I went to these places this afternoon. The first is in the old (that didn't last long) Gaviota spot near the executive airport and the other is on Bennett in the old Smiling Bison spot.
Peter's Kitchen - Apparently the owner had his hand in Tasty Wok (don't think I went there) and Ming Bistro. This is also a "bistro". A Chinese bistro. Cantonese I figure. I had the salted pepper jumbo shrimp at $16 and the lunch special at $7. I chose Moo Goo Gai Pan and fried rice and a soda. As these things go, the second was twice as good as the first. The jumbo shrimp were not. Mediums. Head on. Frozen. Old. Mushy. The only really good salt and pepper shrimp I've ever has used fresh, jumbo, butterflied shrimp. They baked it. They used alot of black pepper. HSF in Chinatown and Southampton NY. I think both are long gone. The large quantity of shrimp here could not make up for their inferior condition. It makes me cautious about the whole seafood section. Is this a high end place or a run of the mill family Chinese play? They can't let plates like this out of the kitchen if they want a good reputation. Fortunately (for them), I hedged my bets and ordered the lunch special. The dish was very good. Well plated. Lots of food, Fresh. Delicate. There was a nice use of garlic in the sauce. Baby corn. Broccoli (mushy), Mushrooms (those Asian ones that look like little people with hats on). And water cabbage. The rice was not greasy. The price was great. The gross take out place near me wants that much for their slop. I whiffed on the main draw. I forgot they do dim sum. It's a big selection (40) and served all day everyday. Fair pricing. The main menu is between $10 and $16. Peking Duck is $34. I hate the traffic in this area, but, I think I'll come back to try the dim sum. The Weekly said to try the butter lobster (mkt price) or orange chicken. I forgot about that. I'm not sure I would have stayed from my choices even if I had. The menu is vast. It's broken into: Chef' Specials (15), Apps (10), Soups (10), Beef (7), Pork (7), Chicken (12), Seafood (19), Rice (12), Noodles (17), Noodle Soups (8), Clay Pots (6) and Vegetables (9). 25 lunch specials. They didn't do much to the interior. Added some iconography and two of those ugly fish tanks. It was about half full. More Chinese than Caucasians. Service was attentive. They opened in December. I think it is worth a look.
Blue Jacket Grille and Bar - I grabbed a cheeseburger to go for $8. The rest of the menu was dull. The two interesting items were poutine and fried green tomatoes. Other than that it was sandwiches and such. The burger was surprisingly excellent. It was rare to medium rare. Fresh pickles, lettuce, onions and tomatoes. The thin fries (alot) were a bit under cooked. That could have been my fault. They probably steamed in the to go box. They even decked me out with mustard, catsup, mayo and utensils. The bun was a very buttery, fresh brioche style bun. The cheese was melted well. The patty was big and thick and though form made it wasn't dense. Good beef flavor. They didn't do much to the inside. Maybe some cosmetic changes. It was pretty empty. Service was fast and good. They may not be as inventive as Smiling Bison, but, they can cook a good burger to go. I'd expect good things from the rest of the menu. They also have a full bar. The vibe is sports friendly. Maybe not a destination, but, not an ignore either. They opened in November.
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