I tried these spots on Thursday at lunch. The first is in a brand new strip mall after 429 and Miller's Ale House on West Colonial. The next two are in a strip mall off Tilden. You go past the first place and make a left on Daniels (at 4 Rivers) and drive a few miles. The fourth is also off 429 in an area called Hamlin. I took a road from the second stop through a community called Independence to a right on New Independence Pkwy and up a few hundred yards on the left. The last is in Chinatown in the old Shanghai Lane location
Poki Burri - A chain from Georgia. They also say they sell Lifting Noodles. I had a $15 tuna poke bowl. You get some pretty good tuna and two vegetables (avocado and edamame) and a topping (seaweed salad). Lots of edamame. Haas avocado. Good seaweed. The sauces were lame. No sesame oil or soy sauce ones. I tried ginger miso. Rice was fine. It was fine, but, I'll always be thinking that for $12 I could be eating AYCE at Koy Wan. They sell some premade bowls (tuna, spicy tuna salmon, crab) and also ramen and apps. They had a donut sushi for $7. It just turned out to be a ring of rice topped with spicy tuna or crab. They didn't seem to have enough employees. It was semi-busy. Order at a counter. White/black/gray. Fake hedges. Four types of table and chair areas. Modern. Sodas were $2. They had free water. Not a destination spot. Open for a month.
The Peach Cobbler Factory - I don't remember if they were a chain from Kentucky or I made that up in my head somehow. They sell cobbler (with vanilla ice cream), cookies, brownies, banana pudding, pudd-n shakes, cinnamon rolls Belgian waffles and churro stix. I had peach cobbler for $8. It sucked. Tasted ike the $1 fruit pies you get at Walmart, etc. Many other flavors. Ice cream was ok. Spartan decor. Order at a counter. Some seats. Two others there. Open for a month. Pass.
Fire and Knife Pizzeria - I just popped in because it was next door and I doubt if I'll ever drive back here again. It was better than it's neighbor. They said this was a Slidders. Open for three months. I grabbed Sunday Sampler for $11 because most things were overpriced and the pizza oven was metal. I received two good (they said homemade) meatballs and some good sausage. Nice tomato sauce. Unadulterated. Topped with ricotta. Some bread too. They had a two slice and soda special for $10. Remember when that was $5 They said the pizza was NY style. A small was $4. A large was $17. They had two pastas and two other mains from $16-$19. Seven sandwiches from $14-$16. Six apps from $8-$13. Few if no seats. Already looks forty years worn. Let me put it this way - they had Belgioso cheese in the cooler.
Home State Brewing Co - I've been ignoring a page from a magazine (Edible?) with all the local breweries. I remembered this was close by. It was fine. Inside there are different color woods. Gray areas. A smallish selection of beer. Good. Large outside area. Some snooty coffee too via some shared space. Open for two years.
Hao Wei Fang - No sign in English out front. I think the zombie inside said it meant Tasty something. Google can't translate it. It was like pulling teeth. I just had the Yongzhou fried rice because it was the only thing that seemed to have a regional aspect. I turned out to be the usual fried crap. Tiny shrimp. Packaged frozen peas and carrots. Two times too expensive at $13. The menu is split into four sections of fourteen items from $14-$26. There were a few more expensive fish soups ($32) and meals. Some odd things were duck heads ($4), duck neck, duck wings, pig ears, tripe and lung ribs. I'm unsure if it is a mish mosh of Chinese regions or just Yongzhou (appears to be a city in Hunan). Empty. Bad renovation. Not a good trade for the old Shanghai Lane.
*I noticed that on 50 we have lost PUG and Kang's Kitchen.
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