Restaurant Talk

In this crazy mixed up world in which we live, there are but a few constants. Bad Chinese food. Those little yappy dogs. Australians. And, of course, wherever you might roam, from Montpellier to Machu Picchu, you will find faux Irish bars. Some are good, some are bad, and some (shudder) serve chilled Guinness.

One thing I’ve always wondered about, however, is why there are not more English style pubs? The short answer might be that no-one likes poor service, rude patrons and warm beer. But that, I feel, is a somewhat myopic view of what a pub can be. I lived for a while in the south west of England, and whilst I’m not going to attempt to convince you of the merits of drinking beer at around room temperature (here’s a clue, though; it makes it taste nicer), I became very fond of a quiet pub on a Sunday afternoon, no gaudy neon, juke box quietly ticking over in the corner; hey, I even got to like the crappy food. Read more

Burger King AdSo, Bacardi wants girls to get even uglier girlfriends to look better by comparison. Now, Burger King wants girls to "put seven inches in our mouths"? This does not appear to be a joke, either. So, yet again, I find myself asking the same question again and again, "What crack pipe are they smoking?"
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DQOn this day in history, the very first Dairy Queen store opened in Joliet, Illinois.  Dairy Queen was first introduced to customers (before they were called Dairy Queen) back in 1938 where a father and son (John & Alex McCullough) who owned a mix plant business in Green River, Illinois had been experimenting with a soft serve dairy product.  In August of 1938, they had a $.10 sample sale of this new soft serve product at their friend, Sherb Noble’s walk in ice cream shop.  Within two hours, Noble dished out over 1,600 servings of this new ice cream treat.  Since this new ice cream was such a hit, John and Alex decided to name it the “dairy queen”. Read more

Irish coffee. One of the great beverages to be created by the formidable hands of talented mixologists and passed across the bar into the grasp of locals and tourists alike.

And if you want an Irish coffee made the right way, you go to the Buena Vista in San Francisco, right at the end of the streetcar line near Fisherman's Wharf.

First thing's first: What's an Irish coffee? Whiskey, coffee and heavy cream. 

And like I said, they make 'em like they're supposed to make 'em at the Buena Vista.

They have a great rundown on how Buena Vista became the spot to go here.

But here's the quick and dirty: Read more

I love Thai food. There's nothing like spicy hot and sour soup when you're feeling a little under the weather; or spicy Phad Thai noodles with the sweet heat of those little hot peppers and peanut sauce, set off with tangy fresh lime. When you find a good place for Thai food, you find yourself oddly committed to that place. You return again and again. When you have to move away, it's almost like a break up. I missed my favorite Thai place even more than I missed the woman who has cut my hair for the last three years. Read more

Lately I had the pleasure of going to a nice little spot on Capitol Hill called Caffe Presse (1117 12th Ave. Seattle, WA 98122). Read more

On the prowl for a spicy fare, I find myself walking into a smaller bar and pub that specializes in Cajun food, appropriately named, Shame On You. Not expecting anything special in particular, after delving into their famous chicken and sausage gumbo, I am quickly converted to their southern flare. Namely, their food speaks for itself, and offers a different taste that is hard to find in Arizona. If you love Cajun food…this place definitely has been calling your name. Read more

After a rather long day of recording at the recording studio that I own in Tempe, Arizona, I find that I have worked up quite a hunger. With my wife in hand, we head to Tempe Marketplace, a large outdoor shopping mall located off Rio Salado Parkway and Smith Road in downtown Tempe. While this place offers numerous great restaurants, we find ourselves parking and walking into Ruby Tuesday. To be honest, I was not expecting all that much. Read more

I find myself once again headed to another great little place to eat while out running my daily errands. This time, it’s the Tilted Kilt in Mesa, AZ. While I was not expecting all that much before eating there, what I got was a pleasant surprise that will keep me coming back to this place for years to come.

The Food
This place is better known by the locals who frequent it as a pub and an eatery. Their menu was recently redone and features booklet like menus that have glossy pages and are really nice. They offer nearly fifty different things that you can eat, from building your own custom wood fire pizzas, to hoagies, sandwiches and even steaks. When I was there, I ate the Fat Bastard’s Meat Loaf Sandwich. A decadent trim of home made meatloaf on a hoagie bun with Guinness BBQ sauce and provolone cheese. It was actually the best damn meatloaf I have ever had, and they make everything from scratch here. Read more

Where did you go to eat on Memorial Day? As we drove down to Oakland, California, we passed by people picnicking on the beach, families grilling in the park, even some roller bladers gulping down a smoothie.

Yes, people are still roller blading. I know, I was surprised too. Read more