Regular Joe's Guide

Latest visit: Oct 2024 First visit: Mar 2002 (Lynwood, WA) Founded: 1969  HQ: Portland, OR Locations: ~40 in the US and 15 in Canada. Mostly in the west. It's now Monday and time to pick up Mrs. RJG from the airport after spending time with her family in Arizona. We'd agreed before she left that we would dine at the Old Spaghetti Factory on the way home. They opened here a couple of years ago, and we'd been meaning to try it again, but we're rarely down this way together at meal time. The Old Spaghetti Factory comes from the same era as The Spaghetti Warehouse, which is what we had growing up in DFW. The concepts are similar. This was from the time when theme restaurants were all the rage. It wasn't enough to cook you a good meal, you had to have another reason to go. So the theme would usually appeal to families looking for more to do than just eat. Back then, adventurous cooking wasn't yet in the cards. As such, The Old Spaghetti Factory offers up basic red sa...

Latest visit: Oct 2024 First visit: May 2014 (DTC - now closed) This is only my second visit to Yolanda's, and the first was over a decade ago. At that time, we were going to one of our niece's college graduation at CSU. Since we lived in DFW at the time, we decided to make a week of it, and I worked remotely from the Residence Inn in Denver before heading up to Fort Collins on a Friday night. On that first try, Mrs. RJG picked up some tacos from Yolanda's on the way back to the hotel from her sister's where she had spent the day. We both thought it was delicious and needed to revisit. And yet, we still haven't. They are no longer in the DTC (I think they were in the same center as Pat's), but their sole location is now in Castle Rock. I'm on my way back home to the Springs, and it's lunch time, so let's finally get over to Yolanda's. I was the first patron in the door, and it's counter service. Yolanda's is a relatively large place and t...

First visit: Oct 2024 I received an email a couple of weeks ago from International Hotel Group (IHG) that my "loyalty points" were to expire unless I did something about it. Regular readers will recall (they don't exist but I like to pretend) that I spent a night last December at the Kimpton in Washington DC ahead of a business trip. That was a treat for myself, and an expensive one at that. Kimpton is part of the IHG group. I find it annoying they are chasing me already for activity. Whatever the case, I didn't have enough points for a free night, but I had too many to forfeit. So essentially if I stay one night I'll get another free later. Since Mrs. RJG is in Arizona, it seemed like the perfect time. I'll dig in the Denver record shops until early evening, eat, and crash there.  IHG's most known brand is Holiday Inn, and they are much cheaper than Kimpton that's for sure. In researching which one to stay at (and I was willing to stay anywhere in the...

Latest visit: Oct 2024 First visit: Jun 2009 They have one other location further east on Illiff and Quebec. This is only my third visit to Pat's, and the first in 13 years. I had first gone here the week we bought our summer townhome, which was not the plan originally. Such were the times. Pat's has since moved from that location that sat in a hotel parking lot area (I think a gas station is there now), and moved across the street to a strip center area south of Arapahoe @ Dayton. I can reasonably argue that this center is where the RJG has dined more than any other, as it housed many restaurants I would eat at lunch when I worked in the Denver Tech Center (1995-1997). Pat's didn't exist then, coming around a couple of years later.  I've always been confused about the legacy of Pat's because Pat's King of Steaks is one of the legendary cheesesteak places in Philadelphia. But apparently there is no connection. Seems like a risky legal move to go with the nam...

First visit: Oct 2024 I've had Abby's Irish Pub circled for some years now. I see the establishment often on my way to one of my favorite craft beer stores (Twins). These are places Mrs. RJG would reject, so while she's away in Arizona, I don't want to waste the opportunity. It's Friday night after 5, and it appears the parking lot is full and vehicles are parked in the field next door. Uh-oh. Will I even be able to get in? I was thinking of alternatives as I opened the door. But fear not, while the place was certainly hopping with patrons, I was able to find a solo bar stool without issue. So for two nights in a row (including Back East), I've gone to restaurants that were packed. Good to see, though the demographics of both indicate an older audience (like myself), which is a bit disconcerting. Why disconcerting? Because it feels like we may be the only ones with disposable income. That's not healthy for a functioning society. In any case, I went about ord...

First visit: Oct 2024 While Mrs. RJG is away in Arizona, I had planned out my meal schedule until she returns. The exception was Friday's lunch. I wasn't sure where I was going to be, but I had enough (real) work to do, so I stayed home until the lunch hour. Looking for something new to try, I found Piglatin. This is a place that wasn't on my radar until I literally put it on a radar. They have Cuban's, so that makes a perfect lunch. The matter is settled. When I resided in Colorado Springs for the first time (1993-1995), I lived in a apartment complex very close to where Piglatin resides (Dublin @ Union). It was one of those shopping centers that's always housed some sort of bar and grill, but for whatever reason, I didn't engage here back then. Though Piglatin sits in a typical 80s strip center, once inside, you might think you were deep in the city center, where the punk clubs and record stores might be. Dark with lots of stickers and vulgar signs. Inside it...

Latest visit: Oct 2024 First visit: Feb 1995 (Colorado Springs downtown - closed) They have one other location in Pueblo, though it appears they're separately owned at this point. Like with The Bagel Deli in Denver, S.S. Subs is another place I hadn't revisited since my first tour of duty in the Springs. The original visit was memorable since I had been called downtown for jury duty (the date below is an educated guess). I was almost certain to be selected for trial since I was juror #1 when we broke for lunch. Nearby was S.S. Subs and I enjoyed a sandwich before heading back. I didn't recall much about it, other than I should try to go again sometime. Incidentally I was not selected, much to my glee. Ironically I was recently chosen for jury duty again a month ago, my first time back there in Colorado Springs. This time I wasn't so lucky, and I was selected. Fortunately it was only a one day trial. I'll let you guess who ended up being the foreman... In any case, t...

First visit: Oct 2024 (Northside) Other locations: Colorado Springs (Austin Bluffs); Florence Though Papa's bills themselves as an Italian restaurant, there's little of that on the menu. It's primarily a pizza joint that offers pasta in addition. Very similar to all those pizza-pasta places we used to frequent in DFW, but with even less entrees to choose from. The restaurant itself is small with only a few tables. It has the look and feel of a take out pizza joint. It's position near the Ford Amphitheater should provide ample customers during event nights. On this visit, based on what I could figure out online, it seemed I would be best served to order a pizza and pick it up. And on this fine Sunday football afternoon, that's exactly what I did. Brought it home and Mrs. RJG had the comal ready to add a little extra crispness. We watched some NFL Red Zone and devoured half the 16 inch sausage and cheese pie. The sausage is basic off-the-truck crumbled, and the cheese...

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...

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 stil...

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,...

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 t...