Old Standby: My Linh

My dinner plans to go to Casa Dominicana with a friend deflated over yesterday afternoon, so I decided to change altogether and go to My Linh. I'm not sure that I've ever had a bad meal there.


Last night's appetizer was the Banh Beo - delicate rice flour cakes with shredded pork and shrimp powder and a complex sauce. The main dish was Banh Tam Do Bien, a lovely blend of fresh and cooked ingredients: shrimp, scallops, onions and noodles cooked; mint, lettuce, and sprouts fresh. And the tangy firey sauce overall was a very fitting addition.

I stopped at Luigi's deli a couple doors over on Delaware Ave, and enjoyed the whole ambiance once again. I got the roast beef, the roast pork, sausage and some tomatoes. It's not that their wares are very different from any other of the dozens of neighborhood Italian delis in the capital region. I just like the guys and their little shop. Maybe it's all the stuff hanging from the ceiling.

Breakfast hash - take 2

I cast caution to the wind and decided to use the corned beef I bought for sandwiches in some hash.

I started with little red new potatoes, those ones you're supposed to steam or boil. I fried them in the pan that I had just used for a wonderful marinated tofu.



One last egg left in the carton was the first thing in my peripheral vision when I was done with the hash, so it went on top.



Ok now I'm ready for a great Friday.

Karavalli

The story behind this rather lame image is that I was so excited by my wonderful food at Karavalli that I forgot to take photos. Then I was gonna take photos of the leftovers, but I got so excited that I forgot again.

My point being that Karavalli is still on top of their game and truly the best Indian restaurant in the Capital District. Not that I'm not a fan of the longstanding others, but Karavalli has dhosa!

Last night's feast was the fish curry, and it's simply divine. A dhosa appetizer, and my companion and I were unable to get through our main entrees and quailed at the thought of dessert, however everything was superb.

Even the mango lassi had just that little something extra of a mild spice.

LorreBob sez - go now, go often.

Midtown Tap and Tea Room

I have to confess that I am attracted to the Midtown Tap and Tea Room because of the name. My introduction was a reception for the Upstate Artists Guild show, and I am very happy that the old Avenue A space on New Scotland Ave. is being put to such good use. The art looks good and new artists will be showing on a regular basis.



The menu consists mostly of small plates, which I like very much, and the wine list looks like one could take a long time to taste the offerings. I asked for a hard cider, but settled for a ginger ale.



I ordered the beans, greens and shrimp plate because I was curious about almost all the plates and decided to just take it from the top and go back many times. Having foresworn wheat temporarily, the beans sounded like and excellent and substantive basis for a dish. While I sipped my ginger ale and looked at the warm decor, this basket of corn chips and salsa arrived as the complementary snack. It was wonderful! The salsa was hearty and a wonderful blend of savory and bright flavors. The chips were perfect for scooping, although the staff should be a little more discerning about how many broken scoops are going out to the table.



The plate was just wonderful. The rich bean starchy goodness and the seasoned greens were an unfamiliar and interesting complement to the shrimp. I must say that after all the years of thinking that restaurants simply want to kill customers with too much food, I'm extremely happy to see small plate choices. The snack and the small plate made a filling and perfectly sized meal.

So I ordered dessert!!

I chose the creme brulee and was so fascinated by all the flavors in the sugar topping that I forgot to take a photo. It looked like a regular creme brulee, but the sugar was superbly finished. It was like a taste rainbow.

I'll be going back to check out both wine and more small plates on a regular basis.

LorreBob sez: check it out.

French fry omelette

An old friend told me about this omelette many years ago and I've tried it with varying success.

For demonstration purposes this instance is made from rasta fries. These fries were frozen, which I would not recommend. But you get the idea...



For this version I have used a dry skillet, not adding any oil or salt and taking advantage of the rasta seasoning. I scooped out the fries and quickly cooked the omelette, then added the fries back in for the final folding. [] I found the photo of the completed omelette, so it's below.



Although ketchup will be the most likely sauce, I rcommend going for an aioli or other sauce that will complement the thyme and peppers of the rasta seasoning. As I was folding the omelette I thought about a light schmeer of sour cream, which I also think would add something to the flavors without smothering them.