The Ladies Who Lunch (Part 3)

[Anna N]

One of our favourite restaurants is Celadon House. It has been off-limits since Covid because although it did some takeout it was only after 4 PM. However, recently they have resumed lunch service on Fridays only. I desperately wanted their mushrooms which are only on the dinner menu and wondered if we would be lucky enough to be able to get those. When I called I was informed that anything on the dinner menu is available at lunchtime. My sigh of relief must have been audible for miles. 
 

t

The mushrooms to die for. 
 

Hunan dumplings

 

 

 

 

Egg-rolls as we remember them to be. Substantial. 
 

There was also some calamari that managed to evade the camera. 
 

 

My plate with the calamari on the lower right hand side.  
 

Kerry’s plate. 
 

It was all so very good and there is still enough for another meal in my refrigerator. 

 

Edited October 23, 2020 by Anna N
A mess of photographs. (log)

[heidih]

@Anna N Oh those mushrooms look wonderful. Are those also potatoes in there or just a mushroom illusion. Sauce? And the crackling looking little bits? Mushrooms on my list now.

[Anna N]

Today’s lunch came from Bul & Gogi Korean restaurant in Hamilton. 
 

 

Kerry had the Jap Chae (Stir fried Sweet potato clear noodle with beef and vegetables.)

 

 

 

I had the Galbi Lunch (beef short ribs marinated in Korean BBQ sauce). Mine came with miso soup, a small salad, a couple of tempura vegetables, rice and lots of dipping sauces. 
 

not the greatest photographs!

 

 

 

[Anna N]

@Kerry Bealand I had to work our weekly lunch around her very packed schedule. Today for instance she had 3 (virtual) meetings : 11 am, noon to 1 pm, and 1-3pm!

 

While she attended the first meeting I tried my best to find a restaurant that a) served something we wanted to eat; b) opened before 4 pm; and c) offered delivery. I did not think my criteria were too harsh but perhaps I failed to factor in the enormous toll that Covid has taken on our dining facilities. 
 

All that to explain why Kerry had to make a speedy pick up from a place we really want to continue to support. 
 

So once again our lunch came from B’s Banh Mi.

 

 

Spring rolls which we shared. 
 

 

Meat lover for Kerry with pork tenderloin as they were out of chops. There was a meatball in there, too!
 

 

Chicken banh mi for me. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Anna N]

About three years ago my number two son brought me a crispy chicken sandwich. It might have been from Burger King or perhaps from A&W. I can no longer remember. But I do remember how much I enjoyed it and have been hoping to have one again. So when @Kerry Bealsuggested that she pick up lunch at Hello Iris, I was all for it. 
 

 

Crispy chicken sandwich for me. Delicious but quite a challenge to eat.

 

Chicken strips for Kerry with two sauces – – honey mustard and Thai sweet chilli. 

[robirdstx]

 

A Lady Friend and I lunched on the spacious waterside deck at San Leon’s TopWater Grill today. We each ordered the Fried Shrimp, which came with Fries, Jalapeño Hushpuppies and Shrimp Coleslaw. I had a glass of Chardonnay and she had a glass of Merlot. All good!

[Anna N]

Today the weather was cold enough to justify another feast from our favourite Indian restaurant, Bombay Grill. 
 

 

Kerry‘s plate. From lower left:  fried paneer, onion bhaji, bhuna chicken , naan, saag gosht (lamb with spinach), rice and a dipping sauce in the centre. 
 

 

My plate — same food. 

[Anna N]

14 minutes ago, robirdstx said:

A Lady Friend and I lunched on the spacious waterside deck at San Leon’s TopWater Grill today.

Looks delicious and how nice that you could eat together outside. The temperature here was hovering around zero. Not conducive to outdoor dining.

[heidih]

All looks tasty.

I have to say whenever I see this topic title ... this is all I can think 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

5 hours ago, Anna N said:

Looks delicious and how nice that you could eat together outside. The temperature here was hovering around zero. Not conducive to outdoor dining.

 

The temperature here was/is well below zero, depending on what temperature scale you use.

 

[IowaDee]

Supposed to reach 70 degrees today.  If you have hay to make while the sun shines, get busy-this won't last!

[BeeZee]

I met a friend for lunch on Tuesday at an outdoor mall that I knew had plenty of outdoor seating. At 45 degrees, there was plenty of seating...we usually sit and talk for a long time, but after 45 minutes (even wearing a winter coat) it was not comfortable. We vowed to wait until another 60 degree day rolls around.

[heidih]

6 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

I met a friend for lunch on Tuesday at an outdoor mall that I knew had plenty of outdoor seating. At 45 degrees, there was plenty of seating...we usually sit and talk for a long time, but after 45 minutes (even wearing a winter coat) it was not comfortable. We vowed to wait until another 60 degree day rolls around.

I think those handwarmer things you squeeze to activate will sell well with the outdoor seating cuz it is really as much about conversation as food  Oh and hats at lunch!

[Anna N]

6 hours ago, BeeZee said:

We vowed to wait until another 60 degree day rolls around.

Yes. I do find that chattering teeth interfere with conversation.    

[Anna N]

Today we decided that Thai was in order. So @Kerry Beal carved some time out of her busy day and picked up food for us from Bahn Thai.

 

 

My plate: From lower left – – Golden squid,Golden basket, Sesame beef and Grilled chicken. 
 

Kerry added rice and peanut sauce to her plate. 

[kayb]

Aaahhh. There is a Bahn Thai in Memphis. One of my favorite restaurants. God willing, we will get past all this and I can enjoy Tom Kha and a salad and Spicy Old Man on the deck listening to the blues.

[Anna N]

I have been longing for what I consider Chinese food for ages so when it was time to enjoy lunch with @Kerry Bealthis week I was lucky. Despite having ordered in Chinese for her own family very recently, Kerry was game to pick up Chinese again for her and I to share. 
 

 

 

 

This was the dinner for two from the Mandarin (M2Go) supplemented by some dumplings.
 

This is when I discovered that what I think of as (Canadian );Chinese is not necessarily at one with the standard. Dinner for 2, 4, 6 or more differed mostly in the quantity not in the selection of dishes on this menu and I have to guess that it pleases most people most of the time. 
 

Eggrolls, sweet-and-sour chicken balls, chicken wings, chicken chow mein, chicken fried rice. Kerry‘s plate looked very similar only she had more balls!  

[Anna N]

I spent much of yesterday evening and most of the early morning hours today researching what @Kerry Bealand I could eat for lunch. With so many restaurants closed and others opting to do only evening hours it’s not an easy task to find something a bit different to share with you. So after all my work it was Kerry that came up with the idea that we should get food from a diner!  This diner.
 

Kerry was impressed with how carefully the server took her order. And we were both impressed with the way she packaged the gravy:

 

 

Regrettably though the french fries which were the raison d’être for the gravy didn’t make it into the order! 
 

 

Kerry’s poutine which she generously shared with me to make up for my missing fries. 
 

 

Kerry’s supposed Reuben. I am not much of an expert on smoked meat sandwiches but I gather this missed the mark. 
 

 

My liver and onions. I was most impressed with the vegetables. 
 

 

My plate with some of the poutine in place of the French fries with gravy on the side. 
 

lots of leftovers including a side of gravy. 

 

[ElsieD]

Kinda puts me in mind of the food you get at Russell Williams in Burlington.  Not horrible, passable.  Glad I haven't been lately although due to Covid I do miss seeing my MIL.  She likes the place.

 

It's hard to find anything around here as well.  Dinner yes, lunch no.  Although last Friday we went to a pizza truck that was serving up wood fired pizza.  We inhaled it, it was delicious.

Edited December 10, 2020 by ElsieD (log)

[Anna N]

@Kerry Bealand I managed to share a lunch date this week (at my house) despite the frightening rise in numbers of COVID-19 cases in our area. This may not look terribly exciting (and it doesn’t help that I forgot to take a picture of my sandwich once I opened the bag)

but I really did enjoy the food and most of all the company. 
 

 

Kerry’s chicken tenders with dipping sauce. 
 

My sandwich!

 

[heidih]

The chicken looks wonderfully crispy. Gotta love the marketing "wild honey" - not like we farm bees though we do transport hives to selected fields and orchards. Or maybe wild as in spicy? Nice you got a Lady's Lunch  

[Toliver]

Regarding Popeye's, don't look too closely at the honey packets they provide for their biscuits. It's actually "honey sauce"...whatever that is.

[Anna N]

Damn this pandemic. Today was the first time that Kerry and I could safely enjoyed lunch together since December 31.  We decided on Korean. 
 

 

kimchi soup, rice, dumplings and mixed vegetables for Kerry. 
 

 

I had dumplings, rice, ribs (kalbi), vegetables and banchan. 

 

This restaurant heat seals or vacuum packs food for takeout. 

 

[Anna N]

Well Covid is truly messing with our lives. Never before in my memory have these ladies who lunch shared to lunch on a Saturday (except when we are together on Manitoulin Island). But I am so happy to see another human being in the flesh that I am not going to complain one bit. We followed all the appropriate public health precautions as we sat 6 feet away from each other in my home.

 

 

I tried to give the task of choosing which restaurant to @Kerry Bealbut she played the work card!  And truly she worked right through lunch!  I chose Popeyes. This is her lunch which is butterfly shrimp, onion rings, biscuit and coleslaw. She mixed up her own dip using Maille honey mustard and kewpie mayo. 
 

 

I had the same except for the shrimp. Mine were popcorn. The biscuit would’ve survived at least three periods of a Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens game.  The onion rings were so so. Next time I will stick with chicken which I think they do much better than shrimp. 

 

[lindag]

My friend and I who are also 'ladies who lunch' (and often breakfast together) went to our nearby cafe  yesterday.

Surprisingly, their wonderful salad bar is finally open again after nearly a year and they told us they've opened up their Sunday buffet once again.  

Our governor has lifted nearly all restrictions.  I sincerely hope this is going to end well.