Shari's

 I went to the theater with a friend and afterward we hit the late night hot spot called Shari's.  This one is located 12502 North Division Street.

Not only is this restaurant is open 24 hours a day, it's always busy, (at least when I have been here) and I often see someone I know not with the party I am in.   I hate to say it, but this place is always a sort of last resort.  The first place we stopped was closed and it was after 10:00,  so we were glad this one was open when we wanted to go out for coffee and maybe get a bite to eat.

 The coffee was great.  The conversation was lively and I saw someone I knew who was not with me directly!












The salad was yummy....

as was the potato soup....

Lynnie liked her Panini sandwich and fries.




We didn't have any pie but we looked at them and kinda wished we did, but neither of us needed to eat the calories that came with it.  They looked great and their menu says they have 19 different kinds!




 Late night coffee... milks shakes... sundaes... pie..... snacking and chatting with friends until all hours of the night, this place just might be it!.

Almost Home Cafe and Bistro

Straight ahead are the doors to the cafe'.

This little hideaway lunch spot is located located in the lobby of the Cancer Care Northwest building,

605 E. Holland, between Nevada and Division.
It used to be Rita Marie's Cafe, but under new ownership it is now called Almost Home.





Besides the fact that it was familiar, having been Rita Maries, I was inclined to visit here after talking to the new owner on the phone one day when I called about the hours.  He told me about the freshness of their foods, so one hungry day when I was in the neighborhood, a friend and I stopped in for lunch.


The restaurant is a short-order cafeteria style place... a lot like Rita Marie's used to be, but it definitely had a different feel to it.  IT seemed more open and airy.... with a "family" emphasis.

 They have different daily menu items and even offer To Go foods as well as a special feature, that of doing neighborhood cooking nights...

more on that later.




So, what did we order?

Double click on photos to enlarge

 

I had the soup of the day, a curry soup with a salad.







My friend went for the Pasta Alfredo with veggies.... broccoli, carrots and yellow squash.....and a bread stick. 

My soup was super.  It made me want to try to make some at home myself.  The food tasted fresh too.

They have a little country store and they offer  community cooking classes, kinda like the once a month cooking concept, where you make a lot of meals ahead of time.  You package them and put them in your freezer, and simply heat and serve throughout the month.


I thought the recipes in the Cook Night book sounded interesting.