Dining Out- Week of November 7th, 2005

Lemon Grass
Oconomowoc


Mango & Pineapple Shrimps
Mango, pineapple, carrots and scallions in a sweet and savory sauce; served with brown rice

This I’ll-got-five-meals-out-of-it dish represented a wide array of impressions showcased by fresh ingredients. Tropical breezes from the fruits, crunchity crunch from the carrots and scallions and sweetness from the sauce. If I could find fault it only had 10 small shrimp.


Décor and Service: The increasingly popular system of ordering at a counter and your meal is brought to your table.

3 ½ out of 5 stars



Casablanca
Milwaukee- Brady St.


Combination Appetizer
*Babaghannoj
Baked eggplant blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon and garlic

*Hummos
Chick peas pureed with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and paprika

*Tuboleh
Finely chopped parsley, mint, onions, tomato and bulgur then blended with olive oil and lemon juice

*Potato Salad
Pureed baby potatoes blended with lemon juice, olive oil tahini and garlic

*Falafel
Mixture of ground chick peas and vegetables deep fried with spices

I thought this would be a great idea to try a lot of menu items. Instead I got a plate of similar tasting items sharing blandness. The babaghannoj was bitter, tuboleh had a bit of bright note, potato salad was essentially cold mashed potatoes and falafel seems to be the same everywhere despites this being labeled famous. I have no doubt other menu items would have been better; I just ordered the wrong thing.


Décor: Simply done conveys a neutral and uncluttered feel.
Service: The whole staff was cordial and professional

2 out of 5 stars



Cold Stone Creamery is having a cake testing Friday, November 11th, 2005 to Sunday, November 13th. Between two locations on Friday I was able to enjoy Strawberry Passion, A Cheesecake Named Desire (pictured) and Coffee House Crunch (pictured).