Restaurant Review: Shiraz

I know it looks like I haven’t cooked for months, but that’s not entirely true.  I have cooked things I already blogged about, eaten home-cooked food at other family members’ houses,  and have also visited a few restaurants.  I have also managed to snag a few recipes I’m waiting to try out, so stay tuned for those.  But for now, here is a review of Shiraz.

Shiraz Persian Grill

I’m sure you have noticed my penchant for Central Asian cuisine.  Middle-eastern food is a close approximation, though it’s not exactly the same thing, but I like it nonetheless.  So this time, a friend and I tried out Shiraz Persian Grill.  The atmosphere was perfectly “college town” and it fits well on the East Side of Milwaukee.  I was pleasantly surprised by the selection available, though I do wish they’d have lamb kabobs.  The long case you see in the picture carries several kinds of meat, rice, salads, toppings, and other things I can’t even remember.

I had the Beef Koobideh with raisin rice, hummus, and baba ganoush.  My friend had Spicy Chicken with rice as well as hummus and baba ganoush.  What can I say, we both like eggplant and chickpea dishes.

Beef Koobideh

The Beef Koobideh wasn’t as tasty as I would have hoped.  I didn’t have any preconcieved notions about what it’s supposed to be, but it was a little cold and a little tough.  The rice was really good and I think I’ll try to make something similar at home, but the rice seemed to have been a tad overcooked (the rice grains were split down the middle).  The pita bread you see in the corner seemed a touch stale/tough.

Spicy Chicken

I did take a piece of the Spicy Chicken to try and have to admit that it was really good.  I think this would be the dish I order the next time I go there.

The hummus was a hit, but the baba ganoush tasted a bit too sour to both of us.  Little garnishes of pickles and olives did little to mask the taste of the baba ganoush but worked really well with the hummus.  Maybe we were there just at the wrong time.  Maybe the food is better (hot and yummy all around) when there are more people.  I will certainly give this place another try, but will probably stay away from the beef koobideh.

Restaurant Review: La Dolce Vita

Interior of La Dolce Vita

On our last “Girls Day Out” we were short one girl. It was her husband’s birthday and a good enough reason not to hang out with the girls. But she was definitely missed. We went to the Museum After Dark event, but before that, we checked out a restaurant.

The restaurant we tried out is La Dolce Vita. This is a small, cute, charming restaurant that served us delicious food.  The service was prompt, the server was courteous, and the bathroom was clean.  When added to yummy food, you have a winning combination.  I am definitely looking forward to returning and trying other things on the menu.

Appetizer - Zaalo

We shared an appetizer of Zaalo which is an eggplant dish. We both happen to love eggplant, and I detected a hint of cumin.
Then for dinner, my friend had Salad Nicoise and I had the Merguez Panini. The french fries threw me off since I don’t think of them as Mediterranean, but the sandwich was lip-smackingly delicious. It was great even the next day. C’mon, you don’t really think I could eat the whole sandwich in one sitting? It was definitely tempting, but way too much food. Which makes it a great bargain.

**UPDATE:  I forgot to mention in my original post that the first time I ate the sandwich, I ended up looking for the restroom the rest of the evening.  I don’t know if it had anything to do with the food itself, since the other half of the sandwich didn’t give me any trouble the next day, unlike the first half of the sandwich.  Just thought I’d mention it, in case you will not have the opportunity to be near a bathroom or have a weak stomach for new things.

Merguez

Salad Nicose

Restaurant Review: Trocadero

Fountain at Trocadero

Today, a few of my girl friends and I had a “girls’ day”. We went to the art museum in the morning and decided to get lunch somewhere in the downtown-ish area. Having struck out on our choice #1 (don’t know the name, but the building was empty as the restaurant has shut down) we decided to try Trocadero.
It’s a lovely place with nice decor and atmosphere. We had about a half-hour wait, but we didn’t call ahead and it was lunch time on a Sunday.

A La Florentine

One friend ordered “A La Florentine” which is a toasted English muffin with wilted spinach, grilled tomatoes, and poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. Here she twittered about another aspect of her lunch.  She also mentioned that the eggs were perfectly done, just how she likes them.

Parisian Garden Sandwich

Another friend ordered “Parisian Garden Sandwich” which is a fresh baguette with balsamic vinaigrette, hummus, greens, red onion, cucumber, and tomato.  She also enjoyed her sandwich and apple cider with cinnamon and orange.

Stuffed French Toast

I ordered “Stuffed French Toast” and it was stuffed with raspberry cream cheese with chocolate chips. It was delicious, except that it was swimming in maple syrup. Chocolate and maple syrup are not a great flavor combination, so I think I would have been happier if the syrup was on the side, but I just assumed it would be. Oh well. It was still delicious.  Though as yummy as it was, I was unable to finish it.
My friends also liked their food, especially the baked potatoes that were served with the sandwiches.