If I ever visit NYC again

I will go here.



But not any time soon...

David Chang

So Sad

Tried South Winchester BBQ tonight, comparable to Smoking Pig, but a bit more expensive. $3 for
fountain drinks! I tried the St. Louis ribs and tri-tip salad; both were decent for this area. (Though tri-tip apparently can be done at home rather easily and well; alas I'm not cooking for an army or a familyi.)

FB

According to a yelp review: "From the great folks who brought you Trail Dust BBQ (Morgan Hill), BBQ 152 (Gilroy), Salinas City BBQ (take a guess...), & Aptos St. BBQ (Santa Cruz)"

More places to check out...

Limited immigration and assimilation is still ideal, but I'll still favor Cantonese chains over Taiwanese ones...

Din Tai Fung at Valley Fair opening in May?

Taiwanese 7-Eleven to Open in Four U.S. Cities Early 2017

"Taiwanese-American" -- how many of them watch Fresh Off the Boat?

"I'll try it once."

Tried the new Lazy Dog on "Main St." Cupertino. The restaurant seems to be popular, as it was busy tonight, but I don't know how many of the patrons were repeat customers.
I thought about getting the baby back ribs as it is one of the benchmarks I use for judging a restaurant but I went with their version of the bacon cheddar burger instead, another benchmark. The fries were cafeteria quality; they tasted like they were heated under a lamp. The burger wasn't better than what you might get at Red Robin, par with BJ's Brewhouse. I wouldn't go there again and if someone suggested it, I would veto it. There are better places for food and drink, even if it's generally a good idea to avoid chains, not all chains are equal.

Finally tried Sam's BBQ tonight; how do their babyback ribs compare to the pork ribs of Smoking Pig? I think there is more rub on the pork ribs at Smoking Pig and the pork ribs are more moist. One end (the larger, posterior end?) of the ribs was ok but it was a bit dry on the other end. Ah Fai said the hot link was not very memorable and I don't have any reason to doubt him. My nephew's hamburger looked well-done; I don't know if the patty suffered from dryness. I would go again to sample some of the other meats. I didn't get to hear much of the music tonight because we were sitting indoors; next time, I hope.

If you're ever in Berkeley and on Telegraph avenue and can't decide between Smart Alec's Intelligent Food and Pappys, since their menus are similar (but Pappys has alcohol), pick Pappys. The salads are definitely better at Pappys, as the grilled chicken still tastes like grilled chicken. The chicken at Smart Alec's may be grilled but tastes like it was kept warm in a steam tray, and the quality of the salad itself is worse.

So Korea House was featured on Restaurant Redemption? I was thinking of going there to see if the quality of the buffet had improved. Maybe I'll wait another month and then check Yelp.

Reaction to the episode: EW, Examine.com

Related:
Ching-He Huang

Drats! Forgot my leftovers. Henry's Hi Life is $$$, but the babyback ribs are probably the best I've had in the area. Still need to try Sam's. Getting old.

Farm to Table

Post by Slow Food USA.

A New Korean Restaurant in Santa Clara

Post by Hwasot Firepot BBQ.

Tried Smashburger last week because of a coupon given to celebrate the grand opening of the new store over at Westgate in San Jose. I didn't try one of the shakes - I should have. As for what should be the main attraction, the burger - the patty was rather dry, not much fat left after it had been cooked. Maybe even drier than the patties at Five Guys. The fries were thin, shoestring - reminded me a bit of McD fries but maybe healthier. If I go again, I'll try one of the salads.

Another Burger Survey

Post by Gott's Roadside.

Roy Choi's Latest Endeavor

Technical advisor? for Chef.

Post by KoreAm Journal.

Inside Scoop

A bit alarmist?

Post by KoreAm Journal.

Tried the sausage burger at Smoking Pig; it's better than the sausage patties from Whole Foods, but I don't think I'd make it a favorite yet. I should try some of the ribs. There were some people eating bbq meat over lettuce - the Smoking Pig salad?

The Best?

Business Insider's Pick for the Best of 2014 - Habit

Maybe I'll have to pay the local store another visit.

Can They Maintain Their Identity as They Expand?

Post by Bareburger.

And how many will remain when the economy goes under?

Post by Gott's Roadside.

So the Johnny Rockets at Westgate has been replaced by a Smashburger (Yelp). I think I'll wait a little bit longer before trying it, and rely on the dependable places.

Gott's Made This List

Post by Gott's Roadside.