Regular Joe's Guide

Latest visit: Jun 2024 First visit: May 2022 Founded: 2021 It's been just over two years since my inaugural visit to Samich Shack. As I continue to work eastern Colorado Springs for my hobby business, I'm also enjoying places that had fallen out of the rotation mainly due to location. I wanted to try something different from their menu, so I went with the Palmer. This is a meatball sandwich with pepperoni, Italian peppers, and melted cheese. Comes with chips and a pickle spear. In an interesting twist, they offer free beer as well. Today that meant original Coors, which always reminds me why I like craft beer rather than ordinary beer. But it was free, and served well as my glass of water. It's not all that bad honestly, especially since I was thirsty. It also allows me to give a tip when otherwise I'd be in the awkward position of saying no, especially since the guy is holding it right in front of you. Back to the sandwich. Hmmm... the meatballs were good. They're ...

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...

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 wa...

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...

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...

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 wa...

Latest visit: Nov 2023 (Colorado Springs) First visit: May 2022 (Las Vegas airport) HQ: New York City (Founded: 2001) Locations: There are 331 locations in the US with 10 in Europe, 41 in the Middle East, and 78 in Asia. There are 10 in Colorado with just this one in the Springs. Texas has 27 (13 in DFW). Closest to our old NE Tarrant home would be Southlake.  OK, so Shake Shack has finally arrived in Colorado Springs - and naturally up here in Mega Chain Valley. It took awhile to build and get through the bureaucratic red tape. I expected large lines for some time similar to In-N-Out and Whataburger. But I was surprised to find out that only one week after opening, I was the only patron inside with a few cars in the drive-thru. So it was more like Five Guys than the other two, but at least Five Guys were already here, so it was nothing new for denizens of our fine city. So on this Thursday morning before 11 am, I walked in to try Shake Shack for the first time properly . As noted ...

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...

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 f...

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'. ...

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

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

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. Ha...

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 hal...

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. S...

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 (...

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 b...

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...

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

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 ...

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...

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 o...

Latest visit: Feb 2025 First visit: Aug 2021 ---1/6/24 OK... On this visit I had the waffle cone with coffee ice cream (such imagination I possess), and Mrs. RJG split one scoop between Cookies & Cream and Chocolate Mousse. Just like last year (and we went twice) they gave us far more than one scoop indicates. The ice cream was so smooth. Mrs. RJG enjoyed every second of hers, being the ice cream fanatic she is. I forgot to take photos. I'm a mental patient when it comes to the camera. Next time. The Amish ladies that work here are always so sweet. I love that this part of Colorado is drawing more and more Amish to the area. We even have the horse and buggy warning signs that I'd only seen in parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio prior. In fact, I'm for seceding from Colorado altogether. Let's create a new state South Colorado with Colorado Springs as the capital. North Colorado (or maybe East California?) can keep Denver and all the billionaire ski towns. Well maybe we...

Latest visit: Feb 2025 First visit: May 2022 And we are back in our favorite Colorado mountain town destination of Westcliffe. A little later than our normal winter visit since we've had quite a bit of weather early this year plus the Mexico wedding trip threw a wrench into all of our plans. This is only our second visit to Chappy's, even though I thoroughly enjoyed our original time here. However they've made some changes including their opening hours, and oftentimes we like eating earlier. So we ventured to other places in town. Now that I'm retired, our schedule is more flexible. Like going on a Tuesday instead of the weekend. And what a beautiful day it was, with temperatures in the 60s. In late February, that's crazy. We arrived around Noon and were both starving. We ate a little bit at home after our morning run, but it's only going to last so long. Mrs. RJG has really been in the mood for burgers of late, so Chappy's rose high on the list, and they...

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

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

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 ...

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. --- 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

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

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

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

Looks like someone is in the mood for Chinese! --- 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, l...

Alrighty - Mr. Music is back in the game! --- 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. ...