Bridgeport Edition: Grand China Buffet & Grill

I needed a quick lunch in Bridgeport. This Chinese restaurant was close. My friend Kayla and I headed in. We stood around awkwardly until someone acknowledged us. They then rushed us over to a table, but they had to clean it first. So we stood around the table awkwardly as they cleaned it. This place was packed, so standing at the table blocked everybody's route to the buffet.

The restaurant is large, with many tables. The buffet had 8 stations, as well as an area for sushi and "grilling." The first couple of stations had your typical Chinese-American food - like General Tso's, Beef and Broccoli, etc. The rest subpar American food, a salad bar, one even had a tray full of Cheetos. Yeah.

Was there anything new or anything particularly great? Nah. But it wasn't bad either; it was just run-of-the-mill. The General Tso's wasn't bad - average quality, average flavor. The sushi was room-temperature, bland. I was bummed there weren't any stuffed mushrooms or "seafood medley" type dishes. But those are just a few of my favorites, and they were missing here.

It was also a little pricey, but it was a Sunday. I paid and signed my credit card receipt, but a few of the waiters came to the table a few times, but then left. I could tell something was going on, but it was like a cruel game we weren't in on. Finally, our waitress came back over and shoved another slip on the table for me to sign. I didn't understand why. She waved another waiter over to explain that apparently they accidentally threw away the slip I signed. That's not a huge deal, but the five-minute awkwardness with them staring at me, walking to me and leaving, but not telling me what was going on.

Grade: C

Bridgeport Edition: Mountaineer Grille

I met a friend in Bridgeport for the day, and one condition of my driving there was that she had to find a good, local place to dine. Her boyfriend suggested Mountaineer Grille. Located on Barnett Run Road, this restaurant is connected to a Mountaineer gift shop, which sells as the Mountaineer gear you could hope for. You can walk directly from inside the gift shop to the restaurant. As we walked in, we were seated and looked over the menu.

I noticed a few of their menu items were "specialty" items - like the "Autumn Chicken Salad." Its description said it was grilled chicken atop a bed of fresh mixed greens, with apple slices, toasted walnuts and gorgonzola, finished with a lemon balsamic dressing. Sign me up.

My friend ordered the zucchini straws for an appetizer. I was apprehensive because I figured straws would be thin and crispy. They had a little bite to them - delicious breading and tangy sauce. Another friend got the "grille chips," which were just chips with melty bleu cheese. Also not bad.

When my salad came out, I was impressed. The presentation was beautiful. The first thing I noticed was the giant brick of gorgonzola on top. The combination of these flavors were fantastic. The balsamic was the perfect dressing to take it to the next level. I took bits of cheese, lettuce and walnuts with every bite. The clean, crisp taste of the apples drove this dish home. It cleanses the palate and made all the flavors that much better. It's on the pricier side, but the ambiance is comfy and the food was worth it.

Oh, and how could I forget about the complimentary chocolate stick? Minty and delicious!


Grade: A