Buffets: Grazing humans

An inside peek to some of Bowling Green's finer buffets.

Welcome to Hunan Buffet. This guy likes it and I know why. Hunan has just about everything you could ask for from a Chinese buffet at a reasonable price. It says on the menu it features over 60 items daily. I didn't count but I wouldn't doubt it.

Hunan is great, and barely $6 for lunch.

Old Town Buffet has a few more options than Hunan, but not many. Old Town offers a Mongolian bar and a few more familiar American foods.

The atmoshphere may be Chinese but the options aren't limited. Featuring everything from Salt and Pepper Squid to Pepperoni Pizza, Crab Legs on Fridays and Saturdays, this place has it all.

You can rent out space for gatherings. Birthdays receive a dance, song and cake. Overall a real comfortable family environment.

Hunan and Old Town buffets looks great, but King buffet's price looks better...

A five dollar lunch and a six dollar lunch ain't nothin. Especially with a 10 percent discount for showing a BGSU student I.D.

King Buffet sure doesn't have as many options.

But does it really matter when it's all you can eat?

Tofurkey

Gobble! Gobble! - The turkey imitation so often uttered in spirit of Thanksgiving. But what sound does imitation turkey make? I've never come across wild Tofu.

Yesterday at my family's Thanksgiving feast, my vegetarian cousin provided the talk of the table. It wasn't the creamy mashed potatoes, the Swiss grits, the stuffing or the delicately carved turkey which sparked conversation. What everyone was talking about, but not necessarily enjoying, was the turkey without the tryptophan: The Tofurkey.

I solute Tofurkey for providing an avenue for vegetarians to remain traditional, but I do not commend it on taste. If you are not a vegetarian there is really no reason to try the Tofurkey since turkey is a pretty lean to begin with. Sure the Tofurkey has it's advantages; low fat, easy to prep and no nap required post consumption, but that all comes at a tasteless price.

The Tofurkey is a rounded log of tofu with a wild-rice-stuffing running through the center. When the Tofurkey is sliced, there is a round disk of Tofurkey with a hole in the middle filled with the wild-rice-stuffing, not a bad presentation. But the Tofurkey really doesn't taste anything like turkey. The texture is chewier than tofu, but still not even close to the texture of real turkey. It really just tastes like Rice-A-Roni pilaf.

My Aunt said she enjoyed it topped with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy - the way most Thanksgiving plates turn out. So if you don't eat the bird on Thanksgiving but want to remain somewhat traditional, eat the soy variation with a lot of other flavorful sides that will mask the bland, monotonous taste of Tofurkey.

Easy Street, more like Meatball Avenue

Latley I have been on a mission which I recieved from a craving. A craving for a giant Meatball Sub. I had trouble finding one that satisfied my hunger last week, but tonight I believe I found exactly what I was looking for.

Easy Street Cafe's Meatball Sub comes with three giant meatballs that are bulging out of a toasted bun, covered with a classic marinara sauce and melted mozerella. It's a classic Meatball Sub and I ate every last bite. But the crux of the sub wasn't really how it was compiled, but how it was served. It comes served in a small casarole dish which my waitress, Lindsay, said it is baked in until the cheese melts and the edges of the bun get dark. I believe a great meatball sub will always be one that requires a fork and knife, and I would hate to see anybody try to pick up one these fat slobs. Lindsay said she has seen some terrible meatball fumbles. The sub was great although I can't say much for the fries that came at an extra charge. They where a bit saturated, comparable to Steak Escape's fries. So I tip my hat to Easy Street and their giant meatball sandwich. Meatball Sandwich - 6.99 Add Fries ----------- 0.95 16 oz Bass ---------- 4.25 Total ----------> $12.23