demandalicious

Had lunch there a couple of weeks ago it was okay. Just okay. The menu has changed significantly, and I'll have to try it a few more times before I can say that it's still a favorite neighborhood spot.

I opted for the crabcake w/ caraway slaw. Crabcake was fabulous....but the slaw was weird. The caraway flavor was too strong for me. My lunchmates had cobb salads, which were apparently very cobby and salady. Nothing exciting to report there.

For dessert, I had an apple tart with clove ice cream, which I did not like at all. The apples had been soaked in some sort of brandy/firewater and were extremely bitter - almost to the point where I couldn't eat it. The clove ice cream was quite refreshing, but not good enough to trump the bitter, verging on icky, apples.

Dining room was crowed. Service was good - in fact, it looks like some FOH staff stayed on, which was a nice surprise. I'll be back. Next time, for dinner.

I saw 300 last night. What a great food movie!

I was under the impression that the only food featured in 300 was beefcake.

The lemon pickle at udupi palace if off the hook.

I am not down with bananas.

I like 'em DIRTY.

word on the skreet is that Poste has a nice private room.

Sweet potatoes.

Ditto. I like to slice them up into thin strips and toss with olive oil, fresh garlic, rosemary and s&p - then roast at 425 for about 30-40 minutes, turning once.

I also dig roasted asparagus with sea salt, heirloom tomatoes in the hot summertime with yogurt and espelette (thanks, j), steamed broccoli with lemon juice, and lately, kale cooked up collard greens style with cayenne, lemon juice or vinegar + onions and garlic - served with a side of my vegan hoppin' john (brown rice, black eyed peas, green onions and cherry tomaters).

Less whining about your stupid jobs and more laughing at people who think that Rachael Ray is hot!!

What an asshole! I'm swooning.

What we are seeing here, folks, is proof that too much Rachel Ray causes the brain to atrophy.

It's a bar downstairs. Maybe an "ultra-lounge" or whatever the cool kids call them these days (yuppie factor was through the roof).

I heard that the format is going to be "Upscale Underground" - two words that should never go together. Music will be west-coast and progressive house. Sounds like the kind of place for see and be scenesters.

As a female, even though the food is good, I would not find Peter's Inn terribly romantic.

Depends on your definition of romance.

How about a chicken box from New York Fried Chicken and a gift certificate to the Hustler Club?

My favorite place for date-night in Baltimore used to be Peter's Inn.

http://www.petersinn.com/

It's romantic...in a punk rock way.

If that's not your bag, I have heard good things about Pazo.

Would love to know what others think of the Mexican Panna Cotta.

I had it with my lunch a couple of weeks ago. Let's just say that because of said panna cotta, I was 30 minutes late for my afternoon meeting...and it was worth it!

It's on the corner next to that little park on Columbia rd - in the same strip as Bedrock, etc...across the skreet from Grill From Ipanema and that crazy expensive furniture store, Design Within Reach (Only If You're Riche).

So is the basement at Napoleon still dance-party-ready. Mantis used to serve 40oz of Colt 45 and play house music until the wee hours. I'm going to miss it!

In my world, anything cardamom always wins, and last night's sampling did not disappoint with its strong flavor.

Yes, the cardamom is my favorite. The anise is a close second. The lemon-vanilla is a little too sweet for me and the dill freaks me out a little bit (sorry).

Yuck.

That makes foodie kids into just another accessory.

But they're so cute! Where can I buy one?

Where in Saugatuck? I lived in Douglas for a bit and found the dining options pretty limited.

Limited, yes. But compared to Detroit, the Belvedere Inn in Saugatuck is downright cosmopolitan. Resort towns and cities in Western Michigan (namely, G-Rap) are much more tummy-friendly than Eastern Michigan and the Dirty D. The last time that I was in Detroit, I was there for the DEMF - which is a very large festival that draws in at least 500,000 people each year - the only time I actually ate at a restaurant was during my daily brunch in Greektown. One of the biggest problems with Detroit is that NOTHING is open downtown on the weekends except for nightclubs, liquor stores and/or bars. It's a dead city.

No one goes to Detroit to eat. Period.

Me and my midwestern palate only ever went to Detroit for warehouse parties or to drive over the bridge to Canadia.

As for finding food worth writing home about in the state that is shaped like a hand, you can find a few worthy spots in Grand Rapids, Traverse City or Saugatuk. Most people from the Midwest travel to Chicago if they are jonesin' for some fine dining.

Komi or Eve would be nice, but I have always said that it's the thought that counts on Valentines Day.

And by that, I mean that my sugar had better be thinking of something good or he's not getting any.

Today, I was very sad to see that the blue plate specials have been taken off of the lunch menu.

That's funny.

I ate there on Saturday night with a group of friends, and we had a good meal. Service was spotty, but that is understandable being as it was their first night open to the public!

At any rate, two friends had the flank steak - which was very good. Moist, pink on the inside and served with sauteed spinach that was...not burnt (granted, it is kind of hard to f*ck up spinach!). Fries were clearly from a bag, but they were crispy and piping hot.

I had the rockfish with white wine sauce and crabmeat, and I was suprised at how good it was. The sauce was a little too rich for my tastes, but the fish was cooked perfectly and the crabmeat didn't smell fishy at all. I am often wary of ordering crab-anything because I am afraid that it may smell like Lindsay Lo...nevermind. My entree was also served with yawn-worthy spinach - I'm hoping that as the kitchen at Jacks starts to hit their stride, they will offer more diverse and exciting veggie side dishes.

Another friend had the chicken with goat cheese that you mention. It looked a little gloppy. Not the thing that I would order!

I'm definitely going to be back for the flank steak, and to check out their brunch. At first glance, they seem to be a significant step up from previous tenants in that space and I hope that they are able to provide the neighborhood with a worthy tater-tot-less dining option in addition to Hank's.

In case you don't know, quinoa is a whole grain from South America. It's high in fiber, minerals and B vitamins...additionally, quinoa is considered a complete protein because it contains all 8 essential amino acids!

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups quinoa

1 can of black beans, rinsed

3/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

2 ears of corn, cut off the cob with a sharp knife or 2 cups of frozen corn

1 ripe avocados, chopped & covered with lemon juice

Juice of one fresh lime, or to taste

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp ground cumin (to taste)

Hot sauce of your choice (optional)

Directions

1. Place quinoa in a colander with small holes and rinse under cold water. Put rinsed quinoa into a medium saucepan.

2. Add three cups of water to the quinoa and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff quinoa and let cool.

3. Prepare corn according to package directions if using frozen or boil if using fresh.

4. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, and cilantro and toss well.

5. Add the lime juice, salt and cumin and stir well.

Here are some great blogs. Disclaimer: I am not vegan or even vegetarian, but I find that it's very easy to eat healthier (esp. when trying to maximize nutrients and limit fat) when I cook without meat. Remember that chicken, turkey or other protein can be substitued for the tofu in many of these recipes.

Fat Free Vegan Kitchen - http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

Written by a vegan woman who loves to cook, this blog is stocked with recipes and links. Lots of pictures, too!

A Veggie Venture - http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/

This blog started as an April Fool's joke; Alanna Kellog wanted to cook a vegetable, with new recipes and new vegetables, every single day for an entire month. Alanna has been keeping up with this joke for over a year!

Sweetnicks - http://sweetnicks.blogspot.com/

Compiled by a food writer, this site is stocked with fabulous recipes and great pictures.

Simply Recipes - http://www.elise.com/recipes/

While this site isn't the healthiest cooking blog, it does have a section for vegetarian dishes and one for wheat-free.

I'm not trying to be Polyanna and let's all just hold hands together and be friends and love one another. But, this thread isn't going to help much if all the different 'camps' (e.g. 'carbs are bad!' 'fat is bad' 'processed is bad' 'calories are calories, no matter what') decide that what they really need to do is 'educate' the other camps on how wrong they are.

Opinions are like........diet plans. Everyone has them! And everyone probably thinks that theirs is theee VERY BEST!

The beauty of a public forum like this one, is that we have the opportunity to share our successes and our struggles - and to offer advice to one another in a showing of solidarity against all things that are evil like Velveeta and skinny bitches.

Kum Ba Yah.

If anyone is looking for an effective - and more importantly - enjoyable bodysculpting program, may I suggest Rep Reebok. If your gym of choice offers it, you should definitely check it out. You can also order it online.