My breakfast trip to Hy-Vee for the buffet started off a little strange. We ordered the buffet, received our ticket, sat down and waited. The waitress provided no direction and the buffet was nowhere in sight. I looked the salad bar over good but no eggs, pancakes, biscuits or any of the other traditional breakfast fixings.
We sat there for a good five minutes until we finally stumbled upon the buffet past the cole slaw, potato salad and other goods. It wasn't help yourself. We had to request the items we wanted and a man served them up for us.
Regardless, the biscuits and gravy were yummy and they weren't stingy with the gravy. The bacon was perfectly cooked - no fat and no overcooking - just the right amount of crunch. The hash browns were so-so. The egg casserole was a bit runny but the green peppers and sausage added good flavoring. The pancakes were small and flat but good when loaded with syrup.
There was plenty of other items to choose from too, including waffles, grits, scrambled eggs, sausage links.
I also got to help myself to the fruit on the salad buffet, which helped even out all the fattening things I had already devoured.
The Hy-Vee breakfast buffet was good even if it started out a bit confusing. Next time we'll be better prepared. And it was only $6.99/person which was pretty inexpensive for all the food we consumed.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
550 calories? Really?
Not usually an Applebee's fan (in fact, it's one of my least favorite chains) but at loose ends last night, I decided to try one of the items off of their "less than 550 calories" menu. I chose the Chicken Portobello.
I almost hate to admit it, but I was very impressed. It was quite good. The meal came with a grilled breast of chicken smothered in grilled red peppers and portabellas a touch of dijon and topped with a fairly generous amount of white cheddar. On the side were grilled vegetables (broccoli, baby carrots, zucchini) and an herbed new potato cut into quarters.
Everything was very well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The cheese was hot and bubbly, the chicken was very moist. Just the right amount of salt on the veggies, which were tender while retaining their bright color and full taste. And there was more than enough to eat. At no time did I feel I was eating a diet meal.
There are several options on the under 550 menu, including (hard to believe) a steak as well as several shrimp dishes. I'll definitely go back.
I almost hate to admit it, but I was very impressed. It was quite good. The meal came with a grilled breast of chicken smothered in grilled red peppers and portabellas a touch of dijon and topped with a fairly generous amount of white cheddar. On the side were grilled vegetables (broccoli, baby carrots, zucchini) and an herbed new potato cut into quarters.
Everything was very well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The cheese was hot and bubbly, the chicken was very moist. Just the right amount of salt on the veggies, which were tender while retaining their bright color and full taste. And there was more than enough to eat. At no time did I feel I was eating a diet meal.
There are several options on the under 550 menu, including (hard to believe) a steak as well as several shrimp dishes. I'll definitely go back.
Kids Eat Free
Eating out can get pretty pricey as you start to add extra mouths to feed (aka kids). But it doesn't have to be. Thank you to a thrifty ComoWhineandDine reader for compiling a list of CoMo restaurants where kids eat free - or for cheap. Find the list at CoMoKidsEat4Free. Dining out with the family just got a whole lot cheaper!
Take a Siesta!
Who's ready for another Mexican restaurant in Columbia? Ready or not...La Siesta is here. Guess what they serve....yep, fajitas, quesadillas, nachos, etc. I probably won't rush there but next time I'm in the mood to spice up my life I'll head downtown to give it a try.
Location: 33 N. 9th Street (former home of W.G. Grinders)
Location: 33 N. 9th Street (former home of W.G. Grinders)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Cafe Nine Nove
Contrary to popular belief, Kayotea is NOT closed.
According to the website,
"Kayotea Tea Room and Bistro is transitioning, from restaurant to tea supplier. Where you once found Kayotea, you will now find Cafe Nine Nove which will continue to serve the food you've come to love in the same atmosphere you've enjoyed as well."
You can read more about the switch at their website, http://www.kayotea.biz/.
A friend mentioned going to Kayotea on Saturday, I told her I heard it closed the end of the year. I was pleasantly surprised to walk into the cafe and see it was not only open, but they had a good crowd. Actually, better than I had ever seen there before.
The menu had some familiar items; a number of the salads and paninis I know were there when it was Kayotea. Unfortunately, the sweet potatoes chips are gone. That's disheartening.
I went with the soup/salad combo. The soup was Roasted Red Pepper; it was extremely satisfying and had a nice thickness. The salad itself wasn't anything spectacular, some mixed greens, cheese, tomatoes and croutons. The dressing, however, was spectacular. The Chipotle Honey dressing had an amazing amount of kick and sweetness. I could see myself dipping a multitude of things in that creamy concoction.
I can't wait to go back to Cafe Nine Nove and try some of their new dishes. I hope they get the word out that they're still around, and a great choice for lunch downtown.
According to the website,
"Kayotea Tea Room and Bistro is transitioning, from restaurant to tea supplier. Where you once found Kayotea, you will now find Cafe Nine Nove which will continue to serve the food you've come to love in the same atmosphere you've enjoyed as well."
You can read more about the switch at their website, http://www.kayotea.biz/.
A friend mentioned going to Kayotea on Saturday, I told her I heard it closed the end of the year. I was pleasantly surprised to walk into the cafe and see it was not only open, but they had a good crowd. Actually, better than I had ever seen there before.
The menu had some familiar items; a number of the salads and paninis I know were there when it was Kayotea. Unfortunately, the sweet potatoes chips are gone. That's disheartening.
I went with the soup/salad combo. The soup was Roasted Red Pepper; it was extremely satisfying and had a nice thickness. The salad itself wasn't anything spectacular, some mixed greens, cheese, tomatoes and croutons. The dressing, however, was spectacular. The Chipotle Honey dressing had an amazing amount of kick and sweetness. I could see myself dipping a multitude of things in that creamy concoction.
I can't wait to go back to Cafe Nine Nove and try some of their new dishes. I hope they get the word out that they're still around, and a great choice for lunch downtown.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Les Bourgeois wins award
Les Bourgeois has won the 2009 Restaurateur of the Year award from the Columbia/Mid-Missouri Restaurant Association. See the full story at this link. They will be presented the award tonight and are inviting people to the celebration.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Revisiting Forge & Vine
It had been well over a year since I had frequented the Forge & Vine. A lot had changed. Before one of my biggest pet peeves had been the a la carte menu driving up what looked like reasonable prices to higher prices once a side of fries or baked potato was added.
A new menu (or new to me) showed that the times of a la carte were no more. Dishes came with a choice of sides. The list of sides gave you plenty to choose from, including your typical stand-ins: fries, baked potato, mashed potatoes, vegetable of the day. And your not so typical: mac and cheese, sweet potato fries, straw onions, cole slaw, forge chips, gorgonzola scalloped poatoes, green bean casserole, pasta salad.
We started with the straw onions (a delicious dish I remembered from before) and it did not disappoint. Thin and well-breaded and not nearly as greasy as the ones you get at Outback or Lone Star.
I wavered between the buffalo chicken sandwich and the classic chicken sandwich before going classic with forge fries. The chicken sandwich wasn't great. Very bland. But then what can I expect from a grilled chicken sandwich? If I had to make the choice over again, I would opt for the buffalo chicken.
My husband ordered the portobello buffalo burger and was disappointed to find they were out of it. His cheeseburger didn't live up to the taste he envisioned from the buffalo burger.
The service was good - my water glass rarely emptied. And our bill was under $30. Perfect for a Friday night. Apparently I wasn't the only person that had all but written Forge & Vine off though because the place was nearly empty in stark contrast to Flat Branch where we were quoted a one-hour wait just 10 minutes before.
So if you've forgotten about Forge & Vine or decided it's not your place, give it another try. I think you'll be glad you did.
Location: 119 S. 7th Street
A new menu (or new to me) showed that the times of a la carte were no more. Dishes came with a choice of sides. The list of sides gave you plenty to choose from, including your typical stand-ins: fries, baked potato, mashed potatoes, vegetable of the day. And your not so typical: mac and cheese, sweet potato fries, straw onions, cole slaw, forge chips, gorgonzola scalloped poatoes, green bean casserole, pasta salad.
We started with the straw onions (a delicious dish I remembered from before) and it did not disappoint. Thin and well-breaded and not nearly as greasy as the ones you get at Outback or Lone Star.
I wavered between the buffalo chicken sandwich and the classic chicken sandwich before going classic with forge fries. The chicken sandwich wasn't great. Very bland. But then what can I expect from a grilled chicken sandwich? If I had to make the choice over again, I would opt for the buffalo chicken.
My husband ordered the portobello buffalo burger and was disappointed to find they were out of it. His cheeseburger didn't live up to the taste he envisioned from the buffalo burger.
The service was good - my water glass rarely emptied. And our bill was under $30. Perfect for a Friday night. Apparently I wasn't the only person that had all but written Forge & Vine off though because the place was nearly empty in stark contrast to Flat Branch where we were quoted a one-hour wait just 10 minutes before.
So if you've forgotten about Forge & Vine or decided it's not your place, give it another try. I think you'll be glad you did.
Location: 119 S. 7th Street
Monday, January 11, 2010
New watering hole
Picking up Sub Shop today, my attention was caught by papers taped to the Beanery door. 1839 Taproom, Taproom 1839...something of the sort, I need to start paying more attention. Anyway, a bar (food was alluded to as well) is going in, "soon", I believe it stated. I don't know what the name is, I don't care what the name is, I'm just excited. I can walk there, and I will. Hopefully "soon" is not an exaggeration. Old Beanery, hurry up and open, and please don't suck this time.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Mmmm....Longhorn!
Yes, it’s a chain, but I don’t care. Because it’s good. From the salad that came first to the steak and loaded potato that came later. All delicious.
The salad was not your usual cookie-cutter salad most restaurants start your meal off with. This one was full of ingredients like cucumbers and full of flavor. And they weren’t stingy with the dressing.
My only disappointment was the bread had changed sometime between my last visit (admittedly quite some time ago) and this one. Luckily they were still serving the same delicious butter with it. With that stuff, it doesn’t really matter what the bread tasted like.
I ordered the parmesan encrusted steak medium well. It came out medium, but upon my request, they threw it on the grill and cooked it to my desired just a little bit of pink.
Longhorn was great and judging by the packed restaurant I’m not the only one who knows it.
Location: 31 Conley Road
The salad was not your usual cookie-cutter salad most restaurants start your meal off with. This one was full of ingredients like cucumbers and full of flavor. And they weren’t stingy with the dressing.
My only disappointment was the bread had changed sometime between my last visit (admittedly quite some time ago) and this one. Luckily they were still serving the same delicious butter with it. With that stuff, it doesn’t really matter what the bread tasted like.
I ordered the parmesan encrusted steak medium well. It came out medium, but upon my request, they threw it on the grill and cooked it to my desired just a little bit of pink.
Longhorn was great and judging by the packed restaurant I’m not the only one who knows it.
Location: 31 Conley Road
Not that Jazzed
A Friday night at Jazz found the place only about half full. Don't know if that's the norm for Jazz or if the extreme cold was keeping folks in. I didn't mind because it meant I got a seat right away.
The bread was quick to come but also quick to disappoint. It was some of the blandest bread I've ever had. I love carbs and I couldn't hardly get the stuff down.
The menu was full of all kinds of fried foods. And I do love fried foods. My husband ordered the french quarter creole. When it came, it looked like a swamp. I would have had to pass on it because of looks alone. He said it was okay - nothing special; full of peppers, onions and rice. But it was large enough to take a large doggy box home.
I went for the cajun chicken tenders. Original I know. They were really good. The chicken was tender and the breading was well seasoned. However, the hush puppies it came with were mediocre at best.
Jazz is one of those places you go to every 6 months or so after you forget how mediocre it was the last time. It's never bad enough to keep you away but never good enough to leave you begging for more.
Location: 1605 Chapel Hill Road
The bread was quick to come but also quick to disappoint. It was some of the blandest bread I've ever had. I love carbs and I couldn't hardly get the stuff down.
The menu was full of all kinds of fried foods. And I do love fried foods. My husband ordered the french quarter creole. When it came, it looked like a swamp. I would have had to pass on it because of looks alone. He said it was okay - nothing special; full of peppers, onions and rice. But it was large enough to take a large doggy box home.
I went for the cajun chicken tenders. Original I know. They were really good. The chicken was tender and the breading was well seasoned. However, the hush puppies it came with were mediocre at best.
Jazz is one of those places you go to every 6 months or so after you forget how mediocre it was the last time. It's never bad enough to keep you away but never good enough to leave you begging for more.
Location: 1605 Chapel Hill Road
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