Melange

The other day a friend of mine was telling me about a place called Melange that had just opened where they featured All-You-Can-Eat Custom Sandwiches, Salads and Pizza for just $8. She told me that it was where CiCi’s Pizza use to be in the WalMart plaza (John Young and Sand Lake).

I have been there 3 times already, and although there are a few things about it that are outstanding, I still feel like they need a lot of help.

First you go up to the counter and pay, and now I will walk you through the “Melange Dining Experience”

Start with a Salad at the Build-Your-Own Salad Bar with fresh ingredients and several interesting sounding Dressings. This is no Sweet Tomatoes or Jason’s Deli Salad Bar, but there are definitely enough items to make a decent Salad for any palette. I personally have not enjoyed the Dressing selections that I have made, but this could very well be me making the wrong choice.

There are also three different Soups each day. I have tried two of them and neither had very much flavor, just bland.

Then continuing down the line is the Pizza Bar. I would guess there are at least 8 varieties to choose from. The Pizza is actually pretty good, and I prefer it to CiCi’s. They have a BBQ Chicken Pizza that is really delicious.

Then there is the “Gourmet Sandwich Station”. I don’t know if I would exactly call it Gourmet, but that is how it is listed on their website. LOL.

However this IS indeed my favorite part of Melange.

You order from a computer system similar to ordering your sandwich from a WAWA. One time they were down so you just had to tell the sandwich maker how you wanted it made, and another time my friend’s order came out all wrong so there are definitely some glitches that need to be worked out in their ordering system.

However when everything goes according to plan they are indeed delicious sandwiches. They have several Bread, Meat, Cheese, Sauce and Topping options so that you can really customize your sandwich according to your tastes, and the best part about it is that since it is a buffet you can get another one when you are done.

They even have an option of just getting a Half!

Be sure to save some room for Ice Cream.

OK so now that you know how it all works, I have to tell you my thoughts on the place overall. I am concerned that they are not going to make it. The price is extremely affordable, especially for what you get, however I have never seen more then one or two other tables there.

It is a fairly large space and there is no way they can afford to stay open unless something happens quickly. It is unfortunate that the location is buried so far in the back of this plaza. They also have to many employees that are just standing around. The poor busboy is so eager to clear your plate (sometimes before you are even finished) because he has nothing to else to do.

I truly hope they get the word out and get people in there because the concept and the value are fantastic, however I am sad to say that I doubt it can happen. Melange – Please prove me wrong.

Olympia Restaurant

Way out on east Colonial (right by the 417) is the Olympia Restaurant, which has been around since 1979. I’m never out that way but I was purchasing a Dryer from the place next door and decided to give it a try.

As I walked in I noticed that the place was rather large and had plenty of seating. The décor was definitely dated, and there was only one other table there that day, but I would imagine that they have larger crowds in the evening.

I started with the Saganaki (Lightly breaded, fried Goat Cheese, flamed then extinguished at your table with fresh Lemon $6). I love this dish and it is usually a good indication of how good or bad a Greek restaurant is.

It arrived and was presented with the flaming presentation that I love, however then there was the taste. Traditionally when Saganaki is ignited it slightly “cooks” the cheese and leaves it melty and spreadable, here at Olympia that was not the case. The “Breading” was so think that it just got burned, while the Cheese inside stayed hard. It was awkward to eat and I didn’t enjoy it at all.

I had noticed that there was a lunch special that included a Gyro and Fries for 5 or 6 dollars. I had already committed to eating here, but since I didn’t really care for the appetizer I figured that I would go the inexpensive route and hope for the best.

The Gyro was fine and filled my belly and the Tzatziki Sauce that accompanied it was actually pretty good. The Fries were not good, but who cares?

Will I ever go here again? No

I’m sure they have a decent dinner service, especially if they have been around for this long, but I have Greek Restaurants closer to where I live that I enjoy more so I will go there instead.

Wo Hop - Chinatown

It was around 2am and I was with my buddy who suggested we grab something to eat. He said he knew of a place in China Town that would be open, so we hopped in a cab and headed straight to Wo Hop.

Up stairs or down stairs, with very basic décor and bright lights.

Hot Tea, anyone?

Started out with some Fried Dumplings – Super Delicious!!!!

Then we had Broccoli with Black Bean Sauce and a Shrimp and Vegetable Dish.

The Chicken Wings scared me and I didn’t try them.

Some Urbanspoon reviews indicate that the Downstairs part has different Food then the Upstairs part, who knew?

Very glad I went and I had a great time catching up with my friend.

The Fried Dumplings were good enough to go back for, especially if I ever find myself wasted in NYC craving Chinese Food in the middle of the night again!

It could happen.

The Smith - Midtown East

Having been to the Upper West Side location of The Smith for Breakfast twice on our trip to NYC, we knew that it was going to be a good safe bet for our final meal in the city. We had an afternoon flight, but figured that we would first have a nice leisurely lunch at the Midtown East location before heading to the airport.

This one had the same décor, the same unisex bathroom and the same top-notch service. We had been eyeing the lunch menu on line so we all knew what we wanted ahead of time. They started by bringing around some Bread and Butter. The Bread was extremely hard on the outside and we wished that we had the Cheddar Chive Biscuits that we had previously had but that might just be something they do during Breakfast hours.

For an appetizer we had the Hot Potato Chips (Blue cheese Fondue $8). These were pretty good. It was a mound of freshly made Potato Chips, drizzled in a mild Cheese Sauce (almost like a Bechamel) and then sprinkled with chunks of Blue Cheese. I with the sauce had more of a bite to it and that there had been more Blue Cheese Chucks, but this being said we still devoured the entire bowl!

My Mom ordered the Chicken Pot Pie (Cheddar Chive Biscuit Top $20).

It was enormous. She pealed back the Top (which she ate most of) and ate as much of the Filling as she could – but this meal definitely could have fed two people.

My Dad had the Grilled Chicken Paillard (Mozzarella, Arugula, Marinated Tomatoes, Fire Roasted Red Pepper, Parmesan Dressing $19). This was another huge portion. The Chicken Breast had been pounded thin and took up the entirety of a very large dinner plate, then was covered with all of the toppings. This was a fairly healthy and delicious dish.

As for me I hadn’t had a Burger yet on this trip so I opted for the Burger Deluxe (Special Sauce, Cheddar, Bacon, the Works $17). By no means was this the best Burger I’ve had, probably not even in my top 20, however it did taste fresh and I enjoyed the Bun (even though it was slightly too large for the Patty which drives me crazy).

Still I really enjoy The Smith, and the next time I am in new York City I look forward to dining there again.

The Smith - Upper West Side

I was speaking with a friend of mine who lives in New York City, and he said that while I was visiting I needed to go to The Smith. He told me that this is his favorite restaurant and he loves it because they use local ingredients, their prices are reasonable and that everything on their menu is delicious. With a recommendation like that I had to check it out.

We actually ate there three times in the four days we were in town. We had Breakfast twice at the Upper West Side location (The other location I will save for a separate review). When we visit New York we like to take advantage of going to tapings of morning shows like Live with Kelly and Michael and The Chew, so we found this location to be super convenient to those studios.

The décor is charming and the place is spacious. You are greeted with bottles of both still and sparkling water, and then for Breakfast hours they bring around Cheddar Chive Biscuits, which make an interesting start and makes you anxious for your meal to come.

My Dad ordered Pancakes (Whipped Ricotta, Toasted Pecans, Salted Caramel Sauce $12) and loved it. I also had a few bites (because the portion was huge and he could only eat about half) and I thought it was really delicious.

My Mom had Eggs with Home Fries and Apple Smoked Bacon ($12)

And I had the Mushroom Omelette (Wild Mushrooms, Garden Herbs, Fontina, Home Fries $12)

The Omelette was so delicious – although I didn’t taste the herbs I was quite pleased with the quantity and quality of the Mushrooms and the Cheese. The Home Fries were also really tasty and overall this was quite a hearty ooey gooey Breakfast that left me completely fulfilled.

A couple days later when we dined there for the second time my Dad ordered the same thing he liked it so much, but this time I ordered what my Mom had the previous time… Yum!

This time she ordered the Oatmeal (with Seasonal Market Fruit and Nuts $10).

Again the portion was huge and she could only finish half but took the leftovers home and had it for Breakfast the next day!

All in all I love this place. Great Food, Great Prices (especially for New York City) and Huge Portions!