The Galloping Gourmet - St. Louis Style!

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

I like to think that the Washington area has some pretty good eating options, but after a couple of trips to St. Louis, mile for mile, bistro per capita, the Gateway to the West has some of the best eats around.

I'm not sure if my friends Chris and Doug are really typical St.Louians (spelling????), but if they are, it's not hard to see why St. Louis can support so many fine eating experiences.

Below are the places that I've had the chance to visit; I'll fill in with more details on all of them over time, but if you are visiting St. Louis, there's not a loser in the bunch. Right now, if I had to pick one, it would probaby be Koko (but maybe that's just because that's were I was last!).

I can't wait for my next trip and some more great eating!


Breakfast

• World's Fair Doughnuts

Lunch

• LemonGrass Restaurant
• Sassafras: Missouri Botanical Garden: Restaurant

Drinks

• Sub Zero Inc.

Dinner

• Terrene
• Koko
• Vin De Set Restaurant
• Scottish Arms
• 1111 Mississippi
  

Snack

• Ted Drewes Frozen Custard

Rijsttafel!

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Indomania

Back home in Washington, DC, it's hard (impossible!) to find rijsttafel. I don't think I've had a good one since I was in The Hague many years ago!

Rijsttafel, is a sort of Indonesian/Dutch tapas. The "rice table" is delight to the eye and the palette. So, I was quite excited to find in Miami Beach, Indomania. Tucked into the ground floor of the Lorraine Hotel off of Collins Ave., 15 blocks or so from the hubbub of South Beach, Indomania offers a cozy dining room (hint: make reservations!), a playful pan-Asian ambiance and a friendly multi-culti staff (led by owners Ineke and Pieter Both), and fabulous food.

Our table of four started with an order of Fricadel jagung (corn cakes with chili/lime dipping sauce) which were excellent. For entrees, we opted to get one rijsttafel for two (the Rijsttafel Sumatra) and Oblok Oblok (friend tofu and tempeh). The Rijsttafel Sumatra was a smorgasboard (is that an oxymoron?) of fourteen tasty small dishes. Highlights were the Smoor djawa (slow cooked beef in kecap sauce); Rendang padang (beef stew in thick, spiced coconut sauce); Terong oseng (eggplant stew); and Sambal g bungcis (crispy, spiced green beans). The Krupuk udang (shrimp cracker) was very helpful in scooping up the rice!

For dessert, an order of friend bananas and ice cream was a perfect closing.

Indomania also featured a modest, but good wine list.

Meal: dinner
Rating: ***** of 5
Date: 7 March 2008
Address: 2601 Collins Ave, Miami, FL 33140
Website: http://www.indomaniarestaurant.com/

Creek 28, Miami Beach

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Creek 28

I'm not usually a fan of hotel restaurant, but Creek 28 is more than your typical hotel restaurant. Tucked into the courtyard of the historic 1936 Indian Creek Hotel (well away from the noisy glamor of South Beach, Creek 28 offers a fabulous dining experience.

On my visit, our table had the Beef and Lamb Goulash, Moroccan Lamb and Chicken Tagine, and Grilled Sea Scallops. All the dishes were excellently prepared with just the right mix of flavors. The tagine was served with a side of Moroccan spice that made wasabi seem mild.

The extensive wine list will compliment any of your food selections. I'll also point out the frequently changing specialty drink menu. On my visit, a dining companion had the vodka, vanilla bean, and hibiscus flower drink that was highly praised!

Meal: dinner
Rating: ***** of 5
Date: 4 March 2008
Address: 2727 Indian Creek Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33140
Website: http://www.creek28.com/

Quote of the Day: 2 March 2008

"There's nothing on Badru but the spaceport .... There's Mikhail's Qwiksnak, a multilingual cafeteria in pink, purple, red, blue, green, and yellow neon (with missing letters) where you can get Galakt k Miks, Spudnik Fry, Krasnaya k la, and indigestion or worse. Nearby is Mikhail's Bistro where you can get a better class of indigestion."

- Russell Hoban. (1996). Fremder. London: Bloomsbury, 2003. p. 2.

ING Cafe, Philadelphia: Coffee and Cash!

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

ING Cafe

What an interesting concept. Financial services and coffee (and baked goods, etc.!). Would it just be a novelty? How long could it last?

I first ran across the ING Cafe a few years ago on a visit to Philadelphia. I had breakfast there and looked over the various ING brochures. The concept of the Internet only bank was still kind of new then and I was inspired to sign up for an account.

When I visited Philadelphia again in January 2008, I made sure to stop by the ING Cafe, but it wasn't open yet when I stopped by. Luckily, I had to make a return trip in February and this time it was open. Not only open, but they were having Sunday special and a coffee, tea, and two muffins were only $4.00! What a bargain!

ING Cafe brews up Peet's Coffee and has Internet access to check your ING accounts or for other purposes.

Additional locations in Chicago, New York City, Wilmington, and Los Angeles.

Meal: afternoon snack
Rating: ***** of 5
Date: 24 February 2008
Address: 1636 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Website: http://home.ingdirect.com/about/about.asp?s=INGDIRECTCafe

Quote of the Day: 23 February 2008

"Mussels in Chocolate." You flinch? But that's only because you are gastronomically unadventurous. (Your Saturday evening visits to the Koh-i-Noor Balti House do not count. These days conveyor-belt curry is as safe a taste as Mozart.)

- James Hamilton-Paterson. (2004). Cooking with Fernet Branca. Europa Editions, New York: 2005. p.15

Looks like a bookstore ... but ...

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

No, it's not a bookstore, or even a library ... it's "Back to the Grind", a delightful little coffee house, breakfast nook, etc. in Riverside, California. Located in a historic niche in Riverside just around the corner from the Mission Inn, Back to the Grind has been around since 1996.

I stopped in for breakfast a couple of times during a trip to Riverside and it was always great. The library ambiance was conducive to reading and it was a great place for coffee, a danish and a bit of relaxation before starting the day.

Look closely at the bookcases in the picture and you'll find a host of curious little knickknacks and doodads!

Meal: breakfast
Rating: ***** of 5
Date: 23 July 2007
Address: 3575 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92501
Website: http://back2thegrind.com/