I swear, Mo and I really are going out and eating at places. It might not be together, and it might not be good, but we swear we're not starving ourselves. There is no truth in any rumors that claim we have yet to regain the energy to rant on about the kind of batter fish should be fried in.
For the record, I personally don't care much for the beer-battered sort. Well, if it's boys we're talking about, that's another thing.
Anyway, it's Holiday time, which means lots of eating, feeling bloated, and then eating more. I can do anything but guarantee that we'll take a moment in our digestion to write a bit about what we're digesting.
To say the least, "stay tuned."
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Wingstravaganza!
Wings wings wings! Oh delicious wings!
Please pardon the lag in posting about restaurants, but I know that I have had a one-track wing mind lately. I felt like I needed to do some extensive research (taste-search?) before posting my results. I’ve filtered out the no-need-to-mention-ables down to the following results:
Wing Stop
Union City and San Leandro locations
www.wingstop.com
Oh so delish, worth any waiting, AND endorsed by Troy Aikman. Not that endorsements have anything to do with where I’ll eat, especially Troy Aikman’s, but he might have some sway with others. I can see why he would say that these are the “best wings I’ve had in my life,” or so the web site claims. I’ve developed a soft spot and a constant craving for the tasty beauties and have even found excuses to pick up lunch from there (I need to run by Target quick for some display stuff!) So far I have sampled the following: mild, original hot, hickory smoked BBQ, garlic parmesan, and teriyaki. I really really really like mild, original, and garlic parmesan (only in moderation however – never more than 5 or I start feeling gross). BBQ had a weird flavor when I tried it - kind of a spicy smoky, but not in the good chipotle spicy smoky way. Teriyaki was a glorified BBQ sauce – totally not teriyaki AT ALL. Someday I will muster up the courage to try the likes of Atomic and Cajun. The fries are totally delicious and seasoned perfectly to boot (do they use a touch of sugar?!). The 10 wing meal deal is totally the right size too.
Hooters
Fremont location only
www.hooters.com
Never mind the short orange shorts or your waitress introducing herself as “your hooters girl tonight.” Hooters really does have some delicious wings and I really do go there just for the food. Yes, it’s totally targeting straight men with there gazillion flat panel TVs and hula hoop swaying ladies, but their food stands up and outshines their testosterone-tempting-ways. I’ve only had my wings in the medium sauce, but I have both breaded and “naked”. (Yes, they put naked in quotes on their menu. And right next to some busty blonde I might add.) I prefer naked as the breading tends to soak up a lot of the oil (the girls will almost always recommend breaded in my opinion). Both mild and medium are butter based sauces, so never ask for it on the side or you might end up with some congealed catastrophe. It is, however, very good on the piping hot wings so you kind of forget that you’re pretty much eating spicy orangey butter. From there, the sauces get much spicier. My last dining companion got some samurai sauce on the side for his chicken strips and it was quite tasty. Not as spicy as I had imagined, but I might change my tune if I get 10 wings slathered in the stuff. In regards to other things on the menu, they have decent sangria by the pitcher and a fully loaded bar (I had a blonde bombshell last time – YUM!). Oh and their curly fries are great!
Le Soleil
1515 E. 14th Street (next to Luke’s Grill)
San Leandro
Their wings are only considered an appetizer, but OH MY GOD are they a delectable one! They are dusted in curry powder (the yellow kind, folks) and then fried to a perfectly crispy crunch, but always juicy on the inside. I simply cannot pass these suckers up, unless my dining companion of the moment would really like something “healthier” instead. The curry powder adds that extra something and it’s just the right amount. Even people who aren’t normally that keen on curry have liked these. I have to post a full review of this place soon!
Please pardon the lag in posting about restaurants, but I know that I have had a one-track wing mind lately. I felt like I needed to do some extensive research (taste-search?) before posting my results. I’ve filtered out the no-need-to-mention-ables down to the following results:
Wing Stop
Union City and San Leandro locations
www.wingstop.com
Oh so delish, worth any waiting, AND endorsed by Troy Aikman. Not that endorsements have anything to do with where I’ll eat, especially Troy Aikman’s, but he might have some sway with others. I can see why he would say that these are the “best wings I’ve had in my life,” or so the web site claims. I’ve developed a soft spot and a constant craving for the tasty beauties and have even found excuses to pick up lunch from there (I need to run by Target quick for some display stuff!) So far I have sampled the following: mild, original hot, hickory smoked BBQ, garlic parmesan, and teriyaki. I really really really like mild, original, and garlic parmesan (only in moderation however – never more than 5 or I start feeling gross). BBQ had a weird flavor when I tried it - kind of a spicy smoky, but not in the good chipotle spicy smoky way. Teriyaki was a glorified BBQ sauce – totally not teriyaki AT ALL. Someday I will muster up the courage to try the likes of Atomic and Cajun. The fries are totally delicious and seasoned perfectly to boot (do they use a touch of sugar?!). The 10 wing meal deal is totally the right size too.
Hooters
Fremont location only
www.hooters.com
Never mind the short orange shorts or your waitress introducing herself as “your hooters girl tonight.” Hooters really does have some delicious wings and I really do go there just for the food. Yes, it’s totally targeting straight men with there gazillion flat panel TVs and hula hoop swaying ladies, but their food stands up and outshines their testosterone-tempting-ways. I’ve only had my wings in the medium sauce, but I have both breaded and “naked”. (Yes, they put naked in quotes on their menu. And right next to some busty blonde I might add.) I prefer naked as the breading tends to soak up a lot of the oil (the girls will almost always recommend breaded in my opinion). Both mild and medium are butter based sauces, so never ask for it on the side or you might end up with some congealed catastrophe. It is, however, very good on the piping hot wings so you kind of forget that you’re pretty much eating spicy orangey butter. From there, the sauces get much spicier. My last dining companion got some samurai sauce on the side for his chicken strips and it was quite tasty. Not as spicy as I had imagined, but I might change my tune if I get 10 wings slathered in the stuff. In regards to other things on the menu, they have decent sangria by the pitcher and a fully loaded bar (I had a blonde bombshell last time – YUM!). Oh and their curly fries are great!
Le Soleil
1515 E. 14th Street (next to Luke’s Grill)
San Leandro
Their wings are only considered an appetizer, but OH MY GOD are they a delectable one! They are dusted in curry powder (the yellow kind, folks) and then fried to a perfectly crispy crunch, but always juicy on the inside. I simply cannot pass these suckers up, unless my dining companion of the moment would really like something “healthier” instead. The curry powder adds that extra something and it’s just the right amount. Even people who aren’t normally that keen on curry have liked these. I have to post a full review of this place soon!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
How to Choose?
Looks like Archie McPhee had us in mind when they came up with this one:
http://www.mcphee.com/items/11733.html
Wouldn't it be nice if they had an online version, too? Or one we could download into our cell phones?
http://www.mcphee.com/items/11733.html
Wouldn't it be nice if they had an online version, too? Or one we could download into our cell phones?
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Tsuru Sushi (San Leandro)
1427 E. 14th Street
San Leandro
http://tsurusushi.com/index.html
Quick: Much better for local sushi in comparison to Sushi Musashi. I might only go back to Musashi for korokke after going here. Tsuru also seemed to be more busy than Musashi, which I'm taking as a good sign.
Good: Everything really. Food was good and people are nice. Price is right.
Bad: I had to search for a gripe. I don't like the annoying bell on the right door and it took a while for them to refill our tea. Not deal breakers at all. Oh, they don't elaborate too much on what's in the rolls, but all you have to do is ask.
Extended: Okay, so in search of an answer for dinner during this heat spell, Nancy and I went on an unintentional quest for sushi. Our favorite (Sushiya) was closed (SOB!), as was our standby (Ichiro). We ended up back in San Leandro (stupid big loop) and Nancy suggested Tsuru. This was her first sushi place, but somehow I never made it here before.
As part of our new mission to finding good chicken wings locally, we had to have theirs. The presentation was very nice - I like how they get fancy with the lemon garnish. The wings were rather hot and very tasty - hint of lemon served with a "special sauce." I think the sauce was just soy sauce with a little lemon in it, but I couldn't really tell. There are only 4 wings, though, since this is an appetizer. Good for when you don't want to overdo it, but bad for when you really want some chicken wings. I could eat a bucket of these, but that would get a little pricey.
The salad and miso soup were also good. They use my favorite kind of dressing (that mayo ginger stuff) and it's thick so that counteracts any watery bits. The miso soup was simple and not too salty. It was served at the perfect temperature for immediate consumption.
Now for the main course. We both got combination dinners, which make it easy to play it safe and get a variety of things as well. I got tekka maki, California rolls, and shiu mai. Nancy also ordered tekka maki, but she got nigiri (3 pieces) and gyoza. Then we shared negihama rolls (hamachi with green onion).
The rolls were good and firm, which makes them easy to eat. I really don't like it when you pick up a roll and it starts to fall apart - something about sushi craftsmanship or something. The California rolls were dry, but a good dry. Some places mix the crab with mayo, which isn't bad but sometimes it's too much. The tekka was fresh. There was a touch too much hamachi in the negihama rolls, but totally forgivable. The balance of flavors was still good, which is very important with the delicate hamachi and strong onion flavor. Nancy said her nigiri was good - it was sliced thin and she could definitely taste the wasabi underneath. The shiu mai was fried, which is different since they're usually steamed, but they were still good. I think there was some water chestnut in the mix because there was a little crunch, which was nice. The gyoza were good, but there wasn't anything extra special or distinctive about them. They are very similar to Sushiya's.
The combination dinner is a good portion of food as long as you don't order too many fried items. A good balance is 2 sushi-like items with 1 fried item. I think you get rice if you don't order sushi items, which might make it feel like too much food. Tsuru also serves donburi and udon, as well as your safe standards (tempura and teriyaki). Really, it's hard to go out on on a limb at this sushi place, since the sushi menu is a little limited, but it's nice that the menu is a little more focused. It makes it easier to make a decision.
Overall, I really enjoyed my Tsuru experience. I think this place will be my new local standby, rather than my usual settling for Musashi. I would still take Sushiya over Tsuru, but Tsuru comes in a close second.
San Leandro
http://tsurusushi.com/index.html
Quick: Much better for local sushi in comparison to Sushi Musashi. I might only go back to Musashi for korokke after going here. Tsuru also seemed to be more busy than Musashi, which I'm taking as a good sign.
Good: Everything really. Food was good and people are nice. Price is right.
Bad: I had to search for a gripe. I don't like the annoying bell on the right door and it took a while for them to refill our tea. Not deal breakers at all. Oh, they don't elaborate too much on what's in the rolls, but all you have to do is ask.
Extended: Okay, so in search of an answer for dinner during this heat spell, Nancy and I went on an unintentional quest for sushi. Our favorite (Sushiya) was closed (SOB!), as was our standby (Ichiro). We ended up back in San Leandro (stupid big loop) and Nancy suggested Tsuru. This was her first sushi place, but somehow I never made it here before.
As part of our new mission to finding good chicken wings locally, we had to have theirs. The presentation was very nice - I like how they get fancy with the lemon garnish. The wings were rather hot and very tasty - hint of lemon served with a "special sauce." I think the sauce was just soy sauce with a little lemon in it, but I couldn't really tell. There are only 4 wings, though, since this is an appetizer. Good for when you don't want to overdo it, but bad for when you really want some chicken wings. I could eat a bucket of these, but that would get a little pricey.
The salad and miso soup were also good. They use my favorite kind of dressing (that mayo ginger stuff) and it's thick so that counteracts any watery bits. The miso soup was simple and not too salty. It was served at the perfect temperature for immediate consumption.
Now for the main course. We both got combination dinners, which make it easy to play it safe and get a variety of things as well. I got tekka maki, California rolls, and shiu mai. Nancy also ordered tekka maki, but she got nigiri (3 pieces) and gyoza. Then we shared negihama rolls (hamachi with green onion).
The rolls were good and firm, which makes them easy to eat. I really don't like it when you pick up a roll and it starts to fall apart - something about sushi craftsmanship or something. The California rolls were dry, but a good dry. Some places mix the crab with mayo, which isn't bad but sometimes it's too much. The tekka was fresh. There was a touch too much hamachi in the negihama rolls, but totally forgivable. The balance of flavors was still good, which is very important with the delicate hamachi and strong onion flavor. Nancy said her nigiri was good - it was sliced thin and she could definitely taste the wasabi underneath. The shiu mai was fried, which is different since they're usually steamed, but they were still good. I think there was some water chestnut in the mix because there was a little crunch, which was nice. The gyoza were good, but there wasn't anything extra special or distinctive about them. They are very similar to Sushiya's.
The combination dinner is a good portion of food as long as you don't order too many fried items. A good balance is 2 sushi-like items with 1 fried item. I think you get rice if you don't order sushi items, which might make it feel like too much food. Tsuru also serves donburi and udon, as well as your safe standards (tempura and teriyaki). Really, it's hard to go out on on a limb at this sushi place, since the sushi menu is a little limited, but it's nice that the menu is a little more focused. It makes it easier to make a decision.
Overall, I really enjoyed my Tsuru experience. I think this place will be my new local standby, rather than my usual settling for Musashi. I would still take Sushiya over Tsuru, but Tsuru comes in a close second.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
A Thing for Wings
An anonymous commenter has asked about our recommendations for wings. A wonderful suggestion *commence drooling*.
Mo and I have a definite soft spot for Asian-style chicken wings - the sort with little or no batter/breading. Just dropped right into the delicious oil, so all your mouth tastes is deep-fried chicken skin and extremely hot (watch yo' tongue!) chicken meat. Fantastic stuff.
I have a theory that since there is so little batter, one feels a little less guilty about eating it. I mean, I know I feel better after eating some of my parents' fried chicken versus a KFC drumstick. Not that I don't get a craving for KFC from time to time, but you really can't go wrong with something that goes so well with sweet 'n' sour sauce.
Mo and I will continue to discuss our thoughts on wings and where to go to get some good ones. Perhaps we will start a local search for the best wings. I used to do this with turkey dinners, so it'll be good to pick up the routine again.
I'm not going to leave the veggies out of this one: Golden Era Vegetarian (http://www.goldeneravegetarian.com/) has amazing chicken drummettes. Pick 'em up if you're in San Francisco. Golden Era also has a sister city in downtown Oakland - Golden Lotus - but I've yet to try their version. Maybe we'll make that one of our future Wing Stops (har har).
We'll keep you posted.
Mo and I have a definite soft spot for Asian-style chicken wings - the sort with little or no batter/breading. Just dropped right into the delicious oil, so all your mouth tastes is deep-fried chicken skin and extremely hot (watch yo' tongue!) chicken meat. Fantastic stuff.
I have a theory that since there is so little batter, one feels a little less guilty about eating it. I mean, I know I feel better after eating some of my parents' fried chicken versus a KFC drumstick. Not that I don't get a craving for KFC from time to time, but you really can't go wrong with something that goes so well with sweet 'n' sour sauce.
Mo and I will continue to discuss our thoughts on wings and where to go to get some good ones. Perhaps we will start a local search for the best wings. I used to do this with turkey dinners, so it'll be good to pick up the routine again.
I'm not going to leave the veggies out of this one: Golden Era Vegetarian (http://www.goldeneravegetarian.com/) has amazing chicken drummettes. Pick 'em up if you're in San Francisco. Golden Era also has a sister city in downtown Oakland - Golden Lotus - but I've yet to try their version. Maybe we'll make that one of our future Wing Stops (har har).
We'll keep you posted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)