Lawry's The Prime Rib ~ regional chain : Dallas, Texas

Latest visit: Dec 2013 (Dallas)

First visit: Jun 1982 (Dallas - old Maple Ave. locale)

Barring any surprise discovery, this should be the final restaurant post for 2013. I plan on doing a summary of the year tomorrow or Tuesday if possible.

For those who've been following the RJG, you'll know that Lawry's is not our typical fare (witness yesterday's My Lan entry). But my parents had some history with this restaurant, and because of that, here we are dining elegantly. So what is that history? For a brief time, from 1966 to 1967, when the RJG was just a toddler, we lived in the Los Angeles area, before relocating to Dallas. My father, who was in sales, had been transferred from New York City to LA. For their 5th wedding anniversary in 1966, they had a splurge meal at the Five Crowns, which I believe had only been open a year at that point. While they were enjoying themselves immensely, most assuredly I was eating Gerbers or some such crap and spitting it up on the babysitter. Anyway... My old man loved prime rib more than anything else, and he had fond memories of that night for years to come. I would usually hear about the experience when we had one of their dressings on the kitchen table (remember Canadian Bacon dressing?), or when we pulled out the Seasoned Salt or Seasoned Pepper to bury the cottage cheese (it is the only way to make it palatable - that stuff is gross). To this day, the RJG household uses those seasonings on a regular basis. I love them.

That's the ancient history. The more recent history is, of course, when they opened their location on Maple Avenue in 1982. My parents were hell bent on a revisit, and since I was in high school then, I got to join them (after eating the Gerber's. Oh wait...). It was indeed excellent, as they had said. Formal (jeez, I even had to wear a tie), but very nice. In 1986, I sent them off in a limo (paid for on my paltry college budget no less) as they went there to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. And in 1988 I took them there, again for their anniversary, as the RJG actually had a paying job and could afford the dinner! My folks loved that place. I enjoyed it of course, but I'm not a fine dining nut. And I'm not sure the food is worth the premium. But, hey, whatever... if they liked it, why not indulge them? That was the RJG's last visit to Lawry's. Until...

...until December, 2013 - 25 years later. Now it's the official RJG's Mom's 75th birthday. Dad is sadly gone over a decade now, and we were discussing where she would like to have her celebratory dinner. She wanted one last visit to Lawry's. They've since moved to Far North Dallas off the Tollway, which makes sense, since Lawry's remains a "power lunch" kind of destination. The place is a time warp, and it's like stepping back in time to a formal dining establishment 40 years ago. It's very British in that aristocratic sort of way. Even though Mom was celebrating her 75th, she might as well have been in the Youth Group this night. It's actually nice to see folks in their 80s and 90s get out like this, without needing much help (or any). Hopefully I'll be so fit at that point. Mrs. RJG and the official Mother-in-Law Chula were in attendance as well to celebrate. Mom had one of her traditional "call drink" martini's, and Mrs. RJG and I settled on a couple of craft beers. After having a couple of salads, it was only Mom that went for the signature prime rib (Queen's cut of course), while the rest of us went for variations of fish. Chula and I had the Sea Bass, while Mrs. RJG had the fried red snapper. The Sea Bass was truly excellent, as were the potatoes. I seemed to enjoy the red snapper more than the wife, but she said it was pretty good. They also had a side of mushrooms, which all agreed to be excellent.

During the Christmas season, they have Victorian era Carolers wandering about - though unfortunately they were singing whatever people wanted to hear. Such as those Dickens era classics "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "Jingle Bells" (ugh, really?). Mom picked out something more appropriate. Good thing, as I wouldn't have a clue what to ask for.

Well, anyway, Lawry's is a snapshot in time. I doubt we'll ever go back, unless one of my business partners insists on it. It's very good. It's very expensive. And on both points, they always have been.

6/10/82; 6/10/88; 3/18/95; 12/29/13 (new entry)

My Lan ~ Haltom City, Texas

First visit: Dec 2013

You may have noticed that we haven't featured any Vietnamese restaurants in the RJG yet (though Mr. Music did one a few months ago). We rarely eat Vietnamese is the obvious reason. And to be honest, we haven't been motivated to do such, and tend to spend our Asian food dollars on the excellent local Thai restaurants almost exclusively, with an occasional Chinese take-out meal. Strange then when you realize that Mrs. RJG and I, when we were dating love birds in 1996, spent most of our dinner time at one Vietnamese restaurant in Denver. That would be Kim Ba, and it remains, perhaps not surprisingly, our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the country. We were regular visitors until 2003 when we relocated to NE Tarrant. (And I hope to write about it on the RJG at some point). So when we arrived here, we asked about local Vietnamese food, and were promptly pointed to Haltom City. We tried a couple of the noodle houses from there, and they were definitely good, and perhaps one day we will revisit those places (that are remaining nameless for now) and do a quick writeup. But for whatever reason, we just stopped. We couldn't see ourselves going any further south in Haltom City than Bangkok Cuisine - and we are regulars at that fine Thai restaurant to this day. We've had a couple of Vietnamese restaurants up here in Southlake and Keller, but they either went out of business or they're just not that good.

Earlier this year we had an excellent bowl of pho while in Santa Fe, New Mexico - and that prompted Mrs. RJG to suggest that perhaps we get back down to Haltom City and soon. And finally that moment arrived on a recent Sunday. Mrs. RJG suggested I put away NFL Red Zone for the final half of the second games (sacrilege!) and go for some Vietnamese food. And shoot, the Cowboys had the game in hand. I mean it was 26-3 over Green Bay at home. Surely even they won't screw this up. Ah, the memories.... Anyway I agreed to it. So I went over to Urbanspoon to see what they said was the highest rated Vietnamese restaurant in Haltom City. And up popped My Lan. That wasn't one we'd been to before, and so we pointed the cattle mobile south and off we went. 121 to Beach, head west past Belknap, right turn in the first shopping center, and we're there. We recognize this center for Thai Belknap (an OK Thai place, but there's much better) and Pho Bella, the latter which might be closed now.

Like many Vietnamese restaurants, the inside decor is non-existent. It's like eating inside a gas station convenience store with poor lighting and old booths. Service is just there - meaning when they have time to get to you, they will. Otherwise you wait, and don't complain. My Lan serves the local Vietnamese immigrant community, and they are all about great food and reasonable prices. The Dining Experience is not high on their list of priorities. OK with us! Mrs. RJG and I were joined by my official Mother-in-Law known in these pages as Chula. I had a bowl of Meatball soup, Mrs RJG had the grilled beef on vermicelli, and Chula had the Lemongrass chicken. My bowl was huge, with an excellent broth filled with cilantro and chives. The meatballs were firm and tasty. Mrs. RJG's grilled beef was superb, with wonderful charbroiled tastes. And I quite liked the lemongrass chicken sample I tried, which had a nice zip to it.

Maybe we'll try another Vietnamese restaurant in Haltom City, but we don't need to. My Lan is excellent, and truly all we could want for the style (beyond perhaps a nicer restaurant recalling our beloved Kim Ba in Denver). Need a suggestion for Vietnamese? Give My Lan a shot. Just come with an appetite and no expectations of fine dining.

Note: Closed on Wednesday's.

12/28/13 (new entry)

Apeizza e Vino ~ Southlake, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Jan 2014

First visit: Dec 2013

For the second new restaurant that the RJG tried, after a lengthy cold spell, I had awaited a visit from Mr. Music - a true connoisseur of the Napoletana pizza tradition - to try NE Tarrant's latest coal oven venture. With Campania (Southlake) going completely down the tubes (our last visit was not good, and it seemed to be on its last legs), and INZO (Roanoke) starting to mail it in, there is definitely room for a new pizza place in Northeast Tarrant with a 900 degree oven. Grimaldi's (Grapevine) pretty much owns this market as far as the RJG is concerned (and Coal Vines (Southlake) which is slightly different in my mind). But there's a new sheriff in town! Let me introduce to you all Apeizza e Vino, the second location for the burgeoning Denver based chain. Lafayette is east of Boulder, and it's quite ironic that one of our favorite coal oven pizza places in the Denver area is a small chain called Proto's. And the location we tried was in Lafayette! But I never knew about Apeizza e Vino (with only two votes on Urbanspoon, I have to think it's new there too).

The name is literal, and the restaurant primarily focuses on their pizza and a healthy wine list. A limited scope is always a welcome idea to the RJG, as we know then that they are focused (or should be anyway) on their core product. Beers are fairly basic, and they also have salads and appetizers.  We split a salad, and each went with a pizza. The salad was excellent (and quite large, similar to Grimaldi's in that way). I tried the basic Margherita pizza with added homemade Italian sausage and Mr. Music had the Salsiccia e Funghi (Sausage and Mushroom). We were both more than pleased with the pizza texture and sauce. The Italian sausage is truly divine, and not the "off the truck" variety. In speaking with the owner's wife, she stated that if you want it crispier (the way Mrs. RJG likes it) - then it's just a matter of oven placement. The pizzas are bigger than individual size (except for teenagers on the football team of course), so be prepared to take some home. We thought the prices were reasonable, so the overall value is quite good. As an aside, the oven was handmade in Italy and shipped here, and it has the owner's named spelled out in the tile (Debastiani).

12/27/13 (new entry); 1/11/14

Campania Pizza ~ Southlake, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Dec 2013

First visit: Jan 2009

---

Jun 2016 update: Looks like a fire destroyed their kitchen, and the restaurant decided to call it a day. They had gone downhill for some time in our estimation. They were a pioneer in Northeast Tarrant for this kind of pizza though, and they should be commended for that at the very list.

Since I wrote the below, it appears Campania have lost their Vera Pizza Napoletana certification. Whether that's due to an authentic lack of consistently meeting standards, or Campania just didn't want to pay the fees, is anyone's guess. The RJG thinks certifications in the business world are nothing more than a racket, so it doesn't matter to me one way or the other. But worth mentioning all the same. On our last visit, I felt the pizza was slightly undercooked, and this is the second disappointing visit in a row for me. I'm concerned it's "not the same as it used to be." Mrs RJG had the penne arrabiata and the sauce was very good - and spicy as it should be.

---

Sometime back in the late 1980s, when the RJG first began to backpack through Europe, one of the great pleasures in life was to devour an individual Italian style pizza. Not to mention that it was very affordable for a budget-conscious backpacker, usually costing no more than $5 even in the most expensive places like Sweden or Norway. These were not the big sloppy gooey cheese creations, like at home, but rather a more simplistic, but no less delicious, pizza pie. And like most Americans, I didn't know pizza was meant to be eaten with a knife and fork.

While in the 1980s this kind of pizza might have seemed a novelty, today it is more accepted. Whether it's due to the fact that many Americans have now traveled through Europe, or just the notion that we should be eating things more "authentic", is anybody's guess. No matter, as we're all fortunate to at least have the opportunity.

The Southlake location of Campania's is one of 26 pizzeria's in America to be certified by the Vera Pizza Napoletana, an organization committed to "producing authentic Neapolitan style pizza according to the guidelines of the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association based in Naples, Italy."

We've been to the Southlake location multiple times now, and each time the memories of Europe raced through my mind. The thin crust is durable and slightly chewy but not crispy. The ingredients are all top notch. I still get a kick out of ordering the salami pizza, with the huge round slabs covering the pie.

Also recommended is the salad, once again a simple variety, as you'll find in Europe. Fresh greens with a vinaigrette dressing that I could eat all day.

They also have pasta, which we haven't tried, though I'd expect nothing but the best. Probably a drier version than what we're used to here, if authenticity continues to hold court.

There's a tendency amongst food reviewers to state that places like Campania are "much better" because they are "more authentic". Phooey I say. I'm proud of the "Italian American" style and consider it almost an entirely different food from what you'll typically find in a Tuscan village or a major metropolis like Rome. For me, they're both wonderful, and I'm glad we have the options to eat at both here in America.

The original is was in Dallas in the Uptown/West Village section, though we've only ever been to the Southlake location. To get here, go to the Southlake Town Square and park by the East garage. You'll see it directly across from the garage.

1/28/09 (new entry); 12/11/13

Freshcraft ~ Denver, Colorado ***CLOSED***

Closed: 5/28/22

Last visit: Nov 2013

First visit: May 2013

While the RJG awaits to try his next new restaurant in DFW (though we already have 9 revisits as indicated by the 2014 update tag), and I have a little extra time to write, let's get back to our "second home" in Denver. Now that we sold our summer townhome, I tend to get to Denver only about twice a year for family and personal business.

And on both visits to Denver in 2013, I visited Freshcraft, which ironically I discovered for the first time last year. Freshcraft is located in the LoDo section of downtown Denver, right in the heart of the active nightlife section. I typically stay at a hotel in the Denver Tech Center, that is conveniently within walking distance of the RTD (Denver's light rail system). So it's perfect for a dinner. Train in, walk, eat, drink a few craft beers, walk back, train out. On both visits, I went on a Saturday night around 7:30 or so. In June I was able to sit at the bar with few patrons. And in November, it was very difficult to even find a stool for one and I had to wait a few minutes. It's that popular. And it's easy to see why. With a very diverse, and constantly changing beer list, combined with a hearty menu, Freshcraft provides the perfect balance of food and drink. Their beer list does not offer exclusively Colorado only beers, but even the out of state beers are not what you would commonly find at a typical bar. The link above changes on an almost daily basis. As for food, they offer anything from snacks to "large plates". If it fits your dietary needs, absolutely go for a cup of the Ale and Cheese soup made with a Pale Ale. It's creamy and delicious. Along with the soup, I've only stuck with sandwiches to date, and recommend their Cuban (which I'm not seeing on their menu as I type this), though I've had my eye on their Crispy Pork Schnitzel both trips. What I like most about their menu, is that it's not overly chef school fru-fru nor is it heavy on greasy fried "brown food" - which is what a lot of brewpubs unfortunately only offer. Its diversity is perfect for the traditional male and female diet.

Even though I have a long list of Denver favorites, Freshcraft has managed to secure a place near the top in short order. At this point, I plan on going here on each and every visit, where time allows.

5/11/13; 11/16/13 (new entry)

Weinberger's Deli ~ Grapevine, Texas

Latest visit: Nov 2013 (Westlake)

First visit: Mar 2005 (Grapevine)

Apr 8, 2022 update: Looks like the Westlake location is no more. There was one in Denton too once.

I seem to get over about once or twice a year. Tried the LA at Night this time. Basically like a chili dog but with pastrami instead of a frankfurter.

Managed to squeeze a visit to one of our favorite deli's earlier this week. They have tons of different sandwiches, so it's always difficult to just pick one. On this visit I tried the Wallstreeter, which is a hot pastrami with Russian dressing - and quite good.

The Weinberger legacy goes back to the early 1950's and a rejuvenated old chicken parts store in Homewood, Illinois. At its zenith, Weinberger's grew to 5 stores and covered the south Chicago suburbs as far as Indiana. A few years after the last store closed, the second generation picked up the name and opened a Chicago styled deli right here in Northeast Tarrant - specifically in old town Grapevine. And we're all the better for it. This was in 2003, coincidentally at the same time the RJG relocated back here from our 10 year stint in Colorado.

Finding authentic Midwest and Northeast deli's of any sort are difficult to find in DFW. It shouldn't be this way, living in such a large metropolis as we do. Of course, the hardest part is using authentic ingredients from locally made produce. Most deli's rely on specific meats, cheeses and breads, of which many of them aren't exported beyond their own city limits, and in some cases, their product may not even be available within the same city! We're not used to this concept here in DFW, where we're used to getting our meats, cheese and bread at the grocery store from national brands. It's our loss. But inroads have been made. Billadelphia's imports product from Philly. And Weinberger's does the same with vendors from Chicago. It's a bit more expensive to do business this way, but it's worth the premium for us consumers.

We've been regular visitors to Weinberger's since about 2004 or so, and nothing has really changed. That is to say, it's always excellent and remains so. Weinberger's offers a range of goodies from sausages to cold and hot subs and "dagwoods". And, of course, they offer that most recognized of Chicago sandwiches: The Italian Beef. Or as it is so proudly painted on any decent Chicago storefront worth its salt -- "BEEF". That's it - just beef. Personally I think Weinberger's is exceptional in all areas, except one, and that's the signature beef sandwich. Maybe it's just a fantasy, or I'm just plain stubborn, but it doesn't remind me of the beef sandwiches I've had in Chicago. It's either the bread or the flavor of the beef, but something is just a little off. That's not to say it isn't good - it is. Just not the same. And maybe that's for the better, as it gives us something to call our own, while giving me a perfectly good excuse to continue to go to Chicago. I could eat in that city for 50 years, and not discover the half of it.

On this visit, I devoured the "Italian" sub, with additional "sport peppers", which were pretty hot actually. And while I was enjoying my sandwich, I spilled mustard all over the Fort Worth Weekly where they apparently just discovered Fernandez Cafe. Are they sneaking a peek over here? That I doubt, but they did a great job actually - and I learned a few things about the Fernandez family. They were also going on about how "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" will be featuring Fred's Cafe in a soon to be aired episode. Is it just me, or is the Regular Joe in fashion now? Perhaps no longer can one afford $45 meals that include a thimbleful of meat and a nice presentation of arugula? Don't forget the $65 bottle of wine...

Back to the topic at hand, Weinberger's comes wholeheartedly recommended. For awhile, they attempted expansion in Watauga and Westlake. The Watauga location, which we visited a couple of times, closed down quickly. It was pretty sterile compared to the original if truth be told. Weinberger's is the kind of place that's worth driving long distances for, so if they do decide to expand again, they should think about Arlington, Dallas or Ft. Worth first.

The Grapevine location is on Main Street, on the primary drag through old town. Definitely an essential stop for deli hounds!

3/6/05; 4/23/06; 1/12/09 (new entry); 11/6/13

Bleu Monkey Grill ~ Hot Springs, Arkansas

On now for the final restaurant from Mr. Music's Hot Springs trip. This one apparently did not live up to its lofty reputation.

---

Our friend, Ms. ChefGirl had done some research and wanted to try a place called the Bleu Monkey. It looked like a modern, American spot. The menu had some interesting items and they boasted a dozen or so beers on tap so we decided to give it a try. My buddy, BeerBoy and I bolted for the bar, but the most exciting things on tap were Blue Moon and Goose Island Honker’s ale. I opted for iced tea. We sat down and looked at the menu and I actually saw a few things that looked really good. Cuban sandwich? Bleu Monkey Shrimp, a dish made with pan seared shrimp seasoned with a pickapeppa sauce served with Cuban black beans, fresh mango salsa, steamed white rice and fried plantains was a contender as well. But Mr. Music settled on what seemed to be a twist on a Vietnamese specialty: Lemongrass chicken sandwich! Grilled lemongrass chicken with marinated cucumbers, carrots, onion, chilies, and cilantro all on a fresh roll with shallot mayo. Mrs. Music ordered the Crabby patty! Being a huge SpongeBob fan, Music Junior immediately wanted that too until I explained it was a patty made from crab! With that she opted for chicken tenders. Baby Music got some grilled chicken and mashed potatoes. The food came and everything looked really good and the portions were good sized too. The crab cake on the Crabby Patty was huge! Mrs. Music took a big bite of her Crabby Patty. And then another. After a few bites she said the patty barely had any crab and was almost all corn meal! I took a bite myself. It was mushy and didn’t taste like crab at all. My Lemongrass chicken didn’t have much lemongrass or any other seasoning that I could taste either. I noticed Baby Music wasn’t eating her food so I tried the grilled chicken. Dry and bland! The mashed potatoes were as well. How could everything sound so good on the menu, look so good, yet all be so blah? Our friends also said their meals were lacking taste as well. Our waiter was really good and the staff was friendly, but overall what a disappointment! I couldn’t believe this place got “Best new restaurant in Arkansas” by the Arkansas times!

- Mr. Music

The English Muffin ~ Hot Springs, Arkansas

(photo courtesy of Urbanspoon)

Oh where have thou gone RJG? Well, believe it or not, we haven't been to a single new restaurant since Burrito Jimmy in late August. You can always tell when the RJG is in work hell by my total absence from this blog. My last two months have averaged 75 hours a week (some closer to 90). I use the weekends to catch up on stuff a normal person would do during the week. When I'm cooking on this blog, so to speak, I'm at a usual 45 to 50 hour a week pace. And even better are the stay at home vacations. We have been eating out some - certainly not near as much as normal - but mainly to our favorites around NE Tarrant. I do sense the clouds are breaking some. November might be my re-entry point. For certain in December we should be back on pace. I have been diligent in keeping up with the updates, which keeps me tethered to the blog in some form or fashion anyway.

Just because the RJG stopped doesn't mean that DFW did. There are a lot of new restaurants in the area that we are anxious to try, plus some new breweries coming along such as Grapevine Craft Beer, Shannon Brewing (Keller), and Cobra Brewing (Lewisville - and a personal friend of our own Mr. Music).

And speaking of Mr. Music, we still have two more entries from his Hot Springs trip back in August. Time to get these out there!

---

This restaurant got some of the most promising reviews of any place we read about, so we were excited to go. Nestled in a corner spot that overlooked Lake Hamilton, we got a nice long table by the window. The menu was pretty basic: This is for certain a breakfast diner. I ordered a spinach omelet with Swiss cheese and a side of fruit. Mrs. Music ordered Eggs Benedict. Music Junior got pancakes and Baby Music had some scrambled eggs and a sausage patty. The omelet was really good - lots of spinach and the eggs were whipped or something as they were so fluffy! The cheese they used was processed Swiss cheese food, not real Swiss cheese. I would have preferred real Swiss, but it was still good. The biggest disappointment for me was the fruit. I was expecting a bowl of fresh fruit, but it was canned fruit in syrup. My dish also came with a sourdough English muffin. I’m not sure what brand they used, but it was thick and sour and really, really good! Mrs. Music loved her eggs Benedict. She asked for the yolks to be fully cooked and they were perfect. ChefGirl got the homemade corned beef hash with hash browns and said it was fantastic. She gave me a bite and I agreed - some of the best corned beef hash I’ve had. It was very meaty with almost no filler. Overall, it was a good experience. So much so that BeerBoy wanted to go again to try the corned beef hash. We did and I had the same omelet but went with home fried potatoes instead of the fruit. They were great! They sautéed fresh onion, bell pepper, and diced potatoes on the grill for a tasty companion to my omelet. Mrs. Music had a seafood omelet and loved it. BeerBoy loved his corned beef hash and gave me some - again I concurred. We had read the coffee was very good and so we all had it and agreed. On each of our visits our waitress was friendly and attentive. Two good experiences!

- Mr. Music

Rocky's Corner ~ Hot Springs, Arkansas

(excellent photo courtesy of Robby Virus)

I've really been slammed at work in the last few weeks. I have so many things I want to cover here in the RJG - plus more on our vacation trip to Northern California, as well as my working week in Santa Fe. Not to mention the ever continuing reviews of our favorite Denver restaurants. And there's plenty of new places here in Northeast Tarrant we need to try. To be honest, I don't see a break in my schedule for at least another month. But I'll hold out hope that the 70 hour weeks will subside again.

In the meantime, let's continue to wrap up on Mr. Music's Hot Springs journey. Here's his next submission:

---

Our friend, Chef Girl said her kids would really like some simple, Italian pasta. The waitress who tables for an excellent restaurant called Rolando’s, told us she really liked Angel’s In The Park for Italian food. We looked it up online and saw it received decent reviews, but with 4 kids under 10 with us, we were not really up for a $$$ restaurant that only got decent reviews. We decided to surf up some other Italian restaurants. We saw that Rocky’s Corner had hundreds of visits and the highest ranking for Italian food in the area at multiple sites. Best of all, it was a very small hole-in-the-wall with $ - all the right ingredients for a great Italian place! They specialize in Chicago style pizza and Chicago beef sandwiches! Wooohooo! Several reviews had indicated that the chicken parmesan sub was the dish to get, so Mrs. Music said she’d have that. Just as ChefGirl and I were saying we’d have the same, the waitress said they have not had that on the menu for a long time. I kept eyeing the Chicago beef, but it just wasn’t calling my name. We ended up getting a couple pizzas, pasta with meatballs, and BeerBoy got some Fettuccine Alfredo. The pizza was not anything like any Chicago pizza I’ve ever seen. It was a thin, crispy crust on the bottom and fatter crust around the edges. The crust was brushed with garlic oil which was nice, but aside from that the toppings were very sparse. The sauce was decent but overall the pizza was just OK. It would rank it higher than Pizza Hut or Pizza Inn, but not by much. The pasta dishes were pretty good, but nothing special. BeerBoy said his Alfredo sauce was a little plain. Our waitress was nice and did a fine job, but I don’t think we’ll be back.

- Mr. Music

Burrito Bandito ~ California chain : Redding

First visit: Sep 2013 (Redding)

Locations: 5. They're also in Chico, Anderson, Red Bluff, and Sparks, Nevada.

OK - where were we before I was so rudely interrupted by my official job? Ah yes, we were munching on burritos. And we were sporadically choosing locations from our last vacation a week ago.

On this day, we were taking the drive on I-5 south from Medford, Oregon back to the San Francisco Bay Area. I had done this trip in reverse way back in 2002 - at that time I had a 2 week business trip from San Diego to Seattle, with one week at my satellite office in Pleasanton. But Mrs. RJG wasn't with me, so this would be her first time to experience. The trip from Medford to Redding, through the Mt. Shasta and Shasta Lake area, is beautiful. One of the more attractive Interstate highway routes you will ever encounter outside of I-70 in central Colorado. Redding is either the gateway to the beautiful Shasta area -or- boring agricultural land depending on which way you're going.

As you may have read here before, the RJG has been to all 50 state capitals at one point or another (having gathered Olympia, Washington last year to complete the task. Ah yes, good observation by you - why didn't I get it in 2002? Because dummy here didn't stop. That doesn't count). However, while watching the show "How the States Got Their Shapes" on the History Channel a couple of years back, I learned that we were supposed to have a 51st state (or 49th at the time). The state was to be called Jefferson, made up of about 5 counties in northern California and southern Oregon. And the capital was to be Yreka. But something called Pearl Harbor got in the way, and it all fell through the cracks from there. I never knew that! Since I only drove through back in 2002, I ensured we stopped and got the proverbial T-shirt. Might as well cover that base while we're here - it may surface again! But the timing wasn't right to eat in Yreka, and off to Redding we headed for lunch.

Burrito Bandito is just the kind of dumb name that is a magnet for the RJG. Urbanspoon had the chain rated very highly so we decided to stop at one of the two Redding locations (Placer) for a big ol' fat burrito. I went for "Juan's favorite" Pollo while Mrs. RJG had the carne asada Burrito Bowl. The burrito is GIANT, which was fine by me as I was starving. The chicken was delicious as was the rice, cheese, and everything else. I even went for the refried beans instead of black beans, which gave the flavor a whole new texture. Mrs. RJG's carne asada tasted truly like a charbroiled steak, rather than the steamed meat we've come to expect. She loved it. And each table had their own bottle of "Burrito Bandito Habanero Sauce". Ah - load me up with that! Overall, Burrito Bandito makes a fantastic burrito. After our wonderful meal, we walked next door to the grocery store and picked out a couple of local to northern California craft brew micro bombers (that we can't get at home of course) and we were set for the patio seating in the Bay Area later that night :-)

8/28/13 (new entry)

High Tech Burrito ~ California chain :

First visit: Aug 2013 (Windsor - closed)

Locations: 4 (Alamo, Blackhawk, Mill Valley, and San Anselmo).

And while on the topic of burritos, how about I cover off on a couple of those California chains I referenced?

If you've never had the pleasure to drive the 101 north out of San Francisco via the Golden Gate bridge, then it's surely something you should strive for one day. I've done it dozens of times in the past, and I never get tired of it. Over the years, we stayed in various areas in and around Napa and Sonoma. In the last couple of years, we've made Windsor our base camp for exploring the wine country, specifically the Russian River Valley. There's a very nice and newish Hampton Inn there, with well stocked grocery stores and restaurants nearby. And a State Park with running trails, which is perfect for the RJG couple, as we need to run off all that wine, beer, and food! And Windsor avoids the hustle and bustle of Santa Rosa just to the south - so it's truly an ideal retreat. On this trip, we drove by many wineries, but we didn't stop this time and do the whole wine tasting, order a case, ship to Texas routine - rather deciding to continue our focus on beer rather than wine. But just the drives themselves are pleasant. And we went all the way to the Pacific Coast this time, which is about an hour away. It was typically foggy and dreary - absolute perfect weather for a sun baked Texas couple looking to get out of the heat. It's always such a strange concept to me - but the words California, summer, afternoon, and 57 degrees Fahrenheit never seemed to go together. And yet there we were.

Rather than have a full lunch, with alcohol, and then start driving through the countryside, the concept of fast food with soda is far more appealing. And on the last couple of visits to Windsor we've become fond of High Tech Burrito, a regional chain based in Northern California. Perhaps not the most interesting nom de plume they could have selected, but when it comes to the food, High Tech has one of the better burritos around. They have a variety of traditional and exotic options to choose from, as well as tacos and quesadillas. I tend to stay traditional and go with grilled chicken. It's a pretty basic rice, beans, onions, cheese, mild chili mix - but everything they do is excellent and great tasting. If that's all there was, I'm not sure I'd return. But I absolutely encourage all of you to get the homemade chips, which they serve in a bag, with the (oh, you know it's coming don't you?) NUCLEAR salsa. It's a thick mixture of smoking hot green and red chiles. I can't stop plowing chips in my mouth with a big ole scoop of that scary looking heap of wonderful green. Or throwing it on the burrito while I'm at it. They charge extra for it, but it's worth it and they give you plenty. Mrs. RJG went exotic and had a Cajun Burrito Bowl, and loved it. Oh, and she recommends the Guac as well.

Want a quick lunch, but filling enough to absorb all the wine you're about to try? Go to High Tech Burrito first and you'll have plenty that will need soaking up!

7/11/11; 8/26/13 (new entry)

JavaPrimo Coffee House ~ Hot Springs, Arkansas

Our next entry from the adventures of Mr. Music and family while in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

---

The first time we stopped by this place, Mrs. Music and ChefGirl just stopped in for a coffee drink. We like to try local places over chains for coffee when out of town and the coffee drinks were very good. Mrs. Music was surfing up a different breakfast place to try since we had been to the English Muffin twice. We laughed when we saw that the place we thought was a coffee shop was recommended for their breakfasts too! 

We ventured in to the very small, but cozy place. It was sort of like Café Brazil, or perhaps a little like Panera with a touch of Obzeet in that they had gifts, cards, creams, and soaps for sale. The menu had some nice breakfast and lunch options. They even had brick oven pizza that looked really good and a few beers on tap: Hoegarden and 2 others with some interesting choices for bottles as well. I also noticed they had quite a few bakery items - all made from scratch. The cakes (carrot, Italian crème, and chocolate cream) all looked amazing! I went for the breakfast wrap with eggs, turkey, spinach, and cheese in a honey wheat wrap served with homemade salsa and a bowl of fresh cut fruit – ahhh, fresh fruit. Mrs. Music had a breakfast bagel with ham, eggs, and cheddar which also came with a fruit cup with fresh cut melon (casaba, cantaloupe and watermelon), orange, pineapple, and strawberries – did I mention how happy I was that it was fresh? :) Music Junior got Belgian waffles as did ChefGirl’s two kiddos. Baby Music just got a scrambled egg, but had some of our fruit. ChefGirl got a lunch item - grilled chicken and spicy hummus wrap while BeerBoy got the tortilla chicken soup. My wrap was great! I kept eying Mrs. Music’s yummy bagel sandwich! It was an oversized-everything bagel (big around but not too thick) with the goodies hanging out the sides! She said her taste buds were very happy! ChefGirl said the homemade hummus was great and spicy - her wrap was a hit. BeerBoy’s soup was very thick and more like a stew rather than soup. It was really good, but he was hoping for something with more broth. The Belgian waffles were fresh and tasty. Baby Music’s egg looked like the size of an ostrich egg! It was fluffy and very tasty. 

We all agreed that JavaPrimo was Primo!

- Mr. Music

Rolando's Nuevo Latino Restaurante ~ Arkansas chain : Hot Springs

They also have locations in Fort Smith and Fayetteville.

Well apparently the RJG is now going to be a major player in the Hot Springs restaurant blogger community! This is, of course, due to a recent run of reviews that our own Mr. Music just composed for the blog. He sent in no less than 5 reviews while we were away on vacation this week. That vacation, by the way, was to the San Francisco Bay Area, Northern California, and Southern Oregon. I really want to get some reviews out from that trip. We'll see. I had mentioned in July that we had recently returned from a trip, but never mentioned where. On that trip we had gone to Alberta - primarily Banff and Calgary. I did manage to get some thumbnail sketch reviews onto Urbanspoon for about 5 of the restaurants. Maybe I'll flesh those out here eventually.

OK, onto Mr. Music's latest adventure in Hot Springs!

---

We had taken a fun trip to Mount Ida to dig for crystals and diamonds at a crystal mine. 

But it was here that we found the most precious gem in Hot Springs! As soon as Mrs. Music read that they had Cuban and Latin American dishes, I knew I wanted to go to Rolando’s. One look at the menu and I wondered what we were waiting for! Housed in a building built in the 1800s and just across from the bath houses in historic Hot Springs, this place has character! The décor inside has very interesting artwork. In back, you can climb some stairs, then climb some more, and finally end up on a landing that seems to be in the middle of a jungle! The outside patio is an elevated deck on the side of a large hill surrounded by trees. Yes, of course there is a bar out here! If it weren’t a hot and very humid day, we surely would have eaten out here! We were happy to sit at the long, wooden table in the a/c with the neat artwork to ponder! 

The menu had so many interesting items, I really had a hard time deciding what to get. As we explored the interesting menu, we were served fresh made chips and a salsa that had black beans and corn in it as well as tomatoes and seasoning. It was different and great, and went nicely with our pitcher of delicious, homemade sangria! Mrs. Music and I decided to try the Latin American tortilla soup - a twist on the traditional Mexican version. The broth was light but rich with chicken flavor. It had white cheese, tortilla strips, lime juice, tomatoes, slices of avocado, fresh cilantro, and green onions which was nice with the light broth. It wasn’t that much different, but very good. Mrs. Music decided on Lula’s enchiladas. Choice of chicken or pork wrapped in corn tortillas with their special tomatillo crème sauce! I urged her to get the pork. I’ve never seen pork enchilada’s anywhere that I can remember! She opted for the chicken, which were great! The tomatillo sauce with sour cream was divine and the chicken in the enchiladas was very well seasoned. I went for the Quesadillas de Chivo which were stuffed with what they called EcuaRico pork - a fusion of Ecuadorian and Puerto Rican? Maybe. But whatever it was, it was amazing! Slow roasted, nicely seasoned shredded pork with goat cheese! I don’t really put much stock in presentation, but it was a very pretty arrangement. The 4 stuffed wedges placed in a square on the plate around a large pile of white rice and black beans. Two rivers of sauce crossed the pile in an X - a mango sauce and something called Argentinean sauce which was a little spicy and had a tanginess to it. They worked nicely together and married the gentle flavors of the rice and beans. There were also some marinated veggies with cucumber and onion. OMG, everything was out of this world! The pork was to die for and mixed with the rich goat cheese, I was in heaven! Music Junior got the pork tamales and loved them! I had one and the masa was thick, but was very light and a little more crumbly than traditional tamale masa. It was amazing! The pork was the same pork used in the quesadillas and was plentiful. Baby Music had chicken tenders with white rice and black beans and everything was excellent! BeerBoy aka SoupBoy opted for a bowl of the Ecuadorian Chicken soup - in fact he asked if they could make an extra large bowl he could have as his full meal which they graciously did. It was a simple soup, but he loved the rich chicken brother and nice pieces of chicken in it. ChefGirl had Jose’s Quesadillas which were just like mine but had white cheese instead of the goat cheese. She agreed that the pork was amazing and the dish overall was fantastic. Mrs. Music wanted to come back the next day for lunch to get the enchiladas with pork! I was happy to oblige! ChefGirl’s kiddos had a hamburger and soft tacos which were all gobbled up. In fact they said it was the best food they had on the entire trip! I would love to go to this place again and again and try everything on the menu! Unfortunately we didn’t get back before we left, but I guarantee we will! 

- Mr. Music

Don Juan Authentic Mexican Restaurant ~ Hot Springs, Arkansas

(thanks to Urbanspoon for the photo)

Two posts in one day! I've been wanting to get this post out from our correspondent Mr. Music. He's obviously been doing some traveling and sent this in during the week. I had a busy week at the office, so here it finally is! Take it away Mr. Music...

---

The Music family took a little trip to Hot Springs for a last hurrah before school starts! We got into town a bit late and I was concerned that a sleepy town like Hot Springs might not have anything opened late - even on a Saturday night. We tried a couple places at 9:30 and struck out. As fate would have it, we happened on to a little Mexican place called Don Juan. Ahhh, opened until 10pm! Hmmm, Mexican food in Hot Springs, Arkansas? We shall see. 

As we walked in, the décor was totally 70s Tex-Mex like El Chico or El Fenix. We were seated in a booth and they brought chips and 2 cute little pitchers of salsa. The chips were hot and fresh. The salsa had very little heat, but was VERY tasty. Works for me! 

We surfed the menu for a time. Soft chicken taco with rice n beans for baby Music and chicken strips for Music Junior. Mrs. Music ordered a seafood quesadilla; I ordered the grilled tilapia fish tacos; $8 and $10. The meals came and they were ginormous! The quesadilla was a mountain! A big flour tortilla folded at what seemed like a 90 degree angle stuffed with crab, shrimp and Mexican quesadilla cheese - grilled on each side with plenty of sour cream and fresh guacamole. Mrs. Music said it was awesome as she pushed a big bite in my mouth. Indeed it was! The fish tacos were 3 corn tortillas laid flat and piled high with grilled tilapia, 2 large slices of fresh avocado, plenty of grilled pineapple, cabbage and cilantro. I could hardly get them folded. They came with a habanero sauce. I had asked the waiter if it was spicy and although he said it was, I figured it would be pretty tame based on the super mild salsa. Nope! I spooned a big glob onto my first bite and it lit me up! But it was delish atop the grilled pineapple, avocado and tilapia. What a contrast of great flavors! I’m usually pretty good about figuring out what else is in sauces, but not this time. It was thick and yellow but all I could taste was that lovely musky flavor that habaneros have - and fire! I kept slathering it on with every bite and I could tell my face was getting red but I couldn’t stop. Music Junior commented on how juicy her chicken strips were and begged me to try them. Yum! I tried the shredded chicken soft taco, beans and rice. They were all good, but nothing special. With a very friendly and helpful wait staff, we had a wonderful experience. We would certainly come again!

- Mr. Music

Daddy Jack's ~ Dallas-Fort Worth chain ***CLOSED***

Apr 8, 2022 update: After many different variations, the Daddy Jack's chain appears closed, including their flagship location on Greenville Ave. in Dallas. The last one standing was in Sundance Square in Fort Worth.

Last visit: Aug 2013 (Southlake)

First visit: sometime in 2003 (Coppell)

Every time the RJG travels to New England, I like to frequent a seafood chain from Boston called Legal Seafood. They're famous for clam "chowda", New England styled crab cakes, and baked fishes amongst many other things. Daddy Jack's is clearly aiming for that market. Right down to the red and white checkered tablecloths - which is not strictly an Italian tradition.

So is Daddy Jack's really as good as Legal? Well, no, of course not. Legal has the distinct advantage of having the Atlantic Ocean right next to it. But Daddy Jack's is certainly very good, and one of the best seafood houses in DFW.  More casual and less pricey than Trulucks, which the food is on par with.

Nearly 9 full years ago, we took Mr. RJG's official Mom to the Daddy Jacks in Coppell for her birthday. In doing research for this entry, it appears that particular Daddy Jack's is run completely separate from the locations listed here. Perhaps it started as a franchise entry, and later decided to go solo.

On this visit, I was joined by one of my business partners that we will name for this blog as The Tampa Pound. He's been in these pages before, but we just didn't name him. And besides, he just moved from Raleigh to Tampa, so he gets a new name. It seems seafood is where we tend to gravitate, and since he's the one with the expense account, I let him lead the way on food choice. I just pick the restaurant. The Tampa Pound also arrived with fantastical tales of his recent journey to Alaska, so the setting was appropriate.

And on that topic, that's exactly what he ordered - Alaska King Crab legs. At one point, I asked him how they were, but his face was buried into the claws, and all I could hear was a "hmm-mmm" and his head nodding up and down. OK - so that worked out it would seem... Meanwhile, I ordered the Baked Stuffed Shrimp (which was on the Specials Board). I wouldn't necessarily call it "stuffed". What they do is mix Ritz crackers and crab meat, roll it up, and lay the ball on top of each shrimp. It's a very rich dish, as it all sits in a light cream sauce. It's very good, though again the stuffing aspect of it should be questioned. The flavors didn't mesh as you might expect. We each opened the meal with Lobster Bisque with added claw meat. Super creamy, rich, and delicious.

Daddy Jack's has a fine selection of bottled beers, though nothing on tap. I enjoyed an Anchor Steam and an Alaskan Amber, and the Tampa Pound had a few Blue Moon's.

Not sure why the Urbanspoon grade is so low. This was our first visit to this location, and perhaps they fixed what ailed them.

If I had a complaint, it would be the location itself. This was originally an old southern home cooking restaurant (which sits conveniently on the edge of the Southlake Town Square), wonderfully re-purposed by Daddy Jack's. But the windows face the setting western sun. As such, the interior is extremely bright for the dinner hour especially during the summer. While they do of course have window coverings, I think they might do well to invest in some drapes. I'm not too keen on squinting my eyes throughout the meal.

8/16/13 (new entry)

Taqueria Burritos Locos ~ Grapevine, Texas

First visit: Aug 2013

...And so after returning from my cattle drive, I spun tales to Mrs. RJG about my day with Mr. Music in the far off land of Denton. Most of the stories were met with an eye roll, or "better you than me", but it was my description of Taqueria Guanajuato that had her salivating. Mrs. RJG, born and bred south of the border, is always up for a true taste of the homeland. With that backdrop, we decided it was high time to finally try Taqueria Burritos Locos, a very successful taqueria that we once remembered being a Chicken Express.

The first thing you will notice is that Burritos Locos is not a small, fast food place. It is in fact a full service restaurant. And as such, they cater to a much larger audience than a traditional taqueria would. But we were there for tacos and sopes, and so we stuck with the game plan. One advantage of the sit down restaurant, of course, is the complimentary chips and salsa. They provide two salsas, both with a pretty good spice kick. Mrs. RJG and I enjoyed the green slightly over the red. The chips were of average flavor.

I went with my standard trio of al pastor, pollo, and carnitas. The Missus also went with the al pastor taco as well as a carne asada sope. The carnitas, as is typical for the RJG unfortunately, was not very good. The textures and flavor just aren't there, making me pine for the wonder that is Taqueria Guanajuato. The chicken, although all white meat, lacked flavor. We asked if they had a special "taco sauce", which they did. But unfortunately it was one of those lime tomatillo sauces, that are always way too sour, with no fire at all. It was frankly terrible. On the flip side, Mrs. RJG very much enjoyed her carne asada sope, so there's one for the plus column.

Doesn't sound that great so far, huh? Well, the main reason for us to revisit Taqueria Burritos Locos, is for the al pastor. It's one of the best al pastor tacos we've had outside of Mexico. And why would that be? Because they actually have the spit with the pineapple on top (hmm... sounds funny doesn't it? - anyway, hopefully you know what I mean by spit!) Now I'll be the first to admit that I've hardly sampled even a small fraction of the taqueria's in DFW, but for the ones that I have, this is the first one to feature that. It makes all the difference.

Service was not Taqueria Burritos Locos long suit either, and it seemed there were many impatient diners on our visit. Since we've only been once, it's too early to gauge if that's a trend or one-time unfortunate event. I mention it simply because I think if we're to revisit Taqueria Burritos Locos again, we would forgo the restaurant experience and take a bag of al pastor tacos for the cattle drive home...

8/15/13 (new entry)

Oak St. Drafthouse & Cocktail Parlor ~ Denton, Texas

First visit: Aug 2013

As mentioned in the Taqueria Guanajuato post, Mr. Music and I also dipped into Oak Street Tavern for one or two craft beers, before heading back over to the Taco Lady. This is a frequent hangout for Mr. Music, and I was eager to try it. Oak St. Drafthouse sits in a truly a cool setting that they describe as thus: "Being the third oldest house in the City of Denton, we’re making sure to keep the history and integrity of the house alive by making minimal changes inside the house.  (and also not to piss off the ghosts). All of the decor inside and surrounding Oak St. Drafthouse were found at local vintage and antique shops around Denton.  Our extremely large patio beer garden allows for a great time. On the weekends, we open the back bar for your enjoyment.  We have a very relaxing environment where people can carry on a conversation without getting distracted by loud music or tv’s."

Our plan for one to two beers turned into 3 as we met and chatted with Ben from The Beer Drinker's Society (see website link to your right) and Daynor from the Best Little Brewfest in Texas. We sat in what would have been the family room, and compared notes on the Texas craft brew movement that has really taken hold in the last 3 years.

From my personal experience, Oak St. Drafthouse is the finest pure beer tavern in DFW comparing favorably to similar places in Denver or Portland. They have 72 taps - 48 inside and 24 outside (and the outside is generally not open until the early evening). Of those taps, many of them are local to Texas craft beers. And some of them are hard to find elsewhere. So they have the robust selection of a Flying Saucer or Ginger Man, combined with a laser focus on local product. All in an authentic late 1800's setting. Doesn't get better than that.

8/14/13 (new entry)

Niki's Italian Bistro ~ North Richland Hills, Texas

Last visit: Aug 2013

First visit: 2003

We've spoken of Niki's before on the RJG, but there have been some changes since our last update. For one, it appears our loving duo of Northeast Tarrant County Niki's Italian Bistro's are no longer together (aww). The website, and the menu, are very clear in stating that the NRH Niki's is no longer associated with the one in Keller. And the other big change is they have moved across Davis to a beautiful new Tuscan structure that they painstakingly built for well over a year. The strip center location that Niki's had been in, for God knows how many years, needed an update badly. The place was, quite frankly, miserable. So rather than gut the 80's style strip mall, they purchased the Catfish Tucker's Haven across the street. And subsequently bulldozed it (I'm sure it was in worse shape than the original Niki's! One can only imagine all the fried fish - and cigarette smoke - pew). And proceeded to build a very large Medieval Italian styled building. Bravo! The interior is relatively modest, and that's fine with the RJG. No need to go opulent - especially for what is in effect neighborhood Italian food. BTW, the day we went, the parking lot was packed, and yet there was still plenty of open tables. I think it will be a rare night when Niki's will have standing room only crowds.

What hasn't changed is the type of Italian food Niki's serve - which is very typical of most of the Italian restaurants in Northeast Tarrant. I've carried on about it many times before, and won't repeat myself here. Just click on the Italian label, or just read the original Niki's review, and you'll figure out what I mean. Now we had bad luck at the old NRH location, and noticed the Keller one was much better (which I suspect may have been behind the divorce). But on our one visit to the new location, everything was fine - and in wonderful surroundings to boot. They still have a full bar, with more selections than before.

Being the cheapies (and lushes) that the RJG happens to be, Niki's is usually an alternative option to the just-as-good-and-similar Italian places around that allow BYOB (Tony's, Cafe Sicilia, Joe's, Italian Bistro, etc...). But if we had guests in town, and didn't want to go overboard at Patrizio's or Brio, but wanted good, solid Italian fare, then Niki's is the perfect spot to take them.

8/13/13 (new entry)

Viet Bites ~ Denton, Texas

The RJG just returned from a 6 day vacation, which I hope to report on soon. However, while catching up on e-mails, I discovered that none other than Mr. Music had sent us a fresh review. Alright! So take it away Mr. Music....

A recent drive from the Denton library with Mrs. Music, Music Jr., and Baby Music revealed a welcome sight!  A new restaurant on S. Elm called Viet Bites!  I was just talking to Music Jr. a few days ago about how cool it would be for a real Vietnamese restaurant to come to Denton.  We couldn't wait to go!  I have to admit that it tickles me that my 8 year old daughter often asks me when we can go for spring rolls and pho! 

On Friday night we met another couple at this cute little, standalone building. It looks like it once may have been a one-off taco stand or something similar. As we walked in, we marveled at the rows of fresh Thai basil with their purple leaves and Thai chilies pointing to the sky surrounding the perimeter!

Even under the cute awning, it was too hot to enjoy the seating outside so we opted for a seat in the a/c filled dining room. A slight complaint is that the a/c wasn't working so well so it was a little warm and sticky inside, but I believe that was a temporary condition.  When I first looked around, and then saw the menu, I was a little worried. The menu looked really small and I was afraid the food might be like a wannabe version of the dishes I enjoy. I've been to places like that before.  

Much to my surprise, the menu is packed with a variety of interesting items. These guys just do a great job of streamlining.  Plus the waiter let us know there are always a few special items not on the menu.  Today they had fried calamari with a pepper seasoned batter and 'tofu fries' - strips of tofu, cut and fried. We had already ordered spring rolls, so we decided to wait to try them another time. The spring rolls came with all the right stuff: Peanut sauce, hoisen, and Sriracha! The spring rolls were good but not spectacular.   

On the menu, in the upper left corner, are the appetizers with a variety of rolls (fried and steamed), crab rangoon, lettuce wraps, and even wings in a spicy blend with fish sauce! Below that is a section with a build-your-own pho with offerings of beef (steak, meatballs, flank steak), chicken, as well as a veggie/tofu soup appropriately called 'pho-get the meat'!

Baby Music got some grilled chicken which was lovely - moist and tasty grilled strips.  Music Jr. opted for some pho w/o meat and loved it.  Mrs. Music wasn't very hungry and just picked off the kids plates. I got the jumbo combination with rare steak, meatballs and flank steak.  I got the big bowl even though our waiter warned me that it was huge - and it was!  Lots of toothsome meat and a good portion of noodles in a dark, rich broth.  In fact, I told the waiter what I want in a large bowl is lots of broth but it was just too packed with other goodies.  Thirty seconds later a large bowl of hot broth was at my side and it was good!  They boast a 6 hours process with herbs and spices to make the broth and it really shows. I do have a personal suggestion: If they added a bit more ginger to the broth, it would be perfect! The noodles were cooked 'to the tooth' as they say!

One of the highlights of the evening was the staff. Our waiter was very personable and upbeat, not to mention very attentive.  A young woman, who I believe was the owner, came out to talk with us and she was very friendly as well.

I will definitely be back!  One thing I noticed - they have Vietnamese tacos and they look great! Another reason is the rest of the menu!  The right side, as compact as it is, has a plethora of interesting options. This is the 'build your own meal' section! First, you choose a style: Bun (noodle dishes), Bahn Mi (the scrumptious sandwiches in French rolls - love that bbq pork!), or Com (rice plates).  Next you pick a protein: Lemongrass chicken, shrimp or tofu, char-grilled pork or beef. Then you can add some veggies like avocado, kim chi, cucumber, sprouts, cilantro, lettuce, herbs, and jalapeno! Finally a variety of sauces complete the dish: Citrus ginger, soy and shallot vinaigrette, sweet and sour, fish sauce dressing or peanut sauce.

Oh, and  the prices were very reasonable. I paid $7.95 for the jumbo meat combo. Ohhh, and I had one of those 'what a small world' experiences.  When I was in Southern Mississippi recently visiting some family, I had my first begneit! A begneit is basically a thick sopapilla that was invented in New Orleans (ED: Beignets were declared the official state doughnut of Louisiana in 1986). I try not to eat fried food that much, but OMG, they are delicious!  These yummy treats are a highlight of the desert menu. They also have some other interesting items like pandon and coconut cake! Did I mention I'm really looking forward to going back??  

- Mr. Music

Oscar's Mexican ~ Haltom City, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Jun 2013

First visit: Jan 2012

Oscar's moved up north to Sanger, and then closed as well.

For our money, Oscar's is the best Mexican "interior" styled restaurant in NE Tarrant. Oh sure, they have tacos y enchiladas, but that's not what they excel at. Sample some of their specialty dishes, and I think you'll agree that Oscar's has some very unique recipes and flavors, which distinguishes them from other restaurants in the area. My favorite dish is the chicken breast smothered in a creamy ancho chile wash (Pollo Cozumel). Has a slight kick and is delicious. The rice and beans are well prepared and it also comes with a small salad. Mrs. RJG has a similar dish except she prefers the green poblano sauce. Chips and salsa are fairly standard, but they do have an excellent creamy jalapeno sauce if you ask for a spicier option.

Oscar's is a "destination" Mexican restaurant, with a full bar and beautiful surroundings. Give it a try if you want an alternative to the standard Tex-Mex.

Last visit: June 2013

1/8/12 (new entry); 6/30/13

Humperdinks Restaurant & Brewery ~ Texas chain ***CLOSED***

Mar 27, 2022 update: The last two locations closed in Jul 2019.

Last visit: Jun 2013 (Richardson)

First visit: 1991? (Addison)

--- Original review

I first ran into Humperdink's at their Addison location in the early 1990s. They're still in Addison, but they've since moved to the south side of Belt Line. It wasn't far from where I worked in those days, and it became somewhat of a "guys at work hangout". We'd have lunch, or draft players for fantasy football or baseball there - that kind of thing. At that time, Humperdink's called itself a sports bar, and they still very much have that look and feel. But during the time that we lived in Colorado, they made a key switch to calling themselves a brewery as well. Mr. RJG thinks that's a great move, as local breweries appeals to me greatly. Perhaps I got spoiled in Colorado, as brewpubs are far more active there than here in DFW (2013 note - and we're finally starting to catch up!).

Humperdink's is a local chain and they currently have 4 locations, 3 in Dallas county and one in Tarrant (Arlington). The one reviewed here is their NW Highway location. Humperdink's lies in a sea of Publicly Traded and Corporate restaurant chains, known locally as "restaurant row". The original "restaurnt row" was on Walnut Hill and I-35E (Stemmons Fwy), near the old Don Carter's West bowling alley. That area was hopping in the late 1970s and 1980s, but the area was restricted land wise (not to mention the ridiculous Prohibition era "dry laws" that still pervade in Texas. Everything north of Walnut Hill is still "dry" - in 2008! (and 2013!)), thus limiting growth, and most of the corporate tenants moved out to this newer location near where Loop 12 and Stemmons branch apart. Humperdink's is one of the few non-corporate chains in the area. If coming from the west / Las Colinas, you'll encounter quite the colorful drive, with all the strip clubs / bars / adult themed places / liquor stores that once resided on Harry Hines (US 77), but have now been banished to this non-descript section of town. The city of Dallas did this on purpose in the 1990s, since were no residential areas here, and the area could be self-contained.

On this occasion, former employee from down Austin way, Mr. KC, was in town training at Big Software Company You've Actually Heard Of, that Mr. RJG no longer works at. And what better way to reunite with old colleagues than over a few brews while watching the Stars get clobbered by the Red Wings.

While the brewpub/brewery concept is much welcomed, and the beer is definitely good (not great), their menu isn't... that is to say, it's way too big, and there's no specialty of the house. It's what we said in the Novrozky's post, it's never a good idea to try to appeal to everyone. So while their food is uniformly good, none of it is distinctive. They have good burgers, barbecue, chicken sandwiches. They have every appetizer that every chain has. I had their sliders this time, which isn't an everyday menu item. Certainly better than White Castle, for what it is, though I think I'd rather go to a White Castle (strange as that may sound). Mr. KC goes for the ribs typically, and gave a thumbs up. Since Mr. KC has taken a shine to Humperdinks, there's a good chance Mr. RJG will visit more than he normally would. And I'm good with that. And given the nearby competition, Humperdink's is about the only restaurant in the area that can claim DFW as its only home.

5/29/08 (new entry); 6/29/13

Tirelli's Deli ~ Keller, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Jun 2013

First visit: Mar 2010

Tirelli's is looking more and more like a place you'd see in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. The windows are covered with blaring specials of sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, etc... In Long Island, South Philly or any Chicago burb, many of these type of restaurants were originally fully operating delicatessen's and butcher shops. Some of them still are. So they would plaster on the window their specials of rump roast or dry salami for x$ a pound. Sometimes with white shoe polish. Somehow Tirelli's has managed to create that same feel here in a modern Texas suburb.

Once inside, the place transforms to the more familiar sites of flat screen TVs and a welcome dining area. You order at the counter - and you'll notice right away that there's a dizzying array of items to choose from. You may want to familiarize yourself with the menu before heading over. All I've had to date is their Philly Cheese and Hot Pastrami on Rye Panini (though it seems more like Texas toast?). Both have been good, but not exceptional. But I have no intention of stopping there. They may have great pizzas and Italian food. And I'm certain I'll enjoy one of their Italian heroes. So I'll keep after it. Oh - be sure to pick up a bag of Dirty's Chips if you take the chips and a drink option. These are some of the best potato chips I've ever had. You can read more about them here. I really enjoyed the Mesquite BBQ chips.

3/4/10 (new entry); 6/28/13

Mi Chula's ~ Southlake, Texas ***CLOSED***

Uncle Julio's decided to shut down Mi Chula's (it was a weird concept to be honest) and plan to reopen it as Herencia sometime in 2018.

Last visit: Dec 2013

First visit: Jun 2013

Mi Chula's opened right around the time I started this blog, but maybe surprising to you all, this ended up being our first visit here. The reason I'd held off was because of the fact that I knew it was related to Uncle Julio's, and figured it was just a "fast casual" variation of the same restaurant. Now we like Uncle Julio's, even though I haven't added it to this blog yet - primarily because it's been many a year since we last dined there. And, quite frankly, there are better options out there. And more or less, our presumption was correct: Mi Chula's is a quick service, order-at-the-counter, limited menu version of Uncle Julio's. In a nutshell, Mi Chula's is to Uncle Julio's what Pei Wei is to PF Changs. And, perhaps not surprisingly, they are located very close to one another - literally across the street. In reading articles from around 2008 or so, it's apparent from the beginning they were hoping to clone and franchise the concept for fast growth. But other than one opening in Plano, which has since shut down, Mi Chula's exists solely at this one location in Southlake.

We happened to be in the area, and decided to give it a try out of convenience. And... we loved it. Go figure. I'm a big fan of New Mexico styled red enchiladas, and so I tried one of those with chicken, and had a ground beef enchilada with chile con carne. Mrs. RJG went with one enchilada verde, and we both had the rice and borracho beans. Everything was excellent. I love their red chile sauce, and the seasoning of the chicken, which clearly happened before they were rolled into the tortilla. The verde is an excellent tomatillo sauce, not too bitter or sour as it sometimes can be. The Mexican rice was full, fluffy, and tasty. Perhaps the borracho beans were a bit of a disappointment, a bit too much lard for my liking. Mrs. RJG enjoyed it more than I.

Prior to our meal, of course, were the chips and salsa which are brought to your table after you order. The chips are the extra thin kind you get at the major chains like Chili's. It's OK, but I prefer a bit more thickness so they don't break in the salsa bowl (plus I prefer the real corn taste of homemade chips). Their basic red sauce is a roasted chile, and is really good. They do offer a hotter sauce if you ask, and out came this very fine green tomatillo. Definitely more fiery, and had a splendid taste.

I also went for a frozen margarita, which was really quite good - not too sweet as they sometimes can be.

Prices are about what you would pay at a full service restaurant (minus service costs of course), and the food does come out quick if that's what you're looking for.

We were very pleasantly surprised at the overall quality. We'll definitely be returning. I would say, however, it serves better as a lunch option than dinner.

6/28/13 (new entry); 12/9/13

Cafe Herrera ~ Dallas, Texas ***CLOSED***

First visit: Jun 2013

A few years ago, I wrote about the RJG's history with Herrera's, especially the Carrollton, Maple Avenue, and Oak Lawn locations. The Carrollton location closed, and it appears the venerable family of Tex-Mex restaurateurs pooled their money for a much nicer location in the trendy multi-use Mockingbird Station area (Central Expressway and Mockingbird). My original intention was to revisit the Oak Lawn location, but since Mrs. RJG and I needed to run over to Kuby's to buy a pile of their awesome sausages (especially Italian - both hot and mild) for the next few months, the new location was much more convenient. So let's give it a try shall we?

For those expecting a dingy cafe, with plastic tablecloths, black vinyl booths with stuffing coming out, and a worn out menu with a sleepy Mexican guy wanting his menudo, then you're in for a surprise. So what exactly does an old school institution do to draw in a more well-heeled clientele? For starters, you reverse your name from the breakfast sounding Herrera's Cafe to the tres hip modern sounding Cafe Herrera. Then you actually furnish the restaurant with all nicely done, hand carved dark wood pieces and interior. The menu's look and feel is now like those steakhouse places - and it weighs a ton. And you no longer mess with the gauche 99 cents ending on each entree. Then you add a full bar including frozen cocktails (the original Herrera's didn't even mess with margarita's for years and years). And finally you up the price by a few bucks so that you can pay the rent to feed the nouveau riche who actually have money to pay the extra cost. Kind of like taking drugs to make music to take drugs to (thank you Spacemen 3 for that concept).

Now we get to the key component: Does Herrera's ditch what made them famous, and try to impress with only Mexico City interior or fusion dishes? Or do they just put lipstick on the same old Tex-Mex slop (wonderful slop I might add) that they've been serving forever. The answer is both. And that's exactly the answer it needs to be. One arm reaching forward, while the other is reaching back to their loyal audience. We stuck to the Tex-Mex basics to validate, and I'm glad to say everything is up to the Herrera's standard. The chips and salsa experience was slightly different. The chips themselves were extra thick, and very tasty - better than the original. The salsa was different too - not quite as blazing as the original, but hot enough, and very good. I do miss the jar (or jug) of salsa on the table and the plastic bowl to pour it into, but we're upscale now remember? And yes, perhaps the biggest concern we had: Do the meals still come with a free bowl of "bean and bacon" soup? Yes, indeedy! And they didn't even bother to call them Ranchero Beans or Charro Beans. Nope - just Bean Soup. Right on. And it's still the gold standard for such an item. Mrs. RJG had the chile Relleno with ground beef and a side of rice. The ranchero sauce was excellent as was the relleno and beef. I went old school and had a cheese enchilada and two beef tacos. I've always like the ground beef tacos at Herrera's. Their thick and mushy ground beef has a great flavor. And the chili sauce on top of the cheese enchilada is as good as ever. I didn't imbibe this time, as we had a lot of errands to run. But I do hope to try the frozen margarita next time. And maybe even a fancy chicken dish. We'll evolve together.

Herrera's is yet another great American success story. From a small pueblo hut on Maple Avenue over 40 years ago, to a fancy restaurant in a new shopping district across the freeway from SMU. Heady stuff.

Given the new concept, I'll keep this a separate entity from the Herrera's Cafe entry.

Last visit: June 2013

Herrera's Cafe ~

Latest visit: Jun 2013 (Dallas Mockingbird - closed)

First visit: 1989 (Maple Ave - closed)

Herrera's, who once had many restaurants around DFW - and we tried almost all of them - are now down to 2. One is their old south Dallas location, ironically the only one we never went to. The other is in Addison, which might be a reopening situation, not sure.

In the 1980s, me and my running pack would occasionally head down to Maple Avenue to devour some delicious Tex-Mex. That's where we would find our quartet of favorites, and they're all still operating to this day: Herrera's, Avila's, Rosita's, and Ojeda's. This was the era when Tex-Mex was a burgeoning phenomena, and long lines greeted visitors to all of these places. So much was the rage, that even National Geographic featured the original Herrera's when they inhabited a tiny pueblo hut.

So when the RJG relocated to Carrollton in 1991, I could not believe my luck that Herrera's was going to open their first location outside of Dallas, and their 4th overall, right near where I lived! Situated in a former Mexican restaurant that no one seems to remember, Herrera's became an overnight sensation in the area. Today, some 18 years later, it's a surviving institution in an era where restaurants barely last out more than 2 years. When visiting back to the "old neighborhood" on trips from Colorado, Herrera's was a regular stop. Ironically, now that we are back in DFW, we probably eat less at Herrera's then we did as visitors from another state. But the main reason for that is the Herrera's chain has always stayed east of I-35E / Stemmons Fwy.

Herrera's version of Tex-Mex is from a different time and mindset, and is definitely geared towards the "gringo", though over the years they've added more traditional fare. Which means it's kind of "heavy Mexican", so be prepared to waddle out. But the RJG remains steadfastly old school, and places like Herrera's will always have a special place in my heart (presuming it's not clogged afterwards).

To the routine we go:

Chips - always excellent. Real corn taste and crispy. You can eat them alone, without salsa, and be happy.

Hot sauce: Huge plus, and always has been. Of the quartet of restaurants mentioned above, Herrera's has always been the most reliable in delivering taste and a fiery quotient. I've noticed a tendency for the Carrollton store to wimp out more than the originals on/near Maple, but it still doesn't require the RJG standard "Do you have a hotter one?" I also like that they deliver the sauce in large containers, and they provide separate bowls. This keeps the conversations going, without the RJG constantly eyeing some poor passer-by and yelling frantically "CAN I GET MORE?"

Bean and bacon soup: The one and only. This is complimentary with your meal. A delicious soup made from whole beans and bacon. Many places call this "charro beans" and can be used as a substitute for refried beans. But none is better than Herrera's, and I prefer it as a free appetizer.

Entrees: Stick with the basics. Highly recommended is the soft cheese taco, basically a flour tortilla smothered in a delicious melted yellow cheese. Their ground beef is heavily spiced, and I love their tacos (even though they do use some filler, I like the mushy consistency). And they actually separate the taco from the rest of the platter - hooray!! We do not recommend anything to do with chicken. The RJG's Mom calls it "rooster"; the wife says it's "gross" and I have to agree. I don't know what Herrera's does with the white meat, but can't say I've ever seen it in one of their dishes. Mrs. RJG also recommends their chorizo and eggs.

Beans: Heavy and lardy. Get something else to substitute.

Rice: Decent, but tastes a little too much like "rice" if you know what I mean. Somewhat akin to how chicken can taste "chickeny". Get it? They could stand for some more seasoning.

I think in 1991, Herrera's had to be considered one of the best Tex-Mex restaurants around. In 2009, Herrera's is more in the middle of the pack, but still second quadrant. Does that mean Herrera's has gone downhill? Not at all. They haven't changed, but the competition has, and we're all the victors for that.

You can find the Carrollton location of Herrera's on Josey, not far south from Keller Springs Rd. (north of Belt Line). We've also been to the original on Maple (not technically the original as they moved across the street) and the one on Denton Dr., just off of Maple. They once had one in Addison on Restaurant Row (Belt Line), but couldn't compete with the stiff competition. And I think they also closed the one near Bachman Lake in the old Joy Inn Chinese restaurant spot. We've never been to their South Dallas location off of Illinois.

A nice mini-chain that is a Dallas institution. The RJG still recommends it!

2/3/09 (new entry - Carrollton); 6/22/13 (Dallas Mockingbird)

Kassandra's Mexican Kitchen ~ Keller, Texas

Latest visit: Jun 2013

First visit: Apr 2005

Roughly four years ago, the Mrs. RJG and I visited Kassandra's one Sunday for lunch, enjoyed it immensely, and.... inexplicably never went back. I cannot put my finger on any one reason why. It had been suggested from time to time. "How 'bout Kassandra's?" either of us would ask. "Maybe next time". Finally one recent evening I put my foot down, and said "We're going to Kassandra's". "OK". No explanation what our hesitation was, especially considering how good it is - as we found out again.

Kassandra's is a typical hole-in-the-wall you find in worn out suburban strip centers from the 1980s and before. The kind that breeds the non-denominational start-up churches and a handful of other small businesses. For any dedicated RJG follower, this is where you have to look to find the gems.

Once you walk in, it feels like an old diner somewhere in small town West Texas. It's a family restaurant, where the lighting is a bit too bright and the whole brood is there, screaming babies and all. Not the place for a romantic dinner, but that would be obvious from the parking lot. Kassandra's is best for lunch, but if you do have dinner in mind, it's BYOB - and that's always a good thing!

The ritual:

Chips - Oh, these are good. Taste like real corn. Crispy. You could eat these without salsa and be satisfied.

Salsa - The sauce they bring is a tomato, onion and cilantro mix. Something the RJG is very familiar with from our days living in Colorado where 80% of the restaurants serve this kind of salsa. We haven't seen much of it in Texas, so it's kind of a treat.

Hot salsa - We never settle for the table sauce unless it's very spicy. So we asked for the "hotter one". Oh... oh.... oh... this is ridiculously good. Spicy and very tasty. I've never tasted one quite like it, but somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind (between Gilligan's Island and The Love Boat) there was a recollection. And we come to find out it's a mix of Japanese hot peppers and jalapenos. That's it! There's an incredible dish at a restaurant in Manitou Springs, Colorado ("The Loop") called the "Burrito from Hell" that has a similar mix. We could just stop at the chips and salsa and be happy.

The enchiladas are offered with a number of sauces, so we tried three of them:

Green - this was recommended, but it's.... too green if that makes sense. It's a tomatillo and cilantro mix and it ended up tasting minty. Unique for sure, but not for us.

New Mexico - To us, New Mexico means a spicy green chili concoction. But they mean tomatoes, red peppers, cinnamon and chocolate. Again, very unique, but.. a... no this wasn't a hit either.

Chile sauce - Standard Tex-Mex, but Kassandra's does it (cue Wendy's) waaaay better.

We tried Cheese, Chicken and Beef.

The cheese enchilada was a bit boring and wasn't hot enough, so the cheese had already started to harden. It got stuck with the New Mexico sauce - so it was a total loss.

The ground beef had a unique seasoning and could be eaten alone and still be wonderful. Excellent.

The chicken was the real hit - charbroiled and seasoned BEFORE entering the tortilla. So even the green sauce couldn't overpower the contents. Not chicken-y at all. Super.

So you know what we're thinking for next time? That's right - chicken tacos! And ground beef tacos too...

Rice and beans - The Mexican rice was perfectly cooked and tasty. The beans were light and smooth, with a great taste. Both come up aces.

With all the references to New Mexico and Colorado, I have to think the family has some history from that area - or at least maybe West Texas, given the feel of the cafe itself.

A great find, and recommended to all of the RJG Nation!

Kassandra's can be found at the NW corner of Keller Parkway and Pate Orr Rd. behind the Taco Casa.

1/17/09 (new entry); 6/21/13