Last night on our way back from Indy we stopped in for dinner at the Camelot Dining Room. Located in the Historic Lincoln Hotel in downtown Urbana, IL, this cavernous dining hall looks like it was lifted from an 18th European castle. High backed chairs, paintings of English nobles, and several moose heads try to fill a room with a towering ceiling and a huge fireplace now sadly converted to gas burning. The only way this room would ever have Gemütlichkeit would be if it were filled with people and had a roaring fire blazing away in the fireplace. Sitting in it last night with only a few other patrons and a laconic, fake fire was more sad than comfortable. 

The primary attraction to the Camelot for us was the German entrees on the menu. I haven’t had Sauerbraten in years and their German Sausage Platter looked intriguing. I love bratwurst and German potato salad. We decided to get one of each and share. Sarah enjoyed her Sauerbraten, although it was too sweet for my taste. Sauerbraten is supposed to have a vinegar-like tang to the gravy. Still, Sarah was quite surprised at the size of her serving and she enjoyed the potato salad. I was disappointed in the the Sausage Platter as it was supposed to have bratwurst and knockwurst but came with only two knockwurst. The knockwurst was prepared well enough, but I was really looking forward to a bratwurst. 

Now I should clarify here that calling potato salad “German potato salad” is like calling spaghetti “Italian spaghetti.” It could mean anything. During my 6 years in Germany, I don’t remember ever having potato salad that looked like boiled red potatoes and relish, but that is, in fact, one way it’s prepared in Germany. I lived south of Nürnberg in Bavaria, so I was always treated to their style of potato salad, which is closer in appearance to American-style potato salad, albeit without the mayonnaise. I never had the red potato-based potato salad until I got back to the US. I don’t generally like it, especially when it consists of halved, boiled red potatoes, as it did last night.

So because Sarah enjoyed her meal and I was somewhat disappointed in mine, I’ll give Camelot Dining Room Two-and-a-half Spoons.

Yesterday we made our monthly shopping sojourn to Indy. We got a bit of a late start, so when we got to Indy we were pretty hungry. That’s when it really pays to go to a buffet style place, as you can eat right away. When it comes to Indian food, the buffet at India Palace on Lafayette Road can’t be beat. The buffet consists of 8 or 10 entree selections, two types of rice, two breads (Poori and Naan), and assorted sides. Everything is very fresh and hot. There’s also a dessert buffet with a half dozen selections. The two entree staples which we never pass up are Chicken Tikka Masala and Saag. Both were very good yesterday. And for around $20 per couple, it’s far from pricey. So far it’s the best Indian food we’ve found in Indianapolis.

Last night we returned to AJ’s in Charleston, IL. I’ve been wanting to try their Prime Rib since I first saw it on the menu and last night seemed like a good time. I was happy to see a decent crowd for a Monday evening. That bodes well for the business and speaks volumes about the quality and value of the food offerings.

Sarah ordered the House Sirloin and fries and as I said, I went with the 8oz Prime Rib and mashed potatoes. Both meals came with really good and perfectly sized house salads. The crew at AJ’s has increased the amount of dressing to a fitting portion and I’ve been told the earlier incident where I was charged for extra dressing was a glitch in the computer ordering system. Fair enough.

One thing AJ’s does very well is prepare beef. Sarah’s steak, which she ordered medium, was just that. My Prime Rib, which I ordered medium rare, was a textbook example of what medium rare should be. Both cuts of meat were excellent. The vegetable was a medley of carrots and broccoli. Perfectly cooked and quite tasty.

Another plus at AJ’s is the waitstaff. Friendly, attentive, and observant. The food delivery is always perfectly timed, so just as you finish your salad, your meal arrives. And unlike some other places, they don’t make you wait forever for your check at the end.

UPDATE – 2/15

We were back at AJ’s tonight. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, so I’ll just update this entry. I tried the Ribeye tonight. It was awesome. AJ’s is easily the best steak place in east central Illinois. Four Spoons again.

Last night we returned to Silver Creek on Race St. in Urbana, IL, one of our favorite restaurants. We always try to get there early to avoid the crowds, and last night was no exception. At 5PM we had our choice of tables. An hour later, there was a wait. Weeknights are usually less crowded. Last night there was a perfect fire blazing away in the large fireplace, so the atmosphere couldn’t have been better.

One thing I always enjoy at Silver Creek is the bread. You usually get two types, a dark raisin bread and a lighter French bread. Both are excellent, but I really like the raisin bread. Silver Creek uses a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. The bread alone is worth a visit. Sarah started with the spinach salad, which she always enjoys, and I took a chance and ordered the red beet and goat cheese salad. I expected mine to look like a normal salad with some beets and cheese scattered on it. Instead it came as a cylindrical mold of beets and cheese, with just a few sprigs of green for color. It was amazing. I will certainly order it again.

For main courses Sarah went with the Mahi Mahi and I tried their Sirloin and Prawns. The Mahi Mahi was a nice piece of fish on top of coconut rice, with Bosc pear chutney on the side. Sarah commented of the sweetness of the rice, but otherwise thoroughly enjoyed her meal. The prawns I had were grilled to perfection, as was the steak. On the side were roasted red potatoes and perfectly cooked green beans. I don’t know what Silver Creek does to make their roasted potatoes so tasty, but they far surpass potatoes I’ve had elsewhere. Silver Creek also has (had?) the best Blue Cheese Au Gratin potatoes in the world.

So once again, Silver Creek lived up to expectations. Great atmosphere, impeccable service, outstanding food.

After repeated attempts to eat at this newest restaurant in Charleston (it’s been mobbed), we finally got in tonight. Formerly the China 88 restaurant, this Thai restaurant is tiny by any standards. There are maybe a dozen tables, which partially explains why there are always people waiting. We were seated fairly quickly tonight, though. Maybe the rush is finally dying down.

We’ve been eager to try Bangkok Thai, as it is (I believe) the first Thai restaurant in a town woefully shy of ethnic food choices. I was a bit disappointed in the small menu. Many Thai favorites, like cashew chicken, are missing. But I guess when you have such a small place and are just starting out, you have to set limits. We started with Chicken Satay, which could be described as The Thai appetizer. The chicken itself and the peanut sauce were pretty good. The cucumber salad, usually sweet with Satay, was quite sour. Sarah had the Chicken Panang and I tried the Ginger Chicken. Both meals came with white rice. Sarah was disappointed to find her meal was only chicken in sauce. No vegetables. My Ginger Chicken was almost inundated with ginger. If you like ginger a lot, this meal is for you.

As much as I desperately want this restaurant to survive, I must say I was disappointed over all. The food was ok, but nowhere near the level of Siam Terrace in Urbana or Nitaya Thai in Champaign. And despite smaller portions than the aforementioned places, the pricing is very close, even though both those restaurants give you plenty of food for dinner and to take home. If Bangkok is going to continue serving smaller portions, they need to adjust pricing downward. Our meal would have made a good lunch, yet it ran us $28 with the tip. In a town where your primary clientele are college kids, that’s a pricey dinner.

Update: In recent months Bangkok Thai has made huge improvements. The food is much better now and the prices have moderated. Our most recent visits have been Three Spoons or better and we eat there several times each month. I’ll have to write a new review after our next visit there.

With the approaching ice storm threatening to keep us housebound all weekend, we decided to get out tonight while we could. We ended up at El Vaquero, the best of the local Coles County Mexican places. We got there right before a big rush of people and were seated almost immediately. As always, chips and salsa appeared in seconds. Sarah had the Friday night special, which was supposed to be three steak tacos in corn-based tortilla shells. Instead they came in flour tortillas. They were still very good, though. I got my favorite, Cazuelon, which is steak and chicken with sides of rice and refried beans. We also ordered a side of their outstanding guacamole. Dinner appeared just as we were finishing off the chips. As is the norm at El Vaquero, everything was piping hot. If you’re really hungry, get their fajitas for two, which could easily feed four. Delicious stuff.

Now if they could just keep people from standing in line with the doors open. Brrr.