The Tripod

Both Johnny Gaffney and I, Nick Sudhakar, had high expectations going into our meal at West Hartford's A.C. Petersen Farms. A fellow food connoisseur had informed us of the true All-American eating experience available at A.C. Petersen Farms, as well as the three different types of French fries that the restaurant boasts. Before commencing with the actual restaurant review, we believe it necessary to enlighten our readers as to our experience as reviewers in the food and beverage world.

I have been reviewing fine restaurants since 1995: back when Emeril Legasse was probably the short-order chef at the local T.G.I. Friday's. I proceeded to study in France at the turn of the century, mastering the powerful art of cheese and completing an extensive graduate thesis detailing the subtleties of wine and cheese combinations. The paper was well received and ultimately segued to my first major break: receiving an invitation to headline at a Swiss Cheese Conference in Zurich. I returned to New York City in 2003 where I consistently contributed to The New York Times, reviewing small pubs and street shacks. I am now pursuing writing for The Trinity Tripod to dodge the limelight that is inherent to reviewing big city restaurants characterized by high-powered chefs and outrageous prices.

My colleague, Johnny Gaffney, has a similarly extensive resume. Bluntly, he's been gnawing on T-bones, relishing the juices, since before you were born. He recalls being a small boy with big dreams, drafting his platonic argument on the superiority of McDonald's chicken McNuggets to Burger King's crown-shaped chicken tenders. He really discovered his passion for food after operating an ice cream truck. He became infatuated with a diverse variety of fondues (including chocolate and cheese) in the tenth grade. From there, he continued to pursue his interests, ultimately graduating from Oxford with a degree in Culinary Arts. After occupying the position of Appetizer Specialist at Applebee's in Tucson, AZ, he relocated to Hartford, CT. To pay the rent, he managed a local hot dog stand, moonlighting as a freelance restaurant reviewer. It is then that we met. The two of us bonded over our shared love of Costco Wholesale Taquitos.

Following that brief synopsis of our professional lives to date, there is still a restaurant to be reviewed. Upon entering A.C. Petersen Farms we were overwhelmed with the wide array of dishes circulating the floor, while stimulating our senses. Our amicable waitress, Elise, handed us a boundless menu that included a unique entrée, Liver and Onions, which we had previously believed to be a fictional dish, only existing in "Doug."

For starters, we committed to New England Clam Chowder and Beef Taquitos. It was a pleasant surprise to realize two such culturally diverse delicacies on the pages of the same menu. The chowder was particularly thick and lacked its most necessary component: oyster crackers. Elise did, however, accompany the bowl with saltines. Still, we obviously deemed the substitution as unworthy. On the other hand, the taquitos were both hearty and toasted to perfection. Unlike microwaveable taquitos, the outer shell remained crisp, even when dipped in salsa.

For a main course, Johnny decided upon the Philly Cheese Steak (sans peppers and onions). Unfortunately, he found the sub rather skimpy. Honestly, he claimed it to be no more filling than what could have been ordered up at the now defunct Player's Grill. Then again, what the sub lacked in quantity it made up for in quality. After applying a copious amount of ketchup, he found the meal to be satisfactory, though nothing to write home about.

I ordered the Bleu Cheese Burger. The beef patty was nowhere near as hearty in size as what we have come to expect at a major chain restaurant such as Chili's. Just like the sub, the problem with the burger was not its taste, which definitely exceeded my expectations, but rather, the amount served.

To really satisfy our hunger after our less-than-filling entrées, we decided upon basic desserts: chocolate milkshakes. While pricey at $4.29, the quality was superb! Plus, money was no object, having been issued the Tripod's Black AmEx.

All in all, A.C. Petersen Farms lives up to its reputation as a decent All-American eatery. The problem that we encountered was with the portion size. The ambiance, selection, and service were all adequate. Our greatest qualm was with the stomach grumblings heard on the car ride home as a result of not having been fed sufficiently. I guess next time we will have to try Olive Garden for the Never Ending Pasta Bowl to adequately satisfy our hunger.

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