Saturday, December 22, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
8-9-12
On Thursday, the 9th, I went with a turkey and bacon wrap, an egg roll, and a cupcake for lunch:
The lady didn't offer to panini press it, so I just nuked it once I got it back to the office. It was ok, it needed something, maybe I'll see if they have some honey mustard they can spread around the inside of it next time. The egg roll was pretty good, they're still not as good as they used to be. They're still making these evile cupcakes, and they're still stupidly tasty.
Didn't have dinner, but after the game, Jody, Grynner and I ventured to the old IHOP as we've not done in ages. I was fairly hungry, so I went with the country fried steak breakfast:
The pancakes were outstanding and finally quenched my pancake craving. I didn't even realize I was still having the pancake craving until I ate the first bite of them. The eggs were really good, and the hashbrowns were really good, for IHOP's. Still didn't hold a candle to Waffle House's. The country fried steak was the let down here, it was riddled with way too much connective tissue, so much so that I didn't eat much more than what you see in that pic. The flavor was good, but it was just a bad cut of meat, and I was so full off the other stuff on the plates (Jody got an appetizer sampler, so I had a chicken tender, a cheese stick and some onion rings off of it) I didn't finish it.
The lady didn't offer to panini press it, so I just nuked it once I got it back to the office. It was ok, it needed something, maybe I'll see if they have some honey mustard they can spread around the inside of it next time. The egg roll was pretty good, they're still not as good as they used to be. They're still making these evile cupcakes, and they're still stupidly tasty.
Didn't have dinner, but after the game, Jody, Grynner and I ventured to the old IHOP as we've not done in ages. I was fairly hungry, so I went with the country fried steak breakfast:
The pancakes were outstanding and finally quenched my pancake craving. I didn't even realize I was still having the pancake craving until I ate the first bite of them. The eggs were really good, and the hashbrowns were really good, for IHOP's. Still didn't hold a candle to Waffle House's. The country fried steak was the let down here, it was riddled with way too much connective tissue, so much so that I didn't eat much more than what you see in that pic. The flavor was good, but it was just a bad cut of meat, and I was so full off the other stuff on the plates (Jody got an appetizer sampler, so I had a chicken tender, a cheese stick and some onion rings off of it) I didn't finish it.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Ohmahgawd, I'm fat
On Wednesday, Shawn and I didn't care for what was in the cafeteria, so he suggested ordering pizza for lunch. His Dad, Mike wasn't too keen on his sandwich, so he liked that idea. So, I went with the old standby in this situation, the $10 pizza box from Pizza Hut:
Now, I usually end up getting this from a different PH location, as I usually order this for game night. But, I must say, even though they were about 5 minutes late, it was still nice and hot when it got here. Plus it was in the middle of lunch rush, so I wasn't too upset. The pizza was really good, the cheese sticks were just barely good. They had some cheese on them, but not a lot and it had been done longer than the pizza had, so they tried to cover up the fact by dousing it in their herbed parmesan mix. The cinnamon sticks were outstanding.
On the way home, I felt like a burger, so I stopped off at Sonic:
I went with the usual Super Sonic (only ketchup, which they put cheese on, so she had to take it back and fix it) and tater tots. It was good (once it was fixed) and seemed a lot bigger than usual. I managed to eat all the sandwich and tots, and felt around the same size as Jabba the Hutt afterwards. The coke was a really good mix between the syrup and carbonated water.
Now, I usually end up getting this from a different PH location, as I usually order this for game night. But, I must say, even though they were about 5 minutes late, it was still nice and hot when it got here. Plus it was in the middle of lunch rush, so I wasn't too upset. The pizza was really good, the cheese sticks were just barely good. They had some cheese on them, but not a lot and it had been done longer than the pizza had, so they tried to cover up the fact by dousing it in their herbed parmesan mix. The cinnamon sticks were outstanding.
On the way home, I felt like a burger, so I stopped off at Sonic:
I went with the usual Super Sonic (only ketchup, which they put cheese on, so she had to take it back and fix it) and tater tots. It was good (once it was fixed) and seemed a lot bigger than usual. I managed to eat all the sandwich and tots, and felt around the same size as Jabba the Hutt afterwards. The coke was a really good mix between the syrup and carbonated water.
Olive Garden
On Tuesday afternoon / evening, I met Jody and Jesse at Olive Garden. Now, I don't see any pics from this, but I could've swore I took some.
I started off with a pick 2 appetizer of toasted ravioli and chicken tenders. I love both of these. The ravoli is usually a little tougher than I like but the flavors are great. Their chicken breading is outstanding. I love the flavor it imparts to the chicken and it gives it a nice crunch to go with it.
Next up I went with their zupa toscana soup, which is a creamy-ish chicken broth, with lots of Italian sausage, potatoes spices and some kind of greens in it. I nice zesty and slightly spicy soup. I went with 2 bowls of it, and should've only done 1.
For the main course, I went with their lasagna. It was good, meaty, cheesy and gooey. The sauce had a nice tangy-ness to go with the meats in it. I couldn't quite finish it, though, hence me saying I should've only gone with one bowl of soup. All in all, it was everything I wanted out of the trip.
I started off with a pick 2 appetizer of toasted ravioli and chicken tenders. I love both of these. The ravoli is usually a little tougher than I like but the flavors are great. Their chicken breading is outstanding. I love the flavor it imparts to the chicken and it gives it a nice crunch to go with it.
Next up I went with their zupa toscana soup, which is a creamy-ish chicken broth, with lots of Italian sausage, potatoes spices and some kind of greens in it. I nice zesty and slightly spicy soup. I went with 2 bowls of it, and should've only done 1.
For the main course, I went with their lasagna. It was good, meaty, cheesy and gooey. The sauce had a nice tangy-ness to go with the meats in it. I couldn't quite finish it, though, hence me saying I should've only gone with one bowl of soup. All in all, it was everything I wanted out of the trip.
More Arby's
On Monday, the 6th, I'm not sure what I had for lunch. I don't think anything, but maybe some chips. For dinner, I stopped in at the old Arby's and went with the #2 combo with 2 potato cakes. I didn't get a picture of it, but sheesh after all the Arby's I've had lately, you should know what it looks like at least as well as I do. As is usual (and the reason I keep going there so much) the sandwich was hot, juicy and filling and the potato cakes were the perfect compliment of flavor and crunchiness to the sandwich.
Pizza
Sunday afternoon after church, I stopped in at the local Brick Oven Pizza. I went with the usual Pulled Pork BBQ:
It was outstanding. Tons of cheese, the bbq sauce was nice and sweet, and the pork was tender and flavorful.
I don't remember what I had for dinner that night, and I didn't get a pic of it. It was either chicken tenders and tater tots or fried rice. I'm leaning towards the chicken and tots.
It was outstanding. Tons of cheese, the bbq sauce was nice and sweet, and the pork was tender and flavorful.
I don't remember what I had for dinner that night, and I didn't get a pic of it. It was either chicken tenders and tater tots or fried rice. I'm leaning towards the chicken and tots.
A cafeteria miracle
I worked on Saturday the 4th. And it was a good thing I did. For the only time our cafeteria does what EVERY OTHER PLACE that does Southern Fried Chicken does normally is on the weekends:
I present to you all: Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn on the cob.
EVERY TUESDAY, our cafeteria has Fried Chicken. And NEVER does it do mashed potatoes with their fried chicken on Tuesdays. NEVER. It's always rice, and some kind of odious potato concoction. But, because I wanted to make some hours up, I got lucky and got what everyone should get whenever they go someplace with fried chicken. /end rant
The chicken was pretty good, the flavor was confined to the skin for the most part. The potatoes were tasty, the gravy great as usual. The corn was merely ok, it had a flavor in there I couldn't really identify, as I was really just expecting corn, butter and salt. It definitely needed more butter, which I didn't think to get at the time and we didn't have any in the office fridge.
On the to Greg's, I stopped off at McD's and grabbed some nuggets and fries. The nuggets were really good and the fries were pretty good. I had to add some salt, as apparently that location was going easy on it.
I present to you all: Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn on the cob.
EVERY TUESDAY, our cafeteria has Fried Chicken. And NEVER does it do mashed potatoes with their fried chicken on Tuesdays. NEVER. It's always rice, and some kind of odious potato concoction. But, because I wanted to make some hours up, I got lucky and got what everyone should get whenever they go someplace with fried chicken. /end rant
The chicken was pretty good, the flavor was confined to the skin for the most part. The potatoes were tasty, the gravy great as usual. The corn was merely ok, it had a flavor in there I couldn't really identify, as I was really just expecting corn, butter and salt. It definitely needed more butter, which I didn't think to get at the time and we didn't have any in the office fridge.
On the to Greg's, I stopped off at McD's and grabbed some nuggets and fries. The nuggets were really good and the fries were pretty good. I had to add some salt, as apparently that location was going easy on it.
Sweet Pepper's Deli
On Friday, the 3rd, I went to see the Total Recall remake. It was pretty good, but as usual for my movie going, I had a corn dog and a frozen coke for lunch. No pic, too many people to potentially annoy with a flash picture in the auditorium. The corn dog was pretty good, flavor wise, but it looked pretty bad. Not the best cooking job on it. The frozen coke was merely ok, it didn't have enough syrup in the mix, kind of bland.
For dinner, I met with the gang to try out Sweet Pepper's Deli in Olive Branch. It's kind of like McAlister's, but I liked it a lot better. I went with their Blitz sandwich, minus cheese, a cup of potato soup and a chocolate chunk cookie:
This is the regular size sandwich (on white) that you could also get in a large. They either nuke or steam it, either way the bread is warm and the meat (beef, turkey and ham) was hot and moist and extremely tasty. The soup had a good flavor, it was a little light on potato chunks, but the ones in there were well cooked and the bacon pieces were tasty. The cookie was pretty good, I probably won't get it again, but not because it was a disappointment. If you're a cookie fan, you'll definitely like them, I'd think.
For dinner, I met with the gang to try out Sweet Pepper's Deli in Olive Branch. It's kind of like McAlister's, but I liked it a lot better. I went with their Blitz sandwich, minus cheese, a cup of potato soup and a chocolate chunk cookie:
This is the regular size sandwich (on white) that you could also get in a large. They either nuke or steam it, either way the bread is warm and the meat (beef, turkey and ham) was hot and moist and extremely tasty. The soup had a good flavor, it was a little light on potato chunks, but the ones in there were well cooked and the bacon pieces were tasty. The cookie was pretty good, I probably won't get it again, but not because it was a disappointment. If you're a cookie fan, you'll definitely like them, I'd think.
Thursday, 8-2-12
On Thursday, the cafeteria had their Salisbury steak, so I went with that:
I added an egg roll, some mashed potatoes and gravy and some English/sweet peas. The steak was pretty good, but still way too tough for Salisbury steak. The gravy was tasty as usual. The potatoes were pretty good and great with the gravy. The peas were very good. They should carry them a lot more often. Nice and plump and they pleasantly popped in your mouth. The egg roll was ok, they seem to be going downhill on their quality lately.
I added an egg roll, some mashed potatoes and gravy and some English/sweet peas. The steak was pretty good, but still way too tough for Salisbury steak. The gravy was tasty as usual. The potatoes were pretty good and great with the gravy. The peas were very good. They should carry them a lot more often. Nice and plump and they pleasantly popped in your mouth. The egg roll was ok, they seem to be going downhill on their quality lately.
Chicken and Waffles
On the 1st of August, one of my coworkers decided to get a platter of chicken tenders from Chick-fil-a. Some of the other coworkers brought some chips and I brought some Sister Schuberts rolls and we did a mini-pot luck lunch:
The tenders were pretty good. They weren't too cooled off by the time they got here, and their flavor was pretty good. The first batch of rolls came out fine, but I overcooked the second batch. The wavy lays chips were good, but those bbq chips in there ... OUTSTANDING. They're Lays Barbecue chips, no special flavor other than that. But best bbq chips I've ever had.
For dinner, I had a sweet craving, so I hit up the old Waffle House and went with the All Star Special:
Ham, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, a waffle and some toast. The ham was really tasty and tender, the hashbrowns were cooked just right, as were the eggs. The waffle was cooked just shy of crunchy-ness, which is how I like it. A good dinner (breakfast).
The tenders were pretty good. They weren't too cooled off by the time they got here, and their flavor was pretty good. The first batch of rolls came out fine, but I overcooked the second batch. The wavy lays chips were good, but those bbq chips in there ... OUTSTANDING. They're Lays Barbecue chips, no special flavor other than that. But best bbq chips I've ever had.
For dinner, I had a sweet craving, so I hit up the old Waffle House and went with the All Star Special:
Ham, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, a waffle and some toast. The ham was really tasty and tender, the hashbrowns were cooked just right, as were the eggs. The waffle was cooked just shy of crunchy-ness, which is how I like it. A good dinner (breakfast).
Stir Fry and Pizza
The boss took us to lunch on the 31st of July to Benihana. They got some sushi rolls and shimp tempura for appetizers:
The sushi was pretty good, and the shrimp was tasty as well. Nice texture on the batter. Next up was the salad:
I'm usually not to big on salads, especially Japanese, but their dressing wasn't too strong. So, all in all, it was a pretty good salad. Next was the chicken fried rice:
The sushi was pretty good, and the shrimp was tasty as well. Nice texture on the batter. Next up was the salad:
I'm usually not to big on salads, especially Japanese, but their dressing wasn't too strong. So, all in all, it was a pretty good salad. Next was the chicken fried rice:
This came out pretty good, but could've used a bit more pepper and soy sauce in the cooking. And the main dish, which I forgot to get a picture of, was their beef julienne and some yakisoba noodles. The beef was cooked well, but I always forget they put that sweetish teriyaki sauce on there at the end, instead of cooking it in there. For me, that kind of ruins it, flavor wise. The noodles were ok, but they didn't add any real flavors to them in the cooking. I was kind hoping they'd do the steak with them, but oh well.
Pork and Beef
On Monday, the 30th of July, I went with the least evil (taste wise) from the cafeteria, which was their pork tenderloin and some mashed potatoes:
The pork loin was nice and tender, and fairly juicy, but it just didn't have any flavor. The mashed potatoes, were pretty good though, and the gravy just helped it all.
For dinner, I had a burger craving, so I stopped in at Sonic:
I went with a Super Sonic (double burger) and an order of onion rings. They were very well salted, so I dumped them into the main bag and tried to gently open the salt package they gave me, and it fairly well exploded into the bag. I shook the bag up to help distribute the salt as evenly as possible, but they were pretty much coated. Luckily, I had a ton of coke to help wash them down.
The pork loin was nice and tender, and fairly juicy, but it just didn't have any flavor. The mashed potatoes, were pretty good though, and the gravy just helped it all.
For dinner, I had a burger craving, so I stopped in at Sonic:
I went with a Super Sonic (double burger) and an order of onion rings. They were very well salted, so I dumped them into the main bag and tried to gently open the salt package they gave me, and it fairly well exploded into the bag. I shook the bag up to help distribute the salt as evenly as possible, but they were pretty much coated. Luckily, I had a ton of coke to help wash them down.
Sunday Burger and Rice
On Sunday, I went to lunch with Mom and Sis. Mom wanted to get a burger from Tops BBQ, and as a fan of burgers, I didn't have a problem with that.
As you can see, I forgot to take a picture before digging in. And as I didn't think that this shot gave you a full appreciation on how big this burger is, I took this one to drive it home:
That is a big burger. And I ate it all. It was really good, as you can see in there they salt and peppered it while it was cooking and they don't skimp on the ketchup when you order it on the burger.
I was so stuffed from this lunch, I didn't get hungry till around 9 that night, so I went with the quick and easy fried rice:
As you can see, I forgot to take a picture before digging in. And as I didn't think that this shot gave you a full appreciation on how big this burger is, I took this one to drive it home:
That is a big burger. And I ate it all. It was really good, as you can see in there they salt and peppered it while it was cooking and they don't skimp on the ketchup when you order it on the burger.
I was so stuffed from this lunch, I didn't get hungry till around 9 that night, so I went with the quick and easy fried rice:
Tossed it in the rice cooker, then once it was done in the skillet with some olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, some butter, and soy sauce. Fried it up while stirring / flipping it a lot, then cracked an egg into it and scrambled it all together while adding in a little salt and a lot of pepper. It was nice and tasty, a good late night dinner to watch The Newsroom with.
Outback
On Saturday, the 28th, I met my friend John for a dinner at Outback Steakhouse. It had been a while since I had been there, and I was fairly hungry, so I went with an appetizer (plus I wanted John to try it):
This is the seared ahi tuna appetizer. I was introduced to this by my friend Whitney, and I've loved it ever since trying it. The orange sauce is a bit sweeter than the green one, but they're both good. The orange one is outstanding with their steaks, imo. John also enjoyed it, which (pleasantly) surprised me.
I went with a salad with Italian dressing (they didn't have their outstanding potato soup, as usual) for the next course. It was ok for a salad.
For the main course, I had their 6 oz filet mignon with some grilled scallops. Unfortunately, I somehow forgot to take a picture of it, or it got ate by the phone, not sure which. The steak was outstanding. It had a great flavor, was cooked just right and exceedingly tender. The scallops were very good as well, being tender and flavorful. For the side dish, I went with their garlic mashed potatoes instead of a baked potato. I've had bad luck with their baked potatoes in the past, so the garlic mashed are a much safer bet, imo.
This is the seared ahi tuna appetizer. I was introduced to this by my friend Whitney, and I've loved it ever since trying it. The orange sauce is a bit sweeter than the green one, but they're both good. The orange one is outstanding with their steaks, imo. John also enjoyed it, which (pleasantly) surprised me.
I went with a salad with Italian dressing (they didn't have their outstanding potato soup, as usual) for the next course. It was ok for a salad.
For the main course, I had their 6 oz filet mignon with some grilled scallops. Unfortunately, I somehow forgot to take a picture of it, or it got ate by the phone, not sure which. The steak was outstanding. It had a great flavor, was cooked just right and exceedingly tender. The scallops were very good as well, being tender and flavorful. For the side dish, I went with their garlic mashed potatoes instead of a baked potato. I've had bad luck with their baked potatoes in the past, so the garlic mashed are a much safer bet, imo.
Cracker Barrel & Arby's
On the 27th of July, a Friday, I took the day off. I hit up Cracker Barrel for brunch:
I went with Grandpa's Country Fried Breakfast. I chose chicken fried chicken (big surprise), went with scrambled eggs, regular hash browns, biscuits and gravy and added a pancake (as I was still having a pancake craving).
The chicken was really good. It was cooked just right, still very juicy and hot. The eggs were nice and fully cooked, no runniness to them at all. The hashbrowns were just ok, they're never as good as Waffle House's. The pancake was good (for Cracker Barrel's, they're one of my least favorites). The gravy and biscuits were about as perfect as they can get.
For dinner, I had another Arby's craving, so I went with the usual #2 combo:
The potato cakes were good, and the roast beef was outstanding. Hot, juicy and flavorful, it was everything you'd want in a roast beef sandwich.
I went with Grandpa's Country Fried Breakfast. I chose chicken fried chicken (big surprise), went with scrambled eggs, regular hash browns, biscuits and gravy and added a pancake (as I was still having a pancake craving).
The chicken was really good. It was cooked just right, still very juicy and hot. The eggs were nice and fully cooked, no runniness to them at all. The hashbrowns were just ok, they're never as good as Waffle House's. The pancake was good (for Cracker Barrel's, they're one of my least favorites). The gravy and biscuits were about as perfect as they can get.
For dinner, I had another Arby's craving, so I went with the usual #2 combo:
The potato cakes were good, and the roast beef was outstanding. Hot, juicy and flavorful, it was everything you'd want in a roast beef sandwich.
Thursday, the 26th
Not much to say, or at least that I can remember to say. I had chicken fried rice and a couple of egg rolls:
The rice was just ok. It was a little too ... goopey I guess. The egg rolls were pretty good though, as usual.
The rice was just ok. It was a little too ... goopey I guess. The egg rolls were pretty good though, as usual.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Beef, it's what's for food
On Wednesday, the cafeteria did us the great honor of providing country fried steak and mashed potatoes, so I did my part by eating it:
The potatoes were fairly weak, flavor wise, but had great texture, the steak was good, but the breading was a bit tough to get through. The gravy was its usually great self.
For dinner, I was having an honest to <deity> Arby's craving, not just a "Well, it's usually good and it's not too expensive and it's so CLOSE to home" settle for Arby's craving. After the good and filling lunch, but really wanting the food, I settled on a medium combo:
The sandwich was everything I'd hoping it would be. The potato cakes were great. A meal that lived up to the craving is a wonderful (and rare) thing of beauty.
The potatoes were fairly weak, flavor wise, but had great texture, the steak was good, but the breading was a bit tough to get through. The gravy was its usually great self.
For dinner, I was having an honest to <deity> Arby's craving, not just a "Well, it's usually good and it's not too expensive and it's so CLOSE to home" settle for Arby's craving. After the good and filling lunch, but really wanting the food, I settled on a medium combo:
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| This meal brought to you by Weyland-Yutani Corp. |
The sandwich was everything I'd hoping it would be. The potato cakes were great. A meal that lived up to the craving is a wonderful (and rare) thing of beauty.
Salad and Pizza
On Tuesday, I went with a salad for lunch:
It's got mixed salad greens, some spinach, romaine lettuce, ham, chicken chunks, bacon bits, and italian dressing on / in it. It was good, although I probably would've like a little bit more dressing, but that's my fault for not doing a better job on it.
For dinner, Jesse, Jody and I went with the Pizza Hut $10 box, plus an additional pizza, as we were all fairly hungry. So hungry in fact that I forgot to get a pic till we were almost done eating:
As (is becoming usual with this item and particular delivery location) the sticks were nice and gooey, as was the stick pizza. The standard pizza was cooked and topped well, and the cinnamon sticks were great. Nothing was over cooked, and there was a good amount of all the various toppings and cheese.
It's got mixed salad greens, some spinach, romaine lettuce, ham, chicken chunks, bacon bits, and italian dressing on / in it. It was good, although I probably would've like a little bit more dressing, but that's my fault for not doing a better job on it.
For dinner, Jesse, Jody and I went with the Pizza Hut $10 box, plus an additional pizza, as we were all fairly hungry. So hungry in fact that I forgot to get a pic till we were almost done eating:
As (is becoming usual with this item and particular delivery location) the sticks were nice and gooey, as was the stick pizza. The standard pizza was cooked and topped well, and the cinnamon sticks were great. Nothing was over cooked, and there was a good amount of all the various toppings and cheese.
Monday 7-23-12
I have no idea what I had for lunch on this Monday, if I even had lunch. I do know that I went with the easy peasy chicken tenders and tater tots for dinner:
The tenders were ok, as ok as premade/packaged tenders can be. The tater tots were really good, I ended up cooking them about the perfect amount.
The tenders were ok, as ok as premade/packaged tenders can be. The tater tots were really good, I ended up cooking them about the perfect amount.
Sunday Night Dinner
On Sunday, the 22nd of July, I had a nice dinner with the family. Dad grilled up some steaks, while Mom baked some potatoes.
The steak was exceedingly tender, very juicy and had outstanding flavor. The potato was nice and thoroughly cooked, and I was able to get it nice and buttered up and got plenty of salt, pepper and bac-o's in there. A nice dinner.
The steak was exceedingly tender, very juicy and had outstanding flavor. The potato was nice and thoroughly cooked, and I was able to get it nice and buttered up and got plenty of salt, pepper and bac-o's in there. A nice dinner.
Saturday's Buon Cibo
On Saturday, I met up with a bunch of my friends for a big night of gaming. We started it off by hitting up a local restaurant called Buon Cibo. They mainly do sandwiches, smaller pizzas, and some salads and soup. I went with a pretty traditional sausage and pepperoni pizza:
The pizza was very good. A nice cheese to topping ratio. The pepperoni was just the right amount of spiciness for me, and the sausage had a really good flavor and texture. The crust was nicely seasoned and not too crunchy.
The pizza was very good. A nice cheese to topping ratio. The pepperoni was just the right amount of spiciness for me, and the sausage had a really good flavor and texture. The crust was nicely seasoned and not too crunchy.
Friday Night Arby's
On Friday night, I went with Arby's for dinner, as it was easy to get on the way home.
I didn't eat lunch, so I went with the #2, but medium sized (3 potato cakes instead of 2) and the tasty cheese sticks. Everything was outstanding, and I assure it you tasted a lot better than it looks in that picture.
I didn't eat lunch, so I went with the #2, but medium sized (3 potato cakes instead of 2) and the tasty cheese sticks. Everything was outstanding, and I assure it you tasted a lot better than it looks in that picture.
Thursday 7-19-12
On Thursday, I went with some chicken fried rice and a couple of egg rolls from the cafeteria. The reason I went with 2, is they had some shrimp in addition to the usual chickens.
The fried rice was ok, nothing great, but at least it was filling. The standard chicken egg roll was really good. The shrimp one ... well, it didn't so much taste like shrimp in there as it did the chicken, but it smelled really strongly of shrimp. So much so, that I wasn't able to finish it.
That night, I attended a showing of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and then the Midnight premier of The Dark Knight Rises. As usual for my movie going, I went with a corn dog and a Frozen Coke with the Batman Begins showing. Nothing else for the rest of the night.
The fried rice was ok, nothing great, but at least it was filling. The standard chicken egg roll was really good. The shrimp one ... well, it didn't so much taste like shrimp in there as it did the chicken, but it smelled really strongly of shrimp. So much so, that I wasn't able to finish it.
That night, I attended a showing of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and then the Midnight premier of The Dark Knight Rises. As usual for my movie going, I went with a corn dog and a Frozen Coke with the Batman Begins showing. Nothing else for the rest of the night.
The Blue Plate Cafe
I had been having a pancake craving for a while. So, on Wedneday (7/18), I decided to indulge that craving by going to the Blue Plate Cafe. It had been a while since I've been there. We used to go fairly regularly at lunch, when we were just down the street from it, but since we moved to our new office last year, we've not been back.
I went with the 2 eggs and country ham platter. Their breakfast entrees come with biscuits and gravy and your choice of hashbrowns, grits or 3 pancakes.
The biscuits were just ok, and the gravy was VERY thin. But even though it was super thin, it did have a good flavor, which is really odd. This is the worst it's ever been in my many visits, and I attribute it to the odd time I hit.
As for my other side, I of course went with the pancakes:
The pancakes were good, flavor wise, but they were a little tough on the surface. Once you got them cut, they were fine. The ham had a really great flavor, but was fairly tough and dried out, more so than usual for country ham. The eggs were good.
This was easily the worst I've ever had at this restaurant, but I don't want it to sound like it was horrible. It was merely ok to fine. And if a bad experience is actually just an ok one, I'm fine with that.
I went with the 2 eggs and country ham platter. Their breakfast entrees come with biscuits and gravy and your choice of hashbrowns, grits or 3 pancakes.
The biscuits were just ok, and the gravy was VERY thin. But even though it was super thin, it did have a good flavor, which is really odd. This is the worst it's ever been in my many visits, and I attribute it to the odd time I hit.
As for my other side, I of course went with the pancakes:
The pancakes were good, flavor wise, but they were a little tough on the surface. Once you got them cut, they were fine. The ham had a really great flavor, but was fairly tough and dried out, more so than usual for country ham. The eggs were good.
This was easily the worst I've ever had at this restaurant, but I don't want it to sound like it was horrible. It was merely ok to fine. And if a bad experience is actually just an ok one, I'm fine with that.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Red Lobster Tuesday
Tuesday saw a lack of appetizing options at the cafeteria, so I went big for dinner. Met my buddies Jody and Jesse at Red Lobster for dinner. I went with the Ultimate Feast, and started with the potato soup instead of a salad (big surprise):
The soup was really good. The potato chunks were cooked well, and the soup wasn't too hot. It had just the right amount of seasoning, I didn't have to salt or pepper it. The biscuits were nice and warm and just the right mix between gooey and crumbly.
The main course was the feast of crab legs, lobster tail, breaded fried shrimp, shrimp scampi, and a side of mashed potatoes (I've been having bad luck with baked potatoes from restaurants lately):
The soup was really good. The potato chunks were cooked well, and the soup wasn't too hot. It had just the right amount of seasoning, I didn't have to salt or pepper it. The biscuits were nice and warm and just the right mix between gooey and crumbly.
The main course was the feast of crab legs, lobster tail, breaded fried shrimp, shrimp scampi, and a side of mashed potatoes (I've been having bad luck with baked potatoes from restaurants lately):
The crab legs were pretty good, but not great. I had some issues getting all the meat out of them, and it wasn't completely my fault. The lobster tail was really good, nice flavor and texture and wasn't over cooked as it has been in the past. The fried shrimp was even better, but the scampi was perfect.
Wendy's
On Monday the 16th, I headed over to Wendy's to get some take out lunch:
I went with the usual for me, the #2 combo (double burger, ketchup only), and fries. The burger was really good, they got it right on the first try (a lot of places insist on putting cheese on my HAMBURGERS, especially when I emphasize no cheese) and they actually put ketchup on both buns. The fries were tasty and not too crunchy, which is how I like them.
I went with the usual for me, the #2 combo (double burger, ketchup only), and fries. The burger was really good, they got it right on the first try (a lot of places insist on putting cheese on my HAMBURGERS, especially when I emphasize no cheese) and they actually put ketchup on both buns. The fries were tasty and not too crunchy, which is how I like them.
Sunday's Hibachi Dinner
I didn't eat much on Sunday, so I hit up the local Japanese place for a big dinner. I started with the soup and salad:
The soup was good, the salad was just ok. Next course, which I forgot to get a picture of, was a crunchy shrimp roll. It was really good, hence me forgetting to get the pic.
The main course was hibachi grilled shrimp, steak and chicken (with zucchini, onions and mushrooms) and an order of fried rice:
You can't really see the shrimp, but it's hiding behind the bowl of fried rice. The shrimp was good, the chicken and steak were outstanding. The onion was pretty good, and the squash was really good. The rice was pretty good as well, it was much better once I got it mixed in with the juices from the steak.
The soup was good, the salad was just ok. Next course, which I forgot to get a picture of, was a crunchy shrimp roll. It was really good, hence me forgetting to get the pic.
The main course was hibachi grilled shrimp, steak and chicken (with zucchini, onions and mushrooms) and an order of fried rice:
You can't really see the shrimp, but it's hiding behind the bowl of fried rice. The shrimp was good, the chicken and steak were outstanding. The onion was pretty good, and the squash was really good. The rice was pretty good as well, it was much better once I got it mixed in with the juices from the steak.
Saturday The 14th
On Saturday the 14th, I went in to work to make up some missed time. So, for lunch, we (so did the coworkers) walked to the cafeteria. They had pork tenderloin that looked aight, so I partook of it:
The pork was very tender, and still fairly juicy. Their flavoring, however, didn't really penetrate it, which is normal for them. The gravy on the potatoes was just ok, I figured it'd be pretty stout with flavor. The potatoes were just ok.
For dinner that night, we hit the Brick Oven in Hernando. This is pretty much my favorite local pizza place. I usually either get the "Bubba's Choice" which is their meat lover's, or their Pulled Pork BBQ. I went with the bbq this time:
It comes with bbq sauce instead of pizza sauce, then the bbq pork, then they douse it with cheese. This is just the standard order of it (in 10" size), I didn't request extra cheese. The pizza was outstanding, great flavor, a ton of cheese, and a tasty (albeit) thin crust.
The pork was very tender, and still fairly juicy. Their flavoring, however, didn't really penetrate it, which is normal for them. The gravy on the potatoes was just ok, I figured it'd be pretty stout with flavor. The potatoes were just ok.
For dinner that night, we hit the Brick Oven in Hernando. This is pretty much my favorite local pizza place. I usually either get the "Bubba's Choice" which is their meat lover's, or their Pulled Pork BBQ. I went with the bbq this time:
It comes with bbq sauce instead of pizza sauce, then the bbq pork, then they douse it with cheese. This is just the standard order of it (in 10" size), I didn't request extra cheese. The pizza was outstanding, great flavor, a ton of cheese, and a tasty (albeit) thin crust.
Another Leonard's Trip
On Friday, we ventured out to Leonard's again. I went with the usual country fried steak, fried okra, mashed potatoes, but added a little corn on the cob on the first trip:
On the second trip, it was pretty much the same thing, except I subbed baked beans for the corn.
The steak was really good. Nice and tender and it had a great flavor. The corn was very juicy and tasty. The okra was cooked about perfect, nice and crunch, the breading was just right on flavor. The baked beans were very tasty, good amount of texture and the flavor of them were a nice contrast with the super sweet barbecue sauce they were cooked in.
On the second trip, it was pretty much the same thing, except I subbed baked beans for the corn.
The steak was really good. Nice and tender and it had a great flavor. The corn was very juicy and tasty. The okra was cooked about perfect, nice and crunch, the breading was just right on flavor. The baked beans were very tasty, good amount of texture and the flavor of them were a nice contrast with the super sweet barbecue sauce they were cooked in.
Salisbury Steak
Welp, I've done it this time. Waited too long between updates. So, the ones coming up aren't going to be too complete, and I'll only be talking about whatever I've got pictures of, as those can jog my memory.
On this day, I had Salisbury steak from the cafeteria:
The steak was ok. It was tougher than it usually is, but the flavor was pretty good. The potatoes were pretty weak, flavor wise, but again, the gravy did a good job of filling in for them.
On this day, I had Salisbury steak from the cafeteria:
The steak was ok. It was tougher than it usually is, but the flavor was pretty good. The potatoes were pretty weak, flavor wise, but again, the gravy did a good job of filling in for them.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
A Chicken Experiment
Back in high school, I remember that they would have, every so often, a dish that perplexed the heck out of me: Oven Fried Chicken. I decided to try this concoction out for myself. I have no idea if how I went about it was how they did, nor do I really care.
I took two chicken breasts and gave them a thorough dunking / marinating in a seasoned milk dip, then breaded them in a seasoned flour mixture (sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, all purpose seasoning and a dash of sage):
Then I tossed them into the oven at 475 degrees for about 20 minutes, then at ... either 325 or 350 (don't remember which now) for an hour. This is how they looked coming out:
Not too bad, I teamed them up with some instant potatoes and some of the (spoiler alert) blandest English peas I've ever had:
The skin of the chicken had a great flavor, it worked its way into the meat just ok, but it was very juicy. The potatoes were pretty good (considering I was out of salt) and the English peas sucked. They had no flavor at all, but I ate them anyway. The chicken was so good, I went back and finished the second breast after the first one, but I didn't finish the potatoes.
I took two chicken breasts and gave them a thorough dunking / marinating in a seasoned milk dip, then breaded them in a seasoned flour mixture (sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, all purpose seasoning and a dash of sage):
Then I tossed them into the oven at 475 degrees for about 20 minutes, then at ... either 325 or 350 (don't remember which now) for an hour. This is how they looked coming out:
Not too bad, I teamed them up with some instant potatoes and some of the (spoiler alert) blandest English peas I've ever had:
The skin of the chicken had a great flavor, it worked its way into the meat just ok, but it was very juicy. The potatoes were pretty good (considering I was out of salt) and the English peas sucked. They had no flavor at all, but I ate them anyway. The chicken was so good, I went back and finished the second breast after the first one, but I didn't finish the potatoes.
Pizza Night
Tuesday was another crap day at the cafeteria, so I went pretty big for dinner. And it was slightly odd for me. I usually prefer pan pizzas, the more crust the better. But I had a hankering for a thin crust pizza, and since that almost never happens, I decided to jump on it.
I went with Pizza Hut's thin crust with beef and Italian sausage, and some cheese sticks. And as I was uber hungry, you can see I forgot to take a pic when it first got there.
The pizza was pretty good, less cheese on it than I had hoped for, but the cheese sticks pretty much made up for that. All in all it was good, and I felt I got my money's worth.
I went with Pizza Hut's thin crust with beef and Italian sausage, and some cheese sticks. And as I was uber hungry, you can see I forgot to take a pic when it first got there.
The pizza was pretty good, less cheese on it than I had hoped for, but the cheese sticks pretty much made up for that. All in all it was good, and I felt I got my money's worth.
Meaty Monday
For lunch on Monday, I was fairly hungry. And the cafeteria was gracious enough to have a roasted pork loin and mashed potatoes with gravy. I went with that:
The pork loin was ok, still no where near as good as mine. The meat was fairly tender, but there was not that much flavor that managed to get into it. Near the edges, it had some, but just not in the interior. Their gravy helped with that though. The mashed potatoes were pretty horrible, and made me regret getting 2 servings of them. They had pretty much no flavor, almost as if they were instant and made with only the flakes and water, no milk, butter, or seasonings of any kind.
I had intended on cooking some chicken for dinner, but I stayed at work later than I had anticipated. So I hit up the old Arby's on the way home, and got my usual #2 combo:
The pork loin was ok, still no where near as good as mine. The meat was fairly tender, but there was not that much flavor that managed to get into it. Near the edges, it had some, but just not in the interior. Their gravy helped with that though. The mashed potatoes were pretty horrible, and made me regret getting 2 servings of them. They had pretty much no flavor, almost as if they were instant and made with only the flakes and water, no milk, butter, or seasonings of any kind.
I had intended on cooking some chicken for dinner, but I stayed at work later than I had anticipated. So I hit up the old Arby's on the way home, and got my usual #2 combo:
The meal was good as usual. The potato cakes were good and the sandwich was really good, nice hot and juicy.
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