A large pile of plastic bags will be the ticket to free rides at Rye Playland on Saturday, June 28, for kids who take part in “Plastic Bag Day.”

Restaurant:
Neko Sushi & Hibachi
1817 Route 9
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
Tel: (845) 298 - 9869

Date & Time: 6/18/08 at 6:30 PM

Items ordered:
Seafood Combination
Shrimp & Scallop
Chicken & Scallop
Filet Mignon & Shrimp
Soda
Hot Saki
Fried Ice Cream

General Comments/Opinions*:

All of the Neko dinner meals come with a shrimp appetizer, soup, salad, fried rice, noodle, vegetables and green tea. For the dinner, you get to choose either chicken, steak, shrimp, salmon… rather than re-write Neko’s menu, you can see it for yourself here.

I recommend that you go to Neko’s with an appetite or else you’ll walk out with a doggie bag. Also, brush up on your chopstick eating technique. They give you forks and chopsticks so if you’re not good with chopsticks, you don’t have to feel embarrassed by asking for a fork. Neko also has ‘kiddie’ chopsticks, which are set up for young ones who haven’t quite mastered the art of eating with chopsticks.

We’ve eaten at Neko’s before and each time the food has been good. Eating at Neko is an experience that is enhanced by having an entertaining chef. Our chef was pleasant, skilled and very entertaining. His ability to toss an egg in the air and catch it on a metal spatula without breaking it is truly a learned art form. (I tried it at home once and we had scrambled eggs with a little shell as seasoning).

Because the food is cooked Hibachi style, the seating arrangement encompasses 3 sides of the large center-cooking skillet. If you’re fortunate enough to be seated with other diner’s, it can either enhance or detract from the experience.

We’ve had meals at Neko’s where the other patrons at our table became impromptu family members. The conversation flowed and a good time was had by all. We’ve also experienced less than friendly table mates, and we quickly realized that anything more than a passing nod would be inappropriate.

Our waitress was attentive enough, but had a rather disconcerting habit of reaching across the plate in order to reach the next person’s water. I don’t know about you, but I was taught not to reach across a person’s plate while they’re eating.

The first time, I thought it was an oversight, but after the third, fourth, or fifth time, it became quite annoying. It got to the point that when I saw her coming I took on the ‘protective’ stance over my plate for fear she would spill water of soda in it in an attempt to refill my sons’ water glass.

All in all, it was a positive experience. The food is consistently good and I would eat at Neko’s again.

*These are our opinions. Please visit the establishment and make your own decisions. We would be interested to know if you agree with us.

Review by: Felicia A. Williams

All VHV reviews are done anonymously

I’ve decided to get with the times. Rather than writing static web page reviews of the various restaurants and things to do around the Hudson Valley, I decided to use this blogging format. Therefore, I’m taking all of the old static pages and converting them so that they are blog compatible.

The blog format gives you a chance to voice your opinion too.

Over the next few weeks, you’ll see more and more reviews listed here.

Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy!

Location:

Healey Brothers
Healey Chrysler Dodge Jeep
557 Route 52
Beacon, NY
845-831-1148

Date: Friday, January 18, 2008

Purpose: NYS Inspection

As odd as this may sound, this experience left me feeling like my car was repaired over the internet. It was absolutely painless.

Here’s what happened:

For some reason my 2003 Jeep wouldn’t pass inspection at the local oil change establishment. They said something about a sensor in the Jeep was not triggering the proper signals so their computer was unable to issue a clean bill of health and pass the vehicle for inspection (yes, I was tagged with the dreaded “failed inspection”). The problem had to be rectified within 10 days. They recommended that the Jeep be taken to a Jeep dealer.

Here’s where Healey Brothers come into the picture. I called Healey on Thursday and they suggested I bring the car in on Friday. I opted for the night drop feature so I dropped the car off in the evening. I completed the night drop form and indicated that I would call them by 11:30 AM the following day.

Much to my surprise, the two-hour snow delay that plagued the local school system had no affect on Healey Brothers. By 9:00 in the morning, Healy was on the phone confirming the work to be done and explaining that they were halfway through the inspection. They made much needed recommendations as to how to keep my car running properly. They quoted the proposed work and asked for the go ahead in order to proceed.

It was no later than 11:00 AM when I received another call from Healey confirming that the work was done and the car was ready. Not only was the car ready, but they did it for slightly less than quoted. We settled the bill and it was all done. I picked the vehicle up that evening and happily drove it home.

General Comments:

Today’s experience was very much like an internet transaction. I never met Pete, the Service adviser, nor did I meet any of the service technicians. The closest I came to meeting a technician was when I dropped my car off and picked it up. At both times it was after 8:00 PM. Those Healey guys must work around the clock servicing their customers because the lights were on in the garage and I believe the technicians were working.

To top it all off, along with my receipt, I received a coupon for a Silver car wash compliments of Healey. Does it get any better than that? Healey gets a thumbs up from us!

Review by: Felicia A. Williams

Location:
Margarita’s Family Mexican Restaurant
1840 South Road
Wappingers Falls, NY
(845)297-5016

Date: June 18, 2007

Ambiance:

A colorful setup with booths along both sides of the restaurant with tables in the middle. The artwork on the hight seats of the booths can keep kids occupied for quite some time. There are all types of games they like to play regarding the artwork.

Items Ordered:

• Shrimp Enchilada
• Buritto & Fries
• Chilli Renyo & Pacific Chimmi Chunga - seafood
• Enchilada & Burrito beef
• Shrimp Enchilada
• Apple Burrito - deep fried with honey on top and apple in middle ice cream with Butterscotch topping on apple
• Fried ice cream in a pastry shell caramel on side or honey.
• Margarita & El Presidente Margarita

Let me begin this review by saying, you must bring your appetite when you visit Margarita’s. The portions are enough to feed a family for a week. You might want to ask your waiter to bring your doggie bag at the same time the food is delivered. It will save time in having to request it later.

Your meal starts with the small carafe of salsa along with fresh tortilla chips. My daughter gets a kick out of pouring the salsa into the small dipping receptacles.

The food portions are not only large, they are delicious. The shrimp enchilada is very well seasoned and cooked to perfection. The shrimp are cooked just right, not chewy and not raw. The rice is well seasoned, tasty and cooked to perfection. As far as I’m concerned, overcooked clumpy rise is not appetizing at all. Margarita’s knows how to properly cook rice.

The children’s meal was equally as tasty. When a chicken nugget and french fry loving child eats at Margarita’s and decided to hang up the nuggets, the restaurant is a resounding successes in my eyes.

In addition to bringing an appetite, if you decided to have the El Presidente Margarita, make sure you bring a hollow leg and a designated driver. It packs a mean punch. Being a larger than average woman, I am able to handle pretty much anything. Well, one sip was more than enough for me. I was glad I ordered the more generic Margarita.

Service:

Our waiter was courteous and very efficient. Addressed as amigo, Senor and Senora, I wish I had paid more attention to my teacher in Spanish class. I might have been able to show off a bit, but alas, I didn’t so I couldn’t.

Cost:

$99.95 (excluding tip)

General Comments:

We all thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the service at Margarita’s. As a matter of fact, we enjoyed it so much that we went back two weeks later. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoy’s Mexican food. Even if you don’t this is a good place to cut your teeth on something new.

*These are our opinions. Please visit the establishment and make your own decisions. We would be interested to know if you agree with us (All VHV reviews are done anonymously).

Review by: Felicia A. Williams

WHERE AND WHEN:
Double O Grill
1536 Route 9
Wappingers Falls, NY
845-297-7625

Type of Food: American
Date: Saturday, September 2, 2006
Time: 8:30 PM
Party Size 2 Adults 1 Child
Wait time to be seated: 5 minutes

OUR REVIEW/OPINION:*
Ambiance: The colors are dark, but warm. Some of the booths reminded me of an old fashioned diner (but a bit more upscale). Because it was the holiday weekend, it was rather noisy. We could barely hear the background music. The noise level, however, did not interfere with our dining experience.
Food Ordered:

• Bowl of Shrimp Bisque soup (unable to get a cup size - the bowl was HUGE)
• Appetizer - Rock Shrimp Spring Rolls with Mango sauce
• Bourbon Street Burger and Fries
• Arugula Seafood Salad
• Chicken Fingers and French Fries
• Death by Chocolate cake
• Wine and Sprite

Meal Rating:

Our waitress was great and so was our food. Let’s see we started with the wonderful slightly spicy rock shrimp roll (it just so happens that I had a camera in my bag so I took pictures). The shrimp bisque soup was delicious in it’s monstrous portions. However, in an attempt to reserve room for the remainder of the meal, I couldn’t finish it all.

The chicken fingers and fries were ‘delicious’. “They taste even better in the sauce (an exact quote from my 10 year old).”

Cooked to perfection, the Bourbon Street Burger was well seasoned and tasty, according to my husband. Unfortunately, with all of the munching on the Death by Chocolate Cakecranberry-oatmeal-wheat bread, I didn’t have much room left for the Arugula Seafood Salad. I did manage to eat a few bites and took the rest home. It too, was very tasty.

For those who had room left in their bellies, there was dessert. Death by Chocolate Cake. I’m told it was sinfully delicious!

Service: Our waitress, Ethel, was great. It was obviously a very busy night for her, but she was able to keep up with the demands of her customers. Never did we feel like we had to share her with other patrons. She was very pleasant and extremely efficient.

Cost: $81.95

General Comments: This restaurant is new to the area, and is a great success. With the high quality of food and great service, Double O Grill will continue to be one of my favorites.

Be prepared, however. Double O Grill has a rather extensive menu. The first time I went to Double O Grill, I was overwhelmed by the many choices and it took quite some time to make up my mind. You might want to peruse the menu before you go to the restaurant.

*These are our opinions. Please visit the establishment and make your own decisions. We would be interested to know if you agree with us.

Review by: Felicia A. Williams

All VHV reviews are done anonymously

Location:

Soul Dog
107 Main Street
Poughkeepsie, NY
845-454-3254

Type of Food: Hot Dogs & More

Date: Friday, August 18, 2006

Food Ordered

• French Fries
• Soul Fries
• Veggie dog topped with marsala mushrooms
• 2 Hot dogs topped with chilli and onions
• Water and Snapple

Meal Rating:

What a JOY! I went to Soul Dog with the thought “Okay, I don’t really eat hot dogs, but the name sounded different so why not give it a try.” We found a parking spot and from the outside, I wasn’t too impressed. My daughter asked me if we were at the right place.

We took a deep breadth and went in. It reminded me of someplace in Greenwich Village I used to go to many moons ago. There were about 6 or 8 tables and a counter with about three stools. Each table had white paper and crayons. I’m not so sure if it was placed there for the kids or the adults, but we sure had a good time with them.

We walked up to the counter, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Might as well enjoy my last healthy breath of air before ingesting the artery clogging greasy toppings and chemical laden hot dog. After having my moment, I opened my eyes and was more than pleasantly surprised to see menu items like veggie dogs, vegetarian chili, turkey chili, marsala mushrooms and other great toppings. What a delight. At this point, I got excited. I couldn’t wait to order.

Their french fires are made fresh to order. Yes, fresh, real potatoes (very tasty). The meal was great! I can’t remember the last time I truly enjoyed a hot dog and looked forward to eating another one.

Service:

Soul Dog is self service, but the employees are cheerful and helpful. They seem to enjoy their job and it shows.

Cost: $21.85

General Comments:

I think this restaurant is appropriately named. Soul Dog is good for the soul. It’s a pleasure to be able to eat a hot dog and not feel guilty. Stop by. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. This is a definite thumbs up!

*These are our opinions. Please visit the establishment and make your own decisions. We would be interested to know if you agree with us (All Reviews are done anonymously).

Review by: Felicia A. Williams

Location:

Bella Mia Pizzeria & Restaurant
Degarmo Plaza
Myers Corners Road
Wappingers Falls, NY
845-297-5529

Date: August 12, 2006

Ambiance: A family style pizzeria/restaurant. You can watch a Yankee game from the pizzeria section, or view the wood burning stove from the dining area.

Food Ordered:

• Bella Mia Salad
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Shrimp Parmesan with Angel Hair Pasta
• Broccoli in oil and garlic
• Shrimp Francese and Angel Hair Pasta
• Sicilian Pizzas topped with bar-b-q chicken

Our Review/Opinion*

The Bella Mia salad consists of boston lettuce, grilled almonds (with a sweet coating)and fresh strawberries. Top the salad with a little balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and it’s a wonderful experience. Yes, Bella Mia uses real olive oil (not the clear vegetable oil as some restaurants use).

The chicken noodle soup was obviously made from scratch. Although I didn’t taste it, my son would definitely order it again. That’s a glowing endorsement from a 15 year old.

As for the Sicilian topped with bar-b-q chicken, it’s rated as a 10. Any teenager playing football would love to have this delightful pizza. There was enough chicken on the Sicilian slices to be considered a meal on its own.

The shrimp parmesan and shrimp francese were tasty also.

The wine list is not extensive, but if you want a simple Chardonnay or Merlot, they may be able to accommodate you.

Service: Our waiter had to serve several tables. I don’t know if someone didn’t show up to work and he had to do double duty, but he did well.

Cost: $80.95 (excluding tip)

General Comments: Bella Mia is a nice local pizzeria and restaurant. The food is good and so is the service. If you’re in the area and looking for a place to stop to have a bite to eat, you’ll be satisfied if you stop at Bella Mia’s.

*These are our opinions. Please visit the establishment and make your own decisions. We would be interested to know if you agree with us (All VHV reviews are done anonymously).

Review by: Felicia A. Williams