Good 2 Go Taco – 8.24.10 – I Love Breakfast Tacos!

I feel like this blog is just an accumulation of things I love:
“I love my burgers medium rare.”
“I love runny eggs.”
“I love Mexican grilled corn.”
“I love sweetbreads.”
“I love Anthony Bourdain.”
(…You get the point.)

Today, it’s time to add something new to that list:

“I love breakfast tacos.”

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I never even heard of breakfast tacos prior to this trip to Dallas. Breakfast burritos, yes, but not breakfast tacos. And I’ve definitely never heard of a breakfast anything like the breakfast tacos Good 2 Go Tacos have.

I hesitate to describe Good 2 Go Taco as “gourmet” because everything about it screams anything but. Location-wise, it’s currently just a couple of burners located in the back corner of the Green Spot gas station convenience store. (Note: This was their last week at the Green Spot; they’re opening a larger, dedicated location scheduled to open in October 2010.) Price-wise, it’s hole in the wall cheap at $3.50 a taco. Portion-wise, it serves pretty hearty portions; they use fajita sized flour tortillas and each one is stuffed to the brim. However, flavor-wise…it tastes like a gourmet taco.

I didn’t know this until now,but Good 2 Go Taco’s Paris, TX breakfast taco was on The Food Network’s “Best Thing I Ever Ate”. I can see why: juicy, tender hanger steak is piled into each taco, along with fluffy eggs, fresh spinach, cheese and potatoes. It’s a monster of a breakfast taco – it’s equivalent to at least half of a breakfast burrito.

(Of course, even though one taco is probably enough to fill me up, I ordered two.)

Although I liked the Paris, TX taco, I would argue that the Honey Bear is even better. Filled with chile-honey bacon, egg, spinach, and goat cheese, it’s a fantastic combination of sweet and salty. My favorite component is the the goat cheese; it melts into the warm eggs, creating this creamy, savory concoction.

Considering I originally knew nothing about breakfast tacos, Good 2 Go Taco was definitely a memorable introduction for me. Los Angeles has GOT to get in on this breakfast taco thing!

Good 2 Go Taco – MOVED
(new location information)
1146 Peavy Rd
Dallas, TX 75218
(214) 668-0831
Website: http://good2gotaco.com

Maple & Motor Burgers & Beer – 8.23.10 – These Be BURGERS

When I landed in Dallas earlier today for my 36 hour business trip (only in Corporate America can you rationalize flight, hotel and car rental costs for a 36 hour trip!), I was STARVING. I left for LAX at 7AM PST and didn’t get checked into my hotel until 4PM CST (i.e. 2PM PST). That’s SEVEN HOURS of no food. STARVING.

Problem is, 4PM is a crappy time to be hungry. 4PM is that ridiculously inconvenient time between lunch and dinner. All the nicer places are either: 1) already closed for lunch or 2) aren’t open yet for dinner. Plus, I’m wearing shorts, a tank top and rainbows – If I go to a nicer restaurant, I have to take a shower, get changed, look nice…Screw that, I’m just going to get a burger.

I think it’s pretty easy to figure out what Maples & Motors Burgers & Beer serves; I mean, the words “burger” and “beer” are included in the name. However, I didn’t realize the legitimacy of the name until I walked in:

Me: So what’s your most popular burger here?
Guy behind counter: Well, most people get it with mustard, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes and onions…
Me: *thinking to herself* ….Wait, what is he talking about?? *looks at menu* Holy crap.

I didn’t realize it until then but when the sign says burgers, it means BURGERS. None of that frou-frou, fancy stuff, we’re talking classic burgers with the normal fixings. I ordered a burger with cheese and a fried egg (not realizing that they also had grilled jalepenos, grilled onions, bacon and chili as topping options – if only I had known!), a side of tater tots, and a fountain soda. (By the way: They have IBC root beer from the fountain – IBC ROOTBEER. None of that inferior Barq’s stuff. Is this what it’s like to live in Texas? I sort of like it.)

(This is what a classic burger should taste like.)

My burger gets to the table. I cut it in half and…the patty’s still pink in the middle. (Glorious! I LOVE my burgers medium rare!) Not only was the beef slightly pink, but the egg was runny too. Now, I realize we’re in the middle of a gigantic egg recall/salmonella scare right now but I love runny eggs. They’re one of my favorite things in life. (Yes, in ALL OF LIFE.) So when I saw that yolk, I was very very happy. (If I get sick, whatever – it was totally worth it.)

And I didn’t forget the the tater tots! They were awesome too! Crispy on the outside, steaming hot on the inside…I couldn’t eat them all but I couldn’t bear throwing them away so I wrapped them up and am now eating them cold in my hotel room.

So end of story: Maple & Motors is GOOD. I think I may have ruined my appetite for dinner but I don’t really care anymore – this is solid food, right here.

Maple & Motor Burgers & Beer
4810 Maple Avenue
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 522-4400
Website: http://www.mapleandmotor.com/

Flip Burger – 6.18.10 – A Burger Built on Expectations

TV celebrity chefs: You watch them week after week on TV. Based on 30-60 minutes of edited video, you come to conclusions about their food. You build expectations. Then when you finally get the opportunity to try their food, they either meet or don’t meet those expectations.

For those that meet them, everything’s fine and dandy.
However, for the ones that don’t, you leave more disappointed than you normally would because of those stupid expectations.

Flip Burger, started by Top Chef’s Richard Blais, is one of those restaurants that falters because of preconceived expectations. It was one of two restaurants I absolutely HAD to go to while in Atlanta (the other one, Woodfire Grill, was also chosen due to its link to TV stardom) so yes, I had expectations for Flip Burger. I don’t think they were unreasonably high - I wanted a good burger and, as with any restaurant, I wanted exactly what I ordered.

(And I got the good burger…it just wasn’t what I was expecting.)

Honestly, the downfall in this entire burger was the inclusion of the word “Korean” in its description. If it hadn’t claimed to be a “Korean BBQ burger”, I may have considered the burger a success. However, as a girl who has been to her share of AYCE KBBQ, I expected to taste (what I consider) distinct Korean flavors, ones reminiscent of gochujang (i.e. Korean red pepper paste), sesame oil and salt or that tangy Korean salad dressing. (I realize now that I basically expected Kogi in burger form. Is that unreasonable for Atlanta? I don’t know.)

However, topped with pickled carrots and radishes (like those found in Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches) and sesame krispies (similar to Japanese sesame/rice crackers), the burger I received seemed to be influenced by all of Asia, rather than just Korea. It was supposed to include a kimchi ketchup – I didn’t get any hint of kimchi anywhere in the burger. And although its American wagyu patty was moist and juicy, I couldn’t judge the burger for the beef alone.

While the burger didn’t quite live up to its description, the nutella and burnt marshmallow milkshake was exactly that. This milkshake is not for the faint of heart (or, more accurately, for the lack of sweet tooth). I could detect the the scent of toasted sugar as it was being brought out and I could taste the heavy nutella flavor in every spoonful. Delicious as it was, it was overwhelming halfway through the glass – I just can’t consume that much sugar. Plus, I didn’t see a drop of liquid nitrogen during my meal! (I thought all the milkshakes at Flip Burger were supposed to be made with liquid nitrogen – you know, as an homage to Blais’ molecular gastronomy background – but maybe I was mistaken.)

You know, I really feel bad (almost guilty) that the above review is all based on expectations – I understand that some experiences are best when taken at face value, without all this background hype floating around. But at the end of the day…Flip Burger just didn’t meet my expectations. There’s nothing more I can say but that.

FLIP Burger Boutique
1587 Howell Mill Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 352-3547
Website: http://www.flipburgerboutique.com
Twitter: @flipburger

The Dining Room – 7.17.10 – Let the Pictures Speak for Themselves

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m always behind on my fine dining reviews. ALWAYS. My stomach is more ambitious than my mind – More often than not, I end up ordering the most extravagant tasting menu at a restaurant, go home, look at my pictures, realize I have to write a review individually addressing 10+ dishes, and then get completely overwhelmed. I tell myself I’ll do it tomorrow…Or the day after…Or the day after…

…2+ months later, I finally get to writing it. I mean, I always get to it sooner or later. Most of the time, it’s just later. Much later.

This meal, however, I can’t even PRETEND I’m going to write a review.
I just can’t.
I think it’s physically impossible.
(Well, impossible for me. Not impossible for kevinEats, but that’s another story.)

There’s just too much to squeeze into one post. If I tried, I would consider the resulting review to be an insult to the food and the experience, both of which were incomparable. So I’m just going to write a quick intro and let the pictures speak for themselves.

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(Picture taken by Kevin of kevinEats.)

When Kevin of kevinEats invited me to join him, Ryan of Epicuryan and some of their friends to dine at at The Dining Room at the Langham in Pasadena on Michael Voltaggio’s last night, I didn’t have to think twice – I immediately said yes. I had tasted Voltaggio’s food before – his sampling at Breadbar’s Hatchi was one of my top 3 meals in 2009 – and I was not going to miss this opportunity.

With the night of the dinner being Voltaggio’s last night there and with The Dining Room itself under renovation until October 2010, my first meal at The Dining Room was to be my last there. Thus, it only made sense to go big: In honor of Voltaggio’s last night, we ate the entire menu.

All 22 courses of it.

Amuse Bouche: Gougère with Caviar Cream, Tomato Pâte De Fruit With Basil and Sea Salt

Course 1: Octopus, Buttered Popcorn, Piquillo Confetti, Cilantro

Course 2: Soft Shell Crab, Scrambled Corn, Old Bay, Vanilla-Crab Jus

Course 3: Japanese Kampachi, Jamon Iberico, Sea Sponge, Grapefruit, Crispy Rice

Course 4: Vegetables of the Season, Burrata, Nori Butter, Coffee-Cardamom “Soil”

Course 5: Foie Gras Frito, Black Sesame, Pickled Blueberries, Basil

Course 6: Foie Gras Terrine, Strawberry-Yuzu, Arugula Cake, Minus 8 Vinegar

Course 7: Halibut Cheeks, Red Curry, Coconut Rice, Baby Leeks

Course 8: Pacific Cod, Asparagus, Bonito, Marcona Almond Milk

Course 9: Arctic Char, Green Pea Tapioca, Black Olive, Porcini Chicharrón

Course 10: Salt Baked Turbot, a Jus of Itself, Summer Vegetables Roasted in Hay

Course 11: Veal Sweetbreads Tempura, Kale, Buttermilk, Mustard, Potato Puree

Course 12: Pastrami Pigeon, Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut, Rye

Course 13: Kurobuta Pork Belly, Bok Choy “Kim Chi”, Sweet Potato Preserves, Peanut Butter Powder

Course 14: Jameson Farm Lamb, Fresh Chickpeas, Flavors of Hummus, Yogurt

Course 15: Four Story Hills Farm Suckling Pig, Banana Polenta, Chanterelles, Cipollini, Red Onion

Course 16: Beef Cheeks, Porcini Mushroom, Cannelé, Garlic Froth

Course 17: Wagyu Short Rib, Potato Confit, Nantes Carrot, Bone Marrow, Coconut Soubise

Course 18: Japanese Kuroge Rib Cap, Fried Béarnaise, Young Turnips, Bordelaise

Pre-Dessert: Peach and Yogurt “Dippin’ Dots”

Course 19: Baba Au Rhum, Textures of Coconut and Pineapple, Compressed Mango

Course 20: Chocolate Caramel Ganache, Chocolate Sorbet, Salty Hazelnut Praline, Cocoa Tuile

Course 21: Lavender Flower Macaroon, Crème Fraiche Panna Cotta, Vanilla-Passion Sorbet, Floral Cotton Candy

Course 22: Carrot Cake, Carrot Sorbet, Yuzu Curd, Cream Cheese Snow

The Dining Room (at the Langham)
1401 S Oak Knoll Ave
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 568-3900
Website: http://pasadena.langhamhotels.com
Twitter: @TheDiningRoom

Ichiza – 7.3.10 – An Oasis in the Desert

I used to think I knew Vegas. I know my way up and down the Strip. I can lead you through most major casinos, both sober and drunk. I know where to find a 2-minute taxi line at the MGM on fight night. Yet somehow, I didn’t know of Ichiza until a month ago.

Located on the second floor of a random shopping center off the Strip, Ichiza is small Japanese izakaya that’s open til 4AM on the weekends. Prices are reasonable – about $5-7/plate – and the food is absolutely fantastic.

Their printed menu isn’t very comprehensive; the majority of their dishes are hand written and plastered against the walls. Therefore, do what my friends did and just ask your waitress what is good or what she recommends. (Otherwise, you’re never going to be able to figure out what they have that day.)

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Below is just a smattering of what Ichiza has to offer. As mentioned, the menu was hard to piece together so I’m not sure what the official name of any of these dishes below are. I’m naming them based on what I’ve been able to dig up on the internet so, if you go, please forgive me if the waitress doesn’t understand what you’re talking about.

Yellowtail Tartare

Fresh yellowtail and avocado tartare on a fried tortilla chip with rice, lettuce and pico de gallo. It’s not very Japanese and the combination sounds a little offbeat, but it works really well. I’d recommend ordering more than one order – this was my favorite of the night.

Fried Spanish Mackerel

Pop a bite-sized mackerel into your mouth, bones and all – *crunch!* The fried fish had the right amount of salt as is, so I didn’t bother using the accompanying spicy mayo. Who knew fish would be such a good late night snack?

Fried Shrimp

I typically don’t eat shrimp whole but these shrimp are so small, you’re not ordering them for their meat. You are, however, ordering them for that salty, fried crunch you taste when chomping down on their thin shells. (They’re very similar to the fried Spanish mackerel, but I think I texturally like the mackerel slightly more.)

Chicken Gizzards with Green Beans

The gizzards were garlicky and well seasoned, although the texture was a little bit too chewy for my taste. (This was, however, my first time trying gizzards so I wouldn’t know what a well-cooked gizzard’s texture would taste like.)

Chicken Don

The one truly traditional Japanese dish we ordered, their chicken don was everything it was supposed to be: Warm eggs, tender chicken, flavorful rice, hearty, comforting…

Bacon Wrapped Mochi

Its name says it all: Bacon wrapped mochi. Chewy white mochi, wrapped in salty, porky bacon. It tastes exactly what you’re imagining it tastes like. (Delicious!)

Deep Fried Bacon and Mozzarella Wrapped Zucchini

Mozzarella. Zucchini. Bacon. Fried crust. Mushroom sauce. I’m not sure how this concoction was created but it’s surprisingly good. I wouldn’t have guessed it was mozzarella if it wasn’t for someone telling me. The zucchini is subtle and is almost overpowered by the bacon (not that that’s necessarily a bad thing).

Kimchi Pork

The kimchi pork was not bad, but not as strong as some of the other dishes we ordered. It’s like they stir-fried some kimchi and bulgogi and then poured it over a plate of cabbage. Although it was unimpressive while I was sober, I could see this being really tasty with a bowl of rice after a drunken night.

Tom Yum Roll

Just thinking of how to describe it throws me for a loop – both Vietnamese and Japanese, it doesn’t favor one influence over the other. I can only say it’s like the love child of a spring roll and a sushi roll.

Honey Toast with Vanilla Ice Cream

If I were to order this again, I’d order just one for myself, cut off all the crusts and just dig into the soft, chewy bread on the inside. The inner portion is like a sponge, absorbing all the honey and melted ice cream. Each bite is sugary, starchy goodness.

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(How did I go so long without knowing about Ichiza? Why didn’t I go earlier?)

Ichiza
4355 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702) 367-3151