Restaurant Review

This takes me back to my old days on the college newspaper when my roommate and I would sample the (sometimes terrible) local cuisine and write about it. The silverware at one of the first restaurants we reviewed was utterly cruddy. Also, the restaurant had promised free movie tickets if you ate there, but didn't have any on hand, so my roommate and I drive with the restaurant owner to the theater to pick us some up. Ah Western Pennsylvania!

My experience at the Four Sisters Vietnamese Restaurant was quite different. It came very highly recommended and did not disappoint. While it's located in the boondocks (outside of the beltway), it was worth the drive. It has an enormous (daunting) menu. I ordered #44.: lettuce wraps with grilled shrimp and pork and vermicelli patties. The grilled pork was particularly wonderful--it has a sweet marinade that was really perfect. My favorite iteration of pork (basically ever). My only complaint was that there were only two pieces of lettuce (Wystan: "You have to understand, Emily, that not many people like lettuce as much as you do"). Wystan ordered grilled lemongrass beef, which he was very happy with.

The restaurant was pleasantly full, but even so, the service was remarkable: For instance, one of our dinner companions ordered pho and didn't notice the spoon with it (he was eating the noodles with a fork), and our waiter ever so discretely brought the spoon to his attention). And, one of my favorite parts of the restaurant--there were enormous bouquets of real flowers everywhere! (Oh, and the name: it is a little off in the number, but I appreciate a restaurant named after sisters.)