Classic Connecticut: Blackie’s Hotdog Stand in Cheshire

January 14, 2013January 4, 2015 ~ ctsnapshot ~ Leave a comment

Connecticut holds many timeless restaurants. People consider these restaurants “timeless” because they are untouched by the changes of our twenty-first century ways of life. When you step inside, you might forget that you’re in the digital age for a moment. We expected this magical quality when we discovered Blackie’s Hot Dog stand in Connecticut. Founded in 1925 by Mary Mahoney and Art Blackman, Blackie’s maintains its family tradition of serving Blackie’s hot dogs smothered in homemade relish, birch beer on tap, cartons of chocolate milk, being closed on Fridays and offering chips instead of fries. We couldn’t wait to take part in Blackie’s traditions.

For more on Blackie’s history, click here.

Blackie’s Hotdog Stand

Grade: B+

Location: 2200 Waterbury Road, Cheshire, CT

Website

Atmosphere: 9.5/10-When you enter Blackie’s, you’ll notice the double garage doors that pay homage to the original building, a gas station that burnt to the ground in 1945. You’ll also notice historical pictures and newspaper articles mounted to the walls. When we walked in, we noticed people eating hotdogs at metal counters and sitting at the wooden tables. They represented ages young and old. We also saw the legendary “no dancing” sign on the wall. The restaurant put it up during the 1940s to avoid a cabaret tax. These elements make your experience feel like a true time warp. A juke box would have been the so-called “icing on the cake.”

Service: 9/10-Unlike the previous restaurant, Blackie’s CAN handle the pressure of a crowded interior. The staff uses a number system for each order and delivers them quickly. The tables appeared slightly messy, but this is understandable for a busy day. The staff maintained its most important duties with ease.

Price: 5/5-You might do a double take at the prices. $2 hot dogs, $3 cheeseburgers and hamburgers that cost $2.75 might make you do a double-take. The times changed, but Blackie’s changed very moderately over the years. This speaks to Blackie’s authenticity and loyalty to tradition.

Selection: 4/5-Blackie’s offers a modest selection of hotdogs, burgers, fries, chips, ice cream, soda and milkshakes. We would call this selection “limited” for a modern day restaurant, but for Blackie’s, it speaks of the simplicity of the “good old days” and the restaurant’s noble attempts to stick to tradition.

Taste: 4/5-Blackie’s boasts about its hot pepper relish and for good reason. For eighty years, Blackie’s has offered its delicious hot pepper relish to its customers. The recipe remains a “closely guarded secret.” Without the relish, Blackie’s hotdogs and hamburgers aren’t particularly stellar, but they will still satisfy your taste buds.

Composition: 3.5/5-There is nothing particularly special about the looks or size of Blackie’s hotdogs and hamburgers. A handful customers have commented on other websites that the looks have varied over the years. We suggest buying multiple items.

In a nutshell: 35/40-We recommend you visit Blackie’s Hotdog Stand in Cheshire for its rich history and inexpensive eating. While the portions aren’t big, you can purchase multiple items to satisfy your hunger and save a significant amount of money in your wallets.

Check out some of the additional pictures from our adventure!

Did you know? We also tutor. Click here to check out NimbleFox, our tutoring website!

COMING UP NEXT: Yes, Connecticut has a Creperie. Their prices are more than reasonable and their food looks delicious! Will they live up to the hype? Stay tuned.

Italian Take 2- Procaccini’s Italian Family Restaurant in East Hartford

January 7, 2013January 4, 2015 ~ ctsnapshot ~ 1 Comment

We dared to try Italian cuisine via Groupon again to kick off the new year. Groupon provided us with a few Italian cuisine options, but Procaccini’s stood out the most due to its unique chef logo and welcoming name. Since 1969, Procaccini’s has serviced the East Hartford area. This fact intrigued us. We expected a family-run restaurant with old fashioned service and traditional values. We were a little surprised by the mixed reviews on Urbanspoon. One user wrote, “We are originally from East Hartford – and have never been able to find a better pizza anywhere!” Another user complained that “…the Waitress did not attend to us being in her section and would not bring us additional seasoned bread after sitting 20 minutes.” With the opposing reviews in mind, it was time to put Procaccini’s to the test!

Procaccini’s Italian Family Restaurant

Grade: B-

Location: 46 Main Street, East Hartford

Facebook Menu Groupon

Atmosphere: 9/10- When we walked into Procaccini’s,we noticed the eye-catching decor on the walls. We enjoyed seeing a painted cutout of the Procaccini’s chef on the wall and a beautiful painting of Venice near the kitchen. Christina commented that the chef reminded her of Little Caesar’s “Pizza, Pizza” mascot that sports the same name because of its cuteness and likability. Procaccini’s has the necessary eye candy to elate its customers before seating. We were also intrigued by the number of customers in the restaurant. By 6 pm, Procaccini’s was filled with hungry families.

Service: 7/10-We found our host and waitress friendly. They tried their best to bring food out in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, Procaccini’s is understaffed on a busy night and barely able to handle the pressure. We didn’t wait long for our appetizers, but when the restaurant started to fill, we waited quite awhile for entrees, dessert and check. Procaccini’s needs more employees.

Price/Selection: 8/10-From burgers to pizza, Procaccini’s has a diverse selection of menu items. You’ll find plenty of soups, salads, pastas, pizzas and desserts. If you’re looking to order burgers or grinders, you’ll spend on average $10-13. Pasta averages $12-17 and pizza ranges from $7-26 depending on the size. You might spend more than you expect, but the prices match the portion size. You will receive plenty to eat and plenty to take home. If you’re reading this in early January 2013, take advantage of the Groupon deal we provided in the link at the top of the page. If you spend $15, you’ll receive $30 worth of food. This is a standard Groupon Deal.

Taste/Composition: 8/10-We added composition to this category because how a dish looks will influence the way the customers reflects on his or her experience. Procaccini’s composition differs from traditional Italian cuisine. Most notably, they layer their pizza toppings and serve spumoni without a shell. We weren’t sure what to make of it, but enjoyed our savory dishes.

In a nutshell: 32/40-Procaccini’s Italian Family Restaurant is a restaurant with history and potential to make even more history. We largely enjoyed the atmosphere and the diverse selection. Procaccini’s has the makings of a solid Italian restaurant and people see this potential. We cannot stress enough that this restaurant needs more employees. A larger staff would help speed up service on those busy weekend nights.

Why you might want to check out Procaccini’s:

1. The onion soup-Procaccini’s offers a delicious onion soup topped with mozzarella cheese.

2. The layered pizza-We found the style a bit unusual, but you might enjoy the toppings layered inside the pizza.

3. The atmosphere-Procaccini’s unique logo and beautiful painting will catch your eye when you walk in.

Coming up next-Blackies Hotdog Stand exists as a time warp and treasured restaurant in Cheshire. Will it live up to its reputation? Stay tuned!

Did you know? We also tutor. Click here to check out NimbleFox, our tutoring website!

Grab some Gobi Mongolian Grill in Southington

December 20, 2012January 4, 2015 ~ ctsnapshot ~ Leave a comment

Life feels different in Connecticut lately. We feel different. People seem a little more on edge and for good reason. You might feel sad and you might be looking for a return to normalcy. We’ve found comfort in spending time with family and friends around the holiday season in an entertaining atmosphere. If you’re looking for some holiday cheer in the nutmeg state, why not try Gobi Mongolian Grill in Southington! We’ve visited twice and definitely enjoyed ourselves.

What is Mongolian Barbecue? Gobi Mongolian Grill in Southington serves a type of cuisine called Mongolian barbecue. Ironically, Mongolian barbecue relates to neither Mongolian cuisine nor barbecue. Taiwanese restaurants developed Mongolian barbecue during the 1970s. The restaurants’ chefs cooked diverse varieties of meats, vegetables and noodles on round, iron griddles. Imagine a hibachi dinner in which you CHOOSE the contents. Customers handed chefs the vegetables, noodles and sauces and they cooked them without hesitation. This type of tradition caught on in America and has maintained popularity into the 21st century.

Check our Mongolian barbecue adventure-

Gobi Mongolian Grill

Grade A-

Location: 855 Queen St, Southington, CT

Website Menu Drinks Facebook

Atmosphere: 9.5/10: Gobi Mongolian Grill has a spacious interior with an orange and brown color scheme that will likely contribute to your hunger. You will also notice the giant iron griddles that rest in the middle of the room. People wait at marble counters by the griddles with the dishes they selected. Before you visit the counter, go to the buffet area in the back of the room to choose from a variety of noodles, vegetables, meats and sauces for the chefs to cook. Remember-this is all you can eat so grab as many dishes as you desire. You can also choose dessert!

Service of chefs: 5/5-These chefs will cook any type of ingredients and quickly. I added pineapple and strawberries to my plate and they cooked it! I was greeted with a few laughs by the chefs and odd looks by Christina and our friend Brandon.

Service of waiters/waitresses: 3/5-On a busy night, you might have to wait a little while for refills of drinks. Your table could benefit from ordering a bottle of wine to prevent waiting or a large pitcher of water. When we visited a second time for Brandon’s going away party, we encountered much faster service.

Price/selection: 9.5/10-The picture shows only the vegetables you have to choose from! The meats, noodles and sauces boast the same type of variety! You can have as much of this as you want for $15.95. During lunch hours, you can have the same type of buffet for only $8.95. You’ll spend less than you would at a hibachi dinner! The drink prices are reasonable too.

Taste: 9/10-You can create a seemingly endless amount of tasty combinations. Unlike most buffets, the ingredients do not sit out to spoil. We encourage you to try new foods, but be careful of your choices. Pay attention to the spiciness warnings if you don’t like spicy foods. If you’re not a daring person, choose foods that you are familiar with. Otherwise, you’ll end up wasting a lot of ingredients.

In a nutshell-36/40-Whether you’re visiting at lunch or dinner, with friends or family, Gobi Mongolian grill is a “must try” place in the state of Connecticut. We encourage you to try this place as a date or with a large group of people. You’ll find good times and holiday cheer at this restaurant!

Did you know? We also tutor. Click here to check out NimbleFox, our tutoring website!

Tapas, tapas, tapas! Ibiza Tapas and Wine Bar in Hamden

October 27, 2012January 4, 2015 ~ ctsnapshot ~ 2 Comments

We almost missed it. Driving down the traffic filled Dixwell avenue, we almost missed the entrance for Ibiza Tapas and Wine Bar, a tapas and wine bar near the border of Hamden and New Haven. If you’re not familiar with the term, “tapas” are a variety of appetizers and snacks in Spanish cuisine. Chefs create tapas with unique ingredients such as baby squid, raisins and olives. They are served hot or cold and designed to stimulate conversation so people can enjoy the ambiance as well as their meals. Spaniards typically frequent tapas bars in the early evening/late afternoon because they do not eat dinner until the hours of 9 to 11 p.m.

If you enter a Google search for “Ibiza Tapas,” you’ll garner multiple results because several restaurants exist in the United States with a similar name. This particular restaurant, however, exists only in Northampton, Massachusetts and Hamden, Connecticut. We visited Ibiza in Northampton and enjoyed our tapas and wine. We decided to visit its sister restaurant in Connecticut and see if it measured up. We almost missed it but, noticed the “I” logo from the window and made a quick U-Turn. With our bellies rumbling and our taste buds tingling, we entered Ibiza.

Note: the photos on our phones came out blurry so we used pictures from their official Facebook page to try and recreate the experience as best as we could.

Ibiza Tapas and Wine Bar in Hamden

Grade: A-

Location: 1832 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, CT

Website Menu Drinks Facebook

Atmosphere: 9/10-When you enter Ibiza, you’ll likely notice the small size of the building’s interior. Every square inch seems to be covered by tables of all sizes. You’ll also notice that almost every table is full with people enjoying their tapas and wine. This, along with the vibrant red/yellow schema of the interior and the abstract paintings, is likely to intrigue you. During the spring and summer months, crowded tables align the beautiful patio outside.

Service: 9/10-Our hostess held the door open and seated us immediately. We waited a little longer than we expected for our menus but, our waitress brought them out to us and apologized. We understood because it was a busy night. She also brought us an extra tapa plate that we did not order. When we informed her, she corrected this error immediately. When your restaurant is filled to its limit of people, waiters and waitresses are going to make mistakes every once in awhile. Our waitress’s ability to correct it in a quick fashion signifies her quality as a waitress. We also appreciated our quick refills.

Our hats also go off to the chefs for their creative ingenuity. We enjoyed all of our tapas, but remembered the Lubina a la sal (Salt-baked sea bass with tomato, scallions, pinenuts, raisins, potato, carrot comfit, and smoked Spanish paprika oil) and Pollo al Ajillo con Vegetales (Free range chicken sautéed in garlic sauce served with vegetables) the most for their unique culinary design.

Taste: 10/10: We usually place this category last, but it seems like the perfect transition after a paragraph about design. These tapas taste as delicious as they look. Ibiza’s chefs place an emphasis on flavor. We often said “wow” out loud after sinking our teeth into a tapa. The taste made us pay attention to the ingredients and question what made everything so delicious. We enjoyed experiencing flavors that had never mixed on our palettes before.

Price: 3/5-Tapas prices range from $4.75 to $9.95. They come as tradicionales (small tapas) and raciones (larger tapas). Keep in mind that the tradicionales, while beautifully designed, are not particularly filling. The raciones can be filling depending on the size. The idea is for you to order multiple tapas. Depending on your appetite, things can get somewhat pricy. If you’re on a date for two, we recommend you order two tradicionales and two raciones. We also recommend visiting with a group to enjoy company and split the tab.

Making the choice: Ibiza, compared to other tapas bars in Connecticut, is more affordable and more creative. Ibiza continues to reinvent its menu and offer intriguing daily specials. If you visit Barcelona West Hartford, prices rank up to $10.50 for traicionales and $14.50 for raciones. You won’t pay more than $9.95 for any tapas dish at Ibiza.

Selection: 5/5-Ibiza has a creative, diverse selection of tapas and drinks. Check out our top 5 picks for most creative tapas and drinks:

1. Lubina a la sal (Salt-baked sea bass with tomato, scallions, pinenuts, raisins, potato, carrot comfit, and smoked Spanish paprika oil)-$6.75.

2. Pollo al Ajillo con Vegetales (Free range chicken sautéed in garlic sauce served with vegetables)-$9.95.

3. Salmon con Ensalada de Manzanas Verdes (Caramelized Scottish Salmon, green apple, avocado and cucumber salad with extra virgin olive oil and lemon)-$7.75.

4. Moscatel de Valenica-$5.50 per glass.

5. Caves de Cepa-$6.50 per glass.

In a nutshell-36/40-Ibiza Tapas and Wine Bar exists as one of the best (if not best) tapas bars in Connecticut. We recommend you stop by the Hamden location or the one in Northampton for an evening of tapas and wine! We also you recommend you stop by their facebook for the daily specials and other information.

Did you know? We also tutor. Click here to check out NimbleFox, our tutoring website!

Saigon City in Old Saybrook: Vietnamese with An Artistic Attitude

September 17, 2012January 4, 2015 ~ ctsnapshot ~ 1 Comment

Old Saybrook is a small, seaside town in Middlesex County. It’s also one of the oldest towns in Connecticut with roots that date back to 1624! A New York Times review of Saigon City, a quaint Vietnamese restaurant, inspired us to stop by the town for dinner and a round of mini golf. We felt excited to try a new Vietnamese restaurant for the first time in almost a year. We were equally delighted to find that Old Saybrook still had a mini golf course by the docks. With our two year anniversary around the corner, we were eager to embark on a pre-celebration in this town.

Saigon City

Grade: A

Location: 1315 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, CT

Website Menu

Atmosphere: 10/10-When you step into the Saigon City, you’ll notice the beautiful Vietnamese paintings that decorate the walls. Chef Vu Nguyen, who co-owns Saigon City with his wife, Bernadette, painted some of these! This speaks to Saigon City’s authentic, creative atmosphere and to the talent of Nguyen. The paintings represent a wonderful, welcoming expression of the Vietnamese culture. Saigon City’s dining room fireplace is an added bonus, especially for those frigid, Fall and Winter nights. We opted to sit on the deck and soak in the sun. We noticed that Saigon City differs from other restaurants in that it keeps both its interior and exterior clean!

Service: 9/10-We waited a little longer than we expected for refills but, we found our waitress to be personable and efficient. We also give props to the chef(s) who prepared our dishes in under 15 minutes. Vietnamese cuisine (if done well) boasts complexity in its taste and design. The quick preparation time highlights the experience of Saigon City’s chefs.

Price: 4/5-Lunch prices range from $7.95 to $10.95. Dinner prices range from $11.95 to $17.95. If you want a glass of wine, you’ll spend an average of $5-$6. These are some pretty sweet deals! Our experience caused us to re-evaluate our perspective on price. We visited an Italian restaurant the other week in which the price of entrees ranged from $17.95 and above! We expected superior, gourmet cuisine for this amount. We tasted tasty, overpriced cuisine. At Saigon City, you will pay significantly less for dishes with filling portions and damn good taste!

Selection: 5/5-Click on the menu link above and scroll down. This extensive menu spans ten pages! From Vietnamese spring rolls to Red Curry pork, you have plenty to choose from! We suggest you review this extensive menu before you stop by.

Taste: 9/10-Lemon grass, peanuts, limes, vegetables, coconut milk, curry and chili-paste: these are some of the key ingredients to signature Vietnamese dishes. Saigon City’s chefs honored this culinary tradition and the results proved downright delectable! If you’re a fan of spice, you might want to tell your server beforehand. The dishes marked as “spicy” may not taste as spicy as you might anticipate without this suggestion.

Below you’ll find our picks for the top 5 most creative entrees:

1. Saigon Spicy Chicken (Slices of tender chicken breast marinated with coconut milk, yellow curry, and chili pepper. Stir-fried with onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and clear noodles. Sprinkled with ground peanuts)-$12.95

2. Spicy Vegetarian Curry (Tofu marinated with coconut milk, curry, and chili pepper. Stir-fried with onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and clear noodles. Sprinkled with ground peanuts)-$12.95

3. Red Curry Pork (Sliced pork marinated with red curry and simmered in coconut milk with bamboo shoots, red chili, and bell peppers)-$12.95

4. Saigon Beef Delight (Slices of flank steak stir-fried with pineapple, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cucumbers)-$14.95

5. Squid Sate-(Squid sautéed with carrots, onions, bell peppers, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, bamboo shoots, and baby corn)-$14,95

In a nutshell: 37/40-Saigon City proved that it is possible for restaurants to serve authentic, delicious cuisine at affordable prices. Yes, this includes wine too! You can treat yourself this to an exquisite dinner or lunch without burdening your wallet. We strongly recommend you visit and immerse yourself in the artistic and culinary gem that is Saigon City.

Did you know? We also tutor. Click here to check out NimbleFox, our tutoring website!

Hiking & Lunch in CT: Talcott Mountain & Apollo’s Pizza and Pasta in Simsbury

August 26, 2012January 4, 2015 ~ ctsnapshot ~ Leave a comment

With the summer winding down, we decided to explore the natural side of Connecticut. We took a week’s vacation to Delaware and discovered that we missed Connecticut’s nature most of all. To satisfy our longing, we hiked Talcott Mountain in Simsbury on Saturday and stumbled into Apollo’s Pizza and Pasta on our way home. Then it hit us-hiking and lunch is an ideal outing for friends, family and dates! If you choose a mountain with a great view and eat great local food nearby, you might make a tradition out of it! We knew Talcott mountain had a great view, but we had no idea about its historical significance. Here is how our afternoon panned out-

Talcott Mountain

Overall Grade: A-

Location: Talcott Mountain State Park, 560 Simsbury Road, Bloomfield, CT

Website

Parking fee: 10/10-There is no parking fee!. Your trip to Talcott Mountain is actually free fun! Please note that you must park on the grass on the side of the road that lies before the trail. Parking fills quickly. If you want to find a decent parking spot, your best bet is to go before noon. Talcott Mountain State Park closes at 5:00 P.M.

Atmosphere of Mountain: 4/5-Talcott Mountain is located just 6 miles west of the city of Hartford, bordering Farmington, West Hartford, Bloomfield, Simsbury and Avon. It is comprised of many notable cliffs, including the 950 ft high point on which the historic Heublein tower stands. We enjoyed the variety of hikers, animals and vegetation. The mountain is suitable for all ages . We saw kids as young as three and adults well into their eighties walk to the top. If you’re looking for a longer hike, you might want to start at Penwood State Park, which located a short distance away from Talcott Mountain State Park.

Atmosphere of Tower: 5/5-The historic Heublein Tower has a lot of history. The setup is like a mini museum inside. Every room is a mini exhibit that tells a great deal about the tower’s history. We don’t want to spoil the rich history for you, so we’ve selected five interesting facts to share about the tower-

1. It served as Gilbert Heublein’s home and retreat from the 1914 until his death in the 1930s. He founded Heublein Inc, an American producer of beverages and food. He was most notably a manufacturer of Smirnoff Vodka and A1 steak sauce.

2, While hiking with his wife on Talcott Mountain, Gilbert promised her he would one day build her a tower.

3. Ronald Reagan, Prescott Bush and Dwight D. Eisenhower were guests at the tower during the 1950s. The staff threw an election party for Eisenhower during the 1950s.

4. The Hartford Times used the tower to operate its FM station from 1948 to 1950.

5. The State of Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection now manages the tower.

Trail: 8/10-The trail is short, considering Talcott Mountain spans only three miles at its widest point. The trail, however, offers a nice view of the Greater Hartford area a short distance from the top.

View from Tower and Mountain 9/10-From the top of the tower, you’ll get a great view of Farmington, West Hartford, Bloomfield, Simsbury and the Farmington River. The tower offers a panoramic view of the Hartford skyline, the Farmington River, the Farmington valley, Mt. Tom and four New England states. We were more than delighted to receive these incredible views for free. The view from the top of the tower was a perfect way to top off our hike.

In a nutshell: 36/40-We thoroughly enjoyed our hike and we recommend you visit for….

-The free parking

-The scenic trail

-The historic Heublein Tower

-The Snapple machine inside the tower. (This machine offers Snapple in a can. A rarity at most venues).

-The view from the top of the tower and the top of the mountain.

Apollo’s Pizza and Pasta

Overall Grade: B+

Location: 775 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT

Website Menu

Atmosphere: 9/10-Our hike inspired us to venture into Simsbury for lunch. We stumbled upon Apollo’s Pizza and Pasta on Hopmeadow street, a five minute drive from the mountain. When we entered the restaurant, we we noticed the small, classy interior. You’ll notice that the staff advertises Avery’s Soda at the front counter. Avery’s Soda is old fashioned soda that comes in a glass bottle. Avery’s boasts a variety of flavors from Black Cherry to odder flavors such as Bug Barf soda. No, we’re not kidding. The old fashioned sodas sparked us with a sense of wonder about the menu items.

Service: 9/10-We appreciated our service. We received our food in under 15 minutes and constant refills from our waitress.

Price/selection of lunch: 4.5/5-The lunch menu is noticeably cheaper than the dinner menu. Entrees average around $10 to $14. You’ll receive a considerable amount of food for the price you pay.

Price/selection of dinner: 3.5/5-Entrees ranges from $11.5o to $19.50. A large, traditional pizza costs only $11.25! This is considerably cheaper than the price for most large pizzas. If you want a large, gourmet pizza you will pay around $18. Apollo’s entrees are still considerably cheaper than many restaurants in Simsbury.

Taste: 8.5/10-We enjoyed our entrees but expected slightly more because of the flavorful composition of the dish. The portion size definitely matches the price. You won’t leave the restaurant hungry.

In a nutshell: 34.5/40-Apollo’s scores a solid B+ for its good food, good service and great lunch prices. We recommend you visit, especially if you’re looking for a nice hole in the wall restaurant after you hike Talcott Mountain. Check out our top four picks for the most creative items!

1. The Simsbury Burger (this may not be the name). Apollo’s does not have a lunch a menu online so we cannot double check.

2. Scallops Ala Vodka

3. Florentine Pizza

4. Eggplant Rollatini

Below you’ll find additional pics from our Simsbury adventure!

Historical Ghost Tours in New Haven & Quick Tips on Groupon/Living Social

July 29, 2012January 4, 2015 ~ ctsnapshot ~ 2 Comments

There are a lot of interesting deals on the Groupon and Living Social websites. These websites seem to offer great deals on dining, fun activities, products and vacations because of their intriguing descriptions. Recently, Groupon posted a deal for CoCo Key Water Resort, an indoor water resort in Waterbury. The Groupon description reads, “Regardless of the weather outside, CoCo Key Water Resort simulates an 84-degree Key West day.” A Key West setting in Waterbury? This sounds amazing and a little too good to be true. When we scrolled down to the reviews, we noticed 143 reviews with an average two star rating. One user wrote, “The smell inside was horrible who knows if they even use chlorine to sanitize. Asked an employee for the manager and didn’t see anyone for at least 20 min until we asked someone else.” Many of the other reviews mirrored this one. Before buying a Groupon or Living Social Deal, always check the reviews and purchase at your own risk.

Of course, many deals on Groupon match their descriptions. El Flamboyan in Wallingford exceeded our expectations with their savory Puerto Rican cuisine. Groupon offers the catchy descriptions to get the ball rolling on business. Businesses that choose to use Groupon either live up to those standards or fall short of them. We gave Groupon another go with the Historical Ghost tours of New Haven. Connecticut missed out on Halloween last year due to a violent snowstorm. We’ve been craving some creepy fun ever since. This is how our night played out-

Walking Tours of New Haven

Historical Ghost Tours (approx 90 minutes)

Overall Grade: B-

Meeting Place: 1070 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT

Website Groupon

Contact: info@walkingtoursofnewhaven.com.

Atmosphere: 8.5/10-If you’re not from the New Haven area, you might have trouble finding parking. If you can’t find street parking on Chapel Street, we recommend you park at the garage on College Street where the Shubert Theatre lies. Chapel Street is a short walk from the garage. We met our tour guide and our group in front of the Starbucks on Chapel Street. Our tour guide led us to a number of interesting destinations in a ninety minute period. We wished could have gone inside some of the tour destinations. If we were allowed to go inside the Grove Street cemetery or the Skull & Bones society, we would have enjoyed the tour a lot more. Check out our picks for the most interesting destinations:

Skull & Bones Secret Society: Located on High St, this secret society is known for its mysterious rituals and traditions. The ghost of Geronimo, a famous Apache chief, supposedly haunts these grounds. Legend has it that Prescott Bush, our former presidents’ father and grandfather, stole Geronimo’s skull from his burial site. The members of the secret society reportedly require new members to kiss Geronimo’s skull!

New Haven Green: Bounded by Chapel, Church, Elm and College Streets, the green rests over thousands of burials of yellow fever victims that died during the late 1700s.

Grove Street Cemetery: This is cemetery is home to many historical figures such as Eli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin and Noah Webster, the creator of the Webster Dictionary. Grove Street Cemetery is also home to Midnight Mary. You can read her story on Damned Connecticut.

Service: 8.5/10-Our tour guide displayed vast knowledge of New Haven’s haunted history. She was quirky but did not project the spooky vibe one might expect for this type of tour. Nonetheless, we enjoyed following our tour guide to the various destinations on the tour and listening to her stories.

Price: 6.5/10-Without the Groupon deal, Historical Ghost Tours loses points on its price. $25 per person is steep for a 90 minute tour, especially one that does not venture into most of its destinations.

Variety: 8.5/10-The tour covers a handful of places in a 90 minute period. We found this to be the most desirable aspect of the tour.

In a nutshell: 32/40-Historical Ghost Tours in New Haven-it’s a good idea and has a lot of interesting elements. We recommend you try this tour if they launch another Groupon deal or if you feel the price matches the quality. We would like to look into more of Connecticut’s haunted history and we’ll most likely try this type of tour again in the near future.

Nos gusta Los Mariachis en Wallingford

July 27, 2012January 4, 2015 ~ ctsnapshot ~ Leave a comment

Update: 8/1/12-The Groupon deal has ended but the regular menu prices are still decent at an average of $10-$12 per entree.

Connecticut has an abundance of “Mexican” restaurants. From On the Border to Azteca, you can find Tex-Mex restaurants in almost every town. With Christina’s birthday around the corner, I decided to assemble a surprise party at a Mexican restaurant. I chose Los Mariachis Grill because as a hole in the wall restaurant, it stood the chance of looking and tasting authentic. Hole in the wall restaurants tend to be family owned and stay true to the culture in terms of food and decorations. We genuinely enjoyed the company of friends and good Mexican food.

Los Mariachis Grill

Overall Grade: A-

Location: 105 North Colony Street, Wallingford, CT

Website Facebook Menu Groupon

Atmosphere: 9/10-Los Mariachis has a small interior. It does, however, offer a bar and outside seating. You’ll notice a few paintings on the wall but nothing that screams authentically Mexican. Los Mariachis could benefit by adding a few more paintings and possibly some music. We enjoyed Los Mariachis cozy size. Unlike most chain restaurants, Los Mariachis isn’t burdened by crowds or long waits. Unfortunately, the parking lot is unequipped to handle many cars so you might have to park on the street. Update: The last time we visited, we enjoyed a wonderful Mariachi band!

Service: 9/10-Los Mariachis was short staffed for a busy night. Our waitress was friendly but rarely refilled our drinks. We were impressed that our appetizers and entrees arrived quickly. When the plates arrived, they were steaming hot and looked delicious. Like El Flamboyan, the staff paid attention to the ambiance of our meals. We liked the way the staff separated the toppings for our entrees. This gives the customer culinary creative control!

Price/selection: 8/10-Los Mariachis’ prices are decent. The same goes for their entrees, specials and appetizer variety. Entrees average around $11 or $12. We took advantage of Los Mariachis’ Groupon deal. This allows you to purchase $20 worth of food for $10. This is a good deal! Please note that you are only allowed to use one Groupon per table. We didn’t read the fine print and ended up paying a little more than we expected. We were slightly disappointed by the gratuity charge on our bill. We understand that restaurants want to be tipped, but, we feel good tips depend on good service. We appreciated our service and would have liked to determine its worth on our own.

Taste: 9.5/10- Los Mariachis won over taste buds. We loved the “kick” to the hot sauce, the appetizers and the entrees. Tex Mex restaurants tend to dilute the spiciness because of the age-old stereotype about American distaste for spicy foods. We loved that the dishes made zero apologies for their spice quality. We also loved the portion size. You receive plenty of food for your money. We recommend you try the giant burritos or the flavorful fajitas.

Extra credit: 0.5-Los Mariachis offers delivery! This is an added bonus for residents of Wallingford.

In a nutshell: 36/40- In all, we enjoyed our experience at Los Mariachis and we plan to use our other Groupon soon! We recommend you try Los Mariachis for the great taste and large portion size. Be aware of the gratuity charges and the limited parking spaces when you visit.

Did you know? We also tutor. Click here to check out NimbleFox, our tutoring website!

Hiking in Connecticut: Sleeping Giant in Hamden

July 27, 2012January 4, 2015 ~ ctsnapshot ~ Leave a comment

If you’re looking to take advantage of Connecticut’s wonderful weather this summer, why not go for hike! There are hundreds of hiking trails in our state and many of them lead to great views. Whether you’re an experienced climber or you’ve only gazed at mountains from afar, Connecticut has hikes for all levels and ages. I’ve hiked across the country since the age of twelve as a member of the Highpointers Club. Christina, a city girl at heart, is fairly new to the hiking scene. Regardless of our differences, we enjoy what Connecticut has to offer in terms of hiking. On Sunday, we climbed Sleeping Giant in Hamden. Here is how our afternoon panned out-

Sleeping Giant

Overall Grade: B

Address: Sleeping Giant State Park, 200 Mount Carmel Avenue, Hamden, CT

Website

Parking Fee: 8/10-The parking fee is $10. If you’re planning on camping overnight, this is not a bad fee. If you’re only planning on a day hike, however, it might seem kind of steep.

Atmosphere: 9/10-Sleeping Giant lies in Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden. The park is across the street from Quinnipiac University, a private institution with an enrollment of approximately 5900 students. A large fraction of those students hiked Sleeping Giant on Sunday. Most of the other hikers included families with small children and teenagers. The park offers hiking, picnicking, camping and fishing. The mountain offers a lookout tower, a modest nature trail and a scenic view. You’ll find plenty to do if you decide to spend the day.

Trail: 8.5/10-The trail is only 1.5 miles long. The park’s website calls it “scenic” but the mountain is cloaked by trees until you get to the top. We enjoyed the historical trail markers we found along the way. You’ll also notice a modest amount of wild life.

The view: 9/10-When you reach the top, you’ll find a nice view of Long Island Sound and the New Haven area from the stone observation tower!

In a nutshell: 34.5/40-If you’re looking for a nice quick hike with a great view, Sleeping Giant delivers. We recommend you take advantage of the park’s fishing and camping opportunities to make the most of your parking fee.

Hole In The Walls: Monster Mini Golf & RollerMagic

July 15, 2012January 4, 2015 ~ ctsnapshot ~ Leave a comment

Okay, we admit it. We promise to review “fun” and “food” but we’ve kind of strayed away from the “fun” aspect lately. It’s the weekend. You’ve enjoyed a great meal at an unconventional restaurant. Now, you want to enjoy yourself. You want move around! You want to be active! Or, somewhat active. We recently visited Monster Mini Golf in Windsor Locks and Roller Magic in Waterbury for our after-meal fun. Monster Mini Golf is a glow in the dark, indoor miniature golf course with plenty of scary props and a decent sized arcade. Roller Magic is a combination of a roller rink and an arcade. This is the breakdown-

Monster Mini Golf in Windsor Locks

Overall Grade: B+

NEW ADDRESS: 14 starr road, Danbury, CT

Facebook

Course: 8.5/10-When we entered Monster Mini Golf, we immediately noticed the glow in the dark lighting and Halloween themed props. We felt as if we stepped into an episode of 90′s Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid Of The Dark, a Twilight Zone/camp fire story show for kids and nostalgic adults. Are You Afraid Of The Dark featured an episode with a murderous clown named Zeebo who haunts a fun house. The creepy clown face (see the picture above) reminded us of him! Monster Mini Golf changes their props around Christmas to create a Nightmare Before Christmas feel! We found the course itself a little tricky. You need to calculate each shot around winding corners and tricky props. We enjoyed the challenge but felt that it slows down the progress of the game. You might spend a little extra time waiting from one hole to another.

Service: 9/10-We appreciated the creativity of the staff. During your game, a staff member will announce an upcoming challenge for players with a certain color ball. Another staff member (wearing a white lab coat) will randomly select a player for a challenge. The staff member challenged me to a mini golf shoot off! The objective: one hole, one shot. The person who putts closest to the hole wins the challenge. Unfortunately, I lost the challenge. Nonetheless, he awarded me with glow in the dark fangs as a complimentary prize!

Price of Course: 8.5/10-$8 for adults. $7 for kids. It’s a fairly standard price among mini golf courses in Connecticut. Monster Mini Golf will offer discount deals on their facebook page. They’ll often post secret words for weekly discounts on group games. Check back with their facebook page often for secret words and other prizes. Monster Mini Golf held a costume sweepstakes last October.

Arcade: 9/10-We loved their arcade! It’s a nice kick back to the 80s/90s with classic games like Pacman and shuffle board. Like drive-in movies, Connecticut seems to lack arcades so it’s always a delight when we find one.

In a nutshell: 35/40-Monster Mini Golf delivers Halloween fun all year round and pays respect to the classics with its retro arcade. Despite its tricky course, we recommend you visit for the creative staff, spooky props, glow in the dark lighting and, of course, Zeebo the clown! We will be back very soon (especially for Halloween). Here are the top three features we would love to see the staff add to Monster Mini Golf:

1. Scarier music: Music enhances the atmosphere of any environment. Scary music would definitely compliment the spooky props.

2. Remixed holes: Mini golf courses change up the structure of their holes every once in awhile. We would love for Monster Mini golf to add new, spooky holes with different obstacle courses when the customers least expect it. People love the element of unpredictability!

3. Tournaments: Farmington Mini Golf holds a tournament every August. The top prize pays $100. Monster Mini Golf could hold a tournament at Halloween that pays this amount.

On a final note: There are several Monster Mini Golf courses throughout the U.S. and Canada. We would love to see more of them in the Hartford county area. Monster Mini Golf will soon open in Stamford and Orange.

Roller Magic in Waterbury

a.k.a Waterbury Skating Center

Overall Grade: A-

Location: 60 Harvester Road, Waterbury, CT

Website Facebook

Atmosphere: 9.5/10-RollerMagic is located in a part of Waterbury that looks like San Fransisco with its very long streets and houses/condos with decks on each story. The rink itself is hidden behind some factory buildings. These factors added to the adventure. They made us feel like we were in a place far removed from our state. When we found the rink, we discovered a parking lot filled with cars! We knew then that this place was a community secret. Families, teenagers and young adults poured into the rink the way college students pour into clubs in downtown New Haven. But unlike those clubs, the RollerMagic holds the crowd with ease. The building is spacious. It contains a large rink, a small food venue and an average sized arcade. We enjoyed skating around the rink for a good hour and a half. Christina showed off her roller blading expertise while I tried to stay on my feet. You could tell the customers were regulars by their expertise as well. We enjoyed watching the skaters show off their jumps, dance moves and other crazy tricks.

Service: 9/10-RollerMagic has fast and friendly service. No matter the size of the crowd, their staff takes care of you in a jiffy. They make you sign a waiver before you skate but do their best to ensure the safety of the skaters. The staff will skate around the rink to prevent any injuries or other difficulties. If you have any questions, they will be happy to help you. If you ask them questions while you’re skating, be sure to watch where you’re going!

Price: 8.5/10-The price is relatively cheap compared to other skate rinks in Conneticut. They offer deals at certain times during the week. Click here for more detailed information. RollerMagic could benefit by using Groupon like Ron-A-Roll Skating Center in Vernon does.

Arcade: 9/10-This is yet another arcade that pays tribute to the classic arcade games and incorporates new games as well. We liked the fact that Pacman costs only 25 cents per player! This is definitely reminiscent of the older arcades.

In a nutshell: 36/40-Whether you’re a skating pro like Christina or a skating novice (to put it nicely) like me, you’ll have a lot of fun at RollerMagic. You will burn A LOT of calories without realizing you’re doing so! Here are the top three features we would love to see the staff add to RollerMagic:

1. Larger lockers: Larger lockers would offer more room for the customer’s items.

2. A wider variety of snacks: This would attract more customers who feel hungry or thirsty after a round of skating.

3. Skate competitions: I won’t be participating in these anytime soon but it would be nice to see roller derby make a comeback!