A Place To Eat

I was curious about new businesses and foodie joints that just opened, so I turned to trusty Yelp for help with that. After checking out a few reviews, I found A Place To Eat. Newly opened, just 5 weeks old, Chef Willu Diaz operates a one-man show. Located in Puck's Alley, there are a some big positives. One, parking is free, and there's lots of it. Two, Chef Willu (pronounced "wi-loo") prepares your food fast. I don't know how he does it, but he takes your order and then runs to the kitchen to prepare it. All within 10 minutes. Amazing. Third, Chef Willu's initiative is to keep a low overhead while spending his money on fresh, local ingredients. I love that. He doesn't have many workers, if any. The first night we went, it was just him. The next day I grabbed take-out lunch from him and he had a girl manning the cashier. My fourth positive? It's BYOB. And we all know that's a biggie!!! And lastly, he's open from 11am-midnight Monday through Sunday! This guy has literally put all his efforts into his business. I respect that. Very honorable.

Support Local! Plus, his food is tasty, fresh and flavorful for a gourmet plate-lunch. When I first walked in, saw the menu and met the Chef, it immediately reminded me 4 King's Kitchen, located not too far from A Place To Eat.

So what did I order? I could barely make up my mind after seeing the menu! Did I want the Scallops I heard so much about on Yelp? Or the Coconut Curry? Or the Ribs? Or the Kahlua Pig Quesadilla?

Turns out, we had the Macnut Mahi Mahi, the Adobo Sea Scallops and the Kahlua Pig Quesadilla to share. I settled for that, but believe me, if I could have ordered and tried everything, I would have. And the next day, my impatience kicked in, and like I said above, I went back for lunch. Picked up Chef Willu's White Curry and his Tangy Sweet Sour Ribs.

Everything was delicious, though my favorite has to be the Kahlua Pig Quesadilla. Did I mention he soaks the kalua pig in Kahlua?! How delectable does that sound? Plus, his avocado sour cream dip is unbelievable. I literally dipped the quesadilla in it until it was completely covered in avocado sauce. So delicious. I wished Chef Willu gave more, but I was afraid to ask after he mentioned to us that he is a big advocate of not wasting food. Yikes! Trust me Chef Willu, I would have used all of it if I had more sauce!

Love this place. Highly recommend.

Macnut Mahi Mahi.  Fish is a little on the dry side (as most mahi is), but the crust is crunchy and hot. What makes this dish is the Ginger Coconut Cream Sauce. I wanted to DRINK that sauce. It's a on the thicker side, but oh-so delicious and worth the calories.

Kahlua Pig Quesadilla. THIS WAS A WINNER!

The Avocado Sour Cream sauce....WINNERS. You must devour the quesadilla with loads of the avocado sour cream sauce. The Pineapple Salsa wasn't my favorite...

Adobo Sea Scallops. Big, scrumptious scallops with a peppery crust. If you like pepper, you'll enjoy these.

Half rack of ribs. Yelpers said the meat fell off the bone, but I still had to pick at it. My go-to for ribs? Tony Roma's. Come on, they specialize in ribs!

Tofu White Curry. A deliciously-light curry!! And so healthy! Loaded with a bunch of cabbage, big tofu squares and bamboo shoots. If you love lemongrass like I do, you will love this dish. If you're craving meat, don't order this!