Los Jalapenos ~ Bend, Oregon

First visit: Jul 2012

The year after we decided to sell our summer townhome in Denver, we agreed to take an extended work/vacation somewhere in the US. I chose Oregon and Washington, as other than Seattle, I had very little exposure to either state. The first week of the trip was in Bend, and I worked all 5 days, and we would venture out for lunch and dinner. And beers... lots of them (after work hours of course...). Later I would refer to this jaunt as our first dedicated craft beer trip. For beer lovers, especially back then, Oregon was ground zero. Even the Bend tourist board got in on it, and encouraged everyone to try each brewery, and you would get a trinket at the end. We did just that but I can't remember what we got.  We stayed in a cute small one bedroom / one bath cabin just outside downtown, where many things were walking distance. It was a fantastic start to the trip - and one of the best travel week's we've experienced.

We also enjoyed the food there, and over time I hope to discuss each of the (great) ones that are still open. Our favorite lunch place was certainly Los Jalapenos, and we went 3 times on our visit, including on the day we left. Some of you may remember me going on about how Taco Fiesta might be the best taqueria I've been to, and it's in the unlikely city of Baltimore. But now that I think about it, we loved Los Jalapenos just as much. In the unlikely town of Bend. Great salsas and tacos! It was a hit with both Mrs. RJG and myself, and she's really picky when it comes to food from her homeland. Since she never got a chance to eat at Taco Fiesta, I'm pretty sure she may vote Los Jalapenos as her favorite in the US to date. 

Mrs. RJG reminded me that her dish here was the Camarones a la Diabla. She said it was super spicy and the rice and beans were hot and delicious.

7/28/12 (new entry)

Oggi Italia Cafe ~ North Richland Hills, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Jul 2012

First visit: Sometime in 2003

Ugh. Closed. This was our favorite neighborhood spot for Italian.

Also note that the old Dal Italia is now Oggi Italia. New owner, but same cooks, recipes and menu. They changed the look and feel of the restaurant (for the better), but otherwise the below review still applies.

North Richland Hills is NE Tarrant County's largest and most diverse suburb. Stretching from the working class areas near Haltom City to the south, through the ostensibly middle class of Hurst and onto the McMansions of Colleyville and Keller that make its northern border. There is no similar theme that runs through NRH, nor do they sport an authentic, or even made-up, old town (though I suspect the area where the Cottonbelt BBQ stands will one day be just that, and with any luck at all, a stop on the proposed railway from DFW airport to Ft. Worth). The utmost northern reaches of NRH is where you'll find Oggi Italia Cafe, sitting quietly in a new, but small strip mall, overlooked by the gargantuan Super Wal-Mart and Super Target (yes, regrettably, they built them back to back).

 
Me and Mrs. RJG frequent Oggi Italia Cafe often, probably more than any other local Italian haunt. Some of this has to do with convenience, but more than that, Oggi Italia Cafe is a consistently good place to get Regular Joe style EYE-talian food. Oggi Italia Cafe is not the first restaurant owned by the couple (who names I've forgotten - and they have since sold this restaurant as well), and they once owned the Cafe Sicilia restaurant in Bedford. Oggi Italia Cafe are clearly an offshoot of the Moni's empire, right down to the similar menus and tomato based vinaigrette salad dressing. While there are no surprises at Oggi Italia Cafe, we've found it to be one of the more consistent of this particular breed of Italian restaurant. After sampling a variety of their dishes, I personally feel they excel at baked dishes. The food is uniformly hot, the ingredients fresh and the taste excellent. Service can be inconsistent, though there is at least one waitress there who is always prompt and friendly. Also recommended is their pizza, which is a NY style thin crust. It's fold down the middle style, with gooey cheese and a tasty sauce.

4/13/08 (new entry); 7/8/12