Spice Kitchen re-opened Thursday under new management. Their menu is different, and they don’t have takeout menus yet. They have new tablecloths and new tea service (the pots still drip). They were not full Saturday night. Their new menu doesn’t seem to have the Szechuan Ginger Chicken that I liked as something similar to General Tso’s chicken. The fried rice noodles with beef is different and maybe better. I also had some Kung Po chicken, which had more peanuts than chicken and was really good, not as spicy as the Kung Pao chicken my former partner used to make at home.

I’d definitely be up for a group excursion with people who remember more stuff from the old menu. I do not know whether they still have the puffed-up kind of green onion cake.

Highlands Kitchen used to be called Culina Highlands, and Bacon before that I think. It was actually my first time there, and I haven’t yet made it to the yarn store next door either. They had really good fresh decaf coffee, and I had the waffle special (andouille sausage, compote of apples and blueberries, cream). Mostly they don’t have a brunch menu, but there are really interesting sounding things on the lunch menu. I’d definitely go back there.