Tip Top Cafe

Tip Top Cafe
85 N Main St. #100
White River Junction, VT

(Check out their website!)

I was just staying in White River Junction for a few days and didn't know where to eat. The hotel had a little guide that said the Tip Top Cafe was a local vegetarian place. Not being very hungry and finding myself near the restaurant, I decided to give it a try. Well, it's not a vegetarian restaurant. They have a full menu for the more carnivorous among us. But there's a bit for everyone and everything I had there was fantastic. It was so good that I went back to the restaurant a few days later just as my business in White River Junction was concluding.
Start out with the crispy fries with garlic aioli.

This tower of really wonderfully crispy fries was just delicious. And even though I wasn't that hungry, I couldn't stop eating them. The garlic aioli dip made the dish. The fries might have been too salty on their own but together they were a terrific combination.

But don't worry if you didn't order an appetizer because their fresh bread was served nice and warm with a garlic and cilantro dip that was so delicious.

Need just a salad? The mixed greens, gorgonzola, and walnut salad served with tomatoes and maple balsamic vinaigrette will keep you very happy. Everything is nice and fresh too.
As for the entrees, you can't go wrong. I had the very wonderful sesame crusted tilapia served over a bed of mixed greens and mango salsa. The fish was cooked perfectly and the blend of the mango over the salad was just perfect. The tilapia salad is a definite winner. The pork and ginger meatloaf served with mashed potatoes and asparagus was also very good. The pork had a hint of sweetness that really complimented the dish.

I also tried this one other item that doesn't seem to be listed on their website. There are of course some seasonal dishes. From what I remember it was a squash inside a crispy shell drizzled with something slightly sweet. I want to say that there was honey involved but really cannot remember. In any case, that was creative and tasty too.

Overall, great food, good atmosphere (live music at certain times), and a good waitstaff. This is a definite must for anyone in the area.

Sweet Leaves

Sweet Leaves
22 Pleasant St.
Brunswick, ME
(Check out their website for menus and upcoming events)

This cute little tea house next to the Brunswick post office is a nice little place for tea or lunch (I can't speak about their dinner menu). I can imagine sitting down with a pot of tea (there is a large selection to choose from) during one of those freezing cold Maine winters, springs, and falls. For summer, the iced teas are quite refreshing. For the kids, there are little board games to pass the time while adults might enjoy the evening music series. There are some items that don't change but the menu does get a new look every day.

Pictured to the left is their seafood sampler with cooked scallops, shrimp and mussels in a light cream sauce and smoked salmon. The dish came with a small side salad and bread. A tasty meal but a bit on the small side and maybe just a tad expensive. Still, worth the money if you want a nice, light lunch.

Pictured to the right is also one of their salads with walnuts, goat cheese, and grapefruit. Very refreshing dish and the side of cold cucumber soup also made the hot summer day an enjoyable one.

Marathon Grill

Marathon Grill
40th and Walnut
Philadelphia
(Check out their website for other locations around the city)

I've had a bunch of salads from the Marathon Grill recently. This is the Provence steak salad. It's basically skirt steak and bacon bits over arugula and grilled asparagus. I told them to hold the parmesan and white beans (comes with the regular salad). I substituted some roasted peppers for the rest. The salad came with the lemon-dijon vinaigrette. Nice overall but the arugula was a bit overpowering.

Marathon Grill

Marathon Grill
40th and Walnut
Philadelphia
(Check out their website for other locations around the city)


This is my favorite salad from the Marathon Grill. It's called the Marathon Chopped Salad and comes with an option of turkey or grilled shrimp. The basic salad is $8.95 (add $3.00 for turkey or $5.50 for shrimp). The basic comes with avocado, chopped tomatoes, diced eggs, sliced mushrooms, bacon bits over garden greens. All this is mixed with thousand island dressing, well mixed in. I've had it with the turkey a few times and am very impressed. Be warned that this is a giant salad and will fill you up very easily.

Kabob and Curry

Kabob and Curry
261 Thayer Street
Providence, RI
(Visit their website)

This is a nice two story restaurant right near Brown University. I had the lamb barba kabob salad, which consisted of lamb kabobs over lettuce, diced cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes. The salad also included walnuts and cranberries. I had it with balsamic vinaigrette but this dressing tasted different than the regular variety. I'm not sure if they added some sort of Indian spices to it or something but it was very tasty.

The seating was a bit crowded but the food was decent and the service wasn't bad when we first got there. Lunch hour is a busy time though but it looked like the wait staff worked well together.

The mango chicken was also very tasty but the portion seemed a bit small.

Aqua Malaysian & Thai Restaurant

Aqua Malaysian & Thai Restaurant
705 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA

This was a disappointing meal. My dining companion and I ordered two drinks, two salads, and two desserts. Maybe half of those would get a passing grade.

The coconut drink was basically coconut juice in a can win some coconut meat along with it. Not bad but it really did not taste as fresh as the real deal. Now, I have seen coconuts in Philadelphia so how hard could it be to offer fresh coconut juice in a Southeast Asian restaurant?

The mango juice was OK but my companion did not really like it. I thought it was pretty refreshing and a better deal than the coconut drink.

We ordered the Thai beef salad and the green papaya salad. The first one was edible and I loved the copious amounts of romaine, tomato, and onion. The sauce was a bit on the sweet side and for an almost $9 dish, they might have offered more meat. The green papaya salad was not very good at all. My companion complained that it left an after taste that reminded her of fish food and I tend to agree. Having never had papaya salad before, I don't know what to compare it to but I doubt that it is supposed to taste like this.

We ordered the fried banana and roti banana for dessert and enjoyed one of them. The fried banana was in a strange batter that made the fruit turn out red. It also seemed to absorb all the tasty goodness of the banana (maybe it was unripe) and really did not make a good impression. The roti banana, however, was pretty good. This is a cripy/sticky pancake dough stuffed with coconut paste and banana. It was also offered with just the coconut paste and this would have been fine. Good texture and not too sweet, this was my favorite dish there.

Overall, I was quite disappointed and was even less inclined to return when I got the bill. For the value and quantity of food that we got, I don't see how that could have equaled $40.

John Harvard's

John Harvard’s
33 Dunster Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
(Try this or other locations!)

This is one of my favorite spots in Harvard Square. Though I did not try one, I am told that their beers, which they brew themselves, are very good. JH’s is a special spot since it is also where I first had a “fuzzy navel,” which, apparently some places like Typhoon can screw up rather badly.

The drinks may be fine but JH’s also has some excellent food. The mushroom Swiss burger was one of my regular dishes. The fries are a great treat though they are not entirely healthy for you. The dish I most often get, however, is probably the sesame shrimp salad. This dish comes with greens, tomatoes, a fine Hoisin vinaigrette and fried wontons. The grilled shrimp comes on a skewer and is mighty tasty though you are constantly thinking that the dish is a bit overpriced. Come to think of it, is there a salad anywhere that isn’t overpriced?

The grilled meatloaf is also very good. With a hint of sweetness and a dash of the red wine sauce, this is a fine meal but you better be hungry. The garlic mashed potatoes are not particularly special and they can weigh you down afterwards.

Sorry, no pictures from JH’s as it is a bit dark inside. It is a pub so expect it to be loud, particularly after work.

Greek Lady

Greek Lady
222 S. 40th Street
Philadelphia, PA
(Check out their website)

This busy hangout for Penn students is also a good place to get lunch or dinner. The restaurant has both a well-lit and stylish inside seating area and a comfortable spot for those who want to be outside. The marble (they look like marble!) counter tops are shiny and attractive while the roasting spits of lamb and beef behind the cash register are just so tempting. They have a grill and cooking area behind that so you can see the sizzling meals as they prepare them. Don't worry, the ventilation is pretty good because the place does not smell of cooking food at all. The place gets excellent marks for atmosphere.

On my first visit I tried the mousaka, which is ground beef with eggplant and mashed potatoes topped with bechamel sauce. This came with a side of lemon roasted potatoes and roasted peppers. Now, the latter is OK but this place has terrific lemon roasted potatoes. I don't know where they've been my whole life but these spuds are just wonderful. The lemon flavor teases your taste buds and then the well-cooked potato just brings it home. The mousaka itself was OK but not spectacular.

My dining companion and I also shared a salad of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, a hard boiled egg, and stuffed grape leaves. (I believe this was the Greek Lady Salad.) The salad would have been a full meal on its own and we should have known that. I was glad that we ordered the mousaka though because it really boosted the flavor of the meal. The salad isn't their specialty and it was a bit bland. All the meals by the way come with white or wheat pita. At least we had leftovers.

Here's the salad with cheese on the side. Did I mention the shiny metal trays? Classy!

I was really impressed with the restaurant on my second trip when I ordered the T-bone steak. The meat was tender and the blend of the steak with the lemon roasted potatoes, and the green beans (with tomato sauce) was just wonderful.

(Images by AG)

Zinc

Zinc
246 South 11th St.
Philadelphia, PA
19107
(Visit their website)

My dining companion and I had not intended to go to Zinc. While wandering around looking for another restaurant, which apparently no longer exists, we came across this establishment. Pressed for time and hungry, we decided to give the cute looking place a bit of our business. We were not overly impressed.

Zinc - cute enough but we were not impressed with the service or the food.

The restaurant/bistro/bar is charming enough and, for a Sunday afternoon, it was doing brisk business. Unfortunately, the management had not counted on having so many people. Otherwise, they would have had more than one server on hand. The service was slow but we were the lucky ones. There was a patron who was sitting outside, hoping to get some sun and some service. She got the sun but was ignored by the server. She came in to remind the server of her existence at least once and then just gave up and came in to sit inside.

We ordered water with lemon and the server basically ignored us. It was not until my dining companion ordered a beer that we saw service. By the way, the other tables got their beer, drinks, and bread, well before we did. Not fair and we were not impressed.

How was the food? I had the lobster bisque with chunks of crab meat. It was tasty enough, I guess but it was a bit heavy and a bit too creamy. There is no need to overload the diner's system, is there? My dining companion had the Trevisse Rotie Au Fromage, which was basically a roasted radiccio covered with cheese and Saucisson. She said that the Saucisson supplied the salty taste but since the radiccio was grilled and the cheese was melted, there was no balance of tastes. "It was just more salty," she said.

For our lunches we tried to Les Escargots "Pastis". They basically put cooked escargots on top of delicate, cute little puff pastries and topped it off with garlic almond butter sauce. Not a bad dish but not overly impressive either. The rest of the menu was seriously overpriced and I doubt that the portions were large.

Overall, I wasn't impressed with this place. Maybe others who are not in a hurry and just want a place to watch pedestrians while sipping drinks will find Zinc to their liking.


(Images 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)

Typhoon

Typhoon
725 Boylston Street Lobby
Boston, MA
(Check out their website)

Looking for a tasty treat after walking about Newbury Street? Why not try Typhoon? This “Asian Bistro” has a delicious beef salad. I’ve never had the chance to try any of their entrees (which are not that expensive if you consider that you are in the middle of downtown Boston) as I’ve always been filled by the beef salad.

Tender slices of beef are served on a bed of lettuce topped with peanuts and a rich dressing which is both spicy and sour at the same time. I’m not sure what’s in the dressing besides some chilies and lime but it is an exquisite taste that will stay with you long after the meal is over.

My most recent visit was a bit disappointing. Was it my imagination or did the salad used to be larger? Did they also cut down on the beef? Let’s admit it, this is an expensive salad, coming in at $11 but I’ll still pay it for the flavor of that sauce and the nice people-watching location on Boylston.

(Image by AG)