And we’re back…from vacation that is, and I was more than ready to get back to reality after a week of relaxation and gluttony. I love vacation, don’t get me wrong. Traveling and road tripping is the best, however after a week or more I do start to get a bit antsy and start to think about that list of things I gotta do at home. But speaking of trips and gluttony…this week’s feature came from a long weekend that was just that. I mentioned previously that we visited New Orleans back in May with our friends, Garrett and Audra, and that this trip in particular had a great deal of PCC worthy places planned out. I would have to say that since my little blog started, that particular trip had to be the most amount of feature restaurants we have tried to undertake in one trip. We hit up 7 worthy joints in just 3 days! True, that does seem pretty crazy and indulgent now, but hey go big or go home right?! 
Well, I already told you about our first meal out at Drago’s, which unfortunately left us pretty disappointed, making us look forward to our next restaurant that much more. In fact, from its notoriety on television, this next place was at the top of my list and it didn’t hurt that they are known for their fried chicken…one of the best evidently. Willie Mae’s Scotch House has been a New Orleans staple since the late 1960’s, where Willie Mae herself started serving up southern home-style meals to the locals. Unfortunately, their original location was wiped out by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but luckily the city stepped in to help them rebuild so they could continue to serve the good ol’ southern favorites, most famously their fried chicken; and when I say famous…I mean famous! We saw this restaurant featured on both Travel Channel’s “Deep Fried Paradise” and “Chowdown Countdown,” both claiming this chicken as “TO DIE FOR.” And it doesn’t stop there. Bon Appetit Magazine even named Willie Mae’s Scotch House as its BEST FRIED CHICKEN winner. That is some famous fried chicken if I do say so myself, and fried chicken that famous deserves to be tried…(as if I would actually turn down fried chicken ). So let’s just say I knew it was a must visit!
We decided we would make it our lunch spot on our 1st full day, and according to our Google map it was “walkable” from our French Quarter hotel. Well, let’s just say that Google was a little deceiving and between that and the park being closed for us to cut through, we had to walk a good 2 plus miles in the heat, and I was maybe not dressed for walking walking. It didn’t help that Willie Mae’s is not necessarily in the best neighborhood either, and although not funny at the time, it is quite humorous now to think about Adam having to practically drag me away because I thought maybe we should ask the “guys on the porch” for directions. Yeah…blonde moment I know! After a good trek we finally reached our destination, which we could tell we were close when we saw the house with people gathered all around it, which although at this point we were starving, meant we still had to wait.
Lucky the wait was not outrageous and we even moved ahead a bit because that couple behind us was not allowed in due to a sleeveless shirt incident. So I will say it now…Men beware…put on a shirt with sleeves before you venture to Willie Mae’s.
Walking into the main dining room is literally like walking into the front room of a house, the main dining area is not much bigger than that. There is another back dining room past the kitchen located in the middle, but overall it is easy to see why people have to gather outside. When we were seated we all knew exactly what we were getting…fried chicken! And then we each chose our respective sides. Garrett and I both chose red beans and rice for our sides to try a traditional New Orleans’ favorite, while Audra went with fries and Adam got potato salad.
Looks pretty dang good huh? And with all that food we also each ordered some of their homemade fresh corn bread, which actually was not out of the oven until we were finished with our chicken. But, of course, that was not enough to hold us back, so we all grabbed a piece of chicken and dug in. The first bite was definitely crispy and juicy. But what I began to quickly notice was it was also VERY GREASY! With each bite you could taste the oil that the chicken was cooked in, and because it so heavily battered, that oil seeps into the breading and then squirts out with each bite.
Don’t get me wrong…I know that this a fried dish and some of that is supposed to happen, but it was a little over the top. The breading was also entirely too thick in my opinion. and that with all the grease after the first piece or so started to make my stomach feel a little queezy. I mean, come on…I know that there was an oil spill that week, but this was ridiculous, especially when chickens are on land!…(bad metaphor I know, but we think this was also the dish that put Adam over the edge and caused him to be sick the rest of the weekend). And as far as the red beans and rice were concerned, neither Garret nor I did enjoyed them. Whatever spices they used tasted funny and not what I am used to.
In short, by no means was this the best fried chicken I had ever had, but sadly close to the opposite. The saving grace for the oily greasy chicken was their corn bread. When it made it to our table I was not really hungry, but wanted to give it a chance. Holy cow! It was so warm, fresh, and buttery, I could not resist eating my whole muffin. It was the perfect end to the meal, but a meal in which we all left feeling a little sick and kind of surprised by how famous this chicken was…
Although I know fried chicken is more of a local thing where everyone knows the best place in their town, but I thought since this was so well known in popular culture, my socks were going to blown off and they just weren’t. 
SIGNATURE DISH: I am pretty sure you realize it by now, but they are most famous for their fried chicken…I’m talkin’ WORLD FAMOUS! They do have other southern home made favorites, but from looking around the restaurant while we were there, no one else had anything other from chicken.
TASTE: I don’t know if it because I had such high hopes for this chicken, but unfortunately it just did not live up to the hype. I would not describe it as inedible, but I don’t have good memories; and there is no way it was even close to the best I have ever had. As I mentioned, the breading was too thick, too oily, and not really seasoned. Instead it was just heavily breaded and heavily soaked fried chicken that left a pit of oil in my stomach; and of the 4 or us, only Audra thought it tasted all that good.
AMBIANCE: I thought being located in a house, it was very cute and historical. It really made you feel at home and was decorated just simple and classic. Although a bit crowded, it does feel like you are truly enjoying a home cooked meal, especially because you are literally in a home.
PRICE: Each of us ordered the fried chicken dinner which came with one side and then we also ordered the corn bread on the side. The meal is $15 for 3 pieces of chicken and a large side portion. This was a little high for three pieces of fried chicken and sides, but my guess is you’re paying a bit for the “best” factor. Not worth it.
SERVICE: Our waitress was very attentive, but a bit short tempered. I equated that to being swamped and it being hard to move around inside, but she seemed to keep forgetting things we asked for. Also, it kept taking time to get Adam a refill on his Diet Coke…which never bodes well .
So although I had such high hopes, those hopes were not even close to met; and I have to, unfortunately, give Willie Mae’s Scotch House 1 1/2 ‘Little Piggies’
I want to apologize for my tardiness in posting this week. We are enjoying a wonderful vacation in South Haven, MI and I must admit writing a long post just did not take priority. So instead of my usual recipe of the month post, I thought I would give a little disclaimer about last months recipe. As you know, I featured a lovely take on Chicken Caesar Salad with Rachael Ray’s Grilled Chicken with Arugula Pesto and Caesar Spaghetti. Now at the time, I mentioned how much we enjoyed this dish, but because I just made it for the two of us, we had a lot of leftovers. I also mentioned that Adam loves leftovers and sure enough, two days later, Adam asked me if I could heat him up some of the pasta, we had already eaten the leftover chicken. I went ahead and stuck a large helping of the Caesar Spaghetti in the microwave. I must admit that it started to smell a little funky, but I did not think much of it and went ahead and served it to him. Let’s just say that face above is about what I got with the first bite. Inedible! Apparently the anchovies that are integral part of the Caesar flavor do not save and reheat well. Adam said it just tasted overpoweringly fishy and not in a good way at all! So I am sad to say that although this dish is delicious day of, it just does not save well at all! So if you decide to go ahead and make it, I would recommend either making it for a crowd or only half of the recipe. I will be back next week with another great restaurant review, but until then Bon Appétit!
Summer is winding down, but I don’t know about you I am seriously looking forward to fall. Don’t get me wrong, I love summer; the trips, the barbecues, and just hanging out in the sun. However, having moved back up to the Midwest I am truly looking forward to “having” a fall and enjoying the leaves change, crisp sweater weather, and enjoying some apple picking. But enough about the weather, I know you all don’t come and read my weekly features to here me blab about the seasons changing, but instead want to hear about a new spot to try or maybe not try for that matter. But speaking of seasons, this next spot is not good in just one season or another. Rather, its customers will line up around the block, in rain, snow or shine it seems, making it truly a legend in its own right. (especially cause it can get downright nasty, weather wise, in this city!) Opened in 1960, Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage, located right in Harvard Square, has been dishing up a wide array of creative burger choices to its patrons ever since. Started by the Bartley family, Billy their son, has been behind the grill since the age of 12 and according to an episode of Food Network’s Diner’s, Drive-Ins, and Dives he would want to be doing nothing else. He truly is the gas that keeps the fire continually burning and it would have to burning to keep up with their huge demand, see for yourself.
Source: “Diner’s, Drive-Ins, and Dives: Bartley’s Burger Cottage” [Video]. (2009). Retrieved August 19, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYofuw_g0Js&feature=search.
The burgers look intense don’t they? Well I have to admit that I did not actually see this clip before my visit to Mr. Bartley’s. I know, I know, the horror, I did not do my full out research before a trip. But truth be told I had already heard from several people (thanks Chad and Christina:) ) that this place was a must visit. And since my bf Emily, whom I was visiting, had never been, it was the perfect opportunity. Since Mr. Bartley’s is located near Harvard, I figured it would also give me a chance to be a typical Boston tourist and walk around its beautiful grounds as well, I mean one has to work up an appetite of course. On day one, Emily and I set out on a long walk from her place over to Harvard Square and preceded to walk around the cute shops and campus. It was not long before my stomach started growling and I knew it was about time for lunch. Emily told me how she had heard how crazy packed this place can get, we were not surprised to turn the corner and find this.
As you can see, people do not mess around when it comes to their burger for lunch. And if you notice that man in the blue shirt seated next to the line, that is Mr. Bartley himself, acrotchety old man, but we’ll get to that. Emily and I hopped in line and preceded to look over 30 burger options on the menu. Emily and I had decided that we wanted to split one, since our friends had both mentioned how massive they were. At 7 oz. of meat a burger, I have no doubt! So we decided upon the “Tom Brady,” a good ol’ cheeseburger complete with guacamole and red onion.
It was at this point that Mr. Bartley sat down and I must admit I was a little confused and just thought it was some nice old man needing a break. However, next thing I know he has this pad out and is asking me what I want. It was then we realized he was taking orders to sort of move the whole process along. But let’s just say you had better know what you want when he sits down or he will completely skip over you. We quickly went with that “Tom Brady” and a side of their famous onion rings instead of fries. Then he turned and asked Emily what she wanted, she was in the middle of saying we were going to split the burger when he snappily replied “no splitting, must order at least something.” So Emily ordered a chocolate frappe and asked if that was sufficient, he kind of looked annoyed but said that was fine. It was then that a table happened to be opening out on the patio and we both decided to jump on it and be a little colder than having to wait for a seat any longer. But at this point I was still a little shocked at the encounter we had just had with Mr. Bartley, but Emily was not all the surprised, she said it was typical no nonsense Boston behavior. After we were comfortably seated, we were presented with our chocolate frappe to enjoy while we waited for our burger.
Not really sure what to expect with a frappe or even what it was when she ordered one, I quickly learned a little Boston etiquette. It looked like a typical milkshake, but Emily informed me, that although she is not sure why, milkshakes all around Boston are referred to as frappes. And asking for a milkshake just isn’t kosher, so for today I called it a frappe, and that frappe was mighty good. Perfectly creamy and chocolaty and delicious. It wasn’t long before “Tom Brady’ arrived and man did he look too good to eat. And I am glad we decided upon the onion rings, because just look at how mouthwateringly awesome they were!
Splitting this burger was a great idea, because between it and the huge pile of onion rings, there was no way I could have eaten more. And these burgers are not wimpy either, they are thick and juicy, not dry and a great bun to burger ratio. Unfortunately we both agreed that the guacamole that comes on the “Tom Brady” was not our favorite, so I likely would not order him again, however given this restaurants massive amount of burger choices I am sure I could find another I may have like better. Now the onion rings were a different story, these babies as you saw in the video, are too die for. Cut perfectly and not overly breaded or fried, but rather just a great combination of sweet and salty, that you can grab a fist full and stuff in your mouth.
We clearly hated them . I would go back to visit just for these onion rings alone, but I wouldn’t mind trying another burger creation as well. I mentioned that we were unable to eat inside, but I was able to snap a few pictures when we went inside to get some cash. I also learned that Boston restaurants do not always have public restrooms of any kind due to their size, this one was one of them unfortunately. It just ain’t big enough, but people don’t seem to mind!
SIGNATURE DISH: It is clear from their name that they do one thing best, Burgers! But these aren’t just any ol’ burger, with over 30 varieties and options they have truly taken burger to another level. And with fun creative names that complement the ingredients it is fun to order up any of their signature choices.
TASTE: I have already featured a lot of burger places in the short life of my blog, some better than others and I must say that as burgers go this ranks pretty high. I did not particularly like the additions our burger came with, namely their guacamole, but the burger itself was quite delicious. Any large patty is often hard to cook without it getting dry on the outside. But at Bartley’s their use of a flat top grill truly aides the flavor of their burgers, by giving the outside a wonderful crust, while the inside remains moist and juicy. I would not say its the best burger I have ever had, but this place has so many fun additions, I would love the chance to take Adam to visit their and try and new creation.
AMBIANCE: This was one area I felt was a bit lacking, but this was due to a mistake that I made. I will admit I chose the patio spot in hopes of getting our food out quicker, I was hungry! But in doing so, we missed out on getting to sit inside amongst the true bustling atmosphere. So if almost felt like I was just eating this really good burger anywhere, instead of having the food and experience melt together. But next time I would just wait it out to get a full true experience.
PRICE: I felt their prices were very decent, especially since we split our meal. Their burgers range from about $7 – 10 depending on the ingredients which is fairly typical and reasonable if you ask me. Substitutions for different fries or onion rings is also extra so you may want to keep that in mind too. However, again because we split our meal, I believe we only paid maybe $10 – 15 a piece total, not bad if you ask me.
SERVICE: This was one area I felt was kind of lacking. This had nothing to do with how fast we got our food, but rather just the attitude I got from our waitress. She was nice, but just not very friendly or welcoming. The other thing I did not enjoy was how brash Mr. Bartley was. Now I am not trying to sound like a baby, but maybe I was just not cut out for the Boston attitude. I understand that this is his establishment and he makes the rules, I just felt a little nicer customer treatment could likely go along way. However, I say that and with a line continuously around the corner, his attitude does not seem to be hurting anything.
I had a fun experience at Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage and really enjoyed the food, so much so that I hope to return someday so Adam can see for himself. So with that I give Mr. Bartley’s 3 1/2 Little Piggies.
