Yadeem's On the Go

Early this afternoon Lisa and I ventured all the way out to 88th and Brown Deer Rd, where a R&B festival was taking place, just because we'd heard that Yadeem's had set up a food truck there. 

It's owned and operated by an old high school classmate of Lisa's, Nnamdi Duncan, and we've been wanting to try it for awhile now, both because we love to try new restaurants and because we're happy to support alumni. 

I had a "reverse engineered" stuffed salmon bowl over rice. 

Lisa tried their eggrolls, available in 3 varieties. She chose chicken  & ranch, and gyro. I graciously offered to try her dish, and my lawd - that gyro one! 

I didn't dig the pineapple lemonade but Lisa loved it. 

Now, for desert I oddly agreed to buy 4 crab rangoon from a booth run by a Mom and her middle school daughters; at 4 for $3 it was hard to pass up. But I also wandered back to Nnamdi's truck and bought some of his banana pudding, based off his Grandma Inez's recipe. 

OMG. That banana pudding - and I am NOT a fan of the dish in general - may have been one of the best desserts I've had in my life. I. Am. Not. Kidding. 

It rivaled the creme brule I've had on cruises!

Yadeem's is normally based at 6003 W Fond Du Lac but the food truck is available for both catering and special events. 

It's definitely worth the drive. Check them out!

Lunch at Egg & Flour

Yesterday Lisa, the two youngest, and her Mom ate a late lunch/early dinner at Egg & Flour, the restaurant of hometown Hells Kitchen contestant Adam Pawlak.

The food looked great. Carbonera and bolognese, meatballs, bread, salad ... it figures, since I wasn't invited! Lol

A Middle School Pic and a Happy Birthday to my Sister

 Here's a pic from my middle school years ('86 -1988), obviously taken at a Pizza Hut. We very rarely ate out as a kid so I'm thinking this was a birthday, either mine or my sister Katie's. She's seated next to me in the picture. Wave back to me folks, don't be rude now. 

As today is said sisters birthday (Happy Birthday Katie!) and I had the pic available, it seemed as good a day as any to post it. 

BTW - That's my buddy Erv in blue, turned towards the camera, but his presence was ubiquitous, so it doesn't preclude it from being a celebration for Katie. 

Dan and Lisa's Day of Fun

Today Lisa and I spent the day together on a "Dan and Lisa's Day of Fun." 

It started at 8 am, with dropping Junie off at her job. Then it was on to 49th and North, to have breakfast at McBob's, a Scottish themed restaurant that has garnered significant praise online of late. 

Full embarrassing disclosure: they do not have the strongest commercially available chairs, and the rickety wood left me nervous. On the other hand, they held me without incident, so I guess that's a moot complaint. 

Lisa got an apple crisp scone with her breakfast. 

I ordered "Bacon Benedict" two medium poached eggs with bacon, served with hollandaise over a slice of "bacon bread" (what that is, I am not sure.)

It was a good dish but not spectacular. The eggs were done perfectly, but I should have ordered them over easy. The accompanying hash browns (not pictured) were greasy and not to my liking. 

Lisa ordered steak & eggs with American potatoes. The steak was cooked expertly but was a bit cold by the time it reached the table. 

The total (including a 18% automatic gratuity) was $49. A little steep, in my opinion. But not completely out of line. 

It was good enough to return but not good enough to brag about - yet.  Maybe next time. 

Then we went thrifting at Goodwill, wasted an hour in the car playing on our phones, and headed to the movies to see the 4k/3D 25th anniversary release of Titanic.

This was our 14th theater viewing of the film, but the first since its original release. 

Still a great film. The second half, from iceberg hit onwards? Incredible. 

But age grants you a different perspective on art. 

Lisa was the first one to say this aloud after the show, but Rose, as seen from the POV of a pair of late forty-somethings who've raised four kids? Well, she's a whole heck of a lot more entitled, spoiled, and bratty than she was in 1997.  

She's 17 and rich. She spends the trip partying and sleeping around behind her fiance's back, then paints him as irrational in his anger. She callously abandons her Mother, leaving her to forever mourn her daughter's "death."  She literally calls her first class accomodations "a slave ship" carrying her "in chains" because of the  burden of living in a stifled, privileged level of society. That's hyperbole of massive proportions. 

I mean, she's 101. Did her perspective remain that narrow, even into old age? Why would she be happy her fiance eventually killed himself? It's been 84 years Rose. Forgive a little. 

Anyway, afterwards we ran to Walmart, returned home to a meal of walking tacos cooked by JJ, then I went to Collectivo with LuLu to keep her company as she did her homework. 

A long, happy, productive day!

 

Good for Classic Slice!

Ok. I will never trust a word out of this dudes mouth. He's a liar .....that cookie is AMAZING. And Classic is never closed, how about respecting the fact they closed for EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION. 

I mean, if you've had Classic's food you know they didn't need his review. They're gonna be just fine lol. He just could NOT fathom why they didn't stop every.single.thing and fire up the stove for his one slice. SMH...the entitlement lol

My always order (enough for 2): A shippee ahoy slice, spinach artichoke dip, and a cookie.

- Lisa

How to Tip Your Server

Smiley couldn't dig his car out of the snow in time for work so I drove him this morning. Cut ahead eight hours. I had to take the exchange kids to the mall. Rather than keep going back and forth I went to his restaurant and had coffee to wait out the hour until he was off. 

He gave me the check. $3.10, and I gave him a twenty dollar bill. 

"Do you need change?" he asked

"No. Take $6.90 as a tip and put ten towards the garbage bags you bought for us." I said. 

"The garbage bags were fifteen," he responded. 

"Ok. Then take $1.90 as a tip and fifteen for the bags"

LOL

Mulligan's Irish Pub

My mom and I lunched at Mulligans irish pub and grill on 27th street in Franklin. Sandy was our server, what a cool lady! We had the pretzels and Asian chicken salad. Both were very good! We had Irish coffee and the naughty school girl for drinks and they were delicious and well priced. Can't believe it's taken us so long to try this place..there's quite a few things left on the menu we need to try. We'll be back! - Lisa

Tavolino

 

We - meaning me, Lisa, and Lisa's bestie, dined tonight at Tavolino, a restaurant on Milwaukee's East Side. 

The decor was simple and clean, with a modern slightly-more-than-casual vibe. For appetizers we shared polenta con funghi, aka polenta with mushrooms, and an order of meatballs (on the menu as polpetta di carne). 

Both were ample and delicious, although I prefer a meatball with a firmer texture. 

A small loaf of bread and olive oil was served before the main entrees. No complaints there. Yum. 

For dinner Lisa chose salsiccia - spicy sausage, nduja, ricotta, Calabrian chili oil, and rigatoni. 

It was genuinely spicy - and, in my opinion, the best dish of the three entrees. 

JJ ordered spaghetti and chicken breast - I don't recall what sauce - and both women agreed the breast was cooked perfectly. *I* wasn't allowed to try it. Hmph. 

For myself, I ordered the pan seared black cod in a pomodoro broth with leeks, carrots, peas, and fennel. It tasted great, but I would have preferred Lisa's dish (esp at only 2/3rds the cost of mine!)

Dessert was a lemon semifreddo that was brought to the table with three spoons so we could share; a laughable gesture by the server as it was the size of a free sample at Costco. None-the-less, the four molecules I had tasted wonderful. 

If there's any complaint I can register it was the service. The server was very pleasant and knowledgeable, but seemed to disappear for long stretches, and the wait time between courses was unusually long. Neither can be blamed on a packed house. While it was busy when we  were there, it wasn't crowded by any means. 

A very good dinner, and a very nice time. Recommended. 

Sabrosa

 Always delishious with my Mom! Have a happy Wednesday - Lisa (at Sabrosa)

Cafe India

 Waiting on a to-go order. Lemonade w raspberry schnapps. Yum!  - Lisa

Don't know what to try? Order this. You won't be disappointed!

Hell's Kitchen

To celebrate the 27th anniversary of meeting each other, we had a late lunch/ early dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen. The lobster risotto was sinful, no pun intended, but the scallops aren't something we'd order again. As an entree, beef wellington for me, and jidori chicken scallopini for Lisa followed by sticky pudding for dessert and a celebratory glass of champagne. A wonderful experience.

Wanted

 I need these glasses lol - Lisa

Chayo Mexican KItchen & Tequila Bar

I don't understand why Vegas Strip hotels, which typically don't have fridges in the room, throw so much food on your plate. It's not like you can store the leftovers. As both a business expense and as a consumer it feels like an unnecessary waste. Yummy tho.

- Huevos rancheros and chorizo breakfast tacos this morning