Bleu cheese dressing on a French roll. The fingers are white meat and tender, the roll is slightly toasted. It probably measures about 6-8” end to end, so be hungry.
The Greek Peak – The Colonial’s version of a BLT. Served in pita bread, it holds bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, olives and mayo. And although it’s not listed on the menu, I’m sure that some Italian dressing is added. I order this without lettuce and can attest that sandwich size doesn’t suffer from its absence, meaning it’s not just a filler added for breadth. It’s not as big as the Magoo, but you still need two hands to consume it.
I had a garlic pizza with greens and olives last week that wasn’t garlicky enough for me. When I order “garlic” anything, I want to be malodorously offensive to passersby. This pizza didn’t do it and I had to add parmesan and salt. Edible, but didn’t deserve the “garlic” designation.
Their number is 337-1178. Call, you won’t be disappointed. They have a diverse menu extending beyond lunch.
