Due to school and work I have not had the time to write full reports on every restaurant I have eaten at. From here on out I am only going to write about the dining experience that consist of having full service i.e. a server that takes my order. I am going to use this post to track all of the other food experiences I have with a very small review
Mcdonalds-It was 9 in the morning and I just needed food, blah
Chick-fila-Took a break while studying on campus, terrible, blah
Sonic-Once again needed breakfast, just as bad as Mcdonalds, blah
Crossroads-Awful, one of the worst breakfasts I have ever had, blah
Schlotzsky's Deli-Not terrible but overpriced
Panda Express-American Chinese Food to the T. Orange chicken is amazing
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Blu Fine Wine & Food
To begin with, do not let the name fool you, Blu is not a fine dining restaurant. This does not mean that the restaurant is terrible, it only means that the name can be a little bit deceiving. In order for a restaurant to claim to serve fine wine they need to offer, well, fine wine. The most expensive bottle on the menu is the Merryvale Starmont Cab at a whopping $50. I am not saying that wine needs to be expensive to be good, but you still need to offer some high end wines if you are going to claim to feature fine wine. For "fine food" the highlight of the menu is the Select Angus Beef Filet. Select? Really? that is anything but fine food. Luckily my wife and I were not looking for a fine dining experience.
I decided to take full advantage of Blu's happy hour special featuring $5 dollar pizzas. I ordered the chicken, sun-dried tomato, and pesto flatbread pizza. The pizza was good but not great and it definitely was a little skimp on the toppings, but for five dollars you can not complain. My wife ordered the Chicken and Portobello Sandwich, it is not on the menu, they have it as a quesadilla but the chef was able to make it a sandwich for her. Her sandwich was little bit dry and could have used some kind of sauce or dressing. All of the food was descent and at a total price of $14 it was a great value.
Blu is the type of restaurant you go to for appetizers and drinks. It kind of has a douchey atmosphere with a wanna-be upscale vibe. It is the type of place where if you are a girl, you have to be careful no one puts anything in your drink. Luckily the happy hour is not terrible especially since you avoid the night time crowd.
Rating 5 out of 10
$ 5-20
201 S. Crawford, Norman
http://blufinewineandfood.com/index.html
I decided to take full advantage of Blu's happy hour special featuring $5 dollar pizzas. I ordered the chicken, sun-dried tomato, and pesto flatbread pizza. The pizza was good but not great and it definitely was a little skimp on the toppings, but for five dollars you can not complain. My wife ordered the Chicken and Portobello Sandwich, it is not on the menu, they have it as a quesadilla but the chef was able to make it a sandwich for her. Her sandwich was little bit dry and could have used some kind of sauce or dressing. All of the food was descent and at a total price of $14 it was a great value.
Blu is the type of restaurant you go to for appetizers and drinks. It kind of has a douchey atmosphere with a wanna-be upscale vibe. It is the type of place where if you are a girl, you have to be careful no one puts anything in your drink. Luckily the happy hour is not terrible especially since you avoid the night time crowd.
Rating 5 out of 10
$ 5-20
201 S. Crawford, Norman
http://blufinewineandfood.com/index.html
105 degrees
For the last week or so my wife has been on a special diet to help out with her stomach problems. Her diet consists or organic food, no red meat, and nothing acidic. This obviously limits the options to choose from, luckily I found a gem of a restaurant in OKC called 105 degrees. The concept of 105 degrees is living food. The food is raw and minimally processed with nothing on the menu being cooked higher then 105 degrees. This concept is perfect for my wife's diet.
The decor of the restaurant is very modern and it reminded me of the many bistro style restaurants in California. One of the first thing that pops out is the very elaborate juice bar where a normal bar would be. Another feature of the restaurant that stands out is the cooking academy located inside the restaurant. 105 degrees also serves as a culinary academy teaching chefs the skill of the living food concept.
With the snow finally melting and spring arriving we decided to sit on the patio and enjoy the nice weather. It was around 3 pm and the patio was empty except for what appeared to be a manger/owner who was doing work on his laptop on one of the tables. One of the only complaints of our lunch experience was when the manager decided to take a call on his speaker phone that lasted around 15 minutes. I find it very rude for a customer to talk on a phone during lunch, but for a manager to take a call on a speaker phone is ridiculous. This one careless mistake almost ruined our dining experience.
To begin our meal we started with an appetizer and ordered the "Mezze" which consisted of Hummus, Hemp Seed Tabbouleh, Falafel, and Citrus Marinated Olives. I especially enjoyed the Kale Chips that were provided for dipping. For entree's I ordered the open-faced Portobello Slider prepared 3 ways, Avocado, Barbecue, and Blue Cheese. The flavor in this dish was fantastic, my only complaint was that the "bun" was made out of some kind of hard grain that I was unable to cut through with a knife. My wife ordered the Thai Vegetable Wrap which consisted of Rice Paper, Kelp Noodles, Mango, Sprouts, Heirloom Carrots. Her dish was basically a larger version of Thai Spring Rolls but the flavors were excellent in the dish.
Our server was very knowledgable about the menu but lacked any kind of personality. At one point I asked her which appetizer she liked more the Mezza or the Crushed Avocado. She then told me everything that was in each item but did not give me any kind of opinion or recommendation. I have always found that managers beat menu knowledge into their servers but it takes a lot more then just memorization to describe a dish to a guest.
The overall experience of the restaurant was excellent. Even if my wife was not on this limited diet we would very much like to frequent this establishment again. I have always been pro-meat but I was very satisfied with the creativity and use of flavors at 105 degrees.
Rating 8 out of 10
$ 9-12
5820 North Classen Boulevard, Suite 1
Oklahoma City
http://105degrees.com/
The decor of the restaurant is very modern and it reminded me of the many bistro style restaurants in California. One of the first thing that pops out is the very elaborate juice bar where a normal bar would be. Another feature of the restaurant that stands out is the cooking academy located inside the restaurant. 105 degrees also serves as a culinary academy teaching chefs the skill of the living food concept.
With the snow finally melting and spring arriving we decided to sit on the patio and enjoy the nice weather. It was around 3 pm and the patio was empty except for what appeared to be a manger/owner who was doing work on his laptop on one of the tables. One of the only complaints of our lunch experience was when the manager decided to take a call on his speaker phone that lasted around 15 minutes. I find it very rude for a customer to talk on a phone during lunch, but for a manager to take a call on a speaker phone is ridiculous. This one careless mistake almost ruined our dining experience.
To begin our meal we started with an appetizer and ordered the "Mezze" which consisted of Hummus, Hemp Seed Tabbouleh, Falafel, and Citrus Marinated Olives. I especially enjoyed the Kale Chips that were provided for dipping. For entree's I ordered the open-faced Portobello Slider prepared 3 ways, Avocado, Barbecue, and Blue Cheese. The flavor in this dish was fantastic, my only complaint was that the "bun" was made out of some kind of hard grain that I was unable to cut through with a knife. My wife ordered the Thai Vegetable Wrap which consisted of Rice Paper, Kelp Noodles, Mango, Sprouts, Heirloom Carrots. Her dish was basically a larger version of Thai Spring Rolls but the flavors were excellent in the dish.
Our server was very knowledgable about the menu but lacked any kind of personality. At one point I asked her which appetizer she liked more the Mezza or the Crushed Avocado. She then told me everything that was in each item but did not give me any kind of opinion or recommendation. I have always found that managers beat menu knowledge into their servers but it takes a lot more then just memorization to describe a dish to a guest.
The overall experience of the restaurant was excellent. Even if my wife was not on this limited diet we would very much like to frequent this establishment again. I have always been pro-meat but I was very satisfied with the creativity and use of flavors at 105 degrees.
Rating 8 out of 10
$ 9-12
5820 North Classen Boulevard, Suite 1
Oklahoma City
http://105degrees.com/
Friday, February 11, 2011
Republic GastroPub
It is the morning of Super Bowl Sunday. I have no plans. I have no idea where I am going to watch the big game. My first thought was Buffalo Wild Wings, but I wanted more. I wanted good food and great beer. I also did not want to be around 100 obnoxious Steeler fans that regularly frequent Bdubs. After much research about where to go in OKC the Republic stood out as "the place to be."
Located on the Classen Curve, the Republic features one of the best television set ups in all of Oklahoma. Not only are there 3 giants televisions that can be seen anywhere in the restaurant, each booth also has its own private TV, as well as each urinal. The first thing I noticed as I walked into the restaurant was the vast amount of beers being displayed behind the bar. The Republics beer menu features 100 beers on draft as well as over 250 by the bottle. I can not even begin to list each of the beers we tried that night, but one of the highlights was the Rogue Double Dead Guy. This 750 ml american strong ale had a very delicious apricot caramel flavor to it. The beer menu also featured the ability to make your own flights, which our party took full advantage of. We probably tried at least 25 of the beers on the menu.
To begin our Super Bowl experience we ordered appetizers for the table to share. We ordered the hot onion & bacon dip, the lollipop chicken wings, pulled chicken nachos, and truffle potato skins. All of the appetizers were bar style food but prepared in a very classy way. The highlight of our food experience was when my wife ordered the "knife and fork BLT." She had ordered it with no cheese, but when it arrived there was cheese on it. Our waitress, being the awesome person that she was, let us keep the sandwich for free and had another one made. I was not planning on ordering one for myself, but after taking my first bite of the sandwich, I was very glad the mistake had been made. The BLT features hand cut bacon, fried green tomato, avocado relish, white cheddar, arugula and herb vinaigrette, served on an open faced toasted sourdough. This sandwich was freaking amazing. The only downfall we discovered in the menu was when our friend Sara ordered the Ahi tuna tartar. It was not served with the usual wontons that you find at most restaurants but instead it was served with tortilla chips. Tortilla chips and Ahi just do not go well together.
The service at Republic was stellar to say the least. Although our waitress did make a few mistakes, she was able to correct them in a way that made the experience even more enjoyable. It also felt like every two minutes one of the staff was there to refill our waters or clear a plate. The ticket time on our food was less then 5 minutes per order which was amazing considering how busy the restaurant was.
All in all our super bowl experience was excellent. The Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburg Steelers. The commercials were entertaining. My one very serious complaint of the entire evening had nothing to do with the restaurant. That half-time show was HORRIBLE!
Rating: 8 out of 10
$ 8-20
5830 N. Classen Boulevard, OKC
http://www.republicgastropub.com/
To begin our Super Bowl experience we ordered appetizers for the table to share. We ordered the hot onion & bacon dip, the lollipop chicken wings, pulled chicken nachos, and truffle potato skins. All of the appetizers were bar style food but prepared in a very classy way. The highlight of our food experience was when my wife ordered the "knife and fork BLT." She had ordered it with no cheese, but when it arrived there was cheese on it. Our waitress, being the awesome person that she was, let us keep the sandwich for free and had another one made. I was not planning on ordering one for myself, but after taking my first bite of the sandwich, I was very glad the mistake had been made. The BLT features hand cut bacon, fried green tomato, avocado relish, white cheddar, arugula and herb vinaigrette, served on an open faced toasted sourdough. This sandwich was freaking amazing. The only downfall we discovered in the menu was when our friend Sara ordered the Ahi tuna tartar. It was not served with the usual wontons that you find at most restaurants but instead it was served with tortilla chips. Tortilla chips and Ahi just do not go well together.
The service at Republic was stellar to say the least. Although our waitress did make a few mistakes, she was able to correct them in a way that made the experience even more enjoyable. It also felt like every two minutes one of the staff was there to refill our waters or clear a plate. The ticket time on our food was less then 5 minutes per order which was amazing considering how busy the restaurant was.
All in all our super bowl experience was excellent. The Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburg Steelers. The commercials were entertaining. My one very serious complaint of the entire evening had nothing to do with the restaurant. That half-time show was HORRIBLE!
Rating: 8 out of 10
$ 8-20
5830 N. Classen Boulevard, OKC
http://www.republicgastropub.com/
Friday, February 4, 2011
El Chico Cafe
It was day 4 of snowpocolypse and my wife and I were getting hit very hard by the cabin fever. We needed to get out. My wife wanted to buy some galoshes and a trip to Target was the consensus. Unfortunately Target had been raped clean of anything snow related. The mall was next on our list of destinations. After finding the footwear my wife so desired it was time to fill our bellies. Since the weather was so bad we figured a nice tropical drink would be soothing to the soul and a margarita sounded just right. This brought us to El Chico cafe located in the Sooner Mall.
We were sat in the back of the restaurant, somewhat between the restroom and the kitchen. My wife was complaining about a smell and in hindsight we probably should have moved tables right away. Our server was very knowledgable but he appeared like he would have rather been anywhere on earth except at El Chico waiting tables. For margaritas I ordered a 32 oz house margarita and my wife ordered a frozen strawberry margarita. They were good, but drinking frozen drinks when it is snowing outside probably was not the best idea. For dinner I ordered the chimi combo. It consisted of a steak & cheese chimichanga, a chicken tostada and a steak chalupa. The chimichanga was amazing with the melting cheese inside complimenting the steak superbly. The chalupa was ok and I did not have any room in my belly to finish the tostada. For $8.99 it was a good bargain.
The ambiance of the restaurant could best be described as a scene out of the movie Waiting. Because we were sat near the kitchen we got a wonderful view of the staff interaction. The manager was clearly an a-hole and at one point the kitchen manager came out and started yelling out for a food runner. This came across as being very unprofessional considering we could clearly view and hear everything. I can't really blame the staff for hating life because it was snowing and business was very slow. All in all I would not recommend El Chico Cafe. It is a poor version of Chevy's or On the Boarder and I would suggest choosing one of those places instead.
My Rating: 5 out 10
$: 6-15
http://www.ElChico.com/
We were sat in the back of the restaurant, somewhat between the restroom and the kitchen. My wife was complaining about a smell and in hindsight we probably should have moved tables right away. Our server was very knowledgable but he appeared like he would have rather been anywhere on earth except at El Chico waiting tables. For margaritas I ordered a 32 oz house margarita and my wife ordered a frozen strawberry margarita. They were good, but drinking frozen drinks when it is snowing outside probably was not the best idea. For dinner I ordered the chimi combo. It consisted of a steak & cheese chimichanga, a chicken tostada and a steak chalupa. The chimichanga was amazing with the melting cheese inside complimenting the steak superbly. The chalupa was ok and I did not have any room in my belly to finish the tostada. For $8.99 it was a good bargain.
The ambiance of the restaurant could best be described as a scene out of the movie Waiting. Because we were sat near the kitchen we got a wonderful view of the staff interaction. The manager was clearly an a-hole and at one point the kitchen manager came out and started yelling out for a food runner. This came across as being very unprofessional considering we could clearly view and hear everything. I can't really blame the staff for hating life because it was snowing and business was very slow. All in all I would not recommend El Chico Cafe. It is a poor version of Chevy's or On the Boarder and I would suggest choosing one of those places instead.
My Rating: 5 out 10
$: 6-15
http://www.ElChico.com/
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Burger King~Riverwind Casino
So I am going to make this short and sweet since fastfood is not worth wasting much time on. It was 1am and I had a few drinks in me and before i took a cab ride home i decided to venture to the BK at the casino. I ordered the BK stuffed Steakhouse. It was surprisingly really good, however i was drinking. It was stuffed with jalepenos and cheddar cheese and it had a very nice spice to it, but once again I most point out that I was drinking. The fries were good and the soda was pointless and I did not nothing to help my health.
My Rating: 1 out of 10, Fast Food Rating 6 out of 10
$ 1-8
http://www.bk.com/
My Rating: 1 out of 10, Fast Food Rating 6 out of 10
$ 1-8
http://www.bk.com/
Sunday, January 23, 2011
IHOP
It's 1230 am in Dallas. The night was just coming to a close and it was time to make the 3 hour drive home. We had just saw NOFX in concert and we were beat up and exhausted. Before we make the long trek home we needed to get some food in our bellies and some caffeine in my veins. There are not many options at this time of night so anything will do and the first thing that we see is an IHOP. As we walk up to the door the first person to greet us is not a hostess, but a security guard who opens the door for us. I'm not sure if this makes me feel safe or if I get more worried that this place needs a security guard. As we take are seats we are told by a lady who works their that our server will be right with us. A little bit of time goes by when the same person who sat us asks us for our drink order. I am not sure if she needed to finish talking before she helped us, or if whoever was supposed to help us was not doing their job and she was stepping in to take care of us. Either way i proceeded to order some coffee. IHOP features a coffee setup where when you order coffee, not only do you get a cup, but they give you an entire thermos so you can refill your coffee as often as you want. For food I ordered the Cinn-a-Stick French Toast Combo. It was 2 pieces of french toast that was smothered in a cinn-a-bun style gooey sauce served with 2 pieces of bacon and 2 eggs. The french toast was epic, It tasted exactly like a cinn-a-bun ordered from the mall and I was very pleased with it. For food and coffee after midnight IHOP definitely fulfilled my needs. Although the service was terrible, can you blame anyone who had to work at IHOP after midnight?
Rating: 4 out of 10, After midnight rating: 8 out of 10
$: 5-8
http://www.ihop.com/
Rating: 4 out of 10, After midnight rating: 8 out of 10
$: 5-8
http://www.ihop.com/
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