Libby B.'s Profile

I've lived pretty near this place for the last two years, and considering I'm moving on Sunday I thought I would finally give it a try. I figured it was at least vegetarian, but didn't realize it would be both vegan AND raw. Different strokes for different folks, I won't judge. The place did have a very strange smell though.

I got the eggless salad. It was pretty good, but as seems to be the common sentiment...it seemed to take WAY too long to put together. Also, it was like 8 dollars. For a bunch of vegetables and ingredients that requires no cooking, I can't imagine why it needs to cost that much. Maybe I was paying for the 15 minutes of labor? Anyway, it was pretty tasty and probably very healthy as well.

I don't see how anyone (especially a student) could afford to eat here on any sort of regular basis.

I will say, they seemed to have a nice seating area for people who want to eat and work.

Right, so my general opinion is that it's probably great for vegan/rawdawgs who have a decent income, but it's not really my thing.

There are already a lot of reviews, so I'll make this short and sweet. The drinks are really reasonably priced. The service was great. My cherry vodka shots were HUGE (this is why you tip well), but the real magic was in the buffalo chicken tenders. The highest level of heat is called "Porno Hot" and let me tell you, what a perfect name. They were so hot I actually experienced feelings of euphoria about halfway through. I'll definitely be going back to this place SOON.

I was on my way to another restaurant for a lunch date, but as soon as we saw this place I braked and turned with lightning speed, because sometimes you just need soul food. I had previously been to Threadgill's, but Hoover's blew them right out of the water. The menu is far more extensive and I think I actually like mustard greens more than collard greens.

I got the fried catfish, my date got pork chops. I usually don't like seafood, but holy crap...that catfish was deeeelicious. I got a smaller portion so I could get three sides, but I'm kind of wishing I would have gotten more catfish. I also wish I hadn't been so full so I could have tried one of the many delicious sounding desserts they have. Mango cobbler? Yes please!

I also like the really open dining room, it makes the place feel really friendly when you walk in and the place is full of chatty people.

I'll give one star off because my friend didn't get his macaroni side at first, and they charge extra to get gravy with your pork chops? Really?

I like this restaurant. I've been here a couple times and both times decided to wait a little longer to sit outside. It's so worth it because the back area is really nice with trees and atmosphere and all. Expect to wait around 15-20 minutes to be seated, it's a popular place.  

The enchiladas are really good, the free chips are really good, the mojitos are REALLY good (don't get the tequila ones though, those are kind of bleh). My first time there we had this waiter named Clint who was like my absolute picture of a southern gentleman. The wait staff is pretty attentive with minor mistakes here and there due to the absolute volume of patrons (but nothing really disastrous).

So yeah, thumbs up for Chuy's!

Dr. Lessner is a good dentist, no doubt about that. I got a root canal done here and I'm happy with the results. I had two problems with this place. First of all, I'm a nervous dental patient. I was that little kid who would literally scream through an entire appointment. I don't scream anymore, but I still get a bit nervous and am not a fan of being stabbed in my gums with needles. Therefore, nitrous is really the best thing for me.

This office doesn't use nitrous because apparently "people kept throwing up." I'm thinking there's got to be some user error going on there, because I've never had a problem with that stuff. So instead they give you a prescription for freaking VALIUM which means that instead of being able to actually be productive after my appointment, I had to take a taxi home and crash for the rest of the day. Not to mention that it didn't really distract me enough during the actual procedure...basically it was a nightmare.

Also, most dentists I've been to in the past allow some sort of payment plan. I'm a college student and I had used up all my insurance money like 10 months prior, so I literally had to pay for my entire root canal out of pocket the day of the procedure. I can maybe understand why they do this, but it really did not work for me.

So, sorry Dr. Lessner, I love your pleasant little office, but I'm going to have to find myself a more comfortable dental experience.

I saw a review of this place somewhere else that said something about how you might be lost going into Swad for the first time if you don't know much about Indian food. I think I'd probably agree that if you're not Indian, with an Indian and don't know what a Thali or Pav Bhaji is, you might have a bit of a hard time. Don't expect the normal, comfortable Indian-American restaurant experience which is marketed towards people who haven't grown up eating this stuff.

I would describe Swad's fare as being the haven of Indian comfort food. And it's authentic. I know this because during the entirety of my meal I was having flashbacks of eating street food like Papdi Chaat in Pune and my friend's mom cooking all sorts of yummy things for me.

I got the Thail and some Pani Puri (because my friends would never let me eat the stuff sold on the streets). If you're going to have the Thali, come VERY VERY hungry. It has a sampling of all sorts of veg dishes. The sambar was reeeally good. The pani puri was fun and interactive and quite yummy, though the shells were obviously store bought (since the restaurant is directly next door to an Indian grocery). It was the same deal with the kulfi, which was from a carton and disappointed my roomie a bit.

Overall, though, Swad was a very enjoyable experience with reasonable prices and really nice food!

Oh my god. My roomie and I went here for Valentine's day because our boyfriends live far away and we were craving some good South Asian MEAT. We were not let down in the least. We had actually seen Shalimar on our way to Swad and the way they KABOBS written right on t he sign just made our mouths water. Just walking in that place and smelling the all the food in the buffet...dear lord. I was thinking of just ordering off the menu because I've had pretty bad experiences with Indian Buffets, but I'm glad I decided otherwise. They had Goat Korma, Chicken Korma, Chicken Tikka Masala, Beef Keema (OH MY GOD YUM) and Tandoori chicken...plus some veg stuff which I didn't pay much attention to.

This was all for about 9 dollars. Next time I go, I might try some of the actual kabobs, but if you just want some nice hearty curries DEFINITELY go for the buffet. Also, they bring you unlimited naan which was right out of the oven and amazing.

*heart* Shalimar

I transferred here from UW Stout (now UW Stout Polytechnic) and I haven't looked back. I'm in the Asian Languages and Literature program, and the department has been nothing but awesome to me. I love that this school has about 45 languages offered. I could take Coptic if I wanted to! Actually, I'm taking Hindi, and I've learned more about Hindi in a semester and a half than I learned from 8 years of Spanish instruction.

It's also been a great place to work. I have gained so many skills from my work study job in the Chemistry department.

The campus is pretty much awesome. It's huge, but easy to get around with the use of buses and UNDERGROUND TUNNELS! HOLY CRAP. There's also a huge amount of restaurants and it's own itty bitty downtown, aptly named "Dinkytown."

One of my favorite things about the U of M is that there's an incredible international population there. There are all sorts of clubs and organizations for people of different countries, cultures and traditions. For me this is an absolutely wonderful change from my other school, which was about 99% caucasian.

Basically, I love this school!

Kabobi is what I think of as Middle Eastern food for white people. You can enjoy the exotic taste of Persian kabobs while being able to fall back on the familiarity of french fries on the side. If you want to be all "authentic" and stuff, they have very tasty Baba Ganoush and Hummus. My favorite item is the Kabobwich, which is kind of a Gyro-esque dish. It's a kabob of your choice of meat (I get lamb!) nestled in some very tasty pita bread with some yogurt, cucumber and then tomatoes and onions (which I choose not to include.) It's relatively inexpensive, about 7 dollars for the kabobwich meal (including the kabobwich, fries or a salad, and a drink).

My only complaint with Kabobi is that whenever I've gone in, everyone who works there is Mexican and they're usually playing Univision on the television and Spanish music over the speakers. Not that I have anything against Mexicans, but I'm a big fan of authenticity and the Spanish stuff everywhere kind of ruins the atmosphere for me.

Every university student needs to find their favorite hangout spot, the one where they can unwind, have some good conversation, or maybe just read a book.

I'm pretty sure that the Kitty Cat Club in dinkytown is my spot. My friend and I described  it as a bunch of living rooms thrown together with the coolest antique shop ever. The ambience and decor are fantastic. Even the bar is cool looking. Oh and the bathrooms! You'll stand in front of them and say "uhh...what?" for a second, but then realize how cool they are.

Also, they have bands on the weekends, really good bands (except for one that kind of sucked). I haven't tried their food, which they order from the restaurant upstairs, but my friend ate some and she didn't throw up or anything.

In conclusion, I love the Kitty Cat. love love love love love