Have lived in DC, off and on, since Aug 2007. Tonight, my roommates and I walked to the World Famous Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street.
Good location for the U Street nightlife. Good service despite the fact that it's a line-up at the counter type of operation. Menus are a little difficult to figure out; if it isn't breakfast time, you are eating off the lunch menu. There is no "dinner" menu.
To keep this short: it's a landmark and probably worth trying for that reason.
I ordered the large bowl of "beef" (as in, "Where's The Beef???!!!") chili with cheese and onions on top. It's just so-so. I've ordered chili at Wendy's numerous times in numerous locations and have ALWAYS enjoyed Wendy's chili more than Ben's. And, though it may be "apples to oranges", I ALWAYS enjoy Skyline and Red Star "Cincinnati Style" chili's more than Wendy's.
One of my roommates makes a mean, meaty chili that is more comparable to the style of Ben's. The next time the President of France comes to DC, I suggest he or she stop by our place for some "real" chili.
Heck, I'll even whip up some of my decadent cream puffs for dessert.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
UNO Pizza in Georgetown (Metro DC) - More Problems
Executive Summary: Previous visit sucked in mid-2008, next visit on Easter 2010 also sucked. Very unlikely to EVER return to this UNO location. May try UNO in another city someday, but if it also sucks, that will be the last time we try UNO.
Spent Easter Sunday prepping, painting, reversing a door and installing a new lock set in a basement room of my condo building with lots of help from the roommates. So, we decided to treat ourselves to a walk in the nice weather, a meal at Chicago Uno Grill ("UNO's") in Georgetown, and then a movie for two of us (the other roommate has better taste in movies).
We haven't been to UNO in Georgetown in a very long time, well over a year (maybe mid-2008). On that last visit we were also planning to see a movie, and we told our waitress so before we ordered to make sure we had enough time. Of course she said "yes". Great. We order. And we wait. And wait. And...you get the picture. I had to chase down our waitress (who seemed to disappear partway through our waiting). The pizza arrived very late, was not cooked properly, and was more or less room temperature. We complained, the manager came by our table, offered to remake it but we decline due to our time constraints. The manager adjusted our bill to zero, which was fair but still left us hungry and without time to get anything but popcorn and soda (a hot dog, you say?) at the concession stand. The manager also asked us to return soon and gave us a business card with a note on it - which I've since lost - that I believe might have resulted in a discount of some sort on our next visit.
So, Easter Sunday, around 3:30 PM, we arrive at UNO on M Street. I tell the hostess that they are on probation due to our poor experience on our last visit and to please give us a waitress who will see to it that it doesn't happen again. We are assigned a woman who was allegedly a "supervisor" of some sort. We ordered the "taster plate" appetizer, which was about $12. The photo to the left is what arrived at our table (there was a third ramekin of marinara but we'd already moved that to the table before I took this photo. The photo makes it look better than it was!).
There are supposed to be onion rings on this plate. There are a total of about 4-5 complete but very skinny "rings", and the rest of the meager pile at the "12 o'clock" position is broken pieces and bits. Two chicken strips, three "hot wings", and some fries. Perhaps folks in DC actually think this is a good value for their money, but I and my roommates certainly did not.
I walked to the bar and found a manager (I knew he was because he was holding a cash organizer (complete with money) for a register. I think his name was Frank. I told him about my concern and he immediately said they had run out of the mozzarella sticks but the kitchen was supposed to be adding more of other items to make up the difference. He came over and saw our plate. He began to remove the plate to return it to the kitchen while having it remade, but then asked if we'd like to nibble from it while we waited - YES PLEASE, as we were very hungry. Frank then came and asked if we'd like our pizza to come out with our remade appetizer plate, or should the pizza come later. "All at once is fine". The new plate was MUCH better, with a mound of onion rings, and more of each of the goodies than the first plate.
Then the pizza came. Prima Pepperoni. It seemed smaller than I remember, even though we had ordered the large. I thought, 'it's OK...it's really thick with toppings'. Nope - I forgot about the wire rack that supports the crust above the pan bottom. I thought, 'well, it's still filling at least because the pastry-like crust is worth eating'. Nope, not today - it was more dry and cardboard-like than I've ever had at an UNO, and I've been at them in a number of US States over the years. One of the roomies was very disappointed and only ate the toppings off of one piece - it's a good thing we had LOTS of appetizers left so he could keep eating.
I and the other roomie did manage to eat the remaining pizza - there wasn't that much to it - but none of us had eaten ANY of the crust edges. In fact, we reassembled the pizza crust in the pan, something like a puzzle. I'd guess that about 30% of the "base" was still there upon reassembly, which is unheard of for us at an UNO because the crust is usually pretty good. 100% of the outer edge of crust was still there, too.
Frank tried to fix things for us. He never said anything of the kind, but I got the feeling his hands were somewhat tied. I did not complain about the pizza (although the reassembled pizza in the pan might be a tip off), so Frank didn't have an opportunity to make that right. The waitress was just OK, but she brought refills to the table without asking if we'd actually like another; as it happened, I had started with a regular Coke because I felt my blood sugar needed a quick hit, but I certainly did not want a 2nd one - I wanted a Diet Coke for my refill. But, since I'd already made a fuss about the appetizer plate, I just accepted the 2nd Coke and kept quiet. I also believe she should have refuse to bring the first appetizer plate to our table looking as it had.
I must recommend you stay away from this establishment unless you are in the mood to vent your frustrations at the staff.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Arthur Treacher's - Alexandria, VA
This was a first for me. One of my two dining companions seemed to have a fond recollection of having gone to Arthur Treacher's in the MidWest about 30 years ago. And who doesn't like fried seafood and french fries?
We ordered individual meals, but the plan was to share everything.
We all got the same type of french fries. They were sort-of like waffle fries but not quite. We all agreed the fries were pretty darn good.
The three triangular fish fillets I ordered were large and tasted fine. Not fantastic, but it was a nice change. We all agreed that the fish fillets were our favorite entree.
The companion revisiting his childhood ordered the shrimp. They were decent. Not particularly flavorful, but decent. Unanimously our second favorite entree.
My other dining companion ordered the chicken, not being as big on seafood and wanted something "safe" in case the seafood dishes weren't to his liking. It turned out that the chicken was the least favorite dish for all of us. The coating was "wrong" for chicken - odd consistency and not enough spice. The flavor was too bland, as if the chicken had been frozen too long (just a guess - I didn't ask). It was also on the dry side.
Conclusion: The price was surprisingly high for the quality of the food (maybe I'm just not used to the higher prices in Metro DC???). The quantity was fine, but the quality was too low. As my companion said, "It can wait another 30 years" before he tries Arthur Treacher's again.
We ordered individual meals, but the plan was to share everything.
We all got the same type of french fries. They were sort-of like waffle fries but not quite. We all agreed the fries were pretty darn good.
The three triangular fish fillets I ordered were large and tasted fine. Not fantastic, but it was a nice change. We all agreed that the fish fillets were our favorite entree.
The companion revisiting his childhood ordered the shrimp. They were decent. Not particularly flavorful, but decent. Unanimously our second favorite entree.
My other dining companion ordered the chicken, not being as big on seafood and wanted something "safe" in case the seafood dishes weren't to his liking. It turned out that the chicken was the least favorite dish for all of us. The coating was "wrong" for chicken - odd consistency and not enough spice. The flavor was too bland, as if the chicken had been frozen too long (just a guess - I didn't ask). It was also on the dry side.
Conclusion: The price was surprisingly high for the quality of the food (maybe I'm just not used to the higher prices in Metro DC???). The quantity was fine, but the quality was too low. As my companion said, "It can wait another 30 years" before he tries Arthur Treacher's again.
Brenner's Bakery - Alexandria, VA
My visit to Brenner's Bakery was unexpected. I had never heard of them before. I saw the bakery while driving into the Belle View Shopping Center parking lot for the first time, trying to find a Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream shop I had seen on my iPhone's AroundMe app (a very cool app which has proven useful on numerous occasions in the mere four months I have been using it). As it turned out, Baskin-Robbins was in the adjacent building, with a different parking lot. However, upon seeing Brenner's (and the traffic, and the annoying "traffic shaping" we would have to endure just to drive next door), we parked in Belle View's lot and walked into Brenner's first
We had just had a mediocre dinner at Arthur Treacher's nearby (reviewed on this blog), and were looking forward to the Oreo(c) Outrageous ice cream flavor my dining companions had convinced me was required eating. (That Baskin-Robbins no longer carried the Oreo(c) Outrageous flavor was disappointing but did not influence this review)
It was late in the day for a bakery, so the choices were limited, and I did not expect everything to be fresh. Freshness was not the problem.
My chocolate croissant had plenty of filling. Unfortunately, the filling tasted "off". I have to assume there was something artificial in the flavoring, or someone used Crisco blended with the chocolate. There was an unpleasant bitterness to the flavor. I am accustomed to eating very dark chocolates; 72% mostly, and occasionally 85%, so I do not believe that it was a lack of sweetness in the chocolate filling that bothered me. I even saved some of the croissant so I could try it again much later in the evening, but the flavor was similarly unpleasant.
One of my dining companions bought a chocolate "cluster" (the actual name we cannot recall now) that contained raisins and pecans. It was ball-like, and the chocolate flavor was throughout. It did not have a chocolate coating or "shell". The raisins and pecans just did not taste good together. It was overly dry (this may have partly been as a result of buying at the end of the day).
My other dining companion bought two oatmeal raisin cookies. They were OK, but a bit thick for my liking. He also bought a powdered sugar coated Linzer torte with raspberry filling. My companions report that the torte was dry and VERY hard, and the filling was very gummy.
Conclusion: The Brenner's website states they have been serving Alexandria for over 50 years. If our findings were fairly representative of Brenner's usual offerings, I do not understand their longevity. I simply cannot recommend Brenner's.
We had just had a mediocre dinner at Arthur Treacher's nearby (reviewed on this blog), and were looking forward to the Oreo(c) Outrageous ice cream flavor my dining companions had convinced me was required eating. (That Baskin-Robbins no longer carried the Oreo(c) Outrageous flavor was disappointing but did not influence this review)
It was late in the day for a bakery, so the choices were limited, and I did not expect everything to be fresh. Freshness was not the problem.
My chocolate croissant had plenty of filling. Unfortunately, the filling tasted "off". I have to assume there was something artificial in the flavoring, or someone used Crisco blended with the chocolate. There was an unpleasant bitterness to the flavor. I am accustomed to eating very dark chocolates; 72% mostly, and occasionally 85%, so I do not believe that it was a lack of sweetness in the chocolate filling that bothered me. I even saved some of the croissant so I could try it again much later in the evening, but the flavor was similarly unpleasant.
One of my dining companions bought a chocolate "cluster" (the actual name we cannot recall now) that contained raisins and pecans. It was ball-like, and the chocolate flavor was throughout. It did not have a chocolate coating or "shell". The raisins and pecans just did not taste good together. It was overly dry (this may have partly been as a result of buying at the end of the day).
My other dining companion bought two oatmeal raisin cookies. They were OK, but a bit thick for my liking. He also bought a powdered sugar coated Linzer torte with raspberry filling. My companions report that the torte was dry and VERY hard, and the filling was very gummy.
Conclusion: The Brenner's website states they have been serving Alexandria for over 50 years. If our findings were fairly representative of Brenner's usual offerings, I do not understand their longevity. I simply cannot recommend Brenner's.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Qdoba.......or.....Qwonta
Having recently returned to living & working in downtown DC after nearly a year absence, I indulged in a guilty pleasure from my past - a grilled steak quesadilla from Qdoba on E Street NW, next to the Landmark E Street Cinemas (another guilty pleasure - I highly recommend seeing a serious movie at Landmark). I discovered back in late 2007 that it is highly addictive when dipped in a bit of Qdoba's Ancho Chili BBQ Sauce, so I always ask for a little plastic container of it to go with my quesadilla.
I try to brown-bag it most days, but sometimes I just feel like getting something I didn't have to make myself. It was one of those days, so I walked a few blocks to Qdoba. Ordering was pleasant enough, but when I reached the register, my quesadilla had gone from costing in the high sixes to the mid eights. DC's 10% sales tax on dining out couldn't account for all of that. I looked at the cashier and said, "Uhhh.....," but before I could get the words out, she informed me that they charge for the sauce.
"You charge for that now?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
"Seventy-five cents."
"You're kidding??? Seventy-five cents for the smallest container?" (gee, many times in 2007 and 2008 when I got the side of sauce for free the employees used the next size up - a container that probably holds 3-4x as much liquid)
(These small containers are the same kind that Five Guys has piled up adjacent to their ketchup pumps. El Pollo Loco has an entire chilled bar of five salsas with the same containers setup as an "all you want" arrangement - for free)
"Yes, we do."
"Well, I used to get these quesadillas all the time a year ago, and I always ordered a side of sauce and nobody ever charged me for it before. I'll take it this time, but you should know that seventy-five cents is way too much for that little container of sauce. If it was twenty or twenty-five cents I'd probably live with it, but at seventy-five cents, I'm not going to be back here to order another one of these." (maybe they should charge $0.23, so that with tax it comes out to an even quarter, in case somebody needs to buy one after they've paid for their main purchase?)
Mumble, mumble, mumble........ no discernible response from the employees to that.
I guess the two employees who were working at the register, and who were involved in the conversation, did not care that I wouldn't be returning to Qdoba.
I wonder if the general manager or owner would have cared.
I try to brown-bag it most days, but sometimes I just feel like getting something I didn't have to make myself. It was one of those days, so I walked a few blocks to Qdoba. Ordering was pleasant enough, but when I reached the register, my quesadilla had gone from costing in the high sixes to the mid eights. DC's 10% sales tax on dining out couldn't account for all of that. I looked at the cashier and said, "Uhhh.....," but before I could get the words out, she informed me that they charge for the sauce.
"You charge for that now?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
"Seventy-five cents."
"You're kidding??? Seventy-five cents for the smallest container?" (gee, many times in 2007 and 2008 when I got the side of sauce for free the employees used the next size up - a container that probably holds 3-4x as much liquid)
(These small containers are the same kind that Five Guys has piled up adjacent to their ketchup pumps. El Pollo Loco has an entire chilled bar of five salsas with the same containers setup as an "all you want" arrangement - for free)
"Yes, we do."
"Well, I used to get these quesadillas all the time a year ago, and I always ordered a side of sauce and nobody ever charged me for it before. I'll take it this time, but you should know that seventy-five cents is way too much for that little container of sauce. If it was twenty or twenty-five cents I'd probably live with it, but at seventy-five cents, I'm not going to be back here to order another one of these." (maybe they should charge $0.23, so that with tax it comes out to an even quarter, in case somebody needs to buy one after they've paid for their main purchase?)
Mumble, mumble, mumble........ no discernible response from the employees to that.
I guess the two employees who were working at the register, and who were involved in the conversation, did not care that I wouldn't be returning to Qdoba.
I wonder if the general manager or owner would have cared.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
This is not a review of a particular eatery.
I had occasion to wait for 2+ hours at Cleveland's Hopkins Int'l Airport (CLE) last weekend. It was to be my first time there and I was looking forward to finding the Cincinnati-style chili vendor that would undoubtedly be there. While I prefer Skyline Chili to Red Star, the latter has been very tasty when I've had it at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).
I couldn't find a Red Star or Skyline Chili in my terminal, so I found the grand map of the entire airport, which was electronic and interactive. I had it display the food joints in each of the terminals. NO chili places of any kind were to be found at CLE! Worse, the selection of alternate dining was dismal.
There were multiple Max & Irma's (but none in my terminal, of course), which have been fine when I've visited them outside of airports, but I had my heart set on chili.
At this point I would have gladly gone to any part of the airport for a Chili's-To-Go and ordered tortilla chips and queso dip (when it's good it's loaded with chili meat). Alas, even that old airport standby was nowhere to be found in CLE.
So, I bought a blueberry scone and a pint of milk from what looked like a glorified cart-type vendor that had decided to bolt some of their operation to the floor. It was just OK - the scone was too sweet.
And, to top things off, there was no free wifi at CLE, but that's a topic for another blog....
D
I had occasion to wait for 2+ hours at Cleveland's Hopkins Int'l Airport (CLE) last weekend. It was to be my first time there and I was looking forward to finding the Cincinnati-style chili vendor that would undoubtedly be there. While I prefer Skyline Chili to Red Star, the latter has been very tasty when I've had it at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).
I couldn't find a Red Star or Skyline Chili in my terminal, so I found the grand map of the entire airport, which was electronic and interactive. I had it display the food joints in each of the terminals. NO chili places of any kind were to be found at CLE! Worse, the selection of alternate dining was dismal.
There were multiple Max & Irma's (but none in my terminal, of course), which have been fine when I've visited them outside of airports, but I had my heart set on chili.
At this point I would have gladly gone to any part of the airport for a Chili's-To-Go and ordered tortilla chips and queso dip (when it's good it's loaded with chili meat). Alas, even that old airport standby was nowhere to be found in CLE.
So, I bought a blueberry scone and a pint of milk from what looked like a glorified cart-type vendor that had decided to bolt some of their operation to the floor. It was just OK - the scone was too sweet.
And, to top things off, there was no free wifi at CLE, but that's a topic for another blog....
D
Testing Mobile Blogging
Now I'll be able to easily post to this blog before I leave the
restaurants!
restaurants!
D
Saturday, July 19, 2008
D.C. Disappointments, few bright spots
It's been a l o n g time since my last post. I did a temporary relocation for a temporary job that has gone on and on.
What can I say about eating out in D.C.? In short, it's significantly more expensive than eating out in Madison, WI. So far it has NOT been significantly better, although there seems to be a bit more variety.
One bright spot is Five Guys. The hamburger joint. Coincidentally, they have recently come to ......Madison, WI! But I had them in D.C. first. I've tried their shops on DuPont Circle, the National Press Bldg Food Court, and downtown Madison, WI. With one exception out of many visits, I've gotten great food and great service at a decent price. One tip: unless you are really, really hungry, do yourself a favor and only order a single, small ("regular") serving of french fries even if there are two of you eating. Just split the order - there will be enough. Another tip: people with severe peanut allergies may want to avoid this place - they always have boxes of peanuts out as they are free for customers to grab and nibble on.
Stay tuned for upcoming reviews of:
D
What can I say about eating out in D.C.? In short, it's significantly more expensive than eating out in Madison, WI. So far it has NOT been significantly better, although there seems to be a bit more variety.
One bright spot is Five Guys. The hamburger joint. Coincidentally, they have recently come to ......Madison, WI! But I had them in D.C. first. I've tried their shops on DuPont Circle, the National Press Bldg Food Court, and downtown Madison, WI. With one exception out of many visits, I've gotten great food and great service at a decent price. One tip: unless you are really, really hungry, do yourself a favor and only order a single, small ("regular") serving of french fries even if there are two of you eating. Just split the order - there will be enough. Another tip: people with severe peanut allergies may want to avoid this place - they always have boxes of peanuts out as they are free for customers to grab and nibble on.
Stay tuned for upcoming reviews of:
- Hershey's Ice Cream parlor on K Street in Georgetown (adjacent to Loews Theaters)
- Thai Chili in Gallery Place (near Regal Cinemas)
- Matchbox pizza and more (near Gallery Place)
- Bestolli Pizza (on a door hanger near you - if you live near DuPont/Adams Morgan)
- Manny & Olga's Pizza (in the same location as Bestolli)
- Qdoba Mexican (E Street & 10th NW in downtown DC)
- Kraemers Books & Afterwords Restaurant (DuPont Circle)
- Mai Wah Chinese (M Street @ 24th St, NW)
- Penang Malaysian (M Street @ 19th, NW)
D
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Michael's in East Madison, WI (versus Culver's)
Saturday was a warm, wonderful day to be outdoors and my two companions and I spent a good deal of the afternoon at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens. But before we went we decided to eat. What we found just South of the Gardens was Michael Frozen Custard, located at 3826 Atwood Ave, Madison . Being new to the area, all I knew was that I had seen more than one of these places scattered around town but had never tried them. My two companions were in the same boat, so we all said, "Let's try 'em". We spent about $24.00, which was a bit higher than it normally would have been for three to eat here but we wanted to try as many different things as we could. One ordered a cheeseburger basket with cheese curds and a double berry shake (blue and raspberry) made with their custard. The other ordered this month's special, two hot dogs with fries and a drink. Yours truly ordered the patty melt basket and choose onion rings his side. The two regular drinks were Michael's own root beer.
Now, as I understand it, having root beer with your combo basket does not cost extra, however, they do not offer free refills on the root beer as they do with the other soft drinks. The root beer was actually pretty good. Perhaps not quite as biting as A&W *used* to be way back in the days when it was good, but that's OK. I would prefer a little more carbonation in the root beer, but that's perhaps just a personal quirk.
The double berry shake also was quite good. The consensus at our table was that Michael's shakes aren't quite as 'creamy' as the Culver's shakes we've had. For me this was a good thing, but my companions seemed to prefer the creaminess of Culver's.
Both the burger and the patty melt had what appeared to be rather thin meat patties.
The patty melt was served with swiss cheese and grilled onions on a heavy, hearty whole-wheat toasted bread. The over-all effect was very pleasant and not nearly as greasy as the Culver's equivalent.
The onion rings are billed as beer batter and they live up to their billing. One of the best onion rings I've had in Madison so far. Better than most anywhere, really. My only suggestion for improvement would be to use slightly wider cross-sections of onion. I would definitely order these again (despite the $1.00 up-charge to swap them for fries).
The cheeseburger was an over-all good eating experience. The bun was perhaps a little too soft and plain (i.e. no sesame seeds).
The two hot dogs were pretty decent. They were served automatically with yellow mustard, ketchup, and long crescents of onion (think cross sections not perpendicular to the onion's central axis). My companion mentioned that these are similar to the larger chunks of raw onion served on some McDonald's burgers and he does not like them on those, either. I had a bite and thought it was good for a hot dog. I'm not a big fan of regular hot dogs - I'd always prefer an italian or polish sausage, or a brat. If you don't want the mustard or ketchup, be sure to ask them to hold it when you order. I didn't see any brown or deli-style mustard available - maybe somebody should suggest it to them? $5.99 for the two dogs, fries and a drink isn't too bad.
Oh, yeah, the fries. Enjoyable, shoe-string-like. Some still had bits of skin on them (which I like). Cooked well and appropriately crispy. I found myself eating them when I was running out of room (in my stomach) but I had other main course items to eat as well. So, they're good.
Their version of cheese curds. Well, they are a bit larger and a bit more uniform than the curds typically for sale in clear plastic bags in stores all over this area. They looked more like short, fat, mozarrella sticks than curds. Indeed, they cheese inside was white instead of the yellow cheese inside Culver's fried cheese curds (chedder, I assume). But they tasted really great! The batter seemed to be a slightly heavier version of the beer batter found on the onion rings. I want to try them again and soon. I am concerned that I might become addicted to them. Of course, I thought that about Culver's curds at first, but after having them a few times the addiction has passed. I know find Culver's curds to be a bit too greasy (the same goes for their Butter Burgers, which I like but...).
So, over all, I highly recommend Michaels on Atwood. Their other locations can be found at www.ilovemichaels.com. Go check them out and come back to post your comments.
Now, as I understand it, having root beer with your combo basket does not cost extra, however, they do not offer free refills on the root beer as they do with the other soft drinks. The root beer was actually pretty good. Perhaps not quite as biting as A&W *used* to be way back in the days when it was good, but that's OK. I would prefer a little more carbonation in the root beer, but that's perhaps just a personal quirk.
The double berry shake also was quite good. The consensus at our table was that Michael's shakes aren't quite as 'creamy' as the Culver's shakes we've had. For me this was a good thing, but my companions seemed to prefer the creaminess of Culver's.
Both the burger and the patty melt had what appeared to be rather thin meat patties.
The patty melt was served with swiss cheese and grilled onions on a heavy, hearty whole-wheat toasted bread. The over-all effect was very pleasant and not nearly as greasy as the Culver's equivalent.
The onion rings are billed as beer batter and they live up to their billing. One of the best onion rings I've had in Madison so far. Better than most anywhere, really. My only suggestion for improvement would be to use slightly wider cross-sections of onion. I would definitely order these again (despite the $1.00 up-charge to swap them for fries).
The cheeseburger was an over-all good eating experience. The bun was perhaps a little too soft and plain (i.e. no sesame seeds).
The two hot dogs were pretty decent. They were served automatically with yellow mustard, ketchup, and long crescents of onion (think cross sections not perpendicular to the onion's central axis). My companion mentioned that these are similar to the larger chunks of raw onion served on some McDonald's burgers and he does not like them on those, either. I had a bite and thought it was good for a hot dog. I'm not a big fan of regular hot dogs - I'd always prefer an italian or polish sausage, or a brat. If you don't want the mustard or ketchup, be sure to ask them to hold it when you order. I didn't see any brown or deli-style mustard available - maybe somebody should suggest it to them? $5.99 for the two dogs, fries and a drink isn't too bad.
Oh, yeah, the fries. Enjoyable, shoe-string-like. Some still had bits of skin on them (which I like). Cooked well and appropriately crispy. I found myself eating them when I was running out of room (in my stomach) but I had other main course items to eat as well. So, they're good.
Their version of cheese curds. Well, they are a bit larger and a bit more uniform than the curds typically for sale in clear plastic bags in stores all over this area. They looked more like short, fat, mozarrella sticks than curds. Indeed, they cheese inside was white instead of the yellow cheese inside Culver's fried cheese curds (chedder, I assume). But they tasted really great! The batter seemed to be a slightly heavier version of the beer batter found on the onion rings. I want to try them again and soon. I am concerned that I might become addicted to them. Of course, I thought that about Culver's curds at first, but after having them a few times the addiction has passed. I know find Culver's curds to be a bit too greasy (the same goes for their Butter Burgers, which I like but...).
So, over all, I highly recommend Michaels on Atwood. Their other locations can be found at www.ilovemichaels.com. Go check them out and come back to post your comments.
Monday, April 23, 2007
KFC on Mineral Point, Madison, WI
Hit KFC on Friday afternoon, April 20th, 2007, because of a change in plans to see a movie that left us time to eat. I wasn't thinking about it, but my companion suggested it, probably because I used to like KFC in other towns and it was "right there".
I have not eaten at KFC as much as I used to in years past. I am not sure why this is. Perhaps it's because I have gotten good at making my own fried chicken at home (both traditional and tempura-style "nuggets"). I can cook up 10 legs at home for a total cost of about $8 (not including my time prepping, cooking and cleaning up the mess). How much is a 10 piece bucket these days?
Well, we ordered at the counter. A young man took our order. He seemed to know how to put the order into the register, but he didn't seem to know how to communicate with us. He could speak, but he mostly chose not to. Gruff and not personable I think is how I described him after we walked to our table. His attitude seemed to be that he really didn't want to be doing this for us. Maybe he is just nervous and uncomfortable with the public? Shortly after we ordered, my companion noticed that a female took over the register and she seemed to be pretty good at dealing with the public.
The food came. I had the Popcorn Chicken with a side of Mac & Cheese (my favorite side at KFC) and a Diet Pepsi (not a chance of getting Coke products at KenTacoPepsiHut). My companion had the Twister with Potato Wedges and whatever they had to drink that was NOT Pepsi or Diet Pepsi.
My Popcorn Chicken was a nice, large helping. The coating was a disappointment. Possibly it just sat around too long. It alternated between being doughy and chewy. But it also seemed to be, well, bland. The meat itself was OK - a bit dry but one expects that with nuggets and I didn't mind.
My Mac & Cheese was also bland, but it always has been at KFC. I seldom find a Mac & Cheese that is so amazing that I don't defile it with ketchup. I defiled away. Without the ketchup, it would have been too bland to eat.
Recommendations? If you have the urge for KFC, regardless of which town you are in, and you aren't in too much of a hurry, ask the employees how long it has been since the items were cooked. Better yet, just ask them to "drop" some fresh for you.
I have not eaten at KFC as much as I used to in years past. I am not sure why this is. Perhaps it's because I have gotten good at making my own fried chicken at home (both traditional and tempura-style "nuggets"). I can cook up 10 legs at home for a total cost of about $8 (not including my time prepping, cooking and cleaning up the mess). How much is a 10 piece bucket these days?
Well, we ordered at the counter. A young man took our order. He seemed to know how to put the order into the register, but he didn't seem to know how to communicate with us. He could speak, but he mostly chose not to. Gruff and not personable I think is how I described him after we walked to our table. His attitude seemed to be that he really didn't want to be doing this for us. Maybe he is just nervous and uncomfortable with the public? Shortly after we ordered, my companion noticed that a female took over the register and she seemed to be pretty good at dealing with the public.
The food came. I had the Popcorn Chicken with a side of Mac & Cheese (my favorite side at KFC) and a Diet Pepsi (not a chance of getting Coke products at KenTacoPepsiHut). My companion had the Twister with Potato Wedges and whatever they had to drink that was NOT Pepsi or Diet Pepsi.
My Popcorn Chicken was a nice, large helping. The coating was a disappointment. Possibly it just sat around too long. It alternated between being doughy and chewy. But it also seemed to be, well, bland. The meat itself was OK - a bit dry but one expects that with nuggets and I didn't mind.
My Mac & Cheese was also bland, but it always has been at KFC. I seldom find a Mac & Cheese that is so amazing that I don't defile it with ketchup. I defiled away. Without the ketchup, it would have been too bland to eat.
Recommendations? If you have the urge for KFC, regardless of which town you are in, and you aren't in too much of a hurry, ask the employees how long it has been since the items were cooked. Better yet, just ask them to "drop" some fresh for you.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Quizno's in Middleton versus Arby's Generally
Three of us wanted sandwiches, so we decided to hit Quizno's at 515 Junction Rd, Madison. We had tried Cousin's sandwich shops a couple weeks before and they don't even deserve a blog entry of their own - just blah blah blah. Don't go to Cousin's.
I have had Quizno's in other cities and they were generally pretty good. Pricey, but good. The service was always good on these previous forays.
Not so earlier this week in Middleton. I ordered the Large Steakhouse Beef Dip, which Quizno's describes as "Roast beef, Swiss, French Onion sauce, Pan Roasted Au Jus". It cost about $8.00.
What I got was a long roll cut in half with appeared to be a mediocre quantity of thin-sliced, seasoned beef. Oh, yeah, there was some kind of cheese on it...I guess it was Swiss, but I'm accustomed to Swiss cheese that let's you it's in there. Maybe this was Swiss Cheese for people with delicate palettes? The roll was bland and just OK. The meat was just OK. The "pan roasted au jus" for dipping was disappointing. Again, bland. I had planned to save the second half for a friend to eat later, but once I finished the first half I felt unsatisfied. So, I ate the second half. I felt more full, but still not satisfied.
The Service: to put it simply, everyone behind the counter involved in taking or making our order seemed to be an out-of-it high school boy who was poorly following a 'sandwiches by numbers' cheat sheet. They also seemed to need a refresher course in customer service... assuming they ever got such a course in the first place.
A companion on this trip asked for no lettuce on his. Quizno's shreds theirs, which is particularly annoying to pick off and it tends to leave more 'lettuce juice' behind even if completely picked off. (can you tell I don't like lettuce, either?) Well, of course, one of the boys dumped a handfull of lettuce on my companion's sandwich. My companion let them know that was wrong and he didn't want ANY of that on his. The boy (yes, I'm using that negatively to emphasis his relative 'youth' in this enterprise) went about picking off the lettuce, which took an annoying couple of minutes. My companion suggested to another boy at the register that he didn't want ANY of it on there, and that for a sandwich shop charging a premium price they really ought to consider making another sandwich. That boy just seemed to hear my companion without really listening, or doing anything constructive with the information. "Blank stare" comes to mind as a description.
I couldn't help but compare this sandwich to the French Dip Sub I frequently have ordered at Arby's all across the U.S. Sorry, haven't tried an Arby's recently enough to write it up here. It is also sliced beef on a roll with Swiss Cheese accompanied by a bowl of au jus to dip into. It usually costs around $6.00 (as I recall). But the Arby's is much better. The roll is wider though not as long. It is a more interesting type of bread, ciabatta-like but not as chewy. The meat is just as tasty if not more so. Though it's been a longer period of time since I had one, I can actually recall that it had Swiss Cheese, so that's saying something. And the dipping sauce was MUCH better, which a little, tangy 'zing' to it.
To be fair, I probably actually got a little but more food by weight for the $8.00 Quizno's than the $6.00 Arby's, but not a third more food despite the third more in price.
Honestly, if I could only eat one of these two sandwiches for dinner tonight, I'd actually pay $8.00 for the Arby's sandwich over $8.00 for the Quizno's.
I have had Quizno's in other cities and they were generally pretty good. Pricey, but good. The service was always good on these previous forays.
Not so earlier this week in Middleton. I ordered the Large Steakhouse Beef Dip, which Quizno's describes as "Roast beef, Swiss, French Onion sauce, Pan Roasted Au Jus". It cost about $8.00.
What I got was a long roll cut in half with appeared to be a mediocre quantity of thin-sliced, seasoned beef. Oh, yeah, there was some kind of cheese on it...I guess it was Swiss, but I'm accustomed to Swiss cheese that let's you it's in there. Maybe this was Swiss Cheese for people with delicate palettes? The roll was bland and just OK. The meat was just OK. The "pan roasted au jus" for dipping was disappointing. Again, bland. I had planned to save the second half for a friend to eat later, but once I finished the first half I felt unsatisfied. So, I ate the second half. I felt more full, but still not satisfied.
The Service: to put it simply, everyone behind the counter involved in taking or making our order seemed to be an out-of-it high school boy who was poorly following a 'sandwiches by numbers' cheat sheet. They also seemed to need a refresher course in customer service... assuming they ever got such a course in the first place.
A companion on this trip asked for no lettuce on his. Quizno's shreds theirs, which is particularly annoying to pick off and it tends to leave more 'lettuce juice' behind even if completely picked off. (can you tell I don't like lettuce, either?) Well, of course, one of the boys dumped a handfull of lettuce on my companion's sandwich. My companion let them know that was wrong and he didn't want ANY of that on his. The boy (yes, I'm using that negatively to emphasis his relative 'youth' in this enterprise) went about picking off the lettuce, which took an annoying couple of minutes. My companion suggested to another boy at the register that he didn't want ANY of it on there, and that for a sandwich shop charging a premium price they really ought to consider making another sandwich. That boy just seemed to hear my companion without really listening, or doing anything constructive with the information. "Blank stare" comes to mind as a description.
I couldn't help but compare this sandwich to the French Dip Sub I frequently have ordered at Arby's all across the U.S. Sorry, haven't tried an Arby's recently enough to write it up here. It is also sliced beef on a roll with Swiss Cheese accompanied by a bowl of au jus to dip into. It usually costs around $6.00 (as I recall). But the Arby's is much better. The roll is wider though not as long. It is a more interesting type of bread, ciabatta-like but not as chewy. The meat is just as tasty if not more so. Though it's been a longer period of time since I had one, I can actually recall that it had Swiss Cheese, so that's saying something. And the dipping sauce was MUCH better, which a little, tangy 'zing' to it.
To be fair, I probably actually got a little but more food by weight for the $8.00 Quizno's than the $6.00 Arby's, but not a third more food despite the third more in price.
Honestly, if I could only eat one of these two sandwiches for dinner tonight, I'd actually pay $8.00 for the Arby's sandwich over $8.00 for the Quizno's.
Vientiane Palace Lao-Thai Restaurant - Madison
Tried this place out on Thursday, April 12th, 2007. We met up with some new friends and they suggested it and I was all for it.
I'm told that the building used to be laundromat, which, in an un-politically correct moment, I thought was appropriate. Walking in, the place definitely felt like a family (asian family, not "gay") operation. We were quickly seated.
My two favorite dishes for 'testing' a new Thai restaurant are Yellow Chicken Curry (Kang Karee) and Coconut Milk Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai).
I was told many years ago that "yellow curry" is not an "authentic" Thai dish, but Thai people adopted it from India. I have often wondered how long a food item, or a dish, must be in the cuisine of a culture before it is considered "authentic" to their cuisine? I believe the Italians didn't have tomatoes until after somebody made a few trips to the Americas and brought them back to Italy. What's that, about 500 years. Does anybody say that tomato-based dishes aren't authentically Italian? So, maybe in another 450 years or so I will be able to find Yellow Chicken Curry at all Thai restaurants.
I was not able to find it at Vientiane Palace. They did have their own version of Tom Kha Gai, and the server confirmed that it was the same dish, so I ordered it. The group also ordered Pad Thai and another noodle dish that I believe was called Pad Loh (maybe Pad Lao, since this restaurant is actually Thai and Lao cuisine). Also ordered were spring rolls and the #4 Toast.
We were warned that this restaurant makes dishes on the hot side, so we ordered the soup as a "2" on a scale of 1 to 4. Mild/medium, we said.
Perhaps yours truly is not an "authentic" consumer of Thai food. Perhaps I'm a wimp who only nibbles at the periphery of Thai cuisine. But gosh that soup was HOT. Peppery hot. I believe it had an interesting flavor, and I ate all of my initial serving and the leftovers when nobody else wanted anymore, but it really was TOO HOT for me to really enjoy it. It also did not have mushrooms in it, which another in the party usually enjoys having in it. I usually don't eat many of the mushrooms myself, but I think the soup lacked something without them being present.
The #4 Toast (wish I could recall the name) looked like a Monte Cristo sandwich, or french toast gone wild. It was fried, very eggy, and had bits of ground meat here and there. As I describe it I think it sounds unpleasant, but it actually was quite tasty.
The Pad Thai with Beef and Pad Loh noodle dishes were both tasty enough. I am accustomed to Pad Thai having chunks of chicken, whole shrimps, ground peanuts on top, maybe some sprouts on the side. This just looked like a pile of noodles well coated with sauce. My companion and I don't recall really seeing any beef in it. Again, it had a decent flavor and I certainly ate enough of it, but it seemed a bit plain to me. The Pad Loh was a new dish to me. It was similiar in it's makeup to the Pad Thai but more brownish in color, probably from the heavy use of brown sugar in the sauce. I thought I bit into a piece of glass while eating this, but it turned out to be a chunk of hardened brown sugar. Again, I ate less of this as it was a bit too sweet for me and it also was a favored dish of one of my new friends.
The Spring Rolls were great. Served chilled and wrapped in a soft, pliable thin doughy..well, wrapper! Large and stuffed with veggies and accompanied by a tangy dark sauce with ground peanuts floating in it. I'm not a big fan on lots of veggies, but these were a refreshing change from the deep fried rolls one often gets.
The bill was about $42.00 (pre-tip) for four people to eat and be completely stuffed. No one ordered drinks. I felt it was a little high for the quality of the food and the ambiance, but we were located near the Capital and just off of State Street, so maybe it was reasonable.
Recommendation? Go try it, especially if you enjoy your dishes particularly hot. If you are not into hot, go try it but order everything VERY MILD!
Come back and tell us what you think.
I'm told that the building used to be laundromat, which, in an un-politically correct moment, I thought was appropriate. Walking in, the place definitely felt like a family (asian family, not "gay") operation. We were quickly seated.
My two favorite dishes for 'testing' a new Thai restaurant are Yellow Chicken Curry (Kang Karee) and Coconut Milk Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai).
I was told many years ago that "yellow curry" is not an "authentic" Thai dish, but Thai people adopted it from India. I have often wondered how long a food item, or a dish, must be in the cuisine of a culture before it is considered "authentic" to their cuisine? I believe the Italians didn't have tomatoes until after somebody made a few trips to the Americas and brought them back to Italy. What's that, about 500 years. Does anybody say that tomato-based dishes aren't authentically Italian? So, maybe in another 450 years or so I will be able to find Yellow Chicken Curry at all Thai restaurants.
I was not able to find it at Vientiane Palace. They did have their own version of Tom Kha Gai, and the server confirmed that it was the same dish, so I ordered it. The group also ordered Pad Thai and another noodle dish that I believe was called Pad Loh (maybe Pad Lao, since this restaurant is actually Thai and Lao cuisine). Also ordered were spring rolls and the #4 Toast.
We were warned that this restaurant makes dishes on the hot side, so we ordered the soup as a "2" on a scale of 1 to 4. Mild/medium, we said.
Perhaps yours truly is not an "authentic" consumer of Thai food. Perhaps I'm a wimp who only nibbles at the periphery of Thai cuisine. But gosh that soup was HOT. Peppery hot. I believe it had an interesting flavor, and I ate all of my initial serving and the leftovers when nobody else wanted anymore, but it really was TOO HOT for me to really enjoy it. It also did not have mushrooms in it, which another in the party usually enjoys having in it. I usually don't eat many of the mushrooms myself, but I think the soup lacked something without them being present.
The #4 Toast (wish I could recall the name) looked like a Monte Cristo sandwich, or french toast gone wild. It was fried, very eggy, and had bits of ground meat here and there. As I describe it I think it sounds unpleasant, but it actually was quite tasty.
The Pad Thai with Beef and Pad Loh noodle dishes were both tasty enough. I am accustomed to Pad Thai having chunks of chicken, whole shrimps, ground peanuts on top, maybe some sprouts on the side. This just looked like a pile of noodles well coated with sauce. My companion and I don't recall really seeing any beef in it. Again, it had a decent flavor and I certainly ate enough of it, but it seemed a bit plain to me. The Pad Loh was a new dish to me. It was similiar in it's makeup to the Pad Thai but more brownish in color, probably from the heavy use of brown sugar in the sauce. I thought I bit into a piece of glass while eating this, but it turned out to be a chunk of hardened brown sugar. Again, I ate less of this as it was a bit too sweet for me and it also was a favored dish of one of my new friends.
The Spring Rolls were great. Served chilled and wrapped in a soft, pliable thin doughy..well, wrapper! Large and stuffed with veggies and accompanied by a tangy dark sauce with ground peanuts floating in it. I'm not a big fan on lots of veggies, but these were a refreshing change from the deep fried rolls one often gets.
The bill was about $42.00 (pre-tip) for four people to eat and be completely stuffed. No one ordered drinks. I felt it was a little high for the quality of the food and the ambiance, but we were located near the Capital and just off of State Street, so maybe it was reasonable.
Recommendation? Go try it, especially if you enjoy your dishes particularly hot. If you are not into hot, go try it but order everything VERY MILD!
Come back and tell us what you think.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Easter at Imperial Garden, Middleton
Finally made it to Imperial Garden in Middleton, WI. Located on the corner of University Avenue and Allen. If you map it, make sure you state Middleton, since there is also an "Allen" in Madison.
The service was a little slow but very pleasantly delivered. Perhaps we caught a rush. Perhaps they are accustomed to people having drinks (i.e. booze) and chatting a bit before the food arrives. Maybe it was just because it was Easter Sunday. My dinner companion and I arrived very hungry and had already chatted earlier in the day. First course was Egg Drop Soup with Chicken. I was surprised to find a sizable quantity of tiny little bits of chicken floating about. There was a good portion of egg swirled in as well. The broth did not seem watery, but thankfully it also was not gelatinous like so many restaurants serve. The flavor was very light at first but it seemed to build. I did add a dash of pepper to each bowl. One large bowl and two individual bowls were brought. The individual bowls were actually bowls, not little cups. Each of us was able to fill our bowls 3 times from the large bowl - far more than I expected!
The main course was sesame chicken, mu-shu pork, and subgum (combination) fried rice. Again, all three of these had light flavors but they were all enjoyable. The wait staff did not make our first mu-shu pork "burritos", which surprised and slightly disappointed me. The upside was that they left the table sooner, thus allowing us to dig in sooner. The sesame chicken was breaded and fried long, slender pieces of chicken cooked just right. I suspect the dish sat for a bit in back as the crispy coating was not as crisp as it should have been, but crisp enough to be enjoyable. The fried rice was hiding a few perfect shrimp!
The sodas seem to be "bar sodas", poorly mixed and served in tall, slender glasses that probably hold about 8 ounces of liquid. My diet Pepsi tasted awful and I traded it for a regular Pepsi which was not good but not awful. No refill was offered when my glass was taken away, so I assume that additional sodas will be added to the bill. Perhaps it was because of my complaint about the first soda, but they left my drink off the bill - a nice surprise.
I was told that I could pay my waiter or I could pay at the cashier on my way out. I chose the latter. The woman operating the credit card machine was very pleasant and talkative. She invited us to come back and ask for the owner as she enjoyed helping customers find just the right dish.
I plan to go back take them up on that offer.
The service was a little slow but very pleasantly delivered. Perhaps we caught a rush. Perhaps they are accustomed to people having drinks (i.e. booze) and chatting a bit before the food arrives. Maybe it was just because it was Easter Sunday. My dinner companion and I arrived very hungry and had already chatted earlier in the day. First course was Egg Drop Soup with Chicken. I was surprised to find a sizable quantity of tiny little bits of chicken floating about. There was a good portion of egg swirled in as well. The broth did not seem watery, but thankfully it also was not gelatinous like so many restaurants serve. The flavor was very light at first but it seemed to build. I did add a dash of pepper to each bowl. One large bowl and two individual bowls were brought. The individual bowls were actually bowls, not little cups. Each of us was able to fill our bowls 3 times from the large bowl - far more than I expected!
The main course was sesame chicken, mu-shu pork, and subgum (combination) fried rice. Again, all three of these had light flavors but they were all enjoyable. The wait staff did not make our first mu-shu pork "burritos", which surprised and slightly disappointed me. The upside was that they left the table sooner, thus allowing us to dig in sooner. The sesame chicken was breaded and fried long, slender pieces of chicken cooked just right. I suspect the dish sat for a bit in back as the crispy coating was not as crisp as it should have been, but crisp enough to be enjoyable. The fried rice was hiding a few perfect shrimp!
The sodas seem to be "bar sodas", poorly mixed and served in tall, slender glasses that probably hold about 8 ounces of liquid. My diet Pepsi tasted awful and I traded it for a regular Pepsi which was not good but not awful. No refill was offered when my glass was taken away, so I assume that additional sodas will be added to the bill. Perhaps it was because of my complaint about the first soda, but they left my drink off the bill - a nice surprise.
I was told that I could pay my waiter or I could pay at the cashier on my way out. I chose the latter. The woman operating the credit card machine was very pleasant and talkative. She invited us to come back and ask for the owner as she enjoyed helping customers find just the right dish.
I plan to go back take them up on that offer.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Unhappy with Hong Kong Cafe on Mineral Point
Got take-out dinner for the second time at Hong Kong Cafe, 7475 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53717. We got home with the meal quickly and started in soon after.
I'll preface my comments with this: I've never eaten in the restaurant and it is possible that would be a different experience.
Okay, this time we got General Tsao's Chicken, Chicken and veggies, and Orange Chicken. The Orange Chicken has an interesting flavor in the sauce, perhaps obtained by using some oil and/or rind in the sauce. It is interesting.
That is where the interest stops. Tsao's and Orange were both coated chicken dishes and both were very soggy, no crispness whatsoever (same impression in the first take-away meal from Hong Kong Cafe a few weeks back). Chicken with Veggies is not coated, but the flavor was just OK, nothing to write home (or here further) about.
I suspected something would be wrong with these meals since they are ready to go in five minutes after ordering. I believe it is very hard to produce good quality Chinese food that quickly (save Panda Express, which has the food ready to go all the time - their secret is that the food sells so quickly it usually doesn't have time to get old and soggy. Of course, I've been disappointed by Panda a few times lately, too...).
I do not plan to go back to Hong Kong Cafe on Mineral Point.
Help! I need to find a good, cheap, Chinese take-away place near Mineral Point and Gammon.
I'll preface my comments with this: I've never eaten in the restaurant and it is possible that would be a different experience.
Okay, this time we got General Tsao's Chicken, Chicken and veggies, and Orange Chicken. The Orange Chicken has an interesting flavor in the sauce, perhaps obtained by using some oil and/or rind in the sauce. It is interesting.
That is where the interest stops. Tsao's and Orange were both coated chicken dishes and both were very soggy, no crispness whatsoever (same impression in the first take-away meal from Hong Kong Cafe a few weeks back). Chicken with Veggies is not coated, but the flavor was just OK, nothing to write home (or here further) about.
I suspected something would be wrong with these meals since they are ready to go in five minutes after ordering. I believe it is very hard to produce good quality Chinese food that quickly (save Panda Express, which has the food ready to go all the time - their secret is that the food sells so quickly it usually doesn't have time to get old and soggy. Of course, I've been disappointed by Panda a few times lately, too...).
I do not plan to go back to Hong Kong Cafe on Mineral Point.
Help! I need to find a good, cheap, Chinese take-away place near Mineral Point and Gammon.
Uno on Mineral Point, Madison, WI
Just had lunch at UNO Pizzeria on Mineral Point in Madison, WI. It's the 4th or 5th time I've eaten there. Always enjoyable. And they have a great, high-up location overlooking the road. Sometime when the weather is right I'd like to dine on their patio.
We ordered the Prima Pepperoni in their signature deep dish crust. Great toppings, great crust.
Also ordered the Gorgonzola Chicken. Pretty good, not as strongly flavored as I had expected but enjoyable. It came with your choice of two sides. The grilled veggies are mostly onions with a little pepper and other things tossed in as an after-thought (this really could use a little less onion and a little more other stuff, but it was still tasty). The mashed red potato side is also milder than you would think but quite tasty.
It was $32+ prior to the tip. This included two soft drinks. The price is a little high for what you get, but it's reliably good food and I didn't feel like taking a chance on an unknown place today.
We ordered the Prima Pepperoni in their signature deep dish crust. Great toppings, great crust.
Also ordered the Gorgonzola Chicken. Pretty good, not as strongly flavored as I had expected but enjoyable. It came with your choice of two sides. The grilled veggies are mostly onions with a little pepper and other things tossed in as an after-thought (this really could use a little less onion and a little more other stuff, but it was still tasty). The mashed red potato side is also milder than you would think but quite tasty.
It was $32+ prior to the tip. This included two soft drinks. The price is a little high for what you get, but it's reliably good food and I didn't feel like taking a chance on an unknown place today.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Favorite Food Places
Let's start this off on a positive note. Here's a quick run-down of my favorite eateries, not necessarily in order of preference.
1. Thai Smile - Palm Springs, CA. The best Tom Kha Gai (Lemon Grass Coconut Milk Soup) I've had anywhere, hands down. The Yellow Chicken Curry is also top-notch (even if this not a strictly authentic Thai dish). The House Fried Rice is also unmatched. Prices are still reasonable, but I remember most dishes being $2-3 less each when I first found Thai Smile. But then, it was a hole in the wall. Now it's very different with quite a bit of good decor, but a part of me misses the less formal feeling of the old place. Still HIGHLY recommended, and shorts and t-shirts are A-OK for lunch or dinner.
2. Yu's Maple Garden - Ogden, UT. It's been many years, so this info may be unreliable. Many good dishes, but I believe they may have had the best sweet and sour chicken I've ever eaten. Several others have said much the same about it.
3. House of Thai Taste - Venice, CA. Technically this place may be in Los Angeles, but who cares? Located on Venice Blvd between the 405 Fwy and Hwy 1 ("PCH"). Another hole in the wall that I've seen upgraded over the years. I generally prefer to eat "family style" at most restaurants, but you may want to try the dinner specials (was $10.95 on my last visit). You get a choice of soup, eggroll, fried rice and an entree, and the portions are not skimpy. It's a good way for one or two people to get to taste several things for less than $35 including drinks and tip.
Anyway, it's 4:00am. It's your turn.
Don
1. Thai Smile - Palm Springs, CA. The best Tom Kha Gai (Lemon Grass Coconut Milk Soup) I've had anywhere, hands down. The Yellow Chicken Curry is also top-notch (even if this not a strictly authentic Thai dish). The House Fried Rice is also unmatched. Prices are still reasonable, but I remember most dishes being $2-3 less each when I first found Thai Smile. But then, it was a hole in the wall. Now it's very different with quite a bit of good decor, but a part of me misses the less formal feeling of the old place. Still HIGHLY recommended, and shorts and t-shirts are A-OK for lunch or dinner.
2. Yu's Maple Garden - Ogden, UT. It's been many years, so this info may be unreliable. Many good dishes, but I believe they may have had the best sweet and sour chicken I've ever eaten. Several others have said much the same about it.
3. House of Thai Taste - Venice, CA. Technically this place may be in Los Angeles, but who cares? Located on Venice Blvd between the 405 Fwy and Hwy 1 ("PCH"). Another hole in the wall that I've seen upgraded over the years. I generally prefer to eat "family style" at most restaurants, but you may want to try the dinner specials (was $10.95 on my last visit). You get a choice of soup, eggroll, fried rice and an entree, and the portions are not skimpy. It's a good way for one or two people to get to taste several things for less than $35 including drinks and tip.
Anyway, it's 4:00am. It's your turn.
Don
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