Yesterdays in Montross

We just had a delightful breakfast on the porch of a gem of a restaurant called Yesterdays. Set in rural Montross, Virginia, which is on Hwy 3 on the Northern Neck of Virginia, Yesterdays has a beautiful and traditional breakfast selection. They have been serving lunch and dinner in their elegantly appointed restaurant since 1986, but have recently expanded their menu to include breakfast. My husband ordered the “Lee Breakfast” which included two eggs, toast, hash browns or grits, and good Virginia country ham. I ordered the biscuits with sausage gravy, which was very meaty and flavored with a hint of sage and Old Bay Seasoning. Both meals were garnished with perfect lettuce and a bright red watermelon slice – refreshing and so appropriate for the season. Part of their breakfast menu were delightful breakfast cocktails – the Mimosa and the Bloody Mary - half champagne and half juice. Prices at Yesterdays were more than reasonable. Their service was exceptional and the servers were friendly and attentive. We heartily recommend Yesterdays for well priced elegant dining, a classy setting and delicious food.

Mr. Bill's - The Best Burgers in Town

As I was driving home from a rehearsal with a brilliant young singer, Karline Valentine, I heard an ad on the radio (AM 1450) for Mr. Bill’s on El Paseo in Las Cruces. It claimed that Mr. Bill’s had the best burgers in town. This is a possibly dubious claim since there are multitudes of burger places in town.

You can leave your skepticism at the door – Mr. Bill’s is the real deal. They really do have the best burgers in Las Cruces (and we are pretty picky!) The burgers are as good as the ones right off your grill and feature a thick tomato slice, iceberg lettuce, onions (grilled or ungrilled!) and a mayo house sauce. You can have your burger any way you like. The bun is delicious too!

They charge only $1.78 for their simple hamburger – and this small price for a real burger, not one of those stamped out military style burgers that are called ‘sliders’ in the Navy.

Besides a creative and delicious array of hamburgers, Mr. Bill’s also offers delicious seafood. We had the clams, which were not over breaded. The Chihuahua Dog amused me –it is a foot long all beef dog wrapped in a tortilla with green chili and cheese that is deep-fried!

Mr. Bill’s claims to be a “Hot Rod Café” and also adds to the ambiance of the place with a 50’s theme, the pictures of classic cars around the restaurant, the generous use of glass in the construction of the building, and the vintage seats and booths. One almost expects “The Fonz” from Happy Days to come around the corner to charm you and steal some fries from your basket.

Mr. Bill’s claims to be a meeting place for car buffs, and they offer half price burgers if you bring your classic cars on the right days. Yo! You Low Rider boys – Listen UP!

July 15 – 31, 2008 bring your 1960 car or truck for half price burgers.

August 1 – 15, 2008 bring any pre-1970 Harley Davidson for half price on your burgers!

Our only beef was with the fries, which were a bit soggy. They make them by hand from real potatoes – not the pre-fried, pre-frozen excuses of potatoes – and they just need to be a little bit larger. Everything else was FABULOUS!

Taste of India

My dear husband and I wanted to eat something different after our very busy work week. I convinced him to try the Taste of India. We were not disappointed!

Taste of India has a wide variety of dishes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. All their meats are kosher, and they have a tandoori oven in the kitchen.

My husband tried the Tandoori Combination Platter, and I enjoyed the Non-vegetarian platter (carnivores are we!) Our waiter gave us the choice of mild, medium or hot for our dishes. My dear husband choose the very hot as he has a cast iron stomach (or at least claims to) while I chose medium. The combinations platters included chicken and lamb. The curries were delicious and creamy and a homemade cheese was part of the dish. We enjoyed a condiment made up of home grown mint, jalapeno and, we think, cucumber.

If you come at lunch, there is a rich buffet prepared, and you can choose whatever you want to eat.

If you are in Las Cruces and want to try something different than the ubiquitous Mexican fare, try A Taste of India. Here is the address and phone number:

Taste of India
1001 E University
Ste F3
Las Cruces, NM 88012

(505) 532-1700