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!

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives restaurant visits

For some reason, I've seen Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on TV a lot lately. It always seems to be on when I turn on the Food Network, so I just watch it. After watching a few times, I realized that it seemed like every episode had a place in Texas in it, so I kept watching. Recently, there have been 3 places in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex on the show, and I'm about to tell you about the first one I made it to!

5 Star Dining at a Conoco Station- The Chef's Point Cafe

The story behind this restaurant is that the entrepreneurs who started the cafe were declined a loan to open a restaurant due to lack of experience (neither owner has a culinary degree or food backround).. However, they were granted a loan to open a cafe in part of an already existing gas station. The restaurant attracted people from all over since its opening in 2003, and it finally made it onto the Food Network. Since its appearance on DDD, there is always a wait to get in!

A scene from the crowded restaurant, adorned with Guy Fieri pictures and autographs all over the walls:

After waiting 45 minutes to be seated, we knew exactly what we wanted and went to town. I ordered everything off of their Special Nightly Menu, instead of their regular menu.. I figured I'd check out the specialties while they're available! Bobby and I both ordered an appetizer and an entree so we could see as many menu items as possible, and then shared their famous dessert.

Appetizers
I started out with a bowl of their homemade clam chowder in a bread bowl, which was perfect for the cold night that it was. It was so creamy and meaty that it sort of tasted like loaded baked potato soup! YUM! It was also the first clam chowder I'd ever tasted that had huge chunks of clams in it- you could tell it was completely made from scratch!

Bob started out with cheese fries. I normally love cheese fries, but when I read that they were topped with cheese SAUCE and American cheese, I shyed away.. When they arrived at our table, Bobby just started cracking up.. it turns out the chef had just placed a slice of American cheese ontop of the fries and left it there to melt! The presentation wasn't great, but the asiago cheese sauce they were coated in was fantastic! Very good. Round 1 was delicious!

Onto Round 2-Entrees

I wanted to order the Osso Bucco from the nightly specials menu because it was a great deal at only $15.95, but they were all out! So I opted for the Teriyaki Glazed Salmon topped with Grilled Pineapple and Coconut Rice. It sounded FANTASTIC and isn't something I could get at any other restaurant. When it came, the presentation looked great, and I couldn't believe that I had two huge salmon filets and all of this rice for onlty $14 bucks! The rice ended up having green beans, peas, and corn in it, which was sort of weird, but the flavor was amazing. It even had a little bit of heat to it. The salmon, of course, was fantasticly sweet and sticky. Yum!

For Bobby's entree, I convinced Bobby that he should go outside his normal course of sandwiches and pizza and try something different so we'd have some good food to try! He ordered the Shrimp Scampi, which came doused in butter sauce. Holy amazingness! Both entrees also came with a slice of their homemade fresh garlic bread, which worked perfectly to dip into our sauces!

Dessert

I knew I had to try their dessert, so I put more than half of my salmon into a to go box and ordered up their bread pudding!

The bread pudding comes served very plain- a big square hunk of sweet bread mixture served in a shallow bowl of bourbon sweet butter sauce. I even got Bob to try it, even though he said he "didn't like pudding" LOL! Of course he couldn't stop eating it, and we finished it off.

It was a fantastic visit, and definitely worth the 45 minute drive to Watauga, and the 45 minute wait to sit down. No wonder it made it on the Food Network! I would recommend this place to anyone :) By the end of the meal, I realized that this wasn't a restaurant in a gas station- this was a gas station inside of a restaurant. We learned that the owners purchased 2 acres behind their current location and will be expanding to hold the demand! Excellent!

1 downfall of the restaurant- they do not sell alcohol at dinner (although it's sold in the gas station), and it's not a BYOB restaurant. I guess this just makes your dinner cheaper! :)

Need pie for Thanksgiving? Try Royers!

The Scene of this Blog:

Royer's Round Top Cafe

Round Top, TX

Home to down home country folks, a couple Ohioan tourists, and some fantastic pie!

Set scene: Roadside cafe in downtown Round Top, TX- population 81

Their motto is "Dive into the PIE box for an out of the box experience!"

Their shirts say "Remember the Alamode!"

Their pie is DELICIOUS!

I went to Round Top cafe after a visit to the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham, TX. It was only about a 25 minute drive, but seemed way out of the way. I had read about this place in a Dallas Morning News article about roadtrips, and it seemed like a great place to go, so I thought it'd be worth the inconvenient drive.

When we pulled up, upon seeing the cafe, the exact words out of my husbands mouth were, "Where the heck did you take us to? This is it?" Little did he know, that in about 15 minutes, we'd have some of the best pie we've ever tried in our bellies- and quail, stuffed giant jalapenos, and rolls ontop of that! When we walked in the door, this is the view we were greeted with:

Pies, pies everywhere! Cherry, Strawberry Rhubarb, Apple, Chocolate chip, Pecan, Butterscotch, Buttermilk, Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Key Lime Buttermilk, and Coconut Chess.. all there for us to smell and savor!

We sat down and ordered pie immediately- a slice of Apple, and a slice of Strawberry Rhubarb- both with ice cream, of course, because they charge you 50 cents extra if you don't get them a la mode! As we waited for our pies to come out, we sat and looked around this quirky cafe. The walls were adorned with signs, old tshirts, pictures of local and national celebrities, Christmas lights, napkins... anything you could think of!

We sat and chatted with the waiter wearing overalls (who I think was the owner) and talked to him about my food blog. He, in turn, started bringing out free samples of everything under the sun! Grilled quail (first time I'd ever tried it.. very good!), HUGE jalapenos stuffed with crab meat, cream cheese, jalapeno, and a plethora of other things, bread with homemade jelly, and then our pies. The fabulous, down home service here was wonderful.. almost refreshing. You don't see many places anymore where you can sit and learn about the business from the server, and really get to know them. By the time we left I felt like I belonged in Round Top, and was born to eat this pie!

As we paid the bill and got up to leave, the server brought out a box and handed it to me. He said, "On the house. Please enjoy, and y'all come back." It was a large cherry pie, straight out of the oven, just for me. Free.

This place has my heart, and will always have my business.

So, if you're ever deep in the heart of Texas, somewhere between Houston, College Station, and Austin, stop by Royers Round Top cafe. They also ship their famous pies all over the US- just order at http://www.royersroundtopcafe.com/

The Best Burger in Texas

Please bare with me as I try to get caught up on all of the posts I've been meaning to write for awhile now.. So many new foodie experiences, and not enough time to write!!

Recently, the Texas Monthly Magazine published an article about the Top 50 Burgers in Texas. The writers of the magazine drove over 12,000 miles, ate at more than 250 restaurants, and finally came up with The #1 Burger in Texas.... which just happens to be in my own city- Dallas, TX! Now, this is quite a huge honor to have, especially in the great (LARGE) state of Texas, so of course I'd have to verify it for myself. So, I made a reservation for brunch to try the burger, and made a date with our friends. It was FABULOUS!

This is the excerpt from the magazine description:

"No. 1 Classic Cheeseburger$12 (Fries are included in this price.) The Grape, Dallas
Not to take the Lord’s name in vain, but if ever there were a burger that could sitteth at the right hand of the Almighty, this would be the one. We sweareth. This is a celestial sandwich in every tiny detail. The meat, ground in-house, is ten ounces of high-quality chuck-eye (renowned for having the best fat-to-lean ratio). The peppered bacon is cured on-site. The slightly sweet bun hails from a local bakery. Are you getting the picture? Are your salivary glands in Pavlovian mode? Let us rave on: The lettuce is Texas hydroponic Bibb, just the tender inner leaves; the Lemley tomato has achieved ideal ripeness. White cheddar cheese oozes across the meat patty, melding irresistibly with the Dijonnaise blend that has been swiped across the amply buttered, crisply toasted bread. Is there a drawback? Just one: Unless your mouth is the size of Julia Roberts’s, you’ll need to press this tower down to a manageable height before attempting to stuff your face. The Grape’s creation does not attempt any radical maneuvers, but in its simple perfection it achieves the pinnacle of burgerdom: It makes you wonder why you would ever eat anything else. That it’s offered only during Sunday brunch makes it even more desirable. Granted, some curmudgeons might balk at eating a burger in a wine bistro on Sunday morning, but they’d be missing the very best burger in Texas. 2808 Greenville Ave., 214-828-1981. PS"

The article is SO true. The Dijonnaise sauce that's on the sandwich couldn't be more balanced. The sharp white cheddar cheese that is melted ontop adds just the right amount of flavor, and the toasted buttery bun? Well, it's perfection. The bacon was crisped and hot, adding a small amount of flavory grease, and the lettuce and tomato were fresh. What about the twice fried fries, you ask? They were flavorful, crunchy, and delicious with Heinz ketchup!

My only wish for this classic burger is that the pickles would've been different. They tasted fresh and homemade, but were spicy instead of being a dill or bread and butter pickle. I like the taste of normal pickles, and usually add extras onto my burger, but with these I didn't eat too many of them.

Here are some pictures of the burger. The first one is the burger as presented to me, and the other is my burger after I built it. It WAS huge, and I couldn't finish it..

I can definitely see why it was called The Best Burger in Texas!!!

Cocos Frios- A taste of the tropics

Hola! I just returned from one of the more fabulous trips I've taken in my life with a lot of new foodie experiences to chat about. I was in Mexico for a week, and I was determined not to eat tacos, burritos, quesadillas, chimichangas, or enchiladas. Instead, I ate octopus, conch filets, squid, and had ribs prepared ways I'd never seen them, but the one experience that stood out among the rest was the Cocos Frios.

I consider myself to be somewhat of a mixed drink connoisseur, which means that I've had my fair share of drinks out of coconuts. Miami vice, pina colada, strawberry daquiri, Bahama mama, and some sort of dirty monkey type thing, but none more interesting that the one I'm about to describe. I'd always thought that "coconut milk" came from the inside of coconuts, but the coconut milk we see here in stores is a mix of sugar and the meat of a coconut sieved through a cheese cloth. What comes from the inside of coconuts is actually a clear liquid called coconut water. It tastes a little bit like coconuts, a little bit like fruit, and a little bit like dirty water. It's best when served chilled, making the name Cocos Frios (cold coconuts).

We had rented a Jeep for the day to explore the other side of the island, and pulled up on a sign that said Coco Frios. One of my goals for that day was to drink out of either a coconut or a pineapple (both of which I accomplished, by the way!), so we pulled over to get our drink out of the coconut. The first thing I saw was a scary man with a machete! Ahhh.. but, he was just cutting the tops off of the coconuts so we could drink out of them :)

We pay the $3.00 for the two coconuts, and begin watching him cut into ours. He handed us ours, with a little hole on the top and a straw inserted into the opening, and we began to drink up! Right as we took our first sip, my husband looked at me and said, "I wonder if Tom Hanks on Castaway was serious about the coconut water.. he said they're a GREAT laxative." I was like oh, great.... this should be an interesting day if that's true! Here we are enjoying our first Cocos Frios foodie experience. Couldn't have picked a better background!

Anyway, the coconut water was pretty good, and very refreshing. After we finished, the "Machete Guy" cut our coconuts in half and let us eat the underdeveloped flesh inside. It was a little too slimy and gooey for me, so I didn't eat a lot, but I did try it. I've gotta say, I like the hard, sweetened coconut a lot better, but apparently that comes from very old coconuts.

To wrap up our drinking experience, after we tried the Cocos Frios we hit up Playa Bonita, where I drank a Bahama Mama from a Pineapple, and it was AWESOME.

The next stop was, funny enough, called Coconuts, where we ate lunch for the day. My husband had conch filets, and they were really interesting tasting, but I prefer to have my conch diced, chopped, and fried into Conch Fritters :) Here are the conch filets:

The squid and octopus weren't really worth writing about, but obviously everything above was. Great trip, great food, and great experiences! So, next time you guys are out, go out of your comfort zone and try something you normally wouldn't. It's fun!

Clare vs. Food!

It’s been over a month since my last foodie post, and man have I missed it! I’ve been dying to have something or somewhere fun to write about, and finally I do! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

My Man v. Food Tour of Austin

As you probably know, or at least could guess, I love the Food Network and The Travel Channel. Together, these two channels combine everything I love in life- food and anything about it, and traveling. There is a new show on the Travel Channel called Man v. Food, and if you haven’t seen it, let me paint a picture for you: The host, who may I say has the greatest job in the world, travels city to city taking on America’s different eating challenges. An 8 lb burger? Sure! An 11 lb meat lovers pizza?! No problem! The hottest chilis in the world? Done! This guy is like a human elephant who just heaves food into his stomach for pleasure (well, and money). However, I greatly enjoy watching his discomfort on tv, and also seeing which eating spots he deems credible for the Food Network.
On a recent roadtrip around Central Texas, I took a “Man v Food” tour of Austin. Now, I’d been to The Salt Lick BBQ before, but had never been to Juan in a Million or Round Rock Donuts, so of course I had to check those out… and hit The Salt Lick again!

First stop: The Salt Lick BBQ, Driftwood, TX

To come upon this magnificent barbeque pit by chance isn’t possible. Not only do you have to make it to Austin, but then you must travel the backroads southwest of town, and wind down Hill Country roads to finally pull into the driveway of Paradise. This place is what you call a destination. Upon first entering the restaurant, you’ll see one of the only open barbeque pits left in the state of Texas. That in and of itself is amazing. Piles and piles of smoked brisket, ribs, turkey, and sausage smoked 16-24 hours to perfection.. you’ll never see anything like it. Check it out:

Being a huge fan of brisket, and knowing that Texas is famous for perfecting this cut of meat, I go for the sliced brisket sandwich- only $7.95. Well.. this sandwich arrives at my table and is larger than 2 Big Macs from McDonalds. It probably has over ½ lb of brisket on it, and it on a homemade LARGE roll topped with sesame seeds. I slather on the bbq sauce and pickles, and dig in.
Now, this is the 3rd time that I’ve had this sandwich, and I always come back to it because of its deliciousness and enormity. It’s probably one of the greatest things I’ve ever put in my mouth. And, being of sound mind and body, I finish it all and clear my plate. I’m full until tomorrow morning.

Second Stop: Juan in a Million, Austin, TX
This morning, I wake up in my hotel room in Austin and everyone is hungry. I don’t want the standard hotel food buffet breakfast, and don’t really want the IHOP that’s next door. I have a fabulous idea, so I just throw it out there- why don’t we go to Juan in a Million and try their breakfast tacos? I saw it on Food Network so it must be good! Knowing that my mom doesn’t really care for Mexican food, I’m not sure she’ll go for it, but she says yes! We are all a little hesitant in driving the 2 miles down to Cesar Chavez St, as this street isn’t in the greatest part of town, but surely the FN wouldn’t steer us wrong. We drive past the blocks and blocks of dirty front yards, abandoned and trashed houses, and all the Taqueiras you could think of. Finally, we come upon a building with bars on the windows with a line out the door! We’ve reached our destination!
Luckily the line was for takeout, so we didn’t have to wait to be seated. This place was packed, and boy is it a big place. I didn’t even need to see the menu to know what I wanted to order. I wanted the breakfast tacos that the Man v. Food host did the challenge on. He had to eat EIGHT PLATES of tacos in order to beat the Juan in a Million record. He failed miserably, only making it to 4 ½ plates, so I knew I probably could barely eat one! Here's Adam after he lost:
My dad and my husband ordered the same, and my mom got a tiny little bean taco, as she was trying to be ‘healthy’. The food came quickly, and I immediately could see why Adam couldn’t eat 8 plates of this. THIS WAS A LOT OF FOOD!
A blend of potatoes, cheese, eggs, and bacon were atop 3 flour tortillas on the plate, and were served with a side of salsa. The breakfast was heavenly (my mom ended up eating my last taco because she, of course, was still hungry after her bean taco) and the bill for the 4 of us to eat breakfast was less than $25. Can’t beat it!!

Time to head out of town..

Third and final stop: Round Rock Donuts, Round Rock, TX

After we had all stuffed ourselves with breakfast tacos, we went back to the hotel to check out, and headed north on 35. We were all so full, but were going to be passing through Round Rock, and I absolutely couldn’t pass through without a stop at Round Rock Donuts. I just HAD to see this donut I’d see on Man v. Food. It was huge.. the biggest donut I’d ever seen! So, amidst some sighs I heard from the rest of the car, we stopped. The line was out the door, and all of the benches in the front were full! We went inside, and for such a large looking building, the shop wasn’t very big. We stood in line, and as we did so I was looking in the displays for the donut I’d seen on tv.. but I couldn’t find it. I was really hoping that it wasn’t a pre-order, limited time offer thing. We decided to just order regular donuts since we didn’t see the large one, but I went ahead and asked if they had any large ones anyways, and THEY DID! JACKPOT! She brought out a tray of the donuts, and I was in awe. I said, “Put the rest of the donuts back.. we’ll take the large one and split it”. Look at the size of this donut!

Well, it had just come out of the fryer and still had hot glaze. The inside was warm and doughy, and the glaze was sweet and stuck to your fingers. The donut batter was orange, and this is what Round Rock Donuts is known for- their orange yeast glazed donuts. Hands down, best donut I’ve ever had. And I didn’t care that I was full.. I was very satisfied :) Now we could go back to Dallas.

So until my next foodie culinary adventure, keep it tasty!