For five of us guys to manage a lunch together is nothing short of a miracle. Holiday season upon us I guess we all figured it would be nice to see each other prior to vacation time. Either that or we all were dying to get out of the office for a little while. Whatever the case it was nice to get together at Ha’ penny in downtown Boise.
I have only been to this establishment one other time and don’t remember a much about it. Yes, this is an Irish pub and Saint Patrick’s Day at Ha’ penny is deafening and standing room only event.
Today for lunch was quite different, very few people and a nice quiet place to congregate for lunch. As usual I ask the waitperson (politically correct?) for a recommendation. I was very surprised to see such a nicely proportioned menu. Great list of appetizers, salads, burgers and traditional Irish type dishes (lamb).
I decide on her suggestion and order the grilled cheese and tomato soup. Yeah, I caught a bunch of crap from the guys “did you order from the kids menu”, but was prepared for that and complemented my order with a pint of Guinness. The sandwich was good; Grilled cracked wheat sourdough with melted Tillamook Cheese. Soup on the other hand I would most likely pass on the next time. As I described to the guys, “it taste like spaghetti sauce”.
Other suggestions include the fish and chips and the Dublin dip. Fish appeared to be hand breaded and fried. The dip appeared to be sliced prime rib served with your choice of fries, chips or salad.
Good choices by all. Merry Christmas and thanks for lunch Jess!!!!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
FINALLY!!!!
I took a client to lunch today as I have done many times before and surely will do many times again. As I should, I always give the client there choice of places to dine. Many times it’s all the same, Cheesecake Factory, Chili’s, Applebee’s, etc. Today however I “FINALLY” got someone to take me to their favorite place.
As are many Mexican restaurants these days, Felipe’s is located in a strip mall, located at 7959 Auburn Blvd in Citrus Heights, Ca. The neighborhood looks like one of those you wouldn’t want to be out after dark and the outside appearance of the restaurant makes you wonder if you’ve had a tetanus shot lately. Perfect, I’m convinced these are the types of places you'll find the best food.
I haven’t been keeping a record but I would guess lunch and Mexican food cross paths for me at least once a week. As I dine at these places I find the menus way too large for a gringo to find anything he might try other than the standard items recognized from dinning at the local Taco Bell. Don’t be afraid to ask the server for suggestions, you might find something that will become your new favorite. (Something other than a chimichanga or burrito)
As I go from state to state I find that Mexican food is completely different from one place to the next. Places along the Mexican border like San Diego, Phoenix and anywhere in Texas I have found to be the best. The farther north you go the worse it gets.
Oh, yeah….back to Felipe’s. As I’m looking at the menu I find it’s a quarter of the size of the typical menu and most everything is a restaurant special. The tacos, burritos and chimichanga are on the back of the menu and listed as side items. I order Carnitas and am overwhelmed with the amount of food that is carted to the table. As at most Mexican restaurants, this meal is served on a platter which appears to contain a half of pig, a pile of rice and more beans than a human body should digest in a month. The pork Carnitas are extremely tender and perfectly flavored. Paired with a side of Jalapenos this was by far the best lunch I have had in a long, long time.
As the governor of California (AKA the Terminator) would say, “I’ll be back”.
As are many Mexican restaurants these days, Felipe’s is located in a strip mall, located at 7959 Auburn Blvd in Citrus Heights, Ca. The neighborhood looks like one of those you wouldn’t want to be out after dark and the outside appearance of the restaurant makes you wonder if you’ve had a tetanus shot lately. Perfect, I’m convinced these are the types of places you'll find the best food.
I haven’t been keeping a record but I would guess lunch and Mexican food cross paths for me at least once a week. As I dine at these places I find the menus way too large for a gringo to find anything he might try other than the standard items recognized from dinning at the local Taco Bell. Don’t be afraid to ask the server for suggestions, you might find something that will become your new favorite. (Something other than a chimichanga or burrito)
As I go from state to state I find that Mexican food is completely different from one place to the next. Places along the Mexican border like San Diego, Phoenix and anywhere in Texas I have found to be the best. The farther north you go the worse it gets.
Oh, yeah….back to Felipe’s. As I’m looking at the menu I find it’s a quarter of the size of the typical menu and most everything is a restaurant special. The tacos, burritos and chimichanga are on the back of the menu and listed as side items. I order Carnitas and am overwhelmed with the amount of food that is carted to the table. As at most Mexican restaurants, this meal is served on a platter which appears to contain a half of pig, a pile of rice and more beans than a human body should digest in a month. The pork Carnitas are extremely tender and perfectly flavored. Paired with a side of Jalapenos this was by far the best lunch I have had in a long, long time.
As the governor of California (AKA the Terminator) would say, “I’ll be back”.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Not my choice…and I’m not going back….EVER!!!!!
Tonight I’m in Sacramento Ca. and meeting a couple of guys that are working on a project here in town. I decide it would be nice to treat them to dinner and get a project update prior to my meetings starting tomorrow morning. They give me the choice and I choose a place that always has good food for a decent price. I’m salivating on the drive to Outback, thinking of the seared Ahi Appetizer and a cold beer when I get the call.
Hey, instead of the Outback, why don’t you meet us next door at the Red Lobster? It felt like that scene from Happy Gilmore, “hey shooter……I’ll be at the Red Lobster….”
I reluctantly agree and figure there has got to be something on the menu that can cure my desire for Ahi. WRONG!!!! If your thinking what I was thinking your wrong too. This is not a seafood restaurant!!!!! This place is the McDonald's of the seafood restaurants or even worse, White Castle.
Yes, I have been to Red Lobster before but I bet the last time was over ten years ago. I am now reminded that there was a reason for this. Nothing has changed. Everything on the menu is the same over priced crap that’s been there all along. We had the mix and match appetizer (always a fan of this option) that consisted of calamari with vegetables and crab stuffed mushrooms. I have to give it to them; the mushrooms were not that bad. The calamari was tough and oily and the so called vegetables consisted of broccoli flowerets that had been dusted with flower and seasoning and fried. What’s the logic there? Find the healthiest veggie on the planet and equip it to kill you.
I don’t have the patients to go into great detail about dinner. Everything that came to the table looked and smelled salty and oily. I tried to go the healthy route and bypass all of the fried stuff but to no avail, it still sucked. I ate about four bites and I only did that to try not to offend my dinner guests.
Tomorrow night, something Better!! I wonder if there’s a good Sushi place in town???????
Hey, instead of the Outback, why don’t you meet us next door at the Red Lobster? It felt like that scene from Happy Gilmore, “hey shooter……I’ll be at the Red Lobster….”
I reluctantly agree and figure there has got to be something on the menu that can cure my desire for Ahi. WRONG!!!! If your thinking what I was thinking your wrong too. This is not a seafood restaurant!!!!! This place is the McDonald's of the seafood restaurants or even worse, White Castle.
Yes, I have been to Red Lobster before but I bet the last time was over ten years ago. I am now reminded that there was a reason for this. Nothing has changed. Everything on the menu is the same over priced crap that’s been there all along. We had the mix and match appetizer (always a fan of this option) that consisted of calamari with vegetables and crab stuffed mushrooms. I have to give it to them; the mushrooms were not that bad. The calamari was tough and oily and the so called vegetables consisted of broccoli flowerets that had been dusted with flower and seasoning and fried. What’s the logic there? Find the healthiest veggie on the planet and equip it to kill you.
I don’t have the patients to go into great detail about dinner. Everything that came to the table looked and smelled salty and oily. I tried to go the healthy route and bypass all of the fried stuff but to no avail, it still sucked. I ate about four bites and I only did that to try not to offend my dinner guests.
Tomorrow night, something Better!! I wonder if there’s a good Sushi place in town???????
Friday, December 7, 2007
Eagle Rib Shack
In the mood for the best barbecue in the Boise Valley? Wherever you are in the valley it’s worth the drive to downtown Eagle for some finger licking deliciousness.
Last night I’m working later than normal and decide it would be a nice treat for the family to have some barbecue. There are two BBQ joints in Eagle but this one takes the gold medal. Walking in the door you will notice that the place is quite cozy and filled with the wonderful smell of BBQ. The staff is very friendly but almost too eager to take your order. Give yourself some time to look over the full menu, let people go ahead of you if you want. (This is a good opportunity to see what the regulars are getting)
On this night I order a half pound of the burnt ends, quarter pound of pulled pork and a large side of smashed potatoes. All of this will feed my family for under $17 and have a few leftovers. If this is your first visit try the special on the board; ¼ pound burnt ends sandwich with two sides and a drink. The pulled pork is ok but there are better things on the menu. If you decide on the pulled pork make sure to get extra BBQ sauce. They have a nice variety of sauces to choose from and make a spicy one that will get your attention.
Nothing has really changed in this place since the opened several years ago. I find this to be good in some regards and bad in others. People’s tastes are constantly changing and I think it necessary to cater to this by shaking things up a little. For this place I find the choice of side dishes lacking some what. The beans are just ok, Cole slaw could use some work and they really don’t have any vegetable to speak of. You can call the smashed potatoes a vegetable if you want but the amount of cream, butter, cheese and bacon will most likely cancel out any nutritional value. Personally I would like to get a bath tub full of them and roll around naked. Wow these are good but in the words of David Spade in Tommy Boy, “I can actually here you getting fatter”.
Last night I’m working later than normal and decide it would be a nice treat for the family to have some barbecue. There are two BBQ joints in Eagle but this one takes the gold medal. Walking in the door you will notice that the place is quite cozy and filled with the wonderful smell of BBQ. The staff is very friendly but almost too eager to take your order. Give yourself some time to look over the full menu, let people go ahead of you if you want. (This is a good opportunity to see what the regulars are getting)
On this night I order a half pound of the burnt ends, quarter pound of pulled pork and a large side of smashed potatoes. All of this will feed my family for under $17 and have a few leftovers. If this is your first visit try the special on the board; ¼ pound burnt ends sandwich with two sides and a drink. The pulled pork is ok but there are better things on the menu. If you decide on the pulled pork make sure to get extra BBQ sauce. They have a nice variety of sauces to choose from and make a spicy one that will get your attention.
Nothing has really changed in this place since the opened several years ago. I find this to be good in some regards and bad in others. People’s tastes are constantly changing and I think it necessary to cater to this by shaking things up a little. For this place I find the choice of side dishes lacking some what. The beans are just ok, Cole slaw could use some work and they really don’t have any vegetable to speak of. You can call the smashed potatoes a vegetable if you want but the amount of cream, butter, cheese and bacon will most likely cancel out any nutritional value. Personally I would like to get a bath tub full of them and roll around naked. Wow these are good but in the words of David Spade in Tommy Boy, “I can actually here you getting fatter”.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Free Lunch!!!
I often don’t pay for lunch out of my own pocket due while on the road or when home and having a business lunch. When I’m home and it comes out of my allowance I become pretty frugal. Sushi gets taken off the menu and I start clipping coupons or going to places I have been for years and know I will find a good deal.
Today is one of those days I’m in Boise, in a hurry and my allowance will likely take a ding. But wait, I have a punch card that’s full. That’s right, I have finally completed 10 lunches at Idaho Pizza Company on Overland and have been gifted a FREE LUNCH!!! I have been going there for years and will most likely continue until I move or die. They have always had a great salad bar, sandwiches and pizza. Lunch specials are under $7.00 and guaranteed to fill you past the comfort line weather you decide on the 2 topping mini pizza and salad bar (my choice), pizza buffet and salad bar, sandwich and salad bar or just the salad bar. Occasionally I find myself at the buffet but most time select the mini pizza with chicken and artichoke hearts. They have a cream sauce that can be substituted for the marinara that will expand the already plentiful variety of topping combinations.
Two Tips for you.
#1 - Be there by 11:30 AM or go late to beat most of the men and women of the National Guard or you will be in line for 10 minutes and the pizza at the buffet is gone as soon as it hits heated table.
#2 – If you’re looking to fill your punch card twice as fast; go on Wednesdays for double punch day. Take a friend or two.
Today is one of those days I’m in Boise, in a hurry and my allowance will likely take a ding. But wait, I have a punch card that’s full. That’s right, I have finally completed 10 lunches at Idaho Pizza Company on Overland and have been gifted a FREE LUNCH!!! I have been going there for years and will most likely continue until I move or die. They have always had a great salad bar, sandwiches and pizza. Lunch specials are under $7.00 and guaranteed to fill you past the comfort line weather you decide on the 2 topping mini pizza and salad bar (my choice), pizza buffet and salad bar, sandwich and salad bar or just the salad bar. Occasionally I find myself at the buffet but most time select the mini pizza with chicken and artichoke hearts. They have a cream sauce that can be substituted for the marinara that will expand the already plentiful variety of topping combinations.
Two Tips for you.
#1 - Be there by 11:30 AM or go late to beat most of the men and women of the National Guard or you will be in line for 10 minutes and the pizza at the buffet is gone as soon as it hits heated table.
#2 – If you’re looking to fill your punch card twice as fast; go on Wednesdays for double punch day. Take a friend or two.
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