That Food Guy
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Imperial Palace - Anchorage Alaska - A Birthday Revisit 2016
The first time I ever saw the Imperial Palace was back in 1988 or so. It was on my first trip to Alaska. I saw the restaurant across the highway and down a small street each time I went to the Flight service Station to get a weather briefing. Flight Service Stations are gone now but the Imperial Palace is still there. I didn’t visit the restaurant that time but marked it in my mind for a future time.
The menu, in an elegant cover, is quite complete. There is a
large selection of al la carte dishes including a choice of Korean dishes, a
goodly selection of luncheon combinations at a reduced price, a list of single
and double entrees dinners for one, and even family-style with combinations
from $13.95 to $19.95 each (there are numerous combinations but the selections
do not increase with the number of diners, i.e., “…with four you get eggroll.”)
. For our group of five with eclectic tastes the combination dinner for one was
the best way to because everyone would get just what they desired.
The other Larry ordered the C1 Combination Dinner (13.95 Mongolian Beef and Sesame Chicken –
Served with eggroll, pork fried rice and daily soup). An attractive
presentation, stir-fried beef in a dark brown glaze, a cone of fried rice, an
eggroll sliced in two, and a helping of breaded chicken fried golden brown and
accented with sesame seeds. He said everything tasted good and he had no
trouble at all completing his meal. He agreed with me and added that it was a
place to come back to.
Gloria and Wasana both ordered the C4 Combination Dinner
($13.95 Kung Pao Chicken and Sweet and
Sour Chicken – Served with eggroll, pork fried rice and daily soup). An
equally pleasing plate featured stir-fried chicken with vegetables in a sauce
and, of course, the peanuts, there was the fried rice and eggroll, and
stir-fried breaded chicken with peppers, onion and carrot, in a sweet and sour
sauce. A very pretty plate but all was not as it seemed. Both of them liked the
sweet and sour chicken and the fried rice and eggroll. However, both of them
agreed that the kung pao chicken was just too salty to enjoy and both were
unable to finish their portions; everything good except the kung pao chicken.
The Imperial palace is a small and I believe a family-run
business. We actually only saw one person most of the time in the dining room.
She as the hostess, the waitress and the bus boy all wrapped up in one. She was
never hovering but she seemed to know when you needed her.
dly
Imperial Palace
- A Birthday Revisit
September 2016
400 Sitka St
Anchorage,
Alaska 99501
The first time I ever saw the Imperial Palace was back in 1988 or so. It was on my first trip to Alaska. I saw the restaurant across the highway and down a small street each time I went to the Flight service Station to get a weather briefing. Flight Service Stations are gone now but the Imperial Palace is still there. I didn’t visit the restaurant that time but marked it in my mind for a future time.
It was several more years before I moved to Alaska. I
remembered the Imperial Palace and saw it each time I would drive by the
airport. Somehow it just never came to pass that I would stop in and see what
it was all about. It was not until 2012 during a visit by my sister and my nephew
that we decided to see if the Imperial Palace was indeed worthy. We were all
very favorably impressed and looked forward to visiting again. You can read
that critique at http://thatfoodguy.blogspot.com/2012/07/imperial-palace-anchorage-alaska.html .
Fast forward to 2016; in Alaska for the last part of the
summer to do maintenance on our property, I was treated to dinner, the reason
being it was my birthday, by some old and dear friends, Wasana and Larry Tower
and Gloria and Jim Kocis. Given my choice, after all it was my birthday, the
Imperial Palace came to mind. We all agreed to meet in town at 5 O’clock PM. It
was a date that I eagerly awaited.
As a young child my first encounters with Chinese food were
from Chinatown in Los Angeles. Those
savory dishes, the look, the smell, the taste – those delicious flavors, were
the major part of larger experience. It was an alien world, the exotic dress,
the incense, red and black lacquer décor accents, gilt trimming, paper
lanterns; it was all heady stuff to an 8 or 9-year old but it emblazoned on my
mind what eating Chinese was all about. The menu to a young person was almost
impossible to comprehend. The entrees were a strange combination of alien
sounds. As a family, we would usually order from the combination meals, you
know, “…with four you get eggroll.” I have not been back to Chinatown for more
than 50 years. It has changed I hear and sadly not like it once was. Today it
is very hard to find a Chinese restaurant that compares to the old days of
Chinatown. There are a lot of storefront take out emporium who all seem to
serve carbon copies of each other, now served as Styrofoam plated combo meals.
Even the long cherished Chinese food take out container is hard to find. It is
sort-of Chinese at least in name, often fusion dishes you are a bit adverse to
try. As well, the all-you-can-eat parlors are popular as well. If you want to
get your Chinese food fix it is a place to go with lots of variety and in
seemingly endless quantities. However, I am sure you will agree with me that it
is only a semblance of what Chinese food for Americans could and should be.
The allure of the Imperial Palace for a revisit was that it
is very reminiscent of the Chinatown of old. I was very favorably impressed on
the first visit some years ago and I had hopes that it would be as good this
time. The interior was as I remembered; not a lot of black and red lacquer to
be sure. There were the paper lanterns adored with the Chinese characters, the
moveable screen, very evocative of the General Lee, to set aside areas for
large groups or those wishing a bit of privacy. There was no tall, beautiful
oriental hostess, dressed in a floor length red silk dress with a slit up the
side to greet us. But then, you can’t have everything.
The menu, in an elegant cover, is quite complete. There is a
large selection of al la carte dishes including a choice of Korean dishes, a
goodly selection of luncheon combinations at a reduced price, a list of single
and double entrees dinners for one, and even family-style with combinations
from $13.95 to $19.95 each (there are numerous combinations but the selections
do not increase with the number of diners, i.e., “…with four you get eggroll.”)
. For our group of five with eclectic tastes the combination dinner for one was
the best way to because everyone would get just what they desired.
The meal was started with a bowl of egg drop soup. A clear
flavorful broth, chicken flavored, with a good quantity of egg drop shards and
some vegetables. A tasty soup to start the meal, it had many compliments.
The other Larry ordered the C1 Combination Dinner (13.95 Mongolian Beef and Sesame Chicken –
Served with eggroll, pork fried rice and daily soup). An attractive
presentation, stir-fried beef in a dark brown glaze, a cone of fried rice, an
eggroll sliced in two, and a helping of breaded chicken fried golden brown and
accented with sesame seeds. He said everything tasted good and he had no
trouble at all completing his meal. He agreed with me and added that it was a
place to come back to.
Jim ordered the C3 Combination Dinner ($13.95 Spicy Garlic Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork- Served with
eggroll, pork fried rice and daily soup). Another appealing plate, a
serving of stir-fried chicken in a spicy sauce with vegetables such as pea pods
and broccoli, the standard cone of fried rice with an eggroll, stir-fried
breaded pork morsels in a sweet and sour sauce and some onions and carrots. Jim also completely finished his dinner
saying that it was good, good appearance and presentation and good flavor.
Gloria and Wasana both ordered the C4 Combination Dinner
($13.95 Kung Pao Chicken and Sweet and
Sour Chicken – Served with eggroll, pork fried rice and daily soup). An
equally pleasing plate featured stir-fried chicken with vegetables in a sauce
and, of course, the peanuts, there was the fried rice and eggroll, and
stir-fried breaded chicken with peppers, onion and carrot, in a sweet and sour
sauce. A very pretty plate but all was not as it seemed. Both of them liked the
sweet and sour chicken and the fried rice and eggroll. However, both of them
agreed that the kung pao chicken was just too salty to enjoy and both were
unable to finish their portions; everything good except the kung pao chicken.
It had been a long time since I had enjoyed a decedent chow
mein. After a long look at the choices, I finally chose the C8 Combination
Dinner ($13.95 Chicken Chow Mein and
Sweet and Sour Pork – Served with egg roll and pork fried rice). The first
impression I had when the plate was placed in front of me was that the food
looks like what I would expected to. It looked like what I remember from the
Chinatown restaurants. An appealing plate, there was a good portion of breaded
stir fried pork cooked with onion, peppers and carrots in a very tasty sweet
and sour sauce, the pork fried rice and the eggroll, and a serving of chicken
chow mein. The chow mein was a mix of stir-fried chicken, vegetables and
noodles in a sauce. The noodles were
fried but not crisp. The sauce is a thinner, clearer sauce made from the broth
with just a touch of sweetness, traditional, just as it should be. The flavor
of the chicken and the noodles was never masked by the flavor of the sauce. The
eggrolls were excellent, good enough that you might wish they were more part of
the dinner than as a single one serving in an appetizer role. The fried rice is
the filler of the dish. It is good but not special. I would suspect that if you
were to order a serving of fried rice as an entrée from the menu it would be a
bit more polished. The sweet and sour pork was excellent. It was breaded
morsels of pork, stir fried with some onion, peppers and carrots in a very good
sweet and sour sauce.
The Imperial palace is a small and I believe a family-run
business. We actually only saw one person most of the time in the dining room.
She as the hostess, the waitress and the bus boy all wrapped up in one. She was
never hovering but she seemed to know when you needed her.
For my dinner, I have no complaints. In fact I loved every
bit of it. If it were a more perfect world to my taste, perhaps there would
have been a morsel or two of pineapple in the sweet and sour and perhaps the
noodles in the chow mein could have been a bit crisp – you know, just like the
old days. But that does not detract form the enjoyment of a great meal. Of this
visit I would say that for the most part, with the exceptions noted above, the
food was better than just good. It was a special night and the company was
great making it a special, gala occasion. We all arrived about 5 PM and we
didn’t leave until almost 8 PM – a most enjoyable session of reminiscing and
catching upon the news of the last couple of years. Larry, Wasana, Jim and
Gloria, thank you one and all.
Labels: Alaska, Anchorage, chicken, Chow Mein, garlic, Imperial, Kung Pao, Palace, pork, spicy, sweet and sour
¶ 1:44 PM 0 Comments
Friday, August 26, 2016
Oriental Cuisine - Maryville, Tennessee
Oriental
Cuisine
622 Condry
Lane
Maryville,
TN 37803
I would have never known the Oriental Cuisine Restaurant was
there except for one thing. Several times a week my wife and I would go to the
local gym. When leaving, while waiting for traffic, we would be looking across
the street down a very small alley like street that has a name. In fact its
name denotes its diminutive stature, Condry Lane. A lane; it is so much less
that a boulevard, an avenue or even a street. It serves as the back entrance to
a muffler shop and a bank parking lot as well as access for some industrial
metal buildings on the left. Way down at the end of the street where it appears
to dead end is one small sign; Oriental Cuisine shares sign space with a rug
and tile company. From our vantage point we cannot see that building because it
is set back to allow for customer parking in front. I was intrigued by this
almost hidden restaurant and I thought that it must have something going for it
as it would not garner any drive-by traffic.
Many months went by before I finally decided to see what it was all about. I did some internet research and found their website which is basically their menu. They offer a mix of Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese foods. I was on my own for lunch one day and stopped by for a takeout meal of sweet and sour chicken ($9.00 Breaded white chicken chunks deep fried to a golden brown and served with diced tomato, green pepper and pineapple in our sweet and sour sauce. Served with fried or steamed rice). At $9.00 dollars it seemed a bit on the expensive side but this was an exploratory visit to see what they offered and on that day I did have a “hankering” for some Chinese food. I also asked for a spring roll to compliment the meal ($1.75 A delicious mixture of jicama, carrots, onions, rice thread and pork wrapped in a crunchy spring roll wrapper) .
My order soon arrived. It was a large brown paper bag,
neatly folded and stapled. I was quite surprised when I picked it up. Thinking
back to my thoughts about the rather high cost I now, at least, considered it a
very good deal on a price per pound basis. There was a lot of food inside that
bag. I could hardly wait to get it home and check out the contents. The fact
that it smelled so good made me even more eager.
(I just have to add
this in as a parenthetical comment: Over the years I have noticed that sweet
and sour chicken or pork have become cheapened and degraded under the
banner of “New York style” and the pineapple, sweet peppers and other
vegetables that helped to define the dish in Chinatown settings have been
eliminated and all you get is breaded chicken and sauce usually served separate.
That rendition of sweet and sour chicken is travesty and defames the sweet and
savory combination that is also beautiful to the eye. A pox on New York style.)
Taking myself at my word, I divided the food into two portions
and cut the spring roll in half. I would have half now and the remainder at a later
time. I plated the food for a photo before eating; nothing fancy, just so it
wasn’t a picture looking down into the bottom of a box. It was only half of my
order but the food literally filled the plate. The sweet and sour chicken was
delicious. The breading was fried crispy and the chicken inside was moist and
juicy. It occurred to me while I was eating it that the extra effort in separate packaging made for a crisp
chicken in the sauce whereas if it had been all packaged together the chicken
in all likelihood would have been soggy and unpalatable. The sweet and sour
sauce was very good with a bit of tang from perhaps vinegar and sweetness but
not just from sugar. I enjoyed the snap and flavor of the slightly crispy
pepper and loved the fruity sweetness of the pineapple. An excellent sweet and
sour dish I will definitely try again.
My drink was delivered with a bowl of fried wontons, I sat back
to await my meal. As I mentioned, it was a miserably hot day outside and the
cool interior of the restaurant was a relief. The shades were drawn and the lighting
subdued but you could still see images of the out-of-doors through the slats in
the shade. I looked around. It was as I described before. It was oriental in
motif, black lacquer chairs, a mural but not much else to give it that Asian
look, certainly not gaudy. A quick count found about 50 seats. There were two
tradesmen at the table next to me and a solo elderly gentleman across the aisle.
There was a party of about 6 or 8 in the alcove. About 8 people came in to pick
up their take-out orders; all must have called in and each order was ready on
their arrival. Towards the end of my meal several people arrive and must have
been regulars from the greetings. Apparently Sabrina, the server, saw one of
them parking his car and had his preferred beverage ready for him when he
entered the store. My observations answered the fundamental question I had
harbored. How does this almost hidden restaurant manage to survive? It requires
returning customers and word of mouth advertising. It certainly has returning
customers and I will be providing some word of mouth. It is not an ornate place
nor does it have an elegant ambiance but it is comfortable and it does have the
feeling like in the old Cheers theme song,
“…where everybody knows your name.”
The rice was the standard carbohydrate filler, seasoned with
just the right amount of soy sauce. It was a soup-bowl full of rice, upended on
the plate to make the rounded pile of rice. A line of three large florets of
steamed broccoli divided he plate. The remainder of the plate was filled with
chunks of breaded and fried chicken, coated with sauce and liberally sprinkled with
toasted sesame seeds. Great aroma and a very nice presentation; it looked very
appetizing.
Oriental
Cuisine
622 Condry
Lane
Maryville,
TN 37803
865-984-0810
First Visit – A Take-Out
Order
I would have never known the Oriental Cuisine Restaurant was
there except for one thing. Several times a week my wife and I would go to the
local gym. When leaving, while waiting for traffic, we would be looking across
the street down a very small alley like street that has a name. In fact its
name denotes its diminutive stature, Condry Lane. A lane; it is so much less
that a boulevard, an avenue or even a street. It serves as the back entrance to
a muffler shop and a bank parking lot as well as access for some industrial
metal buildings on the left. Way down at the end of the street where it appears
to dead end is one small sign; Oriental Cuisine shares sign space with a rug
and tile company. From our vantage point we cannot see that building because it
is set back to allow for customer parking in front. I was intrigued by this
almost hidden restaurant and I thought that it must have something going for it
as it would not garner any drive-by traffic.Many months went by before I finally decided to see what it was all about. I did some internet research and found their website which is basically their menu. They offer a mix of Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese foods. I was on my own for lunch one day and stopped by for a takeout meal of sweet and sour chicken ($9.00 Breaded white chicken chunks deep fried to a golden brown and served with diced tomato, green pepper and pineapple in our sweet and sour sauce. Served with fried or steamed rice). At $9.00 dollars it seemed a bit on the expensive side but this was an exploratory visit to see what they offered and on that day I did have a “hankering” for some Chinese food. I also asked for a spring roll to compliment the meal ($1.75 A delicious mixture of jicama, carrots, onions, rice thread and pork wrapped in a crunchy spring roll wrapper) .
I was offered a seat at the nearest table and while I was
waiting for my order I read over my take-home menu copy. I had ordered from the
inside, the a la carte portion. On the back was the lunch menu of lower-priced
combinations meals. Part of the combination is a bowl of soup. That would have
made for an inconvenient take-home but I planned one day, if my pending order
was good, return to try something their luncheon menu.
My order soon arrived. It was a large brown paper bag,
neatly folded and stapled. I was quite surprised when I picked it up. Thinking
back to my thoughts about the rather high cost I now, at least, considered it a
very good deal on a price per pound basis. There was a lot of food inside that
bag. I could hardly wait to get it home and check out the contents. The fact
that it smelled so good made me even more eager.
Opening the bag, I found a large (26-ounce?) traditional
Chinese take-out container of breaded fried chicken that was overflowing. I
suspect that was a fluke and I got the benefit of the chef’s “Oops, I cooked a
bit too much.” It was a large-sized container and if the chicken all fit inside
it would still be a large portion. There was a portion of sweet and sour sauce
and a portion of fruit and vegetables.
(I just have to add
this in as a parenthetical comment: Over the years I have noticed that sweet
and sour chicken or pork have become cheapened and degraded under the
banner of “New York style” and the pineapple, sweet peppers and other
vegetables that helped to define the dish in Chinatown settings have been
eliminated and all you get is breaded chicken and sauce usually served separate.
That rendition of sweet and sour chicken is travesty and defames the sweet and
savory combination that is also beautiful to the eye. A pox on New York style.)
There was a 16-ounce container of fried rice, the spring
roll, some packages of soy sauce, some plastic utensils and a fortune cookie.
Looking over my stash of Chinese food I realized that if I had bought another
spring roll I would have satisfying and filling meals for two; on a per serving
basis, $4.50 per person plus the spring roll. The economics of my Oriental Cuisine
purchase were looking much better. Now how does it taste?
Taking myself at my word, I divided the food into two portions
and cut the spring roll in half. I would have half now and the remainder at a later
time. I plated the food for a photo before eating; nothing fancy, just so it
wasn’t a picture looking down into the bottom of a box. It was only half of my
order but the food literally filled the plate. The sweet and sour chicken was
delicious. The breading was fried crispy and the chicken inside was moist and
juicy. It occurred to me while I was eating it that the extra effort in separate packaging made for a crisp
chicken in the sauce whereas if it had been all packaged together the chicken
in all likelihood would have been soggy and unpalatable. The sweet and sour
sauce was very good with a bit of tang from perhaps vinegar and sweetness but
not just from sugar. I enjoyed the snap and flavor of the slightly crispy
pepper and loved the fruity sweetness of the pineapple. An excellent sweet and
sour dish I will definitely try again.
You can order fried rice as an entrée and it will be more
elaborate that the pedestrian fried rice that usually serves as the
carbohydrate filler in combination plates. This rice was no exception to that
rule of thumb. There are bits and pieces here and there but for the most part
it is rice, fried and seasoned with soy sauce. Certainly more flavorful than
steamed rice but it was not too salty or overly seasoned with soy sauce. It was good as filler rice goes but at the
same time it was not exceptional.
The spring roll was crispy fried and the filling was tasty.
A bit of hot Chinese mustard would have been beneficial but not necessary.
Although I prefer the thicker, less crispy egg roll skins, I did enjoy the spring
roll. It seems that egg or spring rolls are always an appetizer on Chinese food
menus. I like them well enough that they should be a main course item. I will
certainly add these spring rolls to my next order.
As a side note, take-out orders don’t always go home to be
eaten. They may go to the office or on a climate day, to a picnic table in the
park. The inclusion of the plastic cutlery was a nice thought.
Second Visit A Month Or So Later – Eat In
Luncheon Special
It was a very hot and sultry day, one usually better spent
indoors. I had errands to run and as luck would have it, I was on my own for
meals that day. I decided to treat myself to lunch out. It wouldn’t be a
drive-thru burger this time. It would be the long awaited sit down meal at the
Oriental Cuisine Restaurant for lunch. On the previous visit I had ordered an entrée
from the main or dinner menu. While
waiting, I noticed that they also serve from a lunch menu with lower prices
from 11:00Am to 3:30PM. It is a long list of choices and the entrée is served with
soup (your choice of hot and sour, wonton or egg drop), a spring roll and rice
(your choice of steamed or fried). My expectation was that It would be smaller
portions and perhaps less elaborate in presentation. The lunch menu includes
sweet and sour chicken and it would have been a good comparison but I also
wanted to try a broader range of their offering so I chose the Sesame Chicken
at $6.00 instead. For my soup I ordered
the wonton. For beverage I went with Coca Cola. My server, Sabrina, was very
attentive, very personable. She checked on me at intervals and kept my soda
glass full. I need to thank her for making my dining experience pleasurable.
My drink was delivered with a bowl of fried wontons, I sat back
to await my meal. As I mentioned, it was a miserably hot day outside and the
cool interior of the restaurant was a relief. The shades were drawn and the lighting
subdued but you could still see images of the out-of-doors through the slats in
the shade. I looked around. It was as I described before. It was oriental in
motif, black lacquer chairs, a mural but not much else to give it that Asian
look, certainly not gaudy. A quick count found about 50 seats. There were two
tradesmen at the table next to me and a solo elderly gentleman across the aisle.
There was a party of about 6 or 8 in the alcove. About 8 people came in to pick
up their take-out orders; all must have called in and each order was ready on
their arrival. Towards the end of my meal several people arrive and must have
been regulars from the greetings. Apparently Sabrina, the server, saw one of
them parking his car and had his preferred beverage ready for him when he
entered the store. My observations answered the fundamental question I had
harbored. How does this almost hidden restaurant manage to survive? It requires
returning customers and word of mouth advertising. It certainly has returning
customers and I will be providing some word of mouth. It is not an ornate place
nor does it have an elegant ambiance but it is comfortable and it does have the
feeling like in the old Cheers theme song,
“…where everybody knows your name.”
The wonton soup arrived quickly. There were two wontons in a
clear broth. It is served hot. A couple
of the small ice pellet from my soda cooled it enough to sip. It is a mild
broth with hints of many flavors, chicken and vegetables but not highly
seasoned; nice flavor but mild, very subtle. The wontons are large and the wrappers are thick
that made for a slightly doughy texture. A seasoned pork mixture in the middle was
tasty. It was a flavorful way to await the entrée.
My entrée soon arrived. Oh, my God! The expected meager
portions were huge. I must admit that I ate the whole thing with relish but I
would have been much better of eating half and taking the rest home for later
(something I saw others in the restaurant do). Two people could have shared the
meal and felt satisfied. 
The rice was the standard carbohydrate filler, seasoned with
just the right amount of soy sauce. It was a soup-bowl full of rice, upended on
the plate to make the rounded pile of rice. A line of three large florets of
steamed broccoli divided he plate. The remainder of the plate was filled with
chunks of breaded and fried chicken, coated with sauce and liberally sprinkled with
toasted sesame seeds. Great aroma and a very nice presentation; it looked very
appetizing.
In conclusion: Will I go back to Oriental Cuisine? Most assuredly!
The food is good, the portions are large, the staff members are friendly and
the restaurant just seems to be a comfortable palace to be. They have a lot
more dishes that I would like to try but I will remember in the future to
divide my plate; eat that part there and take the other part home for later.
They are
open 6 day a week, closed on Mondays
Hours are
Sunday – Thursday 10:00AM to 9:30PM
Friday 11:00AM to 10:00PM
Labels: broccoli, chicken, Chinese, cuisine, fried rice, Maryville, oriental, pork, sesame, soup, steamed, sweet and sour, Tennessee, Thai, Vietnamese, won ton, wonton
¶ 12:51 PM 0 Comments
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Seafood Paella from a Kit
Examining my new treasure, I found a box with the paella
makings nestled in an informational cardboard collar inside a 12-inch paella
pan; all of that secure in transparent shrink wrap. The box contained a bag of
rice, an envelope of dried paella stock and a small vial of olive oil. There is
a picture of a “suggested serving” on the printed materials but the shrimp,
clams and mussels are not included. The kit will make a pan of seafood flavored
paella rice. This was not unlike Pattie Sue’s Vigo paella. Where possible I
would make the rice according to the directions to see what the product was
truly like. I would also have additional
food items to make my own suggested serving photo.
The free paella pan is enameled steel. It could be used over
a campfire, on a barbecue grill on a camping trip. It is suitable for a gas
range as well as an electric element or ceramic-top stove. A steel pan, it is
also usable on an induction cooking unit. It feels to be about 16-gage steel with
a nice enamel finish. With care it should last a long time.
My plan to cook the basic dish to
the instructions and later add my items had a flaw. I needed to cook the
chicken bits, garlic, onion, Bell pepper bits, peas and carrots in with the
rice. As it worked out, the dish was pretty much a batch of yellow rice with a
few colorful items floating in the middle. It was augmented but it would give a
taste of the original product. The garnishing and finishing touches, the Bell
pepper rings, snow pea pods and the broccoli florets I would steam and add
later. The chicken tenderloins I grilled with the lemon lime chicken breasts.
The basic directions for making
the paella from the kit is to sauté
the rice in the provided olive oil, add the flavoring packet and the prescribed
water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over medium high heat until the
liquid is absorbed. What I did was to sauté
the chicken, add the vegetables and cook for a few more minutes. I then added
the rice and cooked until it started to brown. Instead of water, I added an
equal amount of chicken broth. I brought that to a boil and then reduced the
heat to a slow simmer and cooked until all the liquid was absorbed, about 20
minutes. As a side note, in reading the ingredients list it was noted that
saffron was very near the bottom of the list; not too much there. I did add a
bit of my own saffron.
I took a sample for taste test.
The rice was cooked through, tender and there was a slight crust underneath. It
had a distinct seafood flavor but no particular sea food stood out as
predominate. It tasted very much as other seafood paellas I have tasted; good but not exceptional. I then smoothed out the surface and added my presentation
items. It was a colorful and attractive dish, very tasty and enjoyable for
dinner that night. The pairing with lemon-line and white pepper chicken was a
good one. The wife and I fully enjoyed the
paella prepared in our new pan.
Come the next day it was time for
some left overs for lunch. It was then I noticed I had apparently overlooked
the night before. For convenience I had used chicken as the meat in the dish
that was seasoned with a seafood mixture. Although it was unnoticed the night
before when it was fresh, it was very apparent when reheated that there was a
mismatch of flavors with the seafood portion winning out by a big margin.
Carmencita Paella Kit
Seafood Flavored Paella from a Kit
I surely did not need a paella pan. I have enough kitchen
gadgets as it is. The wife agrees with me on that issue too! In fact, I already
make a very tasty chicken paella in a cast-iron skillet. You can see that
recipe at:
It is a very tasty paella and I can vouch for that. That was
how it was and would have stayed until that fateful day I was walking the aisles
of the local Kroger’s supermarket. One of the end-of-aisle displays caught my
eye. There was a display by a Spanish company, Carmencita, makers of a
“kit” for making paella. Them kit is a small box of rice, a cute vial of olive
oil, and an envelope with dehydrated seasonings to make a seafood and saffron
flavored paella rice. As an introductory offer it was paired with a traditional
paella pan. On sale, the seafood paella kit and the paella pan cost what the
paella kit would cost all by its self-in other words the paella pan was free.
In a flash, I decided I needed a paella pan after all.
Later at home, reading the instructions on the kit box, it
put me in mind of a product evaluation my sister, Pattie Sue, did awhile back
for a Vigo Paella Valenciana kit. It too was an all-inclusive kit in
a box containing an envelope of rice, a seasoning packet and a small can of
bits and pieces of things that swim, float of crawl in the sea. Although it had
some pieces of sea food in it, the Vigo version was pretty much a pan of
seasoned rice with the yellow color of saffron and turmeric. Her finished dish
did look a bit barren so she added the finishing touches herself. You can see
her blog and serving solution here:
Examining my new treasure, I found a box with the paella
makings nestled in an informational cardboard collar inside a 12-inch paella
pan; all of that secure in transparent shrink wrap. The box contained a bag of
rice, an envelope of dried paella stock and a small vial of olive oil. There is
a picture of a “suggested serving” on the printed materials but the shrimp,
clams and mussels are not included. The kit will make a pan of seafood flavored
paella rice. This was not unlike Pattie Sue’s Vigo paella. Where possible I
would make the rice according to the directions to see what the product was
truly like. I would also have additional
food items to make my own suggested serving photo.
The free paella pan is enameled steel. It could be used over
a campfire, on a barbecue grill on a camping trip. It is suitable for a gas
range as well as an electric element or ceramic-top stove. A steel pan, it is
also usable on an induction cooking unit. It feels to be about 16-gage steel with
a nice enamel finish. With care it should last a long time.
Traditional paella is an all-encompassing term; it is more of a cooking style.
Coastal regions will frequently be seafood paellas
with the local catch determining the ingredients. Inland, chicken and other
meats may be found as well as vegetarian versions. There is a variety of paella for just about everyone.
As much as possible… according to
package directions… Traditional paella is finished over a high heat and that
makes the socarrat, the caramelized layer
on the bottom of the pan that adds so much to the flavor of the dish. The socarrat has also become a benchmark of
traditional paella perfection. If I am making a batch for lovers of traditional
paella, I finish over high heat and usually get a semblance of the socarrat. Americans, mostly on the other
hand (and that includes me), like fluffy rice and often view the socarrat as the burned bottom. When cooking
for them I finish the dish over low heat and make fluffy rice.
My plan to cook the basic dish to
the instructions and later add my items had a flaw. I needed to cook the
chicken bits, garlic, onion, Bell pepper bits, peas and carrots in with the
rice. As it worked out, the dish was pretty much a batch of yellow rice with a
few colorful items floating in the middle. It was augmented but it would give a
taste of the original product. The garnishing and finishing touches, the Bell
pepper rings, snow pea pods and the broccoli florets I would steam and add
later. The chicken tenderloins I grilled with the lemon lime chicken breasts.
The basic directions for making
the paella from the kit is to sauté
the rice in the provided olive oil, add the flavoring packet and the prescribed
water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over medium high heat until the
liquid is absorbed. What I did was to sauté
the chicken, add the vegetables and cook for a few more minutes. I then added
the rice and cooked until it started to brown. Instead of water, I added an
equal amount of chicken broth. I brought that to a boil and then reduced the
heat to a slow simmer and cooked until all the liquid was absorbed, about 20
minutes. As a side note, in reading the ingredients list it was noted that
saffron was very near the bottom of the list; not too much there. I did add a
bit of my own saffron.
I took a sample for taste test.
The rice was cooked through, tender and there was a slight crust underneath. It
had a distinct seafood flavor but no particular sea food stood out as
predominate. It tasted very much as other seafood paellas I have tasted; good but not exceptional. I then smoothed out the surface and added my presentation
items. It was a colorful and attractive dish, very tasty and enjoyable for
dinner that night. The pairing with lemon-line and white pepper chicken was a
good one. The wife and I fully enjoyed the
paella prepared in our new pan.
Come the next day it was time for
some left overs for lunch. It was then I noticed I had apparently overlooked
the night before. For convenience I had used chicken as the meat in the dish
that was seasoned with a seafood mixture. Although it was unnoticed the night
before when it was fresh, it was very apparent when reheated that there was a
mismatch of flavors with the seafood portion winning out by a big margin.
I tasted a bit of the paella without any added food items and
pondered what I had. Here is what I concluded… When freshly made it has good
flavor, has lots seafood overtones, and it cooks up nicely and a socarrat crust easily obtained on a
stove top. With a bit of added garnish it can serve as a main dish. On the
second day things are a bit different. The seafood flavor seems to have
intensified and is a bit overpowering the seafood becomes just “fishy.” Without
things to pair the flavor to, clams, mussels, squid and the like, the fishy
taste of the rice becomes rapidly less appealing.
In conclusion, I love my new paella pan. I like chicken paella and will use it often. The Carmencita Paella Kit makes a nice rice
with seafood flavor and very handy if you require a paella in short order. As
prepared from the package it would be more suitable as a side dish rather than
a main dish. It would require additional items, shrimp, squid, clams and mussel
for example, to serve as a suitable main dish. Without any seafood in the dish to pair with the
taste from the seasoning when reheated the fishy rice can quickly become unpalatable.
Additional information about this kit and other Carmencita products, check out:
Labels: Bell pepper, Carmencita, chicken, garlic, kit, lemon line chicken, paella, paella pan, red onion, seafood, snow pea pods
¶ 2:17 PM 0 Comments
Thursday, May 05, 2016
Chicken Chow Mein for Breakfast
Just remember, with the possible exception of the ham, the
meats, chicken and beef are raw and all precautions need be observed when handling,
preparing, freezing and storing the raw meats to prevent contamination and the possibility of causing a food-borne illness.
Using my stash of Recipe-Ready chicken pieces, I had fun cleaning out the refrigerator and was rewarded for my efforts with some delicious meals. Best wishes from Tennessee, home of chicken chow mein for breakfast!
Chicken Chow Mein for Breakfast
It is true. This blog is about chicken chow mein for breakfast. It’s not just for dinner anymore! Chicken chow mein is for breakfast too. But seriously, it is also about a tip to save time and some money
Back in my Florida days, shopping at the Publix Super
Markets, I saw in the meat section small packages of diced ham sold in 8-ounce
packages and labeled as “recipe ready” packages. As such they were just the
right size to make lunch and served ham salad sandwiches, or to make a
wonderful ham and cheese omelet. No need to buy a 10 pound piece ham when
you’re only going to use a handful to start.
So, that brings me today. We buy our chicken in the
multi-piece pack from the big-box stores and I repackage when we get home into
smaller portions. A lot of the times the chicken breast will have rough edges
or pieces of the tenderloin still attached. I trim those small pieces of
chicken and place them in a separate bag. And presto, I have recipe ready
chicken.
Place the diced pieces of the raw meat on a plastic film or
parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Cover with a sheet of plastic film and
place in the freezer until fully frozen. Remove the cookie sheet and place the
frozen meat chunks into a Zip-Lock freezer storage bag for short term storage
or into a Vacu-Seal bag for long term storage. Freezing them before bagging keeps them from sticking together; it is easy to grab a cup or handful as you need them. Observe safe food handling
procedures.
I used a bit of that recipe ready chicken to make my chow Mein
this morning for breakfast. Normally, my preferred breakfast is a serving of hash
browns (I like to make my own but I usually make too much so I use the little
already cooked prepared hash brown patties), and egg, and usually one strip of
the pre-cooked bacon (that saves a lot of frying time) and sometimes they slice
of buttered toast with a little dab of jam. As I said it’s my preferred usual
but sometimes a little difference is appreciated.
I just happened to have in the refrigerator a bag of bean
sprouts and some Chinese Peapod’s. There is a long story about those but that
is for another day.
In short order I assembled all the goodies to make my chow
Mein. I sliced up some celery, a bit of roasted red pepper, a small onion, some
sliced baby carrots, a clove of garlic and went to work. I use my five dollar
Walmart wok. The thin steel heats quickly on the ceramic stovetop so the
stovetop doesn’t get too hot. I preheated, added a bit of canola oil, watched
it smoke, and tossed in my chicken. I stir-fried until the chicken was browned
but not quite cooked all the way through. To save a bit of time I directly
added the vegetables but held back the bean sprouts and pea pods. I stir-fried
the vegetables until the celery was just tender. I then added the sprouts and
pea pods along with a few mushrooms that had been cooked the day before,
mushrooms that I put on just about everything else. While that was cooking, I
made a slurry of a rounded teaspoon of chicken base, a quarter cup of water,
and a few drops a sesame oil, and a good sprinkle of soy sauce with a
tablespoon of added cornstarch. I seasoned with salt, pepper, and some MSG.
Also while I was cooking, I boiled up a package of Ramen
noodles. I added the flavoring packet to the water. When they were cooked
through I drained noodles into a colander. When bean sprouts were just tender,
I added the slurry and stir-fried until the sauce thickened. I put the drained noodles on a plate
and then ladled on half of the stir-fried mixture (the other half will be
breakfast tomorrow). However tomorrow, I will use a bowl instead of a plate
because it is easier that way with chopsticks.
I enjoyed those two chow mein breakfasts but I would never
have made the batch if I did not have the diced chicken in a convenient, ready
to use small portion. I plan on keeping a supply of diced, ready to use small
portions of chicken as well as some beef and even make my own diced ham handy-pack
for the freezer. I never know when the impulse to experiment in the kitchen
will come but I will be ready when the urge strikes.
Just remember, with the possible exception of the ham, the
meats, chicken and beef are raw and all precautions need be observed when handling,
preparing, freezing and storing the raw meats to prevent contamination and the possibility of causing a food-borne illness.
Using my stash of Recipe-Ready chicken pieces, I had fun cleaning out the refrigerator and was rewarded for my efforts with some delicious meals. Best wishes from Tennessee, home of chicken chow mein for breakfast!Labels: bean sprouts, breakfast, chicken, Chow Mein, convenience packaging, food safety, meat, portion sizes, stir fry, wok
¶ 12:53 PM 0 Comments
Thursday, May 07, 2015
TerraMar Brazilian Steakhouse - Pinellas Park FL
Terra Mar Brazilian Steakhouse
We, my wife and I, have driven past the TerraMar almost weekly on our errands and each time I wondered what it was like. When I was assigned the task of selecting the restaurant, the TerraMar came to mind. Last year we all had dined at another Churrasco restaurant across the bay in Tampa. Everyone enjoyed that dining experience. It is close to home, of a type already enjoyed, and a check of the online reviews provided a positive picture of the TerraMar. Also, in checking the online menu, the lunch prices were very reasonable.
Marlete greeted us and showed us to our table. She was very vibrant, telling us all about the restaurant and our choices for the meal. Our beverage orders taken, we ambled to the buffet to start our meal. To those of you not familiar with the Churrasco style restaurant, it is a restaurant that serves grilled meat; many offering as much as you can eat. Most feature a large rodizio grill where a charcoal fire roasts many skewers of meat at the same time.
For lunch or dinner, the options are the same; the difference being the price. There is a buffet, a cold side and a hot side each with about 10 offerings. There is also a cauldron of soup of the day. (Lunch – Hot and Cold Sides Only: $9.99 All you can eat. 11AM – 3PM 10 different kinds of hot sides. 10 different linds of salads and soup of the day.) The second option is: (Lunch – Sides Plus Rotisserie Grill: $14.99 11AM – 3PM Top Sirloin, X Kebab, Pork Ribs, Chicken Drumsticks and our home made sausage.)
A bit early for a heavy meal, my three companions chose to have the Hot and Cold Buffet. I, on the other hand, chose the Sides and Rotisserie Grill. Even taking tiny sample portions, it requires two trips to the hot and cold buffet to try everything. My first plate of buffet food included green salad with tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, chick peas and delicious house dressing. There was cold pasta salad, sweet potatoes, an excellent potato salad, rice, fried bananas, and fried white fish. It was a meal in itself but the best was yet to come.
The slices of top sirloin were excellent. Cooked medium rare, they were tender and full of roasted meat flavor; a minimum of seasoning. That particular cut became my favorite for the meal. My second favorite was the X Kebob (why the X I do not know but I will ask my next time there). Skewered with slices of green Bel pepper and onion, they are flavorful little chunks of meat. Not as tender as the sirloin, they are however very tasty and go so well with the peppers and onions. I had several sausages over the course of the dinner. Homemade, they are very flavorful although I am not familiar with the spice combinations used. They are very tasty but I would have to learn to like them to make them a favorite.
Terra Mar Brazilian Steakhouse
6715 49th St No
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
(727) 525-1100
Open 11:00AM until 9:00PM
Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun,
and until 10:00PM Fri and Sat
Closed Mondays
As our moving day neared, my wife’s Aunt Effie and Uncle Gil asked to take us out to lunch. They reasoned that it would be a long time before we could go out to lunch together again. I was all for the idea. Whenever anyone wants to take me out to lunch, I am for the idea. I was assigned the task of finding a suitable place to eat. Ordinarily an easy task, it was not so in this case as there were some very definite likes and dislikes to be considered.
We, my wife and I, have driven past the TerraMar almost weekly on our errands and each time I wondered what it was like. When I was assigned the task of selecting the restaurant, the TerraMar came to mind. Last year we all had dined at another Churrasco restaurant across the bay in Tampa. Everyone enjoyed that dining experience. It is close to home, of a type already enjoyed, and a check of the online reviews provided a positive picture of the TerraMar. Also, in checking the online menu, the lunch prices were very reasonable.
Marlete greeted us and showed us to our table. She was very vibrant, telling us all about the restaurant and our choices for the meal. Our beverage orders taken, we ambled to the buffet to start our meal. To those of you not familiar with the Churrasco style restaurant, it is a restaurant that serves grilled meat; many offering as much as you can eat. Most feature a large rodizio grill where a charcoal fire roasts many skewers of meat at the same time.
For lunch or dinner, the options are the same; the difference being the price. There is a buffet, a cold side and a hot side each with about 10 offerings. There is also a cauldron of soup of the day. (Lunch – Hot and Cold Sides Only: $9.99 All you can eat. 11AM – 3PM 10 different kinds of hot sides. 10 different linds of salads and soup of the day.) The second option is: (Lunch – Sides Plus Rotisserie Grill: $14.99 11AM – 3PM Top Sirloin, X Kebab, Pork Ribs, Chicken Drumsticks and our home made sausage.)
A bit early for a heavy meal, my three companions chose to have the Hot and Cold Buffet. I, on the other hand, chose the Sides and Rotisserie Grill. Even taking tiny sample portions, it requires two trips to the hot and cold buffet to try everything. My first plate of buffet food included green salad with tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, chick peas and delicious house dressing. There was cold pasta salad, sweet potatoes, an excellent potato salad, rice, fried bananas, and fried white fish. It was a meal in itself but the best was yet to come.
The slices of top sirloin were excellent. Cooked medium rare, they were tender and full of roasted meat flavor; a minimum of seasoning. That particular cut became my favorite for the meal. My second favorite was the X Kebob (why the X I do not know but I will ask my next time there). Skewered with slices of green Bel pepper and onion, they are flavorful little chunks of meat. Not as tender as the sirloin, they are however very tasty and go so well with the peppers and onions. I had several sausages over the course of the dinner. Homemade, they are very flavorful although I am not familiar with the spice combinations used. They are very tasty but I would have to learn to like them to make them a favorite.
In researching the TerraMar, I came across these two videos on YouTube. Perhaps you would like to take a look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1ob60eG-XM& Uploaded Mar 22, 2013, andLabels: BBQ, beef, Brazil, Brazilian Steakhouse, chicken, chimichurri, churrasco, lamb, rodizio grill, rotisserie, salad, steak
¶ 11:30 AM 0 Comments
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Sam's Club Cafe - I Learned To Read The (Other) Menu
Sam’s Club Café – I Learned to Read the (Other) Menu
Last shopping trip I sampled the Crispy Chicken Sandwich
($1.99). It was a breaded medium-sized chicken breast (not too much breading to
fool you into thinking it was a much larger piece of chicken), deep fried and
served in a round steamed bun. In keeping with the major sales being the hot dog
and a soda combo, self-service dispensers of mustard, relish and ketchup are
self-serve. Onions are available on request. That was not exactly what I had in
mind for the sandwich and found that mayonnaise is also available in those
single-serve packets on request. The edges of the chicken are indeed a bit
crispy and just a bit dry. The rest of the chicken piece was not exactly crispy
but the breaded coating firm, the chicken tender and moist; it did have a good
flavor. It is a basic sandwich, just a piece of deep fried breaded chicken
breast between two pieces of bread. If it fact it had some lettuce and a slice
of tomato it would have been a very good sandwich. However, lacking those
condiments, it was just an ordinary run-of-the-mill sandwich. Not bad but not
exceptional either. At $1.99, it is not as good a deal as the large hot dog and
soda combo for $1.50. On some future shopping foray into Sam’s Club I may want
a change from the dog and soda and will opt for the Crispy Chicken Sandwich
again but not soon.
To digress for a moment; the hot dogs used at the Café are larger than the average hot dogs you find in the deli case at your supermarket. They are much larger, more like a Polish sausage in size. They are made by Nathans and the flavor is not hot dog nor is it sausage but somewhere in between and very tasty. Apparently they are not generally available to the public and are not featured inside the Sam’s Club main store. However, you can buy them by the case from the Café. Likewise, the buns are much larger than the usual hot dog buns to accommodate the larger sausages.
Now, back to the Italian Sausage Sandwich with Onions and
Poppers ($2.69); that was my choice for lunch today. The Italian sausage is a
little bit smaller and firmer in texture than its hot dog counterpart but does
a good job of filling the bun. There was a sufficient serving of grilled onions
and peppers though I personally would have liked a bit more. There was no need
for any dressing. The sausage was moist and with the additional moisture from
the onions and peppers there was no need to smear anything else on the
sandwich. The sausage had excellent flavor it was mildly seasoned, not spicy hot.
The bun had been in the steam cabinet
and was soft and folded around the sausage and filling. I was able to eat the
whole sandwich without the bun splitting on the bottom and spilling the
contents. I was able to really enjoy the sandwich.
See my first blog of Sam’s club Café August 30th, 2011 at http://thatfoodguy.blogspot.com/2011/08/sams-club-st-petersburg-fl.html .
Sam’s Club Café – I Learned to Read the (Other) Menu
The wife and I made several trips to Sam’s Club this holiday
season. As usual, we planned the shopping trip round the noon hour so we could
have a very affordable lunch at Sam’s Club Café. This time it was a bit different than the
usual. During the last few visits I started reading the little menu, the one on
the wall behind the servers, nor the big, garish one over their heads; there is
more available that hot dogs, pizza and pretzels. I learned to read the
entirety of the menu and I found that there are two additional sandwiches available.
One is the Crispy Chicken Sandwich and the other is Italian Sausage with
grilled peppers and onions. It should be noted that these sandwiches are not
part of a combo deal and a soda is extra.
Last shopping trip I sampled the Crispy Chicken Sandwich
($1.99). It was a breaded medium-sized chicken breast (not too much breading to
fool you into thinking it was a much larger piece of chicken), deep fried and
served in a round steamed bun. In keeping with the major sales being the hot dog
and a soda combo, self-service dispensers of mustard, relish and ketchup are
self-serve. Onions are available on request. That was not exactly what I had in
mind for the sandwich and found that mayonnaise is also available in those
single-serve packets on request. The edges of the chicken are indeed a bit
crispy and just a bit dry. The rest of the chicken piece was not exactly crispy
but the breaded coating firm, the chicken tender and moist; it did have a good
flavor. It is a basic sandwich, just a piece of deep fried breaded chicken
breast between two pieces of bread. If it fact it had some lettuce and a slice
of tomato it would have been a very good sandwich. However, lacking those
condiments, it was just an ordinary run-of-the-mill sandwich. Not bad but not
exceptional either. At $1.99, it is not as good a deal as the large hot dog and
soda combo for $1.50. On some future shopping foray into Sam’s Club I may want
a change from the dog and soda and will opt for the Crispy Chicken Sandwich
again but not soon.To digress for a moment; the hot dogs used at the Café are larger than the average hot dogs you find in the deli case at your supermarket. They are much larger, more like a Polish sausage in size. They are made by Nathans and the flavor is not hot dog nor is it sausage but somewhere in between and very tasty. Apparently they are not generally available to the public and are not featured inside the Sam’s Club main store. However, you can buy them by the case from the Café. Likewise, the buns are much larger than the usual hot dog buns to accommodate the larger sausages.
Now, back to the Italian Sausage Sandwich with Onions and
Poppers ($2.69); that was my choice for lunch today. The Italian sausage is a
little bit smaller and firmer in texture than its hot dog counterpart but does
a good job of filling the bun. There was a sufficient serving of grilled onions
and peppers though I personally would have liked a bit more. There was no need
for any dressing. The sausage was moist and with the additional moisture from
the onions and peppers there was no need to smear anything else on the
sandwich. The sausage had excellent flavor it was mildly seasoned, not spicy hot.
The bun had been in the steam cabinet
and was soft and folded around the sausage and filling. I was able to eat the
whole sandwich without the bun splitting on the bottom and spilling the
contents. I was able to really enjoy the sandwich.See my first blog of Sam’s club Café August 30th, 2011 at http://thatfoodguy.blogspot.com/2011/08/sams-club-st-petersburg-fl.html .
Labels: bun, Café, chicken, crispy, fried, hot dog, Italia, Italian sausage, onions, peppers, Sam's Club, sausage, soda
¶ 1:30 PM 0 Comments
Friday, February 14, 2014
Red Robin, St Petersburg, Florida
This particular Red Robin is almost hidden. The large
parking lot of the mall makes for a large set back and there is no attention
getting sign; you sort of have to know where it is because it is not readily
apparent from the street. That didn’t seem to affect the customer base. Even
though we went a bit early for dinner it was quite busy. However, we had almost
immediate seating. We were shown to a lounge area table for two. That area has
elevated tables with stools and bench seats to match. I suppose they were
saving the regular dining area booths for larger parties. The seats are okay
once you climb up and in but I would prefer a regular booth the next time if at
all possible.
Our server, Sarah J was quickly there to take our beverage
order. A very personable young lady, Sarah took good care of us during our
visit and her kind words added immeasurably to the dining experience. Red Robin
features Coca Cola products (soft drinks
$2.79) which I prefer and my wife, Janis, ordered her favorite, a banana
milkshake (Classic Milkshakes and Malts.
Choose from chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana, raspberry or peach. Classic
$3.99, Monster, milkshake with a refill tin $4.99). The beverages arrive in short order and we
sipped as we read the menu. It is similar to previous Red Robin menus we have
seen but there are a lot of new additions as well as old favorites. There is a
section for substitutions and sides as well as a variety of sauces to “Customize
Your Order.”
In spite of the new and tantalizing dishes offered, we
ordered much as we have always when dining Red Robin. We are, after all,
creatures of habit. Janis ordered her usual, the Crispy Chicken Burger ($9.99 Anything between two buns is a burger
to us, even if it’s made with a premium whole chicken breast. The only things
that could top this burger are pickles, tomatoes, onion and mayo.) She
chose the bottomless fries as her side dish. It is a large serving of chicken,
the flattened breast overhanging the large bun on all sides. It was cooked a
nice golden brown and with a crispy crust, moist and tender inside. Janis said
it was very tasty and she had no difficulty in finishing her meal; well, a
small scrap of sandwich to take home for a couple of real dogs (who gave the
crispy chicken burger their seal of approval). The fries were, as expected,
very good. Red Robin is noted for their steak fries always served cooked to a
tee and served piping hot.
I have a couple of burgers that I switch between but this
time I chose the Bacon Cheese Burger ($9.99
Bacon. It makes everything better; even our cheeseburger which is tough to
beat. Topped with mayo, tomatoes and your choice of cheese.) The meat is
cooked to order. I chose Swiss cheese for my burger, and of course, I chose the
fries. Read the menu thoroughly. There are no-charge substitutions for the
fries, such as side salad, broccoli and coleslaw, which are bottomless like the
fries. The burger was made from a large, nicely toasted sesame seed bun. The
patty was grilled with a bit of crispy char, cooked to order, not pink, but
not well done, and was very flavorful beef. The Swiss cheese was nicely
melted and there were fresh tomatoes and crispy lettuce. The bacon was two full
strips cooked almost crispy. As I mentioned, the meat had a very good flavor by
itself and the rest of the ingredients made for a delicious hamburger, one that
I really enjoyed. I also love my French fries. I especially like the steak
fries served by Red Robin. I asked Sarah one of her frequent appearances for an
additional order of fries. It seemed that it was taking a long time but she
arrived right on time with the fresh, piping hot order of fries just as I was
down to the two or three from the original serving. I thoroughly enjoyed my
reintroduction to Red Robin. Sorry Dogs, there wasn’t anything left to bring
home.
Red Robin,
St Petersburg, Florida
Tyrone Mall
2468 Tyrone Blvd Suite 435B
St
Petersburg, FL 33710 (727) 345-3581
Our last meal at a Red Robin was during our last trip
together to Alaska some three or four years ago. During our Alaska residence it
was a favorite place to go for that special hamburger and a milkshake (not to
mention the “bottomless fries”). During our tenure in Florida, at first there
were no Red Robins. Not too long ago we learned that there was a Red Robin a
bit to the north of Orlando. As good as the Red Robin sandwiches are, a six to
eight hour driving round trip was just a bit too much. About the middle of last
year we read in the paper that Red Robin was going to build a restaurant in the
Tyrone Mall, just a few blocks from where we live. That was good news indeed.
That Red Robin was completed a bit before the Christmas season but we never
managed to make our way there for a meal until today. That’s not to say that
the spouse didn’t visit and get me a gift card from Red Robin to help fill my
Christmas stocking. With gift card in hand, we went to Red Robin for a
Valentine’s Day Red Robin Hamburger.
This particular Red Robin is almost hidden. The large
parking lot of the mall makes for a large set back and there is no attention
getting sign; you sort of have to know where it is because it is not readily
apparent from the street. That didn’t seem to affect the customer base. Even
though we went a bit early for dinner it was quite busy. However, we had almost
immediate seating. We were shown to a lounge area table for two. That area has
elevated tables with stools and bench seats to match. I suppose they were
saving the regular dining area booths for larger parties. The seats are okay
once you climb up and in but I would prefer a regular booth the next time if at
all possible.Our server, Sarah J was quickly there to take our beverage
order. A very personable young lady, Sarah took good care of us during our
visit and her kind words added immeasurably to the dining experience. Red Robin
features Coca Cola products (soft drinks
$2.79) which I prefer and my wife, Janis, ordered her favorite, a banana
milkshake (Classic Milkshakes and Malts.
Choose from chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana, raspberry or peach. Classic
$3.99, Monster, milkshake with a refill tin $4.99). The beverages arrive in short order and we
sipped as we read the menu. It is similar to previous Red Robin menus we have
seen but there are a lot of new additions as well as old favorites. There is a
section for substitutions and sides as well as a variety of sauces to “Customize
Your Order.”In spite of the new and tantalizing dishes offered, we
ordered much as we have always when dining Red Robin. We are, after all,
creatures of habit. Janis ordered her usual, the Crispy Chicken Burger ($9.99 Anything between two buns is a burger
to us, even if it’s made with a premium whole chicken breast. The only things
that could top this burger are pickles, tomatoes, onion and mayo.) She
chose the bottomless fries as her side dish. It is a large serving of chicken,
the flattened breast overhanging the large bun on all sides. It was cooked a
nice golden brown and with a crispy crust, moist and tender inside. Janis said
it was very tasty and she had no difficulty in finishing her meal; well, a
small scrap of sandwich to take home for a couple of real dogs (who gave the
crispy chicken burger their seal of approval). The fries were, as expected,
very good. Red Robin is noted for their steak fries always served cooked to a
tee and served piping hot. |
| Bacon cheeseburger on a serving plate |
 |
| Bacon Swiss cheeseburger in a basket (New Mexico) |
There was nothing wrong with our sandwiches and we will be
going back to Red Robin, that is for sure. I do have some observations about
perceptions and presentation that really didn’t affect the quality of the food.
In all previous visits to Red Robins, the service was in a more traditional
burger basket with a sheet of wax paper liner. The burger was also wrapped with
the top half exposed ala the roadside diner hamburger tradition. The back side
of the burger was compressed a bit and that forced some of the filling towards
the unwrapped top. The bun gaped a bit and the effect was a humongous hamburger. As well, the basket
was a bit smaller than the serving plate in use at this Red Robin and that made
the combination of burger and fries look very large indeed.
This meal was served on a flat, rectangular plate with the
burger sitting flat, unwrapped and secured with a wooden skewer. The fries are in a serving ring, much like a
fries to go carton but without a bottom and made of stainless steel. With the
contents of my meal displayed on the larger plate the effect was of a much smaller
meal than I remembered; the perceptions from the presentation. I had to look
closely to be sure it was the same sized burger that I remembered. The burger was delicious, the fries excellent
but even though I am sure the burger is the same size, I am also sure that the
supplier is cutting the fries from a slightly smaller potato that before; they
are good fries just a bit smaller. I don’t believe that is of any real
importance because you can have as many as you can eat.
If you haven’t been to a Red Robin in some time or the
restaurant chain is new to you, try them. I’m sure you will be glad you did and
it will become one of your favorite places to go for that special burger.
Labels: banana, bottomless, chicken, Coke, Florida, French fries, gourmet, hamburger, milkshake, Red Robin, Sandwich, St Petersburg
¶ 4:30 PM 0 Comments
