The Ladies Who Lunch (Part 2)

[Anna N]

You wouldn't think after Tuesday in the Sports bar we could full even lower for our lunch choice. However, we had some limitations to overcome in order to get anything to eat at all. We had Kerry's daughter with us and hence had the handicapped van and Kira's wheelchair to consider. One needs a great deal of space for the van in order for the ramp to be deployable and one needs a wheelchair accessible restaurant. Those are our excuses for how we ended up in Red Lobster yesterday.

Calamari with broccoli

Mussels for Kerry

Shrimp linguine Alfredo for me

A baked potato for the youngster to supplement the food her mom carried with her. In the end it wasn't needed and went home for her dinner.

[Anna N]

Well we had lunch for the third time this week. You might think third time lucky but you'd be wrong! Our first choice for a restaurant was the Cafe Havana in Oakville, however, after we scouted it quickly, we realized it was not particularly handicapped friendly. So we set off for our second choice the Cuban's Restaurant also in Oakville. It was closed! Right beside it was a favourite pub, The Coach and Four, where the food is usually exceptionally good.

We were amused to discover that the Red Hat Society, seen here behind Kira, was enjoying lunch at the Coach and Four.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hat_Society

We ordered the calamari blossom

And a platter of Irish nachos.

[Tri2Cook]

In general, I like the red hat ladies. I know most of the local group, they're good customers where I work and we appreciate it, but their monthly meeting of the hats is never looked forward to. A huge group of them arrives ~30 - 35 minutes before lunch rush, which would be great, plenty of time to get their food out before the rush hits, but they sit there and talk until the lunch crowd starts filling the place. As soon as people start coming in the door, they suddenly become business like and all order quickly... and I'm thrown in the hole right off the hop for the lunch rush. I still like them but that tends to get a grumble or three out of me. I've had the waitresses try to politely guide them into ordering sooner but they'll have none of it.

Edited January 30, 2015 by Tri2Cook (log)

[Anna N]

In general, I like the red hat ladies. I know most of the local group, they're good customers where I work and we appreciate it, but their monthly meeting of the hats is never looked forward to. A huge group of them arrives ~30 - 35 minutes before lunch rush, which would be great, plenty of time to get their food out before the rush hits, but they sit there and talk until the lunch crowd starts filling the place. As soon as people start coming in the door, they suddenly become business like and all order quickly... and I'm thrown in the hole right off the hop for the lunch rush. I still like them but that tends to get a grumble or three out of me. I've had the waitresses try to politely guide them into ordering sooner but they'll have none of it.

[rotuts]

Ive never heard of Irish nachos.

 

looks good  

 

is it potato wedges fried then the toppings ?  or potato chips ( crisps )

 

it was not clear from your preamble, but Im hoping the calamari was good.

 

certainly looks that way.

[Anna N]

Ive never heard of Irish nachos.

 

looks good  

 

is it potato wedges fried then the toppings ?  or potato chips ( crisps )

 

it was not clear from your preamble, but Im hoping the calamari was good.

 

certainly looks that way.

Yes. They are homemade potato crisps. The calamari was okay neither the worst and certainly not the best we've known.

[Deryn]

Tri2cook - Would it be possible (if they come to your establishment on a regular basis) to perhaps ask them to order in advance of arrival/the day? They are probably very familiar with the menu but if they can't recall it maybe you could email them a copy or provide a photocopied one to whoever might be designated the group's leader?

 

I have definitely heard of the Red Hat Society - just didn't realize there were still 'chapters' in existence.

 

The food looks wonderful, Anna - do hope it lived up to how nice it looks in your pictures. And thanks for including Kira - my how she has grown! What a lovely young lady.

[Anna N]

Yesterday we were back to just Kerry and I for lunch which made parking and restaurant choice much easier. We returned to Coconut Thai. This restaurant suffered considerable damage in a fire and this is the first time we have been back since it re-opened.

A beer for me. Kerry stuck with water

Two appetizers. Calamari, of course and corn fritters.

We shared a duck curry.

[gfweb]

Tri2cook - Would it be possible (if they come to your establishment on a regular basis) to perhaps ask them to order in advance of arrival/the day? They are probably very familiar with the menu but if they can't recall it maybe you could email them a copy or provide a photocopied one to whoever might be designated the group's leader?

 

I have definitely heard of the Red Hat Society - just didn't realize there were still 'chapters' in existence.

 

The food looks wonderful, Anna - do hope it lived up to how nice it looks in your pictures. And thanks for including Kira - my how she has grown! What a lovely young lady.

 

Red Hats are big in my part of the world. Lots of retirement communities.  I will turn around and leave if I enter a restaurant with a load of them and no food on their table.  They are all delightful old grannies individually, but en masse they are a plague of slow moving locusts.

[Anna N]

So we both had the same thing on our mind for lunch on Wednesday. It just had to be pho!

The downscale version of tea in a simple stainless steel pot which had seen better days.

Some deep-fried Vietnamese rolls. as we know the calamari is not up to snuff.

Beef and chicken for Kerry

Rare and well done beef for me.

And the usual garnishes.

After lunch we popped in to a nearby Asian store and Kerry spotted this unique storage space for Durian.

They are on top of the box on the roof. A little hard to spot perhaps.

[rotuts]

""  the calamari is not up to snuff.  ""

 

[IowaDee]

Many years ago a seller on eBay took a photo of a shiny tea pot he planed to sell.  Like Kerry's his reflection showed up in the pot.  Unlike Kerry, he was stark naked!   

[MelissaH]

At what temperature does durian freeze? Does that adversely affect its eating properties? I'd think it would help cut down on volatile compounds.

[Kerry Beal]

I think standard freezer temperatures - I see it sold frozen in the markets here.

[caroled]

At what temperature does durian freeze? Does that adversely affect its eating properties? I'd think it would help cut down on volatile compounds.

At our local Asia Mart, they are sold frozen, and yes it does affect the smell. I pick up one each time I go trying to decide if this will be the time I buy one. In their frozen state, they smell , to me, vaguely like a strong cheese, milder than Morbier, certainly not as strong as Limburger. Really on indefinable scent, Huiray, if you have smelled them , help me out here! :-)

[Anna N]

We were determined to find a new place for lunch today not only because we needed to change because we thought you all needed a change! And so only returned to the Persian restaurant, Rayhoon, which had failed to open on our last visit. We felt a little like déjà vu as it was 11:45 and the restaurant was still not open. Kerry had the brilliant idea to call them on the phone. The first attempt landed her in voicemail but the second attempt brought her a live person and an apology that featured a car that wouldn't start. Given the temperatures here in the last few days one totally understands a car that refuses to start. The warm welcome we got from our server helped no end to drive away any chiliness in our attitude.

I completely trusted that I would find their menu on the web and made no attempt therefore to memorize the names of the dishes we enjoyed,

Kerry ordered tea

I had a Heineken. And before you all become horrified that I'm consulting my iPhone both Kerry and I were trying to answer a question by consulting Google!

A trio of dips two of which were yogurt-based and one egg plant-based.

Flatbread to accompany the dips.

A braised lamb shank accompanied by a saffron tinged rice dish

Another rice dish which included dates, walnuts, lentils and broad beans.

In addition to salt and pepper shakers on the table was a shaker of sumac.

[Smithy]

That looks wonderful! How was the second rice dish (with lentils, walnuts, dates and broad beans) served: hot, warm or cool? Did it have a sauce or dressing on it? The rice looks as though it may have had saffron.

[Anna N]

Kerry found the website

click

So the second rice dish is the Addas polo.

It was served hot but there was no sauce with it.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Smithy
Corrected link (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Kerry found the website

click

So the second rice dish is the Addas polo.

It was served hot but there was no sauce with it.

Actually I think it had that yogurt sauce with it that you can see in the picture. Had the leftovers for dinner tonight at work - tasty - and smelled so good! Edited February 19, 2015 by Smithy
Corrected link (log)

[Anna N]

On Wednesday despite the possibility of a traffic gridlock due to a blown transformer we headed back towards Burlington to visit the Dutch store. I was in search of beef stew flavored potato chips as mentioned on another topic, some nasi goreng seasoning and some more of the Dutch potato spice called aardappel spice. No joy on the potato chips but I did get everything else. Since we were in Burlington we chose to have lunch at Thai Avenue click

Kerry asked for ginger tea

And I had a Vietnamese coffee

Appetizer was shrimp on sugarcane

Kerry had one of the buns (salad)

And I had the beef pho.

[Smithy]

The shrimp on sugar cane looks mighty tasty.  I love the lines of the Vietnamese coffee cup!  Was it easy to manage?  I generally like a fully looped handle instead of an open handle like that, but it looks cool.

[Anna N]

The shrimp on sugar cane looks mighty tasty.  I love the lines of the Vietnamese coffee cup!  Was it easy to manage?  I generally like a fully looped handle instead of an open handle like that, but it looks cool.

Tried really, really hard to simply report what we ate and drank without any other judgment in accordance with our decision not to review the restaurants. Nevertheless I have to tell you the shrimp was passable although obviously frozen as the center was barely warm, the cup was manageable, the coffee considerably less so.

[Anna N]

Yesterday we were trying to fit a number of activities into a fairly short time span including haircuts. It look like lunch was going to be a challenge no matter what. So we stopped in here grabbed two bahn mi.

Kerry's with cilantro, mine without.

[Anna N]

Yesterday Kerry and I were on a mission which took us in the direction of Baker's Warehouse and Paramount Fine Foods. Paramount specializes in middle eastern food.

Freshly baked pita bread with a very smoky eggplant dip.

Labneh.

Platter of grilled meats.

We added a skewer of grilled lamb.

[Anna N]

Today Kerry and I headed out again to enjoy our once a week socialialization and lunch. We had no errands to complete so we visited two thrift stores and arrived at Kenzo Ramen House long before the lunchtime crowd.

The menu has changed since we were last there but I cannot seem to find it on their website. They appear to be in the process of updating it.

Tea. I love these cups.

Pork Gyoza

Kerry's bowl of Ramen.

This is my bowl. It included black garlic sauce.