Playa Bowls

I stopped in to try this new healthy vegan/vegetarian food place in the Grand Parkway Marketplace the other day. Playa Bowls is a national chain but this is the first one in our area. I got a Nica bowl (more on that below) with a banana and acai base, and added some whey protein. Washed it down with an acai lemonade refresher.

The first thing that will happen to you as a new customer when you contemplate the menu is option paralysis. The number of different toppings, add-ins, and base options would give you combinations roughly equivalent to the number of atoms in the universe. Fortunately the staff is very helpful if you are there in person. I sampled several of the bases and liked them all. All the bases are sorbets, which is I think a big improvement over whole berries and such. Also, almost all the menu combinations include granola, so you can at least start there. My Nica bowl came with sliced strawberries, sliced banana, a peanut butter drizzle, raw cacao nibs, and walnuts.

The bowl was delicious. I like acai sorbets and the banana one is great too. It is very filling and satisfying, a great meal or serious snack. The fruit was fresh and at ideal ripeness. The acai lemonade was a nice complement, a little sharper in flavor and it cut through the sweetness. The textures were great, a nice combination of crunch, softness and frozen. It's a big portion and I don't know how well it would save given the combination of fresh and frozen items, but it could definitely be shared--if you can agree on ingredients.

The store itself is inviting. There's a nice seating area with a couple of screens that show relaxing scenes. You could enjoy a bowl with friends easily. The two all-gender accessible restrooms (no gender or ability based waiting!) were clean and ready, and nicely decorated. The other option for this kind of thing in our area is Brazil Acai, an independent shop on Gosling. Both are pretty great.

My Yelp Review

La Cocina de Maria at Root Mart

This is the latest restaurant to occupy the kitchen inside the Chevron Root Mart. I stopped in the other day and got a chicken sope, three tacos (al pastor, fajita, and chicharrones) with rice and beans, and a drink and dessert from Root Mart.

The chicken sope, was decent, I think the flavoring of the chicken could have been more bold but it was fine. The al pastor and fajita tacos were very good--nice tender meat and bold flavors. The al pastor was just right, sometimes I find it too astringent but this was a very good example. The chicharrones taco really brought the heat--be prepared. I am not a huge fan of chicharrones tacos but if you like hot ones you'll like these. There were some other tasty items on display (some good looking roast chicken).

The rice and beans were less successful. They had been made some time ago. I watched the server add water to the beans to loosen them up a bit, but they still ate somewhat dry. The business is new and there were some other service issues--I can't rate the salsas because they were left out. I asked for flour tortillas and got corn, which is not a big deal, I like both. Definitely store-bought tortillas. No utensils or napkins in the to go order. But the server was nice and polite, I think they absolutely deserve a chance.

Root Mart (not on Yelp currently) is looking a little run down. The soda fountain had two sodas out of order, though the Coke was working fine. They still have a fine wine selection. I did not visit the restrooms this time. They are an institution here and I hope things turn around.

My Yelp Review

Kekas Lokas & More

This is the third location for Kekas Lokas. They went in where Classy Cork used to be, and kept their lighting--makes the place look nice. I stopped in for a Super Loka Mexican hot dog, elote (corn in a cup), a jamaica agua fresca and a chocolate and banana shake.

I love Mexican hot dogs and this one was quite good. Diced tomatoes, onions, mayo, mustard, ketchup and bacon. The dog is good sized. The bun was perhaps a touch stale--probably a storage issue. But definitely worth trying.

I did not love the corn. There was plenty of powdered Cotija cheese, mayo and sour cream, but it was lacking salt. Most places include some Parmesan and butter, and the salt makes it much better.

Kekas Lokas has several ice cream flavors that they include in various desserts and snacks. They offer fruit shakes, and I had one with bananas, chocolate ice cream and chocolate milk. The shake is the kind that counts as a drink--you can easily drink it through a straw. They will add sugar to your taste--I had them add a little and it was quite delicious.

I got my order to go but the restaurant has a nice atmosphere, what with the fancy lighting and wood paneling. The two all-gender, accessible restrooms (no gender or ability based waiting!) were very clean and ready. Kekas Lokas has a very broad menu with snacks, juices, sandwiches and quesadillas. Plenty to try. It's a nice addition to a corner with a lot of choices (at least 12 at Dowdell and Kuykendahl).

My Yelp Review

Krispy Krunchy Chicken

There are not many fast-food places to get bone-in chicken these days. In our area it's pretty much Popeye's, and now Krispy Krunchy Chicken. It's gas station chicken, but how does it hold up? I stopped in on a Saturday for lunch to see.

There was not a whole lot of chicken left, and I got the last order of potato wedges. The meal also came with a biscuit. It kind of looks to me like they make one batch of chicken at 9am and sell until it's out. That said--it wasn't bad. It held up well under the light and was reasonably crisp and tender. Potato wedges are not my favorite and the warming light does them no good, so not great for that. But the biscuit was fine. Not close to better than Popeye's, but you could do worse for gas station food.

The fountain at the GoTo Market is a fancy one with touch screens. The Coke dispensed with a shot of clear water first. Didn't badly affect the flavor, but you get more water if you top off. Let it overflow. I picked up a packaged marble cake for something sweet. A bit too heavy for me. Overall acceptable for gas station food though.

My Yelp Review

Taqueria Y Pupuseria Griss 3

This was a nice little find at the Charge Up Valero on 2920. They had specials running on Doordash so we got two gorditas, two cups of corn, an order of crispy potato tacos, and a jamaica agua fresca.

We ordered one beef and one chicken gordita but got two chicken ones. Not a real big deal. The gorditas are quite generous, we actually split one. Two gorditas for $6 is quite a deal. They had firm shells, a little chewy but they held together well. Quite good.

We got two 16 oz cups of corn because that was on special too. We have corn for days. It was delicious, if you like corn in a cup you will like this version. Cooked exactly right with great seasoning.

The potato tacos were the highlight of the meal. You can only get these in a pack of 5. Crisp, deep-fried corn shells filled with tasty potato, Mexican cheese and an avocado slice. The contrast of the shells and filling was marvelous. Not my thing to make a meal out of but a great complement to a family meal. You should try them.

The jamaica was a good version, nice and strong, and a large serving. The salsas came in little jewelry ziplocs. Tasted homemade. The red salsa is seriously hot, be careful with it. The green salsa is sharp and was good with the potato tacos.

Overall it is for sure worth a try.

My Yelp Review

Stack & Slice

Stopped in to try this new food truck at the Charge Up. They have meal combos--I got the Smash Deal and saved about $3 on a Smash double burger, fries and a lemonade. Added the mini pancakes. It was all ready in about 15 minutes.

The lemonade is excellent, a must try. I got the pomegranate flavor. Not a lot of pomegranate, just a hint really, but the lemonade is great. Sweet but not too sweet and lightly carbonated, with real squeezed lemons. Yum.

The burger was a very good one. The patties are cooked just right with crisp edges. Comes with cheese, pickles and a special sauce, enough that it slides a bit, but very tasty. The fries are the standard kind but they were cooked just right and well seasoned, a nice complement.

The mini pancakes are an intriguing concept but kind of a miss for me. Lots of tiny pancakes with a lot of chocolate sauce, too much sauce I think. I could see this working on a dessert plate but they aren't great out of a to go container. They have a Dubai chocolate version and a Dubai chocolate cup (chocolate without the pancakes I think), but the cup was $15, a bit rich for me.

Service was friendly. Overall I think it's a solid food truck choice. The alternative name is Zabiha Halal, but I don't know that the Stack and Slice menu has Halal food--the loaded fries come with bacon, which as far as I know does not qualify. They also serve pizza, including a Malai Tikka pizza that looks interesting.  The truck is at this location Tuesday-Friday. On the weekend it is in Bridgestone park down on 2920.

My Yelp Review

Pupuseria &Taqueria El Fogon

This is a tasty and interesting new food truck, currently parked at the Star Stop Exxon at Kuykendahl and Gosling.  We tried three tacos--chicken, al pastor and beef fajita--and their fried rice with chicken.  Washed it down with a jamaica agua fresca.

They have a broad and diverse menu.  Pupusas (of course), Central American dishes, hamburgers, and the above mentioned fried rice.  Never seen that at a Tex-Mex food truck and I had to try it.  It's a pretty standard Asian fried rice, but actually a very good representation.  It was well seasoned and the chicken was done just right.  A nice mix of vegetables and egg as well.  Plenty for two meals.

The tacos were a good representation also.  The chicken was very good.  The pork and beef tacos had good flavor.  They were just a bit chewy but not anything to complain about.  The tortillas tasted homemade.  The meal came with three sauces--two salsas, red and green, and a chili sauce.  The salsas were moderately hot with good flavor.  The chili sauce had only a little flavor, seemed mostly to be an oil for heat.  It was nice for mouth feel.

The jamaica was delicious, nice and strong and a generous serving.  

One other unique feature--the truck has a breakfast menu, despite only being open for dinner or late snacks.  This would be a good place for breakfast-for-dinner fans. Overall it’s worth a try.

My Yelp Review https://yelp.to/MbH7WHGzau