Russo's New York Pizzeria at Grand Parkway Marketplace II

This location is new and near us--I tried the one at Kuykendahl and Rayford a few months ago and was not impressed at all.  This is much better.

I had the cauliflower fritti, the chicken parmesan sandwich, and carrot cake, with a soda.  This set me back $35, which is a lot, but the portions were huge--it's three meals worth of food, so not so bad.

You get a bruschetta starter with dipping oil here, which is good.  But bruschetta is kind of thin and firm, which means it doesn't take up the olive oil at all, so it's an odd pairing.

The cauliflower fritti is what it sounds like--fried cauliflower.  I've had this at Nadia's Mediterranean and liked it better, but this was pretty good.  I wish the pieces were smaller, there's no way to eat them in one bite and cutting it is awkward.

I had the chicken parm sandwich on flatbread.  It was decent, with crisp bread, and really big.  It's a large round cut in four pieces, one of which would have been enough.  I would have liked it to have more flavor but it ate OK.

Again, the carrot cake was enough to share with 3 or 4 people.  I enjoyed it, it was everything carrot cake should be--dense and moist, with tasty cream cheese frosting.

There's a large sign saying "Place Order Here" at the counter, but it's high up so it's easy to miss on the way in.  You go to the counter and order, then sit anywhere and they bring the food to your table, so in that respect it's like most fast food places these days.  But the pricing and menu is not much like fast food, so that's kind of confusing.  Also, the other location had table service. 

To me Russo's sort of an echo of Olive Garden with a smaller menu.  I would go to Gratzie's for more genuine cuisine, but this might be the call if the line at the OG is too long.

Their drink dispenser is a Freestyle, but it's a simplified version--no flavorings for the Coke.  It was working properly when I visited.  The bathroom was also very clean and ready for use.  It was fine, I would go back.

My Yelp Review

Pizza Hut at Kuykendall and Northcrest

This is now our delivery location so we gave it a try the other night.  I have not had Pizza Hut in awhile due to service issues, but it's my favorite recipe.

First I tried to place our order in the app, but we wanted a half and half pizza and the app doesn't support that option.  I ended up calling the place, which worked out fine--they could do half and half, and my order was taken and filled correctly.

The pizzas were good as always.  My issue with them is that they weren't really cut, just scored, by whoever cut them at the shop.  I had to finish cutting them at home, they were not coming apart.  We ordered breadsticks and cinnamon sticks with them, which is where a difference between the app and the store showed up.  The app says they have Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, but the store said they had cinnamon sticks, which are their dough with cinnamon glaze and icing separate.  The breadsticks are OK but I think most others are better.  The cinnamon sticks did not work at all--kind of hard and chewy, not good flavor.  The store also had some options on the menu that we didn't see online.

This store is in the old Pie Five location, and they have put the space to use like Marco's--lots of tables so you can eat there if you wish.  I could tell they had been used because they weren't too clean.  The bathroom was OK though.

I don't know how they would be for delivery but I hope better than our previous delivery location.  The app is primitive compared to others we have tried, and the menu has far fewer choices.  We've been using Domino's and Papa John's for awhile, and I don't think that will change.

My Yelp Review

Willie's Grill and Icehouse at Grand Parkway Marketplace

I have never been to a Willie's, so now that we have one in the neighborhood it was a good opportunity to try it.  I have heard the mixed reviews on the food, so I decided to keep it basic with a bacon cheeseburger and loaded fries.

The service concept is different from anywhere else I have been--you order and get your drink at the counter, then your server brings the food and handles your bill.  I saw some folks getting a bit confused over this as the restaurant became more crowded and they had to find a table with a drink in hand.  Also, the order takers get the bar drinks for you, which slows down the line if the person orders a mixed drink.

My server was very polite and attentive, checking up on me very regularly--maybe two times too many, though I cannot fault her politeness at all.  I got my bacon cheeseburger and fries in reasonable time.  It was a competent one, done but not overdone with good bacon.  The fries were OK, I usually don't get loaded ones but I've had them before.  If you like them they will be fine but not spectacular.

They have desserts in a menu at the table--if you want one your server will need to add it to the bill.  This caused an issue as my server took the order but didn't add it, so I didn't find out it wasn't coming until she brought me my bill.  I got it shortly thereafter.  I got the brownie with ice cream, and again it's about as good as any.

Willie's has the kind of rustic and sparse decor you expect in any ice house, except it has walls.  The bathroom was in reasonable condition considering the place was very busy.

Overall I had a decent experience but am not sure I would seek it out.  I would go with someone who wanted to go there.  I'm taking into account that many friends of mine have eaten here and not been impressed by the food.  The place is busy and popular, so they are going to get a chance to improve,  but overall it isn't off to a great start.

My Yelp Review

For You For Me Tacos

This taco truck has kind of flown under the radar for me.  It's been in its current location for more than a year and I finally got around to trying it out.  Very glad I did.  I got three tacos--egg and sausage, beef fajita, and barbacoa, all on flour tortillas.

The tacos are small--street size, but they are only $2 apiece so they are a great bargain.  The eggs were cooked fresh when I ordered, so they were fluffy and delicious in the breakfast taco.  The fajita taco was tender and cut small but not too small--if there were any gristly bits I didn't notice.  The barbacoa was squishy tender, just like it should be.  They were all just a bit salty but really good flavor, and all three came with an avocado slice that complemented the filling wonderfully.

I tried both the red and green sauces.  The green chile sauce is the milder one, but it still had a pretty good kick.  The red sauce is hot stuff.  If you like hot, you will actually get it here.

My only disappointment was the drink.  The agua fresca of the day was pineapple.  I like pineapple, but this one was a bit watery.  Still good for washing down the tacos but I'd probably get a Mexican coke next time.

This place has been open pretty much any time you would want food, 7am-9pm every day except Sunday (8-3).  Just recently they have not been as consistent about keeping posted hours, let's hope they fix that.

Great place for a quick bite, I actually like it best of the three on that corner.

My Yelp Review

Whataburger at Grand Parkway Marketplace

I had not been to the new location, so I stopped in for breakfast before the game on Saturday.  The new location is clean and open inside.  I was politely greeted and ordered a Breakfast on a Bun with sausage, potato sticks and coffee.

Slight downgrade here because the regular coffee wasn't out at the time I ordered, so another customer and I had to flag down a staffer and ask for coffee.  But they put it out shortly thereafter so it was fresh.  It's coffee, not Starbucks but fine.

The breakfast was OK, not sure if I would prefer it over other fast food but it was competently made. The bathroom was clean and ready.  It's all you can ask for in fast food.  

I guess they moved because they expect more traffic in the new location, though that intersection at Kuykendahl and 2920 looks as busy as usual to me.  The layout is different but not radically so.  The service concept is the same, colors the same, it is pretty much like the old location that closed.  

If you are in downtown Corpus Christi it's worthwhile to check out the flagship Whataburger on Shoreline, though you should keep expectations in check.  The view from the second floor is great, but the quality varies a lot.

My Yelp Review

Cotton Patch Cafe

Tried the place out for lunch on a busy but not overwhelming Saturday.  I was greeted politely and seated promptly--tables were empty but not quite clean, so they are probably still having some of the service issues mentioned by early customers.

I started off with the chicken-fried bacon.  It's a novelty item, but one that actually works.  The breading is very crisp, and the bacon inside is crisp enough to snap with it.  Great flavor with gravy, I kept going back to nibble at it.

For my entree I tried one of the Holiday skillets.  The beef tenderloin skillet comes with beef tenderloin tips in a red wine reduction sauce over mashed potatoes.  The beef was reasonably tender and cooked well, with a nice char.  The sauce was nothing special, basically a mildly sweet brown sauce with just enough wine flavor to keep it from being off-putting.  The mashed potatoes were OK but could have used more help from the sauce.  Overall fine but not good enough for me to finish.

I went for dessert and got Mama's Butter Cake.  Who doesn't like butter?  But again, nothing special.  The cake was supposed to be kind of a cheesecake but was a bit mushy for that.  Cake and crust were pretty much the same texture.  The sauce was basically just a mild syrup, and only a tiny dab of whipped cream.  Piling it on might have saved this dish.

Cotton Patch is moving into the vacuum left by Black Eyed Pea, and has lots of demand--I've heard the wait is still long in the evenings.  Recent reviews have been better than the early ones. But there are plenty of places to get good southern food here, like Neal's Restaurant or Mel's Diner.  You can find things on the menu to eat if you're accompanying someone that loves Cotton Patch--the chicken-fried steak has some mixed reviews but is probably good if they use the same breading as is on the bacon.  If you're tempted by that chicken fried bacon, go ahead and get it, it's absolutely worthwhile.  The service issues are getting better, and I think may be caused in part by a restaurant labor shortage in this part of town.  Several new places are opening at once.

My Yelp Review

TJ Baja Taco Shop

We have plenty of Tex-Mex places here, but now we have an option from the Baja side.  TJ Baja Tacos emphasizes seafood on the menu with a definite California influence.

I have heard many good things about the place, so I stopped in the other day to give it a try.  I was served by a man who was most likely the owner.  He described the different menu items and enthusiastically answered all of my questions.

I went with the "pick 3" taco option.  I had the carne asada, grilled shrimp and marlin tacos, the seafood on corn and the beef on flour tortillas.  The corn tortillas were firm and substantial enough to keep from falling apart, which I appreciate.  I went with the suggested sauces (creamy garlic sauce and avocado), which were delicious and made a great combination with the meats.  I would only say that if they truly had confidence in their suggestions they would serve the tacos with the sauce instead of letting customers have the option.  I didn't try the habanero salsa since that is a bit much for me, but the traditional red salsa is one of the best I've tasted--it had great depth of flavor.  The green chile sauce was OK but go with the red one.

The tacos were all very worthy.  The carne asada was a good rendition, tender with only a little gristle, and good flavor.  The grilled shrimp were cooked very well with a nice snap, and were well complemented by the sauce and garnishes.  But the real standout was the marlin taco.  Marlin is a very "meaty" fish, and the taco ate almost like a very tender beef one. The peppers and cheese were perfect companions.  It's a "must try".

I got a basket of chips and guacamole with my meal.  The chips are cut thick, which is fine if they are very crunchy.  The regular ones were, but the colorful ones, while pretty, weren't quite as crisp.  The guacamole had good flavor and texture, but both it and the chips were, in my opinion, undersalted.  Good if you're trying to avoid it.

I washed all of this down with what on the in-store menu is called "fruit water" but it is traditional agua fresca (and says so on their printed one).  Same price as the soda so you should definitely try it as a change.

The decor is very clean and inviting, lots of nautical blue.  The bathroom was clean and ready--all it needs is a bit of decoration to carry the theme from the dining room and it's perfect.

They have an item on the menu that I definitely want to try, called Aguachiles.  Think Mexican style sushi--uncooked seafood marinated in acidic juices for 24 hours or more.  They also have ceviche if you prefer your seafood cooked.

All in all, a great experience and I expect to be back.




My Yelp Review

Ma Donuts

We've been extremely busy as a family lately so I've been doing a lot of eating on the run.  This weekend I stopped in to Ma Donuts at 5am on a Saturday for a very early donut breakfast.  They were actually open a couple of minutes early.  They had a full selection on hand but I'm not sure if they were fresh.  The donuts are decent, not quite as light and tasty as Shipley's, but they do have old fashioned donuts and several combinations of glazed, cake, frosted and sprinkled ones.  I also got a couple of sausage and cheese kolaches and a bacon and egg breakfast taco.  The kolaches were pretty forgettable, definitely not fresh and kind of a high bread-to-sausage ratio.  The taco was delicious, very generous with crisp, salty bacon.

The drinks are OK, coffee is cheap in all respects but gets the caffeine delivery job done.

The bathroom was not in acceptable condition when I visited, it was borderline on cleanliness and had no paper towels or toilet paper ready (though extra rolls of toilet paper were stored in the bathroom).

We usually go to other donut shops but we have gotten donuts from Ma and will again.  It's a friendly, family owned shop.

My Yelp Review

Shipley's Donuts

I stopped in to this location at 5:30am on a Saturday.  Got some nice fresh donuts and kolaches.  Service was prompt and reasonably polite (they had a full crew on hand).  The cake donuts were delicious, a bit lighter than what I usually get at other shops.  The sausage kolaches had pretty salty sausage in them, which I like but it's something to be aware of.  The restroom was clean and ready to go at that early hour.

Shipley's seems pretty proud of their coffee, you can get it in a k-cup, but I got a cup in the store and it wasn't anything special.  If coffee is important to you then Dunkin would be the place to go.

While their selection is good, they are missing old-fashioned donuts, which most other shops have and are a family favorite.  But their recipe is excellent.

Shipley's has had a couple of run-ins with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission over labor issues, including a 2017 lawsuit claiming that employees were forced to work unpaid overtime.  This may account for some of the variability in service.

My Yelp Review

Red Beast Smoothie and Nutrition

This is third of three local smoothie places I have tried recently, and is a very different take on that niche.  I stopped in at 6:45 the other evening to get a smoothie so I could drink my dinner.  I noted first of all that they were not cleaning up before their posted closing time (7pm)!  It's a pet peeve of mine that a business will sometimes be closing and not actually able to serve people when the sign says they are open.  Not here!

I was politely served by the owner.  I got a Mighty Beast smoothie, close in recipe to ones I make at home.  Delicious!  The owner is very concerned with quality control, and took a tasting spoon and tried mine to make sure it was satisfactory before serving it.

The store itself is larger than most smoothie places, with a wide selection of protein powders and nutritional supplements.  The bathroom is marked Employees Only, but it's set up to be public.  It was clean and well appointed, with lots of fun bodybuilder decor.

Both Smoothie King and Red Beast sell protein supplements and healthy snacks.  The Red Beast products have (somewhat) more macho marketing.  The Smoothie King website encourages you to talk to staff about what supplements are right for you, but it's hard to imagine the teenagers behind those counters giving nutrition advice.  The owners of Red Beast have very apparent success in using supplements to get results, and are very willing to talk with you and determine your needs.  Prices are competitive with Smoothie King.  If you want to support a locally owned small business, this would be the place to go in the area to get your smoothie fix.

My Yelp Review

Thai Express

We have no Thai restaurants in this neighborhood, so this was a welcome addition.  They deliver exactly what they say they do--I really can't find much fault with it.  It is advertised as "authentic" Thai food, but I would say it is more Asian Fusion than "pure" Thai.  The lemongrass and coconut milk are there, but only in a couple of dishes.

I had probably the most "Americanized" one--the General Thai chicken.  Overall I was pretty impressed.  The batter on the chicken was crisp and flavorful, and the sauce had great flavor.  I was afraid the pineapple would be overwhelming, but it wasn't--it was just right.  I got it with an Imperial roll and Thai tea.  The Imperial roll is a fried spring roll with meat, and it was very tasty.  Both fried items (the chicken and the roll) were done perfectly.  The Thai tea reminded me of a chai latte at Starbucks, in a good way.

The interior is very spare, just a few tables with plastic furniture.  They have the Pepsi Spire, the Pepsi equivalent of the Freestyle machine--I didn't use it this time, but it appeared to be in working order.  Some customers were confused by its menu.  The bathroom was clean and ready.  Several friends have been there and loved it--the Pad See Ew (wide rice noodles) dish comes recommended.  It's a unique choice in the neighborhood, and I would have to say it's my favorite "Thai" restaurant so far.

My Yelp Review

Smoothie King at Rayford and Kuykendall

Turns out I had a craving for another Smoothie King smoothie just a week later.  This time I went to the location next to Jet Pizza at Rayford and Kuykendall.  Had a 20 oz. original protein smoothie, chocolate flavor, with an energy shot.  That's the small, and it's still over 400 calories so it's good for a meal.  Service was fast and efficient, I was in and out of there with my smoothie in about 3 minutes and it was quite satisfying.  Overall, it's as close to exactly the same as the Grand Parkway location as it could be, except slightly smaller.  There's one unisex restroom, which was clean and ready when I visited.  Either Smoothie King is a fine choice when you gotta have a smoothie and don't want to blend it yourself.

My Yelp Review

Smoothie King at Grand Parkway Marketplace

I like smoothies as a meal replacement.  I eat six a day, so there's plenty of opportunity.  Normally I make my own, but I decided to check out our new Grand Parkway location.

This place is very popular with high school students in the morning, but I decided to go in for an afternoon snack.  The two kids on duty were polite and competent, and got my smoothie out pretty quickly.  I had the Slim-N-Trim Chocolate with peanut butter added, which was very tasty and satisfying.  The portions are huge--a 20 oz. would make a full meal replacement, and I had the 32.  Not a bargain meal necessarily, mine was close to $10 when all was said and done.  But a fine smoothie, and one of the staff pointed out that they are discounted on Friday afternoons.  The bathroom was clean and serviceable, not bad for an afternoon visit.  The reviews on most of these places vary--I think working at one has a learning curve, because they have a LOT of smoothies on the menu, and then you get into variations.  I'll come back when I'm in the mood for one I can't make at home.

My Yelp Review

Tandoori Indian Cuisine

I visited this restaurant on Saturday for the first time.  As far as I'm concerned the buffet is a great value for $12.98.  A few of the dishes are disappointing, but many are good and of course if you get the buffet you don't have to finish the ones you don't like.

My favorite items on the time I went were the Chana Masala and the Butter Chicken.  The Chana Masala had a wonderful, bright flavor on top of a rich savory base, and the chickpeas were cooked perfectly.  The Butter Chicken was just plain delicious--rich and savory, made you feel good to eat it.

Definitely worth trying the desserts.  The kheer (rice pudding) is served American style (cold)--could have used more cardamom but was fine.  The Golub Jamun were really interesting--when I look at them I think fruit, but they are actually fried cake balls in a warm sweet sauce.

I would stay away from the vegetable pakora, they were chewy and not appetizing.  The chicken biryani was a bit disappointing, kind of dry and not much chicken.  The tandoori chicken is OK if you like it, but I don't as it is usually too dry for me and was the same here.

Other dishes:

• Dal Makhani (lentils and butter) - very rich and tasty
• Creamy Palak - a spinach dish, as advertised but not so much flavor.
• Aloo Bangam - Tomato and potatoes, both rich and acidic, spicy, I enjoyed it
• Sooji Halwa (cake dessert made with cream of wheat, cardamom, and raisins) - very lightly sweet, OK but maybe not great as a buffet item

Service was both polite and attentive.  I got a nice basket of fresh naan, and my plates were cleared immediately as I used them.  The decor is very simple, basically all white, with one TV that plays Indian light pop music.  Very conducive to conversation.  The bathroom was pretty clean but out of towels--there's a sign in there that asks the employees to clean up the bathroom after themselves.  That won't work, if everyone is responsible no one is responsible.

Tandoori also has regular table service.  Some have commented that the prices are high for this--dishes average $15, more than the buffet, so I would tend to agree.  But for lunch I liked it and would definitely go back.

My Yelp Review

Kim Long Vietnamese Restaurant

Kim Long is a local institution, but in all the time I've lived here I have not tried it, so it was time to do so. I've heard good things about the pho but my favorite Vietnamese dishes are banh mi sandwiches and vermicelli bowls.  No banh mi at Kim Long, so I had the grilled pork and spring rolls with vermicelli.  The sauce was unusual--if you haven't had nuoc cham it's hard to describe, but it's made with fish sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and chile peppers.  It's very strong and a little can go a long way.  This sauce was thinner, a bit salty, and actually tasted kind of off.  But it tasted pretty good with the food so I went with it.

The pork had OK flavor but was chewy.  The vermicelli is not the usual rice noodles, but pasta. Spring rolls were OK.  Overall edible but not outstanding.

They have some tasty sounding desserts on the menu, so I tried one.  The crispy pineapple with honey is deep-fried breaded pineapple.  Sort of OK but not something to recommend.

Yelp reviews say most service is friendly but one is rather brusque.  I drew the short straw and got the brusque lady.  For a drink, I ordered a coke in a can, which comes with a glass of ice.  She was efficient and even smiled, but no offers of water when I finished, or any other offers beyond bringing the food.  They do have a fresh lemon soda on the menu that I would probably try next time.

Decor inside is clean but very basic.  Bathrooms are clean and functional.  I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but if you do go you should probably get the pho.

My Yelp Review

Yummy Taco

Taco truck time! Yummy Taco is a relatively new food truck in the neighborhood.  I stopped in the other day to give them a try.  I had a Yummy Taco Burger and a fajita taco on corn tortillas.  I would have gone with a sausage taco, but they didn't have sausage that day.  The fajita meat was OK but not great--a bit chewy and not too much flavor.  The salsas appear to be homemade, but again not a whole lot of flavor--both the red and green sauces are mostly heat.  That leaves the burger, which was actually not bad.  The burger comes with a slice of ham, cheese, lettuce, mayo, ketchup and mustard.  The ham was thin sliced and fried on the grill with the burger, so had a nice sear.  Very satisfying.  But no chips to go with the burger...

I washed it down with a Mexican coke.  Unlike many taco trucks, they don't have any aguas frescas. 

The outdoor seating table is kind of odd--the seat is a solid square around the table, so you have to do some gymnastics to sit facing forward, or just face sideways.

Yummy Taco doesn't have a website, but it does have an active Facebook page at facebook.com/YUMMYTACO2018.  They list hours of 9 to 9 every day, but they are sometimes away for events and will have new hours soon--Monday-Saturday 9:30-2:30 and 5-9.  It's located on the same lot as Mateo's Tire Service on Spring Stuebner, which is good to know because it didn't show up on Google (though it should soon, I submitted it). Overall it is OK if you are hungry while waiting for tire service or happen to drive by, but they would have to try a bit harder to compete with other trucks in the area.

My Yelp Review

El Mojito Cuban Cuisine

I went in for lunch the other day and had an excellent dining experience.  Daniel, the waiter, was very solicitous and had great recommendations from the menu.  It was lunch and I wasn't drinking, so he started me off with their house lemonade, made fresh.  Fantastic stuff.  Another nice touch was that he left the water carafe at the table so I actually drank enough.

I love pork, so I ordered the roasted pork entree.  Fork-tender roast pork with sauteed onions.  It comes with a "Mojito sauce" on the side, a combination of garlic, lime, and other seasonings that give it a sharp flavor.  I enjoyed the pork with and without it, so having it on the side is the right call.  If there was anything to critique it would be that my pork was just a touch dry, but it didn't detract from the enjoyment.

The sides were right on also.  Daniel recommended the mojo rice, a combination of rice, black beans and pork.  It had a good rich umami flavor.  The fried plantains were as good as I have had, just a little crisp on the outside and of course soft on the inside.

I saved room for dessert, and had the Cascos de Guayaba, guava in a rich syrup served with slices of a firm cream cheese.  The guava on its own would be way too sweet and heavy, but eaten with the cheese it was quite delicious.

The restaurant is beautiful inside, very clean and elegant with lots of nice touches like woodwork around the ceiling lights and bongos for bar seats.  It's a real contrast to the unassuming strip mall it sits in.  Its real strength would be in the evening, when they have live music to follow your late dinner.  If you want Cuban food, this is the only place to get it in the area--fortunately it's first-rate.

My Yelp Review

Thistle Draftshop 2nd Review

I don't usually re-review restaurants, but I felt like our first experience wasn't necessarily representative of the strengths of the place.  We had a party of 8 that included children, and bar service just doesn't work well that way.  This time I went by myself and sat at the bar.  I was the first one there for lunch.  Bratwurst is new on the menu--I had the new Smitty's Braut with truffle fries.

The brat is a good one, in a different way that most.  The bratwurst is locally made.  It has less salt that most brats, which lets the beer braising flavor come through.  It is also softer than most--you won't get the same "snap" as a store-bought Johnsonville, but that's OK if you are not expecting it. The fixings on the brat (kraut, grain mustard, and a pretzel bun) were a good complement. The truffle fries were wonderful, even better than last time if that's possible.  The fries were crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, with a great rich flavor.  Their garlic aoli complements the fries perfectly, no ketchup required.  I had a nice amber ale with lunch, but I am not a beer connoisseur so I'll let others carry that discussion.

It's hard to rate the service when you're the only customer, but I felt I was well cared for and had a good dining experience.  Definitely a place that will stay on my radar.

My Yelp Review

HEB at Gosling and 2920

I am really happy that this HEB went in, it is a great place to shop.  But today I wanted to rate it for the prepared deli meal--I sometimes like to eat before I shop.  That's not possible at this HEB, because they have no seating, either inside or out.  Contrast this with the Kroger at 99 and Holzwarth, with a nice seating area and lots of ready meal options. 

I was in a hurry so I went ahead and got a poke bowl and took it out. You can get them custom made by filling out an ingredient form, or take one that is made.  This was the first time I have tried a poke bowl.  If you haven't tried one, think sushi salad.  Mine was a salmon bowl, with cabbage, lettuce, mukimame, avocado and mango, with some sushi sauce for a dressing.  Very healthy and filling.  Lots of other attractive options as well.  But I'm just a little disappointed that there's nowhere to eat their good prepared meals on the spot.

Tailgator's at Timberwilde

This is the first time I've been to Tailgator's since it was at the 2920 and Kuykendall location.  I never got to review it there, so I looked forward to my lunch at the new location (in the Timberwilde center where McArdle's used to be) on a Friday.  It was pretty busy in there for a weekday, so I'd say they are doing OK.  The service is casual, you pick your own place to sit.  I chose the bar.

I started off with some Gator Bites.  Alligator is usually a novelty item on a menu--I've had it a few times and it tends to come out like dry chicken.  Tailgator's actually makes the novelty worth eating.  It has a wonderfully crunchy outside, and is tender enough inside.  It comes with a spicy mustard sauce that complements the crunch well.  I liked them a lot.  You can get gator as a protein in other items as well, it's obvious they are confident about it.

For the meal I got a Bayou Po'boy with house chips.  I absolutely love house chips, just about no matter how they are done, but these are done quite well.  They are thick and crunchy, done to a uniform brown.  Definitely try them.  The sandwich was an overall good but interesting experience.  The combination of Andouille sausage, chicken breast, grilled onions, cheddar cheese and mustard is unusual.  Overall I'd say it worked--the chicken was flavorful and tender, which is always the main challenge--but there were some construction issues.  The cheese was kind of all in one spot.  I like that they try things but would probably order something different the next time.

The atmosphere is standard sports bar, unremarkable but there's plenty of TVs and good sight lines for them.  They run viral videos on one TV for non-sports fans which is fun.  The rest rooms were reasonably clean and ready during a busy time.

The main reason for marking it down at all would be the slight food issues above, but mainly the service.  My experience was fine, I was served politely, but it was overall pretty slow.  I was sitting at the bar so was hard to miss, but others complain of being ignored, which can happen in a seat-yourself place.

I didn't have a beer this time but it looks to be a real strength.  They had an impressive set of local and national craft beers on tap.

Overall, while it isn't perfect it's quite good, and deserves to make it, so I hope they hang in there.

My Yelp Review

Vero Italian Kitchen

Vero has been in our neighborhood for about 3 years, and we finally got around to trying it the other night.  It's all very basic Italian food and counter service, so the atmosphere is laid back.  We all got our favorites--spaghetti and meatballs, alfredo cheese pizza, veggie pizza, and ravioli, with a garlic bread appetizer.  We got garlic bread with our meals, so I probably would not have gotten the appetizer if I'd known that.

What stands out about Vero is their commitment to pleasing the customer.  Our first try at ordering got us a cheese pizza with marinara instead of alfredo.  The owner was there, and he kindly got us a new pizza with alfredo, and then threw in dessert.  If you go there you can be confident you will be treated well, which is important.

The food itself is more OK-competent than outstanding.  The garlic bread has a couple of lines of under-cooked dough running through it that bring down an otherwise tasty side.  All the food is pretty light on seasoning, though my kids enjoyed it very much.  We liked the Ooey-Gooey chocolate cookie with ice cream, it's a great sweet dish to share.  I appreciated the homemade tiramisu, it was well-presented and had very good coffee flavor.

The atmosphere inside is very nice, mostly dark wood, and quite clean.  The bench seats along the entrance have outlets if you look for them.  The restrooms are clean and functional.  In all ways they pay attention to detail for customer comfort.

Overall I have no trouble recommending it for a family lunch or dinner.

My Yelp Review

Sprouts Deli

This continues my review series on grocery store eating.  It can be a good idea to have something to eat before shopping, so you don't overbuy.  Today I tried this at the Sprouts delicatessen, with the idea of comparing it to Harvest Market at the other end of the neighborhood.

The deli is basically Boar's Head, same as you can get at Kroger and other places, and the menu is limited to sandwiches and soups.  It's priced like Kroger also, not bad for a specialty grocer.  They have an ordering system where you fill out a form and then they make up your sandwich while you wait or shop.

I ended up with a custom sandwich--roast beef and turkey with cheese, avocado and dressing.  I wanted it on multigrain bread but they were out of that, but they did suggest I get a multigrain telera roll from the bakery and they would put it on that.

The sandwich was toasted and tasted just fine.  I had a combo, which in a healthy move comes with water instead of a soda.  I tried to substitute cornbread (cheaper) for the chips in the combo, but no dice, so they are maybe not so flexible.  I had a cup of chicken noodle soup to go with it.

Both the sandwich and soup were noticeably lower in salt than what you usually get at a deli.  The soup in particular had almost no salt, but was quite delicious--less sodium meant the chicken and carrot flavors came through.

They have a dining space that appears to double as the employee break space.  Reasonably clean but not that attractive as an option.

As far as a comparison with Harvest Market--many in the area say good things about the produce and meats at Sprouts--excellent selection and prices.  They also have some good bargains in the bulk items.  Absolutely worth checking out for that.  Sprouts is focused on food, where Harvest Market aspires to cover all the same areas as the major grocers.  Harvest Market is a local chain--Sprouts is national, based out of California.  But as far as prepared meals go, Harvest Market is much more committed.  Sprouts is limited to sandwiches.  The sandwiches are OK if you want them to make something to take with you, not more than that.

My Yelp Review

Domino's Pizza at Timberwilde (Near Bahama Buck's)

This location isn't in our normal delivery area, but in the interest of location comparison I placed an online order for pickup.  Of the big chains, Domino's is the one we order from most often and they rarely disappoint.  We got an ExtravaganZZa, a Wisconsin 6 cheese, some parmesan cheese bread, and a couple of Chocolate Lava Crunch cakes.  We also tried the crispy bacon and tomato chicken.

The pizza was great as always.  We're always happy with their cheese and specialty pizzas.  The cheese bread has the cheese in the middle, which we like best.  The chicken and dessert were new items for us.  The chicken is basically chicken nuggets with various toppings, so far as I can tell.  It was OK but pizza oven temperatures dry it out a bit.  It's the same with the chocolate lava crunch cakes--the heat overdoes the outside.  But they were still a big hit with the kids.  They are best very hot, so eat dessert first or maybe microwave them.

Domino's, like all the chains, tries to make their locations indistinguishable.  Still some locations are better than others.  This one was very efficient with preparation, our order was ready in 15 minutes (I got there in 20).  But they didn't check the order at the counter (Marco's does that), and I didn't get the dipping sauces I asked for.  A bit of a markdown for that.

Part of what makes Domino's pizza appealing is that they really lay on the salt.  It tastes saltier than any of the other major brands, so I looked up the nutrition info for Domino's, Pizza Hut, Papa John's and Marco's.  They are all required by law to publish nutrition info, and when I compared reasonably equivalent pizzas, Domino's has around 30-180 milligrams more of salt per slice (on a large pizza) than the others (Marco's appears to be the lowest).  On average each slice has about half of your day's salt allowance, but then again none of them are actually very low.  Most places have options for healthier versions if you ask.

So good news for our area, whichever location you live close to is going to be fine.

My Yelp Review

Domino's Nutrition Info
Pizza Hut Nutrition Info
Papa John's Nutrition Info
Marco's Nutrition Info

Buffalo Wild Wings, Now at Grand Parkway Marketplace

I stopped in to the new location today to see what is different, if anything.  Overall, I would say it's mostly the same.  This time around I tried a burger--the Wisconsin cheese curd burger.  Had some Buffalo chips with it, and finished with a mini chocolate cake for dessert.

The burger was OK, not spectacular or terrible--since the patty was a frozen prefab this is about the best they can do.  The cheese curds are little fried cheese balls, with cheese sauce to hold them in place.  The burger comes with very good bacon so it was a decent bacon cheeseburger experience, and nice to try something different.  The Buffalo chips were not as crisp as real chips, nor as soggy as their pun.  They were nicely done.  But the place misses an opportunity here.  They aren't seasoned at all.  There was also no seasoning on the table, so you'd have to start from scratch (by requesting salt and pepper) to season them yourself.  The chocolate cake was a good kid item, very sweet and gooey.  Mine came as chocolate cake chunks with the icing on the bottom, which worked out just fine.

There are lots of bitter complaints on Yelp about the service at this location.  I was there on a busy Saturday and I will say that the service was polite but quite relaxed.  I was there for about an hour as a table of one.  If they are trying to turn over tables quickly, as some say, they aren't succeeding.

I didn't have a beer on this occasion, but I counted 29 beers on tap and they had more in bottles, which is a pretty solid selection.  They even have details on their beer glass in the menu.  The only thing separating it from a good brew pub would be that they only have one shape of glass.

For all the reported troubles they seem quite busy and popular.  There's plenty to like here, especially if you like wings and beer (and that covers a lot of people).  But don't be in a hurry, and try not to pick fights with the waitstaff.

My Yelp Review

Jet's Pizza

Our family is mostly easy to please with pizza, so long as we get our favorite toppings.  We've tried out all the local options, but we mostly alternate between Domino's and Papa John's based on coupons (Marco's is OK, but in my view just not quite as good).  We tried Jet's for the first time the other night.  I placed the order through their online system and picked it up at this location.  We had three different pizzas--a Jet 10 on hand tossed, Alfredo on thin crust and cheese on deep dish.  Also had some 3 cheese bread.  I got to the shop a bit early and had to wait, but the pizzas were ready when they said they would be.

The Jet 10 had a generous amount of toppings.  All three pizzas were very good, and we would definitely be willing to order from them again.  I misplaced the coupons and the online deals were not great, so the meal turned out to be more expensive than I would wish.  The only critique I would have on the pizza is that the thin and hand tossed crusts are just a little chewier than my favorite (which is Pizza Hut, but the service is so bad we don't get it much).  The service was mostly fine but they did have an issue with calling my name when my pizzas were ready, so I waited a bit longer than I had to.

Overall it's good pizza and I would eat it again, and recommend it.  I can't pick out any way they are uniquely better than any of the majors, though.  Not sure it will displace our favorites that are closer to our house, but if we saw a good coupon deal we would for sure consider it.

My Yelp Review

Tacqueria Hot Salsa

This is a pleasing new discovery in our area.  I saw this place while driving and made a point to stop and try it out.  I sampled all the different meats--beef, barbacoa, pastor, and chicken, on a mix of corn and flour tortillas.  Washed it down with a pineapple agua fresca.

I was very pleased with all of them.  The barbacoa was my favorite, soft and tender with great flavor.  I am not always a fan of al pastor, but this version really appealed to me, it was balanced and not too acidic.  The chicken and beef tacos were just fine, but it's hard for those to be more than ordinary.

I tried both the red and green salsas.  They both had great homemade flavor, each delivering a pleasant kick without overwhelming the food.  They have a little more oil than most salsas, and cling to a fork.  This makes them spread through your mouth as you eat the taco.  Yum!

The taco shells were somewhat firmer than average, which kept the tacos from falling apart in my hand.  The corn tortilla tacos had two tortillas, which further reinforced them.  The tortillas contributed well to the flavor, and meant the tacos ate neatly.  I usually do like my flour tortillas a bit less chewy.

The pineapple agua fresca was very good and refreshing, a great sweet treat.  It took me awhile to try aguas frescas because I'm so fond of Mexican Coke, but it's worthwhile to break tradition.

The owner was very sweet and helpful, and guided me on which fillings went best with which tortilla.

A few caveats: The facebook page below lists their hours, but I don't know how closely they keep to them.  The first time I tried to go it was closed during the listed time, and I sometimes see it closed on my drive, so it might be worthwhile to call first if you are making a special trip.   Also, this business is CASH ONLY, the owner said she was working on credit cards but don't count on it.

All in all it's not quite going to displace Tony's Street Tacos as my favorite, but you might be able to get a taco truck fix at a time when Tony's isn't open.  Big Cab's, on the same lot, is closed for the season this year, so Tacqueria Hot Salsa could use the support.

Tacqueria Hot Salsa Facebook Page

My Yelp Review

Savannah's Steak and Seafood

Savannah's Steak and Seafood and the Augusta Pines Grill Room are the same place--the bar and more formal eatery at the Augusta Pines Country Club.  The club is private but Savannah's is open to the public.  I've given it a fairly extensive review because they have almost no social media presence at all, and yet it's been here awhile and we have friends that have gone there to eat.

The atmosphere is very much old-school country club--they have a replica of one of the bridges at Augusta National in the lobby.  The furniture is formal and the woodwork is dark.  But the service atmosphere is laid back.  We came on a quiet Saturday evening and were told to just sit anywhere.  There are only a few tables near the bar but it was not crowded, just a few regulars.

The menu has a variety of items from appetizers through sandwiches to some higher end entrees.  We went in for a Father's Day dinner and got items from across the board.  They had avocado toast on the menu, and that's such a thing now we had to have it, along with some southwest eggrolls.  The avocado toast was pretty much that--ciabatta crostinis with a generous amount of guacamole, with a little pico garnish.  The eggrolls were store bought but had a good sauce with them.

My older daughter had a "build your own flatbread" from the lighter menu.  This is a thin crust pizza.  It was a pretty good pizza, with a somewhat fancier price for the name.

My other daughter had the fried shrimp with onion rings and hush puppies.  The shrimp were breaded in a cornbread batter.  The batter was crisp but not too flavorful.  The shrimp were just a bit squishy but OK.  Hush puppies were a bit underdone.  The rings were pretty on target though.

My wife got the crown of the menu, an 8 oz filet.  It was seasoned with garlic steak butter.  Nice and tender, didn't need a steak knife to cut it, which was fortunate because one was not offered.  The garlic was pretty overwhelming, though, so one couldn't really taste the meat.  Our entrees came with sauteed vegetables, which were tasty except for the clashing packaged carrots.  She had mashed potatoes, which were that and nothing more.  No skins, even, and no condiments (butter, sour cream, etc) were offered.

I had the Blackened Redfish Pontchartrain.  The fish itself was done pretty well, maybe a touch over, but good.  The sauce was kind of disappointing. Very little crawfish (out of season here, but I am not sure they use fresh anyway), and the flavor was ok but lacking something, I'm not sure what.  The dirty rice had decent flavor but a lot of very dry spots.

They don't have a dessert menu but they did have a cheesecake and a chocolate mousse cake, both drizzled with chocolate and raspberry sauce.  They were store bought, but the chocolate mousse cake had good creamy mousse.

The place accommodates families, we had one next to us with a baby in a high chair.  I couldn't recommend it for fine dining, they are overpriced for packaged food, but we had some evidence that they could do the less ambitious items well.  I could definitely see having a business lunch with a drink and a sandwich there, and being pretty happy.  It would be a generic beer though, they haven't gone to any effort to have craft or local beers available.

Overall, I got the impression of a very fancy place that has seen somewhat better days.  It's very clean and functional, and the staff remembered regulars, but at this point the clubhouse will neither sell nor detract from the course.

Northampton News Article: Butler House

This article appeared in the June Northampton Newsletter:

The house on the west side of Gosling Road, not far north of Root Road, is familiar to most long-time residents of Northampton and the surrounding neighborhoods.  That house is now The Butler House, the centerpiece of the Vintage Creek Centre.  Both are owned by Bryan Frenchak and Marina (Silver) Frenchak.  This is their first restaurant venture, and it’s still early but it is off to an excellent start.

The inspiration for The Butler House is Butler, PA, where Bryan Frenchak grew up.  The house has that feeling of a home in an older rural town.  The doorway is just a bit narrow and was given that distressed look of a home that has seen much history.  Silver says the movie “Up” describes their spirit of adventure in converting the house into a restaurant.  It’s easy to imagine this house in “Up”—a comfortable home that looks just a little out of place.

The décor inside is deliberately simple but carefully crafted.  The leather seating in the booths was done on site, and if you look under the table you’ll see that the legs are made from antique ice tongs.  It’s a kind of elegance you feel more than see.  

Manager Mark Herman (of Tommy Bahamas and most recently Hubbell and Hudson) and executive chef Andrew Donahoo have put together a menu that covers upscale dishes and traditional Texas favorites.  We’ve had the rib-eye steak with mushroom risotto (perfectly executed, which is no easy task) and a Korubuta pork shank as a special.  The pork was falling-off-the-bone tender with delicious Moroccan spices.  The desserts held their own with the entrées—the flourless chocolate cake coats your mouth wonderfully, and the toffee bread pudding reminded me just a bit of eating a delicious pancake.  The chicken fried steak is tender with a light crust that makes it stand out from your usual CFS offering.  They have an excellent selection of cocktails—I tried the Lemon Drop and it is true to its name.

The restaurant has an upscale feel but intends to be casual—as Silver puts it, “like Sunday afternoon at your grandmother’s”.  They have toys, chalk, and a field area for children, and plan to make a pet area.  It’s intended to be for everyone.  

The restaurant has family friendly events—there’s a children’s buffet on Sunday morning, and Old Movie nights are on Wednesdays.  They schedule many special events, a large portion of which support local ministries—supporting their community with charitable work is close to their hearts.  Their Facebook page is the best source of information for these events.  

The Butler House seems like the perfect addition to our area—an upscale restaurant that is actively welcoming to families.  We’ll be back again soon.

Sunday Skillet Chicken

The Citgo station on Kuykendall near the Rayford intersection has a separately branded food operation inside called Sunday Skillet Chicken.  My number one restaurant in the neighborhood (Tony's Street Tacos) is in a gas station, and Laredo Taco Company in Stripes is good too, so I had some hopes. 

 I stopped in to get some lunch the other day.  The guy in the store was friendly and helpful, but there wasn't much food made.  They mostly had tacos ready, but I was wanting some chicken.  They had very little chicken made, just a couple of breasts and some wings.  I had some wings and some fried "tilapia" they had ready (I think it was catfish, actually).

The food was not dried out, as sometimes happens when it's been sitting.  But the breading on both the tilapia and the wings was really salty, almost to the point of burning.  The wings were spicy too, which might have contributed.  I had potato wedges with them and they were pretty bland, oddly enough.  So all in all not too pleasant.  Sometimes gas station food is good, but not this stuff.

My Yelp Review

Starbucks at Rayford and Kuykendall

An interesting part of doing these reviews is people watching in the various kinds of restaurants.  A BBQ crowd is in many ways similar to a Mexican restaurant crowd, but those are very different from folks you find at a taco truck.  I've been to our three area Starbucks, and not surprisingly it's a group with a very different feel from other places.  In this one in particular I felt like I was in Seattle, except for the accents.  Focused students, earnest real estate people closing deals, the distinct caffeine buzz--it's all there.  Travel without traveling.

Stopped in to the one at Rayford and Kuykendall today for a light lunch.  I had the turkey and swiss protein box, some Emmy's Dark Cacao Coconut cookies, and a Teavana shaken iced tea.

I like the coffee products at Starbucks, but I have not had tea there and wanted to see if they could elevate ordinary black tea.  Answer: Yes, a little.  I could see that the iced tea was shaken, it had a little head on it.  The areation actually does make some difference to the flavor, but in the end it's iced tea that's been shaken.  Back to the coffee products for me.

The protein box was a nice healthy bite--little turkey and swiss sandwiches with very sweet red peppers, some carrot sticks and apples.  Fine.  The cookies were pretty good, I would get those again.  But in the end, at Starbucks the coffee is fresh and made on site, while all the food is highly curated packaged product.  Consistent but not wonderful.

Service was pretty good--reasonably polite.  I did have to wait just a bit longer than one would think necessary for a shaken glass of tea, but not too bad.  The wifi was working well even though several people were using it, many streaming with multiple devices.  I gave it the Pokemon Go test (they are a sponsor) and it worked just fine.

The two unisex restrooms (a good idea in my book) were plenty clean for a Saturday noon.  If you like Starbucks you'll like this one.

My Yelp Review