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(04/23/10 12:00am)
You score a dinner date with that hottie from your D-II psych class, but when you slide into your 1989 Dodge Diplomat, the damned thing doesn't start. It's damage-control time: Dinner's gotta be special but not overbearingly so. You want to keep it private, so the Rice Village is out. Think fast! What do you do?Take charge and suggest a relaxing walk up the beautifully shaded and opulently appointed Mandell Street. Prepare to impress with your knowledge of architecture as you pass by the big houses, discuss how eco-friendly it is to walk to dinner and watch the apprehension on your date's face build as the greasy Lucky Burger comes into view, only to be replaced by grateful relief as you approach and enter the giant palapa-styled patio of Maria Selma.
(04/16/10 12:00am)
We are white people (see picture). Affluent, sheltered, suburban white people who fit in perfectly with the rest of the patrons at Sushi King last Saturday night. The establishment is little more than another iteration of the "Americanized Sushi" algorithm, with heavy weighting factors for price and comfort and sacrifices of authenticity and excitement. Ingredients like cream cheese, jalapeños, papayas and limes can be found here, and the popular American process of deep-frying rolls and then loading them with fatty sauces is all too common.The restaurant seemed conflicted about how it wanted to present itself: The hostess was Caucasian but greeted us in broken Japanese, startling our delicate sensibilities and triggering a fight-or-flight reflex. (Perhaps we should have listened to what our bodies were telling us.) Once we were assured that she in fact spoke English, we pressed on, exchanging our 5:30 p.m. reservation for one of two dozen empty tables - the hostess recommended reservations for 7 p.m. or later.
(04/09/10 12:00am)
Looking for a more authentic Mediterranean experience than you can find at Niko Niko's or Yia Yia Mary's? Consider a small Turkish restaurant called the Turquoise Grill. We stumbled upon the restaurant in our search for something in the realm of Mediterranean cuisine, looking for a dining experience a little less Americanized than the large, more popular Greek-American restaurants in town. We definitely found what we were looking for at the Turquoise Grill - the family-owned atmosphere is refreshing in a city full of impersonal, commercial establishments, and while there are a few "American-friendly" items on the menu, like hamburgers and philly cheesesteaks, the offerings are overall very true to Turkish cuisine. This is one of those places where the owner takes time to greet you himself, and, if you ask, proudly explains each dish in detail. If you're lucky, he may even offer you baklava on the house for dessert. From what we could tell, everything we ordered was homemade and fresh to order. Dining here was as much a culturally broadening experience as it was a culinary adventure.
