Roving Eater's Report - Elephant Bar Restaurant - Peoria, AZ

I recently was blessed enough to be able to go visit my family in Arizona for Thanksgiving.  I flew in on Monday and left on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  There I found myself on Friday feeling like the only thing I regretted was that I had not had a chance to eat out at any restaurants while I was there. 

The plan for Friday was my niece was going to pick me up and we were going to my step-brother’s house to hang out until I had to head to the airport.  My niece had been up all night doing the early black Friday shopping so she was running behind.  We also had not eaten lunch and were running out of time.  My step-brother suggested we just meet for lunch and then head to the airport to fly out.  My regret had been absolved!

We all met up at one of his favorite restaurants the Elephant Bar Restaurant.  They were already seated when my niece and I arrived.  They ordered us the global sampler appetizer which encompassed Niu, Niu Coconut Fried Shrimp Skewers, Fried Chicken Tenders, Bruschetta, and Warm & Spicy Artichoke Dip.  It was served with two different sauces one being a more glazed, sweet sauce, and the other being more of a creamy, savory sauce. 

After trying each piece of the appetizer I went to the task of deciding what I wanted for lunch.  Their menu is huge!  I would suggest possibly looking online before you go to give yourself more time to prepare on deciding what you would like to try.  Upon gazing mesmerized at the menu I noticed that on the lunch menu they had fish and chips and they made it with Mahi Mahi!  My favorite fish!  It was called the Macadamia Nut Crusted Fish & Chips.  Typically you see fish and chips made with Cod.  My step-brother even asked me what kind of fish it was and was surprised when I told him.  I also had an amazing margarita, which was just their house margarita. 

The restaurant had a worldly feel to it.  With art pieces that made me feel as if I was in Africa. 

The waitress we had was extremely nice.  My sister-in-law asked that her Ahi Tuna be a little bit more done than they would typically prepare it. Even though the waitress did not seem optimistic about being able to take care of her request; she was able to sweet talk the chef, and delivered the food as requested. 

I do have to report that the crunchiness on all these fried items was just amazing.  I know I have never had Panko Japanese bread crumbs before, and of course I cannot tell you if these were those.  If they were not I would like to find out what they were, because the crunch on these things rivaled no other! 

Regretfully our lunch was cut shorter than we would have liked due to the fact that the time for my flight was fast approaching.  We all hugged and kissed goodbye and spoke about hopes of seeing each other sooner than the last time.  Six years is just too long.  I feel as if I ended my trip on a high note.  Well a high note in my world, because as we all know food is the highlight of my life! 

I would definitely stop into an Elephant Bar Restaurant again if I am traveling and need some world cuisine. 

New Place Report: Tenshi Sushi & Japanese Noodle

My favorite sushi experience was not my first sushi experience. Unfortunately for years my only brush with sushi was at Chinese buffets. I know what you are thinking ewwwww gross!! But please trust in my ability to not eat sushi that was disgusting. I only ate it at two or three places that I felt safe at, but I still didn't understand the difference of eating at a true sushi restaurant.

Knowing that my husband had no interest in trying sushi I went ahead and planned my birthday party at a sushi place! I know I'm a smart cookie aren't I? :o) I was just about to do or had just done a Palate Adventurers get together and I just didn't feel up to driving half way across the city for my birthday. I googled the top ten sushi restaurants and Tenshi was the only one on the north side. It is located near the intersection of Jones & Fallbrook on Jones Road.

I am going to admit to you that I was really nervous about trying raw fish for the first time. At the buffets where I felt comfortable enough to eat the sushi I still played it rather safe and did not eat anything I couldn't identify and stuck to the safer rolls such as the California Roll. After we had been seated my worry about the raw fish having a texture that I couldn't handle grew. I was making comments here and there mostly half under my breath of my worry. I finally vented my fears to my fifteen year old niece who is wise beyond her years and this is how the conversation that made my night progressed: Her: "Do you like boiled peanuts? Me: "No!" Her: "Exactly! If they were crunchy; everyone would like them. It is a texture issue. Get over it!" And folks that is just what I did.

I ended up ordering the chef's special which included a California Roll, two sushi's (raw fish on top of sticky white rice) including salmon and tuna, and two sashimi's (just plain raw fish) which was fatty tuna and yellow fin tuna. I have to say my favorite was the yellow fin tuna which was served with tiny slices of lemon that took the freshness to an even new level.

Speaking about the freshness I had mentioned before not realizing the difference between the buffet sushi and the restaurant sushi. The freshness is it. That is the difference. I have mentioned before the taste of the steam of Jason's Deli's steamed veggies. The freshness of sushi is the same; almost indescribable. The best way I can try to explain it would be to say it is literally the freshest tasting food you've ever tasted in your life. Freshness to the umpteen power!

I was also able to enjoy a friends Fried Shrimp Roll which I feel has to be American influence on sushi. We sure do like to fry things. I have to say it sure was delicious. I am sure I tried a few other's rolls, but after a certain point of everyone passing you a sample of their roll they ordered the names become fuzzy. Especially being my first time enjoying real sushi and as well being the birthday girl everyone wanted me to try everything. Which I happily obliged.

As far as beverages go I of course had to do a little Sake sipping. I would describe Sake as stronger, better tasting Vodka. I only had one tiny little cup, because if you are not careful you could find yourself very inebriated, very fast.

Tenshi happens to be a smaller restaurant. It is tucked onto the end of a small strip center. It is a very beautiful and comfortable place. They have two rooms enclosed by traditional Japanese doors you can reserve if you so choose, but me personally I always find myself wanting to be on the main floor. It makes the atmosphere of the meal for me. With my party of fifteen to twenty people we filled almost half of the restaurant, and again even though the place was on the smaller side I never felt cramped.

I tried my hardest to eat my food with the chopsticks, and every bit of me did not want to have to ask for a fork. I eventually however gave in. I have eaten sushi a few times with chopsticks since my birthday and have acquired better skill. There was just no sense at the time getting frustrated on my birthday because of two silly wooden sticks. Just as a credit to myself just the other day I had eaten almost an entire ginger salad with chopsticks alone! It was difficult, but definitely good practice.

One other thing I wanted to speak with y'all about is the to dip or not to dip question. Everyone obviously has their own palate. So when I was introduced to sushi the first time I was instructed on what to make to dip my sushi in. What I have always done is to gather about three or four pieces of ginger and place them in my sauce tray. Then I take a bee bee size of wasabi and set it on the ginger. Next I take the soy and pour a lake for the ginger and wasabi to live in. I commence mixing the things together really just to dissolve the wasabi into the soy. That is my happy mixture. I love salt therefore I love soy. I also love ginger especially as a dressing on a salad. Which I did order and enjoy.

So that evening I was told that the ginger is supposed to be used as a palate cleanser in between bites. Call me crazy and set in my ways, but I think I will be sticking to the way I've always done it. To each their own I say! One other way to eat the sushi is to not dip at all which is what I watched my niece mostly do. I did try it and the sushi doesn't necessarily need to be dipped, but like I said before I sure do like that salty, gingery, clean your sinsus' out hotness. Now I find myself doing both. Some rolls just don't pair well with my mixture and that's okay. I just try to stay open even if I am set with certain ways. I may really enjoy that, but it also won't stop me from having a few bites without.

So I have been saving the best part for last. My niece being an adventurous eater (a girl after my own heart) ordered a bite (I'm not sure what else to call it; it wasn't a whole roll) which consisted of raw fish eggs wrapped in sea weed topped with a raw quail egg. We all stared as it was brought to her, and she looked a little embarrassed with all eyes on her. I am sure she will soon learn if she has not already if you are the brave enough one to try something crazy you are most likely going to get everyone's full attention. As she placed it in her mouth and got the sushi puffy cheeks she just nodded at the fact that it was yummy and not scary or disgusting at all. What a brave one she is.

I hope you have enjoyed me sharing my birthday dinning experience with you as much as I have!  Happy Reading & Eating!      <3

New Place Report - RA Sushi

I found myself at RA Sushi by way of a friend's birthday party. Upon arriving with my mother (and without my poor husband; him not wishing to partake in sushi enjoyment) we parked easily by the grace of what only could be the parking gods themselves. First spot, first row. That just never happens.

RA Sushi is on the second floor of a high end shopping complex. When you walk through the front door you are greeted by a two story entry room leading you to two choices. Hanging in the large open space is one of the most beautiful chandeliers I've ever seen. It is up to you to decide if you are feeling up to the stairs or prefer a leisure ride up the elevator. As you exit the elevator you are welcomed immediately to your right by the hostess. If choose to take the stairs she is on your left as you ascend to the top. The two meet across from each other.

This next part I am about to inform you of is one you should pay close attention to if you may be planning a get together at RA anytime in the near future. The bar area at RA is first come first serve and in the dining room side reservations are needed. As well your party cannot be seated unless eighty percent are present. We had reservations in the dinning side, but ended up being fine in the bar area and enjoyed our meal on that side.

I was able to try a friend's appetizer which was the "RA"ckin' Shrimp and also the Pineapple Cheese Wontons.  The shrimp were spicy and pared well with the sauce provided which was a ginger teriyaki sauce.  As well the pineapple wontons were kicked up a notch with the addition of the roasted pineapple sauce.  It was a good variation on your typical crab rangoon.   

For my meal I ordered the Beef Tataki Roll and the Ultimate Shrimp Tempura Roll. The beef roll was so scrumptious. It came with a sauce that was both a tad sweet with citrus notes and savory like the creamier sauce you get during an hibachi grill dinner. On the menu the roll is described as having artichoke, asparagus, roasted red pepper, and avacado rolled and topped with seared beef; served with a creamy wasabi sauce and drizzled with black pepper soy.  It was truly amazing. 

The birthday girl also ordered this, and was slightly worried about the fact they ask you if you care about eating raw beef.  When the roll came out it ended up being no big deal at all.  I would not even refer to the doneness of the beef anywhere near medium rare.  At most it was medium to medium well. 

As far as dessert is concerned I would have to have you steer away from poor RA with me for a moment. The birthday girl's boyfriend had snuck in a few cupcakes from a local bakery called What's Up Cupcake.  I have to tell you I've never had a softer cupcake in my life. It melted in my mouth.  Sad to say, but I am not able to provide you with the type of cupcake I enjoyed.  I do however have the friend that ordered these cupcakes looking into the matter, and hopefully I may be able to let you know exactly which cupcake I enjoyed.  See below for any additional comments to be added at a later date.  So even though my dessert was amazing I cannot contribute that to RA.

However a few more perspectives I can offer are as follows: My mom enjoyed a Nutty Chicken Salad. It was big enough for two people to share, and she said that it was very good.  I also ordered an alcoholic beverage with my dinner which was a vodka cranberry or a Cape Cod. I happened to take a big swig of my drink before I actually got a good look at it. It was barely colored at all. It was barely even pink let alone red by any means. I asked the waitress for a glass of cranberry on the side and did not have to order any additional drinks that evening.

My final thoughts are that this beautiful restaurant has some amazing sushi, and two different types of atmospheres to enjoy it in. The restaurant side seems to have a more intimate feel while in the bar area you could easily mistake yourself in a club. With the windows sometimes open to the city beyond it is a helluva place to sit eat some of the freshest sushi and enjoy a drink or two. I would definitely venture down to RA Sushi again.

Beef Tataki Roll

RA Sushi Website

What's Up Cupcake Website

Usual Spots Report - Locatelli's Pizza

Locatelli’s Pizza is a pick up and dine in only pizza shop.  The thing that makes you want to choose them over their delivery brethren is the fact that they use only the freshest ingredients.  As well as the fact that they have a perfect crust living happily between a hand tossed and a thin. 

The restaurant is located in that same gem of a shopping center as Mezzanote Ristorante at Louetta and Grant road. 

Now let’s get back to those ingredients.  My husband never fails to get heart burn on pizza night.  We typically order our pizza light sauce to lessen the burn for him later.  With Locatelli’s we have found that on those nights when we forget to say our special request; my husband has admitted theirs does not create the furnace inside him as bad as the others tend to. 

They also support the local community by hiring high school kids. 

I have ordered their salads and was not disappointed in their continued quality and freshness of their ingredients. 

The one area that I personally cannot give the highest marks would be in the dessert department.  I applaud their efforts to bring some unique desserts, but with poor execution no idea is going to be a great one.  The ones that I have tried include their Stick in the Mud, S.O.S., and their Powdered Pizza Skin.  I have always taken these back to my home to enjoy, so I do not know if they may be better had in the restaurant. 

Overall I immensely enjoy Locatelli’s Pizza, and am very glad my boss recommended them when I moved into the area. 

Locatelli's Pizza's Website 

New Place Report - Mezzanotte Ristorante

First of all I would like to inform y'all that I am a pretty easy woman to please.  Take me to a restaurant to enjoy a meal and you have just made me the happiest woman on the planet.  Especially if it is a place I have not been to before. 

So for our six year get together anniversary my husband took me to a place I've been asking to go for a while now.  Mezzanotte Ristorante might as well be right in my back yard.  It is located at Louetta Road & Grant Road nestled in the middle of a "V" shaped shopping center.  I saw it while picking up a pizza at Locatelli's (Which I will blog about at a later date..).  For some reason I really like the location of this restaurant.  I am being honest when I say I am not really sure why.  It feels like one of those tucked away gems that no one knows about. 

Upon entering the restaurant my first observation is that the establishment is on the smaller side, but gives off a more of a comfortable than a cramped feel.  We were sat at one of those dreadful two person tables.  (See Melting Pot Blog for my opinion on this matter.)  But again to be honest the table was big enough so it was not as bad as the last place we were sat at a two person table. 

Upon looking over the menu not very many things jumped out and bit me.  The appetizer menu seemed to draw my eye back to it several times though.  I ended up not getting an appetizer for my meal; instead I decided to be a bit daring.  Well as daring as trying something you have had before in a different way can be. 

Before we get to that though; we did order an appetizer.  We ordered the Mozzarella En Carrozza from the weekly special menu.  The menu informed us that it is a southern Italy specialty consisting of mozzarella di bufala delicately flash fried served with a Tarantina sauce which is made with garlic, capers, anchovies, and sun-dried tomatoes.  I have to say that this sauce was the most delectible sauce I've ever had.  It was light and flavorful.  They had given us bread to dip in some herbs encompassed in oil, and I dipped the bread in the sauce after we had eaten the fried cheese before they could whisk the plate away. 

My husband had ordered this pretty quickly and regretted not consulting me more before placing the order, but I reassured him that I was very pleased with his selection.  First I love to order off of weekly special menu's because what you order may not be there the next time you come so you can try new and different things, and again that sauce was just phenomenal. 

For my entree I ordered the Ossobuco which on the menu is described as a sumptuous veal shank braised in red wine, tomatoes, carrots, celery, and onions.  Served with saffron risotto.  I say that I was being bold because I've never had veal before.  On the other hand Veal is just baby cow; which I have had plenty of beef in my lifetime, so it was like trying something new with a safety net below.  The veal was very rich and left with you a feeling of home.  I said to my husband, "This tastes like home, not my home, but someone else's home." 

I do not believe that I have ever had the seasoning saffron before either.  Trying the risotto by itself it did not really send me over the moon with flavor, but when you took a bit of the risotto and pared it with the meat you find yourself in a whole new world.  This is the ultimate man meal to me.  It is not meat and potatoes, but it is a meat and a starch which basically does the trick to be able to qualify as a man meal in my mind. 

My husband ordered the grilled filet mignon with alfredo noodles, and he said that it was very good. 

We were going to order a dessert to share, but could not make up our minds which one to choose , so we ordered the tiramisu and the crème brûlée.  Both were delightful.  The tiramisu hit levels of yumminess (This word is not in the dictionary, and should be!) I hadn't had with a tiramisu before.  Upon taking a bite of the tiramisu the coffee would flow out of it like a wave of flavor saying "..hello you...now love me...".  The sugar on the top of the crème brûlée was slightly darker than I'm used to, but while enjoying it, it reminded me of a roasted marshmallow over a camp fire.  If it was not right it might be the way to go in the future. 

I have started a new tradition at the end of larger meals I like to enjoy a cup of coffee.  It helps the digestion process, and I just plain love me some coffee!  My husband joined me in my new after-meal ritual, and he as well said he would probably do this from now on.  We felt a little like an older couple.  We now drink coffee after dinner. 

A wonderful lady stopped by our table near the end of our meal and checked on our experience.  We told her we enjoyed it immensely.  She let us know that they have wine tastings and something called "Tapas Night".  She explained that on those nights they have appetizer size food for only $5 each.  I thought this is a wonderful idea.  You get to eat multiple portions of all those appetizers as your meal that had caught my eye when ordering earlier.  I am looking forward to catching a Tapas night in the near future.  

Mezzanotte's Website

(Please Note:  I tried really hard to take a picture of my food when I received it, but regretfully I never remember.  So here is one about three or four bites in. - Ossobuco)

New Place Report - The Bake Shoppe

My boss has been going to this place for years and had talked about it a lot.  Also my co-worker went there one time with our boss and she said it was good as well.  Well I have some bad news for you folks you missed it, and so did I.  The people who had owned it for fourteen years sold in 2009 to a new owner.

Not knowing this I finally went there the other night, because I was just bored of the same old fast food, and trying to find something on the healthier side to eat.  I walked in and the decor is not exactly what I was expecting... I felt like I had walked into a little girl fashion boutique.  Trust me I feel horrible about the things that I'm going to tell you here, because I genuinely want every restaurant I eat at to have phenomenal food, but that is not always the case. 

I ordered food to go for my husband and I.  For him I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, and for myself the Chef Salad.  When I got home and opened my salad not only did some of the lettuce have black edges on it some pieces also had that slimy texture to it that informs you that you should not eat it or you will be having a bad salad experience.  (I've had a bad salad once, and hope I never have to go through that again.)  The meat they included was very good, and I thought I was supposed to get some boiled egg, but strangely it was missing.  I went through the salad and out of a whole to go box stuffed with salad I only had the amount that would be two of my fists together.  I paid just under ten dollars for this salad.  You can imagine my disappointment. 

As far as my husband's food he said that the pulled pork did not blow him away, but the bread was good.  His little salad was as pitiful as mine was, and he was downtrodden that they had set his cookie on top of the salad with no protection that it became soggy and inedible. 

I would have to say from this visit I will not be stopping into The Bake Shoppe again anytime soon.  The only thing I can say in their defense would be that they seem to specialize more in casserole dishes, alas that is not what we ordered.

The Bake Shoppe's Website

Usual Spots Report - Connie's Frozen Custard

Now I have eaten at this place many, many times...  because it is just THAT good!!  Imagine Blue Bell, which we all know and love, take it and make it ten times creamier, and you will have an inkling about how good their ice cream is.  I don't know whether or not to call it frozen custard or ice cream...  The video on their website says premium ice cream while of course the name is Connie's Frozen Custard.  Whatever it is my friends if you have not tried it I highly recommend it. 

My father used to always make a detour on the way back from whatever we were doing to go to the old fashioned ice cream stands.  The one's that actually look like upside down ice cream cones.  So this place already has a special place in my heart, because I know my dad would have loved it. 

They make their custard fresh every hour, and it is gluten free.  My two favorite things to get there, and it just depends on my mood which one I decide upon.  Is the Homemade Brownie Sundae, which has the most delectable, warm brownie you've ever tasted.  And my other choice is the Choc-O-- Rocko Specialty Concrete which is their version of rocky road. 

This wonderful sweet treat facility is located at Cypress North Houston and Jones Road, a little past Cypress North Houston if you are on Jones Road heading towards Grant on the left side just past the WellsFargo building. 

It is so worth your time I promise!~

Connie's Frozen Custard Website

Usual Spots Report - Cafe Express

First of all I wanted to share with you that I'm a sucker for 'buy one, get one free' coupons.  So when I received one in the mail for Cafe Express' new breakfast sandwiches I had to go. 

I ordered the Cafe Croissant which has scrambled eggs, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, and basil on a croissant.  I wanted to devour this sandwich as soon as I got in the truck because the smell permeated out and into my little nose making my stomach antsy. 

My co-worker was the person to benefit from this coupon and she ordered the Breakfast BLT.  She said that is was very good. 

My croissant was so super extra yummy, and yes that is the best way to describe it.  It was warm and the goat cheese went well with the roasted tomatoes and basil.  Each time you hit a tomato it would explode with such a robust flavor in your mouth it was heaven.  There might have been some moaning and eye rolling with this meal.  It really was that good. 

I would definitely recommend Cafe Express' breakfast.  They really do have such good food there.  The pricing is a little on the expensive side, but the quality of food you get it is definitely worth it. 

Cafe Express' Website

Palate Adventurers - Second Quarter, 2011 - Angus Grill Brazilian Steakhouse

(DISCLAIMER: I would like to apologize ahead of time, because I have only been to one other Brazilian steakhouse and it will be hard for me not to compare the two.)

As far as the outside appearance goes; when you are on the way to Angus Grill the word that you would be most looking for is Churrascaria. It is the biggest word both on the building and on the sign out front. This made it slightly difficult to locate for a few of our attendees.

The atmosphere of Angus Grill felt a bit more intimate to me than Fogo De Chao. As we were seated at our table we waited for a while before a lady came up to us and asked us if we knew how the process worked. I was closest to her so I just asked her to go ahead and let us know just in case someone did not. She said simply while pointing in the direction of the salad bar, "The salad bar is over there, and you can help yourself. The card in front of you, flip to green if you want meat, and flip to red if you do not."

After she finished our party had finished arriving, and we all headed over to the salad bar. The salad bar at Angus Grill is exactly that a salad bar alone. You make a salad. At Fogo De Chao it is more than that. There are so many different options of vegetables, meats, cheeses, and salmon. As well instead of putting the sides they offer you on the table for you to enjoy, at Angus they are located in a hot serving container in the salad bar area. I wished that the sides were a bit fresher and hotter.

When we were ready for meat they put our meat on our plates from the salad bar, and I quickly asked for a fresh plate. I will have to note that the staff at Angus Grill is very nice and attentive they just do not have the force that Fogo has. That being said the wait between meats, refills, and fresh plates were a little greater.

At first we were having a problem of the Gaucho (Brazilian Cowboy) starting on one side of the table with a particular type of meat and before he could get over to the other side of the table he had to go back to the kitchen because he had ran out of meat. The good thing was that they started to realize this and brought out more meat at one time, and alternated where at the table they started.

They did bring to the table the cheese bread which was piping hot and so good. Again comparatively I felt like the cheese bread at Anugs was more "homemade". It felt like the ones at Fogo could have been made by a machine. Now it's time to talk about the star of the show at any Churrascaria, the meat!!

My favorites were the garlic beef, the baby beef, the house top sirloin, the grilled pineapple (I know, I know it's not meat, just roll with it.. :o)  ), and the pork ribs. I can't even begin to tell you how good the flavor was on those pork ribs. The ribs, for me, took first place as far as this meal was concerned.

The grilled pineapple was tremendously good as well. The cinnamon they put on the outside was not overpowering and complimented the tartness of the pineapple perfectly. I have to say that in this department Angus Grill totally takes it for me, because I just have never been a cooked banana person. The texture I just can not do. So having another option of a desert fruit was fantastic.

When it comes to the meat I felt that Fogo may have had a higher quality meat, but Angus Grill blew them out of the water with the flavor and spices. Everything was very juicy and delectable. The chicken was some of the most tender I've had in quite some time.

As well, yet again, I fell in love with their house top sirloin. The meat to fat ratio on that thing is amazing. I tend to shy away from fattier pieces of meat strictly for textural reasons, but when you have just that little ring around the outside it tends to have more of a crunch to it, and the flavor that bursts out of that fat is simply like no other. I understand why some people just can not understand how I could not get past the texture when the flavor that is contained inside is pretty much mind blowing.

I almost forgot to mention the butter beef; two words that should never be torn apart. The meat literally melted in your mouth. Definitely up there with the other favorites I've already listed. The baby beef is I'm sure veal, and the flavor really didn't blow me away it was more the tenderness of the meat that made me respect it. I've never had veal before, but I can say my interest in trying this meat at a place that really knows it well has risen. 

Overall I believe we all had a really great time with very few complaints to my knowledge.  Like I had said before the attentiveness that you get at Fogo isn't quite as high at Angus Grill, but for the price difference it is so worth it.  My husband and I paid half the amount that we had paid at our last trip to Fogo.  So for half the pricing and much better flavor I don't think I need my glass refilled every time I take a sip from it.

Angus Grill Brazilian Steakhouse Website

New Place Report - Tombolini's Worlds Greatest Meatballs

As you may or may not know my husband and I recently bought a house off of Louetta Road. For a little while now we had been saying that we were going to try this little place one light up from our street, and before we could we realized that the place had been closed.

The spa right next door is where I get my eyebrows done, and the Vietnamese lady that does nails there told me that the food at that place hadn't been good for a while. She also mentioned that there were already new owners and they had said their food would be better.

Well my friends obviously I cannot compare Tombolini's to what was there before, but I can tell you that it was the best meatball I have ever eaten in my life! Upon entering you are welcomed by bright red and yellow fluid and current shapes. The menu is very basic, which I like because it's really hard to mess up!

You pick your type of meatball of which they have 8 different ones to choose from. Then you choose how you would like to eat your meatballs. Whether it be by themselves or perhaps on pasta or your third choice on a sandwich. And of course you have your choice of what type of pasta or what type of bread. That's it! Simple and delicious.

The one thing I would say that they could improve upon would be the staff. I was there on a Sunday so I'm sure there might be a bit better suited staff on the busier days, but the gentleman that helped us was a little over friendly. Sometimes, especially when food is really tasty, you would like it to be just you and your food with no interruptions. However they were friendly and attentive so at least they were not rude. I did happen to see one of the chefs with a drink drinking in front of customer view which is a no no, but it didn't seem to be unsanitary.

I ordered the Italian meatballs with spaghetti and the sauce that starts with a "V". I know I'm slipping here people, but they don't have a website and I forgot to grab a Togo menu. :o( I apologize. Mine was very delicious.

I also had to try a bite of Greg's sandwich. He got the Texas meatballs with the sauce that would be a marinara and barbeque sauce. It was so good. The meatball had brisket in it! Yummy! I would definitely eat there again!! :o)

05/27/11 - Update!!  They now have a website!!  So I can fill in some holes!  So I had the Italiano meatballs with the Arrabiata sauce over spaghetti, and my husband had The Texan meatballs with the Texas Rossa sauce on ciabatta bread.  He did say later however he wished he would have paid more attention to his bread choices.  He said it would have been better on the Italian baguette.

Tombolini's Website

Usual Spots Report - Rudy's Grill & Cantina - (Revised to Include: Cinco de Mayo Fiasco)

Wherever my husband and I have lived we've always had our Go To Mexican Restaurant (As all Texans should!). They typically are of the whole in the wall variety with not a lot of people at any given time (This is why Del Pueblo isn't our Go To place, because it's always PACKED!!, even though they really do have awesome food). Well our current Go To place is called Rudy's Grill & Cantina and it is located at Lakewood Forest Drive and Grant Road.

Why am I telling all of you this? The reason is because I wanted to share my secret. My secret is that they have the BEST chicken flautas I have ever had in my life!! I typically order something different every time I go to one of our usual restaurants, but I really can't bring myself to order anything else when we go there. As well I really crave these from time to time. 

From what I can tell they seem to stew the chicken in a tomato based broth with various vegetables in it; such as carrots and onions.  Then they roll it in a corn tortilla and fry it.  I've been to some places where their flautas taste too much like chicken..  I don't know how else to describe it than that.  But seriously folks try their flautas they are so good.

***Additional Note:  On Cinco de Mayo of 2011 we went up to Rudy's to enjoy dinner and some margaritas.  A friend of ours joined us for dinner.  As you may know I've been trying to eat healthier lately, so I have very specific things I do to attempt... yes attempt to make Mexican food not so bad.  I had entered the dinner I had planned to have on my sparkpeople.com website and was sent to enjoy a good dinner and one jumbo lime margarita on the rocks with salt. 

Before even finishing the first margarita I picked up this little additional menu they had on the table a smaller one just including various drinks, appetizers, and deserts.  I found that they had a sugar free margarita.  So enthused, I jumped on my smart phone and realized that this margarita should have only been in the ballpark of 100 calories vs. the 240 for its brother I was currently consuming.  So.. I made an executive decision to forgo my '100 calorie just before bed' snack to have just one more margarita.  Well after the second one I was feeling a little frisky and ordered just one more.  As soon as they brought it I knew I would have problems finishing the dang thing, and regretted my decision, but oh well... they had already taken the trouble to bring it to me. 

I had only finished about 1/4 of it when we had already finished the meal, and the checks were brought to us.  Between my husband and I we had 6 margaritas I had 2 sugar free and 1 regular, and he had 3 regular.  There were a total of 9 margaritas on our bill.  With a margarita already on the bill and removed from the bill (that making 10).  Our bill at this time was some where around $82. 

Our friend that met us and liked the idea of the sugar free mix was charged for her food and one margarita alone.  So we told our waiter that we were being grossly overcharged for our margaritas, and a lady stopped by our table to explain the reasoning why it was correct.  She explained that the sugar free margarita doesn't normally come in the jumbo size so she added double the alcohol.  Even if they are saying that there were two each for my sugar free ones there was still 1 margarita over on the count.  There should have been 8 total if that was the case. 

My argument to her was that I didn't order the sugar free in a jumbo I ordered what I saw on the menu.  If there was a discrepancy in price between what I pointed at on the menu when I ordered it to what the waiter brought me I feel it should have been explained to me so I could make a decision whether I wanted the jumbo still.  Like I said above I am watching my calories.  This lady just told me not only are they messing with my pocketbook, but now you are also messing up my diet for the day. 

I should have just continued to have the regular margarita, because with the double shots of alcohol they were pretty damn close in calories.  At this time our bill had been reduced down from the $82 to about $75.  As well the lady had brought our friend another receipt now charging her for her food and two margaritas.  After she had already sent her card off with the waiter to pay for the first total she was given. 

We did not seem to be getting anywhere with the girl so I asked to speak to the owner.  (Side Note:  On a previous adventure to Rudy's with friends we witnessed the owner being very rude to one of his waiters.  I cannot remember exactly what transpired, but what sticks in my head is the reaction of one of our friends.  The fact that she just couldn't believe how much of an ***hole the owner was being.)  As the owner approaches I can already see on his face that snarled look people get when they are already ready to put up their dukes for verbal assault.

My husband was in the middle of telling the owner how we had already been mischarged for the amount of margaritas, and the girl piped in and said no sir I explained to you about why you had so many margaritas on your bill, and he said if that is true why had he already seen a reduction in the bill when she came back the first time.  After we explained to him the situation, and all he had to say was "Oh so now you have drank this alcohol and you don't want to pay for it!!".  I being 2 1/2 margaritas in let the tequila talk and told that man that I would pay for my stuff, but I do not appreciate being left in the dark about what exactly I was getting and what I would be paying for. 

I then leaned forward and took a good hard swig on my current margarita, because if I'm going to pay almost $15 for that sucker I was going to get my fill of it.  The margarita lowered from about 3/4 full to about 1/2.  This is when he preceded to tell me ok he would comp one, and reached across the table and snatched my margarita from me.  My inner ghetto came out and was like "Oh no he didn't!!!".  We said just get us our bill.  We come here a lot and we are never coming here again.  The owner had the audacity to say that he has never seen us before.  I told him really because I have even spoken with you a few times.   After he stormed away and we signed our bill the girl came over and tried to smooth things over further, but it was too late. 

I'm not someone who would order food and drink and not pay for it.  For him to automatically assume that we were people like that just shows that he really doesn't care about his customers.  If he knew how much we eat in his restaurant would he have treated us differently... He should treat all of his customers like they should be treated, because Mexican restaurants are a dime a dozen and it is very easy for people to choose somewhere else to eat.  I'm not saying that my once a week dinner being gone is going to cause him to close his doors, but you piss off enough people and soon it will.  Then the word will spread just like it is being spread with this blog, and no matter how good your food is if your customer's have an issue and you instantly treat them like crap they aren't going to want to come back to your establishment.

As well just to prove that I wasn't just being a drunken stupid head I actually did something very nice that evening.  At one point I had headed to the bathroom, and this lady and I were waiting in line behind a slew of younger girls.  The lady in front of me was an older lady that appeared to be a little impatient.  It was her turn to go into the stall, and shortly after my turn.  When I came out I instantly felt bad for the lady, because she made the comment "I didn't make it".  My own mother having problems with these issues I offered to walk behind the lady to her table so it wouldn't be that obvious she had had an accident.  She was very appreciative and thanked me profusely.  Her table ended up being very close to mine.  She said they had driven two hours to eat at this restaurant for a birthday party.  I left her at her table and returned to my own.

And to this day I haven't been back there.

New Place Report - Sassafras Seafood Kitchen

I finally made my way over to a place a friend has been telling me about for a while now.  It's called Sassafras Seafood Kitchen at Jones Rd. & Cypress N. Houston Dr.. 

When you walk in it is set up like a McAllister’s; the tables are on either side of the restaurant and the walkway down the middle leads you up to the counter.  It didn't take me long to decide exactly what I wanted, because I love Cajun food and I know where my niche is. 

A lot of people love them some gumbo, and I've always thought it was too wet of a dish for me.  Other people enjoy jambalaya, and in my opinion it is just too dry.  So where do I fall ladies and gentlemen?!?!  That's right I'm an etouffee girl!~ 

I ordered some Boudin Balls (personal favorite) as an appetizer and Crawfish Etouffee as my lunch entree.  I thought it was kind of cool that they had two sizes to choose from, but there would be no way I would be able to finish the larger portion(I had leftovers of the smaller portion!!).  We took our number, made our drinks at the drink station, and seated ourselves at a booth. 

It wasn't too long maybe about five to ten minutes and our food started to arrive.  I would have liked a little bit more time between my balls and my entree, but oh well.  The boudin balls come with about six or eight balls sat upon a large pile of french fries served with ketchup and my favorite Cajun mustard.  The only way I can explain Cajun mustard would be to say that spicy deli mustard and honey mustard came together and decided to have a family.  Their child would be Cajun mustard.  You can see the mustard seeds, but you can really taste the sweetness in the honey.  The boudin balls were very tasty.  I enjoyed the flavor of the boudin and of the breading. 

The star of this show had to be the Crawfish Etouffee.  As soon as she set the plate down I made a few mental notes to myself.  Color check: good.  Bread to eat it with: Check.  Enough Rice:  Check.  We are good to go.  Then I commenced my normal routine.  I mix the sauce with the rice not entirely, but little by little till I get my perfect consistency.  I may have dirty rice left over, but that's okay with me.  I ate the first few bites on the bread, and very shortly realized that it wasn't going to carry me through the whole meal.  **Side Note:  I'm one of those people that the etouffee (soups, chili’s, gumbos, etc.) has to be eaten on either toasted bread or crackers... Not one bite may pass these lips without a double starch situation going on.  I went up to the counter to rectify the situation, and those good Cajun people had a stack of crackers right by the register.  Bless you Cajun people. 

The etouffee was so good!  It was better than any of the etouffees I have had in a while.  I used to eat it at Joe's Crab Shack and then they really kind of took it away from me.  Instead of having it on the menu by itself, they made it a Crawfish pair with both etouffee and fried crawfish.  This makes me sad.  I would love to know from my readers (if I have any) where the best place to get Crawfish Etouffee is..?  My brother says that Mambo Seafood has the best gumbo just an fyi for y'alls brains. 

My friend I ate with on this day says that Sassafras has one of the best gumbos she's had at a restaurant.  You can truly tell they use real rue, and as well with the etouffee.  It's surprising how many times I've ordered etouffee and just sent it right back, because it was ORANGE.  It isn't supposed to be orange people... It should be a brownish color like gumbo.  Again just for your future knowledge.  Okay I think I've rambled enough about Cajun food in general.  Sassafras was very yummy, and I will go back!

Healthier Choices Report - Jason's Deli

I recently have started living a healthier lifestyle and in doing so I thought I would share with you some of the tastier things that are still good for you. 

Just this past week for lunch I tried something new at Jason's Deli; it was their Mediterranean Wrap.  It contains turkey breast, roasted red pepper hummus, kalamata olives, organic field greens, cucumbers, red onions, and red roma tomatoes on an organic wheat wrap for only 320 calories. 

The flavors on this wrap are a welcome change to what can be a sometimes boring food routine if you aren't fluent in healthy cooking.  I love the taste of hummus.  It is such a different taste than anything I am used to.  And the texture isn't anything scary.  I have had it now as a dip for crackers at a get together, and on a wrap and enjoyed both applications immensely. 

What I like most about this wrap is that it gets its moisture from the hummus instead of something more fattening like guacamole or a dressing.  It comes with you choice of a fruit cup, chips, or steamed veggies.  I would recommend the steamed veggies.  They are piping hot with the perfect texture, and they taste delightfully steamy.  It is a hard thing to describe... The taste of steam.  Just try them and you will see what I mean :o)

Jason's Deli's Website

New Place Report - The Egg and I

Ever since I've moved into my new home my Mom has been eyeing this restaurant called The Egg and I.  I think what caught her eye is the fact that there is always a line of people outside waiting to be able to eat.  One day when we were going to get our hair done she really wanted to stop there, but with a thirty minute wait and a hair appointment looming we just didn't have the time.  So we made a special date to go wait in line to see what all the fuss was about.  With just my mom and me it wasn't a horrible wait.  We simply caught up on the various things going on in our lives.  Finally after about twenty-five minutes we were called in. 

I had seen a brief shot of some egg's benedict on Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives a few days before, so I pretty much already knew what I was going to order when I got there.  The coffee was wonderful, and their fresh squeezed orange juice hit the spot.  Probably about ten to fifteen minutes after ordering our food was brought to us.  My mom ended up ordering the same thing. 

I went into my food coma where I just take bite after bite getting sad as I go on, because it tastes so good, but it's steadily disappearing.  It had been a very long time since I've had egg's benedict, and to my knowledge I can only remember having it one time.  It is one of those foods that take me back to a happy place. 

My middle older brother had made the whole family egg's benedict for breakfast.  Like I said it was a long time ago probably just under ten years.  I wasn't expecting the taste that I got (I think I had forgotten what it tasted like), but it was very delectable.  My head told me that my brother's were better, but I think food association has a lot to do with who you are with, and the time you are having while eating the food.  So in other words I cannot be sure whose was better.  :o) 

I slowly made little perfect bites of english muffin, ham, eggs, and sauce.  I would have to say, if I had to name one, the star of the show would have to have been the ham.  The dish was also served with ranch potatoes.  Now regretfully I have to admit I had a blonde moment when ordering.  In my head I saw some potatoes maybe spiced up with a little hidden valley ranch seasoning on top, but I soon figured out it was more of potatoes you would eat while on a ranch.  My bad.  I do however give you permission to use my ranch sprinkled on top of potatoes idea, because it just sounds good.  Just please don't forget to tell me how they came out if you do. 

Back to the restaurant.  It definitely was a busy place, a lot of hustle and bustle, but not deafening by any means.  I would say it was just your normal breakfast diner.  I would definitely go back, and it is totally worth the wait.  I would rate it way better than IHOP.

The Egg & I's Website

Palate Adventurers - Inaugural Run - First Quarter, 2011 - Peli Peli

First of all I would like to say that that Peli Peli is a beautiful restaurant. The decor is truly aesthetically pleasing. Sadly, looks are not everything. I really expected much better service. There were eighteen of us present and we were spread over two tables. Each table had a different waiter. The main thing that was displeasing about it was that we did not get our orders taken or our food brought to us at the same time which caused half of the group to have to wait for the other half at the end of the meal.

As far as what I ordered; it was the Chilean Sea Bass with Scampi. I felt like adding the scampi was not worth the extra money charged ($10 for four shrimp). The sea bass however was very scrumptious and paired well with the lemon garlic butter sauce they provided. The seasoning on the sea bass I thought was good and the fish was hot and tender. Regretfully my Couscous was cold and that was very disappointing since it was one of the things I was looking forward to trying for the first time. The Carrot Bredie though I found to be quite good. It is like mashed potatoes with carrot, onion, and other seasonings within. The scampi to me were just sort of plain. I did taste the scampi taste I was expecting, but not to the extent of what I'm used to. When I’ve had it in the past it is served in a small dish swimming in the sauce. Luckily, I already had the sauce from my fish to help it out. One of the other people in our group got just the scampi and he had to order something on the side to flavor up the plain tasting shrimp. I believe he ended up getting some mango salsa which he said was good. The baby spinach was edible and I say that only because I don't usually eat much cooked spinach. I thought the texture was totally doable and the flavor was decent.

One of the attendees ordered the Surf and Turf which was supposed to come with prawns. Shortly after ordering her entrée the waitress came back to say they were out of prawns. Boo! I was disappointed because the waitress had asked her if she had ever eaten prawns before and said there was a special way they were to be consumed. I was looking forward to watching this process, and enjoying the look on my friend’s face.

I had ordered a margarita which wasn't the best I had ever had. As an appetizer we went with the flat bread and I fondly nick named it super pizza. It was a different taste but very good. I also was given a stuffed peppadew which I have to say was pretty awesome. While eating it I felt it took me on a journey or told me a story. There were four different distinct tastes enjoyed while gobbling it down! I as well snuck some of my husband's sweet potato fries off of his plate and they were really good. They were perfectly salty to counter the sweetness.

As far as the other people in the group it seemed like everyone who had ordered a steak, except for one person, said that they were undercooked. The table on the outside complained about the temperature. Two of the people had to go outside and thaw out at one point, and my friends that brought their son had to go out and redress him, because he was complaining of being cold. My friend’s husband who is a chef in the country on vacation from England said that it almost seemed as if it might have been the chef’s night off, and that if the way we were served would have happened at the last restaurant he worked at someone would have lost their job.  One of the other things I found sort of ironic is that they say their food is "flame pepper fusion", and not one thing was spicy or felt like it had any spice to it at all.  Very disappointing. 

If you do find yourself stuck with eating at Peli Peli here are my top couple things to order. According to my boss, who didn’t tell me this before I had been to the restaurant, the lamb chops are where it is at. Of course he probably did not term it like that, but one of our group had gotten them and raved about them. The second choice is the Chilean Sea Bass just by itself. I let a few others try the fish and everyone seemed to have the same opinion about it. So like I said if you absolutely have to go… lol!

After eating at a place like Fogo De Chao it shows you that when you pay that much for your food there should be not just good service, but excellence. Like I said before it is about good food and good service. As far as Peli Peli goes I would say that the food was just okay for the price, the service was horrible, and congratulations guys the decor is beautiful.  I'm pretty sure I will not be returning to Peli Peli anytime soon. :o/

 I did however have a great time with everyone, and can't wait to do it again!!!
 
Peli Peli's Website