Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

A friend of mine thougthfully purchased a Bacon Love 365day calendar for me for Christmas. So many mouth watering facts and quotes, but one page imparticular led me to an alarm clock on bacontoday.com which led me to this.... Bacon Cinnamon Rolls. The recipe seems easy enough especially cause you can use store bought ingredients. Definitely going to try these but I had to share....I love sweet and savory and I LOVE bacon. mmmmm.....bacon

Alan Wong's - A Taste of Hawaii

I had the pleasure of enjoying a seven course tasting at Alan Wong's Restaurant on my vacation....I promise I will mention the more off the beaten path places but I thought this a good place to start. Wong is one of if not the best chef of Hawaii's regional cuisine. He opts to use regional ingredients and merge them together with a modern take. Restaurant service was amazing and the place was small with a clear view into the kitchen which was interesting for a fine dining restaurant but very fitting to create a cozy ambiance. I chose the seven course tasting menu....to start I had Ahi tartare with coconut ceviche. The ahi and the citrus in the sauce made it absolutely delightful. The small dab of coconut cream and caviar on top took it to another level. Second course was a soup and sandwich....chilled vine ripened tomato soup with grilled mozzarella cheese and a foie gras and kalua pig sandwich. The soup and mozzarella were a perfect combination. I couldn't quite taste the foie gras in the sandwich but the pork was tender with a hint of sweetness. In the picture is what came on my friends plate which was seared ahi inside some fried strings and avocado. For my third course, I had seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Ling Ming Hui Chutney. The foie was cooked absolutely perfect and the chutney added a slight sweetness to the dish. There was shrimp and pork mixed in as a delightful twist. I almost didnt want this one to end but there was still more to come. The fourth course was steamed Opakapaka(Hawaiian red snapper) The fish melted in my mouth but here the sauce was an absolute star. Tasted more of an asian influence in this dish as the sauce was spicy like a curry with hints of coconut. Left my mouth stinging but was very very tasty. Next up was the way I want the rest of my life to be......butter poached. Butter poached Kona Lobster with spicy corn and lobster broth spiked with Okolehao(Hawaiian spirit from Ti plant). I've had lobster several places before but never this tender the fork merely touched and it fell apart. Lots of citrus and coconut in the broth ....refreshing and savory all at the same time. Finally the main course Okinauwan sweet potato flan, fried mozzarella, Maui Cattle beef rib eye with bone marrow butter, and beef burger. I started with the flan that had a very slight crisp top and perfectly soft texture. Sweeter than the sweet potatoes I'm used to but still savory. The fried cheese had a surprise in it mixed with what to me tasted like potato and butter. It was the only thing that was just okay on the plate. The ribeye was so tender and juicy. It was one of those steaks that you bite into and your salivary glands explode. I was content after I had that. The burger was good too but couldnt hold its own after tasting the steak. For dessert I had Strawberries Romanoff, Hawaii Island Goat Dairy Panna Cotta, Kula Strawberry-Hibiscus Soup, Goat Cheese Sorbet, Hawaiian Vanilla Sabayon. The sorbet with the strawberries were a perfect pair. My friend's dessert was much more playful and fun it was called "The Coconut"- Haupia(Hawaiian for coconut) Sorbet in a Chocolate Shell, Tropical Fruits and Lilikoi Sauce. Lilikoi(passion fruit) appears in lots of places around town. At the swap meet I bought fresh pineapple topped with the pulp or powder of it. Overall Alan Wong's Restaurant provided a wide range of what the island had to offer in a more refined setting. Just made me more more excited for what I might find elsewhere on the island. I remembered Wong appeared in the finale of Top Chef season 2 and after reading about him decided that would be a must on my trip. Well worth it. Mahalo Mr. Wong.

American Pancake

I recently visited Las Vegas and had brunch at the Wynn hotel. I think I tasted everything but one thing stood out more than anything else: the American Pancake.

It was a mini sweet (but not too sweet) pancake topped with a slice of cheddar cheese, hickory smoked bacon and peach chutney. If anyone knows how to make this (the pancake part) please let me know. It has been one day since I had it and I've already managed to dream about it three times.

Texas Monthly's Top 50 Mexican Restaurants

Texas Monthly posted its top 50 Mexican Restaurants list recently: http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/eatmywords/?p=1573

As you can tell by the comments, Mexican food in Texas is a hotly debated topic. What's better: Yellow cheese? Cotija? Who has homemade flour or corn torillas? Should tex-mex be included on a list of Mexican restaurants? So many questions! I do know I'm jealous of the people who got to taste test and had the hard work of narrowing down the list to 50.

I haven't eaten at all of these places. I can vouch for Curra's in Austin - my favorite mexican breakfast spot - but I can't for Fonda San Miguel as a I got a mad case of food poisoning from there. However, my biggest complaint: Where the heck is La Mexicana from Pharr, Texas??

BEST FAJITAS EVER

It's a travesty that La Mexicana is not included.

Gypsy Picnic Letdown

I was beyond excited when it was announced that this year Auditorium Shores would host the very first Gypsy Picnic. 30 of Austin's favorite food trailers would be in the same location offering sample sized options for $3 a pop (and some regular menu items at regular cost), live music would be provided and beer would be for sale – so basically this was a perfect Austin event. Until you got there. First off parking was a mess - the Settlement Garage Sale was going on as was an event called Barkitecture. When you finally got to the Gyspy Picnic the lines for each trailer were ridiculously long. We stayed for about 10 minutes before deciding it would be in my stomach's best interest to just go eat elsewhere which was probably for the best as I heard some trailers ran out of food. That was everyone else’s idea too as the waits at all the nearby restaurants were long as well (the poor guy at A Touch of Fire thai food trailer truck down Barton Spring was so overwhelmed I think he needed a hug - I didn't give him one but I will be back to try those thai tacos). I guess the event was overmarketed and the planners had zero idea the crowd it would attract. I was really looking forward to trying the brisket and cheesy mashed potato sandwich from 86 This, a bacon ice cream on a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich from Coolhaus, and a bahn mi taco from The Peached Tortilla but I guess I’ll have to do that at another time. I didn’t get around to taking any pictures but this sums up how I felt:

Reale's - Austin, TX - August 28, 2010

Unfortunately for Italian food in Austin, the dreadful Romeo's and the terminally disappointing Mandola's get a lot of ink.  After that all that is left are chains (Maggiano's has been reviewed on this site).  A restaurant that doesn't get as much hype as it should is Reale's, which is absolutely the best red-sauce Italian restaurant in Austin.  It is go-to comfort food for my wife and me.  When I first moved to Austin I couldn't find decent Italian food similar to the great red sauce Italian restaurants found in San Antonio 20 years ago (Caparelli's comes to mind).  Then I went to Reale's and my search was over.

The first time I had manicotti I was a child on a family vacation and the manicotti was made by my cousin.  I was hooked.  What could be better than enchiladas?  How about Italian enchiladas?  That's how I viewed them as a kid and how I continue to describe them today.

Our meals at Reale's start with an appetizer, bruchetta - basil, olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, and tomatoes on top of toasted French Bread.  It's wonderful, full of garlic and basil flavors that meld with the mozzarella.  I've managed to copy the Reale's version (an upcoming post) and am very pleased with the results.

Entrees are followed by a salad with the house dressing.  The dressing has a nice vinegary bite that, paired with the bread sticks, could be a meal all themselves.

The manicotti is one of my top ten meals.  Thin and light manicotti tubes are filled with a tasty Béchamel that isn't overly creamy and is seasoned well.  Reale's marinara sauce is full of garlic and wine flavor (I still haven't been able to duplicate the sauce), and it is perfect on top of the manicotti.  The flavor is complimentary to the filling and is also great on it's own.  I always finish up the sauce on my plate with a bread stick.

The Reale's waitstaff is always on the ball and they help make the dining experience even better.  We've been eating there for seven years and most of the servers I have seen there for all seven.  The restaurant is family owned and they do make patrons feel welcome.  Highly recommended.

Happy Halloween, non-food, unfashionable edition

I present Serena's outfit in the Gossip Girl episode "Easy J".

I'm a sexy Darth Vader!

Awful.

XOXO - Jimbo

It's you that I Adore

Taylor "Little J" Momsen showed up in Los Angeles this week looking like she was suffering from tuberculosis. 

"Not exactly royalty uptown"

Being close to Halloween this could have been her attempt to look like everyones' favorite "lunger" Doc Holliday,



"Very cosmopolitan."

or Billy Corgan from 12 years ago.

"you will always be my whore."

I guess TB is the new look for fall.

XOXO - Jimbo

Ribeye at home - September 4, 2010

This was dinner on 9-4-2010:  A half ribeye cooked medium, Eckridge smoked sausage, homemade macaroni and cheese (with the disappointing Hatch chiles), mixed vegetables, grilled zucchini squash, a half baked potato, and some toasted bread. 

This was an excellent and well rounded meal.  The grilled zucchini and the macaroni and cheese were particularly palate pleasing.  Although the macaroni would have been better without the chiles.  The steak might have been cooked a little over medium, but that's because I have a new grill that I'm still getting used to.

That is sour cream AND mayonnaise on the baked potato.  DON'T JUDGE ME!

Bert's Bar B-Q - Austin, TX, October 21, 2010

The Austin area is well known for its great BBQ.  In fact, it is probably unrivaled for Texas style beef brisket BBQ.  As this several years old Slate article can attest to, here and here.  Not everywhere can be the "best" or pilgrimage worthy however.  That doesn't mean it can't have really good BBQ.  For Austinites who can't go to Lockhart, Taylor, Llano, or Lexington on their lunch breaks there are several in-town options.  Rudy's is probably the best known, but there is also Ruby's (never eaten), Bill Miller (personal and family favorite), Iron Works (never eaten), Stubbs (fortunate to have a concert business to keep them afloat), and Poke-E-Jos (just OK). One of the places that can get lost in the shuffle is Bert's. 

Bert formerly had a location near the UT campus (that was one block from a fire station) that burned down when 911 told a caller "don't worry about it, the smoke is just the BBQ".  It wasn't.  Luckily for lovers of UT campus traditions they maintain another location on Far West.

I used to be pretty boring with my lunch choice at Bert's.  I stuck to the brisket plate or the brisket sandwich with one side.  What I should have been ordering was a true Bert's tradition, the T-Man.  After ordering it once I never looked back.

Long live the T-Man

The paper tray contains all kinds of BBQ goodness.  First, BBQ beans, then sausage and chunks of sliced brisket all drowned in sauce (I ask for extra sauce).  You get your choice of white or "wheat" bread.  Bert's brisket is very good.  It doesn't have an overwhelming smoky flavor and is fork tender.  The beans are BBQ style with chili powder but it's the right amount, and they don't taste anything like those horrible "ranch style" beans that come in the black labeled can.  The sausage is nothing special, but mixed into the T-Man it is complementary.  The thin sauce is one of my favorites.  I prefer it to Rudy's and Poke-E-Jos.  Like most BBQ restaurants pickles and onions are available at the bar.

The regular T-Man is $6.50 and the large T-Man is $8.50.  It is on special on Tuesdays for $5.99/$7.99.  The T-Man does have several customizable options.  Cheese can be added for $.50.  It can be turned into a Turbo T-Man, a small T-Man and small Frito pie mixed together.

Head to Bert's and give it a try.

Cut It Out

On Gossip Girl, "A Touch of Eva", Serena wore a dress that everyone seemed to love, but was universally hated at my house.

Blair, exasperated at the attention Serena's horrible dress is garnering

What's with the cut outs?  Why is the dress so high waisted?  Are rib cages the new ass?  It's awful.  Once again she's totally outclassed by Blair and no one seems to notice.

Obligatory food:  Vanessa made Dan pancakes because he was sad about his not-son, and his horrible haircut.

XOXO - Jimbo

Why I Workout

So I figured my first post should be be something mind blowing and make you want more...then I decided screw it! Just post something already! Mondays are usually my longest day at the gym to help propel my progress for the week should I screw up my eating which I usually do. This week I did 40 minutes of cardio and then BodyPump . So of course after that I felt entitled to a treat and there is a conveniently located Church's Chicken on the way home from the gym. Here is my order....They didnt have spicy but it was still delicious. I understand it's not down home southern but its my preference when I need a fix. The perfect crispiness of the skin and the chicken even the white meat was juicy and flavorful. It may have set back my week a little but totally worth it. I did add some jalapenos for that kick to my metabolism.....but really just cause you HAVE to when you eat this fried chicken. Until next time..... I promise it will only get better

Whole Foods lunch - Austin, TX, October 19, 2010

I've been sick (not a stomach issue!!!) the past week which has resulted in decreased appetite and decreased posting. I went to Whole Foods Gateway, but just wasn't in the mood for my go-to (and currently unwritten about) "best sandwich ever", so I opted for pizza. Thankfully they had plain pepperoni today as opposed to their oft served pepperoni and jalapeño. It is a good deal for lunch, $2.99 for a slice and $5 for two slices.

Whole Foods pepperoni pizza

I was underwhelmed, this could have been my recent illness, but it seemed to me that they've changed the sauce from my previous Whole Foods pizza purchase. The pepperonis were very large and tasty, and the crust (for a thin pizza) was very good also. Unfortunately my heart wasn't into it, and I only ate one slice. Even with the sauce change, it's still a good deal for lunch, and the pizza is better than Papa Johns, Double Dave's, and the last time I had Gattis.

The soap at the WF made my hands smell like Fruity Pebbles.

Chipotle

Dear Chipotle,

We need to talk. When it comes to a relationship, there has to be some sort of compromises made. I know that you offer me burritos, bowls, tacos (with crispy or soft corn or flour tortillas), and even salads, but there is still something that bothers me. I like guacamole. I really do. Yours is delicious and seems to be made fresh on the premises daily. The thing is.....must you charge me $1.75 to add it to my meal? I know, I know - the quality is amazing. It's just -hmmm,how do I say this - you're smothering me, er, my burrito bowl. I don't need a pint of guac on top of my food.






Like the old saying goes, "Where's the Beef?" No, seriously, I can't find it.







Could you please offer me like a $.50 portion? My girlfriends (the cast of Sex and the City) said sometimes its not the size that matters, its how you use it. In this case I recommend using it a little more sparingly. As a really really smart and I'm sure extremely reliable (and not at all manipulative) website taught me, "A ɡrеаt test οf a man’s trυе feelings іѕ tο mаkе yourself scarce....It’s thаt longing tο see уου thаt wіƖƖ push hіm tο want tο bе together wіth уου permanently." Lets give that a shot.


xoxo,
tre

TV Food Pairings: 30 Rock

In honor of 30 Rock’s very meta, LIVE!!! episode this week I was encouraged to finally post about my love of television and food.

It all stems from me telling someone I had to have Italian food on a Wednesday night so I could have an excuse to drink red wine with the crew on Cougartown.

I realized when LOST was on that it was not only the show I looked forward to the most, but it became an event where I’d cook and my fellow LOSTies would come over. We’d eat and drink and hold each other’s hands in case there was a sad Sun/Jin moment. So to me, television watching has become almost as much about the food as about the show itself.

It’s not necessarily about what the tv show puts you in the mood to eat (e.g. pineapple during Hawaii 5-0), but it could also be about food products the show created or featured (e.g. Apollo Bars during Lost) . So back to 30 Rock. Liz Lemon loves food so much that this hangs in her office:

So what better show than this to post my first TV/Food pairing for?

30 Rock fits into the category where you’d have a 30 Rock themed meal. When Dealbreakers began she sang for someone to bring her some ham (Plus, the spokesperson for Jon Hamm’s John Ham has been a frequent and well received guest star). I also faintly remember her walking around with a deli-meat tray at some point in the first season. Ham sandwiches could be a great 30 Rock meal if you were in a hurry. The side of Sabor de Soledad is optional. However, my suggestion for the perfect 30 Rock meal would have to be Cheesy Blasters.

Here's the recipe:

Your final product should look something like this:

(http://www.thisiswhyyourefat.com/?p=553684286 )

Enjoy! Oh, and thanks Meat Cat. Be careful on that skateboard.

Fully Vested

These have been lazy days at comidablog.  I haven't been writing, but I have been eating and watching TV.

In the last two years there seems to be an explosion of TV characters dressing like Han Solo.  This is particularly pronounced on Gossip Girl, as Dan has never seen a vest he doesn't like.  Mr. Schuester from Glee is also partial to vests.  Here they are doing their best Han Solos.

Dan Solo with Serena (who is wearing maternity clothes), and Han Schuester

However no one has pulled off Han Solo better than Chuck Bass, and we know Chuck would shoot first.

Chuck Solo and the actual Han Solo

It's not the first time Gossip Girl has dressed their characters like other famous characters.

Vanessa and Fred Flintstone

Obligatory Food:  One time Serena dressed like a vintage Burger King.

We will get back to the food soon.
XOXO - Jimbo

The Alamo Drafthouse asks for menu help

The Alamo Drafthouse is asking for help with their menu.  They need it.  I love the Drafthouse, and don't watch movies anywhere else, but that's because they don't allow kids and the patrons are very well behaved.  After all Ann Richards will take your ass out. 

Food has always been an afterthought for me at the Drafthouse.  I'm pretty sure the first time I went was 12 years ago, and I had heard all the raves about the food, particularly the burgers.  It was awful.  The burger was dry and tasteless.  It was the first of many food disappointments to come from their kitchens.

I know they have a real chef and their food is supposed to be restaurant quality, but it just isn't.  Their food is nothing more than overpriced concession stand food.  In fact, the Pizza Patron at the American Airlines Center was better than anything I've had at the Drafthouse.  But you know what?  That's OK.  I've come to accept it.  They do a great job with the movie going experience and with providing an entertaining time for a really great price.  I really love the place and have had many great times there.  So I don't expect their food to be five star.  Anything they have is better than what you can get at Tinseltown, Gateway, or Santikos.

What does bug me is the praise heaped on the food by palate-dead Austinites. The comments are filled with gushing reviews of the food at the Alamo.  All I can think is that most of those people has never had a good meal.  I'm all for helping the Alamo to make better food, but let's ease off on the accolades for glorified concession stand food.

I still love you Alamo Drafthouse, and I'm looking forward to better food.

Torcy's Green Chile Queso

Torchy's tacos are known for their creatively named tacos (The Dirty Sanchez [don't google that], Mr. Pink, Trailer Park), high quality ingredients and the great flavor combinations. This however, is not a review of their tacos, but of their delicious Green Chile Queso.

this is a terrible photo.

The queso is filled with green chiles and is topped with a hearty amount of queso fresco, cilantro, quacamole and Torcy's Diablo sauce (a habanero chile sauce which is now being bottled and sold). It is served with freshly made chips that are lightly salted which is great because this queso can have the tendency to be a little salty. It doesn't matter: this queso is delicious and addictive.

Selena Gomez and the Cult of Borden

Selena Gomez loves Borden, and the checks they send to her account.

Borden makes great tasting dairy products.  I don't know what they do to it to make it taste better than other milk, but they aren't lying when they say it tastes better.  Of course you pay a premium for it (and no doubt for Selena's salary), so that means Borden does not make it to my refrigerator.

It seems Selena Gomez has convinced Sun Harvest of the superiority of Borden as they appeared to have kicked Oak Farms out of their store.  A recent sour cream purchase reflects this.

I've now joined Selena's Cult of Borden.
Until my next visit to HEB.

Lick It Bite It or Both

The recent emergence of cupcakes as the “it” dessert (macarons are making a move) has spurred the opening of many new cupcake bakeries in Austin. Lick It Bite It or Both (yes, that is actually the name) is one of these newly opened cupcake shops in north Austin. They, like Gypsy Rose Lee, have a gimmick – they also serve homemade ice cream.

I ventured in with two equally sweets loving friends to give this place a shot. We ordered three cupcakes – Vanilla, Mimosa and Red Velvet.

The icing on the vanilla cupcake was delicious – sweet, great texture and a beautiful shade of blue. Sadly, the cupcake itself managed to have a mealy, yet overly buttery texture – the flavor was there, but something was definitely off. The mimosa cupcake (citrus flavored cupcake with a champagne icing) was better than the vanilla – it even had glitter (or Disco Dust as it was called on Top Chef: Just Desserts) on the top which was a nice touch. The most disappointing of the three was the red velvet. The cupcake tasted bland and the icing could have used not only a stronger cream cheese flavor but a heartier dollop of icing on top to even out the dryness of the cupcake.

I am actually quite worried to post this review. The owner has a history of posting responses to negative reviews on Yelp (the delete, edit, repost, delete, edit and repost again until he comes up with a response that he is satisfied with) but I’m here to give my honest opinion.

I do think this shop has its share of promises. The samples of ice cream were delicious – especially the cake batter and coconut flavors. The owner, who was working the counter that day, was very nice in person (online might be a different story) and customer service really makes a difference in my book. I’ll also say that it is a relatively new place and they may still be working on perfecting their cupcake recipes. In the meantime I’ll stick with Betty Crocker. (Me skipping out is actually a good thing -the owner donates the cupcakes at the end of the day to Ronald McDonald charities around Austin!)

Pre-made Goodness

Sometimes I crave a nice piece of toast with butter. Sadly, my apartment kitchen doesn't have a lot of counter space. It's already crammed with my starter espresso machine, a microwave, a paper towel holder, and a canister where I keep all the utensils that don't fit into my kitchen drawers (my kitchen really sucks). There is no way I could ever fit a toaster in there. Luckily, someone thought of me when inventing this:

The chef bear is adorable,

but this would be more amazing if they'd gotten Powdered Toast Man to be their spokesperson.

XOCO loco

I wanted to add to LILS mention of the wonderful XOCO. Soup + Sandwich. Whoever decided that those two items should be combined - not just next to each other, but one served inside the other - is a genius. Oh wait, that would be Rick Bayless: He whose voice could engage me on an NPR-type radio show about Mexican food filled with enough descriptors that I wouldn't care that I couldn't see the food, He who won the first round of Top Chef: Masters by creating a mole dish that I still dream of trying, and He, the man that I love almost as much as Lils does. I was fortunate enough to visit XOCO in May 2010 on an outing in Chicago with the lovely Lils. I tried Ahogada and it really is everything Lils said it was. But, what I wanted to mention was soft serve ice cream. What?! I go eat at one of the most exciting restaurants in Chicago and want to talk about soft serve?

Seriously.

The ice cream of the day was homemade soft serve ice cream topped with a maple-pecan BACON-streusel with salted caramel sauce.

The combination of the salty and sweet was so delicious that I am about to stuff a piece of bacon in an ice cream sandwich to see if it even compares (it won't...but I'll try it anyways). We kinda went overboard on desserts (seriously, we ordered like 6), but out of all of them the one I'll remember is my first bacon topped ice cream.

Sahn-wees

That's how my momma says sandwich. And I bet if I took her to Xoco, Rick Bayless' third Chicago restaurant focusing on his take on Mexican street food, she would say, "This is one damn good sahn-wees." Well, the Spanish version of that.

I don't know what streets of Mexico Rick Bayless is walking down, but I'm sure glad he brought those streets to Chicago. I've never had a sandwich dipped in broth in Mexico before, but it's how I want to eat ALL my sandwiches from now on.

That there is the torta Ahogada: carnitas with black beans in a spicy arbol chile sauce and a tomato broth for dipping.

By the way, I am in love with Rick Bayless. Like, for reals. The only old man I lust after and it's all because of how he cooks Mexican food.

Hilton Anatole Media Grill + Bar - Dallas, TX, July 23, 2010

Sliders.  They look tasty, they look fun, but what arrives is almost always disappointing.  The meat is overcooked, there are probably no condiments on the bread, the cheese is the size of a dime, and the bun is so awful you tear up a little.

After leaving our Lady Gaga drinks at the Victory Tavern we proceeded back to our hotel, the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.  I choose this hotel specifically because they have two bars open until 2AM.  It is a beautiful and huge hotel near downtown Dallas.  How wonderful is it?  I'll let a quote from a random girl about to get on the elevator as I was getting off describe it, "I didn't know this place would be like Gossip Girl!".  I'll take some Blair with a side of Vanessa please.  So, with our ever increasing hunger, and with two bars to choose from we went for the one with the word "grill" in the name.

While the Media Grill + Bar has a full menu during the day and evening, only a bar menu is available after 10PM.  Looking over the eight to ten options on the bar menu I was faced with potentially unsatisfying choices, and of those, sliders were the best option.  I placed the order and took in the atmosphere.  The bar itself was actually really nice.  It is rectangular in shape with plenty of TVs on each side to keep guests entertained.  Due to the late hour the TVs had been turned over to the video DJ.  The videos seemed to be tailored to the tastes of 90s music lovers, which is a good thing.  Having received a large dose of Gaga in the previous three hours the music was like comfort food for the ears.

Our sliders arrived and my first thought was "I paid $14 for three sliders and some fries?"  They were dry, with only buns, meat, and cheese.  I asked for mayo and mustard.  Ten minutes later (seriously) the condiments arrived and I applied them as I do to nearly every sandwich I eat.  After one bite I knew these were the best sliders since Quinn and Rembrandt graced our TVs.  They were juicy and were well seasoned giving them a good meaty flavor.  The fries were excellent, thin, crispy, tasty, and perfect with ketchup.  My date said, "these are the best sliders we've ever had.", and she was right.  We wanted another order, but our empty wallets couldn't justify it.  With time running short and our Gaga meters running low we requested Lady Gaga from the video DJ and were rewarded with some Poker Face.  Right as we were feeling good again with full stomachs and just the right buzz, it was closing time, "Time to slide Q-Ball!"

It was a good night.  I ate the first sliders I've ever enjoyed and did Chuck Bass proud by ending the night with four women in my hotel room, and I wasn't even wearing any purple.



XOXO Jimbo