Cocktail Confessions

Okay, maybe you guys might think I’m a huge blowhard (that’s okay, I’ve been called worse) but I got some exciting news last week and I just found out the results today.

As some of you may be aware, I joined OC Yelp just over a year ago because I like to write reviews and I love try new places to eat.  Most of the time I review only restaraunts, but occasionally I will write or comment on various service establishments.

I really do pride myself on being absolutely fair, impartial, and balanced.  I take all things into account when crafting reviews: taste, quality, friendliness of staff, decor, and of course….overall cleanliness.  I won’t give a place 5 stars just because the food is outstanding.  If the floor or bathrooms look like crap, or the staff is negligent I score appropriately and explain why.

Well, it looks like my hard work paid off.

Last week I received a personal email from one of the staffers over there at Yelp who apparantly took notice of my writings and asked me if I would like to be nominated for the 2012 Yelp Elite Squad.  In my book, that’s a kind honor to be recognized for your work and efforts.  Of course I said “Yes” and had to fill out a simple questionaire which would then be submitted and reviewed by senior Yelper’s.

Today I received yet another official email congratulating me and my online profile here shows my new “Elite” badge of honor.  I’m very excited and hope to do Yelp well over this next year, and hopefully be recognized on a year to year basis.

Anyway, if your interested in Yelp, or already a member of Yelp and wanna be my friend there, please drop me a line again here.

My buddy gave me a sweet present a few weeks back: The Sam Adams Harvest Collection Variety pack.  It really surprised me as he’s not much of a drinker, at least not anymore, and he offered up this 12 pack gem unsolicited, so my hat’s off to him.

In addition to their Boston Lager, seasonal Harvest Pumpkin & Octoberfest, and Black Lager, they’ve included a new brew introduced this year (2011): Bonfire Rauchbier.

It really has a surprising ‘smokey’ taste to it that totally caught me offgaurd.  However, that being said, I guess I could have figured that out or at the very least got a hint by looking at the label emblazened with a roaring fire.  You know how certain tastes remind you of certain smells or vice-versa?  Memories are triggered by flavors or scents?  That’s exactly what happened to me.  Upon my first taste on my pallete, I was instantly transported to a night time beach party with an actual ‘bonfire’ in tow.  You can actually taste a mild smoke flavor that reminds me of a campfire.

According to the Sam Adam website, the history of brewing this type of beer that imparts these characteristics is as such: Prior to the practice of kiln drying, barley was dried either by sunlight or over a flame.  When fire dried, the grains were suspended high enough for the heat and smoke to pass through without burning the malt.  As a result, this imparted smoky characteristics to the malt.

Also from the website are a few more particulars:

Flavor: Rich malt flavors of toffee and caramel, balanced with a smokiness that is ever present but not over powering.

Color: Dark amber, 39 SRM

Original Gravity: 15.57

Alcohol by Vol/Wt: 5.7%ABV – 4.5% ABW

Calories/12 oz.: 213

IBUs: 19

Malt Varieties: Two-row Harrington, Special B, Caramel 60, and Weyermann Smoked Malt 

Hop Variety: Spalt Spalter Noble Hops

Yeast Strain: Samuel Adams lager yeast

Availability: Seasonal (Aug. – Oct.) in the Harvest Collection Variety Pack

First Brewed: 2011

213 Calories! Yikes!  A good thing this is seasonal.  There’s just enough to whet your interest and make it a treat, especially delicious on the cooling fall evenings.  This will be one I look forward to again in another year.  Too bad it only comes in the variety pack, ’cause I’d for sure pick a sixer up for a winter BBQ.  I’d pair this up with a good lake trout dish, or grilled pork.

Making Jeff Foxworthy proud.

Okay,  that title isn’t really fair, but it’s not that far off either.

Jeremiah Weed currently makes a small selection of spirits and malt berverages.  Here, I am refering only to the malt beverage, Roadhouse Tea.

My wife bought me a six pack of this stuff after I expressed some interest in it after Adam Corolla has been pimping it on his podcast for the last few months ad-nauseum.  I originally tried the vodka laced Sweet Tea of theirs thinking it may be a nice substitute for the Seagram’s brand of Sweet Tea Vodka.  Well, I’ll tell you right now, I think the Seagrams version is a bit better.  I found the Jeremiah Weed a bit too sweet for my liking.  I mean, I wouldn’t pour it out, but given the choice of Sweet Tea vodka’s in the future, it wouldn’t be my first choice.

Anyway, back to the canned malt beverage variety (pictured, can on far right).  It is 5.8% and comes in these 1 pint, 7.5 oz cans they label “premium”.  I think the only thing “premium’ about this is the artwork that goes into the cans…you have to admit, they are a bit interesting looking and I’d wager standout a bit more while staring back at you from their refrigerated cases at Wal-Mart.

Now I personally think it’s a gimmick, and I’ll admit they got me to try it based on some marketing level, but it’s not what I was expectinga nd am really surprised (or am I?) how popular these are becoming in certain markets.  Maybe the Spiked Cola or Lightning Lemonade does in fact taste better, but knowing it’s based on a ‘malt beverage’ , don’t expect it. 

Actually I found this to taste: 1) Thicker (if that’s even a taste) than I expected, 2) “syrup-ey”, 3) and has a tin can after-taste.  No joke on that last one.  I had a few of them, and with each swig, I thought I could taste metal in the end.  The first thing I’d like to suggest to them is to line the can, ala Keystone beer did as a gimmick in the early 90′s and maybe that would help eliminate that metallic bite.

Cokctail in a Can. 80's hoopla for piss.

Overall it really reminded me of those God awful Club Mixers in a can that used to be the rage in the 80′s.  We all watched too much Miami Vice and wanted to pretend we were all as swanky as Crocket. 

As a matter of fact, a good friend of mine (whose ironically in law enforcement these days) used to buy these for me occassionally when we were under age and in High School (sorry mom).  There was a small liquor store in the area, and I have no idea what those guys behind the counter were thinking (they probably didn”t or could care less), but they’d sell my friend wine collers, beer, and booze with his shitty fake I.D. when we were all but 17 and 18 years of age.  Back then I tried the Club “Long Island Ice Tea”….and it tasted like crap out of a can…but hell, we were 18 years old and I wasn’t about to toss that down the drain no matter how disgusting they were.

So when I drink the Jeremiah Weed canned Sweet Tea, it reminds me of sneaking crap back in 1988.  Those tasted like tin as well.

I live this drink to the lower demographics….yeah, you know what I’m talking about.

I can’t take credit for this article, though I’d be more than happy to participate in the research if my fellow country men called for it.  I’m actually ‘borrowing’ this from FoxNews online, more specifically from author Richard Goldmsith, so if anyone has a problem with these choices, go write him.

Anyway, without further ado, here’s what Mr. Goldsmith has to say:

In addition to being an occasion to recognize the sacrifice made by so many to keep America enjoying the liberty its known for, Memorial Day also serves as the unofficial beginning of summer. That means one thing – there’s going to be a whole lot of grilling going on this weekend.

Backyard barbecues and beer are a match made in heaven, and it’s rare to find a bag of charcoal that doesn’t have a cooler full of frosty beer sitting alongside it just waiting for friends and family to arrive and crack open a few bottles and cans. The trick for a good host is to make sure you’ve got the right stuff in there, and the right stuff is completely dependent on what’s tossed on the grill.

Typically, traditional American grub – burgers, hot dogs, brats, steak, and even ribs coated in sticky sweet barbecue sauce – calls for lighter beers like lagers and wheat beers. But if you start breaking out some of the more intense international flavors that have hit the flames more often in recent summers, the bulgogis, carne asadas and other heavily spiced cuts of meat, then beers that can bite back make an appearance. IPAs, porters and even heartily-hopped ales are tailor made to cut the spice and clear the palate for the next tantalizing bite. But the best beers to drop in the cooler straddle a fine line between these categories, switch-hitting with the same skill as Mickey Mantle and making every bite better, no matter what it may consist of.

Here are a few that manage to hit it out of the park every time.

North Coast Brewing Co. Red Seal Ale – An American Amber Ale brewed in California, Red Seal breaks out subtly sweet caramel flavors nicely balanced by earthy aromas and a hefty, though not too soda-like dose of carbonation. It pours a gorgeous deep amber red, and drinking it straight from the bottle is all sorts of satisfying, concentrating the citrus and bitter hops that come through on each swallow. The clean flavors pair up just fine with a hot dog or three, but there’s enough body to balance out some fairly significant heat. Just don’t break out the habaneros. That sort of fire will turn most beers, including this one, into a unique form of penance.

Oskar Blues Gubna – Conveniently packaged in a can for easy access, not to mention providing protection for the beer against the sun’s rays and premature skunking, Gubna is an Imperial IPA, a style known for some serious hop-borne bitterness, and Gubna is no exception. Brewed in the craft beer wonderland known as Colorado, Oskar Blues imparted some intense hops flavor into this can. But with surprisingly gentle carbonation and a finish that seems almost oak-aged, featuring a light vanilla note, Gubna is surprisingly easy drinking. It’s a heavy beer, but some spice and citrus do a nice job of breaking it up and balancing out what is an extremely complex brew. It stands up to the heaviest spice you can throw at it and hits back with a punch of its own: a 10 percent alcohol content. A few of these and even the most charred hunk of mystery meat will taste absolutely amazing.

Two Brothers Dog Days Dortmunder Style Lager – The closest beer in the lineup to a traditional summer thirst quencher, Dog Days is Two Brothers’ summer seasonal and combines a light golden body with satisfying yeast and wheat and just enough bitterness stemming from the addition of noble hops to make the mix interesting. It’s straight-up pure unadulterated beer in the grand German tradition. That doesn’t happen nearly often enough with American craft brews. It’s refreshing, with a touch of orange sweetness that sneaks up on you similar to the way a six pack of this stuff will disappear like a ninja without anyone noticing.

Victory Sunrise Weissbier – A well-executed Bavarian wheat beer, Victory replaces a heft dose of malted barley with malted wheat, resulting in a tasty summer concoction with heavy banana and clove flavors. It’s an unfiltered beer, so it pours cloudy and the texture can be a bit off-putting if it’s not a familiar style. But the tangy fruit and clean lemony citrus, offset with just a touch of spicy pepper, are a spectacular counterpoint for heavily spiced sausages and marinated skirt steak. Despite this, it still pairs up nicely with a simple burger or drinks nicely on its own. It has a unique fizzy texture to the carbonation as well, likely from the particulates still floating around in the bottle. It’s the most refreshing beer of the bunch by far but the banana notes can be a bit polarizing, as can the lack of filtering, so it’s wise to keep a few backup bottles handy for those who aren’t into it – leaving that much more for you as you man the flames at the grill.

In the not so distant past, I would never have given the discount store Big Lots a second glance when planning a party, let alone when thinking about hosting a backyard BBQ.

However, on a recent trip to a local neighborhood shopping center, I decided to go on ahead and check Big Lots out.  I haven’t been in one of these stores since they used to be called “Pick and Save” here on the west coast back in the mid 80′s. 

I’m not sure what I expected.  I’ll be honest in my thinking when I say I suppose I was expecting cheap clothing, clearance Christmas ornaments, “As Seen on TV” trinkets, and other second hand and junk gernerally reserved for out of state truck stops or Goodwill, but instead I discovered a whole new world that I can apply to my backyard parties.

Namely, they have tons of party supplies, backyard decorations, picnic style foods, condiments, sauces, spices and much more for dirt cheap.  There’s nothing wrong with this stuff either, that is if you don’t mind an occasional dented can, off-kilter label, mis-colored packaing, or a crushed corner of a box.

It was total impulse that I went in this past weekend, and I also did quite a bit of impulsive shopping walking away with quite a few things for a grand total of under $20.  Some of my items included: 1 bottle of marinade, 2 jars of dry rub,  a jar of salsa, 4 packs of cilantro/lime rice, a few cans of pinto beans w/ diced onions, can of diced jalepenos, a few bags of chips and more.

I strolled around a bit and I made a mental note of more things I can use next time around, and many of these things are at least 50% – 75% off the price you’d find at your local grocery store or Target:

• Tiki Torch fuel
• Dixie plastic cups (the kind you see at parties), plates, utensils.
• Chips, dips, salsas, nuts and candies of various varities.
• Sodas, energy drinks, teas.
• Rubs, mustards, marinades, spices, crackers, canned beans.
• BBQ utensils, charcoal, lighter fluid, portable/disposable grills (for camping or the beach).
• Bug sprays, cintronella candles, solar lights, disposable towels, coolers, outdoor furniture, and more.

Most of the stuff is name brand, although there are a few ‘generic’ products in the mix, but I know I would have spent closer to $50 or more for the same excat stuff I bought for just under $20.

So try a Big Lots the next time you think about hosting a BBQ or backyard party.  You’ll be surprised what you’ll find for discounted prices, especially in this economy.

by Richard Goldsmith

The craft brewing explosion of the last decade has created a thirst for beer with much more character. This has opened the door for over the top flavor profiles – from high gravity beers that are more like liquor to thick and hearty triple stouts. But one of the most popular styles right now wears an overdose of hops as a badge of honor. These intensely bitter and bracing beers feature a pronounced bite that stays in your mouth all the way to the bottom of the glass…and beyond.

These brews tend to be India Pale Ales, a traditionally hoppy-flavored beer that measures high on the international bittering unit (IBU) scale, which is used to measure hop bitterness in beer. While they’re not necessarily the beer you want to down to quench a thirst worked up raking leaves or shoveling snow, they can be a great match for many rich and hearty foods that fit the season. At their best, hoppy brews work similarly to an acidic wine, clearing the palate for another taste of heavy, cold-weather grub. So cook up on something your cardiologist would disapprove of and settle in for a leisurely autumn evening with some of the hoppiest beers in the world – like the ones listed below.

Bell‘s Hopslam – A seasonal Imperial IPA that generally hits shelves in the dark of Winter, Hopslam can be found on some shelves and ordered online year round if you look hard enough. It’s a hazy gold in the glass, with hops absolutely dominating the aroma and flavor. The flavor is bitter to the point of being brutal, but balanced out by a hint of citrus. The more you drink, the more grapefruit and pineapple notes come through, but that may have something to do with the beer being bottled at a relatively high 10 percent ABV.

Founders Devil Dancer – This triple IPA does an impressive job of skirting the edge without dropping off the cliff of good taste. It’s a hop-bomb, no doubt about it. Ten hop varieties are mixed and its dry-hopped for 26 days, coming out on the other side astonishingly complex. The hops dominate the creamy mouth feel but still leave room for some citrus and a barleywine-like caramel and toffee overtone. Judicious use of malt enters the picture too, counteracting some of the bite. Even so, the brew just shouldn’t hang together in a cohesive whole, but somehow Founders found the secret formula.

Moylan’s Hopsickle – Another Imperial IPA, this one pours a nearly luminous orange and the hops don’t cover up the characteristic citrus and spice as much as other beers in our tasting. The bitter aftertaste mixes in an almost piney resin and just a little caramel malt. Much easier drinking than many Imperial IPAs, the dry finish and more forward fruit flavors make this the standout of the tasting to pair with a meal. Those relatively easy-drinking characteristics can catch up with you though. At 9.2 percent ABV, and disguising the heat of the alcohol under the intense hops, Hopsickle will sneak up on you.

Victory Brewing Hop Wallop – Dominated by hops from aroma to flavor, even the mildly sweet fruit, citrus and creamy smooth malt forming a backdrop can’t clear the lingering bitterness off the palate. It’s unapologetically bitter, but with a full body and enough alcohol at 8.5 percent ABV the effect becomes muted as the bottles go by. Paired up with strongly-flavored food that can cut through the intense hops, it’s a refreshing draught. On its own, it’s a beer to savor, coating your mouth with a strangely addictive citrus and hops combo that could overwhelm more delicate palates.

Well, anyone up for another foodie review?  Good.  This past weekend I had the pleasure of getting out of the house with my buddy Jon, and we decided to head just slightly out of our geographical comfort zone and head up to the city of Orange.  There’s a lot of interesting restaurants of all ethnic varieties scattered throughout Orange and some really interesting digs in Old Town Orange.

Well, I had a hankering for some BBQ this summer evening, so I suggested to Jon that we open the sunroof up on my Ford Edge, crank up the tunes, drive up HWY 241 and head into Orange the back way and mosey into old Johnny Rebs’.  I’ve been to Johnny Reb’s a handful of times now and it is an interesting place to say the least, and I’d suggest it to anyone who wants a little something different in the barbeque experience.

There are 4 Johnny Rebs’ locations in CA and you can visit their main page and click on the ‘locations’ link to see them all in case you ever make it out to the Golden State.  Personally, I think the one located in Orange is the nicest looking of the bunch.  It has a very unique street facade, that while looking slightly out of place in a somewhat modern city, brings a down south charm to the neighborhood.  It often reminds me of a themed ride you may find at Knott’s Berry Farm or some other Californian ghost town like Bodie.

Red Trolley Ale served here.

Rebs’ was established in 1984 and tries to bring in the influences of Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, and North Carolina to the forefront in it’s aesthetic style, food choice, and hospitality.  According to their own website, it was Zagat rated as the Best BBQ Restaurants in Southern California (2004), although its not clear which location.  To be blunt and honest though, a lot of BBQ joint have sprung up in the last few years and I daresay I think I’ve had some better BBQ in 2010 such as Bad to the Bone in San Juan Capistrano, CA amongst a few others as well.

Speaking of hospitality though, Johnny Rebs’ does excel.  Everyone there is extremely nice and helpful and I find the staff generally chatty and pleasant, often coming around the table more than a few times to check on your meal, your satisfaction, or if you need anything else.

Johnny Reb's, Orange

The place itself is a site to behold, both inside and out.  As I mentioned earlier, it has a really nice ‘rustic’ vibe, both inside and out, and the setting and decor itself transports your mind back in time.  I think older folks and kids alike will enjoy the ‘log-cabin’ feeling on the inside, the swamp inspired waiting area outside, and of course the covered patio room located on one side of the building.  It was packed this particular night with a waiting list outside.  They also cater to parties as well and we witnessed the ritual “pig-kissing” and dancing for some old coot’s birthday that the whole place gets involved in as well.

There’s a small bar located centrally within the restaurant, which allows standing or seating for a good 6-8 people and they serve various beers on tap, some common and some uncommon ones as well.  This day, Jon and I both had a large schooner of Red Trolley Ale and it just seemed perfect for the setting.  While the beers are nice and cold and the staff friendly, I was discouraged to hear that the lemonade was actually from concentrate.  WTF?  Concentrated lemonade at a BBQ joint?  That just seems sacrilege and wrong and not an area a fine BBQ joint should be cutting corners on.

There’s tons of peanuts on the floor as well.  It’s one of those places you can get your own roasted peanuts, shell ‘em, and then toss them on the floor.  It’s fun and adds to the charm as well.  But the one bone I have to pick here is that the peanuts aren’t always fresh.  Sorry, but I’ve seen them toss new peanuts on top of the older ones in the barrels there, meaning the older ones never get rotated enough and thus just get older.  Not just this time, but other times my party has commented that we’ve always gotten more than a few stale peanuts, and there just really isn’t an excuse for that either.

For openers, Rebs’ has a really nice lineup of down south appetizers.  I’m not going to list them all here, but you can’t go wrong with their cornmeal dipped fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, sweet potato french fries, fried okra, or my personal favorite: fried dill pickles.  Yup, everyone looks at me sideways at least twice when I order them, but I think I have converted quite a few.  These dill pickles are sliced like a quarter, then breaded in cornmeal, deep fried, and served with a side of ranch dressing.  Yum!  Oh, and I may as well mention here they make their own biscuits and cornbread as well.

Between us, we split an order of the fried dill pickles and an order of sausage.  The pickles were as ever good as I recall, and ths sausage was moist and peppery.  Although when I think BBQ sausage, I think we were expecting more of a traditional hand made sausage, and this was more like a kielbasa link served with BBQ sauce.

Okay, so now onto the main fare: Like most BBQ joints you won’t be surprised to find both beef and pork ribs, fried or BBQ chicken, tri-tip and brisket in various forms, and catfish.  They also have pork chops & gravy, Cajun sausage, and blackened prime rib or sirloin steak.  Now since we are going to a BBQ joint, we are going for the ribs.  But give the menu a good looking over, there are plenty of bbq inspired sandwiches, a few salads and fish dishes as well.  Prices are average to slightly below average from what you’d expect in a BBQ joint.  Expect a dinner meal for two with drinks and appetizers to run about $65, and of course it’d be less for the smaller dishes or lunch.  They also serve a pretty exciting country breakfast as well.

I had a 1/2 rack of St. Louis ribs along with a side of mac-n-cheese, Cajun rice, and biscuit.  Jon had a 2 meat sampler of sausage and ribs along with mashed potatoes, biscuit, and something else I can’t recall right now, maybe baked beans.  The one thing you need to know about the sides is that you can request a second helping of any of your ordered sides, at no additional cost when your server comes back on by to check on you.  For me, I had a second helping of mac-n-cheese, although it wasn’t the best mac I’ve ever had.  Many places make gourmet mac with a combination of 2-3 cheeses, or a creamier texture by adding Velveeta.  Personally, Rebs’ came up a bit short in my book as their mac-n-cheese only uses one type, cheddar, and it was a little one-note and dry.  Same for my Cajun rice….it was a bit dry and bland and not what I was expecting or hoped for.  I did enjoy my ribs however, eating every last one and was happy with the amount of meat and taste I got for St’ Louis style (I usually get baby back pork).

Jon didn’t finish his whole meal, opting to take a portion home, but he seemed to enjoy it none-the-less.

At this point we were pretty full from our meal, opting not to have any desert, but here’s the quick rundown on the sweets: drop biscuit peach or chocolate cobbler, southern pecan pie, key lime pie, fried Mississippi mud pie, apple pie and vanilla ice cream.  I did note one special addition I hadn’t seen on the menu: a banana and nilla wafer pudding parfait I imagine was served in a mason jar that I would have liked to have tried but skipped out on it.

This place was tougher than I thought it was going to be to score.  There are some pretty definitive pro’s, yet a few things that after thinking about it a bit more make me want to hold back.  Overall: 3.

Ambiance: 4 – The nostalgic decor, peanuts in the floor, rustic look, and picnic style seating make for a fun and cozy atmosphere for most.  Bathroom could use a little extra love.

Hospitality: 4 – Very friendly and attentive staff who seem to be cheerful and chatty with the customers.  Something you’d expect from the South.

Food: 3 – Decent prices.  Great appetizers and desserts really open and close the show nice.  Main fare was ‘okay’, missing a bit of that smokey element one looks for in BBQ.  Some of the sides were one note and sub standard in some cases, but at least you can get an extra helping if need be.

Freshness: 2.5 – Rice was dry, mac-n-cheese a bit dry, lemonade from concentrate (?), stale peanuts, and ribs missing that ‘it’ factor kinda bummed me out.

Value: 3 – Extensive menu, extra sides, prices are good for the portion size you get

There’s been a lot of buzz lately for Five Guys Burgers and Fries establishments. With President Obama proclaiming this one of his favorite burger chains, their positive reviews in the esteemed Zagat guide (since 2001), and it’s 2010 trumping of previous champion In ‘N Out Burger in California (Los Angeles) as the best and freshest burger in the state, it was time I checked this out myself.

As luck would have it, my friend Brian mentioned that he and his business partner were going to try it out today for lunch and there was an open invitation for anyone in the area. Thankfully Google Maps pins the Orange location as only 6.9 miles from my job, so I agreed to meet them there at 11:30am.

Wow! The line was huge. It was out the door and down the sidewalk at least 60 people deep and then some. It took us almost 25 minutes just to get to the ordering counter, and the line never let up the whole time we were there. Another friend of mine chimed in that the line is like that starting at around 7:30pm every night!

Well, once we placed our order, it only took about 5 minutes for us to hear our number called out. We also lucked out in that we procured an inside table as the current outside temperature was in the 90’s, and the outdoor tables were metal to boot with no real shade!

Like In ‘N Out burgers, I think the key to 5 Guys success is pretty self-evident….keep the menu simple. It’s one of those cases where ‘less is more’, and when you keep the menu limited to only a few choice items, this allows for a greater concentration of quality on your product.

They serve burgers, hot-dogs, and a few select sandwiches (such as grilled cheese or veggie) and fries. The burgers are $4.99 and by default are two-patties. If you want a smaller burger, order the ‘junior’ for a buck less, and you get 1 patty. You can also add cheese and bacon.

All the condiments are free. They include the traditional ketchup, mustard, lettuce, pickles, mayo, relish, and grilled onions. Premium additions include jalapeños, mushrooms, green peppers (not Ortega), hot sauce, bbq sauce, and A-1 sauce. All of these are free, and according to their website this allows for 250K unique combinations. I’ll take their word for it.

Regular & Cajun Fries

Fries are just as simple: Large or regular sized, plain or Cajun. These are fresh cut fries cooked in peanut oil and guaranteed no trans-fat. We opted for the Cajun style fries and we all agreed the spice was perfect. It may not have been the crispest fry out there, but for sure they use something akin to a sea salt, and when lightly dusted with the combined garlic, paprika, and other spices, it makes for a pretty damn good fry.

Five Guys doesn’t use any freezers. All their meat is fresh and stored in coolers prior to cooking. They cook them one way: well-done, and no one seems to complain. All the other ingredients are just as fresh.

My burger with green peppers

I myself ordered a cheeseburger with the following: grilled onions, ketchup, mayo, lettuce, tomato, and green peppers. It was wrapped in foil upon arrival and gorgeous. The green peppers were crisp and bright, bun was fresh, the onions grilled to caramelized perfection, however, my cheese wasn’t as melted as those of my peers. In the end, though, it was great and I can now understand all the hype surrounding this joint.

Inside, the place has stark white walls with red accents, very similar to In N Out as a matter of fact. I noticed the place was pretty clean, actually surprising clean for the amount of foot traffic inside. While we were there I noted employee’s just dedicated to cleaning tables and doors, sweeping floors, and taking care of the trash. Despite the cleanliness, it is pretty plain and non-descript and seems somewhat loud and chaotic inside. It doesn’t help that the line weaves right next to the tables in which you eat as well.

Despite the ridiculous line at the time we went, I give my experience at Five Guys a solid 4 out of 5 (breakdown):

Ambiance: 2.5

Food: 4

Freshness: 5

Value: 4

American wheat ale, or American light wheat as it’s also known, is perfect for the hot summer months

This all-American version of a German-style hefeweizen originating in the Pacific Northwest ranges from pale to golden in color and can be quite hazy if not filtered. It has a long-lasting head with a crisp and refreshing taste, and somewhere between a light to medium body.

Unlike their German weizen counterparts, you will not find the telltale flavors and aromas of banana and clove because they are fermented with normal ale yeast. Still, there might still be some fruitiness in the aftertaste coming from ale fermentation.

This style is often served with some kind of citrus fruit wedge to cut the wheat or yeast flavor but is not really needed to enjoy the style.

Its average alcohol by volume (ABV) range is 2.8-7.0 percent

Topher Tastes It

1. Bell’s Oberon Ale from Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo, Michigan
(5.80 percent ABV; Available: Summer Seasonal March 30th till October. Current Distribution Area: AL, FL, IA, IN, KY, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, OH, PA, VA, WI Available in Bottles and on Tap)

Loved it.

I poured it from a 12-ounce bottle into a regular old American pint glass, and the first thing I noticed is that it had a nice, thick, almost eggshell-color head and stayed on the beer till the end. There was a hazy pale yellow color to the body of the beer.

Next, it had a somewhat sweet smell that reminded me of the smell of homemade wheat bread. It wasn’t overpowering, but it was there.

The taste … now, this is where this beer shines. There is a defined crispness to with a citrus flavor and a little bit of that wheat beer flavor in the end.

2. Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier from Boston Beer Co., Boston, Massachusetts
(5.50 percent ABV; Available: Year Around. Available in Bottles and on Tap)

This one’s from the kings of the craft beer movement.

I had this beer on tap, poured into a American-style pint glass.

The beer had a nice straw yellow color, with the creamy-looking head that did not last long on the two pints I had. That was OK, because I did not let this beer stay that long in the glass.

Yes, there are blackberries in this beer. You can smell them the second you get it in front of you. There is also a slight spicy scent mixed in with the blackberries, but I was not sure what spices I smelled.

The taste was a bit malty on the first sip, but again, the blackberries showed through and gave the beer a light but distinctive fruit flavor that I quite enjoyed – very light and easy to drink.

3. Terrapin Rye Pale Ale from Terrapin Beer Co., Athens, Georgia
(5.50 percent ABV; Available: Year Around. Current Distribution Area: Ga, Fl, Tn, Al, Va, Pa, Nc, Sc Available in Bottles and on Tap)

This is the beer that launched Terrapin. Back in 2002 the Rye was the first beer John and Spike brewed…at the time it was only available on draft only in our hometown of Downtown GA. That year it won the gold medal for American Pale Ale at GABF.

They brew this beer with 10 percent rye, but it is good American pale ale all the way!

I had this poured from a bottle in to the standard American pint glass, and it had a great honey yellow color that almost bordered on copper at times. The head was a cream color and was not as thick as I would have liked.

I smelled the hops and some spiciness right off, and there was also a hint of citrus in there to round it all out.

The rye is there, full and up front in the flavor of the beer, and a bit of sweetness also. I had an ending of the hops coming through as an aftertaste, but it was all well-balanced and really a great-tasting beer.

It was a very good beer that puts a different twist on the standard American pale ale style. It’s very drinkable, and I would not have a hard time sitting around and drinking more than one in a row.

There you go, some good beer and some good info.  As always, go out and try some new beers (in moderation) and remember that the best beer in the world is the beer you like to drink!

Continued from Part I…

Amongst our party this is what we ordered: 2 orders of paella (to be split amongst 4 of us, me included since I love paella), 2 pork tenderloins, 1 chipotle short ribs, and I think 1 order of Camarones (sautéed jumbo shrimp).  Other than the paella, all the dishes were pretty much served with whipped potatoes and spears of asparagus.  The main dishes themselves were a mixed bag of reviews amongst us.

Michelle said the short ribs were good but a little spicy for her.  They looked good yet the side of potatoes and asparagus seemed a bit paltry for all the dishes that received them.  The good news is that the girls all ordered the single dishes and felt fine afterwards, but for the four of us guys, these potatoes and asparagus wouldn’t be enough.

Monica had the chili citrus glazed pork tenderloin and was satisfied with it.  It was tender, (as I had a taste of it myself) and pleasant, but nothing special as far as pork dishes go.

Monica's Pork Tenderloin Medallions

Alicia had the Camarones (shrimp) served on a bed of red rice and ratatouille, but again, while good, wasn’t anything exceptional or noteworthy.

Finally the four of us guys split two orders of paella amongst ourselves.  This dish was the biggest letdown.  While the platters themselves were indeed very large, hot, and filling, they were very inconsistent.  The one Sam and I shared had a lot of clams and very little chorizo (I could only find one piece myself) whereas Brian’s and Chris’s platter had practically no clams at all.  We all noted that the bacon was undercooked as well, as if the chef actually forgot it until the last possible second and thought the carry over heat from the dish would cook it.  The spices themselves seemed mild and I requested that our waitress bring us some hot sauce (they had Tabasco) to liven it up. 

In the end, we all thought that while the paella portion size was good, we had all had better paella experiences elsewhere.

Paella - El Cid style

Desert was not included, but you can choose either flan or chocolate mousse cake.

The dinner show itself was good, but not great.  On stage were two female Flamenco dancers, one guitarist, and one singer.  The show itself lasts for about an hour and the two female dancers have a pretty good workout there up on stage.  Personally I enjoyed the guitarist and singer, but in other shows I’ve been too at other establishments the men were a bit more active and even danced whereas they didn’t here.  Even though the stage lighting was a bit on the low end, I was able to record some pretty good excerpts using my Kodak Playsport.  I shot unobstructed video at 720p and feel they came out fairly well, especially the sound. Overall, I shot about 22 minutes of raw video which I broke up into 3 separate YouTube video segments that I have edited and uploaded.  I’ve embedded one video here, but you can see the third one on YouTube via this link if interested.

After the show we all made our way outside to the patio once again for a final drink under the stars as the staff then converts the entire restaurant into a Hip-Hop club that open at 10pm.  No, I’m not making this up.  They seriously remove all the floor tables leaving only the booths and make way for a dance club.  I thought it very strange that a Hip-Hop club shows up at a Spanish restaurant later in the evening, but we didn’t stick around to see the clientele.

So overall, I rate El Cid a solid ‘3’ on a scale of 5 (breakdown):

Ambiance: 3.5

Food: 3

Dinner show: 3

Value: 3