Regular Joe's Guide

Latest visit: Nov 2022 First visit: Sep 2018 Schnitzel Fritz represents that rare breed - a German restaurant that sits in a suburban strip mall. Generally the German restaurants in America feel obligated to have you sit in a Festzelte (Beer Hall) with some ridiculous traditional music and waitstaff in costume garb. Not that these are ubiquitous either, but they seem to represent the German dining experience. Even Kuby's in Dallas gives you a mini variation of this. Not Schnitzel Fritz. This is a very humble grocery, with a kitchen in the back, and some bright yellow plastic booths to sit in. While you wait for your food, you can load up on German desserts (the best), deli meats and cheese's, sausages, and other packaged German goods. Or gifts. On our first two visits (pre COVID), Mrs. RJG and I each got a sandwich. I remember it being excellent, but maybe not enough food? This time we each got a Weiner Schnitzel platter. Wow! This is the way it's done. Two large perfectly...

Latest visit: Dec 2024 (Promenade) First visit: Nov 2022 (Promenade) HQ: Atlanta (founded 2002) Locations: 38 including 7 in Colorado (-1 from our last update). They're in 16 states but not Texas. It's time for Mr. RJG's Official Mom's birthday dinner! 86 years young, we had to miss last year's celebration as she was recovering from surgery. The plan all along was to come to Ted's Montana, and it was her special request to come here after cancelling out last year. I called ahead to see if it was crowded, given the restaurant anchors a very busy Christmas shopping center. "Not at all" the voice back assured me. So we showed up around 5:30 and were seated promptly. It was certainly a lively restaurant just not packed as it would have been every year prior. No question inflation driving many holiday diners back home. We ordered a bottle of their house chardonnay (Bison Ridge), which is very good, and at $33 didn't seem like a ripoff.  For dinner, Offi...

Latest visit: Apr 2023 First visit: Nov 2021 So guess who's in town? Mr. Music! For breakfast we went to RJG's favorite Quijotes (already updated for the year). After a full day of crate digging at thrift shops and record stores here in town, it was time for dinner. The three of us (now with Mrs. RJG joining) always enjoy going out for Thai food together. Why not go to our latest favorite - Zesty Thai! Mrs. RJG had the red curry which she really enjoyed. I had the "Chef's Special" which you can read about below. Mr. Music started with a bowl of Tom Kha and chicken, and then proceeded to have the same dish as I. Oh, and Mr. Music and I also had the Thai Iced Coffee (mentioned below as well). All were a big hit! On this visit the heat level was below Thai Hot, so one minor gripe, but not a big deal. We had a chance to speak with the owner/chef and she explained that her cooking style is from the northeast of Thailand. And the way I order my dish is "truly Thai ...

Latest visit: Jun 2025 (N. Academy) First tried: May 2022 (Boulder) ---6/20/25 Two years after my disappointing visit, I'm back at Snarf's. Maybe I was just in the mood for it, but today's sandwich really hit the spot. I returned to the trusty Italian. Expertly made, crispy bread, excellent meats and dressings. And I was very full afterward. And I was thirsty, so I pretty much camped out at the soda machine. Still too expensive, but everything is unfortunately. But I can manage once a year. Welcome back to the RJG Rotation! Chain update: Colorado: 41 (+16) with 2 of those in Colorado Springs (+1); St. Louis: 6 (+2); Texas: 6 (+4). They are now in DFW with their first location opening soon near Richardson. Good to see a chain growing rather than contracting! ---4/29/23 On this fine Friday afternoon, I decided a sandwich was in order, after eating at home all week (like every week Mon-Thu). I thought it was a good time to revisit Snarf's. I tried to convince Mrs. RJG to c...

Just as the RJG is back on home turf, so finds Mr. Music. In fact, Carrollton is ground zero for our relationship as that's where we all lived back in the early 90s. I've been to this restaurant once with MM some many years ago. Let's see what his latest visit results in... --- I've been going to Al Markaz about as long as any restaurant I have consistently gone to. It's only competition might be Banana Leaf Thai. Both 20+ years! And I don't mean casually, I mean regularly and at times obsessively. I reviewed Al Markaz long ago, so it is time for an update.  Music Junior turns 18 this weekend. Crazy! A foodie and underground music junkie dad could not be more proud of his eldest daughter firmly following in his footsteps! Music Jr, Baby Music and I unanimously decided Al Markaz was the perfect place to celebrate. Just as a refresher, Al Markaz is a Pakistani restaurant, Halal butcher and grocery store. They are known to have the best mutton biryani, karahi chick...

First visit: Nov 2022 The next day was even more intense, this time with a full day of presentations. Our team performed wonderfully throughout. We were on video conference while others were in person. Since we were remote, once again lunch was provided via catering. They went with Chipotle, always a good choice. We already have an annual update for that chain, so we'll move to dinner. Now it's time to fly home. Crazy late night flying with a tight connection in Vegas. I'm not even going to tell that story here, but my goodness, I'm getting too old to be running in airports OJ Simpson style (I still try to remember the good OJ). With a business suit on. Whatever the case, before that drama ensued, I usually enjoy going to an airport early so I can unwind with a couple of beers and a meal. I know they have a Matt's Big Breakfast at this airport, because I've been there. Bad plan. Wrong airline and terminal. And to think I was complaining about O'Hare. The Sou...

First time tried: Nov 2022 (Gilbert, AZ) Locations: Flower Child has locations spotted around the country. Mostly in areas that show "blue" on a political map. There's two in Colorado, one in Denver and the other in - oh c'mon guess - Boulder. No way in Colorado Springs. They are in DFW as well, but you can predict they aren't in NE Tarrant. They are owned by Fox Restaurants who have many similar conceptual places, including Culinary Dropout (lol) which some of our team went out to that evening. We're back at the office, and after a full morning of rehearsals, it's showtime. But first - lunch. Yaay! Our gracious hosts sure know how to cater food. First in Chicago, and now here in Phoenix. Like with The Habit, I'd somehow gotten this far in life without ever hearing of a restaurant called Flower Child. Not that I would seek out such a place. Perhaps I should! If there's a restaurant that screams virtue signaling, check out this blurb from their webs...

First visit: Nov 2022 Picking back up here... So the first night was a late one, where dinner didn't start until 9. Way off my dietary routine but I was mentally prepared. We had a very large group, and my coworker chose Society by Evo. You already know that the RJG is not going to gravitate to a "sleek" restaurant with a name like Society by Evo. As stated before, when English majors rule the menu, the accountants add a zero to each entry. On the left side of the decimal point... We had appetizers to start - trays of meatballs, bacon wrapped dates, steak and potato with a hot dipping sauce, feta dip, and hummus. Maybe more. All very good, at least that which I tried. Even though it was late, I decided on pasta anyway and had the Bolognese. Very similar to the meal I had at Panzano in Denver. Maybe even better, as the sauce had a really nice kick to it. I wasn't going to eat it all, but I kept digging in anyway. Weight gain! Beer list was fairly perfunctory and the ta...

Latest visit: Feb 2025 First visit: Jul 2011 (Carson City, NV) HQ: Reno, NV (founded 1972 in Sparks, NV) Locations: 129 (-6 since 2022): NV (74); CA (29); AZ (11); UT (5); WA (4); ID (3); Bend, OR; New York City. Castle Rock is their only locale here in Colorado. It's a sunny and warm Thursday and off I go to Denver to visit some estate and garage sales followed by thrift and record stores. It seems I may be onto a weekly ritual, though that will be a game time decision each day. The second estate sale completed near lunch time, and I knew exactly where I was going. I had seen Port of Subs with their "Coming Soon" sign when meeting with Old Boss late last year. As noted below, they weren't in Colorado prior. But they are now, and let's see how it goes. Walk in, spacious and clean, and you'll be greeted with the traditional sandwich shop setup. The below review reminds us that Port of Subs is in the Jersey Mike's category of making a sandwich with the meat ...

First visit: Nov 2022 (Gilbert, AZ) Locations: As noted below, The Habit has the darnedest growth strategy I've ever seen. Essentially they are growing on both the left and right coasts, while completely ignoring the middle. They have made it to Utah, so it would seem Colorado could be soon. I bet they open on Interquest in Colorado Springs (haha). They currently have over 300 locations. Today we begin 3 long days of discussion and customer meetings. Those don't start until the early afternoon, so I needed to ensure I had lunch to fuel the remainder of the day until our (later) dinner. I was just looking for a burger - nothing too heavy - when a pile of places showed up near my hotel. All national or regional chains that I can get back in Colorado Springs. RJG Rule #1 when traveling: Don't eat at any place that you can easily have at home. The one place that stood out differently was The Habit Burger Grill. I have somehow managed to get to late 2022 without ever hearing of ...

First visit: Nov 2022 (Gilbert) After a full day of crate digging, I'd built up an appetite. There's nothing walking distance to the hotel, but what would be a close drive that looked appealing? State 48 Brewery went straight to the front and kept the pole position throughout. Had to limit the beer intake, which I usually peg to 2 unless they are really light. Must keep under the legal limit. It's easier to do that locally because I can always come back and try other beers the next time. But I have to avoid the temptation to try more and stay disciplined. The Bier Reise have those two beers cataloged - and they were both delicious. State 48 is a sharp looking place inside a suburban "town center". Somewhat like Southlake's Town Square for my old NE Tarrant readers. A very spacious place with television screens throughout. I waited until the Cardinals game was over, and even Google Maps warned it was "busier than usual" during the game. And I'm su...

Latest visit: Nov 2022 (Gilbert) First visit: Mar 2019 (Mesa) Other locations: As of this writing, Tacos Tijuana has 6 locations, all in the Phoenix area. Their website says "all over Arizona" so I'm guessing some closed during the pandemic. After leaving Chicago, was back home for a couple of days, and left for Phoenix early Sunday. Wanted to get a full day in to look for records and try different places to eat and new beers to drink. Once again we're here for business, and this trip is related to the same pursuit we've been on when going to Denver and Chicago. As with those trips, I have limited freedom on where I would normally go to eat, though this group has proven to do a fine job of picking places. We'll see how they fare on this trip. As you can see, I've been here before - during a quiet period for the RJG. The Mrs. and I were in this part of Phoenix for one of our official niece's weddings. This preceded other official niece's weddings in...

O'Hare Airport (Terminal 3) Latest visit: Nov 2022 First visit: May 2018 On the final day in Chicago we were back to 20 some odd folks in the meeting. The plan was to have a catered breakfast and then most of us flew home that late afternoon / early evening. The breakfast was very good, but the caterer remained a mystery, so I can't include in the RJG. Perfectly cooked scrambled eggs - rare to find eggs cooked well in a large setting. They also had bacon, potatoes, pastries, fruit, etc... Now to the airport, which took forever and a day to get to. No one works it seems but the freeways are still mobbed. After the security check, it was time to eat and drink. I flew United this time, and I haven't really explored Terminal 2. Ya know, for an airport the size of O'Hare, and their main terminal is #2 which houses their flagship United, one would think the eateries would be endless. Nope. Plenty of fast options from the food court or other awful looking places. There are a c...

First tried: Nov 2022 OK now we have moved offices (a few blocks away) and expanded our team up to 20 people. This group is a bit too big for team lunches and dinners, so they brought in food from the outside. That's always a dicey proposition, but I hoped for the best. I was starving by Noon, and I heard lunch was served. Wandering outside the office was a display filled with different kinds of sandwiches and salads - all in sturdy cardboard boxes - with the name Sopraffina stamped on them. I grabbed the sole Parma sandwich, which had smoked ham, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and grain mustard on pretzel ciabatta. Came with a side of fruit, spicy pickle, macaroni salad, and an M&M cookie. Oh my goodness - what a great sandwich! Makes you wonder why everyone can't do this? The bread is key for certain but the mixture of ingredients were perfect. Very fresh. Other notables were the large spear pickle - and my inner 5 year old comes out - the cookie. The fresh fruit was enjo...

Latest visit: Nov 2022 (Chicago - Central Loop) First visit: Oct 1997 (Westchester, Illinois) Talk with anyone that knows what Chicago Pizza is and they're likely to break into an argument about who's better between Giordano's and Lou Malnati's. I have never been to the latter, and this is only my second time to the former. As you can see, my first visit was 25 years ago. At that time, our Chicago office was in Westchester, a most wonderful inner suburb that housed many great "old school Chicago" restaurants. With names like "Beef" as noted in Luke's post. The Giordano's there was something of an afterthought, representing a chain like experience among much more worthy independent establishments. I wasn't impressed. But here we are in Chicago, and it's time for the team dinner. There's about 10 of us, and my coworker and I agreed that we should try for a Chicago legend. And pizza sounded great to all of us who were hungry after a ...

First visit: Nov 2022 One thing that was very apparent to me on this trip to Chicago: The pandemic appears to have just now ended. What a dictatorship they had going here. Many places are closed permanently because they could not survive a two year lockdown. The downtown streets are still somewhat empty, with workers just starting to filter back in. All these beautiful glass and steel (or stone and mortar) towers of commerce remain empty. It's really sad to see. Denver is back to full glory as an apples to apples comparison. Many of the businesses that did survive are stating "welcome back" similar to what we saw in the summer of 2021! And masks are still fairly prevalent, and mandatory on buses and trains. I guess the disease is worse in Chicago than elsewhere huh? Pfft! I had been to Eastern Europe during Soviet dominated Communism, and know exactly what it looks like. Like what I'm seeing here in Chicago. Apparently that's what these leaders want. My goodness ...

Latest visit: Oct 2022 First visit: Jun 2012 OK - so here's the place downtown (inside The Loop) I'd been to prior. I was here for AT&T on a one off business trip and we'd come here for drinks after dinner. And, as it turns out, I came here only for drinks after dinner this time as well. Doing the pub crawl on the first night while enjoying one day of vacation before a very busy business week. It's even closer to the Palmer House. Looking at the menu, I really should give this place a go for dinner. Perhaps next time in Chicago I'll make that effort, if finding myself downtown of course. They have an excellent craft beer selection, which again, is cataloged in the Bier Reise above. Miller's Pub first opened in 1935 and has been in the same family since 1950. This is the darkened wood paneled Chicago bar you dream about. 6/21/12; 11/4/22 (new entry)

First visit: Oct 2022 Back in Chicago for the first time since 2012. For whatever reason I was lazy getting down my experience then, so those restaurants will have to await a revisit. But as it turns out one pub did get a revisit - more on that later. One of my other favorite pursuits is staying at old hotels - especially those of former glorious grandeur. I also enjoy contemporary hotels - perhaps future relics right? On this visit I had a chance to stay at the Palmer House, one of Hilton's hotels since the mid 40s but a history that goes back to 1925 (in its current state). It was the first hotel in Chicago with elevators along with light bulbs and telephones in each guest room. Not even sure they still have the latter. Who would notice such things? But no one could miss the grand entrance with the incredible ceiling paintings. So many great details. Of course the pandemic closed the hotel for well over a year. Fortunately it is back - alive and well. Like the rest of us I suppos...

Latest visit: Dec 2023 (O'Hare airport) First visit: Nov 2022 (Downtown) Meetings are over and the Uber to Reagan Airport was smooth and uneventful. Flight was miraculously on time, and somehow I got put into a middle seat. Something had gone awry but not worth arguing about. While squished between two gentlemen, I typed out most of these entries. As is the case with most east coast destinations, one has to travel to a hub to and from Colorado Springs. And I'm back at Chicago O'Hare in the United terminal(s). My go-to here is Publican Tavern that I've covered in this blog. I didn't really have enough time for sit down service, but didn't want to settle on fast food either. As you can see below, we ate here last year at the downtown location. This is their airport outlet. It is a quick service setup, so no chance for a nice Weiner Schnitzel meal. They offer sandwiches, and guess what? They have a Cuban. Well then, let's try their version. And, as we learned l...