Silvia’s International

23 North Main St.
Enfield, CT

Silvia’s is in an older building in in Enfield, CT that is easy to miss on weekdays as there may not be a lot of cars in the parking lot.   However, don’t let that stop you as Silvia’s is one of our hidden gems for locals as well as those visiting the area.

The menu is quite extensive and that makes it very difficult to chose from several international dishes including German, Italian, Greek, Romanian and Russian, just to name a few.  If you can’t decide, feel free to ask your server for suggestions — and your server might just be Silvia herself.

On Best Travel Blog’s visit, we ordered the German plate which has a large portion of breaded veal and chicken schnitzel with knockwurst, fresh dill and served with sauerkraut and roasted potatoes.   The serving is easily enough for two people, so either bring a friend or be prepared to take some home.

One of the fun things about Silvia’s is that your entree includes Silvia’s homemade bread & butter, salad, soup and dessert — all of which are served family style.     There is nothing better than homemade bread served hot and fresh.

On our visit, our desert was lemon and chocolate brownies — both were piping hot out of the oven!   Wow!

Our advice:  Don’t don’t leave the area without visiting this outstanding hidden gem!

Best Travel Blogs Tip: Try the Romanian wine with your dinner.

Mill on the River
989 Ellington Rd
South Windsor, CT 06074

 

Just a short drive (over the river and through the woods) from Hartford you’ll find a restaurant that sits on the other side of a small river in which you will have to cross over an old footbridge to get from the parking lot to your dining choices.    The footbridge, which has been renamed “The kissing bridge” in recent years is just part of the ambiance that makes this place special.

But, once you cross over the footbridge, you’ll need to make a difficult decision during the cooler summer months — dining on the patio or dining inside.

The setting alone is enough to bring you to this location, but when you add in that the food and service are what you would expect from a nicer restaurant, you must visit this local place.    During our visit we tried dishes ranging from pasta to steak and even seafood and everyone was more than satisfied with both the quality and the portions.

Next time, you are thinking of a drive over the river and through the woods — skip grandma’s and visit the Mill on the River.

1.Pikes Peak– This is the famous mountain that is synonymous with the phrase “Pikes Peak or Bust”. At 14,110 feet about sea level, it’s not the highest mountain in either North America or in Colorado, but it is the most famous in that this famous landmark is perhaps best known as the spot which inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write America the Beautiful. At dusk looking towards Pikes Peak you can see why Bates penned the words “purple mountains majecsty” and from the summit of Pikes Peak you can see the “spacious skies” and” amber waves of grain” that inspired the poem.You can reach the summit of Pikes Peak in one of three ways. First, you can hike to the top. That’s a 14 mile hike up and a 14 mile hike down. While many people do this each year, you’ll probably want to consider either driving or taking the Cog Railway.
 
2. Air Force Academy — The Academy is open to visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Visitor’s Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m
 
3. Garden of the Gods — This city owned park is a favorite of visitors and is free and is open from dawn until dusk every day. This park is made up of giant red sandstone formations worn smooth over millions of years by the elements. The park has a wide variety of nice, easy hiking trails and a visitors’ center that explains the formations. We recommend stopping at the visitors’ center before entering the park.
 
4. Flying W Ranch – Experience the old western town, cowboy stage show and the chuck wagon dinners. If you’ve never done something like this or even if you have — this place is not to be missed.
 
5. Olympic Training Center – is where athletes from around the country come to train at the high altitude.
 
6. Seven Falls and North Cheyenne Canyon – a beautiful waterfall (actually 7 of them) and hiking trails. Pack a picnic lunch and bring your camera.
 
7. Cheyenne Mt. Zoo — The country’s only mountain zoo. The Cheyenne Mt. Zoo (CMZ) with its 500 types of animals sits on the side of a mountain at 6,800 feet above sea level. One of the better zoos in the country, the CMZ features a Rocky Mountain habitat that includes moose, mountain lions and even grizzly bears.
 
8. Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs– great shopping, restaurants and in the summer you’ll find the free Manitou Springs trolley runs throughout Manitou Springs (with many stops along Manitou Avenue) from the Garden of the Gods Trading Post to the Pikes Peak Cog Railway.
 
9. The Broadmoor Hotel and Resort — the place where the President of the United States stays when he comes to Colorado. Walking through this hotel you will discover photo’s of the famous who have stayed here. If you aren’t going to stay at this great hotel, then at least make a reservation at one of its eleven great restaurants.
 
10. Downtown Colorado Springs — a great place to shop and dine. You’ll also find some great parks including Acacia Park with its famous Uncle Wilbur Fountain as well as America the Beautiful park. Some of the great restaurants downtown include the Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., The Famous, Giuseppe’s Depot Restaurant and Jose Muldoon’s.

For more hints, click on the photo to see a larger image (Did you notice the Disney store?).

Where in the World Am I?

Last month’s Photo Challenge was correctly identified by Rick C. from Colorado Springs.    Rick identified last month’s photo as being Chicago O’Hare.

What makes this place exceptional are the big buffet tables with a large selection of both hot and cold items  — prepared and fresh salads, sushi, fruit, turkey, sliced pork, fried scallops, potatoes and gravy, corned beef – just to name a few items that you might find on any given day .  Add that to the fact the restaurant is roomy and comfortable and you’ve got a place that you will keep coming back to.  In fact, we know some customers who have nick named this place “the far salad bar”.   A reference to the fact that they will walk further than normal just to go to:

4100 N Fairfax Dr
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 875-9185

The Marketplace is only open for breakfast and lunch and is closed on weekends, so plan your visit around those times.

Roger’s Tip:   Skip eating breakfast at home or at the hotel and try their breakfast buffet

Last month’s photo was taken near Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

November Photo Challenge Photo

You can find a larger version of this photo here.

Pho 75

1721 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22209

(703) 525-7355
pho75.tumblr.com

As you walk in the door of this establishment the  long cafeteria style tables may want to turn your feet towards the door, but if you do, you’ll miss out on a great experience.    As the name suggests, Pho 75 is a Vietnamese restaurant specializing in Pho.   If you’ve never had Pho before, Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup, served with sliced beef, chicken or both.  The soup includes noodles made from rice and is served with basil, mint leaves, lime, and bean sprouts that are served on the side and added to the soup.    In addition to the customary sides, Pho 75 includes jalapeno slices to add a little more spice to the soup.

With that in mind, the menu looks like this (yes, you can order by the number):

1. Tai, Nam, Gau, Gan, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done flank, fat brisket, soft tendon, and bible tripe.

2. Chin, Nam, Gau, Gan, Sach Slices of well-done brisket, well-done flank, fat brisket, soft tendon, and bible tripe.

3. Tai, Chin, Gau, Gan, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done brisket, fat brisket, soft tendon, and bible tripe.

4. Tai, Chin, Nam, Gan, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done brisket, well-done flank, soft tendon, and bible tripe.

5. Tai, Nam, Gan, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done flank, soft tendon, and bible tripe.

6. Tai, Nam, Gan Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done flank and soft tendon.

7. Tai, Nam, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak, well-done flank, and bible tripe.

8. Nam Ve Don Slices of skirt flank.

9. Chin, Nam, Ye Don Slices of well-done brisket and skirt flank.

10. Tai, Gau Slices of eye-of-round steak and fat brisket.

11. Tai, Nam Slices of eye-of-round steak and well-done flank.

12. Tai, Chin Slices of eye-of-round steak and well-done brisket.

13. Tai, Gan Slices of eye-of-round steak and soft tendon.

14. Tai, Sach Slices of eye-of-round steak and bible tripe.

15. Tai Slices of eye-of-round steak.

16. Bo Vien Meat balls.

17. Pho Ga Chicken noodle soup.

Now for the bottom line.   If you like Pho, you’ll absolutely love this place. They simply make the best broth — it may be the best anywhere.   So flavorful, so satisfying that you forget that there is anyting else in the Pho.   Add some round steak, brisket or chicken and you’ve got a very satisfying meal.  While you will find both hoison sauce and sriacha on the table, you won’t need it, but you might try it just to add a different taste.

Roger’s Tip:   Bring about $12 per person in cash as Pho 75 doesn’t accept anything but Federal Reserve Notes (a.k.a. cash only)

We continue to publish a new photo each month and challenge our readers to be the first to determine where this photo was taken.  Can you guess?

1713 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22201
(703) 841-0001

The first thing you notice as you walk through the door is that their menu is listed on several big white boards on the wall.  It’s a bit confusing at first as there are a lot of choices and the line seems to move just enough forward just as you were starting to figure out what you might like and now you aren’t facing the white board.     You will quickly realize that you can create your own burger — or make it easy on yourself  and pick one of their specialty burgers.

Much like a lot of these places, you start with the burger (house steak seasoning), au poivre (black peppercorn crust), blackened, and diablo (spicy chipotle sauce) , add cheese, add toppings and add Ray’s Sauce (optional).

Once you’ve ordered, you’ll be given a number and that’s when the fun begins.   There isn’t much seating, so on a busy day you’ll be doing the “table hunt dance” — you know what I mean, trying to quick step toward a table that looks to be leaving and hoping they do leave and that you get their first — and if not, shuffling in the opposite direction trying not to step on anyone’s toes as you move toward the next potential guest leaving.

The burgers are good, but I didn’t find them to be memorable or even outstanding.   However, it may have just been a bad night or maybe I should have chosen some of their “luxery toppings” like foie gras, bone marrow or even Ray’s Heck Sauce.   But, at $16 for a 10 ounce burger with foie gras (what is that anyway), I thought I’d try something more main stream for my first Ray’s experience.

We’ll give this place another try in a week or so and will update this review should we decide differently.

But, if you dine here, you can say you’ve eaten where the president has eaten.  Woot!  Woot!  

 
Roger’s Tip #1:  Bring Cash, or use their free ATM in the back — they don’t take American Express (or Visa for that matter).

Roger’s Tip #2:  Ray’s doesn’t know how to do “to go” orders.   You’ll be given your order on a plate and you’ll have to box it to go for yourself..

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