Home Cooking: Bourbon Glazed Carrots

Serious Eats is a generally somewhat pretentious and often boring national food blog that mostly posts items of little relevance to anyone outside of Los Angeles or New York, but I still check it because every once in a while I'll see a post that catches my eye.  A couple weeks ago that post was this recipe for bourbon glazed carrots.

I have to admit that even though I don't do much cooking at home (that area is usually The Girlfriend's purview) I was inspired by this recipe.  I mean for God sakes it has, and follow me closely here, BOURBON...GLAZE...and CARROTS.  Holy smokes!  What's not to love??  I mean we're taking fresh veggies here and roasting them and tossing them in butter, sugar and booze!  That's what food porn is all about.  Anthony Bourdain would be happy. 

I totally encourage you to try the recipe out, and feel free to take some liberties if you'd like.  For example baby carrots or cut large carrots work just as nicely as the spring carrots the recipe calls for.  Also, if you don't have smoked paprika in your pantry regular paprika works just fine.  Also take notice that there is bourbon in this recipe so the carrots will definitely have a hint of that flavor.  You can vary that based on how much you reduce the booze, but that flavor is what makes the dish in my opinion.  Enjoy!

• 1 1/2 pounds small spring carrots, tops trimmed, scrubbed but unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  

  Procedures

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss carrots in olive oil, smoked paprika, and a generous sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.
     
  2. While carrots are roasting, place bourbon in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until bourbon is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add sugar, stirring to dissolve. Cook 2-3 more minutes, allowing sauce to thicken. Lower heat and stir in butter and orange juice until well combined. Season to taste with a pinch of salt. Keep sauce warm until carrots are done. Toss carrots in warm glaze and serve immediately.
     

Review: Yats

If you're into food there is probably at least one place that you can think of that all of your friends have told you to go to so many times you almost tuned it out.  Even if you're open to trying new places or new types of cuisine you might just get tired of hearing how good a place is.  For me that place was Yats.  I had heard the hype from almost everyone I knew, and I had read the hype out there on the interwebz.  Much like ESPN's coverage of almost any sporting event I was afraid that Yats had no hope of living up to its reputation.  I was wrong.

Etoufee

Maybe it has something to do with this being one of my first experiences with Cajun/Creole food.  Maybe it had something to do with the rock bottom price.  I don't know what the reason, but Yats really really made an impression on me.  Never had I gone into a restaurant with such elevated expectations and had every one of them met and exceeded.  As for the meal itself I had the Chili Cheese Etoufee with crawfish.  It consisted of very fresh tend pieces of crawfish mixed into a delicious creamy roux served over rice.  I don't remember having a dish where I thought the flavors were more spot on.  You could taste the chili spices, you could taste the seafood, you could taste the cheese but no one thing completely overpowered anything else.  A serving size at Yats is a healthy portion, but there is no doubt I could eat Rosie O'Donnell's weight in Chili Cheese Etoufee.  Also, if you think maybe Yats isn't for you because you aren't a fan of spice I promise if you get the etoufee you will not be bothered by any excess heat.

Drunken Chicken

The Drunken Chicken was likewise a masterful dish.  It consisted of pulled chicken, garlic, tomato puree, and red pepper.  Be forewarned this dish is much spicier than the etoufee, but The Girlfriend admitted that even though it was a little more spicy than she would normally go the flavors were so good it didn't matter.  I wholeheartedly agree.  Actually I agreed so much I ate her leftovers before she got the chance.  Sorry sweetheart.

Each dish at Yats is also served with two pieces of their French bread, and it could easily be a just a throwaway side item.  Not here.  Each piece is perfectly crunchy and crusty on the outside and soft inside.  Also, each piece is slathered with a magical spread that makes it extra special.  Next time I go I will take them up on their offer of paying 50 cents for extra bread.  I suggest you do the same.

A couple more notes FYIs you might want to have before making the trek to the restaurant:  1.  You want to make sure you get there early enough to make sure they aren't out of your favorite dish.  At Yats when their out of something it comes off the menu period.  2.  The menu varies from day to day to some degree.  The etoufee is one of their best sellers so that is one of the mainstays, but the other 5 or 6 items on the menu tend to rotate.  You can check their website for the daily menu before you head out.  3.  Don't expect any frills.  Your entrees are served on Styrofoam plates and you eat with plastic utensils, but if that gets in the way of enjoying the food you're probably reading the wrong blog.

Taste 10/10  I came in with high expectations and was still blown away. I am going to become a new frequent customer.
Value 10/10  Very few places with food that unique and that good are places that you can afford to go back to on a regular basis.  Yats is the exception.  Two sizable entrees with bread and two soft drinks ran us only 14 dollars total.  Incredible.  That's fast food pricing for fantastic food.

Big Mike's Cafe Americana

Even before I had this blog it was one of my hobbies to scour the internets or whatever other sources I could find in order to venture out and try some new restaurants and find good eats.  With my focus being on good food in scaled down less formal settings I think Big Mike's Cafe is place that fits both of these bills pretty nicely. 

Note: Portion size is larger than depicted.  We couldn't wait to dig in.

Big Mike's is a relatively new restaurant on the Indy scene.  They do breakfast, lunch and dinner every day out of their restaurant located in a little aged strip mall at 96th and College.  Their menu is somewhat varied.  Other bloggers in the city have reviewed their sandwiches and tenderloins, but I wanted to go to review what seemed like the main focus of the menu, Italian cuisine. 

When you arrive at the restaurant the first thing you will probably note is that it doesn't look like much from the outside and that it may be a little hard to find if you weren't looking for it specifically.  You may think differently, but I consider that a plus in my book.  A lot of places can draw you in with window dressing, but the focus on the food is what really matters.  The Girlfriend and I went in and sat down and were immediately warmly greeted by Chef Mike and the rest of the staff.  It was a nice touch that doesn't happen enough at other restaurants.  The Girlfriend and I looked over the menu and decided to go with an appetizer of the garlic cheese knots and the ravioli (her's) and lasagna (mine) dishes respectively.

Our garlic cheese knots were out in short order and we devoured them in a likewise fashion.  They were delicious.  They not only had a great garlic and parmesan cheese flavor, but the texture was soft and chewy.  I thought it was much better than breadsticks I've had elsewhere.  My entree was also quite delicious.  I was served a large portion of lasagna that was bubbling with melted cheese.  Everything about the dish tasted fresh right down to the mushrooms that were included in the dish which I found to be a welcome addition.  I appreciated that it wasn't just a dried out square of layered pasta like is served at some other Italian restaurants I've been to.  The Girlfriend thought likewise about her ravioli, and although I didn't taste it personally it was confirmed by the fact that she finished the sizable portion. 

So many Italian restaurants in this area often times try to be something they aren't.  A lot of Italian cooking is based on dishes that grandmothers would prepare for Sunday dinner.  I don't think it was always meant to be served in overly pretentious environments that charge upwards of 20 dollars or more for a plate of pasta, and I also don't think it was meant to be mass produced over-priced blech like they serve at Olive Garden either.  In my opinion Big Mike's strikes the right balance.  We will be going back with friends next time, and I plan on tackling their Chicago style pizza which I was jealous of as soon as I saw it come out of the kitchen destined for a couple at another table.  Even if it is a little out of the way for you go to Big Mike's Cafe and give them a shot.

Taste 8.5/10  The best Italian food I've had since I last went to Matteo's.  Nothing completely earth shattering here just the classics done well above average.

Value 8.5/10  The Girlfriend and I got out of here for a total of 33 bucks before tip and that included our 2 entrees, the garlic cheese knots and 2 sodas.  I'd say that's pretty damn good considering you'd probably pay more at Olive Garden and get something of far less quality.

Mini Rant: Soda prices at restaurants

Let me admit something up front.  I love pop, or soda or Coke.  Whatever you want to call it.  In it's various forms it is one of my absolute favorite things to drink.  I know it's not healthy or good for you in the slightest, but dammit I like it.  I've tried to cut back my overall consumption, but there are sometimes when the craving just hits and I can't help myself.  When it comes to fountain drinks my obsession is even worse.  My problem?  Why is it that when I go to the gas station and get a  large fountain drink it costs me a cool 69 cents or at McDonald's any size is a buck, but when I go to a restaurant and am served the exact same product it costs me almost 2 dollars more.  It doesn't seem like much, but a couple of 3 dollars sodas can bump up the price of a tab in a hurry.  If you say "Just drink water" I reject your premise out of hand because being that I like flavor and taste I don't always want water.  If you say "Well, the places need that to make money" I call BS again.  The cost per soda is pennies on the dollar.  When you're charging me 3 bucks for a Coke you're gouging me plain and simple.  There should be no difference in the price of a soda from one restaurant to the next if you're basing it on cost.  It's the same product.  There is no extra preparation or ingredients necessary.  You're just charging me more for it at a sit down restaurant because you can.  That's not right.  Are things going to change for us soda lovers in the future?  Probably not, but that doesn't mean I can't be pissy about the way things are today.  That's what America's all about...well that and monster truck rallies I'm pretty sure.

The Urbanspoon Indy Slot Machine

I saw this posted on the site of fellow food blogger Erin of Food Obessed In The Midwest and I wanted to make sure I shared it as well.  It's just a cool little widget from Urbanspoon that gives you random restaurant suggestions in the Indy area based on the criteria you select.  You can also make it totally random if you want by not locking in any of the criteria.  Enjoy

Indianapolis restaurants on Urbanspoon

Weekend Preview

This lady is "extreme couponing".  I'm not kidding.

I'm sorry it's been kind of a slow blogging week.  I had a little two day mini vacation this week and otherwise haven't really been amped up to write.  However, I do have 1 or 2 reviews in the works.  I just have to quit letting myself be distracted by well...everything.  As far as potential weekend eatings go I have to confess there really isn't much on the schedule.  I have a craving for Chinese food, but I'm not sure if I'll blog about it because I've covered the places that I like pretty thoroughly.  If you have any suggestions for Chinese or even some other type of cuisine as always send it my way.  Perhaps this will be the weekend that The Girlfriend and I finally venture down to Broadripple for some review worthy eats.  Then again the weather forecast is not looking good so it might be a more indoor stay close to home type of dining weekend.  Speaking of The Girlfriend I wanted to let you all know that she is a certified chef and culinary school graduate and she currently hot on the job trail.  If anyone knows of open cook or entry level chef positions in town shout it out in the comments.   A couple parting thoughts 1.  Make sure you always have fun and relax with friends or loved ones on the weekends or your days off and 2.  Please for the love of God never use "coupon" as a verb.

Image courtesy: realitytvmagazine

Sweet Treat Ben And Jerry's New Ice Cream Flavors

If you're reading this blog you're probably familiar with Ben and Jerry's ice cream and their tendency toward interesting new flavor combinations.  A little while ago The Girlfriend and I realized that we had a little bit of money left over on a Target gift card we got for Christmas and decided to use it to create our own Ben and Jerry's tasting menu.  The flavors we decided to go with?  Red Velvet Cake, Bonaroo Buzz, Creme Brulee, and Late Night Snack.

Right up front I want to say that without a doubt Late Night Snack was my favorite not only of the flavors we tried in this tasting but also of any Ben and Jerry's flavor I've ever had.  It is vanilla bean ice cream, caramel swirl, and fudge coated potato chip balls.  It sounds a little strange I know, but it was amazing how well all the flavors really worked together.  The salty chocolate of the potato chip pieces were the perfect complement to the incredibly sweet ice cream.  Nothing over powered anything else and yet I could taste each flavor individually.  Go to the store and pick some up tonight.

Bonaroo Buzz I was less enamored with.  The carton was clearly labeled coffee flavored ice cream, but the flavor profile of the coffee was overwhelmingly assertive.  I was also disappointed with the English toffee pieces that were included.  The toffee pieces were so big there was no way to incorporate them into one normal sized bite.  Overall I didn't find it very pleasing as a dessert.

The Red Velvet Cake could best be summed up with what you see is what you get.  The ice cream was cake flavored and slightly reddish pink with red velvet cake pieces mixed in.  So if you're like me and enjoy Ben and Jerry's because you like multiple flavors in one package then this isn't for you.  It was overwhelmingly one note.  The cake pieces offered a texture difference but that's about it.  If you're not expecting anything more you'll probably enjoy this more than I did.

Somewhat in the same vein was Creme Brulee.  The ice cream was a ridiculously over sweet custard ice cream with some sugar crystals mixed in.  To quote my man Homer J.  it wasn't undelicious, but it lacked anything to really make it special.  Also with it being so sweet it was hard to eat more than a couple bites at a time.  Also, I thought it was strange to call something brulee when there would really be no possible way to have any brulee aspect to this at all. 

The bottom line?  Even if some flavors aren't as big of a hit as others when it comes to Ben and Jerry's they are always interesting enough to try out.  If you have a different favorite flavor of ice cream or a flavor idea that would would like to see produced shout it out in ye olde comments section.

Nickel Plate Bar and Grill

If you're like me you probably at times find yourself fascinated with restaurants you drive by on a semi regular basis with out really a good reason why.  Maybe it's the exterior appearance or just the desire to one day stop on that route and eat food rather than continue on your soul destroying morning or afternoon commute.  Regardless of the reason The Girlfriend and I found ourselves at the Nickel Plate in Fishers hoping to find a local independent restaurant with at least a some solid bar food and nice atmosphere.

In regards to the atmosphere the bottom line is this place looks cool.  It's all brick and situated right next to the "train station" near downtown Fishers.  It's all brick with windows on one side of the restaurant that can open to create an open air dining experience on nice days/night.  I was hoping that we would get seated in that dining room, but to my surprise the hostess told us the only open tables were in the bar area so that's where we were seated.  I could have swore I several open tables in the main dining room, but I was hungry and didn't really want to bring it up after we had already been seated.  Also, I found it bizarre that the hostess was rolling the silverware in napkins at the hostess station when each party was seated.  This created the illusion of a wait when none existed and I imagine that more than one party walked out that night not wanting to wait.  After these couple of hosting issues I thought the service was better than average.  I never had to ask for a drink refill and even got one after my meal was finished and plate cleared.

The menu at the Nickel Plate is much like the decor, bare bones and far from fancy.  If you're in the mood for something more fancy than a salad, burger or sandwich you should probably look elsewhere.  There is a handful of "dinner entrees" on the menu and they may or may not be good, but I don't think that is really in this place's wheelhouse.  As I had a hanchorin (red neck colloquialism drink 2) for a cheeseburger I decided to go with their specialty burger called the Lionel (train them get it?) which was 1/2lb of ground beef, cheddar, bbq sauce and 2 slices of bacon.  The Girlfriend decided to go with their breaded tenderloin which apparently is considered a house specialty.  I was happy when the waitress asked me how I wanted my burger cooked.  Far too many places just go ahead and cook them well or mid-well.  I appreciate a place that says get it cooked how you like it because our beef is good enough quality that you don't have to worry about it.  I was happy that my burger was indeed not cooked to death when it arrived in front of me.  However, I was a little disappointed that the patty was no cooked consistently being that one end of the patty was medium, the center was nicely mid-rare and the back half was what I would consider rare.  The toppings were very good.  The bacon consisted of two large satisfyingly thick slices that made their presence known on the burger instead of just being an afterthought.  The cheddar was nicely melted and had some bite.  Also, I was at first concerned there wasn't enough bbq sauce on my burger (it's one of my favorite toppings) but there turned out to be plenty hidden under the cheese. All-in-all a solid burger and one I would probably order again.

The Girlfriend wasn't nearly as pleased with her tenderloin.  While it was quite large and looked like it was hand breaded in house she found it way too salty.  She did not finish the sandwich.  Since I didn't taste it for myself I asked her later how she would rate it on my scale and she said 6 or 6.5 out of 10 so I guess I'll just have to take her word for it.  Each of our meals included a choice of side and we both decided on the fries.  We were both somewhat disappointed.  Sure there was nothing wrong with them, but there was also nothing memorable about them.  Why do so many places seem to not put care into the quality of their sides and fries in particular.   If I get good fries somewhere that sticks out in my mind more than anything else.  It's an opportunity for restaurants to set themselves apart and be memorable and not that many decide to do so.  Also, back in my day we used to walk up hill both ways  to get good fries.  Okay my old man esque rant is done let's get to the results.  Dim the lights! (American Idol reference drink 3!)

Taste 7/10  I was looking for a better than average cheeseburger and that's exactly what I got.  It didn't blow me away, but I'll probably be going back to try one of the sandwiches or other specialty burgers at some point.
Value 7.5/10  Not including tip we got out of there for under 20 bucks for the two of us which is always good in my book for a meal that I found better than average.

Grocery Review: Banquet Spaghetti and Meatballs

One thing I will freely admit to up front is that I'm not very good at either preparing my lunch at night for the next day or getting up early enough to prepare something to bring to work.  What happens as a result?  I either have to go out for lunch or have things I can grab quickly to prepare at work.  Seeing as I don't have an endless supply of moolah (donations in the interest of culinary discovery accepted) to spend on lunches out I usually find myself doing the latter.  Maybe it's not for everyone, but I have happened across a few items in the grocery store that I have found are pretty good for a quick lunch and I wanted to share some with you.


Our first product on the judges table?  Banquet's frozen spaghetti dinner.  I know some of you probably think I should be  better than the guy who eats microwavable frozen meals, but 1.  You're wrong.  I am exactly that guy and 2.  It's lunch at work.  I'm not about to try too hard.  Also, this may surprise you, but the Banquet spaghetti dinner is not that bad.  As a matter of fact I would say it might be one of my favorite things to bring for lunch.  The prep time is short.  It only takes about 4 and a half minutes.  The flavor of the red sauce is nicely balanced yet strong with hits of herbs, garlic and onion.  The pasta isn't too mushy, and the meatballs included aren't great but I'm not going to throw them away.  If I have something to complain about it would be that the portion size is too small for me, but it probably should be adequate for lunch.  If I had some garlic toast to go with it it would be ideal.  It's also important to not forget that the cost per meal is only 98 cents (sometimes on sale for 88) which is a pretty good buy in my book.  It may not be something you want to incorporate into your daily diet, but for a running-out-the-door lunch once or twice a week I highly recommend it.

Taco Bell Cheesy Double Decker Taco

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  On this blog we aren't ashamed of at times liking fast food or of liking Taco Bell.  Due to my interest in new fast food items I decided over the weekend to try out the new cheesy double decker taco from Taco Bell.  Granted in Taco Bell's case it should really be called a "new" menu item because it's basically just adding nacho cheese to something they were currently serving which in and of itself was just a different way of combining their 4 or 5 basic ingredients.  Nevertheless, the CDDT is a hard shell taco surrounded by another soft taco shell and layered in between is a fair amount of refried beans and nacho cheese sauce.  I'll admit that this thing isn't winning any beauty pageants anytime soon, and it can also be a little messy to eat.  However, I found it absolutely delicious.  The nacho cheese sauce really adds an element of creaminess that was missing from the regular double decker taco.  It also reminds me fondly of one of the now missing menu items at Taco Bell, the grande soft taco.  Also, right now it's only 89 cents.  That's hard to beat when you consider that a regular crunch taco is 89 cents on the value menu.  If you aren't extremely hungry you could probably just have 1 or 2 of these and possibly be full.  I recommend adding some fire sauce to give it a little more kick.  I'm hoping T-Bell keeps the price point where it's at, but it's likely to go up after the promotional period is over so do yourself a favor and try one now. 

Taste 9/10  A very good upgrade of the regular double decker.  Best "addition" to the menu in a while.
Value 10/10  This is EXACTLY what I want from Taco Bell at an 89 cent price point.

Weekend Preview

I wanted to let you know that after somewhat of a boring food week/weekend last week I'm ready to go at it with both barrels this weekend.  I'm not sure where I'm going, but I've been planning on doing a breakfast review for a while and just haven't gotten around to it.  Part of that has to with the fact that you have to get up in time for well...breakfast which isn't something I'm really good at doing on the weekends.  But a good breakfast always makes me happy so I'm really going to try this weekend.  Also, I've been thinking about a place to go to do a lunch or dinner review and I have some ideas, but nothing is really nailed down yet.  I'm thinking sushi since I've got The Girlfriend enticed into going, but we'll see how it plays out.  Also, a couple of other things in the works are some grocery item reviews of stuff that I like to bring to work for lunch that you might enjoy also and 1 or 2 new fast food items on the market right now.  We do it all here at RDERF.  Just because it's fast food doesn't mean you can't appreciate it on a different level.  Well as I channel my inner Paula Deen let me say have a good weekend ya'll!

Image courtesy TMZ

Sahm's Restaurant and Pub

Sahm's has been a well known name in the local restaurant business for some time now.  Though this review concerns their flagship location  at 116th and Allisonville Rd. they have several different locations across the city.  I selected it as the place to go for dinner with The Girlfriend, my parents and her parents not only because it's a well known local place, but also because I was hoping that it would provide the right combination of nicely prepared food and laid back atmosphere. Thankfully it seems as if I was correct on both accounts.

Our party of 6 decided to dine at Sahm's on Saturday night and despite not having a reservation they were able to accommodate us with only a short wait.  Although with the way tables  are arranged inside with many of the seats being part of a booth having a party larger than 4 was more difficult than it otherwise would be.  Nevertheless, after we were seated we had our drink orders taken promptly and even though I chose not to partake on that evening there is a full bar service available.  As far as the menu was concerned it primarily focuses on American comfort cuisine.  It's large enough to have something for almost ever taste, but not so large as to be overwhelming. There were also several chef's specials listed for the Saturday night we were there so that was the direction I decided to go.

One of my favorite foods and hands down my favorite fish is grouper. The problem is that in Indiana it just isn't on very many menus, and typically if it is the price is borderline outrageous.  That was why I was excited to see the fried grouper fillets, accompanied by baby carrots and roasted red potatoes,  as one of the chef's specials for the evening.  I was at first concerned that I would be disappointed by the portion size, but I quickly learned that is not something to worry about at Sahm's.  For the $14 price tag I was served three nice sized grouper fillets and plenty of carrots and potatoes along with a Caesar salad to start. The salad was pretty standard fare, but I did enjoy the homemade croutons that were clearly made out the bread that was also served with the meal.  The fish, while fried, was cooked perfectly.  The fillets were moist and flavorful.  I would happily order them again. The potatoes were basically your run of the mill roasted red potatoes, but being the total potato-slut that I am I still enjoyed them quite a bit.  The carrots on the other hand definitely seemed like a throwaway side.  They were buttered, but they didn't taste like they had  been imbued with any other flavors.  I think a little sweetness added to them would have went a long way.  The complimentary bread that was served with the meal was very good, and you could tell it was fresh baked in house. I love bread that is soft on the inside with a nice outer crust and that was the case here. All six of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals, and I think I will definitely be making a return trip perhaps to try some of their barbecue.  Let's get on to the ratings

Taste 8/10:  I enjoyed my entree thoroughly as well as the bread, but the sides held it back from being an overall great meal.
Value 8/10:  If I can find grouper on a menu for $14, and I found it thoroughly enjoyable it's a good value.

Jersey's Cafe: New website with menu

I've already made it known that I'm a huge fan of Jersey's Cafe in Carmel. They've had some extra exposure lately because of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives filming a segment at the restaurant, and appropriately they have finally made themselves a web page that makes them seem like a serious operation.  Do yourself favor and click the link at the bottom of this post.  Make sure you check out their HUGE double menu and decide which of the many cheese steaks you want to have.  Right now I wish I had a 9th And Passyunk...wait no the Wildwood...or maybe the Chris Christie (No matter your politics you gotta admit he looks like  he knows his cheese steaks.)

Jersey's Cafe (ignore the somewhat douchey picture of Guy Fieri)

Food News: Jack In The Box Finally Coming to Indy

On Twitter the other day I saw a tweet from IndianapolisEater from wouldibuyitagain.com stating that Jack In The Box, the West coast based fast food chain, finally made official plans to start opening locations here in Indy.  I decided to find the story myself, and sure enough I found this article from the Indystar confirming that Jack plans to build the first restaurant on a site in Greenwood.  While this may be disheartening to all of us northsiders that long for a chain with a huge menu that serves breakfast all day we can find hope in the fact that Jack In The Box apparently has plans to jump into the Indy market full stop with locations all over the city.  I know it's just fast food, but I'm always at least a little excited when regional chains finally make their way into our area.  This is especially true after seeing so many of their commercials yet never eating their food.  Jack In The Box is the parent company of Qdoba, of which I'm a huge fan, so I have to say I'm optimistic about their burger chain.  Only time will tell.  Now if we could only get those people at Sonic to open up some restaurants around here.

Weekend Eatings or Lack Thereof/Drangon House revisit

I usually like to make the weekends my time devoted to trying new and interesting restaurants.  This last weekend however The Girlfriend and I just weren't feeling it.  We decided on the cheap and familiar with such non-thrilling culinary indulgences like Taco Bell, White Castle and Dragon House.  I know.  I know.  Hardly a murderer's row of restaurants from a guy who is supposed to be interested in trying and writing about new things.  However, I think sometimes the cheap and familiar is okay.  It's like slipping on that pair of comfortable perfectly worn-in sneakers.  You aren't going to impress anyone with your fashion sense, but fashion like food sometimes has to be about what you want and desire and not what other people tell you looks or tastes good. 

As is to be expected our meals were of the okay variety, and I certainly don't have much to complain about since that is pretty much what I expected.  The one thing I was a little disappointed in was our return trip to Dragon House Chinese Eatery.  If you read my previous review you know I'm a fan, but this time nothing on the hot bar was being replaced with fresh items and didn't taste quite as good.  We determined the reason for that was that it was Sunday night and they close an hour earlier than normal.  We came in a little later than usual and they weren't really interested in refreshing items on the hot bar.  Also, my beloved sliced bbq wasn't on the buffet.  Thankfully an item I hadn't tried called Peking Pork filled the tangy, sweet, spicy void.  I'll be going back, but I'll make sure it's at a busier time.

On deck on the blog for this week:  My review of Sahm's Restaurant and Pub

Let The Games Vegan

On this day April 1st I've decided I've had it up to here with all of you awful animal hating carnivores.  An anonymous commenter here at the blog has accused me of inserting my liberal views and eating habits into all of my posts.  Well on this April 1st I will say that person IS RIGHT!  I've been containing who I truly am culinarily for waaay waaay too long.  I'm going vegan and there isn't a darn thing any of you can do about it.  This whole time I've just been waiting in the weeds trying to subvert your normal actually flavor conscious thoughts about food with my own secret agenda.  No more I say!  From now on this site will only discuss terrible flavorless vegan food items with a healthy bit of condescension thrown in just for good measure!  Well I would tell you all to have a good weekend, but I'm sure you'll just waste it by barbarically eating a once beautiful living creature.  So I'll just leave you with this thought MEAT IS MURDER...tasty tasty murder :)  Happy April Fools Day everyone!  Just writing that gave me the creeps for a minute.  I think I need to go eat some rare red meat just to feel normal again.  Happy eating and have a good weekend everyone.

Cartoon via toothpastefordinner.com