Last night, Justin and I went to the Hopleaf for dinner! Then we got to the hostess who let us know that it was a 2 hour wait.
So then we decided to go to Andies for dinner! It is not what you think. The website…yes..kind of bad. The restaurant decor….yes…really bad. The red light bulbs and roses for Valentines day…cheesy. BUT the food is so good. Every time I have been there, my satisfied tummy leaves no room for complaint. We started with a couple wine flights that are served in a cheesy little curly wire plant-stand looking thing. The glasses are miniature. Please note the daintiness of the glass in Justin’s hand. The presentation is cheesy…but the wine was good.
Big man. Little teensy glass.
We were not there for the wine though. The menu is a little overwhelming, and has many fold out panels that open. There are at least two supplemental loose leaf inserts as well. I am convinced that you can order anything on the extensive list of mouth watering Mediterranean dishes. If you find something gross, please call me from the restaurant and I will be there within 5 minutes to slap you. You are clearly a liar and don’t know good food. I will then buy your dinner from you and eat it with pleasure.
The red lighting didn’t really provide a ton of light, and I refuse to use the flash in a restaurant. So the actual meal photo is a bit shaky. I am also very excited to eat it, so only took a fuzzy shot or two. (Note: Since I have been taken my new camera into restaurants, I must appear to be working for a publication that is reviewing the place. Because I have been visited by the manager to ask how the meal is, service is flawless, the food delicious, presentation gorgeous and quick to come out of the kitchen. I am NOT what they think I am. Although I suppose I am reviewing the place in a way, just not for a “real” publication).
Moroccan Chicken with Apricot: Breast of chicken grilled with vegetables, garbanzo. Moroccan spices, apricot sauce. Side of dill rice. Bad lighting, shaky hand.
Justin had the Sha‑Wer-Ma homemade lebanese style gyros with tahini sauce. He loved it. At the end of the meal, we noticed there was still bread left in the basket which means the meal was fantastic. Rarely do we leave the bread alone. I have probably only seen this happen 3 times in our eating career.
Rare leftover bread sighting.
So at this point I would usually refuse a dessert menu and ask for the check. But sometime during the time line of restaurant evolution, the dessert tray/cart tactic was born. It is beautiful and irresistible to most humans. Pomegranate cheesecake was promptly ordered. The tartness of the pom, the cinnamon and nutmeg spiced crust, and rich smoothness of the filling marry together into a piece of dessert perfection that is unique and memorable. It was also very good looking on the plate… for the 1/2 second life it had before we devoured it.
