Dragged by the roots of her exquisitely coiffed hair to Delaware for a family function uniting two dysfunctional families, Miss Vinegar had little time for exploring the restaurant terrain. She did, however, visit a rather nice chain restaurant with her best friend Cupcake* and the newly minted Mr. Cupcake, and brings you this review.
Houlihan's
somewhere near Wilmington, Delaware (there are also two in northern VA, according to their website)
The Food--The sort of New American cuisine popular at publike chain restarants, but even more New American than usual: Miss Vinegar had enchiladas with chipotle chicken and was pleasantly surprised. The potato soup is also good, with possibly the best bacon she's ever had outside Ma Vinegar's kitchen. Very well done.
The Service--Miss Vinegar was repeatedly, and unnecessarily, told to quit flirting with the server. The service was cute, but more importantly, it was fast, accurate, and accommodating to Miss Vinegar's inevitable requests for things to be left off.
The Ambience--Lots of brass and wood--think Bennigan's on a better budget.
Special Touches--In a stroke of genius, Houlihan's has drawn the conclusion that perhaps what diners want from dessert is a combination of affordability and portion control. The quite correctly-named "Mini-Yums" come in a variety of single-serving sizes, all for $1.99.
Two-dollar creme brulée isn't merely worth writing home about: it's worth public proselytizing in the manner of streetside evangelists.
Overall: **** (four stars out of five).
(*If you read this, just remember the alternative was Mr. and Ms. Dissolving Onion...there, I admit it. Happy?)
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