The Elephant Walk: Worth the extra buck

My boyfriend has been raving about The Elephant Walk since I met him, so the other night, we hit up the Waltham location for some Cambodian and French-inspired cuisine. With additional locations in Cambridge and Boston, the Waltham spot is inviting and cozy, and was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday evening, especially 30 minutes before closing time. When we first arrived, I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio and sipped away while we munched on some Vegetarian Rouleaux ($8.95), which are Cambodian spring rolls filled with shitake mushrooms, carrots, onions, bean sprouts, peanuts and beanthread with vegetarian tuk trey for dipping.

The spring rolls came fried, although apparently in the spring and summer they are served steamed. Regardless, the rolls were delightfully crispy without being overly greasy, and came out piping hot and fresh. The waiter even informed us about the recommended way to eat the rolls: wrapped up with some of the accompanied bean sprouts, lettuce, and fresh mint leaves. Wrapping the spring rolls as he suggested gave them even more authentic flavor.

For an entree, I enjoyed a plate of Crevettes Amrita ($16.95), which was plump shrimp sauteed in a Cambodian satay sauce with a slew of spices and flavors, including coriander, cumin, star anise, and lemongrass, to name a few.

The plate was vibrant and full of spicy, fresh flavor. The best part for me was that the dish was plenty for one serving, but I wasn't left with three days' worth of leftovers.

My only gripe about Elephant Walk: we had to shoo away several fruit flies during our meal. I'm just happy we didn't find them in our food. However, for spending the money to enjoy dinner out, it was well worth the extra few dollars.

A lunch splurge that was worth the wait

For me, easy-to-make lunches are a necessity during the work week, so when I splurge on a more "gourmet" sandwich, it better be good. Luckily for Boston King Cafe in Andover, their sandwiches are good, although prepare to wait 10 minutes for one, as they're made to order. I stopped into the breakfast-to-dinner cafe yesterday for one of their Four Corner Ham & Cheese sandwiches ($6.80), and although this dish was anything but gourmet, it was satisfying and (I guess) worth the wait. Made with just the right amount of black forest ham, provolone cheese, house mustard, lettuce, and tomato on thick cut multigrain bread, this was one dressed up ham and cheese. My only gripe? The bread was toasted, while the meat and cheese were still cold. I would have killed for some melted cheese and ham heated in the skillet.

What's your favorite place to splurge on lunch during the week?