The Blue Dolphin

Kate: Skordalia and Greek Salad with Chicken

This visit has been a long time coming. Many times, it has been recommended that I check out the Blue Dolphin, and it so happened that today was the day. We went on a semi-business lunch with some of our friends. Time was a bit of an issue, and this ended up being a good choice.
We started with the skordalia for the table. This appetizer is a potato and garlic dip served cold with pita points. When it was delivered to the table, it really looked like a scoop of mashed potatoes. It was an interesting starter to the meal, unlike anything I had ever had before. Note: DO NOT GO HERE ON A DATE! Or, at least, don't order this appetizer if you do! There was a tremendous amount of garlic in this dish. It was tasty. An interesting texture. Something different. I am not sure that it is something I would want to eat all the time, but I am glad we tried it that day. A food adventure, if you will.
Another note: The rolls that they serve while you are waiting for your food are a very pleasant surprise. They are large, airy, and have a sweeteness to them that I can't quite describe. They really were quite delicious. I would be curious to taste some of their other baked goods.
So, the salad was underwhelming. I had heard such good things. It was filling, and pretty big for the price. The Greek dressing was good, a little oily for my taste, but a good blend of spices. The chicken was a little dry, and the lettuce didn't look quite as fresh as I like, but overall, it was alright. Nothing spectacular. I would likely order something else the next time I visit.
The atmosphere of the Blue Dolphin is similar to that of an old dinner that serves a lot of early bird specials. You can tell that it has been there for quite some time. There is a smokiness in the air that hit me instantly when I walked in, and being from Ohio (a smoke-free state), it is something I still can't quite get used to here in Michigan. There is some really interesting decor. But, it also felt a little dirty, I guess. I can't quite describe it. Maybe it was the smoke.
We will go back. Paul enjoys the more complicated Greek dishes they serve. And, for the price, it is a pretty good deal. I will look forward to those rolls!
Oh, and Paul wanted me to point out that the gyros were excellent. Just so you know.

two golden forks out of five

Old Burdick's Bar and Grill

Uh... hi? It's been too long friends, really. Kate and I have been insanely busy at work (my craziness is dying down, hers is just starting) and so we apologize that the blog has suffered a tish. We will get caught up in the next week or so, no worries faithful readers. Anyway, on to Burdick's...

Kristin: Side Salad & Philly Steak and Cheese with Mushrooms and Roasted Peppers

Burdick's was fun. We checked out College Night (because we're cheaters and use our student IDs from last year) and got some pretty good deals! The side salad I had was SOOOOOO good! It's a really classy plate they put down in front of you: Greens, honey roasted pecans, feta (so of course Kate was al over that :), and a semi-sweet vinegrette. Wonderful. The philly on the other hand... it was kinda bleh. Our service was a little lack luster as well - our server said that our order was put in behind a large party, but we were all pretty confident that he just forgot to actually put IN said order until he saw us get antsy and start checking watches/ cell phones. All in all I'd go back for a bigger version of that salad as my entire meal instead of a side.

two golden forks out of five

Kate: Side Salad & the KZ Grill

Burdick's was an experience. Yes, as Kristin mentioned, we were total cheaters, but we are on a budget too, and since we totally still look like students, we should be able to enjoy that! I also had the side salad, which I agree, was yummy! Yes, there was feta, and the vinaigrette was delicious. This salad, with some grilled chicken, would be a great meal, a light one too. My KZ Grill was alright. Nothing to write home about, but as chicken sandwiches go, a pretty good one. I asked what the "rescue sauce" was that is listed in the menu, and was told it was some good sounding combination of things. However, when it arrived, it was simply Thousand Island dressing. Not so amazing. It would be hard to make this sandwich not taste alright, unless the chicken was poorly cooked, but it could have been spectacular, and it wasn't. Oh well. It was 1/2 price.
And, as Kristin mentioned, the service was AWFUL. Our server was nice enough, but seriously, we should not have paid for that meal. We waited almost an hour, I think, between our salads and our food. UNACCEPTABLE. I understand that is it "college night" and that there probably aren't great tips coming from those groups, but seriously, let's have a chat about customer service...

two golden forks out of five

Shawarma King on Westnedge

Kristin: Shawarma King Buffet

Before I begin, I would like to take you all through an excersize. Close your eyes, channel your inner Sean Connery, and say "Shawarama King." Ha. Awesome.

OoOoOoOkay. This is my first venture into the land of Lebanese dining, and sadly, it was pretty lask-luster. Hmph. Let's flesh this out step by step. The buffett was great in that I could try lots of different things that ordinarily I wouldn't have been able to. The humous was good but a little runny for my preference (went well with the frie

d pita chips though). The baba gannouj was very yummy-it reminded me of venison sausage to be honest. Probably the best thing was the Shawarma Chicken - a really unique flavor to me. The okra... okay not bad. The Beef Shawarma? Well that was just plain gross to me. So there were some good points... but none of the food was great enough that I'd bother to go back to Shawarma King. Sad day people.

one golden fork out of five

Kate: Shawarma King Buffet
Well, for all the talk this buffet got, it left a little to be desired. Now, don't get me wrong, it was alright, and it will, again, fill the middle eastern cuisine void caused when I moved away from Cbus. The hommous was pretty average, and the first round of falafel was good, but the second grab was a little bland. Now, I will give them the shawarma chicken. It was delicious, and I feel as though I should have followed the advice I was given on ordering the chicken shawarma sandwich, because it was definitely my favorite thing on the buffet. There were also some good green beans in a tomato sauce, yum!
Overall, not a bad experience, but nothing that blew my socks off. Though, they do offer the buffet-to-go which might be something to consider for the future...maybe.

two golden forks out of five

Rice Kitchen

Kristin: Sesame Chicken and Egg Roll

Rice Kitchen is pretty much exactly what you'd think it is. At least it was for me. A slightly dive-style chinese restaurant. Every town has one, this is just Kalamazoo's version (or at least it's the closest one in Kalamazoo to Kate and I). The food was equally expected. probably not good for you, but tasted good. The staff was... interesting - I enjoyed evesdropping on their conversation about making Mii's that look like the characters from The Big Lebowski. So yeah. Rice. Made in a Kitchen. Rice Kitchen. Viola. (or... whatever viola is in Chinese.)

one golden fork out of five

Kate: "Special Diet" Chicken with Mixed Vegetables and a Vegetable Egg Roll
For the closeness to home and the price, this definitely satisfied my Chinese food craving. I was glad that I was able to get my meal prepared in the "special diet" fashion. No heavy oils, sugars, any of those pesky extras that pack on the calories. So, in essence, I got some boiled chicken and veggies with a brown Chinese gravy and white rice. Actually, it was a fairly light lunch, especially when I removed the broccoli, which I can no longer eat (sad face). My egg roll was considerably more greasy than Kristin's. In fact, when I took a bite, oil poured out. Thought maybe they were getting back at my for ordering my chicken and veggies "special diet" style. All in all, a quick, warm lunch, that will do for Chinese takeout, especially when looking for a fairly light option. Though I will probably skip the egg roll next time.

two golden forks out of five

Pasta Pasta

Kristin: Shrimp Scampi

I'll admit, when it came out I realized I hadn't ordered what I thought I had (I'm a budding food lover, the lingo gets a little jumbled), but it was good all the same. Still I believe the best part about this meal was the bottle of wine (I don't remember what it was called, maybe Kate does, but it was a very pretty bottle), and the crazy character of our server (I believe she may have been an owner?) All in all I'd go back, but more for the wine special than anything else.

two golden forks out of five

Kate: Wait a minute! I thought I got the Shrimp Scampi! Is it possible that we got the same thing?
This was not my first Pasta Pasta (or Comensoli's) experience as my mother and father ate here when they moved me into my place. And, both experiences have been pretty good. Though, clearly, I am struggling to remember what I had when. So, I will speak in generalities... The food here is very fresh and well prepared. One of the house salad dressings, I believe it is a Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette, is yummy and to top it off, there is feta cheese on their house salads. I am sold! I love me some feta! I like how their menu varies in heaviness. Both times, I was able to order a light pasta dish that was void of heavy sauces. Perfect for my diet. And, Kristin is not kidding when she says that the wine was good. Both times, I have ordered the Piccini "Wicker" Chianti from Tuscany, and it is a nice, hearty red, great for a pasta meal. They also have a 1/2 off wine bottles special on Tuesday nights. A nice way to treat yourself to a nice meal.
Kristin failed to mention that we shared a creme brulee here. I find their creme brulee to be mediocre. Now that I know I can get it several places in town, I probably won't order it from here again. It is served warm, which is not how I prefer it, and the caramelized sugar was not evenly heated and not that great.
But, for another place that is within walking distance of my place. I am in. Good Italian food that I don't have to prepare myself is always nice.

three golden forks out of five