Grilled Cheese + Beer = Score!!!!!

Gourmet grilled cheeses and beer. If there was ever a better restaurant concept, I did not know about it.

On a recent trip to Cleveland (Ohio, hollaaa!!) we stopped in for lunch at a place I'd seen on Man vs. Food and Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives called Melt Bar and Grilled. Yes, grilled, not grill. Why grilled do you ask? Because they specialize in GRILLED CHEESE, one of America's favorite foods. These aren't just any grilled cheeses though, they are meat filled, pasta stuffed, cheese lathered, toasted buns of culinary goodness. After our hour long wait, which was so worth it, we sit down at a table surrounded by tacky yard art and Christmas lights, and are presented with the Beer List. Much like a wine list in a fancy restaurant, this beer list has 5 pages of Ales, Lagers, Stouts, blah blah blah blah blah. I don't really care for beer, but they did have Cider, which I love dearly. See yard art------->

But, whatever, I'm here for the food...

I bring to you the PARMAGEDDON!

An Ohio city famous for it's peirogies, Parma was blessed to have a Melt sandwich named after it. Let me read you the menu description: 2 potato and cheese pierogi (thats mashed potatoes and cheese stuffed into pasta my friends), fresh napa vodka kraut, grilled onions, sharp cheddar cheese.

You mean to tell me they're shoving carbs inside of carbs and then covering with cheese and putting it in between two giant pieces of CARBS?
Yessssss ma'am! I had to order it.

So they bring it out, and the first thing I notice is that this sandwich is bigger than my head. The second thing I notice are the fries.. ohhhhh the fries.... fried potatoes... they were the best fries I've ever had, and I'm not kidding. I'm talking plain fries here, not Snuffer's Cheese Fries (cuz those are on a whole different level). I dove into the fries first, and then took my first bite of this little piece of heaven called the Parmageddon. Delicious :) Lots of food, didn't finish it, but my God was it worth it!

Next up, the Cleveland Cheesesteak, which looked equally delicious.

Grilled flank, portabellas, pepper and onion, provolone.

You'll see in this picture that there is lettuce and tomato on this sandwich- that's because this restaurant gave you a "Sides" menu, which charged you anywhere from $0.50 to $2.00 to add on any item you wanted to your sandwich. I'll talk more about this later with the next sandwich.

Look at the medium rare beef pressed between two giant pieces of Texas toast and slathered in cheese... mmmmm

The third and final sandwich we had (unfortunately we didn't get any of their deliciously fresh salads or homemade soups.. just sandwiches) was a Chorizo and Potato sandwich, which was turned into a Chorizo, Potato, Cheese, Bacon, Tomato, Ranch, and Grilled Onion sandwich by Bob. It also changed from an $8.50 grilled cheese into one that cost $13.00, due to the addition of all the sides. Nice work honey. It did taste good, but I'm not sure it was worth the $5 upcharge.

Spicy mexican sausage, potato hash, sharp cheddar.

Bobby had no issues at all inhaling this entire sandwich and whole plate of fries, which made me believe that he should've tried the Melt Challenge, which is a 5 lb grilled cheese and a side of fries. Thats 3 slices of Texas toast, 13 different kinds of cheeses, and a plate of fries. I bet he could've done it :) The only bad thing about the challenge (aside from clogged arteries, heartburn, and an upset stomach) is that if you finish it, it's not free!! You still have to pay for it... granted, it's a reduced cost (a $22 sandwich that you eventually end up paying $12 for after you use the $10 gift card they give you) but still, that's crap. He's still talking about how he's so mad at himself that he didn't do it, so maybe the next time we're in "the mistake on the lake", he'll give it a try.

So my friends, the next time you're in Cleveland, near Lakewood or Cleveland Heights, or Toledo.. or Akron.. or Canton.. or hell, anywhere within a 4 hour driving distance to Melt, take a roadtrip and go there. It's definitely an experience worth waiting for. Or, just get on their website and stare at their menu for a few months like I did, and just imagine the lovely grilled cheeses. http://meltbarandgrilled.com/grilled_cheese/

Chow!

The Best Things I'VE Ever Eaten!

Lately I've been obsessed with the Food Network Show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate". I think it gives viewers a good sense of where the chefs eat, and what they order when they go out. They're much more daring than I am, I must admit. For example, Duff Goldman talks about this place in Beverly Hills called Animal. His favorite thing there is this Bacon Crunch cake, which is just chocolate and bacon shaped into a bacon strip. But, what Animal is really famous for is putting MANY kinds of animal on their menu; rabbit, elk, pig tails, octopus, frog, head cheese, bone marrow, chicken liver, etc. Not sure I'd ever stop into a place like that... maybe I need to get more daring. Anyways, I digress..

The real reason for this blog post is to discuss the best things I've ever eaten. Now I'm only 25, and I've only been a real foodie for about 7 years, so my list isn't as long as it should be. I do have some excellent items though.

Best Thing I Ever Ate...

Sweet Tooth

Key Lime Pie- Houston's Restaurant, Dallas, TX

I don't even know where to begin describing this pie. Yes, it's just Key Lime Pie, and everywhere has it. But this pie is so silky, velvety, tart, sweet, and smooth and the same time, that there's just nothing like it. The crust seems to be just pure butter and graham cracker, and the whipped cream on top is fresh, REAL whipped cream. Fabulous.

Pizza

Urban Amore Pizza- Urban Crust, Plano, TX

I've blogged about this pizza before- it's just that good. From the minute I saw this pizza on the menu, I knew it'd be a winner. Proscuitto, Arugula, Goat Cheese, Balsamic Vinegar, and fig preserves.. you can't beat it!

Salty Goodness

Loaded Cheddar Fries-Snuffer's, Dallas, TX

I tried these fries my first week of living in Dallas, and it was love at first bite. Let's start with the fries- they have their own salty, spicy seasoning on them, and are good just by themselves! But then they top them with loads of real cheddar cheese, and stick them under the broiler to melt. Top with crisped bacon, sliced jalapenos, and fresh chives, with a side of their HOMEMADE ranch dressing, and you've got the best cheesefries in the world.

Cheesy

Roasted Chicken Burrito with Queso- Chuy's, Plano, TX

I first tried Chuy's when I was in Austin and loved it, so I was thrilled to hear that Chuy's was coming to Plano! I tried a couple different things on their menu, and they were great, but it wasn't until I came across this burrito that I knew I'd never order anything else. It's a "Giant Ass Burrito" filled with beans and roasted pulled chicken, smothered in queso. There are rice and beans on the side, but really, at that point, who gives a shit about the side items??

Burgers

Cheeseburger- The Grape, Dallas, TX

I went into The Grape, a Dallas institution, with high expectations for this burger. After all, it had been ranked the #1 Burger (out of 100!) in all of Texas by Texas Monthly magazine. That sets a pretty high standard! So I went to try this burger, which is only available on Sundays during brunch, and was not let down. The pickles are pickled fresh in the restaurant, the ketchup is homemade, the french fries are cut fresh, the bun is toasted with lots of butter, and the burger... well, the burger is just fantastic. It was cooked to a perfect medium, as requested, and was deliciously juicy. The dijionaisse sauce and white cheddar worked perfectly together, and the bacon just made it decadent. It was #1 for a good reason!

Bacon

Jalapeno Bacon Mac N Cheese- The Reata, Ft. Worth, TX

Sadly, I have no picture for this Mac N Cheese :( Everytime I've eaten it, I've been without a camera, nor could I find a picture online! However, I'm going to describe this southwestern cowboy goodness in the best way I can. I've had almost every Mac n Cheese imaginable, with any cheese imaginable, with any protein imaginable (all within reason of course), but this Mac n Cheese at the Reata just caught my attention. It has just a slight sweet heat from the jalapenos and Tabasco sauce, with a crunch from the breadcrumb topping, and the heartiness of the bacon. Not sure what cheese they use, but their bechamel sauce is so creamy and thick that it makes everything mesh very well together. Definitely worth a visit!!

In a Bowl

Shrimp and Lobster Chow Fun with x.o sauce- Buddakan, New York, NY

I ordered this dish with no expectations, because I had no idea what Chow Fun and x.o sauce were, but when it came and I took that first bite.... oh.my.word.

This dish had the freshest lobster and shrimp, which obviously were the main attraction of the dish, but what really got me were the chow fun noodles. They were homemade, so fresh, and so soft, but somehow had a bite to them unlike anything I'd ever eaten before. The x.o sauce is a spicy seafood sauce, made from chili, onions, garlic, oil, and dried seafoods, and perfectly complemented the seafood, noodles, and onions. At Buddakan they say their really embrace sharing, but I can tell you one thing for sure- I ate the whole damn bowl!!

With Fruit

Panzanella Salad- Culina at the Four Seasons, Beverly Hills, CA

There aren't many restaurants that serve panzanella salad, so when I saw it on the menu, I knew I had to order it. Panzanella salad really was first made as a way to use old bread, or croutons. You cut the bread up into cubes, and then it soaks up all of the juices from the fruit, veggies, and dressing. This particular version was extra special because it had watermelon in it, which was as fresh as it could get since it was the middle of the summer. There were also heirloom tomatoes, red onions, cucumber, microbasil, ricotta salata, and regular tomatoes. Luckily, I found the recipe from Culina online, so I can make it again if I get a craving and can't get to LA! The freshest, best tasting salad you'll find, with flavors that really complement each other! Everyone knows they don't like the lettuce in salad, only the toppings, and this salad is just like toppings in a bowl!

Between Bread

Beef Brisket Sandwich- The Salt Lick, Driftwood, TX

I've had some great brisket in my 3 years in Texas.. Sonny Bryan's takes the cake for Dallas, Louie Mueller takes the cake for the BBQ Trail, but nothing, NOTHING, compares to the beef brisket sandwich at The Salt Lick on the outskirts of Austin. NOTHING. First off, take a look at that bun! That's homemade goodness right there. A nice yeasty roll. Then you ask for the brisket chopped, not sliced, and add on a healthy douse of bbq sauce, their garlic dill pickles, and dig in. Again, the side items- I can totally live without them. The BBQ is where it's at. The best thing of all? The Salt Lick is BYOB, so you can bring a fabulous Shiner Bock to enjoy with your sandwich!

Best I Ever Drank

Watermelon Martini- Grand Lux Cafe, Dallas, TX

You might sense a theme here that I love watermelon. It's the most refreshing food of the summer, and brings back memories of childhood. But, when I can enjoy this fruit as an adult, I like it shaken and chilled, with a splash of vodka. At Grand Lux, the bartender told me that all they do to make this drink is to put chunk of watermelon in a shaker, add Grey Goose, and shake. I tried this at home and didn't get the same results, so I think there's something he's not telling me! Anyways, this drink is fabulous, not too sweet, and is perfect for enjoying in the summer!

Sugar Rush

Campfire Pie- Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, St. Helena, CA

Toasted Marshmallow fluff, fudgy chocolate, almond ding, and Oreo cookie crust. How can you go wrong? This adult version of the campfire classic is so good, it's been on the Food Network! Nestled in a little restaurant on a backstreet in St. Helena, CA, this restaurant has so much charm, and great food. Go in, sit on the patio with some great wine, and get a slice of this pie, because it will MAKE.YOUR.DAY.

Another Triple D Stop!

I'd seen it on Diner's Drive-Ins, and Dives. I'd seen it on Man v. Food. I looked it up before going to Las Vegas and saw that it was far from the strip. I was so bummed... that is, until I was walking down Las Vegas Blvd. and saw advertisements for their new location in the Imperial Palace Hotel!

It's Hash House a Go Go!!

Known for their Twisted Farm Food, this place does food big, bold, fresh, and local. The restaurant is a farm style diner, with loud music and a vibrant, lively atmosphere. We waited an hour to be seated, and as we waited, we checked out all of the news, reviews, and publications on the walls lining the hallways. This place had been given GREAT reviews, especially for their Chicken and Waffles. I had to try it.

We finally got seated, and were told that our food would take about 30 minutes because every single thing is made fresh to order. I thought it was just an excuse because they were running behind, but they actually told the truth :) After waiting a total of an hour and a half, our food finally came. As promised, I ordered the Chicken and Waffles and Bobby ordered the Big O'Crispy Hand Hammered Pork Tenderloin Sandwich. This would be my first experience trying chicken and waffles, so I was equally excited about trying them for the first time, and trying Hash House a Go Go's version.

As promised, 30 minutes later, out came our food. When the dishes were placed infront of us, our jaws hit the floor and Bobby and I just stared at each other. These plates were enormous.. big enough for like 4 people to share. But they looked fabulous and we had to dig in.

This tower of sage fried chicken drizzled with warm caramelized syrup and flash fried leeks, on a bed of waffles inlaid with applewood smoked bacon, all held together by a giant

stick of rosemary looked like the finest crafted masterpiece I'd ever seen.

The chef had actually laid pieces of bacon into the waffle batter and then cooked them together! Genius!

Then came Bob's "lunch sized sandwich". I introduce to you, the HAMMERED Pork Tenderloin Sandwich. And they weren't kidding when they said HAMMERED.

This sandwich brought me back to the days in Indiana, and my days spent at Ohio's Farm Science Review. These were the only places where you'd find pork tenderloin on a sandwich with BBQ sauce and pickles. Delicious! This HHAGG sandwich was different though. The meat had been "hammered" so much, that the meat stretched miles beyond the bun. By the time Bobby got to the bun part of the sandwich, he was full! However, we were not complaining. These pickles and red onions were as fresh and they come, the bun was freshly baked and homemade, and the pork crisp and tender. We were both happy, happy people.

We left the restaurant full, flabbergasted, and ready to take on more of Las Vegas, and I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Check out Adam Richman's comments on his signed poster in the restaurant: "That big? Really??? Seriously?? Hash House a Go Go.. eating is believing!"

So the next time you're in Las Vegas, or even San Diego for that matter, stop by and get some twisted farm food at Hash House a Go Go. Don't assume this blog did it justice- GO! It'll be worth your while. And remember-

Eating.Is.Believing.

It's Love with Urban Amore

Friday night I had the experience of checking out one of my new favorite restaurants in the DFW area- Urban Crust in Plano, TX. Anyone that knows me knows that I love great food (pizza in particular), low prices, and a great bar. Urban Crust has all of these combined. An old warehouse building turned pizza joint, Urban Crust has 3 levels of fun.

When we arrived, it was packed and we were told that there'd be an hour wait, but that we could spend it waiting at the 32 degrees rooftop icebar upstairs. I have to say I was really excited about getting upstairs to see that bar. I had seen on the website that they were known for fresh fruitinis, so I knew while going up the three flights of stairs what drink I would be getting- a strawberry/dragonfruit martini. The whole way up to the bar is was packed. You could tell people knew how good this place was and were willing to wait a long time. We ordered our drinks and went out to the outdoor patio to hang out and wait for our table. We had fabulous weather, great drinks, and even got to watch some baseball while waiting. It turns out that the bar area was kept fairly chilly, the drinks served at 32 degrees, and there was a strip of ice across the bartop that you could put your drinks on to keep them cold. How cool! (no pun intended!)

When our buzzer finally went off, we were sat down on the first floor right next to the open kitchen- the perfect viewing spot to see the woodfired oven and expo station. We started with the calamari, and got three pizzas to share among the 6 of us- the Margherita, the Black & Blue, and the Urban Amore. Simple, meaty, and sweet/salty. The calamari was uniquely plated, and was delicious, but I was looking forward to the pizza.

After a round of drinks, some calamari, and bread, out came our pizzas. This pizza was placed right infront of me:

The one I'd been looking forward to! The Urban Amore- fig preserves, proscuitto di Parma, Texas goat cheese, aged balsamic, arugula. It was love at first sight.

Let me tell you about how delicious this pizza was. The subtle sweetness of the fig preserves mixed with the saltiness of the goat cheese, and the peppery arugula produced probably the greatest flavor combination I've ever experienced. The tasted crust, which was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, was a great, flavorful carrier of all the toppings. Not too thin, not too thick, and just right on the sweetness. I never thought I'd taste these flavors together, especially not on a ten dollar pizza! $10 bucks for this experience! A very small price to pay for this amazingness called the Urban Amore.

The other pizzas were all good and fine, but didn't compare to this pizza at all. As far as Margherita goes, Lombardi's in NYC killed this one, and the Black & Blue was a bit too "blue" (this coming from someone who loves bleu cheese). But, overall, a fabulous pizza experience. We had 2 calamaris, 3 pizzas, a round of drinks, and one other appetizer, for $15/person. How cheap is that?!

Anyways, this is definitely a restaurant I'll go back to- perhaps on a weeknight during their happy hour to enjoy the Icebar when it's less crowded. Check it out at www.urbancrust.com

Best (I mean worst) BBQ in Dallas

I never thought I'd say this but.....

I found bad BBQ in Texas.

I'd had sub-par BBQ at one of the Sonny Bryans chain locations, and at Red Hot and Blue, but I never thought I'd go to an authentic homestyle BBQ place and have bad q. I was terribly wrong..

The February issue of D Magazine featured The Best BBQ in Dallas- 16 of the best Q joints in the DFW area. I always love having a reason to go out and search for new restaurants to try, so this article really excited me. I'd heard of a few of the places, and one of them really stood out because I'd see it on the Food Network- North Main BBQ, #15. North Main BBQ's ribs were featured on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate", and Food Network generally doesn't steer you wrong. So, now I had 2 reasons to go try the BBQ at this restaurant.

Last Saturday I made a lunch date to drive out to North Main BBQ in Euless, TX, which is about halfway between Dallas and Ft. Worth. We pulled up and the parking lot was absolutely packed...which started the beginning of our frustrations because the parking lot was extremely hard to navigate. There was a large pig statue out in front of the restaurant, and there were signs all over saying they weren't open any day but Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I thought, man if they're only open 3 days a week, their business must sustain them the rest of the week.. which means it's good BBQ!

There was another sign in the front saying "World's Best Ribs", which up to this point, I believed! I walked in, and there were 2 choices on the menu- a sandwich platter (black plate) or a buffet plate (white plate). We chose the buffet so we could taste more varieties of the meat.

Here's where the disappointment started:

1. The food on the buffet was lukewarm..

2. There was no dessert... Come on!!! You can't have a real BBQ place without peach cobbler or pecan pie for dessert!! What state do you think this is?!

3. The BBQ sauce tasted like fruit. Disgusting.

4. There wasn't anything to drink besides Iced Tea and Sweet Tea (fine with me, but pissed Bobby off). And at that, it was served out of giant garbage cans... see picture.

5. The sausage wasn't crispy or smokey or tasty. It was straight up tasteless and rubbery.

AND THE WORST OF THEM ALL....

6. THE RIBS!! They weren't smokey, didn't have a smoke ring, looked very fabricated, and came straight out of a hot hold.

One bit of good news was that their beans were pretty good, although they tasted like chili powder. Different, but good. And their brisket wasn't bad, either... But, their crowning glory, what they're known for, what has been broadcast all around the US that they're good for, what I drove all the way to Euless for, and Ted Allen's favorite BBQ, was B-A-D.

Hopefully the next of the Top 16 BBQ Places in Dallas is better, but I have a feeling that the original Sonny Bryan's on Inwood will always be my favorite. I heart you Sonny.

Louie's Dallas- Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives

I never would've gone in this place had I not seen it on tv. It's off the beaten path of the trendy Knox/Henderson crowds, and looks like it was built in an old oil station or something. There is one sign out front with a martini glass on it, and shows no signs of life or food inside. All windows to the outside are covered up, and overall just looks like a really shady place.. that is, until you open the front door.

Upon opening the door to enter, we are bombarded by loads of people waiting to be seated. This indeed is a bar, with only about 7 tables for people to sit. You see, the food at this bar is so good that people come to a bar to eat, instead of going to a restaurant to eat and drink. There are games on the flat screens, people with drinks in hand, and lots and lots of ambiance.
Bobby and I are hungry, and grumble a little when they tell us that it'll be a 45 minute wait, but we go to the bar to get a drink and deal with it. When we got to the bar, we saw two stools open and asked if they were taken- NO! We're in luck. We decided to eat at the bar, as that is what we prefer anyways. Have you ever eaten at the bar? You get MUCH better service, it's OK to split meals, and you can talk to the people next to you and have a great time. We sat down and ordered a cosmopolitan and a beer. On Diners Drive Ins and Dives, I'd seen the bartender shaking up a cosmo at this bar and it looked great, so I had to have one :) We looked at the menu and noticed that it was very limited- a few salads, pizza, appetizers, and some desserts.. definitely bar food. But, it had to be good! So, we ordered the sauteed crab claws for appetizer (I know what you're thinking...crab claws? At a bar? YES! FANTASTIC!), and a medium pizza with pepp, onion, and green pepper for our entree (ordered EXTRA crispy, as recommended by the couple next to us). The pizzas were very easy to order, as you choose all of your own toppings. You pay a base price for a cheese pizza, and then you're charged for every additional topping.. I think it was like $.50 per topping.

The crab claws came out first. They were so good that we'd eaten half of them before I remembered to take a picture! All I can say is that this is the best way to eat crabs! The shell is already taken off for you, and all you have to do is pick it up by the claw and bite the meat off. And because the meat is cooked in a garlic butter sauce, the meat absorbs all of that great flavor. This appetizer was served with toasted french bread, which is a PERFECT mop for that garlic butter crab sauce. Yum. Onto round 2.

Ahh, pizza. My favorite. Again, it looks so good we just dove into it, and a couple slices were gone before I could take the picture. By the way- everyone in this dark bar kept staring at me and giving me weird looks everytime I took a picture haha. I guess it's just the price I have to pay to document my food! Anyways, as you can see in the picture, the onions are sliced extremely thin, and the crust is very thin. It's run through a sheeter until it's paper thin and see through (as shown on DDD) and then baked in a pizza oven. I liked the onions sliced thin, because I don't like too much onion flavor, so this was just the perfect amount in every bite. I'm a HUGE fan of thin crust, and with this pizza ordered extra crispy, the crust was so thin and crunchy and was delicious! After about 5 minutes, we'd inhaled the pizza, and the bartender asked if we were interested in dessert. Dessert?? At a bar? So we asked what kind of desserts they had. He said they were all handmade by the owner's mother (extra point!) and that one of the desserts was cherry cream cheese pie (SCORE!!!!). It sounded like cherry cheesecake, but I needed to make sure.. :-P

As you can see, the cherry cream cheese pie was hidden by a massive blog of whipped cream...ahhh, heaven! Yes, this little square of heaven tasted just like cherry cheesecake, but WAY better. This $4.95 bar dessert killed The Cheesecake Factory's cherry cheesecake for $8.00. It was creamy and cheesy and light and sweet.. mmmmm. I'd go back there just for a piece of this honestly.

So, after sharing an appetizer, a pizza, and a dessert, I left satisfied, but not overly stuffed. It was perfect!

As the second place in Dallas I've visited that I've seen on Diner's, Drive-Ins, and Dives, I can say that I'm really looking forward to visiting the 3rd. Both of these spots have been great, with a great ambiance, great people, friendly owners, and fabulous food. Nice work Food Network, nice work.

Starbucks Does Breakfast Right!!

Aside from their overpriced beverages and somewhat weird employees, Starbucks has come out with some amazing new breakfast and meal options for those trying to be more health conscious.

The breakfast of topic: The Greek Yogurt and Honey Parfait

Reduced fat greek yogurt topped with coconut-almond macaroon granola, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries. At $3.45, it's a little steep for a parfait, especially when McDonalds only charges $1.00 for theirs, and you're already paying over $3.00 for a drink! But, this parfait is totally worth it.

Rip off the top and pour the entire cup of granola into the yogurt and honey mixture, and stir it around to evenly mix everything. This makes for a breakfast filled with tons of protein, a healthy amount of fat, lots of calcium, and mostly natural sugars. The real damage is this: 290 calories, 12g of fat, 8g of protein, and 32g of sugar, but it'll keep you full past lunch and is absolutely delicious.

The Starbucks Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

If you're really hungry, or greek yogurt isn't your thing, you can opt for the larger fruit and yogurt parfait, which also comes with granola. This is usually too much for me to eat, but is equally delicious, and is a better value because you're getting 2 more ounces of food for the same price of $3.45. This has 320 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 11 grams of protein.

Both equally delicious breakfasts, at a pretty good value, definitely convenient, and overall pretty healthy!

Kudos to Starbucks for keeping up with the food trends and current consumer needs!