The Foodventurers

Deidre, Sophie, and Lindsey decided to meet up for an impromptu meeting of the Foodie Club on Friday, June 1st at 8:00pm.  Amber (aka Madame President) was also supposed to meet us, but took an "accidental nap" instead.  ;-P

Our restaurant of choice this time was North 11 in Kalamazoo:  http://north11.com/  It was a Friday night, so the restaurant was busy, but not overly crowded.  This place is located in a strip mall and doesn't look like much from the outside, but don't let that fool you.  The inside is great... as was the service.  Both the waitress and manager were very friendly and attentive.

Appetizer:

Asparagus and Eggplant Frites - Lightly battered asparagus and eggplant frites; topped with truffle oil and parmesan served with Romesco sauce  (10)

We loved this!  Not greasy, not too much breading, cooked perfectly, and great seasoning!


Entrees:

Sophie:  Gourmet Mac and Cheese (Four cheese macaroni loaded with garlic, ham, scallions, roasted red peppers, and herbs) with a House Salad (8)

Deidre:  California Style Rueben with turkey, coleslaw, Swiss and Colby-jack on rye and asparagus (7)

Lindsey:  New York Style Rueben with corned beef, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island on wheat with vegetable medley on the side (7)


Dessert:

All three of us ordered the Creme Brule (3)

Let's start with the positives... you get a lot of dessert for the price and the flavor and texture was good.  We also appreciated the addition of the fresh blackberries on top.  However, it was painfully obvious that the whip cream wasn't homemade.  And even worse - while the top looked good - it was soft!  When you tapped the top, there was no shatter!  This was disappointing.  There were also warm and cold pockets throughout the dessert.  Deidre thought it was a bit "eggy" and called it "flan brule."  I think we each ate *maybe* half and none of us would order it again.


Drinks:

SUPER impressive martini menu!


Lindsey:  Luau Martini (9)



Notable Quotables:

"She's like a chihuahua..."  ~Lindsey
"We get it, California."  ~Lindsey impersonating Ray talking to Sophie
"It's not like a let's break into this shit kind of thing." ~Deidre about the disappointing Creme Brule
"I just feel like the creme brule has an identity crisis right now and I just wanna help it."  ~Deidre
"This is the first time I've ever lied." ~Lindsey after telling the manager that the dessert was good
"I mean, I'm hilarious - but she didn't have to laugh."  ~Lindsey

A new frozen yogurt shop opened just two weeks ago on Westnedge next to Kumo's. Let me just say, this is a perfect dessert after a sushi meal next door!

Walking in, I was a bit startled to see the unique chair and table set up. The interior feels modern, creative, and lighthearted. Also, they offer free wifi! The set-up is very similar to White Velvet in Portage, and I can't help but compare and contrast the two. YoGo is much larger and has more yogurt and topping options. Otherwise, they are very much the same. You select between a small cup, large cup, or a waffle bowl. Price is determined by weight.

The attendant explained to us that they offer over 100 different flavors, so the in-store flavors change every week. Each yogurt machine contains two flavors and the center lever creates a swirl of the two flavors.

The refrigerated section contains fresh fruit and boba. If you have ever had bubble tea (although it is unpopular in this region), boba are the little balls you find in the drink. They are like little bursts of juice when you squish them in your mouth.

In the end, I decided to go for a summer-oriented combination. I selected a swirl of strawberry and mango yogurt and then topped it with fresh strawberry, mango, and mango boba.

Fellow foodies, I give you fried silkworms. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic. Crunchy on the outside, nutty in the inside. Made by yours truly at Casa Rath.

The Foodie Club chose to dine at Lee's Garden Bibimbop:  Healthy Korean Food in Kalamazoo for this meeting.

Amber, Lindsey, Ray, and Sophie met up at the restaurant at 6pm.  It was somewhat surprising to find that we were the only patrons on a Saturday evening.  (Though it was actually fun to have the restaurant to ourselves so we could goof around and not get funny stares based on Martell, the slow-ass sloth, having her own chair and menu and posing for pictures with Scooby Doo and Curious George stuffed animals that were sitting on a nearby organ, haha.  But I digress...)  Therefore, we were greeted immediately and got our first choice of table - round, with 5 chairs, and a lazy susan turntable in the middle - convenient for sharing.  The waitress, the only member of the wait staff working, was quick to bring us menus, hot tea, and water.  However, the service steadily declined after that - not good for an empty (and near empty toward the end) restaurant (Service Rating:  3).


Appetizers:

Amber:  Haemul Pajeon, a seafood pancake with shrimp, crab meat, green onions, and carrots - 7
Lindsey:  Mandoo, Korean dumplings filled with vegetables and noodles - 7
Ray:  Kimchijeon, a Kimchi pancake with green onions and sliced kimchi - 4

Amber, Deidre, Lindsey, Ray, and Sophie chose Martell's restaurant in Kalamazoo to serve as the spot for the inaugural Foodie Club meeting!

(When you see a number next to a food, that is our rating of it out of 10 - with 10 being amazing!)

Appetizers:

Ray:  Polenta Fries - 7
Lindsey:  Baked Brie - 8