First Impressions: Taino and Krust

Taino Smokehouse opened recently on South Main Street, and I'd driven by the sign dozens of times thinking that a tobacco warehouse mart had opened up there. I was searching online for information about the new Krust Pizza restaurant that I'd spotted on Main Street, when I stumbled on a local food blog called Foodasaurus that had a review of Krust and one about Taino Smokehouse too. That is how I discovered Taino Smokehouse is a restaurant serving smoked meats and barbeque, and not a cigarette discount store. I immediately ordered takeout, selecting a wide range of menu items for me and my spouse to try out.

When I went to pick up the food, I told the server how, since the restaurant can't really be seen from the street at all, just the sign can, I'd been surprised to learn this was a restaurant and not a tobacco outlet and she said, “Everybody says that. But we have word of mouth.” Well, you do have word of mouth, (and word of blogs), but you also have a sign, and while I'm no marketing expert, I have deduced that the sign was placed there to inform the public about your establishment. But based on my experience and your admission, it falls short. Three little letters added onto the sign might be just the thing to attract more diners. (Hint: B-B-Q). End of that lecture, and back to the food.

While my husband thought the pulled pork was delicious, and Foodasaurus wrote that “Taino is among the best BBQ in CT”, I liked it but I wasn't as completely thrilled. To be fair, this isn't my favorite type of food and no matter how great a piece of meat is, I'm never going to be one to rave about it. Here are my impressions for whatever they're worth, and don't just listen to me – check them out on Yelp where they have many lengthy reviews of high praise.

I thought that the pork was moist and sweet. My brisket had a really nice “crust” that tasted like it had been made pastrami-style with coriander seeds, but the meat was on the dry, chewy side. The sauce that came with it was deliciously tangy but there was barely any of it. The cole slaw was fresh but too wet for my taste and nothing special. The corn bread muffins had a delicious taste but were crisply burnt around the edges and pretty dry. I still ate them both, so that is a testament to the great taste. The collard greens were cooked very well and with quite a bit of meat fat, which was tasty, but not so healthy, which is usually my goal when eating greens. The macaroni and cheese was delicious in a way that was reminiscent of childhood more than of high quality cheese, because it tasted like a jar of Cheez Whiz mixed in with cooked elbow noodles. It was creamy and salty in a kind of good way, but two small bites were enough for me. My husband had no problem with eating the rest of it. The noodles were cooked really well and weren't mushy. Overall, Taino Smokehouse is definitely worth trying out. I've since heard they have very good burgers there too, so I'll be back to check that out. They have about eight or so tables inside so you can dine in with wait service. It's right next to Ace Hardware.

As for Krust, our conclusion was that we'd go back to have a drink at the bar and that might lead to pizza eating, but we'd continue to prefer Mondo or even Jerry's or Illiano's for our strong pizza-as-comfort-food cravings. Krust had only been open for a few days when we visited, so may have been ironing out the kinks. We'll try the pizza again, it's not that it wasn't tasty. It was just very thick and bready, surprisingly so for wood fired oven pizza. The toppings were delicious but scarce. The tomato sauce was great but I couldn't get a mouthful of it. There just wasn't enough, probably the balance that keeps the crust from getting soggy is a very tricky thing. We had a mushroom pizza, and the mushrooms were intensely earthy and delicious, and even permeated the whole pizza, but even so there could have been more. A couple of the slices had one mushroom, a couple had two, and a few had none at all. Krust is not just a pizza restaurant, it's also a bourbon bar. Another area where I'm not the best person to give a full review. I didn't partake of any alcohol there, but my husband had the New Orleans classic Sazerac and said it was excellent and just as good as the ones he's had in it's city of origin. Hence our plan to visit the bar again in the future.

A few other new restaurants have opened in Middletown relatively recently, none of which I have tried yet. Any Eye readers out there who want to take a shot at writing a review, we'd be happy to post your critiques and musings. The places I'm thinking of are Stella D'Oro Italian restaurant in Metro Square, Michael's Deli on Broad Street, and Michael's Restaurant on Main Street. Or tell us about any meal you've had around town.

Cafe 56 - The Best

A couple months ago, I reported on the then upcoming Restaurant Week event and my sheer joy at having experienced the food of new Middletown star Cafe 56. I've gone back to Cafe 56 at least half a dozen times since then. Cafe 56 is officially my new favorite place. I hope it will become yours too. If it's not already, then maybe you haven't tried it. Please do.

As the chef-owner of Cafe 56 rang up my lunch tab at the counter she asked me how the food was. I opened my mouth and found myself searching my vocabulary and not finding the right words to express how delicious it was. The food is so fresh, so tasty, and so well prepared that it is in a class above any other restaurant in town that I can think of. They make everything fresh, from breads for the sandwiches to the potato chips next to them to every pool of sauce and dollop of condiment on the plate. The chilera sauce blends the grassy heat of jalapenos in absolute proportion with the rich creamy dressing. The pimento mojo sauce is so perfectly balanced between tangy and sweet it makes you want to taste more and more of it. The salsa hits all the right notes.

The sandwiches at Cafe 56 are nothing at all like the conventional quick and easy, make leftovers palatable, don't have to cook anything, utilitarian variety. The chicken in the Mexicano sandwich is moist and well seasoned. It is clear that the flavorful dark meat of the chicken was prepared just to be the main highlight here. The shrimp in the Baja sandwich is plentiful and melts in your mouth, while the salsa is bright and the slaw is crunchy as can be, offsetting the richness of the shrimp and the avocado that dresses the sandwich too. The bread has a flaky crust and holds up to the moistness of the fillings without being too thick or chewy.

Don't even get me started on breakfast. All I can say is that you should avoid Cafe 56 if you have any problem with perfectly cooked eggs, tall fluffy biscuits, smooth creamy sauce, or oatmeal that is not gluey or bland and actually tastes like oats.

Did I mention the quiche, soup, puffed pancakes, or homemade pastries? No I did not, because I haven't yet had the chance to try these, but I am eagerly awaiting future dining visits. Did I mention  the savory empanadas or interestingly vibrant salads? No I did not, because I don't have any more superlatives left. Did I mention that I recommend this place to anyone looking for a relaxed and flavorful meal?

The space is small in a pleasant and cozy way, with brick walls and soft lighting, a few tables, two window booths, and a sleek counter with stools. The staff is friendly and the service is fast. The prices are reasonable; it usually costs about $20 to $25 for me and my spouse to eat a meal and also get  some extra takeaway treat. The staff easily answer any questions about ingredients. Their quick answers exude their pride in their food and show it's clear that they have 100% control and knowledge of everything they put on your plate. The location is easy to get in and out; I had no trouble finding close parking at any time. They are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. It is located on Court Street between Main Street and the river (across from the court house).

Cafe 56 has mastered the art of providing variety while remaining consistent. They have mastered the art of having a small menu while providing a seeming plethora of choices. They have mastered the art of shutting me up, rendering me speechless and without complaint. Now that is quite an accomplishment.

Can't Wait to Go Back to Cafe Fifty Six

There are a lot of restaurants that I like in Middletown, but frankly, there are many that leave me bored, disappointed, or worst, with a stomachache. There are a lot of restaurants around here that just seem to have gotten lazy and started cutting corners with the quality of their food. I don't want to name any specific places, though I can easily recall at least a dozen so-so to really bad meals over the last year. What I'm talking about is dry, unseasoned chicken, cold food, bland pasta, and salsa out of a five-gallon bucket (yes I can see that you chopped fresh cilantro into it but no that does not rescue the old tomato mush that it is). What I'm talking about is a dish on the special menu described as being on a bed of asparagus that arrived with zero asparagus on the plate, a person sitting near me in a cafe complaining to the manager about moldy tomatoes in her salad. And speaking of salad, there are lots of sad, droopy examples around here, without a cucumber, a carrot, or a radish to be found among the lettuce. So I won't out any specific restaurants; there is almost too much bad food to talk about. I prefer to write about the meals I've enjoyed and give positive recognition to the places that I hope others will patronize.

Middletown is gaining a reputation as a dining out destination. The first annual Restaurant Week is coming up later this month and that will be an opportunity for the participating restaurants to shine and to showcase Middletown as a restaurant city. More information available: http://middletownrestaurantweek.com/. With all the restaurants here and the gaining popularity of culinary pursuits in general, I hope that all of the restaurants around town will take a hard look at the food they're putting out and the experience they are providing. Restaurant managers should occasionally read what people are saying are about them on Yelp, TripAdvisor, and other review sites. They should watch a few episodes of Kitchen Nightmares. They should talk to their customers. No doubt some are already doing this, but I hope that more will start to on a path to continuous improvement rather than skating by on past success.

Unlimited choice is not necessarily a good thing. In the case of restaurants, a one-page menu with a dozen choices makes me feel hopeful and possibly even confident that I am about to eat a quality meal. Contrast that with a menu that goes on for pages on end. An excessive amount of choices signals a mediocre meal ahead, as so many different items cannot possibly all be fresh and well prepared. In my observation, an unending or overambitious menu tends to create a hit or miss reputation for a restaurant. We all know of places that are known for some signature dish that gets good reviews, but everybody knows not to order certain things there. Well, if it's not good, why have it on the menu? I don't like having to remember what's good and what not to order at a particular place when I go out to eat. I want to know that anything I choose will be worth the cost of eating out.

When I walked into the newly open Cafe Fifty Six on Court Street, I was pleased to find a short and simple menu and the day's specials highlighted and easy to see on the board. Deciding what to eat was quick and easy, the plates were visually appealing, and every bite of the food was incredibly fresh and full of flavor. It was easy to see and taste that everything was made from scratch including the sauces and dressings. Stay tuned for a full review coming soon.

I hope that new competition as good as this might eventually help to elevate all the dining quality in Middletown. I know that for me, since I don't eat out all that often, to put a great new find like Cafe Fifty Six into my rotation will mean I'll stop going to some other place that just isn't hitting the spot anymore. Cafe Fifty Six is a participant in the above-mentioned Restaurant Week and I hope that is a success for all involved. I definitely am looking forward to more meals at Cafe Fifty Six.

Lemonade Quest

I love a tall cold glass of lemonade in the summer. Fresh lemonade, that is. Call me a food snob if you will, but powdered mixes or chemical laden swill need not apply for this job. The cheapest and easiest way to have fresh lemonade of course is to make it yourself. All you have to do is juice some lemons, add some sugar into hot water to make a syrup, and mix together with ice cubes and extra water as needed. Don't wimp out on squeezing the lemons and try to substitute that bottled concentrate available in the produce section of the grocery store. My taste buds detect a Windex-like quality in that stuff, probably due to the preservatives added. Some people can't taste this or aren't bothered by it, but I still proclaim it unacceptable.

Even though fresh lemonade is easy to make, sometimes I just don't feel like doing it. So as a backup plan, I've done some reconnaissance missions to find out where in Middletown a good fresh lemonade can be found. Here's what I know, which I am happy to share with you, dear readers of the Eye.