Amber - Indian Deliciousness

3505 Birney Avenue, Mossic PA 18507

570.344.7100

“Birthdays was the worst days …Now we sip champagne when we thirst-ay”

As a full time student and only a part time food critic, unfortunately, I cannot drink champagne whenever I am thirst-ay.  However, birthdays are still birthdays and an appropriate break from studying and discussion of future exams should be taken when they do come around.  And we still gotta eat right???  The birthday boy requested Amber so we loaded up the cars, vowed not to discuss Asperigillus fumigatus or hypoparathyroidism and drove south.  

We got there while the sun was still high in the sky for the seniors dinner hour

They started us off with some crackers "papad" served with two types of chutney.  A green chutney "hari chutney" and a red chutney "imli chutney".  I preferred the green chutney which had a strong but not overwhelming minty flavor.  An amateur Indian food eater like myself did have to take extra precaution because the crackers are not very absorbent and the chutney is not very viscous.  The combination is dangerous and

Cosmo's - Cheese Steak

532 Moosic Street, Scranton, PA 

570.341.5100

For some reason Cosmo's identity as a cheese steak shop seemed to elude me for an embarrassingly long time.  Quickly glancing at the large brick building with massive signs on the second floor and lots of neon lighting, I was under the impression that Cosmo's was either a sports bar or some sort of adult arcade (a la a poor man's Dave and Busters).  

A friend, also from the Philly area, let me know that Cosmo's in fact serves a half decent cheese steak.  He was dead on and since discovering Cosmo's, we have had steaks at least once a month.  On my last trip I went with my usual whiz-with + mushrooms ($7.25).  I like to add a lil ketchup and splash of hot sauce.  

 

The bread is soft, the peppers on the side very spicy, and just the right amount of whiz.  While its not Jim's or John's Roast Pork, its still a very nice sandwich and I recommend if you are looking for a cheese steak in Scranton. 

As always love to hear others thoughts or recommendations for a new place.  Stay hungry NEPA...

Thai Thai - Yummy Lamb

309 N. Washington Ave, Scranton 

(570) 963-7745

There's a new player in the world of Thai food in downtown Scranton.  A niche, once comfortably occupied by only Thai Rak Thai, has just doubled its occupancy.  During the last week in March, Thai Thai opened  a mere block and a half away.  The ownership of Thai Thai seems to be doing something right with other locations in Stroudsburg, Wilkes-Barre, Bethlehem and Emmaus.  They now add legitimate competition to TrT in the BYO market here in Scranton.  

In comparison to TrT, it is immediately evident that TT has a more formal vibe.  The lights are a little bit dimmer, the servers are more attentive and serious, and sure enough the prices a little higher.  A quick comparison shows about a dollar higher prices in the pad thai $12 , the drunken noodle $12, the curry dishes $14, and the lunch specials $8. 

I decided to be a little adventurous and diverge a little from my usual Thai orders (thai spring rolls and either a green curry or beef drunken needle).  I quickly found a partner to split an appy and went for the Hoy Jor (crab rolls) $8 and then after a good 10 minutes of indecision I flipped a mental coin and went with the Yummy Lamb $24. 

Chicano's Restaurant - Burritos and Tacos

427 Cedar Ave, Scranton, PA 18505
570.955.5219

After just a few posts I have already received some pretty harsh criticism. Here are a few of the more kind examples. "Stop going to just pizza places." "Put more pictures up." "Spend more than $6.50 on dinner, cheapskate." And my favorite "Get an editor, you write like a 4th grader." I'll do my best to address a few of these, but as far as spending more money and learning to write good, don't hold your breath.


Anyways, after a long day yesterday it just felt like a burrito day. Wanting to go somewhere authentic and trying to avoid chains, we decided on Chicano's. After heading south and crossing the train tracks, we arrived at the restaurant. This is a new location for Chicano's which used to be located in a residential neighborhood. It now has more of a diner feel and less of a sitting in someone's kitchen feel (which I enjoyed). But what it loses in charm, it makes up for in easier parking and more tables.