Small eateries home to big taste

September 17, 2007 —

by Christina Dillbeck

Jade Garden offers an extremely cozy atmosphere: what you see pictured is about half of the total dining space.

by Christina Dillbeck

The Intermission Deli offers casual dining and pricing competitive with the larger sandwich chains. The atmosphere might remind you of a diner in the movies.

Intermission Deli is a hidden gem in a sea of Quizno's and Subways in the area. Located between State and Davenport right on the east side of Bay, Intermission Deli offers a variety of sandwiches, including some excellent subs, based on my experience.

I was hoping to sit down and eat inside, but made the mistake of arriving at noon on a Friday. The place was packed with people. As I've noticed several times during my stint reviewing restaurants, these seemingly hole in the wall locations that I've had to actively be on the lookout for are often quite popular.

This was a friendly atmosphere, with the people ordering eager to get on with their Friday and the staff eager to help. Orders were put together quickly and efficiently, and despite the intimidating line I got my sandwich in less than five minutes.

I asked the gentleman behind the counter to make me a sandwich that he recommends - I wasn't about to hold up the line by carefully perusing the menu. What I got was a massive footlong sub and a drink for about six dollars. It was a big sandwich, much bigger than the footlongs served at Subway. Half of it still sits in my refrigerator as testament to its girth. Based on size and quality, the price was a bargain.

If I have my deli meats in order, it had ham, roast beef, and turkey on it, along with the usual lettuce and Swiss, and some Italian dressing. I found the taste to be excellent, and the bread in particular seemed of very high quality. It felt like a more authentic sub than what would be found at a large chain. My only complaint was a strange lack of tomatoes.

Earlier in the week, I took a trip to Jade Garden, a very small Asian restaurant and takeout located next to Pizza Hut on Bay Road. I was curious and excited to see what it was like, as I'd often driven past and made a note to someday eat there.

Again I found myself surprised at the number of people eating there and appearing to get their takeout orders. My surprise dissipated, though, when I looked at the menu and saw the excellent prices. Full dinners ranged anywhere from five to seven dollars, with soups for only one dollar.

I ordered a bowl of egg drop soup, as well as the orange chicken. The soup was of large quantity for the price, and tasted quite good. It had a bit of saltiness to it that I haven't had with egg drop soup before, and I liked it.

Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed with the orange chicken. Temperature was uneven, and the vegetables in the fried rice felt hard, as if they were not fully thawed. The orange sauce itself was unimpressive, but the chicken itself seemed of pretty good quality.

I cast a longing glance out the window toward Pizza Hut before deciding not to finish my meal. My server was exceptionally kind and courteous, and I liked the small, homey feel of this establishment, but my meal was quite sub par. I came back to the same area for Pizza Hut later, and found it much more to my liking.