tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16795338408245084992024-02-19T07:05:11.284-08:00 The Casual Eater I'm picky. Especially when it comes to food.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.comBlogger273125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-83005800508015940922011-06-15T14:26:00.000-07:002011-06-15T14:26:00.713-07:00Golden Gate FieldsWe went up to <a href="http://www.goldengatefields.com/">Golden Gate Fields</a> on a Sunday, specifically to catch Dollar Day. But, after walking around and seeing the food they had to offer, Jonathan went with the dollar hot dogs, but I just had to go with a turkey sandwich from <a href="http://www.goldengatefields.com/carvery">The Carvery</a>.<br />
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Jonathan enjoyed his hot dogs, and says that they were worth the dollar. I thought that my sandwich was great. The meat was carved right off the roast, and was incredibly moist. It tasted like Thanksgiving leftovers. The only problem was the plainness... it was just meat on bread. There weren't tons of condiments around (though there were little tubs of cranberry sauce, which I thought was funny), but I slapped some mustard on the sandwich. I couldn't finish it all and it worked as a nice leftover meal, too.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-45895052485123159012011-06-11T15:18:00.000-07:002011-06-12T14:25:00.317-07:00Sunnyvale Downtown Wine & Food StrollI saw a banner for the <a href="http://www.sunnyvaledowntown.com/wine--food-stroll.html">Sunnyvale Downtown Wine &amp; Food Stroll</a>, so we bought tickets and made plans to go to that. It was on a Saturday afternoon, and we arrived just a little bit before the event began. <br />
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Check-in was pretty straight-forward... you gave your ticket (after filling out the back for a raffle), they checked your ID, they banded your wrist, and gave you a totebag and souvenir wine glass. In your bag you had (among other things) a card that listed 20 downtown business, each giving one or more pours of wine from Californian wineries. Many places offered multiple pours, and one even had you taste five different sakes! <br />
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We had a lot of interesting things, like almond champagne from JFJ. Honestly, it'd be difficult to talk about the wines we tried at each place, as we didn't take notes, and only took a few business cards. I do remember that we had some great wine from Kirigin Cellars, and my personal favorite was from Clos du Bois. <br />
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A half dozen or so of the restaurants downtown also had out free appetizers, which gave us a chance to try some bites from places we haven't been as well. Rubio's offered some wonderful Mexican food, so we're definitely planning to try them out soon!Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-80914945619137632792011-05-31T14:57:00.000-07:002011-05-31T15:18:17.713-07:00AribaAriba is a company not far from Jonathan's work. However, they have a pretty nice cafeteria, so workers from several surrounding companies often go there for lunch. When Jonathan's parents were visiting, we all ate there, and I've also been one other time with Jonathan and Jim. Jonathan and Jim go there a few times a month, and generally have great experiences, though the Chicago-style pizza wasn't loved. <br />
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My own thoughts are sort of scattered. On one hand, I thought that the panini I had was delicious... the flavors of the Italian meats blended well. The accompanying salad on the side was fairly average, but nice to be included. That's what I had on my first visit. However, on my second, I just wasn't drawn to anything in particular. In fact, after walking around to all of the stations, I decided that I'd rather just wait an hour and eat at home. So that really doesn't bode well for the place, but at the same time I tend to be rather picky, so if I don't feel that anything offered is worth the price given, and I'm not super-hungry, I move on. Of course, that's not to say I won't go again... after all, that first panini was wonderful!<br />
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I did find <a href="http://dining.guckenheimer.com/clients/ariba/fss/fss.nsf">a menu</a> of sorts online, if you're interested.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-43214465542839696782011-05-25T18:34:00.000-07:002011-05-25T18:34:00.299-07:00Sushi Blvd.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqCEECPvtx03YyNPCmvnnrkZ4gwGLznUJA60sd7P68fNACVU8qBgQGTLWQIjXv58Ro5znoeYKJ9TKapYwHFCpIZ6uasQoKzV5ixz1VhHHj5nHeOW1YlpX9whiG2PWC03udxcNX4pV6DxB/s1600/May+2011+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>We hadn't seen Cody in a while, and met up with him at <a href="https://order.zonicordering.com/?str=tgi-s-sushi-sunnyvale">Sushi Blvd.</a>, which is less than ten minutes from our house. It recently was renamed, and most people probably know it as TGI's Sushi. <br />
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There was free edamame (not sure if that's normal or if it was because Cody is a regular), though I don't like it. The miso was very salty, and neither Jonathan nor myself were big fans, though Cody likes it. I loved the salad dressing, but I was the only one whose meal included salad, so no comparison there. I had the sashimi dinner, and while the tuna was good, I found the salmon to be gummy. Jonathan had a salmon deluxe roll and a rainbow roll, enjoying both and even taking some home. We were stuffed when we left, and though Jonathan was immediately thinking about our next visit, I was a little less enthusiastic. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi744atdqJB9Fg33E1x-mLFkZNRnwz4BzXfmGCJ4-R0SVP7hAxnvtp_AaO4usthphGoZxSTSpreecvZUlfh5DGSL4Ell5JyEo0OTSeAEyezd2m7_dGOxEpuR4yZvAKoehbwFpkwSGuE5r4r/s1600/May+2011+007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi744atdqJB9Fg33E1x-mLFkZNRnwz4BzXfmGCJ4-R0SVP7hAxnvtp_AaO4usthphGoZxSTSpreecvZUlfh5DGSL4Ell5JyEo0OTSeAEyezd2m7_dGOxEpuR4yZvAKoehbwFpkwSGuE5r4r/s320/May+2011+007.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;">my sashimi plate</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqCEECPvtx03YyNPCmvnnrkZ4gwGLznUJA60sd7P68fNACVU8qBgQGTLWQIjXv58Ro5znoeYKJ9TKapYwHFCpIZ6uasQoKzV5ixz1VhHHj5nHeOW1YlpX9whiG2PWC03udxcNX4pV6DxB/s1600/May+2011+005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqCEECPvtx03YyNPCmvnnrkZ4gwGLznUJA60sd7P68fNACVU8qBgQGTLWQIjXv58Ro5znoeYKJ9TKapYwHFCpIZ6uasQoKzV5ixz1VhHHj5nHeOW1YlpX9whiG2PWC03udxcNX4pV6DxB/s320/May+2011+005.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Jonathan's rainbow roll</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVKHvr4ZkwpQf2WYWl3wuBho1CXtO_JX0QZFna6jStR35b9zSsDy1iaxlYCJMzRFDwgOHfGwK5c5KPzZgK8TABOez3DNV4eFMieHwvSmVWXdaYfHFSPZ6WnYFE9k6zK3GkiYmmY4hwoYZ/s1600/May+2011+006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVKHvr4ZkwpQf2WYWl3wuBho1CXtO_JX0QZFna6jStR35b9zSsDy1iaxlYCJMzRFDwgOHfGwK5c5KPzZgK8TABOez3DNV4eFMieHwvSmVWXdaYfHFSPZ6WnYFE9k6zK3GkiYmmY4hwoYZ/s320/May+2011+006.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Jonathan's salmon </div>Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-23835921464459010172011-05-23T18:34:00.000-07:002011-05-23T18:34:04.389-07:00Sunny Buffet<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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Jonathan and I had lunch one day at a Chinese buffet near his work, called Sunny Buffet. <br />
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I thought it was a little pricey for lunch, especially when they're slow at filling up your water. They were pretty prompt about clearing old dishes, though. My biggest gripe would be that their setup was very difficult to maneuver. I never did find the white rice, and I had to be told twice where the dumplings were before I found them. Most of the foods on the buffet tables were labeled, but they tended to only have the names on one side rather than both, which was a bit annoying. <br />
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There was a wide variety of foods, and we both especially enjoyed the pepper chicken. Jonathan liked the chicken-on-a-stick, but I preferred the pork dim sum. The soup was pretty average, and I didn't have any of the dessert, so I can't comment on that. There was a sushi area, but the rolls weren't labeled, so I didn't bother. There was also a Mongolian grill area, but the line drove me away (not that it was long, but it was moving quite slowly). <br />
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Overall, I probably wouldn't return, but see why Jonathan and his colleagues go there every now and then!Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-68857005919067961852011-04-29T11:07:00.000-07:002011-04-29T11:10:45.146-07:00Dishes - KoreanVivian and I were hungry for "real" food, and Vivian suggested a food court that has 5 Korean places in a row. We looked at all of the menus before settling on Dishes. We both ordered the dumpling soup, which came with kimchi, vegetables, and some other things with which I was not familiar. Vivian also ordered a side dish of something... it was like sushi but it was beef inside instead of fish. I didn't try it. While I thought the prices were a little high when we ordered, it turned out that they gave us TONS of food, so I guess it was probably worth it. That is, if you liked it. I found the broth to be REALLY starchy, and the dumplings kept falling apart. It was still okay, but I wouldn't get it again. However, I had never had this Korean dish before, so it's possible that it was just as good as any other dumpling soup.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-69251650224323596842011-04-28T11:07:00.000-07:002011-04-29T11:10:05.906-07:00Paris BaguetteVivian and I were spending the afternoon together, and we decided to try out a food court near where I live to start. She had heard good things about a French bakery called <a href="http://www.parisbaguetteusa.com/">Paris Baguette</a>, so we went there.<br />
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You can walk around a large island that's full of clear bakery boxes. You pick out what you want and put it on your tray, then pay at the end. There's also loaves of bread and some more pastries along the wall, so there's really a lot to pick from! We each chose a variety of things and then ordered drinks at the counter when we paid. I chose an iced mocha, while Vivian picked a green tea. She thought that the tea was average, and I felt the same about my mocha. Unfortunately, I waited a LONG time for my mocha. After five minutes, I went up and asked about it, and it was clear that they had forgotten to make it - so they gave us two small pound cakes as an apology. The pastries were fairly priced and pretty good, though they were definitely better that day than the next few (I bought like $8 worth of goodies, so I took home 5 or 6 things after enjoying 3 there). The cheese puff and strawberry-and-cream croissant were the best.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-51227139923078811192011-04-26T11:06:00.000-07:002011-04-29T11:06:49.188-07:00Pizza: Escape from New YorkJim wanted pizza, and a new place had opened up just a few days earlier near his apartment. So, on our way out of SF, we stopped by <a href="http://www.escapefromnewyorkpizza.com/">Escape from New York</a> and got a Big Meat Combo, which was pepperoni, sausage, onions, and green peppers. I wasn't hungry, so several hours later I reheated a slice, and it was delicious. Over the next week, I enjoyed every piece I microwaved. The guys also liked it. It was expensive for a pizza (like twenty bucks), so I wouldn't order from there often, but I did like that they had sliced sausage instead of crumbled!Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-28903079028915960042011-04-25T11:04:00.000-07:002011-04-29T11:05:50.163-07:00The American Grilled Cheese KitchenWe were up in San Francisco and had a little time before we needed to pick up Jim, so Jonathan took me to a grilled cheese place that he's tried before, <a href="http://theamericansf.com/">The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen</a>. The menu is pretty small, and we decided to share a soup and sandwich. My first choice sandwich (Mousetrap) was sold out for the day, so we went with the Piglet, which was cheddar with ham and apple mustard (and regular butter, since I asked for no rosemary butter). It was really good, though I wish we had been able to get the other sandwich. Jonathan enjoyed the Smoky Tomato soup (with creme fraiche and croutons), though I didn't really care for it. All in all, sharing made for a good afternoon snack.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-86021820224990236792011-04-24T11:01:00.000-07:002011-04-29T11:04:31.519-07:00San Francisco Chocolate SalonOur anniversary celebration continued as we spent a day in San Francisco. Back in January I bought tickets for the <a href="http://www.sfchocolatesalon.com/">Chocolate Salon</a>, which is like a giant room filled with booths that offer you free chocolates, wines, chocolate milks, and other delicacies. We had a bit of a problem parking, especially when you consider that <a href="http://www.fortmason.org/">Fort Mason</a> was hosting multiple events that day. We eventually found a spot less than a mile away, though there were a couple of hills and lots of stairs. It was also windy, and my ears hurt on the way back to the car. Anyway, that's beside the point.<br />
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The Salon was crowded, but there were over 70 booths, so we were able to work our way around without too much trouble. I wasn't expecting so many booths to offer local wines, but we certainly tried more than a handful. We were ultimately able to try every single booth's wares except one (hand-painted chocolates), which had a very long line for most of the show. I loved some of the truffles we tried, particularly a truffle log, which had multiple flavors in a single piece. Jonathan also enjoyed that one. Over the course of two-and-a-half hours, we savored tons of delicious chocolate samples. The event was much larger than the <a href="http://casualeater.blogspot.com/2010/06/bucks-county-chocolate-show.html">Bucks County Chocolate Show</a>, and was certainly worth the $21 each we paid for tickets. If we're around next spring, I hope to go again!Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-35223124545705771292011-04-22T10:59:00.000-07:002011-04-29T11:01:04.984-07:00McCormick & Schmick'sWe were celebrating eleven years of being a couple last week, and this included going out for a nice dinner. We chose <a href="http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/Locations/san-jose-california/smarketst.aspx">McCormick &amp; Schmick's</a> because we have wanted to go to one for a while, we were in the mood for seafood, and there's one not far away. So, we made a reservation and drove down to San Jose. We were able to find $4 parking (honestly, the main reason I can't stand San Jose is because they make you pay to park. It's easier to park for free in San Francisco than it is in San Jose!), and only had to wait a few minutes when we arrived at the restaurant.<br />
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We weren't really at an ideal table, as the sun was completely in my eyes. Jonathan partially closed the curtains, and then they were opened later when the sun was down. Neither of us were thrilled with the wine and cocktail selection, but eventually I chose a margarita and Jonathan picked a whiskey-cherry juice-something else drink. They were both pretty good, though I thought the margarita was heavy on the triple sec.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDKkC9RXhfp8BYHdkGlNR5iSLYdF4iQeYkR1jWHnPV3bfzxVb_KvMT6b9wRdVIENG2l8y_Zgxy9uq4tp4Zi8x57eohvD1COkce7KNCkonCa77Fz2zF-rNAoRbk2GWCs8PYpMYZzhc65M/s1600/sf+sj+001.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
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Now, McCormick &amp; Schmick's is one of those restaurants that have a different menu each day, and that's both exciting and annoying... you'll be surprised by what's available, but you also can't plan ahead. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDKkC9RXhfp8BYHdkGlNR5iSLYdF4iQeYkR1jWHnPV3bfzxVb_KvMT6b9wRdVIENG2l8y_Zgxy9uq4tp4Zi8x57eohvD1COkce7KNCkonCa77Fz2zF-rNAoRbk2GWCs8PYpMYZzhc65M/s1600/sf+sj+001.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDKkC9RXhfp8BYHdkGlNR5iSLYdF4iQeYkR1jWHnPV3bfzxVb_KvMT6b9wRdVIENG2l8y_Zgxy9uq4tp4Zi8x57eohvD1COkce7KNCkonCa77Fz2zF-rNAoRbk2GWCs8PYpMYZzhc65M/s320/sf+sj+001.jpg" width="320" /></a> We started with a smoked salmon quesadilla, though I was a little hesitant because Jonathan doesn't always like smoked salmon. When it came, I was a bit surprised... the description mentioned a drizzle of sour cream, but ours had more of a scoop of it in the middle. Not worth making a fuss over, and we dove right in. I found the blend of flavors to be delicious, and Jonathan also enjoyed the appetizer, though not to the extent that I did.<br />
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Our waters were refilled promptly for the most part, and very subtly, which I prefer. We waited quite a bit for our entrees, but the restaurant was pretty full. They were, however, well worth the wait. I chose mahi mahi with couscous, which was priced especially for Lent, which amused me... it's a seafood place, so most dishes are suitable for Lenten meals, but only a few were "specially priced for Lent." The couscous was fabulous, with onions cooked just right gracing the top. The fish was good, too, and even reheated well when I had my leftovers a few days later. Jonathan chose a wild seafood trio, which included shrimp, mahi mahi, and salmon. There were two large shrimp, and he gave me one. It was lovely, though perhaps a tad overcooked. He thought that the salmon was different (but good), and attributed that to the fact that it was labeled as "wild." He found the pico to be too spicy - I thought it was okay, but it had a strong kick at the end. Her greatly enjoyed the mushroom risotto as well, and was pleased with his selection in the end.<br />
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I look forward to dining at another McCormick &amp; Schmick's again someday, but I'm not thinking I'd repeat that specific location again... parking irks me.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-57840250959239009612011-04-16T14:55:00.000-07:002011-04-30T17:59:33.907-07:00The BoardwalkJonathan and I hadn't seen our friend, Kathy, in a while, so we made dinner plans. However, she needed to head to Los Altos later, so we agreed to meet her in that direction. We randomly looked up places until we found one that had good reviews, and that's how we ended up at <a href="http://www.theboardwalkrestaurant.com/">The Boardwalk</a>. It's pretty easy to find, and if there was a really big sporting event going on, I don't think there'd be enough parking. However, since it was just a regular basketball and hockey night, the place wasn't very crowded.<br />
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I honestly found a lot of faults with this place, and am not in a hurry to go there again. First, when you walk in, it's not really clear what the set-up is. Turns out, you walk all the way across the room to the counter where you pick up food. The menu is above that. You order at the register to the right of the counter. So, while you look at the menu, you're blocking the way of people coming up to get their food. And, if the restaurant had been crowded, this would have been a problem. Additionally, with the chairs and tables in the configuration we saw, I'm not sure where a line would even form if needed. I looked through the menu and was about ready to order when Kathy arrived, so we were able to place our orders at the same time.<br />
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Jonathan got 20 hot wings, I got the Boardwalk burger (but with regular bacon instead of Canadian and an upgrade of spicy curly fries instead of regular). Kathy ordered the chicken caesar wrap. When the cashier gave us our total, it sounded about a dollar high to me. I immediately mentioned it to Jonathan, who pointed out that I don't always remember that tax is so high out here (it is 9.5%). So, I waited to see the receipt. But, we didn't receive an itemized, only a credit card slip. So, I'm not positive that the prices on the menu were accurate. The cashier also wasn't the friendly type, so I moved on.<br />
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We chose a table and sat down with our waters, waiting for our buzzers to go off. It was at this point that I realized that they never asked me how I wanted my burger cooked, which concerned me (in the end, it was well, so that was fine with me). Kathy's buzzer went off first, and she went up to grab her food. She was surprised to find that it came with chips, as that was not noted on the menu. Our order did not come up for at least ten more minutes, which was disturbing. After the first five, Jonathan went up to check on it, but the woman was not able to articulate (at least in English) what the situation was, other than "a few more minutes." He was actually on his way up to ask again when it looked like our order was being placed on the counter for pick-up. Since it had been so long, we encouraged Kathy to begin eating, and she was almost halfway through when our food was finally ready. We also all needed water refills before the food was ready... which is a pain there since you would have to wait in the order line to ask for a refill had there been anyone else in the restaurant (there were maybe ten people in the entire place). <br />
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My burger was good. In fact, there was nothing to complain about. There was, however, a sauce on it that the menu did not mention. But, it was yummy, so I didn't care. The "spicy" curly fries were no spicier than you'd find at Arby's or Checker's/Rally's, but that was fine; I was hungry. Jonathan didn't care too much for the wings, deeming them a little plain. Kathy tried a couple as well, and thought that they were overcooked - Jonathan agreed.<br />
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In the end, we did take the remainder of the wings to-go, and Kathy also brought home half of her wrap. I finished my burger and opted not to bring home the fries... which tells you how mediocre they were. So, I'm not impressed as a whole. If there was a good sporting event on, I'd give them another try. They did have a nice arrangement of large televisions, though I would fear that it would be difficult to get them to put on a "non-regional" game, since there weren't tons of televisions. If we decide to return next football season, I'll be sure to give you guys a second report.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-83038462805690526422011-04-14T17:13:00.000-07:002011-04-26T16:51:01.311-07:00Honeyberry: GelatoWhen Jonathan's parents were here, they took me for ice cream one afternoon. We were coming out of Walgreens when they suggested it, so we popped right into Honeyberry, since it's in the same plaza. Now, this is a different Honeyberry than Jonathan and I <a href="http://casualeater.blogspot.com/2009/07/honeyberry.html">went to a couple years ago</a>, and I had completely forgotten that's where I recognized the name.<br />
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The place was pretty full, which was surprising because it was 2 or 3pm on a Thursday. After looking over the options for a minute or two, I went with a scoop of the tiramisu gelato, and his dad picked peach gelato. The pricing was pretty cheap for gelato, at around $2/scoop (you pay by weight, and I added some kiwi and an oreo to mine). However, we weren't extremely taken by it. At first bite, something tasted "off" about mine (I should also mention that I normally sample at a dessert place, but because of the crowd I didn't bother... mistake). I later determined that it tasted as if there was cardamom in the gelato... which is weird. Jonathan's mom tried the peach as well, and didn't care for it, agreeing that they must add some type of spice to it. We sat and took our time in the place, and it never really slowed down... it was almost full the entire time we were there! Many people seemed to be getting either the roti buns or the green tea ice. I wouldn't go back for gelato (and I didn't care for the four flavors of fro-yo they had), but maybe I'd give the roti bun a try. Of course, I'm not often in the mood for a random pastry, so maybe not.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-8823481209364163602011-04-12T13:13:00.000-07:002011-04-25T18:15:46.826-07:00Little Swiss CafeJonathan and I spent a day with his parents while they were visiting, and went to Carmel-by-the-Sea for lunch. First, a note that they do not to number buildings. The streets have names, but everything within the 1-square-mile that is Carmel has no number. All addresses are given by the name of the place, or simply something like "on Sixth between Lincoln and Dolores."<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the way back, we decided that we were hungry so we stopped in Carmel to try the Little Swiss Cafe, which was recommended in Frommer's. It was a quaint little place, with cute paintings on the walls. I ordered the cheese blintzes, which was good. They were quite sweet, but I imagine that's how they should be (I'd only had them one time before, and I don't remember them all that well). Hot chocolate, coffee, and corned beef has all had good reviews from everyone, and neither Jonathan nor his mom finished their sandwiches, so we took half of a corned beef sandwich home, and half of a french dip. They didn't last long though, so they must've been delicious!</div>Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-59139316133458570902011-04-07T07:35:00.000-07:002011-04-25T18:10:27.399-07:00Marie Callender'sWhen I was in graduate school, I discovered Marie Callender's pot pies. Specifically, the Parmesan Chicken variety. That one has broccoli instead of peas, and that makes all the difference to me. I love that pot pie, and whenever I'm home alone for a week or so, I pick one up and have it for dinner one night. Jonathan doesn't really like them, and they're pretty bad for you, so I only eat about three or four a year. Anyway, more to the point... when we moved to California in 2009, we drove by a <a href="http://www.mariecallenders.com/">Marie Callender's Restaurant & Bakery</a> from time to time, but we never stopped in. Because of where we're living now, we pass it about once a week, and it really looks enticing. So, with Jonathan's parents visiting, and a decent coupon in the mail, we decided to give it a try.<br />
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We went on a Saturday night, and the place was pretty crowded. We only needed to wait about two minutes for a booth, but every table that we passed was full. Coat hooks were at every booth, so that was nice. Service wasn't ideal, but it wasn't bad, either. Our coupon was 1/2 price entrees with the purchase of another entree and two beverages. And, it allowed you to use it twice at the table, so that worked out for all of us. I had the strawberry lemonade, which was pretty good. At first it tasted pretty fake, but once I got past the sweetness, it was good. And there were real bits of strawberries in it, which is always nice in my opinion. Everyone else got hot tea, and they enjoyed it.<br />
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Jonathan added the salad bar to his meal, and I think that he's glad that he did. There were some nice choices on the bar, like ham and turkey, pasta salad, and multiple soups. He ordered the meatloaf meal, which came with a small portion of mashed potatoes, plus steamed carrots and broccoli. He said that the broccoli was good. The meatloaf was different, as it had bits of grated carrot in it, giving it a strange texture. The potatoes were real and good, but not plentiful. I went with the "souper sandwich," which was a bowl of soup and a half sandwich. I chose the potato cheese soup, which was very good, though a bit too hot at the beginning. I picked the tuna sandwich, which was plain tuna with lettuce on grilled parmesan sourdough. It was a pretty good combination. I understand how they priced my meal at $10 (bowls of soup are like $7 there!), but I wasn't too satisfied in the end with the portion for the price.<br />
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Jonathan's mom went with the Trio, which I was hoping would work for me, but ultimately did not. You get a caesar salad, a choice of pot pie, and a choice of pie for dessert. The only pot pie options they have are the regular chicken (with peas) and Shepherd's (also with peas). I'm surprised that they don't have more options, since there are so many varieties in the frozen section at the grocery store, LoL. Anyway, she chose the Shepherd's pie and the cherry pie. We all had bites of the cherry pie, and it seemed that everyone else liked it. I thought it was a bit tart, as cherry pies tend to be (except when made with rainier cherries, LoL). The caesar salad was pretty light on the dressing, but the server brought out more pretty quickly. I can't remember what his dad had, despite the fact that we talked about it a couple of days later, too, LoL. I want to say that he liked it, but it has completely slipped my memory. I guess that's what happens when I don't get a chance to post more often!Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-18282644679676631922011-03-28T18:08:00.000-07:002011-04-25T18:09:51.803-07:00Tallahassee: Brooklyn Pizza<a href="http://www.egsbrooklynpizza.com/main_tally.html">Brooklyn Pizza</a> is where Heather and I got dinner the first night that I was in town. It's down on Pensacola Street, and I can't speak much to the ambiance, as we got carry-out.We got calzones, which were pretty good. Maybe they were slightly pricey, but we each got two meals out of one, so maybe not. The flavor was good, and I'd get them again.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-33664854529745808962011-03-27T10:48:00.000-07:002011-04-25T18:09:45.094-07:00RedEye CoffeeWhile I was in Tallahassee, I checked out a few places that were new to me. The first was <a href="http://www.re3eye.com/">RedEye</a> Coffee, which I stopped at on both Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. It's on Thomasville, but I really suggest coming from Monroe, cutting over on Fifth, then turning right. The parking lot is a bit of a ways down, and it's pretty crowded. Just a head's up. The hot chocolate was pretty good, and so was the mocha frappe. The prices were pretty reasonable, and I tried both the indoor and outdoor tables.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-52668774506266152802011-03-11T11:30:00.000-08:002011-04-25T18:01:30.256-07:00Crazy BuffetWe've passed Crazy Buffet many times, as it's on a major road that we take often. We've also talked about going multiple times, but it just hadn't happened. So, I was really in the mood for Chinese, and Jonathan was just hungry, so we set out to eat there on a Saturday night.<br />
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It's pretty poorly organized when you walk in... we thought we were in a line to put out name on the list. Five minutes later, we realized that wasn't the case. We probably only waited about 20 minutes total, but that's a long time for a buffet, LoL! The entire experience was mediocre, really.<br />
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The water was good, but refills consisted of a server taking away our cups and we didn't see them again for five minutes... with the salty nature of many Chinese dishes, this was a problem. There was fresh sushi and sashimi at one of the buffet lines, which looked great. The tuna and salmon were pretty good. The problem was that the plates were very hot, so by the time you were back to your seat, your raw fish was starting to get warm...not nearly as appetizing. Still, we each had a few pieces (plus whitefish, a spicy roll, and a few other non-descript items). <br />
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There was a heavy seafood emphasis, with crab legs, oysters, and clams all being out, plus salt-and-pepper shrimp, crawdads, and other crab items. The crawdads were okay, but I passed on the crab, clams, and oysters. There were frog legs, which I found to be decent (my first time having them, so I don't have any other background on them). The roasted duck was hit-or-miss: I had it on my first plate, and it was extraordinarily greasy; Jonathan tried it later and found it to be dry. The pork shu mai was pretty good, though the potstickers were kinda mushy. The spring rolls were average, the sweet-and-sour chicken was dry, and the vegetable-fried noodles were bland. Jonathan tried the prime rib, which he found to be okay. We both tried the pepper steak, which I found to be pretty good, but Jonathan found it to be mushy and fatty. The vegetables I had (celery, onion, peppers) were pretty good. As always, you can't completely remember each item you tried at a buffet, but I think that this is probably enough to note that it was an overall average place. <br />
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The Chinese donut was excellent (if I still had room, I would've had another), the soft-serve was fine (though they were often out of dishes), and the cantaloupe was fairly fresh. The jello, however, was very tough. Overall, the place was a little overpriced for us (though if you like all-you-can-eat crab legs, salt-and-pepper shrimp, and oysters, you probably would have found $14.99/person to be a steal). We probably made up for the cost by having the sushi, though. We also had a 10% off coupon that we found in a paper - I'd recommend doing that. Oh, and as a final note, you might want to avoid Saturdays simply because of the number of birthdays being celebrated - we heard the birthday song over the loudspeaker 4-5 times while we were there... and it's a very long version. Of course, maybe it was just a fluke on the night we went..Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-45323849566025914662011-03-09T09:29:00.000-08:002011-04-25T18:00:34.153-07:00Gobi Mongolian BBQ<a href="http://www.gobibbq.com/index.html">Gobi</a> is pretty close to Jonathan's work, so he's been there multiple times. For the first time, I went with him and our friend, Andy, on a Friday for lunch. The line was out the door when we arrived, and I was pretty concerned. The guys acted like it was no big deal, and I realized pretty quickly that they were right.<br />
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From the entrance, you go straight into the line, and after you've received your food, you are given a table - and that part goes pretty smoothly. For $8, you can go through the line multiple times, and you pick exactly what you want. Chicken, pork, or beef is chosen first (or a combination if you prefer). Then veggies - tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, water chestnuts, pineapple, celery (which I thought was green pepper at first because of the way that it was sliced), etc. Then, you can add noodles if you want. Last, sauces... there were quite a few to pick from, and they're much more potent that <a href="http://casualeater.blogspot.com/2009/04/mongolian-bbq.html">the Mongolian place in downtown Mountain View</a>. After your plate has been cooked, there are a lot of options as far as what you can top it off with - garlic powder, lemon pepper, cayenne seasoning, sesame seeds, etc. There are also spring rolls to munch on if you like. <br />
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Everything was really good, though the celery kinda dampened my first bowl a bit, since I was expecting peppers. Jonathan liked both of his bowls, too, but of course he was an expert at the combinations at this place. Andy liked his first bowl better than his second, but on his second he was going for a sweet sauce instead of spicy, and that's hard to do since they don't clean the hot stone between cooking meals and sometimes the liquids from another person's spill into yours (we actually think some of Jonathan's spiciness got into Andy's in this case, LoL). I'm not sure that I like it more than the one in Mountain View, but it was a nice change. It was also nice for me because I love stir-fry and don't get it all that often.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-686459620522141682011-03-06T15:04:00.000-08:002011-04-30T17:58:35.375-07:00Red's Java HouseWe were helping a friend move up to San Francisco. After we got everything upstairs, he took us to eat at a burger place close to his new apartment.<br />
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Red's Java House isn't a coffeehouse, as one might guess. Instead, it's off Pier 30 and is kind of a hole-in-the-wall place, even though it is stand-alone. They were pretty quick, but I imagine that's because the menu is pretty simple. Jim, both of his new roommates, and I all had cheeseburgers. The patty was nothing special (similar to Burger King, really), but it was on a slab of sourdough bread, which was incredibly fresh and delicious. There was plenty of mustard, some onions and pickles, and nothing else. They actually pride themselves on the fact that they don't carry lettuce or tomatoes, which I thought was interesting. Jonathan went with the fish & chips. The battered outside was good, but left the inside a bit mushy. The portion was also HUGE, and Jonathan finished just half of the fish. The fries were thin, oily, and squishy... which is a no-go for me. Jim got the onion rings, which were heavy on the breading, but still pretty decent. It's a place that is frequented by his roommates, but I wasn't really taken with it. They have a daily special that varies from corned beef hash to tuna fish, but none of them really sounded fantastic to me. The sodas were also a bit overpriced, but I needed the sugar after moving so much stuff, LoL.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-59673991440967456472011-03-04T17:55:00.000-08:002011-04-25T17:57:40.502-07:00Even More Pho...We wanted pho again, so we went to Pho Quyen, which Jonathan had been to before, but I never had. He said that the place was hit-or-miss, and that's kinda how I felt about it. As I've mentioned before, I get very upset when I ask for lime and I receive lemon. I understand that the translation on the other end is the same, but if I specify "green lime" (as I often do), I'd like to know up-front if that's not what you have... because I will order differently if I can't get lime with my pho. Well, it's kinda tacky to admit, but I've taken to bringing my own lime when we go for pho, in case they don't have it. And, that was the case this time. Lemon was served on the side, and I had pre-cut limes in a tupperware under the table, LoL. There were too many noodles in the bowl for my liking, which made the broth pretty starchy. Also, the chicken was less than ideal... many dark spots in the meat. They did, however, have some very good pork summer rolls. Jonathan also thought that there were too many noodles in the bowl this time, but he also said that he liked it, so it wasn't a total loss.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-21624019584920707152011-03-03T12:53:00.000-08:002011-04-25T17:57:44.308-07:00More Pho...We tried a place close to our house - the California Noodle House, which also seems to go by (or used to go by) Pho Xe Lua. The summer rolls were average, and the pho was served with lemon. Jonathan and I agreed that there was not nearly enough noodle in the bowl to balance out the broth and meat. I had a difficult time seasoning the broth, and gave lemon a try in my pho for the first time. It was pretty bad. But, at least now I know that it's not worth it, LoL. Jim got a different dish and thought it was okay, but when we go for Vietnamese, we generally want pho, so that won't really work for us.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-56341460964535755382011-03-01T12:26:00.000-08:002011-04-25T17:55:15.054-07:00CabritosWe went out with some people from Jonathan's work to a Mexican place nearby.<br />
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Cabritos was pretty empty, even for a Monday. We were the only people in there when we arrived (around 7:30), and only two or three other tables ever arrived. Toward the end of the night, there was a sound-check of sorts, and the schedule showed that they have music there multiple times a week, so I guess it just must hvae been a particularly slow evening.<br />
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Half of the table got chimichangas, the other half got burritos, and I think there were 1 or 2 people who chose something different. The complimentary chips and salsa were decent - the chips were good, but the salsa was spicy and watery. We also all had a little of the restaurant's version of queso fundido, which is a melted cheese with sausage. It was good, and I think everyone would agree. The chimichanga was pretty good, and the guacamole was excellent. The issue I had was the price of the chimichanga for the portion... I was one of the first people finished with their meal, and I've met many a chimichanga that I couldn't dream of finishing. We would consider going back for the queso and for the guac, but I think we'd both try other items (we both went with the chimichangas).Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-16681057907468099372011-02-27T12:24:00.000-08:002011-04-30T17:57:24.609-07:00The CounterI've probably said it before, but I'll say it again... I don't know if a burger and fries have ever failed to put me in a good mood. I love stuffed shells and pizza and chimichangas... dim sum and smoked duck and frozen custard make my day... but a cheeseburger and french fries just plain make me happy.<br />
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We were heading to Santana Row, which is an area of San Jose where we've been a couple of times before. With Borders closing all over the place, we wanted to go take advantage of some discounted items, and Jim suggested we all eat at <a href="http://www.thecounterburger.com/">The Counter</a>. He had been there a few times before, but not recently. It's a smaller chain of burger places, where the big concept is "build your own burger."<br />
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You check boxes on a sheet filled with options, specifying the size of your burger, how you want it cooked, the type of bun, the cheese, the sauce, the toppings, etc. They also have this for drinks - pick your juice, liquor, spritzer, garnish, etc. I thought that was funny. We ordered a fifty-fifty to share - french fries and sweet potato fries in combination. There were tons... 5 people could have shared them. They weren't the best ever, and the flavor was nothing unique, but they worked. We also got fried pickles, since I love them and we haven't had them in a long time. They were thick and the sauce with which they were served wasn't tangy, which we generally expect. I wouldn't get them again, but it was nice to at least see them available out here!<br />
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I chose a ciabatta bun and a 1/3 lb burger, well-done. Cheddar cheese, garlic aioli, tomato, grilled onion, pickle, and banana peppers rounded it out. It was pretty good, though not exquisite. I'd get another burger there. Jonathan and Jim both felt theirs were under-cooked (they asked for medium-rare and got more of a rare), which is a common complaint when you read other reviews of this place. We all loved the grilled onions, but after that we had very different options. Jim ate his pretty quickly, and Jonathan was pretty happy with his selections. If there's one near you, I'd suggest you consider giving it a try - you might like it.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679533840824508499.post-44369553949745322612011-02-11T12:31:00.000-08:002011-04-25T17:53:42.772-07:00Daphne's Greek CafeWe were over near GameStop, so we grabbed some dinner at <a href="http://www.daphnesgreekcafe.com/">Daphne's Greek Cafe</a>. I had never been there before, but Jonathan had. The menu was about average-sized but it didn't offer a ton of variety. I was also surprised with the wait we had after we ordered, but it seemed that everyone else waited just as long. <br />
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I had the grilled chicken pesto pita melt, which was pretty good. It was large, so that was a definite plus. It had mozzarella and feta on it, plus some tomatoes. It wasn't fantastic, but it was good. I'm torn over whether I'd get it again, honestly. They also gave us a free pesto hummus with pita triangles, so I got to try that out as well. It was pretty good, but not my favorite flavor of hummus. <br />
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Jonathan tried the $7 dinner special, with roasted red pepper hummus & pita, grilled chicken kabob and gyros street pita, and baklava. Except, we got the order to-go, and they left out the baklava, which we didn't realize until after we were home and started eating. He enjoyed his hummus (which we used to have frequently in Florida and Pennsylvania, but it's expensive out here! we've tried making our own before, too... but that's a lot of work), and liked most of the entree as well. However, the vegetables on the kabob weren't that great.<br />
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The owner/manager was the one who took our order, and he was fantastically friendly. I just don't know that we'd go back to this place over the other Greek places in the area. Another negative to this one is the parking... the situation isn't good at all during rush hour.Amy K. Bredemeyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07392485309838795968noreply@blogger.com0