Today I had lunch at Oulipo's snack bar. A fabulous location, fantastic waitrons, astounding food--that's why I'm mad about Oulipo's!
Oulipo's surroundings? Simply amazing. Brilliant wall art (mostly oil paintings) charms you. Catchy music (classic rock hits mostly--Styx, Pink Floyd, Boston, and so on) wows. Waitrons and patrons? All cool folks.
I sit down in a comfy booth. My waitron displays Oulipo's voluminous food list. What looks good? All of it! In a quandary, I finally pick Oulipo's Lipogram Crust with squash filling. And to drink? Glug a mug of Squirt, straight up. Cool!
An Oulipo waitron is not your typical waitron. Quick, watchful, mindful, thoughtful--all you want in a waitron! My tip is always grand--not A grand, mind you, but grand. My waitron fills and fills again my Squirt mug without fail. And without my having to flap my hands! Oulipo uniforms? Stunning. Classic, classy, chic duds--not clinging or form-fitting but not baggy. Just right.
My Lipogram Crust is also just right. Crunchy and savory, this crust falls apart in your mouth. What bliss!
And so, looking back fondly, I found Oulipo's--as always--an out-of-sight dining spot. Oulipo's looks good. Oulipo's waitrons show us what waiting is all about. And Oulipo's food? Astronomically outstanding!
That's why I am awarding Oulipo's Snack Bar an avid four stars. No... I award Oulipo's Six Stars!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Waba
The other day I had lunch with Jacques Wool at Waba, a restaurant I highly recommend. Let's start with the menu. I like the menu there because although I had been to Waba a few times before, I have no idea what most of the dishes are. So I appreciate the menus, which are presented flat on the counter for easy perusal. You don't have to crane your neck gawking at a menu board full of items you don't understand. You can stand relaxedly at the counter and look down at the menu. And the menu has photographs of the dishes. This is helpful for those who don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of Korean cuisine, and I count myself among that group. Also helpful are the little hot-pepper icons. Whoever started this hot-pepper icon craze was a genius. As you know, I love hot, spicy food (when it's flavorful heat, not just some chemical burn). I want the hottest thing on the menu, sir! And I can find that hottest item by looking for the hot-pepper icon. And Waba uses this fantastic feature on their menu. They even have double hot-peppers! Of course, my eye was immediately magnetized to those items. And I zeroed in on the Dduk Bok Ki. Now, though I am multi-lingual (to say the least, though my Guugu Yimidhirr is a bit shaky), I haven't the least idea how to pronounce "Dduk Bok Ki." I just can't do it. I could try to fake it, but that would be ridiculous, I would end up just embarrassing myself and others. So I love the menu at Waba because you can just point to things. But I truly want to learn, and so I just come out and say it: "How do you pronounce that?" And the person at the counter will pronounce it for you. Isn't that great? Now I have a pretty good idea how to pronounce Dduk Bok Ki. And I feel better about everything as a result. So I'm standing up there pointing and asking, and I realize that I'm not just ordering food, but I'm learning. I am a lifelong learner, as all food critics (or any critics, really) must be.
Jacques Wool ordered the Mandu. These are dumplings or pot-stickers. Whoever came up with the name Pot Sticker? It's mildly embarrassing. I mean, what is that supposed to mean? They stick to the pot? The pot hasn't been sufficiently greased and therefore things are sticking to it? That's like calling an omelet a pan-sticker. Nobody would ever call it that. It's a chummy, overly familiar and faintly disrespectful way to speak of a dish. And that dish looked good! I was covetously eying Jacques' Mandu the entire time, hoping for some kind of diversion to happen out on Hillsborough Street (great new modernistic aluminum fixtures, by the way!) so I could reach out and take one...with my fork!
OK, here's the next thing about Waba. They offer you forks or chopsticks. This is a controversial topic. I know people who think it's unbelievably gauche to eat with a fork in a place that offers chopsticks. Well, let me tell you--there are things that I like to do with my food when I'm eating it that I don't know how to do with chopsticks. I like to move my food around, let it drag through the hot sauce, swirl it...things I don't think I can do with chopsticks. Anyway, I guess I just like the pure sensation of spearing my food, instead of just gently cradling it between two distancing pieces of wood. Call me a vulgarian! But it isn't because I can't use them. No, I've been trained in their use. I know how to do it. And I have eaten with them plenty of times. Anyway, Waba gives you that choice, and I'm grateful for it.
Well, the Dduk Bok Ki was fabulous. I loved the hot sauce, it definitely merited two hot (hott?) peppers. The fish,sliced into thin strips, was very tasty. The rice dumplings held my attention throughout the meal, and chewing them added suspense to the conversation as Jacques waited for my responses.
Overall, Waba is a reliable, enjoyable dining experience. I'm looking forward to trying every single item on their horizontal menu. It's a great place to meet and hold an intelligent conversation--something about the airiness and calm atmosphere seems to lend itself to this. And so I enthusiastically award Waba a full FIVE DUMPLINGS!
Jacques Wool ordered the Mandu. These are dumplings or pot-stickers. Whoever came up with the name Pot Sticker? It's mildly embarrassing. I mean, what is that supposed to mean? They stick to the pot? The pot hasn't been sufficiently greased and therefore things are sticking to it? That's like calling an omelet a pan-sticker. Nobody would ever call it that. It's a chummy, overly familiar and faintly disrespectful way to speak of a dish. And that dish looked good! I was covetously eying Jacques' Mandu the entire time, hoping for some kind of diversion to happen out on Hillsborough Street (great new modernistic aluminum fixtures, by the way!) so I could reach out and take one...with my fork!
OK, here's the next thing about Waba. They offer you forks or chopsticks. This is a controversial topic. I know people who think it's unbelievably gauche to eat with a fork in a place that offers chopsticks. Well, let me tell you--there are things that I like to do with my food when I'm eating it that I don't know how to do with chopsticks. I like to move my food around, let it drag through the hot sauce, swirl it...things I don't think I can do with chopsticks. Anyway, I guess I just like the pure sensation of spearing my food, instead of just gently cradling it between two distancing pieces of wood. Call me a vulgarian! But it isn't because I can't use them. No, I've been trained in their use. I know how to do it. And I have eaten with them plenty of times. Anyway, Waba gives you that choice, and I'm grateful for it.
Well, the Dduk Bok Ki was fabulous. I loved the hot sauce, it definitely merited two hot (hott?) peppers. The fish,sliced into thin strips, was very tasty. The rice dumplings held my attention throughout the meal, and chewing them added suspense to the conversation as Jacques waited for my responses.
Overall, Waba is a reliable, enjoyable dining experience. I'm looking forward to trying every single item on their horizontal menu. It's a great place to meet and hold an intelligent conversation--something about the airiness and calm atmosphere seems to lend itself to this. And so I enthusiastically award Waba a full FIVE DUMPLINGS!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Zoë's Kitchen
This afternoon, Jacques Wool and I had lunch at the wonderful Zoë's Kitchen. Located in the Shops at Oberlin Court, a center full of interesting places underneath apartments, Zoë's is an awesome dining experience. Jacques pulled into the ample parking lot and we walked over to the restaurant. When we stepped inside, I became disoriented--which is no fault of the restaurant, I was merely preoccupied with some thought I was exploring and expressing. What else is new. I think I was looking for a hostess station, but Jacques gently guided me to the front counter. There is no hostess station. For ZK is a fast casual restaurant, and you needn't worry about a hostess when it's fast casual. I don't know if I've told you this before, but I love fast casual. To me, it's the best of both worlds. It has that relaxed fast food or quick serve feeling, but with the quality food of a sit-down restaurant...along with all the ambiance. We walked up to face the menu board. I could tell immediately that the eatery had on offer the types of items that I am currently looking for in my quest for better eating habits. I will not sacrifice flavor, however, and there's no need to at Zoë's place.
Let me tell you about the interior. Have you ever been to a library built in the 1970's? Have you ever been in a school built in the 1970's when the "open classroom" model was in vogue? Well, then you have a pretty good idea of what ZK looks like, because it's fabulous. The restaurant has these terrific 1970's colors. I mean, I'm talking seventies orange. Colors like that. And it also features a charming "high-tech" look. You know I love the exposed pipes of "high tech" and ZK has them to spare. And these pipes are huge! It's delightful to dine while glancing up at these giant orange pipes. I mean, from a design point of view it's matchless. It's like eating in some great university student center, or a restaurant in a really with-it art museum. I love it!
Speaking of art, ZK does feature some brilliant art. What they have is some astounding naive art lining the walls--with sophisticated portraits above the naive art. What a mixture! I immediately wanted to find out how to offer my drawings to be displayed there. You know you're in a good restaurant when you wish your art were hanging there. I mean, seriously.
OK, here's their system. Once you've ordered from the friendly, helpful cashier, they hand you one of those tiny flagpoles with your order number on it. And listen to this--Jacques and I ordered separately and yet we got the same flag! Isn't that efficient? We walked over next to the drink station. You won't believe this, but they actually have Coke Zero on tap there. I mean, I have never EVER seen a drink station where they had Coke Zero. I mean, they always have Diet Coke but never the Zero. Coke Zero is mystifyingly great to me--I mean, it tastes EXACTLY LIKE COKE. I don't know how they do it. I mean, there is no other diet item on the planet Earth that somehow replicates in perfect measure the thing it's meant to calorie-lessly clone. I mean, I can't think of anything--can you? Coke Zero? I think they ought to call it Coke Everything! Because it's even better than Coca-Cola. Because it has no calories, no caffeine I don't think. I mean it has nothing but flavor. And they have it there! They also have three urns of iced tea.
I really chuckled when I saw the sign stuck magnetically to the sweet tea urn. "Sweet Tea served with Southern Hospitality." Isn't that great? Because it's self-serve, which means ZK is such a tremendous place even when you're serving yourself it's in a gracious style full of southern hospitality. I mean, eateries don't get better than that!
So Jacques grabbed an iced tea and I my Coke Zero and we sat down--among the many choices--at a table near the window but not too close that the hot sun would bother us. In a few moments, a server brought my salad. Now, pay attention here, because it's fast casual--but with table service!! Isn't that great? This is part of what I mean by the best of both worlds. Now, remember, it isn't fast food--far from it. Which means, you have to wait a little longer than you do in some place where they're just grabbing a burger from a heated chute for you. Since Jacques didn't have a side salad with his entree--I believe he had the Mediterranean Tuna Pita, though I'm not sure because I was so caught up in my meal, which I will be describing for you--he graciously suggested that I tuck into my side salad. It was great! I can still taste the olives. And the pita. And the red onions. It was just right, and then we were served our main meals.
I made a great decision, because I ordered the Veggie Pita Pizza. This was astonishingly good. The spinach was full of flavor, and the pizza had just enough tomato sauce. The pizza had a nearly-stuffed quality while retaining a crispy crunchy crust, really terrific. I enjoyed it a great deal. I enjoyed it immensely. And I can't wait to go back there.
In fact, I haven't been this enthusiastic about a dining establishment in a long time. The menu seemed to offer so many healthful, flavor-filled favorites that I think I'd like to eat there every single day until eternity, sampling one dish after another.
Remembering that he had left his Panama Hat at Fosters at our last luncheon meeting, Jacques wisely brought a less costly chapeau with him to Zoë's Kitchen. But the service is so great there, I assume that if he had forgotten this hat as well, the servers would have made sure to secure it until it could be safely retrieved.
Again, the service was amazing. Table service! As we ate, a server came and took our plates out of the way. I love that in a fast casual restaurant. It really helps out the conversation when you aren't distracted by plates you've eaten from. Take them away! And they did--without our asking.
It was very easy to hold a conversation in ZK. I mean, it wasn't noisy, I don't even recall if there was music playing or not--always a good sign. I mean, I think there might have been, but I can't attest to it. Which means it probably was, but wasn't in the least bit distracting.
I really regret not having ordered dessert. The entrees were so good that I truly believe that the desserts are probably fantastic there, and I know that the next time I'm there I'm going to order a dessert.
I also want to mention the wondrous Greek salad dressing--a wine vinaigrette--that awaits you on each table. Isn't that amazing--they already put out the salad dressing for you, and it's a great signature dressing--it had a faint taste of mango, but I don't really know what they put in it aside from awesome. I poured it on my side salad and was very pleased with the result.
I have seen the future of the restaurant industry, and its name is Zoë's Kitchen! Go there--try it--you will thank yourself later--actually, you will thank ME, since I'm the one who suggested it. I give it an enthusiastic FIVE OLIVES!!!!!
Let me tell you about the interior. Have you ever been to a library built in the 1970's? Have you ever been in a school built in the 1970's when the "open classroom" model was in vogue? Well, then you have a pretty good idea of what ZK looks like, because it's fabulous. The restaurant has these terrific 1970's colors. I mean, I'm talking seventies orange. Colors like that. And it also features a charming "high-tech" look. You know I love the exposed pipes of "high tech" and ZK has them to spare. And these pipes are huge! It's delightful to dine while glancing up at these giant orange pipes. I mean, from a design point of view it's matchless. It's like eating in some great university student center, or a restaurant in a really with-it art museum. I love it!
Speaking of art, ZK does feature some brilliant art. What they have is some astounding naive art lining the walls--with sophisticated portraits above the naive art. What a mixture! I immediately wanted to find out how to offer my drawings to be displayed there. You know you're in a good restaurant when you wish your art were hanging there. I mean, seriously.
OK, here's their system. Once you've ordered from the friendly, helpful cashier, they hand you one of those tiny flagpoles with your order number on it. And listen to this--Jacques and I ordered separately and yet we got the same flag! Isn't that efficient? We walked over next to the drink station. You won't believe this, but they actually have Coke Zero on tap there. I mean, I have never EVER seen a drink station where they had Coke Zero. I mean, they always have Diet Coke but never the Zero. Coke Zero is mystifyingly great to me--I mean, it tastes EXACTLY LIKE COKE. I don't know how they do it. I mean, there is no other diet item on the planet Earth that somehow replicates in perfect measure the thing it's meant to calorie-lessly clone. I mean, I can't think of anything--can you? Coke Zero? I think they ought to call it Coke Everything! Because it's even better than Coca-Cola. Because it has no calories, no caffeine I don't think. I mean it has nothing but flavor. And they have it there! They also have three urns of iced tea.
I really chuckled when I saw the sign stuck magnetically to the sweet tea urn. "Sweet Tea served with Southern Hospitality." Isn't that great? Because it's self-serve, which means ZK is such a tremendous place even when you're serving yourself it's in a gracious style full of southern hospitality. I mean, eateries don't get better than that!
So Jacques grabbed an iced tea and I my Coke Zero and we sat down--among the many choices--at a table near the window but not too close that the hot sun would bother us. In a few moments, a server brought my salad. Now, pay attention here, because it's fast casual--but with table service!! Isn't that great? This is part of what I mean by the best of both worlds. Now, remember, it isn't fast food--far from it. Which means, you have to wait a little longer than you do in some place where they're just grabbing a burger from a heated chute for you. Since Jacques didn't have a side salad with his entree--I believe he had the Mediterranean Tuna Pita, though I'm not sure because I was so caught up in my meal, which I will be describing for you--he graciously suggested that I tuck into my side salad. It was great! I can still taste the olives. And the pita. And the red onions. It was just right, and then we were served our main meals.
I made a great decision, because I ordered the Veggie Pita Pizza. This was astonishingly good. The spinach was full of flavor, and the pizza had just enough tomato sauce. The pizza had a nearly-stuffed quality while retaining a crispy crunchy crust, really terrific. I enjoyed it a great deal. I enjoyed it immensely. And I can't wait to go back there.
In fact, I haven't been this enthusiastic about a dining establishment in a long time. The menu seemed to offer so many healthful, flavor-filled favorites that I think I'd like to eat there every single day until eternity, sampling one dish after another.
Remembering that he had left his Panama Hat at Fosters at our last luncheon meeting, Jacques wisely brought a less costly chapeau with him to Zoë's Kitchen. But the service is so great there, I assume that if he had forgotten this hat as well, the servers would have made sure to secure it until it could be safely retrieved.
Again, the service was amazing. Table service! As we ate, a server came and took our plates out of the way. I love that in a fast casual restaurant. It really helps out the conversation when you aren't distracted by plates you've eaten from. Take them away! And they did--without our asking.
It was very easy to hold a conversation in ZK. I mean, it wasn't noisy, I don't even recall if there was music playing or not--always a good sign. I mean, I think there might have been, but I can't attest to it. Which means it probably was, but wasn't in the least bit distracting.
I really regret not having ordered dessert. The entrees were so good that I truly believe that the desserts are probably fantastic there, and I know that the next time I'm there I'm going to order a dessert.
I also want to mention the wondrous Greek salad dressing--a wine vinaigrette--that awaits you on each table. Isn't that amazing--they already put out the salad dressing for you, and it's a great signature dressing--it had a faint taste of mango, but I don't really know what they put in it aside from awesome. I poured it on my side salad and was very pleased with the result.
I have seen the future of the restaurant industry, and its name is Zoë's Kitchen! Go there--try it--you will thank yourself later--actually, you will thank ME, since I'm the one who suggested it. I give it an enthusiastic FIVE OLIVES!!!!!
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