Junior's

Tonight I ate at Junior's on Madison Avenue. Though this mostly is a college hangout, there is some decent bar food to be had there.

I had a buffalo chicken salad which was one of the better ones I have had. Served up in a huge bowl, this salad had cheese, some tomatoes and a large portion of mild buffalo chicken. The portion was way bigger than something Friday's or 99 Restaurant would serve. For mild, the chicken was a little spicier than I would like.

The only thing I have not liked about this restaurant is that the service is not very good. Perhaps they are understaffed because the waitresses do not seem to get much time with their customers. Perhaps they do not want to get in the way of their customers watching sports on one of the many TV's in the restaurant.

If you stick to the recommended dishes, like buffalo chicken, Junior's is a good place to go. It has a fun atmosphere and reasonable prices.

Scarborough's

I visited Scarborough's in Rotterdam this Friday. The atmosphere was warm, and the food was good, though the portions were a little small. Overall, I was very pleased with this restaurant.

The restaurant is in a strip mall on Altamont Avenue, convenient for Wal-Mart shoppers. Though the mall is sedate, Scarborough's does it's best to dress things up inside, with a large bar and ample wood furnishings. It feels like TGI Friday's would feel if it was not a chain.

The menu is all comfort food. Burritos, sicilian chicken and roast beef sandwiches are all on the same menu. The prices are reasonable, with many entrees priced below $10.

I ordered the turkey platter, which was delicious. Turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing were stacked one on top of the other. The turkey was juicy, the stuffing was rich and the cranberry sauce was sweet. There was only a quarter pound of thin sliced turkey on my plate, which was not enough to satisfy me. However, you do get what you pay for. For $8.95, the portion was adequate.

I like what Scarborough's is about -- old-fashioned atmosphere, and down-home cooking at a reasonable price. I will definitely visit this establishment again.