As I’m sure you all know, getting anyone in a group of hungry people to actually come right out and pick a restaurant is nigh impossible. After the inevitable hemming and hawing at around 11:30 yesterday, we decided to skip the usual suspects (Keyser Soze!) and head to Bangkok 56 on Paxton Street. I’d never been there before, and I’m glad we went. From the outside, the place looks underwhelming, but the super-tiny dining room is very pleasant. The tank of cichlids, which went far above and beyond your cliché Asian-restaurant fish tank, was a nice touch. I wasn’t feeling all that adventurous. I have a decidedly sketchy stomach and I wasn’t even half way through the workday, so even though I love spicy food and was tempted by the curries, I went with a simple Kow Pad — fried rice with pork, chicken, tomatoes, onions and scallions. Nothing fancy, but it was really, really good and even with two meats it only coast $8.99. My co-workers/co-diners had a variety of dishes ranging from green curry to pineapple fried rice, and each was similarly impressed. The only complaint I heard from the others was that the portions could have been a bit larger, but I thought my dish was the perfect size for lunch. I definitely recommend Bangkok 56, and I’m kind of glad that it’s not within walking distance, otherwise I would probably become a Thai-junky (Me: “Hi, my name is Justin and I’m addicted to Drunken Noodles.” Group in chorus: “Hi, Justin”). I actually had Asian for dinner as well. I was in Carlisle to get a haircut at Salon Didia (awesome place), and ended up meeting a friend at issei noodle (no links for either, we’re moving into Cumberland County but we aren’t that far quite yet.) issei is a noodle house that uses elements from Japan, Malaysia and Singapore in its menu. I had Japanese Yaki Udon and it was quite flavorful. I hate slimy noodles, but my dish was cooked well and the texture didn’t throw me off. The service? Eh. Not horrible but kind of slow. The food was quite inexpensive — my meal was large and cost only $7 — and the atmosphere was very sophisticated and warm. I’d definitely go back again. Between those two and the thoroughly subpar lunch I had at New 2nd Wok not all that long ago, I think I need a bit of a break from Eastern food.

Big boss Dori checks in again after lunch at Carmella’s Trattoria. She also gives her second bathroom review in as many posts. I’m beginning to feel as though becoming a parent makes you view restaurants as changing tables that happen to serve food. Frightening. Anyway, here’s what she had to say: We decided to try Carmella’s yesterday for a small, impromptu client lunch. It was my first visit there, and I was pleasantly surprised with the decor and the menu. Sadly, I was not impressed with my meal. I ordered the blackened chicken lasagna which, for $10, was thoroughly uninspiring — pasty white, paltry in size and, worst of all, rife with unidentifiable chicken bits that were not the slightest bit blackened. If I was not out with a client, I would have sent it back. The two guys dining with me both had much better luck. They each ordered a tomato-based zuppa di pesce (a.k.a. fish chowder) for $7 a bowl that they loved. The shrimp cobb salad and wild mushroom pizza were also big hits. The clientèle while we were there was entirely comprised of politicos and businesspeople, so it would not top my list of places to take an infant or toddler. Yet, at the risk of starting a pattern here in only my second post, I must give Carmella’s a shout out for their spotless, spacious ladies room with a pull-down changing table in the larger stall. The setup is particularly nice because there’s a sink next to it where you can wash up while still standing next to your child on the table. There’s a semi-private party room in the back that seemed like it would be nice for small events. I’d say it’s definitely a place to hit after work for a cocktail and appetizer… maybe dinner. I’m still a little turned off by my meal, but, in the immortal words of Meatloaf, “two outta three ain’t bad.”