AhhTahoe's Profile
Carolina Kitchen in Sparks
This was a nice evening out. I went with the cod and chips, but thought the breading was way too heavy and overwhelming on the fish. The breading was too greasy for me.
On the other hand, Bill let me try his catfish and boy, did that taste good. Much lighter and less greasy. I want to come back and give the fish another try, as well as try the pulled pork, which looked delicious.
Interesting note: RC Cola is available here, no Coke or Pepsi.
Has anyone eaten at the "Hash House a Go-Go" at Harrah's in Reno
The reviews on Yelp have been less than enthralling. Lots of people have reviewed it, excited to try out a new Reno establishment that could possibly become iconic. Very few have said much beyond too much food, too bland, too pricy. I'm planning to check it out sometime this summer, maybe even Friday night (I'm staying at the Harrah's).
Reno pizzathon 2011: Choosing the area's best pizza
It was a great night, delightful, and thanks Steve for organizing it and for Bill and Linda for hosting all of us, who descended into your backyard like starving chickens. It was a pleasure to see some familiar faces and meet new ones as well.
Nine different pizzas - that was ALOT to take in, and after the third slice, everything started to blend and blur together (and I didn't even drink any wine). There were also way too many scoring categories - after I hit the dreaded PIZZA WALL, I could barely remember my name, much less which pizza had which crust or cheese.
As Lana said, so much of the scoring was purely personal choice. For instance, I do love sausage on a pizza, but if it was sliced sausage not crumbled sausage, the pizza would have rated lower in my opinion. And the pepperoni and sausage combo was too much meat for me - all I could taste was salt. I am not a fan of olives or jalapenos, so whichever pizzas had those ranked lower for me too.
To be honest, coming from the East Coast Joisey pizza frame of mind, I also am not very fond of what I call "foo foo" pizza, which is basically too many ingredients piled onto a pizza, leaving a soggy crust and resembling a compost pile, and having too many complex flavors to swirl around my confused and very picky taste buds.
That's just me, of course. Otherwise, it was a great night and hope we can re-visit this in 2012.
Reno: Chowdown at Zagol, an Ethiopian restaurant
It was a really enjoyable evening - a nice change to try diverse cuisine in a town that is ethnically challenged foodwise. Lovely company, and I liked the fact that we could actually have a conversation without shouting to our dinner companions.
It was a bit messy, but that was part of the adventure of eating with your hand as a utensil. My favorite dish of the night was the spicy lamb stew with green peppers in it. Like Steve said, when the dishes arrived, we had no idea what was what, so we just dived in and tried a little bit of everything.
Thank you, Steve, for letting the non-drinker in the group escape the corkage fee :-)
Reno: Chowdown at Santa Fe Hotel
It was a lovely evening with terrific folks - the food wasn't too shabby either. Nice finally meeting people and matching faces with online screen names. I also posted a review of the evening / restaurant on Yelp. I was a fan, but a little less enthusiastic with a final rating of 3.5 stars. Soup was not my favorite, otherwise everything else was quite good.
Lake Tahoe and Reno - one week
Another Incline local checking in. Austin's is great for comfort food but be patient, the wait can be long. I really enjoy T's, Thai Recipe, and the Vietnamese place in the Christmas Tree Plaza (the new owner says she will be adding curries too, since she's Sri Lankan). Bite's is fun, but as the name implies, it's small servings. I love Greg's Green Balls there - seedless grapes wrapped in goat cheese and rolled in pistachios. Their Ahi sliders are also excellent. Agree with breakfast at Art's - their quiches are great. It's more of a place where you pick up quick breakfast items rather than a sit down and order eggs and hash browns place. For a major splurge, the Big Water Grille.... mmmm.
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Big Water Grille
341 Ski Way, Incline Village, NV 89451
Christmas Tree Restaurant
455 N Woodland Rd, Lakeside, AZ 85929
Thai Recipe
901 Tahoe Blvd, Incline Village, NV 89451
Chowdown at Sezmu in Reno
This what I wrote on Yelp on that night's dinner (see below). By the way, is that a no-no to post the same review on both websites? Thanks, Steve, for putting this together and look forward to the next one.
This is the kind of place that foodie dinner groups love to go to, critique the meal and its construction, and then proceed to eat dinner with gusto. Which is exactly what our foodie dinner group did. Expect to spend at least $50 plus tip per person.
I was a few minutes late, so when I arrived, others had already ordered the papadum and hummus and batter fried green beans as starters. I tried both and they were absolutely superb. Excellent value at $3 each.
For my appetizer, I ordered the $7 spicy Borneo chicken soba noodle soup. GOOD: It was out of this world, with a complex jolt of tangy lime and cilantro flavors. I have tasted similar varieties of this kind of soup throughout my many travels in Asia. BAD: Too bad it's not a pretty soup. It arrived looking like brown glop.
For my main dish, I tried the $20 Niman pork osso buco, with Meyer lemon risotto, rapini, and topped with a pear-chestnut relish. Translated into non-foodie English, that's oxtail, lemony rice, brocolini, and cold relish. GOOD: A beautiful dish, falling off the bone tender goodness. BAD: I really didn't like the unexpected iciness of the relish topping a mouthful of the warm, delicate oxtail meat. A very minor complaint.
Definitely a splurge-worthy visit. Excellent service, with careful attention to drink orders and delivery.
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Sezmu Restaurant
670 Mount Rose St, Reno, NV 89509
Chowdown at El Tumi in Reno
Thanks for putting this evening together, Steve.
Really liked the tortilla chips served with the green sauce. Nice flavor, not too overwhelming.
I also thought the seafood appetizers and the plantains were the highlights of the night. The "Seafood Treasures" were quite good - excellent ceviche, with just the right citrusy kick. Each item on its own was good enough that I completely forgot to use any of the dipping sauce. The plantains were actually served with sour cream, which was an interesting twist. I prefer them a bit riper, but we didn't leave a crumb on plate.
My chicken dish, the aji de gallina, is one of the most popular dishes in Peru. I've had it several times on trips to Peru, and this version seemed to be "Americanized" - hardly any flavor at all, bland, and very heavy. In my Yelp review, I likened it to a chicken casserole dish using a can of cream of mushroom soup! I could only finish half of it, and didn't bother to ask for a container to bring leftovers home.
Thanks again, and looking forward to the next Grub and Gripe!
Allie
Great Chowdown at Oriental Express in Sparks
Sorry I missed this guys, I actually just returned from Asia and was spending long hours at work to catch up. I would have loved to have tried this out to try to recapture some of my fond food memories. Steve has my email now so I can try to make it next time. Those ribs sound amazing!
Best food to bring to Burning Man?
My favorites from Burning Man and what I'm bringing this year too:
Pre-cooked bacon - just heat and serve
XL frozen cooked shrimp with cocktail sauce - thaw and serve
Trader Joe's quiches - thaw and serve, tasty, not too heavy on the stomach
Grilled steaks - already cooked - heat and serve *
Mandarin oranges in a cup - keep in cooler and drink the juice!
Chocolate pudding in a cup
Poptarts - easy breakfast
Frozen pre-cooked pancakes - thaw and serve with maple syrup
Lots of coconut and mango juices for electrolytes (in cans so we can recycle at Center Camp)
I don't want to COOK anything out there - too much mess to clean up. Anything that is easy to heat, thaw and serve is the best.
* Never bring raw meats - it's a gagalicious to have rotting meat juices anywhere near you roasting in the sun
French Fries made at home - tricks and tips
I prefer my fries like British chips - cut thickly, with slightly crisp exterior and a very soft interior. What are recommendations for making them at home that way.
bone-in skin-on chicken thighs -- ideas for tasty, cozy, affordable please
Absolutely my favorite roasted chicken recipe in the world. Salty crispy skin? Just send me straight to flavor heaven. Although no matter what I try, my oven is a big smoky mess after cooking a whole roasted chicken.
$10, 5 ingredients, 1 appetizer, 8 people - what to make?
Can you tell me which noodles to use? There are so many. I have a package of cellophane or glass noodles in my pantry - would that work?
$10, 5 ingredients, 1 appetizer, 8 people - what to make?
I'm thinking either the Spinach puffs or the steak bruschetta. Thanks!
$10, 5 ingredients, 1 appetizer, 8 people - what to make?
Five ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper or water.
Garage Sale Goodies
And don't forget to have a plate of samples out! Once you get people lip-smacking samples, you're bound to sell more.
$10, 5 ingredients, 1 appetizer, 8 people - what to make?
Come on! Don't be cheatin! You did make me laugh though.
And yes, to the poster above, Salt, Pepper and Water do not count as ingredients (that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
$10, 5 ingredients, 1 appetizer, 8 people - what to make?
I should add that I'm a fairly basic cook so nothing too complicated, please. Also, I have to be able to transport it about an hour to a picnic so I won't be able to serve it "hot out of the oven."
$10, 5 ingredients, 1 appetizer, 8 people - what to make?
Our book club is coming up and the challenge is to make something to share with 8 people for less than $10 with less than 5 ingredients. Suggestions?
Spaghetti and Clam Sauce
Could you post the Claiborne recipe here? I just googled it and couldn't find the recipes, just mentions of how good and simple it is.
so... no res phillipines
I do think the subdued family atmosphere had to do with three things: 1) This was only Augusto's second visit to the family and he did not know them well. 2) WHITE MAN presence - it's one thing inviting another Filipino to dinner vs. a famous American come to dinner; everyone is on their best behavior. 3) A camera crew pointing cameras and microphones in your face.
Given those circumstances, no wonder the family doesn't display the same kind of raucousness that would normally occur during a get-together with your "titas" (aunts) or "titos" (uncles) that you grew up with. There's no teasing about how fat you're getting, no "chismis" (gossip), etc. If that was MY family and a family friend was coming instead of THE Anthony Bourdain, my mom would be forcing Anthony Bourdain to eat every single dish, she'd be hovering over his shoulder, poking at him and urging him to eat more, and demanding to see pictures of his kid while slyly pushing more rice in his direction.
Also, I found it shocking that no one discussed lechon sauce, the ubiquitous accompaniment to most Filipino roasted pork dishes.
Filipino food in Reno
I was just there Sunday - and even though it said was open at 10 am on Sundays, it was closed. Another one bites the dust.
Client Dinner in Denver
Looking for recommendations for a QUIET, but elegant Asian restaurant for a client dinner. Is there a high end Vietnamese restaurant? Something around $50 per person okay. Help!
Client dinner in Philly
Well, our client dinner at Buddakan last week was amazing. We pre-ordered the food (they offer several set menus) and the food just kept coming and coming, all excellent dishes. It was a Thursday night and booked solid, so it was pretty noisy no matter what, but it was an enjoyable night. Thanks for everyone's recommendations.
Client dinner in Philly
Well, we booked the big table at the foot of the Buddha at Buddakan, so we'll see. The dinner is at the end of the month and I will be sure to report back!
Client dinner in Philly
The reason we go with an Asia bent is because we are an adventure travel company which focuses on Asia, SE Asia and South America. Hence, we don't want Italian, European or American cuisine - wouldn't "fit" our clientele. Actually, I'm originally from Cherry Hill and worked in Philly, but moved west 8 years ago and have lost touch with the dinner scene. Thanks, everyone... I'm checking out S Foos, Buddakan and Ly Michaels as the final choices.
Client dinner in Philly
Okay, Ly Michael's is coming up as a good choice. Can anyone tell me if the ambiance is nice enough? I searched and the reviews all gave great comments about the food, but have not heard anything about what it looks like inside and out. Thanks.
Client dinner in Philly
Thanks, everyone. We also held a client dinner at the NYC Buddakan and yes, it was noisy. A few years back we had our dinner at POD and the food was excellent, but it was definitely noisy, not to mention the decor literally left us in the "cold."
Keep the recommendations coming...
