Who says food chains can’t serve superior food? Some of the best burgers we’ve ever had have been in Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace in Paramus, NJ. In my book, their burgers are better than most – and very reasonably priced to boot. My favorite is their Napa Valley burger which is served with goat cheese, greens and a pickle. Marita and Jay like to “crunchify” their burgers by adding chips on top of the patty. Their sweet potato fries which are served with a mango sauce are perfect accompaniments to the burgers. You can add their dark chocolate shakes too – not great for one’s cholesterol but also perfect partners for the burgers.
Today, we tried another, “pedestrian” chain called The Original Pancake House, which apparently has been around since 1953. You could call it a high-end IHOP. Marita had a craving today for pancakes, especially from Clinton Street Bakery in downtown Manhattan but it was too much of a schlepp on a Saturday afternoon
. We were not expecting much, but the place was packed, which we thought was a good sign. Marita ordered a spinach and Swiss cheese omelette that looked like a souffle that didn’t quite rise. I had a crepe stuffed with cherries cooked in a Danish cherry wine called Kijafa. Both were excellent and the portions quite generous. We couldn’t finish the kijafa crepes and asked for the usual doggy bag. I’m looking forward to a late night snack tonight 
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