Good Eats: Cafe Burrito

There was a LivingSocial deal earlier this year advertising a pretty cool night out: a half price discount on 2 movie tickets at Studio Cinema in Belmont as well as 2 burritos and 2 drinks at it's adjoining restaurant, Cafe Burrito. The idea is that you get your food next door and then go eat it in the theater (like Chunky's).

We drove out to Belmont yesterday to see The Great Gatsby. It was a 2pm showing so we planned on getting our food after the movie. The guy at the front desk (who I'm pretty sure was also the owner) said that's not how it's supposed to work but LivingSocial didn't make that clear so he let us go in sans food. Anyway, it's a one screen theater and doesn't look like much from the outside. The auditorium reminded me of one I visited for a high school play my friend was in. The only difference was that they had removed some of the seats and replaced them with tables so you could more comfortably eat in the theater.

Fast forward 2+ hours and it's burrito time. We head next door to Cafe Burrito and order our 2 burritos as well as a side of chips and queso because Brig has needs. The burritos were very good and the queso was pretty comparable to Qdoba. It, too, was a small spot and there wasn't much seating except for bar stools at the window. It did get maybe a dozen customers while we were there but who knows how many were LivingSocial buyers like ourselves and getting their food before the 5pm showing of Gatsby.

If you're in Belmont then there's really no reason not to try it. We both said it's somewhere we'd go back to but really no rush there.

Good Eats: District 7

We bought a Groupon (sorry LivingSocial/Google Offers/Amazon Offers/Tippr, etc. but Groupon is the noun that describes all of you. First to market and all that.) for a bar in Malden called District 7. Our town is right next to Malden so we were excited to find a local drinking hole that didn't involve going into Boston or being a sketched out dive.

When we walked in I was pleasantly surprised at A) how clean it was and B) how normal the clientele seemed. We grabbed the last booth and noticed that each one had its own TV. Nice! The waitress came right over to take our drink orders and was knowledgable when Brig had a question. We looked around to see a lot of firefighter paraphenalia on the walls. Turns out they are a firefighter-themed bar and a main hangout of the Malden fire department. Pretty cool.

We had a $20 for $40 deal so we had to spend that much between the two of us, excluding alcoholic beverages. This is harder than you'd think when everything is reasonably priced. We ordered nachos for an app (very big, perfectly cooked), I got a burger and Brig ordered... I don't even know, maybe a salad? Then we ordered dessert (Was it chocolate lava cake? Maybe Brig should just leave a comment with the answers) and it was also a large portion. We were not disappointed.

So now we're really into this bar and telling everyone about it. We're gonna have to go back for Tag Team Trivia on Wednesdays. Who's in?

Good Eats: Bone Daddy's Burgers

I buy lunch every work day. Blame it on Pre-K through High School bagged lunches. I like to try new things but I do have certain restrictions: no pizza, no burgers, no vegetables (just kidding). Burgers and pizza are my two favorite things in life (plus the Babbler) so it made sense to cut those out to allow me to branch out.

For the past year or so I have been using the City of Boston's food truck schedule to see if there are any interesting food trucks in my neighborhood that day. Outside of the traveling Redbones truck and Grilled Cheese Nation/Roxy's (so similar I don't know which one I visited) I haven't really embraced their existence. A lot of the options are extremely niche: fish, cupcakes, crepes, noodles, etc. Good every once in a while but not anything that is going to have me clamoring.

When I brought up the website today I saw an interesting new truck I hadn't seen before: Bone Daddy's Burgers. I clicked on their menu and was greeted with 3-4 items that I immediately wanted to try. A short jaunt to Milk St. later and I've got burger in hand. I ordered the Mia, which is a cheeseburger topped with pico de gallo and avocado. It was so good it blew me away. I think I'm going to stalk this truck moving forward and take every opportunity I can to get another bite.

Good Eats: Parker's

I don't know if the Omni Parker House is really a big deal but I always thought it was. I've been working near it since I moved to Boston and everytime I passed got the feeling it was historical and fancy. When I saw that it was on the list for Restaurant Week, I knew I had to finally see what it was all about.

There are three different destinations within the Parker House: Parker's Restaurant, Parker's Bar and The Last Hurrah Bar. We ate at Parker's Restaurant and our drinks came from right up the stairs in Parker's Bar. The Last Hurrah was on the other side of the building.

First things first, we need drinks. They only provide us with a wine menu so Brig asks for a drink menu. The guy mutters something about the bar and then trudges upstairs to get us the full bar menu. Brig orders something crazy (and is suprised when she doesn't like it) and I try to order a beer but they don't have any on draft. They don't have a single draft beer. I don't have a problem with this except that the menu doesn't specify what's on tap so when my first request gets shot down and then my second request gets shot down I finally hand the menu to the waitress and ask her to read off what actually is available. March is a little early for Corona but my hand was forced.

I ordered the scallops for my first course and they were fantastic. I'm not a big seafood person but these were top notch. My entree was the grilled sirloin steak that was cooked a perfect medium and delicious. For dessert I got the Boston Cream Pie and found out that this was the original Boston Cream Pie. It wasn't Brig's favorite (she was expecting a donut) but it was pretty good.

Weirdly, even though I enjoyed all the food I wouldn't come back here. It was a very strange atmosphere and just didn't feel like a fun place (or a very fancy place either). No personality = No business.

Good Eats: Burger Dive

Burger Dive is a perfectly named restaurant. It has all the makings of a chain and I can definitely see it taking off. This location just opened near our house and even though I've mentioned it multiple times, Brig wasn't interested until she read about it on boston.com.

The first thing we noticed upon arrival was a PT Cruiser parked in front that was designed like a hamburger. I could attach a picture but it's even funnier to imagine it. When we got inside we saw that they not only had normal cashiers but also two kiosks where you could punch in your order, slide your credit card and skip the line. Pretty fancy for these parts. Since this was our first visit, we did it the old fashioned way so we could ask questions.

I ordered a Bakoneater which, unbeknownst to me, doesn't come with strips of bacon but rather the burger is half beef/half bacon. The only time it really tasted bacon-y was the first bite. After that, all the other ingredients took over and it just tasted like a normal burger.

Brig ordered an Ultimelt which she enjoyed but which was very messy. We ordered a side of fries that were very good but we found that their "large" was a little lacking. Also, they apparently have tater tots which we totally would have tried if we had seen it at the time.

Brig also wanted to try a milkshake because that's apparently their thing. We got the S'mores flavor and it was delicious! I was ready to blast them for trying to steal Sonic's thunder but they actually know what they're doing. They also have a station for different sauces you can try: ketchup, BBQ, honey mustard, chipotle, their own house dip and more.

The prices were exactly what we would expect, sans the milkshake which was probably a $1.50 more than one would think. This place is definitely on the fact track to becoming a chain and I foresee it being very successful in the future.

Good Eats: Masa

It's Restaurant Week here in Boston and last night we visited Masa in the South End. Brig had heard good things about this place (and/or it was the closest option to her office) so we made after-work reservations. Turns out, 6:00 reservations are only needed on New Years Eve and Valentine's Day (Thanks, Garry Marshall!). There were a few people sitting at the bar but the dining room was barren. There were only two other couples seated when we arrived. (Is 6:00 really that early? Am I old?)

The hostess took our coats and guided us to our booth. The first thing she said was "Watch out for the lip." Brig figured this meant there was a small step up to the table. Alas, she was caught off guard when she slammed her hip into what I can only describe as something like an armrest on the end of the booth seat. These "decorative" booths sure are nice but they're not practical in the least. There is no room between the table and the lip to casually slide into your seat so instead you look ridiculous trying to slowly guide your body in without smashing into anything.

Once finally (awkwardly) seated our server greets himself and asks if we want some Pellegrino (They have bottles on every table). We say no and then start a debate over how things get carbonated (It's science). When he comes back to take our order Brig immediately tells him not to ask for our dessert selections as she has an unsatisfiable craving for anything sweet and how can she ever choose just one she's not ready yet.

We both order their house caesar salad (blue corn tortilla chips instead of croutons) while Brig gets the roasted yellow pepper and I have the young chicken (menu). I didn't for one moment consider why they felt the need to describe my chicken as "young" but needless to say I was surprised when I was served a full rotisserie chicken. This wasn't your run of the mill supermarket chicken but it was literally a small chicken. Long story short, I should have ordered the steak frites.

We make it to dessert and Brig has her choice ready: banana bread pudding. I chose the chocolate truffle tamale. This was the best choice of the night. One of the greatest desserts I've ever had and Brig was so jealous that even after I let her try a bite she kept trying to steal more. That's so unlike her.

Good Eats: Moksa

Moksa is a Pan-Asian style tapas joint that shares a building with its neighbor, Naga, a dance club. Our cab driver knew this but apparently we aren't as familiar with Central Square. Saturday night, we went to Moksa for Brig's friend's birthday.

When we were ordering our first drinks the waiter stopped us. He recommended perusing the original creations by their Beverage Director as she is one of the top mixologists in the city. Based on that recommendation we took a look at their drink menu. It's a Chinese zodiac! So creative!*

I started off with a Red Viper (which FYI looks really girly... because it's red) and then moved on to a Shanghai Noon. The Viper was much better. We also had 2 shots of Patron, which added onto the 2 shots of Cafe Patron Brig made us do before we left the house, was trouble.

We ordered a couple apps for the table (edamame and pork dumplings) that were delicious. For my entree I ordered a Philadelphia Roll because that barely counts as sushi and is my favorite. I believe Brig got a vegetable roll which she seemed to like.

The rest of the night consisted of dancing at Hong Kong and blacking out but our Good Eats entry ends here with a thumbs up for Moksa.


*This is not sarcasm. I was floored by it.

Good Eats: Todd English's Olives

Saturday night we visited the famed restaurant, Olives, by local boy Todd English. English is now a famous celebrity chef and it all started with Olives. My only previous knowledge of Olives was that there was a fire a couple years ago and English had a hell of a time getting it opened again. That finally happened last year and when Brig and I saw a Groupon a couple months ago we decided to give it a shot.

As we walked down a Charlestown street to the restaurant, we were greeted by... nothing. There was no sign outside, nothing whatsoever that would lead you to believe this was anything, nevermind a renowned restaurant. Lucky for us, the huge glass windows showed a bar and an open kitchen and so we headed in.

Our waiter was very nice and explained everything in detail. Brig and I got beers and shared a veal meatball appetizer. It was served in a little skillet filled with three different types of melted cheese. Absolutely delicious. For entrees, Brig ordered meatloaf and I had the lamb sandwich. Sandwich is a relative term though as it was really more like a fajita. Each ingredient was presented separately on a large piece of flatbread. There were multiple cuts of lamb, tomatoes, red peppers, hummus, olive tapenade and a cucumber dip. It was a great choice.

For dessert, we shared a pumpkin cheesecake that had just the right flavor level of everything. It really was a good time. There were plenty of other people there but it wasn't packed or exceptionally loud. And the lighting was just the right dimness. We will definitely come back here again to get our fine dining fill.

Good Eats: Mooo....

Last week, one of our team members who works out of state came up to Boston for a couple days. For lunch, we ended up going to a restaurant called Mooo…. (yes, that’s ‘moo’ with an extra ‘o’ and 4 dots).

They are a steak shop (duh) and my manager highly recommended their burger. That’s my go-to anyway so I was pretty excited for the unveiling. The presentation was top notch as the burger was big and the fries came in a mini black pot (better than I’m describing it). I ordered my burger medium but it was definitely redder than I usually like. However, it didn’t have the usual bloody taste of something that red and it was quickly forgotten about. Even though it was juicier than I was expecting, it didn’t puddle up my plate and the burger was all-around great.

If you checked out the website link up above and saw the fanciness then you can guess how expensive it was. Although none of us ordered it, they did have a lunch deal of a 3 course meal (salad, choice of steak/chicken/fish entrée, dessert) for only $25 which seems like a great way to go if you can nap all afternoon instead of having to work. This place gets my recommendation.

Good Eats: Five Horses Tavern

This is a relatively new bar (only 1 year old!) in Davis Square that we recently visited. It had a "casual cool" vibe and the clientele was mostly collegiate and the dress code was apparently flannel.

There was a 15 minute wait to be seated so we went to the bar and got waited on by a very nice, extremely informed bartender (bartenderess?). She gave us samples of beers to try and was quick with a recommendation. She was really good at -- and clearly enjoyed -- her job.

Once we were seated, we had a waitress who I wouldn't describe as attentive but was able to answer questions we had about the menu. I got the tavern burger (good), Geary's Pale Ale (very good) and Ipswich IPA (not the best). All in all this is definitely somewhere I would return.

A Massive Good Eats

Since I returned to this blog on November 29 after a 2+ month layoff I promised I would catch you up on what happened during my furlough. So far, I have checked nearly everything off my list except one: a massive Good Eats. Let's do it bullet style.

The Oceanaire (Financial District) - Went here for a work lunch. Pricey, all seafood, well designed interior.

Dempsey's (Everett) - I'd been wanting to try this place since I moved and it didn't disappoint. Great brunch spot.

Boston Market (Medford) - Might have gone once as a kid but otherwise had no familiarity with it. Good chicken but this location seemed a little odd.

Elevation Burger (PA) - We were pretty much starving after an epic basketball game but I think these burgers would have been good even in a normal lunchtime setting.

Philly Soft Pretzel Company (PA) - I'm not a pretzel aficionado but Brig is and she liked them here. Also, they were on an episode of Undercover Boss (hat tip to Sawheels for this tidbit).

El Burrito (PA) - A little hole in the wall Mexican joint but my burrito was much better than expected. And they sell Mexican Coke!

Continental Bakery (Everett) - Another spot in my neighborhood. Avoid Mike's and Modern and come on out to Continental! Not just pastries either, they bake a mean loaf of bread.

The Red Hat (Scollay Square) - I got a Groupon for this place because it's right near my office. The food was underwhelming and Brig thought the beer had a weird taste too.

Sports Grille Boston (North Station) - Went here before a Celts game and it was obviously packed. Every table had it's own TV which is pretty balla.

Anthem (Faneuil Hall) - Went here for another work lunch. It was fine but probably wouldn't feel the need to go back.

Four Burgers (Boston Common) - Big time disappointment. Ordering a burger here is harder than it should be and the fries are worthless.

The Tip Tap Room (Scollay Square) - A new spot that just opened up by my office. Had a great time here.

The Painted Burro (Davis Square) - Recommended by a friend of ours who also eats out a lot. My tostada was fantastic.

*As Brig pointed out in the comments I completely forgot the coup-de-grace. There is a Brazilian steakhouse in our 'hood appropriately named Braza. It is terrible. Bad service, bad seating, bad heating (they had a space heater out in the open) and bad food. The only thing that made it worthwhile was that I had a Groupon so it cost $0 because our waitress couldn't even bother to bring us the beers we ordered. FAIL

Hawaiian Good Eats

This is probably going to end up longer than I hoped but every restaurant has a story behind it. And I understand if you don't care. I wouldn't have cared (and didn't care) until I went to Hawaii myself. Now that I'm back I notice it everywhere and crave more. So this is for me and my fellow island visitors.

Travaasa is the name of a hotel in Hana. It's about the only thing in Hana. We quickly realized this as our plan to drive the Road to Hana involved getting lunch in the namesake town and there wasn't exactly a "town". So we stopped there to have brunch. Brig ordered banana pancakes (w/ macadamia nuts & coconut syrup!) and a side of pineapple and I got eggs benedict (I know, boring. But they're new to me and I'm kind of obsessed now.) The waitress brought out a plate with legit one full side of a pineapple. It was the greatest thing I have ever tasted. I will never have pineapple again unless I'm in Hawaii because what we consider to be pineapple is not actually pineapple.

Cafe O'Lei is not a French restaurant (Cafe Au Lait) like Brig thought or a Mexican restaurant (Cafe Ole) like I thought. I don't remember this restaurant very well but I think it was OK. We ordered our first mai tais here.

Fred's Mexican Cafe & Cantina is a place Brig had heard about through her preparations for our trip. We sat outside and enjoyed their selection of real tropical beers (read: not Corona). Brig ordered an enchilada and the cook wrote Aloha on it in sour cream! If you like the Border Cafes/Margarita's of the world this is of the same ilk.

Kula Lodge & Restaurant was another Travaasa-type stop as we were hungry and happened to see it. The host took a while to seat us (he was running around but it wasn't busy). They had floor to ceiling windows so you could see their outside area but it was closed that day. This was another place we ordered brunch from. (It took us about half the week to get our bodies in synch with the 6 hour time difference.)

I made a point to check into all our restaurants on Foursquare for the express purpose of recreating our experience (and showing off to all my Twitter followers) but one place I didn't check in was Jack in the Box. That's right, we were in Maui and went to a Jack in the Box. Truth is neither Brig nor I had been to one before and we wanted to try it. The big letdown was that they were out of sourdough so half their sandwiches were off the board.

Kihei Aloha Ice Cream was a little place that had 100 different flavors written on a chalk board that took up one entire wall. I'm not a big I Scream guy but I liked it.

Moose McGillycuddy's shares a space with Fred's and is located right above it. They had some great burgers and Brig even got to keep her beer glass for her birthday! (They don't know this.)

Mama's Fish House is one of the best recommended restaurants on Maui. It is, of course, a seafood specialty place. They had their own private beach and were very popular. We had to make dinner reservations for 4:30 (which actually wasn't bad considering it was 10:30 EST). Their menu was updated daily and gave specific information on the fish they caught, who caught it, and where they caught it. For example, "Deep-water Ahi caught ten miles offshore from Hana by Matt Smith." Yeah, it was pretty serious. The food was top notch and I liked everything except our waiter.

Fat Boy Burger was kind of an accident. Brig had been watching the local channel the night before and it mentioned a restaurant down the street from us that she wanted to try. We had the address but 100% could not find the place. So instead, I saw this burger place (of course I did) and that's where we ended up. The burgers were fine, nothing extraordinary. It's not a dine-in restaurant but they do have a few tables set up in the courtyard.

Thursday night, we went to a luau at the Wailea Marriot called Te Au Moana (The Ocean Tide). First, it was a fantastic show but it also included a pig roast buffet (excellent) and an open bar. This is the luau to go to when you visit Maui.

Cheeseburger in Paradise was a spot that was recommended to us by someone at Ulua Beach. She had been staying in Lahaina and we were planning on taking a day trip up there so we added it to the itinerary. The place was packed but was very low-key. It was right on the beach and you could see the little crabs scuttling around below. Brig was able to get a huge tiki glass (she bought it this time) to take home.

Maui Tacos is a Hawaiian chain. They have a bunch of locations all over the island, usually pretty small shops. We saw a lot of people picking up to-go orders and only a few ate there. We went in not expecting much but were pleasantly surprised. I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you we considered opening a franchise here. I think it would be a big success.

Maui Gelato was a clean, bright place with a very knowledgable server. I say all that because I didn't like it at all. I got mint that was too minty and it turned into liquid too quickly and I got it all over myself. Next.

Last but not least was Stinger Ray's Tropical Bar & Grill. We spent 4 hours there waiting for our flight in the Kahului Airport. Good beer, good service, plenty of apps. Just don't get the chili chees fries before a 5 hour, overnight flight. You're welcome.

Good Eats: Red Robin... YUM!

So apparently Red Robin is known for a few things other than “…YUM!” For some reason, I had thought they were like Johnny Rockets and a throwback to a bygone age. Not. Even. Close.

Red Robin is a burger house that’s setup like a TGI Friday’s/Applebee’s/Chili’s with a big ol’ bar and plenty of TVs. They offer bottomless fries which means “all you can eat” and not “tops only”. They have a wide variety of burgers and there are plenty of options. I got a BBQ/onion ring deal and Brig got hers with a fried egg.

Other than that I didn’t think it was anything special. Much like those 3 national chains, Red Robin has no atmosphere. The food and service was fine but this isn’t a place you’d feel the need to go more than a couple times a year. Regardless of the actual restaurant, it’s safe to admit that at least their marketing department is onto something. …YUM!

Good Eats: Speed Round

Today I felt like doing one big recap of a few new places I’ve tried recently. I’m thinking bulletpoint style because there’s really no good way to connect all of them. Let’s just go with the flow…

The Jerry Remy’s near Fenway has a fantastic roof deck. You can see the ballpark right across the street and feel the action (no view of the field though). There is plenty of cover for shade and oscillating fans with mist to keep you cool even during the dog days of summer. And if you want to know about the beer selection up there and how it compares to downstairs in the main restaurant, well, don’t take my word for it.

Sticking in the neighborhood, I had my first bite of a Tasty Burger last weekend. It was delicious. What I remember most was the speed in which it was ready, the “special” sauce they used and the mess that it made (always a sign of a good burger). I would probably rate it 2^nd or 3^rd on my list of casual burger places after Five Guys, right there with Fuddrucker’s, ahead of UBurger and lightyears better than B.Good.

To the North End we head and an overachieving hole in the wall known as Ernesto’s. Apparently, North Enders know this spot but we were clueless. The slices are HUGE. If you want 2 normal slices, order 1 Ernesto’s slice. We made the mistake of ordering 2 slices for each of us so we had a full 8 slice pizza on our hands. And boy is it a hidden gem. It’s hard to find the entrance because it barely exists. Studio apartments are bigger than this place. There were 4 tables crammed inside so come prepared to eat your food on the way out the door. As you may have figured, none of this would be worth it if the pizza wasn’t top notch and you certainly won’t be disappointed. They have a wide variety of selections so you can try something new or enjoy an old favorite.

If you head down Atlantic Ave a couple blocks you will run into Littlest Bar. I have passed this bar numerous times on my way to The Times right next door but this week I decided to take my first foray. As the name suggests, it is in a small space. It shares the first floor of the building with The Times and receives maybe 20% of the space. They legitimately had a door behind their bar that opened up into their neighbor’s back room, which is bigger than their entirety. But what was really great was their outdoor patio which was quite spacious and caught me by surprise. We happened to be the only ones out there (rain was in the forecast and it started sprinkling just as we asked for the check) but it seemed like it could be a really happening spot.

Last but not least, let’s cross the bridge to Charlestown and visit Tavern on the Water. I had a vague familiarity with this place (in name only) and did not know what to expect from our venture. It ended up blowing us away. Whether you get a table upstairs or snare a stool on the outer edge of the main floor the views are amazing. We also got fooled into checking out the bar downstairs which had fake sand and was cash only (don’t waste your time with this nonsense). And they may not have nachos but try the chips & guac.

Good Eats: Saus

Saus is a little Belgian restaurant in the strip of bars between Faneuil and Haymarket. They are known for their waffles and fries but they take their name from the smorgasbord of sauces they have available.

We were the first people there (it opens at Noon on Sundays) but it filled up quickly. By the time we had finished the rest of the tables were full with customers. We were there with another couple so we were able to try multiple sauces. We ordered a large fry with the vampire slayer dipping sauce (garlic-y) and they ordered theirs with the cheddar & duvel ale (Belgian beer) sauce. Then we got a waffle with caramel sauce and they got one with lemon sauce.

The fries were absolutely fantastic. I actually preferred the cheese/ale sauce but even without dipping them the fries were top notch. However, the waffle was way too sweet for me. It was definitely more dessert-y than what we Americans eat as a breakfast food. Brig downed it with no trouble though. (Of course she did.)

For an entrée, I ordered a frikandel sandwich which they described as a hamburger/sausage type deal. I got the double cheddar version (another awesome sauce) and it was the greatest new thing I’ve tried in a long time. Remember our trip to Jacob Wirth when I tried knockwurst for the first time and found I liked it? (Insert blog link; wait, I didn't write one because Brig beat me to it and she didn't mention the food at all.) This frikandel blows it away as far as a new taste that I enjoy.

If that somehow doesn’t catch your interest they have other sandwiches like a chicken wrap and faux falafel (no chickpeas). I want to go back to get another frikandel and try a new sauce. There are so many choices you will never run out of options… or excuses to stop going. Let’s eat our way through the menu!

Good Eats: Popeye's & The Tap

You know how sometimes you just get the feeling that you’re not going to like a place? We went to The Tap on Friday, and even though we knew nothing about the place beforehand, we actively skipped over it on our initial walk-by. If you’re familiar with the Faneuil Hall area at all then you’re probably aware of the Union St. strip of bars: The Bell in Hand, Purple Shamrock, etc. Well, we wanted to try somewhere new. So we walked over to Blackstone Grill but there was a musician playing very loudly and we wanted to be able to talk. So we walked over to Hennessy’s which is one bar over from Blackstone Grill. What’s the one bar in between? The Tap. Somehow, without even vocalizing it, we didn’t consider it as an option and just kept walking to Hennessy’s. Anyway, we walked in and they also had a way too loud musician playing. So, we decided to head into The Tap (where there was no music whatsoever).

We got a table right by the window and were nicely secluded. The first sign of trouble was our 13 year old waitress. Legit, she had braces. The second sign of trouble was our food. We ordered something called tap tots as well as their nachos. The tap tots sounded promising -- “Homemade tater tots stuffed with bacon and cheese” -- but they weren’t as good as the description. Then, the nachos came out and there was one layer of cheese over the top row of chips and that was it. Everyone knows nachos are like an iceberg... the majority is beneath the surface; so to ignore them like that is a real no-no. I will never go back there.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we had our first taste of Popeye’s on Saturday. Brig’s friends from Syracuse had been posting on Facebook about the new Popeye’s that had opened up there, so, she wanted to try the one that had recently opened in our neighborhood. It was very clean and bright and the staff was nice and helpful. I got a chicken sandwich (it comes with lettuce, pickles and mayo but I went sans pickles) and it was fantastic. I liked it better than KFC. My only complaint is I didn’t care for the mashed potatoes as much. Next time I’ll try the Cajun fries.