The Vivver and I took a couple of days to visit my little sis in Asheville. Ok, here's a confession...I took my mom up on her offer to borrow her Honda Odyssey (that's a mini-van, for those of you who don't know.) Yes, I did it. Know why? It has the super duper ultra DVD system. Anyway, it does make for a much more pleasant trip for a 4 year old.
So, upon arrival yesterday, Katherine & her husband Darren and we decided to head out for some lunch. Since the weather was perfect, we clearly needed somewhere with outdoor dining. Enter MODESTO.
Now, let me be clear. The menu is really cool, different and creative. We ordered a quattro formaggio panini, lamb panini and an apple, pecan, chicken and taleggio pizza. The food was wonderful. I'd visit this restaurant again....depending on who's working...
Our waiter really needs to re-think his line of work. First of all, although Katherine is the only one out of all of us who saw it, apparently, every time he walked up to our table, he had a seriously runny nose which he then sucked up in order to talk to us. Tending to a 4-year old, I was rarely looking up at the guy. Then, I asked if they had a kid drink such as lemonade. He responded "yeah, but we make it from scratch (wrinkles nose) and most kids think it's 'too lemony'." Ok, do you have orange juice that is universally acceptable? Fine. Then, after perusing a very adult, involved and borderline ridiculously expensive lunch menu I asked Snotty, "Can you make a simple grilled cheese for her?" Here's the response: "Well, our chef is pretty particular and I don't want to annoy him." Ok, sure...he can decide what we're going to have, based on his whim and mood, and I'll happily let his arrogant ass pick up the tab.
Then, Slurpy suggests that I order the $8 Quattro Formaggio panini for Vivian. "Yes," I say, "That is in fact a grilled cheese, isn't it?" So, I told doofus to bring it. It came with "homemade chips" which were so overcooked that even a kid rejected them. The side car of tomato soup was good, but since they sent it out to (again, to a four year old child) with a spoon that you'd use in a serving bowl of mashed potatoes, she had difficulty appreciating it. I'm sorry...you don't have to have kids to know that a child can't cram a serving spoon into her/his mouth.
As I said earlier, the food was quite good, but the service sucked tail pipe. For those of you who know me personally, I will pay for good food, but I will become enraged by crummy service. Slurpy, as I like to call him, was pleasant enough, but was a POS waiter. I asked him for Splenda; had to get it from another guy who I caught passing by later. Asked for to-go boxes, took about 10 minutes for that to materialize. And, then getting the bill. Let me tell ya...nothing agitates me more than having to wait for a bill in the first place and then having to wait to PAY it. Don't leave me sitting there trying to desperately pay and get the hell outta here, while you wander around doing who knows what? This guy was so non-present on the floor, I can't even imagine what he was up to. I guess sucking up to the temperamental chef so he wouldn't piss him off. Don't worry about the people out front who are going to (or not) tip you, Drippy.
You may remember in my post about TakoSushi, I referenced that they are located where Doc's Gumbo Grille used to be. In conversation(s) I've come to realize that a lot of people think Doc's simply closed. But, they are still around, just in a new (and for me, a much more convenient) location. They are on Rosewood Dr. at the site of Jim Casey Fireworks Emporium & the old Keg o' Nails.
As I've said before, Neil and I are really partial to locally owned/operated restaurants. Neil likes to call them "non-corporate food." Doug, the owner of Doc's, lives around the corner from us. He's a nice guy who has been in the biz in Columbia forever. (Remember the good ol' days at Greenestreet's? Yeah, that was him)
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that Doc's is a really cool, local joint and I want you all to support them. I think since moving, they could use the community patronage, especially since so many people seem to think they are gone. The restaurant isn't overly large, so it has a friendly atmosphere. They frequently have live music and then there's the menu.
They feature New Orleans-like fare. Now, I'm not gonna B.S. you and say that it's just like being in the Big Easy. Nothing is like New Orleans but New Orleans. But, for Columbia SC it's a nice change of pace and an interesting menu. So, let's get on with it...
Neil likes dishes like red beans & rice and etouffee. I absolutely LOVE their she-crab soup. It is loaded with crab and vegetables, so it has some "tooth" to it, unlike some others in town that are either too thin and watery or so thick and rich that they practically become a solid right there in the bowl. I also love the shrimp Po' Boy. I've made it clear how I feel about shrimp. Add some spicy, tasty remoulade on fresh bread, and I call that a killer sandwich!
So, for those of you here in Columbia, please keep Doc's in mind and drop a little cash there once in awhile. I think you'll enjoy the food and it's just good biz to support a local guy. At least I think so...
I love cooking Chinese at home. I love cooking anything at home. But, let's be real. I work 9 hour days, I have a VERY active 4 year old, I like to spend time with my husband, so sometimes, cooking just isn't in the cards. Especially when I come rolling in after dark and immediately have to join in on the "please, please, please just calm down and go to bed" routine. So, do I cheat occasionally with pre-fab food? Hell yes I do!
Take yesterday evening for instance. Picked up the Vivver after work, dodged all the football fanatic traffic, got home and went straight to the "please, please..." (see above). By the time that was all over, we knew the chances of getting take out or delivery was nil since every joint in town was now overrun with exuberant Gamecock fans. So, I turned to the freezer and decided to try out the new P.F. Chang's home meals (which I got for pennies, thank you coupon gods, and bought to give it a whirl). The one I had was ginger chicken with broccoli. Gonna have to give it a thumbs up.
It was really good! I am also a fan of Wanchai Ferry, but they have different components that have to be cooked in stages then put together. The Chang's simply required that the entire contents go into the skillet, cover it, give it about 15 minutes and done. Nice flavored sauce, not too sweet. Lots of broccoli, in fact, it's the first ingredient listed on the label. Good quality chicken, no funkiness (see my post about my meat issues for reference). In short, it was an awesome, fast, tasty, crazy-after-work-kinda dinner. If you have a schedule even remotely like mine, I'd recommend you give it a shot. It's comforting to me to know that I have stuff in my freezer that I can turn to in a pinch.
If you try it and like it, I'd love to hear it. If you don't like it, you can tell me but I'm just gonna tell you you're crazy. Ha Ha Ha... I crack me up...how do y'all stand me? :-)
Well, this isn't totally like a review since I've been there a zillion times. It's one of my favorite places in Columbia. I kind of discovered it by accident a couple years ago and it was instantly on my list of killer restaurants. If you haven't checked it out, here's my two cents' worth.
First, and foremost, it's a family owned business...yea! Secondly, the food is simply fantastic...vegetables are meticulously cut to the right size/shape (I've been told the chef is really picky about it and fusses if the others don't get it right), all fresh meats/seafoods and the perfect Thai balance of sweet and hot. And thirdly, the service is impeccable.The restaurant is a comfortable place to be too. It's dimly lit, well decorated and small.
So, yes, I've been there a zillion times, so why is it on my mind today? I picked up dinner on my way home last night and just felt like sharing. Neil is super spicy guy and if you know the Thai people, they can blow your head off to any degree you wish. I ordered him Red Curry with chicken with a hot scale of 4. Turns out, he could've had and would've preferred a 5. I should've known. The red curry has a nice coconut base of course, then that awesome red curry burn to it afterwards! Mix in the spice of basil, bell pepper and tender bamboo shoots...Yum! I ordered Pad Ba Mee with shrimp. This is a mild noodle dish (the little one loves noodles, so I knew she'd want to share) that is packed with vegetables...zucchini, pea pods, baby corn, carrots. It's absolutely wonderful. It makes you feel so comfortably full but never stuffed. Other faves include Panang Curry, Drunken Noodles, Green Curry and of course, the coconut soup and Tom Yum soup!
If you're unfamiliar with Thai food, you're really missing out. It is NOTHING like Chinese. Their cuisine has an intricate balance of herbs, citrus, sweet and spicy. And, the food is actually pretty. If you go and check them out, I'd love to hear what you have to say.
