Craft Grill

Craft Grill is one of the neighborhood's more upscale eateries.  We came in with a large party the other night.  Overall I would say we had a good experience, but there were some rough spots.

We parked in back as recommended (and because we had to) and walked through the office building. Not a good start.  The hallway smelled like it had a sewage problem and there was a high-pitched alarm going off.  Probably a temporary issue.  Things got better once inside--we had called ahead, so even though it was crowded we were seated in about 5 minutes.

We started off with the deviled eggs, and they were excellent--a nice smoky filling topped off with bacon, which makes everything better and was absolutely true in this case.

The entrees were more of a mixed bag.  I had the South of the Border Salmon, which comes with cotija cheese, roasted pumpkin seeds, grilled corn, avocado, and salsa verde.  There was a lot of grilled corn and I could not find any pumpkin seeds.  The salmon was good, cooked just short of being overdone.

Also in our party: A catfish platter with jalapeno hush puppies and gouda grits.  Both of the sides were first rate--perfect texture on the hush puppies and a nice heat.  The catfish itself had a very good batter.  My dining companion knew his catfish, and said this was probably not channel catfish (the most common kind, and in his view the best).  Probably blue catfish.

Another entree: Chicken and biscuits.  A huge portion--three biscuits with great big chicken breasts, one would make a full meal.  The chicken was nice and tender and breaded well.  The biscuits had good flavor but were rather dense and a bit overdone.

The chicken and waffles was a bit disappointing.  The rosemary-infused syrup had a great aroma, but the waffle was again somewhat dense.  The chicken was quite dry, pretty much inedible.  At least the Texas Mule the diner had with the meal was a good one.

The Dixie Chick sandwich was another huge portion, but it was very well made and tender, and our diner nearly managed to finish it.  The kids had competently executed burgers and pasta.

We went for dessert.  The signature item is a waffle sundae.  Nicely presented, but the waffle was the same density as the other one, and other than that it was ok--ice cream, whipped cream, and some nice candied pecans.  The apple pie was first rate, can recommend it--it's an individual pastry pocket fried and glazed, and served with ice cream.  Excellent pastry and a very good filling.  We also had the banana pudding, which was a hit--light and a little fluffy, with scrumptious banana flavor.

Service was competent and timely, in keeping with the atmosphere.  The restrooms were in good shape for it being a busy Saturday evening.  Overall I would say it was a decent experience, but kind of pricey for what we got.

My Yelp Review

California Baja Fusion Cuisine

There's a new, very attractive food truck on Gosling Road.  I stopped in to this place for lunch the other day, and had a very good experience.  For a food truck it has nice furnishings--two solid wooden tables and distinctive yellow stools, with red umbrellas.  I ordered a carnitas torta with garlic fries and a jicama agua fresca (they also had watermelon lemonade).  Started with the drink, which was very well made (I'm a fan of jicama, it reminds me of drinking grape juice) and got two refills.  The sandwich was pretty good--a nice crusty roll and some white cheese (not sure what kind) fried on the grill to give it a crust.  The carnitas were OK, maybe slightly lacking in flavor but very tender.  Tomatoes seemed like the supermarket kind--I would probably do without them next time.  Fries were fantastic.  Breaded steak fries done nicely crisp on the outside, with great garlic flavor.  The dish was served with a habanero sauce.  It was tasty and very hot as one would expect.

They work hard at presentation.  You get table service if you stay.  The lunch was served on a wooden block, quite fancy.  The sauce was a little confusing--it came in a cute little bottle, but I was not quite sure whether it was all intended for me (seemed like too much).  They gave me a spoon with it but the spoon was too big to fit in the mouth of the container.  It did pour nicely on the sandwich though, and was a good complement.  I would absolutely go again.

My Yelp Review

Aviator's Grill

This place is a local institution--it's been profiled several times in the neighborhood newspapers over the years.  I stopped in for breakfast on a beautiful Saturday morning.  Breakfast is served on Friday-Sunday only, otherwise it is lunch only.  And it is not for early flyers--opens at 8am.

You order breakfast a la carte.  Got a nice big one--a pancake, sausage, eggs, and toast, with coffee and orange juice.  The pancake is of the large plate-covering variety--a pancake and coffee would fill you up for breakfast and set you back about $5.  The pancake is the chewy variety--I like mine fluffy, but am told it is a matter of preference.  The rest of the breakfast was competently made, nothing fancy but did the job.  The coffee is Community coffee through a drip machine--there wasn't any ready when I ordered, but the server made it right away so I had it nice and fresh.

Overall I would say it is like eating at a middle-class country club grill room.  Nothing fancy (order at the counter, condiments and silverware sitting out for you to take, furniture is a bit shabby) and originally aimed at the convenience of flyers, though now more business comes from the community--two families with small children came while I was there. 

The place is on the airport grounds, and the entrance is inside Gill Aviation.  There's a sign outside, but once you get in it's not in sight and there are no signs.  Bear left, then to the right down the hall.  Restrooms are just outside and were very clean and ready, including a mouthwash dispenser.  It's very reasonable, I felt like I got what I paid for.  Service was competent and reasonably prompt.  I would come again for lunch sometime.

My Yelp Review

Tacqueria El Pichon

Quick review for a quick bite.  I stopped in at 7am on a Saturday to pick up some breakfast tacos.  I was told they only had the chorizo and egg.  They were not ready.  Several folks waiting.  I ordered a couple, on both flour and corn.  They tasted fine, and the verde salsa is nicely tart and a good complement.  On the one hand, service was kind of brusque.  OTOH, I was the only white guy and they gave me my food first, so it was a bit uncomfortable.  A real deal at $1 apiece for decent breakfast tacos, so that tips me to a recommend.

My Yelp Review