Mantra - Entree

Mantra
122 South 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(Visit their website!)

I had the Mongolian meatballs with lomein and enjoyed it thoroughly. There was nothing particularly special about the meatballs but the combination of lomein and vegetables in a light sweet sauce was pretty good. The taste was nice and not overpowering, plus the noodles were not too dry. Good dish to order.

(Image by AG)

Mantra

Mantra
122 South 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(Visit their website!)

Willing to spend a little bit of money on lunch in downtown Philadelphia? This tasty spot is a great place to sit and relax at any time but especially when it’s over 80 degrees outside and you can’t stand being in the sun for another second. The restaurant is a bit dark on the first floor (looks like there is additional seating on the second floor) but nicely decorated. Its “pan-Asian” theme allows for a blend of decorative styles. Combining glass marbles, mirrors and paper umbrellas, they also use Japanese screens, martial arts clippings (someone is a Jet Li fan), and a few Buddha statues to spice up the place.

But I wouldn’t go there just for the décor. The place is too dark for my taste. Hey, I want to see what I’m about to put in my mouth. Even though I am seeking refuge from the sun, I still need some light. I wouldn’t mind sitting there to read but with the bits of light that make it in, I would get a headache pretty fast. Good coffee though.

The food is terrific but, as I said, a bit pricey. My dining companion and I started with the Kinki Rice Bowl Salad. This dish comes with some perfectly prepared tuna (Kinki?). The fish is almost raw in the center but well cooked and a bit crispy on the outside. The sticky rice was great and I thought they had lightly grilled it although I may have been mistaken. Rice and fish combined with seaweed and a light sweet sauce made this a great combo. There were also slices of pears, nectarines, and cucumbers to go along with the salad. Squeeze a bit of lime and you’re good to go.

(Images by AG)

Trident

Trident
338 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115
(Check out their website!)

Trident also offers some mouthwatering French toast. Try it with bananas and real maple syrup!

(Image by AG)

Trident

Trident
338 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115
(Visit their website!)

Grab a book and have a meal early in the morning. With a tasty breakfast menu, which offers diners to add salmon to their morning omelet, the Trident bookstore and cafe is a fine place to dine. With a cozy setting and a well-lit dining area, the Trident offers visitors to Boston’s Newbury Street area a comfortable place to relax, get some coffee or juice, and scarf down some nice French toast or have a healthy turkey burger for lunch. A definite plus to their breakfast menu is the availability of real maple syrup, a rarity in most restaurants these days.

Be prepared for a large meal though. The omelet especially has a way of filling you up so that a weekend meal may be better unless you want to fall asleep at work. As for items that could keep you awake, the coffee mug is a bit small but, apparently, you get free refills with meals over $4.95. (I was not aware of this at the time.)

Like all the spots on Newbury Street, this can get pricey (though there are some good deals) but if you’re in the mood for a comfortable breakfast and don’t mind spending a little bit of cash for a pleasant environment and a cool place to read the morning paper, check Trident out.

I can’t speak to their dinner menu but, glancing at it online, it looks pretty good as well.

(Image by AG)

Hot Cinnamon Sunset Tea

There's nothing like the right cup of tea to complement a good read, good music, or a good pie (the latter being my preferred option). Oh hell, a good cup of tea makes anything better. Hot Cinnamon Sunset is one of the more fragrant blends of the many exotic teas produced by Harney & Sons. It comes in silken sachets (stylish little baggies fashioned into pyramids that show off the blend within and allow the tea to breathe) and it doesn’t surprise me that it is one of the company's most popular flavors. Those little sachets receive an A+ from me in the aesthetic department. Even the occasional tea-drinker will notice and appreciate an artistic difference in the presentation. But do not be deceived: despite the fancy, hoity-toity packaging, this is a tea that asserts itself and packs a punch. Guaranteed to soothe anyone’s frayed and frazzled nerves, Hot Cinnamon Sunset (sometimes referred to as Hot Cinnamon Spice in their catalog) is a mixture of loose black tea leaves, three different cinnamons, orange peel and sweet cloves. It is a medium-bodied tea that can be served with sweetener and creamer if desired, but is by no means essential. Added bonus: even if you have a sweet tooth like I do, dumping massive amounts of honey into your mug won’t be necessary – it can be enjoyed on its own just as much. But beware: while comforting and sweet, this tea isn’t for the weak. The earthy pungency of the cloves packs quite a powerful bite. Leave it to steep a few minutes too long and it will turn into a potent brew suitable only for hard-core tea enthusiasts and people with a penchant for spicy cinnamon stick candy. The best way to brew this tea is to steep one sachet in approximately two to three cups of almost-boiling water for five to eight minutes, depending on how spicy you want it to taste. I recommend leaving it in for a shorter period of time if this is your first Cinnamon Sunset experience. This will be a delightful change for people who might normally fancy something less bold like chamomile or similar herbal blends, but won't be too subtle or intimidating either. For those who prefer green or oolong tea variations that just barely suggest an aroma, this won't, forgive me for using the expression, be your cup of tea. Best served, as always, in a gigantic mug.

Image courtesy of ACB.

Grand City

Grand City
128 Maine Street
Brunswick, ME

Even if you’re not over 60, you can still enjoy the quick and cheap meals at this diner in downtown Brunswick. Part of an old general store, the cafeteria is open early and closes early. That should give you a sense of its regular crowd. The food isn’t necessarily healthy but it’s good for those who just aren’t sure what to get. They make good sandwiches and hearty, thick soups but the milkshakes are what come highly recommended. Order a plain vanilla one to go with almost any meal and you’re sure to leave happy. Don’t expect anything good from the vegetable menu as you’ll find rather pale lettuce and overly cooked steamed carrots but you’re at a diner for diner food so enjoy the sandwiches and the quick chopped steaks with extra gravy.

(Images by AG)

Tokyo Rose

2171 Ivy Rd # 13
Charlottesville, VA 22903

While sushi has ascended in status from exotic fad to international staple (I think I saw tuna rolls for sale in my local Safeway last week), it remains somewhat difficult to find restaurants serving more traditional Japanese dishes. Tokyo Rose combines a solid sushi bar with some slightly adventurous takes on Japanese foods. The restaurant is hidden away in a strip mall; while it presents an unimpressive facade, the interior is pleasant, with soft lighting and a natural decor. After some discussion, my companion Mr. K and myself decided on main dishes from the entree menu, to be accompanied by a few orders from the in-house sushi bar. And I was in for a treat- though I didn't see salmon skin sushi on the menu, the waiter informed me that they would be happy to make me rolls (above, middle). I also ordered eel nigiri (above, top), while Mr K selected the Alaska roll (above, bottom), containing salmon, avocado, and cucumber.

While most Japanese restaurants I've been to serve their sushi before the meal, Tokyo Rose brought our order to the table with the entrees- a slight disappointment, if you're expecting to be able to concentrate on your fish. My salmon skin rolls, however, eliminated all disappointment; the wonderfully crunchy texture of the salmon skin was well-supported by a mix of dense rice and crisp cucumber. The eel, too, was all eel should be- mild, flaky, and lightly glazed (though perhaps a little bland)- while the Alaska roll was (I felt) good without being great.


For my entree, I chose the nabeyaki udon, which has been described as a "Japanese hotpot". The base of the dish is udon noodles in a mild stock; chefs then add a variety of meats, seafood, and vegetables. (I, for one, have never had nabeyaki udon without fish cakes and an egg cooked in the broth.) Tokyo Rose's nabeyaki came to the table in the traditional earthenware pot, which keeps the dish hot (and also provides chilly diners with a place to warm their hands as the meal progresses). There were, of course, thinly sliced fish cakes floating in the broth, as well as squash, mushrooms, chicken, an number of plump shrimp, and the requisite egg, which I attacked with abandon. While the broth was more heavily seasoned then I was used to, I found it to be a pleasant counterpoint to the dense udon noodles rather than a nuisance. My only quibble with the dish was the chicken, which was too sweetly seasoned for my palate, and contrasted oddly with the rich, meaty tone of the broth. Soup and stew in much of Western cooking is frequently an opportunity to use cosmetically flawed ingredients. In contrast, Tokyo Rose takes delight in assembling a broth dish that is pleasing to both the eye and the stomach.

Mr K and I finished the meal with some green tea and adjourned to Ben and Jerry's for ice cream. I'm certain we'll dine at Tokyo Rose again; when we do, we'll be sure to try the
dessert menu. And if you find yourself in Charlottesville, I'd recommend uncovering a good meal at this little secret.