Weekend Eats

It was rainy and cold on Friday night and a warm sandwich sounded great to me. So we went to the store and picked up a few items, specifically pastrami, peppered turkey, and Jarlsberg Swiss cheese. 

I placed those things on sourdough bread and wrapped it in foil, then set it in the oven for about five minutes to soften the cheese and harden the bread.

Then I added cole slaw and Thousand Island dressing.

Was this a Langer's #19 or a Philippe's turkey dip? Nah. But it was the best sandwich I have made in a long time.

The rains cleared on Saturday (though they would return Sunday) and it was a gorgeous Autumn day. We had to get a few things at Target and I suggested getting lunch at Fu Shing a block away. I could eat Chinese food for every meal, but Elizabeth doesn't share my passion. However, we'd eaten here a year ago and both thought it was very good, so she thought a return trip sounded like a good idea.

Before we left I'd been watching college football and texting with my buddy Nick, who was ranting about Michigan's poor performance. (He's an alum.) I told him I wasn't going to be able to watch the end of the game. But it was on the TV at Fu Shing, hidden behind a vase and a small horse.

Once again we were seated in this alcove. This is my third time at Fu Shing, and all three times there were tables available in the dining room yet I was sequestered here.  Maybe I should start bathing more frequently.

All the lunch entrees are served with hot & sour soup. I ate it but it wasn't my favorite; it was too gelatinous and not at all spicy. 

You are given the choice of salad or an egg roll, an easy choice for me: Fu Shing's salad is one of the best I have ever had. The dressing is delicious and I use my chopsticks to eat every single little fried noodle just so that I can soak up all the dressing. If the waiter hadn't taken the bowl away when he brought the entrees, I might have tipped it to my lips and drank the remaining dressing.

Elizabeth opted for the egg roll and insisted I take a bite. It was better than the last one I'd eaten at Fu Shing, but I still wasn't a big fan. 

Elizabeth had the sliced chicken with mushrooms. I didn't like this dish but that's not a fair criticism; I don't really like mushrooms so I only ate some chicken and peas. I found them boring. I'm sure the mushrooms would have helped.

I had the sweet & pungent chicken. I really like this: it's crispy and meaty and the sauce had plenty of garlic flavor. It's certainly better than any orange chicken I've ever had. 

Probably not Vernon Wells. I have had nothing charming to say about him.

Saturday night we felt like going out for a nice dinner. We considered trying someplace new, but in the end we decided to go with out old favorite: Green Street Tavern. I didn't feel like lugging my DSLR camera to dinner so I just brought a six-years-old point and shoot. And I wasn't going to use the flash so the pics are not good. (I also considered just not taking pictures of our meal, but I didn't want to deprive you.)

We started with the Catena malbec, simply because that was the only one on their menu that they had in stock. "Everyone is drinking malbec lately," the waiter explained. "We sold out of all of it except this."

We started by splitting a bowl of the Conquistador bisque. I've written this before and I will again: when done well, this is my favorite soup I have ever had. This time it was a little bit saltier than usual, but still great. The garlic crouton was absolutely bursting with garlic flavor. Of course I loved it.

Elizabeth ordered the lobster ravioli, stuffed with Maine lobster, ricotta and mascarpone. She loved it but, after taking a bite, I wasn't crazy about it. It wasn't bad by any means, but all I tasted was butter and cream, no lobster, even though Elizabeth had made sure to give me a piece with plenty of lobster in it.

There were two other items that had caught my eye - the short ribs in a cabernet reduction and the filet mignon - but there really wasn't any doubt that I had to get the wild boar meatloaf. If the wild boar meatloaf sandwich were still on the lunch menu, I could see myself trying something else for dinner. But since it's gone - and once again, I told the owner what a travesty that is - I have to get my fill of wild boar where I can. It was fantastic, with garlic mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, onions and a demi-glace that I could have consumed by itself.

(Is it wrong that I just considered how tasty it would be to line up and throw back shot glasses of Fu Shing's salad dressing and GST's demi-glace? It seems like it should be, but I would still do it.)

For lunch on Sunday I threw some tomato/basil pizza sauce on a Trader Joe's lavash and topped it with burrata and fresh basil. I say this every time I make a lavash pizza: I don't know why I don't make these more often.

On Sunday afternoon, for the third week in a row, I went over to Tim's to sample his porter. It is ready now, and it is fantastic. Unfortunately, after just a couple of pints, it started pouring rain. So I went back home.

Once again for Sunday dinner Elizabeth wanted Trader Joe's pizza, specifically her tarte d' alsace and piadinia. That was just fine by me: there was a great football game on and a new episode of The Simpsons. So I fixed myself the Pizza Parlanno with a glass of malbec, a nice way to end the weekend.