Chinese Buffet Strategy at Chow King in Marietta, Georgia by Ruth Paget

Chinese Buffet Strategy at Chow King in Marietta, Georgia by Ruth Paget 

There is so much food available at Chinese buffets on the East Coast like Chow King in Marietta, Georgia that you need a strategy to navigate them, especially as they now have pan-Asian offerings like Vietnamese phô soup, Japanese hibachi grilled food, and sushi in addition to piles of Chinese fried and stir-fried food. 

People from the West Coast should know that before going wild on all the sushi that the white they see in the maki rolled sushi is not octopus, but Philadelphia Cream Cheese. I like sushi and cream cheese, but not together. I ate what I took, but will pass the next time I see them. 

For the buffet offerings, I have taken my cue from Chinese senior citizens about what to eat. Most buffets have mounds of seafood refried rice and lo mein egg noodles that I always head for. The seafood rice is made with seafood broth, which gives it a bright orange color. It is then refried with egg, peas, and carrots. I fill half my plate with this item. 

The other half of my plate I fill with lo mein egg noodles that have been stir-fried in peanut oil with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil added at the end. 

On top of the rice and lo mein noodles, I fill ¾ of the plate with stir-fried broccoli, mushrooms, and carrots flavored with nuoc nam or nam pla salty fish sauces from Vietnam and Thailand. The remaining ¼ of my plate, I fill with tangy orange chicken, which I consider dessert. 

I do two rounds of this combination and then eat chocolate pudding for dessert. 

Almost all Chinese buffets have these delicious items like the ones at Chow King in Marietta, Georgia by joint base Clay-Dobbins Air Force Base. Chow King has five large rooms, plenty of parking, and air conditioning, which add to the reasons for trying Chinese food. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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The Italian Oven in Stockbridge, Georgia by Ruth Paget

The Italian Oven in Stockbridge, Georgia by Ruth Paget 

On a visit to joint base Clay-Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta (Georgia), my husband Laurent and I headed south of Atlanta to meet my sister and brother-in-law for a meal at the Italian Oven in Stockbridge.  

I knew I would love the Italian Oven when we entered and good scents of baked garlic and luxurious, warm Parmesan cheese wafted out from the kitchen. 

As soon as we sat down at our maroon colored booth for six, the waiter brought a large bowl of homemade bread with warm, grated Parmesan cheese on the edges and a plate of olive oil for dipping the bread in. 

I ordered meatballs as a starter. They were made with chopped sirloin, pork, Parmesan breadcrumbs, and eggs to bind it all together before baking. The meatballs were served in a marinara sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, and basil with mozzarella melted on top. Those were over-the-top good. I highly recommend them. 

Next, I had a Caesar Salad with a sharp dressing made with crushed anchovies, coddled egg yolk, and white wine vinegar. The salt in the anchovies tasted great in the sultry 90-degree Atlanta heat. This salad is highly recommended as well. 

I was pretty full by this time, but still ordered Mushroom Fettucine Florentine as my main dish. Florentine in a title signals that there will be sautéed spinach in a dish. The spinach and beefy mushrooms in this dish came with a sauce made with tomatoes and cream and juicy shrimp. This was another winner. 

I enjoyed this delicious meal in a friendly atmosphere. I would love to go back to the Italian Oven in Stockbridge on future trips to Atlanta, Georgia. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Thrift books is carrying my book by Ruth Paget

 Thrift books is carrying Eating Soup with Chopsticks!  Thank you for your support.

Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Walmart is carrying my book! By Ruth Paget

 Thank you Walmart for carrying Eating Soup with Chopsticks, my book about living in Japan as an exchange student in high school.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Laguna Beach Books (CA) is carrying my book!

 Thank you Lagunas Beach Books (California) for carrying Eating Soup with Chopsticks, my book about living in Japan as a high school exchange student.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Cajun Vegetables at Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen by Ruth Paget

Cajun Vegetables at Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen by Ruth Paget 

Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen is most famous for its deep-fried chicken sandwich combination meals, but I sometimes like going to Popeye’s for a spicy Cajun vegetable meal. 

Louisiana vegetable sides often feature an addition of spicy andouille sausage, whose ancestor is a mild andouille sausage from France. Andouille sausage from Louisiana is made with pork butt, garlic, salt, black pepper, and spicy cayenne pepper according to the Taste of Artisan website. 

This type of andouille sausage is added to a sauté of onions, green bell pepper, celery, tomato paste, garlic, cooked red beans, chicken stock and hot sauce to make a stew according to the Damn Delicious website. Once the stew is cooked, these beans are served alongside cooked white rice. 

Red beans and rice is a Cajun comfort food from the Louisiana countryside. I like to order it with a chilled coleslaw, a chopped salad made with cabbage, carrots, and onions with a cream dressing. 

Popeye’s also offers Cajun fries with cayenne-heavy Cajun seasoning and mashed potatoes with spicy Cajun gravy. 

Monterey County does not have a Popeye’s as of August 2024, but there are two locations within the Congressional district: 

-Watsonville Auto Mall outside Santa Cruz 

-Gilroy Cross Mall by Barnes and Noble outside San Jose 

I like exotic fast food at a reasonable price, and Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen is just perfect for this. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Calamari Steak and Sand Dabs at Woody's at the Monterey-Salinas (California) Airport by Ruth Paget

Calamari Steak and Sand Dabs Combo at Woody’s at the Monterey-Salinas Airport (CA) by Ruth Paget 

Woody’s Restaurant and Bar at the Monterey-Salinas Airport in California is one of my go-to restaurants for delicious and unpretentious food in Monterey, California. 

In August 2024, my family went to Woody’s and sat outside on top of the airport roof and watched planes come and go as Laurent ate the homemade pasta of the day, Florence Paget ate prime rib, and I ate calamari (squid) steak and sand dabs with thick cut fries doused in black truffle oil. 

Black truffle oil has a powerful aroma, which coupled with warm olive oil make heads turn to see who has ordered the French Mediterranean Diet dish. The grand arrival of my combo dinner merited lingering over each delectable fry. 

Sand dabs are the West Coast equivalent of Atlantic sole. The sand dabs are lightly browned in garlicky butter with a dusting of freshly cut Italian parsley. They come with a yogurt sauce and a tartar sauce for dipping. 

Both of these savory sauces taste good with the calamari steak as well. I read in Claudia Roden’s Mediterranean Cookery cookbook that Greek cooks slap squid against a wall for almost an hour to tenderize it. I do not know what Woody’s does to tenderize its calamari steak, but the result is tender and oozy with garlicky olive oil. 

The calamari steak and sand dabs combo with extra black truffle oil fries is a signature dish for Monterey and Salinas, because restaurants can easily obtain these high quality ingredients. 

This combo at Woody’s at the Monterey-Salinas (California) Airport will surely please seafood and fish lovers. 

By Ruth Paget, Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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