Regular Joe's Guide

Zaap Kitchen has 7 other locations in DFW: Dallas (5); Plano (1); Fort Worth (1) Mr. Music and compadres ventured to Zaap Kitchen in Las Colinas. It is in a strip center on MacArthur and has a fancy fast food vibe. I was a little concerned. We ordered lots of food to share! Green Papaya Salad Lao style (more spicy, less sweet), Dancing Lao Riblets, Lao Sausage, Lao Fried Rice, Thai Fried Rice, and Thai Basil Stir Fry (pork). We really liked everything and ordered it all a heat level 5 of 5. I'd say the heat was weak. Fortunately they made us some fresh pik nam pla (Thai chili and fish sauce), which did the trick. The green papaya salad was yummy, tangy, crunchy, and had a little heat! The Lao sausage was plump and juicy loaded with herbal flavor. Both fried rice dishes had chicken, beef, pork, and shrimp. The flavor was great and I think we all preferred the Lao style by a little. The riblets had a nice flavor, a little sweet and they were small but tasty. The Thai Basil Stir Fry...

Baby Music and I decided to go out for pho. Oddly, the small city of Lake Dallas has two pho restaurants a couple blocks apart. Pho Luv is a little newer on our radar as we've been loyal to our other spot. This is our 3rd time to go and 3rd time to be delighted!  We started with grilled pork spring rolls. They were fresh and the grilled pork was moist and tasty and warm. Baby Music had Pho Ga with while chicken meat. She loved it and said the broth was extra delicious tonight. I had veggie pho with tofu. The tofu was lightly fried and the veggies (broccoli, bok choy and carrots) were fresh and had just the right bit of crispness. The chicken broth was tasty and noodles perfectly al dente! The pho comes with the customary fixins': Fresh Thai basil, bean sprouts, jalapeno and lemon slices. I squirted plenty of Sriracha sauce on mine and used a little hoisin to dip the tofu and veggies in! In the past, we tried the grilled chicken over rice as well as the grilled pork over rice....

OK, Mr. Music is getting back into the action. Here's his latest contribution: We drove out to Blackrock, CA (halfway between Sacramento and San Jose) to meet Lady Music's brother, Music Bro for lunch. Six of us met at The Grille; Music Sis and their mom, Music Mary rounded out our group. We opted to sit outside by the man-made pond with waterfall which was surrounded by restaurants and shops. It could have been beautiful, but the pond wasn't well maintained.. at least that day. From a distance it was pretty!  We got roasted broccoli with crispy pancetta and Parmesan chips sprinkled with a Worcestshire dressing and crab and shrimp dip with sourdough. Both were good, although the dip was light on sourdough. I ordered the haddock fish and chips with coleslaw. I also ordered a Caesar Salad before I realized I was getting coleslaw. The dish was one big piece of fish, nicely battered with malt vinegar and their homemade tartar sauce. It was good; fresh fish with not too heavy bu...

First visit: Sep 2024 After lunch at Rosenberg's I went back for a final round of digging. I was feeling a bit tired, which happens when I socialize too much. I needed a nice quiet dark place to chill. What better place than Stanley Marketplace's own brewery Cheluna. They're like the Springs' local Atrevida with a focus on Mexican and Latin culture. I tried two small 10 ounce beers (both great) and took in the moment peacefully. I still had a couple of hours on this hot afternoon to browse another record shop in the center of Denver, before making the hour plus drive back home. 9/14/24 (new entry)

First visit: Sep 2024 (Stanley Marketplace) They have two other locations in Denver: Five Points & Monaco. There's a new record show up in the Denver area, and I caught wind of it only a couple of weeks ago. So yesterday Saturday I made the drive up to the Stanley Marketplace where the show was being held. I've never been here, but it's a wonderful space renovated from the old Stanley Aviation factory that sits near the also renovated former Stapleton airport area. I wasn't sure when or how I was going to eat lunch on this day, but once I was inside, it became evident I had multiple choices. So after a couple of hours of crate digging, my stomach was growling wildly. I saw the (awesome) sign for Rosenberg's walking in from the parking lot, and that sounded perfect. You order at the counter to your left as you enter. Be sure to check their bagels first if you are going to get a sandwich because they will ask you which kind. I ordered my trial Jewish Deli sandwich...

Latest visit: Apr 2025 First visit: Nov 2018 Personal history: The first visit was solo and was a fine experience, but circumstances didn't allow for an easy follow up. The second try was last year with Mrs. RJG, and we enjoyed it immensely. We're back again one year later. Location: Basil & Barley is not too far from our house, a few blocks east from The Promenade shopping area. The restaurant is in a nice setting in a modern strip center. Perhaps too much natural light but one doesn't have to squint while eating here either. Food: I was initially reticent to take Mrs. RJG here because Italian styled Napoletana pizzas were a real mixed bag back in DFW. They started with a bang but it seemed each restaurant lost their luster as time went on. If you have the will and time to research, this blog is filled with places like that: INZO, Cane Rosso, Spin!, Cavalli, Pazzo!, Campania, Apeizza e Vino. The latter three spectacularly crashed and burned, especially Campania (litera...

We just had a landmark moment here at the RJG: Colorado Springs now has more reviews than any other metro area in the country! I'll caveat that quickly by reminding everyone that we only count open restaurants, not including ones that have closed. DFW would still win easily if we counted everything. ---3/21/24 Just wanted everyone to know I added a new page above that outlines the most visited areas of the country that the RJG has written. Check it out!

First visit: Sep 2024 On this fine Sunday, Mrs. RJG and I decided to visit the local flea market for the first time. It wasn't really our kind of shopping, but we each found a few things to take home and/or resell. After a couple of hours of that and another local antique mall, it was time for lunch, right after the noon hour. There's a new brewery / brewpub in town that I wanted to try, and I was pleasantly surprised Mrs. RJG wanted to join me. The matter is settled. South Park isn't really new, just new to us denizens of the Springs. They had been located in the small mountain town of Fairplay for about a decade. In talking with the owner, I had mentioned my desire to try them while passing through. But the timing was always wrong. Too early to drink and too far to drive on winding mountain roads. And she said that is what many told them, and thus the decision to move to a much larger and static thirsty populace. So they took over the old Smiling Toad Brewery (who retired...

First visit: Sep 2024 I was working the northern reaches of Colorado Springs on this fine Saturday morning when it was time for lunch. I was in the mood for a hamburger and a beer, as I needed to chill out a bit. I had remembered driving by the Palmer Lake Pub prior, and it looked good, so let's go there. Parked up front and walked in. Classic bar setup with stools and tables. Very few patrons, but it was early. Grabbed a local beer from nearby Pikes Peak Brewery and proceeded to review the menu. No burgers! What? What kind of pub doesn't have burgers? Well they have sliders but that tells me a different story. Well no big deal, plan B - sandwich. I ordered the Italian Panini.  It took awhile for me to receive my order but I secretly hoped that's because they were taking the time to properly make my sandwich. And indeed that held true! It was super hot and toasty (toastier than any of the sandwiches from our recent Montana trip). A very filling sandwich and those banana pep...

First visit: Aug 2024 I was still on vacation on Friday and decided to head into town. I was at What's Left Records and the lunch hour had long passed. I was looking for a quick sandwich (familiar theme apparently), not named Subway, and I asked if there was anything nearby. They recommended Arelita, which is right across the street. You would think for as much as I like Cuban's that I might take a couple of minutes and look for a Cuban restaurant! So I walked (or maybe ran) across Platte, and it's not entirely obvious there's a restaurant here. It looks more like a nightclub from the outside. I opened the door and was warmly greeted with brightly painted walls and Spanish language. Not much English spoken here, but no matter, anyone can point to a menu (which is in English). I went straight for the Cuban sandwich. While I waited, the server was kind enough to provide me with plantain chips and a green sauce to dip it in. I think it was avocado based, but I liked it. A ...

First visit: Aug 2024 The original plan was to visit Montrose (we were there last year as documented in the RJG) with side trips to Ouray and Telluride, but we decided to make that a separate trip, probably next year sometime. US-50 is still a mess, so perhaps by next year all will be ready. So we decided to head on home. It's been a minute since we last journeyed this far west on I-70, arguably the most beautiful Interstate drive in America (though a bit stressful when considering the sheer amount of traffic). We picked up the highway in Rifle, and the drive from Vernal to there was also pretty. We arrived in Glenwood Springs at about 11:00, perfect time for a quick lunch. Chomps seemed to be the local favorite so we went there. Sitting near downtown, it's relatively easy to get to and park despite all the construction. Glenwood Springs always seems congested to me, and I've felt that way since my first visit there in 1994. Mrs. RJG ordered the Turkey and Swiss sub with a ...

First visit: Aug 2024 If one looks only at a map you might think you're in for a slog of a drive going from Montpelier to Vernal, but that happily is not the case. It's a wonderful journey with many visual delights. We did detour through Rock Springs, which is a tough sell for tourists (and a windy one), but we had a few things to do there. We decided to stay at a classic 60s motel in Vernal, and checked into the Dinosaur Inn. It was originally built in 1929 as cabins, but was clearly refurbished in the 50s especially when you see the giant dinosaur model outside (it was called Dine-A-Ville Motel then). Only thing missing is the outdoor pool where the slide seemingly outlets right onto the freeway (lol). One of those "down and out rooms" motels with two large queen beds, and lots of flies. The latter a special feature of Vernal apparently since they joined us for dinner too. Maybe that's why dinosaurs are extinct? For dinner, we found another brewpub right down th...

First visit: Aug 2024 The next morning we had the unique situation of a coffee pot that didn't work (user error I think). And the office didn't open until 9, where they have coffee in the lobby. We want our morning cuppa joe, so now what? As noted, Etna doesn't have anything, so I looked to the next town south and saw rave reviews for The Local Grind. Perfect. I was greeted by a very pretty and friendly lady named Katie (in the drive through - which is all that exists), who was also name checked in Google Reviews. I ordered a mocha for me and a vanilla latte for Mrs. RJG. Drove them back and awaited my wife's verdict. She loved it! In fact she has a new item to seek for comparison. My mocha was great as well, not too sweet as they sometimes can be (cough, Starbucks).  If needing coffee and you're in this area, go to The Local Grind. 8/28/24 (new entry)

First visit: Aug 2024 After leaving Idaho Falls we stopped in to work Rigby and Rexburg, before heading out for perhaps our best afternoon drive of the trip. Didn't mention this prior, but we had great weather throughout. We went to Victor and then back over the Wyoming border to Jackson. By the late afternoon we headed to Alpine to determine the final steps of the day. I booked a cabin room at the Wolf Den Lodge in Etna, a town that seems to exist in theory more than reality. Perfect in-the-woods motel, and would love to stay there again (oh, and has a liquor store next door complete with craft beers - what else do you need?). Since Etna has nothing to offer, we stayed in Alpine for dinner before going "home". It took awhile to figure out where we wanted to eat, and for whatever reason, Melvin was hiding from us in plain sight. Once I put in the right search engine word, Melvin came up, and then it was a no brainer. We're familiar with their beers since they are avai...

First visit: Aug 2024 After a few local stops in the morning, we noticed that The Sandwich Tree opens very early for lunch, It was about 9:30 and we were hungry, so let's go there. We saw the place driving to our hotel the night before and saw some fellas walking out with big ol' sandwiches. Seemed like the perfect lunch spot. The location is great, sitting in an old mid century building on a corner intersection (see photo). Kind of reminded me of the old Cero's Heroes spot in Grapevine (TX) that we have deep in this blog. Definitely an old school sandwich shop. At first Mrs. RJG wasn't keen on it since the bread seemed soft to her, but she got into it as she chomped through her meal, noting it never got soggy (which she hates). I didn't note what I had, but almost assuredly it was an Italian of some sort, which is my trial sandwich. It reminded me some of The Breadboard in Buffalo, Wyoming. My voice notes said that I enjoyed it but not a sandwich I would crave. Tra...

Latest visit: Aug 2024 First visit: Jul 2014 As you can see, we've been here before. Idaho Falls is the only intersection between our 2014 and 2024 trips to the area. And I wanted to revisit Snow Eagle recalling it as one of our better meals of that trip. Snow Eagle sits downtown, near the river, and offers free parking. I went for the ribeye with a rosemary glaze. Very flavorful and more saucy than I expected. I ordered it medium well and received it between medium rare and medium, which I kind of expected. Fine with me. The garlic mashed potatoes were awesome. As was the corn and the salad with an excellent Italian dressing. No idea what I ate here 10 years ago, but it certainly was just as good. One thing you'll note about Snow Eagle is the decidedly Japanese tilt to their menu. And that's because one of the owners is from there, and apparently they offer a sushi bar on occasion. Not this night however, as two of our neighbors expressed disappointment at the lack thereof...

First visit: Aug 2024 We continued to work Bozeman through lunch and ate at a familiar taco joint for lunch that I will cover later (and explain why). I've mentioned this before, but there's not a better feeling in the world than enjoying a Monday on vacation while still employed. And the freedom feeling is only expanded when in a state like Montana. Ahhhhh. And I still have a full week to go. Yaay. Our first stunning drive of the trip was from Bozeman to West Yellowstone. We decided to stop for ice cream and walk the downtown area. There are plenty of options, and we settled on Espresso & Ice Cream House. A good choice. I had the Cream and Coffee Fudge ice cream (how does that sound?). Mrs. RJG had the Moose Tracks. The ice cream is made by Wilcoxson's of Billings which we'd never had before (since 1912 apparently). There were allegedly homemade ice cream parlors in the area, but since we hadn't tried this either, it was fine for us. Nice place too.  8/26/24 ...

First visit: Aug 2024 Now the scenery is beginning to improve as we headed west through Montana. We both love beautiful drives and we knew the next few days would fulfill that. I guess technically we did visit Bozeman back in 2000, but it was a very quick stop and I don't feel like I got to know the city at all. We definitely spent quality time here for this visit. After checking into our hotel, it was time for dinner. Mrs. RJG was giving me a raft full of crap because I hadn't considered Thai food yet. You know how she is about that. So on this Sunday night I acquiesced. I was hoping for a brilliant Baramee experience like we had in Kansas City last year.  No such luck. I would place Thai Basil in the "American Thai food" category. Though there were positives to be found.  The restaurant is quite large sitting in a strip mall, and is very bright with the evening sun. As you walk in, you'll note a large buffet setup. This comes free with your meal. I made a salad ...

First visit: Aug 2024 (Main St.) There are two other locations in Billings. The next Sunday morning we attended a yard sale that proved to be fruitful for my record hobby. That took some time to go through and so we were still in Billings by lunch. We arrived at TopZ as they opened. This is a local chain, though it seemed more like a regional chain to me. This location is drive through only. Mrs. RJG had the "Ham Slamwich" and I went with the "Italian Stallion". Both were very good sandwiches with great bread and plenty of meat. Good seasoning as well. Comes with garlic chips which are really delicious. Like corn chips but with a unique flavor. And you get a lot for your money! Plenty of food to hold us until dinner. I'd definitely come back here as well if in Billings again (see Montana Brewing Company review). 8/25/24 (new entry)

First visit: Aug 2024 We visited Sheridan, Wyoming and then headed for the great state of Montana. We haven't been to the state since 2014, a trip I regretted not documenting for the RJG real time. And as noted before, this was all new territory for us, as our last trip included Libby, Kalispell, Missoula, and Butte. In fact, we had only been to Montana one other time way back in 2000, which was my first visit ever. There we covered Livingston, Helena, and Great Falls.  So yes, I'd never been to Billings prior. We "worked" late this Saturday evening going to 7:00. After that we checked into our digs, an historic downtown place called Northern Hotel. I love old hotels like this, Mrs. RJG not so much. We were gifted a top floor room with nice views - well as nice a view as Billings will afford lol. Right down the block is Montana Brewing Company, an old-fashioned elaborate brewpub like we used to see in the 90's and 00's. Many of these have gone the way of the d...

First visit: Aug 2024 They also have locations in Lander, Riverton, and Cody. We continued north the next day and after thrifting at a few shops, it was time for lunch. Once we left Casper most of the trip was entirely new to us, including northern Wyoming. Very expansive landscape with fields of golden wheat and ranches. Peaceful though a touch boring. Buffalo is a nice town and we spent some time in the historic downtown. We saw The Breadboard driving in and it looked perfect so let's go there. It's a large place with a lot of employees, so they obviously are doing very well. Nice to see after our Casper experience.  I went for the 8" Boxcar which is their Italian meat variant. Excellent, great bread texture, with a nice Italian dressing and green peppers. Mrs. RJG went with the 6" meatball sub, she also loved the bread. We both liked the meatball flavor, not sure of its origin, certainly not homemade. They were too perfectly round lol. She wished it was a bit hotte...

First visit: Aug 2024 We didn't get any further than Casper on Day 1, as our thrifting activities took us to the dinner hour. We checked in at the Quality Inn, the same place we had stayed two years prior. And it appears not a single update has been made since. Quite a tired motel really, but still not unpleasant. Where to eat? Well look at this - The Fort is walking distance, right next door in fact. Looked good on paper so let's try it. For a Friday night it sure was a lonely experience. The place is very large, two stories in fact, and they welcome large groups. But on this night there were a few patrons at the bar and a handful of diners at the tables. It almost felt Warsaw Pact European in a quiet, dark restaurant kind of way. Oftentimes meals in places like this are a disaster and we debated leaving. But we decided to tough it out. The menu is large, another red flag, but we persevered and ordered our beers and dinners.  And we were rewarded with a very good meal! It'...