Sweden Kream

Sweden Kream
1472 National Street
454-5882


Sweden Kream is one of those places that I've driven by and made a mental note to return to. To make sure I did actually go, I gave myself an assignment--to check out the milkshakes. Of course, I enlisted the monkeys' (Satchel, 8, and Jiro, 6) help.

We headed down National around 6pm on a Friday night. Surprisingly, Sweden Kream wasn't at all busy. (I pictured it with a line down the parking lot like Jerry's.) Rather than standing in the parking lot, we went inside. There's an extremely small dining room with three tables and a bench. Since we had it to ourselves, it wasn't too small. I quite liked the checkerboard floor and the striped walls. It was funky, in a cool way.


My first order of business was scanning the milkshake list:


Their 16 flavors all sounded good, but I pretty quickly decided on peanut butter banana. Satchel and Jiro went for their standby flavors--vanilla for Satchel and chocolate for Jiro.

We couldn't help noticing that Sweden Kream had a lot of food on their menu too. Everything from burgers to PBJs, hot wings to fish filets. They even had a breakfast menu and kids' combos. The smells wafting out from the hot kitchen made it hard not to order ourselves some burgers and fries. The energetic and precise waitress behind the window asked if we wanted our shakes first and we wholeheartedly said yes.

Once Jiro put his order in, he went to sit down and play his DSi. (Despite many threats, I couldn't get him to stop playing and I was too tired to tackle him.) Satchel, for whatever reason, obeyed and left his in the car. That left him free to make annoying noises, punch me in the arm, wiggle endlessly, and squeeze various pressure points on my body. I was thrilled when the milkshakes came out.


They were smooth and creamy, perfectly cold, and they came right through the straw without too much effort. I tried all three flavors and they were all good, but mine was definitely the best. More peanut butter than banana.

I convinced Satchel to watch Jiro play his game so I could watch the girls in the kitchen and read the graffiti on the walls (Nay Nay -n- Main 4 Ever). Oh and Satchel somehow managed to drop his shake on the floor. Most of it was contained, but I needed another cup in order to salvage any of it. The other waitress gave me some paper towels when I asked, but didn't seem concerned about whether I cleaned the spill up or not. (There were plenty of old splashes against the walls.)

Customers steadily came up to the window, but it was never crowded. Despite this it took an eternity for our burgers and fries to come out. Of course this means they were made to order, but damn. It was a long wait. Thankfully, the burger proved to be absolutely delicious. Like in the ranks of the almighty Shirley burger at the Lamplighter. It was that kind of good. (And yes, better than Jerry's.)


Jiro, my burger connoisseur, described his as "GREAT!"


The fries on the other hand were a little disappointing. They were absolutely greasy as could be, yet they still managed to be crispy. It was weird--and not in a good way.

We left full and happy. I overlooked the dirty diaper in the parking lot and convinced the kids that we didn't need to take home the stray dog wandering in the parking lot. I was also very thankful that neither monkey had a bathroom emergency while we were there.

Grand Buffet

Grand Buffet
2015 Exeter Road (Germantown)
309-2036

There was a lot of talk about serving me breakfast in bed on Mother's Day, but when I woke up (at 10am after 12 hours of sleep!), Warren was watching the History Channel, Satchel (8) was playing on the computer, and Jiro (6) was playing his DSi. Warren offered to take me to out to breakfast, but by the time I showered and got everyone ready to go, it would have been lunch time. So I made breakfast and we skipped lunch in favor of an early dinner at my mom's house in Germantown.

The early dinner ended up being a 7pm run to the Grand Buffet. My sister, also a mom, really wanted to attack their sushi buffet. Since no one wanted to cook or get take out and the monkeys had recently rediscovered their love of buffets, it was an easy sell.

Surprisingly, our group of 14 arrived just in time to get the last remaining seats. All of the adults, and our one teenager, sat at three tables pushed together. The four "little" kids (ages 10, 8, 6, and 4) got their own table. Boy, were they excited!


Once they settled in, it was like none of us (the adults) existed. I watched in amazement as they each made about 400 trips to the buffet. I've never seen my kids eat so much!

[I should point out that kids under ten aren't technically given free reign of the buffet, but since ours were with a ten-year-old and pretty much behaving themselves, no one said anything. Clearly my ten-year-old niece knew the ropes and made sure everyone stayed on message. The message being "let's eat!"]



Satchel started off with a little sushi, fried shrimp, noodles, and baby octopus. He LOVES baby octopus. Then he spent a good 15 minutes eating crab legs.


Jiro quickly went through his usuals--sushi, chicken wings, oranges and broccoli before hitting the ice cream. (His "first" dessert.)


What really got the kids excited and what kept them going back for more (and more) was the fresh hibachi section where the chef cooked up your choice of ingredients. The kids basically camped out there. (Notice Jiro is snacking on tempura shrimp while he waits.)


The kids really had a great time playing grown up. Memorable quotes from Jiro:

"We LOVE this food."

"I get a second dessert because I ate so much!"

Jiro was also very sweetly taking care of everyone at his table--he made sure the waitress kept everyone's water glasses full. It was too cute. If I remember correctly, I think he even went to the bathroom by himself, leaving me to enjoy my meal--uninterrupted--with the other grown ups.

Yes, my meal...I took a cue from my sister and concentrated on the plentiful sushi offerings.


Oh but I didn't stop with sushi. Warren and I were both lured to the hibachi thanks to the kids' enthusiastic endorsement. And I also *had* to taste the dumplings that my friend was eating. Then I *needed* just a little ice cream.

And therein lies the problem with buffets!

All in all we had a lovely time. The adult buffet was $10.99 and the kids' buffets were each $6.99. (Kids 3-5 are $4.99. Under 3 eats free.) That got us up to a $40+ bill. Since the monkeys absolutely stuffed themselves and had a great time, I considered it a bargain. (I did however draw the line at giving out quarters for the junk machines in the foyer.)

Satchel has since given the Grand Buffet his highest endorsement-- he wants to go there on his birthday next year.

Sweet Grass

I've had an Internet crush on the multi-talented Sophorn McRae for several months now. Her blog, No Rococo is not only fascinating, it is visually stunning. (It even has music!) At the risk of having all of my future reviews pale in comparison, I invited this talented mama to join the ranks of the Dining with Monkeys guest bloggers. Enjoy!

Sweet Grass
937 South Cooper Street
278.0278


As Cooper Young residents, my husband Christopher and I make an effort to support our neighborhood businesses. After three great meals at the newest Cooper Young restaurant Sweet Grass, I would be confident in saying I would easily travel from the edges of town to eat there. Often. Since trying their dinner menu twice right after the grand opening about a month ago, I have added several items to my “to crave” list. In no particular order, the oyster stew, deep dish sour cream apple pie, and low-country shrimp and grits are dishes I often crave.

This past Mother’s Day, my 3-year-old Atticus and husband Christopher, quite aware of my love for Sweet Grass, surprised me with another visit to try their new brunch menu. As normal, a reservation recommended by the restaurant is always a good idea. We arrived right on time and headed straight to our table. {Of course, if you want to stop by without a reservation with little or no wait, the bar has plenty of seating.}

Shortly after getting seated, Atticus was drawn to the tall {top-heavy} water glasses which we immediately asked the hostess to clear from his place setting. When our server took our drink orders soon after, we requested his orange juice in a kid-friendly cup, preferring a lidded to-go cup. As that option was not available, they suggested a shorter glass that could work. Atticus’ juice arrived in the cocktail glass shown below. We giggled as we imagined everyone around us thinking we had ordered our toddler a screwdriver, and Atticus giggled with excitement at his big boy glass.


Eating at higher end restaurants is almost a game of pretend for Atticus. He somehow senses the adult atmosphere and for the most part {but not always} tries to fit in and does what the big boys do. He always prefers to sit without a booster seat and makes pretty decent conversation. Of course, we had to keep him occupied with little activities such as adding sugar to my hot tea then the more creative ones he discovered himself. The two examples are pictured below out of many designs. The second one is what he called the “rocking chair.”




~ I was so comforted by the hot tea. It completed my breakfast. Tea bags provided: Earl Grey and Green Tea.

As more and more people arrived, we were glad to see our plates arrive. See what we ordered below.




{Sophorn} Huevos Rancheros / 2 Eggs Sunny Side Up, Seared Beef Tenderloin, Bell Pepper, Onion, Black Beans and Enchilada Sauce / The one thing that made this dish extraordinary was the tender beef seared just enough to get a smoky flavor.






{Atticus and Christopher} Sweet Grass Breakfast / 2 Eggs Any Style {Medium}, Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Delta Grind Grits, Buttermilk Biscuit / Even though they didn’t have a kid’s menu, ordering for Atticus was easy because they had BACON! You can see that it was the first thing his hands reached for. He was also a big fan of the grits, as was Christopher. Although it wasn’t described on the menu, the strawberry “jam” tasted fresh and homemade. The portion was just enough for the two of them to share.

Once again, we left happy having already selected what we would try on our future visits.


~Growing at the entry, real sweet grass that originates from the Carolinas just like the dishes created by the chef, Ryan Trimm.

Project Green Fork
Sweet Grass is also working on getting Project Green Fork certified very soon. This is an important effort in displaying their already known commitment to following sustainable practices such as using fresh local ingredients ~ a direct result to the incredible taste of each dish.

Other Notes to Parents
~Restrooms are sizable and very clean. Although there are no changing stations, the women’s restroom has a suitable counter.
~Make sure to bring your own crayons, activities, and juice cups.
~One other advantage of the location you may not realize is its proximity to the House of Mews. While waiting for the check, Atticus was eager to visit with the cats.
~Last but not least, they do have a full service bar.

Open Tuesday to Saturday for Lunch and Dinner til 12am / Sunday for Brunch/Lunch 11am to 2pm and Dinner 5:30pm to 11pm. / Catering Service Available.

New Nam King

New Nam King
4322 Summer Avenue
685-5453

We were running errands on Summer Avenue on a Sunday, like we do, and inevitably found ourselves in search of a little lunch. Usually this is no problem as there are a handful of Mexican restaurants we frequent along the avenue. However, we had eaten at El Toro Loco the night before and couldn't do Mexican two days in a row. (Believe me, we thought long and hard before deciding against it.)

Basically we drove up and down the street calling out names until we found something. We were inches away from Central BBQ (Mmmm BBQ nachos! Chef salad! Chicken wings!) when I jokingly said, "New Nam King." Warren's ears perked up. "Okay," he said as he made a sharp left.

Growing up I was always a big fan of Chinese food. We ate Chinese at least once a week. I didn't get anything fancy-usually a couple of egg rolls, some hot and sour soup, and pork fried rice. That's still the basis of my ordering. In my day, there were no buffets.

We've taken the monkeys (Satchel, 8, and Jiro, 6) to a few buffets, but not in a loooooong while. Maybe a few years? Therefore the buffet concept seemed very new and exciting to them. "We get to pick out our own food?" they asked with a tone of utter amazement. "Awesome!"

A cute Chinese granny greeted us at the door, joked around with the kids, and then led us to a booth. Once we confirmed that we wanted the buffet, she set us loose. Jiro asked me to assist him, so I did. He was drawn to the buffet table that featured mostly American items. He selected chicken wings, french fries, mac and cheese, brocoli, a few vanilla wafers and a pickle slice. (It could have been worse!) Satchel also seemed more attracted to the American items, but he did get some pork fried rice and a Chinese pancake in addition to his wings, mashed potatoes, and corn.


I let the boys get settled in eating before gathering my usual itesm from the buffet. I noticed that they had white rice in a steamer and some pork dumplings, so I added those items to my plate. Warren got a medley of the standard Chinese offerings.

I was rather impressed by the hot and sour soup. It was very good. The eggrolls were so so, but the dumplings more than made up for them. Jiro and Satchel were busily eating and Jiro informed me that he was going to eat his broccoli first. "Excellent," I said. When Jiro looked like he was slowing down, I told him about the ice cream machine in back. This motivated him to gobble up the rest of his food. Satchel was going a bit slower, enjoying his food, as was Warren, so Jiro and I ventured off to the ice cream machine alone.


The only thing as cool as a buffet, is self-serve ice cream. Jiro was thrilled to pull the lever and fill up a big bowl with the chocolate and vanilla swirl. I followed his lead and we went back to the table. Satchel looked over enviously and Jiro said, "You have to eat all of your dinner if you want ice cream." He glanced at his plate which was still on the table and amended his statement. "You have to eat MOST of your dinner if you want ice cream."

Satchel took his last few bites and asked Jiro to show him where the ice cream was. I followed along, just in case, and soon the three of us were back at the table working on some killer ice cream headaches. (Or as Satchel said, "Ice cream aches.")

All the while, Warren was still eating from the buffet. He was only mildly pigging out. He's a much slower eater than the rest of us!

Jiro asked me to take him to the restrooms. On the way, I noticed a nice Chinese Grandpa trimming fresh green beans. I tried to keep this image in mind as Jiro used the less than stellar facilities.

The best part of our meal was the total cost: $19.50. It was $6.50 for me and Warren and $3.25 for the kids. Not bad! (Technically you don't tip on a buffet, but since writing my tipping story I can't help myself. I tacked on $2 for good measure.)

We had a little trouble getting out due to the "catch a stuffed animal" game by the door, but eventually we made it. I don't know how soon we'll be back, but when I asked Satchel where he wanted to eat on his birthday, he replied, "That place with the ice cream machine!"