Last May I stopped for lunch at the Taco Bell at Kuykendall and 2920. This weekend I went to the one at Rayford and Kuykendall. Different food, but same very good experience. I have to say that Taco Bell is my favorite fast food chain in the neighborhood, which is saying something since my fast food preferences tend to burgers and chicken. But Taco Bell wins me over with competence and an innovative menu.
Gone are the Naked Chicken nuggets I had last time. In their place is the Naked Taco, but as funky as a scrambled egg taco shell sounds I didn't go for that this time. I had the Triple Melt Burrito combo, which has the aforementioned
burrito, a Dorito Loco taco, a regular taco, and some chalupas. They
upgraded my Baja Mountain Dew to a freeze for 50 cents, which is a good
deal. All told the meal really was a good deal, I got out of there
under six bucks. I usually spend $9 or $10 at Mickey D's, even.
I
had never gotten around to having a Dorito Loco taco, and I have missed
out. The combination goes together perfectly--Doritos and taco meat
were made for each other. The Dorito Loco taco was a franchise saver when it came out in 2012. Apparently it was pretty darn difficult to get that shell just right, and sadly the inventor died the following year. The regular taco was fine also. The Triple
Melt burrito was just OK, in my opinion--it's kind of squishy. Tastes
OK but eats like everything was in a blender together, even though it
doesn't look that way. The chalupas were nice and crisp, with plenty of cinnamon.
The service was competent and quick, and the place was clean, including the restroom. It succeeds in the best way fast food places can--nothing objectionable and I'd be glad to go back.
So that's two good fast food experiences in a row. If you want one thing done well, you can go to Raising Cane's. But if you want more choice and are OK with tacos, Taco Bell does a lot of things well.
My Yelp Review
Monday, April 30, 2018
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Bloofin
I wanted to give this new place a try after they had some time to settle
in. Came in on a quiet Saturday at lunch. The restaurant is very
classy inside, with a beautiful floral (chrysanthemum) ceiling hanging.
Very comfortable seating with lots of dark wood. I think it
successfully overcomes the boring architecture of the Grand Parkway
Marketplace.
There seemed to be plenty of staff on hand. I was
quickly and politely served. The server said she liked the beef, so I
ordered a sushi and beef teriyaki bento box, which came with the usual
salad with carrot-ginger dressing and miso soup.
I'm not a huge fan of either carrot-ginger dressing or miso soup, so I won't dwell on them--they were very normal, not better or worse than average. I'm all about the bento box.
Unfortunately the bento box was kind of the lowlight of the meal. I had a beautiful one in San Francisco many years ago--it looked like a gift package, and every item had some kind of aesthetic enhancement. I didn't recognize most of the items, but I didn't care--it was like eating a work of art made just for me. This was closer to the other end.
It looked like it was prepared very quickly and was a little sloppy, even though the kitchen would not have been rushed. No garnishes to speak of. The food was edible but not a lot more--beef was a bit overdone, tempura tasted ok but was not real crisp, sushi was very plain, white rice was just dumped in. The sauce was nice though, very flavorful and went with everything in the box.
I would have ordered dessert but when I came back from visiting the rest room (very clean and ready) my table was cleared. I felt kind of funny going back to a clean table.
I think one might do better ordering sushi at the bar and getting something special. Dinner perhaps better yet--they have an extensive wine and cocktail list.
For bento boxes, so far the best value in the area would be Ming's, and Shogun is good also. Bloofin has good local support so I believe they will work this out.
There seemed to be plenty of staff on hand. I was
quickly and politely served. The server said she liked the beef, so I
ordered a sushi and beef teriyaki bento box, which came with the usual
salad with carrot-ginger dressing and miso soup.I'm not a huge fan of either carrot-ginger dressing or miso soup, so I won't dwell on them--they were very normal, not better or worse than average. I'm all about the bento box.
Unfortunately the bento box was kind of the lowlight of the meal. I had a beautiful one in San Francisco many years ago--it looked like a gift package, and every item had some kind of aesthetic enhancement. I didn't recognize most of the items, but I didn't care--it was like eating a work of art made just for me. This was closer to the other end.
It looked like it was prepared very quickly and was a little sloppy, even though the kitchen would not have been rushed. No garnishes to speak of. The food was edible but not a lot more--beef was a bit overdone, tempura tasted ok but was not real crisp, sushi was very plain, white rice was just dumped in. The sauce was nice though, very flavorful and went with everything in the box.
I would have ordered dessert but when I came back from visiting the rest room (very clean and ready) my table was cleared. I felt kind of funny going back to a clean table.
I think one might do better ordering sushi at the bar and getting something special. Dinner perhaps better yet--they have an extensive wine and cocktail list.
For bento boxes, so far the best value in the area would be Ming's, and Shogun is good also. Bloofin has good local support so I believe they will work this out.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Raising Cane's at Kuykendall and 2920
Most of you probably know that Raising Cane's does exactly one thing, and that's chicken fingers. You can get more fingers, or less fingers, or fingers on a bun (I didn't get the bun) but you get chicken fingers or nothing. I don't normally like chicken fingers, but this place actually does them well. I stopped at this location today for a bite--actually a box. I got a polite greeting, and after a short wait I got my fingers. They were hot and fresh out of the fryer, and as tender as any white meat chicken fingers I have gotten anywhere. They do not squirt injected juice either, it seems to be the perfect balance. These fingers are way ahead of, for instance, Slim Chickens, and definitely better than those dried out things you get off the children's menu at most restaurants.
The sauce is very tasty and, according to those who try to copy it, has some interesting ingredients. In addition to the expected mayo and ketchup, you can add black pepper and Worcestershire sauce to give it the right tang and depth. I use it on the whole meal--fingers, fries and toast. Ok not the coleslaw.
And that coleslaw is my only disappointment. It barely has any flavor. I ate it anyway, as I am not normally a fan of coleslaw so more flavor is not necessarily better. They could reduce their menu from 5 items to 4 and it would not be missed. The fries were cooked perfectly, there's not much they could have done better without being McDonald's. The toast was grilled nicely (but only on one side??) and the seasoning balance was right on.
The staff was cleaning tables while I was there, and the bathroom was spotless and perfectly functional. If everyone in your group can agree on chicken fingers, this is the place to go.
My Yelp Review
The sauce is very tasty and, according to those who try to copy it, has some interesting ingredients. In addition to the expected mayo and ketchup, you can add black pepper and Worcestershire sauce to give it the right tang and depth. I use it on the whole meal--fingers, fries and toast. Ok not the coleslaw.
And that coleslaw is my only disappointment. It barely has any flavor. I ate it anyway, as I am not normally a fan of coleslaw so more flavor is not necessarily better. They could reduce their menu from 5 items to 4 and it would not be missed. The fries were cooked perfectly, there's not much they could have done better without being McDonald's. The toast was grilled nicely (but only on one side??) and the seasoning balance was right on.
The staff was cleaning tables while I was there, and the bathroom was spotless and perfectly functional. If everyone in your group can agree on chicken fingers, this is the place to go.
My Yelp Review
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Thistle Draftshop
We went with another family to try this place now that it's been open
for awhile. We had an interesting experience, in all aspects of the
word.
For starters, you need to understand this "bar service" concept before you go in. The idea is that you go in, choose a spot, then go to the bar to order what you want. So far so good. But the place has gastropub aspirations--it definitely encourages you to go for a full meal, which is what we did. That means you are ordering a drink (or in my case a flight), an appetizer and a meal, for multiple people, all at the bar. I went up ahead of my party to order my flight and an appetizer, and asked that both families be on the same tab. The others weren't ready yet. I figured since it was a "tab" that they would keep it open as the others ordered, but after they delivered the first items they closed it. They organize tabs by a limited set of numbers, and apparently handed that number to someone else before retrieving it when they understood that the main order was still coming. Trouble ahead.
But first the appetizer, which was their Dancin' Brussels Sprouts. They are prepared with pomegranate, sesame seeds, fish sauce vinaigrette, and bonito flakes. Some of you might quail a bit at the idea of Brussels sprouts and fish sauce. Don't. The fish sauce is not too heavy and helps to mitigate the bitterness of Brussels sprouts. They were nicely carmelized and all the flavors worked wonderfully together. Delicious!
Two of us ordered flights. The concept is great--you get to try several beers and there's a good chance you'll find one or more you like. At Thistle they price them by the glass, which is good for flexibility. But these are craft beers so the price for a 4 oz. glass seems more like what one would pay for a pint. They have a very broad selection on tap and more in the case. Several folks in the party had selections from their craft soda as well.
The party consisted of four adults and four children. There's no children's menu but they will adjust the burgers to order so most got by OK. There are also a couple of vegetarian options, though we were warned off the Southern grits (kudos to honest waitstaff!).
Our party mostly got burgers--mostly classics, and one "bleu burger". And here is where the trouble starts--we actually ordered two bleu burgers, and a waiter came out with what he said were two bleu burgers, but in fact one was a classic. The staff struggled throughout the rest of the service to bring us what we ordered. Even though we ordered the food at the same time, it was about 25 minutes from the start of the service until they had all orders delivered and correct. During this process the staff brought us random food intended for other parties, checking to see if it was ours. Painful.
The burgers were decent and nice to look at, but not overly generous. The classic is pretty heavy on the cheddar and pickles, so it's rather salty and strong. The person in our party that got the bleu burger seemed to like it. One person got the bacon grilled cheese. The goat cheese and provolone were pretty overwhelming, it was hard to taste much else. And we couldn't find the bacon, which should have been pretty obvious according to other reviews. The tomato soup was bland and nothing special at all.
We got truffle fries, regular fries, and pretzel knots with the burgers. The fries are the breaded kind and were cooked just right. The truffle upgrade is done with truffle oil and a garnish of parmesan. Very tasty, but I'm not sure truffle oil really adds that much. The kids enjoyed the pretzel knots.
When we settled the bill we discovered they had left off one of the flights. It was an expensive evening, I am not sure we really got value for our money. I recommend it mostly on promise--I think they will get this worked out. But the combination of bar service and full gastropub meals probably needs rethinking. It seems particularly ill suited to large parties, meaning more than 3 people. I may go back, but will want to hear that it's continued to improve.
My Yelp Review
For starters, you need to understand this "bar service" concept before you go in. The idea is that you go in, choose a spot, then go to the bar to order what you want. So far so good. But the place has gastropub aspirations--it definitely encourages you to go for a full meal, which is what we did. That means you are ordering a drink (or in my case a flight), an appetizer and a meal, for multiple people, all at the bar. I went up ahead of my party to order my flight and an appetizer, and asked that both families be on the same tab. The others weren't ready yet. I figured since it was a "tab" that they would keep it open as the others ordered, but after they delivered the first items they closed it. They organize tabs by a limited set of numbers, and apparently handed that number to someone else before retrieving it when they understood that the main order was still coming. Trouble ahead.
But first the appetizer, which was their Dancin' Brussels Sprouts. They are prepared with pomegranate, sesame seeds, fish sauce vinaigrette, and bonito flakes. Some of you might quail a bit at the idea of Brussels sprouts and fish sauce. Don't. The fish sauce is not too heavy and helps to mitigate the bitterness of Brussels sprouts. They were nicely carmelized and all the flavors worked wonderfully together. Delicious!
Two of us ordered flights. The concept is great--you get to try several beers and there's a good chance you'll find one or more you like. At Thistle they price them by the glass, which is good for flexibility. But these are craft beers so the price for a 4 oz. glass seems more like what one would pay for a pint. They have a very broad selection on tap and more in the case. Several folks in the party had selections from their craft soda as well.
The party consisted of four adults and four children. There's no children's menu but they will adjust the burgers to order so most got by OK. There are also a couple of vegetarian options, though we were warned off the Southern grits (kudos to honest waitstaff!).
Our party mostly got burgers--mostly classics, and one "bleu burger". And here is where the trouble starts--we actually ordered two bleu burgers, and a waiter came out with what he said were two bleu burgers, but in fact one was a classic. The staff struggled throughout the rest of the service to bring us what we ordered. Even though we ordered the food at the same time, it was about 25 minutes from the start of the service until they had all orders delivered and correct. During this process the staff brought us random food intended for other parties, checking to see if it was ours. Painful.
The burgers were decent and nice to look at, but not overly generous. The classic is pretty heavy on the cheddar and pickles, so it's rather salty and strong. The person in our party that got the bleu burger seemed to like it. One person got the bacon grilled cheese. The goat cheese and provolone were pretty overwhelming, it was hard to taste much else. And we couldn't find the bacon, which should have been pretty obvious according to other reviews. The tomato soup was bland and nothing special at all.
We got truffle fries, regular fries, and pretzel knots with the burgers. The fries are the breaded kind and were cooked just right. The truffle upgrade is done with truffle oil and a garnish of parmesan. Very tasty, but I'm not sure truffle oil really adds that much. The kids enjoyed the pretzel knots.
When we settled the bill we discovered they had left off one of the flights. It was an expensive evening, I am not sure we really got value for our money. I recommend it mostly on promise--I think they will get this worked out. But the combination of bar service and full gastropub meals probably needs rethinking. It seems particularly ill suited to large parties, meaning more than 3 people. I may go back, but will want to hear that it's continued to improve.
My Yelp Review
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Kolache Factory at 2920 and Kuykendall
I have not been to a Kolache Factory before so I went in to see how this one scratches the breakfast pastry/sandwich itch.
They open at 5:30 so it's a decent choice for early birds. I came in a little after 6 and got a polish sausage kolache, a small sausage kolache, a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee.
It's certainly a bargain breakfast. That lot cost me $5.67. And it was more than enough, I could have gotten by with half that.
But that's about all that stands out. The food was OK, but none of it seemed fresh. All of the items tasted like yesterday's inventory. The coffee was OK, slightly above average but nothing like Dunkin Donuts.
You can't quite scratch the donut itch there either, they have plenty of carb goods but not that. My kids prefer donuts so I went across the street to Top Donuts on the way back. Fresh and reasonable, and they also have kolaches, which they offer to warm up for you.
I didn't have some that are local favorites, like the Ranchero. But unless it was fresh it would not have been better.
The restrooms and dining area were clean and ready to go. The place was fully staffed and the service was attentive. Decent but probably not the best in the area. It won't displace Top Donuts and Snowflake Donuts as our go-to places for breakfast pastries.
They open at 5:30 so it's a decent choice for early birds. I came in a little after 6 and got a polish sausage kolache, a small sausage kolache, a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee.
It's certainly a bargain breakfast. That lot cost me $5.67. And it was more than enough, I could have gotten by with half that.
But that's about all that stands out. The food was OK, but none of it seemed fresh. All of the items tasted like yesterday's inventory. The coffee was OK, slightly above average but nothing like Dunkin Donuts.
You can't quite scratch the donut itch there either, they have plenty of carb goods but not that. My kids prefer donuts so I went across the street to Top Donuts on the way back. Fresh and reasonable, and they also have kolaches, which they offer to warm up for you.
I didn't have some that are local favorites, like the Ranchero. But unless it was fresh it would not have been better.
The restrooms and dining area were clean and ready to go. The place was fully staffed and the service was attentive. Decent but probably not the best in the area. It won't displace Top Donuts and Snowflake Donuts as our go-to places for breakfast pastries.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)