Ellen Stardust Diner - New York City

I had many good experiences in New York City, but the one that stood out the most was the worst experience, of course. I would have to say that it was the single worst dining experience in my entire life. I must tell you that I was extremely hungover and had just woke up. My friend Kelly and I walked around Manhattan in search for a place to eat where we wouldn't have to stand in line for an hour before getting seated.

We found a place called Ellen Stardust Diner that looked nice enough and there was no line out front, score. We walked in and were seated right away, score. The seats were cramped and we were next to the server station and bar, no score. Usually this wouldn't be a problem, but at this restaurant, it proved to be a hazard. The music was loud but wasn't that big of deal, at first. After ordering off of the extremely over priced menu, $21.99 for a freaking cheeseburger, and getting our drinks, I realized that our server, instead of serving us, was singing and dancing around the restaurant.

Our food didn't take long, but some other person than our server served it to us - she was too busy dancing around. The food was ok. The cuisine offered is that of your typical diner food, burgers, fries, shakes and meatloaf. I wouldn't say it was great, nor would I say it was worth the money they wanted. Kelly ordered chicken fettucini Alfredo which didn't seem to have any sauce or flavor. The burger I ordered was like two inches thick and reminded me of a hockey puck. The fries served were crispy and good, but nothing special. Nothing was special about this place, except for the singing waitstaff. I guess I should be nice, they are trying to get on Broadway, and I mistakingly patronized it unknowingly - this is not their fault. BUT, I would never go back. I don't like people singing in my face, nor do I appreciate being ignored by my waitress so she can sing and dance. On that note, the music was so extremely loud, Kelly and I couldn't even talk to each other, let alone ask a member of the waitstaff for extra sauce. I also had a problem with the servers sanding on the back of my chair and dancing, kicking my seat while I was trying to eat. Not only that but I also had someone singing in my face and jangling bells and just causing me to want to bolt without paying. I did pay, but after the waitress chased me down to demand more of a tip, it made me want to rethink paying for this horrible experience. 

Normall, I have something good to say about the restaurant, but not this time. This restaurant offended and appalled me in a way that I can't believe this place is popular. I guess if you like people singing in your face while you try to eat instead of serving you, go to this diner. If you are like me and want to actually get service when you pay over $20 for a cheeseburger, go to another restaurant, even if you have to wait 30 minutes, it will be worth the wait.
View Larger Map

Recent food I have eaten

Look forward to my review on Mad Eliza's, a new cupcake shop on Wanamaker.

One can expect to find yumminess at LaRocca's

View Larger Map


LaRocca's surprised me with awesome pizza and mozzarella sticks. The service was great too. The people that worked there were friendly and willing to accommodate their guests. I noticed the owner working right alongside the employees. The husband runs the second location on Gage and his wife runs the original location on Urish Road. I went to the one on Gage.

Not only did the service impress me, so did the food. I loved the mozzarella sticks because they were baked, not deep-fat fried like most, and they didn't take forever, either. Five come with an order and they are accompanied by marinara sauce or ranch dressing - I chose marinara sauce. The pizza was a small meat lovers without the beef, because my friend doesn't like beef. I personally would have been happy with the beef, but you know how that goes.

Anyway, Larocca's offer much more than just pizza. What caught my eye were the baked sandwiches, called submarines. I am looking forward to trying one of those soon. Additionally, lasagna, spaghetti, cannoli and salads are offered on their menu. It's a pretty standard Italian menu with no big surprises and everything I have tried has been good. I plan to return for one of their submarine sandwiches and maybe some lasagna.

If you want to check out their menu, it's available on their website, www.laroccaspizza.net, and their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/topekalaroccaspizza?fref=ts where you can find more photos and information about the place.  I look forward to returning and maybe even driving across town to the one on Urish Road.

Boca Cafe

A new place called Boca Cafe opened last month in the College Hill area, across from the Burger Stand. When I first walked in, what caught my eye was the local art on the wall and the cheese grater lamps hanging form the ceiling. There are various tables and chairs and booths around the room with a counter to order at.  The menu consists of artisanal sandwiches and salads, a soup of the day and three vegetarian options. There are also breakfast menu items available as well. Although it may seem simple the menu items each have a special twist and tons of flavor.

            The first salad I tried was called the Drunken salad with marinated tomatoes, sliced artichokes and brandy-soaked mozzarella tossed in mixed greens. The dressing is a simple balsamic vinaigrette that compliments the ingredients nicely. The sun-dried tomatoes seem to be made on-site as well as the croutons that are made out of their focaccia bread.  I like their croutons because they aren’t hard like pre-bought croutons. They are crispy on the outside and spongy on the inside and soak up the dressing just enough so they aren’t soggy, and at the same time, they aren’t so crispy they cut your mouth. It’s called the drunken salad because the mozzarella is soaked in E&J brandy and when eating the salad the taste of brandy is there, but not overpowering, either.

For lunch, the salad came with a small cup of their soup of the day. That day, (and the second day I came back, actually,) it was tomato-basil. It was thick and bright red, with a hint of basil. I was impressed with the soup and salad so I decided to come back for more.

            I am very happy I decided to come back. On my second visit, I ordered the special of the day, a Monte Cristo sandwich. This sandwich had sauerkraut, which I personally don’t like but kept it on there, smoked turkey and provolone cheese. I also chose to have it made on focaccia bread – if you don’t like focaccia bread, they have several kinds to choose from. The best part is the raspberry jam, spread on the bread, but I also like to have it on the side for dipping. I ended up liking the combination with the sauerkraut so I am glad I forgot to ask for none – some things are just meant to be, and I really think the sauerkraut is one of those things. It pairs nicely with the sweetness of the raspberry jam and the smokiness of the turkey. No one flavor overpowered the other, they blended well together to make a perfectly balanced sandwich.

            The other sandwiches offered include a Cuban sandwich, which consists of pork, mustard, sweet pickles and provolone cheese; the B.L.A.T., which is like a BLT only with avocado, herb aioli, lettuce, tomato and a choice of prosciutto or bacon; and the Affamato with smoked ham, salami, pepperoni, mozzarella and sun-dried tomato marinara. For sides the café offers the soup of the day, rice chips, chickpea chips or a salad. There are many other choices on the menu than what are listed here and in the next week there will be a breakfast menu featuring waffles and waffle sandwiches. Also, in six months, the menu will be changed completely.

            I highly recommend checking this place out. My husband and I really enjoyed this place and plan to go back many times in the future. I want to return and try their waffles and other breakfast items because I hear they are just as amazing as the rest of the food.

Ok, so the address is 1414 SW 16th Street, here in Topeka. I can't get the Google map to generate the correct map. In the future when it works, I will post it. And here's their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Boca.Cafe.at.College.Hill

Red Red Robin

View Larger Map

I finally ate at Red Robin. I think there’s been one in Topeka for at least six years but I never had a reason to try it out. My sister gave my husband and I a gift card for Christmas so we couldn’t let that go to waste.

            Upon entering, the restaurant looked like a sit-down restaurant and was decorated in an American-like theme – sort of like a fancy drive-thru. I didn’t notice any particular theme in the décor, some were photos of classic American movies and next to where we sat was a life-size carousel horse, which I thought was creepy. The servers were friendly and I enjoyed their prompt service.

            We started off with an appetizer, of course, the Game Day Nachos. I thought the Towering Onion Rings looked pretty cool because they stack them up to look like a tower, clever, but I didn’t want a fried appetizer on top of a greasy burger and fries – good ole’ Weight Watchers. Anyway, that came pretty fast and with a whole heaping gob of guacamole on the top, which was much appreciated. The nachos come with hamburger queso, black beans, pico da gallo, cilantro, sour cream and fresh jalepenos all on tri-colored tortilla chips. This was pretty tasty and the guacamole was zesty and the perfect touch.

            The burgers came next. I decided to order something other than the plain cheeseburger this time and went for one with more avocado because I love it so much. So I of course ordered the Guacamole Bacon Burger with fries and my husband ordered the Burnin’ Love Burger, both cooked medium. The menu actually has a lot more to offer than just burger, as I originally thought the case. They have an entrée section, which I only glanced at, it includes seafood options like fish and chips and a chicken pasta. There is a section of chicken sandwiches, salads and wraps. You can check out their menu on their website, Redrobin.com. There you can see a huge photo of the burger or entrée and get a full description.

            The burger I got was cooked medium like I asked for and had more of the guac on it that I enjoyed in my appetizer, so that was cool. I took off some of the bacon because I am trying to eat healthier than I used to, but I left about half of it on there. It also had melted Swiss cheese, onions, lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise. It was a little messy but I didn’t mind because it was so good. The only thing that would have been better is if I wasn’t on a diet and could have gotten refills on my steak fries. That’s another cool thing – if you order a burger you get bottomless steak fries with your meal. It wasn’t a big deal for me because I don’t really like steak fries, and these ones were ok because they weren’t huge like some. These were pretty small so the inside wasn’t so fluffy, I don’t really like that, I prefer crispy French fries.

            At that point I was incredibly full and ready for the check but they do have a good selection of shakes, smoothies and desserts. The one dessert that stood out to me was the Mile-High Mud Pie which looks like it could be shared with two to three people and gets its name from the fact that it’s so tall. You can go look at their menu and they have photos uploaded from guests who’ve taken photos with their smart phones.  

            Overall I was happy with my experience at Red Robin, but I think I would rather go to Burger Stand if I had to choose between the two. There wasn’t anything memorable or that stood out about Red Robin, at least not to me. It seemed like just another chain restaurant and will probably not be going back soon.  

photos from restaurants I have eaten at recently

College Hill Pizza Pub

View Larger Map

 So I have been hearing a lot about the new pizza place that opened up on College Hill a couple weeks ago. I finally decided to check it out today and was impressed with my food.

Walking in the pub definitely has a bar feel to it, with mini flat screens at every booth and larger ones stationed around the room. You can asked for the channel to be changed but most of the TVs are tuned into sports so if you want to watch a certain game, no matter, you will see it.

You go to the bar and tell the cook what sauce, toppings and cheese you want on your 10" personal pizza. That is the only size they offer at this point, and is enough to feed one person, maybe two depending on how hungry you are. The price starts at $5 for one topping and costs an additional $.50 per extra veggie and $.75 per extra meat or cheese.

For my first pizza I decided to go basic, despite the various ingredients they offer. What amazed me was the options available -- they weren't your run-of-the-mill basic pizza toppings. They had those too, but in addition I noticed lamb, chorizo, beef franks and meatballs. Their sauces were notable as well including refried beans, chipotle pesto and nacho cheese. I wanted to get a pizza I already knew I liked, so I chose the chunky marinara sauce, pepperoni, ground beef, cherry tomatoes and the three cheese blend.

I only waited 10-15 minutes for my pizza. It comes served in its own pizza box with styrofoam plates and parmesan cheese and dried red pepper on the tables. I used a little of the parmesan to soak up the small amount of grease on the top of the pizza, but there really wasn't much.

Everything about the pizza was good, the sauce, the meat and the cheese, there was just enough of it. The crust was fluffy yet crunchy and chewy at the same time. The portion of meat was generous, and the pepperoni was so good, it seemed fresh, like the kind you get in the deli.

Located at 1418 SW Lane, it's within walking distance of Washburn's campus and close to many other awesome businesses located at College Hill. The only downfall I could notice was they didn't offer a student discount, and if they did, it wasn't posted anywhere. I plan to go back sometime soon to try some of their different ingredients and sauces, and I recommend checking it out for yourself.