Christmas Break: Enjoy your holiday!

The Four State Food Critic is going to take some time off for Christmas week.  I'll be back with fresh news and articles from the food and beverage world after the holidays.

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season.  See you in 2014!!!!

(Image Credit – theindustrylic.com)

Restaurant Review: Finn Thai Restaurant & Bar (Hagerstown, MD)

The Four State Food Critic loves to extend his culinary experiences whenever possible.  One of the cuisines that I know little to nothing about is the foods and flavors of Thailand, so Mrs. FSFC and I eagerly walked into Finn Thai Restaurant & Bar, a Thai restaurant in Hagerstown, MD – excited to try something completely new and different to our palate.

 

(Image Credit – www.finnthai.com) 

The restaurant occupies the space that was formerly home to “El Ranchero” in the Martin’s plaza on Wesel Blvd.  The makeover was long overdue, as the former interior orange and yellow walls have been repainted and the space is now a simple black and white scheme making the dining room much brighter.

I was immediately drawn to the “authentic Thai” side of the menu.  I started with the Chicken Tom Ka soup, which had a creamy coconut broth and was loaded with fresh mushrooms, chicken, and other spices.  The FSFC is not a big fan of coconut, but this soup was delicious, with a mild sweetness that was nicely intermingled with a slightly spicy kick.  Mrs. FSFC had pot stickers from the appetizer menu, which were nice and crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.  The dipping sauce was also good.

After house salads, which were loaded with nicely cut veggies and a creamy dressing, we moved on to our main courses.  Mrs. FSFC went with the traditional Pad Thai, which was nicely prepared Thai stir-fry noodles with plenty of bean sprouts, green onion, chicken, and crushed peanuts.  Both of us found it satisfying and delicious.

The FSFC eyed the menu choices, eager to try something spicy.  They have two levels of spice here (marked by chili pepper symbols on the menu) – one chili means “American” spicy (presumably a milder kick) and two chilies means “Thai” spicy – so of course, I went with two chilies and ordered the “Kapow” beef.  Slim strips of beef were accompanied by hand crushed chili, garlic, and basil leaves – served with a side of rice.  The dish was fragrant, tasty, and yes – spicy, but spicy in a flavorful, good way (not heat for the sake of heat).

Service was accomplished by an eager and pleasant waitress who did a wonderful job.  There is also a full bar with several signature drinks and wine selections as well as a very small kids menu.

The FSFC was impressed by the freshness and flavor of the food at Finn Thai Restaurant & Bar.  If other Thai cuisine is as tasty as my first dip in the waters experienced here, I’ll definitely be back to sample something else.

The Four Star Food Critic Review (Each category has a possible “best out of 5” rating)

Atmosphere: 3.5

Food: 4

Price: $$-$$$

Service: 4

Overall: 3.75                      

Finn Thai Restaurant & Bar is open daily at 11:00 AM and has two locations:                        

1580 Wesel Blvd. #K (in the Martin’s Plaza)

Hagerstown, MD  21740               

(301) 302-7680

748 Foxcroft Avenue

Martinsburg, WV  25401                                                               

(304) 262-2200

                                                                                               

Check them out at www.finnthai.com

The Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich: A Guilty Pleasure

Do you have a guilty fast food pleasure?  The Four State Food Critic sure does – the Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken sandwich.

(Image Credit – chick-fil-a.com)

I mean – just look at it.  I want one right now. 

 

If I’m out and about running errands and it’s about lunchtime, the FSFC always seems to be heading through the drive-thru line at Chick-fil-A for two spicy chicken sandwiches and a Diet Coke.  They are always hot, fresh, and tasty - plus their employees are some of the nicest and polite fast food workers you’ll ever come across in the restaurant world.

 

Say what you will about their owner’s stance on hot-button political issues (and if that causes you not to eat at Chick-fil-A for those reasons, by all means exercise your freedom of choice), but their locations are always clean, fast, and efficient – and quite honestly, I applaud them for staying closed on Sundays.

The FSFC is not a huge fan of fast food, but it does have its place, and Chick-fil-A is a fast food joint that just seems to do it better.  Listen to the cows and “Eat More Chicken”!

Chick-fil-A has one location in Hagerstown:

1680 Wesel Blvd

Haferstown, MD  21740

(301) 393-3755

Look them up on their website at www.chick-fil-a.com.