Chennai Cafe ~ Frisco, Texas

Mr. Music is roaming around the northern sections of the massive Dallas metro area. What does he have for us today?

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Mr. Grizzly met me today for an Indian lunch feast! He and I are good friends and dine together often as we have similar tastes. He's from Bangladesh, so I like his perspective on food and other things too. I've been going to Chennai Cafe for over 10 years. I can't believe I've never written about it. When I first started going, we'd go after happy hour for some South Indian items; specifically the 4 ft long masala dosa! The food was good, not great but not many South Indian restaurants were open later in the evening during the week near Plano.

 
The good news is the restaurant has increasingly gotten better over the years. Today was no exception! They added a buffet a few years back and have become more of an Indo-Chinese fusion spot that does some traditional South items well. The buffet is massive and is offered for lunch and dinner, though you can order from the menu as well. The offerings on the buffet change from day to day, which is cool but sometimes a drag if you are craving something.

First, they have a grill area where they make several types of dosa to order; today they offered just 3 and they also made fresh appam as well. We both got the masala dosa. This is a very thin crepe made from fermented batter of lentels and rice. Don't worry, you can't taste the fermentation most of the time and only then it can be slightly tart. It's amazing how thin they are and only cooked on 1 side, which is brown and crispy. The other side is moist like the inside of a pancake. It is filled with a scoop of aloo masala (seasoned potatoes using turmeric, mustard seed, green chilies, onion, ginger, curry leaves and a few other tasty spices.) I got some tamarind chutney and cilantro/mint chutney from the chutney table to dip it in. It was delish! As Mr. Grizzly said, not mind blowing but very good. He doesn't use any chutney with his dosa.

 
I toyed with getting appam (aka hoppers) as it is not that common in restaurants and honestly I thought it was only a Sri Lankan item, only recently did I find out they make them in Kerala and Tamil. The batter is very similar to a dosa but they add coconut milk in the batter. The outer portion is thin like a dosa, but the middle has a thicker ball of batter making it look somewhat like a fried egg. If I had 2 stomachs, I certainly would have had one.

I had idli and vada with some sambar and coconut chutney to complete my South Indian craving! I like my idli super tart and most times they deliver at Chennai Cafe, but today the idli lacked the tartness I crave. It was still good though. Idli is a fluffy (but dense at the same time), steamed biscuit made from a fermented batter that is similar to dosa batter, but is much thicker.

The vada was very light and fluffy, which many probably love, but I like mine a bit denser - still tasty here. It is another South Indian breakfast treat sorta like a savory donut. It's made from a lentil based batter seasoned with black pepper, chopped green chilies, cumin seeds and other yummies then deep fried. It can be plopped into a bowl of rasam (tamarind broth seasoned to the hilt) or sambar (thick lentil soup loaded with veggies like carrot chunks, drum sticks (the pod from the now famous moringa tree and similar in taste to a more fibrous yet milder asparagus) and pieces of onion also seasoned to the max (mustard seed, chilies, curry leaves, coriander seeds). It was not the best I've had, but still very good with decent heat.

 
The coconut chutney is very thick and laden with dried red chilies, some chopped green chile, and mustard seed. Just how I love it. Well, I'd be glad to have more heat, but it still had some.
Next, I attached the khichdi and pongal; these are Mr. Grizzly's weaknesses here at Chennai Cafe and he piled up. I do love them too, but they are super dense and filling. I'm not exactly sure what makes them different. They are both made from a base of rice, moong dal and ghee. So they are similar in consistency, but are totally different at the same time. They both share some ingredients but I guess that is where they can vary, which ingredients are used. They are both a thick, dense porridge-like dish but nutty due to the urad dal and cashews and loaded with things like chilies, mustard & cumin seeds, ginger, chilies and more. They are often used for cleanses in Ayurveda. Both were divine per Mr. Grizzly and myself.

 
We both had tindora (small, green squash about 3 inches long and a little bitter. sliced like puckle chips, and stir fried with lots of spices), Manchurian baby corn (1 inch pieces of baby corn battered and fried then stir fried with onion, ginger and other goodies) and dal makahani (a thick, buttery dish sorta like a creamy vegetarian chili made with black lentils and kidney beans (often pretty mellow, but surprisingly spicy today... loved it). All 3 were faves today for me, especially the tindora!

 
We both tried the chicken biryani and veg biryani. Biryani is a rice dish that is so complex with seasoning with green cardamom, black, smokey cardamom, star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and many other flavors. We both prefer mutton, but any biryani is better than none. Actually he said he was embarrassed to admit he had the veg. His friends and family would not approve! lol, but interestingly we both though it was more flavorful than the chicken. Nothing compares to Al Markaz (mutton dum biryani which is strategically layered and meat tenderized in spice laden yogurt), but this is a different style of biryani and is pretty darn good.

He had goat curry which I passed on today. It's usually a fave but I wanted to try other stuff I hadn't had before. He said it was good but not the usual. The pieces of meat was diced up and there were no bones. That might seem good, but in this dish, it is not! Big bones with lots of marrow are needed to intensify the flavor. Plus slurping out the marrow from a straw-like bone is a treat!

We agreed, the star of the show today was probably the fish curry! The fish were big, cubed pieces and sooo tender and flavorful without a hint of fishiness. The dark brown curry was amazing and a little unusual. I can't even put my finger on it. Mr. Grizzly thought It seemed to have a mix of Indian seasoning with some Chinese spices too. In either case, the curry was heavenly on a bit of white basmati!

 
We tried a batter fried chicken stirfry that was Indo-Chinese and reminded me of a dish from the Bombay Chinese food that was all the rage in India in the 80s (I've been told) and hit DFW in the 90s (which I had!). It was quite good today.

 
I had some cuddy (curd) rice which is a palate cleanser and digestion aid. It's basically basmati rice soaked in thick, sour yogurt with sauteed curry leaves, black gram, cumin seeds and mustard seeds (aka temper).

 
There were SO many things we didn't get to. Rasam, paneer curry, butter chicken, tandoori chicken, tomato chutney and much more. They had 4 sweet dishes including sweet sabudana (like kheer using tapioca pearls instead of rice), galub jamun (fried balls of dough like a dense donut hole) soaked in syrup made with rose water and a couple types of halwa.

 
I love this place! It's a couple dollars more than other Indian buffets, but worth the price.

- Mr. Music review

Felipe's 109 ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Mar 2025

First visit: Jun 2021

I'm back at Felipe's 109 for the first time in two years. And I'm out of work again! Haha, but this time it was my choice since I'm retired. Once again I found myself down south and time had gotten away from me. I had another place in mind to try, and will soon enough, but I wanted something quick and not necessarily heavy as I was running late. All the best laid plans...

Except Felipe's 109 was mobbed on this fine Wednesday at noon. I had to wait to put in my order, as they also have a drive thru, and were in the midst of a very large to-go order. No problem, I didn't really have any urgent matters to attend to, just my regular Colorado Springs thrifting Wednesday. To be honest, it's refreshing to see a restaurant packed with patrons. And they're not cheap either. Everyone is trying to make it work I think. And the help staff was very friendly. While waiting, I snapped a quick photo. Do we still "snap" photos? Questions.... Zippy is now starting to mug for the camera. Why do we mug cameras anyway? More questions...

Eventually my meal came out (to your right). I ordered the same thing as below with the same results. It was definitely a hot kitchen, and everything came out perfectly. I was starving so I even munched down all those fries. And I also enjoyed plenty of Pepsi Zero while waiting.

The most surprising part is when the front counter lady called me by name, showed up at my bench, and handed me a card for a free meal because of how long I had wait. That was super nice! I think they did it because I wasn't upset in the slightest, I was happy for them. So with that, I'm going to publish this, and then I'll send a fresh update very soon. I want to try something else on their menu.

With kindness like this, Felipe's 109 is now in the RJG Rotation.

---6/22/23 update

As I was reminiscing on the Cy's entry about the celebration of my one year anniversary of receiving my job offer, Felipe's 109 represents my out-of-work life. Last year I had just been abruptly let go in late April, which lead to the current position (nothing I did, just change in business direction, that impacted far more folks than myself). Two years ago I was looking at my very first no-job-but-on-severance situation. That role ended in divestiture, that I was in charge of. I was responsible for my own demise lol. So it's refreshing to visit Felipe's 109 without so much drama in my life.

And I'm happy to report that they did make all the changes I grumbled about in the last two years. They now have covered wooden park benches outside (along with the concrete monstrosities for overflow). They also flipped the drink machine so we can self-serve. And all of this at no cost to us - because the food is just as good as before. I stayed loyal and ordered what I always: 2 Tacoburgers, fries, and a drink. I really should go here more often. Not being open on Sunday does impact that situation though.

---4/29/22 update

Time for the annual review, and I'm happy to say that Felipe's is exactly the same as I remember it from last year. Had the same thing: 2 Taco Burgers with fries and a drink. It's a messy meal considering the green chile cheese sauce, but it's very flavorful. And the crispy shell holds up despite this. Just get extra napkins and you'll need that fork. As for the changes suggested from last year, we were largely ignored lol. The drink machine is still filled by the counter person, though at least I received it right away before my meal. The cement park benches still don't have umbrellas. And there's no air conditioning, but fortunately this was a late April day and it was very pleasant inside. The stools are still too big for the tables. But at least now they have regular seating including normal tables and chairs as well. Much more welcoming space than prior.

BTW - worth noting: You can't get here via Academy even though that's the address that it sits on (and you can see it clearly from the road). I made that mistake this time and ended up taking almost a 10 minute round trip to get back. You have to enter via Boychuk off of Hancock Expressway. No wonder the shopping center is empty! There's a megachurch there and nothing else but Felipe's 109. I just followed Google Maps last time, so I didn't realize this until now.

---original 6/24/21 review

Felipe's 109 is an established food truck who recently opened up a brick and mortar restaurant in an old shopping center not too far from one of my thrifting haunts, way down south. Near another RJG favorite Taste of Philly (other side of Hancock), that we have in these very pages. Not sure what this building was before, but they've clearly renovated it. Sleek aluminum tables and hardwood floors. When you walk in, you'll be right at the counter. You'll get a quick walkthrough of their limited menu. We like limited menus! Focus on what you're good at. I already knew I was getting the taco burger combo which includes fries and a drink. Sat down, and had to wait a bit as they had just received some large to-go orders. One downside is they don't allow you access to the drink machine, and they made me wait until I got my order. I was thirsty, so that wasn't good. The stools are also too big for the tables lol. And they still have a pandemic look with way too much spacing and not enough seating. They have three fetching concrete patio setups outside, but no umbrellas, so that option was out. And no air conditioning inside, and in this part of the Springs, it gets pretty hot in the summer. Hopefully they'll be able to rectify all of this soon enough. I guess if they keep getting those large takeout orders, they'll be rolling in dough. Anyway, all easy fixes.

Finally my meal and drink showed up. They ran out of ice. Ha - one of those days. They did get some as I was leaving, and offered me another drink (new cup) which was nice. Actually the ladies who work here are very nice. Death metal seemed to be the music of choice for the cook, which gave me a wry smile. I started in on the fries and they were absolutely delicious. And piping hot - yes! The taco burgers are very interesting - and favorable to the RJG.  You get two per combo order (they're $3 each if you want to try one a la carte). They come in a very crispy homemade taco shell with hamburger meat (yes, a cooked hamburger, not like a ground beef taco) with lettuce, tomato, and the best part - a homemade green chili sauce with queso. I could see this becoming an addicting food. The chili was hot in temperature and had a nice kick too. It's a bit sloppy, but that's OK.

So yea, definitely a thumbs up from the RJG. Love new food concepts such as this. I originally put Mexican in the labels, but that's misleading. No tacos y enchiladas here. Taco burgers and creative bowls is their schtick. Try them out!

6/24/21 (new entry); 4/29/22; 6/22/23; 3/5/25

Las Tortugas ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Feb 2025

I'm once again in the southern part of Colorado Springs near lunchtime. It's Friday and the weather is similar to the day before: Sunny and very warm for this time of year. Just the way my Colorado Springs digging routine goes, the south is where I'll often be during lunch. I'd hoped to make it back to downtown, but I was running behind. 

I was up for a hamburger or tacos and was hoping to try someplace new. Right across the street from where I was lies Las Tortugas, and their street tacos looked good in the images I saw. OK, let's try it. Las Tortugas sits in a strip center that I had never been to before. Most of it is empty, but one segment is still hopping and that's where the restaurant is. Looks like my 2017 Acura SUV, affectionately known as "Zippy" due to its excellent ability to zip in and out of insane traffic, makes a cameo (bottom right). Mrs. RJG drives a fancy schmancy 2024 Lexus SUV, but I still prefer my Zippy. Besides it has a CD player. Can't get those anymore either...

Walk in, and you'll see a gigantic place, some of it allocated to arcade, pinball, and parlor games. Las Tortugas have the ninos in mind, and they want you to bring the whole family. It's a modern place and the menu is bright and large. Order at the counter. Tortas (Mexican sandwiches) is their primary offering, and next time I'll insist on having one. But I had tacos on the brain, and I asked if they were good. "Oh yes!" proudly said the friendly lady at the counter in accented English. I went for a taco plate that gets you two tacos, rice, and beans. Sounds bueno. For the tacos I settled on pollo and al pastor. 

To your right is what I received. I started in on the beans. Not hot enough temperature but a good flavor. They were almost like chili (thinking Hormel or something similar) rather than the traditional refried beans offering. I went next to the rice. Here the temperature was perfect. This isn't really my kind of rice - sort of flaky and oftentimes mushy. For this style, however, I thought it was very good. Next time though I'll lay off both. Now to try the main course. Tacos were wrapped in double corn tortillas and served "street style" with cilantro and onions. Very hot to the touch (hooray). The counter lady said the chicken wasn't that "asado-y" (word of the day). But I was pleasantly surprised. Excellent grilled chicken flavor. Even better was the al pastor, and I had the option of getting pineapple, but I passed. It's been a long time since I enjoyed pastor this good. Heavily seasoned and not a hint of the porky flavor that oftentimes ruins the dish. Both tacos were great. Also worth noting the salsas that you see. The green is a creamy lime, with medium heat, and very good. The orange had a chile de arbol flavor and packed a punch. 

I'll be back next year. And I'm getting a sandwich...

2/28/25 (new entry)

Glacier Ice Cream & Gelato ~ Colorado chain : Castle Rock

Latest visit: Feb 2025 (Castle Rock)

First visit: Jul 2009 (Boulder)

Locations: Boulder; Castle Rock; Fort Collins

After Port of Subs and then over an hour of digging at a local record shop, I was ready for some dessert. Ooh, look what's walking distance away? Our annual visit comes much earlier this year as it's only been five months since my last trip.

On this visit, I went for the peanut butter fudge gelato in a waffle cone. I did receive more than last time (see below), but not as much as Westcliffe's Sugarlump. So creamy and so flavorful. They are really good at making gelato. Of course I didn't photo my treasure like a knucklehead. But then again they didn't provide a place to put my cone when paying, which is weird. So that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

See you next year Glacier, if not sooner!

---11/1/24 update

Here's yet another establishment serving food that has suffered hard times. Best I can tell, they are now down to three locations: Boulder (only one now), Fort Collins, and this one in Castle Rock.

So after parting ways with Old Boss at Granelli's, I walked a block over to Glacier to squeeze in its annual visit. I had a single cappuccino brownie ice cream in a waffle cone. I've been so spoiled getting overserved that I feel cheated when I get the right amount. But that's OK, I don't really need any more calories. But it sure was good! I would have gone for gelato but I wasn't enamored with the flavor selection. 

Super expensive for what you get, and one can see why all these places are going out of business. Not sure how they're going to solve this problem. It's not just the food costs, it's the labor. Minimum wage is at an unsustainable high level here in Colorado. Owners have no choice but to raise prices to cover their costs. Except young families can't afford the freight, which is your primary ice cream audience. The further we get from zero, the less people can participate in the economy. I'll say that phrase over and over. I hope to come back next year, but I have to wonder will they even be here then?

---original 4/15/23 review

After eating at the Castle Cafe, I visited one record shop and then wanted a craft beer. Mrs. RJG said she wanted "nieve", Spanish slang for ice cream (means snow - helado being more formal). Guess who won that argument especially considering our lunch didn't go over too well?

I remembered the name Glacier, but could not place it until I checked my personal database. Sure enough, we had gone one time in Boulder during our summer townhome years (on July 4th no less). This is only our second time back. The location sits just outside of the old downtown in a bustling new urban district known as the Riverwalk. It's only a block from Granelli's where Old Boss and I enjoyed a lunch last December (as noted here in the RJG). 

What's nice about Glacier is you can choose between gelato or ice cream, just as the name suggests. In recent years, we've both favored gelato as it's more rich and creamy. Though sometimes I want the more chewy ice cream. Mrs. RJG finally learned that a "small cup" is plenty, as she oftentimes will load up a waffle cone with 3 scoops and then feel terrible later. Ya-huh. I have no such issues enjoying a small portion as it adds up nicely while eating. I tried the Cappuccino and she had the Nutella. Both were absolutely delicious. This is some really excellent gelato, and worth more visits than every 14 years. I think we can manage that...

Though they're a chain, they don't seem to have central ownership. Best I can tell they have 2 locations in Boulder, one each in Greenwood Village (Denver suburb) and Fort Collins - and the one here.

7/4/09; 4/15/23 (new entry); 11/1/24; 2/27/25

Port of Subs ~ regional chain : Castle Rock, Colorado

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 slicer.

I tried the #13 (to your right) which includes pepper pastrami, turkey, and swiss cheese. This option recalls my old favorite #3 from Great Outdoors in the DFW area. I added their "works": Lettuce, onion, oil, vinegar, salt, and oregano (no tomato). I also added pepperoncini and spicy mustard. All on sourdough bread (you have a choice here too). A very good sandwich though I felt the bread might have a been a tad old. Nonetheless, I'll be back next year (RJG Rotation) as there's many items to try on the menu, and it's highly likely I'll be in this part of the Denver metro area often. I consider it part of my "territory".

---original 11/11/22 review (Gilbert, AZ)

The rest of the afternoon was all presentations followed by an early evening team meeting in Tempe. After that, many of us were looking to recharge and we went our separate ways to achieve that. I wasn't particularly hungry, and was very tired after a chaotic day. I decided to get something light, take it back to the hotel room, and enjoy a couple of beers while watching the election results. The perfect brainless activity so that I would be fresh in the morning! But what was going to be that light meal? Already did the hamburger thing as noted on the The Habit post. How about a sandwich? And up popped Port of Subs. Yes, of course, I remember them. Recall Rule #1 - it can't be a place I can visit at home in Colorado Springs (or even Denver really).

I had a note on my spreadsheet, and that same note entered my mind the minute I ordered: Jersey Mike's. It's the exact same modus operandi. Pull out the meats and cheeses, and make each slice just like your neighborhood delicatessen would do. Add in the toppings, wrap 'er on up, and out the door I go. Even though it was late, I was impressed by the counter person who was the consummate professional. He may have been the manager. No matter, I felt like my sandwich was being made with care. As for the verdict, Jersey Mike's wins on better bread and toppings. It's just a much sloppier sandwich than the decidedly drier Port of Subs, even though the ingredients are more or less the same. The Great Outdoors chain in DFW also gets the edge. All the same, I was more than happy with my sandwich, and if they were in Colorado Springs, I would go a few times a year. In this case they provided (ahem) a port in the storm. They have approximately 135 locations in 8 western states.

7/13/11; 4/5/12; 11/8/22 (new entry); 2/27/25

Carson City, NV; Las Vegas, NV; Gilbert, AZ; Castle Rock, CO