restaurant – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

Posted on August 4, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Buffalo Wild Wings: A Place For Greasy Comfort Foods Galore!

So, what can you get at a place like this besides Wings— with every kind of conceiveable sauce, of course? Why, you can get Rings— Onion Rings, that is. And then there’s Deep-Fried Battered Mushrooms. Plus, Pizzas of every kind, including this flatbread variety. And what do you wash it all down with? Anything you wish, but in my opinion, Heineken works best!

Posted on July 7, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

TKWU: Another Chinese Restaurant w/ Zodiac Paper Placemats

There’s Chinese restaurants galore the world over, everyone knows that, right? Well, here’s another one in my small town. It has a strange name: TKWU. Maybe those are the owner’s initials or some secret code in Chinese for something sinister, who knows?

The fact is, some weeks back, we stopped in here for a rather late dinner after taking in a movie. The fare was so-so. The wall art and decor I found more interesting. And definitely more interesting than the food was their Chinese Zodiac printed on cheap paper placemats that never fails to bring smiles and guffaws all around– every single time! Oh, I’m a monkey, in case you’re wondering!

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Posted on June 23, 2011 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Breakfast Skillets & Patty Melts: Standard Fare At The Local Diner

That’s right: you can rest assured that you’ll get a breakfast menu served all day and even all night if the diner is open 24/7 like some diners are. And so, at my recent trip to the local diner, I went for a common but popular item on their menu: a Breakfast Skillet, Greek-style.

The three eggs that I’d ordered over-easy literally came on top of the most mouthwatering hashbrowns, onions and tomotoes smothered in small pieces of gyro meat and feta cheese. Plus, it came with four slices of buttered toasts of rye.

My friend ordered another diner staple: a veggie patty-melt with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and even broccoli that came with a big order of fries.

Here’s what it all looked like. Needless to say, I needed to box up half of mine!

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Posted on June 19, 2011 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Palm Palace: Great For More Than Shish Kebabs

That’s right: this little restaurant in town serves up the most authentic middle-eastern cuisine. And it’s everything from the mini pitas straight from the huge ovens in view served w/ the house garlic butter, to the kibbi and the shawarmas and the grape leaves and the soups.

Great to celebrate a birthday dinner or a pre-Father’s Day celebration.

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Posted on June 17, 2011 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Marcano's: Flavors Of South America In A2, Michigan

A takeout place owned by a Venezuelan woman who serves up the best Arepas, Empanadas, And Yuca Fries is what you’ll find at Marcanos in town. Here’s what some of the scrumptious fare looks like.

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Posted on June 9, 2011 by Simmi D. Isaac — 1 Comment

Shangri La: A Reason To Be In Midtown!

There’s a lot to see and do in Midtown Detroit, and this little restaurant must most certainly be on that to-do list. It doesn’t disappoint for lunch or dinner in any of the essential aspects of an outdoor dining experience: food, service, ambience, location, and price. Not a fancy place by any stretch of the imagination, but a place to go for quality food made with the freshest of ingredients served by a fast and courteous staff. It’s all there. The dishes are authentic– and I speak from experience since I have had authentic Chinese fare in Hong Kong and Singapore as well as the most authentic Thai dishes in Bangkok.

This most recent lunch visit resulted in a plate from the Dimsum tray of Chicken Curry-Puffs, followed by a Singapore Vermicelli Fry with Chicken and Shrimp, and the Spicy Flat Noodles with Shrimp— both entrees flavorful to the core. Finally, for dessert, another selection from the Dimsum Tray: light fluffy buns with some sort of sweet almond paste filling it the center.

High marks, all around!

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Posted on May 20, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Leo's Coney Island: Our Neighborhood Coney-Island

Every neighborhood has one, I think: a small family-style diner called a Coney Island. Which is also the name of the unique hot-dog available on the menus of restaurants like these, but our recent trip to the one in our own neighborhood did not result in ordering one of those.

Instead, we got a Fish & Chips with Cole Slaw and Tartar Sauce on the side, and a Tuna Salad Sandwich on Toasted White Bread.

Simple fare, but when you’re with the ones you love, even the simplest of meals can be some of the very best!

Here’s what it all looked like!

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Posted on April 30, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Louisiana Creole Gumbo: That & Other Cajun Fare in the Heart of Detroit

In my ever-curious mind and body to discover new and interesting places to eat, I found myself with some colleagues the other day at an establishment called the Louisiana Creole Gumbo on one of the major arterties that runs through the city of Detroit: Gratiot Avenue. It happened to be a first-time experience for my friends as well, so we were all as good as tourists in a town that we live and work in! (Well, I live in the suburbs, but you know what I mean!)

So, what we found was a most curious little place with bright signs in yellow and green of pictures of alligators (from the Louisana Bayou, you see!) beckoning us into a small room with a large menu printed on the wall on one side, and framed pictures of news-articles and other accolades received by the restaurant over the years on the other side of the wall. There were two tables, booth-style, but nobody really seemed to come in to sit down for a meal. You came in, we soon discovered, to line up at the window where placed your order, and then waited a couple minutes for your order to be filled. And it would literally be filled into paper-cup containers, put into a brown paper bag, and then you would take it to go. Unless, of course, you came with the intention to stay and eat your order right there. Which is what we did.

If we were surprised at the size and style of the place, we were in for a bigger surprise when we took our brown paper bags and dug into our cups of food. Surprised in the best possible way, that it! Because the food was truly fresh and delicious. It was packed with flavor, each dish: the Jambalaya, the Creole Gumbo, the Red Beans, the Corn Bread Muffins, even the 7-Up Pound Cake and the Peach Cobbler. Simple southern Cajun-style fare right in the heart of Detroit– who knew?!

And if I dare to call it a hole-in-the-wall type of joint, it would be with the greatest affection, just FYI! A hole-in-the-wall with a lot of character and flavor! See for yourself in the slideshow below: