Northern Cafe ~ Cerritos, California

Lady Music and I joined the BFF family to celebrate Lady Music's BFF's birthday. Northern Cafe on Second in Cerritos was the choice of the birthday girl. I enjoy this type of restaurant (that seems to be popping up more and more) which specializes in handmade dumplings, noodle dishes, and more. 

What makes Northern Cafe different is that they also have an array of wontons as well. Here, wontons are a filling loosely wrapped in a wide noodle and served in a dish of sweet and spicy sauce. Whereas dumplings are either a steamed or fried noodle wrapping tightly encasing the filling (pork, chicken, shrimp with or without cabbage or scallions). They are served without special sauce and may be enhanced by using the soy sauce, black vinegar and/or hot chili oil that adorns each table as ubiquitously as the salt and pepper shaker at the local diner. 

We ate family style, and being guests, Lady Music and I pretty much let the BFF family choose the dishes. We got pork wontons and shrimp wontons, but no dumplings as BFF explained, they found dumplings too plain and liked the sauce that came with wontons. We did however get an order of chicken pot stickers at the request of BFF's daughter. Yes, a 3rd style of noodle stuffed with filling! To me, very similar to a pan fried dumpling, but a different shape. These were like sausage links of dense, seasoned ground chicken with a wonton skin tightly wrapped around them. Larger, and more stuffed than pot stickers I've had other places. They were yummy. We also got a few other dishes that I'll summarize: Cold Cucumber & Garlic salad which were crunchy Persian cakes cut up in cubes and had garlic and sliced green onion in a vinegar based dressing with a little diced chili. It was cold, fresh and yummy. Dry Fried String Beans are seared/blanched with sesame oil in a wok with garlicky seasoning. They were good as well, although I've had them at other places with small black beans and/or more intense seasoning, which I prefer. Steamed BBQ pork bun aka cha-shu bao. Not only are these a favorite of mine, but I also have a sentimental attachment to them as they conjure fond memories of Pop Music (aka Mr. Music's dad :-) ) taking his family to an international dining experience and proudly introducing us to the exotic delicacies he discovered. This was in the 1960s! Theirs were plump and tasty. Beef Roll is a healthy portion of thinly sliced beef, cucumber, cilantro, and dark leafy greens with some hoisin sauce rolled up in a Chinese pancake and sliced into sections sorta like a thick sushi roll. The pancake was light and flakey, but held the ingredients nicely. The lean beef and hoisin combination has a nice flavor and the veggies made it better. These are thicker than other beef rolls I've had. 

Shrimp fried rice was pretty basic, but delish with beautiful, plump, shelled shrimp, egg, veggies, and just the right amount of butter. Dan-Dan Noodle was the only noodle dish we had. I guess I'm not a huge fan of this dish in general, but I will eat some when ordered while doing family style sharing. The noodles were nice and it had plenty of crunchy peanut pieces sprinkled over the very peanut buttery sauced noodles. Sauteed Diced Chicken With Chili Flakes are small nuggets of battered chicken peppered with bits of dried red chilies. They had a kick, which we liked! I've had this dish in other places and for me, is beautiful with a very light coating of batter, which minimizes the greasiness; and unless the batter itself is seasoned, will have a negative impact on the overall flavor and bite. The dish here was good (fresh, hot, and crispy), but could have been really yummy with a lighter coating of seasoned batter. Vegetarian MapoTofu. This is a dish I love and order it almost anyplace that serves it. It's cubed, soft tofu sauteed in a thick brown sauce starring Sichuan peppers (tongue numbing) and dried Thai chilies (the more chilis, the more I like it!). Traditionally, the gravy has ground pork, which I love too, but the vegetarian version is pretty much as good and a noticeably lighter option. It is served with steamed white jasmine rice. I'm a fan of brown, nutty, whole grain rice, but this is an instance where for me, the white jasmine rice makes the dish. I like the tofu, but my main interest is a big ladle of Sichuan pepper packed gravy covering a perfectly steamed bowl of fragrant, jasmine rice. Their dish has a great flavor, but I prefer more gravy which I'm sure I could get if I ask. 

I do want to call attention to the steamed jasmine rice here. It was the one real stand out to me. Cooked to a slightly, al dente perfection made special by the roasted black sesame seeds that speckled the fragrant rice. A simple addition that had a great impact!

I personally enjoy the festive atmosphere of a bustling dining room as long as its not too chaotic. It was definitely bustling, but it didn’t feel packed or amid chaos as the room was large and spacious, but it seemed a bit loud and echoey and we all seemed to find it a little difficult to talk to each other at our table for 6. Not a showstopper for me though. All in all, the food was really good, healthy portions, and reasonably priced. I'm looking forward to another visit.

- Mr. Music review

The Bagel Deli ~ Denver, Colorado

Latest visit: Oct 2024

First visit: Sep 1994

Founded: 1967

It's Sunday and I'm on my way to the main record show in Denver. It's a two day show, but I go on Sunday when it's free just to scrounge around for deals. That event is an energy burner, so I need protein before venturing in. What could be better than a big ol' honkin' meat sandwich from an old fashioned Jewish Deli? Not much. 

This is only my second visit here, and if you carefully look at the top, you'll note it's been a full 30 years since. I also lived in Colorado Springs back then (a few years before Mrs. RJG), and dined here because there used to be a record store on the other side of this strip mall. Why I never came back again is one of the great RJG mysteries. Only a few months later I became a full-time resident of Denver. And many years after that we either lived there or had a summer place. And even six years after moving back to Colorado and visiting Denver a few times a year, I still left The Bagel Deli neglected. Even crazier is it's right off of I-25 (Hampden exit) on my way into the city. Consider that oversight now rectified.

My memory has it that The Bagel Deli used to only be the small grocery store with counter service on the left side of the strip center. But I could be mistaken. In any case they have a large restaurant next door, and even though it was very busy when I arrived, there were plenty of tables for the hostess to sit me down at.

I ordered what I came for - the "number 2", a combo of pastrami, corned beef, and Swiss cheese on marbled rye. Out came this mountain of a sandwich (much larger than Rosenberg's for example). With the side of kosher pickle and chips. Oh yea, this is my kind of sandwich! I had so much protein I felt drunk afterward. But it not only gave me the nutrients I needed for a day of crate digging, but it also was delicious. No need to ask for brown mustard when bottles of Gulden's are on the table. Perhaps the rye bread is a little too small for this kind of sandwich, so next time I'm getting it with a bagel. I hesitate to put any Denver restaurant on the RJG Rotation list, since there are so many new places I want to try, but I may make an exception here. But there's one more Jewish Deli in the area I also haven't been to in 30 years (locals will know which one), so that will be my next stop - probably early next year. More to come on that.

The Bagel Deli goes considerably out of their way to mention that they were featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. I like that show, but not sure I would exploit it that much. But whatever, the restaurant was crowded, so maybe that has something to do with it. I doubt it though, the food is what delivers the goods!

9/5/94; 10/13/24 (new entry)

Firehouse On The Run ~ Black Forest, Colorado

First visit: Oct 2024

As noted last week, we went to the Black Forest Brewery after a hike. On the way I was reminded of Firehouse On The Run, A place I'm always going to try, but quickly forget about. So Mrs. RJG and I committed to coming back the following weekend to finally try it.

It was a beautiful Saturday near Noon time, and we made our 15 minute journey northeast to Black Forest. Firehouse On The Run is from the time honored tradition of a barbecue joint sitting in the back of a gas station. They have smokers all around, and the smell is delightful. The setting couldn't be better. One feels like they're on vacation deep in the woods, even though in reality Black Forest is a remote suburb of Colorado Springs. 

Unfortunately the setting is the highlight of the restaurant. I ordered a smoked chicken sandwich with a side of Western beans and Bab-n-Hero sauce. The bread was right out of the bag, slightly cold. Good quality bread though. The chicken, while very flavorful, was on the tough side. So I did need the sauce. Which is very good - spicy as one would expect from a habanero concoction. The Western beans were disappointing. Despite having chilies mixed in, it was relatively flavorless and bland. And not enough temperature. Mrs. RJG had the brisket sandwich. Similar to mine, it was loaded with flavor but not tender and one piece was mostly grease. Neither of us got full on this visit, as the portions were too small. Too add insult, it was very expensive for what you get.

While I wouldn't pitch a fit if someone insisted we go here, the RJG isn't likely to come back on our own. Had the cost been more reasonable, I'd be up for another visit. We're bummed because the setting is so perfect.

10/12/24 (new entry)

Black Forest Brewing ~ Black Forest, Colorado

Latest visit: Oct 2024 (Black Forest)

First visit: Dec 2018 (Black Forest)

It's a beautiful Sunday and we decided to take an impromptu hike at the Black Forest Regional Park. Afterwards, what better place to relax than at Black Forest Brewing just up the road a piece? We enjoyed one beer each as we watched the end of a couple of NFL contests and the start of the Broncos game. Perfect break before heading back home.

---7/29/23 review (Falcon)

We followed Dr. Taco on this visit. Both locations have plenty of room inside, though the original Black Forest is in a better nature setting. Excellent traditional German beers too!

Black Forest is probably the closest true microbrewery to our home (not counting corporate driven high-end brewpubs). Black Forest can be found in a beautiful setting deep in the woods northeast of Colorado Springs. They specialize in German beers, but experiment often beyond that. Walk in, check out the computer screen, order. Then sit in the spacious two room taproom, or head outside and grab a park bench. Food trucks often stop by.

12/1/18; 5/3/19; 6/7/20; 7/10/21; 7/13/23 (new entry); 10/6/24

Iron Tree Restaurant & Funky Town Brewery ~ Florissant, Colorado

First visit: Oct 2024

I've been wanting to get to the Funky Town Brewery since we moved to Colorado Springs well over six years ago. But there was always some reason why we didn't, generally the timing. Usually we're just passing through on US-24 on our way to some mountain destination or back home. Stopping for a beer wasn't in the cards. And then there's the fact that they only serve brunch on Sunday's when we'd rather have lunch with our beer.

But on this fine sunny and crisp October Saturday, we decided to make the brewpub our destination. There isn't much to Florissant, a wide place in the road west of Woodland Park and Divide. Primarily it serves as a supply base for the rural community around. It sits in a beautiful setting though. After our lunch we decided to go to their public library, something we never do, but glad we did as it's a wonderful space. But that's about all there is to do here, to give one an idea.

And, of course, eat at the Iron Tree Restaurant. There's something very cool about small town breweries, and perhaps even cooler about small mountain town breweries. They have a vibe that doesn't translate to the city or suburban areas. Background music was from the turn of the century - electronica based 1940's styled swing music. I miss those days (the late 90s - not the 40s smarty...). We started with a couple of Oktoberfest's, a favorite beer of the RJG's. I went with my staple Cuban, and she ordered the honey chicken sandwich - and added "hot" to it (a staff favorite apparently). They each came with homemade corn tortilla chips. We'll start there as they are really excellent. Crispy and flavorful. My sandwich was of the panini variety, pressed flat with cheese, ham, and pork. Pickles and mayo, but no mustard. I quite enjoyed it. Not the best Cuban, but still a good rendition. Mrs. RJG's large chicken sandwich had a nice sweet and spicy flavor, and was heavily breaded. She liked it at first, but eventually it was "too messy" for her and the chicken wasn't cooked enough in her opinion. So I ate the rest ;-) I had no such qualms. Tasted good to me! But she did give the restaurant a thumbs up, and stated she wants to come back and try something else.

10/5/24 (new entry)