Eating and Blogging and Fried Pickles

Hello faithful readers. I know I posted recently that I planned to do a lot more blogging, and certainly that is still the case. However, I have been saddled with some technical issues with my laptop and blogging like this from my phone is difficult. Don't worry though I have a new computer coming in the mail so I should be able to get back on the horse soon. In the meantime I wanted to say a little something about a fried pickle appetizer I had at The Mill Tavern in Westfield.

Now I have reviewed their Jellystone burger before and found it playful and unique.  Their take on fried pickles is similar in that regard. Instead of the usual chips these pickles were cut lengthwise. I thought this allowed the pickle flavor to stand up to the breading a little better. And speaking of the breading I much preferred their lighter cornmeal crust to the usual thick batter.  All in all very enjoyable, and a good value at only $4.50 for a large portion.

Drink Review: Diet Mt Dew Supernova

There are some things that I enjoy that I know aren't "good for you" or "healthy", but dammit I love them and the only way you're going to get me to stop enjoying them is by prying them out of my cold dead hands.  Yes, I'm a fan of firearms also but this blog is actually about diet soda.  I'm sure at some point the nanny state may legislate away our freedom in both of these respects, but for now I have the freedom to try and hate on every new diet soda flavor out there including Diet Mt Dew Supernova.

First of all I want to say that if I'm talking about diet pop my first choice is always Diet Coke.  It was the flavor I was raised on, and I prefer it over any other flavor of pop either diet or regular.  If I'm not drinking Diet Coke then it's usually a toss up between Diet Sundrop, Diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Mt Dew.  When I saw this new flavor of Diet Dew sitting the work vending machine the other day my desire for a new experience overwhelmed my craving for something I knew to be satisfying.  After all Mt Dew Supernova had a weird purplish tint and claimed to have flavors of melon and strawberry.  What could go wrong?

Answer:  Everything.  This is the single worst tasting beverage I have tasted in 27 years of life on this planet.  The first indication should have been the damn color.  If it tastes like strawberry and melon why is it purple?  Now I know there is nothing at all resembling real fruit or fruit juices in the beverage, but come on man purple?  Really?  As far as the taste itself I couldn't even begin to make out the strawberry or any other fruit flavor.  To be honest it just tasted like disgusting cough syrup.  I couldn't even begin to finish the whole bottle.  What a failed experiment.  The only time I might even consider using this for something is if I was making a Flaming Moe/Homer.  Take my advice and stay far far away.  Ok enough ranting.  I'm going to go find the nice cold refreshment of a fountain Diet Coke. 

Also, everyone have a good 4th of July holiday and remember to celebrate the birth of your country by blowing up a small part of it (Simpsons reference 2!!)  Hopefully you will all also get to enjoy a cliched red, white and blue themed dessert at your respective cookouts.  Have a good weekend!

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

Sweet Treat: Edy's Samoas Ice Cream



I confess and I'll own up to it right now.  I have a serious weakness for Samoa Girl Scout Cookies.  Whenever the time of the years rolls around when they're being sold I simply am compelled to buy some and consume them in short order.  That's why I was so intrigued when I looked in the freezer section while The Girlfriend and I were at the grocery store last night.  Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and he had left Edy's Samoas Ice Cream in my grocer's freezer.  Being that it was also on sale I just had to pick some up.

Unfortunately I have to report that while I think Samoa ice cream is great in theory in practice it just wasn't a home run for me.  It should have been.  All the components are things I love: caramel ice cream, fudge, sizable chunks of Samoa cookie pieces.  However, it just didn't come together into something that I found that tasty.  The best part of it by far was the cookie pieces, but I could barely taste any caramel flavor at all from the ice cream.  Maybe it would be improved by a coconut ice cream base with actual ribbons of caramel running through it.  It's also true that perhaps my expectations were just a bit too high on this one.  Whatever the case may be the fact remains that when you try new things you win some and you lose some.  Next it's time to get my hands on Ben and Jerry's new Late Night Snack ice cream.

Thumbs Up For Texas Roadhouse

Since moving down to the Indianapolis metro area I've tried to adopt a general rule of not going to chain restaurants because usually the food and experience isn't as good or as interesting as so many of the cool independent places around.  Also, I tend to think writing and reading about chain restaurants is even less interesting than eating there.  I mean if you're reading this blog you probably know what going to Chili's is all about.  However, there are always some exceptions to every rule and I think chief amongst them in this case is Texas Roadhouse.

Texas Roadhouse might be a HUGE chain, but it's still a chain none the less.  Are there things to complain about in this regard?  Sure.  If you go on a Saturday night be prepared to wait.  These places are popular and waits of 40-45 minutes are not uncommon.  Waiting doesn't bother me personally if I know I'm going to get a good meal at a good price and I would probably just waste more time thinking of and traveling to another restaurant anyway.  The places are also loud in terms of volume and decor.  When you get past all of that what it really comes down to is the food.  I had their country fried sirloin, mashed potatoes and baked beans.  The country fried steak was juicy and I could tell from the shape and the breading that it was definitely not something that just came in a bag and was dropped in the fryer.  You could tell there was care put into making it.  That isn't something you can say about a lot of chain restaurants.  Likewise the mashed potatoes were delicious and the baked beans had a unique spicy and sweet taste.  What's the real kicker in all of this?  My girlfriend got a ribeye and our bill still only came to 30 bucks.  You can't beat that.  Texas Roadhouse may not be the most inventive or high brow place in the world, but they know what they do and they do it right.  That's all I ask and will continue to go back. 

(Sorry for the lack of pictures.  I hadn't anticipated writing about the meal until after we were finished, and I just wanted to do a quickie review.)

Photo courtesy douglasathas.net