What’s that?  Your parents are coming into town?  They want to take you out for a “nice” meal?  They want to celebrate “that” special occasion?  You get to pick the place?!  Any place at all?!  
Well, with great pleasure, I am proud to say that I was in this grand predicament over the weekend to celebrate my birthday.  I am honored that I had the privilege to dine in the fine establishments of The Chophouse and the Gandy Dancer all in one weekend.  Newsflash: These are some fine establishments.  And my experiences at them were overall satisfactory and an experience of grandeur that are perfect to celebrate that special day or occasion, especially if your parents are paying or if you are trying to impress a special someone.  Let’s begin the journey on Friday…

On Friday night, my friend’s cousin and uncle were visiting to prospectively look our great school, the University of Michigan.  I was fortunate enough to receive an invite to join my friend and his relatives for a meal at, that’s right, The Chophouse.  Upon entering, I instantly knew this would be dining experience that would not be forgotten.  The service was exceptional, almost to the point of being too exceptional.  But, my friend, his cousin and I made sure to reap the benefits of such prompt and sophisticated service.  The place every plate at the same exact time like a synchronized swim team that has practiced each movement to split second precision, they roll up your napkin as soon as it makes contact with the table, they escort you to the restroom, place the menus directly into your hands, and wipe the sweat from your brow (well, I’m sure they would…).  

The Chophouse’s menu was explained to complete precision that ensured all items were cooked to the proper liking of each individual dinner guest.  I decided to order the New York Strip Steak and ask for it medium rare as I would normally order a steak at a restaurant.  I have some experience ordering steak and places understand what medium rare means to a customer.  But, our waitress wanted to ensure the most exquisitely prepared steak that I had ever dined on in my young life.  She went on for about a minute trying to grasp what I meant by “medium rare”.  She asked about how I wanted the color to be around the bone, by the skin, in the center, the outer steak color, the char mark colors, the char mark pattern, the personality of my steak, and the name of it (ok, so the last few are stretching it, but you catch my drift).  The Chophouse wants each customer to truly savor and enjoy every moment of his or her dining experience and if that means detail to the point of confusion, so be it.  My steak was delicious.  It was cooked to perfection, juicy, moist, the perfect color, and the perfect personality.  I also split a very good salad with a wedge of romaine lettuce lightly warmed with bacon pieces, Gorgonzola cheese, and a light oil dressing that was absolutely splendid.  As for sides with the steaks, the classic sides of garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach was as good as any other restaurant.  But, the service combined with the perfectly cooked steak made for a really memorable experience.   

The weekend of fine dining did not end that Friday night.  On Sunday night, my parents treated me to a meal at the Gandy Dancer.  The atmosphere of the Gandy Dancer definitely is designed to impress with the beautiful architecture of the old train station morphed into a fancy dining establishment.  The menu consists of mainly seafood due to the Muer Restaurant Group that owns the establishment having a focus on fresh seafood items.  Originally hailing from Boston, my taste buds water for the taste of succulent seafood.  I am a very particular seafood eater (basically, it has to really, really good to impress me), and the Gandy Dancer did this for me overall.  We started the meal with escargot in a garlic and sun-dried tomato oil sauce served with a light puff pastry as well as mussels in a white wine sauce.  The escargot was delicious if you are into that snail stuff.  It could have used a little more garlic for my liking, but overall a good dish and based on the observation that every table ordered escargot as an appetizer, I most certainly recommend it.  The mussels were good for Michigan standards, but the white wine sauce could have used a slightly stronger kicker for those who do not truly enjoy mussels straight up (I personally love mussels and found the dish to be very well prepared).  Next, I ordered a bowl of New England Clam Chowdah (yes, Chowdah), my hometown favorite and nearly impossibly to impress with unless I see the clams pulled out of the ocean.  Yet, the Gandy Dancer pulled it off.  The chowder was rich, hearty, and the clams were well-sized with a strong flavor.  It is one of the better Clam Chowders I have had outside of the New England area.  And all of that was before my main course!  For my entrée, I ordered the Jumbo Sea Scallops with wild mushrooms, asparagus, and a puff pastry in a bacon cream sauce.  Despite having to send the dish back because it was only lukewarm, the dish was excellent.  Once it was prepared to my liking (maybe they should take lessons from the Chophouse’s staff), this was a delicious dish.  The scallops were large and rich and the accent of the wild mushroom combined with an extremely rich made it a heavy meal to eat, but one that I would highly recommend.  Just make sure to ask for it piping hot.  I also tried the lobster bisque (super rich, but a good flavor) and the cedar planked salmon, which was good for a salmon dish (I just refuse to order such a generic fish at restaurants).  Unfortunately, I was too stuffed to venture into the dessert department, but I regret not trying the cinnamon roll bread pudding.  All in all, the Gandy Dancer was another good fine dining experience that serves above average seafood for the Michigan area and I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a fancy place for your parents to take you to.  

After a weekend of fine dining, I absolutely think that every person should experience The Chophouse at least one time.  The Gandy Dancer was good, but not spectacular.  Yet, still a place to go to for a special occasion for a nice experience.  So whether it be your parents taking you out to dinner, or a place that you want to take that special someone, I highly recommend The Chophouse (if you want to dish out top dollar) and the Gandy Dancer (for a nice atmosphere, and pretty good seafood).  

An order of fried pickle chips; a four-meat combination platter with baby back ribs, Carolina pulled pork, smoked beef brisket, and smoked St. Louis style ribs with grits and bourbon black beans; a full order of pulled pork smoked macaroni and cheese; a chocolate chip cookie ice cream bar, and a fried doughnut bread pudding. Could you eat all that in one sitting?  

As Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother would say, “Challenge Accepted!”  Those were the words coming from my mouth when I went to the Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery on East Washington Street.  Originally, I was planning on eating a burger and maybe some fries, but I couldn’t pass up the competition proposed by my two friends.  Even our waitress was astonished at the massive amounts of succulent meats, sides, and barbequed delights that were brought out to the table (yes, she needed multiple serving trays).  When we asked how much the tray of food weighed, she estimated over fifteen pounds of food in just our entrées! 

Being the big eater that I am, and displaying my competitive instincts, the Man vs. Food challenge was on.  Right off the bat, I thought I could do it, but after a short period of time, the wrath of the meat kicked in via the meat sweats.  While I did not eat the entire mountain of food myself, I did finish my combination platter, half of the macaroni and cheese, and a majority of the desserts (especially the bread pudding).  About thirty minutes later and fighting the meat sweats, I could lean back in my bar stool against the wall with my plate cleared, unlatch my belt, and rest triumphantly, but nauseously-full.  Then, it was time for dessert.  The bread pudding was calling my name.  Despite my stuffed stomach, I succumbed to the sweetness of the doughnut bread pudding and ate the entire dessert.  Since my friend could not finish the cookie-ice cream, I felt obligated to finish that, too.  The painful walk home from the Blue Tractor with about six extra pounds of weight in my body felt like an eternity, but I miraculously made it to my couch to bask in glory and fullness for the night.      

The subtle buzzing of the name “Frita Batidos” has floated around in the Ann Arbor ethos for months now. 

But, you may ask, what is a frita? And, for that matter, what’s a batido? 

Well, I went to Frita Batidos to find the answers to those questions.

What is a frita?
A frita is a spicy chorizo burger with shoestring fries on brioche (a soft egg bun). They have a beef, turkey, fish, and vegetarian black bean version as well. Each comes with a fancy mayonnaise (sweet chili, lemon-scented, and chipotle, respectively), and there are extras like coleslaw or a fried egg. 

To my dismay, I went to Frita Batidos on a Saturday at 12:30 p.m., and was only able to order off of the breakfast menu. The choices quickly placated me, and I ordered a Cuban omelet. Like the most stylish cafeteria you’ve ever seen, a rectangular metal dish with a large leaf held the omelet, black beans, and a chunky, fresh salsa. It was stuffed with picadillo, a ground beef mixture with plenty of cheese and a sweet flavor, which a passing waitress explained was from marmalade. I could not have been happier. 

What is a batido?
A batido is a very thick milk shake made with fresh fruit and sweetened milk. I ordered the sour orange flavor, in honor of my study abroad experience in the Yucatan, where they were ubiquitous ingredients in the home remedies I studied. 

I could not believe the sweet and sour flavor! It was pretty gritty, though, which was probably from the sugar. The whole meal was excessively rich. I have learned not to order a batido and a dish while thinking I can get away with eating both. Even two hours after I had left, I was still trying to drink it. “Milk shake” definitely does not do the batido justice. 

What’s up with these tables?
I particularly enjoyed the informality and unusual tables. The long picnic benches or bar seating created a community experience unlike that around most American restaurant tables. Talking to your neighbors, sharing water with them, and asking them to pass down napkins or sauces was the opposite of a place in which you are not really supposed to hear the table next to you. The beautiful white coloring and carefully chosen details were charming. I can’t wait to go back!

Who created this amazing experience? 
Eve Aronoff, the owner of eve, the recently closed Ann Arbor restaurant, is behind Frita Batidos. She brings the same concern she had at Eve for quality ingredients, using specially roasted coffees and local meats. We even caught a glimpse of her quickly returning to the kitchen! 

Aronoff doesn’t have that “Cuban” ring to it… 
According to the philosophy posted on the wall, she is not. But her grandmother lived in Miami, and, “The Cuban and more broadly Latino cultures became a major influence in [her] style of cooking.”  I took my first trip to Miami over this winter break with my family, and I was reminded of that area in the south of Florida immediately after walking in. There were Latino influences (such as hammocks of limes hanging by the tables), but also a sense of overall cosmopolitanism very reminiscent of that culturally diverse area. This is southern Michigan, and the mere existence of the originality, great ingredients, and delicious dishes at Frita Batidos made it Cuban enough for me. 

For my 20th birthday, I figured what better way to spend the day than doing a (free) food tour of my city. Ann Arbor is prime for birthday deals and as a bonafide hoarder, my goal was to reap the rewards of all possible opportunities for good free food. 

Prior to my actual birthday, I took advantage of e-mailed coupons for birthday meals at Noodles and Company and Mongolian Barbeque. Both chains allow you to use the coupon for the two weeks surrounding your birthday and don’t require that you go with other people to dine.

The morning of my actual birthday began with a trip to Zingerman's for half a dozen free bagels. Since I went at 8 a.m. the selection was plentiful; raisin, parmesan pepper, and a special bagel that was Indian-inspired with curry and golden raisins. This part of my free day was be put in the freezer to be thawed out periodically. Frozen bagels that you can toast are the gift that keeps on giving. Make sure you get them sliced before you freeze them though (which Zingerman's will gladly do). However, I couldn't fill up on bagels because the birthday morning had just begun-Angelo's was my next stop.

Angelo's is one of my favorite places for a great cup of coffee and a delicious (and bone-sticking) breakfast. Today it was a breakfast combo with a short stack of blueberry pancakes and a two-egg scramble with broccoli, onion, tomato, green pepper and mushroom. Though the eggs were a little cold, the ten-dollar discount off of the bill made up for it and then some.

Though I took a brief break from my food tour for class and work, I continued my journey in Kerrytown. I headed to Cake Nouveau for my complimentary cupcake.  I was given the choice between the special English toffee or mandarin orange poppyseed cupcake, but as a chocolate-toffee enthusiast, there was no choice. The Bossa Nova loose tea I got from Tea Haus (which is right next door) was the perfect pairing for the toffee cupcake. I was even given the tea in a bag to go so I could enjoy it later. On a whim, I walked into Schakolad-where I was allowed to pick four truffles; champagne, raspberry, Irish Crème and cappuccino.

Lunch took me to Real Seafood Co. where I was given half off of the food portion of my bill and a free dessert to boot. I got the fire roasted block island swordfish that was served over sautéed vegetables, topped with fennel and mandarin orange slaw and drizzled with a lobster crème sauce. Given the choice of their six desserts, the New York Cheesecake garnished with berries won me over.

On the way home I stopped in for a mini-cupcake from the Cupcake Station-honey cake with lavender frosting. One of my favorite places for frozen yogurt-Afternoon Delight-gave me a monstrous sample of their White Chocolate Macadamia Nut yogurt and the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory gave me a coffee truffle. I got a complimentary double chocolate chip cookie from Bruegger’s because of a coupon I got for signing up for their newsletter. 

For dinner, I went to Seva where my free entrée was Asparagus and Mascarpone ravioli with a lemon pistachio sage chutney, grilled asparagus, garlic ciabatta bread and grapes. While the other restaurants determined discounts based on the overall bill, at Seva my entire entrée was free.
 
My final birthday endeavor was a free scoop of Ben and Jerry’s; a half-baked frozen yogurt cone. It was the perfect ending to a day of food sampling. 

After noshing all day, I indulged in a homemade birthday cake with friends while reflecting on my massive savings for the day. The grand total? A respectable 68 dollars (93 dollars if you include Noodles and Co. and Mongolian). Make sure you have your ID with you for your day of feasting, and I wish you a happy (and hearty) birthday!

We recently completed our annual Roos Roast coffee class. Read on for three takes on the morning’s caffeination.

“I used to say that if you cut me open, I’d bleed brown” —fellow coffee classmate 

Sunday mornings often call for a cup of coffee and a lazy reading of the newspaper, yet, this Sunday I found myself indulging in six different cups, each steaming with freshly brewed coffee from around the world.  Walking into John Roo’s coffee roasting shop aroused all senses, especially after waking only moments before other Cuiziners had just picked me up.

We stepped into the shop, accompanied by a few other coffee enthusiasts, who simultaneously happen to grow their own cacao and brew their own beer.  We all gathered around John in his lab coat and a small table boasting beans from Mexico to Ethiopia, each roasted by John himself, as he began divulging to us the urban legends of coffee’s origins.  Midst the history lesson, a continuous flow of coffee began our way, from French Press to a strong cold brew he had made just yesterday.  My taste buds were dancing, while my head began floating beyond the hazy clouds of a caffeinated haven.  Luckily John greeted us with an array of foods from homemade muffins showcasing the flavors of Hawaii (macadamia nuts, coconut, pineapple, and of course chocolate) to a quiche and scrambled eggs made by none other than the wand of the espresso machine.

—Kay

It's 10:30 on a frigid Sunday morning, and, while most of campus is nursing a hangover and scrambling for excuses to put off that paper for another couple of hours, the staff of Wolverine Cuizine is busy getting a case of the shakes and bouncing off walls.  Next to True Tech auto repair, down the street from Kroger on South Industrial resides a small coffee joint with a 4 foot "COFFEE" sign struggling to stay standing in the wind.  I can't even begin to count how many times I've taken my car to True Tech and driven by this location without ever having noticed the Ann Arbor wonder that is Roos Roast.

John Roos is the Willy Wonka of coffee. From his long blue lab coat, "Mr. Roos" nametag with a backwards "S," knowledge about coffee and eagerness to share it with the world, to his generosity, and quirky enthusiasm, I'm not sure if he's more a Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp, or simply the Willy Wonka of my dreams.  We must have had at least ten cups of coffee, in addition to a bagel brunch complete with shmear and pineapple, coconut, chocolate and macadamia-nut muffins.  The coffees ranged from Mexican to Papau New Guinea and were all brewed using different techniques such as french press and cold brew, each having a different and distinct flavor.  We learned all about coffee beans, where they come from, and even got to roast beans right in front of the shop and then grind and drink them merely five minutes later.  I am now even more inspired than ever to go to the Farmer's Market to get my Roos Roast coffee and will  be returning frequently to the shop to say hello to John and his passionate employees and continue to learn about coffee and it's surrounding culture.

—Anna

Ok, when it comes to coffee, I’m a rookie, with a capital R.  I used to think that coffee was this nasty brown liquid everyone was addicted to and couldn’t do without.  I could not have been more wrong.  Roos Roast showed me a different side to everything related to coffee.  How it is harvested, cracked, roasted and brewed are all established procedures with a lifetime’s worth of knowledge involved.  From coarse and fine grinding to French Press and espresso techniques, Mr. Roos, and his assistants, knew it all.

When I first saw Mr. Roos, it looked like he needed some coffee, badly.  The thought popped into my head that maybe he didn’t get enough sleep because of all the caffeine he had absorbed through his skin over the years.  But I quickly dismissed this as he shook our hands and started joking around with us.  After greeting he had us try a few different kinds of coffee.  Wait, did I say a few?  I mean six, and they were all brewed differently.  He had everything from shade grown (that means the coffee is grown with other plants in a natural environment) Guatemalan Robusta to Ethiopian coffee.  They were all completely different!  This was a bit of a shock to a coffee newbie like me. 

Mr. Roos talked about where coffee came from, how it was processed, how you should brew it, and how you should roast it.  Oh, and he had some interesting myths about coffee too, how it spread around the world from Ethiopia and how the French Press was invented.  I never knew there was so much about coffee.  So, if you’re looking for a great cup of coffee (that’s coming from a rookie), try out Roos Roast.  It has a great atmosphere and you just might learn something while you’re there.

—Charlie

Upon the discovery of the of Zagat-approved restaurants in the Ann Arbor area, I immediately emailed my mother. The planets do occasionally align: we already had plans to go a dance show in Detroit! After much debate about locations, steak houses, and seafood, even a mom gawked at the prices.  A line of questioning produced the more accessible Small Plates, which proved a fine substitute. 

Small Plates is almost excessively centrally located, within walking distance of Comerica Park, the Opera House, the Fillmore, and the Music Hall (our final destination). It is billed as a tapas bar, which is a Spanish-style restaurant that serves appetizer-sized plates that you share with your tablemates. Spanish fare typically includes a variety of meats, cheeses, olives, seafood, tortillas de huevos, and sangria. Note that little word, “style,” back there? We must have been wrongly informed, but the impression that Small Plates serves tapas bar dishes is false. Imagine my surprise when the waiter informed us that they had run out of sangria! We also later discovered that over half of the promised dessert menu was unavailable! 

Enough negativity, already! A visit to the website clears up those pesky menu concerns and prepares you for a diverse sampling of American food with influences from Thai to Greek. I recommend sit at the back of the restaurant, right across from the enormous pizza oven, especially if you like watching the restaurant process, from the chefs’ skills to the work dynamic of the kitchen. The pizza from that oven is perfection: the thin crust and fresh toppings make everyone happy. We also tried the lettuce wraps and a plate of hummus and tabbouleh. The cocktail list was actually unique, even though that is hard to come by, and I enjoyed my cucumber-infused gin, even down to the actual pieces of cucumber at the bottom of the glass. 

The hand-cut french fries were the group favorite. With the peel left on, a medium cut, and served with garlic aioli and malt vinegar, Small Plates perfected this everyday food.

If you need a place to go in Detroit for a charming, cozy dinner to please a wide variety of tastes, check out Small Plates! 

Are your parents coming into town?  Are you looking for a very elegant restaurant with a friendly atmosphere?  Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is exactly that.  From the aged prime steaks to the abundance of side dishes and delectable desserts, Fleming’s has it all for those special occasions.  This restaurant’s trick of the trade of cooking steaks starts with their use of the finest USDA prime beef; corn-fed and aged for weeks.  The aging process assists greatly in enhancing the flavors and ensuring the perfect texture.  Then the steaks are charbroiled at a whopping 1600 degrees.  Fleming’s also offers a wide variety of meats such as multiple sizes of filet mignon, New York Strip steak, veal and lamb chops, and what are dubbed as “Fleming’s New Classics.”  The classics are a Porcini Rubbed Filet Mignon (filet mignon in a gorgonzola cream sauce topped with asparagus) and the Peppercorn Steak (a prime New York strip steak with peppercorn cracked on top as a rub and their signature “F17” steak sauce).  Both of these dishes are delicious and I highly recommend them.  

Fleming’s caters to its customers with steakhouse style dining with family-style flair.  This true American steakhouse offers 11 side dishes that can all be shared with the rest of the family.  The two really unique and signature side dishes are the “Fleming’s Potatoes” (potatoes with cream, jalapeños, and cheddar cheese) and the “Chipotle Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese” (with smoked cheddar cheese topped with chipotle bread crumbs).  These two dishes are favorites amongst my family, so much so that my mom even learned the macaroni & cheese recipe.  In addition to the sides, Fleming’s concocts excellent soups such as lobster bisque, New England clam chowder, and French onion soup, and fresh salads such as a crisp wedge salad and their own house salad with walnuts and cranberries.  The appetizers also offer some flair, especially the sweet chili calamari, which is a different, yet very satisfying taste on the common seafood appetizer. 

Every meal needs to end with dessert.  Fleming’s has its guests in mind when they bake their delicious sweets.  The top two on their list are the Walnut Turtle Pie and the Chocolate Lava Cake.  Both are very decadent and rich, and should not be overlooked (even if you are too full from the steaks and sides).  These desserts are so good that you will not want to share, as my little sister makes sure to point out every time we go. 

Since Fleming’s is a steakhouse, the prices are a little high as one can expect.  But, for a special occasion or an overall fine steakhouse, Fleming’s is the place to go.  Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is just twenty minutes from Ann Arbor on Haggerty Road between Six and Seven Mile Road on the Livonia/Northville border.  So, when your parents come into town, have them take you to Fleming’s.  After all, University of Michigan students deserve a good meal after all the hard work they put in during the school year. 

After tasting my way through an impressive number of Ann Arbor restaurants over the last three years, I’m always impressed when I visit a restaurant that I’d previously overlooked. This also means that, if the memory of the dining experience lingers in my mind for weeks after the fact, I’m also highly bummed that I had overlooked the restaurant for so long. 

My most recent bout with this meal of confused emotions took place at Jerusalem Garden, off of East Liberty. I’d heard of the restaurant before but had never taken the plunge and given it a try. On this trip, my sister, a long time vegetarian, and I found ourselves seated at a cozy table in the warmly painted dining area of this small but crowded local establishment. 

Our service was impeccable from the start. Our waiter appeared with ice water, patience, and definite opinions about the menu items. I love it when a waiter is passionate about the food he serves. How am I expected to enjoy my meal when the waiter acts blasé about the food? He immediately steered me in the direction of the falafel wrapped with yogurt, cucumber and mint, declaring the falafel to be “the most special item by far at Jerusalem Garden,” when I exhibited uncertainty. I was sold. My sis also ordered a falafel sandwich but had it stuffed with baba ghanoug. Our waiter also explained that we had to try the hummus and pita, which he brought out before our sandwiches, free of charge. Wow, am I glad he recommended the hummus!  I’m used to a milder hummus and this was not that. Spicy, garlicky and creamy, the dip was more tasty and unusual than I had expected. A must-order!

When our sandwiches arrived, my initial reaction was, “Nooooo I’m so full from the hummus and pita and this sandwich is massive!” My biggest meal wrecker is not being hungry enough when I go out to eat. In this case, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to eat even a full half of the sandwich. Ha. After complaining about being full the whole time I was eating (which must have really annoyed my sister) I somehow managed to finish off my whole plate. Needless to say I didn’t have an appetite for a few days after that. But who could have blamed me? The falafel silky and soft and tasted better than any I had ever tried. The yogurt and cucumber salad that was stuffed inside the pita sandwich was a necessity.  Fresh mint, creamy yogurt, and crunchy cucumbers, worked perfectly with the saltiness of the fried falafel patties. Heaven in a pita. My sister’s, with the baba ghanoug, was also tasty, but I am still partial to my order. I can’t believe that anything else on the menu can compare!

So, even as my sister and I sat there at the end, staring at our empty plates in front of us and clutching our stomachs as we announced to each other the fullness level in our stomachs, we agreed to each order a dessert, “just to try.” She ordered the mamoul, stuffed with dates and a sprinkling of pistachios, while I ordered the namoura. Both were sweet and considerably light. From the description, I actually expected mine to be a soupy cream of wheat concoction, but was extra happy when my dessert came out in a dense form, more like a coconut bar. Incredible.

As we paid the bill, we commented on feeling as if we had cheated the establishment because the bill was so terribly low considering the amount and quality of the food we had just consumed. But, oh well. We decided that Jerusalem Garden would just have to be a place that we pay back by visiting as often as our stomachs will allow.

Sheesh!  That’s some good Middle Eastern food.  Whether your taste buds are craving anything from authentic Middle Eastern dishes such as kibbeh or shawarma, or desire a Mediterranean twist on chicken wings, Sheesh is the place.  Sheesh takes over as the supreme Middle Eastern restaurant in metro Detroit since the collapse of the La Shish franchise.  In fact, one of the owners of Sheesh was a manager at La Shish.  So, he has taken the exact menu from the formerly successful La Shish chain, but they cook up Lebanese food even better.  I have now eaten a lunch and dinner in this extremely relaxing restaurant with very friendly service.  Prices are almost a steal for lunch since wrap sandwiches start at $3.75.  But, not only is the price great; the food is outstanding as well.  From the lamb shawarma wrap to the falafel, lunch could not be more satisfying to the taste buds.  But, if you want a real treat, do not walk out of Sheesh without trying the Mediterranean Chicken Wings.  These wings take chicken wings, cut butterfly style in which all the meat is slid up to the top of the bone, to a whole new level.  They are incomparable to La Shish’s take on the appetizer because the sauce has little more of a barbeque kick all while maintaining a certain sweet after taste.  I have made all my dining mates taste the sauce, but I never let them take a bite of the wings because they are too good to share.  I have also been fortunate enough to try the fattoush salad, fried kibbeh (rice and chopped beef or lamb), arayes (a ground lamb dish), and the meat pies.  All of these dishes were well prepared and delicious.  You cannot go wrong at Sheesh; it is all tasty.  So, Sheesh! You haven’t been there yet?  Better make your way down to South Main Street to Sheesh and dine on some authentic and flavorful Middle Eastern food.               

There’s more than one way to get burned in a bikini, this I learned the hard way. On a hot summer’s day I learned a very important cooking lesson: safety is key when working with oil. Oh, yes, I know you already see where this is going and you’re face just cringed at the thought, but listen to me when I say that in every mistake you make there’s always a lesson, especially in cooking. 

Coming in from the pool, I wanted to make a quick lunch, but like the good foodie that I am, I was not about to settle for a cold sandwich and a bag of chips. I decided to make a nice Italian/ Greek chicken salad, which is a Greek salad minus the dressing with thin strips of chicken breast sautéed in oil. Then, you add Italian dressing, fresh garlic and a little onion all topped with feta cheese. Now, I always make this whenever I have chicken in the house, so I was already thinking about the many times I’d been splashed on the hands and arms with little bubbles of oil and was trying to be extra cautious. Apparently, this didn’t necessarily require that I change out of my bikini. Everything was going fine until I put the chicken in; it had been thawing in the baggy in a bowl of warm water. I accidentally dropped the chicken in the water when taking it out of the bag, but thought nothing of it. With all the caution in the world I gently placed the wet chicken in the pan of hot oil—big mistake.  When cooking with oil, you should always pat dry your protein with a paper towel before putting it in the liquid. Oil and water don’t mix, a fact that somehow escaped me and forced me into what happened next: The hot oil splashed up onto my chest, stomach and down my left thigh. Stunned, I ran straight to the bath tub and continually poured cool water on my skin. I had 2nd degree burns.

If you get burned by oil or grease you need to know that it’s very different from a regular burn. The fact that I wasn’t wearing clothes actually helped me. The longer the oil is on you, the deeper it can scald, so if I had to take the time to remove my clothes (with the clothes keeping the heat on the burn) it would have been much worse. So, you should wash off the oil as fast as possible, and it helps to hold the area under room temperature to cool water. Cold water is only okay for first degree burns, and you should never use ice. I find that for those little burns from cooking bacon and the like, pain can be relieved by applying a little honey on it. Don’t ask me why, but it always helps; For burns like mine, using aloe vera for a few weeks will clear up most of it with very little scaring. Anything worse than 2nd degree burns that cover a large area should be seen by a doctor.