Uncreative Headings & Harding’s

Why do homestyle restaurants often have these advertising placemats? I wonder if there is a law on the books?

I could not for the life of me think about a simple way to categorize my trip to Harding’s Family Restaurant the other day. I went there for a working lunch with some colleagues and we talked about work things and silly stories that often get told during work meetings. There was truly nothing that I can put my finger on that stood out from the meeting. Well, outside of one of my lunchmates deciding to make a hat out of his paper placemat, being offered $5 to wear it all the way out of the restaurant and back to the office. He agreed, and I now regret that I failed to take a picture. Why, oh why did I forget something like that?

Unfortunately, the food I ate was also pretty forgettable. I think that Harding’s caters to a certain group of diners who are looking for homestyle comfort food. And overall, in my culinary experience, homestyle often fits as comfort food due to fond memories of eating such dishes at good times in life.

Taking that cue, I decided to go all New England in honor of my eight years living in the Boston area. It was obvious that Harding’s is doing nothing more than emulating the food there. I went from being a ovo-lacto vegetarian to a pescatarian because New England has such good fish, and is so good at preparing it. Harding’s New England Scrod was far from decently prepared. It was dry and over a rice pilaf that was lacking in flavor. It was coated with a lemon pepper sauce that was similarly needing a bit something more than what it gave. It was filling, and the garlic toast that came with it was okay, but overall it was like I said before – forgettable.

The New England Clam Chowder was also boring. It could have been taken from a can, and in fact as I ate it I wondered if it was. Not that canned soup is bad – I could eat such things if need be and be okay with it (although I prefer to cook my soups from scratch whenever possible).  I expect more from a restaurant, and with clam chowder I would like to have extra creaminess and spices that stand out. Not even the crumbled saltines could help it. Why there were not oyster crackers included was another issue.

Underspiced New England Scrod, Clam Chowder the envy of canned soup everywhere, and Wilted Lettuce Salad - soupy dressing at bottom unpictured.

Wilted Lettuce Salad. What is at all appealing about that name? I am not sure, but I was intrigued by the very unappealing sounding name mostly due to the fact that its unappealing name meant it had to be delicious. I was wrong. It was again forgettable. I had it without bacon, and I cannot imagine that it having bacon on it would have made it that much better. It was overly vinegary, and the vinegar dressing formed a pool at the bottom of the plate that made it more like lettuce soup than anything else. The dressing was warm, so perhaps that was the appeal? I was even unimpressed with the simple shredded lettuce. At the very least some decent mixed lettuce could have been used.

Overall, I did not hate the place. It has a lot of variety of homestyle dishes that were nice. It was filling, and I can see the appeal to plain comfort food. It was a pleasant atmosphere and has a country style gift shop at the entry way that I am sure causes many children to beg. I just wish homestyle could be a bit more flavorful, a bit more exciting, a bit more memorable.

Heck, this is such a blah adequate restaurant, I was not even inspired to come up with a better title. It seems somehow zen to have a matching uncreative headline with a bunch of uncreative food, so I am okay with it.

I think the score could be a bit lower. Probably more like a 70-75% for me. Just adequate deserves a C grade.

Ellen’s Got More Than Ice Cream

Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream has a nice sign, and pretty home-style like decor on the inside to match.

I had a great time at a friend’s birthday party last night. Not so much that I was tempted to wear a toga like some of the party goers, but enough so that I was a bit sensitive this afternoon. It was such a beautiful late winter day, I had to get out and bike around regardless. It was a bit chilly to start, but the brisk air mixed with bright blue skies helped me feel better than an asprin would have.

No matter what, any time I go out on the town to find a place to eat on Sunday it’s going to be a challenge. Many places are closed on Sundays, so I wander even more than usual on these days. There is a little Lebanese grocery, Middle East Market & Deli, at the bus station I have ridden past several times. I thought I might try it out, but despite the advertisement of falafel and other Mediterranean cuisine choices, they did not appear to have a working restaurant.

But it was like Snoopy’s doghouse. The outside of the store looks a bit shady – bars on the windows, paint flaking away, inability to see inside. Once you go inside the place is bright, cheery and looks almost brand new! Maybe they are renovating and will eventually have the restaurant up again. I sure hope so, cause I would love to try some good Lebanese food.

I did get a few ingredients to make my own falafels, and was a bit disappointed that mostly the store was like a 711 with one aisle of Lebanese imports. I was tempted to get a hookah for the hell of it, but didn’t really have a way to carry it with me along with the big bottle of olives and falafel mix I purchased so I’ll have to go for that later.

The bottle of olives is outstanding. I got black, and other than there being a strange plastic barrier to get past, I managed to have a few this evening while writing this review. The hot pepper sauce will have a future in some dinner concoction I might throw together, and I look forward to trying the eggplant dip, falafel and pita bread.

I mention this place primarily because I initially went there thinking I would have something off a menu, but I am highly supportive of international groceries of all kinds. The diversity in food and spice selections is so important to make unique and tasty things that I wish more people would demand such businesses.

Mmmmm! Grilled Cheese! Ooooooo! Espresso Sundae!

With there being no active restaurant, I had to consider other options. Ellen’s Homemade Ice Cream has been a place I had considered in the past, but the one time I visited last summer they did not accept electronic payment. I almost never carry cash, so it has been hard to visit. Luckily this time I had cash with me, so I went inside only to discover that they now accept credit! They add a 5% charge above the total cost if you pay this way, but it is nice to see that they have this as an option.

Ellen’s has a modest menu selection of food combined with a substantial selection of ice creams, frozen yogurts and sorbets. During the week, there are daily specials of sandwiches, wraps and soups. They did not have as much in the food department on a Sunday afternoon, but I was still able to try a classic grilled cheese sandwich along with an Ellen’s Special Salad. I also ordered a Espresso Sundae, because what is the point of going there without getting ice cream?

Grilled cheese sandwiches are hard to mess up. Elegant in their simplicity, Ellen’s uses a whole grain wheat bread from Charleston Bread that is hearty and flavorful. So much so that the cheese is almost washed out from the wonder of the bread. They provided a packet of Grey Poupon mustard, and that made me feel obliged to add it to the sandwich. It was a nice touch.

Ellen's Special Salad. The special is in the sugared pecans!

The salad was filled with sugared pecans, dried cranberries, feta cheese and mesclun. A side of balsamic vinaigrette was included, and while the presentation was a bit basic (the salad came in a plastic container) it was a good mix of salady items. I found myself wishing Ellen’s plastic forks were a bit stronger, but then again I am sure not too many people eat their ice cream with forks. Fortunately, I am sure that sugared pecans are a divine gift so the wrangling with an inadequate plastic fork was bearable.

Then there was the ice cream. I got a scoop of coconut. It seemed like a good combination for espresso. The presentation was interesting. A scoop of the coconut ice cream was placed in a bowl, the espresso was poured over it, whipped topping was added along with some chocolate sprinkles. It reminded me a bit of a coffee milkshake that had not been blended. The ice cream was okay – coconut ice cream not made from coconut milk seems a bit of a wasted opportunity, and Ellen’s seemed to take the traditional milk approach. In hindsight I should have gone with vanilla or coffee ice cream. That said, the dessert was good. I wanted a coffee, and this satisfied both that need and the desire to have a bit of ice cream.

Now that I know that Ellen’s accepts electronic payment, I may be in a bit of trouble this summer. Time to get used to long bike rides to work off those calories,  I guess.

How can you give ice cream a bad review? This rating seems just fine 🙂

I’ll have to re-review if the restaurant gets going again…

International Women’s Day, a Bridge and Vandalia Grille

Meet Me On The Bridge - a celebration of International Women's Day on Charleston's own Southside Bridge.

Repeating stories to others can be compelling. It’s probably why ever since I was a child I have had friends who could recite entire sections of their favorite movies, television shows and sing entire songs from memory. Some stories are like eating at McDonald’s – popular, quick, cheap and not very good for you. I cringe to think about those entire sections of my brain that contain quotes from pop culture instead of things that might be a bit more useful.

The story I repeat today (before getting into talking about food) is one of those healthy stories that reminds me of the power we all have to make a difference and unite as human beings and work toward a better future. International Women’s Day (IWD) is officially one hundred years old this year. In the past hundred years, there have been events honoring women around the globe. In two countries that have been war torn for years – Rwanda and The Democratic Republic of the Congo – rape and killing of women has been a part of the many atrocities brought on by the horrors of war. In order to bring a sense of solidarity for women in both countries, women from both countries met together on a bridge that created one of their borders to talk about their struggles.

Awareness raising by meeting on a bridge may seem pointless to some people. After all, in two countries who struggle over violent war, how could such a small thing make a difference? In my mind it is because it humanizes the plight of those suffering. These women stood up to declare their humanity, their equality and their ability to resist such forces in a nonviolent manner. They shared their stories, their successes, their plans for safety and personal agency.

Today the struggle in these two countries was honored during “Meet Me On The Bridge” held at noon on Charleston’s Southside Bridge. Women, and men who support them, started at both sides of the bridge, met in the middle and expressed their desire to continue to work toward equality and dignity for all women.

I was happy to be able to participate in this event, happy to be out in the wonderfully beautiful late winter weather, and happy to show my support. I love seeing others working for such peace and equality, and I love being a part of such work!

Vandalia Grille's creamy tomato basil soup, the clocks on the wall, an ahi tuna wrap with sweet potato fries and a view of the bar.

After the event, I had the chance to go out with my friends and colleagues to Vandalia Grille. I love the restaurant’s setup. It sits almost like an extended hallway between two streets, entrances from both sides. It has a very homey atmosphere that is accentuated by the sort of decor I would expect to see on the wall of a friend’s living room. One wall had a bunch of cool looking clocks – all set to different times. It kind of made me wonder what the story was behind that collection.

It seems to me that Vandalia has changed their menu slightly from the last time I was there. I remember a folded menu. It’s not a bad thing, I just find it funny that so many restaurants are going for a two sided laminated menu on one piece of paper. It’s a trend I can somewhat get behind – after all I go out to eat in order to find something tasty, not read a novel.

Eventually I settled on an Ahi Tuna Wrap with Sweet Potato Fries. A few of my fellow diners got the creamy tomato basil soup, and after taking one look at it, I also added a bowl to my order. I was happy I did so – the soup was perfectly creamy with a good balance of spiciness from pepper, a slight amount of basil and lots of tomato goodness! The piece of baguette in the center had some mozzarella cheese, and it would have been great to have a few more slices just like it on the side.

When I got to the main dish, I was surprised by the two sides of dip offered on my plate. I could not decide if they were for the fries or the wrap, so I was forced to try them with both. One was a sweet honey mustard style, and it went great with the lightly battered, lightly sweet yam fries. I wish I knew what the actual difference was between sweet potatoes and yams. I really just called them yams right there so I didn’t have to say ‘sweet’ twice. I guess that is enough of a difference for the purpose of this review. The other dip was a spicy mayonnaise mix, so in hindsight I suppose it might have been for the wrap.

The wrap was surprising. It was like eating sushi in a tortilla, and that is a good thing in my book! The ahi tuna was well seared, and the fish had that just right melt in your mouth quality to it. There was a teriyaki sauce applied to the spinach and veggies inside, and the cashews that were chopped up in the mix gave a great overall crunch. The me says the dressing was cashew ginger, but I really think it was teriyaki. I could be wrong in this, but it doesn’t matter because I think it would have been delicious regardless.

Supporting women, having a lovely lunch, beautiful almost spring day – I think this counts as a mark on the “wonderful day” category of life.

I am shocked the score is this low for Vandalia Grille. Maybe it is marked down because they spell “grill” with an e. It should have a higher score. I would personally rate it in the low 90s.

The Goldilocks of Restaurants

The storefront is plain and unassuming - just like their food! Indoors is about the same, and their placemats go well with the look of the coleslaw.

I am fully aware that the title to this article is a bit bizarre. For the most part, I am aware of the things I write being somewhat bizarre in general. Today as I was thinking about where to eat, the first place I went was closed too early. The second place I tried was open too late. The last place I went was open JUST right. Really, I could have gone plenty of places that would have fit this Goldilocks reference, but the restaurant I ultimately ended up at was perfectly fine and seemed focused on value and comfort foods – the proverbial “just right” that Goldilocks always seemed to seek right before being chased off by bears.

The Smokehouse is a place I assumed would have a lot of smoked meats and cheeses and mostly be focused on sandwiches. My assumption was wrong. The restaurant itself smelled mostly like Lysol, which was clean but I am not sure if that is the kind of smell I look for when sitting down to eat. It definitely is not as tantalizing as the smell of smoked meats.

Overall, the menu is filled with comfort foods. Hamburgers, grilled cheese, BBQ, standard breakfast fare. The thing I was most amazed about were the prices. I got a number of things and still my bill was right at $10. Value seekers will be quite pleased with getting the best bang for their buck.

The decor is basic. When I visited, The Smokehouse was all decked out for St. Patrick’s Day with little leprechauns on tables, shamrocks on walls and green throughout. Unfortunately, their dining area is one big brick room that lacks a lot of character. When you first walk in, there is bar style seating in another section that seemed a little more homey, and it seems the restaurant must do a lot of take-out from signs that state rules about ordering and needing to take the food elsewhere if you come in for take out. I am not sure why that particular rule is there. I mean, if you order take out the very nature of the term “take out” means you do not plan on staying, right?

The condiment-less Salmon Cake Sandwich along with cheese fries, followed by meringue-o-licious coconut cream pie!

I started my meal with coleslaw. My last coleslaw experience was horrid, and this was better than what is offered at the Capitol Food Court. But it is times like this where I realize I am a connoisseur. It comes out in strange places for me, so why not in coleslaw? This recipe was plain and seemed to need something extra. Perhaps some more pepper, and maybe the slight horseradish taste was a bit too much for me, but it was just okay – edible but nothing exciting.

The salmon cake sandwich was BORING. Seriously, I could have just gone to any seafood department of a grocery store, bought salmon burgers, toasted one and put it on the bun and it would be exactly the same as what they did here. In fact, I am almost certain that is what they DID do. There were zero condiments on the sandwich, no lettuce, no tomato, no mayo. I thought about asking for some, but settled for some ketchup (which was not chilled, for those of you who have read about me liking that for reasons unknown).

The cheese fries were basically made by slopping some plain nacho cheese on top of fries. Again, very plain and nothing exciting by any stretch of the imagination – although I suppose having cheese on them allowed me to add a little something extra to my bland sandwich.

I decided to finish up with dessert, which is not common for me. They have a number of pies, and I do enjoy coconut, so the coconut cream pie slice was placed in front of my eyes soon after mentioning it to my waitress. It was heavy on the meringue, but was pretty tasty overall.

Now in reading my review, it might seem that I did not like my experience at The Smokehouse. However, when I consider the bulk of what I got for $10, it was an excellent deal that was filling even if it was a boring meal that could have used a little more imagination from the chefs. Oh, and they had a Word Find as a placemat, where I managed to find my own words instead of the ones they wanted me to find. I am such a rebel – just like Goldilocks – but I don’t break and enter like she does and bears did not chase me out of the restaurant. I almost wish they had cause that would have made for a much more interesting tale.

Word Finds are awesome when you find your own words.

I’d rate a little lower. It is a great place for cheap eats, but you get exactly what you pay for – and if I am going out to eat, I’d prefer to pay a bit more to get tastier food.