Foodventures

My Blog has Moved

2012-01-12T06:56:00.001-08:00

This Blog has been expanded and has moved to a new site.

The New site is http://stevelerer.com

The title of the blog is "Fit Food Fun"

Head over to the new site to get your fix of foodventuring fun in addition to new articles and information.

-Steve Lerer (The Foodventurer)

Grant Grill

2012-01-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

Article first published as Restaurant Review (San Diego): The Grant Grill on Blogcritics.

After our first day at a conference in San Diego we decided to go out for a special dinner at the Grant Grill at the US Grant Hotel. First off the hotel, which has been around since 1910, is beautiful. We could have spent a lot of time just taking in the history of the hotel but this isn't hotelventures so let's get right to the Grant Grill. This restaurant was on the Best Thing I Ever Drank so the reason why we were there was the Smashing Pumpkin martini but as you will soon see, the meal itself great.

The Grant Grill had the feel of a fancy club where CEOs meet to make serious decisions and actually for a long time it was a men's club during certain times of the week. Lots of expensive wood and art and fancy plates on which they serve single palette cleansers so you are prepared for your meal. The great thing is that this all worked really well with the ambiance and feel and definitely the food served. One thing that I struggled with were the seats. For some reason at our table the bench seats were extremely close to the table itself and since they were leather and cushy I felt like I was being pushed into the table. An odd feeling especially when you are settling in for a extended meal.

So what did I order? I obviously ordered the Smashing Pumpkin martini, which is seasonally available in the fall. Next, after perusing the menu I ordered the Dungeness crab risotto for an appetizer and the Niman ranch pork cheeks for my entree. For those of you who do not know, Niman ranch is an awesome high end ranch where you can get great meats and yes pork cheeks are the cheeks of a pig. After ordering our waiter informed us that the fresh baked focaccia bread would be out of the oven in a few minutes. That got me really excited but I was still blown away by the bread we received.

A few minutes later my martini came out. The Smashing Pumpkin martini is made up of pumpkin and star anise infused 10 cane run, Grand Marnier, allspice, saffron syrup, cardamom bitters, and some frech meyer lemon. Yes, that is a lot of ingredients and I generally struggle with sweet martinis but this one was surpisingly tasty. The rim was lined with cinnamon and sugar which blended very well with the pumpkin rum. The Grand Marnier and saffron added some boldness to the drink while the allspice and cardamom added some punch. The Meyer lemon, being a little sweet also melded well into the drink. One thing that stood out was this was definitely not meant to be a smooth drink, with all the ingredients the liquid became very cloudy and at times I felt like I needed to chew. This made the drink a little much and not one that I could drink repeatedly in one night. I think that if they strained it, the drink would be smoother and a little less intense. I liked it but definitely ordered a glass of wine for my entree.

Just look at how crispy the top is!

Next, to our delight, the fresh focaccia bread arrived. Now this wasn't just a big loaf cut up and served, not at the Grant Grill. Each table gets its own mini loaf baked just for the privileged few who sit there. The bread came out piping hot, and ready to be cut and served like a pizza. It also came with special sea salt, cracked pepper, and butter on the side ready to be mixed and used to enhance the flavor (Not that it was needed). Honestly they could have just given me some marinara sauce, my own platter and I would not have needed anything else that night, the bread was just that good. But, alas I had to suffer through two more courses and dessert.

After eating two pieces of this bread, the appetizers arrived. My Dungeness crab risotto was delicious. One thing I want to point out again is that the plates were all very unique and worked perfectly with the presentation of each and every dish. This was a risotto like no other I have ever had before. The rice was cooked perfectly and mixed beautifully with the capers and crab. Each bite was smooth and only the tiniest bit chewy. The crab added a level of decadence that allowed you to close your eyes and enjoy each bite, while the snap peas added a bit of green that helped you feel like this was at all healthy. The addition of toasted pine nuts was brilliant. Pine nuts just add something intangible to certain dishes; I think it's the woodsy taste and smell that comes along with the toasting. And just when you think that this was enough, they went ahead and shaved fresh Parmesan over the top and proved you wrong. Without the salty flavor the cheese brought to the dish, something would have indeed been missing. That little bit pulled the whole dish together and turned it into one of the best risottos I have ever tasted.

So far the Grant Grill had gone three for three without many critiques, and the next dish was no slouch either. My pork cheeks arrived on top of Swiss chard, accompanied by what they call rooftop tomato jam, cipollini onions and Asian pears (Which I actually thought were potatoes which would have made no sense in this dish). Ok so I have to be honest, I really have nothing bad to say about this dish aside from the fact that I would not have complained if I got received more cheeks on the plate but when do you not want more cheeks?

This dish just worked, plain and simple, everything that was on the plate needed to be there and I would not have added anything else. I didn't even think to add pepper which I usually add to everything (I added it to the risotto). Each bite was savored and then missed when it was gone. Some times I would try the pork cheek alone and other times I would mix it with one, two, or all of the other ingredients. Each forkful was different and caused a unique flavor profile which is always fun for me. It's like I have many different entrees all in one dish. Easy to try, but really hard to pull off. This was the first time I had ever eaten pork cheeks and now I am sad that I hadn't been eating them all my life. They were cooked down to the point where the meat melted in your mouth and just truly embodied the flavor of pork. This cut now ranks right under bacon for me, and actually not that expensive to purchase at the butcher. If you eat pork and go to this restaurant you would be remiss if you did not order this dish.

It would not be a complete meal without a little dessert (Though I could have ordered another entree if it would have been an approved move). I ordered the semolina cake with a raspberry and blueberry compote and vanilla ice cream. I really do not remember much about this desert, I think my reaction was that it was fine but not as significant as the rest of the meal. This may be my bias against cakes but I don't think it was bad, just not amazing. Of the whole dessert, I think the compote was the best. Mixing the fruit into the ice cream and cake was the way to go and they elevated the dish to something better than I would have expected. If I eat here again I would probably try something else but I don't think you would be disappointed if you decided to try the semolina cake

The Grant Grill at the US Grant Hotel was a wonderful experience and is run by people who obviously know what they are doing. A few critiques but all in all a delectable dinner and well worth the cost. Just as a heads up, this place is not cheap but you can get coupons from restaurant.com to help lower the bill a bit. Also, if you really want to get crazy, you can order their ever changing seasonal tasting menu and perhaps do a wine pairing to go along with it. Next time you are in San Diego and looking for a fancy dinner check out the Grant Grill or just stop in at their lounge for some inventive and tasty cocktails.

Overall Review: 9/10

Take a look at what the Grant Grill is serving today by clicking here

Broken Yolk Cafe

2011-12-27T21:03:00.000-08:00

Article first published as Restaurant Review (San Diego): Broken Yolk Cafe on Blogcritics.

While in San Diego for the NASPA Regional Conference, Virginia and I stopped by the Broken Yolk Cafe for some brunch. This was a place on Man vs Food and has a massive egg challenge, not something I was going to try two hours before winning an award but maybe next time. Instead I came in to try some Mexican breakfast food since it is a staple in San Diego. From the outside the Broken Yolk looked like a standard diner and sort of small but wow was I wrong. It was actually really modern looking with some nice flat screen televisions and it went back far enough to seat a decent number of people. I ordered a coffee and some fresh squeezed grapefruit juice (hoping that it was a decent amount of juice for cost) and perused the menu. After a few reads I was torn between a few options so in regular fashion I asked my server for his breakfast recommendations. He rattled off a few options but told me that by far his favorite was the chilaquiles. I went with his recommendation and ordered them with the red sauce (I am not really a fan of green sauce, I don't know why but I am slowly realizing that I have a distaste for anything "chile verde").

The juice and coffee came out and I was instantly pleased.Why you ask? Because the grapefruit juice was actually served in an adult sized glass. It is really annoying to spend 4-6 dollars on juice and get the same or less in actually ounces. Here I got probably twelve ounces of juice for 5 bucks which is enough to get me through the whole meal. Other breakfast places can take notes from this, please save your child size glasses for children and serve me enough juice for more than one gulp!

After a short wait my chilaquiles arrived in all their glory. So what are chilaquiles? Well, you start with crispy fried quartered tortillas and top them with sauce (As previously discussed, I chose red). Next you cover them with melted cheese and sour cream. For breakfast eggs can be added and I opted for my over medium fried and it all goes on a plate next to some refried beans. How can you go wrong with that! Well, I imagine you can but this place definitely did not.

Everything about this dish made me happy. The tortillas were crispy on the outside of the plate but soaked in sauce on the inside. The cheese was melted perfectly and the red sauce was tangy and spicy. I great wake up call after the early morning and the two hour drive in traffic, though the constant refiling of my rarely consumed coffee by out attentive waiter probably influenced this comment a bit. And oh the eggs. For those of you who have read other posts I am very critical of my eggs, probably more so than my steak and burgers. Not sure why but it is what it is. When I say over medium it means that the yolk should still run but it should be viscous like molasses and these eggs were just that. When I cut it the yolk coated the knife and fork and did the same for the tortillas. They added the unctuousness the dish sorely needed as eggs are supposed to do. Mixed into the tortilla side of the plate they made this dish something I would come back to again and again.

While the beans were pretty much a throwaway, I was really happy with this recommendation and told the waiter just that. It is always nice to go to a restaurant where the wait staff take pride in the food and can really guide you towards good choices. I am always a little nervous when I go to a MvF place and try something he didn't eat but the Broken Yolk Cafe did not disappoint. Next time you are in San Diego check it out they serve tons of omelets as well and don't forget, adult sized fruit juices!

Overall Review: 7/10

Check out the Broken Yolk Cafe here (Apparently you can open a franchise if you have some money)

Parc Restaurant Bistro & Cafe

2011-12-18T21:07:00.000-08:00

This a shorter review of Parc Restaurant in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. I swung by this place after eating my fill of Turducken and since only the mashed potatoes for on the list I figured I could find a place for them in my stomach. When I walked in I was surprised by how big the restaurant was. It looked like a corner bistro from the outside but the inside was huge. Since I was alone and not overly hungry, I sat at the bar and ordered a beer. I asked the bartender if I could get the mashed potatoes and though a little odd to just order a side dish, he asked in the back and the mashed potatoes that are usually for dinner were ready. Score! After ordering I headed to the restroom which I wouldn't usually talk about but the decor was very interesting. Basically, it was a showcase of picture of naked women from years past. I guess it's a French restaurant thing, but I wonder what the women's restroom looked like.

The bartender asked if I wanted to have some bread with my potatoes and though I did not need it of course I said yes anyway. Thank god I did because the bread was fresh and delicious. I got a few different kinds in my basket, a raisin, a white, and a focaccia. The bread was hot and chewy with my favorite being the raisin with a touch of butter. I actually think I liked the bread more than the potatoes but that's not to say the potatoes were good also.

Delicious creamy potatoes!

As you can see to the right, the mashed potatoes or the Pomme Puree came out freshly made with a little chive on the top. These potatoes were everything you could want in a traditional mashed potato dish. The skins were off and they were pureed to a creamy texture. Lightly salted and made with what I am sure was heavy cream they were quite delectable. The chives were a great addition and added a slightly different flavor and texture to a dish that could have been a bit monotonous. I really enjoyed the Pomme Puree and would come back to get it again when back in Philly.

Parc is a very nice restaurant with some enticing dishes on the menu. Definitely a place I will come back to for a complete meal. The pomme puree was really good, some of the best traditional mashed potatoes I've had. Personally, I like them with the skins on and some cheese but I guess I am not a purest. Oh well. I am giving them a lower score because I really need to go here for a full meal but for a single appetizer still think it was a success. Check out Parc the next time you are in town.

Overall Review: 6/10

Find Parc Restaurant, Bistro & Cafe online here

Smokin Betty's

2011-11-20T20:34:00.001-08:00

Article first published as Restaurant Review (Philadelphia): Smokin Betty's on Blogcritics.

I took a trip to Philadelphia for a wedding and was extremely excited to stop by Smokin Betty's for their famous Turduken Burger. I took the train into center city and walked the few blocks from the market to the restaurant. Upon my arrival I noticed how nice the interior of the restaurant looked. For a comfort food place it looked rustic but upscale. The wait staff was very polite though my waiter did take a while to come talk to me for the first time. I was also excited by the large craft beer selection and quickly ordered a nice Blonde Ale. A few minutes later I ordered my turduken burger with a side of sweet potato fries.

After about ten minutes my glorious burger arrived and I just took a few seconds to look at it lovingly. Maybe you should do the same:

Who needs a pickle, really?

After staring at the burger for a bit I cut it in half and dug right in. So for those who do not know, a turduken is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken filled with stuffing, so a turduken burger has all the meats cooked together and the rest of Thanksgiving as toppings. I will say that I have not eaten many turkey burgers in my day, usually I am beef all the way, but I would imagine that this patty tasted very similar to a normal turkey burger. I would say that the difference would be a richer flavor because of the duck fat but if I hadn't known I would have just thought it was a traditional turkey burger. Did this make a difference? Absolutely not! The burger patty was full of flavor and dripped juices right down my arm.

Now, as you can see by the picture there is much more to this burger than a patty. This burger was a Thanksgiving meal on a bun. A fluffy and flavorful bun, just like the rolls you normally get on the big day. Beneath the patty was a layer of stuffing and gravy topped with melted cheese. Generally I find stuffing pretty dry and boring but add gravy and cheese to it and you've got a party! Now I know a new stuffing recipe to try out. On top of the patty was a wonderful cranberry chutney. Adding the tang and sweetness to cut through all the rich flavorings of the dish. Truly a perfect addition to the burger and definitely not what you get from the can. Last but certainly not least, fried sweet potato chips, adding the final delicious crunch to the meal. Take a look at the burger from the inside, but first you might want to grab a bib to catch the drool.

AJ Bombers can take some advice about buns from this place

There is only one word to describe this burger...epic. I kept cutting it down to make it last longer because I didn't want it to end. So many flavors dancing around on my palette and all in harmony. It really was Thanksgiving in each and every bite! The most prominent flavor was the cranberry chutney so if you don't like cranberries you may not like this dish but then again you may love it. All in all a really well designed entree and one that I would go back to again and again over some of my favorite beef burgers.

You probably are thinking, what about the fries. Well no need to worry, they were also pretty great. I have never eaten thick cut sweet potato fries but I was not disappointed. These fries were crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside like potato wedges. Not too greasy but with just enough to add the needed flavor. A really great side dish to a Thanksgiving burger. I will say though that every time I get sweet potato fries I am hoping for a dipping sauce. A brown sugar and cinnamon aioli to be specific, but I never seem to get it. I just can't get behind dipping them in ketchup.

Next time you are in Philly, check out Smokin Betty's, get the Turduken burger, and plan to be full for a long time. Probably not the best idea right before a wedding but I toughed it out.

Overall Review: 8/10

Check out Smokin Betty's here

The Harp Inn

2011-10-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Restaurant Review (Costa Mesa, CA): The Harp Inn on Blogcritics.

I have frequented The Harp Inn for a few years but have never written a review of it until now. The Rutgers Club of Southern California hangs out at The Harp during college football season because they order the television package that gets all our games. On any given Saturday in fall you will find 15-25 Alumni of Rutgers yelling, eating, drinking, and reminiscing on how cold it was in New Jersey during football season and how happy they are to live in California.

The Harp is a traditional Irish pub with all sorts of corned beef dishes including some wonderful corned beef and cabbage. They also have a wide variety of beers and Irish whiskeys. The atmosphere is extremely friendly and they have a large number of faithful patrons who end up hanging out while we are watching football.

Every time I come here I think about ordering something different but it never fails that I order the exact same thing, the Irish nachos. I figure I only come here between 6-8 times a year so why order anything besides what I think is the best thing on the menu. How can you go wrong with potatoes topped with cheese, corned beef, and green onions? You really can't.

The nachos come out piping hot sitting on a double plate with the cheese melted and bubbly and the potatoes perfectly cooked. On the side comes a container of salsa and a container of sour cream. With no hesitation I add both to the nachos and dig on in.

On each forkful I try to get a combination of potato, cheese, corned beef, and the toppings to create the symphony of flavors that I crave from Sunday to Friday. Each item adds a unique quality to the dish and in unison work so well together. The potatoes are fork tender and add some texture while the cheese is stringy and rich. The corned beef adds the salty and fatty notes that cut through the richness of the cheese and the green onions add a little bite to the forkful.

Delicious shredded corned beef makes all the difference

Now you may think that the salsa and sour cream are unnecessary but you would think wrong! What are nachos, tortilla or potato, without salsa and sour cream? Incomplete. The salsa adds not only your serving of vegetables but the slight heat that is missing without it. The sour cream adds a much needed tang in addition to the creaminess that ties the whole forkful together. Those Irish nachos make me want to drive the forty-five minutes from Riverside every week but I might die of heart failure if I do so I am happy that football season is only a few months long and that I don't like to pay for gas.

Next time you are in Costa Mesa and need a drink and some Irish grub stop by the Harp Inn. Even if you don't need a drink or if you hate sports you can still sit outside on their patio and eat to your hearts content. You can also order the mozzarella sticks if the nachos aren't enough and they are some of the best mozzarella sticks I've ever had. Perfectly fried, crispy, and not greasy at all. Check them out and have a great time at the Harp!

Overall Review: 7/10

Check out The Harp Inn online

Stack'D Burger Bar

2011-10-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Restaurant Review (Milwaukee, WI): Stack'd Burger Bar on Blogcritics.

Just take a first look at this!

Last week I talked about the first burger I ate in Milwaukee, the "Food War" champ. Well later that night I ate my second burger in Milwaukee and one of the best burgers I've eaten in a long long time. Take a quick look to the left and you will see the ridiculous and amazing Hangover Stack.

We came here for a rehearsal dinner prior to my friend's wedding so I cannot talk much about service and ambiance as we were in a back room and somewhat distracted. I also arrived after the appetizers were mostly consumed so you will get my unadulterated discussion about this one dish.

As you can see by the picture this is one tall burger. It starts with a 1/2 pound burger made up of Tallgrass beef cooked to order which is my first area of discussion. Remember last time when I went off on AJ Bombers about the up charge for good meat and the lack of temperature discussions? Also, when I reamed Slaw Dogs for their crappy hot dogs? Well, Stack'd was the exact opposite of both places and it was glorious! Start with a great foundation cooked well and the topping are just that, toppings. No matter how great the bacon, you can never hide crappy beef and Stack'd appears to understand.

Top it with some aged Wisconsin cheddar and thick cut bacon and you've got yourself a burger! But wait that is just the beginning. Next they add fried onions, lettuce, and tomato and an egg supposedly fried to your liking. Lastly they let you pick from your choice of bun and with server consultation I settled on the pretzel bun. She really twisted my arm. They top it all off with two fried pickles and then I took Virginia's and added them to the middle of my burger, why not! Inconspicuously laid next to the burger were some of the most wonderfully fried onion rings. Hot and crispy and not greasy in the least.

Juicy and delicious!

I excitedly cut my burger in half so I could 1. get a picture and 2. figure out how to eat it and was both pleased and disappointed at the same time. The burger looked gorgeous, perfectly cooked to my mid-rare expectations, juicy and inviting. The toppings were well done, the lettuce crisp, and the tomatoes fresh. The one issue was the egg. This was the first time I ever ordered and egg on a burger and asked for it over medium. Over medium means creamy, not runny and not solid. Creamy, so it gets all over the rest of the burger but not the plate. Sadly my egg was overcooked and you can see it plainly in the picture where it is solidly stuck right in the middle of the burger. Sad times, maybe next time I will ask for over easy to make sure I get some savory egg flavor soaked into the meat and the bun.

On first bite you could tell that this was a serious burger at a serious burger restaurant. The meat was so juicy and perfectly cooked. It was without a doubt top shelf meat because regardless of the six different toppings the beef sang through. On the other hand, the toppings were awesome. The cheese was gooey and had a bite to it; the bacon was crispy and full of flavor. The fried onions strings and added fried pickles brought that greasy note to the party and the fresh vegetables cut through all the savory notes to make it all manageable. Without the lettuce and tomato there would be no way I could have finished the burger but I did! The egg was good and added some of the creamy element to the burger but I really wished it was cooked less. It just did not make the impact I thought it would. Now the pretzel bun...awesome! Nice and chewy and a little sweet it pulled the whole burger together.

All in all this was a great burger, one of the best I've had. I would have given it a solid 10 if not for the egg issue. I also could complain about the fact that I didn't get my mini Tabasco bottle but I could have just asked if I really wanted it so I will take the blame for that one. This is a great place and next time I am in Milwaukee I will come back to see the main part of the restaurant. I will add also that they have over 100 varieties of local beers and both a gluten free and vegan menu. No wonder Renee and Gavin love it so much!

Overall Review: 8/10

Check out Stack'd online

AJ Bombers

2011-10-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

When Virginia and I went to Milwaukee a few weeks ago to celebrate the marriage of our friends Renee and Gavin, I decided to check out this Food Wars champion. We flew overnight and arrived at out hotel at around 10:30 and instead of nap or do my Insanity workout I decided to stroll the two blocks over to AJ Bombers to try their famous cheeseburger. I got there at 11am when they opened and was the first patron in the place. I sat at the bar to have a chat with the bartender and took a look around. This was a pretty interesting place with some fun features that I will go into in a bit. The bartender suggested the peanut butter burger and the fried cheese curds (which I should have ordered, they are like mozzarella sticks on overdrive), but I chose to be traditional and order the Milwaukee burger and the Poutine.

So AJ Bombers is not only known for their cheeseburgers, they are also known for their peanuts. You can come into this place, get a bowl of peanuts, and toss all the used shells on the floor. My problem was that I did not know about the shell disposal program and since I was the first person there the floors were still clean. I was so confused that I ended up putting the peanuts shells in my pocket. I know, you're laughing at me but I didn't know any better. Once I saw the servers tossing shells on the floor I realized my foolishness and tossed away. The fun thing about these peanuts is the way they serve them. If you don't sit at the bar you literally get bombed. They have these tracks installed on the ceiling with mini bombs attached. The bartender fills up the bomb with peanuts and wings it down the track at your table. The bomb slams into a bullseye above your table and the peanuts fall down a shoot into a metal container on your table. What an inventive and fun way to be served your bar nuts! I really wish I had thought to take a picture because this was really cool and added something different.

My food came out and it definitely looked like bar food, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The Milwaukee Burger is their famous cheeseburger with Wisconsin Colby, bacon, and a pile of raw white onions.

I'm gonna need a breath mint after this!

This was a flat burger, yes a little in taste, but actually flat like the Earth pre-Galileo. This made me nervous because flat burgers often equal dry and overcooked burgers and now that I think about it, the bartender definitely did not ask me how I wanted the burger cooked. I said to myself "This burger won the food war, let's give it a chance". I picked it up and dug in. Not bad, it had some flavor and the cheese was delicious but it was definitely too cooked for my liking. I'm a mid rare kind of guy so mid to well is not my cup of tea. It tastes too much like shoe leather to me and I usually save that for Bella. Yes, Bella is my dog. The onions were good and added a freshness to the heavy cheese and bacon. The one thing I really did not like was the bun. I'm not sure what it was or if it was intentional but the bun was chewy. By chewy I really mean stale but maybe that is just the type of bun they work with. I'm not sure but it was just odd and not my favorite thing in this meal. All in all the burger was OK but if it was the best burger in Milwaukee I was in for a rough ride (Spoiler alert: It wasn't even the best burger of the day, tune in next week for that review)

My side order of fries was the Wisconsin specialty called poutine. Sounds delicious doesn't it? Well just like the idea of eating cheese curds makes Virginia queasy, I think the poutine would bring the same reaction. This dish is fries topped with some melted cheese curds and gravy. Super healthy and light on the calories count I'm sure.

Mmmm cheese curds

I admit, this was pretty good and fun to eat. I nice take on cheese fries and gravy though poutine rolls off the tongue much easier. The fries were crispy and had some good seasoning to them that held up to the toppings. The cheese was creamy and delicious, making me sad that I did not just get the fried curds as the bartender suggested. That'll teach me to ignore the restaurant employees! The only issue I had here was the gravy. It was passable but I couldn't get past the feeling that it was not homemade. Sometimes you just taste something and swear you've had it before in the dining hall and if you feel that way it's got to be from a box because you know they don't make fresh gravy in the dining hall. Ever.

All in all this was a fun place but not really a place I would come to if I didn't plan on getting hammered and full of peanuts. I think that I could spend some time there on a Saturday watching college football because, when you're drunk, everything greasy and cheesy tastes wonderful and throwing peanut shells on the floor is tons of fun but if I got a call to go somewhere else I'd be gone. Check it out and see if the peanut butter burger is a good as they claim.

Note: One thing I noticed is that you can pay $3.50 to upgrade your beef to %100 grass fed organic. That annoys me, you as basically telling me that your basic meat is crap so I should give you more money to get good food. Just serve the good meat all the time and factor it into the price. This was I don't have to upgrade to good food, I just get it all the time.

Overall Review: 5/10

Check out AJ Bombers Online

Mario's Place

2011-10-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

For Virginia's birthday we took a trip over to Mario's place for some fancy Italian food. We have been to Mario's once before but that was before I wrote about the things I ate. Out of all the restaurants in Riverside this place is by far one of the best and probably rivals some of the Italian food on the east coast. I know right? From a New Jersey kid that is a lot to say about a Riverside restaurant so I was hoping it would not disappoint this time around.

I really enjoy the ambiance of this place, upscale but relaxed, where you can dress up and feel right or show up in jeans and fit in just the same. We choose to dress up when coming here because there are so few places in Riverside where you can suit up and not look out of place. They also lower the lighting as the night goes on creating an intimate atmosphere that is just right for a place with this kind of food. I only wish it didn't cost over $100 to eat there every time but I guess sometimes you get what you pay for.

For my first course I ordered the crispy squash blossoms. I have seen those on some of the food network shows and figured now was a good a time as any to order them.

mmmm goat cheese

These blossoms were almost tempura fried with such a light batter you could see the flower right through it. Filled with creamy goat cheese that oozed out when you cut them and resting atop a tomato basil sauce these blossoms were delicious. I was expecting them to be a bit greasy but they were crisp and light and a wonderful start to the meal.

Next I was prepared to order the wild boar ragu but was drawn away by the description of their pasta special. What was it you ask? Parpadelle with duck ragu, kalamata olives, and shaved Parmesan cheese. I had never heard of a duck pasta and I do love duck so I had to go for it.

Duck Ragu and Parpadelle Pasta

Wow, remember the short ribs at Buddakan and the reaction I had to that? This was very similar. The ragu had an immense amount of flavor and the duck meat just melted into it to create a thick coating on the pasta. And the pasta, just a tiny bit al dente and the perfect vessel for the ragu. Even the addition of kalamata olives was brilliant. They added the saltiness that the dish needed but since they were halved you could choose when to eat them instead of having them completely incorporated. I could eat some pasta, mix in the duck, take an olive half and add in the Parmesan just for a cheesy bite. It was only a moderately sized portion but it was so rich that I was full halfway through, but let's be honest, I finished the whole thing. It was just that good. Too bad it was a special because I would eat that every time if I could. What an amazing entree.

For dessert I ordered the chocolate raspberry purse which was pretty good just not the best thing I ate that night. The purse was chocolate sponge cake, melted chocolate, and raspberries wrapped in phyllo dough with some raspberry sorbet on the side. It was also a nice addition to crisp up a few pieces of phyllo and lay them on top of the purse. Don't get me wrong it was a good dessert and the sorbet was deliciously tart and tangy but for me the sponge cake to melted chocolate ratio was off. I was really hoping for the chocolate to ooze out when I cut into it like a volcano cake but the chocolate had mostly soaked into the sponge and didn't really ooze much at all. All in all it was a little on the dry side but a nice ending to a great meal.

Ooze damn you ooze!

I would definitely go back to Mario's Place and would recommend that you check it out. It really is a gem hanging out in the sea of sad excuses for Italian food in Riverside.

Overall Review: 8/10

Gourmet Pizza Shoppe

2011-09-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

Virginia and I decided to take a ride up to Redlands and visit The Gourmet Pizza Shoppe. Though I have been here before, this time I am going to write about it. The Gourmet Pizza Shoppe is a pretty unassuming place that looks like the inside belongs outside. It is kind of strange with one wall looking like the front of a building from a TV set. What it lacks for décor is surly makes up for in food. It is really hard to find decent pizza in the Inland Empire so this restaurant with unique and inventive pizza options is a breath of fresh air.

This time around I ordered the Brando which is cream cheese, pesto sauce, pepperoni, sausage, cashews, angel hair pasta, green onions & mozzarella cheese. I know you’re thinking “Cashews, angel hair pasta, and pizza, no way”! That is exactly what I was thinking in addition to being a little nervous about the lack of tomato sauce. Past history has shown that I have a hard time with non-traditional pizzas but I was up for the challenge. Below you will see the pizza in all its might.

Check out that cheese and pasta on the edges!

The cheese was perfectly cooked to a crispy finish and the crust looked nice and crunchy. At first bite I completely understood the addition of the angel hair pasta. Though it was pre-cooked, the edges were crunchy because it baked in the pizza oven. This was such an interesting texture to go along with the other toppings. The entire combination was interesting with the cream cheese and the pesto contrasting and the crunchiness of the cheese, crust, and pasta. The meat was completely necessary because it added that wonderful savory element with the fattiness that bound the whole pizza together.

The last piece of the pie that I need to talk about is the addition of cashews. When you look at their menu you will notice that cashews pop up on a lot of their pizzas so they must know something that we all don’t. On this pizza, the cashews were a little strange but I find it odd to say that if I ordered the Brando again I would leave them on. Somehow some way, the cashews worked and they may have been the best part of the entire pizza. Salty and a little sweet cashews belong on this pizza..crazy. The only thing I would change would be to crush up the cashews a bit so they distributed more across the pizza but besides that this pizza was ingenious. I will find it hard to order something else the next time we go.

Next onto dessert and yes, they do make dessert pizzas! Virginia made the decision and chose to order the Sarah’s Surprise. This wonderful dessert pizza included vanilla cream cheese whip, graham crackers, chocolate chips, brown sugar, melted butter & jack cheese. Though there was an unfortunate lack of cashews on this pizza (I kid) it was not only the best dessert pizza I ever had it was one of the best desserts I have ever had. Never has dessert made me forget about dinner so quickly but wow this pizza was amazing! Take a look.

Sarah's Surprise in all of its graham cracker glory

Crispy and sweet with cooked graham crackers added to gooey melted chocolate AND hand held. Not only all of that but it was piping hot right out of the oven so it was reminiscent of a s’more right out of the campfire. I was just sad that we only ordered a seven inch pie because I could have eaten three of them by myself. The best part was that they added cheese to the pie. It really added something special to the dish and gave it the last kick that pushed it over the top to something you could truly call gourmet.

I would definitely recommend Gourmet Pizza to my friends and have many times. I only wish that it was closer to Riverside so I could go once a week! Go there and try the Brando and the Sarah’s Surprise or the Kiss and the Apple Annie or the Malibu Madness and the Einstein’s Glue; you really can’t go wrong.

Overall Review 9/10

The White Rabbit Truck

2011-09-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

At the food truck festival last week my fifth and final truck was the White Rabbit Truck. I was wondering to myself "Why does this name sound familiar". Well, when I got home and looked I realized that it happened to be a list item brought to you by Outrageous Food on the Food Network. The list item was the burrito and I am a little sad that I did not get it but, oh well, next time. Take a look at the menu below, pretty simple but pretty awesome.

I had a conversation with the nice girl at the register and she told me that her favorite was the Pork Sisig. With that recommendation I ordered the three sisig tacos but to my delight she told me that I could mix and match. Oh glory day! So, not only did I get the Pork Sisig (Below left), I ordered the Pork Tocino (Below center) and the Chicken Adobo (Below right). Though I am sad that I did not try the burrito I now get to talk about three of the items on this menu.

Let's start with the Pork Sisig. This was fried pork belly mixed with jalapenos and onions topped with a red cabbage slaw. The pork belly took on this beautiful red color and mixed so well with the jalapenos. A little spicy and full of huge flavor. The cabbage was crunchy and cold which mixed well with the richness of the pork belly. Truly a great taco but oddly not my favorite.

The second taco I tried was the chicken adobo because I wanted to break up the pork. Honestly, I was not expecting much from a chicken taco but boy was I wrong. The chicken was soft and super juicy which surprised me and it was both sweet and savory at the same time. Mmmm to adobo sauce! Just like the last taco the slaw added a cool crunch that really completed the ensemble. I was really pleased with this chicken and would eat that one again but, it too, was not my favorite.

The winner beyond a shadow of a doubt was the Pork Tacino which was cured pork, fried and wrapped in a taco all by itself. This was a truly bold presentation but if you read my other posts I believe that if you use high quality meat and cook it in an amazing way you really don't need anything else added to it. With this pork the White Rabbit Truck did just that. It was perfectly fried and super crispy and I got a burst of fried pork flavor with each individual bite. I was content just eating the pork with my fingers, even the taco shell took away from the pork itself. I really think that if they added anything to the dish it would have ruined it so I commend them with leaving it unaided. I even regretted adding siracha, but I guess I have to live with that. By far the best of the three and without a doubt the best thing I ate all day.

In my book the White Rabbit truck was definitely a winner and I am glad I got to taste three of their meat selections; each great in its own way with the Tacino edging out the pack. Next time I am in LA I will track it down and try the burrito and I suggest you do the same. For a food truck with to real ambiance to judge I give this a top rating and would not hesitate to recommend it to others. One cool thing to note is that they have a restaurant too so you can order quick from a truck or sit down and have a meal. Either way, I bet you will not be disappointed.

Overall Rating 10/10

Riverside Food Truck Festival

2011-09-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to the first Riverside Food Truck Festival to try a bunch of exciting food trucks. We paid for VIP tickets so we could have access to the covered tent and the free drinks. This was a very good thing since it was unreasonably hot so my first suggestion for next year would be to hold it at a different time. The height of Riverside summer is not the best idea for an outdoor lunchtime event. In the end it made eating hot food (Which was what almost every truck served) an undesirable activity. This was made evident by the 20 minute line for the shaved ice truck. My second issue was that they ran out of all t-shirt sizes below XL almost immediately which pissed me off since I paid extra for a shirt. Aside from those two issues, the event was well put together and a lot of fun. With 50 food trucks and live music you can't really go wrong.

On to the trucks! Virginia and I managed to eat at five different trucks including one truck that happened to be on my list! Our first stop upon entry was the Waffles de Leige truck for a Leige waffle topped with ice cream. The special piece of a Leige waffle is that they import these sugar pearls from Belgium. The sugar pearls go inside the batter and melt as the waffle cooks. What you end up with is this chewy sweet caramilized flavor that is unlike any waffle you have ever eaten. I had been wanting to try one of these for a long time and it did not disappoint. Add on top some thick and creamy vanilla bean ice cream and it made for a delicious first dish. Thumbs up for the Liege waffle, ten times better than any other waffle I have ever had before. Rating 8/10.

Next Stop, the Nom Nom truck. I stopped off here to get a pork Bahn Mi, which is a traditional Vietnamese sandwich. For five dollars I was extremely disappointed. Why you ask? Take a look at the size of this sandwich and ask that again.

This sandwich was about half the size of the ones I get monthly from the restaurant down the street for $3. This would be OK if the amount and quality of meat was through the roof but it definitely was not. The onions alone doubled the amount of pork on that sandwich and they were about all I could taste. While the bread was good I will stick to Pho Saigon and call it a day. Rating 4/10.

After that we stopped by the tent to hang out and caught a set by the UCR Tyco student organization. Take a listen to the talent at UC Riverside:

While that was going on I went out to get Virginia a burger but was sidetracked by the Bun Truck.

I ordered a Kalbi bun which was sirloin, onions, mixed greens, and an aioli. The bun was accompanied by some wonderful duck fat fries topped with garlic and rosemary. I am so happy that I stopped here. The bun was chewy and full of flavor and the few bites of the sirloin was sweet and tasted like braised short ribs. While the bun was good, the fries stole the show. This was the first time I ate fries cooked in duck fat and it will not be the last, that's for sure. These fries were crunchy and hot even without ketchup (Though I really wanted ketchup). The garlic and and the rosemary were wonderful and had obviously been added right after the fries came out of the frier because they had adhered to the fries perfectly. Truly one of the best things I ate at this event. Overall 7/10.

After dropping that food off at the tent I went to Baby's Badass Burgers to get Virginia her burger.

Though I didn't get a picture of the girls on this truck I need to comment on their wardrobe. If you are in a food truck dressed like you are going out to a club it is pretty obvious that you are a novelty and not serious cooks. I don't just mean this for women it goes the same for men. Wear chef's clothes or at least some branded t-shirts that allow you to move and/or breathe. Seeing this I was nervous about the food but it was the only burger truck at the festival. Guess what, I was right....

The best thing on this dish was the buns but I could go to Ralphs right now and get a pack of them to make burgers ten times better at home. The meat, gross! Overcooked, low quality, and dry. I think they knew this but adding their "Special Sauce". Newsflash, it was thousand island dressing at best. They added a bunch of onions and mushrooms to salvage the dish but too little too late. Badass burgers or maybe just Bad. Overall 3/10.

The last place we ate at was the White Rabbit Truck and it appears that I saved the best for last but you are going to have to wait until my next post because it just happens to be a list place!

At the end of the day we got to listen to a Journey tribute band led by an American Idol finalist. All in all a really great day albeit a tad hot and I can't wait for next year!

Overall Rating: 9/10

Ciao Bella

2011-08-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

We visited Ciao Bella as a dinner for my department so this review is of the meal at that event not the normal restaurant menu. My disclaimer is that I did go to Ciao Bella once before and the food was good, I had my first octopus steak. It is quite expensive for the area and the food but that is for another time. Now for the review of the three course meal. First off, we ate in the basement of the restaurant which they call a wine cellar. It was way too small for the number of people in attendance which meant we were really crowded. The extremely odd part about this location was that it was unreasonably hot. The AC didn’t work well and it was supposed to be a wine cellar. There is no way that wine should have been in an 80 degree hotbox. The upstairs part of the restaurant was easily 15 degrees colder.

My first course was a salad with what I think was mango vinaigrette, I can’t really remember, which says a lot. All I remember about this salad was that it was drowning in dressing. Truly not a great way to start a meal. It really is not that hard to toss a green salad in dressing and serve it crisp and fresh but I think they were overwhelmed by the twenty of us being served at the same time. Personally, I think the salads were good to begin with but sat around until they were already to come down together.

My second course was very interesting. It was a dish that would have worked perfectly if not for one glaring misstep. I ordered a seared duck breast which was supposed to be served over mango risotto and then surrounded with side by side sauces, one mango and the other a port wine reduction. I will give them credit where credit is due, the duck was cooked wonderfully. It was medium so not tough, my knife ran through the meat without much effort and the fat layer on the top melted in my mouth. The sauces were also very good accompaniments; personally I really liked the tang of the port wine reduction added to the smooth texture of the duck breast. The mango sauce was a little too sweet and somewhat shutdown my palette.

So what was the misstep you ask, well I’ll tell you. They added what tasted like American cheese to the mango risotto. Now you’re asking, “Wait, American cheese with mango, duck, and port wine sauce, that sounds odd”. I reply, you are correct and it was not in the original description of the dish. At first taste all I could think of was Kraft cheesy macaroni in the blue box. And let me tell you, though I love the blue box, it made no sense on this plate and it tasted so strange with mango mixed in. I truly believe that someone made a huge mistake with that or maybe they were drinking the wine that was spoiling in their sauna of a wine cellar. In order to make the dish work I had to take the risotto off my plate and eat it as a side dish. The last thing on that dish was crispy onion strings on the top. Fun but completely unnecessary on top of a potentially sophisticated duck entrée.

Desert was a crème brulee. Ok, but somewhat forgettable. Yes it was creamy and sweet and yes the sugar was torched well but it was just a standard crème brulee, nothing that blew me away. The one annoying thing was that it was a little warm when served. I like my crème brulee nice and cold with a solid sugar top to crack through. I feel like the cold texture makes it all that much better, but that’s just me.

All in all, I just think that the kitchen was overwhelmed but the amount of people they needed to serve simultaneously and it showed in the quality of service and the quality of the food. All the dishes could have been so much better if they didn’t miss standard production rules like don’t let a dressed salad sit around and didn’t add weird things to the entrée like the cheese product from the Kraft Blue Box. It was a very different meal than the first time I went with Virginia so I would not recommend Ciao Bella for parties larger than 8-10.

Overall Recommendation: 5/10

Pam's Kitchen

2011-08-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

After checking out the farmers market we stopped into Pam’s Kitchen for some Caribbean jerk chicken. I was a little weary knowing that this was a Triple D spot since my last Guy recommendation was awful but my brother insisted that it was a great spot. A complete dive you could tell that they were not all that interested in the décor but they did have some cool pictures of Jamaica on the walls. The one thing that really peaked my interest was the Pam herself was back in the kitchen with her one friend every day. I could even see her working in the back from my seat. Knowing that get me very excited to get some authentic cuisine.

I ordered the Jerk Chicken Sandwich and some Dahlpuri which is a roti (Bread) filled with chickpea and seasoned with cumin, the freshest cilantro and garlic. Evan ordered some spicy green beans and the Jerk Chicken also and we anxiously awaited the arrival of our lunch. When the food arrived my thoughts about the high expense per dish was eased a bit when I had two sandwiches in my order. Now you know by know that I like my bread and the bread Pam uses for this sandwich did not disappoint. It was soft and chewy and surprisingly sweet which paired really well with the spice in the jerk chicken. At first bite the sweetness of the bread smothered the spice and all you get was the juicy chicken flavor but then heat starts to build in the back of your throat and suddenly, hello jerk! I think that is was ingenious to use the sweet bread to mask the spice for a few moments it really gives the sandwich a depth of flavor that is often lost on spicy dishes that just hit you in the mouth. Oh and did I mention that it was so juicy that I had to mop up sauce off my forearm? This was truly a great sandwich and I would eat it 2-3 times a week if I could afford it.

The Dahlpuri though good was not the star of that meal aside from sopping up the extra sauce from the sandwich and the green beans so that is all I am going to say about it but now lets chat about spicy green beans. When you just look at the green beans in the dish you can see the chili flakes and you know it’s going to hurt so good. The green beans were perfectly cooked, soft and chewy, and mixed into a spicy chili sauce. Since they were not paired with bread the spiciness was the star but it they weren’t just hot, the flavor in the sauce was huge! If I could have those green beans with every meal I would be a happy man.

All in all Guy redeemed himself a little bit with this find but we shall see what the next one has in store. Though Pam’s Kitchen is a little expensive the flavors and care put into the food really shines. I would go back to eat there without any hesitation but be prepared, you are going there for the food, not for the ambiance or the interior design.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Paseo Caribbean

2011-08-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

We took a trip up to Seattle last week to see the family and not thirty minutes after landing we were at Paseo Caribbean for some Cuban sandwiches. This place was on the Best Thing I Ever Ate and from the look of all the awards on the door we were in for a treat. Mostly a takeout joint, Paseo only has a few seats in the restaurant and the line is usually down the block. We put in a healthy order for takeout and then waited with baited breath for our number to be called. Twenty minutes later we were in the car and smelling the wonderful sandwiches.

So what did we order you ask, well only half the menu. My list item was the Roast Pork Cuban but we also ordered the Spicy Prawns, Grilled Pork, Chicken, and the Midnight Cuban. The first thing you notice when you bite into any sandwich is the bread and this place uses some great bread. It is nice and crispy on the outside and firm enough to hold up to the aioli, the juicy pork, and the rest of the delicious toppings. Piping hot and messy as hell, these sandwiches were more than respectable.

I tried three sandwiches, the Roast, Midnight, and Prawns. My least favorite of the three were the prawns. We asked for the spiciest version but were very disappointed because the sandwich was bland. When serving prawns you really need to go light on the heavy sauces because the prawn flavor is drowned out. Paseo seems to put the same about of aioli on all the sandwiches which I think is unwise. The result on this sandwich was that all I tasted was mayo, onions, and bread. You would never have known that there were prawns in the dish especially because they were bland. I would not get that sandwich a second time, which is sad because I love prawns.

The runner up was the Roast Pork Cuban. The roast pork was delicious and this succulent, juicy pork could definitely hold up to the aioli and the other toppings. This was a three napkin sandwich which is always fun and the bread was awesome. You take the crunch of the bread and to melt in your mouth pork and combine them with caramelized onions and the aioli it really was a sandwich to remember. I truly enjoyed that sandwich.

So now let’s switch the jalapeños with banana peppers and add smoked ham and swiss cheese to the roast pork and we are in business. Take that sandwich and melt the cheese on a Panini press and you have the Midnight Cuban Press. Even though I would have preferred the jalapenos this sandwich was my favorite. How can you go wrong when adding a second type of pig to a sandwich and smother it in melty, gooey cheese? Jump it up to a four napkin sandwich for this one; I could have eaten a few of these no matter how much meat was on the sandwich. The best part was that the Panini press made the bread even crispier which contrasted beautifully with the cheese and aioli. What a great sandwich and only $8.95.

Next time you are in Seattle make a point to swing by Paseo Caribbean, you will not be disappointed. Try and show up after the lunch rush or you will be waiting a long time but trust me no matter when you go it is well worth the wait. Just a heads up, cash only!

Overall Rating: 8/10

The Slaw Dogs

2011-08-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

Took a trip up to Pasadena for a meeting and realized that we were only one mile from The Slaw Dogs. This place was on Outrageous Food on the food network and will be the first place I try from this show. I noticed upon our arrival that this place had only been open for a short time but the buzz around it seemed promising. The decor left much to be desired but how much can you really expect from a hot dog place in the area of ambiance. We ordered at the register and then sat and waited for our food. I ordered the Thai Slaw dog which was chicken sausage topped with spicy peanut-coconut satay dressing, cilantro-carrot slaw, crushed peanuts, and siracha aioli. This was the dog featured on the food network. My friend ordered the Green Monster which was a beef hot dog topped with roasted green chili, chipotle mayo, grilled onion, pepperjack, and spicy garlic salsa. We decided to cut them in half and split the spoils. On the side I ordered Parmesan Garlic Truffle French Fries. Yes, you heard right parmesan, garlic, and truffles on French fries. Can you feel your mouth watering just by saying that out loud? I can.

The food came pretty quickly and I was very excited. The first thing I tasted were the French fries and my god they were amazing. I mean really amazing. Possibly some of the best fries I have ever tasted. So much garlic and parmesan with an underlying flavor of truffle. Add to that wonderfully fried potato and you really have something special. I really did not want to stop eating them and the serving size made sure I would not have to for a while. The only issue with the fries was that they are not a permanent menu item, just a special. I would urge them to add them to the menu because they were by far the best thing I ate.

Ok let’s talk hot dogs. The slaw on top of the of the Thai Slaw was pretty good and the peanuts added a fun crunch but with two things on the dog that should have been spicy the lack of heat was jarring. I am really unsure how you can pull that off with siracha but somehow there was no spice in my dog. That was disappointing but still I enjoyed the dog. The Green Monster was by far a better mix of toppings. The green chili and onions were cooked well with a little crunch. A little heat and a good amount of sweet, I would go back to that hot dog if came here again. The one place where the Green Monster fell down was in the beef hot dog itself. It just didn’t add that much to the dish and since it was the protein I felt that it should have spoken up more. I feel like if you put a dozen toppings on a hot dog or a hamburger you need to use top shelf meats or else they get overwhelmed. This definitely happened here so I would try the same toppings with a sausage with a deeper flavor.

Overall this place was a lot of fun and affordable. I would definitely return to try some of their other specialties but only if those fries were on the menu. Like I said those were some of the best fries I ever ate. Next time you are in Pasadena, check out The Slaw Dogs, you will be pleasantly surprised, but only if the fries are available.

Overall Rating: 6/10

Cha Cha Chicken

2011-08-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

The night before our trip to Europe I stopped in to Cha Cha chicken with some friends. This place was on the Best Thing I Ever Ate so I was excited to check it out. This restaurant was kind of funky and had all outdoor seating. The decorations screamed Caribbean which was cool. I ordered the coconut fried chicken which was the list item and my first recommendation is not to order the full chicken for yourself. I think I only made it through half and leftover fried chicken is nothing like day old pizza and Chinese food.

The service was at the counter and then they would bring you your food at the table. This is pretty standard for a restaurant like this so I was not surprised. Our food came pretty quickly which is always a good thing for fried chicken. The chicken was pretty tasty, very moist and succulent on the inside and crispy on the outside. The main problem with the chicken is that I really did not taste any coconut. This was very disappointing considering that coconut was supposed to be the thing that made this fried chicken unique. Two sauces accompanied the chicken, jerk and mango. The jerk sauce was really good, very spicy and added to the fried chicken very nicely. The mango sauce on the other hand just tasted odd. Not sweet, not tangy, not even like mango, just odd. I would not recommend it, go with the jerk.

Overall the chicken was well made, albeit not really coconut but if I had the choice in LA, I would go to Roscoe's. The rest of the menu looked interesting and my friends seemed to enjoy their choices. Though not on the top of my list of places to revisit, I would like to try some of their other options.

Overall Rating: 6/10

Hob Nob Hill

2011-08-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

After a conference in San Diego I decided to stop by a list place in before driving north for the camp Pendleton Mud Run. Since it was 4 o'clock and my first choice was closed I decided to check out a Triple D place. Hob Nob Hill was only 15 minutes away so I drove over for an early dinner. Upon my arrival I noticed two things. First, the it looked like I transported back in time to the 60s or 70s. Honestly, it was dark and dingy, not the most welcoming of places. Second, I was the youngest person in the restaurant by at least 40 years. This may be exactly why the decorations harkened back to their patrons younger days but also could be because I got there at 4pm.

I was quickly seated and just loved my paper napkin table setting. The waitress attended to me quickly, but she was oddly cold. I wonder what I did to make her not like me, but it may have been that she hated her life for working at this place. Just a thought. Guy Fieri ordered the lamb shank so I did the same. It came with bread, applesauce, mashed potatoes, and I threw in a cup of clam chowder.

So let’s talk food, the bread came first and it was a raisin wheat bread. It arrived warm which was nice and had a sweet flavor and a doughy texture. So far so good, I ate the whole mini loaf pretty quickly. After that came the clam chowder. The chowder had some decent flavor. It was a tad bit thin; I am used to a thicker chowder and for that matter, one with a lot more clams. It is always disappointing when there are twice as many potatoes than clams but it still tasted pretty good. The sad thing is that this was the best I was going to get today.

When the lamb shank and side dishes arrived I was immediately let down. The shank was grey and looked way overcooked and the gravy seemed like it was goopy and out of a mix. The mint jelly was without a doubt store bought and tasted awful. At first bite into the shank I realized that I was in for a disappointing entree. The shank tasted just like it looked, overcooked and flavorless. The gravy definitely added flavor but all in all the entree was flat and boring. The sides we even worse. The applesauce was heated up, probably in a microwave and the mashed potatoes had the gritty taste of the instant variety. Really sad and completely flavorless. I never put salt on my food as a way to attempt to manage sodium intake but I wanted to tear the cap off the salt shaker and dumb it in my food. Honestly, this food was unreasonable bland but it may be a reaction to the clientele.

As I stated before, Guy recommended the lamb shank so I had to try it and wow, that was pathetic. I am really starting to question this guy's palate. In summary, Hob Nob Hill was a place lost to modern times which wouldn't be bad if the food transported you back to that time as well. The problem is that the food had no chance in doing that, it just made me very sad to have chosen it as the only place I would try in my trip to San Diego. I would not recommend that you waste your time or money at this place; there are a hundred better options in the area.

Overall Rating: 3/10

The Salted Pig

2011-04-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Finally went to check out The Salted Pig on Friday for lunch. I was hearing great things about this place and was very excited to check it out. The restaurant is set up with two distinct seating areas; one by the bar and one by the kitchen. We sat in the seats at the kitchen counter and were rewarded with some free samples of their deviled eggs. I only ate one and it was good just not something I focused on throughout the meal. I wish the seats at the bar were a little higher up so I could actually see what was going on. It was strange to sit there trying to see what was going on but being unable to do so. Another annoyance was that my server had not tasted many of the items on the menu. It is always alarming to hear a server say "People have told me that this is good" or "I've never tried that". If you really care about your restaurant you will taste and be able to talk about all of the regular menu items.

I ordered the pork belly sandwich with light mayo (As recommended), the brussel sprouts as a side, and the bacon sammy for dessert. I also upgraded to filthy fries which has cheese and roasted garlic on top. When the meal came out I was confused by the brussel sprouts. They were shredded like coleslaw with bacon pieces mixed in. This was a very unique way to eat brussel sprouts but surprisingly it was really good. Since they were shredded it was easy to get bacon in every forkful. Usually it is difficult to get the bacon on your fork with a large brussel sprout but when all items in the dish are similar in size it makes it much easier. My one issue was that it was very liquidy in the dish and became sort of a soup when you got towards the end. I am unsure as to why they did not remove some of the liquid but that was not pleasant.

The pork belly sandwich was good though it was lacking the savory taste that you normally get from bacon. I am not sure what was missing but I was expecting a richer taste that would fill me up since the sandwich was a little small. It was definitely a good idea to ask for light mayo because there was still a decent amount on the sandwich. If I had not asked for light mayo the whole sandwich would have been drowned in it and probably tasted terrible. Thanks yelp reviews! The sandwich also claimed to have mandarin pickles but they merely tasted like mandarin orange slices. I did not taste anything near to a brine that would allow you to call them pickled. Regardless, the sweetness of the orange was as great addition to the sandwich and broke up the monotony that was under flavored pork belly on bread. Overall, a decent sandwich but not one that I would order a second time. Next time I will get the really good or the pig burger.

My Pig Sammy came out last and was, by far, the best thing I ate at this restaurant. Who could argue with candied bacon inside ice cream between to maple cookies? I mean honestly I do not think that it would be possible at any restaurant to mess up that combination and The Salted Pig did not disappoint. Not only did the ice cream taste like bacon but there were pieces of candied bacon inside the ice cream. Almost every creamy bite of the ice cream came with the delicious somehow chewy and crunchy texture of the candied bacon. All of this was balanced by the maple cookies. What a great way to end the meal!

Overall, I enjoyed my meal at the Salted Pig. Some issues with the dishes and the set up of the kitchen counter but it was a fun meal with obvious thought behind the dishes. I would order the brussel sprouts again but I would ask them to drain out some of the liquid. I am not sure if I would order the pork belly again there are other options that I would rather try. I would recommend this place as a nice lunch hangout and hear that their happy hour deals are great. Next time I will go after work to try some of their many beers on tap. I mean this place calls itself a Gastropub so I need to test out its beer selection. By the way, the filthy fries were awesome. I mean roasted garlic and beer cheese on fries? How could that not be awesome!

Rating: 6/10

Confectional

2011-04-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

List Item: Quadruple Chocolate Cheesecake

Confectional is a shop in Pike's Place where you can get individual sized cheesecakes of different varieties. When you walk in you can smell the cakes because they cook them on site. I bought a Quadruple Chocolate and was not disappointed. The cake was so smooth and creamy, chocolaty and cheesy and just melted on the tongue. If you wanted a different texture you could peel back the wrapping and eat the crispy crust. This cheesecake was a perfect individual dessert and you can buy them in a freezer pack to take home. I would definitely recommend that you swing by Confectional every time you are at Pike's Place market and are in the mood for a truly delicious confection. Next they need to expand so you can actually sit down and enjoy your cheesecake fresh out of the case.

Rating 8/10

Etta's Seafood

2011-04-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

List Items: Mussels, Tuna Sashimi, Crab Cakes

The one and only sit down list restaurant we ate at on this trip was Etta's Seafood. Esthetically, the restaurant was nothing special just a well put together and nice place with a sizable bar area. We sat down and I ordered a bloody mary which had a pickle in it instead of celery. A little different but a good addition. I tried to order everything off the list but they did not have the mussels which was a little disappointing.

Food wise, I ordered the tuna sashimi and a shrimp roll. My mom ordered the crab cakes and Virginia ordered the burger. The burger apparently took 15 minutes to make so I expected it to be wonderful but in reality it tasted like an ordinary burger. It was actually overcooked so maybe 15 minutes was a bit overzealous. The crab cakes which were on my list were a little odd. The best word I could think of was stringy. Instead of lumps of crab it seemed like they shredded the crab over a cheese grater. The texture of the cake was jarring and outweighed the wonderful fact that the cake had almost no filler. I really don't think that I would order the crab cakes a second time.

So now to my meal. The tuna sashimi, a list item, was really great. The crispy pita type bread was a great holder for the tuna and the wasabi. The soy marinade for the tuna made it a little salty and which was balanced out by the spiciness of the wasabi and the sweetness of the butter on the bread. A truly great appetizer which I was thankful for after the disappointing crab cakes. By far the best part of the meal was the shrimp roll. It appears that it is only on the brunch menu but this was a dish I would eat again. Just like the crab cakes, the shrimp roll was filled almost entirely with sweet shrimp. I truly appreciate a restaurant that knows not to add filler (Breadcrumbs) to its seafood dishes. The bread was toasted and crispy which always goes well with a savory and creamy shrimp filling. A great shrimp roll at a somewhat unremarkable restaurant.

Overall Etta's is not my favorite seafood restaurant in Seattle. In reality, it tries to hard to be upscale without the food chops to back it up. The biggest problem I had with the meal was the burger. How pretentious is it to say that you burger takes 15 minutes to make and then bring out an overcooked and mediocre dish. One that Virginia did not finish and I did not have them wrap up (A rare sight indeed). They didn't even give you ketchup to use on the waffle french fries. At its price point ~$35 per person, I would not go back. In a city with fantastic seafood, you can get it better for much much cheaper.

Rating: 5/10

Portage Bay

2011-04-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

After a 10 mile run we felt that a great brunch place was necessary so we headed to Portage Bay. First of all they had the coolest food shirt ever. Quote on the back "Eat like you give a damn". To bad they are not selling them anymore. At noon on a Saturday it was a 45 minute wait for 7 people but we only waited about 25. The restaurant was very open, basically one big room. The bathrooms were funny with pictures of toilets from history but I digress. As you will see from the first picture, they had a huge toppings bar that came with any pancake or french toast order.

Now for the food. The menu looked exciting with fun items like cheesecake french toast and the rancher's breakfast. In addition they had items for gluten free and vegan diets. I ordered the rancher's breakfast which was 3 eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and two pieces of challah french toast (and the toppings bar). I also ordered some fresh squeezed grapefruit juice which was refreshing. The rancher's breakfast was really good. The eggs were cooked well and the bacon was crispy but I could have gotten those items anywhere. The real star of the show was the french toast and the toppings bar. I covered my sweet and fluffy french toast with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and a few pears. The also had what looked to be homemade whipped cream which melted slowly on the toast and added a richness to the whole ensemble.

I admit that I was hungry but it was quite easy to finish that whole meal in less than 10 minutes. I was also introduced to organic ketchup and now ask the question, why does anyone eat the bright red and pathetic non-organic version? All in all Portage Bay was a fun, family friendly restaurant with some delicious and hearty food. I would go back again and try one of their hash options or a benedict. If you are looking for a brunch place in Seattle go to Portage Bay.

Rating: 8/10

Top Pot Doughnuts

2011-04-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

This will be a quick review since we just picked up a dozen doughnuts and left. The restaurant looked nice and next time I will sit and stay. When we got home I tested a piece of each doughnut and I do admit they were pretty tasty. The list item was the pink feather boa doughnut which was frosted pink with a coconut topping. This doughnut was good but not the best one in the box. The best doughnut in my opinion was the simple glazed. It was light a fluffy with a sweet glaze. I do not eat many doughnuts but I could have eaten a few of these. My biggest recommendation which is true for all baked goods in my opinion is that you should get these fresh in the morning. Even great doughnuts age poorly in a few hours so next time I go it will be nice and early to get them hot and fresh.

Rating: 6/10

La Bete

2011-04-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

Evan and I stopped in here for drinks and some small plate dishes. At first blush this high end restaurant was very cool. It was set up with the most open kitchen that I had seen before. You could sit up at the counter and watch the chefs cook your meal almost completely in front of you. The bar, where we sat, was a little behind the kitchen area so you could look down across the whole line and see everything that was going on. All in all this restaurant had a nice ambiance with a modern look and a very friendly staff. We sat down and ordered some drinks and I got a very well made martini.

Let's talk about the food. Since it was late, we only ordered a two items. First we got the salt and pepper chicken wings. The wings were tasty and well fried, nice and crispy and just enough grease. The unfortunate piece was that the wings did not have much meat on them so the flavor was really in the bones. At a restaurant like this it was a little odd to suck the bones of chicken wings. The other dish we ordered were the pork rinds. Evan said that these were recommended so I had high hopes. The reality was that the pickled onions were the best part of the dish. I admit that this was the first time I ever tried pork rinds but they tasted like nothing. I really didn't understand what I was eating, I had never eaten something that was a complete blank slate. I am unsure if I will ever eat pork rinds again but I was disappointed with this experience.

Overall, La Bete was a really nice place with some decent food. While eating and talking we saw many different dishes that I would be interested to try and Evan said he had eaten meals before that were wonderful. I plan to go back to this restaurant and try a full meal next time we are in town. Then I will be able to give it a full review.

Rating: 5/10

Bassett's Ice Cream

2011-03-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

This post is a few days late but on my last day in Philadelphia I grabbed some ice cream from Bassett's in the Reading Terminal Market. The location was nothing special, a counter and some stools just like most places in the market but the home made ice cream was awesome. I tried the Gadzooks, chocolate ice cream with peanut butter brownies and caramel swirl.

This flavor was right up my alley with many favorite flavors. It was smooth and creamy but chewy and crunchy from the brownies and nuts. I could have eaten a gallon of the ice cream but a few scoops on a well made waffle cone was perfect. There is not much more to say about the ice cream, it was great!

I would go back and try other flavors but the wonderful thing is that you can ship the ice cream anywhere in the country. Bassetts has partnered with the Page General Store at http://www.pageneralstore.com/ to ship a 6 pint case for $45. Fully worth it, I will be ordering some Gadzooks and a few others next month.

Rating 7/10