Aww fish sticks!

Last night my little sister graduated from high school. We’re six years apart so the thought of her going to college always seemed so far away. Well, she’s leaving in two months, and I can’t believe it!

After suffering through two extremely hot and sweaty hours in the evening sun on the high school’s back field, we headed to dinner at a restaurant my sister has raved about, Avenue East. It’s only about a year old, and boasts Asian fusion. My sister loves this because it means she can get her favorite Thai soup (Tom Yum) and then have sushi. I myself am wary of places that boast multiple cuisines – often times everything just turns out to be mediocre.

Unfortunately last night’s meal was just that, “meh.” Aside from the subpar service (we waited about 45 minutes in between our appetizers and entrees), the food was just okay. My fiancé and I started off with a spicy tuna roll to share. From there, I went with the Malaysian Mee Goreng, which came with the choice of chicken or shrimp, and ho-fun noodles with vegetable, egg and tofu in a “dark spicy sauce.” It actually tasted a lot like Pad Thai, with the semi-creamy sauce and the noodles seemed to be pretty much the same that would be served with Pad Thai. It had a little pepper next to it indicating it was spicy. Airing on the side of caution since I’d never eaten there, I decided to take it as-is. My fiancé ordered the spicy basil beef over brown rice and asked for it extra spicy. Now, we both like a lot of spice, and realize that. However, our dishes had no spice. And I don’t mean lacking spice for us fire-breathers. I mean even for your average spice lover, this was weak.

I’m willing to give Avenue East another shot, since my sister is such a fan. The restaurant itself was really nice, and we were seated at a spacious U shaped table that was quite comfortable. I definitely won’t go for a spicy dish, though, so I won’t be disappointed. I’d also go during a less busy time, so I can make sure when I need water, I get it. A definite plus is that it’s BYOB – I’m always down for BYOB or all-you-can-drink specials.

We followed up last night’s evening out with fish sticks and tater tots for dinner tonight. Some times you just need something quick and easy, and that’s what we did. Sure, the fish sticks are clearly marketed for children based on their packaging, and I feel like Napoleon Dynamite every time I eat a tot, but who cares?! They were good, and I got to mix up a whole bunch of different spicy sauces we have for my dipping pleasure.

More importantly, though, is the fact that my little sister graduated high school! Congratulations Kate! I’m so proud and I can’t believe it. You are going to be awesome in college both in the classroom and in the pool. I can’t wait to vist (even if it is a 5 hour drive)!