My thoughts on Starbucks

Like many red blooded American's I frequent food chains on a fairly regular basis, more regularly than I care to admit quite frankly. This allucution paints me as somewhat of a hypocrite. I hold a soapbox passion for the position of patronizing locally and family owned eateries and businesses in general, but lets face it, sometimes we just want the convience of what's right down the road. While Starbucks is "just down the road" from my house, its also just darned good!

As much as I would like to critisize the huge coffee chain for charging the equivilent of your child's college book fee's for a cup of coffee, or having so many stores that directions to get there involve saying its across the street from the "other Starbucks", or for so misconstruing the simplicity of small, medium, and large to such a degree that its the most comlpex part of placing your order (Venti-latin for 20), all of these things are so outshined by the fact that its just a darned good coffee shop.

Starbucks has been known to make quality of service and flavor one of its highest priorities. This concept is a difficult one to put into practice when consistency usually means sacrificing flavor, and quality for sameness (let's face it those Mcwhatevers don't really taste like anything). Its quite a feat for a chain as large as Starbucks to maintain both a consistent and really good product, not to mention superior service. To these ends Starbucks has made some pretty radical moves such as shutting down its stores nationwide for an entire afternoon to reintroduce its baristas and staff to what quality tastes like, and for impossing regulations on how many beverages a barista can prepare at a time. Limiting their menu to focus on the liquid consumables also plays a hand in assuring they don't get off the tasty coffee track. While they do offer a limite amount of baked goods they have these prepared out of house and only served in the store, allowing someone who makes a good cup of coffee to concentrate on making a good cup of coffee.

Have we talked about their quality of service? I could focus this entire opinion piece on that alone. I have never entered a starbucks stand alone store and been disapointed in my service. More times than not my expectations are exceeded. The staff are always cheerful and helpful. I belong to a book club that meets regularly in our local Starbucks. Many of the women aren't coffee drinkers and approach the counter with an almost lost in the wood's feeling about what to order. The barista is not only patient but 100% of the time was able to guide my friends to a drink that they enjoyed throughroughly. In addition to this they seem to genuinly love their job. I am told this is as a result of the company providing a good working environment and more benefits than other similar establishments. I would rather start my morning getting caffeine from a friendly Starbucks barista at twice the price of my ill mannered McCounterpart.

There are a lot of other reasons to love a Starbucks. I would encourage you to get your next cup of coffee there but lets face it, you probably already will. In some cases its more than conveince that gets your business and this is one of those cases. So instead, I will encourage you to do the same thing that Starbucks does around the holidays and that is pay for the car behind you. Don't worry about the cost, it will come back to you in frothy, caffinated goodness someday.

Ooops!

In all of my culinary endeavors, both lofty and mundane, I have never ruined dinner so badly that 'pizza had to be ordered'. I have overcooked, undercooked, over salted, under peppered, turned to mush, and nails, but in every case the food was eaten for all of those children in 3rd world countries who are starving. I have broken my streak.

How you ask? How have I managed to ruin such a sterling reputation? Well, I tell you it was nothing short of a gastronomic breakthrough, a scientific breakthrough, a feat against nature and aquatic life. I made Fish Jell-O! Yes, you read correctly. I am not talking an aspic, that jelly like block filled with various meats, fishes or vegetables. I am talking fish that actually became loose Jell-O. Maybe fish jelly would be more accurate. If I am going to be completely accurate I would have to say, pan fried, dover sole...jelly.

Fish can be tricky, I know, so I planned to not be too terribly hard on myself it if fell apart, or became a tad tough or rubbery, or even if I undercooked it and had to throw it back on the fire. I did not anticipate what it became. I had the most beautiful dinner planned. I got the wild caught dover sole, already frozen, at Trader Joe's. It was a fish I hadn't prepared before and I was in the mood for a fishy adventure (insert Nemo jokes here). I would lightly flour the fish and pan fry for a couple of minutes on each side, per the suggestion on the package. Then I would deglaze the pan with lemon juice and throw in some arugula and heirloom cherry tomatoes, a little more butter, to create a kind of beurre blanc sauce/wilted arugula salad to top the fish. I would serve it with a harvest grains blend (fancy rice), and pan fried green beans with crispy garlic. Sounds delicious doesn't it...

Everything was prepped. My mise en place had been in place just waiting for Gene to get home from his haircut. The harvest grains blend was almost finished cooking... and so in the pan went the fish. At first is was going great. When it came time to turn I faced some opposition but I was prepared for falling apart fish and it was sort of still intact. Then it just appeared to never cook all the way through. I left it on longer hoping that it would eventually get its stuff together. It cooked for a really long time on really high heat. When I tested the done-ness, not only was it NOT firm, or flaky it was.... yes, jello-y. It stayed jello-y. I cut off small pieces and pretty much cooked them to death... jello-y. jello-y, jello-y, jello-y.

Gene desperately searched his freezer for a suitable protein substitute, not even pretending that it was remotely edible (although he did actually taste it... shiver). Finally I just admitted that I was not emotionally prepared to attempt cooking anything else. We opted for chicken 12 way. That is Gene and his roomates code for Chinese buffet. It wasn't even a good Chinese buffet, not even in comparison to other Chinese buffets. It was just barely more edible than the Fish Jell-O. The funny thing is that I couldn't bring myself to eat anything fish related on the buffet and Gene ate pretty much only fish.

So, the lesson we have learned today kids is this: Dangit the only thing I can think of is that Chinese buffet isn't really a good alternative to a ruined dinner. I would suggest the traditional pizza. Oh, I guess I might say that if you are going to ruin dinner, at least do it up big, and ruin it for a guy as great as Gene. He will buy your dinner.

Nadoz Cafe

I went on another Restaurant.com adventure today. One of the reasons that I like restaurant.com is because it encourages you to try something new, and you never really know for sure what you are going to get. Today I got a nice lunch with my mom, aunt, and grandma.We decided on a restaurant very near the SLU campus, in the Coronado Hotel, called Nadoz. Nadoz is a Euro Bakery and Cafe. The process and menu are pretty straight forward: salads, baked goods, soups de jour, sandwiches, wraps, and buckwheat crepes. Daily specials are written in colorful chalk on black boards, and the staff is friendly and patient (we were there specifically to test the patience of the staff). The baked goods and desserts are displayed tantalizingly in a glass case while the food is prepared, in plain sight, by a very friendly and knowledgeable chef.

The process requires you to order at the register and retrieve your own food when your name is

called. I am fine with this more casual style of dining, especially since everyone there was so bright and cheerful. This is where the adventure began as all four of us tried to compile an order that would meet our coupon minimum and ferret out what exactly my grandma wanted to eat. Much translation of fancy food words was required. We settled on a Chopped

Salad for my aunt, a Veggie Wrap with Chicken for my Grandma (which she would later call the "green thing that made me burp"), a Boursin Buckwheat Crepe with a Baby Spinach Salad for my mom and I. Since our gift certificate was quite a hefty one we also got dessert: Lemon Cheesecake and a Biscotti.

I can't speak to how my Aunt and Grandma's lunches were, but I can say that they were accommodating to my Aunt's special requests, and that my Grandma's wrap was substantial and looked very fresh. My mom and I shared both the salad and the crepe. The Baby Spinach Salad was a large serving of fresh baby spinach with candied walnuts, cranberries, orange segments, sunflower seeds, croûton, and orange white balsamic vinaigrette, served with a pretzel roll. I have to be honest that I don't recall any croûton on the salad and the orange segments seemed superfluous, clunky, and lacking sweetness. I kept thinking that mandarin orange segments, or even orange supremes would have complimented the salad so much more. Regardless of this , the salad was very delicious. The pretzel roll was soft, nutty, and exactly what a pretzel turned roll should be. The spinach was very clean, fresh and hearty. The dressing wasn't too heavy but it was just sweet enough to counter the plethora of ingredients on the salad. The perfect bite of walnut, sunflower, dressing, and cranberry left a pleasant tang in my mouth and readied me for another bite of my Boursin Buckwheat Crepe.

The Boursin is a Large Crepe with beef tenderloin, Roasted Ozark Mushrooms, Grilled

Asparagus, Boursin Cheese, and Creme Fraiche. While the menu description seemed mouth watering, I was also concerned about all those heafty ingredients pressing against a delicate crepe. This was no longer a concern after my first bite. The Crepe was somehow delicate and light while holding its own against the hearty, crispy, tender bites of steak and mushroom. The asparagus was very tender but still had that snappy bite you hope for in this stand-at-attention veggie. The cheese, melted across the top like a sauce, worked with the Creme Fraiche to compliment the hearty contents. I was very impressed with they managed the meat in a cafe environment. The crispy edges contrasted with the moist tenderness of the beef and the pieces were cut into perfect, hearty bite sizes. This Crepe would make the voracious meat eater sigh with yums (as my mother actually did, ala Meryle Streep as Julia Child).

My one negative note comes with the dessert. The Cheesecake was creamy and smooth but lacked anything unique or special in its flavor. The lemon aspect was a curd that sat in the middle of the square shaped cake, and was a color that I am not comfortable with food items being. While it wasn't offensive, it was just obvious to my eyes, that the yellow got some help from something other than lemons. The Biscotti was more like a short bread cookie without the unctuousness of all that butter and lacked the twice baked crisp of a biscotti that invites dunking.

To sum it up I would say that Nadoz will get my business again, and this time I am dragging my meat eating, mushroom loving, boyfriend along. I also plan to visit again to dine from their breakfast menu. While that menu is nearly more extensive than their lunch or dinner menus, all I could recall was the Nutella Crepe! Check out Nadoz. Its worth the drive over to St. Louis and if you are a student at SLU its worth an occasional treat (maybe when your parents are visiting) as the prices aren't ridiculous but not necessarily college student friendly. Maybe I will see you there!

Food for the Childless: Grilled Chicken with Stone Fruit Chutney, Savory Summer Salad, Pasta with Asparagus

I have a couple of dear friends whom I share the circumstance of finding ourselves near the middle of our lives, all for different reasons, without children. While our peers are shuttling kids to and from soccer practice, balancing kid friendly dinner menus, packing up lunches, and wiping snotty noses, we are free to contemplate more leisurely quandaries of life, "What's for lunch?"

Didn't I make being free from the shackles of parenthood sound terribly enticing? I am leaving out the hugs, the bedtime prayers, the joy on little faces when they reflect the love you show them. I know that all of the mom's that read this would give anything for one afternoon to live the freedom of a life without something crusty on their person somewhere....almost anything.

Though none of us have chosen this particular freedom, we have come to embrace it. We embrace it by coming together without the burden of having to think of a way to fill a conversation gap between discussions on the prices of diapers and the benefits of a morning nap versus an afternoon nap. Instead we talk about.... FOOD! We talk about where we want to eat, what we want to eat, what we want to create, or try, or what flavors we think sing together. Occasionally we get the beautiful occasion to cook together.

We recently had one of these opportunities. We flew by the seat of our pants and let creativity and the seasons availability dictate our menu. I think that we managed a beautiful symphony of flavor. If food were therapy this was the cure.

Our menu can loosely be defined as:

Grilled Chicken with stone fruit chipotle chutney, Savory Summer Fruit Salad, and pasta for when you forgot the Parm.

Grilled Chicken

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts. Salt and Pepper. Throw on a Medium High grill until juices run clear.

Stone fruit Chipotle Chutney

2 peaches stoned and diced

2 plumbs stoned and diced

3 Tb. of Raspberry Fruit Spread (or any fruit spread you have lying around)

1 Tb. of chipotle in adobo sauce (available in the ethnic or Mexican food isle. You only need the sauce not the actually chipotle)

1/3 cup water

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until fruit is broken down and it lightly coats the back of a spoon. Will thicken as it cools.

Serve Chutney on top or alongside Grilled Chicken

Savory Summer Fruit Salad

While this recipe using only fruit its in no way a dessert or sweet dish since all of the fruits are usually used as vegetables. I like the irony.

A

pint of cherry, grape, or heirloom cherry tomatoes quartered (we used what the garden yielded as this tastes better than almost any food on the planet)

1/2 to 1 Whole cucumber seeded and peeled (we didn't peel and wished later that we had)

About 10 large Kalamata Olives halved

4 oz. Fresh Mozzarella diced into bite sized pieces

a bunch Fresh Basil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dressing:

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablesppons Cider or Balsamic Vinegar (you will get a completely different taste depending on what you choose, we used what we had)

1 clove garlic pressed or diced fine

Salt and Pepper to taste

Toss "fruit" together and dress until evenly and lightly coated. You will most likely have left over dressing. Let sit at room temp for up to an hour or in the fridge for up to a day.

Pasta for When you Forgot the Parm:

The original recipe called for parmesean cheese but some miscommunication lead to us not having any. What do you don in such a situation? Add more bacon.

1 LB spaghetti or linguini/fettuccini cooked to

1 TB olive oil

4 strips of thick cut bacon cut into 1/2 inch strips or diced

1 TB of butter

1 Lb of fresh asparagus (I wish on all that is sprinkly with fairy dust that it was unnecessary to use the word fresh to describe asparagus, as I feel that all canned asparagus should be thrown into a bottomless pit) trimmed of their woody ends, and cut into thirds or bite sized pieces.

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup reserved pasta liquid

2 cloves garlic crushed

A few springs of fresh Basil chiffonade

Boil pasta to al dente and drain. Before draining scoop up a cup of the cooking liquid and set aside.

Render bacon in olive oil on medium heat until bacon starts to crisp. Raise heat to medium high and add asparagus and butter and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes and add heavy cream. When cream bubbles add cooked and drained pasta. Stir to incorporate and add about half of the reserved pasta liquid and return to a boil. Lower heat and as the pan becomes dry add more and more of the liquid until the entire cup as been added. When pasta is coated and no more liquid remains in pan sprinkle with Basil and season with Salt and Pepper.

I do hope that you use these recipes as a jumping off point to create your own seasonal dinner with friends that you gather to share with.

Best Restaurant in Town: Mom's Kitchen

Ok, I have teased all of you by bragging about my mom's Carne Asada. I know that isn't nice. I am ashamed of my sin inducing behavior. That sin of course, being jealousy. Well, I am about to make that up to you.

Neither of my grandmother's is what I would call a great cook. My mom however is the kind of cook that people rave about. She is also the kind of cook who can never remember what she put in a dish when asked for the recipe. "Oh, a little bit of this, a little bit of that".In recent years she has turned her attention to baking. While this is a joyful direction for many a sweet tooth, its disappointing to this savory addict.

However, one specialty of the house is still available if you have the right pull. Getting her to make the Carne Asada is as easy as dropping not to subtle hints for a few weeks. Getting her to give up the recipe is slightly more complicated. I don't think she is being coy when she shrugs her shoulder's and says "oh its so easy, I just..." then she starts rambling off her "this and that" routine. I honestly think that is the way she cooks. Recipes are simply a jumping off point, a suggestion, a spark to an idea.

All of that to say that with some patience and guidance I got a recipe fit for print and YES, I am going to share it with you. Keep in mind that this recipe might be different the next time she makes it, and she has a tendency to use what's available. She would encourage you to do the same. For instance, tonight she used pork chops because they were on sale. Ok, Ready Set...improvise. Oh, I am throwing in a recipe of hers for short cut salsa, just cuz I love ya.

You will need a medium to large crock pot for this one but little else in the way of equipment. While my mom learned Carne Asada at the side of a senora while living in Mexico, she has found some short cuts that don't compromise the flavor or authenticity while avoiding the need for live fire.

Beef Chuck Roast, Pork Shoulder, or any large (3-5 LBS) slab of meat you have laying around.

1/2 Pkg. Onion Soup Mix

1/2 Medium Onion Chopped

Be sure to put the roast in the crock pot dry. Cook for 6-8 hours until it can be shredded with a fork. Drain the fat (she mentions that you can save this for gravy or any application that your imagination can come up with) and add:

2 small cans Rotel Mild Tomatoes

1 package of Onion Soup Mix.

Continue to cook 1-2 more hours to allow the flavors to marry.

Serve with corn or flour tortillas, salsa, cheese, sour cream, avocados, or hunched over the crock pot with a fork.

Short Cut Salsa

1 Can petite diced tomatoes

2 gloves garlic skins removed

1/2 jalapeño seeded and de-veined (unless you like it spicier)

zest of 1 lemon

juice of half of said lemon

As much cilantro as you can stand

salt and pepper to taste.

Blend this all in a food processor being careful to pulse to get a consistency just short of smooth.

I do hope that you enjoy my mother's cooking as much as I do.

La Mexicana Pantoon Beach

Raise your hand if you love Mexican food! My hand is firmly planted at my side and restaurants like La Mexicana are the reason why. I have a theory that there is a large pair of fuzzy dice in the kitchen of most Mexican restaurants that have ingredients instead of dots on them. The chef simply rolls the dice and throws the ingredients together with a side of shredded lettuce.

There are exceptions to this rule, and in turn, my aversion to Mexican food. My mom's cooking is the first exception. She spent the 2 years we lived in Mexico collecting recipes and cooking techniques at the sides of senoritas all over Mexico. There is nothing like a fresh, hot, home pressed tortilla with a juicy helping of carne asada and salsa fresca. Another exception is La Casa Mexican Grill and Cantina.

La Mexicana in Pontoon Beach (please don't mistake this restaurant for La Casa in Edwardsville) had the fuzzy dice but "cheese dip" took up two spaces on each die. Upon entering on a Sunday for lunch there was one other occupied table and half the restaurant was set aside for what was obviously a night club. To be frank it looked like the party supply store threw up on the entire left side of the building. I think that our waiter partied a little too late in the night club the night before. He was either still drunk or very hung over. He forgot most requests we made, and seemed to know very little about the restaurant, the food, or how to count. The slightly humid atmosphere of the empty restaurant was also slightly dirty everywhere except the bathroom, which was horrendous. They attempted an aquatic theme that was not only a complete failure but actually made it impossible to clean the surfaces of the bathroom. Martha Stewart would have flat passed out.

I am not a clean snob by any means and all of the above would have been forgivable had the food been outstanding, but mostly is was just covered in cheese dip. As a side note this reminds me of a pet peeve I have regarding Mexican food fans. Every time a friend wants to take you to their favorite Mexican place they always say "You have to get the queso, its SOOOOOO good". I wonder if they realize that every Mexican restaurant is opening the same can of white cheeze whiz. The chips were stale, the salsa weak, the meat tough, and the service pretty non-existent. When we asked if they had a hotter salsa our waiter brought out a 60 oz. bottle of hot sauce, that still left us wanting more flavor and heat.

Even if you are someone who raves about the queso dip, and loves a side of beans with your bland sauce laden meat, avoid this place at all cost. Just go home and grab a bag of Tositos and put some cheese dip on them. And if it still doesn't feel right throw up a tinsel cactus and blast some Ricky Martin. You will still have a more authentic atmosphere and flavor than La Mexicana.

Pi Delmar Loop

Pi in the Delmar Loop claims to be "sustainably delicious". While The Green Restaurant Association is more qualified to speak to their claims of sustainability, I can certainly verify the delicious claim.

I was joined, once again, by my dear dining friends Holly and Tracy. Being the only Pi virgin at the table I was given a "moment" to drink in the menu and myriad of pizza choices. As our very patient and capable waiter, Ryan (a dead ringer for Shaggy from Scooby Doo), pointed out to us, we were not limited to the pizza choices listed on the menu. Ingredients and toppings could be added, made up, moved from thick to thin, served on half, and I believe we were even given the option to have it served to us on the moon. Had that been a genuine choice, I think its the only thing that would earn this place higher marks from me.

The ingredients were fresh, and real. As I served up my slice of Western Edition (on thin not thick) the fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and feta cheese stretched beautifully away. On top of the cheese sat mushrooms (you know the kind that DON'T come in a can), Spinach (actual leaves of spinach) and sweet onions. While I thought every ingredient delightful and harmonious, Tracy did have the dissenting opinion that the mushrooms tasted like cardboard.

The pizza that Tracy chose to order for us was a classic deep dish pizza with the cheese on the bottom and the sauce on the top. In between were large chunks of pork sausage, bacon, and chiuaua cheese. While it rang very clearly of a perfect dish of deep, I indulged in only one slice to save myself for the Western Edition.

The atmosphere of Pi was funky and eclectic, even where we chose to sit outside. While we were approached twice by those claiming to need money the staff quickly did their part to disperse them as soon as possible. We didn't mind giving up a slice of Pi to one of them though, to be blessed means to bless. If this is not the kind of blessing that you are into, sitting inside quickly solves this problem.

"Green" restaurants are becoming more and more popular and pizza is a perfect landscape for that new frontier. Pi does it right with a great atmosphere, real ingredients, perfect crust, and wonderful service. I would rec this to anyone looking for a casual but indulgent date night or lunch with fabulous friends.

Beatniks New Town St. Charles

My experience at Beatniks is thanks to a couple of great lunch friends Holly and Tracy. We all love to try new foods, new places, and most of all we love to visit with each other. Generally that means when we go to lunch we are there until juuust about dinner time. After a long hiatus from each other we headed out for a day of shopping and eating. Purposefully roaming off the beaten path to something unique, we headed to Beatniks.

Sitting in a neighborhood that is just shy of step-ford quality is Beatniks. It has the feel of a restaurant at the end of a pier and is decorated by iron sculptures and mannikin's dressed in every manner of funky clothing. The manikin that greeted us at the door was even holding a baby with a cigarette in its mouth. Holly removed the cigarette from said babies mouth ;)

The bar area is separated from the porch area that has several more iron scultures. Each table has an iron flower arrangment centerpiece. The porch area was walled in with glass garage doors making the entire area convertible from indoor to outdoor dining. Since the weather was unseasonably cool for May the doors were closed and since it was Monday were among very few diners.

Our waiter was a tall, red beared young man with an affable personality who admittedly hadn't been with them long but was eager to please and to visit with us when we invited him to do so. We asked what he recommended and ordered accordingly.

The Chipotle nachos were scrumptious. Not being a nachos fan, these were ones I would order again in a heartbeat. They were pretty simply prepared with a chipotle cheese sauce, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and chunks of brisket, over multi-colored chips. To accompany our nachos we opted for the large bavarian style soft pretzels with three kinds of dipping sauce. The girls and I agreed that plain mustard was better than any of the dipping offerings made available with the pretzels.

Our main courses were varied; chicken with a truffle brandy sauce, a club sandwich with poorly sliced avocados and a soft fried egg on top, and a Monte-Cristo sandwich with current jelly. All in all it was tasty fair. The exception being the sweet potato fries. They were overcooked, and lacked any real sweet potato flavor.

A standout was the Truffle Mac N Cheese. We did as our waiter suggested and tossed some diced jalapeños on top of the Mac N Cheese for a little added spice. It was delicious if not a tad bit too salty. The sauce was creamy and rich just as it should be.

We thoughroughly enjoyed our dining experience at Beatniks and are eager to return when the garage doors are open!!!

La Casa Mexicana Grill and Cantina

La Casa Mexicana Grill and Cantina

201 Harvard Dr.

Edwardsville, IL

I have had the privilege of dining at La Casa twice now. The first was late on a Sunday evening. The seating was immediate and the waiter was attentive. The second experience was much different, but in both cases the food exceeded my expectations. My expectations were to find an establishment that was like every other Mexican restaurant that drowns its dishes in cheese sauce, and uses meats that are tough, and shredded. This is not what I found at La Casa.

The menu was extensive, authentic, and moderately priced. My biggest gripe with Mexican food is that its generally bland and sauced far beyond what is necessary or healthy. La Casa had neither of those problems as the food was fresh, well seasoned, and beautifully plated. The restaurant itself is beautiful as well. They have a small bar area and several dining spaces with booths set apart from the other diners creating a kind of intimacy in your dining experience.

Now for the picky bits. As I stated, my first experience was near Mexican Nirvana "cielo", but my second was more terrestrial. We went on a busy Friday night and had to wait to be seated. This is not only expected but good to see in a new restaurant. Our first unpleasant surprise came when they seated us in the VERY small bar area without asking if we would prefer something else. We had to stop a couple of times on our way to the table because there wasn't enough room for the servers and passersby. We were also seated about a foot and a half from the actual bar, where a girl and her friend were lamenting over a pitcher of Margaretta's about a recent break up. A few times patrons backed right up to my right side to gather around an amigo at the bar.

To me, this was tolerable, because what will we not tolerate for good food. Our waitress was straight off the set of a Mexican soap opera, perhaps the one that was distracting my dining partner as it played on the tv over my head. The real unpleasantness for me started when my food came very quickly along with my dining partners side dishes. His main dish took 15 minutes longer and 3 servers to make it to the table. Being a polite table mate I attempted to wait for his food to arrive before eating. Some nibbling took place... by both of us. Our waitresses beauty was tempered with a general disinterest in service. We actually had another server approach our table when he saw us looking lost. He was kind enough to refill beverages and agreed to check on our missing dish. There weren't any apologies or explanations made for the mix up or delay. Oh, and to add to the overall joy of the service my cornbread came late and overcooked as well.

Given that negative experience, the food was still delicious and fed my dining partner for days. I would recommend La Casa to anyone interested in delicious, fresh, authentic Mexican food. Just avoid the bar... unless you just broke up with your boyfriend and need a pitcher of Margaretta's.

Wang Gang Review

I recently made my first trip to a much talked about eatery in the Edwardsville area. The concept of Wang Gang is pretty simple yet innovative. The cuisine is decidedly upscale Asian but without the cost of a P.F. Chang's. They make this possible by having dinners order at the counter and gather their own cutlery, condiments, drinks, and even to go boxes. A restaurant with a similar theme is Pei Wei of P.F. Chang's.

I must say right away that the food was excellent. The staff was more than friendly and at atmosphere was very pleasant. The dining area had just enough tables that it felt full but you weren't listening to the conversations of the dinners next to you. When mistakes were made (which I will surely share with you) an effort to correct them was made immediately and apologies were made quickly.

Now, having said all the good things here were a couple of disapointments. Having never been to Wang Gang I wasn't sure of what to expect. I assumed that I was to order at the counter but neither a sign or a staff member invited me to do so. Eventually after we grabbed menus from an off to the side holder, and sort of approached the cash register, someone offered to take our order. This is obviously only an issue for first time visitors but it does give a less than stellar first impression.

When my friend and I ordered we were each told that they were out of something that we wanted so we opted for something else. This isn't a huge issue for me, it happens on a busy Saturday night, which is was. However, once we got to our table and waited for quite a bit we were told they were out of both of the replacement dishes my friend ordered, and just a few minutes after that I saw the fresh spring rolls (which I was told they were out of) get delivered to another table. We were offered our money back or a substitute. We opted for chocolate egg rolls. Yummy and rich.

This following complaint is perhaps the biggest for me. My hot food was served on very cold plates. I have a pet peeve of having my cold salad served on a hot plate. This happens frequently as most restaurants, but I have never been served such a cold plate. The first few bites brought hot and cold in the same mouth full, and I mean COLD.

As we left we were told to have a good night and "thanks for bearing with them". This leads me to believe that I caught them on a bad night. I sure hope that is the case because despite my complaints the food was crave-worthy and met the upscale taste they promised and the staff was awesome. I would encourage anyone to try this off beat place to grab great Asian food. I plan on going back and having a completely different experience.