something- Indian, Telegraph, Ave

Meh, I can't remember the name of this Indian place either, and will have to correct it once we drive by to our next stop (which is Pakistani - yay for a new ethnicity to taste on the project).

As we get closer to campus, I have a theory that we're going to begin to find cheaper food which, regrettably, may mean that we're also finding sub-par food - drunk college kids aren't as picky as crabby 30-something internet executives, after all.

So far, this theory seems to be holding. After having Meh Sushi, we then went for Meh Indian food.

I will state for the record that we're kinda split on the Meh Indian. Partner in Chow liked this place better than I did, and admittedly the ingredients seemed fresher than a lot of other Indian food I've had. Somehow, though, the preparation just seemed... American. Like someone was trying to make Indian food taste good for Gringo taste buds, from the strangely fluffy Naan to the mildly spiced Dal. Hmm.

What we ordered: Dal, Sag Paneer, Garlic Naan, Regular Naan, Baklava, Lamb Something
Service: friendly Mom 'n Pop - we got Pop (and he gave us a free Baklava)
Atmo: citified hangout - stools at high tables, an upstairs, order at the counter, open kitchen
Crowd: Cal students, the neighborhood
Spent: Around $30
Overall rating: 3 sporks

As stated, this food just somehow fell flat (except the Naan, which was the opposite of flat due to its inexplicable puffiness), and left me feeling as though I ate Americanized Indian food. The naan had the consistency of pizza dough, and although the sag paneer had fresher spinach than I usually see, it somehow lacked a true Indian flavor.

The lamb was loved by PIC, who overall thought this place was a great find for someone on a budget and/or someone close by looking for cheap, decent Indian grub.

This place is indeed cheap and fast, and better than eating at Subway or something. Even so I wasn't a huge fan of this place, - and it apparently wasn't a fan of mine either. I almost never have an upset stomach after dinner, but for whatever reason this place led to some unpleasant after-effects later. Since we both ate all dishes and PIC didn't have a food hangover, it may have been something I ate earlier in the day. (Um... toast?)

Bright spot: the baklava was great. In fact, the baklava was the best we've had so far, and we've had it a few times at various Ethiopian haunts.

That being said, I wouldn't risk eating there again due to The Evening Thereafter. And even if I were feeling risk-taking, I'd probably just go elsewhere.

-something-Sushi, Telegraph

OK, 'tis true - I can't remember the freaking name of this sushi place, and I'll correct it when we drive by it again. It's on Telegraph somewhere between the Drunken Boat and Fondue Fred's.

Anyway, not remembering the name is in this place's favor. It's not very good. Cheap, but not good. It doesn't look good from the outside, and the atmo didn't surprise.

What we ordered: various rolls, teriyaki chicken
Service: fine
Atmo: somehow this place left me with the impression that I was in the Japanese version of Applebee's
Crowd: the 'hood - lots of Cal students
Spent: Around $30
Overall rating: 1.5 sporks

Honestly, there's not much to say here but "Meh." Don't bother. I've had fresher fish, more interesting rolls with less sauce, and better atmo in other sushi joints. If you want cheap sushi, the place in San Leandro's Pelton Plaza is way better.

Aunt Mary's Cafe - 4307 Telegraph Avenue

I can't believe that this place is so close to our house and we didn't even know it was around. Apparently Aunt Mary's has been open for a year. I dunno how we missed it, but I'm glad we finally found it.

We've eaten brunch here twice now. After my last disastrous experience at my go-to brunch place of yore (Cock-a-Doodle), I've been looking for a new one. And may we praise the Brunch Gods now, for it is found. And it is good.

The menu here can best be described as Southern-meets-California, which now gives us 2 places close by (Pican is the other) that service this need.

First off, I love what they've done with the space. Warehouse-chic is up my alley and P.I.C. also loves high ceilings and concrete floors. Secondly, I love that our server wore retro glasses and a housedress and an apron. Thirdly, I love that our server had a sassy attitude and brought Partner in Chow out of a bad mood (we thought we'd missed brunch hours) and into a good one (we did actually miss brunch hours, but they made it for us anyway).

We ate here one weekend and brought friends back about 2 weeks later.

What we've ordered: red flannel hash, pain perdu, succotash (w/bacon and heirloom tomato), hang-town fry
Service: hip, local sass
Atmo: urban hip warehouse
Crowd: penultimate Temescal neighborhood crowd
Spent: around $30.00 for two
Overall rating: 4.5 sporks

The first time we ate here I had the succotash and P.I.C. had the pain perdu. Both were really fresh, really delicious, and overall something we'd both order again. The second time I had red flannel hash and a friend had the hang-town fry, which had fried oysters on top. These freaked him out because he hadn't noticed that part of the menu description, but I suppose if you like oysters (and need something called hang-town fry) these are probably pretty darn good.

I can't remember what his wife or P.I.C. ordered, because I was sitting next to my brunch pals' newborn and therefore just completely distracted by his insane cuteness throughout the meal. Yes, I am a terrible food reviewer. On the other hand, I'm a great babysitter.

The red flannel has is a combo of root vegetables with eggs on top. To be honest, I was chatting away and playing with a month-old baby and catching up with old friends and basically so distracted that I don't really remember it that well, but I ate the whole thing and I'd order it again, so I think it was really good.

On the succotash/pain perdu day I was a bit more focused, as there was no sinfully cute newborn hogging my attention. Both were fantastic - the heirloom tomatoes weren't overwhelmed or made too hot and soggy by the succotash, and there was just enough bacon to flavor without making it too bacon-y or fatty.

The coffee here was also good. Bonus.

The pain perdu was really delicious and the presentation was artsy and fun. The sauce didn't make the bread too soggy, and P.I.C. ate all of it with no troubles.

Overall, we're thrilled that this place is around and will be eating brunch here again soon.

Tai San - 2811 Telegraph Avenue

We decided to order takeout from Tai San, which was a fortuitous pre-determined decision given my general phobia of (1) bad lighting and (2) carpets in restaurants.

The staff here is really, really nice. The guy on the phone was even really nice. And there was a big table of well-heeled Chinese people inside having a relaxed, leisurely meal, so we figured that the food probably didn't suck.

Turns out it didn't suck. Partner in Chow has gone down on record as saying this is the best Chinese we've encountered on Telegraph, and better than our go-to delivery place (Yang Chow).


What we ordered: mu shu tofu/vegetables (they'll add the tofu for you, either fried or sauteed), hot 'n sour soup, vegetable fried rice, broccoli beef
Service: really friendly and super fast
Atmo: Bad early 90's Chinese buffet
Crowd: Hard to say - there was only the one table of well-heeled Chinese people. It was about 8 on a Tuesday.
Spent: around $28.00
Overall rating: 3.5 sporks

One big bonus of Tai San is that it's freaking cheap. We spent less than $30 on 4 menu items - nice.

Another bonus was the Hot 'n Sour soup, which P.I.C. claims is the best we've had so far in Oakland/Berkeley. I liked it, but I do wish it had been a little hotter to balance the sourness. Sour it was; hot, meh. Next time I'll ask them to make it spicier.

I am not a fan of overcooked, fried or overly rich food - one of the reasons I don't eat Chinese food often, as it tends to be covered in stuff and full of scary meat and hard to taste the main ingredients individually - so Tai San was a pleasant surprise for me. The mu shu tasted fresh and the vegetables were nice and crunchy, even the cabbage. I hate getting soggy cabbage in my mu shu and ate a lot more of this than I normally do.

The broccoli beef was pretty standard Chinese take-out broccoli beef. The beef was that strange fluffy Chinese food beef, and I didn't eat it. PIC liked it, though the standouts were definitely the soup and the mu shu.

The veggie fried rice was also pretty clean-tasting - not a whole lot of oil, not greasy. If you like greasy fried rice that's really been fried, you won't like this. If you prefer fluffier, cleaner rice that's only been lightly fried and flavored, you'll like it. I liked it.

Overall, I'd get take-out from here again. But until they rid themselves of the carpet and swap out the fluorescents and pink vinyl chairs, this is a take-out only place for me.

Cafe Colucci - 6427 Telegraph Ave

Cafe Colucci seems to be the go-to Ethiopian place in this part of Berkeley/Oakland, and it's easy to see why. What they got right: atmo. So many Ethiopian/Eritrean places are either really dimly lit or just kind of run-down, and this place has a California-meets-Africa vibe that makes it really inviting overall.

I've been here a few times years ago, and this was my first time back since we discovered Cafe Eritrea d'Afrique. Partner in Chow ate here during her mourning period for The Blue Nile, so the first time she ate here she wasn't impressed. This time, we shelved all thoughts of competing or defunct restaurants and just ordered what sounded good.

What we ordered: vegetarian sampler, side of Mitten-Shouro (which the menu claims is "so tasty you will be hooked for life" - good marketing, Colucci)
Service: good - we went in late and it wasn't that busy
Atmo: cool California cafe with African accents
Crowd: hipsters, hill folks, the neighborood
Spent: around $30.00
Overall rating: 4 sporks

One interesting sidenote: some Ethiopian restaurants we've visited have tables of Ethiopian-looking diners. Eritrea d'Afrique and Asmara both seem to have a constant bar crowd, and usually some tables of folks who look like they know their Ethiopian food eating there. Cafe Colucci seems to lack that authentic African diner; perhaps it's the wait. Hmm.

Good rule of thumb: if you walk into an Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurant and it's filled with Eritrean/Ethiopian diners, it's probably a good sign.

While we're going to tie Colucci with Eritrea d'Afrique, Partner in Chow definitely prefers the food at Eritrea d'Afrique. Colucci ties because the atmosphere is so much better, and atmo is an important part of any dining experience. I do love Eritrea d'Afrique, but I am notoriously sensitive to bad lighting - and their lighting and color scheme is just the worst. Fluorescent gray meets white linoleum floors and gray walls and gray tables... ugh. Colucci has good lighting, warm yellow/orange walls and way better furniture.

The real test will be what happens when we're done with this project and just want to go get some Ethiopian food. Hmm.

Cafe Colucci seems to be the go-to Ethiopian place in this part of Berkeley/Oakland, and it's easy to see why. What they got right: atmo. So many Ethiopian/Eritrean places are either really dimly lit or just kind of run-down, and this place has a California-meets-Africa vibe that makes it really inviting overall.

I've been here a few times years ago, and this was my first time back since we discovered Cafe Eritrea d'Afrique. Partner in Chow ate here during her mourning period for The Blue Nile, so the first time she ate here she wasn't impressed. This time, we shelved all thoughts of competing or defunct restaurants and just ordered what sounded good.

What we ordered: vegetarian sampler, side of Mitten-Shouro (which the menu claims is "so tasty you will be hooked for life" - good marketing, Colucci)
Service: good - we went in late and it wasn't that busy
Atmo: cool California cafe with African accents
Crowd: hipsters, hill folks, the neighborood
Spent: around $30.00
Overall rating: 4 sporks

The food here is very good; no complaints. It was hard to avoid the comparisons with Eritrea d'Afrique - the spicing is slightly different, the Mitten-Shouro was a new one for us (dunno if we're hooked for life, but we liked it a lot), but we missed our usual side of fava beans that we have at Eritrea.

One interesting sidenote: some Ethiopian restaurants we've visited have tables of Ethiopian-looking diners. Eritrea d'Afrique and Asmara both seem to have a constant bar crowd, and usually some tables of folks who look like they know their Ethiopian food eating there. Cafe Colucci seems to lack that authentic African diner; perhaps it's the wait. Hmm.

Good rule of thumb: if you walk into an Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurant and it's filled with Eritrean/Ethiopian diners, it's probably a good sign.

While we're going to tie Colucci with Eritrea d'Afrique, Partner in Chow definitely prefers the food at Eritrea d'Afrique. Colucci ties because the atmosphere is so much better and atmo is an important part of any dining experience. I do love Eritrea d'Afrique, but I am notoriously sensitive to bad lighting - and their lighting and color scheme is just the worst. Fluorescent gray meets white linoleum floors and gray walls and gray tables... ugh. Colucci has good lighting, warm yellow/orange walls and way better furniture.

If we could just take the atmo at Colucci and the food at Eritrea, we'd never bother with another Ethiopian place. The real test will be what happens when we're done with this project and just want to go get some Ethiopian food. Hmm.

Ethiopia - 2955 Telegraph Avenue

We really wanted to like this place, but that wasn't in the cards.

Somehow, walking into a restaurant that's almost empty just makes me want to like it even more and so I was determined to look past the fact that the menus were sticky, the partition at our table almost fell on Partner in Chow and was just sort of ghetto-rigged together, and the table was kinda sticky too. This place shall therefore forever be known as "That Sticky Place," and that's just never a good thing for a restaurant. Unless you're a Saltwater Taffy restaurant or something.

The only other table was full of 8 fresh-back-to-school Cal students, which meant that we got to listen to inane college chatter while we waited. And waited. And waited. And this is when That Sticky Place lost its Mom 'n Pop appeal.

We were seated immediately, but it took about 15 minutes to even get water. I'd actually started a Countdown to Meltdown by the time we finally got service, meaning that about 10 minutes in I gave Parnter in Chow an ultimatum: if we didn't get service in 5 minutes or less, we were leaving. And I timed it (thank you, retro gold Timex, for your stopwatch capabilities).

The waitress made it to our table with literally 5 seconds to spare.

So: this didn't start out well at all, but we both love Ethiopian food and I decided to just let it go and enjoy the food - there was one server and it seemed like she was overwhelmed by the large-ish table of college kids, and Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurants in general don't seem to be hallmarked by speedy service.

The waitress assured us that the vegetarian combo for one wasn't enough food for the two of us. Being somewhat familiar with the strange, hunger-defying aspects of injera I was hesitant to believe her, but since she worked there and all we went ahead and ordered basically the entire vegetarian menu.

One bright spot here: you can take a number of dishes and combine them as you'd like for your entree.

What we ordered: vegetarian sambussa, every vegetarian thing on the menu
Service: friendly, but a bit disorganized and very sloooooow
Atmo: sticky - this just doesn't seem like the cleanest place around, and lots of things have seen better days. We do like having the partition between us and other Ethiopian-fan diners, but since ours was wonky and we were facing The Back Side of it (I thought partitions were decorated on both sides, but ours wasn't) it didn't help out too much. It just made me feel like we were forgotten behind a semi-invisible wall that might fall down on PIC's head.

Crowd: What crowd?
Spent: around $25.00
Overall rating: 2 sporks

The sambussa came first. This is a lot like a samosa in Indian food; this one was filled with lentils (I think). The flavor on these was very good and very concentrated, and this would end up being the bright spot of the meal. I'm generally avoid fried food, but I enjoyed the one I ate.

The first thing we noted when the veggie platter came is that we could have easily ordered for one and added a side. Oh, well. The second thing is that the injera was really... dense. And kind of dry. And extra sour. This injera:regular injera was like baguette:sourdough rye. It was the oddest injera we've ever encountered, and while I tried to shelve my preconceived notions of injera I just couldn't quite get over its dryness. On the plus side, there was a LOT of it - and the dogs enjoyed every leftover morsel later on. (They therefore give this place 5 paws up for providing enough food that they got tasty leftovers.)

The food itself was also a bit different than other similar places we've tried, in that everything was just really intensely flavored. Generally this is a good thing; here, the flavors were so concentrated that it became a little much.

With so many other options for Ethiopian food (Cafe Colucci is right down the street), this restaurant is in last place of all the Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurants on Telegraph. Sorry, Sticky Place. Maybe we'll try again someday. Or not.

Le Bateau Ivre Cafe - 2629 Telegraph Ave

The Drunken Boat is at this point the furthest we've gone on our project, and we were excited to be so close to campus - if a little afraid of a French place that's probably been around for 30 years, with a sign boasting brunch, lunch and dinner - could they really do all three well?

We went in after 9 for dinner and were pleasantly surprised by the atmo. This apparently used to be a house and reminded me of being in Europe somehow, and since Partner in Chow and I both love classical music we enjoyed the soundtrack. We sat in the restaurant side, which is apparently different than the Cafe side.

We were seated right away and had no issues with service, but of course we went in pretty late and there were only a couple other tables. Our waiter was super nice and really attentive, and though the Yelp folks are noting some incredibly bad service (which I myself have zero patience for) we had a great experience here.

What we ordered: crabcakes, lobster bisque, cheese baked in a pastry thing (this is named something en croute or some such), red trout spread with bread, Chimay (bonus points for having Chimay on the menu)
Service: attentive, friendly
Atmo: sparse but Euro-friendly - tablecloths, but it's in an old house and it feels like it.
Crowd: old-School Berkeley - this seems like a place that kids who grow up in Berkeley frequented with their parents or grandparents, and then bring their kids to when they grow up.
Spent: around $50.00
Overall rating: 4 sporks

We really enjoyed Le Bateau Ivre, though we didn't order an entree. I'm a person who enjoys doing Appetizer Explosion rather than meals, and this menu made that possible. Also, this place was really reasonably priced - the crabcake plate had 2 huge cakes on there with big chunks of crab and fennel over salad, and they were like $9. These were the single best plate of crabcakes I've had in California, ever. They may be the best crabcakes I've ever had period, and I've eaten them in D.C. and Maryland and in various other places where crabcakes are supposed to be great.

The reason they were so good was threefold: (1) The crab was extremely fresh, (2) The crab was the star of the show and in big lumps, (3) I love fennel, and it paired well with the crab. These were rustic, homestyle crabcakes that fell apart when you put a fork in them. Fine by me - that just means there's a shit-ton of crab in there.

The smoked red trout spread was really salty and trout-y. It was a little intensely flavored for me (kinda just too fishy), but smoked fish in general is just a little fishy for me, and I knew that going in so I'm hesitant to fault the spread. We lucked out and got super fresh bread straight out of the oven (mmm) so we used that rather than the toasties that came with it.

The lobster bisque tasted like LOBSTER. Big capital letters. This was not your watered-or-creamed-down version that tastes like generic cream base with a hint of lobster; this tasted more like a lobster than lobster meat. Impressive.

So the bisque was freaking delicious, but right on the cusp of being more like a sauce than a soup. PIC has bad memories of the generally well-loved Martini House due to them over-concentrating their flavors and serving soups that tasted like sauces, but this one was just soup-y enough to pass with her.

Brie baked in pastry: hard not to enjoy this calorie explosion, if you're into that sort of thing. PIC is most definitely into that sort of thing and enjoyed this quite a lot.

Overall, the food here has concentrated flavor and good-sized portions for what you're paying, at least on the appetizer menu. The plates were overflowing with salad, etc and could have easily been much larger plates.

I really like eating in restaurants that have been around for a long time, the same way I enjoy living in Victorians and buying mid-century furniture. We didn't know what we were in the mood for that night, so finding an old-school Berkeley institution that happened to serve quality French food for reasonable prices was a nice surprise. We sat in the front window and had a nice cozy late supper, listening to classical music and enjoying a strong Belgian beer. That's just good eats.

We'll be back. I'm interested in trying brunch on the patio, as brunch outside is a hard thing to find in Oakland.

Addis - 6100 Telegraph Ave

Addis had the somewhat interesting presence of a security guard by the front door. Just having been subject to buzzworthiness at Saysetha, we began to seriously wonder about who on earth has previously walked through the doors of the establishments on this stretch of Telegraph.

We apparently passed muster (despite my still-pink mohawk) and were greeted by the security guard, so then walked in without incident.

Being such big fans of Cafe Eritrea d'Afrique, we wondered if we'd like Addis as much. Ethiopian food is almost the same as Eritrean food, but not quite - some of the spicing is slightly different, some of the items are slightly different.

Turns out we really liked Addis. The atmo has a lot on Eritrea d'Afrique - nice partitions that separate diners from one another, low lighting, no linoleum. It actually reminded me of Asmara, which I also really like (and which we really need to review - I've been there, Partner in Chow has not). The service, on the other hand, can be described as casual at best. At one point I actually got up myself to go find a napkin after waiting for about 5 minutes, but then again I felt pretty comfortable doing so. It's a pretty laid-back vibe in there.

What we ordered:

Addis combination explosion, which included your typical vegetarian items (red & yellow mashies, salad, collard-ish greens) as well as a couple meat items (um.. beef?)
Service: don't be in a hurry. Or if you are, let them know and be prepared to snag your own cutlery if necessary.
Atmo: calm, quiet
Crowd: mellow Berkeley folks
Spent: around $30.00
Overall rating: 4 sporks

The atmo helped push Addis into 4-spork land, though Partner in Chow thinks she likes the food at Eritrea d'Afrique better. It's slightly hard to compare because we ordered meat at Addis, and have never done so at Ed'A.

Overall, the injera was great and we ate all our food, so we must have liked it a lot. We'd eat there again.

Burma Superstar - 4721 Telegraph

We've been to Burma Superstar twice now. The big downside is the wait, and they don't take reservations.

The upside is the food. I've never had anything quite like it, and PIC agrees that this is a must-try for anyone interested in Asian food.

What we've ordered: tea leaf salad, cashew chicken, lamb something, black rice pudding, various other things
Service: rushed and vaguely disorganized, but friendly
Atmo: upscale warehouse - high ceilings, open floor plan, big bar
Crowd: The Hills + the neighborood
Spent: around $20.00/ea
Overall rating: 4 sporks

Burma Superstar is legitimately delicious. The tea leaf salad is like nothing we've ever had before, and we order it ever time. The other dishes are just cleaner than Chinese food, and the meat here doesn't have that scary-ass Chinese take-out rubbery texture that makes me antsy.

Service here is a bit wonky and can take longer than it should.

Upsides: really good tea selection and interesting desserts. The black rice pudding was delicious and we demolished it with no difficulty. The lamb dish was tender and superbly flavored - I hate lamb, and even I liked it.

This is a great alternative for Chinese take-out given the quality of the food. It's more expensive than Chinese take-out, but in this case you get what you pay for.

Pizzaiolo

PIC and I have been to Pizzaiolo on multiple occasions, and eating here for the project was really just an excuse to eat here again.

Since the last time we've been they opened a back patio, and we sat out there and listened to jazz while eating. This was a nice bonus for us; also nice is that they sorta snuck us in and we didn't have to wait, probably because the wait staff could tell that we're from the neighborhood. Score.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Oakland, and if it weren't for the inevitable wait time I'd probably eat there too often. You can of course make reservations, but I'm an impromptu diner.

What we've ordered: plain pizza, wild fern pizza, meatballs, olive oil cake, salad, various appetizers
Service: hipster friendly - the servers probably live nearby
Atmo: inviting, warm, upscale, but not stuffy - I've worn shorts. Then again, I'll wear shorts just about anywhere.
Crowd: the Hills are alive + the neighborhood
Spent: we generally spend about $50/person here
Overall rating: 5 silver sporks

PIC and I have gone back and forth as to whether or not Dopo has better pizza. It's a tough call, but I think I'm going with Pizzaiolo here due to the freshness and variety of toppings. The last pizza we had was a wild fern pizza that was devoured by a third friend who usually fears all things green. PIC actually didn't like that pizza so much due to its lack of cheesiness (it just had some pecorino sprinkled, and no mozzarella), but that was really more our bad - we didn't read the menu properly. I loved this pizza, and the fact that it got a vege-phobe to eat 2 slices was impressive.

Keep in mind that the pizza here is really more of a super-thin flatbread that's not really a meal. If you want pizza for dinner, you might want to go to Lanesplitter.

The meatballs here are one of my favorite menu items on any menu in a 5-mile radius. They are delicious, sinful and remarkably filling. An order of meatballs and a shared pizza is enough for me to eat, and if we weren't always getting wine we'd spend a lot less money here.

The appetizers are always seasonal and delicious, so if something leaps out at you, order it. Same goes for dessert, though the olive oil cake was so surprisingly delicious that I'll mention it here.

Extra bonus points for Blue Bottle Coffee, which without question is my favorite coffee in the Bay Area (sorry Peet's).

There are 2 main downsides to Pizzaiolo:

1) It's always crowded, making impromptu dining difficult, and making it unpleasant to sit at the front tables
2) It's expensive

Other than that, there are no downsides. Except parking, which is getting harder and harder with each new awesome restaurant that opens on that stretch of Telegraph. But I can't really complain, because having a new Gourmet Ghetto emerge in Oakland is well worth the parking woes to enjoy it.

Eat here.

Saysetha Thai - 6230 Telegraph Ave

This place had the odd... convenience?... of a buzz-in door that, presumably, keeps out the riff-raff. Since I routinely dress like the riff-raff and was sporting a mohawk the day we went, Partner in Chow and I wondered whether or not we'd make the grade.

Fortunately, we apparently looked respectable despite my pink mohawk, and in we went.

We've now eaten at Saysetha once and ordered take-out twice. I think that this place overall is better for take-out, because the ambiance is a depressing 80's time warp. You almost expect someone in Miami Vice clothes to be hitting the buffet... not that there's a buffet to be had, but the atmo would suggest that, at some point in the decor history, there was some sort of awful buffet full of fried things that tempted diners who might be just as happy at Denny's. That being said, the food is good and really cheap, and because it's so cheap it gets extra bonus points for still being good.

The other thing that puts this place ahead of most Thai restaurants is the ability to substitute gluten for your protein, which is a welcome alternative to soy. Tofu can just get boring. So...

What we've ordered: appetizer explosion plate, fresh spring rolls, chicken curry (yellow), gluten curry (red), papaya salad, cashew chicken
Service: very friendly - the Mom of the Mom 'n Pop
Atmo: as referenced, the last time this place was remodeled there was no such thing as the Interwebs
Crowd: the neighborood
Spent: around $25.00
Overall rating: 3.5 sporks

This isn't the best Thai we've ever had, but it's pretty darn good. The papaya salad has just a little too much fish sauce for me, but since it's one of my favorite Thai dishes I order it anyway. The appetizer platter was a bit too full of fried items - my bad for not noticing that the spring rolls on it were the fried ones.

The fresh spring rolls are delicious and FRESH, and they get a 5. The nice addition of mango to go with the mint just makes this roll extra special and fresh-tasting. Note: eat them all, because if you keep them for leftovers the rice paper gets really stiff.

The curries are unpredictable in ingredients, but good: the night we ate in there, the yellow chicken curry was good but there were basically no vegetables other than potatoes. This last time, the chicken curry was absolutely loaded with string beans. So you might want to clarify exactly what they have on-hand that day for your curry, if you have strong opinions about what goes in there.

The gluten red tofu was delicious, and the texture of the gluten was great - not too chewy or too soft. Remember, this isn't on the menu.

The cashew chicken was better than any Chinese cashew chicken we've gotten - less greasy, less mystery-meatish. So if you don't want curry and like Chinese food better anyway and only came for Thai because you got outvoted, this is a good option.

Overall, we'll order from Saysetha again due to the pricing and protein flexibility. I freak out about non-organic meat but I also tire of tofu, so it's nice to know that I can get cheap, solid take-out Thai and still get my protein without getting awful images of factory farms and such.

Marc 49 - 4915 Telegraph Ave

Marc 49 is a wine bar on Telegpaph that caught our attention due to the fact that it opened after the Partner in Chow and I had passed it.

For due diligence, we went back to Marc 49, the newest obstacle between us and Pizzaiolo.

We've now been there a few times.

What we've ordered:

Mozzarella/Tomato Salad, Oysters, Fig & Proscuitto Sandwich (we think), Meaty Sandwich/Salad Combo, er... OK, we don't exactly remember what we've ordered, which has far less to do with it being a wine bar than that... er... well, it was awhile ago, OK?
Service: friendly
Atmo: laid back wine bar
Crowd: the neighborhood - young hipsters, yuppies, etc
Spent: around $30.00
Overall rating: 4 sporks

Marc 49 gets bonus points for being reasonably priced for a wine bar. The other alternatives near our house are Franklin Square and A Cote, and both tend to run you $100+ for 2 people if you're hungry.

This place has a good selection of good sandwiches and salads, and a decent wine selection. The back patio is a friendly place to kick back with friends, and overall we've always had a really good time here. Service is prompt and friendly, the front room has cool low tables and a nice bar. Basically, Marc 49 is filling a gap for the neighborhood and democratizing the wine bar experience for twentysomething kids that either can't afford Franklin Square, or don't want to eat fussy, small plates of food.

Nice job, Marc 49. We'll be back.

So.. behind...

We are sooo overdue on updating this blog. We know this.

Unfortunately, our project got a bit stalled when the Partner-in-Chow was laid off, which is what happens when you work for a mortgage company that didn't bother to see the "warning signs" (read: the various fraud reports submitted to upper management).

That being the case, we've been a bit remiss about eating out in general. We've also been busy, and so I owe The Internets some long-overdue reviews. Some are for the Telegraph project, some just for the general blog list. I'll list them here so I remember:

Outstanding in the Field (a.k.a. Out Drinking at the Ranch)
Flora (newish, and on Telegraph!)
Pican (eat here - in Oakland)
Miyozen (sister restaurant to Drunken Fish)
Dopo
Drunken Fish
Absinthe (woo for Top Chef)
Sea Salt, Lalime's & T-Rex (the trifecta)
Firefly
Taquerias: Mi Familia, El Amigo, Perico's, and the taco truck we found near High Street
Oceanaire (San Diego)
JORDN (San Diego in the Tower 23 hotel)

OK, now I'm getting lazy with links. More:

College Ave:

Soi Four
Oliveto
Citron
A Cote
Filipo
Bittersweet

A bit East of the East Bay:

Rugby (Georgetown)
J.Paul's (Georgetown)
Bodega
Home (NY)
Casa (NY)


... there's probably more. Which is to say that we're way behind in reviews and way behind on the project but not, perhaps, just not eating out at all. Just not as often.

However, Pizzaiolo is next on our list for Telegraph, and the rule is that we can't eat on Telegraph until we're up to date. We are actually up to date on the Telegraph blog (with the exception of Flora, which is new after all), so we can eat there.

And a new tapas place opened on Telegraph, so we need to hit that. A wine bar opened too, so we need to hit that as well.

So much to eat, so little time.

Stay tuned...

Doña Tomás - 5004 Telegraph Ave

Our project was horribly stalled for several months due to a variety of circumstances, including a bizarrely busy summer packed with travel and a studied avoidance of the next place on our list - a mediocre pizza joint followed by a fried fish joint.

We'd already had our fill of disgusting fried fish at Louisiana Fish & Chips, and even thinking about this place just made us wince. So sorry, other fish place - LFC ruined us.

After realizing that we'd put the project on hold for waaaay too long because we were both so unmotivated to eat crappy food, we broke our own rule and skipped those two places that were the barrier between us and Doña Tomás. And so it is that we finally got to Doña Tomás, which my Parter in Chow has enjoyed on a previous occasion and I've been to so many times I've lost count.

In a nutshell: we both love Doña Tomás. They have awesome drinks and absolutely the best carnitas you will ever have, hands down. And I own the cookbook, so paying $4 for camote (sweet potatoes) isn't something I absolutely have to do. But oh, they're just so good at the actual restaurant. And you can get them for like a buck cheaper at their sister taqueria Tacubaya, which is also awesome but nowhere near Telegraph Avenue and, therefore, a review for another time.

Reviews on Yelp will complain about the pricing. I don't mind the pricing much - sure, I wish it was cheaper. I also wish that the Patriot Act never happened and that the San Mateo bridge didn't have a backup every freaking day. But their ingredients are mostly organic and locally sourced, and I doubt their rent is cheap in spite of the occasional Lady of the Night that might liven up the "transitional" Temescal neighborhood in the evening hours.

My guess is that so many people have experience with Mexican street food and taquerias that the concept of fancy, expensive Mexican food annoys them. They feel entitled to a burrito the size of a hubcap for $3. This however is Oaxacan food, and it's high-end dining at that. So stop complaining and realize that the crappy pizza from the place we skipped isn't Dopo or Pizzaiolo either. And if you really want to save money, just skip the drinks. (But that'd be a shame, because there's no crappy tequila and the lime juice is fresh.)

What we've ordered: carnitas (amazing), carne asada (great), various fish dishes, margaritas, tequila lemonade (PIC's favorite), chile rellenos with various fillings, pozole (great), halibut cheeks (awesome)
Other things on the plate: camote, vegetable pudding (these are always delicious), beans, rice, grilled corn (mmm)
Service: local hipsters, mostly nice but occasionally hurried
Atmo: Sparse, vaguely Mexican hacienda - wood floors, rough-hewn chairs and tables in the front room. Bar is painted all red but is just as loud and smells like a Jamba Juice due to all the fresh squeezing of citrus. Back patio is awesome in the summer.
Crowd: the hills come down and the 'hood comes in - it's laid back, loud and diverse
Spent: generally spend around $80+ with 2 people, including drinks
Overall rating: 4.5 silver sporks

With all the gushing you'd think the big DT would get 5 sporks. But occasionally, there's something ordered that's just kinda blah. It's usually an appetizer, but still - $12 for blah feels like a bummer. Most recently it was a pumpkin quesadilla with goat cheese - something about the goat cheese and the squash just didn't work. The short ribs were also just OK, and kinda small. However, the other appetizer (recommended by the waitress) was unexpectedly fantastic. I don't even remember what it was, but damn - it was good.

The big standouts on the menu for me: carnitas, camote, whatever vegetable pudding they're making. That last one is filled with butter and cream and is most decidedly not good for you, but it is just delicious.

The pozole is fantastic, and especially so if you're sick. Mmm.

One thing to try: a $15 shot of Paradiso. Yes, it's really $15. No, you don't shoot it. You sip it after a meal the way you'd sip a fine port or brandy. And yes - it's worth it. A friend calls this stuff "liquid heroin," and if you're celebrating it's worth trying once.

The back patio in the summer is great, though I once saw a rat the size of the burritos people expect for $3 climbing up the wall of ivy. Since rats are all over Oakland and live in ivy and trees, this didn't bother me too much. He kept to himself and didn't run over to steal my food, which made me happy.

So, to sum up: eat here. Be prepared to spend more than you've ever spent on Mexican food unless you've eaten at Rick Bayless' restaurants. And enjoy.

Bakesale Betty's - 5098 Telegraph Ave

This wasn't going to be a part of the Eating Up Telegraph project due to closing at 7 and, thus, not really being a dinner destination, but it's just so damn good I couldn't help including it. And may the gushing begin...

Sweet Jesus, I thank you for bringing this establishment into the world. Good God, how did I live this long without that Fried Chicken Sandwich being just down the street?

I love this place. And I'm not particularly into pastry or baked goods, but my God I will eat them here.

The reason I came to Betty's was to try the Fried Chicken Sandwich. It's a huge sandwich double-stacked with perfectly crispy, seasoned fried chicken breasts on a fresh-baked roll, and the only other ingredient is a delicious, crunchy spicy cabbage slaw that is mercifully mayonnaise free.

This sandwich is awesome. In fact, I just ate one. Mmmmmmm.

Betty's has the best apple pie I have ever had in my life, and I even eat the crust. Normally I hate crust; not her crust. Another standout is the date cake with delicous rum butter sauce that you heat up and dump over it. We found ourselves eating this sauce with a spoon, and I'm not ashamed of it.

Other standouts: the ginger cookies, the scones, and the banana bread.

Everything's great here, with a single exception: if you like traditional egg salad, you might not like this one: there's no mayonnaise (woot for mayo-haters like me) and it's simply a ton of fresh eggs and arugula. I personally like this sandwich, but I can't imagine bothering when a fried chicken sandwich is there.

What we've ordered: apple pie, pecan pie, lemon-curant scones, apricot almond scones, pear ginger scones, date cake with butter rum sauce, fried chicken sandwich, egg sandwich, ginger cookie, blueberry pie
Other things they've given us to try: lemon ices, banana bread, strawberry shortcake, brownies
Service: super friendly local hipsters
Atmo: nouveau urban hipster bake shop - the tables are made out of ironing boards
Crowd: The neighborhood + the in-the-know-non-neighborhood
Spent: it varies - we always leave with something free, so there's that
Overall rating: 5 enthusiastic sporks

Extra bonus points for using the chicken and the egg in the 2 sandwiches offered...

At some point I will try the chicken pot pie, and I'm guessing I'll rave about that too.

The other nice thing about Betty's is the vast amounts of free food handed out by the ever-cheery staff. I got an entire free pie at Christmas, and today we went in for a sandwich and some scones and walked out with a slice of banana bread, 2 lemon ices and a strawberry shortcake.

And oh Lord, that strawberry shortcake was good. And another thing I don't generally eat. The banana bread isn't greasy, and was so good we actually bought a whole loaf.

So beware: do not go to this place if you're dieting. Somehow, you always leave with more than you planned to get.

Betty also gets extra bonus points for wearing a bright blue wig and her baby in a sling around the joint. It's nice to see a funky young gal make a go at something she loves to do, and it's clear that everything Betty's offers is a house specialty.

So yes, I hella heart Bakesale Betty's. May she do this for the forseeable future so that I might never go without a Fried Chicken Sandwich.

Marc 49 - 4915 Telegraph - Oakland, CA

Marc 49 is a new wine bar that cropped up on Telegraph, in the little stretch that houses Tanjia, Pico Paco and La Val's.

It was mid-week when my Partner in Chow and I hit this place, and we weren't looking to drink. However, we decided that the food menu was substantive enough for dinner and we weren't really in the mood for pizza anyway (La Val's is next on our list). So Marc 49 was actually a happy surprise, sparing us what we fear is most likely sub-par pizza. We shall see...

The interior of this place is nice and clean, with cool square leather couches at the interior. But the big bonus is the patio out back, which has enough heaters to keep everyone warm and is nice and homey.

At some point we'll return to sample the wine; this review is going to be based on the food.

The menu is small and unfussy, and it's way cheaper than the alternative wine bars in the area: A Cote and Franklin Square. They have a couple appetizers and a small selection of salads, panini, bruschetta. Dessert comes in 2 flavors of chocolate - chocolate mousse with whipped cream, or a brownie with white chocolate mousse. Most things on the menu were $6 or $7, with the sandwich/salad combo coming in at $10.

What we ordered: Tomato bruschetta, brie and apple panini with spinach salad, ham & assorted charcuterie yumminess panini with candied walnut & blueberry salad, fig & spice tea (me), black tea (PIC)
Service: super friendly and attentive
Atmo: laid back hip wine bar
Crowd: Mixed
Spent: Around $30
Overall rating: 4 sporks

Warning: you should not come here if you're on the Atkins diet. The things worth ordering on the menu are either made of booze or served on bread.

The bruschetta was a classic tomato and basil bruschetta, and it was delicious. It was also served on fresh bread that didn't cut our mouths up as though we'd been speed-eating Fruit Loops with no milk, which made us both very happy. The portion was big - 3 large pieces - and we realized that our individual sandwich/salad combos might end up being too much food.

The panini came out hot and charred off a panini grill. This bread was also really good - they don't make it there, but whoever's making it is doing a good job. The brie and apple one was OK - the interesting part was the candied walnuts, which are clearly homemade and very candied. This was a good sandwich, if you like melted brie (I don't, really).

The ham sandwich was fantastic - the meat is sliced super duper thin, and the cheese gooed up to make a perfect melty ham 'n cheese sandwich. We can't remember what other meats are in this sandwich, and we don't care. Mmm mmm good.

The salads were slightly overdressed for my taste, but the flavors were good and spending $10 for a full sandwich and side salad was a nice change from the usual wine bar experience. Not that the food is on par with A Cote, but it's nice to have the option to go for something less fancy and way cheaper.

One major standout was the tea. It comes in cool pot/cups and the flavors are awesome. Extra thumbs up to Marc 49 for giving quality drink options to the non-drinkers.

So we were very pleased to find and welcome Marc 49 to the neighborhood, and we'll definitely be back to have some wine and dessert.

Pico Paco taqueria - 4911 Telegraph Ave

Pico Paco is a hole-in-the-wall next to New HoHo's Chinese, and the fact that I'm someone who grew up in L.A. eating with a Partner-in-Chow who lived in San Diego means that we're awfully picky about Mexican food. Things like good salsa (me) and horchata (PIC - I hate horchata and think it tastes like bubble gum milk laced with cinnamon) are important to us, and good chile verde is something that I personally take seriously at any Mexican foodslinger - whether it's a taco truck or Sonora Cafe.

Pico Paco started off on the wrong foot when the gal at the counter told me that they hadn't made chile verde that day. Dammit. My go-to order when reviewing a taqueria is: one carne asada taco, on chile verde taco, one chicken taco.

PIC is also very particular about her Mexican food order. This is what she wants in her burrito at any truck, taqueria or any place that isn't a high-end foodie joint:

Beans (preferably refried, whole pintos are a second choice, black beans come in third)
Rice
Sour Cream
Cheese
Jalapenos

That's it. No, really. No, don't put any salsa in it - she hates cilantro. Occasionally some lettuce will join the lineup, but God forbid someone gets creative and throws in anything that involves cilantro or tomatoes in any way. Yes, that includes guac - just stick with the 5 ingredients and nobody gets hurt.

What we ordered: The PIC Burrito (with refried beans), 1 carne asada taco, 2 chicken tacos - one braised, one roasted, a side of whole pinto beans, horchata, beer, bottled water
Service: friendly enough
Atmo: hole-in-the-wall perhaps not-so-clean taqueria with a blessed lack of the usual awful fluorescent lighting.
Crowd: A regular walked in while we were there, but it was the off-hours. This is a neighborhood joint.
Spent: This place is pretty cheap - but not as cheap as taquerias in Mexican neighborhoods - tacos were around $2 and we spent around $20 including the drinks
Overall rating: 3.5 sporks

The PIC gave her burrito 4 sporks, but the meat quality of the carne asada had something to be desired so I'm only giving a 3 with the tacos.

The chicken tacos were both good - I preferred the roasted one. These tortillas are larger than the usual wee taqueria-type shells, which was fine. I prefer the smaller fresher ones, but if you're not making your own I'm already neutral as to your tortillas.

The salsa was just OK, which also merits the 3. The beans were beans - not much to say there.

The PIC burrito was, however, really good. It can be hard for certain establishments to balance the 5 meatless ingredients - sometimes this burrito arrives with way too much rice, or the cream is all glopped in one section, or all the ingredients are layered as though it were a dip so that it's a huge bite of cheese, then a huge bite of beans...

Pico Paco managed to balance this vegetarian burrito well - not too gloopy, and the beans had great flavor. The horchata was also quite good, according to my PIC, and I tried it to find that the usual Pepto-Bismol flavor was minimized. Not that I wanted to drink any more than a sip, but it wasn't completely awful.

Would we go back here? Yes - for the burrito. The reality is that with La Calaca Loca around the corner (organic meat and delicious tortilla soup, plus margaritas with soju) we'd probably pick up the PIC burrito here and then travel to 52nd to get me tacos or tortilla soup.

New Ho Ho's Chinese - 4871 Telegraph Ave

After Tanjia, my PIC and I were really excited to finally, at long last, be at Dona Tomas.

Problem is that we weren't there yet. There's a bank of little hole-in-the-walls we'd never noticed at the 48th block of Telegraph, and so we resigned ourselves to practicing self-discipline and getting them over with so that when we get to the big DT we can feel good about it.

The first of these hole-in-the-walls is New HoHo's Chinese restaurant. The name made us laugh; the view of the interior made us want to run straight away to Dona Tomas. However, we bravely entered and figured that it couldn't be worse than Louisiana Fish 'n Chips. Seriously.

What we ordered: Hot and Sour soup, mu shu tofu, egg rolls, something we can't remember - I think it was veggie fried rice.
Service: overtly friendly and enthusiastic. I thought the counter lady might invite me home for tea and fortune cookies. This might freak some people out; we liked her.
Atmo: Chinese prison cafeteria. With an overly-friendly lunchlady and lots of Chinese newspapers to read.
Crowd: What crowd?
Spent: This place is cheap - it was around $20
Overall rating: 2.5 sporks

The weird thing about New HoHo's is that they have a counter buffet-type display where you can get pre-prepared food as well as a menu. They also mention dry-fried ribs, which we almost ordered but just weren't in the mood for the KFC flavor.

The buffet scared us and so did the thought of the meat source, so we went vegetarian. I have to say, the food wasn't as bad as we thought it would be and actually had some good points. The hot 'n sour soup was actually sour, which has been a problem with other Chinese establishments on Telegraph. The egg rolls were the usual deep fried version and had a really thick wrapper.

The MuShu tofu was quite good - they made it to order and it wasn't particularly greasy. I can't remember the other entree, but I think I remember not being overwhelmed with it. Since we can't remember, we're settling on a 2.5 given that the cleanliness and atmo have something to be desired - being afraid to eat somewhere due to the visuals has to discount a restaurant rating no matter how good the food is (and in this case, it was just OK).

Would I go back here? Unlikely - Yang Chow is by far my favorite delivery Chinese in the area. But if it's in walking distance to your house and you're broke and hung over, go for it. Just order smart - the buffet looks scary. Asking for "light oil" might also be a good idea here.

Lanesplitter, 4799 Telegraph Ave.

I don't really like pizza; PIC loves pizza. Occasionally, I will acquiesce to eating Zachary's... but when I can help it I don't eat pizza.

Lanesplitter changed all that. I love this pizza. And I don't really know why, exactly.

The crusts are super thin and a wonderful blend of crisp and chewy, and they don't go overboard on the cheese. So there's two reasons. Good microbrews on tap are another reason to enjoy eating there, as are the art installations and laid-back vibe. Oh, and fresh basil is always nice to find.

Lanesplitter is kind of the Zeitgeist crowd. If that crowd traded the black clothing for vintage plaid or whatever thrift-store-chic item is less San Francisco tragic hipster. The Oakland brand of hipster is just slightly less self-conscious (and aggrandizing) about it...wait, I just had a vision of Mama Buzz and realized that this may not be entirely true... hmm.

What we've ordered (we'll combine both trips): Thin and thick crusts, olive and mushroom (a fave), herbivore, garbage - between the 2 of us, much pizza has been consumed here.
Service: friendly, sometimes. forgetful, sometimes. vaguely disinterested, hurried and occasionally surly when doing takeout. Overall we've had positive experiences with service here when sitting.
Atmo: Groovy loft-like warehouse meets bike garage
Crowd: Hipster 'hood dwellers, bike messengers, the occasional family
Spent: we generally spend around $25 what with the beers and all
Overall rating: 4.5 sporks

This is great pizza if you obey some simple tips:

1) Eat in and do a 7/10 split if you'd like some beer. It's cheaper and 2 pieces of pizza are filling enough for most people - they're big, if thin.
2) Don't get extra sauce. It makes the crust a bit soggy.
3) Takeout can take forever, and whoever answers the phone needs some Valium. If you want takeout in a hurry from someone who actually wants to take your order, you might want to call elsewhere.
4) Be wary of ordering too many extra veggies for the same reason as #2, and because they really add up in price.
5) Bring your vegan friends and be amazed as they can actually eat "Notta Ricotta" and get something besides bread with tomato sauce at a pizza joint.
6) Be prepared to wait on a weekend night at dinner time.
7) Don't order the thick crust. If you want thick crust, go to Zachary's.
8) Don't wear a tuxedo. Do wear an ironic and authentic vintage tuxedo t-shirt.

In short: Good pizza is indeed had to find, and Lanesplitter definitely fits the bill.

Tanjia - 4905 Telegraph Ave

We'd been to Tanjia before this excursion, and wondered if we enjoyed it as much as we remembered or whether it might have been the belly dancing...

Tanja is a Moroccan restaurant, and has basically 2 per-person price structure for a prie fixe meal. We like the more expensive side of the menu because of this crazy chicken pie that comes in the middle. If the thought of powdered chicken and sugar sounds vaguely frightening, you have to try this pie. But I'm skipping ahead.

What we ordered: The expensive side of the menu (this is like $2 more). First trip: chicken with prunes and lamb on skewers. Second trip: chicken on skewers and lamb with prunes. Moroccan white wine and a French beer.
What came in the service: fresh sweetish white bread, plate of Moroccan salads (various pickled and non-pickled veggies), lentil soup, bizarre phyllo dough minced chicken pie with powdered sugar and cinnamon on top, the main meat you ordered with couscous, mint tea, fruit and fried banana.
Service: in the theme of the place - traditional Moroccan. I guess. Neither I nor my PIC have been to Morocco, but let's just say the servers aren't inked twentysomething hipsters in low-rider jeans and a-symmetrical haircuts.
Atmo: Moroccan - tent, belly dancers and servers in ethnic garb
Crowd: mixed
Spent: around $50.00 (with tip)
Overall rating: 4 sporks, mostly for the chicken pie + being able to make lamb and chicken well + belly dancers

The interesting: being inside Tanjia gives one the impression of being in a luxurious circus tent. It's also fun to sit on pillows and watch belly dancing, so overall the atmo is part of the Tanjia experience. The tapestries are a little tired these days, but somehow this didn't bother us.

The first thing they bring you is an groovy water urn and some towels. I wasn't sure what this was about, but somehow avoided embarrassment (rare) by resisting the urge to put my glass out when the dude started pouring. Turns out he was washing my hands for me. He then left us with fluffy white towels, which are nice to have during the meal seeing as how there's a complete lack of silverware. (Though they will bring it upon request.)

The courses build, and the very best thing about all of them is the chicken pie. You can also get other kinds of pies, but the chicken one was so good the first time we wouldn't dream of switching. Somehow the combo of phyllo, cinnamon, powdered sugar and chicken comes together to create a unique and utterly delicious combo. I was rather afeared of this pie on first glance - powdered sugar and chicken not being a mix that sounded appetizing - but one bite made me a convert. The bread is also surprisingly good - it's chewy and a little sweet, and they make it there.

These folks really know their meat. The first time I ordered chicken with prunes, and it was tender and just delicious. My PIC loved the lamb skewers; somehow Tanjia manages to do skewers without turning the lamb into dog food. Second trip, the lamb with prunes was of a cut that we'd never seen before (vertebrae?), but the meat was falling off the bones and PIC was having a little lambgasm. The chicken skewers were well-seasoned and great as well.

The cous cous was a little overcooked the second time we were there, but I'll forgive them. We were too late for belly dancing on this trip, but were entertained by the sudden, staggering appearance of a local bar patron who stumbled in and tried to steal a glass of water. (She was, as she made clear when the waitress tried to prevent this odd theft, very thirsty.) After some bellowing and a nice glass of water provided by the staff, she stumbled back out the door with and said "Thank you" in Chinese to our Asian waitress. Who isn't Chinese but appreciated the gesture.

In any case, we really like this place and only wish that we could just go in for the chicken pie. I'd also make sure to go in time to see the belly dancers again - that really adds to the whole experience.