Pei Wei My Way

Pei Wei
www.peiwei.com

I have long enjoyed Pei Wei's inexpensive cups of thai won ton soup at the Las Vegas airport. Priced at $3, these cups are hard to beat. Their flavoring of the soup is dead on, they always serve it with some fresh green onions on top, and they give a hearty serving of wontons I've found.

Priced outside the airport, you can get a cup for over a dollar, and a bowl for under $4 at Pei Wei. Their restaurant design is sleek and clean on the interior. Almost like a chipotle - meets gastropub - meets pf changs.

Tonight I ventured out into the world of normal Pei Wei fare. I tried the dan dan noodles with chicken. The noodles were different then I had imagined. They had a thick soy-based sauce on them. They came with crumbled up chicken sprinkled on top. Cucumber was topped to the side of one side of the dish and sprouts to the other.

Given the amount of sauce they piled on, I would not order it again. However, if I could instruct the chefs to halve the amount or put it on the side, then I may try another of their noodle bowls.

Sugar Feesh

Sugarfish by Nozawa
http://sugarfishsushi.com/

Jiwo dreamed of sushi and we dreamed of Jiwo's sushi. After watching Jiwo Dreams of Sushi we felt compelled to go get sushi. But not just any sushi. We wanted the clean prepped, mimalist, knock-your-socks-off-tasting sushi.

And we went to sugarfish marina del ray. I ordered one taste creation of their "trust me" along with the special of the day - a scallop dish.

The food was indescribably good. It came out ordered item after item, and we received anywhere from two or more of a given item with sauces (two of several sushis, two hand rolls, edamame, and sashimi). It was a taste treat! Everything was very fresh and flavorful - we needed little-to-no soy sauce to enjoy our meal. The fish went along with the decor and was prepared in a clean, minimalist style. The taste of the various fishes was the highlight of the show.

The place was remarkably busy. Lots of people fit into a small area. It was well-calculated. We got there at 5pm and by 6pm they were at capacity. Many people came in to do take out while we sat and were served.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant for "date night." Anyone looking to share a "trust me" would be well to split it. It's a beautiful array of items and should leave both parties full.

Who is Nozawa anyway?

If I had to personify the food served at this restaurant, I would describe it as shaved head, no facial hair, mute, warrior-of-a-brain bedazzler. Someone who delights from the inside. That's sugarfish. :)

Craft House cheers with local beer tastes

Craft House

http://www.crafthousebrews.com/

I arrived at Craft House at 6:05pm on a rainy Friday. The place was packed! It was standing room only, with one table open. Perfect for me and my three friends wanting a meal!

Our waitress was very pleasant, and she was super knowledgeable about the beers, having tried many of them. She also knew what was what in terms of flight offerings.

 We came in thinking pumpkin beer would be on draft and that the selection would be ample (since they have 40 beers there). Unfortunately there was only one pumpkin ale on the menu. It was from Cumberland Brewing Company and hinged more on bitter notes than sweet swaths of pumpkin spice notes that most pumpkin ales lean on.

I ended up getting a honey blonde ale that turned out to be darker than I expected but was a wonderful buy. It lasted me through my meal. My friends got cougar bait and that pumpkin beer, respectively. The menu of 40 draft beers included only local area beers (Kentucky, Indiana). A pleasantry to see!

I think the vibe of this place is just right – it’s dark, lots of lights shine everything from a list of the beers onto the wall to scenes of Louisville and abstract designs onto another wall. It retains some of the feel of “dark star” tavern with the booths that line the right wall.

As we waited for our food, our neighbor’s special of the day, which was a rib-eye with wine sauce, wafted over. It smelled incredible!

My friends warned me not to get the cheese curds appetizer – too rich. In hindsight I wish we had gotten them. The more cheese, and the more pimento cheese in particular, in life, the better. Instead, we shared the mac n cheese as an appetizer. It’s a stove-top made creation with some panko baked on top. Nothing to write home about – it’s wet, and has a good crunch. But low on flavor and cheese. Me and another decided it wasn’t worth it (granted I make an incredible mac n cheese! – I’ll have to do a post for that on my other blog - http://claireeatstheworldrecipes.blogspot.com/).

I’ve decided to try a new thing in my blog. I’ve decided to describe a person at the restaurant I review in the vane of the food that I ate and saw there. So here it goes…

Chip was 42. He looked like he wanted to come there alone, but being with his wife made him appear happy. So there he was. He had dressed as if he was from a hipper crowd. The fleece and slightly-more-sophisticated-than-polo dress top made him unique. His colors didn’t. Soft blue tones did little to set him apart from the other polos of the hour.

He even wore a barre. The barre suggested he had more going on in his head than there actually was. And his mustache! His mustache dripped down towards the floor. This made him real. You could find figments of lunch, or yesterday’s beer crawled into a crevice of his often-trimmed horseshoe. Oh yes. A mustache was him.    

So from these two paragraphs… what did I eat? “Foie gras?” you ask. Steak et frites?

My main dish was a grilled turkey panini with tomatoes, pimento cheese, bacon, and parmesan aioli. It was good – especially the turkey. Fresh cut and flavorful, but not too dry. The bacon was a little bit overkill on the umami front. My dish came with a side salad that looked as if dandelion shavings from the street blew onto my plate. There were very few leaves in my “spring mix.”

My friends all got salad. How lame and unfulfilling! (Just kidding!) A panzanella salad to my left and a quinoa salad to my right. Both salads came with abundant toppings and were gorgeous. The panzanella had plump olives of all kinds and large croutons sitting on top. The quinoa had sliced beets (my favorite!), pecans, and goat cheese.  Also, my friends shared a mushroom reuben on rye bread. They couldn’t talk enough about the bread! However, my friend left off a lot of her meat (perhaps too much was piled on… it looked kinda like mystery meat!).The menu items were all reasonably priced (~$10).

Our waitress disappeared for a few when it came time for the bill.

As we left this busy, soaking, trolley hop Friday seen at 7, the place was packed. Lots of people drinking and waiting, but mostly older folks and bros. It became too loud to talk and we were glad to finally climb outside again.

Oh, and it should be called Craft Haus. 

Schmeckt es gut, Wurstkueche?

Eating auf Deutsch is always a pleasure. When I was in Germany three years ago, I enjoyed many tasty delights, none of which were brat or brotwurst, as they say ("brot" is german for bread, so this "wurst" is intended to be eaten on bread!). I had salads, Italian, Italian, Italian, and wonderful cheese, fruit, and meat resto bars. The food was fresh and zingy - I can remember the site of white asparagus fields south of Frankfurt.

So when I walked into Wurstkueche in Los Angeles, I expected nothing short of the very best wunder-brotwursts they could find. Beer, truffle fries, dipping sauces--I accompanied my meal with the proper fixins' and got down to business.

I had heard such wonderful reviews of the place from Americans and Germans alike. Everyone always asks: "oh, have you been to wurstkuche yet? Well, if you love hotdogs, then this is the place for you!" So yeah, it was a signed deal. I had to try it out.

I ordered the austin blues dog. It's a mix of pork and multiple peppers, which I thought I'd adore, topped with more peppers and onions. What's not to like? Well, it tasted like any other hot dog. Let me list my complaints.

1) Don't call it spicy and have it not require water. I'm tired of going to restaurants, asking for something spicy, and have it sizzle in at a 4.5. If it's not seriously spicy, don't pretend to warn me about it.

2) Don't overdo the fluff. What's all the hub-bub? If you can make nice fries, select wonderful beers, and produce an average dog, no thanks. Let me be. It wasn't overpriced, but if I can get a better product at a gas station in the midwest, I'm going to walk away.

I walked away disappointed. Was it too American? Was I too American? I guess I should go back, as my German friend suggested, and get the real German "bratwurst." Ah-ha. Maybe that's what they've been raving about - the raw-gold dogger.

Don't get me wrong: the scene there was real swingin'. I'd go back just for that open air scene. It's almost like a club in there it's so dark (I sat down at about 9pm at an outside table).  However, this scene is almost always too crowded for a free seat to be available anywhere in the house. Instead, I'd recommend getting carryout at Nista Pizza.. or something of the sort.

http://www.wurstkuche.com/

Trip to Little Saigon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Saigon


Yesterday afternoon I drove down to Little Saigon in Orange County, California. Off the 405 at exit 10, you can turn right immediately and find yourself innundated by vietnamese writing on all the shops! There's a huge grocery store - almost vietnamese mall, technically - in the shopping center, as well as a lee's sandwiches, a fixture to the LA area. http://leesandwiches.com/2008/ 


First, though, we entered the parking lot and ate at the large restaurant on the far side of the shopping mall. It was exhuisite and authentic! So good I couldn't tell if the goodness was from the authenticity, the MSG (sodium bicarbonate, they label it), or the two combined. Needless to say, I'd go back there immediately. I ordered a spin off my favorite item, which I experienced as breakfast in Vietnam: Banh Uot Cha Lau, Banh Tom... think:

except I was forced to order it sans "Uot cha." Instead of getting a sheet of rice noodles, I got a sheet that was stringy (had holes in it), so was somewhat more noodley and less savory. My dish came with barbecued pork and a tofu/sticky rice that was made from shrimp paste. Extremely good! I added veggies (chives, red pepper paste, lemongrass, mint, cilantro, sprouts) and the vinegary requisite fish sauce (wow!) and dug in.

I am sad to say that I didn't finish my dish, but my stomach was not sad. We ventured into the shopping mall/grocery store (looks just like you're in Vietnam!) and then over to Lee's sandiwches. There we ordered mung bean filled sesame balls, some little waffley cream delight, and smoothies. I mistakenly ordered the durian smoothie, which had me smelling like durian for the next 24-hours. I threw the smoothie away in a parking lot and apparently caused a smell explosion when the smoothie hit the garbage can!

None the less, I maintain my love for the stuff :) Authentic or not, my smoothie was strong.


I look forward to many more adventures south to Little Saigon in the coming months :)

Let there be food!

So I've been eating out some. Like at:

Beer Belly:
http://beerbellyla.com/
A new mini gastropub in Koreatown. Disappointing beers, funky selection of beer and food.

Chego:
The spot to be!

http://eatchego.com/

This restaurant is nothing short of amazing! Cheap, festive, allows 1 dollar modelos to be brought in from the quick stop next door. The combination of Mexican, Korean, and American really wows me - it is by far the most creative restaurant I have ever eaten at. Dessert here, is a must see. The ooey gooey fries are amazing. Their combination of cilantro, a mild red sauce and real neutral cheese makes the dish transcend reality. It's very different, but good. And gooey! I think they must sprinkle siricha on all of their dishes, so spice-haters beware. Next time I think I'm going to get the "steak in the heart."

Little Ethiopia Restaurant

http://littleethiopiarestaurants.com/

Last Sunday after a grueling hour and a half on the soccer pitch, I traveled with friends to little ethiopia on fairfax ave. The adventure there was fantastic. The area we found quaint and thrifty. I felt transplanted into the Midwest for an afternoon.

We arrived there at about two pm and found the restaurant to be full. It was a tad smaller than I had imagined, taking up two shotgun style storefronts. The place had a lively feel and a good mix of visitors, a signal to me that it bypassed a high quality threshold.

There was a native-style sitting area up in the front window area that the owners' family was seated in that gave warmth and cultural flavor.

We were seated immediately and welcomed by the menu. On it, doro wat and Ethiopian coffee, which I both love, greeted us. We ordered both and a side of lentils.

What a deal! Our dish was huge, flavorful-to-spicy, and accompanied by not one but two portions of our lovely side dish.

At first bite, I was more enamored with the side dish, but with time it turned out that the deep dark flavor of the doro wat was more enticing. It came with two chicken legs and an egg, an odd accompaniment. Apparently though that dish is the one that's most popular at the restaurant.

I would definitely go back to Little Ethiopia Restaurant in a heartbeat. It was soulful and more quaint than I had imagined, given its namesake and accolades. It wasn't the cleanest of places, but the food was flavorful and distinct and frankly, sam, that's what I look for when I go out to eat.

Latas,
 Claire

Richo's Brewpub

http://www.newalbanian.com/

 

A heavenly delight was had not too long ago. The date was August and the temperatures had climbed into the the stratosphere of the 90's and beyond for the past week. When they redescended from the gods, we celebrated bacenalian-style and went to Rich-O's brewpub for some mid-70's socialization.

Happy patrons

I found myself waiting alongside friends, Michael and Beth of the Holladay Platter http://holladayplatter.blogspot.com/. And it should go without saying that, Wow!, we had a great time out. The conversation was quite lively; we mainly focused on the couples who were in our surrounds and whether they had intimate plans afterwords.

All yunking aside, when our food came we were very impressed. We all ordered some appetizers to start: a spinach queso alongside some stuffed mushrooms. Stuffed mushrooms happen to be an old friend of mine. I like them stuffed with creamy, bubbly cheese and spicy sausage so that they are juicy, oily, and oozing by the time they hit my mouth. These were no exception.. they were great! Also, the queso did not disappoint. There was a lot of it to go around, as we had seven in our party. 

A still happier patron

Then came the delight: pizza. Why go and drink beer at any old spot if you can drink beer at 1) a brewery 2) that's known for it's good pizza. That's the ultimate American combination, and tonight it was winning. 

We all went out on a limb and ordered what's called an upside-down pizza. These are chicago-style, deep dish pizzas that are served in an inverted, Western-New York kind of way. They had the charm of Frank Sinatra with the looks of Cosmo Kramer.

Mine was a meat pizza with italian sausage, jalapenos, and tomatoes. Michael and Beth ordered a spinach and banana pepper pizza. Usually I steer away from ordering a spinach pizza because I worry that my mouth will get confused into thinking that it's ordered a salad and will detest the experience; however, their Za came highly recommended. 

Oh yeah: have I forgotten about the beer? Yeah, I have. And actually I have in the literal sense. I had some good beers there, different beers. All lighter - one foreign hefeweizen, I now recall and one fruity, belgian-type brew. Everyone was impressed with their beers and I was unduly glad to imbibe!

Cheers to many more years, of celebrations and occasions at places like RichO's brewpup. They will be remembered for their reasonable-priced drinks, their pizza that was good, but whose crust could use some spice and fresh flavor, and for a limitless option of drinks as well.

Marimauto Market

Or something like that. 

I was thinking of going to the Japanese sushi and tempura place by my house, but decided against it. I can eat there any old night. Instead I drifted here. Lured in my the nearby Indian grocery store I knew I had to be in a foriegn land.

I actually didn't know what kind of Asian Grocery I was walking into. Apparently it was Japanese. I came to a halt outside the store because there was this Mexican guy with a food truck selling... wait for it... Octopus balls! "Octopus balls!!" you say. "Claire, why isn't this the title of your posting?" Ah-ha. Well therein lies the problem. They were all out of octopus balls for the day. "That's a good thing." I told the kind man. Yes, it is.

So instead I had sushi. I asked for canned Jack fruit but they didn't know what that was. So I went for my spicy tuna roll (4.50) and sticky rice.

The rice I saw a friend have a few weeks ago and since then I've been drooling. So I gave it a try. Not that adventuresome next to Octopus balls now is it.

And it was good. Sweet with some sesame seeds in it. But delicately sweet. At four dollars I'd keep them rolling into my mouth if my credit card didn't have a limit!

The Pastry Pub

http://www.cedarcitypastrypub.com/

So I have been deliquent in my posting! I am embarking on some high-class establishments here very soon so I decided to go ahead and try to ameliorate the backlog that was created in part due to a lack of internet. Here I began.

While traveling across the United States I encountered some very scrumptious and very poorly prepared cuisine. Salmon that was not cooked all the way through.. time and time again after sending it back to the kitchen. American fast food, in the absence of all else.

I am here to report that the dining adventure I enjoyed the most during my trip to the west coast was: the Pastry Pub, of Cedar City, Utah. Weird, you say, because it's a mostly mormon town and the likeness of the place's name itself mocks drinking. The Pastry Pub serves goodness in large, bizarre portions, in a very old school setting. The prices are right - everythings around 7 dollars, but what you get is off-the-charts.

I decided to order the weirdest thing on the menu, duh! that's what I always do. The dish featured a bottom layer of a yellow saffron rice. Rice that was to die for and featured in all of their dishes. What followed sounds weird, but was one of the best things I've ever eaten. Pastry puff, steak, cheese, artichokes, avacados. I can't even tell you what went on in my mouth. But that meal was heavenly. It was as if every piece of the meal was cooked with attention and excellent seasoning and then mixed in a way that elicited perfection.

In fact I was so impressed with my split meal and salad that only cost 7 dollars and so enamored with the dish that I almost ordered another one. I should have to say I did! Damn that was good! I would stop in cedar city just to eat there again in the quaint home to some of the oddest creations I've ever seen. Their menu isn't even online and my memory isn't that sound. They have quesadillas though. Salads. Shakes. Mmm. Tasting that food tasted like home.

Go on to their website and look at the photos they have of their food. Very unique, ehh?

Next on my food adventure list: Din Tai Fung's Sunday morning Dim Sum! Yum!

Eklecticafe

That's right. An eclectic cafe. But one word.

Wow. This place wasn't even first on trip advaoros recommendation list of must-visits, but it was darn good! We got a chicken quesadilla with unique homemade salsa, chunky and not too spicy, and a gyro. The gyro came with either a salad or chips and was loaded with meat, tomatoes, red peppers, sprouts, and cucumbers and leafy greens.

I didn't notice where our food went, but it disappeared quite quickly. I left completely enamored with the place and its vibe. There was jewelry for sale lining the shop walls and in every table under the glass. The bathroom looked like a house if worship with it's odd colors and mother Mary. Except there was a ketchup bottle holding the hand soap.

The menu ranged from egg and bagel breakfast concoctions to a curry wrap or southwest burger. They had many pastries and fun coffee drinks too. I was at ease with the free wheeling' place. I should also mention they have ample outdoor seating under the shade of vines and trees. Quite pleasing to the senses.

Drifter's

http://www.drifterscookhouse.com/

In the middle of nowhere Colorado (that seems to be a theme running through my reviews recently) we stumbled across Drifter's Cookhouse. It looked like just another roadside general store, but after checking online reviews I found that it merited a trip, especially after comparing its reviews to others in nearby Walden, Colorado.

Entering the place we were greeted by the lush leather bar. Pretzels and tvs were lined around the room that was filled with wood and black leather comfy seats. The bar was quite impressive! A young boy who was barely old enough to speak was sitting at the bar, welcoming people as they entered and instructing them to sit wherever they liked. 

Potato Quiche with goat cheese, artichokes, and peppers

We sat in the main restaurant part of the building both times we dined there by a window hosting a hummingbird feeder and a jewelry box showcasing items for sale. What blew us away about the place was that the menu featured creative, adventuresome menu items that were prepared expertly. It's as if this gourmet gem was misplaced in the tundra!

Our first sampling there was of a three-item mexican fiesta dish. For 11 dollars we got a meal for one and split it three ways. It included: a carne asada taco, a pulled pork taco, and a chile relleno. To this day I will not forget the taste of the chile relleno - it was an authentic poblano chile full of flavor and not overcooked one hair. It was downright incredible how good that pepper (whole pepper with tail) tasted in contrast to every other relleno I've gotten while out eating Mexican fare. 

The two tacos were quite amazing as well. The pork was extremely well seasoned and not at all fatty. The carne asada came with an avocado slaw that was unlike anything I had ever had before. The meat was amazing but the combination all wrapped up in this little corn shell was just unforgettable. The meal was complimented by rice and beans, both well seasoned and more-than-edible, unlike most Mexican restaurants.

We didn't hesitate going back to drifters to experience their deluxe cuisine a second time. We went back for meatloaf and quiche - both adventurous orders I'd say. The meatloaf was out-of-this world delectable and the quiche was quite good too, although I'd say that the blend of flavors in this egg form was a little too creative.

Hiking opportunists stumbled upon quite a find in Drifter's!

two-color-eyed dog in front of Drifter's

Hammerheads

 http://louisvillehammerheads.com/

Recently on a Monday night based on a recommendation from a friend I dined at Hammerheads in Germantown. It was, well, interesting. The rec said that it was better than holy grale in terms of atmosphere especially. I couldn’t concur less!

We entered the yellow-colored walls that is the basement joint and joined a full house of 80+ degree heated bodies. Yikes, it was hot! We decided to dine outside, where we couldn’t drink beer and had no menu access or service. The waitstaff did accommodate us with service only after waiting about 5 minutes.

The waitstaff were very friendly and the prices were reasonable (7-11) but the beer prices were nothing to write home about. We ordered one brisket sandwich and one crab sandwich. The crab sandwich featured a jalapeno aioli which I wouldn’t have known were present if I didn’t read about it on the menu beforehand. The sandwich had a whole crab in it (!) with very delectable legs and arms and big claws (I don’t know what those things are called). But the meat of the crabs body could have been more flavorfully stuffed.

The brisket was downright bleh. The owner of said brisket said it was better than doc crows, but I was not amused by its natural state. It was rather fatty and unseasoned.. but then again I’m not a big brisket person to begin with (I prefer pulled pork).

All in all I don’t know if I’d go back there – at least not in the summer head. For what you pay for, I’d rather go for the full ambience at half the price and dine at holy grale.

Giac Loc of My Tho

In a busy intersection near the catholic churches and buddhist temples of My Tho, Vietnam you can find  a lovely corner restaurant that surpasses all expectations. Workers in the restaurant wear uniforms. The selection is incredible and includes two multi-tiered carts of meat options. The only thing is - there's no actual meat in this place. I don't think I'd ever know the difference. I had - honestly quite close to - the finest beef and sausage I've ever had in my entire here. This is my taste bud mecca. Come one, come all, to the circus!

Tofu and Rice noodle rolls with peanuts and mixed greens

At the intersection of delight and harmony - I should say - is where you'll find this place. We got the opportunity to dine there with fellow buddhists (vegetarians) from the university on one occasion and just had to come back.  We had already eaten about an hour or two prior to coming and asked not to have anything. Instead, we imbibed some sting (big red-ish/energy drink tasting) and green tea and enjoyed several dishes.


I was amazed at the quality of the food. They can think of 1,000 different things to do with tofu to make it not taste, look, or think like tofu at all. Tofus were alive at one point, right? Anyway, my soy senses were satisfied but not overdosed at this amazing restaurant. We ate some pho and then had the real treat, pictured above. I could have eaten the whole, friggin thing! Take some lettace, some cilantro, peanuts, lemongrass and mint, and devour rice noodle rolls and sausage/baconesque tofu that tastes like really good beef/sausage and looks kind of like savory bacon in a kabob form (if that's possible). Wow! It was really exquisite! I cleaned the house on that one!

Selection of fus (tofus, that is)

When we came back just two days later we  ordered freely and the highly of our order were the fresh spring rolls served with a due serving of sauces. Wow! Fresh and excellent. They substitute every meaty item appropriately there. I thought I was eating good-tasting fruit de mer instead of fu fu fu my tofu. It wasn't quite as pinnacle as our premier experience, but still gave us shelter from the rain and an incredible view of kids playing in the puddles on the street.


This restaurant does have a bathroom, in case you're in the vicinity, as does the post office.

Tangier Moroccan Restaurant

 Hey there! Welcome back to my food blog. It's been quite the summer hiatus, but it has not gone without good eats! I've got leftover Ethiopian in the fridge and deserted my way into a sopaipillo last night. Expect a flood of new entries to come in from around the globe - I'm excited!

I thought I’d start off with a sensation – Moroccan food in Boulder, Colorado. Per a recommendation from a friend to try their food and mint tea, I set out to Tangier Moroccan cuisine this Monday for lunch. The restaurant located on Boulder’s main drag has received rave reviews from TripAdvisor users, which have actually earned it the top spot on trip advisor… dang! I decided to give it a try.

The drab outside next to a Mexican grab-n-go didn’t make it look very appealing from the outside. It was closed when we tried to eat there Sunday evening and I honestly don’t know what brought us back.. good faith I guess. When you enter the doors of the place you are transformed. It feels other worldly. The smells and the floor to ceiling coverings in deep maroon through your senses way off. It was almost too much to enter into!

We were greeted and seated prompty in western-style seats and I quickly ordered a mint tea, which is green tea flavored with mint. You can get it either iced or hot, but there is an overriding grapey flavor to it that makes it unlike any other mint tea I’ve had. Coming from Vietnam where mint green tea is a staple, I admit that I was worried about how this tea would fare. But it was unique and out of this world! Glad it was a bottom-less supply of mint tea too, at that!

Our dishes came out quick. We ordered one lentil soup bowl (bigger than the sun) and one lamb tangine dish with artichokes seasoned in lemon and carrots, peas, and olives. Wow! Simply the best lamb ever! Not too gamey, a huge bone-in piece, and not too fatty or greasy. I was stunned by the flavors in the dishes. Eating the lentil soup, which I happen to love, was very different because of the spices (sumac I believe is used in theirs, as well as heavy fresh cumin). The use of cilantro on the saffron rice really jazzed it up. Also, we devoured a hummus plate!

Anyway, I cannot say enough about how good the flavors were – you’ll just have to try it out for yourself! The meals there are all homemade the cook told us, and can take a while because of that. Our meal came in no time at all, which we were very pleased about as it was around 3pm and we had been hiking all morning. There was something about the mix of spices, fresh foods, and proper use of oil that made each dish simply outstanding in comparison to all other foods we’ve sampled. It just goes to show you that good old home cooking can sometimes take you a long way!

Papalino's New York Pizzeria

http://papalinosnypizzeria.com/Home.html


This past weekend my family decided to try out Papalinos NY Pizzeria, located on Baxter Avenue in the Highlands. The location for this restaurant is interesting as it's only a few doors down from Wick's Pizza, a well-established restaurant that I frequent every Tuesday for its trivia nights. The choice of setting up another pizza restaurant on the same block as Wick's was clearly intentional and, I suspect, will provide a great deal of competition for Wick's.

Papalinos offers dine-in and carry out, and my family opted for the latter; this was probably a good idea, since the restaurant is very small and only has a handful of tables, both inside and out. When I picked up the pizza, the outside tables were completely full (not surprising, given the wonderfully warm and sunny weather we had that day), but no one was seated at the indoor tables. To be honest, I was less than impressed with the indoor seating; the eating area seemed dark and reminded me of grimy McDonald's I have been to over the years.

Picking up the pizza was also an adventure, though not unexpected. I was there a little after 7 on a Friday evening, so naturally all of Baxter was packed with people and cars. I ended up having to park at the Walgreens two blocks down (where I usually park for trivia at Wick's anyway), but I felt a little foolish carrying a large box of pizza down the street.

For five people, we got an 18" pizza to split between four people, while my mom opted for a single slice of pizza - which turned out to be about the size of a personal pan pizza. Even the slices on our pizza were massive, but I was so hungry that I downed two of them without thinking. I can't even remember what our toppings were besides sausage and cheese, though I'm sure we had something along the lines of onions, olives, and green peppers. Yes, I was that hungry.

Papalinos' claim to fame is that it's New York-style pizza, which prompted a discussion amongst us as to what, exactly, a New York pizza is. So off to Wikipedia I went in search of an answer. According to wiki, New York pizza "is large, wide, thin and foldable... It is traditionally hand-tossed and light on sauce. The slices are often eaten as a 'street snack' while folded in half, as it's [sic] size and flexibility sometimes makes it unwieldy to eat flat." And that's exactly what we had. In fact, my mom unknowingly ate her pizza in the traditional New York manner - folded over in the style of a calzone.

If you find yourself in the area craving a pizza and want something that doesn't have much sauce, you'll want to try out Papalinos. I prefer my pizza this way, and would therefore choose Papalinos over Wick's any day (Wick's tends to be sauce-heavy). But we debated for a while over whether or not Papalinos is better than Boom Bozz, my family's go-to pizza place. We concluded that although Papalinos was excellent, Boom Bozz is far easier to get to, and just as tasty. Still, Papalinos is not to be ignored, and I'm sure I'll find myself back there on some warm weekend after a night of drinks at O'Shea's (which is right across the street from Papalinos).

- Guest blogger, Hannah S.
http://primachocolate.blogspot.com/

Safier Deli

http://www.safierdeli.com/

This morning I thought I should write about one of the restaurants that I frequent most often, but that fails to make it to my blog. Sometimes I think I take good eats for granted. Eating at the same locale over-and-over again treats the taste buds well, but doesn’t seem novel to me, so I just assume it wouldn’t be novel to write about. But as I find myself wanting to return to old favorite places more often these days, I thought it’d be worth it to give my notable eateries some shout-outs. So here I go.


This is known as a Persian/Lebanese deli, although I think it draws mostly from typical Mediterranean and Indian fare. The Indian daily specials are some of the most flavorful I have had, as is the beef and garlic sauce to their chicken dish called shish tawook, which is just divine! Nothing is a greater turn-on than good, tasty meat, which they have plenty of.

Their dishes are affordable, being about 4.50 for an a la carte wrap to 6.99 for a plated meal. The meals come with rice, a small salad, and some pita and hummus. We have a running joke in our office about both the pickle and pickled onions that come with the sandwiches and plates. They appear in the salad portions of both and are usually unwanted because they taste so bright and sour in comparison to everything else. They really overpower the dish! It’s always a bad day in work-land when you forget to ask Safier to hold the pickle from your sandwich!

The restaurant is at a funny locale simply because of Yafa, its greater competitor across the street. The office crew’s decision has been that in a taste test, yafa’s pita and hummus, rice, and salad may win, but that Safier’s meats are tops (although I think the pita and hummus are debatable). Yafa surely has better hummus that is flavored with olive oil, a small relish of some sort, and some paprika and is generous in its portion; however, Safier’s pita may win due to the fact that it tastes more bready than sweet-doughy, although it is occasionally dry.

The sauces at Safier are excellent! Their tahini and zesty garlic “tawook” sauce are superb accompaniments to any dish.

Drew and JJ from my office would often delight in the veggie paradise, which is a hummus and vegetable wrap that includes typical Mediterranean vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, lettace, and some feta cheese as well. There is some tabouleh in there as well, although I don’t think they insert a lot with the hummus already present. They would often get fries, which were very yummy and freshly made, although I found the health combo and the lack of foreign-zest inherent in ordering fries a little bit surprising.

My debacle confronting me today is this: do I branch out into the unknown and try their baba ganoush, known as mutabal, or their fried kibbi (which sounds roughly similar to lamb naan), or do I go for an old favorite such as the beef shawarma or chicken tawook? Debates debates. I don’t want to have something I don’t like, do want to branch out some. Maybe I’ll get the kibbi. Maybe not. Ugg! Who knows what today holds…

Shah's Mongolian Grill

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SHAHS-MONGOLIAN-GRILL-next-to-U-of-L-Belknap-Campus/38458169770

In a dark nook by UofL's campus is a mongolian-style grill that has long caught my attention. But not due to its trendy facebook page advertising the widest hookah selection under the sun, due to the friends and students of all things asian who love the place. Beer is cheap! Food is cheap! And good.. what more could I want?

Having been back to BD's Mongolian BBQ in college and truly loved it, I thought falling for a cheaper, local version of it would be easy. But what I took away from my BD's experience was that good beef is hard to come by and when you find it, savor it. Mongolian BBQ was disappointing in that respect.

This Tuesday I went there for lunch and found the place dormant around 12 noon. Soon after a few interesting fellows showed up - one wearing dreds and a kilt. But the friendly server took my order - one of the bulgolgi bowls with a korean sauce and then one of the beef szechuan-style bowls. It was only 5-6 dollars a pop! I opted for beef in my asian bowl because, hey, that's what I loved about the experience so much before.




Before having my meal cooked on their circular grill by a grillmaster, I recognized something that looked like frozen beef sitting out on the bbq toppings bar - I prayed it wasn't for my dish. Couldn't be that stuff. It was.

The beef in my dish was definitely some of the worst, most flavorless beef I've ever tasted in my years. The sauce, other toppings - such as onions, bean sprouts and mushrooms - were all exquisite though. The sauce had fresh dried chilis in it, which gave it a spicy zing that wasn't overbearring, but was still tear-worthy! I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor sensations going on in my mouth over the bulgolgi and the szechuan meat dishes!

However, upon leaving the place and telling my raving friend of my dismantling review, he told me that he always orders vegetarian there. "Yeah, just get the tofu." I, a consummate fan of tofu, would definitely be on board with that. It could absorb all those wonderful flavors that come from their homemade sauces that they make on the spot for you!

The decor of the place was nothing to write home about. My relaxing lunch was transformed by this dark, dance-club establishment full of contract workers milling around. The staff taking our order were very nice in their smiles and offer of free water, but they screwed up our order and didn't really seem to have an effective system of marking down "who's who." Later on they called out our number, which was 19, although we had no idea how we were supposed to know it was 19. It took all three of the wait staff to look at us from behind the counter and grab our attention before we finally came and got our dish.

I would definitely go back to Shah's, but for a crab rangoon, vegetarian entree, maybe some guitar playing of that old guitar sitting in the corner, and some 1-dollar domestic beers (magic hat and sam adams are included). Until then, I might double down and go to BD's for some real beef... it's been too long!

The Grilled Cheese Grill

http://www.grilledcheesegrill.com/

When out and about at some wee little hour of the morning, I was swooned into the grilled cheese grill on Alberta. We, four kings, were walking our honorarily short walk home in the mist and decided that a midnight snack was in order, approximately 10 hours or less before our late-morning brunch nearby. We settled in for a yummy treat!

The grilled cheese barista (cheesista?) was uber friendly and fast as another dude whipped up the grilled cheese in the back. The tables – which are covered – were actually a school bus! What the heck? We’re eating on a school bus. Two cohorts, a couple, joined the party a little later as we waited for our grilled cheese. I bought a yummy packaged cookie as an appetizer, which we enjoyed greatly.

What we ordered was the jalapeño popper grilled cheese. I admit it wasn’t all I had hoped. When I order jalapeno popper anything it takes me back to the days of former tumbleweed jalapeno poppers filled with oozing cream cheese and stuffed with moderately spicy and way-too-hot peppers. What I was served was, well, food. That went to my belly. And wasn’t that memorable. Still the warmth and the cool concept itself was enough to make the event well worthwhile (except I didn’t remember eating that cookie until the day after, when apparently my exuberance over it and sharing abilities were commemorated).

The menu, though, looks simply out of this world. At the time, we though: hmmm, wouldn’t it behoove Louisville to have something like this. Just like a holy grail, poof! Our idea came to fruition. Enter Lil Cheezers (http://www.louisvillestreetfood.com/menu/). Alas, there is a moving food cart in Louisville that specializes in fancy grilled cheeses that is certified “health-compliant” by the city. It roves along Bardstown Road, downtown or anywhere there is a fun event, such as the humane society outing coming up. The menu’s creations don’t sound as exotic or creative as Grilled Cheese Grill – and their name certainly isn’t – but I am dying to sample both the Elvis and the fancy grilled cheese (brie on a sandwich is heaven to me. I actively search it every day.. no I don’t really, but in my taste buds mind’s eye I do).

Jake's Restaurant

www.eatatjakes.com

Jake’s a Place for Steaks has never witnessed me order a steak. Actually, I don’t think that I’ve ordered a steak out at a restaurant in all my time dining in and around Wooster. I remember a friend got sick from Pepper Steak once at a Thai restaurant in Canal Fulton, but other than that I was a steakless-wanderer.

Jake’s is known in my mind for other things: an endless menu, cheap ice cream sundae shots, and wonderful times with friends. I went there on retreats, after driving long distances, for my birthday, and just randomly. The crab legs, the burgers, and the soups my friends have enjoyed. However, I remember jake’s for its really good Caesar salad, its pasta, and its really big queso burrito! One awesome feature of ordering a salad at Jake's is that it comes with a hulking, well seasoned bread stick. Giddy-up!

I also remember dining on their fudge brownie one night, which was sensational. Anything that resembles a lava cake to me and has molten chocolate oozing out of it is a must-eat menu item. Their fudge brownie compared, quite well actually, to the best lava cake I have ever eaten, which was at wild ginger just down the road.

One of my friends ordered a teriyaki chicken skillet at Jake's once and came away really enjoying it, but with a little too much food. If I had one complaint to make of Jake's it would be that the amount of food you get is a little hefty.

Also Jake’s menu has changed within recent years (duh.. that makes sense!) so that it now offers a more precise seafood menu and less pasta items. The seafood friends have ordered there has all been wonderful; however, I just wish that they’d bring the pasta items back to the menu. It would be nice to reconvene there with pasta dishes.

Their drink selection and pricing is a little better than some places and the atmosphere is that of tumbleweed. You have your bar area, which looks fancy and well-equipped. Several booth chambers up high that line the windows and then an open seating floor with booths surrounding it. While Jake’s is a local chain with two other locations, one in Mount Vernon and the other in Ashland, I wouldn’t classify their food as spectacularly local. It seems that the chain, unlike broken rocks or city square steakhouse, is more of a TGI-Fridays atmosphere and standing. It’s a middle-class working crowd with kids, not an older, bag-o-money sort of place.

I’d be remiss to add that I have sampled one of their soups that is excellent. I simply love their beer cheese soup! Second-best I’ve had in my entire life. You can put wonderful croutons in it and walk away feeling like a cup slurped was a double-meal indulgence!