Another Taste of Thai

We've been pinching pennies and going out to eat less, but last night, on the heels of a tiring camping trip, we splurged and treated ourselves to A Taste of Thai downtown. This time we stayed away from the spicy dishes, choosing instead to get a teriyaki chicken dish with yakisoba noodles and lots of veggies, and a massaman curry that included potatoes of all things. Both tasted fantastic; even the kids loved them.

Another plus: the darling lisping Asian lady who served us did a wonderful job! I have not had such good service in town for months. The food came quickly and she checked on us but she didn't bother us beyond that.

This one is definitely one of our favorites... if we ever stop pinching pennies.

What happened to Service?

Service at Shari's hit an all-time low today. I don't expect much there... after all they don't hire rocket scientists. But what was supposed to be a nice, family lunch-after-church turned into a nightmare. I even broke my good tipping rule.

The two things that put us over the top were both involved with the staff not listening to us but assuming we would want what everyone else wants. We were asked FOUR times if we wanted a high chair for Cody (we didn't... he can't sit up yet) and were bothered numerous times for taking our plates away when we had not finished eating yet but were helping the kids with something.

I can't decide whether to actually boycott though... the pickings get slim around here if you avoid all the places with poor service.

I guess we got spoiled in Portland. :(

Date Night

Since we had to go to Pullman anyway (Moscow's movie theater is being renovated) we immediately found ourselves at New Garden.

I remembered why I love that place! The owner remembered us and asked after our kids. After several years of spotty meetings, that was impressive. We were seated immediately, the food came quickly and as always was hot and delicious. Our waters stayed full and we received boxes as soon as we asked for them.

I have yet to have a bad experience there in fifteen years.

The Angry Bear

Atmosphere: About the same as the previous place that was there.
Food Quality: Good, not great
Food Taste: Good...
Service: Not impressive
Kid Friendliness: So-so.
Overall: Was not impressed
Cost: on the high side. 12 oz steak was $22.
Favorite: nope.

We'd heard mixed reviews from friends about this new place over by Eastside Marketplace. So on my birthday we decided to try it out for ourselves. The waitress lost points by asking us if we were doing all right every so often, but she gained points by refilling our waters and letting my kids order their drinks in toddler-ese.

We got a steak and I was disappointed that it did not have amazing taste and it did have a good amount of inedible fat. With that price I had expected to be overwhelmed, but sadly it was comparable to the steaks I cook at home, which either says something good about my own grilling ability or something not-so-good about theirs.

The kids got a grilled cheese sandwich, which came with homemade bread and American cheese and steak fries.

I do have to mention the dinner salad, which came with crumbled dry cheese, fresh tomatoes and an excellent ranch dressing. That and the fresh bread almost redeemed the rest of the meal.

Overall, I'd say it gets a so-so review. We might try it again at some point, but I doubt it'll top our list. Still, a new restaurant might improve with time and if we hear good things we might try it again.

Red Bento

Atmosphere: Nothing to Write Home About
Food Quality: Excellent
Food Taste: Excellent Sushi
Service: Very good
Kid Friendliness: So-so.
Overall: sushisushisushisushisushi
Cost: surprisingly affordable
Favorite: I think so!

This new Sushi place in town was a question mark until a friend took me out there and we were both favorably impressed. She is something of a sushi connoisseur and says the sushi is as good as anywhere in Seattle or Vancouver, BC, where her daughter lives. I love sushi and I was just happy the rolls are mostly under $10. Yum!