Dishola: Reviews by the Dish

1968 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC
(828) 654-8879

mrsbum on 02/01/08

What kind of a moron eats 3 dozen raw oysters at a 10$ all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet in the middle of the mountains of Western North Carolina "just to see what happens"? I'll give you 36 guesses and the first 35 don't count... To be fair, I do have an amazing tolerance and an endless appetite for raw seafood. On several occasions, I have witnessed dining companions whose digestive systems were made of less sturdy stuff die face-down in the mud while I frantically waved for another platter. But Asiana doesn't serve anything stronger than wine (liquor is always a good idea when you're consuming raw flesh) so I knew I was taking a bit of a chance. On a previous visit, the oysters on display were the size of salad plates and scared the hell out of me, plus there was no proper sauce, so I gave up after two. But last night they were smaller and plentiful and pretty tasty and I solved the sauce problem by concocting my own out of available ingredients (lemon, soy sauce, spicy sushi dressing and cocktail sauce.) It's the next day and I'm still alive, so I can heartily recommend the raw oysters at Asiana, although I accept no responsibility for any and all repercussions you might suffer if you try and break my record.

2300 Fletcher Dr, Los Angeles, CA
323-663-9241

mrsbum on 01/18/08

This East L.A. institution is open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and the food is always plentiful, serviceable and tasty. The Greek Omelette is a dependably decent dish for drunks, vegetarians, people who like feta cheese and my husband who probably ate one of these every time we went to the Astro. Too bad he didn't order the hashbrowns...They are a buttery masterpiece. One of the best things about this place, besides the architecture and the hours, is the fact that it's one of the only true diners in Los Angeles: No matter what you want they'll accommodate you if possible. The nuevo diners like Swingers will never duplicate the true dinerosity of the Astro and it's sister restaurant Jan's. In terms of Los Angeles Diners, the Astro Family Restaurant is an 8.5 to a 9 but I can't rate this dish that highly in light of my experience with East Coast diners.

2300 Fletcher Dr, Los Angeles, CA
323-663-9241

mrsbum on 02/04/08

It's fake, it's weird and it's fabulous. I don't know what they make it out of, but once you start drinking it, it's hard to stop. Hooray for free refills!

16501 N State Road 63, Covington, IN
(765) 793-3947

mrsbum on 08/13/08

First things first...The Onion Rings are a clear 10 and they did not lie about the quality of their rolls and other bread products. We were there for lunch, which offers a limited menu. Most people (including the Bum) went straight for a buffet-ish affair which featured Meat and two sides, salad bar and dessert (it's actually a bit difficult to tell between an Indiana salad bar and dessert FYI.) My burger was an easy choice, being that it was obviously a brilliant idea that someone had around 1977 and it's managed to hang around on the menu ever since. The photo does not lie...It came with a slice of cream cheese that was easily 1/2 inch thick. The burger was properly fatty and cooked perfectly and the pumpernickel bread was the right choice.

144 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA
(504) 522-0111

mrsbum on 02/29/08

To be fair, after you get through a couple dozen of the oysters with caviar, even this rich and beautifully prepared version of the classic pales in comparison. I include this dish with a hearty recommendation for anyone who's aged out of the raw oyster game (raw oysters + oldsters can equal difficulties) or those who can't stand their bivalves uncooked (you pussies).