SOI 56 Bangkok - Hollywood, CA

This was one of those adventures that I embark on when I am able to on my trips that result in an amazing restaurant without knowing about it in advance. I had been driving on Sunset from the ocean side all the way past Mulholland Drive and into West Hollywood. Passing the Ivy, the Chateau Marmont, Avenue of Stars when I noticed a place called SOI56 close to the new W Residential building.

It was only about 5:30 so the place was quite empty but who cared, you should have seen the menu. It was Thai but a lot more traditional Bangkok street food and therefore a lot different than the average Thai restaurant you are used too. Highly recommended to go and visit their site and menu.

I ordered some green tea and some Fish Sauce Wings; marinated in fish sauce and garlic, deep fried served w/ plum chili sauce. These wings were juicy, spicy and crisp; a true treat. For the main course I ordered the Muslim Style Curry w/ stewed beef braised all day in a spicy peanut curry sauce served w/ rice and Thai roti. This curry reminded me of Massaman curry but different, a bit spicier and darker in flavors. Nonetheless it was also a bite of heaven.

I know that I say this for almost every restaurant I visit, perhaps I have been lucky in my pickings, but this place is a must visit spot with great food at affordable prices.

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $$

1556 N. CAHUENGA BLVD
HOLLYWOOD 90028
http://soi56.com/

Frida Restaurant - Glendale, CA

I went to Frida's with a client as he recommended it and I tell you what, this place was fantastic. We sat out on the patio which is never wrong, especially in December when you can enjoy the SoCal weather in comparison to the sub zero weather in Chicago.

We couldn't have been more boring in our order as we both had Arnold Palmer's and Tacos de Cochinita Pibil; Slow cooked pork in an annatto seed (achiote) sauce, served with habanero relish on the side, but who cares because all i have to say is: WOW!!! The cochinita was amazing and succulent. The habanero relish was on fire but with a very mellow calm ending to it from its pickled sweetness.

I have been looking for amazing tacos in Cali and these were hands down at the top and I hope that I can make it back to Glendale for this treat soon. The good thing, beleive it or not, is that this restaurant is a chain. I know that chains usually can get a bad reputation but I am pleased to say that you can enjoy these fine tacos in Glendale, Beverly Hills, Brentwood and San Diego. Take your pick and visit Frida's.

Overall Rating: 5
Food: 5
Price $

750 Americana Way
Glendale, CA 91210
http://www.fridarestaurant.com/glendale/menu.html

Broadway Deli - Santa Monica, CA

Another client meeting but this time instead of finishing up with food we started with food, breakfast for that matter. A deli down the street from the bank was the choice and it looked grand as we walked in. I knew I was up for something good at this place and obviously did my client as he obviously is a repeat offender of this deli.

We ordered from a menu that was very nice, it did not have too much on it but enough for you not to feel helpless in case your taste buds were on a break. My client ordered the traditional 3 egg breakfast with home made chicken sausages, coffee and an orange juice. I ordered the #11, a croissant filled with scrambled eggs, sausage and cheese, coffee and orange juice. My breakfast croissant was just what I needed; the solid egg breakfast with the buttery, sweet almost dessertish croissant. The highlight of the breakfast was the orange juice as it was the freshest I have ever tasted with a sweetness that was unbelievable. But then again, shouldn't it have been for $6.50 a glass, I think so.

I highly recommended this deli for anyone in Santa Monica that is looking for a breakfast, lunch or dinner restaurant.

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $$

1457 3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401
http://www.broadwaydeli.com/

Hamasaku - Los Angeles, CA

I was just about to finish up a client meeting when we decided to end the meeting with lunch. My client recommended a sushi restaurant across the street that she used to take her clients to when she was working on the provider side as well.

It was nestled into what seemed to be a mini strip mall but upon entering the restaurant that whole feeling disappeared quickly. It was a very typical sushi joint decor, very serene and quiet and a perfect place to have the last part of our meeting take place.

We ordered some Green tea, Edamame, Sushi Moriawase, Gainor Sushi Pizza (the Gainor Family) and the Green Dragon (Christina Aguilera). The sort of funny but very cliché thing at this place is that all rolls are inspired by the "STAR" clientele and therefore usually carry the stars name along with the name of the roll. One thing that stood out to me at this place was the crunchy rice. I have never had crunchy rice and it was just fantastic as it added a nice texture contrast to the normally very soft texture of the roll.

The food was excellent but the price was just that, very over priced. The total bill for two with no alcoholic drinks was $90+. These lunches will be far and few between but then again, I do recommend the place and be aware of the small portions and the big prices.

Overall Rating: 3
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $$$

11043 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
http://www.hamasakula.com/

Takashi Sushi - Salt Lake City, UT

I forgot my iPhone at the hotel this night so unfortunately no picture this time but that shouldn't stop you from visiting this restaurant as it is probably one of the best sushi places I have visited in my life.

I had a seat at the bar which was very entertaining as I got to watch every intrinsic sushi compilation be created. It is truly an art form and I could only whish to one day even make a decent Maki roll. The place was packed and had a great pulse to it.

I ordered the Miso Soup, the Chef's Choice Sashimi platter and a cold Budweiser and it all came together in a very eye and stomach pleasing manner.

This is definitely a place to visit when in Salt Lake city but make reservations if your party is more then "one" as it gets very crowded and the line outside only gets longer.

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $$

18 W. Market St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
http://www.takashisushi.com/

Dr. Bell's BBQ - Dallas, TX

This visit in Dallas I decided to stay around the old Main St. District, a really nice part of Dallas that is really growing and coming back in terms of activity. Lots of restaurants and bars and actually some people on the streets in a normally very ghost town like Dallas. As I took my standard nightly walk to find a restaurant to dine at I stumbled across a sign that said "the doctor is in" and it did catch my attention. As soon as I noticed the establishment it was pointing to I understood what the sign meant. The Doctor of BBQ is back "in" and the doctor for this joint was Andrew Bell. Andrew is the owner of this newly opened BBQ shack and he was very passionate as we spoke about his past and future dreams. He has been a chef his whole life and love eating out so of course we perceeded to speak about our experiences at places like French Laundry, Alinea, Per Se, Tru etc. But we both agreed on that there is nothing like some uncomplicated home cooking food at its best, sort of what Andrew intents are with his restaurant. Andrew is a very involved and passionate person with a great vision for his restaurant and great hopes of succeeding.

The place had a very BBQ-ish decor with the checkered red and white table cloths, barn type metal sheet walls and a big roll of paper towel on the table to whipe of all of that BBQ sauce from your mouth and fingers. The place had a great smell to it coming from the smoker in the back. Beautiful wood burning scents that carried with me as I left, I even had to air out my clothes afterwards but it was all worth it.

I ordered the 1/2 lb meat plate with two sides and since Andrew was out of his famous ribs (he would vouch for these anytime and said they were the ultimate highlight of his menu) I elected to go for the Brisket and Sausage. I am a brisket fanatic and always choose brisket when I can. Andrew proceeded to tell me how it is cooked for 19 hours or soand you could taste the lenghty process both flavor wise and tender wise. My two sides became Dr. Bell's Collard Greens and Cucumber & Tomatoe Salad. I also chose a cup of the Main St. BBQ Brisket Chili on the side. My plate was filled up and it was time to sit down and enjoy the meal but not before a big glass of cold water and some of Andrew's home pickled jalapenos which were for the record unbelievable.

The plate of food I consumed that night was excellent; flavour, texture, smell....everything came together and of course the great price just rounds of the great experience. Side note: The collard greens were smoking and a must have side if you visit. Not to forget, everything in his restaurant is made from scratch including the best BBQ sauce I have had in a long time. Andrew makes it himself and according to his dreams there is a possibility that you will be able to find his sauce on the shelves in your nearby supermarket in the near future. I will buy it for sure because of two reasons; it has a great balance between spicy and sweet with a touch of vinegar making it very light and it is not thick and overwhelning. This is what we call Texas Barbeque sauce I guess....

All in all, I will come back to Dr. Bell's BBQ on every trip to Dallas and I whish the best for Andrew and his restaurant. This place is highly recommended even though I was unable to try his ribs which is what Andrew feels the strongest about but hopefully at my next visit as this is a place to go to.

2 Thumbs up and highly recommended!

Overall Rating: 5

Food Rating: 5

Cost: $

1404 Main St.

Dallas, TX 75202

http://drbellsbbq.com/index.php?id=2

Beijing Buffet - South San Francisco, CA

This is what you get when you stay at hotels near the airports, this instance Four Points by Sheraton, SFO. All I have to say is: What is it with Chinese buffets that make us go there and as soon as we enter and fill up that first plate we realize the big mistake we just made. So bad and probably so unhealthy, both on nutrients and hygiene.

This place could have seated about 500 people, it was huge but still only about 3 tables were occupied. A senior couple, a couple out on a date and a family with small children. I figured if the elderly couple and the small children would survive this I would too.

One last thing: How do these places stay in business????

Overall Rating: N/A
Food Rating: N/A
Cost: $$

Address: not provided but if you stay at the Four Points by Sheraton, SFO, just look across the main road and you won't miss it.

Colibri Mexican Bistro - San Francisco, CA

Another day, another lunch......I had planned on going to a place called Asia de Cuba at the Clifton Hotel but unfortunately they were setting up for some event and the restaurant was very loud and very empty. I started walking back to my hotel and saw this Mexican restaurant and the menu in the window looked intriguing; not the standard Mexican menu you are used to consuming. The only items that were "typical" were the Guacamole, Chicken Relleno, Quesadilla and Carne Asada. The staff was friendly and very calm even as the place was filling up.

I ordered a water and the traditional Chicken Mole. I was tempted to order the guacamole but it was $10, very large and I did not feel like spending $30 in total on lunch. When my water arrived I was also served some mini tortillas, instead of the traditional chips, with three different salsas; spicy chile poblano, a mango and a tomatillo salsa. The mini tortillas were home made and excellent, both in taste and texture. The chicken mole was also very delicious, moist and juicy, served with succulent mole sauce and dirty rice. Overall a very well balanced and hearty meal focusing on the traditional central Mexican cuisine.

This is the place to go for the one who wants a different flair of Mexican food than what you normally would see. If traditional is not what you are looking for, there are plenty of tacquerias around the same neighborhood for you to enjoy.

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $$

438 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
http://colibrimexicanbistro.com/mylink.php?id=3669

Ike's Place - San Francisco, CA

Ike's Place....the second place I have now eaten at that has been showcased on Man vs. Food. Not the easiest place to get to if you are staying downtown San Francisco as it is located in Mission but a place that you need to go to at least once. I drove my rental but you can probably take a cab or even the train down Mission Ave.

By the way, from now on I will include a picture if possible with my posts.

I found a parking spot for my car a couple of blocks away and walked swiftly to the shop as I was both hungry and excited. As I approached the "hole in the wall" restaurant I noticed that the manager was standing outside with the whole cash register taking the orders and I quickly understood why since "the hole in the wall" was really a hole in the wall and consisted of the kitchen and the two fridges with sodas. There were two Ikea patio tables outside with seating for about 8 people, on a good day, next to 3 trash cans part of the recycling program; one can for garbage, one can for compostables and one for recyclables. Nice touch as every effort counts on this planet.

He asked me if this was my first time and proceeded to hand me the menu with 100+ sandwich combinations. The best way to approach your choice is to tell him what you feel like eating, construct your own or the way I approached it; What is the craziest you have on the menu? Of course his answer was; The craziest thing on the menu is not on the menu....it is what we call the Kryptonite. The Kryptonite consists of Ham, Turkey, Pastrami, Roast Beef, Salami, Bacon, Jalapeno Poppers, Onion Rings, Mozzarella Sticks, Lettuce, Onions, Tomatoes, Dirty Sauce, Pickles, Peppers on a loaf of bread. The type of bread is usually decided upon after they see what they have in the perfect size. I believe I got french bread. It was enourmous but surprisingly tasty. Some bites where salty meat with some lettuce, another gave you a jalapeno popper, a third gave you some turkey, bacon, Mozza stick and dirty sauce. I gave it my all and left only with a couple of bites left to eat. It can easily be shared between two people.

They have happy hour between Mon-Thur 4PM-7PM which means free soda and chips.

Excellent place with great sandwiches, awesome quality ingridients, fresh vibe and in a cool neighborhood. Must try!

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 5
Cost $$

3506 16th St
(between Prosper St & Sanchez St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
http://www.ilikeikesplace.com/meats.html

The Chill Cafe - San Francisco, CA

Once again it is funny how one comes about a place to eat at and then how you actually make the decision of entering and eating there. This place called The Chill Cafe is not eye popping when you walk by but it did have a nice plaque on the sidewalk showing one of its Vietnamese-style sandwiches. The picture looked very inviting and it was a streetfood I have always wanted to try. I just finished a client meeting and my trusted client is always up for something new, he loves sandwiches, so this place seemed like a lay-up. He had never heard of it which made it even more interesting because now I am taking a native of San Francisco somewhere they have never been, major pressure to deliver......

At first sight of the menu you only see coffee, smoothies, yoghurt and crepes but then in one spot on the chalkboard menu you see 4 sandwiches; Chicken w/ Lemongrass, Ham and pate, Tofu w/ Lemongrass and the new one; Roasted Pork. We both opted for the Roasted Pork and a glass of water. The sandwich came in a warm sourdough sub with a carrot/coleslaw, fresh sliced jalapenos, lettuce and a spicy dressing.

What a sandwich this was.....one of those moments that unless I knew it wasn't good for me I would order a second. It was warm, crispy, savory, moist, salty, spicy, sweet, sour........it was like a Thai beef salas served on a bun. I felt like I was eating my favorite Thai type flavors for lunch in a sandwich.

Absolutely a place to visit for a quick and cheap lunch that is not traditional fat and calorie packed like typical fast food. I didn't have any of the Frozen yoghurts but they looked really good and they speak highly of them as they do not only come in a ton of cretive variations with various toppings but also they are natural, non fat, and contain live and active cultures. They also have some tasty looking Crepes that i have to try next time.

Thumbs up all the way!

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $

125 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
http://thechillcafe.com/dessert/san-francisco/chill-menu-sf/

R & G Lounge - San Francisco, CA

The name of this restaurant doesn't really scream Chinese food but the neighborhood does. It is located in Chinatown, San Francisco, on the classic Kearny Street nestled amongst many other Chinese restaurants, everything from high-end to low-end take out joints. Sure I walked by some lost souls such as Burger, Mediterranean and Sandwich places but I guess that comes with any local neighborhood and it makes it that more entertaining when walking around.

The restaurant has a nice look to it with a modern bar on the main floor and the seating area downstairs. I was directed downstairs and seated immediately. The place was packed which is always a good sign and I got the table next to the water tank with their live crabs which weren’t bad as I at least got some company at my one-top table.

They serve you complimentary tea and which was a nice touch especially since the tea was good and even though I had no plans on ordering tea it hit the spot. I ordered the egg rolls and the R & G Special Beef (Secret Sauce), Stir-fried top choice sliced beef marinated with chef's special sauce. The egg rolls were good and the “special beef” even better. It had a nice sweetness to it as it still kept its savory and salty integrity that you look for in beef. The beef was very tender and sort of melted in your mouth. The beef accompanied by some Sambal Olek and steamed white rice balanced out the dish and it became a complete meal. It was a really good meal and one of many other dishes I would have liked to try from the expansive menu of what we would consider non-traditional Chinese restaurant menu items. Looking around at other tables and the inviting dishes really had me contemplating ordering something else but that will have to wait until the next visit.

Come here if you want a more authentic choice of Chinese dishes and do not come here if you want Sweet & Sour Chicken, Sesame Chicken, General Tso's Chicken or Chop Suey. This restaurant is a true recommendation for a great place to eat Chinese food. Only negative with R & G Lounge are the prices as they are at the higher end of what you expect to spend at a Chinese restaurant.

I will leave you with my final epiphany regarding Chinese food. Chinese food is not to be eaten alone, you need to make it a family affair. I say this for two reasons:

1. Chinese food by itself is quite savory and heavy on flavor, i.e. ordering only one dish can make it seem quite dull towards the end of your dish as it sort of takes over your palette and belly.
2. If eaten with a family or a larger group you can enjoy the possibility of ordering from all over the menu mixing and matching flavors, scents, types of meat and texture and SHARE. Now you can switch from one flavor element to another and one texture to another when you want to. It will also be easier on your wallet when putting your total dining experience into perspective, i.e. I am not talking about it being easier on your wallet in absolute terms.

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $$

631 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
http://www.rnglounge.com/menu.pdf

Blanco Cafe - San Antonio, TX

Another client meeting another lunch.....this time in San Antonio, the heartland of South of the boarder cuisine. Great traditional Mexican restaurant with super speedy service. Probably 5-10 minutes from order being placed to food on your table. Exactly what you want when eating lunch.

I ordered the #4, Carne Asade a la Mexicana with rice, beans, lettuce, guacamole and flour tortillas. Everything was good but the highlight of this meal were the home made flour tortillas. These were some of the best tortillas i have ever eaten. They reminded me of a cross between a classic thin tortilla and a pita. It was a bit thicker, almost like a pancake, and a traditional tortilla taste with a hint of sweetness. When I think of it it almost reminded me of traditional Naan bread from an Indian restaurant I visited in London last year with my dear friend Karambir.

All in all, for a great Mexican meal when in San Antonio visit Blanco Cafe.

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $

419 N. St. Mary's (Downtown)
San Antonio, TX 78205
http://www.blancocafe.net/StMarysMenu.html

312 Chicago - Chicago, IL

312 Chicago.....one of those places you always walk pass, look into, always want to try but never do. So how did I finally end up eating lunch there? Well, I was invited by a former alumnus from my university who also lives in Chicago, that in itself is a rarity, and it is was his choice of venue.

The thing here was the choice of the restaurant and it was two fold; it is one of his favorites and the funny part which was that he thought it was located in between both our office buildings but little did he know that Morningstar has moved offices last year and the location was now 5 blocks away from both of us.

The place has one of those cigar bar lounge feels to it and I was sort of impressed, until I learnt that it was supposed to portray a rustic Italian place. It did not fit the picture and from here on out it sort of went down hill. I take that back as the bread was excellent and it came in three different kinds, baguette, nut/raisin and focaccia. That combo with some good olive oil, fleur de sel and cracked black pepper is always a great one. After this it went down hill again.

I elected the Pappardelle with Slow Braised Pork Shoulder, Porcini Mushrooms and Parmesan for my entree. For those who do not know what papardelle here it is straight from our friends at Wikipedia: Pappardelle (sg.: pappardella) are large, very broad fettuccine. The name derives from the verb “pappare,” to gobble up. The fresh types are two to three centimeters (¾-1 inch) wide and may have fluted edges. Dried egg pappardelle have straight sides. This traditional noodle, a cousin to the smaller tagliatelle, was traditionally paired with wild boar sauces and rich hare sauces.

The pasta itself was (or looked homemade) and tasted great on its own but all the other nice ingredients that are supposed to accentuate the pasta (the cheap carbs.) were just awful. The meat could have been anything and resembled nothing of Slow Braised Shoulder and I don’t even recall the mushrooms hitting my mouth ever. It really looked like some pasta or papardelle in a brown/grey soup/sauce if you know what I mean, i.e. not appetizing. We can go back to the verb "pappare" which means "gooble up" (if you paid attention and reading the Wikki description you would know what I am talking about) and "gooble up" is really what I had to do the get this all down.

Overall pretty unimpressive lunch considering the impressive prices or expensive prices in not to cause confusion.

I am not returning unless someone insist that we go as there are many other better Italian lunch places in Chicago. Looking back, my culinary intuition was telling me to go in there as I walked by the restaurant every day but my primitive human instinct kept me out until this rare coincidence. Trust your instincts!!

Overall Rating: 3
Food Rating: 3
Cost: $$

136 N. LaSalle Street
Chicago, IL 60602
http://www.312chicago.com/downtown-chicago-dining.php

Ryan's Bistro - Omaha, NE

I just finished up a client meeting and it was now time for me to take my clients out for lunch. Immediately the discussion started abround where we should go and of course I was faced with the standard question of “where would you like to go?” I have always been intrigued about this question when it is asked to a non-local on his or her first visit to their city. What are you supposed to answer on that? As always I would like to answer that: “I have no clue as I am not from here and have never been here” but the more politically correct answer would be “I am flexible, whatever place you recommend” which is of course the answer I used. The first few ideas thrown into the mix by my clients were Chili’s, Olive Garden, and Outback which I politely declined as we have those everywhere. Then one of my clients said “how about Thai?” I liked the sound of that but his boss declined it and that trumped that idea. After some back and forth it was decided on to go to a place called Ryan’s Bistro. I was excited because the CIO told me that it may be hard to get a table there and those are words I always like to hear. Packed places for lucnh usually means great food.

Ironically upon arrival the place was not even half full and we were seated immediately. The worst thing with empty restaurants is that the wait staff throws themselves on top of you as soon as you are seated by the hostess and are so eager for some business. We fought her off quickly by ordering some drinks and proceeded to tell her we needed a few minutes before she should return again. I glanced over the menu and at first glance I was impressed as there was a great selection of sandwiches, salads and entrees in line with what you should expect from a bistro. By this time the waitress had already been over once again asking if we were ready for our order but we politely turned her away and asked her to give us a few more minutes.

I ordered the Corn Chowder as I never had anything like it and the Brisket Melt with Au Jus because not only am I a brisket fan but I also love French Dip so what better way than to combine them both. Now here is when it starts getting funny…….

I was served the soup and it was plated in the most unusual way, a plate with a small square soup bowl with some greens underneath the “soup square” that were wilted and quite unattractive. Were the greens/salad leafs there for a purpose such as decoration or where they there as a coaster type functionality in order for the “soup square” not to slide on the plate? Secondly, it was served in a square soup bowl…..have you ever tried eating soup out of a square bowl with a round tool, i.e. the spoon? It is almost like trying to fit a rectangle into a round hole, it just doesn’t work so of course there was soup left in the bowl that you could not get out unless you drop the spoon and drink it. By the way, the soup was pretty bad so it was probably lucky that one couldn’t get all of the soup out of the bowl. It was sweet, almost like a dessert and the texture very odd. If you ever tried to puree corn as you would puree carrots you would now what I mean. Corn is almost one of those vegetables that if you are making a soup you leave the kernels whole. The waitress also said that the would be beautiful hints of nutmeg but for those of you like me that love putting nutmeg in everything and anything you would notice that there were no hints at all.

On we go to the sandwich….what a train wreck that was. I honestly don’t know what I ate because it had no resemblance to brisket nor did it taste like it. The bread it was served on was like a sandwich roll made out of Wonder bread, the second it hit the Au Jus it became a nice bread sponge that fell apart or started running down your hand like if it was melted cheese. By the way my entree also had lettuce leaves/greens under my sandwich as did my soup if you recall. This place started to look like one of those places that Gordon Ramsey in "Kitchen Nightmares" or Thomas Hellstrom in "Hellstrom rydder op" have on their shows. This place is in dire need of help on all levels.

My clients did mention that the restaurants around this area have seen a lot of turn over; no wonder if this is how they run them and the food they serve.

Finally I have visited a place I would not visit again. No thank you to this one!

Overall Rating: 1
Food Rating: 1
Cost: $$

17607 Gold Plaza #107
Omaha, NE 68130
http://www.ryansbistro.com/ordereze/Content/1/Summary.aspx

Earl's - Denver, CO

Ok, so I usually try to include the reason for choosing a place that I visit and this time it was a recommendation from the bell boy at the Sheraton I was staying at. I asked him for a good place around the area for lunch that would provide a satisfying bite to eat. I told him I had about an hour before my next meeting and he said to me with great conviction: You should go to Earl's just a couple of blocks down the street. The food is good but the "view" is better he said with a little wink in his eye. Immediately I knew what he was referring too and I couldn't stop myself from one of those invisible laughs. Here I am looking for great food and he gives me a totally different reason to go there. Being a sales person this totally breaks the rules of providing someone with a solution to their problem through great listening and confirmation. Either way, obviously his "tactics" worked as I found myself walking towards Earls for a quick lunch without the confirmation of good food being served there.

I arrived at the restaurant and saw a very modern looking sports bar type place. Take the modern steakhouse and marry it with a hardcore sports bar and this is what you get. Upon reception by the hostess i noticed why the bell boy said what he said....there was not one guy working here other then possibly in the kitchen. The crowd in the restaurant was mixed between guys and girls so at least it wasn't male dominated but mainly a nice lunch crowd from surrounding businesses. This is a huge plus for me when finding places for lunch because the atmosphere is so much better at a standard lunch joint for the business people in the area versus a tourist lunch place like Hard Rock.

So let's get to the lunch. The menu is quite extensive with anything from Maki rolls, Salads, Sandwiches, Pastas to Steaks and fish at varying prices. Salad and soup combo with rosemary ciabatta for $8 seemed like a very nice option but instead I went for the Grilled Chicken and Baked Brie Ciabatta which is a grilled chicken breast, melted brie, roasted apples, spinach, sweet fig jam, garlic mayonnaise on a toasted ciabatta. Instead of the fries I opted for a Caesar Salad on the side. And the verdict........the salad was awesome, crisp and hearty with a Caesar dressing that must be homemade (if it isn't I need to ask for the brand next time). The sandwich was good, nice combination with the aioli and sweetness of the figs and apples. The real star in this sandwich though was the chicken breast. Unless I am at an upscale restaurant or at home I never see the following technique used in a classic bar joint when making a chicken breast sandwich; the skin was still on the chicken breast. As it was pan-fried and then most likely finished off in the oven, leaving the skin on makes the chicken breast much juicier and it also gives it a nice pungent smooth chicken taste. This may seem like a little thing but it makes wonders and I whish more places would adopt this practice but then again it probably would be hard to do for two reasons; one being that people would feel that leaving the skin on would result in excess calories and the restaurants would need to make sure that they buy chicken breast with the skin left on.

Final verdict; I will definitely return both with my wife for lunch/dinner and for business lunches. This is a perfect business lunch locale!

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $$-$$$

1600 Glenarm Place, Suite 140
Denver, CO 80202
http://www.earls.ca/

Jack-N-Grill, Denver, CO

Jack-N-Grill……what can I say. It is one of those perfect holes in the walls Mexican restaurants in the Hispanic neighborhood that you know immediately upon walking through the door that you will be in for a treat. It is usually a very authentic treat, but for some, the general grittiness and sort of worn/dirty feeling of those places is not the experience they want or eat in. Unfortunately that is your loss and not mine:) The place is divided into to two dining rooms; the bar with some higher bar tables and the main dining room where you can see the chefs in action. “A seat yourself” kind of service is completely compensated with a very humble and happy staff; a staff that I believe are all family members or at least friends of the family.

So how did I find this place???? I watched Man vs. Food on the Discovery channel and they have an item on their menu that has drawn many to this place to test their manly and/or womanly hood. It is the giant 7lb breakfast burrito which in short contains 1lb of potatoes, 1lb of cheese, 1 lb of ham, 12 eggs and more. The topping is the standard of any smothered burrito in this joint; Green Chile, Red Chile or Christmas (half green and half red).

What did I eat….well of course I opted for the giant burrito smothered Christmas style. As soon as it was ordered the heads started turning almost as they all overheard my order and now wanted to see the freak show I was going to put on. I knew this is something I had to try but not sure what to expect. I also had a side bet going with a co-worker for this challenge. As the server served me the burrito she gave me the instructions: 1. Take all the time you want 2. You are not allowed to go to the bathroom 3. No help from anyone 4. Finish it and your picture goes on the wall of fame.

She also gave me her personal advice….Eat as fast as you can otherwise your stomach will start to understand what you are doing to it. After that a few “Good Lucks” were shouted at me from the bar but it didn’t do too much for my confidence. After 15 minutes I was knocked out by the burrito. I had eaten a mere 1/3 of the monster and I had nowhere else to go. My stomach was at a breaking point, my mouth was watering kind of like it does after a bad shot of Jose Cuervo and all I could think of was to get this plate away from my view and give me the check. As you can understand I lost this battle and will never try it again.

Beyond that I also tried their guacamole which was out of this world and the plates of food, including Tacos, Enchiladas and Cocidos looked amazing. This is a place I will return to during my next visit to Denver and make my regular Mexican place once moving there….can’t wait to take someone else there..

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $$ (when including a traditional cerveza or margarita)

2524 N. Federal
Denver, Co 80211
http://jackngrill.com/

Chy Thai Cuisine - Boulder, CO

As I was driving up to Boulder from Denver with the beautiful rolling hills and the snowcapped Rockies in the background I started thinking about Thai food. Don’t ask me why but the scenery made me crave Thai and it made me wonder if I could ever find a Thai restaurant in Boulder. Frustrating…..but to my surprise Boulder is quite the food Mecca with any type of food experience you could think of and there was no shortage on Asian restaurants. Driving towards the office building where I had a meeting planned I saw this Thai place nestled in what looked like a strip mall with a big banner screamin’ lunch special for $7.95. At first thoughts you know this may not be the quality of food you would look for but with a lack of time to continue the search I elected to stop.

Upon entering the restaurant you immediately feel like you walked into a Chipotles but instead of Burrito rolling staff you had wok searing staff. The place was quite modern in décor and felt really clean in style. The waiter was very friendly as she was already catering to the local lunch crowd and started me off with a glass of tap water which by the way was excellent. Maybe it has to do with the location in the Rockies but the water had a very crisp clean taste to it. I immediately proceeded to ask for the lunch special. There were two options available; Jungle Curry and Drunken Noodles. As I am a big fan of spice I opted for the Jungle Curry which is very similar to a classic Red Curry but no coconut milk is used for the broth increasing its kick a bit. About 5 minutes into waiting I was served a nice broth and an egg roll with a side of sweet chili dipping sauce. What a pleasant surprise because normally this is always something you pay extra for. Following the appetizer my Jungle Curry was served. It was a healthy serving with my choice of meat which in this case was pork. The options were beef, chicken, pork or tofu. Another great option that normally you would have to pay extra for was the availability of either white rice or brown rice and since I am trying to be healthier I chose brown rice.

All in all this was a great quick lunch place at a great price with friendly staff and high quality food. It was the perfect healthy and tasty fast food alternative to the Burger King down the road. I would highly recommend it if you are looking to spend less then $10 for a great lunch.

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $

2720 Canyon Blvd
Boulder Colorado 80302
http://www.chythaicuisine.com/

IN-N-OUT BURGER - Laguna Niguel, CA

IN-N-OUT Burger, the place that everyone talks about and the place you have to go to if you are out West. Sure it has a nice little charm to it, brings you back to the 50's, and the staff seems to be all high school kids with the desire to really work here. The standard menu is short and sweet, the not so secret menu makes it a bit spicier and the secret menu I unfortunately can't comment on. Single, double, triple and cheese or no-cheese are your burger options with fries and a soda/milkshake. You can also order a 4x4 or as I heard one client mention to me once; a 20x20 which means 20 patties. Don't ask me how that is eaten....

I ordered the 2x2 cheeseburger with Animal fries and a coke. "Animal" in front of anything really just means that you want grilled onions, melted cheddar cheese and their secret burger sauce on it, a sauce that resembles the Big Mac sauce or 1000 Island dressing.

The burger was really good, like home made, but the fries could have been better. I guess it is one of those places you have to go to and now I have. I do recommend anyone else to visit a location as well.

Overall Rating: 3
Food Rating: 4 (5 if the fries were better)
Cost: $

27380 La Paz Rd.
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
http://www.in-n-out.com/default.asp

RA Sushi - San Diego, CA

Late night dinner with a friend with no time to look for a place. We both felt like sushi so in passing we saw RA Sushi which also became the choice.

The menu is pretty extensive with a good beer list. Notable: Hand Rolls and Dynamite Scallop Roll (one of their signature rolls). The Dynamite Scallop Roll was a warm dish and a bit of a surprise when it hit the table. This is what i would call the the Japanese version of Italian Fettuccini Alfredo. It was creamy, rich and probably hit the 1500+ calorie count....but excellent!

Overall Rating: 3
Food Rating: 3
Cost: $$

474 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
http://www.rasushi.com/

Father's Office - Santa Monica, CA

As I asked the cab driver to take me to "my father's office" he sort of laughed in an polite way as my joke had probably been used more than once. I thought I was sort of catchy but after you hear that same joke over and over it probably gets old. The cab driver responded; Father's Office on Montana Ave. it is.

As I arrived it did not fail to live up to it's hole in the wall, jam packed, hustling and bustling gastro pub name it has earned since opening its doors. I was asked if I had been here before and i responded no. The host told me that try to find myself a place to sit and please order by the bar. (No table service here) No tables were available so I hit the bar and after some back and forth thoughts about staying or leaving on bar stool finally came available. The menu is very Spanish influenced with its Tapas created around Chorizo, Sobrasada, Jamon Serrano, Manchego, Piquillos, warm almonds etc. but I did not come for that. I came for the acclaimed 36 selection of microbrews, the burger and the fries with aioli. Don't bother asking for what comes on the burger or even adjusting what you want on the burger. The only question you are allowed to give your personal preference on is what temperature you would like the burger cooked at. Yes, there is no Ketchup in this place so don't even bother asking for it and if you don't like something that comes on the burger it is up to you to pick it off. I went with Medium-Rare and the sweet potato fries. Excellent choice I have to say....the burger was succulent and moist with a great sweetness exuding from the caramelized onions. Instead of lettuce I believe they use Arugula or Spinach. The sweet fries dipped in the homemade aioli were a great play on the sweet and salty marriage. The beer I had the bartender choose for me was excellent; it matched the taste I told her I prefer of strong ale with that Indian red bite.

I would recommend this place anytime but would recommend it for 2 people because any larger crowd can make this a very hard place to be accommodated in. Great ambiance with great food!

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $$

1018 Montana Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90403
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/11416036/santa_monica_ca/father_s_office.html#profileTab-reviews

El Torito - Santa Monica, CA

After a long morning of meetings my last visit asked me to go with him to the local Mexican restaurant around the corner called El Torito. At first sight it seemed like any other large chain, currently 69 locations in California, Oregon, Arizona and Japan, yes Japan..., and as we entered the typical decor and huge space confirmed it. We had obviously missed the lunch crowd which made the space seem even bigger and the last buffet buckets were cleaned out. Buffet stations are another sign to lower your expectations. In the back a table with people congregating, most likely the staff preparing for dinner service and a couple of servers still on shift.

We sat down at a 4 top and the waiter hurried over to take our order. The choice of drink was a Tropical Ice Tea, house recommendation and it was really good. The dried up slice of decorative orange only plumped up once dropped into the tall glass of ice and tea. As I always like to ask the waiters what their choice of preference is I proceeded to do the same here. After the standard questions; level of spice, meat preference, level of hunger he proceeded to recommend the Mexico City Tacos. 3 corn tortillas with chicken, beef and carnitas sprinkled with cabbage, queso fresco, tomatoes and salsa fresca. On the side a portion of rice, frijoles de olla (spicy beans) and some home made guacamole. These tacos were just excellent and at one point I thought to myself; did my lunch guest notice that I devoured these like they were little amuse bouches or was he also lost in his lunch??? I guess you can ask my wife why this thought may have crossed my mind because I hear it from her every time I eat. My excuse: ever since having children I have adapted my eating to world record speed and mouthfuls’ not from this earth and I guess I sometimes forget that I am not in the house.

Overall rating: 3
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $$

3360 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
http://www.eltorito.com/menumain.asp