What a find!
We have to tip our hats to serendipity, that magical force that is frequently the traveler's strongest ally! In this case, it was serendipity that led us us Pho 99.
We were on our way to Canada and suddenly realized that the gas gauge was dipping dangerously close to empty. Needless to say, we quickly pulled off the freeway in order to fuel up. Little did we know that there would be a great pho restaurant within eye sight of the gas station!
This past week on Steven's birthday we made a return visit to Siri Thai on busy Powell Boulevard, in justified anticipation of another scrumptious meal. We'd lunched there on previous occasions, always walking away pleased with the cheerful and efficient service, the lovely interior made especially noteworthy by its cleanliness and the large number of orchids in bloom, along with the beautifully prepared cuisine that consistently left us content and satisfied with our choices.
As usual, Siri did not disappoint. The wait staff welcomed us with generous smiles and a recollection of our previous visit, even pointing out that on our past visit (at least a month ago!) we'd just been to the Benjamin Moore paint store across the street before arriving at Siri for lunch.
Thursday was a warm and lazy afternoon, and we started off with the Appetizer Special of the Day which was a tempura plate of squid, carrot and broccoli pieces with the house special sauce. It was so delicious that we decided to have an appetizer lunch and ordered the Combo Appetizer Plate of: 3 egg rolls, 3 blanket shrimp, 3 crab puffs & 2 salad rolls, accompanied by both the house specialty sauce and a velvety peanut sauce, along with an iced Thai coffee, my personal, mid-day favorite beverage. Soon simply marvelous tidbits of food filled our table!
We’d spent the day playing tourist at Mt. Rushmore and then motoring down into Custer State Park. We hadn’t planned to invest much time in Custer, after all, the trip was beginning to take its toll on us, and we were getting a little road weary. However, when we entered the park and were immediately surrounded by about 80 of the 1,000 bison that call it home, our agenda quickly changed, and we spent the rest of the day being wooed by the variety and quantity of wildlife in this amazing 71,000 acre park.
Bison were plentiful in Custer State Park
and dining was delightful in Lead.
Continue reading "Homestake Chophouse - Lead, South Dakota" »
We knew that we were in the right restaurant the minute we walked in, when we observed that the menu featured a cover illustration of a dog leaping thru grasses and a logo that read: Celebrate like someone forgot to lock the gate.
Continue reading "Barnaby's Grille - Onanole, Manitoba, Canada" »
Sometimes you're in the mood for fun and food and in a beautiful restaurant venue. That's the time when you should consider Kobe's.
Prairie dogs always in the mood for fun.
Continue reading "Kobe's Japanese Restaurant & Bar - Fargo, North Dakota" »
We were caught off guard by the hustle and bustle of Lloydminster, a booming town of about 30,000 citizens near the eastern border of Alberta that seemed to a gathering spot for every retail store and eatery known in the civilized world.
Upon arriving at our accommodation for the night, the hotel clerk tried to steer us to the local OJ (Original Joe’s) for dinner, but we begged for another recommendation. The OJ that we’d previously experienced had been too noisy, too dark and simply “too” for our taste.
Continue reading "KC Steakhouse - Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada" »
It was time for another scheduled service on our vehicle, and so we headed to the dealership in Salem, accepting their gracious offer of a loaner car while they performed routine inspections and repairs. By this time it was noonish, and we quickly went off in search of what we hoped would be a splendid lunch spot that would help us forget about the impending service bill. We drove through Salem's core business and government area and over to the convention center, where we spotted Tiga; we looked at each other, agreed that a sushi lunch could be just the nourishment that we needed, and took a chance on this unfamiliar restaurant, hoping that it would turn out to be perfect. And it was.
It's been quite a while since we've mentioned a restaurant on our website. It seems as if it gets more and more challenging to find that exceptional establishment that pleases all your senses and invites you to return again and again, not just as a guest or patron but rather as a good friend. The Pump Cafe in Springfield is one of those very special finds.
The Pump Cafe must surely be labeled a "diner" with its casual atmosphere, distinct exterior structure, and an inviting L shaped counter. Our introduction to it was pure serendipity, a very fortunate happenstance indeed. We'd left Mt. Hood early on the morning on the day after Christmas and headed to Lane County to keep a long-standing appointment. Our business taken care of, we asked one of the staff members for a breakfast recommendation. Without hesitation, he replied: The Pump Cafe.
We weren't disappointed. The menu was extensive without being overwhelming. Our choices arrived hot off the grill, and the plates held generous portions, cooked to perfection. The decor was interesting, too, with many artifacts from the building's gas station era hanging on the walls.
Outside, along the west wall of the building was a small, pleasantly landscaped area for warmer-weather dining. As we walked through the garden space, we grinned as we watched a family posing for photographs under the trellis. You could tell from their expressions that they'd enjoyed a memorable occasion with family and friends at The Pump Cafe, and that they were delighted to be preserving that moment on film.