All you can eat...but more than you should

When we want to take the kids and grandkids out to eat but don't want to spend a week's salary, we usually end up taking them to an all-you-can eat restaurant. This way, everyone gets what they want and I don't have to worry about a hypoglycemic kid taking a bite out of a waiter.

Old Country Buffet is located close to our house. That's probably the best thing I can say about it. Actually, the salad-bar isn't bad and that area is seldom as crowded as the meat-carving station is.

Years ago when I was in the Navy and stationed in California, my best friend was an Army sergeant named Rick. Every payday, Rick, his family and I would seek out some buffet. Rick wouldn't eat the day before, wanting to save room  for his feast. Upon arrival, he would survey the offerings and determine what the most expensive item there was. Then he would load his plate up with whatever it was...again and again. Rick was all about getting his money's worth. He would look over whatever the rest of us had on our plates and tell us how much each item cost per serving and we we should all try for more expensive items.

Rick would not appreciate Old Country Buffet. Even their higher-end items (roast beef, etc.) are of fairly low quality. But where else can a kid color-coordinate their plate? 

"Look, papa. I've got all orange foods: Jello, mac&cheese, carrots and orange soda!"

The Main Chinese Buffet (as opposed to the Auxiliary Chinese Buffet) in Lacey, Washington is probably my favorite buffet. not only do they have a Mongolian grill and a great selection of fresh sushi and sashimi, but they also frequently have Dungeness crab and local oysters on the half-shell.

The food all tastes fresh and most of it seems at least moderately low-sodium.  Prices are fair, under $15 per person

Accessible Apartments? HAH!!!

My house and I have a few things in common: Neither of us are in good physical shape - the wiring is bad, the pipes need repair, it's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. And the house is in even worse shape than me :D

Over the summer, the wife and I had decided to look into someplace newer and more handicapped  accessible. We had just refinanced the house and were pretty sure we could rent it out for (most of) the mortgage payments.

Armed with naive optimism and the results of several Internet searches, we went apartment hunting.

The first thing we found out? Just because a place advertises "handicapped accessible", "barrier free", or "wheelchair friendly" doesn't mean they have any apartments that remotely match those descriptions. 

None of the apartments we looked at had a roll-in shower. They all had bath tubs. That's pretty much a deal-breaker for me. I'm not nearly steady enough on my feet to get in and out of a tub. Last time I tried I fell and would have had to call an ambulance if my weight-lifter son hadn't been there.

The closest we saw was one apartment with several grab-bars, wide doorways and...very plush thick carpet! I really wanted to rap on someones forehead and say "Thick carpet, really? Think, McFly, think! How is a wheelchair supposed to navigate that?" ADA Apartment guidelines state: Carpet or carpet tile shall be securely attached and shall have a firm cushion, pad, or backing or no cushion or pad. Carpet or carpet tile shall have a level loop, textured loop, level cut pile, or level cut/uncut pile texture. Pile height shall be 1/2 inch (13 mm) maximum. This stuff looked twice that length.

None of the rest of the buildings we looked at had anything resembling an accessible apartment. One complex "offered" to allow us to make the necessary modifications - at our own expense, using their contractors and setting aside a deposit to cover reversing the changes.

Eventually we decided to stay in the old money pit and make repairs and modifications.

My God, it's full of meat!

A couple years or so ago, I was watching The Travel Channel when some show about eating insane amounts of meat came on. 

I didn't pay much attention, in my limited experience such places put way more emphasis on quantity than quality. 

But then, they started talking about a Brazilian steakhouse, one where giant skewers of meat are brought to and carved at your table. And they don't stop until you put up a red light/sign. My eyes glazed over as I tried to come up with a business reason to make a trip to wherever this Mecca of Meat was. I may have drooled. 

My wife recognized the expression on my face and assured me it would only be a matter of time before such an establishment opened in Bellevue.

That time came a few months ago. Novilhos Steakhouse opened next to the Factoria Mall in Bellevue.

Various things came up that delayed our trip there. But then we received a $25 gift certificate and decided to go and protein-load. 

Our first mistake was arriving too late for lunch on Saturday. They close from 2:00 to 4:30. So, we decided to burn off some calories in advance and wheeled over to the mall proper.

After 2 hours of "malling" we were more than ready to settle down for some meat.

Accessibility was average. There was ample space for my chair, but the ramp was very steep. The placement of items in the salad bar was a little high, it was hard to see what was being offered.

Speaking of the salad bar, that was impressive...and disappointing, I was impressed by the quality and variety of many items, but some of the more mundane items, like potato salad, were really awful.

As soon as we turned our signs to green, the Gauchos began to arrive with meat-a-plenty. The first offering was prime rib and it was perfect - fork tender and juicy. Subsequent servings were less desirable. The bacon-wrapped filet Mignon was tough and dry as was the chicken breast. The pork sausage was amazing, but the pork ribs were almost inedible.

The sides - deep-fried plantain chips, roasted bananas and mashed potatoes were all quite good. 

We each had a glass of wine, a cup of coffee and shared a lovely mango pudding.

It was a good experience, some of the food was good, but this was not a good value for $150.00

An up-scale diner with low-class parking

The Skillet Diner at 1400 Union Street deserves to be on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Anyplace that sells Bacon Jam defines the word "Amazing."

After an early-morning doctor appointment in Seattle, Lori and I stopped in for breakfast.

After a frustrating experience parking- more on that later - we were quickly seated, menus and  coffee delivered and the difficult task of deciding on what to order begun.

I ended up getting house-made biscuits and sage gravy. Lori got the daily scramble special, Gouda and herbs with an Arugula salad.

The biscuits and gravy were wonderful. They were topped with some deep-fried sage and served piping-hot. Portions were very generous. I couldn't finish mine.

Service was great. They were attentive without hovering and quick to offer suggestions when we had difficulty deciding.

The lunch and dinner menu are very tempting with such choices as a fried chicken sammy "(fennel seed crust, pickled and charred jalapeño aioli, kale, potato bread) or the rabbit duo (bbq beans, house-made chorizo, braised leg, chicken fried loin, cherry chermoula). So far, we haven't made it back to try any of these, yet.

As much as  I enjoyed the food and service, the parking was terrible. There was no handicapped parking to be found, just standard street parking. Getting out of the car, over the curb and into my chair was dangerous and painful.

You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike

Opened in 1946 Bellevue Square has over 185 shops and restaurants - none of which can be accessed without extensive backtracking for someone in a wheelchair.

A couple weekends ago, we went to the mall to buy our oldest grandson a new skateboard and a pocket knife. It had been quite a while since I'd been to Bellevue Square, the last time, I was walking with only the aid of a cane. 

This time, I wheeled my way around in my trusty chair. At least I attempted to.

Bellevue Square is like a spider web, with many of the "strands" connected by stairs. This is not to say that they don't have ramps to connect these paths, but there is no discernible method to their placement. Compounding the frustration is the fact that there is enough of a slope on each path so that you can't tell if the path leads to a ramp or a stair before you're on top of it. Several times we headed down one path, sure we would reach our destination, only to have to backtrack a fair distance to find one of the ramps.

A low-cost suggestion: Place signs at the start of each path. Have an arrow with the ADA wheelchair logo pointing to where the ramps are or a sign where the paths diverge that tells you stairs are ahead. 

It didn't help matters that the exercise and frustration had caused my blood sugar to drop. Purchases made, we set off to find one of the sit-down restaurants. This was also frustrating as Bellevue Square lacks a central food court. Restaurants are adjacent to retail shops, unless you venture to the streets outside the mall. 

So, after what seemed like endless wanderings, we made our way out of Macy's to the street. By now, I'm past the stammer and shake phase of low blood sugar and into the VERY drowsy phase. Yes, I know. I really should carry some glucose tablets or at least some candy. 

Normally, I avoid places like Red Robin. I find the  food much too salty for my diet. But, it was close and not crowded.

Lori told the young lady serving our table I was a diabetic and badly needed to get something in me quickly. Bless her heart, she raced off and brought me back a small juice and a plate of fries. She said that since they come with the meal anyway, no sense in waiting.

I'm still not fond of the food, but the service was spectacular!

A 'walk' on the not-so-wild side

Back when the weather was more conducive to such outdoors activities, Lori and I decided to scope out a couple of places to get some outdoor exercise.  One of these was the High Point Trailhead and W Tiger Natural Resource Conservation Area. From Issaquah, go E on I-90 to exit 20. Turn right and go to the end of road. Go past gate on gravel road for 0.5 mi to site on left.

The trail is mostly gravel and dirt but a wheelchair can navigate fairly well, for bout the 1st mile. It's rather steep in places but there are plenty of benches for those who are on foot. We packed a picnic lunch of salads and sparkling water (Thanks Trader Joes) and made our way up the trail. It was a good workout and I was happy to have my gloves on to avoid blisters.  I enjoyed getting out in the fresh air and the exercise. Lori enjoyed being able to get to the little lake near the summit and our huge dog, Gracie, enjoyed chasing after her and helping pull my chair on some of the steeper parts.

Another great spot for wheeling around is Crossroads park in Bellevue. There is a nicely paved trail with enough inclines to make it a decent workout. There are tennis courts, playgrounds and a 9-hole golf-course nearby. The restroom is fully accessible.

Community events occur almost every weekend in the spring and summer.

It's a great place for a picnic, bring the whole family!

Fine Irish Pub food and a mediocre fish fry

A couple of weeks or so, Lori and I were in the mood for something different.  So I fired up the Random Restaurant Piker and let it suggest something in my vicinity and price range.

After a few spins with such stellar choices as Azteca and Burger King, the slot machine finally showed me Paddy Coynes Irish Pub.

We went to the Lincoln Square, Bellevue location. Unfortunately, we arrived - it seemed - right between showtimes at the nearby cinema. While there was plenty of handicapped parking in the garage, it was very congested and drivers were not very inclined towards patience with a wheelchair pedestrian.

Paddy Coynes is a small place, a bar and maybe 10 tables. Since it was a Friday night, we did have to wait a bit before a table was ready. Once that detail was taken care of, the waitress was very helpful in clearing a path.

Our drinks were delivered quickly and our orders taken. Lori ordered a Shepherd's Pie (Braised ground beef, garlic, onions, carrots, celery and peas. Served en casserole, topped with mashed potatoes and browned to a golden crisp) and I had the Dublin Coddle (bangers, Irish rashers, onions, garlic and potatoes).

The food arrived piping hot in very generous portions. Each was accompanied with 2 types of soda bread.

Ratings:

to

Food:

Service:

Accessibility:

Ambiance: 

The lower score in Accessibility is mostly based on the size of the restaurant and the difficulty in maneuvering. On the positive side, the restroom was nicely accessible and the waitress eve held the door for me.

Ambiance suffered because we were seated next to the over-loud speakers us4ed by the band. Conversation was impossible.

Despite those complaints,  the food and service were good enough to bring us back.

Feeling in the mood for some really good fish and chips the other day, I went to the Market Fish Fry at the Crossroads mall in Bellevue.

You have your choice there of prawns, chicken strips or cod. For each order of fish & chips, you choose from 5 types of batter (beer/buffalo/jalapeno/curry/coconut) and pick 2 sides from 6 selections of different varieties of fries and coleslaw.

I had the beer batter cod with tater tots and what was described as "tangy mustard coleslaw."

It's a sad thing when the best part of your meal are the tater tots. The fish was unevenly cooked with the batter over-cooked in places and still doughy in others. The coleslaw had no "tang" nor was there the slightest taste of mustard. For all I knew, it was plain mayo and vinegar slaw.

The different flavors of tarter sauce were nice, but getting to them from my wheelchair was very difficult.

Service was very poor. The young man who delivered my food actually dropped the tray on my table, knocking my napkins to the floor. Then he simply walked away and ignored me for the remainder of my time there.

Food: The tater tots save this from a 1 chair rating.

Service:

Accessibility:

All-in-all and unrepeatable experience.