Sesame Asian Kitchen: Ashland, Oregon

Stopped in Ashland for lunch today, the result of a yarn emergency. Just around the corner from the destination yarn-weaving store The Web-sters, found Sesame Asian Kitchen. It’s a bright sunny space that looks out onto Lithia Park. The interior is sleek and attractive and the food is good. We started with vegetarian eggrolls which were beautifully presented and fine, but not exceptional. The Asian slaw on which they were sitting was great however, as were our entrees. I had the crispy eggplant with tofu and Mr. Gastronome had the pumpkin curry. Both were winners. Service was mostly attentive and very friendly. We’ll definitely plan to stop here again. As far as I can tell, Ashland is the only outpost of civilization between Portland, Oregon, and Sacramento, California, in a valley that regards the “theory” of evolution as a communist plot. And I’m not that sure about Sacramento… But Ashland is definitely solid. Actually upon further reflection, Corvallis and Eugene obviously have progressive leanings.

Bonsai Bistro -- Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Incredibly enough we left Montana reasonably early (for us), which put us into Coeur d'Alene for lunch. That meant we had a lot more food options than on a typical road trip. We settled on the Bonsai Bistro, a pan-Asian place in downtown, as it had plentiful parking. We ordered Malaysian vegetable tofu stir fry and the carmelized garlic noodles. Both dishes were very good. I especially liked the tofu stir fry. The tofu is artisanal and you can really tell the difference. The noodles were just that -- a plate of noodles -- although they were delicious. But better for a larger group to split. I would definitely go back, although since the portions are so generous for two, I think we would order just an appetizer and one main dish.

They have an extensive sushi menu, which we didn't sample, so I'm unable to comment on that.

The service was prompt and attentive and the space was attractive. The restaurant is located just across the street from the lake and the main resort.

Vios Cafe - Seattle

Met a dear friend at Vios Cafe for lunch today. Vios serves wonderful, home-style Greek food -- not the greasy stuff you sometimes find. Vios is very family-friendly, with a place for kids to play. Large tables may seat more than one party. Place your order at the counter, pick up utensils, find a place to sit and the incredibly friendly and skillful server will bring your order to the table. The vibe is very laid back and the food is extremely fresh and tasty. There is a small market section, and food is available by the pound to go.

Our friend Mary had a mezze salad plate (third picture)which I think was not on the menu but looked great, Mr. Gastronome and I split two orders, a grilled eggplant sandwich with Haloumi cheese and sweet onion relish, and an appetizer trio sampler with hommus, tzatziki and babaganouze (their spellings) pita, olives, onions and cucumber (pix one and two). This evening Mr. Gastronome admitted that he could happily have eaten all of both our orders. It's that good. We'll be back often.