Mediterranean Wraps -- 4/5

I was wandering around after the fabulous California Avenue Farmers Market yesterday (well, two days ago at this point) when my tummy started rumbling. Realizing that about six hours had passed since I'd last eaten anything, "anything" being a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats way early in the morning. I looked up and this was the first restaurant I saw. As a fan of Mediterranean (and let's face it, pretty much any) ethnic food, I figured, why not?

1. Food -- 3/5 The first thing I ever order at a new Mediterranean place is the falafel wrap. It's a quintessential dish that should, if it does its job, represent the rest of the menu. The falafel itself was pretty good--moist, crunchy, kind of nutty--and the veggies were fresh and plentiful, but the wrap was a little burned and super messy. At a few points the tahini sauce-dripping was out of control, and I ended up having to blot some of it out with my napkin before I could safely finish eating. (To be fair, a Mediterranean deli recently opened about a block away from my house back in my hometown that has the best falafel wraps ever, so I went into this situation a little biased against possible competitors. This still wasn't as good, though. I'm seriously about the potential for drip damage.)
   Take a look at the rest of their menu (prices not included).
2. Service -- 5/5 These guys are great! I was helped almost the minute I went into the store and they got to making the wrap right away. The nice man behind the counter flirted just enough to be sweet without being creepy, and they have free ice water in a nice pitcher and cups. Very courteous and attentive, speedy service. 
3. Price -- 4/5 My fairly large wrap (not in-edibly enormous, but enough to make up for minimal breakfast and fill me up until a late dinner -- could safely be split with a friend) cost a little over $6. They have side options in the $3-4 dollar range, as well as larger specialty wraps and plates between $8-10. A nice weekend option if you have a bit of cash to spare.
4. Location and Setting -- 5/5 Full marks for having two locations in Palo Alto, one on swanky University Avenue (15 minute walk from campus, 10 minute bike ride) and one on lower-key but still middle class hippie-yuppie-hybrid California Avenue (20-25 minute walk from campus, 15 minute bike ride). I've never been to the one at University, but on California they have a nice outdoor patio set up with chairs (beware when you're wearing shorts or miniskirts, girls, these are the wiry chairs that leave awkward marks on the back of your legs), umbrellas, and a nice view of this quirky street. People watching opportunities galore, especially on Farmers Market day.
5. Good for... Weekend Wind-Down It was a great place to regroup and enjoy some simple but exotically tasty fare after a hectic weekend of back-to-school frat parties and the oddly frenetic energy of the Farmers Market. It seems to appeal to a lot of different types with different purposes--me with my mountain of assigned reading, three middle-aged men in the middle of what looked like a business meeting, a family of four, and a few young couples.

Well this is getting easier as I go. Remember, I'm still super-new to this and open to any thoughts or suggestions you might have on my tentative entrance into the world of restaurant reviews. I probably wrote this one way too late at night (or, I guess, early in the morning) for it to make a whole ton of sense. Hopefully this week will be kind to me and I'll have my head on straight enough by next Sunday to actually write a coherent review.

Thanks for hangin' in there. See you next weekend!

Three Seasons -- 3.5/5

Don't let the rating fool you. This self-described "contemporary Vietnamese cuisine" has hands-down been my favorite dining experience since coming to Stanford. I've been there twice: once at the beginning of freshman year, and again this weekend after a long and semi-delirious move-in. My two visits, space about a year apart, have two very important things in common. The first is that they were equally wonderful.

1. Food -- 5/5 Unfortunately, I only vaguely remember what I ordered last year, but this weekend my mom and I were torn between all the delicious-looking menu items and ended up splitting three small dishes. In ascending order of goodness, we got: seasonable vegetable curry (smells great, spicy in a good way, overall pretty run-of-the-mill), summer crab rolls (loved em! but maybe I'm biased by my predisposition to shellfish), and duck spring rolls (six pieces of delicate, chewy, easy-to-share Vietnamese goodness with a sweet and spicy kick). Check out their full menu here.
2. Service -- 2/5 I'm tempted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but there were a couple things I can't overlook. Long wait to be seated, friendly but inattentive servers are forgivable, especially on a busy night, but it took them three tries to get our bill right. First they returned it without running the credit card and then it came back with the wrong credit card, which could've been a major bummer for everyone involved.
3. Price -- 2/5 The second very important commonality between my two visits is that both times were with a parent, meaning I didn't have to pay. Two starters and a side costs about $30 + tax (which isn't too terrible if you're splitting with a couple of friends), and larger dishes range from $14-26. But yeah, maybe you should wait 'til Parents Weekend on this one.
4. Location and Setting -- 5/5 518 Bryant Street, just off University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto. Beautiful! Simultaneously relaxed and intimate. If the weather's compliant, definitely opt to sit outside on their patio. It looks out on a beautiful courtyard that separates you from "busy" University Ave and tones down the whole experience a little bit. I recommend walking the mile from campus, especially when it's nice out. Driving is okay if you have to, but why not do this the environmentally friendly way (and avoid the bummer that is parking downtown)?
5. Good for... 3rd+ Dates & Anniversaries Probably don't go here on a first date unless you're sure that the niceness of the restaurant won't accidentally come off as too serious. If you're willing to dish out the dough, however, this could be an awesome anniversary setting. Bonus: most of the food won't ruin your breath... just stay away from the garlic noodles.

Ok! Great! One down! That's all for this week, folks, but stay hungry, stay collegiate, stay tuned.

Food at Stanford is pretty good, all things considered.

I've eaten at a few college cafeterias, and what we have here at Stanford is seriously nothing to complain about. It's healthy, varied, and we have a ton of different dining halls and other restaurant/cafe options on campus. That having been said, it'd be nice to get away from campus once in a while and explore the Palo Alto area... the bistros! The ethnic food! The hipster cafes! At least, if they didn't all seem to come at Silicon Valley (i.e. not-so-student-friendly) prices. That's why, this past summer, I made a pledge to go to a different area restaurant -- ranging from Redwood City to Mountain View, which are the two farthest points that I feel comfortable bike riding on El Camino Real -- every Sunday of the school year and review it for college students based on the following criteria:

1. Food -- How good the food is clearly factors into any restaurant review. Since I only have one stomach (and only so much money), unfortunately I won't be able to review every dish offered, but I'll do my best to represent the overall quality of the restaurant.
2. Service -- Wait time (to be seated, waited on, served, and presented with the bill)? Server attentiveness/attitude? Ability/willingness to accommodate special needs or requests? Etc.
3. Price -- Probably one of the most important factors from the student perspective (if not the most important). What's the average dish price? What's the minimum cost of a decent meal? Is it somewhere you can go alone/with friends, or should you wait until Parents Weekend and sweetly ask them to take you out? Are there any coupons for it in the Stanford directory/unofficial guide?
4. Location and Setting -- For students who don't have a car at school (like me), how easy is it to get to from campus by walking or bike riding? Is it worth renting/splitting the cost of a Zipcar or pressuring your friend with a car into driving? Is it close to any cool stores, movie theaters, etc? What's the neighborhood like? Basically, is it an enjoyable place to have a meal?
5. Events -- Is this a good setting for a date? Which date (first, second, anniversary, etc)? How about group stuff: club or team celebrations, senior dinners, dorm banquets, group dates?

Let me know if you have any suggestions--places you like and want to share, or that you've always been curious about but have never had a good enough reason to take the effort to get off campus and visit. Or do you  feel like contributing your own thoughts on each restaurant or questioning my credentials as a restaurant reviewer? Go for it, because I don't really have any, other than a knack for cooking and a love of going out for lunch. These are just my opinions, as well as a great excuse to eat yummy off-campus food every once in a while. My restaurant adventures begin this Sunday and end when I graduate in June 2013. Stay tuned!