Chicken Marbella

Considered the best chicken recipe ever

http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/chicken-marbella

Central Grocery Muffuletta - New Orleans

There's so many things to eat and so little time and money to be a glutton.

The real Muffuletta is a sandwich I've been wanting to try for over 20 years since I first read about it. Time and money will never take me to New Orleans. I can only salivate over the pictures.

Here's a link to blogger's posting on the Muffuletta

I guess I have to make my own.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Thanksgiving turkey isn't complete without mashed potatoes. Here's how to make it perfect:

http://www.bonappetit.com/dishes/mashed-potatoes/2008/04/perfect_mashed_potatoes

Heritage Turkey

It's the countdown to the foodie holiday Thanksgiving...

If you want the best turkey, the one to get is the Heritage at up to $14/lb. Available through:

• Heritagefoodsusa.com
• slowfoodusa.org/ark/turkeys/html
• wildoats.com

If that's a little pricey, the runner up would be the Crossbreed at a much more palatable $3/lb. Available through:

• dietstelturkey.com
• marysturkey.com
  

Bon Appetit ran a great article on turkey buying Nov 2006. Here's a is a link to a more updated article:

http://www.bonappetit.com/dishes/2008/11/turkey_buying_guide?currentPage=1

Panchito, Houston International Airport

Terminal A


The George Bush airport was smaller and much less crowded than I anticipated which is always a good thing. The food court at Terminal A consisted of a few fast food chains as well as this little unknown Panchito.

The offerings were rather standard and so I chose the Enchilada Platter for $5.95. For airport food, I can't complain. The food was rather bland and nondescript. Out on the competitive mean streets mano-a-mano, this place probably wouldn't survive that long but as airport food it does the job of filling the stomach for the non-repeat and transient customers. I was just surprised the price was as low as it was given the captive audience.

Josephine's Italian Ristorante - Houston, TX

Josephine's exterior has an old neighborhood, old world charm and that's why I had to stop in. The suggestion of good authentic Italian food at a low price was an opportunity not be be missed.

The menu offerings were not that fancy or many but I have the preconceived notion that a limited menu meant each of the offerings would be very good. How do you mess up the food you make constantly? When you have food prepared this often, you should be able to phone in a good performance.

Nothing jumped out of the menu as appealing but eventually I settled on the Veal Marsala at $18.

The dinner started out with a basket of sliced Italian bread and a saucer of olive oil. That was a welcome and decent start but it hinted of a lower quality feel. Was that as a precursor of things to come?

So the veal came. The plate itself was huge hinting of a large dinner. It took but a moment for me to realize it. As Claire Peller might say, "Where's the veal? Hey, where's the veal?"

Drowned under the mushroom and brown sauce were two 3/16 in. thick slices of veal both of which could be covered by a standard size index card. The brown sauce was more like a ubiquitous Midwest brown gravy. It was salty and slightly bitter and didn't hint at the Marsala sweetness I had anticipated. The veal itself was tender but bland with only the gravy providing surface taste.

I don't recall what the two fried balls were called but they were a cheesy pasty concoction that was rather pleasing. They would have been perfect except these were lukewarm at best, probably sitting under a heating lamp having been prepared well in advance.

The green beans tasted boiled with a dusting of almonds or something similar adding a nice textural feel.

If this was a $5 lunch special plate, I would have been OK. However it was a $18 dinner affair. The service wasn't terrible but the waiter never came back to ask how the food was, not even when I asked for the check. He probably knew and was either ashamed or apathetic.

Bottom line: If this is real Italian, I'd rather take the Americanized Olive Garden any given day.

Josephine's Italian Ristorante
1209 Caroline
Houston, TX

Otto's BBQ, Houston, TX

Otto's BBQ is a well known local Houston chain established back in the 50's. During lunch but even well before noon, there was a long line of customers snaking out into the mall, something no other eatery in the mall could boast as I surveyed the area. That seemed to be a promising sign. Surely the locals knew something I didn't.

Not having a clue as to what to order I studied the menu and eavesdropped in on what those in front of me ordered. Nothing on the menu popped out. More surprisingly, people weren't ordering any one item in particular. Orders were literally all over the menu board.

Ribs weren't offered so I chose what I considered to be the next most traditional BBQ item, Beef Brisket, actually the platter that included a side order rice and drink.

Let me mention up front that I don't get it or maybe I never got it. I've slow oven baked brisket before and I couldn't understand why it's such a popular cut. For me, it's just dry. I figured I just didn't know what I was doing. So here I was with an opportunity for "real" southern BBQ brisket. Now I'll find out what I'm missing and what real brisket should taste like.

Let's get right to it. The brisket had a fairly nice smokey flavor, a little weak which is better than charred and overpowering. The brisket itself was dry and bland. Yup dry. Is it the cut? If so, I don't understand why people enjoy this cut. It's like eating overcooked chicken breast. The brisket alone was texturally disagreeable in the mouth. It had to be doused with BBQ sauce for flavor and for easy chew but unfortunately the sauce was an insipid watered down tart sweet and sour sauce.

I wanted to really like this but I couldn't. Hey, any BBQ down South and especially in Texas is supposed to represent the real deal. Otto's didn't make me think I was missing anything living up North. Like I said, maybe I don't get it...

Otto's BBQ,
Houston Center
1200 McKinney
Houston, TX

Guadalajara del Centro, Houston, TX

Buenos tardes. Guadalajara is a Houston local chain and in my opinion very good based upon the service and food that I had.

Grilled Shrimp Taco and Corona Battered Fried Fish Taco served with Creamy Cilantro Dressing, Fiesta Rice, and Mango Pico de Gallo. The waiter offered a number of suggestions but this entree tickled my fancy at the moment.

The tacos came finger burning hot. One taste of the fish taco with a great light crunchy tasty hot fish offset by the cool mango pico de gallo meant that I would have to endure first degree burns to the fingers. The tacos were a handful with filling spilling out every bite. The taco shell if that's the proper term was a flat bread, not your usual Taco Bell atrocity.

By the time I finished the fish taco, the shrimp taco had cooled down to a temperature that could be easily held. The shrimp taco didn't have the magic of the fish taco. Part of it was just the shrimp itself and the other part was that I was filling up fast. I ate only one taco and I'm near full? What's wrong with me? How dare I claim I'm a disciple of John Pinette.

The service was excellent. The host and waiter were efficient, friendly, attentive, and helpful. Many if not most other restaurants could learn a few things about customer service from these folks.

Not living in the South where opportunities abound for great Mexican food, I can't say if Guadalajara serves estupendo food but comparing it to what's available in the Twin Cities, a chain like Guadalajara would definitely be a welcome addition.

Guadalajara del Centro
1201 San Jacinto
Houston, TX

98 Pounds Restaurant - Bloomington, MN

Update Visit 2 - Aug 8, 2009

So here we were in Bloomington a year later and raring to try 98 Pounds again. It wasn't surprising that 98 Pounds served high quality food. Having recently opened back then, first impressions mattered for building a reputation. And I sang its praise believing 98 had raised the bar for Chinese buffets in the TC (see first review below). A year later would it still be worthy of its initial praise?

As we drove into the parking lot, I geared up for a 4 hour John Pinette style feeding frenzy. Sushi buffet, here I come. And then I saw it. Where was the variety? 98, you have a large sushi island. You have two employees assembling the sushi and yet all I see are about 6 subtle variations of the California roll theme and even then it's slim pickings? Where's the nigiri? And why does the sushi taste so flat and dull? Where's the zing and freshness it had before?

I head to the hot entree stations. Where's the froglegs? What's with all these standard offerings that I can get at just about any other TC area Chinese buffet? Where were the little subtle different offerings that made you standout among the crowd? And then I took my lightly piled plate to the table. The food is lukewarm? First the sushi, now the lukewarm entrees?

I slowly ate, saving room for the sushi to come, constantly turning to look at the sushi island. The two preparers seem to be moving a lot but they don't seem to have much output, just like most of my co-workers. How many times did I turn my head to look at them? Many. How many times did I walk up to the counter to see if there was anything new? Many. How many times did a new variation come out? None.

To answer my initial question, "Is 98 Pounds still worthy of its initial praise?" One word: No. 98 Pounds may have distinguished itself upon opening but what made it special then was sorely lacking on our second visit. It was a huge let down.

Other buffets much closer by beckon...

Scrooge


Visit 1 - Jun 1, 2008


98 Pounds is a Chinese buffet that opened a few weeks ago and I believe they just raised the bar for Chinese buffets in the metro area. How is that the case? The picture above makes a strong case for my belief. Yes, they have a buffet island dedicated wholly to sushi, with individuals preparing the sushi behind the counter!

As you can, they offer a tremendous variety of rolls and nigiri. All the sushi was pretty good. The eel, salmon, tuna obviously were not premium grade but that's more than acceptable given this is a buffet. The only sushi I didn't like was the one with cream cheese.

Pictured to the left besides the sushi are an egg roll, salt and pepper shrimp, and tempura shrimp. The pepper shrimp was overcooked and cold. The tempura shrimp was somewhat bland. I would say no to the egg roll in the future.


Here are some other offerings which I leads me to believe 98 raised the bar. The crab legs are a standard buffet offering but these were larger than those offered at the average buffet. The mussels weren't anything special. But notice the food at the 9 and 10 o'clock position. At the 9 position is a frog leg. That's right. Frog legs in a Twin Cities buffet! At the 10 is fried sole. In the center is a big chunk of beef rib which had a five spice or anise type flavor soaked to the bone. All tasted mighty fine.

There were many more offerings I didn't take because I pigged out on the sushi. I didn't estimate how many offerings were present but I'm certain it was over 50. Maybe it's 98?

The buffet varies in cost from $8.99 to $12.99 depending on day and time. I believe it is a very good value considering the variety and quality. I would definitely frequent this place if it weren't so far away from home...


824 W. 98th St
Bloomington, MN
952.881.6405

Buffet City Mongolian Barbeque - Stillwater, MN

Aug 1, 2009 - Revisits update

We've been back numerous times since we first wrote this review. While personnel have changed, the food remains consistently good and for that reason plus its best in the area Mongolian buffet, I would say it is one of my favorite Chinese buffets in the TC.

The fried rice and chicken wings continue to be very good. The Mongolian buffet is consistently good yet "boring" in that it remains unchanged...maybe I need to change my personal selection.

Occasionally they change it up by adding a new offerings. Three "new" offerings that come to mind are the roast chicken, short ribs, and the mussels minus the cheese. The roast chicken can be a bit dry at times. I've always liked short ribs so any short rib offering is good. At the same time the ribs are salty and a tad chewy. The mussels in black bean sauce are also good but salty. I think that's deliberate so that that John Pinettes don't scoop out the entire tray onto their plates in one visit.

Bottom line: Consistent. If you liked it yesterday, you'll like it today and you'll like it tomorrow. It ain't great food but it is good.

Eat til you pants pop!

Scrooge


March 8, 2008


I suppose if I were a true Scrooge, I would dine exclusively at all-you-can-eat buffets. A true Scrooge would consider not only the food quantity but factor in the cost of cooking and time spent in preparation, cooking, and cleaning. Eating at a buffet especially the way some people pack away the sheer volume of food provides the most bang for the buck.

I'm a fan but not a super fan of buffets. Scrooge Squared is. Given a choice of paying a little more for quality with less quantity or paying for quantity with less quality, I will almost always choose quality first. Scrooge Squared would choose quantity. So here we were at Buffet City doing the true Scrooge thing. The cost was $7.98 per person less $1 off per person with a coupon.

Beverages were included so we ordered a round of Diet Pepsi - all you can drink also. The first order of business was to head over to the Mongolian barbeque. Pick up a empty bowl, grab an assorted variety of raw meats (lamb in my case), noodles, vegetables, ladle a choice of sauces and then wait in line for the cook to take your 8 inch high piled dish of ingredients to cook on the large round sizzling hot griddle. In less than 2 minutes, the food is cooked and ready to eat.

How good the Mongolian barbeque is up to you and the ingredients you throw in. There is minimal technique in the cooking. Push the ingredients around the griddle till they are cooked and hot. Mine was fine.

In addition to the Mongolian barbeque, Buffet City offers about 25 entrees at the main buffet station. There is also a salad buffet station with an assortment of vegetables and highlighted by a cold shrimp platter. Lastly there is a desert buffet station offering an assortment of fruits, pastries, and a soft serve machine.


On the plate are mai fun, lo mein, egg roll, Triple Delight, barbeque chicken, honey chicken, and dumpling. Everything tasted good except for the egg roll. The surprise standout was the mai fun.


On the plate are chicken wings, General Tsao chicken, fried rice, green beans, pepper chicken, and shrimp chicken dish. In the background is a bowl of hot and sour soup. The surprise standout was the fried rice.

At night, the buffet price increases with offerings of king crab, shrimp and other seafoods, and sushi rolls.

As far as buffets go, this ranks slightly better than the average Twin Cities area Chinese food buffet. Compared to the Chinese food buffets in competition intense Toronto, it would probably have a hard time thriving.

Scrooge rating: Pull out the wallet, no ouch.

1490 Frontage Rd
Stillwater, MN
651.351.5048

Pollo Rico Restaurante - Barcelona, Spain

Located off Los Ramblas in a street that resembles a narrow alley. We stopped in for dinner as we had seen it packed with locals earlier during the day.

Rabbit in the forefront and veal in the back. The rabbit and the veal were gone all too soon. These were about 5 euros and worth it.


Paella Mixte loaded with shrimp, clams, mussel, scallops, and a couple craw fish. It was most the most expensive dish but when in Spain, you've got to have the classic dish. The paella was delicious with a mix of wonderful flavors that I couldn't isolate. The rice could have bit cooked just a tad more.


Barcelona was a wonderful city. You can see much of it taking the public tour bus, which is a really a great system.

Royal Caribbean - Day 10 Nice and Eze, France

The cruise was winding down. The French Riviera would be the last port of call. Nice and Eze were quiet relaxing places to visit yet rushed because of the limited bus runs. And we missed seeing Monaco.

The food quality was also winding down. The next day, Day 11, would be at sea before we hit our deboarding destination Barcelona.

How was the food on the Royal Caribbean? It was a disappointment compared to the other cruise lines. It wasn't bad on its own but we've been spoiled and had high expectations ever since after our first cruise.

Was the cruise worth the money? Unquestionably. Wait for the deals and look at the itinerary, lodging, food, travel, and service offered. I can't think of a better vacation value.

Royal Buffet - New Hope, MN

If Buffet is prefixed by words as Golden, Grand, Kingdom, or Crown, what thought pops up? It's a Chinese buffet. So what is Royal Buffet? Yes, a Chinese buffet! However unlike any other Chinese buffet in the TC, it's different in that it offers dim sum. On this visit there were about 20 different dim sum items including daikon cakes, egg tarts, siu mai, beef tripe daikon stew, chicken feet, sticky rice in lotus leaf, shrimp balls, beef chow fun, cha siu so, chung fun plus a few that I don't know what they're called.

Some of it was good such as the beef chow fun and the shrimp balls, some average as the beef tripe diakon , and some below par like the egg tart and cha siu so. Don't expect the quality you would get in a dedicated dim sum eatery. But then again what do you expect for about $12 including premium offerings such as crab legs, crawfish, and 35 count shrimp as well as the standard Chinese offerings? The crawfish was done fairly well. I didn't try any of the standard Chinese offerings so I'm unable to comment.

The place was packed around noon. Lot's of traffic and families. The food overall may not have been spectular but for $12 and especially for the dim sum offering, I say this is a tremendous value. The only thing holding us back from making frequent visits is the driving distance.

7112 Bass Lake Rd
New Hope, MN

Piccadilly Pizza - Florence, Italy (Royal Carribbean - Day 9)

If Mariotti in Rome served the best pizza I ever had then Piccadilly Pizza in Florence served the worst restaurant pizza I ever had.

The Margherita pizza was like a soft spongy bread with salty tomato sauce slathered on top. It was as though it was slapped together by people who knew how to make pizzas aesthetically pleasing but didn't give a hoot how it tasted because they could get by making easy money off the thousands of tourists frequenting the area and who would never be repeat customers.

The Calzone and other pizzas were a little better than the Margherita but not much.

The lunch we had in Florence was definitely the worse meal of the vacation.

Bar Gelateria - Rome, Italy (Royal Carribbean Day 8)

I realized after I got back that I didn't get the name of this eatery.


Although it would have been nice to have a sit down meal with pasta, we just had too much on the itinerary. These were a few sandwiches we had while in Rome. Fairly tasty but not memorable. I remember the service more than the taste. They were about 3 Euros.