When Mountain Mike's Pizza first opened, I was a fan. The pizzas tasted good, they used fresh ingredients and they were very meticulous with their standards. For some reason, I stopped going there, probably because I got lazy and decided to go back and see how they were doing. I ordered a medium, one-topping pepperoni pizza. The pizza took a while, so I decided to wait inside the restaurant. There were other people inside also waiting for their pizzas, which I guess accounted for the long wait. The video games and the claw machine for stuffed animals were old school. The large television overwhelmed the room with its giant screen showing sports and not in high definition.
After waiting for approximately twenty plus minutes, I took my pizza home and consumed it in the comfort of my own home. The pizza was decent, but the end result lacked the love and attention as when the pizzeria first opened.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Great American BBQ
On a late evening, I called the All American BBQ restaurant and ordered chicken and ribs twenty minutes before they closed. By the time I got there, I was the last person and the last customer of the night. Fortunately for me, the cook had extra chicken and gave me the other half for free. Yippee! I guess he was feeling generous because it is a New Year and he had half a chicken he didn't have a customer for.
The chicken was very good and tasty. There was a definite smoky flavor and the meat was moist. The BBQ sauce that was served on the side gave the meat a boost.
The pork ribs were generous in portion, but the amount of fat on the ribs made it difficult to eat. The other problem with the meat was that it did not fall off the bone, it was not tender. You had to chew it off with some force. The flavor of the ribs were palatable, but I could not get past the difficulty of eating them.
The sides I got with the entrees were collared greens and macaroni and cheese. The mac and cheese was decent, but nothing to write home about. The collared greens was the better side.
The greens had a slight crunch to them and were not boiled to mush as most BBQ joints.
I had the Peach cobbler for dessert. The dessert was not part of the entree and I paid extra for it. The cobbler was ice cold and came out of the refrigerator. I decided to slightly warm the cobbler to bring out the flavors. The cobbler was good and the peaches were plenty.
The chicken was very good and tasty. There was a definite smoky flavor and the meat was moist. The BBQ sauce that was served on the side gave the meat a boost.
The pork ribs were generous in portion, but the amount of fat on the ribs made it difficult to eat. The other problem with the meat was that it did not fall off the bone, it was not tender. You had to chew it off with some force. The flavor of the ribs were palatable, but I could not get past the difficulty of eating them.
The sides I got with the entrees were collared greens and macaroni and cheese. The mac and cheese was decent, but nothing to write home about. The collared greens was the better side.
The greens had a slight crunch to them and were not boiled to mush as most BBQ joints.
I had the Peach cobbler for dessert. The dessert was not part of the entree and I paid extra for it. The cobbler was ice cold and came out of the refrigerator. I decided to slightly warm the cobbler to bring out the flavors. The cobbler was good and the peaches were plenty.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Speisekammer
One night after the holidays, I was hungry for a chicken or turkey pot pie. I know Ole's has one, but the last time I went there for a pot pie, it was the worst ever. Sorry, Ole's.
I know I could have easily purchased a frozen pot pie in any grocery store, but the amount of sodium and fat inside each little pie can deter anyone from entering the frozen food section.
I was driven to find a pot pie. After no luck, I went to Speisekammer for rotisserie chicken, green beans, cranberries and mash potatoes. Okay, so the food was not exactly a pot pie, but nonetheless it was the closest I came to one without the crust. The chicken was moist with the skin on, and it was spiced up with lots of herbs. The cranberries were fresh with a hint of cinnamon. I am a huge fan of cinnamon, but not with cranberries . I still consumed the entire bowl, but the cinnamon was a miss. The mash potatoes were okay, a little light on flavor, and the green beans were decent. Interesting enough, when you want extra sauce even though the meal comes with a small amount, the restaurant still charges you $1. It doesn't matter that you order a full entree, you still must pay for the extra sauce. The meal portion was large. I received one-half of a chicken, which was plenty.
I know I could have easily purchased a frozen pot pie in any grocery store, but the amount of sodium and fat inside each little pie can deter anyone from entering the frozen food section.
I was driven to find a pot pie. After no luck, I went to Speisekammer for rotisserie chicken, green beans, cranberries and mash potatoes. Okay, so the food was not exactly a pot pie, but nonetheless it was the closest I came to one without the crust. The chicken was moist with the skin on, and it was spiced up with lots of herbs. The cranberries were fresh with a hint of cinnamon. I am a huge fan of cinnamon, but not with cranberries . I still consumed the entire bowl, but the cinnamon was a miss. The mash potatoes were okay, a little light on flavor, and the green beans were decent. Interesting enough, when you want extra sauce even though the meal comes with a small amount, the restaurant still charges you $1. It doesn't matter that you order a full entree, you still must pay for the extra sauce. The meal portion was large. I received one-half of a chicken, which was plenty.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to All! 2010 is just around the corner and there is good news to cheer about. Optimism is in the air and restaurants are on the rise in Alameda Towne Center.
Pearl's Hamburgers will open soon! They claim they will serve gourmet burgers which will be awesome. I love a great tasting hamburger with good quality meat.
A new dessert place will open soon called Fruits and Chocolates. I think their name pretty much sums up what they will be serving. I am ecstatic because Alameda desperately needs a dessert place that is not yogurt.
If someone would open a gourmet dessert place that stays open late just like La Pinata, the owner would make a fortune. Obviously, the dessert must look scrumptious and taste incredible. I wonder if someone is ready for that challenge.
Pearl's Hamburgers will open soon! They claim they will serve gourmet burgers which will be awesome. I love a great tasting hamburger with good quality meat.
A new dessert place will open soon called Fruits and Chocolates. I think their name pretty much sums up what they will be serving. I am ecstatic because Alameda desperately needs a dessert place that is not yogurt.
If someone would open a gourmet dessert place that stays open late just like La Pinata, the owner would make a fortune. Obviously, the dessert must look scrumptious and taste incredible. I wonder if someone is ready for that challenge.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Wish everyone a healthy and safe New Year.
As I was strolling along Park Street checking out the festive Christmas decorations, I noticed Amarin Thai Restaurant next to C'era Una Volta was closed. The space is up for rent and there is no trace of Amarin whatsoever. What a surprise! The food in the restaurant was tasty. I did remember last year that the restaurant's beer and wine license was revoked due to serving minors. I wonder if this incident started the momentum of the downfall of the establishment. It is a shame Alameda has lost a good restaurant.
As I was strolling along Park Street checking out the festive Christmas decorations, I noticed Amarin Thai Restaurant next to C'era Una Volta was closed. The space is up for rent and there is no trace of Amarin whatsoever. What a surprise! The food in the restaurant was tasty. I did remember last year that the restaurant's beer and wine license was revoked due to serving minors. I wonder if this incident started the momentum of the downfall of the establishment. It is a shame Alameda has lost a good restaurant.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Yume
Had a wonderful dinner at Yume on a Thursday evening. There was no waiting line for the sushi bar. The assortment of fresh fish was amazing and the sushi was awesome! The fish was so fresh that it tasted like butter and was extremely tender. Definitely ask Sushi Chef Hideki for the daily specials. Unfortunately, the waiting line could be long because the owners are no longer serving at the two small tables away from the sushi bar. They decided to stop service at these two tables because Chef Hideki could not guarantee the wait time of the food orders. Wait times were over twenty minutes and the chef felt that time duration was too long. The wait for the sushi bar is worth it because the fresh fish is great. Do not get surprised by the price tag when you get the bill. Fresh fish coming in from Japan, New Zealand and other exotic locations around the globe is expensive.
Monday, December 7, 2009
December Dining
Last Saturday night I was calling a few restaurants to get a reservation for a party of two. I called about seven places and they were all booked from 6 to 9 PM. I could not get a table. I was shocked. I thought it would be easy reserving a table in this weak economy. I was proved wrong. Who said that we are in a recession?
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