Sean and I were at it again, this time getting some Cuban. Here it goes:
o Food Quality: A
That's right, here it is, the first A for food quality! Yes! I found one! The food was great! Had an appetizer sampler (empinada, tamale, something else) and they were all great. I really loved the additions to the tamale (some pork and onion) that just made it great. The other appetizers were really good too, especially with a sauce they added (didn't catch the name of it). For the entree I ordered the Cubano, a standard Cuban sandwich. It was fantastic. The meat was thickly stacked, the bread was touch hard for me but I was assured was perfect for Cubans (my first Cuban sandwich...yep). The sandwich was definitely great though and the portion size is great too, very large. I only ate half of the sandwich and brought the other half home. The rest of the menu looked amazing too, so I can't wait to go back and check out some other dishes. Also, their drinks were great too. I experimented with a couple of their mojitos and thoroughly enjoyed them all. They tasted great and came with real sugar cane too.
o Atmosphere: A-
There are two halves of the restaurant. One half looks pretty blase, but the half where I was seated was great. The colors and wall decorations were fantastic and it had a great, lively, welcoming feel to it. Also, I was seated near a TV playing the NFL Playoff game. Anytime you can go to a restaurant and catch the game, it's a positive aspect. I loved the wall paintings and there were some cool details in the tables and seats that made it a nice atmosphere.
o Price: A-
For the portion size you receive and the quality of food, the pricing is great! The appetizers ranged from about 6-10 dollars and the entrees from 10-20 dollars (give or take). As with other places I have been, the drinks were a little bit high for my taste, but the food was exceptionally priced.
o Service: A-
The wait staff was courteous, helpful, timely, and professional. They were quick to answer any questions, knew their menu well, brought refills in a timely manner, and the meals came in time too. The only negative was getting the check, perhaps because we were in the back corner of the restaurant. However, they were quick to split the check for us, so it wasn't bad at all.
o Ease of Experience: A-
The restaurant is not easily visible and off on a side road, which means you have to know where you are going to find it easily. This brings down the "Ease" score. The parking was sufficient. All interactions with the wait staff were easy and paying was simple too.
o Overall: A
An excellent restaurant and I will be quick to recommend it to other people! I had an excellent experience dining here and am looking forward to returning. If you are in the Louisville area and looking for a Cuban place, I doubt this can be beaten. Great food, great atmosphere, good pricing, and an easy experience.
Happy Eating,
Brandon
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Louisville, Kentucky - Pub Food - Tilted Kilt
This is a relatively new restaurant chain that's working it's way across the country. My buddy Sean and I made a venture to it in Louisville on a nice, cold January day.
o Food Quality: B-
Well, the food was solid. They marked their menu with items that were "unique" to the chain, which I personally love because it makes it easier to identify what to try. I had the Irish Nachos with a Sloppy Jane (shaved turkey with cheddar cheese and coleslaw on top, served hot). The Nachos were great. They were shaved potato "chips" that were fried (the REAL french fries) with nacho cheese, plenty of beef, and tomato on top. It was well made. The Sloppy Jane was pretty good. I liked the addition of the coleslaw to the sandwich but overall, not a hard sandwich to screw-up. Thankfully, they did it well but it won't go down on my best sandwich list either. Also, the portion size was plenty large enough that I left feeling extremely full.
o Atmosphere: A
What can I say? Hot girls with mini-skirt like kilts and push-up bras leaves little to ask of the wait staff. Even though the place was large, it still managed it capture the pub feeling as well. There were tons of tv's with sports on all over the place. The only real negative was that the place was designed for maximum occupancy (i.e. large, open, seating areas). I personally desire small areas for eating. That's really the only thing that kept it from an A+.
o Price: B+
The prices for the appetizers were in the normal range, between 4-8 dollars. The entrees were priced pretty low too, between 8-20 dollars. For the amount of food served and the quality of food, the prices are well placed. However, the drinks are expensive. About half of my bill became drinks and I only had two. I definitely wouldn't recommend drinking until you puke here, or you will feel sick in the morning when you look at the tab. Still, it wasn't all that much more expensive than most pubs, just a little north of average.
o Service: A+
Again, hot girls with mini-skirt like kilts and push-up bras. Enough said. But they were courteous as well, memorized the order (always a good sign instead of having to write it down) and the food/drinks came quickly. Really nothing wrong here.
o Ease of Experience: A
The entire system was pretty good. It was located down among a bunch of other restaurants/retail stores, so it wasn't like you had to venture into an unknown part of the city. The parking was adequate, although I can see it being pretty difficult on a Friday/Saturday night. Ordering was too easy as was paying. Really, nothing negative here at all. (Sidenote: tv's in the restroom, so you don't have to miss a moment of the game. You have to love that).
o Overall: A-
Let me make my prejudices transparent, I love sports, I love drinks, and of course beautiful girls. This place combined all of that with good food and ease of access. So, naturally, the Tilted Kilt is appealing to me. The negatives: dining areas too large, drinks a bit expensive, food not best ever (but it IS consistent with the pricing). If you are looking for a good place to watch the game, I highly recommend the Tilted Kilt. If you're looking for a pub atmosphere with a kick or an inexpensive meal, this is a good place to visit. It was a good experience.
Happy Eating,
Brandon
o Food Quality: B-
Well, the food was solid. They marked their menu with items that were "unique" to the chain, which I personally love because it makes it easier to identify what to try. I had the Irish Nachos with a Sloppy Jane (shaved turkey with cheddar cheese and coleslaw on top, served hot). The Nachos were great. They were shaved potato "chips" that were fried (the REAL french fries) with nacho cheese, plenty of beef, and tomato on top. It was well made. The Sloppy Jane was pretty good. I liked the addition of the coleslaw to the sandwich but overall, not a hard sandwich to screw-up. Thankfully, they did it well but it won't go down on my best sandwich list either. Also, the portion size was plenty large enough that I left feeling extremely full.
o Atmosphere: A
What can I say? Hot girls with mini-skirt like kilts and push-up bras leaves little to ask of the wait staff. Even though the place was large, it still managed it capture the pub feeling as well. There were tons of tv's with sports on all over the place. The only real negative was that the place was designed for maximum occupancy (i.e. large, open, seating areas). I personally desire small areas for eating. That's really the only thing that kept it from an A+.
o Price: B+
The prices for the appetizers were in the normal range, between 4-8 dollars. The entrees were priced pretty low too, between 8-20 dollars. For the amount of food served and the quality of food, the prices are well placed. However, the drinks are expensive. About half of my bill became drinks and I only had two. I definitely wouldn't recommend drinking until you puke here, or you will feel sick in the morning when you look at the tab. Still, it wasn't all that much more expensive than most pubs, just a little north of average.
o Service: A+
Again, hot girls with mini-skirt like kilts and push-up bras. Enough said. But they were courteous as well, memorized the order (always a good sign instead of having to write it down) and the food/drinks came quickly. Really nothing wrong here.
o Ease of Experience: A
The entire system was pretty good. It was located down among a bunch of other restaurants/retail stores, so it wasn't like you had to venture into an unknown part of the city. The parking was adequate, although I can see it being pretty difficult on a Friday/Saturday night. Ordering was too easy as was paying. Really, nothing negative here at all. (Sidenote: tv's in the restroom, so you don't have to miss a moment of the game. You have to love that).
o Overall: A-
Let me make my prejudices transparent, I love sports, I love drinks, and of course beautiful girls. This place combined all of that with good food and ease of access. So, naturally, the Tilted Kilt is appealing to me. The negatives: dining areas too large, drinks a bit expensive, food not best ever (but it IS consistent with the pricing). If you are looking for a good place to watch the game, I highly recommend the Tilted Kilt. If you're looking for a pub atmosphere with a kick or an inexpensive meal, this is a good place to visit. It was a good experience.
Happy Eating,
Brandon
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Hastings, Michigan - Mexican - Mexican Connexion
This place has existed my whole life in Hastings, but I had never eaten there until yesterday when my friend Kevin and I made a lunch call.
o Food Quality: C+
As I had heard, the food quality was average at best. They had some good, salty salsa for their food. I had the cheese quesadillas for an appetizer and the large, wet, beef and bean burrito. The quesadillas were very good, but it's hard to screw that one up. The burrito was average as well, nothing terrible or great about it. The best aspect of the food was the portion sizes. Everything they served was huge! You may not love the food, but I guarantee you won't leave hungry.
o Atmosphere: B
I enjoy cozy places and this one pulls it off pretty well. The entire restaurant probably has a max occupancy of 100 and it's divided into three rooms, so it's easy to feel like you are in a small environment. It also has warm lighting that makes it feel smaller and of course, the generic Mexican items on the walls.
o Price: A
Extremely low pricing! Almost every meal is between 5-6 dollars, that's the same as going to a drive-thru! My meal was one of the more expensive options, and it was about 7 dollars. Not going to beat the value here when it comes to amount of food for dollar spent.
o Service: B
The staff was friendly and took decent care of us. They were a little slow replenishing drinks, but everything else was done well. The food came quickly and they were more than happy to assist us while we were eating.
o Ease of Experience: B+
An overall good experience. The restaurant is easy to locate, right downtown in Hastings. Ordering and paying were as simple as could be expected, so they did well there. The only real negative was the parking, which is pretty limited, but it is located right behind the restaurant with additional street parking out front.
o Overall: B
It wasn't a bad meal after all. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the experience was easy and comfortable and I wasn't hungry for hours afterwards! Really, the big issue was that the food was average in quality and seeing as that's the most important factor, it drops the grade down to a B. Nevertheless, if you are in the area looking for Mexican food, it's not a bad option.
Happy Eating,
Brandon
o Food Quality: C+
As I had heard, the food quality was average at best. They had some good, salty salsa for their food. I had the cheese quesadillas for an appetizer and the large, wet, beef and bean burrito. The quesadillas were very good, but it's hard to screw that one up. The burrito was average as well, nothing terrible or great about it. The best aspect of the food was the portion sizes. Everything they served was huge! You may not love the food, but I guarantee you won't leave hungry.
o Atmosphere: B
I enjoy cozy places and this one pulls it off pretty well. The entire restaurant probably has a max occupancy of 100 and it's divided into three rooms, so it's easy to feel like you are in a small environment. It also has warm lighting that makes it feel smaller and of course, the generic Mexican items on the walls.
o Price: A
Extremely low pricing! Almost every meal is between 5-6 dollars, that's the same as going to a drive-thru! My meal was one of the more expensive options, and it was about 7 dollars. Not going to beat the value here when it comes to amount of food for dollar spent.
o Service: B
The staff was friendly and took decent care of us. They were a little slow replenishing drinks, but everything else was done well. The food came quickly and they were more than happy to assist us while we were eating.
o Ease of Experience: B+
An overall good experience. The restaurant is easy to locate, right downtown in Hastings. Ordering and paying were as simple as could be expected, so they did well there. The only real negative was the parking, which is pretty limited, but it is located right behind the restaurant with additional street parking out front.
o Overall: B
It wasn't a bad meal after all. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the experience was easy and comfortable and I wasn't hungry for hours afterwards! Really, the big issue was that the food was average in quality and seeing as that's the most important factor, it drops the grade down to a B. Nevertheless, if you are in the area looking for Mexican food, it's not a bad option.
Happy Eating,
Brandon
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Elizabeth, Indiana - Buffet - Paula Deen's Buffet at Horseshoe Casino
This will be my inaugural food post. My most recent food adventure was a visit to the locally renowned Paula Deen's Buffet at Horseshoe Casino in Southern Indiana. Unfortunately, it wasn't my best food experience, but it was my most recent and I need to publish one to get the feel for it, so here it goes:
o Food Quality: C+
Well, what can I say? It was fried and buttery (to be expected from Ms. Paula Deen). In terms of quantity, there was more than enough food to keep you satisfied. However, most of it was fried. Not that it's a bad thing, but eventually fried foods just start to taste the same. IF you are a fried food enthusiast, there was an abundance of food that isn't standard to the fried menu. The other half of the buffet that wasn't fried was dripping with butter; so much so that it overpowered the natural flavors of the foods. Overall, nothing was too amazing from the entrees. However, some of the deserts were very good. There were some fantastic cakes (German, Black Forest) that I would definitely recommend.
o Atmosphere: B
The dining area was designed like an outdoor patio/picnic but was in the middle of the building, which was interesting. It was crowded with tables and people; however, that did make for some good people-watching. The atmosphere was full of excitement and contentment, I think from people's hopes of winning money at the tables that night. The lighting was good as well. Overall, it was entirely too crowded but the rest of it was good (for the record, crowded doesn't necessarily mean small, it means cramped. There's a difference to me).
o Price: D
$30 for a buffet plus drinks?!? That's too much for me. I don't mind paying for food if it's a value (i.e. worth it), but that's a lot of money to eat average, mostly generic foods that are being mass produced.
o Service: B-
It was obvious that the staff was accustomed to high customer turnover and little face-to-face time. They were mostly standoffish and unfriendly. However, they did their jobs well. Plates were cleared quickly, drinks were refilled in a timely manner, and the "order" was processed fast enough. However, there was the conveyor belt feeling and total lack of...humanism?...from the staff, which detracts from the grade quite a bit.
o Ease of Experience: C-
The location is in the middle of nowhere, which is par for the course with casinos I have visited. But it adds quite a bit of driving time. Also, there is some parking concerns with the garage and then quite a bit of walking (and some elevator work) to get to the restaurant. Ordering was a little weird too with the drinks. I don't know why, but they made the drink ordering really confusing and it was never made clear if your drink could be switched (they made you order at the door) once it was locked in.
o Overall: C
Not worth the effort and the money unless you are planning on gambling before/after eating.
I will try and make it shorter next time; I think this is too long for a review. Thanks for taking the time to read though! Sorry the grades were so negative, but that's what the experience warranted. Until next time:
Happy Eating,
Brandon
o Food Quality: C+
Well, what can I say? It was fried and buttery (to be expected from Ms. Paula Deen). In terms of quantity, there was more than enough food to keep you satisfied. However, most of it was fried. Not that it's a bad thing, but eventually fried foods just start to taste the same. IF you are a fried food enthusiast, there was an abundance of food that isn't standard to the fried menu. The other half of the buffet that wasn't fried was dripping with butter; so much so that it overpowered the natural flavors of the foods. Overall, nothing was too amazing from the entrees. However, some of the deserts were very good. There were some fantastic cakes (German, Black Forest) that I would definitely recommend.
o Atmosphere: B
The dining area was designed like an outdoor patio/picnic but was in the middle of the building, which was interesting. It was crowded with tables and people; however, that did make for some good people-watching. The atmosphere was full of excitement and contentment, I think from people's hopes of winning money at the tables that night. The lighting was good as well. Overall, it was entirely too crowded but the rest of it was good (for the record, crowded doesn't necessarily mean small, it means cramped. There's a difference to me).
o Price: D
$30 for a buffet plus drinks?!? That's too much for me. I don't mind paying for food if it's a value (i.e. worth it), but that's a lot of money to eat average, mostly generic foods that are being mass produced.
o Service: B-
It was obvious that the staff was accustomed to high customer turnover and little face-to-face time. They were mostly standoffish and unfriendly. However, they did their jobs well. Plates were cleared quickly, drinks were refilled in a timely manner, and the "order" was processed fast enough. However, there was the conveyor belt feeling and total lack of...humanism?...from the staff, which detracts from the grade quite a bit.
o Ease of Experience: C-
The location is in the middle of nowhere, which is par for the course with casinos I have visited. But it adds quite a bit of driving time. Also, there is some parking concerns with the garage and then quite a bit of walking (and some elevator work) to get to the restaurant. Ordering was a little weird too with the drinks. I don't know why, but they made the drink ordering really confusing and it was never made clear if your drink could be switched (they made you order at the door) once it was locked in.
o Overall: C
Not worth the effort and the money unless you are planning on gambling before/after eating.
I will try and make it shorter next time; I think this is too long for a review. Thanks for taking the time to read though! Sorry the grades were so negative, but that's what the experience warranted. Until next time:
Happy Eating,
Brandon
The Criteria
Well, I have decided to begin a blog to chronicle my eating exploits. In my experience, it has been difficult to find reliable food guides for smaller regions, which is where I seem to spend the vast majority of my time. With my developing appreciation for food, increased travel, and some eating battle buddies (esp. Sean), I decided it would make more sense for me to begin my own archives of my eating experiences.
Naturally, the process must begin with establishing criteria for grading/critiquing foods. I know from previous experience making lists that my archetypes of importance evolve with time; therefore, be advised that no matter what I use as my original benchmarks, they will change as I notice better options. However, I will do my best to adhere to some core principles: food quality (the most important), atmosphere, price, service, ease of experience (i.e. finding it, parking, ordering, paying, etc). Again, what I use to actually judge these criterion will assuredly change, but the principle will remain the same.
I prefer an academically based grading system as opposed to a number system. Either way, both systems are rather arbitrary, but I will attempt to develop consistency with my rankings; otherwise, what's the point of using this as a reference???? Generally speaking, and subject to change, this will be the system:
A's: outstanding
B's: above average
C's: average
D's: below average
F's: don't bother
(+'s and -'s will be used too in order to make the grades more accurately reflect the experience. For example, the best dinner in the world would receive an A+ and the worst an F-)
If this idea is more than a single passing fancy, I will definitely attempt to recruit friends and associates from around the great world of the US Army, with a sprinkling of civilians, to create a library of geography and food. When posting, I will use the following system for "Titles:" Location (city, state), Type of Food (i.e. American, Chinese, Italian, etc), and the Name of the Restaurant. I hope any readers find this reference useful and feel free to post comments with suggestions for restaurants/dishes or anecdotes of your experiences at places listed in the blog.
Happy Eating,
Brandon
Naturally, the process must begin with establishing criteria for grading/critiquing foods. I know from previous experience making lists that my archetypes of importance evolve with time; therefore, be advised that no matter what I use as my original benchmarks, they will change as I notice better options. However, I will do my best to adhere to some core principles: food quality (the most important), atmosphere, price, service, ease of experience (i.e. finding it, parking, ordering, paying, etc). Again, what I use to actually judge these criterion will assuredly change, but the principle will remain the same.
I prefer an academically based grading system as opposed to a number system. Either way, both systems are rather arbitrary, but I will attempt to develop consistency with my rankings; otherwise, what's the point of using this as a reference???? Generally speaking, and subject to change, this will be the system:
A's: outstanding
B's: above average
C's: average
D's: below average
F's: don't bother
(+'s and -'s will be used too in order to make the grades more accurately reflect the experience. For example, the best dinner in the world would receive an A+ and the worst an F-)
If this idea is more than a single passing fancy, I will definitely attempt to recruit friends and associates from around the great world of the US Army, with a sprinkling of civilians, to create a library of geography and food. When posting, I will use the following system for "Titles:" Location (city, state), Type of Food (i.e. American, Chinese, Italian, etc), and the Name of the Restaurant. I hope any readers find this reference useful and feel free to post comments with suggestions for restaurants/dishes or anecdotes of your experiences at places listed in the blog.
Happy Eating,
Brandon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)