Hello Readers! Today we’re going to shift gears and do something a little different. If you know me well, you know I love food. I try really hard to cook and eat good, healthy stuff and I’ve been pretty successful but there is absolutely no hiding it. I love to eat. And here’s the thing, I’m a pretty decent cook, but eating out is my jam. I’ve been hard-core cooking for over 22 years now and honestly, I’m over it. I’m ready to just let someone else do the work while I sit at a table with my favorite people and share stories and wait for my food to be served all nice and hot. Yes, eating out is where it’s at.
Much to my disappointment over the last year and a half, this whole Covid thing has been hard on the restaurant industry, especially the mom and pop places that don’t have stores all over the US. I feel like I need to make it my own personal mission to keep all the family-owned places in the Quad City and surrounding areas, alive. Challenge accepted, as eating out is my favorite. Feel free to make a recommendation as I’m always happy to try something new.
Last week, my brother came up from Peoria and we picked up my dad and took him to his favorite restaurant. He was having a good day so we took advantage and got him out for some fresh air and fabulous food.
Dad has been a loyal patron to Le Mekong since the 80s. He and his bestie, Steve, found this lovely Vietnamese gem tucked into a storefront on 5th Street in downtown Moline back in their early teaching days. It’s run by the founder’s son, who took over when his father died some time ago. It’s a local joint- not a huge operation, but this little family get-up packs a punch in service and fine cuisine.
If you’re looking for a new place to check out in the Quad Cities, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s the kind of place you can be casual or dress up. The tables are all nicely set with white tablecloths- what is it about a white tablecloth? It just screams classy to me. It’s also the kind of place that if you show up enough, the owner will recognize you and enthusiastically greet you when you walk in the front door. The music is tasteful and it’s not loud, so you can hear each other talk and enjoy the company of the people you came to eat with. The ambiance is sublime. And to me, that plays a big role in whether or not I’m going to enjoy my meal.
But the food. Oh my. The food. My husband joined us for dinner and we all tried something different. We started out with some egg rolls and my dad ordered sides of the plum sauce. I highly recommend that combo. Plum sauce has a deep, rich, sweet flavor that sweet and sour sauce can’t touch. No comparison. Scott and I also tried a plate of crab rangoon as well. The rolls and rangoon were crispy and wonderful and my mouth is literally watering while I write this and describe our meal. For dinner, my brother had the Grilled Saigon Beef, Scott had the Ambassador Beef, Dad had the Ginger Salmon and I had the Basil Chicken. The presentation was beautiful. Colorful, simple, elegant. Every entree was full of fresh and crunchy veggies, the meat was tender and juicy and the flavor combos left my brother asking the owner for a straw to suck up the sauce on the plate. According to Dad, the Lemongrass Pork was a favorite for my mom. She and my dad spent many a date night in this place and I now understand why.
So if you’re looking for a great place to dine on the fly or you’re all gussied up, headed to a show and want to eat out first, give this place a shot. It’s reasonably priced, so you can enjoy some appetizers and a drink along with your entree. The owner is friendly and welcoming and he’ll talk to you about the menu and make suggestions for entrees as well as wines and beer. I’m not much of a drinker so I asked him for a pot of tea. It was so flavorful, I drank the entire pot by myself. You won’t be disappointed in your experience and you’ll be supporting a great local restaurant that beats the heck out of any chain. Aren’t those exactly the kind of places we want to be able to choose from in our community?