Granelli's Pizzeria ~ Castle Rock, Colorado

Latest visit: Dec 2023

First visit: Dec 2022

We're back at Granelli's almost one year to the date. And yes, once again with Old Boss. We had much to catch up on since it's been a full year. We're both still at the same company even though he retired then unretired. I rarely get to eat pizza, so I wanted to revisit Granelli's. And despite my bold claims below, I stuck with an 11" thin crust pizza with "hot" sausage. Absolutely delicious. I need to come here on my own next time I'm crate digging in the area or bring Mrs. RJG along. I'm sure I'll try something else. Probably not...

---original 12/21/22 review

It was time to meet Old Boss again, a good friend going on 27 years now. Met him originally at the same place as Mrs. RJG and Rude Dante, though he didn't work for the same company, but rather one of the software vendors. Fortuitous meeting as he indeed hired me for my first job after marriage in 1997. And we've been close ever since. Today we work again for the same firm in our familiar roles. We cannot escape large software companies it would appear.

Old Boss suggested we try Granelli's Pizza, a Castle Rock legend going on 25+ years now. Despite being a resident of nearby Castle Pines, he'd never been. And neither had I, so it was a perfect choice. Sitting just outside the busiest part of downtown Castle Rock, Granelli's is a quaint full service restaurant with a hearty menu of pizzas and Italian specialties. They originally started on the south side of Chicago, and that's why their slogan is what it is. I was tempted to try a deep dish, but having just experienced a mediocre offering from Giordano's in Chicago, I stayed thin crust. With homemade rolled hot Italian sausage. Hey that's two pizza's in a row with that! The thin crust - square and corner cut - reminds me very much of my time working in Racine, Wisconsin (also in 1997 - while reporting to Old Boss in a consulting role - synchronicity overload!). In any case, it was delicious. Mrs. RJG would have approved. Thin crispy crust, plenty of cheese, good sauce, and great tasting sausage. Would like to try one of their Italian entrees at some point, or even a sandwich. Perhaps next year, as Castle Rock is a usual stop on my Denver crate digging runs. Looking forward to a revisit.

12/21/22 (new entry); 12/27/23

Dickey's Barbeque Pit ~ national chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Dec 2023 (Interquest)

First visit: sometime in the 1980s (Dallas - Northwest)

HQ: Dallas, TX

Locations: 41 states and 442 locations. There are 23 in Colorado with 5 in this area. Texas by far is their largest presence at 127. NE Tarrant has locations in Grapevine, Bedford, and a couple in far north Fort Worth. Our former location in Keller appears closed. According to Wikipedia they had 483 locations in 43 states, so they've also been impacted negatively in the last few years like most.

Dickey's is a lot like Schlotzsky's in my world. As with that sandwich mega-chain, its origins are in Texas, and in this case right where I grew up in Dallas. They started in 1941 but began to grow rapidly in the 90s. The biggest issue I've had with Dickey's is that it's middle of the road barbecue. I think they've gone to great lengths to try to distinguish themselves with more meat and sauce options than prior. In Texas it felt like we were merely settling on a barbecue restaurant rather than trying the myriad of better places around the area. Of course with any place run by a corporation such as this, the odds of a poor experience increase.

On this evening, it was the RJG's Official Mom's 85th birthday! She'd had surgery only a couple of months before (which is why we were in the city of the Springs quite a bit for dinner), and she's still recovering and didn't want to go out. So we brought it in! Barbecue sounded good to her, and Dickey's seemed like the perfect place to pick up a "family pack" or something like that. We ordered two meats (polish sausage and chopped brisket), three sides (potato salad, chips, and beans), regular sauce, and bread. We had a $5 coupon, but it's still not cheap at $65. However we figured after leftovers, we ended up with six full meals so maybe not such a bad deal at all.

Everything was very good. We reheated much of it in mom's apartment kitchen and we all enjoyed the meal. I figured I really should add Dickey's to the RJG rotation of places to go. It's not as good as Mission, but it's certainly a fine place to go. I was also very pleased with the young man who prepared our package. Very kind and went the extra mile to make sure we had everything for her birthday.

11/9/03; 1/17/07; 1/17/08; 1/29/16; 6/27/19; 12/21/23 (new entry)

Dallas (Northwest); North Richland Hills, Texas; Keller, Texas; Colorado Springs

Pho-N-Thai ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Last visit: Dec 2023

First visit: Aug 2019

Mrs. RJG has been hankering for Thai food and she wanted to go back to Pho-N-Thai, a place we visited once before the pandemic. We thought it was good then, but neither of us remember much about it. I'm not usually fond of Thai restaurants that also specialize in other Asian cuisines, in this case Vietnamese. We also haven't really been anywhere since I returned from DC, and it's time for a lunch date.

When you walk in, you'll order at the counter, so it's almost like a fast food place. But you can customize your dish like at a restaurant.. I ordered my usual basil chicken and they customized it with minced chicken, no zucchini, add a fried egg, and Thai Hot. Mrs. RJG went Vietnamese with a rice noodle bowl and flank steak.

There's a regional type of cooking from Thailand that I don't care for much, and Pho-N-Thai cooks in that style. The sauce is almost red, not the familiar brown that I'm used to. My meal was heavy on yellow bell peppers and onions, with the reddish sauce. The chicken and fried egg were good, and the spice level was hot, not Thai hot. I ate most of it, except all the peppers and onions. It was good, but not really for me. Especially after being reminded how great Thai food can be at Baramee in Kansas City. Mrs. RJG enjoyed hers more I think, since it was a simpler dish. I had a few pieces of the flank steak. Slightly sweet as expected and a little tough, but still chewable.

The restaurant is very spacious and bright with natural light. Ceramic tile floors ensures a non-cozy experience. Service was friendly. There are better Thai restaurants in Colorado Springs, so we'll leave off Pho-N-Thai from the RJG rotation.

8/25/19; 12/16/23 (new entry)

The Berghoff ~ Chicago, Illinois

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 last year, they also have their own brewery Adams Street - and they had four of those on tap. Perfect, I'll go for their hazy IPA. As for the sandwich, yea, that's coming in a distant third compared to Dogwood and ChurchKey. The bread is a soft onion roll, there's no mustard, and the pickle is on the side (along with the pepperoncini, which is a nice touch). This is a very porky Cuban, with the pulled pork dominating and a bit soft and wet. Not my favorite. The slice of ham and cheese were good but the whole thing needed to be hotter temperature. Ah well, next time I'll try something else, as this makes a nice alternative when my layover is less than two hours. And with that, this concludes the latest business trip. Back to the routine of exercise and eating at home.

---original 11/4/22 review

Now it's time for dinner, and we are back to our core 10 team members. Do we fend for ourselves or have another team dinner? I had planned on going to The Berghoff by myself, and sure enough, we decided let's all do that! Love it when the larger group thinks like me. That's rare actually. This group of ladies and men are exceptionally smart obviously (lol).

As noted about Luke's, The Berghoff is just now getting rolling again, and the restaurant is half empty on a major business weeknight. And they close early too due to a lack of business (7:30 - wow). I'm not going to pass on a classic German restaurant if I have a say in the matter. I used to go to Kenosha from Racine (Wisconsin) on a somewhat regular basis just to eat at House of Gerhard. These places are a dying breed, and I for one want to keep them alive.

What a wonderful place this is too. Large dining areas, and they even put a brewery inside called Adams Street. That's too perfect. I enjoyed all 3 beers I tried (noted in the Bier Reise). We ordered appetizers and the big hit was the giant pretzel. We had to get another! Fried cheese curds were also very good. For dinner I went with the Chicken Schnitzel which also comes with spatzel and creamed spinach. I substituted the spinach with mashed potatoes, and they gave me what one coworker called "a field" of potatoes. They were delicious but too much of it. The chicken cutlet was perfectly breaded and cooked. I added the Italian red sauce on top - not exactly traditional but still excellent. Others on the table seemed to enjoy their food, mostly complaining they ate too much. We're all older than we were in our younger consultant days that's for sure. I wanted to stay for one more beer, but as noted above, they close very early. So I went back to Miller's Pub for that last one before calling it a night.

The Berghoff first opened in 1898 primarily as a brewery, and is still privately owned by the same family. During Prohibition they expanded to German food. Apparently they were the first establishment in Chicago to obtain a liquor license after repeal. They also maintain a cafe at O'Hare airport. I stopped by but it was really crowded, and it's fast food order at the counter. Naa, doesn't go with the namesake.

11/4/22 (new entry); 12/6/23

Boulevard Cafe ~ Tysons, Virginia

First visit: Dec 2023

Our company has an office in a very nice building - and is walking distance from our hotel as well. No one was paying for our lunch on this final day of meetings, so we decided to eat at the cafe in the building. Used to be these kind of places served warmed over Sysco Foods. Now they're better than Fleming's. Nothing makes sense anymore. Whatever the case, I ordered a spicy chicken sandwich with fries. Out comes this wonderful sandwich with excellent bread, a very crispy, spicy, and flavorful chicken breast, all on a bed of fresh lettuce and jalapenos. With a basket full of fries that I couldn't even finish. But they were great too. I'll be perfectly fine to eat here again if we go back to this office again, which remains a very real possibility.

12/6/23 (new entry)

Maggiano's Little Italy ~ national chain : Tysons, Virginia

Latest visit: Dec 2023 (Tysons Galleria Mall)

First visit: Aug 2000 (Denver, CO)

HQ: Dallas, TX

Locations: Yet another dumb website that does not allow you to research the chain. You can only know about your location. Makes you wonder what they're thinking. According to Wikipedia, as of March 2021, there are 54 locations in 23 states including DC. They still have two locations in Denver it appears.

I don't think I've ever written about Maggiano's but have been plenty of times. Their day in the sun has passed, but they're still a good viable option for a nice Italian meal. Especially for groups like this. They were all the rage in the late 90s, and that's when I first tried them in Denver. Mrs. RJG always enjoyed it as well. They're part of the Brinker chain (acquired from Lettuce Entertain You in Chicago), and this is the next level up from Romano's Macaroni Grill. Yet another vendor hosted this dinner (yep - our group is influential for vendors). It's also walking distance, inside of a mall. Wow - malls still have significance? Who knew? This was not an event where we could order individually, but rather plates of food were delivered to our two large tables. Mrs. RJG would have hated every minute of this and probably would not have eaten at all. By the time you get the food, it's not super hot, and "everyone has spit on it" she would comment. I accept these norms. Besides I don't want to starve... I have to say, whoever ordered our meals, did a great job of gauging the audience. I certainly ate wonderfully: Meatballs, ziti and Italian sausage, chicken picatta, salads, fried mozzarella, even tiramisu, cheesecake, and assorted desserts. Other than eating one huge meatball I was careful not to eat too much. A little of this and a little of that. I really do enjoy Maggiano's red sauce as well. Their beer selection wasn't great, but they had Devil's Backbone which is a macro craft (InBev) that I used to enjoy in Baltimore. I don't expect craft beers at Italian restaurants. I would have normally gone for wine, but needed to have a low alcohol night. 

Maggiano's was my go to layover restaurant at DFW airport coming back home from Baltimore to Colorado Springs. But that has stopped as well. I probably wouldn't go these days anyway, but I have fond memories of this restaurant. Actually got to bed at a sensible hour and slept close to 10 hours. I was wiped.

8//00; 6//09; 4/12/19; 12/5/23 (new entry)

Denver; DFW airport; Tysons, Virginia

Potbelly Sandwich Shop ~ national chain : Tysons, Virginia

Latest visit: Dec 2023 (Spring Hill Rd.)

First visit: Apr 2006 (Las Colinas, TX)

HQ: Chicago, IL (Founded: 1977)

Locations: They're currently in 32 states including DC. They have 10 in Colorado, mostly up in Denver. Our original review location in Hurst is still around.

Have to earn those steak dinners, so it's time for two straight days of internal meetings. They were very informative actually and my peers and management team is great, so no complaints. But it's tiring. Many of us are of a similar age, and we're not up for long nights and hard days. But we persevered. It's hard to exercise in this environment, so I don't even bother. With the record show on Saturday and four straight days of travel, my legs are well rested. And my belly has grown...

Speaking of which! Potbelly. As in I now have one. It'll be coming off soon. Lunch was served after 12, and my stomach was growling wildly. But I was relieved to hear Potbelly was our vendor's choice for lunch (different vendor than the night before). We were served half sandwiches, and I had two Italians and one ham and Italian. So a sandwich and a half. Probably a half sandwich too much, as I wasn't burning calories at my normal rate. Oh well - I still enjoyed it. They really need to be in Colorado Springs...

---10/15/22 update

The RJG's first business trip with his new company was a long journey all the way to... Denver. Ha! It was a 3 day trip mostly spent sequestered in our sales partner's offices in downtown. Food wasn't much of a priority for this bunch, and I spent a lot of the time starving. Finally we were "let out" for a quick lunch. And right across the street was Potbelly. Since they're not here in the Springs, that's a no-brainer. Prior to this visit, my primary location was at the Baltimore airport. But those jobs have now ended. In any case, I went with the Italian just as I did on the 2013 visit listed below. And it was just as delicious as I remember. Of course we grabbed it to-go. Couldn't possibly be away from the office for more than 15 minutes...

As of this writing, Potbelly are in 31 states. In Colorado they only exist in the Denver area (9) and one in Fort Collins. From our former HQ in NE Tarrant, they still have the one in Hurst + another in Southlake.

--- original 7/9/13 review (Hurst, Texas)

So let's cut to the chase: We love their sandwiches. Potbelly started in 1977 in Chicago, but didn't branch out until about 1996. I first heard of them while walking through Midway Airport many years ago. They're sort of a cross between a traditional East Coast sub shop, a Chicago styled grinder house, and Quizno's. The bread is delicious, and they use the conveyor belt setup to heat their sandwiches. And their prices aren't bad for this day and age. I went with the Italian on this visit (Hurst), and Mrs. RJG had the chicken salad sandwich. They were executed to perfection.

If you've never tried one, and you live nearby (or they're in a convenient location in an airport - just sayin'...), give them a shot.

4/6/06; 7/9/13 (new entry); 5/30/14; 12/14/18; 10/15/22; 12/5/23

Las Colinas, Texas; Hurst, Texas; Baltimore; Denver; Tysons, Virginia

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse ~ national chain : McLean, Virginia

First visit: Dec 2023 (Marriott Courtyard)

HQ: Tampa, FL

Locations: They are located in 25 states across the nation. Denver has one as does Plano in DFW.

I seem to recall seeing the name Flemings in one of those "Best Steakhouses in America" advertisements you'd see in the airplane magazines. Remember those? They used to be in the front pouch of your seat. Old times, eh Uncle RJG? I don't recall ever eating at Flemings prior. It's been forever and a day since I ate at a high end steakhouse like this for business. I think it was Ruth Chris in (ironically) also in Tysons, Virginia, almost exactly seven years ago when I first started at the global education company (where most of my Baltimore restaurant experience comes from as documented here in the RJG). We arrived way later than my normal din-din time, but I was mentally prepared. It was a short walk to the neighboring Courtyard, where most of my peers were staying. Service was unfortunately painfully slow, so it was probably 10 by the time we ate. That's going to take a week of running to work out of my system. Their beer list was pitiful (shame for a high end restaurant) so I stuck our company with two high priced glasses of red wine as did some of my counterparts. I had a Caesar salad and a regular 11 ounce Filet. The Caesar was great - perfectly executed with the right mix of ingredients. I ordered my steak medium. Some of it was well done, other parts were medium rare. It wasn't evenly cooked. I thought it was very good anyway. Though Mrs. RJG would have despised it, which is one reason we never go to high end steakhouses. As I stated in my Ocean Prime entry, these places have to do better. They want to be at the highest price, and yet they deliver service and food below what I can get at a bistro in Great Bend, Kansas (see Page restaurant). I didn't pay for it out of my own pocket (does anyone?), and yes I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't go on my own. No chance.

12/4/23 (new entry)

Tysons, Virginia

Tysons Social Tavern ~ Tysons, Virginia

First visit: Dec 2023

I was sober as a judge about midway through my record store excursion, so by the time I arrived back at the hotel, I was ready for the meet and greet session with my team and the vendor who hosted the event. I stayed at the Doubletree which is where Tysons Social Tavern happens to be. The hotel itself is very nice though non distinctive unlike the Kimptons and some of the historical hotels I prefer to stay at. 

I arrived and the vendor was chowing down on munchies and already imbibing. My team had yet to arrive so I motored to the bar, and was more than pleased at the local craft beer selection. I started in with one (first in Virginia!), and began socializing as my team arrived in concert. Two hours and two more craft beers later, good vibes were in the air. I wisely avoided the appetizers as I figured our team would go out to eat, and we did just that afterward. I really enjoyed Tysons and would certainly go back to this hotel just to return here for Happy Hour or even dinner if dining solo.

12/4/23 (new entry)

Dogwood Tavern ~ Falls Church, Virginia

First visit: Dec 2023

I took the next day off to look for records in the Northern Virginia suburbs. I was informed by the stores in DC that I could spend all day at the CD Cellar so with that in mind I decided to eat lunch first, and let's see what is nearby. Well look at this, Dogwood Tavern is my kind of place and they essentially share a parking lot with the record store. They have an excellent selection of local craft beers and their menu looked perfect. Sat at the long bar on the right side of the restaurant (as you walk in) and ordered my first beer. I originally had intended to have a hamburger but while perusing the menu, they have a monthly special of a Cuban. Well that's a no brainer. A few minutes later out came my delicious sandwich. Crispy bread, hot temperature, all pickley and mustardy. Perfect. Of course I took the option for tater tots just like the night before. These were much better than ChurchKey's variety. Grabbed another beer during lunch, which set the perfect tone for a full day of crate digging. 

The tip I received was spot on, and I spent the next 4+ hours going through their massive selection, all priced very fairly (not cheap but fair). A perfect afternoon.

12/4/23 (new entry)

ChurchKey ~ Washington, District of Columbia

First visit: Dec 2023

The day after the record show I had to get up super early (like before 3) to catch a flight to DC through Atlanta. I'm there for work, but wanted to have Sunday and Monday (as a PTO day) to look for records. In order to have time on Sunday, I need to get there as early as possible. Everything more or less was timed perfectly, and I was into my first shop by around 2 or so. After visiting four different places, it's time to settle in for dinner and some craft beers.

One of my goals in life is to try a local craft beer in every state (including DC). I've already accomplished having a beer from each state, but not in the state if that makes sense. I was eight short going into this trip, but DC and Virginia are two I'm missing. So this should be easy. And it was. I recently read an article on the top 10 craft beer bars in the US, and ChurchKey was one of them. And it's less than a 10 minute walk from my hotel. Incidentally I stayed at the Kimpton Hotel Banneker. Wonderful boutique hotel. I've enjoyed Kimpton's since the first one I visited in San Francisco way back in 1995 (Hotel Vintage Court). Kimpton long ago sold out of the San Francisco market, but they were my go-to chain when I used to frequent that once fine city for business. I hope to go to SF again, it's been over 10 years since my last visit. Of course the general news is how bad it is there - but then I read the same things about DC and it's a wonderful city. And everyone - and I mean everyone - has been so nice to me. I haven't been here since 2007 and that was a brief stop to drop off a proposal. The last real trip to DC was in 2004 on the same night as the presidential election. What crazy timing. Stayed at a Kimpton then too (different hotel than this one). I'll have to look it up when I get home. And ate at Bobby Van's Steakhouse. OK back to this visit... Interesting to note that the Banneker is right next to the Serbian Embassy. I should have knocked on their door to see if they had any Igra Staklenih Perli albums (esoteric reference, but I do encourage you to check them out on YouTube if curious - they were similar to early Pink Floyd).

It's a little bit confusing at first, but basically you open the door and walk up two flights of stairs to the main room. I started on the local DC beers (two), and then moved to Virginia, for four total. As for dinner, they have my go-to Cuban. This is a very good variation, with crispy bread and ham and pork. Ever since my time working in Idaho, if I have the option for tater tots, that's what I'll go for. These were a bit too much filler, and not crispy enough.

While I wouldn't crown ChurchKey as better than Max's Taphouse (Baltimore) for beer selection, I would still rate it very highly. I do think the food is better here. I hope I get another chance to try ChurchKey again.

12/3/23 (new entry)

Sapo Guapo ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Food truck

First visit: Dec 2023

It's time for the Colorado Springs Record Show, and for this show I ran one table full of my goodies. Did very well and it's always great to meet fellow music and vinyl enthusiasts. For lunch I had presumed it was going to be Dr. Taco, since this is where I first tried his tacos, and we've visited him a few times since at various breweries (as noted here on the blog). But he was apparently booked so the showrunner obtained Sapo Guapo, who is new to me. Cool - trying something new then.

The Handsome Frog wasn't busy by the time I wiggled free, and I ordered two tacos each for myself and my seller neighbor JL. They're fancy and offer a buzzer, so I could get back to work while I awaited for our tacos to be ready. A few minutes later I retrieved my meal. Didn't ask for salsas, but tacos are messy enough, and I'm dealing with rare records so I don't need more liquids. The tortillas are pretty much served as is, right out of the bag. The chicken was very filling but a bit tough. Good flavor though. The asada was better, though it tasted more like a ground beef recipe. These were good, not great. Super nice folks though. I'll probably give them another shot if I see them around, but the consensus among the dealers that I'm friendly with is that Dr. Taco is more preferable.

12/2/23 (new entry)