I think many people just give up. Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Sad and kind of pathetic, right?

I don’t want to live my life that way and I don’t want you to either.  Most people try to convince themselves that they are happy enough (when they really aren’t).  It’s very easy to rationalize and make excuses for not getting what we truly want. Most people are expert at it and well practiced.  They can tell you instantly all the reasons why their life is not turning out as good as they hoped it would.

I hope you’re not in this camp, but if you are… maybe it’s time to stop making excuses and start making a change.

Based on many years of observation, education and personal experience I have a theory which explains the situation.  My theory holds that most people are too vague about what it is that they think will make them happy.  At the center of this vagueness is almost always the desire to have more money.  For example, how would your life be different if you won the lottery? (Let’s say a million dollars a year for the next 20 years.) Easy street, right?  Now your biggest problem will be how you’re going to spend all that money.

Along with money (and more of it), people tend to be vague about their time management, their health, their relationships and their endeavors.  The reality that each of us must face is that we need to be specific about what we want (and don’t want).  We need laser-sharp focus.  That takes effort.  Most of us don’t want to make that effort because it’s too much trouble, or because we don’t believe it’s possible to get our heart’s desire.

My theory holds that people can get their heart’s desire if they know what it is, and decide they want it so badly they will do whatever it takes to get it (like that million dollars a year).

So don’t waste one more day being vague and unhappy.  Let’s use a laser-sharp focus about what we truly want.  Ask yourself the following questions and feel free to come up with more questions of your own.  (Better yet, write everything down. When you write something down—you own it.)

If you could have your life anyway you want:

What would you do for a living?
What kind of house would you like to live in and where would it be located?
What kind of shape would you be in?
How much time would you like to spend with your lover/family?
Where would you like to travel?
How much money would you like to earn?
What kind of car would you like to drive? What color?
How would you like to divide your time between work, play, family and so on?
What kind of foods would you like to eat?
What would your top five recreational activities include?
How would you describe your ideal lover/partner?
What habits about yourself would you like to change/improve?
How much time or money would you like to donate to worthy causes?
If you were to pass, what would you like to be remembered for?
If you owned your own business, what products or services would you sell?
What are your top fantasies and which of them would you like to try in real life?
What are some top adventures you’d like to experience?
Which famous people would you like to meet?
What would you like to do to make the world a better place?
What are you thankful for?

That’s a sample of 20 questions, and I’d like to suggest that you answer them as best as you can.  The more focus and detail you can come up with the better.

How can you get what you want if you don’t know what it is?  Once you are crystal clear about an objective, it’s usually pretty simple to figure out what you have to do to get it.

Please continue the list and come up with questions of your own as well.  You don’t have to do this in one sitting (although you could and it would be a lot of fun).  At the end, ask yourself how different is your life now from the way you’d like it to be? Take some time with this and be specific.  Then, ask yourself what you’re willing to do about it.  There’s the rub.

These thought-provoking exercises will help you discover who you are and what you’re about.  Most of us don’t get the life we’d really like to have.  What most of us get is the life we do have and we learn to make the best of it.  We learn to roll with the punches. We learn to rationalize the reasons why we don’t have the things we really want.  We become expert at making excuses.  We find that in many cases, the things we want require a lot of effort, investment and sacrifice.

In other words, a lot of people want to enjoy the benefits of being successful without making the effort or doing the work that it takes to create and enjoy success.

What many people usually come to realize is that they don’t want the things as badly as they thought they did.  Once they realize that, then they no longer make themselves feel bad about not having them.

They make terms and come to peace.  No more feeling bad.  No more excuses.

So for every one of us, there is the way things are and the way we would like them to be.  Our happiness hangs in the balance.  My goal is to help people identify what makes them truly happy and then show them how to manifest that in their real life.  That’s what my books are about and that’s what I do with my private clients.

Since I can’t reach everyone, I created the 21 Day Challenge to help people get a fresh perspective and turn their life around to go in a better direction.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you.

I’d like to leave you with another quote by Henry David Thoreau that’s more uplifting: If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

The post How to Discover your Heart’s Desire appeared first on KenHolloway.us.

We will cover developments and other items of interest from the far reaches of this project, such as the books, radio shows, contests, and your contributions. We will also post updates regarding our current projects.

There will be fresh content posted here at least once a week, so bookmark this page and stay tuned for the latest.

The post New Features and the Latest Commentary appeared first on KenHolloway.us.

We finished the day’s drive and pulled into Santa Fe in time for dinner.  I had been looking forward to all the green chiles.  We hadn’t eaten all day and we were starving.  For part one of our dinner, we drove over to the Tune-Up Cafe.  Unfortunately I had run out of time when I was planning the trip and didn’t get a chance to watch the DDD episodes for New Mexico.  We we’re going to have to wing it.

The Tune-Up Cafe is a great little cafe which just went through an expansion.  They have a nice dining room in the front, a gorgeous bar off the back, and plenty of seating on the patio out front.  We got a cozy little deuce in the bar and drew a friendly waitress named Marquee.  We hit the jackpot with her because she is a total foodie, knows everyone in town, and is originally from Chicago.  So we had tons of stuff to talk about.  We ordered the green chile cheeseburger and a bowl of green chile beef stew.  She got us lined out for the Santa Fe tour.

Green Chile Cheeseburger
at Tune Up Cafe

The food was outstanding.  The stew was rich and the flavors were very well developed and balanced with the heat of the chiles.  They make this dish with flank steak and it was melt in your mouth tender.  I thought for sure it was an all day affair, but other than the homemade beef stock, the chef says it only takes about two hours.  I couldn’t wait to get home and make some.  The burger was great too and cooked perfectly.  It was scrumptious and really hit the spot.  The fries were crispy crunchy delicious and went along well with the garlic aioli.  Part one of our dinner plans was a smashing success.

Anna and Piper at Back Road Pizza

Part two of our plan involved getting a pizza to go at Back Road Pizza.  We went inside and were lucky that there wasn’t a long line.  They have a very enticing menu and I had it narrowed down to two of their signatures pies.  The New Mexican features green chiles, red onion and pepperoni.  Yum.  But they also have my combo favorite which is called “Norm” and features house made sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives.  Tough choice.  I wanted to try them both.  The woman who took our order suggested that we get both on one pizza as a half and half.  Perfect.  That’s what we ordered and the woman happened to be the owner herself, Piper.  We chatted her up a bit and she was just as friendly as she could be.  She’s from Boston (where her parents still live) and so we raved about Sam LaGrassa’s Chipotle Honey Mustard Pastrami sandwich.

Back Road Pizza has been established for about ten years and looks like a great hang-out spot.  They feature killer food, great beers on tap, video games, pool tables, cool art and an outdoor patio that is spacious and inviting.  For all of that, one wouldn’t expect that the food would have to be great, but it is.  Piper has got everything going on just right.

Our half & half special pizza with the crazy
good corn meal crunch at Back Road Pizza

The pizza was amazing.  The crust is super thin and combined with the corn meal, the crust almost tasted like crackers.  It was the perfect complement to the green chiles and I totally dug it.  Back Road Pizza easily makes my top ten list.  I would not be surprised if it is the best pizza in Santa Fe (or all of New Mexico).  The staff showed us how they make that amazing crust.  And it turns out that they make almost everything there from scratch.  Awesome.  In addition to fabulous pizzas, they’re rocking out appetizers, salads and killer sandwiches on home made bread.  If I lived in Santa Fe, I’d be in there every week.  I hope to make it back someday, and if I do, I’m going to get one of the mechanic shirts that they sell with their name on the back.

Our first morning in Santa Fe started with a breakfast that we would not soon forget.  We rolled into the Tecolote Cafe, and managed to find a parking spot in the back.  Way in the back.  I thought it was going to be some hole in the wall place in the Plaza.  Boy was I wrong.  The Tecolote Cafe is huge and we had to wait for a table.  The short wait was worth it and we got a great table (and some sunshine) up near the front window. There were at least two large dining rooms and they are light, bright, spacious and feature original works of art.  The place was packed and the staff was busy, yet the atmosphere was relaxed.  Calming.

Atole Pinon Pancakes at Tecolote Cafe

I knew we were going to order the Atole Pinon pancakes that were featured on the show with organic blue corn meal and pine nuts.  But, we didn’t know what else we would like to have with it.  They also featured carne adovada (chunks of pork tenderloin cooked low and slow in a red chile sauce) on the show, but after the fiasco at Gloria’s in Los Angeles, I wasn’t so sure it was the right choice for me.  I asked our waitress,Tara, for a sample.  She promptly brought out a nice little taste for us and I fell in love with it at first bite.  The pork was moist and tender, with a full chile flavor and a finish that was so hot, it was too hot for Anna.  Perfect.  I wouldn’t have to share.

Combo with Carne Adovada
at Tecolote Cafe

I wanted to try as much of the food as I could, so we ordered the combo platter which features the carne adovada along with cheese enchiladas, a taco, a tamale, beans and other goodies.  No toast.  Breakfast at the Tecolote Cafe comes with your choice of tortilla or muffin basket.  I didn’t know if we would be able to eat the rest of the day, but all the food was scrumptious and we ate every bite.  The pancakes were humongous and addicting.  I loved the Pinon (which are super nutritious by the way) and the flavor of the blue corn meal just made for a great mouth feel and punch of flavor.  We ordered the combo platter “Christmas” which means half red chile sauce and half green chile sauce.  The star of the show was the carne adovada, but every bite was yummy.  I honestly don’t know how they could serve so much great food and turn a profit.  I’m sure they lost money on us; but they generated a lot of good will and two happy campers. Tara gave us great service, and the whole staff seemed to run like a well oiled machine.  Tecolote Cafe gets our highest recommendation, and it will definitely be our go-to spot for breakfast whenever we make it to Santa Fe.

The taco part of our big combo platter
at Tecolote Cafe

Before we left, I wanted to find out more about the carne adovada and asked for the owner or manager.  I got both.  Although he was busy in the back, Matt Adkins came out to the dining room and answered all my questions.  We had a good chat, and I found out that the Tecolote Cafe is getting ready to move to a new location; and they are going to expand their service to be open for dinner.  Awesome.  The place will be bigger and include a bar.  After more than 30 years of doing it right for the people of Santa Fe and building a loyal following, they won’t have any trouble filling out the dinner service.

We took in some shopping and lost track of time.  We intended to make it up to Bert’s Burger Bowl for a green chile cheeseburger, and we barely made it with just a few minutes to spare.  It was nearly closing time.  It was a harried and rushed drive across town to get there.  The closer we got, the worse the traffic got, and I was afraid we were going to miss out.  I tried to call ahead, but they don’t answer the phone within a half hour of closing time as a policy. The woman at the front counter took our order and I was happy to have just made it.

They have an open grill and I watched the burger getting made.  It came right up and was wrapped and served in a bag.  I asked for some mayonnaise and proceeded to unwrap the burger to take its picture.  Well, the cheese wasn’t melted and the bun was actually cold.  Not just the absence of being toasted or grilled, but refrigerator cold.  I was so incensed that I asked the woman at the counter to feel how cold it was.  She wouldn’t touch it, but the woman at the grill took it from me and proceeded to make it over, even though I had already cut it in half.  I told her that I didn’t want her to do anything with it.  I was just asking if that’s how they normally put out their burgers.

It was surreal.  The woman at the front counter had walked away, or I would have asked to have our cash returned.  The woman at the grill wouldn’t speak to me, and then she got rude; as if to say, “How dare you come in here and suggest that there is anything wrong with our food.”  I was just in shock over the whole thing.  They weren’t teen-agers.  They were both adults.  I think the woman at the counter was either the owner or the owner’s daughter.  After all the trouble, we did eat the burger (out front).  Although it was actually hot this time, it was nothing special.  To say the least, we didn’t enjoy it.  I don’t know how Bert’s made it onto the show, but it happens sometimes.

I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve seen the show, and I don’t remember the place, but I’m going to watch it right now and then come back with comments.

Okay.  Anna watched the segment with me, and she looked up some on-line reviews as well.  Apparently we are not the only people who didn’t care for Bert’s Burger Bowl.  I think the woman at the front counter is the owner’s daughter.  She is very attractive and was featured in the segment.  The woman at the grill could have been the owner, but she was wearing a hat and I’m not sure.  Regardless, I don’t know what I could have done or said to deserve to be treated so rudely.

I’d be willing to grant that the owners of Bert’s are good, decent and hard working people who love to make good food just the same as anyone else on DDD.  They’ve been in business for a long time, and they must have a lot of regular customers.  I hate to say anything bad about them, but that is the experience we had there.  For eight to ten bucks, there are lots of places in town where you can go and sit down to a high-quality, good-sized green chile cheeseburger done right.  For three bucks or so, you can go to a fast-food type place like Bert’s Burger Bowl and get what you get.  Even without all the hoopla, I was expecting a much better burger.

Guy didn’t care for the bread either.  Even if the bun is hot, it’s still dry.  He’s not stupid.  As Guy said, all he wanted was the meat with the green chiles and cheese on top.  If you’re going to take something that good and mess with it by adding bread, lettuce, mustard and pickles; you’ve got to do it right.  The idea is to enhance the food and make it better.  A Philly cheese steak for example.  The grilled steak and melted cheese would be quite tasty to eat by itself, but it is transformed into something even better when it is put on the right bread and eaten out of hand.

After leaving Bert’s we drove over to Back Road Pizza.  I couldn’t wait to see Piper again and tell her how much we loved the pizza.  Sadly, Piper was not there but we found solace and entertainment in the form of a woman named Maggie.  She was just getting off and kicking back with a beer while she was waiting for a ride.  She took us to school on all the food they make from scratch.  The more she told us, the more impressed I got.  We also got to see a pizza dough rolled out in the corn meal (so I can try my hand at it at home).

As for the disappointing burger at Bert’s, we made up for it later that day.  We drove out past Harry’s Roadhouse and ordered a green chile cheeseburger at Bobcat Bite.  We had to wait for well over an hour, but it was a magnificent burger, made with meticulous attention to detail, and love.  We also ventured over to the Cowgirl, which is supposed to be thee Saturday night hot spot for everyone in Santa Fe who likes to go out and have a good time.  We shared a quesadilla and a Frito Pie.  We were going to stay and check out the band, but the band was from out of town and running way late.  Too bad.  It could’ve been fun.  We had to make our own fun (like walking laps around our motel).

We had a big day planned for our Sunday in Santa Fe, filled with a big walking tour of all the art galleries on Canyon Road.  Obviously, a big breakfast was in order and we found just the right place to have one.

Zia Diner is a very large and inviting place with lots of booths and voluminous ceilings.  The place was decorated to the nines for Halloween.  We didn’t get to meet the owner, Beth, but it was obvious that this place smacks of high quality, good taste and attention to detail.  The staff was very friendly and professional; and our server, Luis, took excellent care of us.  Fortunately for us, we beat the crowd and got lots of attention.

Pancakes at Zia Diner

Zia has a big menu and it wasn’t easy to pick out breakfast.  We had such good luck the day before, we went for a repeat.  We ordered a large stack of pancakes and a combo breakfast featuring two chile rellenos (Christmas) topped with eggs to order, and served with hash browns and tortillas.  We ordered our eggs fried, over medium.  We settled in for the long wait and as I gazed around the dining room, I spotted a couple that we had seen the day before at Bobcat Bite.  They were already finished eating and just enjoying some coffee.  I walked over and asked if they are foodies.  It turns out that they are, and were visiting from Dallas.  I told them all about the Pecan Lodge, and some of our other favorites.  They were nice people and I’m sure we could have talked for hours, but I didn’t want to miss the presentation of the food.  They asked if we were heading home on the 40 and I said, “Yeah, the 40… 41, whatever it takes.”

Chile Rellenos at Zia Diner
(One order on a split plate)

I got back just in time to see Luis heading our way with our food.  They had done a split plate on the rellenos, and it’s a good thing they did because I don’t know how they could have got that much food on one plate.  The rellenos were gigantic, and happily some of the best we’ve ever had.  I was so enthralled with the chile, the cheese, the crunch, and the sauces, I forgot about the egg on top.  The egg turned out to be a great complement to the relleno and the hash browns were excellent too.  I loved everything about that breakfast, and the best part was that I got to help Anna eat her half.  She loves chile rellenos, but these were so big, she couldn’t eat a whole one by herself.  Actually, they were the biggest I’ve ever seen anywhere.  I didn’t know chiles could grow that big.

I loved everything about Zia, and if I lived inSanta Fe, it would be one of my regular hang-outs.  I will make it a point next time to meet Beth, and in the meantime, Zia gets our highest recommendation.

We found a parking spot for the car and spent the rest of the day on Canyon Road looking at all kinds of art.  We met some interesting people while we were at it, and took quite a few pictures.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with
Caramelized Onions

We managed to work up an appetite and headed back out to Harry’s Roadhouse.  The weather was lovely and we got a table on the patio out back.  We enjoyed the sunshine and the great service from our waitress, Kate.  We had their menu scoped out before we got there and we ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with caramelized onions and a Meatlover’s pizza with green chiles.  Similar to my Philly cheese steak quest that I relayed to Richie at Hullabaloo Diner, we relayed to Kate that Anna is on a quest to get the world’s best grilled cheese sandwich (besides mine).

Meatlover’s Pizza at Harry’s Roadhouse

The food came out and it was fabulous.  We savored every bite and wanted more.  The grilled cheese was cooked to perfection, but I had to agree with Anna that it still wasn’t quite as good as mine.  The pizza was a good effort.  The dough was good, the toppings were tasty and it was good and hot.  I only have one criticism.  They sliced the pizza into four big pieces instead of the more typical six or eight.  It made it a little bit more difficult to eat and share, but Anna was able to help herself to as much as she wanted.  It was all good.

Harry’s Roadhouse is a great destination.  It’s big, inviting, tastefully decorated, has a great menu and a great staff.  You put all that together and you get one great atmosphere.  Harry’s Roadhouse gets our highest recommendation (even though we didn’t get to meet Gene Hackman).

Our visit to Santa Fe was short and sweet, but we packed a lot into our two and half days and met some great people.  We had traveled through Santa Fe once before, but we didn’t know where to go for good food and good times.  Our thanks to Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, and the Food Network, for turning us on to the all the great places.  In the past I never would have went out of my way to visit Santa Fe, and now I would look forward with great anticipation to going back again.  I’m totally in love with the green chiles and the authentic New Mexican food.

We made the short drive down to Albuquerque and settled into a nice room there for two nights.  Our last two nights.  We weren’t planning to be in Albuquerque long, but we planned to get a lot done quickly.

We started our first morning with breakfast at Sophia’s Place.  We didn’t know what to make of it as we were pulling up, but it turned out to be a great experience.  The place is small, the dining room intimate; but they do have outside seating.  You place your order at the counter, pay, and then they bring the food out to you when it is ready.  Good set up.  Andrew took our order, served us, and answered all our questions.  He’d been working there two years and the place has been open about 11 years.  They have a big menu of fresh New Mexican favorites with the emphasis on freshness and scratch cooking.  They specialize in fresh seafood.

Tortilla Burger at Sophia’s Place

We ordered a tortilla burger, which is a beef patty topped with cheese, wrapped up and grilled inside a tortilla and then topped with chile sauce which we ordered Christmas.  The burger is accompanied with shoestring fried potatoes and a delicate tossed salad.  If it looks good in the picture, then you can understand that I didn’t want to share it with Anna.  The burger was fabulous and the flavor profile reminded me of homemade enchiladas (the way I learned to make them from my mom).  The potatoes tasted better than they look, and the salad was a perfect complement to the richness of the burger.  The meal was perfect, except for the fact that we only ordered one dish.  We won’t be repeating that mistake the next time we make it back to Sophia’s Place.

I thanked Andrew and the kitchen crew, and went to the market next door where they buy all their chiles.  I loaded up on those and I’ve been cooking up a storm with them since we’ve been home.  I’ve got a pot of Fab Hot Dog chili on the stove at this very moment and I hope it turns out good.  It’s my first attempt, and I had to guess on the quantities.

We rolled over to the Fano Bread Company which is where the hamburger buns are baked for Bobcat Bite.  The guy at the counter was real friendly and knew exactly which buns I was after.  But, they don’t come out of the oven until the afternoon.  I was going to have to go back (and we did).

Carne Adovada Sopaipilla

Lunch time found us making a triumphant return to Cecilia’s Cafe (they were open this time).  The place was a lot bigger than I was expecting and we got a comfy booth.  Our server, Claudette, was friendly and took excellent care of us.  Turns out she is Cecilia’s daughter and we felt honored.  I asked for a sample of the carne adovada and she brought it right out for us.  I was blown away.  The meat was hot, moist, tender, with a richly developed chile flavor.  The heat and the flavors were perfectly balanced and was more to Anna’s liking.  It was, and remains, the best I’ve ever had.  I still had to figure out how to have it for lunch.  Based on Claudette’s recommendation, we decided to go with the sopaipilla, since we’d never tried it before.  We also ordered a chile relleno and a beef taco.  Of course everything on the menu looked great.

While we waited for our food, we got to meet Cecilia herself and she joined us at our booth for a few minutes.  Great lady, super friendly and obviously very passionate about her work.  These were her recipes and they are based on a long and distinguished career in food service.  I told her the story of how we set out on our seven week trip and arrived at her place only to find it closed.  She forced a smile for me, and happily announced that they have opened a second location and it is open for dinner.  Yippee.  That’s great news for anyone in Albuquerque who loves great food and needs to get dinner.  Cecilia also shared the experience she had with the DDD shoot, and that was fun to listen to.  Cecilia is a kick in the pants.

Chile Relleno and Taco at Cecilia’s Cafe

We ate our lunch and all I can say is that the pictures don’t begin to do the food justice.  The chile relleno was scrumptious and the taco was nice and crispy crunchy.  The sopaipilla stuffed with carne adovada was the star of the meal and I raved about it to Cecilia afterwards.  I told her that I was going to try to start making it at home (800 miles away) and she said to call her anytime if I wanted her help.  How great is that?  Cecilia’s cafe gets our highest recommendation and makes my Top Ten list for great Mexican restaurants.  When the food is that good, it makes me want to try everything on the menu.  I think it will be next to impossible for me to pass by on the 40 without stopping in for some great food and a friendly smile at Cecilia’s Cafe.

After leaving Cecilia’s and stretching our legs a little, we stopped back at the Standard Diner (where we had visited the year before).  We wanted to see the place again (and thank the manager again).  He wasn’t there, but we got to meet the owner, Luanne, who was right there at the door working as a hostess.  Luanne was as charming as she was friendly, and wanted to hear all about the olive oil cake we had there.  I was actually able to pull up the picture on my phone and show it to her.  We had hoped to meet the pastry chef as well, but he wasn’t there either.

Chocolate Standard Pie

The dessert case, which is strategically placed at the main entrance, was chock full of irresistible delights from puddings and pies to some kind of pastry/mousse featuring peaches and cream.  It was an impressive selection and we decided that Anna couldn’t live without the Standard Chocolate Pie, a unique interpretation in a dish.  It starts with a chocolate cookie crust on the bottom, three layers of chocolate cream (dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate) and then topped with whipped cream.  Anna got her chocolate fix and I had one bite to taste it.  I could see what Anna was smiling about.  The Standard Diner was just as nice as we remembered it, and I would welcome the chance to go back again for a full meal.  It gets high marks across the board.

We whiled away the afternoon and bought a few souvenirs to remember the trip, before heading to our last stop for the day at the Monte Carlo Steakhouse (behind the liquor store).  We found our way in and got a booth in the back.  It was still early and so they weren’t too busy yet.  The place is definitely old school and part sports bar.  Whatever it may have lacked in cleanliness, it made up for with darkness.  The place could have been spotlessly clean for all we know, but it was cluttered and looked neglected.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich
at Monte Carlo Steakhouse

We got a great server, Omar, and he took excellent care of us.  I wasn’t having any part of trying a steak, but I was willing to gamble on a Philly cheese steak sandwich.  Anna went for the grilled chicken sandwich.  The kitchen is open off the far end of the dining room and it was music to my ears to hear the steak sizzle on the griddle. The food came out soon enough and we got the pictures taken.

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich
at Monte Carlo Steakhouse

They did a nice job on the Philly.  As you can see, the bread was grilled so it was nice and hot.  The meat had a good flavor, but it wasn’t all that tender.  I don’t really know what is the best cheese to put on a Philly, but we can cross American yellow off the list.  This cheese wasn’t melted into the steak, but rather laid on top like an afterthought, and possibly stuck under a broiler.  For future reference (and I will write a full feature on this some day) the cheese is supposed to be placed on the meat while it is on the griddle and melted into the meat.  Then you place the open roll over the top and scoop/flip the whole thing over (which places the cheese on the bottom next to the bread).  The best cheese melt I’ve seen so far is at Rick’s Press Room near Boise.  Look at that picture and you’ll see what melted cheese steak is supposed to look like.

Despite the fact that it wasn’t perfect, it was still a good sandwich and I enjoyed eating it.  It was respectable.  The chicken sandwich was good and it was a refreshing change from all the many burgers we’d been having.  It was light and fresh; and made for a good ending to our day.

Combo at Salsa Brava

We rolled out of Albuquerque at 7:30 the next morning and stopped for lunch at Salsa Brava in Flagstaff, Arizona.  This time we were smart and sat right across from the salsa bar.  The food was good and the service was excellent.  We ordered a couple of the lunch combo specials and that would have to last us the rest of the way home.  The salsa bar was a treasure trove of fresh and spicy flavors, and we must have made a dozen trips.  Salsa Brava is our definite go to in Flagstaff.

We arrived home at 7:30 and so it was 800 miles and 13 hours on the road (with the time change).  A long day.  It’s always fun to get home, but it’s not much fun driving home.  Our next door neighbor always has dinner ready for us so we don’t have to cook.  Life is good.

It was a great trip for us, and the more time we spend visiting DDD spots the better we get at it.  It was great to see all our old friends, and make new friends.  My world will never be the same now that I know what good Texas barbecue is supposed to taste like.  It’s never been much of a big deal in California, but maybe that’s because of the abundant seafood.  Whenever my dad fired up the grill it was for steaks, ribs, or burgers/dogs.  I don’t know that I’d ever heard of low and slow until I started watching the Food Network, and I don’t think I’d ever tasted low and slow done right until we rolled into the Lone Star state.

Next DDD Destination: San Francisco   (DDD count: 261)

The post Santa Fe/Albuquerque appeared first on KenHolloway.us.

The first thing you notice when you walk in (besides the smell of all the great food) is the grill, which requires the care and skill of a masterful short-order cook.  Our cook was none other than the owner’s daughter, Bonnie.  She was a total pro and made sure she cooked everything exactly the way we like it.  Can’t complain about that.  In the mix was our waitress, Lindsey, who was a kick in the pants and took great care of us.  We also got to meet the owner, Claire, who was busy working in the back.  She stopped and talked to us for a few minutes and answered our questions about the place.  She was friendly, warm and gracious.  The Diner has been in the family for almost twenty years now, and her husband, Mark, (who did the show with Guy) had recently passed away.

Hearty Chicken Fried Steak
and Eggs at The Diner

They’re open for breakfast and lunch, get this, seven days a week.  They have a great menu and it was no easy feat trying to figure out what we should order.  They let us sample their championship chili, which was excellent.  We didn’t know if we wanted breakfast or lunch, and we ended up ordering both.  We didn’t quite get our chicken fried steak fix covered in Texas, so we ordered that with eggs, hash browns and an English muffin.  It was all cooked to perfection, and I couldn’t have done it better myself (which makes me a happy guy).

The Soul-Stirring Santa Fe Burger
at The Diner in Norman, Okalahoma

We also ordered a signature burger called the Santa Fe; which turned out to be lip smacking goodness.  With the care and precision of a surgeon, Bonnie whipped up a concoction of New Mexico chiles, onions and tomatoes cooked with 15 spices.  That mixture topped a perfectly cooked burger with cheese (and fries on the side).  I can tell you that I will not long forget that Santa Fe burger.  In fact, it was so good, it was better than some of the burgers we had in Santa Fe.

Anna with Claire and Bonnie at The Diner
(Lindsey must have been hiding)

So, you can be sure that they’re doing everything right at The Diner.  The chicken fried steak breakfast was excellent and good to the last bite.  Come to think of it, I’m surprised there wasn’t a line out the door and down the street.  Go see the hard-working lovely ladies at The Diner in Norman,Oklahoma and sample their great food and hospitality.

We ate till we were stuffed, and after waddling out to the car, we drove the rest of the way up to OKC.  We got settled into a room for two nights and knocked around for the rest of the afternoon.  For dinner, we set out to the west for El Reno and the home of the famed onion burger (a preview of the next day’s main event).

El Reno is a little town right off the I-40 and there are three little burger joints that are all famous for the onion burger.  Legend has it that this burger was born of necessity during the great depression.  They could stretch the meat by mixing it with thinly sliced onions.  The flavor was so good, it caught on in the region.  We went to three places, all within a block or two of each other.  Apparently, there is no rivalry whatsoever between these three places.  No one is claiming to be the best.

We first stopped at Robert’s grill, the oldest place in town (since 1926).  We ordered the onion burger with cheese and sat back to watch the show.  The young man there on the grill was friendly and offered us a sample of their chili with Cole slaw on the top (another regional dish).  It was tasty.  The burger came out and it was delightful.  I really enjoyed the onion flavor, the moistness of the bun, the gooey melted cheese, and the whole thing was piping hot.  Just one little problem.  He didn’t season the meat.  I just wanted to have it the way they make it, but apparently they only season meat on request.  It was still yummy, and it would prove to be the biggest of the three burgers as well as the least expensive.  We thanked the young man and told him we would let him know if we liked any of the other burgers better than his.  He must have asked us to do that, because I sure wouldn’t have volunteered to hurt his feelings.

We next went to Sid’s Diner, and ordered an onion burger with cheese to go.  The owner, Marty, invited us to sit down at the counter and eat our burger right there.  Marty is the original owner’s (Sid) son, and was a consummate pro on the grill.  He had a very pleasing and calm manner about him, as well as being articulate and friendly.  He invited us to sign their guest book, which we were happy to do.  I mentioned to Marty that they didn’t season the meat at Robert’s Grill and it didn’t look like he was planning to either.  He promptly reached for a shaker and seasoned our meat, and said that they normally don’t unless it is requested.  Most likely, they know all their regulars and know how everyone wants their food.  Marty served up our burger and it was a real taste treat.  I liked his style, and it was hands down our favorite place.

We last went to Johnnie’s Grill, which was well lit and seemed to be the busiest place.  It struck us as maybe a high school hang-out, and no one seemed to give us a second glance.  We ordered our burger, ate it, and left.  Although it was piping hot, the burger lacked flavor and it was not seasoned.  No one cared if we liked our food or not.  It was like we had big signs that we’re radioactive (or from California).  Didn’t hear any banjos.

We went back to see the young man at the first place, and I told him that his burger was great, but we liked the burger at Sid’s better because it was seasoned.  It would have been easier to lie.  Both burgers were made with the most important ingredient of all—love.  The young man told us that he would have seasoned our burger for us too if we had asked him for it.  Live and learn.  He was a good sport about it and it didn’t seem to phase him in the least.  Obviously they all know each other and they’re probably all friends.  I probably will drop back by and see Marty for a onion burger with cheese the next time I roll through Oklahoma on the 40.

Thursday morning:  The main event.  As promised, I told Justin at Nic’s Grill that I would arrive for lunch on a Thursday, nice and early, and ravenously hungry.  It was over a year in the making.

We drove over and got in line just outside the door.  The little place was packed and it would stay packed the whole time we were there.  Of course that’s not our bag, but that’s where the food is.  I was happy to see Justin again and wondered if he would remember me.  Justin was sporting a nice beard and had let his hair grow out.  He was slammed on the grill, but he did remember me, and thanked me for the letter I had sent him.  We finally got a seat at the counter and ordered our onion burger with cheese and the Thursday special, Fried Chicken.

The Money Shot at Nic’s Grill

It was fun to watch Justin work.  He was cooking about six burgers at a time, in addition to everything else.  He was way too busy to talk, so we just settled in and watched him work.  He goes so fast it’s hard to keep up.  He went so fast, I couldn’t even get a good picture of the burgers.  He sets up the bottom buns with your choice of mustard or mayonnaise, as well as lettuce, tomatoes and pickles (or however you like it.

Onion Burger with Cheese at Nic’s Grill

At just the right moment, the rest of the burger is snatched off the griddle and placed on top.  Justin cuts the burger in half and voila.  It’s a giant goopy mess, but it’s a total delight to the senses and piping hot.  This giant burger with double cheese and onions grilled in butter is still less than five bucks.  I don’t know how (or why) he does it.  Maybe he’s getting his beef for .29 cents a pound or something.  I’m just glad that I was able to get it fresh off the grill this time.  It was a year and a half, almost to the day, since the last time we made it to Nic’s Grill… woefully late.  Justin saved the day.

Fried Chicken Lunch at Nic’s Grill

Our pan-fried chicken dinner was cooked in the back, and plated up just the way I like it.  A thigh, breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and grilled bread.  Perfect.  The chicken had a great fry on it, and was cooked to perfection with the meat staying super moist.  The flavor of the meat was the best I can remember having anywhere, and the flavor went all the way to the bone.  I asked Justin if he brines the chicken, but he wasn’t talking.  He does a spice rub, which was featured on the show, but maybe he lets that set up overnight.  However he does it, it’s better than finger-licking good.

After leaving Nic’s Grill, we drove over to Bricktown, and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the river walk and surrounding shops.  We were hungry for dinner by the time we arrived at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse.  We had to wait for nearly an hour.  We finally got a booth and drew a great waitress named Tabitha.  Before I share the dining experience, let me warn you that I almost never order a steak in a restaurant.  I can’t handle the disappointment, which is most of the time.  I make a great steak at home, and I’m happy to leave it at that.  I made an exception for the Cattlemen’s because of its tradition and long history (since 1910).

We ordered the Rib Eye steak, medium “Pink hot center” and the half pound sirloin steak burger, medium-well “Hot center; trace of pink” which is how Anna likes it.  Tabitha was off and we settled in for the wait.  The place looks like they haven’t changed the decor since they opened.  Lots of brick and old art work.  The place had a nice atmosphere in terms of everyone having a good time.  The large table next to us was keeping the bartenders busy.  In terms of decor, Anna and I joked that this is the kind of place where Robert Irvine and his crew would come into a failing restaurant and bash the place before they gut it.

Our salad came out first.  Although the salad was little more than rough chopped iceberg lettuce, it was topped with their signature salad dressing that takes two weeks to make.  It was featured on the show.  Tabitha described it as a creamy garlic dressing with longhorn cheese.  They serve it with a little basket of stale bread pieces in lieu of croutons.  The salad dressing was good, and it would turn out to be the best part of our dinner.  Ouch.

Rib Eye at Cattlemen’s OKC

Our food was brought out by a runner, who stood over us and insisted that I cut into the steak and check its temperature.  The temperature was fine, but the steak was so thin I don’t know what difference it would make.  I was disappointed that Tabitha didn’t serve our dinner.  The steak was served in a puddle of jus, and wasn’t anything special in terms of being aged or having great flavor.  It was adequate at best, and I was greatly disappointed.  I really didn’t even want to eat it, but it had been a long wait and there didn’t seem to be much in the way of an alternative.  The baked potato, which was turning soggy from sitting in a pool of jus, wasn’t anything special either, and they served it with margarine!

Even worse was the burger.  It looked dry and the bun was undressed.  By the time I got some mayonnaise on it, it wasn’t hot anymore.  We built the burger, took the pictures and then cut it in half.  It was rare!  By their own definitions it was medium rare at best.  Tabitha took a look at it and said, “Yeah, that’s our medium well.”  I felt like I’d entered the Twilight Zone.  The cheese wasn’t melted and the vegetables were dripping wet.  In terms of a quality burger, it was a very poor showing.

I still hadn’t tried the steak yet, but I knew I was going to be disappointed.  I was getting more upset by the minute.  We were going to send the burger back, but it was so disappointing and upsetting, we just told her to keep it and take it off our check.  Tabitha brought us some butter for the potato and we shared the steak.  We had also ordered a side of broccoli because the steak doesn’t come with vegetables.  The broccoli was steamed and topped with a little melted cheese, which was good.  The steak was a pisser.  Technically, it wasn’t dry.  But it didn’t have the mouth feel of a juicy steak, and it was sorely lacking seasoning.

A manager type came up to the table and insisted that they would like the opportunity to make us happy with the burger.  By then, we felt like the whole experience was ruined and they had their chance to get the burger right the first time.  We politely declined.  I wasn’t upset so much because the burger was undercooked; I was upset because it just didn’t look like much of a burger.  I thought it would be a great idea to have a burger at a famous steakhouse, and my plans were dashed against the rocks.  I’m sure the manager meant well, and I’m sure they would have cooked a fresh burger to perfection for us, but the poor guy just didn’t have a clue about all the fantastic burgers we’d been eating over the last few weeks.  I guess I’m becoming a hamburger snob.

Although we thought Tabitha was great, we didn’t care for much else.  We just wanted to finish eating and go.  Tabitha brought our check, and instead of taking the burger off the bill, the manager left it on there as though it had been comped.  They wanted us to pay the sales tax on it.  It wasn’t much, but I didn’t want to pay it as a matter of principle.  She took the check back and rather than fiddle with the sales tax, they took the broccoli off the check.  Fine.  We left Tabatha a nice tip, and just shook our heads in disbelief that a place could be so busy and so popular for so long and put out that kind of food.

Anna and I have learned, from much experience, that a lot of people just don’t know what good food is supposed to taste like.  It really is amusing sometimes, and then at other times it’s disappointing.  We’re not food snobs or anything, but we’ve learned to be skeptical.  I don’t mean that as a put down.  I’ve had some aha moments myself.  For example, I will never forget how tender and succulent the brisket was at Texas Pride Barbecue.  It literally melts in your mouth, and now I know what it means to have great brisket.

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get close to that high level of righteous brisket doing my own at home, but it will certainly be a worthy goal.  I’m kind of torn right now whether to buy a full metal rig, similar to the smoker at Pecan Lodge only smaller, or build something out of bricks.  I’m even considering a Traeger because of the convenience (it automatically feeds and burns wood pellets).  It’s more goof proof than tending a real fire for 18 hours.  I need to find a pitmaster closer to home and learn more about it before I make any big decisions.  All I know for sure is that I won’t be able to live without brisket.  Stay tuned.

Next DDD Destination: Santa Fe   (DDD Count:  253)

The post Oklahoma City appeared first on KenHolloway.us.

Pecan Lodge

On our first day in Dallas we drove to the Dallas Farmers Market for an early lunch at Pecan Lodge.  I had a cunning plan to arrive early, check out the market, and then saunter over to the Pecan Lodge about 11:00 am.  Right.  We got there about 10:15 and there was already a line! We got in it and started the long wait.  The time went by fast because we started a friendly chat with the people in front of us.  They were locals, but it was their first visit too.  We met another guy too, who recommended a burger place in Fort Worth (that turned out to be gold).

I remember getting excited when I saw the Pecan Lodge on the show.  I recall that the barbecue looked great, and it could be the best I would ever have.  But now that we had been rolling through Texas my expectations were different.  The barbecue was so unbelievably good at Texas Pride Barbecue, Louie Mueller’s Barbecue and the Salt Lick, I just didn’t think it was possible that there was still more barbecue out there that we could like even better.  It’s a good thing I didn’t bet on it.

We made it to the head of the line and ordered a 3/1 with brisket, sausage, ribs (a rib) and a side of the macaroni and cheese with green chiles and bacon.  The plate includes some pickles and onions, and a serving of barbecue sauce.

World Class Barbecue at Pecan Lodge

The food came right out and we took the pictures as fast as we could.  The deep smoke rings on the brisket were driving me nuts.  I ripped open the plastic bag of tools for the fork, but I could have just as well grabbed a spoon.  The brisket was so tender, it was like butter.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the first bite before I shoved it into my mouth, because it was glorious.  It was a flavor explosion of beef and smoke, amazingly  tender, and an unctuous mouth feel.  Anna went for the rib first, and I was thinking, OMG, she’s not going to believe how good the brisket is.  She was thinking the same thing about the rib.  Anna grabbed a bite, and she agreed that it was incredible (as well as the best on our trip so far).  Anna goes in more for the ribs and pulled pork, but this brisket made her a fan.  It was almost sad because I doubt that I will ever have brisket this good again.  I’m going to start trying to do my own when I get home.

The rib was equally good.  Since we were sharing, I was hoping to get more than one rib; but Anna let me have a few nibbles off of it and it was mind blowing.  I don’t know if I would say the rib was better than the Salt Lick, but it was on par with the best we’ve ever had (which is my highest compliment).  Note: we didn’t sample the ribs at Louie Mueller’s.  Without a doubt, the Pecan Lodge features both pork ribs and beef ribs with the most amazing bark and deepest smoke rings we have seen yet.  Showing complete mastery of barbecue, the rib still had some chew.  It pulled away from the bone cleanly, but it didn’t fall off the bone.  There were some mighty happy campers there with the Fred Flintstone sized beef ribs.  I came to Texas for brisket, but the ribs here are amazing.

The sausage was good and smoky, and I enjoyed dipping it in the barbecue sauce, which had a flavor profile closer to a steak sauce.  It definitely wasn’t too sweet and sticky, and Anna thought it had more of a kick than I did.  I’d call it bold and smoky, and we ate all of it.

The macaroni and cheese was fun (and has received tons of rave reviews).  Unlike the typical macaroni and cheese, which has more of a casserole type mouth feel and texture, this had more of a pasta and sauce consistency.  I think the setup works in terms of holding the food for service without it getting gummy and congealed.  The cheese flavor was nicely developed, and what’s not to love about the green chiles and bacon?  I would have preferred a stronger flavor profile with more heat or kick.  Although the flavor was good and satisfying, I think it was relatively mild compared with the bold and smoky flavors of the meats.  Still, it’s probably the best macaroni and cheese we’ve had at a barbecue place (and I appreciated the generous portion size).

Anna and Justin at Pecan Lodge

The whole time I was eating, I was hoping that I would get the opportunity to interview the owner and ask about this amazing food.  I asked for him, and even though they were super busy, he came right out and sat down with us.  Justin was super friendly, as well as tall, athletic, good looking, articulate and personable.  He was working in corporate type work, but he probably could have worked as a male model, a professional athlete or a rock star.  His wife, Denise, was home with their son (who was sick), so we didn’t get to meet her; but I’m sure it would have been a treat.  From watching the show, she looks like she’d be the life of the party and a real kick in the pants.

Their story is amazing, and defies all the odds.  They gave up the financial security of their corporate jobs and started this business on a shoe string (a wish and a prayer really).  Justin had grown up around great barbecue his whole life, including his grandfather’s ranch, the original Pecan Lodge.  They bought the smoker and started out selling sandwiches to local businesses out of a truck.  Very humble beginnings, which you just wouldn’t expect from fast-track corporate types.  Justin recalled that it was a surreal feeling, rolling up to a local auto repair shop and offering their food for sale.  I can imagine.

Over time, they picked up more happy customers and developed a solid lunch route.  By working hard and networking, they started to pick up catering gigs and developed that into a significant chunk of their business.  All the while they were making crazy good food and developing their craft.  They were having to finagle whatever they could for commercial kitchen space and jumped at the opportunity to build out their own kitchen at the Dallas Farmer’s Market.  The counter sales took off, especially with the help of DDD and a feature in Southern Living magazine.  Now they have a line out the door and sell out every day!  There were literally hundreds of people in line when we left, and they all looked happy to wait their turn for the magnificent barbecue at Pecan Lodge.

The person wearing this sign
is one happy camper.

I asked what happens when they run out of barbecue with people still at the end of the line?  They do their best to estimate how much barbecue they have left and where in the line they’re going to run out.  They then pick out the person in line where they expect to run out and offer him or her to wear the “Slim Pickins” sign board in exchange for a free lunch.

Justin was happy to report that he managed to find another smoker and was getting ready to go pick it up the following week.  The second smoker will allow them to increase their production and resume servicing their [very lucky] catering clients.

In addition to the foods I’ve already mentioned, Pecan Lodge also offers fried chicken, banana pudding and other delights.  They’ve also created a signature dish that was featured on the show called the Hot Mess.  Don’t let the name throw you.  It’s a loaded sweet potato with butter, cheese, barbacoa, chipotle cream, bacon and green onions.  We saw one come out and it was gigantic.  I was sad that we couldn’t try one, but if we had, we wouldn’t have been able to eat the rest of the day.

For what it’s worth, Justin runs the brisket low and slow in the sixteen to eighteen hour range, with a family secret spice rub and a blend of mesquite and post oak.  It’s all about the smoke.

I’d love to go back before we leave town, but there are just too many great places to sample the food in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  So do yourself a favor and make sure you arrive at the Pecan Lodge ravenously hungry and plan to eat till you are stuffed as a tick and have to waddle out.  It’s a destination.  Next time I go to the Pecan Lodge, I’m going to have at least one of everything.

We left the car and after strolling through the rest of the market we walked up to the Deep Ellum part of downtown.  It was kind of eerie because the streets were surprisingly devoid of traffic, street people, and the typical hustle and bustle.  Parking lots were empty, and buildings were boarded up.  We don’t know much about downtown Dallas, but it looked like the beginnings of some kind of an exodus (maybe to the suburbs or cyberspace).

We waltzed into the famed Twisted Root Burger Company and got in line to order a burger.  I had Anna grab us a pub table at the front window while I ordered us their Tex Burger; a big burger with cheddar cheese, chipotle mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, onion strings and guacamole.  In a fun little twist, instead of giving out boring numbers, they give people cards with distinctive names.  For the life of me I don’t know why the clerk thought Joe Montana was a good pick for me, but he somehow managed to find it amusing.

Just so I wasn’t setting myself up for a major disappointment, I asked what they season their burgers with.  Without missing a beat, the guy looked me in the eye and said, “Love.”  That was good enough for me.

The Famous Big Tex Burger
at Twisted Root Burger Company
“Wahoo”

I had been reading and hearing reviews that maybe the burgers weren’t as good as they were cracked up to be.  So, I was a little apprehensive and didn’t want to get my hopes up.  As it turned out, the burger was fabulous.  It was seasoned and cooked well, and the burger build worked together famously (for future reference, add bacon).  I was very happy and the worrying was needless.  I also hear they have a killer chili dog and hope to make it back before we leave town.  We got to meet the owners, who treated us to a sample of their vanilla milkshake (creamy and dreamy).  We learned that they have been expanding and have locations all over the metroplex.  Great.  We are very happy for their success and wish them continued growth.

I really liked the vibe of this place, and the service was friendly.  They have a big patio as well, and plenty of ice cold beer.  If you like burgers and good times, you’ll love the Twisted Root Burger Company.

After checking out some of the other spots in Deep Ellum, we walked through the downtown to Dealey Plaza.  We had been there once before and went through the Sixth Floor Museum.  On this trip we headed over to the infamous grassy knoll, where we were surprised to meet an eye witness to the assassination of President Kennedy.  We chatted with him for the better part of an hour and to make a long story short, he claimed (quite convincingly) that the story presented in the Oliver Stone movie is right on the money.

After making an afternoon out of it, we ended up back at the Farmers Market, picked up the car and drove back up to the Twisted Root Burger Company.  Directly across the street is another DDD place called Cane Rosso (Red Dog), our destination for dinner.

The main attraction is the pizza oven, and the authentic pizzas are some of the best to be had anywhere.  In fact, it was the best neapolitan pizza we had on the trip, and that was some very stiff competition.  The place is large and very tastefully decorated, and they also sport an outdoor patio.  I got a chance to watch Rob, who has been making pizzas there for five years.  An artist.  The rest of the staff was friendly and our server, Rachael, took good care of us.

We ordered a pie called Luana.  It features Italian tomatoes, house made fresh mozzarella, a locally made spicy hot Italian sausage (Jimmy’s), hot soppresata, mushrooms and basil.  It was a masterpiece.  As a matter of fact, they actually serve it on a big flat plate instead of a pan.  I loved it.  It was cooked perfectly.

The Luana Pizza at Cane Rosso

In addition to pizzas, they also serve a wide array of salads, pasta, sandwiches and dessert; as well as a bar.  If you live in Dallas and haven’t tried this pizza, rush down there today.  It’s one of the best pizzas we’ve ever had.  A pizza this good is what happens when you make your dough from scratch, using only the best ingredients, the tomato sauce from scratch, the mozzarella fresh, and time the whole thing perfectly in a 900 degree wood-fired oven.  The other two we had on this trip (La Piazza Al Forno and Dough Napoletana) were equally spectacular; but for us they were narrowly edged out by Cane Rosso.  At such impeccable levels of quality, the difference between these pizzas is just a matter of interpretation.  The pizza was so good, I didn’t even want to share it with Anna.  I could have eaten the whole thing.

Pecan Lodge, Twisted Root Burger Company, Cane Rosso, now that’s what you call a good day in Flavortown USA.  One of the best days we’ve ever had.  We met a lot of great people too.  We were about to have some bad days, but a bad day in Flavortown USA is still pretty good.

We started the next morning with breakfast at the Chef Point Cafe, near Fort Worth.  This is the place where they opened as a gas station in order to be able to build the restaurant.  They had just finished a big expansion and the place was good sized and freshly redecorated.  I liked the decor just fine and the staff were all dressed in black.  Our waiter, Emmanuel, took excellent care of us.

We ordered a blueberry pancake for Anna and a Southern Eggs Benedict for me, which is actually a favorite concoction of mine.  You start with an English muffin and instead of Canadian bacon you use sausage patties.  After you top with poached eggs, instead of using Hollandaise sauce you top with country sausage gravy.  This would be accompanied with a big piping hot order of hash browns on the side.  I had high hopes for the dish and was expecting greatness.  I was hoping to fall in love with it at the first bite.  Breakfast on the road is a big treat for us.

Breakfast at Chef Point Cafe

Sadly, I did not fall in love at first bite, or the second bite… It took me a little while to figure out how they could have blown it, but figure it out I did.  The sausage was bland.  They used scrambled eggs instead of poached (my mistake that I didn’t catch that on the menu), but the real kicker was that they didn’t use a sausage gravy.  They used some sort of a cream gravy or something, and it didn’t have any flavor at all.  It ruined the dish.  This is what happens when a foreigner tries to interpret a uniquely American style of cooking.  He completely missed the point of having a savory and unctuous sausage gravy.

We ate it anyway because it was hot and filling, but we didn’t care for it at all.  The hash browns were funky too.  I couldn’t pin it down, but they were sorely lacking in flavor and if anything they were kind of sweet.  The pancake was fair at best.  Nothing to write home about.  The chef wasn’t in, or I would have talked to him about his interpretation of Southern food.  I don’t know if anyone in the kitchen spoke English, so we just left.

I will say one thing, the service was great and I really liked the decor.  The Chef Point Cafe might put out some great food, but I wouldn’t go back for breakfast.  I must say that I am intrigued by their “Better than Sex Fried Chicken”, but I wouldn’t bet on that either.  It had mixed reviews, so if anyone has tried the chicken, please write in and let me know what you thought.

I’m still smarting over the fact that I didn’t get to try the Throwdown with Bobby Flay winning fried chicken at The General Store.  A person would have to travel far and wide to sample the best fried chicken this country has to offer.  I’ve got Alton Brown’s pick on my radar, which is Mr. D’s Heavenly Fried Chicken in Lamar, Mississippi.  I wouldn’t complain if I ever get the chance to go on a cross country trip in search of the best fried chicken.  I’ve got several places in mind as it is, and will be getting to some of the them on our trip through the South.  Stay tuned.

We next headed over to the famous Stockyards and met up with some old friends who drove in from Abilene to meet us.  We all headed over to Fred’s Texas Cafe for lunch, a relatively small place by Texas standards.  Fred was not there.  I was hoping to meet him.  We got a table out front, but they were doing construction next door.  Our waitress, Maria, was polite and attentive, but Anna and I clashed with her.

Fred’s menu has “Fred’s Tacos” and “Regular” Beef Tacos.  She seemed to be confused or upset that I wanted her to explain to us the difference between the two.  I think she said they both have the same chipotle ground beef, so we ordered the regular tacos on corn tortillas.  She recommended the corn over flour tortillas and assured me that the corn tortillas were grilled on the flat-top.

Beef Tacos at Fred’s Texas Cafe

The tacos came out and they were awful.  We would have promptly sent them back, but our friends still had to drive back to Abilene and we didn’t want to screw up their lunch.  What can I say about these tacos?  The tortillas did not seem grilled to me (or just barely).  The tacos were not hot, and the meat seemed to be dry.  The worst part however, was that the tacos were soggy and falling apart.  The bottom of the basket was wet, probably from all the lettuce.  We couldn’t even lift them up out of the basket in one piece, and basically had to eat them with forks.

Our friends enjoyed their food, but they wouldn’t know what good food tastes like if it smacked them in the face.  Yes, I’m joking.  Or am I?

We sampled their food and it was okay.  I wouldn’t rave about it.  They both ordered specials.  Becky had chicken tacos which were served on a plate instead of a basket and they weren’t soggy.  Curt had stacked enchiladas and he seemed to be quite pleased with his selection.

I’ve got no doubt in my mind that Fred’s serves good food, and maybe spectacular burgers; but Fred wasn’t there and the stars didn’t line up for us on this day.  The burgers look great, but we were already planning to have so many burgers in Dallas, that I welcomed the opportunity to try someone who was brazen enough to feature tacos on their menu.

Just like Mike’s Chili Parlor in Seattle, Fred’s Texas Cafe is an old-school building surrounded by brand new trendy construction.  In other words, Fred wouldn’t sell out.  I really wanted to fall in love with the place; but this is a perfect example of what happens when the owner isn’t around.  It was a mistake for the kitchen to put those tacos out like that, and it was a mistake for our waitress to serve them like that.  We most likely could have sent them back and ordered something else, but then you run the risk of pissing off the kitchen staff or who knows what.

All that being said, I would be happy to go back to Fred’s Texas Cafe, order the Fred’s Tacos and one of his signature burgers (like the Diablo Burger); just so long as Fred himself is there and I get the pleasure of meeting him.  I’m sure Fred is the kind of guy who would make sure we left happy.  Stay tuned.

We had a great time visiting with our old friends, and said our goodbyes.  We then got in the car and drove back towards Dallas, all the way through Dallas and out the other end to Afrha; the Mediterranean place that specializes in Shawarma.

If you missed this episode, Shawarma is a seasoned and roasted meat on a vertical spit.  We ordered ours as sandwiches, one each of beef and chicken.  It was a good wait and the place was packed.  We were lucky to get a parking spot, and by the time we left, it seemed every table was filled.

Shawarma Gyros at Afrah

We were expecting more of an open gyro type of sandwich, but they actually come rolled up like a burrito.  You can’t see much from the picture, but the roasted meat is cut into small pieces and accompanied with onions, pickles, tomatoes, parsley, and Tahini sauce.  They were hot and we liked them.  We preferred the beef over the chicken, but it was an interesting meal and we like the opportunity to try new foods and different ethnic styles of cooking and flavors.

We spent a few hours taking in some of the local entertainment, and then made our last stop for the day at Maple and Motor Burgers.  It was nearly closing time and the owner, Jack, was not there.  The manager was real friendly and we decided to order their best seller, the bacon cheeseburger with a side of tater tots.  We weren’t hungry enough to get two of the burgers, but I wish I would have remembered the burger Jack made on the show.  It’s his signature patty, topped with chili, cheese and onions on Texas Toast and the kicker is a fried egg.  I’ll try that one next time.

Bacon Cheeseburger at
Maple & Motor Burgers

We settled in for the long wait.  Time drags by ever so slowly when you’re waiting for a burger or a Philly cheese steak (or a woman).  It must be some kind of anomaly in the space/time continuum.  I didn’t remember what Jack made on the show, but I remembered that he is a serious burger dude, and I was hoping this would be the best burger I ever had.

It wasn’t.

I’m going to take this opportunity to discuss some burger theory; because maybe I don’t know it all.  I just watched the Maple and Motor segment and it seems that Jack is breaking some of my hamburger rules.  He didn’t appear to season the meat, the cheese wasn’t melted, and the bottom bun wasn’t dressed.

First point of debate:  Mayonnaise.  Yes or No?  I’m in the yes camp.  Some people (way too many for my taste) don’t put mayonnaise on their buns, and some people think it’s a sacrilege to put mayo on a burger.  I don’t know about Guy Fieri, but I know that Alton Brown and Mike Hardin (HoDaddy) agree with me that the bottom bun should have mayonnaise.  It’s a pet peeve of mine.  On the episode, Jack said the lettuce protects the bun; and Guy ate it that way.  The burger is juicy, but the bread is dry.  Who likes dry bread, especially if it hasn’t been toasted or grilled?  Not me.  That’s how they were putting the burgers out at Casino El Camino, which is why I didn’t order one there.  I can understand that people can and should put their own condiments on their burgers to their taste, but that should apply more to ketchup which is sweet and mustard which is tangy.  To me, with rare exceptions, all burgers should get a little smear of mayonnaise on the bottom bun, which forms a barrier to protect the bread from the juiciness of the burger (plus it tastes good).  In the alternative to mayonnaise, some people use a little smear of butter (such as Alex Guarnaschelli) which serves the same purpose.

Second point of debate:  Salt/seasoning.  Yes or No?  I thought, and still do, that all burgers should get a little salt/seasoning as they are being cooked.  Jack did not appear to season his burgers on the episode, and I was already told they don’t do that at The Cove. Nor did they season their burgers in El Reno, Oklahoma.  Marty (Sid’s Diner) seasoned our burger for us (but not until we asked about it).  The point is there are many people who feel that burgers shouldn’t be salted/seasoned.  Some people say it’s for health reasons, and others say it’s because they don’t want to mask the flavor of the beef.  Personally, I love the flavor of beef; but it is always better with a little salt.  I agree with the universally recognized cooking principle that salt makes everything taste more like itself.  As Tyler Florence says, “Salt early and often.” If I wanted the flavor of pure beef, I would have Steak, or Steak Tartare (both of which are seasoned), but a burger patty should always be salted/seasoned.

All of my favorite hamburger wizards are seasoning their burgers, including: Ted & Mike at The Nook; Matthew at Virgil’s Cafe; Mike “Boss Man!” at Hodad’s; Jane at Picabu Bistro; Eydie at Lankford Grocery; Jeff at Blue Plate Lunch Counter; all the good people at Twisted Root Burger Company and Waddell’s Pub & Grill; Guy Fieri himself; as well as Bobby Flay, Alex Guarnaschelli, Anne Burrell, Alton Brown and so on….

Back to Maple and Motor.  It was a good burger, but it wasn’t great.  Something happens to a burger when you have to turn it upside down and take it apart to get to the bottom bun (to put mayonnaise on it).  By the time you get it put back together, it’s lost its integrity.  You could eat it, but it’s not the way it was made or served.

So, here’s what I propose:  Everyone in America who makes hamburgers should put mayonnaise on the bottom bun, unless the person ordering it says they don’t want any.

Our next day began with an inauspicious start at Taste of Europe.  We arrived early and there was only one other table sat.  Everything just seemed awkward from the moment we walked in the door.  The place is part dining room, part deli, part gift shop and part grocery store.  We were tended to by a polite young man who was either a busboy or a waiter.

I knew I wanted to try the Beef Stroganoff, but I was also interested in sampling the Hungarian Goulash.  The owner came over to take our order and I explained that we were on a tasting tour and that we couldn’t both eat full meals.  I asked him if we could get a plate of half stroganoff and half goulash so that we could try both.  Much to our chagrin, he didn’t even have to think about it.  A prompt “No” is all we got for our trouble.  We ordered the stroganoff.

We waited and waited.  No music.  No chatter of other people enjoying their lunch.  This was late Sunday morning, a time when all good restaurants are slammed.  By the time I figured our food should be arriving, I asked the young man if our meal came with anything like salad or bread? (It was 13.95)  Of course he didn’t seem to know anything, or didn’t understand what I was asking.

Beef Stroganoff at Taste of Europe

Our food finally came and instead of getting a nice plate of beef stroganoff, we got a bowl of penne regate pasta.  No vegetables or anything else to go with it.  I wanted to send it back or just walk out, but we were hungry and ready to eat.  Although it did taste like beef stroganoff, it was a poor showing.  The meat was dry and tough, and the sauce wasn’t very rich.  I was really put off by the pasta.  Their menu clearly states that it is their “Old Russian Recipe”.  Poppycock.  I’m not a food historian, but to me, penne is a decidedly Italian pasta.  Italy might be in the same hemisphere as Russia, but that’s about all they have in common.

If this dish was representative of the rest of their cooking, I can see why we were the only people in the whole place.

I talked to the owner (wife) afterwards and she said she understood that beef stroganoff is classically served with egg noodles in America.  She said they went through several options to see what their customers preferred the most, and it ended up being the penne.  I can’t argue with that.  But I can tell you that we won’t be going back for any other of their so-called Old Russian Recipes.

We left Europe and set sail for the Caribbean, mon.  Actually it was close enough to walk to Jamaica Gates (and my friend’s house).  We pulled into the parking lot and saw that they were busy.  No surprise there.  I was looking forward to trying the Jerk Shrimp and maybe something fruity for Anna.  We walked in and the whole place was tuned in to a football game on a large screen in the middle of the dining room.  So much for Jamaica.  We turned around and walked right back out.  No shrimp for us.

We were hoping to have a day off from making the drive into Dallas, but we had to change our plans.  We drove into town and settled in for a lunch at Avila’s Mexican Restaurant.  It’s a charming little place which is a converted house. The dining room sported tasteful muted colors, a slate floor, comfortable tables and great aromas wafting out from the kitchen.

We were tended to by Trent, the grandson of the owner, who was very polite and attentive.  He brought us a basket of fresh hot tortilla chips and a habanero salsa.  We dove right into those, but the salsa was too hot for Anna.  Poor thing.  I asked if they had a milder salsa.  They didn’t, but they offered to make some for Anna from scratch.  Wow.  We declined, but that sure was nice of them to offer.

Brisket Gorditas at Avila’s

We had a hard time trying to figure out what to order.  We eventually settled in on an old family recipe of braised brisket gorditas.  As you can see from the picture, they were prepared impeccably and they tasted even better than they look.  I loved the gorditas and the beef was rich and succulent.  It didn’t take us long to polish off all the food and lick the plate.  I was so impressed with the place that I wanted to learn more about it.

One of the owners, Paula Avila, happened to be there and she sat down with us to share the history of her restaurant.

The place was originally opened 27 years ago by her long-time husband, Octavio, and his mother, Anita (who is now 90 years old, and apparently a real kick in the pants).  Before they opened the restaurant together 27 years ago, Anita worked for 30 years as a hairdresser!  I’d love to meet her, and she worked at Avila’s until just recently.  During all those many years, their whole family would return home to Monterrey, Mexico every year and have all the authentic food and old family recipes.  Paula, our narrator, married into the family.  She is a recently retired school teacher, but she has always helped out with the restaurant.  If I remember correctly, she said that her or her husband are there whenever the restaurant is open.

Octavio’s brother, Ricardo, is the man who filmed the episode with Guy, but he is no longer there.  As they covered on the show, everything is made from scratch, by hand, according to the old family recipes.

Pork Tamale at Avila’s

I confessed to Paula that I couldn’t remember what they made on the show.  She said they made the pork tamale, and asked if we’d like to sample one.  We happily accepted and off she went.  She brought out the tamale and I unwrapped it like a jewel.  It was likely the best tamale I’ve ever had.  The chile flavor was deeply developed, but balanced with the flavors of the pork and the masa.  It had a generous filling ratio as well.

I mentioned that in modern interpretations of the brisket gordita, they would put on some kind of a poblano cream sauce.  She said they have a poblano sauce and went to the back to bring us out a taste.  She came back with a plate full of all their sauces in little metal cups, and sent her son,Trent, to get us a fresh basket of chips.  I told her we still had plenty of chips left, and she said, “Yeah, but they’re not hot anymore.”  That’s what you call feeling the love.  There was a fantastic mole sauce that we both enjoyed, as well as a salsa verde, the poblano cream sauce and a queso sauce.

We just couldn’t thank her enough and she posed for a picture with Anna (which sadly didn’t turn out very well).  I loved the opportunity to have the authentic Mexican food, and dining at Avila’s was the highlight of our day.  The question now as to how the story will end is if Trent will one day assume the reins and continue the family legacy.  He is thinking about it, but too young to decide for now.  I can tell you two things, I will be going back to Avila’s the next time I get to Dallas, and it gets our highest recommendation.  If we make it back in the spring, I want to meet the rest of the family, especially the matriarch, Anita.  I’ll bet she’s got a ton of great stories to tell.

Our last stop for the day was Louie’s, a popular watering hole and sports bar.  The place was crowded and decorated to look like a basement with lots of brick and exposed beams.  We managed to get a table and drew a friendly waitress named Kelly, a six year veteran.  In hind sight, we should have ordered a pizza.  My mistake.  I didn’t care for the menu set up or the high prices.  A “large” 14 inch pizza with just pepperoni would have been 16 bucks.  That’s probably exactly what we should have ordered.  But, there are few things in this world worse than expecting a great pizza and then not getting one.

We ordered a signature sandwich called “The Don” which is a patty melt with melted Swiss, mayo, bacon and jalapenos.  The sandwich was 12 bucks including the tax and comes with your choice of potato salad or potato chips.  Kelly recommended the salad.  That wouldn’t be a bad price if it was a great patty melt.

No sooner did we order when the four people sitting at the next table had two big pizzas brought out.  They looked great, and I was already kicking myself for not ordering one.  We had just had a fabulous pizza at Cane Rosso and I was happy to quit while we were ahead and leave it at that.  I had high hopes that a spectacular patty melt would save the day.

“The Don” Patty Melt at Louie’s

Kelly brought it out and it was pathetic looking.  Really small, and not even grilled, just toasted.  I honestly can’t remember why we didn’t send it back.  I guess we thought it would taste better than it looked.  Maybe we just wanted to eat and go.  We’re not sports bar people.  The whole time we were sitting there I was thinking that the locals will pay higher prices for the food because they’re there for the drinking and sports bar.  I would be willing to grant that they can charge high prices if the quality of the food is there to back it up, but it wasn’t in our case.  Maybe these guys think they’re in Chicago or Manhattan.  It wasn’t even a good neighborhood and we were panhandled just walking across the street to get in.  They don’t even have a parking lot.

I’ll give them some constructive criticism though.  They need to whip up at least two or three signature pizzas and put the prices on them.  It’s nice to have the option to order a pizza precisely the way you want it, but that should be on option and not the only way to get it.  My feeling on that is, “If I have to tell you what to put on it, do I have to go in the back and make it too?”

Taste of Europe, Jamaica Gates, Louie’s.  Not our best day in Flavortown.  Fortunately for us, the time we spent at Avila’s was good enough to carry the weight of all the other things that didn’t go so well for us.

Ken’s Lunch Combo
at Pepe’s & Mito’s

On our next day, we met a friend for lunch at Pepe’s & Mito’s, which is a great Mexican restaurant in the downtown area (Deep Ellum).  We grabbed a table near the front and settled in for a great meal.  Our waiter took excellent care of us and I joined my friend (Johnny Silver Bear of the Silver Bear Cafe) for ice cold beers to go with our lunch.  Anna and I each ordered a combo plate and hers featured enchiladas in a scratch made chili sauce and topped with chipotle cream sauce.  My combo featured two beef enchiladas and a crispy taco.  All the food was excellent as was the service.

Anna’s Lunch Combo
at Pepe’s & Mito’s

Pepe’s has a great atmosphere that is casual and comfortable.  They also feature a large outdoor patio, and a bar.  The menu is chock full of tempting scratch made classics.  I was tempted to order a platter of four tacos in either al pastor or beef fajita steak tips.  I was still a little trigger shy after the fiasco at Fred’s Texas Cafe and didn’t want four of the tacos if I didn’t like them.  I asked our waiter if I could get two of each, and he said they don’t allow that.  Darn.  I was happy with what I got, but I hate to miss out on some killer tacos.

After lunch I stopped a woman who looked to be in charge.  Her name is Sandy and it turns out that she is the owner.  I told her how much we enjoyed the food, the service and the atmosphere.  She was very gracious and we chatted for several minutes about everything they make from scratch.  Love it.  I mentioned my sadness about the tacos and she said that had she known about it, she would have allowed the substitution.  We had just polished off two large plates of great food, as well as a big basket of chips with fresh salsa. Sandy offered to make a taco each of the al pastor and the beef tips for me to take and eat later.  I really appreciated her generosity, but I hate to put people out so I declined.  She was lovely to talk to and I have the highest regard for her love of great Mexican food prepared from scratch.

We later finished our long lunch with our new friend and headed back to the Twisted Root Burger Company which was just a few blocks away.  I decided that I wouldn’t be able to live with myself without trying their foot long chili dog.

A Work of Art Foot-Long Chili Dog
at Twisted Root Burger Company

As you can see from the picture, the foot long chili dog was killer and I’m so glad we had the opportunity to go back.  The crew, Sharon and Andrew, took great care of us and the chili dog was one of the best I’ve ever had.  It was exquisite.  The dog was dressed in a pillow-soft poppy seed bun and sporting house made chili, cheese, jalapenos and bacon.  It was so big, I had a hard time getting the whole thing into one shot.  We got our same pub table, and I helped myself to the dill pickle jar like a long time regular.  It would be super easy to become regulars at this place, and it makes my Top Ten list of favorite places in Texas. If you’re a Chuck Norris fan like me, you’ve got to see the bathrooms. Here’s a teaser:  First rule of Fight Club: Chuck Norris always wins. Chuck Norris can do a wheelie on a unicycle. Chuck Norris already knows Victoria’s Secret. 

Before we left downtown, I decided that I had a change of heart on the tacos that Sandy offered us at Pepe’s and Mito’s.  I knew they would be good, and started to wonder if they might be the best I ever had.  So I called back up and asked for Sandy to let her know that I wanted to get those tacos after all.  Much to my crushing disappointment, Sandy had already left.  Now that I’m home and watched the segment again, it turns out that the Tacos Nortenos were featured on the show, and so it’s obvious to me now that I will have to go all the way back to Dallas and treat myself to some great tacos at Pepe’s and Mito’s.  I can assure you that Johnny Silver Bear will be happy to meet us there again.  He loved the place too.  There’s so much crazy good food in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, I’m tempted to move there.

One of the people we met in line at the Pecan Lodge told us about a great hamburger in Fort Worth at a little place called Salsa Fuego.  We wanted a place in Fort Worth to meet our host for lunch and so we all met at Salsa Fuego.  We were promptly greeted by the chef/owner, Carlos Rodriguez.  He took great care of us and treated us to an appetizer of nachos featuring carnitas and pickled chiles.

The Big Tex Burger at
Salsa Fuego in Fort Worth

Let me tell you, Salsa Fuego is a jewel.  Even though it’s a Mexican restaurant with a great selection of Mexican favorites, the burger menu is amazing.  We ordered three burgers and they were all crazy good.  I don’t know what kind of magic dust the chef is putting into his chipotle BBQ sauce, but he puts that on the Big Tex Burger along with double meat, double cheese, bacon, grilled onions and mustard for a total show stopper.  It was so good, I’d recommend it to all my favorite hamburger wizards.  Some of the other burgers feature brisket, fire roasted green chiles, a wide variety of cheeses and a little something called roasted jalapeno mayonnaise.  I was like a kid in a candy store.  As you can see from this picture, it had me at Hello.  This is what I aspire to when I make burgers at home.

Salsa Fuego might not be on DDD, yet, but I can tell you that Chef Carlos and his lovely wife Christie are doing it right.  Don’t take my word for it.  Featured in Texas Monthly magazine, Salsa Fuego was recently voted one of the top five Mexican restaurants in Texas (and it’s easy to see why).  If the burgers are any indication, I’m sure the rest of the menu rocks.  It’s an impressive menu featuring fresh seafood, steaks and fajitas, duck confit, signature tacos and burritos, classic Mexican favorites, ice cold beers and scrumptious desserts.  It would be hard to go back and only have the burgers again, but that’s exactly what I plan to do the next time I’m within a hundred miles of Fort Worth.  It won’t hurt my feelings if I have time to go back and try some of the Mexican dishes after I get my burger fix.

Later that afternoon we dropped in at the Prince Lebanese Grill to sample the falafel.  The place is nice and big, bright and clean.  We ordered the falafel as a gyro sandwich and proceeded to sit down for the wait.  The falafel is cooked to order and they even have to bring their oil up to temperature because the falafel is so delicate.  I didn’t mind waiting.  The gyro rolled out and we got a side of the hot sauce to go with it.  Oddly enough, this sandwich was rolled up tight, just like the Shawarma gyros we’d had a few days earlier.  It was nice and hot.  The falafel seemed to be more herbaceous than what we had at the Falafel Drive-In, but it was good and we polished it off.  I appreciated the attention to detail, and would have been happy to sample some of the other dishes if we didn’t already have other plans.

It wasn’t easy to work up an appetite for dinner, but it was our last night in Dallas and I had my heart set on trying Chop House Burgers before we left town.  I had planned to have dinner there right when we got to town, as it is close to my buddy’s place.  But, going back for the Frito Burger at Lankford Grocery threw our plans off that day.  (It was well worth it.)

Chop House Burgers is a casual little joint with seating in the front and the kitchen in the back.  The staff was real friendly and they have a great selection of kick-ass burgers.  Of course I wanted to try the 10 Pepper Burger that was featured on the show, but it looked like Anna and I were going to have to share a burger instead of getting one each.  What a shame.  In hindsight, we should have ordered two, even if we couldn’t finish them both.

If you haven’t seen this episode, prepare to be impressed.  The chef, Kenny Mills, has been everywhere and done it all.  He’s taken the better part of forty years of experience and focused it all on the venerable hamburger…Texas style I might add.  How about a mesquite-fired wood char-broiler?  How about starting with high quality Texas beef, and doing everything by hand, including making sauces and spicy chipotle mayonnaise?  How about doing up a big bowl of red (Texas chili that is)?

It couldn’t say enough good things about Chop House Burgers, but one of the things that impresses me is the quality control.  Every burger, every time.  It doesn’t do much good to have a an impressive burger menu if you can’t back it up with quality.  We didn’t get to meet Kenny Mills, but he and his staff are doing it right, and I just might go back and try every burger on the menu.  It would take a few days, but it sure would be fun.

The Grilled Cheese Burger
at Chop House Burgers

On this day, Anna and I shared a burger that we had seen on TV a few times but had never actually seen one in a restaurant.  As you may know, Anna loves grilled cheese sandwiches and Chop House has a burger on the menu that uses two grilled cheese sandwiches in place of the bun.  It was so big, you can’t even see the bottom sandwich.  I wouldn’t have ordered the burger with the on-board salad (had I realized it came that way), but it worked.  The sandwiches were nice and hot (gooey) and the flavor of the beef really shined through.  We thought it was a pretty crazy indulgence, but if you’re going to indulge, this is the place to do it.

We were in Dallas/Fort Worth for six days, and now that we know where to go for all of our favorite foods, I can’t wait to go back a hit them all again.  Pecan Lodge, Twisted Root Burger Company, Cane Rosso, Avila’s, Pepe’s and Mito’s, Salsa Fuego, Chop House Burgers, Angry Dog, Keller’s, and more.  I loved the time we got to spend meeting new people and making new friends.  I love the stories and the passion for food, cooking and entertaining.  We also had a great time visiting with our hosts when we weren’t busy running around.

It was not easy coming up with a Top Ten list for Texas, and there were a lot of places that I hated to leave out.  But I can tell you that of everyone who did make the list, it‘s because they are truly special.  Good people, great atmosphere, killer food, cold beer, and in many cases live music.  These places represent high quality, grand tradition and Texas pride.  I’ve always had a fondness for Texas, and now I’m beginning to suspect that I’m more of a Texan at heart than I realized, and maybe I’m just living in the wrong place.  Stay tuned.

Next DDD Destination: Oklahoma City   (DDD count: 251)

The post Dallas/Fort Worth appeared first on KenHolloway.us.

I’ve not been to England, but the Red Lion Pub transported me across the pond and it was easy to imagine being in England.  As pubs go, this place is upscale for sure.  It’s spacious with lots of dark woods, leather, great ambiance, and bawdy artwork in the loos.

They were running a half price special on their cheeseburger sliders, so we didn’t have to give much thought to what we were going to eat.  I glanced over the rest of the menu, and you will find all the pub classics.  We drew a friendly waitress and she took good care of us.  The food was fabulous and tasted even better than it looks in the pictures.  Even though it was pub grub going out for half price, we could tell that the sliders were prepared with meticulous attention to detail (which means a lot to me).  The flavors were great, and they were succulent and hot.  It was much more than I was expecting, so we were delighted.  I was sorry that we couldn’t have tried more of the traditional fare, and if I had to venture a guess, I’d say that all the food is probably top notch.  There’s four sliders by the way.  The picture does not do the food justice, but it’s clever to put the fries over the top of the sliders and help keep them hot.

We were greeted on our way out by a very friendly and well dressed gentleman.  He asked about our experience and wanted to know if we had a good time.  I figured he could have been the manager, or possibly the owner.  I wouldn’t have minded striking up a conversation, but we were on our way out the door.  The Red Lion Pub looks to be a great destination, especially if you’re in the mood for British pub grub and a pint (or two or three).

We drove over to Niko Niko’s and went in for a light dinner.  I don’t know why I was expecting the place to be small, but it was Texas sized.  Lots of parking and huge inside.  There were at least two or three dining rooms and a large patio out front.  The place was packed too.  We figured the food must be good.

They had an order and pay at the counter system and then they bring your food out to your table.  Self serve drinks.  We had a hard time figuring out what we wanted to order, but the guy at the counter was very friendly and knowledgeable.  He assured me that I was going to love whatever I ordered.  Bold.  We weren’t real hungry and we wanted to try traditional Greek food.  They have a big menu and everything looked good.  We ordered a mini gyro (which was still pretty big), and I just couldn’t take the chance that I might be missing out on the best Philly cheese steak sandwich in the world, so we ordered that too.

We found a table and settled in for the wait.  The food came out promptly and it was piping hot.  The gyro was excellent.  It was only our second one (after Georgia’s in Seattle), but the meat was delicious and the pita was warm and fresh.  These were both in contrast to the crisp vegetables and the hot sauce.  It’s no wonder that it’s such a popular sandwich.  I’m not an expert on gyro sandwiches yet, but this strikes me as a great effort.

The Philly wasn’t the best in the world, but it was a good showing.  It was hot, good sized, lots of cheese, and good flavor on the meat.  It was fun to eat and we finished the whole thing.  All in all, I liked the place and it seems to be crazy popular.  I’d be happy to go back and sample the rest of their menu.  I still haven’t had Moussaka. It’s a great example of comfortable casual dining.  In addition to the wide array of hot foods (with the irresistible aromas wafting out of the open kitchen), they also feature a bakery and dessert case.  We were too full to enjoy any of that, but it looked good and I doubt that very many people leave there hungry.

We started the next morning with an exploration of an old historic area called Houston Heights.  We stopped and threw our ring at a corner park, and then walked through the shopping district which was full of antique malls and galleries.  We wanted to be sure to work up a big appetite.

We were good and hungry by the time we arrived at the long awaited Lankford Grocery.  The place was packed inside and out, and decorated for Halloween.  We were lucky to get a good booth and I promptly set off for the back to meet Eydie.  She had said to find her in the kitchen and that’s exactly where she was.  I thought she was great on the show and I knew the burgers were legendary.  Especially the infamous Firehouse Burger.  Oh yeah.  There was no doubt about what I was ordering.

It was a pleasure to finally meet Eydie in person.  She was very warm and friendly, even though she was right in the middle of a lunch rush.  She looked like a million bucks and was just as gracious as she could be.  It was obvious that she was running the kitchen, but she was also keeping a watchful eye on the dining room.  If I have my facts straight, Eydie has been there her whole life (or close enough) and so she can take in the whole place with a casual knowing glance.  It was like she was conducting an orchestra, and nothing gets by her.

Chili Dog at Lankford Grocery

Back at the booth we got prompt and friendly service.  Of course everything on the menu looked great.  In addition to my order, we picked out the chili dog with the house made chili.  Our order came out quick and the chili dog was picture perfect.  A nice big hot dog, completely smothered in mouth watering chili, topped with gobs of melted cheese and fresh chopped red onions.  To me, that’s as good as it gets.  Perfection on a plate.  It’s a crying shame that I couldn’t really eat it.  I sure tried.

Firehouse Burger at Lankford Grocery
It hurts so good…

Although the picture doesn’t begin to do it justice, the Firehouse Burger is massive.  All the burgers at Lankford Grocery are at least half a pound.  I took the obligatory photos, knowing the whole time that I was getting ready to set my mouth on fire.  In case you missed this show, the burger hits you with a triple-whammy.  The flat-top griddled burger is cooked in a cayenne butter, and the bun is dressed with a chile mustard sauce that contains fresh habanero, jalapeno and Serrano chiles, onions, radishes and prepared yellow mustard.  Crazy hot, crazy good.  As if that weren’t enough, how about a nice big hand full of pickled jalapenos to go with it?

It was a proper Texas burger, big and hot.

I managed to pick up the Firehouse Burger and get a good hand hold with both hands.  I started into it and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen with the first bite.  Actually, I took about three or four bites to get a good sampling of all the ingredients.  The heat kicked in and I was in love.  Once I had a good view of the inside of the burger, I was never so happy to see piles and stacks of pickles, onions, tomatoes and lettuce… anything to help absorb some of the heat.  I didn’t want to set the burger down, so I just kept eating away at it, one delicious bite after another.  Yeah, it was hurting, but the burger was so good I wanted to eat it while it was hot.  I ate about two thirds of it before I finally sat it down for a break.

I tried to sample the chili dog, but the hotness of it burned my mouth.  I couldn’t taste it.  If I was smart (and that’s a big if), I should have sampled the chili dog first.  I really wanted to taste the chili, but my mouth was too far gone.  Anna says I was sweating like a pig, and suggested that I didn’t finish the rest of the burger.  No way that was happening.  I told her I was just resting.  I picked it back up and promptly devoured the rest.  It was a great experience.  Yes, it was a lot of heat, but not so much that you couldn’t enjoy the great flavor of the meat, cheese and other ingredients.  I can’t say I’d be in a rush to have it again, but it was definitely an experience worth having.

After it was over, Eydie confided to me that she made Guy Fieri’s burger about ten times hotter than mine.  Ouch.  She said that she wanted him to be sure to taste the heat.  Of course, he dug it just as much as I did (although I doubt he finished all of his).

Eydie and the girls, serving the best
burgers in Houston with a smile.

We stayed long enough to where Eydie and the girls were able to sit down and chat with us for a few minutes.  Some of the feeling was returning to my mouth.  They were getting ready to visit Las Vegas and so we wanted to share all the DDD stuff there, especially the Stromboli at the Four Kegs.  We also talked about Texas burgers, and raved about some of the killer barbecue we’d been having.  We had a great time, and managed to get a photo with Eydie and the rest of the lovely crew.  From left to right we have: Claire, Cherie, Shelby, Eydie and Robin.  As you can see from the picture, Lankford Grocery would be wildly popular even if the food wasn’t so great.

Eydie was enjoying the conversation about burgers and I mentioned the Tostada burger at Chris Madrid’s.  She said they had a similar burger called the Frito Burger with the house chili and corn chips.  Ooooooh.  I told her I didn’t see that on the menu or I would have ordered it.  It was on the special board, and of course I was crying that I wasn’t going to get one.  I was too full, and we had no plans to go back.  Although that was sad, the visit was great and we had such a good time that we didn’t want to leave.  We finally had to tear ourselves away so they could get back to work and finish their long day.  Lankford Grocery is also open for breakfast, and I’m sure that must be a lot of fun.  I hope to make it back, and it gets our highest recommendation.  If you ever make it anywhere near Houston, Lankford Grocery is a must.  Show up hungry and get yourself a burger done right.

We drove over to the Galleria Mall and spent the rest of the afternoon knocking around there.  I think they said it was the biggest mall in Texas.  It even has an ice skating rink.  We didn’t buy anything, but it was fun to walk around and look at stuff.  One place was sporting a funny tee shirt with two lists.  On the left was a very long list of ways to impress a woman.  On the right was a very short list of how to impress a man.  It read, “Show up naked.  Bring food.  Don’t block the TV.”  It made me laugh because I had written a whole chapter in my book Living On Purpose about how to please men and women, and here it was succinctly put on a tee shirt.  I never cease to be amazed at how easy we men are to please.  It may not be anywhere near as easy to please a woman, but it sure is fun to try.

The mall was within walking distance to Kenny and Ziggy’s, just a few blocks up the road, and so that was our master plan for dinner.  It was fully dark by the time we made it to Kenny and Ziggy’s.  We weren’t starving to death, but we were hungry.  We were thinking to split a Reuben.

Although I am not an expert, I think Kenny and Ziggy’s is supposed to be like a New York Deli.  The place is huge, with a very long glass case proudly displaying their wares.  The dining room has that definite front to back New York feel, but this place is elegant, casual, clean and comfortable.  It sported wainscoting, polished brass accents and a show business theme with posters, playbills and caricatures.  We got a great booth near the back and our waiter, Jorge, took excellent care of us.

Kreplach at Kenny & Ziggy’s

We struck up a chat with the Manger, Andy, and asked him about the difference between their corned beef and their brisket.  He brought us out a generous sample of both, along with a sample of their pastrami.  They were all good and we liked the corned beef the best.  I had forgotten what they made on the show, and we were told that they made something called Kreplach. The owner, Ziggy, said on the show that it was like a Jewish won ton. Ziggy is a third generation deli man and he is dedicated to preserving eastern European Jewish foods. The Kreplach are little dough pouches filled with a mixture of seasoned brisket and caramelized onions which are ground together.  Once filled, the Kreplach are boiled and then fried.  They are quite tasty, and something you don’t get every day.

The Great Towering Reubowski

We ordered the Kreplach, and something amazing called the Reubowski, which is a giant hamburger with corned beef on top.  Cheeseburger meets Reuben.  As you can see from the picture, the towering burger was big and juicy and tasted just as good as it looks.  It was so good, I really didn’t want to share it.  All the luscious fillings were melt in your mouth tender.  The burger is accompanied with fries and Cole slaw; all good stuff.

Chicken Soup with Golden Noodles
and Matzo Ball at Kenny & Ziggy’s

We confessed to Andy that we had never tried Matzo Ball soup, and he insisted that we have a big bowl, their treat.  The soup was delicious and it was getting to be a whole table of food.  It was my first Matzo Ball, and the flavor reminded me of saltine crackers.  The chicken and noodles were hearty, and the broth itself was mild.  I’m more used to a chicken noodle soup with lots of salt and pepper, but I can appreciate the idea of just enjoying the flavor of the chicken itself.  It was certainly a nice treat and apparently the soup is wildly popular with the regulars.

We ate till we were stuffed and just about the time that we were getting ready to waddle out of there, Andy came back to the table, after having learned that we were going to leave without dessert.  He thought we should try their cheesecake, and again, it would be their treat.  That was certainly an offer we couldn’t refuse.  Andy himself is not Jewish, but he had been working there for many years and was quite proud of the quality of their food and service.  I’d say it’s well deserved.

The World’s Best Strawberry Cheesecake
at Kenny & Ziggy’s

We agreed to the cheesecake, and said that we would just share a little piece.  Famous last words.  The cheesecake was humongous… must be a Texas thing.  You can’t get a good sense of scale from the photo, but it was the biggest slice of cheesecake that we had ever seen.  It was more than big enough for two people, and Jorge said that was their normal portion size.  Okay.  We dug in and as we savored that first bite, we just looked at each other in wonder.  It was without a doubt the best cheesecake we had ever had.  It was rich, sweet, light, piquant, with the most amazing mouth feel.   It’s like they set out to make a cheesecake that is light as a cloud, but as rich and creamy as something gooey and heavy.   It was incredible.  No accident either.  Apparently they fly in the best New York cheesecakes from time to time and have blind taste tests.  How’s that for quality control?  So, don’t take my word for it.  Go try the cheesecake and see for yourself.  Fair warning, once you have this cheesecake, you’ll be spoiled.  It wasn’t easy to keep chipping away at this massive slice of cheesecake heaven, but the thought of letting even one bite go to waste was too much to bear.  I’m happy to report that this cheesecake makes my Top Ten list for favorite sweets.

Anna with our host Andy,
a restaurant man par excellence

From what we can tell, it’s too bad the owners weren’t in because we missed some entertainment.  Andy was a consummate pro and if I needed to hire a restaurant manager, I’d want him or someone just like him.  We went in thinking to just split a sandwich, and we ended up having a great time and really enjoyed the place.  Next time I make it to Houston, I’m going back for the Reuben and some more of that cheesecake.  Kenny and Ziggy’s gets top marks all across the board, and is officially my favorite Jewish deli.  We were happy to have the walk back to the car, and we took our time about it.

Bob’s Tacos

We spent quite a bit of the next day in traffic.  Yuck.  We first drove down to Rosenberg to sample the tacos at Bob’s Taco Stand.  The traffic was terrible and we were not in the best of moods when we arrived.  We had plans for lunch at T-Bone Tom’s so we just ordered a couple of tacos to try them out.  Sadly, they were out of the barbacoa, but we tried two other meats:  carne guisado and chicharron guisado.  I appreciated the hand made tortillas and they were delicious.  The meats were a bit of a miss for us.  The chicharron was flavorful, but tough; while the carne guisado was succulent and moist, but didn’t have much in the flavor department.

Bob’s is a nice little place and the staff was friendly.  They are also famous for their snow cones, but we weren’t in the mood.  I’d definitely go back and try some more of their food if I happened to be in Rosenberg.

The grand plan was to drive from Bob’s Taco Stand to T-Bone Tom’s, both of which are well south of Houston.  I’m getting so used to blindly following Jill that I didn’t think to scope out the drive before we left home (or bring a map).  I knew there was a lower beltway, which would get us there without driving back to the middle of Houston.  But, what I didn’t realize was that the lower beltway is a toll road, and Jill was inadvertently set to avoid toll roads.  Oops.  I kept driving closer and closer to downtown Houston, wondering why we hadn’t turned off yet, and by the time we made it all the way back to the middle of town I was furious.  I knew we were driving way out of the way, but I didn’t know why, and I was mad at myself for not having a map with me.  I can pull up maps on the smart phone, but I can’t read them while I am driving.  They were doing construction everywhere and the traffic was horrendous.   We did finally make it to T-Bone Tom’s, but what I loosely thought might be a nice thirty minute drive through the country, turned out to be a nasty hour and a half through some of the worst traffic ever.  That will teach me to be dumb.  I studied the maps at home before we left, and had all the places plotted out, but I didn’t work out this one particular trip.  It was a fluke.

We arrived at T-Bone Tom’s and it reminded us of Santa Cruz; a little boardwalk and amusement park next to the water.  It’s a big place and it has one of those outdoor type patios with lots of seating, a bar, and room for a band.  It was very impressive.

Armadillo Eggs at T-Bone Tom’s

We got a nice table and ordered two of the dishes from the show:  the sausage with barbecue sauce and the Armadillo Eggs.  We got to meet the general manager, Anna, who was featured on the show.  I liked her on the show and was hoping to meet her.  I was not disappointed.  She was very warm and friendly and gave us the big tour.  We asked how long she had been there.  Get this… 39 years, and not even a hint of slowing down.  We noticed a lot of the people we met in Texas seemed to have their jobs for a long time (which is great).

Smoked Sausage at T-Bone Tom’s

The sausage was tasty.  It wasn’t particularly hot (with fire) but it may have sat and cooled off while we were talking with Anna.  The sauce was excellent and paired well with the sausage.  The sausage wasn’t particularly spicy either, but it did have a nice smoky flavor with the sauce.  The Armadillo Eggs were awesome.  They were featured on the show, and the Houston locals we met in Phoenix said to be sure to try them.  What they are is barbecued brisket that is ground up and mixed with some of the barbecue sauce.  This meat mixture is then stuffed into a pickled jalapeno, double coated in bread crumbs and deep fried.  It is served with Ranch dressing for dipping.

I thought they were great.  Anna is not into chiles like I am, so they weren’t as big of a hit with her, but she helped me eat them.  I thought the flavors all worked very well together, and that it had just the right amount of deep fried breading.  They were cooked perfectly.  My hat is off to the creator of this funky appetizer.  It’s inspired.

Despite the good food and the nice visit, we knew we still had all that nasty traffic to drive back through, and so we could have enjoyed ourselves a lot better than we did.  We didn’t leave hungry, be we didn’t order meals either.  By all means, go to T-Bone Tom’s; but make sure you’re hungry and have a big meal.

After we finally made it back to town, we found a music store near our dinner destination and I sat down to a top of the line electronic drum set and had a ball.  If there was any lingering doubt that I wanted them, that clinched it for sure.  I left in a much happier mood, and found Anna in a much better mood as well (in the pet store).

Our dinner destination was Cafe Pita, a Bosnian restaurant, which was a brand new thing for us.  The restaurant is very nice inside, with comfortable tables, nice artwork and a big mural on one wall featuring a scene from the Olympics.  The place was decorated to appear as an outdoor village or maybe a town square.  I liked it.  We ended up getting our food to go however, and we ordered a pizza and a dish that was featured on the show called Cevap (che-vop).  Our order was brought out by the chef and owner himself, Omer, who thanked us for coming in and treated us to a slice of Baklava Cheesecake (which Anna enjoyed).

Cevap at Cafe Pita

The pizza was good, but the Cevap stole the show.  In case you missed this episode, it’s basically a sandwich with beef sausages.  The ground beef is seasoned and pressed by hand into little sausage links.  They are then fried and served on a special bread called Lepinja.  This bread is amazing.  It’s round and soft like a pita, but it has an English Muffin type of texture with lots of nooks and crannies.  It was moist, hot and succulent.  It is served with diced onions and a special sour cream sauce called Kajmak.  You pull off hunks of the bread and then make little sandwiches.  The little sausages had a great flavor profile with lots of garlic, and they were cooked perfectly.  The real kicker was the bread.  I just watched the segment and I see what made it so awesome.  They dip the bread in beef broth and grill it with the sausages so the flavors meld.  It’s a great dish and I give it my highest recommendation.  Next time I make it to Houston, I will go back and have the Cevap again (or anywhere else I come across it).  Next time, I’m going to ask Omer how he makes such awesome bread.  It looks like a hearth bread.

On our last morning in Houston, we were planning a leisurely departure with an early stop for lunch at Hullabaloo Diner up by College Station.  We were already on that side of town up in the northwest.  The thought of loading up the car and driving through the gnarly traffic back to the middle of town was about the last thing in the world we wanted to do.  And yet, I was haunted and tormented over the thought of leaving town without going back for the Frito Burger at Lankford Grocery.  It was not on the itinerary, and in fact would screw up the plans I made to arrive starving at the Hullabaloo Diner.  Still, I was afraid that if I left town without having the Frito Burger… I may never forgive myself.

The Massive Frito Burger
at Lankford Grocery

We arrived back at Lankford Grocery at the stroke of 11:00 which is when they start lunch.  I walked up towards the kitchen and when Eydie turned around and saw me coming she said, “Hi Ken” without missing a beat.  It was like we were old friends (or maybe she just knew I’d be coming back).  It was great to see her and the girls again.  Eydie cooked the Frito Burger for us herself and it was a thing of beauty.  The picture doesn’t do it justice, but it was a magnificent burger.  I don’t know why it never occurred to me to make one at home, but I’ll be looking forward to trying it out.  We polished off the burger, licked the paper, said our goodbyes, and hit the road.  We had to get out of there before we couldn’t resist the Chicken Fried Steak any longer.  That’s the Tuesday special.  If I lived in Houston, I’m sure I’d be eating at Lankford Grocery every week; and it easily makes the list of my Top Ten favorite places in Texas.

We stopped at a motorcycle dealer on the way out of town and then made the fairly short drive up to the Hullabaloo Diner.  We had a good appetite and were looking forward to some great food.  The diner is an old dining car which had been transported out from the east coast and lovingly restored on sight.  The current owners set it where it’s at, restored it, and added on to it.  It’s a nice big place and has a full bar and other seating.

Our waitress, Kaneda, took good care of us and I asked if the owner was in.  The owner, Rich, was not in; but his son Richie was.  I told Richie that I was on a quest for the world’s best Philly cheese steak sandwich and he said he would fix me up. It’s like I was trying to do the Jedi Mind Trick…You will make it yourself.  You will fuss over every little detail as though your life depends on it.  It will be the finest sandwich to ever come out of your kitchen.

Anna ordered a chicken fried steak sandwich.  Actually, the menu is awesome and there is so much good stuff on it that it’s very hard to pick one thing.  I knew the chicken fried steak would be good, but the meatloaf looked good too.  We chatted a bit with Kaneda (pronounced like Canada) and she is getting ready to get hitched.  She’d been working at the diner for six years, so she was already a seasoned pro (and an interesting character).

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich
at The Hullabaloo Diner

By the time our food arrived, we were giddy with anticipation.  We took the photos and dug in.  The Philly was fabulous; easily one of the best I have ever had.  As you can see from the picture, it was cooked perfectly.  The steak was cooked with onions and mushrooms and it was all topped with melted provolone cheese served on a specialty grilled bun.  I was one happy camper.

Anna’s sandwich was gigantic and I was happy to deduce that she would need my help to finish it.  The fries that came with her sandwich were crispy, crunchy, GBDelisciousness.  I asked Richie how he got them that way and it turns out that they actually can buy them frozen like that with some kind of a coating or something.  They sure were good, and it makes me wonder if that’s the same reason why I loved the fries so much at the Kodiak Grill in Idaho (the owner never did get back to me on that recipe).

Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich
at The Hullabaloo Diner

The chicken fried steak sandwich was excellent, and we couldn’t finish it even with the both of us.  We did polish off the Philly, and took the rest with us.  I had mentioned to Richie that because I know their food is so good, I wanted to sample a little taste of the meatloaf.  Richie brought out a big hunk of meatloaf, about a pound or so, chilled and wrapped in plastic for us.  We put it on ice and took it with us.  We had it that night for dinner, and it was crazy good; if not some of the best I’ve ever had.  I talked to Richie about putting a meatloaf sandwich on the menu and he said they are experimenting with it.  I was sorry we couldn’t try the Italian sausage and peppers sandwich that was featured on the show, but we were very happy with what we ordered.  We loved the diner, the food is the best and the staff took great care of us, so Hullabaloo Diner also makes the list of my top ten favorite places in Texas (and that’s no balooney).

We had one more stop to make for the day before we arrived at my friend’s place in Dallas.  We headed up towards Waco and stopped to visit the site where the Branch Davidians were killed.  There is a memorial there and it is open to the public.

Next DDD Destination: Dallas    (DDD Count: 237)

The post Houston appeared first on KenHolloway.us.

We had a full day of stuffing our faces planned, so we decided to share one breakfast of Eggs Benedict.  That left room for us to sample a breakfast taco while we were at it.  Our waitress wasn’t personable at all and we never did get her name.  I suspect she was either preoccupied or just having a bad day.  She was pretty good about tending to our table and she did bring out our food, but she ordered it as a split plate for us (which we hadn’t asked for).  No big deal, other than trying to get a decent photo, but the hash browns got cold.  She jumped to the rescue and immediately brought us out a hot and satisfying plate full of GBD hash browns (which turned out to be the star of the show).  The hash browns hit all the right buttons… hot, crispy, crunchy, salty, creamy, and a deep flavor that can only come from cooking them old school.

Eggs Benedict at Monument Cafe

The Eggs Benedict were not quite as satisfying, but they were good.  I enjoyed mine more than Anna did hers.  I’m learning now that it’s easy to assemble an Eggs Benedict, but it’s hard to bring it all together as a cohesive luxurious dish.  I gave the dish a seven out of ten, and Anna gave it a five.  We were comparing notes on the way to the next place, and it was like we had two different orders of Eggs Benedict.  As I mentioned a while back, Hob Nob Hill in San Diego has really set the bar for Eggs Benedict done right, and we now have high expectations that we carry with us wherever we roam.

The breakfast taco was good.  It starts with a grilled flour tortilla which is filled with eggs, potatoes, sausage and cheese.  What’s not to love?  I don’t normally go in for potatoes (or beans) on a taco, but I was happy to make an exception this time since the potatoes were so good.  It hit the spot for me, and I watched intently as Anna tried the taco to make sure she didn’t get too carried away.  I was ready to pounce.  Good stuff.

The Monument Cafe has a full menu, and they are dedicated to using only the best ingredients.  I liked the decor and the vibe, all the cooks in the back bedecked in white with the white paper hats.  The atmosphere is tasteful and casual.  I’m sure all the locals are thrilled to have this place handy.  Sadly, Anna was hoping to meet Matthew McConaughey (can’t blame her there), but he didn’t show up.  It’s probably just as well because I think she was wanting to try her version of How To Win A Guy In Ten Minutes, which I’m sure would have gotten us thrown out and possibly arrested.

Round Rock Donuts

We drove over to Round Rock Donuts and ordered up a sample of their finest donuts. The apple fritter was excellent.  Their vanilla cream filled and chocolate covered donut was equally yummy.  The real star however, was their humble glazed donut.  I ordered it merely to round out the show and try it since we were so far from home.  I rarely have donuts at all, and when I do indulge in them, I usually go in for the fancier donuts.  I think the last time I had a glazed donut was at Krispy Kream, maybe ten years ago.  I was not impressed.

Having been relegated to little more than an afterthought, I saved the glazed donut for last, and when I took the first bite I just couldn’t believe it.  I’m at a loss for words to describe it.  It was so simple and so good.  It’s warm and super fresh.  It’s light as air yet delightfully chewy.  It has just the right amount of soul-stirring sweetness balanced with a luxurious and buttery savory flavor and mouth feel.  It had the definitive orange hue about it.  I can tell you how good it tastes, but I can’t tell you why.

I knew I was going back in for more.  I wanted to get two more, but knew better than to make a pig out of myself.  I have to respect myself in the morning.  Thank goodness I live a thousand miles away, because if I was much closer than that, I would not be able to resist them.  Quite simply, it’s fifty-nine cents of donut heaven.  They could call this donut the “Better Than Sex Glazed Donut” and get away with it.  It’s that good.  Granted, there is nothing better than sex, but put one of these donuts in your mouth and you’ll see what I mean.  It’s a good little drive north of Austin, but I’m going back before we leave town.  They’re open seven days a week starting at four in the morning.  I’m amazed if they haven’t expanded or franchised; but if they change the name of the donut they’ll have to do something to keep up with the insatiable demand.  I’ll sell them the copyright for five percent, and you read it here first.

I know it’s not a DDD place, but I’m including it here because it was an amazing experience and it highlights an important culinary principle.  Flour, yeast, oil, sugar, magic.  Maybe some love?  These donuts show what happens when you take a few simple and humble ingredients and combine them with superior craftsmanship and a great recipe to produce crazy good food.  It was my first mind-blowing experience of the day, but it was far from being my last.

We made the short drive east to Taylor,Texas and pulled in for lunch at the famed Louie Mueller Barbecue, “An Authentic Texas Tradition Since 1949.”  We rolled in just about opening time, but to those in the know, the best way to tell that lunch is ready is when you see Old Glory proudly displayed out front.

We parked the car and entered the hallowed building.  The instant you set foot into Louie Mueller’s you become aware that you are in the presence of decades worth of some of the finest smoke in Texas.  The place is so big, it used to be a basketball court, and the decades of smoke have permeated everything inside, from the floor to the skylights.

There is an ample selection of barbecued meats and poultry to choose from and every single piece is cut to order when you get to the head of the line.  The line moves slow, but no one seems to mind waiting because the barbecue is that good.  By the time we left, the line was all the way to the door.

We weren’t real hungry so I ordered a half pound of brisket, a chipotle sausage link and a side of potato salad.  Everyone at the counter gets a generous hunk of brisket to sample, and I was giddy with excitement when I got my piece.  I bit off about half, and I hope no one was watching because I had a visceral reaction to it.  I literally had to use the counter for support because it made me weak in the knees.  It would have been right in front of the very attractive woman tending the cash register.  Her name is Lisa and she recommended the sausage and potato salad for us (since we couldn’t try one of everything).

Legendary Barbecue at Louie Mueller’s

All the food was excellent and I was sorry that we couldn’t have eaten more.  The brisket was so good, I didn’t even consider having sauce with it (or bread).  I did treat myself to some of the pickles and onions which provided a nice contrast and crunch. The sauce was tasty and I used it for dipping the sausage. The brisket is all about two things: the beef and the smoke. I got to meet the owner, Wayne Mueller, and learned that it takes years to learn the craft. Like all master craftsmen, they just make it look easy.  It’s actually lots of hard work and very labor intensive as well as time consuming.

Low and slow… it’s the last thing you want when you’re flying a plane, but it’s the only way to do barbecue right.

Wayne graciously showed me the smokers which are fired by the indirect heat of Texas Post Oak wood, and tended to by him and his crew.  They also have an impressive  mobile rig out back that has seen its share of the road for catering and special events; going as far as the Miami South Beach Food Festival.  Rounding out the lot is an auxiliary smoker inside that is used more for the poultry and sausages.  Being a third generation pit master, Wayne proceeded to tell me about some of the variables that I never would have thought of.  For example, the changing of the seasons, humidity, prevailing winds, the directional orientation, the relative wetness and dryness of the wood, and on it goes.  One thing is for sure… it ain’t no easy way to make money (and it sure ain’t fast).

“Lunch is Ready”

Having a lot in common, Wayne and I hit it off and chatted for an hour or so.  The more I got to know him the more impressed I became.  He is super intelligent, highly educated and talented, and a dedicated family man.  It was obvious to me that he has a lot on the ball and would be successful at whatever he set his mind to.  Among the many good reasons why this man does what he does, I’d say the main reason is to carry on the fine family tradition, like his father before him.

Just to put an exclamation point on that, I told Wayne that the main reason I came to his place (besides trying the food) is because of the tradition of setting out the flag out front. Wayne said he had something he wanted to show me and disappeared into the back.  He came out and presented me with a retired American Flag, which had been flown out front.  I was deeply moved to receive such a gift and will be proud to take care of it.

If you want to wrap your lips around some of the best barbecue on the face of the planet (aka legendary Texas barbecue from Louie Mueller’s), but can’t make it to Taylor,Texas… good news—there are some plans in the works for expansion.  So stay tuned to this website, or their website for further details and the latest news.

We were already having a great day, and it got even better still when we rolled into the Noble Pig.  It’s in a strip mall, next to a gas station on a busy street, but don’t let that fool you.  Inside the Noble Pig the intrepid foodie will find a treasure of culinary delights.  The dining room is meticulously clean and inviting.  The checkerboard floor tile and wooden furniture evoke a down home country appeal, which was accentuated with some great classic country music in the background.  The decor and color scheme is appealing, and the main star of the decor is the large chalk board slash menu.

We were fortunate to arrive during the mid afternoon lull, so we didn’t have to wait for a table, and we were able to meet and talk with one of the co-owners, John (who made the duck pastrami sandwich on the show).  In additional to being an extraordinary chef, John is also a people person who digs good hospitality.  Quick example… how about spinning up a luxurious chocolate pot de crème but putting it in a mason jar and serving it as chocolate pudding?  Cool, huh?  I was so intent on reading all the creations on the chalk board, I didn’t even notice the glass case at the counter full of goodies, including the puddings.

The Noble Pig… conceived, created, interpreted and served up on a plate.

We ordered the eponymous Noble Pig Sandwich, with provolone cheese on house baked white bread.  This inspired creation features spicy ham, pulled pork and crispy bacon—all made from scratch right there on the premises.  I don’t know if John made the sandwich himself, but he did serve it to us along with a jar of the chocolate pudding, his treat, which he wanted us to indulge in since we are such big fans of the show and had traveled so far to get there.

The meats were divine and all three put together make for an unbelievably good taste sensation.  The kicker on this sandwich is the mustard, a young and spicy mix that screams for attention but doesn’t try to slap you in the face.  It’s heady, and just the right amount of zing to complement the rich flavors of the meat.

Duck Pastrami Sandwich
at The Noble Pig

John checked on us to see how we were enjoying the sandwich.  Once he realized that we are foodies, he wanted us to try his famous duck pastrami, and so he brought us out a duck pastrami sandwich, on the house.  Wow.  I’m glad he did because it was the last thing on the menu that I would have ordered, and it was super good.  The flavors of the duck pastrami were deep, rich and balanced; yet they were gentle enough to be offset by thinly sliced house cured pickles and a dab of Russian dressing..  We had no doubt that we were in the presence of greatness (and damned happy to be there).

The Noble Pig is what happens when two very talented culinary guys (with supportive families) get together to create and realize a vision of elevating sandwich craft to an art form, as well as making it accessible and affordable to the public.  Now, any of us mere mortals can waltz in off the street and sample from a wide array of scrumptious culinary creations for just a few bucks.

Of course, I’ve left out a couple of details.  You have to love food and hospitality.  You have to learn how to be a great cook.  You have to be willing to defy the odds and risk your financial future and invest your last dollar, and one more thing… you have to be willing to bust your ass and work hard fourteen hours a day, seven days a week.

The Noble Pig is a great American success story, and I’m delighted that it was featured on DDD.  The experience of going there, having the great food, and meeting the great people is precisely why we’re traveling and writing about it.  For me, people like John are truly living the life that they have created for themselves… in this great land of unlimited opportunity.  People like Guy Fieri himself.  People who have the guts to go for it.  As the saying goes, the greater the risk the greater the reward.

We were barely able to finish all the food.  The sandwiches and potato chips hit the spot, and the pudding was silky and luxurious.  The chocolate flavor was deeply developed and enhanced with a bit of spice for a little unexpected kick.  It was so thick, it almost had the mouth feel of butter; and as far as I’m concerned, if you’re going to have pudding, you may as well have something this delicious and satisfying. This little jewel is all about the cream.

I’d love to try everything on the menu, and was sorry we didn’t have room to try the Knuckle Sandwich.  I was already jumping ahead mentally and wondering if we could possibly make it back to The Noble Pig before we left town.  It’s safe to say that everyone within a hundred miles of Austin should go to the Noble Pig and try at least two or three of their fantastic sandwiches and be sure to save room for the pudding.

We ran around the rest of the day and ended up for a spot of dinner at Luke’s Inside Out down by Gibson’s Bar on South Lamar Street.  It’s just a trailer, but they’re putting out some killer food and serving the whole bar.  I hated to miss the hamburger, but we ordered The Pig, which is a pulled pork sandwich on a roll, with cheddar, smoked gouda, onion rings and chow chow (a salsa like mixture of red onions, pickles, jalapenos and tomato).  The Pig was accompanied with parmesan potato chips.

We grabbed a little table at the curb and took in the people enjoying the Austin night life while we waited for our food.  There was one woman in particular who was wearing a flimsy little dress (and wearing it so well it was like she was doing it a favor).  It was cut high to show off her legs, and cut low to show off her other features; and yet there was enough fabric to leave just enough to the imagination to drive men nuts.  Lucky for her she didn’t need to bend over for anything, or I’m sure she would have caused a wreck.  We could have all been killed.

The Pig at Luke’s Inside Out
(Slap Yo Mama Good)

I watched the food coming out of the window in baskets, and decided that I was starving to death by the time our order came out.  I wish I could tell you that it was the best pulled pork sandwich I have ever had; and my wish has come true because it absolutely was the best.  It was OMG good.  I should mention here that everything on the menu looked good, especially the burgers, which comes as no surprise to anyone who has either seen the show or eaten there in person.  It was one of the occasions where the food was so good I really didn’t want to share it; not because I was hungry but because it tasted so good.  The picture doesn’t do it justice.  Go to Luke’s Inside Out, and you will be sure to leave with a smile on your face.  Luke’s Inside Out is a destination.

Sorry, We’re Open

Our next morning started with a breakfast at the Magnolia Cafe, a funky joint just south of the Congress Avenue Bridge (where we had watched the bats fly out the night before).  The decor is capital F Funky, with a decided music theme and lots of graffiti.  There was a good wait for a table, about half an hour, but it sure was worth it.  They have a big patio out back, but we ended up getting a booth inside.  Our server, Jenny, was super friendly and took great care of us (although our food was dropped by a runner).  Jenny is a real people person, warm, sharp as a tack; and she has the most pleasant aura and manner about her.  It’s like when you get her attention, the whole world stops for you.  I totally dug it, and I hope she loves waiting tables because she’s a natural.  We didn’t get her picture, so we’ll have to go back.

Texas Eggs Benedict with Chipotle Sauce

We ordered the Texas Benedict which is a riff on Eggs Benedict but using sausage instead of Canadian Bacon, and a chipotle hollandaise sauce; and we also treated ourselves to a peach pancake, which was on the daily special.  All the food was scrumptious.  I was expecting sausage patties, instead of diced, but the flavor was great.  The pancake was yummy (and huge).  The couple at the next table got a basket of tortilla chips with salsa, and they were so golden yellow that I wondered if they taste as good as they looked.  I asked Jenny to sneak a chip out from the kitchen, and she brought us a little basket.  Although they aren’t actually made on site, they are made special and they did taste as good as they looked.  I was delighted, and the salsa was good too; not too hot, and obviously fresh made.  Just about everything is made from scratch, but you wouldn’t know it to look at their low prices.

The Magnolia Cafe is open 24/7 (Sorry) and they have a wide menu selection.  I liked the place and would love to go back and try some of their other foods.  It’s obviously an institution, and seems to be a cherished Austin landmark.

Breakfast Tacos at Counter Cafe

We rolled up to the Counter Cafe for part two of our breakfast.  We lucked out and caught a lull in the Saturday morning rush, so we didn’t have to wait in line for a table.  The place is small and packed, with an open kitchen off to the side, and theater seating along the counter.  We ordered a pair of breakfast tacos, on flour tortillas, which consist of local farm fresh scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes and cheese, served with fresh salsa.  The tacos were the best breakfast tacos I’d ever had, so I was pleased and delighted.  The real kicker on these tacos is the potatoes, which are fried to crispy crunchy deliciousness.  The service was fast.  Although we missed our shot, I keep hearing that the Counter Cafe is famous for their burgers.  They’re not open for dinner however, so plan on a lunch or have a burger for breakfast (or spend the day).

After a full afternoon of goofing off, we headed back to the South Lamar area to start dinner at the Green Mesquite.  This place turned out to be more of a destination than I was expecting.  It’s pretty specious inside and they also have a large patio with live music in the back.  We got a great server, Chris, who was real friendly and took good care of us.  We were planning to go somewhere else for burgers later (which didn’t work out) so we didn’t order a full dinner.  Although the Green Mesquite has some great Texas barbecue, and a full menu, I noticed they had Philly cheesesteak tacos and decided that I couldn’t live without giving them a try.

Philly Tacos at Green Mesquite

The tacos rolled out with some lettuce and tomatoes, which set me into a bit of a panic, but I decided it was appropriate for tacos and looked past it.  As it turns out, the tacos were fabulous, with that deep and satisfying cheesesteak flavor.  I got my fix.  It’s also available as a sandwich, but I wasn’t taking any chances with bread.  The tacos did it for me and I’m looking forward to experimenting with the concept when I get home.  If the concept works for tacos, why not burritos?

As it turns out, we should have had a full dinner at Green Mesquite.  I wanted to sample the Gruyere cheese popovers at Foreign & Domestic, but they don’t do to-go orders and there was a 45-60 minute wait for a table (as we were told over the phone).  I thought there was a misunderstanding.  I was just calling ahead to make sure they had the popovers, and couldn’t believe that they wouldn’t sell them to us without waiting for a table.  I don’t know if they had a minimum order per table, but the implication seemed to be that you can’t get the popovers unless you go in for a full dinner.  That’s their prerogative, but I was put off by it.  I’ve never had Gruyere popovers and was really looking forward to it.

We botched our dinner plans and were getting tired of driving around.  As a last resort, I thought we could grab a little something at a drive-thru, but we never came across any on the way back to our motel.  We went to bed hungry (believe it or not).

Maria’s Taco X-Press

Sunday morning arrived on our last full day in Austin, and we opened Maria’s Taco Express at 9:00 a.m.  We had been hearing lots of good things about Maria’s place, but we weren’t prepared for all the crazy art work everywhere you look.  Come for the food, but be prepared to spend at least fifteen minutes touring all the art work, inside and out.  Besides being an entrepreneur, Maria is an artist, with a funky/hippy style that is uniquely hers.  We didn’t get to meet Maria, who happened to be on vacation in Italy; but we did get to meet the general manager and long time friend, Fernando.

The Cha-Cha-Lupa
Funky and Crazy Good

Maria’s has a very enticing menu, so consider yourselves warned if you love Mexican food as much as I do.  We were pretty hungry, given that we didn’t finish having dinner the night before.  We ordered a taco al pastor, a taco picadillo, a cheese enchilada, a beef enchilada suiza, and a “Cha-cha-lupa” (which comes with al pastor, refried beans, guacamole and queso).  We accompanied all the great food with a large sampling of the salsa bar.  It was quite a feast and we enjoyed every bite.  I was sure from watching the show that I was going to love the authentic enchiladas with the house made chile sauce (and I did).  I think it was on par with the best I’ve ever had.

Just a few of the killer tacos
at Maria’s Taco Express

I was just so delighted with both the food and the place that I asked Fernando if we could interview him.  He graciously accepted and we grabbed a quiet table outside.  Fernando has a very calm and pleasing manner about him, and the story of Maria’s place is so interesting that we ended up having a nice long chat.  He is from Mexico, with a strong restaurant background, and Maria is originally from Argentina.  What would eventually grow into Maria’s Taco Express, with a capacity of over 200, started as a humble taco stand.  I couldn’t begin to tell Maria’s story here, but it seems she has beaten the odds and turned into an American success story despite the fact that she was broke, homeless and didn’t speak English.  It’s too bad we didn’t get to meet her.

Enchiladas done right at
Maria’s Taco Express

The conversation turned to food, and I picked Fernando’s brain for all I could get away with.  We covered most of the menu and decided that we missed out on the Migas taco and the Chorizo taco.  Fernando invited us to come back the next day and try the tacos as their treat.  We weren’t planning on it, but sure appreciated the generous offer.  We thanked Fernando for his hospitality and generosity and went back inside to have another look around.  Maria’s is a must-see destination in Austin, and for that matter should qualify as an attraction unto itself.  There’s so much great stuff to see that they could charge admission.

Knuckle Sandwich
at the Noble Pig

We drove back up to the Noble Pig and ordered the knuckle sandwich, which was featured on the show.  John was there working, and it was nice to see him again.  The sandwich was great, and the au jus for dipping was the best I’ve had anywhere.  What I was really craving, however was the Noble Pig.  I decided that I had to have it in order to make sure I liked it as much as I remembered it.  The Noble Pig is truly inspired, and I was happy we made the return trip.

We also made a return trip to Round Rock Donuts, and I had two more of those incredible glazed donuts.  I did my best to bring them down to an earthly status, but my best efforts were defied.  It can only be magic.

Our last destination for the day was Casino El Camino, downtown on the famed 6th Street.  We rolled in about dusk and spent a few hours checking out all the sites and enjoying the live music.  Fun times.  Anna chatted up a young woman who was out walking her dog, and she said she loved living there.  They have some great stores too.

Chili Dog at Casino El Camino

Casino El Camino had some of the craziest decor we’ve ever seen.  I was planning to enjoy one of their signature burgers, but I saw them coming out of the kitchen and they didn’t look appealing.  Raw buns, rare meat.  I was disappointed to say the least.  They had some hot dogs on the menu and I asked about the chili.  They gave me a sample and it was nice and spicy.  They said it’s canned chili, but they doctor it up.  I ordered a chili dog, and one of their other dogs called the Tommy Two Tone dog with two dogs, cheese sauce and bacon.  Note: On the show they actually used real cheese.  The thinned-out cheese sauce was for crap, and probably out of a can.

Although the buns were raw and undressed (like the burgers), the dogs were charbroiled and cooked perfectly.  I didn’t realize they were big giant quarter pounders either.  On balance the whole experience was a major disappointment for us.  We didn’t like the food or the decor, and instead of playing music, they were showing Fox cartoons which was blaring over the speakers upstairs (where we were trying to find a place to eat in peace).  The cheese sauce was too thin to taste good, and I watched the cook slop it on the dogs like he was slinging food in boot camp, or prison.  I wasn’t feeling the love, that’s for sure.  That’s the kind of crap that goes on when the owner isn’t around.  There’s plenty of other bars on 6th Street.  I don’t know if any of them have great food, but I won’t be eating at Casino El Camino again.  At least we were full.

We had a great time in Austin and the surrounding areas, and decided that it would be great to stop back by Maria’s Taco Express before we left for Houston (as well as Tommy’s Drum Shop).

Maria’s Breakfast Tacos
(Migas and Chorizo)

Fernando wasn’t there, but Grisel took great care of us.  She comped us for the two tacos that Fernando mentioned.  In addition to the food which they so generously treated us to, we ordered a pollo guisado enchilada, a barbacoa taco, and another cha-cha-lupa.  I also served up a full round of everything from the salsa bar, including the chimichurri (which they sell by the bottle).  

Queso and Chips at Maria’s Taco Express

I asked Grisel for a little taste of the queso (cheese) sauce that we talked about the day before.  She gave us a full serving of that and a giant basket of tortilla chips.  I told her to put half back, but she said if we couldn’t eat them all that we could take the rest with us.  Can’t argue with that.  We don’t normally indulge in big baskets full of tortilla chips, but we made a happy exception for Maria’s.  The chips were good enough to eat plain, and with the queso it was like liquid gold.  They use a special melting cheese, jalapenos and love.  The enchiladas are to die for.  Everything is made fresh from scratch and the quality shows in every delicious bite.  I guess it’s time to take my enchiladas to the next level.  

Pollo Guisado Enchilada
at Maria’s Taco Express

It was a hell of a spread and we ate every bit of it.  It seemed like a reasonable amount when we ordered it.  Just like the day before, all the food was scrumptious and deeply satisfying.  The queso sauce and chips were the best I’ve ever had, and Maria’s proudly features a fantastic salsa bar.  In addition to typical salsa, they also have chimichurri, pico de gallo, and salsa quemada (roasted).  We had them all lined up to go with our chips and of course we tried them on all the foods.  The barbacoa taco is super rich and flavorful and with the chimichurri, I was blown away.  I’m glad Maria brought her Argentine influence with her, and I look forward to meeting her next time I get to town.  Fernando is going to take me out for golf too, so it should be a fun trip.

The drive over to Houston was uneventful, and we wondered if we would ever get hungry again.  Austin was a lot of fun and has a lot of great attractions when you throw in the great food spots.  Guy made a half-joking comment about getting a condo there, and I felt the same way.  Austin seems like my kind of town.  It was my first visit there and I liked it.  We got in almost everything we wanted to do, but I was sorry that we didn’t get to meet Maria, and apparently we should have tried the burgers at the Counter Cafe (where we had the breakfast tacos).  In a land where beef is king, we got some truly inspired and tasty pork sandwich creations at the Noble Pig and Luke’s Inside Out.  We had some legendary barbecue at Louie Mueller’s, and met some great people there.  I will never forget how sublime and melt in your mouth scrumptious the humble glazed donuts are at Round Rock Donuts.  I wish I could figure out their secret, but the only thing I can come up with so far is they must be using magic.

Next DDD Destination: Houston    (DDD Count: 229)

The post Austin appeared first on KenHolloway.us.

The restaurant is good sized with a large dining room and an equally large patio out front.  The decor is muted, dark reddish colors, and not much in the way of artwork.  I suppose the emphasis is on the food and that’s not a bad thing.  The star attractions at Dough are the pizza oven and the Burrata Bar.  I had been telling Anna that as far as I could tell, this was one of the most authentic old world style Naples pizzerias in all of DDD.  As we walked in, we were greeted by none other than the Chef/owner himself, Doug, who greeted us and chatted with us for a few moments.

Pork Lover Pizza
at Dough Pizzeria Napoletana

We drew a friendly waitress named Tanya and she took great care of us.  We ordered the Pork Lover pizza which is a succulent creation of the famed pizza dough, San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh house pulled mozzarella, salami, house made sausage, pancetta and speck (smoked prosciutto).

As you might be able to tell from the picture, it was superb.  The crust was cooked to perfection with just the slightest bit of char.  The fresh mozzarella was creamy and provided a nice contrast for the spicy meats.  The sausage was scrumptious with great flavor and texture.  Overall, none of the meats were particularly spicy or hot, and if they were, the rocket-hot oven took care of that.

For me, the real star of this pizza was the tomato sauce.  It really highlighted the essence of the tomato, which was not overpowered by herbs or spices.  The real trick is striking that perfect balance between sweetness and acidity, and they nailed it.

I enjoyed every bite and was sad to see it finished.  I wanted to savor the experience and reflect on the pizza so I could write about it.  The main feeling I take away from this experience is that the pizza is very well composed and balanced.  It’s not bold, spicy, or in your face; which is more of what I’m used to (and don’t mind).  This pizza gives you the opportunity to focus on each of its ingredients, which is a lot of fun if you’re into eating crazy good pizza.

After the pizza, we had a chat with the manager, Jesse, who was gracious and appreciated our feedback.  It turns out that the pizza oven is a wood fired oven and they burn oak to keep the oven around 850 – 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (and check the temperature every 15 minutes or so).  We got to talking about the rest of their menu, and he treated us to a sample of their grilled bread with garlic and olive oil.  I asked him for a bite-sized piece, and he brought out two big slices.  I was sorry that we didn’t order the Burrata (which was featured on the show) but I’m going to try to make it back before we leave town.  We were just too frazzled to savor fine dining, but now that I know how serious they are about tomatoes and house pulled mozzarella, I’d really love to have the tasting experience.  It’s Tuesday morning (Anna’s still asleep) and we’ll be in town for three days; but, there are a ton of other great places to eat some fabulous foods.  I’m so excited to finally be here in San Antonio (and the rest soon after); and I can’t believe how lucky I am that I’m going to be eating so much great Texas food over the next few weeks.  I’ve been looking forward to it for years, and now it is finally at hand.

Even as good as the food is, I’m looking even more forward to meeting some great people.  One person in particular I’m hoping to meet is Helen Velesiotis who makes all the tacos with love at the Taco Taco Cafe.  It’s no surprise that her tacos were voted the best in the country by Bon Appétit magazine.

Sample Platter at Beto’s on Broadway

Tuesday morning arrived on our first full day in San Antonio.  We had intended to open the Texas Pride Barbecue at 11:00, but we went to Beto’s on Broadway first, which would make up for missing it the night before.  Beto’s has a large colorful dining room and a gigantic patio out back.  Our waitress, Jessica, was friendly, and we ordered two empanadas and two tacos a la carte.  Even though the place was practically empty, our food was brought out by a runner.  We ordered the poblano chicken empanada from the show which was excellent (the best thing we ordered).  The beef and red chile empanada was fair, but too mild for my taste and majorly disappointing.  The taco al pastor was passable, but poorly executed.  The so-called fish taco was more like a cole slaw taco with two little nuggets of over-cooked fish which completely lacked any flavor and were cold.  It was more of a tasting sample than a meal and not worth the trouble to send it back, but we finished the food and left.  The owner was not in, which came as no surprise.  The staff was friendly, and they serve alcohol.  It’s probably a popular local joint, but I wouldn’t bother going back myself.

Texas Pride Barbecue

We rolled out of Beto’s and made the short drive out to Texas Pride Barbecue, which happens to be one of the earlier barbecue joints featured on DDD (episode 312).  We pulled up and walked around the grounds before we went inside.  The place is humongous with tons of picnic tables, two giant dance floors, a big stage, a gift shop, a fish fry shack, a giant balcony, a playground for the tots, and a tattoo parlor.  I could have spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out and exploring the vast reaches of this facility.  I really liked the vibe, even though there were no people around.  Texas Pride Barbecue is a destination.

We went inside and got in the short line (we somehow managed to beat the lunch rush).  The way it works there is you grab a tray and the fine young man on the carving station lays out some butcher paper on the scale.  We ordered a four/two (four meats and two sides), which is supposed to add up to a full pound of meat.  Our order went over a pound which I was happy to see, and we accompanied that with cheesy baked potatoes, pinto beans and a few slices of bread.  Our four meats were smoked pork sausage, baby back ribs, smoked turkey, and the most amazing beef brisket I have ever had.  Once the meat is served up and everyone is happy, he wraps it up in the paper and you put it in your tray.  You can also buy meats by the pound, or have them made into sandwiches on grilled buns.  When you get to your table, you unwrap the paper and have a instant plate.

In addition to the savory food, they offer peach cobbler and pecan cobbler, which can be ordered a la mode.  I hated to pass those up, but we had to save room for later.  Because they’re on a water well, they don’t offer tap water, but they have bottled water, house made tea, soft drinks and beer on tap.

The Pride of Texas
at Texas Pride Barbecue

After you pay for your food, you take your tray out to the massive closed-in dining room which is chock full of tables, booths, a bar, and most important of all, a big condiment table; sporting fresh dill pickles, sliced pickled jalapenos, sliced onions, lime wedges, ketchup, BBQ sauce (mild or hot) and tools.  By the time we opened our paper wrapped parcel of succulent barbecue joy, and added all the extras, it was too big to even fit in the photo.  It was like a whole table of food for fifteen bucks, and we had a hard time finishing it between the two of us.

All the food was outstanding.  I had a bite of the sausage first, and was stunned at the rich flavors and the mouth feel, which was very tender and soft.  As incredible as the sausage was, the real kicker was the brisket.  The instant I tried to pick up a piece and it fell apart under it’s own weight, I couldn’t believe how tender and juicy it was.  This was confirmed when I put it in my mouth, and I was just shocked.  I never would have believed that brisket could be that juicy and tender, not to mention flavorful.  It had deep smoke rings, and didn’t need any sauce.  This was my first brisket in Texas and I was expecting it to be good; but I wasn’t expecting it to be the best brisket I’ve ever had (or could even imagine).

Bandstand / Main Stage
at Texas Pride Barbecue

I just had to get the straight dope on this masterpiece, so after we finally got through eating, I asked for the manager.  I got the general manager himself, Rene Rodriguez, who graciously answered all my questions for the better part of 20 minutes.  If I got it straight, here’s what he told me:  They start out with high grade Texas beef, put on a dry rub, and then go low and slow for about eighteen hours in a mesquite fired rotisserie smoker.  When it’s done in the smoker, they wrap them in foil and hold them for service, which is hand carved with thick slices (in the 1/2 to 5/8 inch range).  It’s so tender, if they tried to slice it any thinner than that, it would just fall apart.  I think they sell that rub by the jar too.

Texas Pride features live music and special features.  They have country artists on the weekends and rock and roll on Thursday nights, which draws a lot of bikers and hot rodders.  Friday nights feature a fish fry in their dedicated fish shack.  I liked the place a lot and plan to go back whenever I’m in the area.  Rene and his crew are doing it right.  We would see a lot of bandstands and outdoor eating areas in Texas, but this one is far and away the biggest.  Draw a big happy face on your map because Texas Pride Barbecue is a destination.  It makes my Top Ten List twice.  Bring your appetite and your favorite dancing partner.  Bring the kids too.

After spending the rest of the afternoon tooling around the Alamo and the River Walk, we headed over to De Wese’s Tip Top Cafe.  The parking lot was packed, but we didn’t have to wait for a table.  Order carefully.  This is a spot for locals, not tourists.  The staff was friendly, when you could get their attention.  The place was packed and the servers were super busy.  The decor was old fishing shack meets hunting lodge, with low ceilings, deer heads hanging on the walls and hardly any windows.

I ordered for both of us, and took the chicken fried steak special for myself and two enchiladas for Anna.  I’d seen a few plates go by and the chicken fried steaks were enormous with mashed potatoes on the side, and no vegetables.  I wanted to sample the onion rings too, but the only way to order them was a big giant order for about six bucks.  Too much food for us.  I asked the waitress how come they didn’t put gravy on the CFS and she said it’s underneath.  Oh.  She asked what kind of salad dressing we wanted and I assumed that went with the enchiladas.  Wrong.  None of the other plates had salad on them.  So my order was dropped by a runner (which as you know by now I despise), and it had fries instead of mashed potatoes and salad next to the gravy.  I sent it back for mashed potatoes and the salad on the side (which they graciously accommodated).  I asked our waitress, Cruz, how come the other plates didn’t have salad, and she said, they know to order it on the side; which of course I was thinking, then why didn’t she mention it to me?  As I said, it’s a place for locals.  By the time I got it back, it was already getting cold, and the crust was getting funky and coming loose from the meat.  The gravy was bland, and the mashed potatoes were over seasoned.  I tried to make a go of it, but I just couldn’t get into it.  Anna didn’t care for it either.  I sent it back.  I hate to see food go to waste, but I just didn’t see the point in trying to force something down when there is already so much other good food to eat in San Antonio.

Meanwhile, I sampled the enchiladas and thought they tasted pretty good.  They were super rich, even for me.  Two would be plenty, and they came a la carte.  I liked them more than Anna did.

I tried to find something quick and easy, and came up with a chili burger.  Our waitress said it was a house-made chili and that it was real popular.  Great.  Out it came and there was no cheese on it.  I asked about it and she said I could get cheese on it for fifty cents.  Well I had already pushed my luck on sending food back and wasn’t about to send it back again.  I ate it without cheese (begrudgingly) but not until I got the satisfaction of explaining to Cruz that almost every place in the country that serves chili offers it with cheese and onions.  She was not impressed.  I will say that the chili was good.  Nice and hearty.  But the burger was under-seasoned and they served it with lettuce, tomato and pickle, all of which were dripping wet.  It wasn’t fun, but I ate it anyway and paid the check.  I left a good tip, but the meal was all but ruined simply because the waitress wasn’t considerate enough to get my order dialed in.  If she would have brought it out the way everyone else was ordering theirs, I’m sure I would have eaten it and been perfectly happy with it.  She seemed rather perplexed that I didn’t want gravy in my dinner salad, or that I wanted mayonnaise for my burger.

As I’ve said, I don’t want to say anything bad about anybody.  It takes a local’s knowledge of the menu to get your food the way you want it.  It’s hearty, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food done up old school style.  I have no doubt they have an army of loyal patrons/regulars, and if you go there as a tourist, order carefully and don’t assume anything.

Texas Burger at The Cove

Our last stop for the day was at The Cove.  They have a bar adjacent to the kitchen and a large patio area out back.  It was open mic night in the bar, and the talent was surprisingly good.  You order your food at the window up front and they bring it out to your table.  We had intended to get fish tacos, but when we rolled into town we discovered that their Texas Burger was rated one of the top burgers in Texas by Texas Monthly magazine.  Wow.  The Texas burger features fresh greens, beans, avocado, chips and salsa.  We decided that we couldn’t live without their Freebird Sandwich which is comprised of chicken salad with grapes, walnuts, poppy seed dressing and spicy mayo on fresh toasted bread.  We grabbed a table out back and settled in to wait for our food.

The Freebird Sandwich at The Cove

Both sandwiches were good offerings, but we found them leaning more towards the healthy side than the scrumptious side.  The burger was either under seasoned or not seasoned at all, and didn’t come together for me.  Also the bun, which seemed toasted but not grilled, was exceptionally dense and thick.  The sandwich was better, but the bread was sliced so thick that it ended up being too dry for our taste.  Anna liked the chicken salad, but it seemed to be short on the poppy seed dressing or the spicy mayonnaise.  We were both sorry that we didn’t try the fish tacos instead, and will try to make it back if we can.  After six days on the road, it was our first order of fries (which were nicely cooked).

Wednesday morning… a fateful day as it would turn out.

We set out for a much anticipated breakfast at the Magnolia Pancake Haus (with the plan to come back to our room before lunch).  The Magnolia is tucked away in a big shopping center, but we found it easily enough thanks to Jill.  The parking lot was packed and so was the restaurant; all three dining rooms (capacity of 152).  The place was decorated beautifully with raised panel wainscoting, high ceilings, two tone paint and decorative plates adorning the walls.  The place was jumping, with lots of staff milling about and the hubbub of diners conversing and clinking their table wares.

We didn’t have to wait for a table, and we already knew what we were going to order.  Anna ordered the Pfannekuchen and I ordered the corned beef hash.  I liked the place so much I wish I could tell you the food and the service were both spectacular.  Sadly, it didn’t turn out that way.

The Pfannekuchen is described in the menu as being “fluffy” with lots of apples and cinnamon, and I was expecting it to be kind of like a mash up where pancake meets soufflé meets apple fritter.  Even though it was Anna’s breakfast, I was afraid that I would love it too and want to eat too much of it.  In a surprise twist, the corned beef hash is offered with toast or pancakes and so I went for the cakes.

Corned Beef Hash at Magnolia Pancake Haus

Our food was brought out by a runner (which has just about turned into the kiss of death for me).  First the good news.  The pancakes were probably the best I’ve ever had.  Between the creamy butter and the house made syrup, the pancakes were so good, I hated to have to share.  I didn’t want to miss a single bite, and I don’t usually get pancakes of my own.  If you love pancakes, this is the place to go.

Pfannekuchen at Magnolia Pancake Haus

The Pfannekuchen was anything but fluffy.  It was extremely dense and flat.  I took one bite and didn’t care for it.  I thought the cinnamon was way overdone (at least for my taste) and the apples were a bit undercooked, which may be because they were sliced a little too thick.  I didn’t dig it at all, but I thought Anna was enjoying it.  Wrong.  Meanwhile, my two eggs over medium were cooked perfectly and the corned beef hash was delicious.  The chef mentioned that he had worked for years to get the flavor profile and hash consistency right where he wanted it.  I would agree that it was a fantastic hash.  But, in an unexpected twist, the hash was over seasoned for my taste.  The flavors of the hash were deep and developed, but the seasoning was up front, like table salt.  It was still good, but I couldn’t believe it.  If the chef had been there, I would have summoned him to double check the seasoning; but I already knew he wasn’t there.  I’d like to believe that it was just a fluke.  

It wasn’t until after we left and were walking back to the car that I realized how much Anna didn’t enjoy her breakfast.  That’s just the way it goes sometimes, but the real tragedy here was that Anna could have enjoyed some spectacular pancakes instead.

We went back to the room for a little relaxation and set out later for a two-fer lunch at both the Bun ‘n Barrel and El Bohio.  I had a gas station picked out and programmed into the GPS and planned to stop for gas near the Bun n Barrel.  After we got off the freeway and turned a few corners, we happened across a discount gas station and pulled in off the cuff.  I pumped in 40 bucks worth and we continued up the road for Bun n Barrel.

We were almost there (about one mile to go) when the car started running badly, losing compression and power.  Then it died.  I managed to get it off the road and safely parked.  Could it be that our fifteen-year-old trusty steed wasn’t so trusty anymore?  I sure hated the thought of that, especially being so far from home and still near the beginning of our long trip.  I was sure it must have been some bad gas (and of course I was mad at myself for stopping at a one-off, non-brand-name gas station).  Dumb.  The odds of getting bad gas are very slim, but it happens.

Fortunately for us, we were right next door to a good sized auto repair shop.  The guy at the counter said it could be bad gas (not likely) or it could be the fuel pump, the fuel filter, or clogged injectors.  We were looking at repairs in the neighborhood of $700 or more and the guy said that they may not have time to work on the car today, but they would get it in and diagnose the problem.  So be it.  I don’t know anyone in San Antonio, and didn’t want to be on foot.  I think it was about an hour and a half or so before they finally pulled it in from the lot next door.  Not happy times.  It looks like I picked the wrong week to give up sniffing glue.

We’ve had the car for six years and it has never done anything for us besides run like a Swiss watch.  I felt pretty certain that it was bad gas, but wondered if I would ever be able to prove it.

The service manager came bounding out of the garage with a bottle of the gas and informed me that indeed it was bad.  No doubt about it.  He said they can drain the gas, put in a new fuel filter, and we could be on our way.  Great news.  The bill was still going to be over $500, which included a $150 hazardous waste disposal fee, but we were happy at the prospect that our trusty steed wasn’t broke and we could be on our way without having to leave the car overnight.

The Lisa Burger at the Bun ‘n Barrel

The service manager himself took off to go fetch the fuel filter and gave us a lift to the Bun ‘n Barrel.  Cool little place, great people.  We ordered the Lisa Burger, which is the classic drive-in style double cheese burger.  Lisa had been the waitress there for 38 years.  We had hoped to meet her, but she just retired a few months back.  Her daughter, Stacy, took care of us, and she had already been working there for eleven years.  Wow.  Joe cooked up the massive half-pound burger right, with onions and pickles on the side.  Despite the fact that we were upset about the car situation, the burger was fabulous and we had a chance to talk with Joe as well.  Feeling impish, I asked Stacy if she was going to go after her mom’s record.  Apparently not in this lifetime.  We’ll see.

We loved the place and the decor was classic diner throughout.  I wish we were in a better mood and could have had a bigger meal.  If we ever make it back to San Antonio, I will be going back for sure.

We walked back to the shop and they had the car finished before long.  We paid the bill and headed back for the gas station where we bought the gas.

Fortunately for us, the owner of the station was right there, but it was just after six and they were slammed.  We hadn’t got a receipt for the gas earlier and didn’t have any way to prove that we were there except for the security footage.  The owner explained that we needed to call the Texas regulators and file a complaint; who would then would investigate and make a ruling.  I asked him for a receipt for the gas, and he said he would have to review the security footage and I could call him back in a few hours.

Under those happy circumstances, we took off for El Bohio; the Puerto Rican joint across the street from Fort Sam Houston.  It was finally time to try the Mofongo, which Guy Fieri seems to love.  The owner was there and he was super friendly.

Anna was fighting back the tears, distraught over the setback; and was convinced that we were never going to get compensated for the repair.  I kept trying to cheer her up, by pointing out that it could have been worse, and we could have been left afoot, or involved in an accident.  It didn’t help much.  I agreed that there was a good chance that we would never get reimbursed for the repair bill, but there was no need getting upset about it until it actually happened.

Pork Mofongo at El Bohio

Our Mofongo arrived and we took the pictures.  The chef also brought us out a salsa verde to go with it.  He also treated us to a chicken empanada, which he wanted us to try as a specialty of the house.  The mojito pork had a very nice flavor, but it seemed to us to be over cooked and a little on the dry side.  We ate all the salsa with the pork, and it was tasty.  I didn’t care much for the Mofongo itself.  I was trying to fall in love with it, but struggled desperately to get the flavor of the garlic sauce that it is mixed with.  Anna was digging it more than I was, which surprised me.  She kept taking bites of the Mofongo and I asked her to help me finish the pork.

The chef came out and asked how we liked it.  I told him that I couldn’t taste the garlic at all, and was disappointed.  He said it was only on the top because other people say it’s too spicy.  I gave him a big smile and said, “We like spicy.”  He went to the back and brought out a side of the garlic sauce.  I slathered it on and scooped up a big fork full.  It was more spicy, but I still wasn’t digging it.  Once again, it just seems that I don’t go for the Caribbean flavors.  Despite the fact that I didn’t care much for the food, I was happy to meet the owner and he was exceptionally hospitable and friendly.  He loves what he is doing, and is getting ready to expand.  Good for him.  The empanada was good.

Now dark, we left El Bohio and set out for Chris Madrid’s where we devoured one of their famous Tostada Burgers.  It was gigantic and messy as hell, but boy was it good.  If we would have ordered it Macho (double meat) I think it would have been impossible to pick up.  I don’t know why this place hasn’t been on DDD, but it looks like a great place.  We also had plans to try the Barbecue Brisket Pizza at Big Lou’s, but our schedule was thrown off and we were stuffed.  We headed back for the motel.

I called the owner of the gas station and he said that he had had a chance to review the security footage, and invited me to come talk to him to see if we could work something out.  Although it was terribly inconvenient, I certainly had to go hear the guy out and get a better idea of where we stood.  I left Anna at the motel alone and headed over.

He thanked me for coming back across town so late, and to make a long story short, not only did he sincerely apologize for our day having been ruined, he wrote us out a check for $500.  A real stand-up guy.  I was quite impressed.  He agreed with me that something like this should be covered by his insurance, but the amount was less than his deductable.  He and I hit it off and plan to stay in touch.  I don’t know how long he has been in the country, but he immigrated here from India, and his English is excellent (which he said he learned in India).

We shook hands and I headed back to the motel and handed Anna the check.  I’m sure she was even more pleased than I was.  It would be easy to think that the guy offered to settle with us as the lesser of two evils compared with a complaint and maybe a fine or something.  But it could also be that he genuinely felt bad about what happened to us and wanted to compensate us for the repair simply because it was the right thing to do.  I’m going with the latter, and it helps to shore up my belief that most people are basically good and honest.  We’ve told the story a few times and people ask, “Did you take his check and cash it first thing the next morning?”  No, we did not.  We never cashed that check.  We deposited it in our local bank after we got home weeks later.  When someone is an honorable man, he doesn’t pass bad checks.

We packed out of the room the next morning and loaded up the car.  We set out for breakfast at Taco Taco Restaurant and were hoping to meet the owner, Helen.  We parked immediately behind the kitchen, and when we opened the car we were assailed with the heady aromas coming out of the back.  If the food tastes as good as it smells, we we’re going to be very happy campers.  We went in to the crowded restaurant and got a booth up front.  The place was packed, but we didn’t have to wait.  It took us a long time to figure out what we wanted.  They are famous for the Taco el Norteno, but it’s a fajita style, which really isn’t our bag.  We got a few of the puffy tacos, and as Guy said on the show, “They’re puffy and you can’t get enough-y.”

Puffy Tacos at Taco Taco Restaurant

He was right.  Those tacos were great.  We got one beef and one chicken and we both agreed that we liked the beef better.  If you haven’t seen the show, all the tortillas are made by hand.  The tortillas are then carefully cooked and fried till they are puffy and formed into a shell.  The shell is then meticulously and lovingly filled with the seasoned meet and garnished with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.  The tables are set with decanters of fresh salsa with lots of garlic and cilantro, and all that other good stuff.  I wish we could have ordered a platter of tacos, or tried the whole menu.  The picture doesn’t begin to do the tacos justice.  The puffiness is not just a gimmick either.  These tacos have a flavor and a mouth feel unlike anything I have ever eaten before.  Man they were good, and I will have them every time I ever make it to San Antonio.  I will also try the Taco el Norteno since it’s so popular.

We did get to meet Helen, who was very gracious and posed for a picture.  She was pleased that we loved the tacos, and invited us to stay in touch with her after we get home.

The real kicker at Taco Taco Restaurant (It’s so nice they named it twice) was our waitress, Nelly.  The poor woman had to come to our table six or eight times while I asked her about all the different meat and taco combinations.  With a quiet strength and calm reserve, she suffered my barrage of questions and must have been quite relieved when we finally placed our order.  She was a good sport about it, and smiled the whole time.  She really cared that we would be delighted and happy with our food, which we were.  I asked how long she had been working there and she said, “From the beginning” (which was about fourteen years ago).  Well, you can’t argue with that.

Fish Taco with Poblano Sauce
at The Cove

After a few tacos to get the appetite flowing, we headed back to The Cove and decided that we just couldn’t leave town without trying their fish taco.  I am so glad we went back.  I got all my questions about the Texas Burger answered, and we got to meet Rudy the manager, John the bartender, and Lisa, the owner.  All great people.  I sampled a few of the local brews, and the real treat was the fish taco.  It was one of the best we’ve ever had.  The poblano sauce is truly inspired, and I can’t wait to get home and try to whip up a batch myself.  If my buddy in Dallas has enough gear, I might even try to whip up a batch there.

Dining Room and Bar at The Cove
(Let the Good Times Roll)

Rudy was so forthcoming on the burger description, I asked him what was in the Poblano sauce.  He just smiled big and said, “Poblanos.”  If you make it anywhere near San Antonio, you’ve got to try these tacos.  They’re so good, they don’t even need anything else on the menu.  We got a much better look around the place, confirmed my suspicions on the burger, and had a nice chat with Lisa.  I really fell in love with the place and give it my highest recommendation.

Let’s cover the burger first.  I had wanted to go back for the fish taco, and when I realized that I forgot to read the burger review in Texas Monthly magazine that clinched it.  The burger is from locally grown grass fed beef.  Super high quality.  As such, they don’t feel that the meat needs to be seasoned while cooking, especially given that it is charbroiled.  I respect that.  It could be a Texas thing.  Personally, I didn’t enjoy the burger as much as I would have liked to, and I feel that the seasoning may have been the missing ingredient for me that could have tied the whole burger together.  It’s an award winning burger, and relatively healthy as burgers go, but I’d rather have it my way.  As for my confusion over the magazine cover, the burger on the cover of the magazine was from a different restaurant.  The Texas Burger at the Cove placed fifth in the whole state, and the burger on the cover was number three.  No big deal.

We also talked to Rudy about the Freebird sandwich and what happened was that it was missing the spicy mayonnaise that we read on the menu.  I guess they were right in the middle of a menu change and so it was just a fluke.  Rudy had another sandwich made for us the way we were expecting it, and it was much more satisfying and scrumptious.

The chat with Lisa was very revealing.  What we see today as The Cove is the product of many years of hard work.  It’s flanked on one side by the car wash and the other by the laundromat.  They originally ran another business out of the middle and started The Cove with sandwiches and ice cream.  They started expanding, and kept adding on to it over the years, to include the full kitchen, the full bar, the spacious rear patios, and coming soon another expansion behind those.

I asked Lisa about their health conscious menu and the high quality ingredients.  She made the change in her life to eat right and source the best ingredients and decided that’s the kind of food she wants her restaurant to feature.  Bravo.  I really applaud the commitment to high quality, and combined with the great space/decor and the live music almost every night, I think The Cove is thee place to go for a great time in San Antonio.  I realize that I’m not a Texan, but the Cove symbolizes the embodiment of what I think Texas should be like.  Sprawling outdoor patios, live music, cold beer on tap, great food, and good times.  And just to show how much the owners of The Cove love their regular customers, they don’t stay open into the wee hours of the morning in the name of profits.  They roll up by midnight, even on Friday and Saturday; and want to see their customers keep coming back (safely).

It’s true that I wasn’t thrilled with their interpretation of the burger, but otherwise I just can’t say enough good things about The Cove.  It’s sure to make my Top Ten list for Texas.

We rolled out of The Cove and toured the Japanese Tea Gardens (which were fashioned out of an abandoned limestone quarry).  Following that, I indulged myself for a few hours at the local Sam Ash music store, which is the only one in Texas.  I hit the jackpot there too because it has one of the biggest drum displays in the country (of the brand I have in mind) and the national sales rep and his clinician/artist were there training the staff.  I got to look on in awe and amazement (and play four different sets).  It was a ton of fun for me, and gave me a chance to work up an appetite for the famous Salt Lick in Driftwood,Texas.

Next DDD Destination: Austin   DDD count: 220

The post San Antonio appeared first on KenHolloway.us.

Combo Platter at Thee Pitts Again

We drew a waitress named Tammy and she took good care of us.  She was warm and friendly, which is just how we like our servers.  We were a little frazzled from the long hot drive, and needed the TLC.  We ordered a 3/2 (three meats/two sides) of pulled pork, brisket, chop, and the sides of baked beans and mashed potatoes & gravy.  The meal includes corn bread with honey butter.  On balance, it was a satisfying meal at a good price.  Good portions, good value.  My favorite meat was the chop; which is a blend of beef, pork and ham, chopped up and cooked together in BBQ sauce.  It was very rich, and would probably make a killer sandwich.  Anna liked the pulled pork the best, and it was excellent (although I’m not a big fan of pulled pork).  The brisket was fair.  We both thought the baked beans were scrumptious and the mashed potatoes were piping hot.

Tammy told us that they make the mashed potatoes and gravy from scratch, and I just want to comment here that they tasted as if they had just won a contest for imitating the mashed potatoes and gravy at KFC.  I mean that in a good way.  Personally, I happen to like the flavors of the Colonel’s mashed potatoes and gravy (and so I was pleased); but it just struck me as odd when you’re not expecting it.  It’s been a long time since I’ve been to KFC, and maybe my palate is off; but they tasted and felt very similar to me.  The cornbread was good.  Anna said the honey butter was too sweet, and coming from her, well, I’d probably get a cavity just looking at it.  I went for the straight butter myself.

Overall it was a pleasant experience.  The place is charming and there are tons of memorabilia and pictures to look at.  Tons of trophies too.  We wandered up to the register and ended up having a nice long chat with Tammy and Megan, who happens to be the owner’s daughter.  We started off talking about Thee Pitts Again in particular, and then it descended into a DDD Phoenix free-for-all.  We were there at that deadish late afternoon lull between lunch and dinner and so the girls weren’t too busy.  Megan is a fan of the show and we got to hear some of her stories from the road.  Afterwards we memorialized the whole event with a picture of the girls with Anna (and one of their giant trophies).  We rolled out of there with smiles on our faces (and some sweet smoky BBQ grub in our bellies). Sadly, the pictures didn’t turn out; and come to think of it, when girls take pictures with big trophies aren’t they supposed to be wearing bikinis and high heels?  It’s too bad the pictures didn’t turn out because that’s where three lovely ladies met.

We jumped on the freeway for the drive north to Roberto’s Authentic Mexican Food (which has moved from its original gas station location).  We weren’t starving to death of course, but I knew I was in for a taqueria treat (and salivating like one of Pavlov’s dogs).  I already knew I was going to have my beloved tacos al pastor (and that makes me a happy guy).

Roberto’s is now located in an upscale strip mall and is very tastefully decorated and inviting.  The place is light, bright and spotless.  They also boast a large outdoor patio with plenty of seating and views of the surrounding hills.  One of the owners, Roger Amaya, was right there at the helm taking orders, serving food and wiping down tables.  He was very friendly and it was obvious to us that he loves making and serving their authentic Mexcan food (which is precisely the reason why we love DDD).

Super Fresh and Authentic Tacos Al Pastor
at Roberto’s Authentic Mexican Food

I wish we could have pigged out, but we had big dinner plans and needed to save our appetite.  We ordered some tacos al pastor and a fish taco.  Little did I know I was about to get blindsided.  Roger served the tacos himself, and it was hard to have to take the pictures first.  The al pastor tasted even better than it looks in the picture and these are big full-sized tacos.  I doused them good with the hot salsa and I was in taco heaven.  It was hard to stop eating long enough to try Anna’s fish taco, but I’m glad I did because it was one of the best fish tacos I’ve ever had.  I couldn’t believe all the flavors.  It was a masterpiece with delicately breaded and fried pollock.

Fish Tacos at Roberto’s Mexican Food
Crispy, Crunchy Deliciousness

The real kicker for me though was the fresh salsa.  It was without a doubt the best I’ve ever had anywhere (and that’s saying a lot).  It was super fresh, well balanced, and it will definitely get your attention on the back end.  On the front end you get the fresh tomato, garlic and cilantro; and the back end has some butt kicking habanero.  To put it as mildly as I possibly can, I was totally blown away.  I told Roger that I make salsa at home and asked if he could he help me with my recipe.  We talked about my recipe and then he told me that his was completely different (and completely secret).

Here’s the good news… Roger makes his killer salsas fresh every morning and you can have it shipped straight to your house.  Roger bottles the fresh salsa, packs it in dry ice, and it can be at your doorstep in a day or two.  Amazing.  Check out their website at www.robertosaz.com

Anna and Roger hanging out with Pancho

After I finished my tacos and licked the plate, I still had a little salsa left in the cup.  I tipped it back and got up to go wash my hands.  By the time I reached the bathroom, my mouth was on fire.  I was cursing myself, “Damn that was dumb!” (but it hurts so good).  It’s official.  In honor of my visit to Roberto’s, I’m going to compile my Top Ten list of favorite taco stands so that I can put them on it.

If you make it to Phoenix, go to Roberto’s and make sure you arrive starving to death.  Roberto’s has a full menu of other delights like burritos, taco salad, quesadillas and nachos.  They also serve ice cold adult beverages, so you get everything but the Mariachi band.  The food is killer, but it doesn’t even have to be good with that salsa.  As Guy often says, you could put that salsa on a flip flop and it would taste good.

After our brief stop at Alice Cooperstown we headed out to Joe’s Farm Grill for a full dinner.  I should mention that Alice Cooperstown has the most impressive display of rock memorabilia that I have ever seen (and that’s putting it mildly).

It was well after dark by the time we arrived at Joe’s Farm Grill.  We took a stroll around the grounds and gardens, but it was too dark to make anything out.  Back in the center of things, Joe’s is well lit with lots of inviting tables, indoors or out.  Joe’s Farm Grill also sports a Starship Enterprise apparatus that dispenses everything from ketchup to ranch dressing and barbecue sauce.  It’s a fully self-serve, grab whatever you want from drinks to gourmet mustards, napkins and toothpicks.  I was impressed.  I like to take care of myself and get what I want.  If I’m going to let a food server do it for me, I’m counting on him or her to be good at it.

Fontina Burger and Onion Rings
at Joe’s Farm Grill

We ordered most of the food that was featured on the show.  We started with the Fontina Burger which features a delectable char-broiled beef patty with Fontina cheese, grilled mushrooms, red peppers, and a pecan pesto.  The burger was good and evoked an Italian quality, with the rich pesto.  We accompanied the burger with an order of the onion rings; and they were crispy, crunchy and delicious.  We both agreed that they were under seasoned (and lacked that wow factor), but they were cooked perfectly and sported that rare perfect balance between onion and breading.

BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza
at Joe’s Farm Grill

The grand finale of the day was the BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza.  Wow.  This pizza features a blend of cheeses, smoked chicken, bacon, onions, BBQ sauce and finished with fresh basil.  It was a tasty treat that puts your taste buds in a tease between the sweet and savory, and between the crunchy and gooey.  Yum.  It was so big we couldn’t finish it and had to take the rest with us.  I would love to try the other flatbread pizzas.  It was a great first day in Phoenix and the next morning would begin with a visit to Matt’s Big Breakfast.  (Note: The leftover pizza was great the next morning).

If you love a good breakfast, you’re going to be a very happy camper with the food and the great service at Matt’s Big Breakfast.  They had recently moved to a much bigger location, but we still had to wait for a table.  I just couldn’t wait to get our order figured out, so I started asking questions to the lovely young woman at the cash register.  Her name is Kim and she answered all my questions, including the lunch menu.

Belgian Waffle with real maple syrup
and bacon at Matt’s Big Breakfast

By the time we got our table we were ready to order, and another lovely young woman, Trina, took our order for us.  Matt’s has a lot of staff for such a small place and you can see everyone working at the same time.  Besides Kim, there must have been six or seven other servers and four of five people in the kitchen, plus the owner, Erenia.  Although they do a team service at Matt’s, we were tended to quite nicely.

Chick & Pig at Matt’s Big Breakfast

I ordered the Chick & Pig which is the pork chop breakfast that they made on the show, and Anna ordered the Belgian waffle that comes with real maple syrup and bacon.  They offer a choice of hash browns or country fried potatoes (with onions and rosemary).  We shared everything, and every bite was scrumptious.  I don’t ordinarily order pork chops, but Guy liked it and I didn’t want to miss out.  The hash browns were a big hit.  They start with Yukon Gold potatoes and fry them in butter.  Nuff said.  Right after our food was served, Erenia brought us out an order of the country fried potatoes, on the house, and said that she wanted us to try them because it is her favorite.  How nice (and how tasty).  The bacon had a great flavor to it and the real maple syrup hit the spot on top of that golden waffle.  It was so much food, we almost couldn’t finish it all (which is a great problem to have when the food is that good).  We polished it off and licked the plates.

Kim, Erenia and Trina – Making sure you get the best service in town and the biggest smiles.

Between the three women, we just had the best time, and so I begged them to stop working long enough to let me take their picture together.  None of them wanted to, but I figured they might go along with it for a group shot.  It was a happy time for me, and I will always have the memory of the great food and service at Matt’s Big Breakfast.

We knocked around a bit and headed over to old town Glendale.  Our first destination was lunch at Haus Murphy’s.  Anna was still full from the big breakfast and so we just shared a Reuben sandwich with German potato salad.  I added on the cup of chef’s soup, and boy was it good.  It was so good, I added on another cup (for Anna).  I later talked to the chef and he insisted that it was a simple beef and vegetable soup.  It’s the end of summer and I can’t even remember the last time I made soup, but I was totally in love with this simple concoction.  Anna let me eat most of hers too since I liked it so much.

Reuben at Haus Murphy’s

As good as the soup was however, the Reuben stole the show.  The corned beef was succulent, juicy, sliced thin and piled high.  It was accompanied with house made sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, 1,000 Island dressing on the side, and perfectly grilled between two slices of locally baked Rye bread.  The meat was so juicy, it was literally dripping onto the plate just from holding the sandwich.  The bread was grilled with a generous amount of butter to give it that deep, soul-stirring crunch and flavor.  On balance it was a work of art, and it was big enough to where we were both full.

The sauerkraut was mild, which is the way I like it.  I love cabbage, but I don’t love sour/tart.  When I was a boy, my parents would put that canned sauerkraut on top of hot dogs and call it good.  They made me try it, and of course I hated it.  I thought, why would you ruin a perfectly good hot dog with that?  I spent a good portion of my life, in therapy, believing that I hated sauerkraut, when in fact sauerkraut is a great accompaniment to rich brats, dogs and corned beef.  I love its cousin, Cole Slaw, which is also great in the same capacity and a regular feature in our kitchen.  Cabbage is so good for you, the Cole Slaw is a guilt free pleasure.

Haus Murphy’s is a gigantic restaurant with lots of charm, and one of the biggest outdoor patios I’ve ever seen.  The service was good.  I wish we could have eaten more food.  They offer a big sampler platter for two, which would have been a much better reflection of the kinds of foods that makes Haus Murphy’s special; but I hated the idea of missing out on a killer Reuben sandwich, and I was glad I got it.  By the way, I can’t wait to get home and make some beef and vegetable soup.

Our dinner destination, La Piazza Al Forno, is just a rock throw away, and so we decided to stay right in the neighborhood and check out all the stores.  It was a fun way to spend the rest of the afternoon.  It was still brutally hot outside and the air conditioning in the stores was always a welcome relief.  They have a bunch of antique stores, and I found an old cook book for two bucks that I just couldn’t live without.  Anna found a French themed clothing boutique and I was going to wait on the porch out front (where men belong).  As I was looking around for a proper man’s chair, I noticed a see-through lace dress (ooh-la-la) that I thought Anna needed to try on (and took it in to her).  We made an afternoon out of the shopping and went in to dinner.

La Piazza Al Forno is a charming restaurant and tastefully decorated.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get to sit in it.  They put us out on the front patio.  Ordinarily we like to sit outside, but because of the heat, they had the patio screened off with some heavy plastic and it struck me as being in a construction site.  I didn’t like it one bit, and in hindsight, we should have waited for an indoor table.  No sooner did we get seated when they brought in a large extended family and pushed some tables together for them.  Our waitress was so busy taking care of them that our service was neglected.  So, we weren’t happy about that turn of events either.  I went inside to wash my hands, and walking through the dimly lit, air conditioned restaurant, seeing all the other diners at their intimate little tables enjoying a quiet old-world Italian dinner, it was like the feeling of being crammed in coach and walking through the first class-section.  Come to think of it, it was more like being crammed into the baggage compartment.  I came back out to the patio and told Anna to go in and check it out; see what it’s like for people to have a pleasant dining experience.

The Italian Stallion Pizza
at La Piazza Al Forno

Despite the unfortunate bad timing and poor seating, we were there for the food and the authentic pizza experience.  We ordered the Italian Stallion which boasts a proud display of oven-fired sausage, prosciutto, pepperoni and soprasetta.  They were generous with their toppings and the pizza was just as good as I was hoping it would be.  I loved every bite and the crust was super thin; part chewy part crunchy.  We also sampled the spaghetti pie, which was featured on the show.  The sauce was good, but I didn’t really care for the spaghetti.  I’m sure I would have been much happier with something more traditional, but I try to get the unique things that are featured on the show when I can.

Our waitress, Sandra, is the owner’s daughter, and she was very warm and friendly to us.  We liked her a lot, and would be happy to have her wait on us again.  She apologized that she wasn’t able to give us better service and she was sincere.  We also got to meet her brother, Justin, who graciously came out from the kitchen and wished us a hearty bon appetito for our dinner.  The star attraction of the whole restaurant is the pizza oven and I wanted to watch the action.  Unfortunately, it’s too conspicuous to stand there in the middle of the restaurant.  I love the kitchen action and watched for a few minutes anyway.  How often do you get the chance to watch old world style pizza getting made?  It’s a great pizza at a great price.  I’d like to try them all.  The pizza really hit the spot and made a nice ending to a great day in Flavortown USA.

We had a short wait for a table the next morning at Over Easy.  We got our deuce and drew a real friendly waitress named Cooper.  The place was hopping, just like Matt’s the previous morning.  The decor was light and bright, and the air was filled with the aromas of breakfast and the unmistakable din of chatter and knives/forks clinking on dishes.  They have a great menu selection, so you may have a tough time figuring out which of the great dishes is going to give you your fix.

Caramelized Banana & Pecan Brioche
French Toast at Over Easy

I wanted something light, so I went with the chicken fried steak, with country gravy and hash browns with a side of sourdough toast.  That is topped with a single egg (but two would have been better).  Anna ordered the Caramelized Banana and Pecan French Toast, which is served with butter and real maple syrup.  She had been looking forward to it for years, and there was no doubt she was going to be loving life soon.

We struck up a conversation with the couple at the next table who were visiting from Houston.  They are fans of the show and so the conversation turned to favorite places to eat.  We told them we were going to Houston ourselves in about a week and that we couldn’t wait to go to T-Bone Tom’s.  They said to be sure to try the Armadillo Eggs (which I already had on my radar).  I also told them that I couldn’t wait to make it over to Lankford Grocery, have a great burger, and meet Eydie.  The time flew by and our food was served.  Conversation would have been impossible.

Chicken Fried Steak and Egg Breakfast
at Over Easy

The chicken fried steak was piping hot and cooked perfectly.  Not too heavy, good flavor, and retaining a good amount of crunch under the gravy.  The hash browns were equally cooked well and tasty.  I was put off by the single egg, which I glossed over on the menu.  It’s just not right to serve a grown man a breakfast and not have at least two eggs.  I’m sure it’s more a matter of artistic license/culinary interpretation than it is of cutting costs, but it didn’t fly too well with me.  As far as I know, just about every restaurant in the country who serves a full breakfast, serves at least two eggs.  It’s called bacon and eggs, not egg.  Now, I’m going to have to be on my guard and parse every word on the menu like a lawyer (which I hate to have to do).

Anna with Cooper at Over Easy

Cooper rolled back around and I asked for some extra butter for my toast.  She insisted that I would like to have more gravy as well, and I didn’t see the point in arguing with her.  I was pretty sure there was enough gravy as it was, but I was raised on gravy and just couldn’t say no.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Cooper at first, but we really ended up hitting it off and I like her a lot.  She won me over.  She’d been working there for years, and she also works at another popular restaurant for nearly twenty years.  I asked her point blank if she worked so hard because she needed the money, or if it’s because she loves it.  I’m happy to report it was the latter, and it shows in her service.  I asked her if she likes rock and roll (she does) and so I told her to check out Alice Cooperstown.

Meanwhile, Anna was chipping away at her French Toast, as happy as a dog at a belly rubbing party.  I got a couple of bites in late, and was very impressed with the balance of flavors, not too sweet; and more importantly, it had the satisfying mouth feel of custard.  I don’t know if was the French Toast itself, or the caramelized banana; but either way it was delicious and satisfying.

Other than the missing second egg (which was irksome but not critical) our breakfast at Over Easy was a grand slam home run.  The prices are good, the food is excellent, the service and staff were great, and the menu selection is inviting.  The owner was even there (although we didn’t get a chance to meet him).  Speaking of the menu, I have to confess; they have a fried chicken and waffle on the menu… and I gave it some thought.  It probably would have been a great time to give it a whirl (now that I know how good the food is), but I chickened out.  If we had time to go back, I would try it for sure.  We really enjoyed chatting with the couple at the next table, and will carry warm and fuzzy thoughts about Cooper rocking out the great food service.  I’ll bet she’s a kick in the pants.

My heart goes out to Guy Fieri for not liking eggs.  I positively love eggs and have them every morning.  That’s probably one of the biggest differences between us, if you overlook the fact that he is rich and famous, has a supportive and loving family, tons of friends (many of which are famous too), and gets treated like a rock star everywhere he goes. Other than those few things, we’re very much alike.  We totally dig food and cooking, we love to entertain people, we both have a goofy sense of humor and we’re not afraid to put it out there (or laugh at our own jokes).  If I ever get to meet him, among other things, I’d like to ask him how cool it was to be at Billy Joel’s The Last Play at Shea.  That was a concert for the ages, and it looked like Guy was right there in the front row with none other than Billy Joel’s wife, the lovely and talented Katie Lee Joel.  It must have been a blast.

We headed over to downtown Scottsdale to see the river/canal and a particular pet boutique for Anna (the dog nut).  Anna loved the boutique, the friendly owner, and the clever name (Oh My Dog).  Even the little bag to hold the dog treats was a work of art.  As it turns out, there is a whole area of shops, fountains, galleries and restaurants; and so it ended up being a great place to get in some walking before it got too hot.  I wanted to go hike on Camelback Mountain, but it was too hot and Anna wasn’t dressed for it.

We sauntered up to Los Taquitos for some tacos.  We ordered four tacos: one fish, one carne asada, and two al pastor.  If you’re hearing about Los Taquitos for the first time, I’m happy to report that these tacos are killer good.  The al pastor tacos were cooked perfectly, and the real kicker was the carne asada.  The flavor on the meat was like steak. Good steak.  It was so good, I was sorry we only ordered one; since I had to share it with Anna.  I could have very easily ordered more tacos and scarfed them down, but I’ve learned that I have to pace myself when we’re hitting three or four places in a day.

Tacos Al Pastor and Carne Asada
at Los Taquitos.  A trio of some of the
best tacos in America.

The restaurant was nice and inviting.  You order and pay at the counter and they call out your number when you’re food is ready.  They put out their salsas in squeeze bottles, and of course I immediately went for the hot (the solid red bottle).  This location also has a bar.  These tacos will easily make my Top Ten list and I will try to make it back before we leave town.  I would have liked to make it back to Roberto’s as well, but they are closed on Sundays.

About the time we finished our tacos, a woman came out from the back who appeared to be one of the five sisters (and indeed she was).  We went up to talk to her and she was very friendly.  Her name is Rosie and she had stopped by with her daughter, Shyla.

Anna and Rosie at Los Taquitos

We really hit it off with Rosie and pumped her for all kinds of information about the food, their growing family business, and what it was like working with Guy Fieri.  The whole conversation started out simply enough because I wanted to rave about how great the tacos were.  Although Rosie was very gracious, she wasn’t the least bit surprised; so I’m sure she hears that a lot.  The tacos speak for themselves and they really are amazing.

In the process of talking with her, I came up with an idea for their growing family empire.  The people at the next table at Over Easy were there to investigate a franchising opportunity and so I had franchising on the brain.  I suggested to Rosie that they take their taco recipe and create a franchise called Five Sisters Tacos.  So if you’d like to enjoy these great tacos in your part of the country, start pouring in the cards and letters for Five Sisters Tacos.  You heard it here first and I get five percent.  Unbeknownst to Rosie, I’d already written in my book Millionaire Wealth about building a taco empire.  We hated to tear ourselves away from the visit, but we knew we were keeping her from the rest of her day.  Rosie graciously posed with Anna for a picture to commemorate the great time we all had.  I hope we get to see her again someday.  Did I mention that Rosie is gorgeous?  We already knew that her sister Vickie is gorgeous, so I suspect it runs in the family.  Maybe I should amend the title of the new franchise… Five Knock-Out Gorgeous Sisters Tacos.  It’s a bit wordy, but it would probably sell more tacos.  We’ll use the allure to bring them in, and the tacos to keep them coming back. That’s the ticket.  Or as Guy says, “That’s money.”

We later stopped in at Giuseppe’s on 28th (as seen on the Food Network) for some Italian fare.  Located in a strip mall, the place is tight, with a small dining room all commanded by one server who did everything.  He was quite a character, and he took good care of us.  We ordered the bolognese tagliatelle and a meatball submarine sandwich.

Bolognese Tagliatelle at
Giuseppe’s on 28th

The bolognese was a total delight.  The flavors of the meats were developed so deeply that I wondered if it was ever going to find a bottom.  It was an amazing experience, especially with the perfectly cooked fresh pasta.  The dish satisfied just as I was hoping it would, so I was a happy camper.  The meatballs were excellent as well, although we weren’t impressed with their interpretation of a sandwich.  The waiter suggested that we order it with cheese and peppers, but I just wanted to enjoy the flavors of the meatballs.  By contrast, the fresh bread they served with the pasta was high on flavor and light as air.  The owner was not there and so we didn’t get a chance to meet him.  I was hoping to chat with him about his world travels.

Chino Bandido Combo
Funky good eats.

Our last stop for the day was Chino Bandido.  I had the menu and ordering process figured out before we got there (so I wouldn’t have to look like a rube).  We split a combo plate with Jade Red Chicken, pork fried rice, machaca as a quesadilla and refried beans.  Although the dining room had seen better days, the staff was super friendly and very helpful.  We got situated and the food was piping hot when they brought it out to us.  Anna and I both agreed that everything was delicious and done right.

Ay Yay Yay Yay, The Infamous Chino Bandido

It’s no wonder they have been so successful for so long (almost 23 years).  We enjoyed looking at the wall full of accolades, and we even got a picture of the rare species— Chino Bandido, which is hardly ever spotted north of the Rio Grande or even outside of the Orient.  We’re hoping to submit our picture to National Geographic and see if they will pay us a big fat chunk of change.

Phoenix was a great outing for us.  I’d been looking forward to it for years and it did not disappoint.  We got great food everywhere we went, and got to meet lots of great people. If I ever make it back to Phoenix, I won’t have to worry about finding a good place to eat.  I can’t wait to get home and order that habanero salsa from Roger at Roberto’s.  On our way out of town, we stopped at Chompie’s Deli to try the Jewish Slider that was featured on Man Versus Food (loved it).  We also stopped at the original location of Los Taquitos and ordered five more of their incredible tacos.  They’re so good, they’re haunting.  Getting good al pastor has been a slam dunk for me from my favorite burrito truck over the last 20 years.  But, the carne asada tacos at Los Taquitos just blew me away.  Crazy good.

Next DDD Destination: San Antonio    (DDD Count: 211)

Update: January 2014  

DDD has returned to Phoenix and I am looking forward to going back again soon.  I’ve got some new friends to visit, new dishes to sample and of course some old favorites.  I’m also planning to go there for the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving.  And for all my golfing friends, be sure to check out my favorite golf instructor, Martin Chuck, at the Tour Striker Golf Academy at the Raven. With so much to offer, it looks like I’ll be making several repeat visits to Phoenix. Hope to see you there.

The post Phoenix appeared first on KenHolloway.us.

Mixed Grill at Forte

We first headed to Forte European Tapas Bar & Bistro.  We were way too early for dinner and so we didn’t have to wait for a table.  The décor inside has to be seen to be believed.  It was very colorful yet elegant.  Our server, Denitza, took great care of us; and we got to meet the owner, Nina Manchev.  If you haven’t seen the DDD segment, I don’t want to spoil it for you.  If you have seen it, then you’ll understand all the fun things we had to talk to Nina about, not the least of which is the great food.  Nina is talented, sharp, warm and gracious.  She posed for a picture with Anna but sadly it did not turn out.

Beef Stroganoff at Forte

We ordered the mixed grill plate that was made on the show, as well as an order of beef stroganoff.  We were first served an irresistible basked of bread called Lepina.  The rest of the food came out promptly and it was a delight.  All three sausages were great, and our favorite was the Kebabche (the one in the foreground).  The salad, slaw, and sauce made for a fun variety of tasting sensations.  The stroganoff was the best I can ever remember having in a restaurant (note it was more of a tapas portion than an entrée portion).  Between the two dishes, the bread, the great service and lovely atmosphere, Forte was a big hit with us and it gets our highest recommendation.  It’s a little off the strip, but well worth the short trip.

Bachi Dog & Ox-tail Chili
at Bachi Burger

Our last stop for the night was at Bachi Burger.  They were packed, but it was a very short wait.  The place has high ceilings and is decorated elegantly with a minimalist theme.  I liked it a lot.  The service was great too.  I was looking for a great and unique food tasting experience.  Unfortunately, the flavors just didn’t quite work for me.  We ordered the Kiki Burger, the Bachi Dog, the ox-tail chili, and an order of fries with a spicy garlic aioli.  The fries and the Bachi Dog were out of the park home runs.  I was trying to fall in love with the chili, but it had beans in it and they seemed undercooked to me.  I sent it back.

Kiki Burger at Bachi Burger

If I can quote George Michael, the burger was just too funky for me.  I can appreciate that it was made to represent the finest of its kind.  However, it was oddly sweet and even a bit sticky.  I love Asian flavors, but the burger just didn’t work for me.  I wasn’t upset, just disappointed.  We ate it anyway. The manager was concerned about our satisfaction with the food.  Although they were still packed, he wanted to hear all about the food and make sure that we left happy.  I made it clear that there wasn’t anything wrong with the burger, I just didn’t care for it.  He wanted to take it off the bill, but I wanted to pay for it.  He left it on the bill for us, but offered us a peanut butter milk shake (which was dreamy).

Bachi Fries with Garlic Aioli

Even though we didn’t care for that particular burger, we give Bachi Burger high marks for great service, great décor, customer satisfaction and good food.  I’d go back myself and try some of the other fare.  I’ve figured out (finally) that I don’t care for brioche buns, sweet or not.  I just don’t like the texture or the mouth feel.

We started the next day at John Mull’s Road Kill Grill for lunch.  The food was great.  Getting the food was not so great.  There was a line out the door for a little cafeteria style food station.  The choice was like: 1, 2, or 3 meats and 2 sides.  Not rocket science.  Yet, it seemed to take forever to get people served up and moving through the line; during which time it was uncomfortably crowded and hot.  The three or four people there working the line were polite and friendly, but they were acting like it was their first day on the job.

Three Meats and Two Sides
at the Road Kill Grill (aka Lunch)

I didn’t see the point in both of us standing in the tight little space, so I suggested that Anna wait outside.  Anna wanted macaroni and cheese.  I was going to get baked beans for the second side, but the green beans looked irresistible (calling me to my Southern roots).  Our three meats were two of my favorites—brisket and hot links, and Anna’s favorite—pulled pork.  By the time I got lunch, Anna had secured us a nice table and was deep into conversation with a family at the next table.  They were on summer vacation and touring all the way from the mid-west.  They were big fans of DDD and we started trading travel stories.

It was a big day for us because we were going to hit our 200^th place, and it was a big day for them too because it was the daughter’s birthday (Victoria) who was turning a sweet 15.  A great time was had by all, and the food was excellent.  Anna and I took turns picking at it while the other carried the conversation and regaled the traveling family with our stories and adventures.  There must be thousands and thousands of hard core DDD fans with lots of places under their belts, but we haven’t had much of an opportunity to visit with many yet.  We told them we’d like to stay in touch and wished them happy trails.

Platter of Tacos at Yayo Tacos

Anna and I shared a lunch because we needed to save room for Yayo Tacos, which is a casual place right across the street from UNLV.  The girl at the front was very friendly and attentive, even though it was her first day on the job.  We ordered a sampler platter of four tacos: barbacoa, al pastor, picadillo, and carne asada, which were accompanied with generous portions of two side dishes (sweet potato fries, tortilla chips), as well as pico de gallo, and a soda.  I’d say you better hurry over to Yayo Tacos because they will be out of business soon.  The tacos were delicious and each taco had enough meat for two or three tacos.  It ended up being so much food, we were barely hungry when we headed over to Lola’s.  The huge platter of food was at least half price from what it should have been.  Maybe they’re selling enchiladas for $100 or something to average out the tacos, but I hope they are still there the next time we want tacos by UNLV.

Jambalaya at Lola’s

We called Lola’s before we left home.  We picked it in advance to be our 200^th place and we wanted to make sure that we’d be able to meet Lola while we were there.  We didn’t talk to Lola in advance, but we were told that she is almost always there while they are open.  That was good enough for us to take our chances.

Lola and Anna

We arrived at Lola’s a little before the dinner rush.  Lola was available and gave us a hearty welcome.  She gave us her undivided attention and chatted with us until the dinner rush started.  I’d never seen a restaurant get packed so fast.  We were lucky to get a table at all, not having a reservation.  Lola herself was very warm and gracious and even posed for a picture with Anna.

Shrimp Po-boy at Lola’s

We have not been to New Orleans for the food as of yet.  I was considering this as my first opportunity to have a fried shrimp po-boy.  We also sampled the Jambalaya.  I’m happy to report that the food was capital D Delicious.  Lola has a real passion for the authentic Louisiana flavors, which is just what we were looking for.  The super fresh and perfectly grilled bread complemented the satisfying contrast of the hot GBD fried shrimp with the cold snap of the lettuce, tomatoes and dressing.  I was happy to savor every bite.  The picture does not begin to do the po-boy justice.

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

Our server took good care of us, and just about the time we were finished, Lola came back out to our table and treated us to dessert.  We ordered the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding.  Yes, that’s all wrapped up into one dessert.  Bread pudding made with banana bread and fresh bananas topped with caramel sauce.  It is so rich and gooey, it has to be cut with a delicious scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to balance out the sweetness.  Boy, they like it sweet in the South.  This could be the best Louisiana food outside of Nawlins, or at least this side of the Rockies.

Lola’s is very impressive and gets our highest recommendation.  I went back to Lola’s a few weeks later and ordered the roast beef po-boy (which is the po-boy that Lola made for Guy on the show).  It was succulent and satisfying.  I also took some friends to the Four Kegs and got them turned on to the Strombolis (which was my third visit).  I finally got my Stromboli fix and decided that on my next visit I will try the Sicilian Pizza (promise).  The Stromboli looks deceptively easy to make, but that dough must be made with some kind of magic dust or something.  I better change the subject or I will start drooling all over my desk.

Meatball Pizza at Naked City Pizza

201… Our next DDD spot was Naked City Pizza (the next day).  It was dark inside and the first thing we noticed was that everyone was dressed, including our waitress.  I guess the “Get Naked” tee-shirts are referring to something besides people.  So that was a relief (we were ready to strip it down for some great pizza).  We had a friend of ours with us and we ordered two pizzas.  A combo pizza, and the meatball pizza which was made on the show.  We all agreed that the meatball pizza was crazy good.

Naked City Pizza

The meatballs were rich and succulent and combined with the spinach, creamy ricotta cheese and white garlic sauce to make an incredible taste sensation.  We would have liked more of the meatballs, but otherwise it was a masterpiece.  The second pizza was great too, but paled by comparison to the meatball pizza.  They have lots of other great food on the menu and I’ll be surprised if we don’t end up back there soon. The chef and owner, Christopher, was too busy to make it out to our table, but he did thank us for coming in.

So there’s the first 200 plus one.  We expect to have a big Texas trip coming soon. Thanks for reading and sharing our stories.  I hope that we will be able to keep them coming.

The post Las Vegas (2) appeared first on KenHolloway.us.