As we’ve been away for the holiday, we haven’t had much chance to have Indian cuisine. So tonight we decided to head up to Champaign and eat at our favorite Indian place, Basmati. We’ve been eating at Basmati as long as we’ve been in Illinois, and it continues to get better over time. I’m don’t know any of the waitstaff by name, but they know me well enough to know I always order a Kingfisher beer. Tonight as we walked in I was momentarily distracted by a college football game while Sarah was shown to a table. I was only a second or two behind her, but by the time I got to the table, there was already a beer sitting there waiting for me. Now that’s what I call service.

We seem to be stuck in a very tasty rut at Basmati, as we almost always order the Pakoras for appetizers, Murg Tikka Makhani for me, and as of late, Murg Jahangiri for Sarah. We also get 2 naan and an order of Raita. Everything was superb tonight and made for a delicious meal with plenty to take home. I also end my meal with an order of Gulab Jamun for dessert. Perfect way to finish.

Tonight we flew into Indy on our way home from Hartford, CT. We decided to spend the night in Indy and do some shopping tomorrow. We got a room at the Hyatt downtown and had originally planned to eat at P.F. Chang’s. Much to our surprise, there was a 40 minute wait at Chang’s, so we went elsewhere. After strolling up and down the street (and dodging the panhandlers), we decided to give Ruth’s Chris Steak House a try. I’d read quite a bit about Ruth’s Chris and knew it was not a place to go for a cheap meal. But I’d also read about the incredible steak and impeccable service there. We were famished and there were tables available, so the decision was easy.

The atmosphere at Ruth’s Chris is just what you’d expect at a High End place. Warm surroundings, live piano music, attentive waitstaff. Very nice. After perusing the menu, Sarah decided on the Petit Filet. I went for the full Filet. Sides at Ruth’s Chris are ordered individually, but are easily enough for two. We ordered Broccoli and Au Gratin potatoes and Steak Salads. I also ordered a glass of Merlot. The salads were generously sized and very fresh. My glass of wine was a good size, too. Many times you end up with a splash of wine in the bottom of a small glass. Not so here. Shortly after the salad plates were cleared, we got our steaks and sides. Sarah requested medium and hers was maybe a tad shy of that, but still fine. I asked for medium rare and that’s exactly what I got. My steak was enormous. Sarah’s was about half the size, although it was only about $4 less. (There’s a lesson here; if you eat at Ruth’s Chris and are considering the Petit Filet, order the full Filet instead and take the rest home.) The steaks were very, very good (although I’ve since been told by frequent Ruth’s Chris diners that the filets are not the tastiest steaks there.) Our sides were ok. The broccoli was steamed, but crisp. The Au Gratin potatoes were tasty, but I’ve had better (Silver Creek in Champaign). Also, the steaks come sizzling in a small portion of butter. You can ask for no butter, and I did. Sarah’s came with the butter. The butter was not as bad as I’d feared. Just enough to add some moisture to the plate and when mixed with the juices from the meat, was actually very good. I should have gotten it as well. We actually managed to finish both steaks and most of the sides. I topped off my meal with a coffee drink (Coffee Gates or something like that). Our bill came to $166 with the tip. Not as bad as I’d heard it could be for a dinner for two, but still eye catching. There was a table of 10 behind us. I can only imagine that tab had to top 4 figures.

Several weeks ago I wrote about Weber Grill in Schaumburg. Our meal there was just about half the cost of our meal at Ruth’s Chris, and my steak there was about half the size. But the quality of the steak at Weber Grill was on a par with Ruth’s Chris. What sets Ruth’s Chris apart is the size of the steak and the elegant atmosphere of the restaurant.

While we were out east for Christmas, Sarah’s parents took us out to eat at the Macaroni Grill at Bishop’s Corner in West Hartford (Thanks, Judy and Steve). We had reservations, but probably didn’t need them. They were not full. We were seated at a table for four near a huge wall stacked with the house wine. The whole interior looks like the inside of an old stone castle.

The waitress brought us water and bread and prepared a plate of oil and pepper for us. We ordered Tomato Bruschetta as an appetizer. Sarah and Judy got the Sausage & Pepper Classico, Steve went for the Chicken Marsala, and I ordered the Twice Baked Lasagna with Meatballs. Judy and I both had the house Chianti while Sarah and Steve opted for water. The Bruschetta got side tracked somewhere along the way. Too bad, because I was really looking forward to it. But once the food arrived, we told the waitress to skip the appetizer. On the plus side, the food was pretty tasty. Both Sarah and Judy enjoyed the sausage and peppers. I tried some of Sarah’s. The sauce was a tad spicier than I usually like, but it was still quite good. Steve had no complaints about his chicken, so I’ll assume it was good. My lasagna and meatballs were excellent. We all took home sizable portions for lunch on a later day. AWOL Bruschetta aside, it was a good meal. I won’t hesitate to eat there again.

This afternoon we (perhaps foolishly) ventured up to the N. Prospect Ave area of Champaign. It was a madhouse. We couldn’t even park in the Borders Bookstore parking lot. We had to park out behind it in the larger parking lot for World Market. We knew it was going to be a major hassle finding a place to eat up there, so we drove over to Urbana to see if we could get into Siam Terrace on Main St. It’s usually pretty busy on weekends, but it was just before 5PM, so we had no problem getting a table right away. It was about half full when we left.

We started out with eggrolls and carrot-and-cabbage slaw. Both were very tasty and quite inexpensive. Perfect appetizers. I ordered a Singha beer and Sarah stuck with the water. On the special menu tonight was Spicy Beef with Macadamia nuts. I’ve had it before and knew it was good, so I ordered it again tonight. I also love their pineapple fried rice, so I ordered that as well. Sarah opted for Pad Woon Sen, which is stir fried noodles with veggies and (optionally) chicken. The Spicy Beef was every bit as delicious as I had remembered. And as always, their pineapple fried rice was really good. Sarah was quite pleased with her Pad Woon Sen and shared my Spicy Beef. We ended up taking a good amount of all three dishes home. Siam Terrace just keeps getting better with time. It’s no wonder they have a full house on weekends.

Last month Michael Domani’s, the only upscale restaurant in Coles county, closed its doors. We knew it was coming. The last few times we were there, the place was mostly empty. This area just cannot support a higher end restaurant. It can barely support fast food places. And Domani’s menu, although boasting some pretty tasty meals, was just too upscale and pricey. So Michael Boksa, who co-owned Domani’s with Michael Corray, reopened the place this week with his wife, Traci, and christened it AJ’s. The menu is more family oriented, with an eclectic but familiar menu.  No fancy-named dishes, just well known favorites at reasonable prices.

We took a chance and got there early tonight. We were able to get a comfy booth upstairs, although by the time we left, most tables were full. I was impressed with the Christmas decorations. Nicely done without being overdone. They were playing Christmas music, but quietly. Perfect. Sarah ordered the House Sirloin, medium, and I got the House Sirloin (medium rare) and Crab Cakes combo. Both came with salad, veggies (broccoli), and choice of potato or rice. We both went with fries. Sarah had a Diet Coke and I ordered a glass of merlot (generous glass). Both our steaks were cooked to perfection and were very, very tasty. I love my steak neat, with no rubs or butter or other distractions. That’s exactly how they came. The salads were a decent size, but not so big that they ruined your appetite. And to top it all off, the timing of everything was flawless. The meals came right as we were finishing the salads. The waitstaff, who were the best part of Domani’s, have mostly stayed on at AJ’s. Good thing, too. They’re friendly and attentive without being bothersome. All this adds up to a Four Spoon rating. Well done Michael and Traci. I wish you success and hope we get to enjoy many more meals at AJ’s.

Second visit, one week later. (Dec. 15th)

We decided to go back to AJ’s to try some of their other offerings. The first visit proved a tough act to follow, though. One thing we found on the first visit is that they are generous with the side salads but not so with the dressing. You get a small plastic container with one or two tablespoons of dressing. Not quite enough. So this time we asked for two containers, which were happily supplied. Later we were somewhat annoyed to see had we been charged 50 cents each for the extra two tablespoons of dressing. Considering a whole bottle of dressing is about $2, charging for the extra is like charging for salt and pepper.

This time around Sarah ordered the Mostaciolli and I opted for the Pork Chops. Sarah’s meal was pretty good, although a tad shy on sauce. Mine was fair. The pork chops were somewhat bland (I often find this with boneless chops), the mashed potatoes were a bit thin (too much milk added?), and the vegetable was carrots. I suppose they were prepared well enough, but I’ve always hated cooked carrots, so I’m no judge. All in all, my meal was a bit disappointing. Our side salads were fresh and very generous, but as I stated, short on included dressing. At least the waitress didn’t charge me for the butter I requested. Two-and-a-half Spoons for this visit.

We needed a quick lunch today, so we stopped at Chevy’s just off Neil St in Champaign, IL. I’ve eaten there many times before and it’s always been good. Today was no exception. One thing Chevy’s does extremely well is make fresh tortilla chips. Light and crispy and perfectly salted. Their salsa is quite good, too.

We both got a lunch combo where you could pick two items. Sarah got the steak quesadillas and tortilla soup. I got the steak quesadillas and Caesar salad. Her soup was better than my salad. The dressing on the salad was a bit weak. The quesadillas were pretty good, especially for a lunch portion. They were served with sour cream, but would have been better with guacamole. All in all a quick, tasty lunch. We used my WILL sponsor card to get one meal free, so it was cheap, too.

Today we stopped for lunch at Lai-Lai Wok on the corner of 4th and Green St. in Champaign. In my time at the university there have been many different restaurants in this location, but Lai-Lai has been around longer than most. One of my colleagues recommended it, so we decided to give it a shot. The first thing we noticed when we walked in was a large menu above the counter which was entirely in Chinese. We must have looked dumbfounded because the lady behind the counter quickly showed us a paper menu in both Chinese and English.

Sarah ordered Basil Chicken and I opted for Beef and Scallions. Both were served in minutes, piping hot. The lunch portions were generous, but not huge. Just enough. Sarah’s Basil Chicken was not as spicy as the same dish elsewhere, but it was still tasty. My Beef and Scallions was very much to my liking. The ingredients of both meals were very fresh and perfectly cooked. We’ll definitely eat there again. Maybe dinner next time.