When it comes to your standard Asian restaurant, and I say Asian, because so many offer more than just Chinese, the formula is a simple one. Familiar recipes with generous portions served quickly and reasonably priced. Very few places screw that up, so there’s comfort in the consistency.

Tonight, I visited Lotus Terrace in Naperville. The food alone was near the upper end of expectations with a few really yummy standouts, such as the satay and the steamed quiche on the Trio Delight. Yet, the reason I enjoyed it so much and want to endorse it is the service. Our server was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the food and eager to answer our questions. It helped us to better understand our options and to start thinking about trying new things in the future beyond our standards.

I can go anywhere for “Chinese”, but I usually only go back to the places that offer a memorable dining experience. I look forward to trying this place again, armed with the hope that this visit wasn’t a fluke. Maybe next time I’ll even try a Vietnamese dish. Enjoy!

Had the pleasure of serving a repeat guest tonight at work. Kirsten was visiting with her friend, Tisha, to celebrate Tisha’s new job. Kirsten remembered me from a previous visit, both for my great service and the fact that I’m well-versed on all things gluten free where I work. She’s the one who told me about Canyon Bakehouse, which I’ve yet to try, but as soon as I do, I’ll post a review.

Since I’d last seen her, we’ve both started blogs. Hers is specifically about “Sharing healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free, kid-friendly recipes with simple ingredients and easy to read instructions.” Check it out for tons of great recipes, and if you subscribe, tell her I sent you. Enjoy!

Celebrated my first anniversary tonight with my lovely wife, Catherine, by going downtown to see “Big Fish: The Musical”. We hadn’t had any specific plans for dinner, so I decided to continue one of her longstanding traditions and visit Ronny’s Steakhouse in Chicago before the show. She gave me fair warning about what to expect, in terms of the food, and I wouldn’t at all say she was inaccurate. The 10-ounce steak offered maybe 5 ounces of edible meat. The roasted corn, while tasty, was cold. The baked potato drowned in the generic cheese sauce. Honestly, the food was cheap and tasted like it. However, it reminded me of a very important truth about dining experiences.

You see, sometimes, we all go back to a place for something other than the quality of the food. The pickiest of my friends have visited numerous average local establishments frequently, purely for the nostalgia factor. Because, when a place means something to its patrons, it has the potential to transcend its own mediocrity. Enjoy!

I visited the Egg’lectic Cafe for breakfast today. Maybe I should have ordered a breakfast entree, but I had a pot roast sandwich instead with a side of “Mexican rice”. It was quite tasty, but calling the thinly sliced meat pot roast seemed inaccurate. The rice, corn and bean mix was a bit dry, as is often the case with precooked rice side dishes, but enjoyable with a little hot sauce on top. The flavored coffee was worth a second cup.

Sure, I’d go back, as is the case with most “on par” restaurants. Because on par is a perfect assessment. It satisfies the expectations, but does not exceed them. A birdie, eagle or hole-in-one is much rarer, so any establishment should be happy with on par. It’s infinitely better than being sub-par. Enjoy!

At the in-laws for Easter Dinner. If you ever get the opportunity, try lamb on the grill. It’s amazing! Enjoy!

Since the inspiration for this blog struck about a year ago, I’ve been to a LOT of new places. Some were local; some were across the country. I’ve eaten bisque cooked inside a coconut, tasted my first ghetta, and even had my first brussel sprouts in decades. However, through all that, I didn’t have this forum to talk about them.

Some of those adventures and others will be detailed in my “Past Feasts” series. I want to keep this series focused on new experiences. So I’m creating my first invitation to anyone who visits. I’m looking for suggestions for great places to check out. I live in Chicagoland, so most of my outings will be in the area, but I’d love to have a list of places around the country to keep in mind, should I venture out and about. Given my wife’s dietary restrictions, I’d especially love to hear about places with great gluten-free options.

Here’s the only catch. Only suggest a place if you’ve been there, and please tell me specifics about why it’s worthy of the trip. Dining is very subjective. Anyone can tell me a place is great, but until I find out for myself, I won’t really know for sure. So thanks in advance for helping me make your Past Feasts some of my Latest Eats. I can’t wait to share them with you. Enjoy!

… because I haven’t had any new adventures yet.

I first envisioned this site over a year ago. I’ve had a number of food adventures since then, but this category is for new experiences. So as soon as I have something new to post, it’ll show up here. In the meantime, check out my other stuff. Enjoy!