marylyram

Dinner sounds great--every bit as fantastic as the one Mr. Lyram and I attended last month at Lark! We ate at Union earlier this month, thought it was wonderful, but not as interesting as this tasting menu sounds. We couldn't come for this one because we're leaving for a month in Italy on Sunday and we're saving our dining money for Venice, Milan and an amazing place we've heard of near Padua called Le Calandre that does a 19 course tasting menu. Yes, it's a tough and terrible responsibility, but the Mister and I decided to save all of you nice people from the dual heartbreaks of international travel and foreign food. ciao--once we're back and not completely broke again, dinner someplace? Maybe in June? --Lyram

My one experience with the Melting Pot involved meeting the son's girlfriend--all alone, just the 2 of us when she was in Seattle for a meeting-- for the first time ever. The M.P. had been open for only a short time, her conference was somewhere on the Center grounds, and I thought dunking stuff in cheese would give us a distracting activity. And how hard is it to make edible fondue???? I don't remember the name of the server, but I think it was probably Jeff B, but back before he became jaded. Back then, he was a total eager beaver, coming by every 2 minutes to (a) give us instruction in the use of the burner, (b) explain about how one dips one ingredients into the fondue pot © explain the cunning fondue forks (d) talk about putting various combos of things on the fork for a more advanced dipping experience (e) explain why he still hadn't brought the wine that the son's girlfriend and I desperately needed to break the ice with each other, (f) let us know that our dinner would be out very very shortly (g) etc ad nauseum... Needless to say, the son's girlfriend and I bonded (sort of, kind of like any two survivors of a common disaster experience) and she's still in the son's big picture. If they ever decide to get married, I'm definitely going to take them somewhere else to celebrate!

Voula's. It's on Northlake under the Freeway Bridge on the university side --in the same block as the Northlake Tav. Desolation brunch is a plate of their hobos. Hashbrowns mixed up with eggs, onions, mushrooms, sausage and cheese melted over the top--just be sure to ask for them extra well done so they'll be crispy enough. With a side of warm pita bread. Or any of their omlettes. Or just a side of hashbrowns, extra crispy, with onions on top. All that's missing is a little tabasco and they give you a choice of red or green.