Friday, July 29, 2011
I thought Torta was cake...
I'll spare you the typical story line and cut straight to the food.
Their food is good. So good, that I'm going to make the statement that their burritos and sandwiches(tortas) are the best I've ever had. And every time I visit, that sentiment compounds.
Prior to this particular visit I had planned on getting one of the 'Tortas' they had on the menu, as I had already tried several different burritos and wanted to change things up a bit.
Polla ala Plancha:
The Good:
The bread was incredible. It was almost like they had managed to take the flavor of a corn tortilla chip and bake it into the bread. The crust was crispy and wasn't difficult to bite through while the inside was airy and light.
The chicken cutlet was delicious. It was different than almost every other cutlet I've ever tried. While I can't quite describe the flavor, I assure you it was extremely tender and juicy.
The oaxaca cheese that Knackwurst Nightmare mentioned was also packed into this torta. It had the consistency of good mozzarella, and it's taste is very similar to that of monterrey jack, so I can say with confidence that if I kept a physical list of cheeses that I enjoyed, it would have handily jumped to the top.
But I don't keep such a list. So...
The lettuce, tomato and avocado added a cool and crisp note to the overall experience. The avocado was sweet and had a different texture than anything else in the sandwich, making it easier to pick out of the line-up.
The jalapenos gave the sandwich a nice bite.
The fried beans added some good flavor as well.
Everything just went so well together.
The Bad:
Nothing. Not one thing. Well...the sandwich didn't regenerate itself out of thin air after I had eaten it, but other than that I have no complaints.
One thing I forgot to mention was the shear size of this monstrosity. It's certainly not a one-handed sandwich. It would tower over a Big Mac, and was slightly larger around than my face.
I was only able to eat one half before I was full, leaving me the other half to eat the next day for lunch.
On a side note: With every meal the kitchen includes a small container of either tomatillo salsa or a pureed red salsa, the ingredients of which I'm still unfamiliar. But I'll save those details for a later date.
We'll be back to review more of Cucaramacara's livelihood in the future. Stay tuned.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Mt. Nachismo...
BOOM! You see that folks? That's what a proper plate of nachos is supposed to look like. The freshest veggies, cool sour cream, more cheese than you can shake a stick at, all teetering atop a bed of thin but crispy tortilla chips.
But wait...there's more.
More cheese to be exact. That's right. MORE cheese.
You can't quite see it in this picture, but I assure you that my hands were covered in more of it than I'd like to admit at the moment. And as I'm sure you can imagine, I was unable to capture it with my phone before it was gone.
This towering plate of awesome is a mandatory part of the contingency's ritual when visiting the Mohegan Sun Casino. It can be found in only one restaurant. Located in the Casino of the Wind, the home of the Loaded Landshark, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville is always packed no matter what time of day or night you walk by. The staff is always very friendly, and is typically on top of their game.
This visit was no different. Mr. Bean whipped out some magical Parrot Head voodoo mind trick on the waitstaff and within a few minutes of walking in, we were being escorted to our table on the second floor.
Mr. Potatohead, Mr. Bean and I already knew that the nachos were a given. I believe it might have been the sole reason the three of us went there that night, but that's neither here nor there.
We placed our order and drank LL's while we waited.
Fast forward ten minutes...
The table went silent as the nachos were placed in front of us.
At first glance, a healthy handful of freshly sliced jalapenos, guac and sour cream, reminiscent of the tallest mountains in the Himalayas, garnished the peak of Mt. Nachismo. As our eyes descended, we found plenty a diced tomato, scallion, and chili bean. All of these ingredients were held together by two kinds of cheese. Now, we've determined that this is what makes these nachos stand apart from the rest. As we dug deeper into the sides, we struck gold with every chip. And by gold, I mean molten nacho cheese. The upper layers might have been capped with shredded cheddar jack, but the lower layers had been generously coated with liquid cheese of the nacho persuasion. We started out on our nacho journey, eyes big and stomachs empty.
What happened next can only be described as the type of feeding frenzy you see on Discovery Channel during Shark Week.
Then the unthinkable happened...
While picking out a chip from my side of Mt. Nachismo, I accidentally loosened the glacier of guac from it's resting place at the summit. It fell down the southern slope towards Mr. Potatohead and landed on the table with an audible 'thud'. Such a tragedy.
After a brief moment of silence, we continued on.
After no more than 15 minutes, the mountain laid in ruins. The three of us made short work of Mt. Nachismo.
Triumphantly we asked for the check, paid and left.
This was surely not the last time we'd visit base camp.
Cheers?
On a solo mission/Birthday trip to Boston, I went with a group of friends to Cheers at Faneuil Hall after a few incredibly warm laps around F1 Boston's City Track.
After twenty minutes of confusion over where the restaurant was supposed to seat the seventeen of us, we were shown our tables downstairs in the "reserved for private parties" area of the restaurant.
On to the food.
It wasn't mind blowingly great. I saw Boston Baked Beans on the menu under 'soups'...So I ordered that. I thought I saw 'bacon piled high' in the description of a sandwich... So I ordered that.
I got a cup of baked beans and a sandwich, with less than a pile of bacon. It was more like..a smattering of bacon. Two pieces of thinly sliced run-of-the-mill bacon, at most.

I ate the beans. They were ok. I definitely tasted the molasses, but most likely not in the way the creator of the recipe had intended. I was pleasantly surprised to see the hotdogs in there. I had missed that detail when rifling through the menu. The crumbled/chopped up bacon scattered across the top of the beans was a nice touch. It's not something I'd order again though. I could have gotten better beans out of can. Nevertheless, I ate the whole cup. C'mon, there was bacon in there.
I moved on to the sammich. A foccacia club. Ham, turkey, lettuce, tomato, not quite a pile of bacon, and somewhere in there was supposed to be cranberry mayo.
I ate the sandwich. I got the ham and turkey, lettuce and tomato, a little bacon, but no cranberry mayo. WTF? I admit now that the mayo was also part of the reason why I picked that particular sandwich. Can you honestly tell me when was the last time you had cranberry mayo? I didn't think so.
I was a little disappointed.
Regardless, the company was infinitely better and the whole day turned out to be a great succes. Cheers.
Cucaramacara... are you the Macho Man?
I cannot believe that neither Baconator, nor Sauce Boss has mentioned Cucaramacara yet. I will remedy this great injustice now. If you even remotely enjoy Mexican food, then you will surely find something that you will enjoy on their menu.
First of all, everything there is very fresh. I have been to Cucaramacara 6 times, and even though I still can't pronounce the name properly, I have never had a bad dish there. Everything is hand made in the kitchen that is visible from the counter, and is hand delivered to your table. The best dishes on the menu, in my opinion, are the burritos. All of the burritos are over stuffed and wrapped in a soft tortilla that won't crack apart or unwrap as you eat it.
If you want to treat yourself to the best of the best, order the Macho Man burrito. It contains black beans, rice, steak, guacamole, lettuce, pico de gallo, oaxaca cheese (or Ox caca as Sauce Boss says), sour cream, and plantains. Yes, plantains, and before you turn your nose up at it because it's "different", hear me out. The plantain is cooked, and sliced lengthwise. It is then wrapped up in the burrito, so every bite has some plantain in it. It lends a sweet flavor that compliments the savory steak in a way that just has to be experienced.
The best part of this burrito is that when it is served, the waitress walks up to the table, looks at you expectantly and says "Macho Man?” You can nod confidently and say "yes... yes I am."
Go there:
Cucaramacara
1371 East main St.
Sundad Plaza
Meriden, CT 06450
Tel: (203) 440-4489
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Calabacita Santiago Veggie Burrito... I just point to the menu when I order this one. |
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Do you like to put fish sticks in your mouth?
K?
edit: Ok...maybe not tonight. Tomorrow though.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Breakfast City
Sunday breakfast tradition involves a trip to Mitchell's on Main st. in Cromwell. They have an extensive menu of standard breakfast fare, with weekly specials posted on the chalkboard on the front entrance. Today they had a kielbasa omelette special posted. Not wanting to load up on a massive omelette, spuds and toast I decided to order a custom sandwich that comprised of eggs, kielbasa, onions, peppers, and cheese served on a hardroll. The meat was a good quality cooked well with a good amount of onions and peppers that gave it some great flavors. The cheese was melted perfectly in the middle to hold everything together. The entire mixture was placed upon a nice roll that was buttered and grilled to toasty perfection. Each bite featured a mixture of all the items such that the last bite was a good as the first. The whole thing was spiced up with the addition of Texas Pete "Hotter" hot sauce. This custom order was one of the best breakfast sandwiches I have had at Mitchell's.
Friday, July 15, 2011
I eat bait.
Sushi Deluxe more than lives up to its name. You get a plate with 10 Nigiri-zushi (yes, I Wikipediad that shit), which are cuts of fish sitting on hand formed balls of rice, and one tuna roll. It is difficult for me to describe how fresh and delicious this dish is, because for me there are only three degrees of sushi:
1. Bad sushi. This is what you get at the grocery store. The rice is all dried out and hard, and most of the time they don't even use real fish due to the fact that it has probably been sitting in that cooler for a week or so. Even if they did use real fish, I wouldn't eat it. If you are really desperate and are going to eat this stuff, the safe bet is the California roll, which has no fish in at all.
2. Ok Sushi. This is everything that is not number 1 and not number 3.
3. Amazing Sushi. You know it when you taste it. The fish is so fresh, it has absolutely no fishy smell. The flavor is clean, no fishy flavor here either. The texture is smooth, and it yields easily to the bite. The sushi is tightly rolled, and the rice is sticky enough that they do not fall apart when you pick them up. All in all, a totally satisfying experience.
Oyama definitely scores in the Amazing Sushi category. The best proof were the tears of joy streaming down the Baconator's face today at lunch. Only amazing sushi could evoke such a response, either that or the Baconator's allergy triggered sneezing fit he had right before eating.
Go there:
136-150 Berlin Road
Cromwell, CT 06416
Tel: (860) 632-2324
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From Drop Box |
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From Drop Box |
Top Dog
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Box of Bacon
Bourbon Bacon
Cajun Bacon
Honey BBQ Bacon
Jalapeno Bacon
Hickory Smoked Bacon
Epic breakfasts coming soon...


Swich-in' things up...again...
The Cubano panini is certainly not something you'd put on your kosher-only diet, especially with 'extra bacon' on top. This handheld slice of heaven normally comes stuffed with pulled pork, ham, pickles and deli mustard, but the lovely lady behind the counter seemed to have an uncanny psychic ability because she asked me if I wanted jalapenos and red onions. Without hesitation, I agreed to those toppings, and quickly added that I would like an order of bacon as well.
Before continuing, I would like to note that if you're in a hurry, don't get a warm/hot/panini sandwich, especially during the lunch rush. I'm certainly not complaining, because believe you, me, I would have waited 45 minutes for this panini. Not that it's uncommon, but they make everything fresh. Except the bacon and pulled pork. That would just be impossible. But they sliced the ham, just for my sandwich, the cheese, just for my sandwich...I watched as they made my co-worker's Mojo Steak and someone else's Chicken Pesto. They actually prepare the meats as they're ordered! This place is no joke. As I'm sure you can imagine, the wait times associated with that type of service are a little longer than normal, but it's certainly worth it. Think of it this way; you can call up your kids and settle a dispute over a Harry Potter DVD in the meanwhile.
Back to the food.
I get back to my desk and tear into this thing. The panini was toasted to perfection. I'm not even kidding. At some places the crust is too hard and it cuts into your gums and sometimes it's too soft and it's just like you're eating a microwaved piece of bread. This was perfect. It was crispy, and chewy at the same time. And I can't forget to mention the textbook panini grill lines. If there was a poster child for panini bread, this would have been it.
After the first bite, I couldn't stop. In the short while this sandwich existed on this planet, I was able to savor the sweet bbq flavor from the pulled pork, the tart crispiness of the pickles and that flavor you can only get from eating jalapenos. Once again, they managed to put some random ingredients with very distinct flavors inside one panini and have them all harmoniously melt together in my mouth. The bacon was an obvious enhancer, but I'm glad that it didn't overpower the other two types of pork in my panini. Unless you're a true bacon fanatic, I'd recommend leaving it out as it's just additional calories and $.50 more out of your pocket.
Unfortunately, I didn't taste the deli mustard, or the cheese, but I can assure you, I did not miss either.
As you can see, Swiches is fast becoming a favorite. The one thing I'd like to see them improve upon is their napkin department. For a restaurant that serves such delicious foods that require you to 'get physical', they hand out the cheapest napkins on the planet. They're similar to the style napkins you get wrapped around your sugar cone at Baskin Robbins. Other than that, I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit.
Pad Thai on wheels
Welcome all! This is my first blog review ever so please bare with me as I learn. After reading @Sauce Boss recommendation to try out Thai Foods on Wheels in Bushnell park Hartford, CT. I had to go check it out. Unlike Sauce Boss, who just tried Thai food for the first time (which I'm happy he did so we can try other restaurants). I love Thai food. My girlfriend turned me on to it 6 years ago. We have tried a number of different Thai restaurants throughout Connecticut. Our favorite being "The Terrace" in Hamden, CT. http://www.theterracethai.com/ This is very funny because Sauce Boss and myself both grew up on a street nicknamed "The Terrace".
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Swich-in' things up...
So...anyways...
The menu. It was almost overwhelming. I picked up a tri-fold so I'll be ready next time, but being that this was my first visit, I was unprepared for the variety. You ever hear someone say that they know of a place that makes something you can get on any street corner, but this particular place makes it really well? For instance; your local deli might make a really good turkey BLT wrap. Whatever makes it stand out from every other turkey BLT wrap you've had might escape you, but you know it's better there than any other place you've had one. I figured that this was another one of those places. Good quality cold cuts, fresh veggies, good bread, and a variety of dressings to spice things up.(I'm a skeptic)
I was wrong.
Staying true to my name, I was drawn to the first thing on the menu that mentioned bacon.
There it was...the Apple Cheddar Bacon sandwich.
I had it set in my heart that I wanted a panini, well before arriving. Even though the Apple Cheddar Bacon wasn't listed as being available in panini form, the woman behind the counter was more than happy to accommodate my request, for an additional charge. While waiting for them to assemble and grill my sandwich, I grabbed a small container of coleslaw out of the floor standing soda cooler to the right of the register. I'm always excited to try a restaurant's coleslaw or potato salad. It's just one of my 'things'.
Within 10 minutes, our sandwiches were ready and we were out the door.
This is what I unwrapped back at the office:
A toasty warm pocket of ham, cheese, bacon and apples.
Food Truck Round 2 - Thai Truck
Mobile Country Kitchen
Today I called ahead and when I arrived 5 minutes later they had this beauty waiting for me. Bacon, egg, and cheese on toast covered in Red Hot. The bacon today was better than it normally is, although it is not gourmet bacon in any universe. Egg is standard, but cooked well, I can't tell which kind of american cheese they use, but it adds a nice flavor when melted in. And of course i have them cover the thing in hot sauce. All in all it is a better than average breakfast sandwhich that is made fresh on a grill, not microwaved, and if you call ahead it may even be faster than going to McDonalds or Dunkin. Cost $3.50
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Nachosen One...
Sunday, the contingency played 9 holes at Quarry Ridge. We determined that we'd quit after 9 to go to the South Tavern on Main Street in South Glastonbury for some food and drink.
Little did we know, one of their Sunday specials is an $8.00 plate of bottomless nachos...of ANY variety. Chicken, ground beef, and pulled pork. If the waitress said steak, I didn't hear her, as I'm sure my co-eaters would agree, we were set on pulled pork as the words left her mouth.
She brought them out after a few minutes. Nick(Sauce Boss) mentioned he wasn't hungry because he had housed two enormous hotdogs before teeing off, so Justin, the worst golfer on the planet, and I dug in...

After I put down about ten bites, the Sauce Boss gave into temptation and dove in full strength.
The rest of the nachos were pretty run-of-the-mill. Quality corn tortilla chips, both yellow and blue, decent cheese coverage, a sizable dollop of sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, plenty of black beans(which looked funny to me, just sitting there all by themselves on the plate afterwards), and a few freshly cut jalapenos strewn about on top.

I'm not sure if you can check the timestamps on the photos below, but the three of us blew through the first plate in just under 9 minutes.
Justin and I ordered our meals, and a second plate of nachos.
The first plate took it's toll soon after we started in on the second plate. The waitress brought us a ramekin of fresh salsa for the second plate, but we barely touched it. It seemed good from the one scoop I took.
This plate took a little longer to put down as I was left picking through the last quarter for pork by myself. Needless to say I took my sandwich home with me.
Overall, they were good nachos. Not the best we've had as a group, but not the worst. Definitely something we'll get in the future.
Swiches
Smoked Turkey, Provolone, Spinach, Tomato, Roasted Red Peppers, Oil & Balsamic Vinegar on grilled flat-bread - I added Sundried Tomatoes
All the meats here are Boar's Head brand which is the only way to go if you are running a legit deli. If they don't have the meat ready to go they run into the back room and slice it fresh for you. This can increase wait times if you are in the rush, but the freshness is well worth the couple extra minutes. Today I had the smoked turkey fresh from the slicer. All the veggies and toppings are equally as fresh, they have an entire bowl of avocado in one of the trays and cut it up fresh for every sandwich. Side note - this is one of the only places I have been to that has pepper jack cheese on the menu, a serious upgrade for your favorite sandwich. My order today was served on flat-bread that was grilled to perfection on the panini maker. The panini is a wonderful creation that causes all the meats,cheeses,toppings and of course sauces to warm and melt together to gooey greatness. They package the whole thing in a nice to-go container and even through in a slice of pickle if you are into that. This is all all around great sandwich shoppe and very reasonable considering how far and above the quality is to any fast food, my order today with a bottled water was just over $8. Future updates to come as I explore more of their signature sandwiches.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Cutletti...
This is the sandwich that started the 'creative' juices flowing. It might not look like anything too incredible when captured with my phone, but I can assure you it was pretty good, overall.
How good was it?
Let me tell you.
Wethersfield Pizza, undoubtedly, gave me one hell of a chicken cutlet grinder experience. I mean...look at the picture I took. It's huge! There's FOUR cutlets in there! And that's just a half grinder!(No I can't stop yelling!)
With that being said, while very tender, the cutlets weren't anything outrageous. The breading seemed par for the course. Yeah, there might have been a pound of chicken on my grinder, but would a little oregano or basil hurt? If I'm getting that much chicken, make it stand out!
The peppers added a nice flavor to the sandwich without overpowering the other ingredients. The provolone was, well, provolone. Sadly enough, the bread was the one thing I'd like to point out as being above ordinary. I had asked to have the grinder oven toasted, but unlike what you might typically see at your corner grinder shop as 'oven toasted', this was actually placed in a pizza oven and warmed to perfection. The outside layer was crispy, but not too crispy. Even the ends were edible. But back to the cutlets, seeing as this was a chicken cutlet sandwich.
To be honest with you, I don't know what I was expecting. I've had my fair share of cutlets in the past. Sure, these were better than most, but they weren't as earth-shattering as the sign out front would indicate. You'd think an establishment that claims it's 'The Home of the Chicken Cutlet' would blow your mind, right? Don't get me wrong...had the gentleman assembling my grinder added more sauce, I might be singing an entirely different tune right now. I think a good cutlet sandwich is made up of two parts. The chicken, and the sauce. More sauce=better.
If it came down to just the cutlets; not having eaten a bare cutlet from either my favorite sandwich shop(Nardelli's) or WP, I can't say which cutlet would win in a blind taste test. But I'm not ashamed to say that'd be one test I would be happy to take.
For now I'm going to give this a middle to high rating, as we haven't come up with a concrete rating system yet. Especially for chicken cutlets.
Food for thought, or at least until I stop by again and order it with more sauce.
Bring on the hate.
When you're drunk
Powerade has sodium, potassium, calcium, & magnesium to replenish you after a night of drinking. Has not been proven to diagnose, treat, or cure the meat sweats.

Friday, July 8, 2011
Not quite...
The contingency is at Jalisco in Glastonbury, four Marg's deep. We've had chorizo nachos and the jalepeno popper's. No trip to Jalisco is complete without Tequila Popper's...the night is still young.