Regency Grill' Thai Kitchen
1111 E. Broadway (downtown, attached to the Regency Hotel)
10/19/07
Oldboy: 5 stars
The lesser known of the Thai restaurants in Columbia, greatly overshadowed by Bangkok Gardens. I have always enjoyed the food here. Average price with usually leftovers for a second meal. The decor is the usual Asian accoutrement's, though it does escape somewhat from the typical hotel restaurant atmosphere. You can chose your heat level, I usually go for a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. The spring roll was somewhat over fried and greasy. They have a good lunch deal, where you can pick two sauces from a list of six, and get a spring roll or drink included with the meal. The cashew chicken could have used a few more cashews, but had a good flavor. The heat level was just right for me, hot enough to make me sniff a bit but not enough to cover or distort the flavor of the food. One of my favorite Thai foods is the peanut satay; theirs came with three strips of grilled chicken and a tasty peanut sauce, though I prefer the peanut sauce to have bits of ground peanut mixed in it. Overall, decent food for a decent price, good lunch special.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Bread Basket Cafe
Bread Basket Cafe
220 S. Eighth St. (downtown, off the north side of the MU campus)
10/17/07
Oldboy: 5 1/2 stars
We went there in the evening and I got the feeling they do a lot more business during the day. Lots of seating and few people on a Wednesday night around 7 pm. Very reasonable and low prices, for the amount and quality of food you receive. Counter service rather than sit down and be waited on. I got a soup and 1/2 sandwich combo. The 1/2 sandwich was more like a full sandwich, with thick slices of homemade bread, though it was a little light on the meat. The bread was toasted/grilled, which gave it a little bit of a crunch factor. Overall, it was filling and tasty, good but not great. The soup came in a bread bowl with the extra in a cup on the side. Unlike other places that offer soup in a bread bowl, you got a full serving of soup. The soup was cheddar broccoli, warm and filling, though I would have liked a bit more broccoli in the soup. As much as I liked the bread bowl, I would have liked the option of just having the soup in a bowl to cut down on the number of carbs in the soup and 1/2 sandwich combo. It was good soup, had a nice taste and flavor, but it didn't make a great impression on me. The best features are the quality and amount of food for the cost.
220 S. Eighth St. (downtown, off the north side of the MU campus)
10/17/07
Oldboy: 5 1/2 stars
We went there in the evening and I got the feeling they do a lot more business during the day. Lots of seating and few people on a Wednesday night around 7 pm. Very reasonable and low prices, for the amount and quality of food you receive. Counter service rather than sit down and be waited on. I got a soup and 1/2 sandwich combo. The 1/2 sandwich was more like a full sandwich, with thick slices of homemade bread, though it was a little light on the meat. The bread was toasted/grilled, which gave it a little bit of a crunch factor. Overall, it was filling and tasty, good but not great. The soup came in a bread bowl with the extra in a cup on the side. Unlike other places that offer soup in a bread bowl, you got a full serving of soup. The soup was cheddar broccoli, warm and filling, though I would have liked a bit more broccoli in the soup. As much as I liked the bread bowl, I would have liked the option of just having the soup in a bowl to cut down on the number of carbs in the soup and 1/2 sandwich combo. It was good soup, had a nice taste and flavor, but it didn't make a great impression on me. The best features are the quality and amount of food for the cost.
The Pasta Factory
The Pasta Factory
1020 East Broadway (corner of Broadway and Hitt - downtown)
10/24/07
Oldboy: 4 stars
What we've often considered one of the best Italian restaurants in Columbia. However, on this particular occasion we were somewhat disappointed. Moderately priced, I got an appetizer, entree and desert for around $20 - $25. The amount of food is good, as leftovers were enough for a decent meal the next day. The service was decent, my water glass was usually kept filled, though we ended up waiting a bit near the end of dinner for the bill. My favorite part of the decor are the old belt-driven ceiling fans. We were never offered or received bread with our meal, which would have been nice to have to sop up sauce. The fried zucchini sticks were tasty, and not too greasy. I got the Straw & Hay Fettuccine for an entree, which was rather disappointing, in fact, it tasted better warmed up the next day. The sauce seemed to end up at the bottom of the bowl rather than coating the pasta, and it wasn't until I was scraping the sauce into the take-home container that I really tasted the parmesan in the Alfredo sauce. The prosciutto was somewhat bland as well, it needed a sharper, saltier taste to stand out. Walkabout's tortellini was also a bit tasteless, and I found it difficult to determine if they were stuffed with cheese or meat. The cheesecake was fairly decent, creamy and smooth with a good flavor. Hopefully, we just had an unusual bad day, as this place is usually pretty good.
1020 East Broadway (corner of Broadway and Hitt - downtown)
10/24/07
Oldboy: 4 stars
What we've often considered one of the best Italian restaurants in Columbia. However, on this particular occasion we were somewhat disappointed. Moderately priced, I got an appetizer, entree and desert for around $20 - $25. The amount of food is good, as leftovers were enough for a decent meal the next day. The service was decent, my water glass was usually kept filled, though we ended up waiting a bit near the end of dinner for the bill. My favorite part of the decor are the old belt-driven ceiling fans. We were never offered or received bread with our meal, which would have been nice to have to sop up sauce. The fried zucchini sticks were tasty, and not too greasy. I got the Straw & Hay Fettuccine for an entree, which was rather disappointing, in fact, it tasted better warmed up the next day. The sauce seemed to end up at the bottom of the bowl rather than coating the pasta, and it wasn't until I was scraping the sauce into the take-home container that I really tasted the parmesan in the Alfredo sauce. The prosciutto was somewhat bland as well, it needed a sharper, saltier taste to stand out. Walkabout's tortellini was also a bit tasteless, and I found it difficult to determine if they were stuffed with cheese or meat. The cheesecake was fairly decent, creamy and smooth with a good flavor. Hopefully, we just had an unusual bad day, as this place is usually pretty good.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Gibson Girls Cafe
Gibson Girls Cafe
3412 Grindstone Parkway (attached to the Ice Chalet Antique store)
Sept. 19th, 2007
Oldboy: 3 1/2 stars
A lot of expectations that didn't materialize. Homey atmosphere, though the booth was a bit cramped, with mostly an older & middle aged crowd. The service was just about the best we've had anywhere, definitely the high point of the whole experience. The prices were fairly average to low/average, my meal, and entree with an appetizer cost around $12. The atmosphere and advertising suggested home-cooking, and the food came out looking definitely homemade. The soups (choice of 4 from the "largest soup bar in Columbia") were tasty, but not the spectacular we were expecting. The chili was more soupy and mostly beans, though the steak soup was a nice, dark thick soup with decent chunks of meat in it. The onion rings were hot, home-made, and just a touch too salty. The roll also was nice and "fresh from the oven" warm, but once again, did not have the outstanding taste we were expecting. My entree, a chicken fried steak, was not made on a production line, but had a touch of heavy handed saltiness to it. The mashed potatoes were real, not from a box, and either they or the gravy suffered from just a touch too much salt as well. The portions were just enough to fill, but nothing left over for a doggy bag. We had a lot of expectations here, the smell and the visual of homemade food had us anticipating more than what we actually received. Other than the great service, a bit of a disappointment.
3412 Grindstone Parkway (attached to the Ice Chalet Antique store)
Sept. 19th, 2007
Oldboy: 3 1/2 stars
A lot of expectations that didn't materialize. Homey atmosphere, though the booth was a bit cramped, with mostly an older & middle aged crowd. The service was just about the best we've had anywhere, definitely the high point of the whole experience. The prices were fairly average to low/average, my meal, and entree with an appetizer cost around $12. The atmosphere and advertising suggested home-cooking, and the food came out looking definitely homemade. The soups (choice of 4 from the "largest soup bar in Columbia") were tasty, but not the spectacular we were expecting. The chili was more soupy and mostly beans, though the steak soup was a nice, dark thick soup with decent chunks of meat in it. The onion rings were hot, home-made, and just a touch too salty. The roll also was nice and "fresh from the oven" warm, but once again, did not have the outstanding taste we were expecting. My entree, a chicken fried steak, was not made on a production line, but had a touch of heavy handed saltiness to it. The mashed potatoes were real, not from a box, and either they or the gravy suffered from just a touch too much salt as well. The portions were just enough to fill, but nothing left over for a doggy bag. We had a lot of expectations here, the smell and the visual of homemade food had us anticipating more than what we actually received. Other than the great service, a bit of a disappointment.
Monday, September 17, 2007
My Kitchen
My Kitchen
located at My House
As many people that have come over to my place and/or have eaten my cooking, I thought I'd toss this in for kicks. Price: reasonable, often free, though the host really hopes that patrons offer some sort of compensation (money, reciprocal meals, etc.). Amount: usually all you can eat, and even sometimes leftovers or take-out (bring my containers back please!). Decor: well, I have two other "gentlemen" roomates, need I say more? The food, well, people always come back and I have frequent requests. One often requested menu selection is my African groundnut soup. In fact, I served this to the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars band when they performed during the Roots, Blues & Bar-B-Q festival. I spent 2 years in Sierra Leone as a Peace Corps Volunteer. They liked it a lot, and dedicated their oncore song to "the white man who cooked us food!" Several band members came up to me afterwards and said that my food gave them the "power" to perform well. Groundnut soup is actually a sauce served over rice, but good by itself, with onions, butter beans, sweet and Irish potatoes, chicken, lots of peanut butter and red pepper. Another often requested dish (especially by 2nd Best Man & Ferretman in St. Louie) are my pot-stickers or dumplings. Pork stuffing and I like them fried after cooking them in boiling water. I learned how to make these from fellow graduate students from China (I amazed one of my Chinese roomates, Dr. Gu, by making dumplings as fast as he did). A dish I've taken to many a company picnic and social gatherings and have had a lot of requests for the recipe for are my baked beans. These are slightly spicy, sweet sticky baked beans, in a cast iron pot cooked in the oven for at least 6 to 8 hours. Friends know that at birthday time all they need to do is tell me the type of cake they want; chocolate with extra chocolate seems to be popular. People don't go hungry here, and they keep coming back, so the food must be good!
located at My House
As many people that have come over to my place and/or have eaten my cooking, I thought I'd toss this in for kicks. Price: reasonable, often free, though the host really hopes that patrons offer some sort of compensation (money, reciprocal meals, etc.). Amount: usually all you can eat, and even sometimes leftovers or take-out (bring my containers back please!). Decor: well, I have two other "gentlemen" roomates, need I say more? The food, well, people always come back and I have frequent requests. One often requested menu selection is my African groundnut soup. In fact, I served this to the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars band when they performed during the Roots, Blues & Bar-B-Q festival. I spent 2 years in Sierra Leone as a Peace Corps Volunteer. They liked it a lot, and dedicated their oncore song to "the white man who cooked us food!" Several band members came up to me afterwards and said that my food gave them the "power" to perform well. Groundnut soup is actually a sauce served over rice, but good by itself, with onions, butter beans, sweet and Irish potatoes, chicken, lots of peanut butter and red pepper. Another often requested dish (especially by 2nd Best Man & Ferretman in St. Louie) are my pot-stickers or dumplings. Pork stuffing and I like them fried after cooking them in boiling water. I learned how to make these from fellow graduate students from China (I amazed one of my Chinese roomates, Dr. Gu, by making dumplings as fast as he did). A dish I've taken to many a company picnic and social gatherings and have had a lot of requests for the recipe for are my baked beans. These are slightly spicy, sweet sticky baked beans, in a cast iron pot cooked in the oven for at least 6 to 8 hours. Friends know that at birthday time all they need to do is tell me the type of cake they want; chocolate with extra chocolate seems to be popular. People don't go hungry here, and they keep coming back, so the food must be good!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
New York Deli
New York Deli
1301 Vandiver Dr.
Sept. 12th, 2007
Oldboy: 4 1/2 stars
OK Deli-style food, fairly limited menu I thought. Not a very large place, limited seating. I think they do most of their business early in the day, we got there around 5:30 pm. Unfortunately, they were out of hero/sub buns for the sandwiches. My Miracle Mets sandwich was tasty, but a bit sloppy. I had asked for mayo and it seemed a bit runny. However, the amount of meat was definitely on the thick side. Two sandwiches, some Tortellini and Macaroni salads, two slices of cheesecake (had to try cheesecake from a NY-style Deli!) and a couple of drinks cost us just over $30. I thought both the salads were good but not great. The cheesecake was also ok, but nothing to write home about. I enjoyed the food, but it wasn't anything that I thought was outstanding.
1301 Vandiver Dr.
Sept. 12th, 2007
Oldboy: 4 1/2 stars
OK Deli-style food, fairly limited menu I thought. Not a very large place, limited seating. I think they do most of their business early in the day, we got there around 5:30 pm. Unfortunately, they were out of hero/sub buns for the sandwiches. My Miracle Mets sandwich was tasty, but a bit sloppy. I had asked for mayo and it seemed a bit runny. However, the amount of meat was definitely on the thick side. Two sandwiches, some Tortellini and Macaroni salads, two slices of cheesecake (had to try cheesecake from a NY-style Deli!) and a couple of drinks cost us just over $30. I thought both the salads were good but not great. The cheesecake was also ok, but nothing to write home about. I enjoyed the food, but it wasn't anything that I thought was outstanding.
Cafe Berlin
Cafe Berlin
Corner of Providence and Walnut
Aug. 18, 2007
Oldboy: 5 1/2 stars
One of several places in Columbia that serve breakfast and lunch only. Cafe Berlin is a bit different in that it leans more to the organic and healthy fare. Lots of bran and fresh squeezed o.j. The prices were average to above average. The decor was a touch eccentric and pleasant enough surroundings. I liked the Eggs Benedict, very tasty with thick chunks of sliced ham. The amount of food was average, but no real left-overs.
Corner of Providence and Walnut
Aug. 18, 2007
Oldboy: 5 1/2 stars
One of several places in Columbia that serve breakfast and lunch only. Cafe Berlin is a bit different in that it leans more to the organic and healthy fare. Lots of bran and fresh squeezed o.j. The prices were average to above average. The decor was a touch eccentric and pleasant enough surroundings. I liked the Eggs Benedict, very tasty with thick chunks of sliced ham. The amount of food was average, but no real left-overs.
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