The Fortune Pavilion in Derby has been around forever. I remember looking at this place while walking into Caldor’s back in the day. Up until last Tuesday I had never been.
So, I called up my club mates and paid this joint a long overdue visit.
In my humble opinion, the most important thing about a restaurant is its food. The second most important thing about a restaurant is the service. The third most important thing about a restaurant is the decor. The fourth most important thing about a restaurant is the booze.
The fortune pavilion’s food was just OK. Taste wise, nothing stood out. It was all run of the mill Chinese grub.
However, they did serve a generous portion of food with each dinner.
I had the “heavenly delight”, which consisted of shrimp, chicken, beef, and vegetables sautéed in a “chef’s special sauce.” Apparently, “special” means teriyaki.
The meals were well priced, but don’t try and get fancy with your order. Upgrading from white rice to pork fried cost an absurd $5. F that.
The booze was served in fancy and festive novelty cups. Novelty cups bring a smile to everyone’s face. After drinking just 1 scorpion bowl, club member Kenny Kelanik was smiling because he was wasted. The drink was strong but still tasty.
Kenny was quoted as saying, “I can’t believe I drank the whole thing.”
The service was spectacular. Orders were taken promptly and the meals came out together in a timely manner. The staff was friendly and even earned some bonus thumbs in the end.
As we were leaving one fine gentleman ran up to us in the parking lot to return a set of forgotten keys.
When I used to work at a restaurant, I would just throw items like these out.
So kudos to you, friendly man.
Overall, unlike McDonald’s, I’m not lovin’ it. But I am okaying it. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t great. There are better choices in the state!
Out of 11 Dinner Club members 14 thumbs up were awarded to:
The Fortune Pavilion
656 New Haven Ave Derby, CT 06418 – 2528
(203) 735‑9371
The Shelton Dinner Club is a motley group of food mercenaries who wander the Valley, looking for new culinary adventures. Think ‘Kung-Fu’ crossed with ‘The A‑Team’ with a dash of ‘Iron Chef.’
Submitted by Mike Kosko
