Greasy Spoons

We’ve been here in NYC since Thursday and have pretty much stuck to our usual restaurants, like Thai Basil, DJ Reynolds, and Mitali. All three were excellent as always. But tonight we set out to try something different and ended up at Zerza Mediterrano on 6th St between 1st and 2nd Ave (a few doors down from Mitali, as a matter of fact). The menu looked interesting and it looked like a nice place, so in we went. We had no problem getting a table. In fact, for a while we were the only patrons. There were several tables taken when we left.

Zerza serves Mediterranean and Moroccan cuisine. Most dishes come with couscous. We started out with a Baby Greens and Fennel salad. We had wanted the Baby Arugula and Roasted Pear salad, but they were out. The Greens and Fennel salad was tasty, but not exactly inspiring. For entrees Sarah ordered the Vegetable tagine, which is a veggie stew, and I went with the Mrouzia Beef Short Ribs. It was a large portion of beef ribs without the bones in a delicious prune sauce (think sweet prunes). Both meals came with sides of couscous. I also ordered a Casa beer from Casablanca, Morocco. It was light and went well with the beef. Sarah’s tagine was good and not too filling. And as I mentioned, my beef was really tasty. I would gladly order it again. For dessert Sarah had fig ice cream and I had baklava with a shot of Bailey’s on ice. Perfect ending to a great meal. 

As graduation at the U of I is this weekend, we decided to avoid the crowds in Champaign and head over to Terre Haute, IN to try Gerhardt’s Bierstube Restaurant on Lafayette Ave. We had tried to eat there once several years ago, but we were there on a Monday and Gerhardt’s is closed on Mondays. Today we finally made it back. We got there about 5:30PM and had our choice of tables. We chose a booth in one of the side rooms. Gerhardt’s atmosphere is obviously modeled after a typical German gastehaus, but you won’t forget for a second that you’re still in Terre Haute.

Gerhardt’s has a wide selection of both German and American cuisine. As we went there specifically for the German food, we stuck to classic German dishes. We started off with Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancake) appetizers, which were decent and not too filling. I had a Warsteiner dunkel (dark beer) and Sarah went with Diet Coke. She ordered Sauerbraten with Rot Kraut (red cabbage) and Spätzle while I opted for the Schweineschnitzel with Kartoffel Salat (potato salad) and Rot Kraut. Sarah’s sauerbraten was pretty tasty, although the beef itself was on the dry side. Her spätzle was a little bland (although they do offer it with gravy) and the rot kraut we both had was ok, but not nearly as good as the rotkohl at La Gourmandise. My schweineschnitzel was huge. It covered the entire dinner plate. It was very good, though. The potato salad was ok, but a bit heavy on the vinegar.

If you’re in Terre Haute, then Gerhardt’s would be a good choice for German cuisine. But if you’re in central Illinois, there are better choices; one being the aforementioned La Gourmandise in Urbana.

This afternoon we finally made it to Milo’s at their new location on Philo Rd. in Urbana, just south of Windsor. The last (and only) time we had eaten at Milo’s in the past was well before I started this blog. We’ve been meaning to try them again, but just haven’t made it until today. We got there at our usual early dinner time (around 5PM) and had no problem getting a table. It was busier when we left, but there were still tables available. The new place is very nice with pleasant views of the landscaping and ponds around the restaurant.

Sarah wasn’t particularly hungry tonight, so we thought we’d split a salad and then each order one of their signature pizzas. But then our waitress told us of the special of the day, which was halibut on a sweet corn sauce with mashed potatoes, a duck-based hash, and a dab of pesto. That sounded great, so no pizza for me. Sarah decided to skip the salad and just got an Upside-down Pizza with artichokes, olives, spinach, five cheeses, and chunky tomato sauce. It was that last ingredient that missed on the pizza. There were tomatoes, but really no sauce. It was what is known as a “white pizza” with no discernable tomato sauce. It was well prepared, but Sarah was disappointed with it. My halibut was just a tad on the dry side, but the sweet corn sauce and duck hash and mashed potatoes made that not too noticeable. My meal was otherwise delicious. I had a nice glass of Riesling with it.

There were a couple of ambiance/service misses tonight, though. First, the evening’s soundtrack was Motown oldies. I’ve always been of the opinion that restaurant music should be instrumental and entirely ignorable. If you choose a style of music like Motown or country or rock or easy listening or oldies, you are bound to have patrons who really don’t like the music, which detracts from the experience. There were at least two songs this evening which I cannot stand listening to. That may seem petty, but some music really grates on my nerves. Better to have something that fills the silence, yet remains forgettable.

And secondly, when I’ve finished a meal and the table has been cleared, I like to be able to pay and be gone in less than 10 minutes. Tonight we sat for nearly 20 minutes before we lost patience, retrieved the credit card, and cobbled together enough cash to cover the bill (minus a few dollars in the tip). As we left, we saw our waitress chatting pleasantly with new arrivals at another table. It wasn’t all that busy, but she seemed to have forgotten about us once the bill was delivered.

Today we were in Champaign early (for us) and decided to try brunch somewhere. We parked in the new downtown deck and headed out to try our luck. We first stopped at Jim Gould’s, but when the brunch menu on the sign inside the door does not include the price, you have to figure it’s high. I’m one of those people who cannot justify $20 for brunch when I can barely finish a single plate at that time of day. So we moved on. We ended up at Radio Maria, which is always one of our favorite go-to places for lunch. Their brunch menu is, like all their menus, interesting, to say the least. Several different ways to enjoy your eggs, many with a strong Mexican influence. You can also get more traditional omelets and non-breakfast entrees.  They offer a few different mimosas as well as a variety of juices and coffee. I gave in to temptation and ordered a Mango Mimosa. It was tasty, but I’m not sure I’d spend the $6.50 for it again.

Sarah ordered the Masa Boat Surprise, which is a cornmeal boat filled with scrambled eggs, peppers, onions, cheese, and choriza sausage and topped with salsa. It came with black beans, potatoes, and tortillas. I stayed more traditional and had a steak tip omelet with cheese and tomatoes. Mine also came with potatoes. I thought the potatoes were delicious. Nicely salted and spiced. My omelet was quite good, but it’s hard to mess up an omelet. Still, the steak was lean and tender and plentiful. Very tasty. Sarah really liked her Masa Boat, although it wasn’t as spicy as she’d expected. She brought half of it home. All in all, a very enjoyable meal, and at $23.50, about the cost of one buffet brunch elsewhere.

Earlier this week some colleagues and I had lunch at La Gourmandise on Main St. in Urbana, IL. I had a salad and half a sandwich, both of which were quite good. I was especially intrigued, though, by the German cuisine available on Friday and Saturday evenings. La Gourmandise is owned by the same family that owns the Bayern Stube in Gibson City, IL. We’ve always wanted to try the food there, but it’s such a long haul from Charleston and there’s really nothing else there to see, so we’ve never made the trip.

So this evening we decided to try our luck at La Gourmandise. We got there right about 5PM and it was very quiet. Just a few folks using the wifi. La Gourmandise is really more of a small bistro, so there’s no restaurant atmosphere. You walk up to the counter to order and they bring out your food when it’s ready. Doesn’t take long to get your food, though.

Sarah doesn’t like pork or veal, and the majority of the German offerings are pork or veal based, so she ordered the Downtown Roast Beef sandwich, which is roast beef with Provolone and Avocado Pico de Gallo. So got fries as her side. I ordered the Allgäuer Schnitzel, which is a schnitzel topped with ham and swiss cheese. I usually prefer a straight schnitzel with a lemon, but the ham and swiss actually worked quite nicely on the schnitzel. I also had red cabbage (Rotkohl) and spätzle for sides. To top it off, I had a bottle of Russian Baltika beer from their impressive selection. It was perfect with the meal.

Sarah’s sandwich was very good, although she was suffering from a cold and had trouble tasting anything. I will attest to the excellent fries she had, though. Very much like the fries I enjoyed in gasthauses in Germany. My schnitzel was perfectly cooked and quite tasty. As I said, the ham and swiss were a nice touch. The spätzle was good and the red cabbage was better than most I’ve tasted. It was slightly sweet, which I think made the difference. I spoke with the owner for a bit afterward and told him of my preference for a “neat” schnitzel with lemon and a side of good Bavarian potato salad. He explained how they make their potato salad and it seemed like the kind I loved when I lived in  Nürnberg. Next time we stop here for dinner, which will be soon, I’ll be sure to order it.

UPDATE: We went back for dinner Saturday evening (April 11) and Sarah had the Paprika Schnitzel, which the chef (the owner’s mother) was kind enough to prepare using chicken instead of veal or pork. Sarah thought it was delicious and I agree. I had the Allgäuer Schnitzel again with rotkohl and potato salad. The potato salad was, in fact, just as I remember it from Nürnberg. Delicious. I had a Jever Pilsner with my meal. It was nice and bitter the way I like it. This place is quickly becoming a favorite of ours.

Today we drove around looking for a place to eat where we didn’t have to wait 30 or 40 minutes for lunch. It was crowded everywhere due to Valentine’s Day. We ended up over at Village Green Plaza over on Windsor and Duncan looking for Pasha. To our surprise, Pasha was gone and in its place was Istanbul Mediterranean Cuisine.

The restaurant is apparently under new management and the menu is definitely changed. There are more choices, yet still some familiar ones. There is now a large seafood menu and some Italian dishes. The menu was basically Greek, Turkish, and Italian. They also have Efes Turkish Pilsner beer available, which is one of my favorites. They had lunch specials showing on the sign out front, but only Mon-Fri. Today we got the full dinner menu.

Sarah thought the Crepe Pie looked interesting. It was beef or chicken (Sarah went with chicken) sauteed with peppers, onions, tomatoes,  and pine nuts and served in a “pie”, which was more like pita with melted cheese over the top, and a salad. I went with the Great Alexander Kabob, which was gyro meat and diced pita with a tomato-based sauce and a yogurt sauce on the side. Dinner came with very tasty bread with olive oil and parmesan cheese for dipping. I had an Efes Pilsner with my meal.

Sarah’s Crepe Pie was nicely presented, but it lacked pizzazz. A spicier presence would have made the dish. The salad served with it was excellent, though. My gyro meat was quite good, but it would have been better with some onions and tzatziki instead of the rather bland yogurt sauce. Still, the meals showed promise and there were several other items on the menu which looked like winners. We’ll definitely return for more.

Tonight was our fourth trip to Saigon in the Savoy Plaza in Savoy, Il. Aside from the service, we were pretty impressed with it when it first opened. That first night our appetizers actually were served during the meal. It seemed they only had one waiter. Still, the pork dish I had was very tasty and Sarah’s beef dish was also quite good. We’ve been back three times since. There’s not much on the menu I like besides the pork and noodles or the beef rolls and noodles. Sarah has been a little more adventurous and has tried other dishes. The crowds have definitely thinned out lately, though. The second time were were there, a few weeks after it opened, it was packed. Tonight there were maybe 6 or 8 tables with guests.

What’s disturbing is that the quality of the food appears to be slipping. Tonight I had the beef rolls with tiny rice sticks and vermicelli noodles. In the past you could lift out some noodles with chopsticks, but tonight the noodles were a solid flat mass that was actually cut into sections. The beef was fatty and tough. Sarah had a spicy beef soup that had some nearly raw beef parts and slabs of fatty beef. Neither of us enjoyed dinner. I’m wondering if the drop off in clientele is due to the decline in quality or if it’s the other way around.

Saigon needs two things: a liquor license so they can serve at least beer and wine, and another waiter or two so appetizers come out first and you don’t have to tackle the waiter to get your bill and leave. If they can get back to the quality they had when they first opened and they can solve the waitstaff issues, they may survive this economic slump. 

Tonight we went out for my birthday dinner to Escobar’s on E. Columbia Ave. in Champaign, IL. We’ve never had a meal at Escobar’s that was less than stellar. Tonight was more of the same. We were able to park right in front and got a table right away, although it was about 3/4 full when we left. The special tonight was Scallops over Fried Rice in a Thai Red Curry Sauce. That was Sarah’s pick. I went with the Cowboy (bone-in) Ribeye with Mashed Potatoes and a port merlot demi-glace. We both started with salads; Sarah’s was the spinach with goat cheese and pears and mine was a classic Greek salad. Both were a good size and very tasty. I opted for a Horseplay “Rollicking Red” Cab-Merlot-Syrah wine with dinner. I wanted something hearty to go with the steak and this one was perfect.

Sarah’s scallops were quite large (4 of them) and nicely browned. She thought the curry sauce was spicy but delicious. Her only nitpick was that she thought the dish could have used more rice. My steak was perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious. The demi-glace was a great accompaniment, and the potatoes were excellent. We finished off the meal with a Guatemalan rum and mango cheesecake and two lattes. A perfect ending. Escobar’s continues to be the best Champaign has to offer.

On the way through Indy today we had planned on stopping in for lunch at PF Chang’s, but this being New Year’s Eve, a traditional day to eat Chinese food, it was mobbed. We weren’t willing to wait, so we drove on. Then we spied Istanbul Cafe on 86th Street and saw there was no crowd (in fact, it was deserted), so we stopped in. Sometimes fate deals you a great hand. We had the best lunch there. We both ordered the lunch special for $11. For this you get a choice of soup, salad, or hummus and a choice of various entrees. We both opted for the salad. Sarah picked the Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls and I had the Doner Kebab, which was gyro meat and rice. Both meals came with sautéed vegetables. We also got a very generous basket of hot pitas with oil and garlic for dipping.

First off, the salads were superb. They were nothing special as far as the main ingredients, just field greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers, but the dressing and seasoning were exquisite. The waiter told me it was simply a combination of olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar, but there was also some very tasty seasoning and they must have just sprayed on the dressing, as it was very lightly applied. The effect was amazing, though. So much taste in so light a salad.

The warm pitas and oil were perfect with the salad and with the meals. Sarah’s cabbage rolls were actually quite good (I don’t normally like cabbage rolls) and my doner kebab was excellent. Very generous portions, too. We both brought home some to enjoy later. And lest I forget, the sautéed vegetables were also very good. Possibly a similar oil/lemon juice combo for sautéing as they used on the salad dressing. As I always try to order a drink from the restaurant’s theme country, I opted for an Efes Turkish Pilsner. It, like the rest of the meal, was perfect. Istanbul Cafe just made our list of favorite places to eat in Indy. Can’t wait to go back.  

Tonight Sarah’s parents took us out to eat at Butterfly Chinese Restaurant on Farmington Ave. in West Hartford, CT. We’ve been there with them before and have always had great meals. Tonight was no different. As usual, we ordered four dishes to share between us. We got Gemini (orange crispy beef with string beans), Garlic Chicken, Hunan Pork, and Pineapple Chicken and Shrimp. We also had cold noodles with sesame sauce and spare ribs for appetizers.  Everything was delicious and quite a treat for us, as good Chinese food is virtually impossible to find out here.

Thanks, Steve and Judy.