Grand Tradition Estate & Gardens ~ Fallbrook, California

First visit: May 2022

Finally we get to the main event. The wedding itself. When this trip started I figured this wasn't a place I would feature in the RJG. I've been to plenty of these type of wedding - or corporate - events like this where food is the afterthought of the overall purpose. They do the bare minimum to feed everyone. Similar to hospitals, schools, and prisons in that way... (not that I have any experience with the latter mind...). That is absolutely not the case here at Grand Tradition.

Just to set the stage. The location could not be more beautiful. Incredible foliage, a lake, waterfalls, gazebo, clubhouse, outdoor bar, etc... it's incredibly elegant as one of my official nephews so aptly called it. My niece had a fantasy wedding essentially. It's what she wanted, and at least she got what they paid for (must have cost a fortune). She waited 2 years for this moment. And she enjoyed every minute of it. I really wish I could share a photo here - but I have to stay anonymous. She is stunningly beautiful anyway (and very sweet too - I'm a proud uncle, what can I say?), but on this day, she just glowed with a perfect dress (that also cost a ton). And for you ladies reading (are ladies reading? questions...) the groom is also a most perfect man. Looks like he just walked off a Hollywood set. And he's a great guy too - Uncle RJG approves! The two of them should be on a cover of a magazine. And I'm not exaggerating even a little bit.

We were all shuttled there in 3 limo buses. Now we have the extended family and friends set. I think 100 in total. Of course we did the drunken bar thing at the resort the night before to catch up with everyone. I stuck to beer so as to not have a hangover the next day. Can't say that for everyone... But hey, the wedding was in the late afternoon, so plenty of time to sober up. Mrs. RJG and I were in the front row - it's the Godfather thing again, and the ceremony was perfect. Then everyone beelined to the outdoor bar (of course they did). They were too understaffed for this mob of drunks, but we all got a couple of drinks.

Bear in mind, I hardly had anything to eat and was really hungry by the time we had the ceremony. So I did tackle the cheese and cracker snacks at the bar pretty hard. Now it's time for dinner. As noted, I didn't expect much. I was blown away by how good it was. It was a standard buffet setup with chef assistance at every table. The chicken was incredible - a favorite of our family at the very least. Tender, moist and delicious. There was excellent sliced brisket too and amazing mashed potatoes. And even the Caesar salad was great with a dressing that was just right, not too much anchovy. I loaded up the plate on the first go round and was completely stuffed. And happy. As was everyone else who cared about the food. The rest of the evening went as planned, and finally the Wedding of the Century had ended. 

So if you want to do a fantasy wedding with great food, I can heartily recommend Grand Tradition Estate. I'm sure it isn't cheap though...

5/21/22 (new entry)

photo courtesy of Wedding Compass

La Costa Coffee Roasting ~ Carlsbad, California

First visit: May 2022

As noted on the Kearny Mesa Deli entry, we checked out of our local hotel and moved over to the official wedding resort the day before. Limo buses took us to and from Sevilla Tapas (told you this was extravagant). That resort is the Omni. It's an old fashioned resort with big rooms and outdoor patio seating. Personally I love these older Californian hotels that are like this. I won't get into too much detail otherwise, but the resort is a ripoff and a half. And they're digging into my wallet for every little thing. Surprised they don't charge to flush the toilet. Anyway...

It's the day of the wedding. As you may have noted we are on the bride side. And Auntie RJG was given the opportunity to have her hair done. If you've ever been around the ladies on wedding day, you have to know chaos will ensue. I plan for a living, and I just have to accept the fact that mass confusion is what will happen on this day. And lo and behold, that prophesy was fulfilled. If this was one of my global projects, I would be fired. But it's not and it's just how these things go. Looking at the schedule, lunch isn't in it. But there's no time to get one either. Because everyone is busy getting their hair and nails done, and dressing for the event. Lots of Oh My God's though. Or perhaps a Dios Mio in the local vernacular from Grandma. 

The resort cafe had a line to San Diego, with tapas like pricing. The heck with that! I'm going offsite. Fortunately there are plenty of options. La Costa is an independent coffee house - at least I can grab a caramel macchiato and a croissant. In retrospect I should have had more, but I had held out hope there might be a chance for a lunch still. What a dope. Of course there wasn't time! In fact I was summoned back in a frantic call - as Mrs. RJG needed a ride. Par for the course.

But at least La Costa Coffee was very good - it was in fact the best coffee I had on the trip. And the croissant was good as well - and I stayed off the sugary variety. Definitely go here if you are stuck at the Omni, and have wheels to go offsite.

5/21/22 (new entry)

Sevilla Restaurant & Tapas Bar ~ California chain : San Diego

First visit: May 2022 (San Diego)

There are two other locations: Costa Mesa and Long Beach.

OK, we're now getting serious with the wedding events. This was the choice for the "Rehearsal Dinner", or a late lunch really. Now we have the full wedding party, of which 3 of our niece's participated along with the bride. Otherwise we don't really know their friends all that well, though we had met most at a couple of other wedding-related events. They're much different than our own family, including the younger members, but they're all very nice. All that to say, that Mrs. RJG and I found ourselves mostly at "the old people" table. And other than the Official Grandmother on the bride side and the mother of the groom, I actually was the oldest there. Dammit. We'd rather hang with the young'uns but we didn't have a say in the matter. Sevilla is a beautiful restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter, and we had the second floor to ourselves. 

Tapas. It's a Spanish word meaning "to fleece". The restaurant industry is always looking for creative ways to separate customers from their wallets. In the 70s, "theme" restaurants were all the rage. I went to many of them since my Old Man was in sales. Sit in a railcar, phone in your orders at the table (dial phones too), watch a late 1800's styled showgirl ride a swing and hit a bell. Whatever. After that got old, they had to come up with new inventions. My all time favorite is the "U.R. Cooks" model, where they bamboozled you to cook your own steak! Blahahaha. Nowadays you can get Chinese dumplings nearby to Hermes... or you could have tapas. In the 1990s I deep dived into Spain on two different occasions. Many times at restaurants in small towns, I was offered tapas. They were free. They were always from the night before. Leftovers that is to say. Preserved, presumably not actually given to a former customer. But hey, are you inspecting? I ate them anyway and didn't ask questions. They were good - usually some kind of meat or veggie warmed over. It was free right?

They're not free anymore. In fact, they cost a fortune. I'm sure there are tapas out there that are crave worthy. Like a hot dog. But generally it's a great way to serve you appetizers at triple the price. Sevilla has mastered that art. It was a fixed menu, and we got a chance to sample many of the meats and vegetables. And one paella dish as well. It wasn't bad of course - just nothing exceptional either. Didn't really get much excitement from the "old people's" table either. The wedding party had a blast though. Was it the food? Ya know... I seriously doubt it. What they like about Cafe Sevilla is the shots at the bar. That explains why we are here in the first place. For them it's the overall experience. OK, I can accept that. It's their wedding - so if that's what makes them happy, then we're all in. For once I didn't even have to pay, and I'm not one to scoff at a free meal. But I would never go here on my own dime.

Sevilla sits in the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown. As noted in the Oggi's review, I was in San Diego fairly often from 2000 to 2005. And I always made a beeline here, and up to India Street where Little Italy sits. If only I had a say in the matter, that's where we would have been.

5/20/22 (new entry)

Kearny Mesa Deli ~ San Diego, California

First visit: May 2022

It's the day of the Rehearsal, so now we're officially on the wedding schedule. The "Rehearsal Dinner" was really going to be a late afternoon lunch, and that will be the subject of my next post. The Godfather and wife were mercifully left out of "ceremonial duties" but was asked to be a part of all the events. The best of both worlds really. Maybe...

Mrs. RJG and I both know that we're going to need to eat something more substantial to at least make it to the next stage. How about a small sandwich and a coffee? What's nearby that is local to the area? Kearny Mesa Deli - only a few minutes away from our first hotel. We checked out as the official wedding hotel is in a resort in Carlsbad. And we stopped here on the way.

Essentially Kearny Mesa Deli feeds the local office clientele. Not much housing in the area, and they're closed on the weekends. I went with a ham and cheese bagel sandwich and a caramel latte (Aperture Coffee for the record). Mrs. RJG had the same but with an orange juice. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that gives one joy. Not exceptional of course, but it just soothed the stomach perfectly. And they did everything just right - no soggy bagels, or not toasted properly. As for the location, no atmosphere of course - just a typical office building-like cafe setup - but open to the general public. Nice owners from Asia as well. Not a destination spot, but if I'm in the area again, I'll probably swing by for a snack.

5/20/22 (new entry)

Oggi's Pizza & Brewing ~ California chain: Del Mar

First visit: May 2022 (Del Mar)

Locations: 16 total. 15 of those are in Southern California and 1 in the Phoenix area.

We only had one free night on this trip and sometimes Uncle RJG needs a Regular Joe kinda place to get back to my roots. Since first going to San Diego in 2000, I was tipped that some of the best beach walking is in the small town of Del Mar, just north of the city. From 2000 to 2005, I visited San Diego for business usually once a year if not more. And I always took the time to park the car and get a good walk in. Now 17 years later, I make my first return to San Diego, which must include a walk in Del Mar. On this day, it was cold, cloudy, and windy, but who cares - we're from Colorado right? We then proceeded to walk into the village and enjoy a couple of beers at the WestBrew taproom (captured in the Bier Reise blog). But where to eat? Actually WestBrew would have been a good choice based on what we saw coming out of the kitchen, but it was a little early. I was really in the mood for pizza and a craft beer. 

Well lookee here. I remember hearing about Oggi's from long ago, when I first started digging into the craft beer scene. There's a location nearby, so let's go there for dinner. Ahhh... sports on the TV's, lively conversation, and a full food menu with handcrafted beers. Yaay. I had the flatbread pizza with a variety of meats on it. While Joe Benny (Baltimore) has nothing to worry about here, it still was a welcoming foodstuff. Went down really well with my Scottish Ale. Good dough and sauce (maybe more of the latter would have been nice) For some reason, Mrs. RJG had to have lettuce wraps (really?) and then later complained that it was too much of the same thing. Well - yea, that's how appetizers work. She had a big ol' tall glass of water too. Sigh. Keep in mind the wedding hadn't happened yet - so everything was around waistline size. Mrs. RJG is in tremendous shape, so it's all a bit silly, but that's not for me to discuss lol.

5/19/22 (new entry)

Din Tai Fung ~ regional chain : San Diego, California

First visit: May 2022 (San Diego)

Locations: Din Tai Fung currently has 7 locations in California, 4 in Washington, 1 in the Portland area, and another in Las Vegas.

My overview would be: Stand in line and they will empty your pockets while you wait.

Our first get together with the immediate RJG family - which includes the bride and groom - for the upcoming wedding. The RJG brood is a beautiful family (Mrs. RJG's side of course) and they like to live it up as well. Money does not seem to be an issue for them, though funny how Mr. RJG always ends up with half the tab...  You should see the outdoor mall this restaurant sits in - Hermes, Louis Vuitton, yea... that kind of thing. No one was buying at the shops of course (except my nieces), just browsing. But one sale pays the daily rent and staff, so volume isn't where the revenue lies.

In any case, Din Tai Fung has taken their enormous reputation and placed themselves right in the middle of the uber rich. It's a dumpling place for crying out loud. Whatever, they have mastered the marketing to such people, where waiting in line is just as important as eating. That's where you get to be seen! And it's much cheaper than shopping at Tiffany... The restaurant was half empty, but we had to wait an hour for a table. Many were outside still waiting as well. Perfect.

To be honest, dumplings aren't really my area of expertise, so I would have wished that Mr. Music was with me so he could tell the difference between Din Tai Fung and one of the many dives he has frequented in various Asian neighborhoods. I thought the entire experience was... OK I guess. Spicy chicken wontons were good, but maybe not exceptional. It was a large group and we sampled many things - including fish (fishy comes to mind) and some veggie dishes. I heard a lot of "it's amazing" from the table. And we even had chocolate filled wontons for dessert. Hot chocolate in a wonton. Wow.

For the record - the younger sister of the bride, and of course another one of our official niece's, says Din Tai Fung is her favorite restaurant ever. She's 22 and just graduated from college. She's model thin, so not really sure if she's the most qualified foodie out there. And she loves the shopping afterwards. Associative thinking it would appear. But we adore her, so if this is what she wants, this is what she gets. Seems some of the other family members loved it too, so what do I (or Mrs. RJG) know? I would avoid this place like the plague if I had a choice. But I could totally see myself back here for a business event - or one of their other locations. I'll need some lessons from Mr. Music before I go next time so I know what to look for.

5/19/22 (new entry)

Jose Cuervo Tequileria ~ Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas airport. C gates in Terminal 1.

First visit: May 2022 

It appears they might have locations in Miami and Charlotte airports as well. Details are sketchy.

So it's finally time for the Official Niece's grand wedding. 2 years in the making with the pandemic as the sole reason for the delay. And the insane communist General Secretary Governor of California. More on the wedding in other posts. First stop - well a layover in Las Vegas, as Southwest doesn't fly direct to San Diego from Colorado Springs. We were looking for a light dinner, and maybe a new beer or two.

One can't expect much from an airport restaurant, and Tequileria made sure not to raise the bar. I think this airport purposely sandbags the restaurant scene so that you will spend your layover hours wasting away your money on slot machines. Gambling is not for Mr. and Mrs. RJG for just that reason - though at the prices we're paying here, we're still getting robbed. But they did have 2 beers from Tenaya Creek I hadn't tried, so that was one plus. We ordered chips and salsa, and they brought us a variety of 3 salsas, all of which were quite good. And the chips basket was very large and tasty at that. They get a check mark for that too. We also had a chicken quesadilla that we split. Mrs. RJG said the chicken was more like rooster. Ah well, they can do better, but I don't think they care. The audience is hostage, so don't complain too much. Considering some of our other options included hot dogs, this wasn't a bad alternative.

5/23/22 (new entry)

HiroNori Craft Ramen ~ California chain : Santa Clara

Looks like Rude Dante and the RJG's were in California at the same time. He was in northern while we were down south. Our adventure will be recorded here soon.

---

Locations: 9 in California

4300 Great America Pkwy #180, Santa Clara, CA 95054

Out in the Bay area for a couple days, I've been staying at the south end of the bay in Santa Clara for the first time in many years. Just down the road from Levi Stadium. Did a quick recon of the area yesterday and found a little strip mall with multiple likely options to explore. One of my oldest friends works in the area, so we planned to meet for lunch today. I offer 2 choices - a Ban Mi that recently opened, and the ramen joint listed above. Mike opted for Ramen.

Not being anything like a connoisseur, I immediately went for a dish that would have been available at any crummy noodle joint in Tokyo (Tonkatsu - ramen with pork). Mike opted for vegan ramen, and we discussed sides (edamame or crispy chicken) and settled on 'both'. No liquor / beer / wine here, so we opted for just water to drink.

Noodles were great, broth tasty and also hearty, with just the right amount of seaweed, egg, herbs, scallions and other veggies to make every bite contain something to relish. Both of us popped chicken chunks into the broth, and I also experimented with some edamame and a bit of the chili paste that accompanied our lunches. Mike raved about his veggies and shared a piece of charred broccolini with me. We ate well!

Not a cheap place, and also a bit crowded, we waited 15 min or so for a table and spent some $65 for lunch for two. Part of that is service charge, another part is just bay area prices. But both of us said it was the best ramen we'd had in years - maybe ever. Definitely a topper on the RJG for this genre.

- Rude Dante review

Bob's Atomic Burgers ~ Golden, Colorado

Digging the space age logo!

1310 Ford St, Golden, CO 80401

Bob's has been a local staple for 10 years or so (exact founding not certain). This is a 'check-the-box' fast casual location: pick a bun, meat, toppings, cheese, etc. They have shakes which I have not tried (but are hand-made), and sides of fries or onion strings. Burgers are rock solid, and I tend to favor toppings like grilled green chiles, guac and bacon in addition to a choice of cheeses. They also have a wide range of sauces and condiments - more interesting than the typical ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo - so check them out.

Note that there is another establishment in San Francisco by the same name. They do not appear related.

- Rude Dante review

Rock Rest Lodge ~ Golden, Colorado

16005 Mt Vernon Rd, Golden, CO 80401

Did not know of this place for years, but discovered while working at the big brewery that this is the traditional retirement party location for brewery employees. We happened to be working a cutover during Super Bowl Sunday, so this was our go-to for take-out wings, nachos and the full gamut of crappy pub grub (alas, no beer for those working during the big game). It's a pretty big place, rustic and western in decor, with a big bar and a busy kitchen. Highly recommended if you want to try a real Colorado-feel bar - a la the Bucksnort - but one that has real food to eat. Don't be fooled if parking seems tight; I have parked a block away and still found seats at the bar.

A really great RJG-style joint!

- Rude Dante review

Table Mountain Inn ~ Golden, Colorado

I remember a fellow passenger on an airplane back to Denver recommending this place to me (like in 1998...), but I never did saunter on over. Let's see what Rude Dante has to say...

1310 Washington Ave, Golden, CO 80401

This is a place I have been coming back to repeatedly since shortly after moving to Denver in 1995. The food has been consistently good, service generally good if sometimes slow, and never had that 'needs a cleanup or overhaul' feel you sometimes get at places that stand the test of time. I prefer the bar or patio (weather permitting) to the dining room, but there's no difference in menu between the various seating areas. The hotel is small, with a clean southwestern feel - kinda like something one might find in Santa Fe, but I have never stayed the night so cannot vouch for the accommodations.

What I can vouch for is the food, which mirrors the decor (Santa Fe SW-ern). Good green chile - not blazing hot with spice, but great flavor & consistency. Have had and enjoyed their rellenos, but is has been a few years since I've tried them. They used to make an amazing corned buffalo Reuben and also corned buffalo hash (first place I tried both in my lifetime - was hooked!), but for some reason they replaced both with brisket some 5-10 years ago (this is partly why D'Deli has become such a valuable find for me!) Also quite good biscuits & gravy, breakfast burritos, omelettes & benedicts. Have not ventured here often for dinner, so breakfast / lunch review will have to suffice for now. Nicer place, not the dive bar I generally favor, but solid and consistent.

~ Rude Dante review

D'Deli ~ Golden, Colorado

1207 Washington Ave, Golden, CO 80401

Not normally a big deli guy - due to years of too damn many project catered lunches of Jimmy Johns, Panera, Jersey Mike's, Subway, Quizno's, Wall Street (do we really need another deli chain, really?) Every once in a while somebody proves that there is a really good reason for a deli to exist. D'Deli is a slow, difficult to navigate, impossible to order in advance, largely staffed by School of Mines kids, and yet, somehow, makes the best and most eclectic collections of sandwiches I have found most anywhere in the world. Multiple corned bison and elk meat options - leading to Corned Buffalo Reubens and wonderful concoctions like the Frontier (a wonderful mess of a sandwich with corned buffalo, cole slaw, corn, black beans, bbq sauce - it's not a sandwich to eat out of your lap while driving). Their Banh Mi is epic, the Knuckle Sandwich is over the top, and everything I've had here is top notch (I generally order a large, eat half, save the rest for dinner). Top deli anywhere I have been!

~ Rude Dante review

Santiago's ~ Castle Rock, Colorado

Latest visit: Feb 2022 (Castle Rock)

First visit: Jun 2010 (Castle Rock)

---original 2/21/22 review

This was only my second visit to the venerable Colorado chain, and as you can see, it's been almost 12 years since the last one. We went to this exact location when we had the Denver townhome during our NE Tarrant years. Much as changed, probably due to the pandemic, but could have been made before. Back then this was a sit down restaurant with table service. Now you order up at the counter, which would be consistent with their other Denver locale's, many of them nothing more than walkups. I ordered most likely the same thing I would have gotten a dozen years ago: A Breakfast Burrito. Spicy green is an option for the smother, so I went for it. They come in plastic to-go containers, with plastic knives and forks. Burritos are not always best for in-the-car eating, so I was glad to have secured a booth. Their green is indeed spicy, of the gravy brownish variety we often see here. So not a true New Mexico or Pueblo smother, but certainly not foreign to the area either. They're not giant like so many places serve, but they are a great deal if on a budget. And because of this, and the great flavor of the food, the drive-thru had a line around the building and out to the street. And inside many people waited patiently to grab their sack and go. Not too many of us dined in. I parked in the Burger King lot next door, which incidentally was mostly empty. Good to see the locals know better. I get the impression that BK survives on Santiago's overflow traffic.

There are 28 Santiago's, mostly in the Denver metro area, and branching out northeast from there. Castle Rock is their furthest southern location, by some distance too. Given how popular they are, I would expect them to eventually expand southwards to the Springs, as I can't imagine them not being popular here too. Maybe like Good Times Burgers, they prefer the Denver environs better. In any case, I'll try to get here at least once a year going forward, as Castle Rock is often a stop for me.

---Rude Dante update 5/16/22

2501 Ford St, Golden, CO 80401

Thursday morning, breakfast burrito with chorizo & hot green chile. Fed a whole project team on these for a couple years. Nuff said!

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6/4/10; 2/21/22 (new entry); 5/16/22 (RD)

Pints Pub ~ Denver, Colorado

And yet another place we've been to but not since the townhome years (2011 in this case).

221 W 13th Ave, Denver, CO 80204

As a bit of a single-malt gourmand, it came as a surprise to me that I had never once set foot into Pints prior to taking a job elsewhere in 2009. When I moved back to Denver in 2012, it popped to the top of my list of places to vet out now that Denver was once again home.

Pints, according to the literature, has the largest selection of single-malt scotch at one venue anywhere in the world (outside of the UK). Whilst they focus on scotch, there is also a considerable selection of international whisky, a nice selection of beers they brew onsite (including, usually, a couple traditional cask-conditioned ales), and a decent pub menu to choose from.

Food-wise, their wings are full (not sectioned) and meaty. Not usually the first thing that jumps out at me on the menu, I've had them many times and was never disappointed. The slate of usual British pub suspects (fish & chips, bangers & mash, crisps) are all solid (but was a bit surprised to find no shepherds pie?) Burgers and all other items I have tried were all quite good.

But spend a bit of time perusing their spirits menu. There are even a couple different options for flights if you are looking to try something new. Highly recommended!

- Rude Dante review

Bull & Bush Brewery ~ Glendale, Colorado

Here's a place we've been too as well. Our last visit was in 2010 while we had the townhome. At some point I hope to go back, and we'll update this post at that time. While technically the address is in Denver, the brewpub associates itself with the freewheeling Glendale community. Classic logo too...

4700 Cherry Creek S Dr, Denver, CO 80246

One of the first craft breweries I visited upon coming to Denver my second or third visit (1987), my first memories of Bull & Bush were throwing darts against a guy named Jock who is 6'10' or 6'11". There seemed to be beer and other options, and the visit was with family who lived in town after an opening weekend screening of "The Princess Bride". Over the ensuing decades I stopped by sporadically and never had a bad meal, always had a good beer, and occasionally checked out their fine selection of spirits.

What I have only come to realize over the past - say - 10 or so years is that this is a first-rate brewery which serves really good-quality pub fare, has an excellent weekend brunch, and shows consistency rarely seen over the long haul in the bar & restaurant biz.

For beers, my go-to is the Tower ESB. This is a style not often offered (ed: completely agree, I'm always bellyaching about this in the Bier Reise), but a fave when done right (B&B and James Squire establishments in Perth, WA make the cut for me, guessing with some more exploring in the UK I would find a third, fourth and / or fifth). Also like the Man Beer (British IPA) and Big Ben Brown.

On the food menu, have tended toward weekend brunch so will focus there. When in dire need, the Cure is excellent (essentially Huevos Rancheros with meat), but the Bangers & Hash, breakfast burrito, chicken-fried & benedicts are also great. The #1 most ordered item on the menu: mashed potatoes smothered in green chile. An excellent side when ordering chicken-fried steak or chicken.

This is one of the Denver landmarks that merits a stop for any out-of-towners!

~ Rude Dante review

Pete's Kitchen ~ Denver, Colorado

1962 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80206

Pete's has a full-on diner vibe and feels like it has been around for 50-60 years. (Actually, as of this writing, it's more like 30 +/-.) After coming for diner coffee with some regularity after morning runs, I tried breakfast here some 5 or so years ago. What I was served aligned with what I had been seeing over the counter for quite some time: good food, served pretty quickly, large portions, very tasty. My go-to breakfasts here are the breakfast burrito supreme, smothered (of course!) in their very tasty green chile (not very spicy - for you sweat-seekers). This large portion has ham, sausage, bacon and gyros all in one package, as well as eggs, hash browns, cheese - the works! Have also had their biscuits & gravy - not too shabby - and country-fried steak (also respectable). Their gyros - as a Greek place - are also excellent. Perhaps my fave is just to go with a traditional sausage & eggs breakfast, with a scoop of green chile on the raw fries (raw fries beat hash browns every time!)

Know that there will be a line out the door mid-morning on Saturday or Sunday.

~ Rude Dante review

La Salvadoreña Pupusas - Denver, Colorado

1000 Knox Ct, Denver, CO 80204

Another place I came to know renovating a house 2 blocks away. Best value for the portions of anyplace (food truck or otherwise) in Denver, also excellent chow. Dinner to share consisting of fish tacos and a gynormous burrito (generally resulting in leftovers for 2 as well) costs $12-15. And their pupusas are the selling point of the place. I have had most varieties and find them all to be great, fresh and tasty. Did not live close by for long enough to really delve through the menu, but everything I tried was great. If I was still living in the neighborhood, I'd be here tonight.

- Rude Dante review

Rise & Shine ~ Denver, Colorado

5126 W 29th Ave, Denver, CO 80212 (another location @76 S Penn)

First discovered as I was renovating a home near Sloan's Lake, this has turned into one of my most frequent stops. They are great as an individual breakfast sammich or to fill the bellies of a large project team supporting the world's largest brewery going live on a new back office system solution. They make buttermilk biscuits every day - plus a biscuit of the day that is always worth checking out (they usually have little samples of the BotD) - link to BotD calendar:

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/render?cid=8v70lftkbm03rg6rm1rjfbf5tc%40group.calendar.google.com#main_7%7Cmonth

While the biscuits stand on their own (or are quite excellent a day or two later with sausage gravy), my go-to is a breakfast bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on either the buttermilk biscuit or one of the savory BotD options (anything with green chile or jalapenos & cheese, or their salt & pepper biscuit). They also make their own breakfast sausage, and their fried chicken biscuit (aka Chapel Hill) is amazing.

- Rude Dante review

Tamales Moreno ~ Lakewood, Colorado

OK, Rude Dante is covering his home base of Denver and Golden. Many reviews on the way...

5301 W Mississippi Ave, Lakewood, CO 80226

It's not often that a homeless guy turns me on to a great joint, but let's count this as possibly a first. One of the guys I know from doing volunteer work in the homeless community signed on to help me with some home remodel projects a few years back. We shared some meals, and when the topic of tamales came up, he told me that nothing could beat Tamales Moreno (as he calls it - the rest of the world reverses the name). So we gave them a try...

First, it's a take-out place. There might be a picnic table or something outside where you could park your butt and wolf down a tamale or two, but this is more a place that the mass of Hispanic humanity will swarm to around big holidays (Xmas eve it's slammed). And the menu is a bit limited - really focused on tamales, but they have some other options on the menu. I generally go there for 1-6 dozen tamales, depending upon the event. There are 2 flavors: red is mild, and green (though they look white) is hot. There are some nice combo / family pack options with a dozen or more tamales with sides of rice, beans, and some nicely ripping green chile.

Since 2014 or so, I've been picking up several dozen tamales multiple times per year. They are wrapped in traditional corn husks, have a nice amount of spiced pork inside, are moist and tender and well spiced in either form. Highly highly recommended - best tamales I have found, anywhere.

- Rude Dante review

RJG Updates + History lesson

Thought I'd repurpose an old 2011 update that I had sitting in draft. I have just painstakingly completed revamping every single entry in the RJG. I started on this project last year, and had to abandon it. A couple of months ago I rekindled it, and it's now complete (with a few tweaks still needed for the 2021 posts). Sadly I had to mark a lot of these restaurants closed. Many of the chains had to shed locations. Only a few have thrived since 2019.

I finally have a format I'm comfortable with and can move forward on. The blog has evolved many times over the years, and there have been a few times I thought about shuttering it, as I've lost a good majority of my audience. The pandemic was really depressing when it came to eating out, and the subsequent collateral damage that we're still dealing with. Finally the workers came back, only to find mass inflation is now here, making going out to eat an expensive hobby - much more so than prior.

If we look at the history of this blog, it originally was just a place for me to jot down some random thoughts, not even necessarily related to the food itself. I had no audience to speak of. Though in those days (2008), the Google search engine favored their own Blogger app, so if you did do a search for a restaurant or cuisine, your blog had a chance at a high placement. I suspect they ran afoul of government regulations (verticals/monopolies), and Google also likes the pay-to-play model of buying position. All of which doesn't make sense for a non-profit blog like this. 

Things changed dramatically when I got my first iPhone. It was in late 2008. I always referred to the company I worked for as "telecom company everyone has heard of", always cognizant of being anonymous. I can tell you all now that it was AT&T I was working for back then (2007-2016). In those days they had an exclusive arrangement with Apple, which allowed me a heavy discount on the device and the phone service. The primary iPhone app back then for restaurants was Urbanspoon. And that app also was blogger friendly, so you could link posts directly to your site. Over a short period time the RJG became the #1 blog for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It was crazy. Readership went through the roof. Because of this, I altered the blog format to match the Urbanspoon app. Originally I had planned to bunch chain entries into one post. But the app was about the individual restaurant. Also if you moved posts forward, the link would break (this was as much Blogger's issue as it was US). When Urbanspoon was purchased by Zomato, I tried to make that hapless site work for my blog, but it just never got off the ground. I wanted my readership back, but it was hard to find a mechanism to do that with. I tried TripAdvisor, Facebook, and Google Reviews, but nothing really would stick. And now that we've moved back to Colorado (2018), our primary DFW audience didn't have much reason to read what I'm up to anyway. And we haven't really built much of a Colorado audience yet.

Essentially I've gone back to the original format, and Blogger long ago fixed moving posts forward. This way older reviews are still relevant via recent revisits. Chains are now bunched together again. The dates that you see on the bottom of each post are notable for a variety of reasons, but mostly to me - or represent the updated entry date.

As you may have noticed both Rude Dante and Mr. Music are also far more active than prior. Mostly because we're all older and have more free time lol.  So it looks like the RJG is having a renaissance. I'll have to keep trying to figure out how to boost readership though.

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The other update I'd like to give is that I'm now in a position to give some historical updates. Since the advent of this blog, I've always wanted to highlight great restaurant experiences that I had in the past. Many of these are since the blog started, but I just didn't have the time to get a post up. I will do these (mostly) on restaurants that are still open and have recent high quality reviews via Google or Yelp. This way I have comfort in knowing the restaurants are as good as we remember it, and provides a useful recommendation if you're traveling to that area (and good for us too, if we're traveling there). I won't do this for Colorado, since I can just revisit myself and add at that time. But for anywhere else, including DFW, I will follow this format. It will probably be random, but I have a record of every place I've ever been - and when. Just watch those "last visit" dates so you know it's of the historical record.

Chappy's Mountain View Bar & Grill ~ Westcliffe, Colorado

First visit: May 2022

Mrs. RJG and I have been coming to Westcliffe since about 2000 or so when we had our first house in Parker (Denver area for my DFW readers). It's a stunningly beautiful place sitting between two mountain ranges, most prominently the Sangre de Cristo's. I encourage you to look at Google images to get an idea. And we had a wonderful weather day just like those photos show. Westcliffe became a home-away-from-home during the pandemic years, as we would make the near 2 hour drive over and picnic in the park while looking at the mountains. Last year we did have a dessert at one place that will be the subject of my next post. But we haven't eaten at a proper restaurant in the area in many years, the last time was in Silver Cliff, which is the town right before Westcliffe.

And this gets us to Chappy's. A very welcoming place on the main downtown drag, and the decor has been updated to modern sensibilities. We grabbed  a circular table with bar stool seating and took in the environs. It's an open kitchen and you can watch the cooks charbroil the burger and hand cut the fries. They were in a good mood on this day and that's always a positive sign. The music blew though. Modern dance-y pop music. Give me some old time 50s and 60s country (or western swing) music! It so goes with the wood paneled interior. Their tap selection is fairly basic with a couple of mainstream crafts, so we stuck with water, knowing ice cream was coming later. Chappy's states that you go there for their burgers, so that's what we settled on too. I had the "Bite Me" Burger (lol) which is their spicy concoction topped with jalapeno's, green chili, pepper jack cheese, and Bite Me sauce, which looks and tasted like a spicy variation of a buffalo sauce. I went with a cup of red chili on the side, and that's what I started with. It's a very meaty and garlicky blend with cheese and onions, all but guaranteed to keep people away from you the rest of the day. And it was temperature hot - hooray! Mrs. RJG went with the All-American classic with fries. And she started with the latter, and they're fantastic (I snuck a couple away too). Oh wow - this place is great! Or so I thought. I started in on my big ol' messy hamburger and loved it. Cooked to perfection and filled with spicy goodness. All we now need is for Mrs. RJG to love her burger and we have a home run. Toasted bun - already in the win column. And then...awwww.... crap. They didn't cook it well done. You all know now how she gets when this happens. "It's OK, I'll eat it". Ah jeez - just send it back. NOPE! It was medium to medium rare. A big miss really. Fortunately my burger was cooked more like medium well, and because the sauce was blocked from the meat, it was perfectly dry. So we swapped out. Better, but still she wasn't happy (mine wasn't well done either, even though I asked for it that way in a move of solidarity). I enjoyed her patty and finished my original burger patty as well. lol. She really did like the fries and the ambience, but when the burger isn't well done, a frown emerges. I always tell her to get the grilled cheese...

I'm still rating it very high, and will try to arm-twist her back next time we come for lunch.

5/14/22 (new entry)

Qi Austin: Modern Asian Kitchen ~ Austin, Texas

835 W 6th St Unit 114, Austin, TX 78703

Ate here with some in-town family who are somewhat regulars (we arrived first, and manager told us, "Mark and Missy are ALWAYS late" - not true, but funny!) It's been a bit since our visit, and the menu changes frequently, but at a high level this place is what I would describe as higher-end Asian - really Chinese, primarily - with a seafood focus. We split a bottle of wine, had a salad to share on one side of the table and some potsticker/dumplings on the other, and the whole table ordered seafood options. All were good, none of the gooey American-ized Chinese sauces that I sorta loath, and we were neither under - nor over - fed. Split a dessert between the four of us and paid a higher-than-average price for dinner. Nothing wrong with this place. As a guy who doesn't enjoy crappy Cantonese / Szechuan made bland for US palates, it is a FAR better option (but not a must-do RJG joint).

- Rude Dante review

The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen ~ Austin, Texas

There are 4 locations in the Austin area. Rude Dante went to the one known as Downtown.

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800 W 6th St #100, Austin, TX 78701

Went out with some old high school friends for Saturday brunch in our fly-out day. We arrived early (just before 11 am opening) as the guy we were dining with works in the same building and had access (line to get in was pretty long by the time we finished). Place was modern, clean, lots of wine bottles on the wall - which can be a good sign (a la Mercantile in Union Station, Denver), or a not-so-good sign like a lot of Denver Tech Center power lunch places (Yia Yia's - not really bad, but not RJG-esque). We ordered an appropriate brunch beverage then perused the menu. Not a huge fan of chicken & waffles (just not a big waffle fan), so I was intrigued by the chicken and creme brûlée French toast - and although there were temptations in other directions, this is where I went. Others ordered the Migas, Hash and Avocado Toast - all looked outstanding. Chicken was a breast or tenders sliced - tasty, tender & juicy, not dried out or overcooked, the whole dish was excellent. Brunch went down easily and led to a snooze on the flight home.

- Rude Dante review

Fukumoto ~ Austin, Texas

514 Medina St, Austin, TX 78702

Found ourselves with an evening uncommitted and my dining partner has a thing for sushi. She would eat it every night given the opportunity. This place showed up on the map as walkable from our hotel, and we later got a confirmation as rock solid from some other locals. As walk-ins / travelers, we were completely on board for a seat at the bar (eventually took bar-seats after a beverage on the patio). Sushi joints are hard to gauge in RJG terms - especially if you are unimpressed by overpriced / over-engineered and (dare I say) COOKED rolls popular in some 'see me' places like Sushi Den in Denver. Fukumoto impressed with chef/owner Kazu Fukumoto (Japanese, from Fukuoka, not some generic Asian guy with a knife like some places I've been), service (gal behind the bar - clearly of Irish descent - lived 5+ years in Tokyo and speaks fluent Nihongo), and the food. Example: we told server we like spicy but not cooked, and she wrestled up a sashimi plate of yellowtail with thin-slice Thai peppers that was outstanding (as was everything else we had - rolls, drinks, etc.) There are a number of other options on the menu - yakitori, tempura, a couple different Japanese beers on tap. An excellent place - will return next time in town!

- Rude Dante review

68 Degrees Kitchen ~ Austin, Texas

2401 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, TX 78703

This newer (20 years +/-) Italian joint is run by friends of my outlaw (as opposed to in-law) family members who live in town. Came here after an opening cocktail at Pool Burger (across the street - see below), we started with a bottle of wine to share then split a beet / burrata salad. Main course was chicken parm for me, trout for her - both good, neither utterly remarkable. Daughter of my step-bro showed up for a take-out chicken parm as well - so this is a go-to place for them. Not a must-do RJG place but worth the visit.

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Pool Burger

2315 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, TX 78703

Came here as a preamble beverage to dinner at 68 degrees (across the street). It's got a kind of tiki-bar feel, with limited choice of food & beverage. OK vibe, curious to try the burgers if we were to return - no other real opinions formed.

- Rude Dante review

The Silver Medal Boozes and Burgers ~ Austin, Texas

7100 E Hwy 290, Austin, TX 78723

Met my nephew here for a bite and a beverage while in town Oct of 2021. Dave describes Silver Medal as his favorite local dive bar in Austin. It's a tiny little place with a hodge-podge clientele. He particularly likes the fact that you can get a rock solid chili cheese dog with your choice of bad beer for a song most any night. That is precisely what we had - and they were GOOD. To be fair, I was a couple sheets to the wind upon arrival, but I truly believe this is a great joint. Some of the menu options ('fried bologna sandwich', 'Frito pie burger', 'grilled cheese - yup!') just scream for me to come back and order them. Will go back to confirm - next time I get the chance.

- Rude Dante review

Cisco's Restaurant Bakery & Bar ~ Austin, Texas

1511 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

Met here with a nephew who has lived in Austin for years. It immediately struck me as a place that is more likely a great breakfast joint, but after a Negra Modelo and one of their special margaritas, I was more pliable / negotiable. Pretty sure I had the Jessica's platter (enchilada and a taco), but even more certain that I need to come back here for either chicken fried or one of their breakfast specialties (Migas, Huevos or biscuits and gravy). Truly a landmark joint - but exactly what kind of landmark? Still TBD...

- Rude Dante review

Franklin Barbecue ~ Austin, Texas

Rude Dante was in Austin lately, bringing us back to our Texas roots!

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900 E. 11th Austin, TX 78702

First, a disclaimer. Rude Dante don't know shit (ed: anything) about Texas BBQ. Or, more appropriately and accurately, Rude Dante knows exactly as much about Texas BBQ as he knows about Premier Cru Burgundy or First Growth Bordeaux. To wit, I've tried a couple and know what I like but claim no broad experience or palate to discern the finer nuance of French wine or Texas brisket. End disclaimer.

Upon finding myself in Austin with more time on my hands than usual, dining partner & I walked from our hotel at 11th & I35 to our first dining destination (see Cisco's entry).  En route, we passed what looked like a likely candidate for having a bit of local flavor, Franklin Barbecue, a block east of our hotel.  Upon doing a bit of research, I found that this is indeed one of THOSE places: two friends responded with 'Mecca' upon hearing of my destination, and the one-two other James Beard-award-winning chefs I know personally will likely be impressed when I share this one. 

Since I had a light day the next day, I wandered over a bit after the published 11 am opening time and found a line out the door, around the sidewalk at the corner, back to the parking lot behind the building, and the threat of going around the block (my position in line was later confirmed to be about 2-1/2 hours back). Lacking a better use of time and only having a couple work calls to attend, I said, "what the hell?" and opted to stay.

Folks in line were friendly - a larger group of guys here for a bachelor party (they later bailed when they realized the line would not accommodate their tee time), a business traveler who was working odd shifts and had attended Aaron Franklin's master class (and thereby made himself a valuable ally & information source in our quest for smoked meat). Another couple behind us from California decked out in Raiders-cum-biker attire - just checking out the scene. Shared a bucket of cervezas with the master class guy (to be honest, it was 2 buckets). And there are lawn chairs you can borrow while waiting in line. Truly not a bad use of my time - but NOT recommended for those on a schedule.

We were given regular updates whilst in line (read, 'managing expectations'), and by the time I finished my second conference call (with beers, gulp) we had reached the front door. Was pleasantly surprised to find there were still some options other than brisket. I asked for 1/2 lb brisket packed to take home with me, another half pound to eat, plus whatever was left of the pulled pork (was about 6 oz in my estimation). A couple of us got larger sides to share (slaw and potato salad), and we settled in to eat with our last couple beers.

The brisket was as good as any I have ever had (repeat disclaimer) - and was equally good a couple days later after flying home to Denver with my stash. The pulled pork, while quite good, was not a once-in-a-lifetime experience (or maybe just paled in the shadow of the brisket). Line-mate shared a bit of his other meat option (Jalapeno-cheddar sausage), and I liked that better than the pulled pork. Would have liked to have tried the ribs as well, but they were out (and really, it's all about the brisket).

Really glad that it worked out to try this place out. Whether or not it is worth the wait is another question - and really more about the marginal utility of your time. There is an option to order ahead, as well as out of town shipping, that I did not explore but may be worth looking into for those who are busier than I was at the time of my visit.

- Rude Dante review

Pixiu Mala Hongtang ~ Carrollton, Texas

Looks like someone is in the mood for Chinese!

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This is another restaurant introduced to me by my buddy, The Big Bear! I tried to do a little research on the name, but didn't find too much. I found out that Mala Tang is a Chinese spicy soup but guess first made in Korea (hmm, reminds me of the history of jjamppong, the original hot spicy soup with seafood I fell in love with with Korean and Chinese history). Anyway, this particular restaurant specializes in this soup and on the menu says it is a "re-interpretation" of Mala Tang. It is a DIY place where you get a bowl and take a stroll around the different stations to pick your ingredients. They have one station with several types of mushrooms and fungi including wood ear, lion's mane (my fave), oyster, shitake, and enochi (aka snow puff). They also have skewers of fish balls and shrimp and bacon, a station with many beautiful greens and veggies such as Chinese broccoli, bok choy, regular broccoli, bean sprouts, lotus root and more. Then there is a pasta station with all sorts of noodles from rice to glass and all sorts of shapes too. They also have tofu and a few other soy items to add as well. BE CAREFUL, it is easy to get happy and add WAAY too much to your bowl. Once you fill it, they weigh it and charge by weight. They ask if you want to add meat for $3 (lamb, beef), if you want soup or stir fry and how hot (1-5). They warn you against anything more than 1. I insisted on 2. 1 is plenty hot for most and 2 was plenty hot for me, a heat lover. I might be able to eat 3, but it would be on the edge of more than I want in a big meal. I had soup and Bear had stir fry. The second time I went, I had soup again and Lady Music had stir fry and we shared. I loved doing it that way because I love soup and the broth is very nice. But I also love the stir fry. This way I got some of each. There are a few other choices on the menu, but not sure I will ever get past these items. I loved both and can't wait to go back! We had the onion pancake and it was awesome. They make fried rice too. Another great find for me!

- Mr. Music review

Uncle Zhou ~ Plano, Texas

Alrighty - Mr. Music is back in the game!

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Uncle Zhou has fast become one of my favorite restaurants! My buddy, The Big Bear, took me for my first visit and I was astounded! We started with appetizers: Black fungus, Scallion Pancake and lamb dumplings! OMG, everything was my dream come true! Black Fungus is similar to wood ear mushrooms but are darker. Here they are marinated in Chinese vinegar and seasonings. Served cold, I topped them off with Uncle Zhou's red chilies in oil (much spicier than the stuff you get in most Chinese restaurants!). Bear didn't really care for them, so I gobbled up the large pile by myself. They are a little chewy but not hard to bite through. Honestly, the flavor of the shrooms themselves is very mild, it is the seasoning that you taste most. But it is the texture and chew of these delectable fungi that make them such a treat, for me! The scallion pancakes were freshly made and amazing! I have had them other places and I generally love them. I can't say there is anything about these that make them stand out, but fresh, hot, light and crispy and delicious all the same. Dipped in my own combo of the red chilies, soy sauce and vinegar on the table, we put them away quickly! 

Then came the lamb dumplings! The noodle is hand made per order, stuffed with filling and boiled. Served piping hot, we used the same self made sauce to accompany them. Also delicious! For our main entrees, we shared the Mapo Tofu and the Hand Drawn Wide Noodles (item # H1 on the menu). Mapo Tofu is a pretty well known Sichuan dish. Silky tofu, cubed and boiled in brine and tossed in this amazing, thick and spicy gravy! It is laden with red chilies for heat and then the special ingredient that makes Sichuan dishes so unique, Sichuan peppers! They are not really hot, but rather have a tingling or even numbing sensation on your tongue. I personally LOVE it, but it is not for everyone. You can get the sauce with or without ground meat. I like it either way, but I like without meat better. Plus it is lighter and if you are having several other dishes, it makes it easier to have enough stomach space! I have had Mapo Tofu a few places and this is my favorite, but the other places were great too. There are two sizes at Uncle Zhou, R4 on the menu is a smaller portion over rice. The V10 is a HUGE bowl, but you have to order the rice separate ($1). I prefer this because you get much more for your money and I love having leftovers! 

Lastly and most importantly, those hand drawn noodles! When you order these noodles, you can watch Uncle Zhou making them! He pulls and stretches the 6 foot ropes of heavenliness right there and them pops them in boiling water. 6 feet long and about 1/2 as wide as lasagna and twice as thick, these noodles are perfection; they are a little chewy and stretchy but have a nice bite. They come in a good sized bowl with a delicate sauce made with vinegar, soy sauce, fresh garlic, scallions and baby bok choy then garnished with a little cilantro. This is one of the greatest dishes ever for me and the most unique thing I have had here so far. They serve it with various types of meat as well and I want to try them too. Since my first visit, I have brought several friends and family members here. EVERYONE loves the noodles and most have loved the Mapo Tofu, black fungus and dumplings. They have a really great menu with so much variety and I plan to completely explore it. So far I have only had other styles of dumplings (pork and cabbage, pork and green onion, some boiled and some pan friend, ALL delicious!). Lady Music and I tried the cucumber salad which was very garlicky and yummy! The Mapo Tofu was a little intense for her, although she has liked it other places. She loved the dumplings, black fungus, scallion pancake and noodles as did my two daughters sans the fungus. My eldest, Teen Music also loves the Mapo Tofu. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I will be back again and again and again!

- Mr. Music review