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.

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.

La Casa Lopez, part Dos

My previous review of this place here still works, but as usual I have an update.

We took the family there last night and had a wonderful experience! Hubby and I had fajitas which were mouthwatering. I don't know why our efforts at home cannot even hold a candle to this; we're pretty good cooks! But this was waaaayyyyy better.

The kids had crayons to keep them busy, which I love, and the kids' menu has food my kids will actually eat. Wonderful! The service was good too, in spite of their busy night.

This is definitely one of my favorites!

Sangria, Part Deux

The other day some good friends of our offered to babysit. To celebrate this rare occasion, we went to Sangria to eat and I have a few factual updates for you.

Fist of all, my first review still stands.

We asked the waiter what they had remodeled since it looked pretty much the same inside. We were informed that the floors were redone (I remember carpet, now a mix of tile and wood... looks nice) and the kitchen had some much-needed renovations done.

Hubby also informs me that it is in fact NOT a chain but was started and run by some chefs who wanted to settle in the area. A husband-wife team, if I remember correctly. So that's cool since I am all about supporting local businesses.

Well, this time we had our favorite again, the Drunk Steak as well as an appetizer and a dessert. The appetizer we chose the Avocado rolls which turned out to be avocado pieces fried in wonton wrappers and covered with some sort of sweet relish. Drool.

Since Hubby's favorite feature of the Drunk Steak is the garnish of fried plantains, he got an extra side dish of them, complete with a peach compote salsa that sent him directly into bliss. For dessert we opted for the Banana Tahiti cheesecake which came to us meltingly warm and swimming in a dulce de leche sauce. As cheesecakes go it was good but not the best I have ever tasted. The sauce made up for whatever the cake lacked though.

On this trip our waiter didn't meet my expectations at all. She was brassy and kept coming to our table when I had my mouth full asking if I liked my food. Pardon me, but this is a pet peeve of mine and I run into it constantly in this one-horse town. If you go to someone's restaurant to eat their food you expect them to give you something edible. You should not need to be asked five times throughout the meal if you like it. In my opinion, a good waiter should be quietly available in case something is wrong that needs fixing but otherwise he or she should let patrons alone to enjoy their meal and conversation. It irritates me to no end to be interrupted in the middle of a sentence to my dinner partner with a "You like your food okay?" GRRRR. Just keep my water glass full, bring the next thing at the proper time and leave me alone to enjoy it.

OK, rant over. Other than Annoying Waitress Lady, our recent Sangria trip was quite pleasurable.

Sister's Brew Coffeehouse

Atmosphere: Friendly and eclectic with comfy chairs
Food Quality: very good
Food Taste: Excellent
Service: They bring your order to your table, unusual for coffee houses
Kid Friendliness: laid back atmosphere, a few board games. Also, dogs allowed.
Overall: good for an interesting lunch
Cost: $6.50 for a ciabatta-bread sandwich, $3.50 for a latte
Favorite: Cranberry Cream Cheese Turkey sandwich

Once in a while my Hubby watches the kids and frees me to go have dinner and take a bit of a break. When that happens, my favorite thing to do it take a good book down to Sister's Brew and grab one of their outstanding sandwiches for dinner. They're fresh and tasty, made on home-baked bread and who can say no to a frothy, foamy latte on the side?



See also the posts on Hubby's blog about Sister's Brew Here.

Cafe Lopez

Atmosphere: Fun cultural. Lots of plants and a big fountain
Food Quality: Very good.
Food Taste: Delish! Never had a complaint
Service: So-so, hit or miss on quality, but always very friendly and helpful.
Kid Friendliness: high chairs and crayons! Good kid menu.
Overall: One of our fav places. And I met Felix, the owner when I worked at MBS and he was great!
Cost: $9-$12 per plate, $3.50 for kids
Favorite: Enchiladas, chimis, pollo con crema.... it's all good!

This is definitely a family favorite! We LOVE the bean dip you get with the chips at dinner. I've been there many times with everything from kids to wedding parties and never had any complaints.

Super China Buffet

Atmosphere: Buffet... upgraded cafeteria
Food Quality: Acceptable
Food Taste: Usually quite good
Service: Usually really good
Kid Friendliness: soft-serve ice cream.
Overall: We're somewhat regulars, especially with take-out.
Cost: $9 per plate, $4 for kids if I remember right.
Favorite: California Rolls

We went there on Seafood Night (Saturday?) and they had a bunch of really good dishes. I'm not crazy about some of their offerings but I can usually find enough different things to satisfy. The nice thing about buffet is that everyone in my family can find at least two things they like!

Sangria Grille

Atmosphere: Trendy, popular and noisy!
Food Quality: Outstanding
Food Taste: Amazing! The reason we go there
Service: Good
Kid Friendliness: not very. The waiters don't like to walk around high chairs and they have no kids menu
Overall: We love it!
Cost: around $14-$20 per plate
Favorite: Carne Asada (Drunk Steak). Wow. Drool.

We haven't been here for a few months because we haven't had a special occasion to use as an excuse and nobody gave us $50 just to go. But I needed to put this one on my blog because it is truly one of our very favorite places to eat. The food is always wonderful and the menu is really unique. This is one of the higher-end chain places that you usually only find in cities and I am so glad we have one!

Tucci's Italian

Atmosphere: Relaxed Sophisticated
Food Quality: Excellent
Food Taste: Depends what you order
Service: Usually really good
Kid Friendliness: high chairs and crayons. Waiters like the kids
Overall: One of our favorites
Cost: Plates are huge. We split the Spaghettini for $12 for our whole family.
Favorite: Davinci Chianti red wine

Someone once called this "Olive Garden Light". For our family this is a dining standby because Matt LOVES Italian. It's a nice mix of family and formal. They serve a scrumptious family-style salad with every meal as well as fresh bread with dipping oil. The menu also has a nice mix of low-cost soup/salads or higher end gourmet entrees.

New Garden - Pullman

Atmosphere: plain. feels like a dining room or cafeteria.
Food Quality: Excellent
Food Taste: Excellent
Service: always very good. Food arrives quickly.
Kid Friendliness: They welcome kids. No crayons.
Overall: This is one of our favorite places to eat in Pullman.
Cost: $25 for the family if the kids share
Favorite: Beef and Broccoli. I love it!


This unpretentious little place on Grand Avenue is one of the most popular places in Pullman. The food always comes quickly, the service is terrific and the taste is the best Chinese food I have had on the Palouse.

We had our rehearsal dinner here for our wedding and the family-style feast suited us just right.

West of Paris

Atmosphere: Sophisticated and Intimate
Food Quality: Excellent
Food Taste: To die for
Service: Our waiter really knew his stuff. Big city quality.
Kid Friendliness: Not appropriate for kids. Get a sitter.
Overall: We LOVE it here. If we were millionaires we'd eat here all the time.
Cost: $150 for two full-course dinners and wine
Favorite: The cognac quail. Wow.

Matt took me here a few weeks ago to celebrate his new job. We engaged a sitter and had an evening out. The waiters take their time; even the menu likens the meal to a multi-movement symphony. The amazing food and atmosphere make you want to spend not only the evening but the rest of your life there.

Of course it is spendy, but our friends mentioned that they will go there for an appetizer or a dessert and it doesn't break the bank. We just go there on extra special occasions.