Clarification

I just re-read my previous post and realized that I sounded a bit haughty. So, I want to clarify some things...

I realize that Pride fests can be important, especially to gay folks in non-urban areas....especially in rural Missouri and Illinois. Yes, it's a place to go where you'll receive no hateful stares, questioning looks, or derogatory comments. So, yeah, it serves an important function.

I just wish that the consumer angle wasn't so strong. St. Louis Pride didn't have any sessions about how to organize, demonstrate, or protest. Why not? Are we just supposed to party and buy things the whole time?

I wouldn't even mind the vendor booths if they were local, handmade items. A few of them were, but the majority were screenprinted items from who-knows-where on sweatshop t-shirts.

I don't want kids who are just coming out to think being gay or queer is about wearing a stupid t-shirt or sporting rainbow earrings or getting free lube. The Pride fest needs more substance, more spirit, and less corporate consumerism. I realize this is not a new or original thought, but why hasn't anything come of it yet?

And Now, Other Things

After my last posting, I sprayed parts of the apartment with insecticide. I hate insecticide, but we had to bring out the big guns on our little friends the house centipede (see Porkchop's livejournal for more info). We hadn't seen one in a while, then last night I saw the daddy of all house centipedes...shudder! Since I now know what they are, I'm no longer frightened of them, I just don't want to share living quarters with them. We'll keep you posted on the situation.

After the fumigation, I made guacamole....but not before washing my hands and forearms fifty million times. Why is guacamole so so so good? Our avocados were perfect, and I had a little tomato to add to it. Yum! If Porkchop agrees, I'll post our recipe next time.

Restuarant Reviews

Okay, here's my run-down of restuarants that we've been to so far, in no particular order.

Sekisui
An expensive sushi restaurant that isn't worth the bother unless you're really hard-up for sushi and have money to burn. I'd rather have sushi from the grocery store.

Mekong
Pretty good Vietnamese at a very reasonable price. I had a tasty tofu, ginger, and mushroom dish. Yum! Plus, the staff is really accommodating if you, say, have a very picky 8-year-old with you who really only eats hot dogs and ramen.

Lemongrass
A Vietnamese restaurant that also serves some Thai dishes. Their menu is super-long, and the service is friendly and efficient, but the food isn't the best. I found my coconut curry dish to be unncessarily heavy and bland. Definitely not satisfied. The sweet potato flan was good, but why no mango with sticky rice? When I inquired whether they had it, the server looked at me like I had two heads.

Mangia Italiano
Yum, yum, yum! Mangia Italiano is so good! K & B and I ate here when they were visiting, and we were all quite delighted with the asparagus bruschetta, the homemade pasta, and the desserts. The only weird part was our server, who didn't really fit the feel of the establishment and who treated us in an odd manner. But the food....wonderful!

Saleem's
A Lebanese restaurant "Where Garlic is King." Hmmmm...good hummus and mezze (little dishes), but I don't think some of the food quite warranted the prices. While I enjoyed my grilled portabellos and garlic mashed potatoes, I felt like they should have been super-special.

Restuarant Previews
Here's my short-list of where I want to go next. Keep in mind that this is just my short list...there are many, many places I want to go that aren't listed here.

Terrene
I think we might go here on my birthday. I'm hoping it will be like L'Etoile, only a bit cheaper. I love restaurants that use locally produced items and that tell you where the ingredients come from.

Niche
Another candidate for my birthday dinner, but I might wait to go there with my parents. 3 courses for $30 - what a bargain! Plus, the chefs are only 26! I think it's important to support the young folks who care so much about their craft.

Mirasol
I'm not terribly familiar with Central and South American cuisine, but this looks like the place to start. Hey, crab empanadas...I'm so there.

Atlas
Don't the profiteroles on the website's home page look so good! I'm a sucker for French and French-inspired food. Especially of the haute Provence variety. I don't think Atlas quite fits that category, but it'll do.

Wow, now I'm hungry. Well, not really hungry, but looking forward to working my way through St. Louis's restaurants.

Good night!