Skip to main content

Roll'd and Sidekick

Finally, a few things at Ballston Quarter worth going back for.  Roll'd, a sushi place with a few other options has veggie dumplings which were exquisite.  Hand-made dough which was nicely chewy and a cabbage/carrot/corn filling that delights made for a great appetizer.  It looked like there were other options (one sushi, a beet poke bowl and some sides) which are also veggie but weren't listed as such so I just tried the dumplings.  Fortunately, based on the goodness of the dumplings I think I will likely give this place a second try.  There is also Sidekick, a quirky bakery partner to Ted's Bulletin, which also just opened.  Offering some very "different" items (a Reuben croissant, amongst others) it initially seems to be a focus on volume more than quality but that was challenged a bit in the items I took home to try.  The Everything Croissant (cream cheese and everything bagel flavoring) and the Frostee + Fries Croissant (chocolate malted & french fry creams) were actually pretty good.  The croissants looked overdone but were incredibly buttery and light.  The fillings were plentiful and rich (the french fry cream actually tastes like salty vanilla) but too concentrated in the center.  The croissants are like donuts with the fillings injected.  It would work better if the ingredients were rolled in.  I chose to squish the croissants to distribute the fillings better.  They are also very large -- easily enough for two.  The Strawberry Duo Cookie was an incredibly moist (and large) mix of a cookie and a tart that had a remarkable resemblance in taste to the Strawberry Shortcake bars I used to buy as a kid.  The Caramel Popcorn Eclair was light and not-too-sweet, although the caramel and popcorn flavors are subtle, at best.  The Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (again, too large for one) had two layers of fluffy, souffle-like chocolate surrounding a hard peanut butter center.  It should be noted that they have a trademarked frozen treat, and half of these were listed as vegan.  Nothing was knock it out of the park fabulous but better than Buzz Bakery down the street.  Worth another visit if only to explore more of their savory options.  With these eating options along with True Food Kitchen now open, Ballston Quarter may now be a place I can finally count on for a meal.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Afghan Bistro

With family members moving to Springfield, it has been a struggle to find good places to eat so far afield.  After flirting with some chain restaurants near the mall, we tried a Pakistani restaurant (there are many, many Pakistani restaurants there), but it fell flat.  Finally, someone suggested this amazing place.  It's a little hole-in-the-wall in a strip mall.  With oilcloth table coverings, the vibe seems questionable.  For about a minute.  Then you are warmly greeted and given menus with a plethora of choices.  My party ordered a great number of items and every dish rose above expectations.  The staff are eager to please and checked in to make sure everything was okay, from food to drink needs.  When a member of my party dropped a piece of silverware on the floor one of the waiters swooped in with a replacement before we could even ask.   But onto the food.  We ordered the Potato and Leek turnovers, the Aushak (leek and sc...

Dera

Was looking for a good Pakistani restaurant in Springfield and this one had some of the best reviews, so I gave it a shot.  Arrived for an early dinner to find some regulars around a table in a cavernous room.  The restaurant staff looked at us like we had interrupted a private party.  We sat and were grudgingly given menus after asking.  Tepid water in questionably clean glasses were eventually brought.  One member of the party ordered a salad.  It arrived in a large mixing bowl and was mostly iceberg lettuce.  A plastic basket of cold bread was literally "dumped" on the table, then the waiter disappeared.  Eventually we were able to get someone to take our orders, which included a curry, a biryani and a kebab.  Portions were huge and the rice, again, came in what looked like a mixing bowl.  It was enough to feed ten.  The food wasn't bad.  Sometimes the seasonings were a bit heavy handed (particularly for the rice) but it was...

Junction Bakery & Bistro

Everything here was good.  My party got a Tofu Stir Fry, Roasted Chicken Breast Sandwich, Crispy Flounder Sando, Sweet Potato Fries and a Chocolate Cream-Filled Croissant.  The food took a while but arrived literally hot off the grill.  The two sandwiches came with a plethora of side salad and a great homemade dressing.  Portions were large and all of us took home enough for a second meal.  The bill, with tax and tip, came to just under $75.  As mentioned, it was good.  Very good -- but not great.  Everything came close to being great it just didn't cross the line.  The cross-cut sweet potato fries were extremely munchable but the "Harissa Sour Cream" had a lot of sour cream and very very little harissa.  The Tofu Stir fry had a nice mix for a cold day but needed a little more oomph (I borrowed salad dressing from my companions).  Everything, including the Tofu and Flounder, were breaded and fried but didn't seem greasy until later....