Newk’s (Arboretum,
Austin, TX) – December 2014
I’d
gone here a few times for other things, so when I needed to meet with my sister
to talk about family issues, it was a good venue for us to stop to after
work. My sister got a salad, and I had a
Panini sandwich. Both were made to
order, and both came out very well.
This
is primarily a soup & sandwich place, with some other items on the menu
(like small pizzas). The interior is
bright and airy, and gave a really comfortable feeling. As we discussed stuff, the staff brought our
food out to us when it was ready, refilled out beverages, and took our empty
plates when done.
Located
in a strip plaza, there’s plenty of places to park. And because this is located in the vicinity of
the Arboretum, there’s a lot of other food venues you can choose from. This is one you should choose, as my meals
here have been consistently good.
Pecan Street Station (Main
Street, Pflugerville, TX) – December 2014
It was
a late evening, and it occurred to us we hadn’t gotten dinner yet, so we wanted
something close by and quick. Since
neither of us had tried this place before, it seemed to be a good bet for some
take-out. This is primarily a soup and
sandwich shop, with a smattering of other things on the menu. Since it was about 30 minutes prior to
closing, the only time we spent inside was the short period of waiting for our
food to be prepared.
My
friend got the broccoli cheese soup, and I went for a turkey sandwich. We figured since it was so late, getting
items which could be easily put together made more sense. It wasn’t until we got back home that we
looked at the items. The soup had very
little broccoli in it, and didn’t even taste like cheese. I’d asked to have no mayo put on my sandwich,
as it preferred it dry, and learned that a large quantity of mustard had been
put on instead. Mustard is not a
condiment I prefer to start with. I
scraped off what I could, but the taste of it remained to cover up that of the
turkey.
This
may be something we’ll have to give this another opportunity at a later time,
when the establishment has an opportunity to correct mistakes. Overall first impression was so-so, as there
was nothing about the interior which seemed inviting.
Mister Tramps (Research
Blvd, Austin, TX) – December 2014
I met
friend here one evening for a trivia night, so the place was already
packed. For all intents and purposes,
this is a bar with a limited menu of grill items. Basically you have something available to eat
while you consume alcohol. The backroom
where the trivia was held was tiny, but suitable for our purposes. Perhaps it was due to the event, but the
wait-staff weren’t very visible.
I
ordered what’s called the “Drunk Burger,” which was supposed to be a burger
covered in queso. What little queso
there was had spilled out to the sides of the burgers, and mixed with the water
from the lettuce & tomato. It was
really an unimpressive burger. While
I’ll go back to the location for the trivia night, and I can’t see much reason
to get low-quality food. I’ll just eat
somewhere else before going over to the event.
Hoover’s (Manor Road,
Austin, TX) – December 2014
When I
lived in northwest Austin, I was near the Hoover’s location there, which was a
nice frequented during holidays or other times we wanted some good “southern
home cooking.” It was sad when the north
location closed. I’d been to the main
locale (this one) only once before, basically because it was outside of the
area where I normally went. So when
recently we were going to be in the vicinity, I jumped at the chance to go
here.
My
friend had never been here before, so she had no idea what to expect. We came in for lunch, but I immediately
looked at the dinner side of the menu, because I wanted to get the dish which I
missed having: Chicken fried chicken. I
got the regular-sized portion, as opposed to the larger “Hoover’s” portion, and
had mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, and broccoli as my sides. Neither of us had eaten breakfast, so I saw
this as an opportunity for a good hearty lunch.
My
friend got the fish fillet, as she figured it would be “light.” She didn’t believe me when I told how big the
portions were. The mac & cheese for
the side went untouched so she could polish off what was on her plate. I didn’t even touch my broccoli, and only
consumed about half of the rice side dish.
We laughed when our server asked us if we’d left room for dessert.
The
interior of Hoover’s is a mix of booths and tables, plus a bar at one
side. The décor doesn’t look like much,
as they focus on the quality of the food.
While waiting in the lobby, we were able to read all the various
articles written about Hoover’s during the decade it’s been in business. While there’s no a lot to do or see on Manor
Road, this is only a short distance from UT.
It’s well-worth the trip for some quality cooking at an affordable
price.
Kobe (183 &
Anderson Mill Road, Austin, TX) – December 2014
As far
as presentation goes for Japanese steakhouse, Kobe has always been a nice place
to look at, and had good layout for the interior. My friend likes to go here for his birthday,
so I end up here once a month, and every time I have a pretty average
experience. To me, this is not worth the
cost paid for the meal.
Our
entire party was present, but Kobe wouldn’t seat us because they didn’t have a
“full table” yet. Since there’s only
eight seats around the table, and we had enough to fill half of them, there
wasn’t any reason to make us wait. That
seems to be pretty consistent in my prior visits. Even once we were seated, it was another 20
minutes before someone even came over to take our orders. While you want to come to a restaurant
hungry, you still want to be seated and served in a reasonable time. Eventually after the order was placed, the mushroom
soup and garden salad came out, which would hold us over for the time being.
Since
the table we’re sitting around is a large grill, the chef stands right there to
cook your food right in front of you. A
show is made of it, which includes bouncing an egg on his spatula, rapid
slicing of vegetables, and filling an onion with cooking oil to make a column
of flame. The chef’s utensils get spun
around his hand, and banged on the metal during the course of the cooking,
which is part of the show. As each
portion is completed (rice, veggies, and then meat), it is served.
The
teriyaki chicken I got was one of the blandest things I’ve ever tasted. The portion was large, and I hadn’t filled up
on the soup or salad prior to that, but the mat lacked any flavor. Once we were done with our meal, the place
was closing for the evening. Other than
the lady who came around to refill the water glass, I didn’t see any of the
management around to provide some feedback to.
My dinners here have been pretty consistent, and I’ve never been
impressed by the quality of food. The
entertainment value is good, but I feel that’s about it.
Juraez Mexican
Restaurant (Mays Street, Round Rock, TX) – January 2015
This
is hidden away in a small plaza, so it’s easy to drive past. Since I thought this was primarily a bakery,
I did drive past many times. A
recommendation from a friend brought me in.
There’s a counter where the bakery items which are available during the
day, but the rest of the space has small tables for the restaurant
portion. There’s not much in way of
décor, but it’s clean and neat.
I
ordered the cheese enchiladas (no beans, extra rice), and the server mixed up
the order so I received chicken enchiladas.
It wasn’t that bad of a mistake for me, so I still consumed them (but
let the server know off-handedly). The
red sauce covering the enchiladas was mild, and could’ve used it a little spice
for flavor. There was an appropriate
amount of chicken in the enchiladas, so it was filling. The chicken was moist also, which enhanced
the tastiness of the dish.
The
rest of the menu contains various Mexican dishes, and everything was reasonably
priced. Aside from the order being
messed up, the service was good. The
place was filled to near capacity, which shows this local establishment was
doing something right. When I want some
Mexican food close to home, this would be a place I’d return to.
Annie’s Café & Bar
(Austin Airport – ABIA, TX) – January 2015
When you’re in the airport, you’re going for
convenience of food, not for quality.
Even those restaurants which have establishments in the airport aren’t
showing the best representation of their fare, as most things are
“pre-made.” I ordered the breakfast
tacos before my flight, and the eggs were stone cold. The cheese and the potatoes were warm, but
not the temperature they should be. Of
the choices I had available at the airport, this was one of the better ones.
BK Subs (Redlands Blvd,
Redlands, CA) – January 2015
This is located in a small strip center, so there’s a
decent amount of parking. Currently
there’s a lot of road construction nearby, so it’s not very easy to access
right now. I ordered a turkey &
cheese sub with a soda. This was not a
place where a lot of choices are available, so I had to make due with thick
white bread, and huge amounts of lettuce.
The meat was of average quality.
It was filling, but not too satisfying.
Also on site was an ice cream place. Since I hadn’t had it before, I ordered a
small dish of the mint chocolate chip. I
was offered samples to try first, but once I had the mint chocolate chip I
didn’t need to sample any more. The
chips were more chocolate slivers, which was acceptable, and overall the ice
cream was okay.
Elephant Thai Cuisine (Mission
Inn Ave, Riverside, CA) – January 2015
As
this is located right on Mission Ave, the parking is whatever you can get. There’s some outdoor seating on the street
side, which makes a nice place to be on those comfortable evenings. The interior was very crowded, as the tables
were pushed very close together, and there’s a lot of glassware and fine items
on display. While this has an elegant
appearance, this is meant for more casual dining, not the “nice night out.”
I had
the garlic chicken teriyaki. The portion
was good, the vegetables were crisp, and there was a lot of sauce which I could
use the rice to soak up. It was a pretty
tasty meal, and reasonably priced. The
service was a little slow, and the waitress could’ve been a little more
attentive at refilling my water glass. But
overall, it wasn’t a bad experience, and would recommend this place to anyone
seeking Thai food in the region.
Antonious Pizza Cafe (Main
Street, Riverside, CA) – January 2015
Located on the pedestrian section of Main Street,
this is an easily-accessible place.
There’s a section for outdoor seating, which faces the trees and
fountains of the pedestrian street. I’d
already eaten dinner, and the main reason I stopped in was the sign which
mentioned ice cream. I was craving a
milkshake, and I figured I might be able to get one here. There’s a good selection of flavors
available, and I went for the cookies & cream. A small shake was $3, and it was worth it
because of how delicious it was.
The
interior of the building was artistically decorated. The high walls have a murals which goes up to
the ceiling, and hanging from fishing line were snow flake and icicles. It gave a nice winter feel to the place.
I
didn’t spend any time looking at the rest of the menu, but I noticed there were
pizzas available by the slice, or made-to-order as a full pie. The next time in the area, and looking for
pizza, I’ll be checking this place out.
Mr. Chau’s Pho Bom
Vietnamese Noodle Shop (Hampden Road, Westminster, CA) – January 2015
This
is located in a plaza, so there’s a lot of available parking. But this is one of the few places in the area
where the establishment’s signs are written in English. It’s not well-marked that this is a cash-only
place. I ordered something I couldn’t
pronounce, which was chicken with rice noodles and vegetables. The meat had a decent amount of spice, so it
was tasty. The dish was designed to have
all the portions mixed together, and the sauce (which came on the side) poured
over the top, but I just ate them separately.
The
interior is nice. Each table has a glass
top, with a menu visible underneath, which makes ordering easier. I noticed many people were getting lunch
take-out. This is a place which I’d come
back to.
Hangout (Ocean Ave, Seal
Beach, CA) – January 2015
Since
I was back in the area, it was only fitting that I come back to one of the best
places to eat. As a business traveler,
it’s fun to explore new areas, but it’s equally as fun to return to those areas
you’ve discovered to be good. Nothing
had changed about the Hangout since the last time I was here, and I felt just
as welcomed coming in this time as I did the very first time.
Because
I wanted to try something different off the menu, I opted for the
meatloaf. Two decent-sized slices were
delivered to me, with a side of mashed potatoes. The flavor was tangy, and tasty. It was a nice change from some of the other
fare I’d been eating on this trip.
One
good thing of note was the service I received from Sarah. She came by routinely to check how my meal
was, to refill my water glass, and just to make sure I was a happy
consumer. That helped enhance an already
good dining experience.
Del Taco (Avalon Blvd, Carson,
CA) – January 2015
I was
only in the area to meet one of my clients, and I needed to get lunch
beforehand. I can usually find someplace
decent nearby any of the locations I go to, this time there wasn’t anything at
all. I had a choice between Jack In The
Box and Del Taco, and since I knew the poor quality I’d get from Jack, I took a
chance here. This reinforced why I don’t
eat fast food.
The
person taking my order didn’t seem at all interested in helping me, and
appeared not to be paying attention. I
ordered the chicken bowl, only because it would be potentially least-messy of
all the items. It came with beans, and
I’d specifically asked to have those taken off.
Since I didn’t want to be late to meet my client, there wasn’t time to
send it back and have it redone.
The meal
was completely vile. The meat tasted
like it had been dropped in feces, and had an almost rotten texture about. The rice wasn’t cooked properly either, so
had an odd flavor to it. After only a
couple bites, it was clear if I continued eating this I’d end up with some sort
of food poisoning. I threw everything
away. Since the apathy I’d seen from the
employees from order showed my complaints wouldn’t be listened to, it showed if
I stayed to say something then I’d miss my meeting. The whole experience was completely horrid.
Abbey (Main Street, Seal
Beach, CA) – January 2015
As a
frequent visitor to Seal Beach, I like to try new places as much as I can. I’d gotten a tip that the food here was
pretty good. There were three servers in
the dining area, who were all very attentive to a table which had their
friends. I didn’t see much attention
being paid to the rest of the patrons. I
ended up sitting at the bar, where the single server there was equally as
distracted.
The
interior of the place seemed nicely done, with a decent wine and beer
selection. A large pizza over located
near center of the bar gave the feel of what should’ve been a cozy atmosphere.
I
ordered the Patty Time, which was billed as a turkey burger. The wait to get the order seemed longer than
normal, perhaps just enhanced by the un-attentive service. The meat was under-cooked, and very
greasy. The fries which came with it
were very bland, devoid of flavor. There
was no management present which these concerns could be brought to the
attention of. I ended up with stomach
cramps during the night as a result of this.
I will not be coming back to this place, because of the quality of the
service and the food.
Java Bakery Café (Lake
Forest Drive, Lake Forest, CA) – January 2015
While
looking for a place to have lunch before meeting my client, I drove around the
area and chanced upon this place. The
“grand opening” sign visible from the road meant this was an opportunity to try
something new, in more ways than one.
Located in the corner of a strip center, not only was there decent
amounts of parking, but the building design allowed for some outdoor seating in
a shaded area.
There
was quite a large selection of soup and sandwich options on the menu, and well
as a number of coffee variations. I
ordered a BBQ chicken panini, with chips and a fountain beverage, and ate
outside on the patio. BBQ things tend to
be a little messy, which I knew going in, but it was not overly so. The sandwich was very good, and made a
perfect filling quick lunch.
The
layout of the building made the interior long and narrow, and the interior
seats were spaced along that. It made it
a little congested between those ordering, those picking up, and those moving
through to other parts of the establishment.
There was only a single bathroom for the patrons, which was in use the
entire time I was there. I would’ve
liked to have been able to wash my hands after eating.
From
the location near a residential area, and the variety on the menu, I can
envision this as doing good business all the time. The next time I’m in the area, I look forward
to coming back here.
Beachwood BBQ (Main
Street, Seal Beach, CA) – January 2015
I
asked one of the local merchants for a recommendation in the area, and of the
places mentioned this was the only one I hadn’t been yet. Located right on Main Street, no matter where
you park it’s in easy walking distance.
The building is small, but about average for the establishments in the
area. To the left of the entry door is
the dining area, and to the right was the bar area. I sat at the bar, as that was first
available.
The
menu had an extensive selection of lunch and dinner items. I went for the smoked chicken dinner
plate. While it would come on the bone,
they were able to extract all the meat off at my request (so it was “pulled
chicken”). The meat seemed a little dry
on the first bite, and then it occurred to me there was a selection of sauces
sitting in front of me to enhance the flavor.
That really gave the meal a great taste.
The dinner plate came with two sides and a piece of corn bread, so I
went for the potato salad and asparagus.
I was pretty full from just the amount of meat I had, and I only
consumed a small portion of my sides.
When
I’m back in Seal Beach on business, this is an establishment which I look
forward to coming back to, and experiencing more of what was on the menu.
California Pizza
Kitchen (Los Angeles Airport -- LAX, CA) – January 2015
Since
there are limited options for food inside LAX, especially since there’s areas
currently under construction, going to CPK is a quick option. All the pizzas are made to order, so when
there’s a lot of people waiting on flights and seeking pizza, it can greatly
slow getting everything completed. At
least the option of having pre-made sandwiches are available. I had the turkey sandwich. It's filling, but lacks the taste of
something made fresh. It’s an
alternative to get through the line quicker.
Cantina Laredo (Dallas
Love Field Airport, TX) – January 2015
Since
the departing flight for my layover was going to be delayed, it made sense to
get dinner. This was located right near
the gate I’d be leaving from, so it made sense to check it out. The tables were small, but the correct size
for solo travelers or couples. The space
of the establishment was enough that it didn’t feel cramped, and there was good
separation between the dining area and the bar area.
As I’d
never been here before, I needed to get my favorite Tex-Mex dish, in order to
have a baseline of how good it was done here.
I ordered the cheese enchilada plate, and sacked the beans for extra
rice. The sauce which came on top of the
meal was meat-based, so something to keep in mind for those looking for
vegetarian options.
The
service was prompt, and my meal was delivered to me hot. It was the appropriate temperature so the
cheese was melted, but not so much that it oozed out of the enchiladas. Everything was very tasty. I’m used to seeing poor choices for food in
the various airports I’ve been to, so it was nice to find something of quality.
Hyatt Place (Market
Street, Riverside, CA) – January 2015
Because
of the good experience I had on my last visit, I made sure to book here when I
was going to be in the area again. There
was a seminar going on in the ground floor meeting room when I arrived, and it
was nice that the parking had been reserved for those guests actually staying at
the hotel. I was greeted with a friendly
smile and great service at the front desk.
Check-in was simple and quick.
The
room I had was very similar to the one I had on my previous visit, with a few
exceptions. This was not an adjoining
room, and there was a king bed. The
window still gave me a view of the pool area, but due to the angle I was able
to get a little view of the sunrise. The
lounge area was convenient to put my suitcase on. A surprise awaited me on the desk area, as
there was a complimentary bottle of water and a cookie. A card which accompanied them from the
Director of Sales (Donna) was addressed to me specifically. I thought that was a really nice
gesture. The cookie was very good, too.
One of
the two elevators was closed for repairs, so the wait for them was a little longer. When I could, I took the stairs. The stairwell doesn’t have a door directly to
the lobby (as they lead to the parking lots), but I was able to make due
because the weather was pleasant.
As my
stay wasn’t very long, I didn’t have an opportunity to take advantage of the
outdoor pool or the exercise room. The
bed was comfortable, the room clean, and I was again satisfied with the
quality. The only suggestion I have is
the breakfast having some more protein items available. Between the French toast, muffins, and
cereal, there’s a lot of bread items, and there’s a decent selection of
fruit. I just wonder if some scrambled
eggs could be added just to give some variety.
That’s my only quibble, and not something which would keep me from
returning here. This has become my
preferred hotel when I stay in the Riverside area.
Hampton Inn & Suits
(Seal Beach Blvd, Seal Beach, CA) – January 2015
Since
Seal Beach is a regular business destination for me, this is my preferred
location to stay. From the very first
time I was here I’ve continued to have great service. The rooms are always clean and comfortable,
and the staff is very friendly. And I
like the cookies which are baked in the afternoon for the guests.
Access
to the property is easy, and there’s plenty of parking. Even if there’s other cars in the lot due to
the businesses which share the area, spaces have freed up when I’ve returned
from dinner. The room I had this time
was a handicap-accessible one. That
may’ve been the only one available for me.
The only noticeable differences was the bathroom being much larger, and
the hand-rails on the walk-in shower.
Beyond that, it was just another room with a king bed. I do have to note the AC unit by the window
was a bit noisy when it ran, but not enough to disrupt sleep at all. Just a minor thing to point out.
One of
the reasons why I choose this location (in addition to being close to my
clients) is the quality of the breakfast items.
As a business traveler on a budget, not having to go somewhere to
purchase breakfast saves both time and money.
Having eggs available, and in a different form each day, is great. It allows me to have some protein along with
the fruits and breads available. The
apple juice from the dispenser was a bit watery this visit, and that was
mentioned to the kitchen staff.
The
hotel has a number amenities which I haven’t need to use on my trips, but it’s
good to note their availability for others.
There’s some snack items and a small computer office near the front
desk, an exercise room, and laundry facilities.
The pool located outdoors is something I have used in the past, but not
this time (as it was too chilly to do so).
The rooms have Wi-Fi available, which is important to a business
traveler.
I’ve
never had any issues with checking in or out, and I’ve always enjoyed me stay
here. As long as my business continues
to bring me back to the Seal Beach area, then I’ll continue to stay here.
Iron Cactus (Trinity
Street, Austin, TX) – January 2015
It’d
been a few years since I’d been here, as this used to be a “special occasion”
place for my girlfriend and I. It was
nice to come back here with a group of friends before seeing a show at one of
the nearby music venues. As it was a
little chilly out, we waited for an inside table. Standing at the bar was had a couple drinks,
so the wait was too bad, or too long.
Since
a couple of my friends hadn’t been here before, we opted for the table-side
guacamole in order to have the full experience.
The server brought out all the ingredients and mixed everything there in
front of us. It was very tasty.
My
favorite dish is the cheese enchiladas, which is perfect to have on a damp
chilly evening. I choose to have the
beans replaced with extra rice. The
cheese was the proper temperature, so it had the perfect amount of melted-ness
to make them a “yummy and gooey” consistency.
It brought back memories of all the good meals I’d had here in the past.
Our
server was very good, as he refilled our water glasses when necessary, and even
asked us if we wanted another round of drinks (which we did). It was a great dining experience all around,
and well-worth the hassle of fighting the downtown craziness to get here.
Big Daddy’s (183 &
Burnet Road, Austin, TX) – January 2015
A
Meet-Up group of mine was gathering here to have a viewing party, and I’d heard
a lot of things about this place, so I’d been wanting to check out this burger
joint. We were closed off in the back
room, which had doors which we were able to shut to separate us from the rest
of the patrons of the establishment. It
was good so the noise of our viewing party didn’t disrupt them, and vice versa.
I
ordered a cheese burger with BBQ sauce, with waffle fries and a Dr.
Pepper. We had one server for our entire
group, so the processing of the order took longer, but that was not
unexpected. I liked how the server asked
each of us how we wanted our burgers, too.
Mine came out exactly as I’d requested.
It was tasty and juicy, without being greasy.
Most
of us got burgers, but there were a lot of other choices on the menu. There was even a nice selection of adult
beverages, including some alcoholic milkshakes.
If I wasn’t driving that night, then I would’ve been trying one of
those. We had a great experience here,
in all aspects, and our Meet-Up group would use this venue again.
Pita Fusion (Louis
Henna Blvd, Round Rock, TX) – February 2015
I was
looking someplace inexpensive and healthy for a quick lunch, and since this was
on the way to my final destination, I stopped to check it out. Located in a strip mall with other
establishments, so there were other food choices available, but many of the
“fast food” variety.
I had
a wheat pita with grilled chicken.
Filled with some veggies and topped with BBQ sauce, it was a tasty and
filing snack. While this is technically
a national chain, I felt that I got my money’s worth on my meal, more so if I’d
gone to one of the options nearby.
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