Road Trip!!!

Sometimes the best food comes from the most unassuming places. Screw the notion that good food usually comes from big fancy restaurants. The best food is at those mom and pop restaurants, the hole in the walls, and family restaurants. You know the restaurants that all the locals know about but none of the tourists know. The ones that have been around for multiple generations and is not only enjoyed by old but young as well. Being in the city for so long has somewhat skewed my perception of what good food is all about: nice people, fresh ingredients, and of course the love that goes into making the food. Forget ambiance and decor. Food and friends (and of course the occasional drink) are the only real necessities. Going to Michigan reminded of all this and after eating delicious food after delicious food (not to mention gaining many many pounds and almost having a heart attack), I realized that food and friends made the trip more than worth it.

However, there is one place I have to talk about is this place called blimpie burger. i've eaten enough burgers to distinguish what is a normal burger and what is "the burger". I thought, at first glance, that this place was going to be another ordinary place, but after hearing from all the Michigan people to go there, I expected it to be good. And o man, was it good!!! The menu is simple but the flavor is beyond anything I expected. A triple patty burger with salami, egg, lettuce, and pickles had to be one of the best burgers I've ever had (maybe even being "the burger") Man, the flavor when those fresh burger patties mix with the saltiness from the salami, the texture/creaminess of the fried egg, the tang from the swiss cheese, and the crispness of the lettuce and pickles is an unbelievable harmony of flavors coming together to produce an unforgettable experience. Everything was there and couple that with some really good french fries and REAL onion rings (like the ones where they actually cut the onions by hand and coat them in a light batter) and you have a person who desperately who wants to go back at the first chance he gets.

The only regret I have is not having enough time to explore everything else michigan had to offer. And it had a lot to offer. I can't begin to describe all the other food we had (everything from awesome sandwiches to steam vegetable pitas to deep fried ice cream to hippie hash to $3 pitchers) but it was awesome. if only we didn't pack in a lot of food in such a short amount of time, we wouldn't have been as full.

All in all, nice people, good drinks, great food, and great friends result in one awesome trip. Maybe ill have to come back one day. Just maybe!!!

Puerto Rico

It's amazing how important first impressions are in a person's perception of pretty much anything and food is no exception. Eating the food in Puerto Rico for the first couple of days was somewhat disappointing not only because of the inflated prices but also due to the quality of the food. The breakfast on our first day was like a meal I would have at a normal diner with the exception of the plantains, but even that didn't have too much flavor. The lunch, although having some bright spots, ended on a sour note when having my first mofungo left me in a state of shock and not the good type of shock. I was legitimately hoping that the first mofungo I ever had in puerto Rico wouldn't be the flavorless, hard, and weird texture that I got, but it was. Even the Asopao that was supposed to be from an authentic food stand was at the most decent. As you can see, my first impressions of Puerto Rican food was, indeed, not a good one. I always had this mindset that the food really does define a culture and I just couldn't believe that this is what Puerto Rico had to offer.

However, in the midst of all this bashing, I would have to say that the once bad impression of Puerto Rican food I had would all but soon disappear. It was funny that because of my first impression of mofungo that I wouldn't have it again, but going to different restaurants in the San Juan and Old San Juan area and people's recommendations, I had to give it another shot. And trust me, that was the best decision I had made. Having the Monfungo at Raices replaced every bad impression I had, and having that spherical shaped cup filled with the monfungo and chrrasaco with chimichurri left me not only wanting more, but also imprinted what Puerto Rican cuisine was all about. Then, we also had great paella at a restaurant called Siglo XX and for what it was worth, it had some really really good paella (some of the best I've ever had). Having seafood paella is something that I tend to have a craving for and when it's done right (seafood not overcooked, rice perfectly cooked with a good balance of spices, etc.) it's actually quite amazing. Finally, what's a vacation to Puerto Rico without rum. I do have to say that the mojito's over there are very good and quite refreshing. So to make a long story short, Monfungo, paella, and mojito's and you'll be good. Just kidding. There's so much more to Puerto Rican cuisine than just this. Unfortunately, i did not have enough time to explore the cuisine, but i hope to return and explore more of their cuisine. It's so interesting how all of our food can really not only define our culture but also be similar yet different from everywhere else. While at first, I was left disappointed, I am now a person who is forever hooked and longing to one day go back to the island known as PR.

Restaurant Week

I don't what it is, but whenever I hear the two words restaurant and week put together, it just conjures up immense excitement within me. Maybe it's the opportunity to try new places that normally poor students like me :( would never be able to try, maybe it's just an excuse to have good food, or maybe it's just the fact that there's so much good food to be eaten. This week has been the first time I've really been able to experience restaurant week to its fullest.

On Tuesday, I was able to go Wildwood BBQ. Wildwood BBQ had the ambiance of a true authentic BBQ joint, but unfortunately, it didn't taste like it. They were good things and they were bad things, but nothing that I haven't had before. The ribs, which were decently good, were a little tough and didn't meet the expectations that I originally had. While the sauce that accompanied it was quite good, it was disappointing that the sauce was better than the ribs themselves. The side dishes were pretty good too and definitely better than the ribs, but that's the thing. You can't have your sides and your sauce being better than the star of the dish. Overall, I can't say it was one of the best experiences, nor can I say that it was worth the $50 I paid (including two pitchers of beer), but it wasn't bad either. It was so-so at best, but hey I guess you can't win them all.

On Wednesday, I was able to go to one of my old favorites that I was able to go to last year, Delmonico's. And to say the least, it was better than I could've imagined. Last year, Delmonico's was really good, but it wasn't that wow factor I really wanted. However, this year, with the same expectations, Delmonico's definitely stepped up and gave me that WOW meal I've been so desperately been searching for. For the appetizer, a very simple scallop and bacon dish, but a dish that was simply cooked to perfection. The flavor when you put the scallop and bacon together was an amazing combination of the sweetness from the scallop and the saltiness from the bacon. For the Entree, I had a 20 oz. boneless porterhouse that was exponentially better than those typical chilis, applebees, and outback steaks. The steak was quite tender and cooked to a pretty good medium. It was pure and simple, a steak with some salt, pepper, and olive oil with a beautiful char cooked very well and the result, a wonderful flavor with every bite. I wish it didn't end, but sadly it was gone before I knew it. Finally, for the dessert, i had a nice apple tart, but the experience would've been complete if only I had the baked alaska. Unfortunately, they ran out of the baked alaska, but the apple tart was a definitely good substitution. The apple tart was flaky with again a simple filling that was just a very nice way to end the meal. If there's one thing this meal taught me, it's the fact that if you prepare simple, yet fresh ingredients together properly, the flavors are just as good, if not better than a complicated recipe. It's an ideology that I support in cooking in that less can certainly be more!!

Finally, today was an experience that not only definitely exceeded my expectations, but gave me the restaurant that would impress me. This is more than a WOW meal. This is a meal that was perfect on all accounts and for a decently cheap price. For the appetizer, i had a wonderful steak tartar. The flavors of the steak, coupled with a fresh baugette as a nice medium to spread the tartar was an astounding combination that put a myriad of flavors in my mouth. Tartar is something that I don't get to have often and to have it part of the restaurant week menu was a chance I couldn't pass up and I'm so thankful i didn't For the entree, I had a beautiful skirt steak with french fries. That skirt steak was cooked to a perfectly amazing medium rare, and each bite was so tender and had so much flavor that I couldn't say the words to describe it. That's how good it was. Honestly, this is the best steak I've had since Alberto's skirt steak with Chimichuri. The french fries were double fried and cooked really well and had the lovely church ans flavor that you want in french fries. Finally, their homemade coffee ice cream with doughnuts was a wonderful way to finish the meal. What I loved about the ice cream is the fact that it wasn't too sweet. It still had the texture and flavor of ice cream that I love so much without the abundance of sugar in it. And if you're wondering what this restaurant is called, well it's no wonder they're called Quality Meats. Thank you quality meats for giving me the complete meal experience I wanted. (I hope I'm not hyping it up for other people too much)

If there's one thing that this restaurant week has taught me, it's the fact that not only am i an avid foodie, but how much joy and how much there is to experience with food. Food is such a simple thing, but one that can be molded in so many different ways. And it is these different perspectives on food that really get me to continue to love food like I do, both cooking it and eating it. While there may have been disappointments and great experiences, I finally got to experience restaurant week to the fullest and who knows I may be back for more next week. And even though I spent over $150 this week in food and the fact that my body hates me, it was more than worth it. Yet the one thing that's so amazing with food is that there's still so much more to experience and I know this is only the beginning of my culinary adventure. Only time will tell what else I will experience, but so far the ride has been great.

P.S. Let's continue the adventure and for anyone who says it isn't worth it to spend $50+ on a meal, trust me you don't know what you're missing. Try these restaurants while you can. (If you need someone to subsidize your meal partially, I might be able to help you there lol! MAYBE!!) It's an experience that you are missing out on and definitely better than those fast food and chain restaurants.

P.S.S. Pictures will hopefully be up soon!!!!