Fat Guy with a Little Fork

I'm going to make you famous..

2012-01-20T00:05:00.000-05:00

My company's warehouse is located just outside of Memphis so I get to come to the area quite a bit. When in Memphis, there is only one place to stay, The Peabody Hotel. Why the Peabody? Two reasons really. Reason 1: The Peabody Cocktail or as I like to call it, the ultimate sipping drink. It can't be explained, just experienced. Come to the Peabody and see for yourself. Reason 2: You are literally right across the street from the greatest slab of ribs in the world, Rendezvous.

Recently, I was in Memphis for a meeting with a friend of Fat Guy with a Little Fork, Mr Keith Ridings. Keith is an veteran of the blog as he has been featured in numerous posts. This particular trip was Keith's first trip to Memphis. So after checking in at the Peabody, we met up with my boss, Fred Dotson and headed off to pay homage to the Capital of Ribville. After playing frogger, dodging traffic across a few lanes (Yeah! Like I'm going to walk to the end of the block to wait on the crossing sign so I can then cross and walk back up the block to get to my Rib platter when I can just walk across the street. When we are talking about food, the shortest distance between me and food euphoria is a straight line) we stroll down the alley letting our noses lead us to our destination.

Time out: Let me give you a brief history about Rendezvous. Rendezvous was started on accident. In 1948, Charlie Vergos was cleaning out the basement below his diner when he discovered a coal chute. He realized he could use the chute to vent his charcoal grills and allow people to sample his grilling talents. A legend was born. Three generations later, the world's greatest ribs are stilled being grilled to perfection. Time In.

Rendezvous Special

When you walk in, the first thing you have to do is walk downstairs to check in with the hostess. On this particular night, there is a 10-15 minute wait. We give her our name and head back upstairs to the bar to wait. After a few minutes we get seated. Rendezvous is not a fancy place. Just a simple setting with memorabilia of time gone by. Our waiter, Fred comes by to greet us and get us started. We start out with a pitcher of Memphis's finest local brew and order the Rendezvous Special Appetizer. It a combination of Ham, Cheese, Salami, Sausage, Pickles and Peppers. Nothing like starting out a night of carnivorous delight with a plate of meat.

Rib and Chopped Chicken Combo

Now the reason we are here, the ribs. I order 1 of 2 things every time I'm here. Either the Ribs and Brisket Combo or the Ribs and Chicken Combo. On this night, I go with the Ribs and Chicken. Its a small order of ribs (which is huge) and chopped chicken. Both are cooked on a charcoal fire. They are cooked to perfection. Great smoke flavor and the best dry rub you will ever taste. Their is sauce on the table if you need it but I don't know why. The dry rub on the ribs is the perfect combination. As for sides, they make is simple for you. You get a choice of 2 sides with each plate. Your choices, cole slaw and baked beans. The cole slaw is different, in a good way. Its a vinegar and mustard based slaw. I've never had it like that anywhere else. But let me tell you, it is awesome. As for the other fellas, they had the Rib and Brisket combo. I've had that before and let me tell you, its the best brisket outside of Texas.

As we were finishing up our food and drink, we got to talking to our waiter, Fred. The conversation with Fred went something like this:

Fat Guy: Hey Fred? How long have you been working at Rendezvous?

Fred: Ah Man. I'm a rookie. I've only been here 24 years.

FG: (With much surprise) Seriously?

Fred: Yes Sir. We've got guys that have been here since 1963.

He then gave us one of the brochures that showed the Old Timers. The picture has a group of 6 guys that have been slinging ribs for a minimum of 30 years. All 6 were working that night. I can only imagine how many ribs those guys have served.

Well this got the Fat Guy to thinking. Fred should be on the brochure. I mean come one. 24 years is nothing to sneeze at.

FG: Hey Fred. I got an idea. We need get a picture so I can put you on my blog. I'm going to make you famous.

Fred: (Laughing) You are going to make me famous? Not like these the pictures over here. The first one is me and Roy Williams (coach of the UNC Tarheels Men's Basketball Team). The second one there is me and Blake Griffin. (Only the 2010-2011 NBA Rookie of the Year).

FG: Fred. That is awesome.

Fred: There's one more. Look in the case.

FG: Is that...

Fred: Yes Sir. That's me between President George Bush and the Prime Minster of Japan. But no, your blog should put me on the map.

FG: (After a little ribbing from my buddies and a bunch of laughing). That's a good one Fred. You got me buddy.

So as promised, here is the man, the myth, the legend. Fred, my favorite waiter at Rendezvous. No that's not a famous coach or ball player, or even the President and a foreign dignitary. Its Mr Ridings, Fred and The Fat Guy.

So take a trip to Memphis. Go to Rendezvous and have some of the best ribs in the world. You won't be disappointed. And do me a favor. When you get there, asked to be seated in Fred's section. And make sure to tell him "The Fat Guy with a Little Fork sent me." The other guys might be on the brochure, but Fred is the only one who made the blog.

And to my friend Fred. Thanks for a great meal. See you next time I am in Memphis.

Cuisine: Charcoal Ribs
City: Memphis

Restaurant: Charles Vergos Rendezvous
Address: In the Alley, Downstairs, Behind
52 South Second, Memphis, Tennessee, 38103
Phone: (901) 523-2746
Website: http://www.hogsfly.com/

The sea was angry that day, my friends...

2011-09-07T05:00:00.000-04:00

like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.- George Costanza.

With a quote like that, it can only mean one thing, I'm heading to a deli. I was in Tampa with a good friend of mine, Neil Hellwig of Security Reps. After seeing a few customers in the morning, it was time for one of my three favorite meals of the day, lunch. Before I could even open my mouth, Neil put the car in drive and screeched the tires. We stop 5 minutes later in from of a office park. I'm thinking to myself, I thought we were getting lunch, not visiting another customer. As much as I like talking with customers, I do a much better job of it with a full stomach.

I grab my notebook and Neil says "What in the world are you doing?"

Fat Guy: "Ahh, getting my notebook so we can talk to these people"

Neil: "The only people we are talking to are the people who will take our order."

Ariel View of Moxie'sToo

FG: "Order for what?"

Neil: "Lunch, duh!"

What I was thinking: You mean in this office park that we pulled into. Yeah. This office park just screams great restaurant. Is this another wild goose chase. I mean come on, look at this picture. This area doesn't say great restaurant, it says I would like to buy a copier or go see my doctor.

What I said: "Oh, all right."

The Tampa Cuban

We walk in and it was nothing special. A bunch of tables and a counter to order at. However, there was a line 6 or 7 deep and half the tables were full. Interesting, but still not sold. I grab a menu. It is huge. They have just about every sandwich you can think of. I look at the lady at the counter and Neil and say, "first time here, what is your signature sandwich?" In unison they say "the Tampa Cuban". Its a ham and pork sandwich, with Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, put in a hot press. After a few minutes its hot and ready to go. Man can't live on sandwiches alone. So to accompany my Tampa Cuban, I get an order of homemade black bean soup.

Black Bean Soup

As for the sandwich, it was great. The bread was phenomenal. It was crispy on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. It was loaded with meat and nice gooey melted cheese. The black bean soup had just the right amount of kick. The fresh diced onions added a nice flavor and crunch. Note to self: get some gum after lunch.

Well done Mr. Hellwig, well done. You have impressed me yet again. Now I have to find an excuse so I can get back to Moxie's Too to try their Reuben. No need for a marine biologist. The whale is going to make it, for he had a great sandwich and soup.

Cuisine: Deli
City: Tampa

Restaurant: Moxie's Too
5925 Benjamin Center Dr. #115
Tampa, FL
Ph: 813-882-4499
Website: http://www.moxies2.com/

Ride the Wave

2011-09-05T11:08:00.003-04:00

tsu·na·mi [tsoo-nah-mee] an unually large sea wave produced by a sea quake or undersea volcanic eruption. Generally speaking, tsunamis are a very destructive force. However, when speaking of sushi, tsunami is a great thing. Instead of a large sea wave, I like to think of a wave of goodness produced by an eruption of flavor.

The other day, my good friend Ernie Berardi from ACTi was in town. After a day of exhausting meetings and arguments (Ernie is more like a brother to me than a business partner). Actually, if you have seen our meetings and arguments, they can be described as a tsunami, but that's another story.

Ernie looks at me and says: "Fat Guy, I got a fever and the only prescription is..."

Fat Guy: "More Cowbell" Timeout: I love that Saturday Night Live Skit. Christopher Walken is great and Will Ferrell makes you think the cow bell is the greatest instrument in the work. Don;t know what I'm talking about. Check it our here. Time in.

Ernie: "Ha. No. Sushi."

FG: "No worries. I got the place. Quick to the Fat Mobile."

Ernie: "Shouldn't we get some more people, besides its only 4 o'clock."

FG: "Sorry about that. But you got me in sushi mode and I can only think of 1 place, Tsunami. I'll try to tone is down for a couple hours. Let me make reservations."

We get a table for 8 lined up. We are all meeting down there a 6:30pm. Now what do I do for the 2+ hours. "Fat Guy. Conscious here. How about you work for the next 2 hours." Conscious, you're pretty funny.

Inside the Tsunami

After the slowest moving 2 hours in history, the time had finally come. Quick to the Fat Mobile. After a short ride to downtown Greenville, its time to find a parking space. Somebody is looking out for the Fat Guy. Perfect spot, less than 1/2 a block away. I walk into Tsunami. Its got a great vibe to it. The decor is very contemporary and cool. This would be a cool place to hangout.

After being seated, we get a round of drinks and a couple orders of edamame. Freshly steamed edamame is the perfect start to a night of sushi. On to the menu. We grab a couple appetizers for the table. First we start with Beef Tataki, seared beef marinated with ponzu sauce and scallions and Spicy Tuna Tataki, chunks of tender red tuna in ponzu sauce wasabi sauce. The tatakis were awesome. The Tuna Tataki is great, but there is something about the Beef Tataki that takes the cake.

Fat Guy Note: What exactly is Ponzu Sauce? Its a citrius based sauce used in Japanese cuisine. Ponzu is made by simmering mirin, rice vinegar, katsuobushi flakes, and seaweed (konbu) over medium heat. The liquid is then cooled, strained to remove the katsuobushi flakes, and finally the juice of one or more of the following citrus fruits is added: yuzu, sudachi, daidai, kabosu, or lemon.

Our Sushi Boat

Now on to the sushi. What better way to ride a tsunami than in a boat. On a side note, what is it with the Fat Guy and Sushi boats. Its like I order I either get a small boat or a large boat. When did the boat become a unit of measurement? As for the type of sushi that we ordered, that is a great question. There were four of us eating off of this boat, The Fat Guy, Ernie, Wes and Russ. I hope they will shed some light as to the cargo of this boat. I know I ordered the spicy tuna roll - tuna, avo, hot sauce and repper as well as the yellowtail roll. We also got a rainbow roll, which consists of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, seaweed, crab cake and avo. I can definitely tell you that this boat was gone is 20 minutes. There was no talking at my end of the table. There were just 8 arms moving like hummingbirds. We were picking it up and shooting it down. The sushi was phenomenal and very fresh. I can't wait to my next trip to Tsunami to get some more of that great, fresh sushi.

Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
City: Greenville

Restaurant: Tsunami
106 East North Street
Greenville, SC 29601
Ph: 864-467-1055
website: http://www.tsunamigreenville.com/

Who you calling lazy?

2011-09-02T14:51:00.000-04:00

I've been called many things, but lazy...yep I've been called that too. I definitely got a lazy streak from time to time. Its usually between 8:30am to 5:30pm, Monday through Fridays. But Fat Guy, isn't that when you are at work? Ssshhhh. Let's just hope my boss doesn't read this post.

Whenever I travel, I always ask people for the best local places to eat. I never realized the pressure that put on you. The other day, my friend Renier from Milestone Systems was coming into town. Of course, anytime some one comes into town, who do they call for restaurant suggestions? You guessed it, the Fat Guy. I now feel your pain. There is a lot of pressure trying to find the perfect restaurant. Will everyone like it? Is this a good representation of my town? What am I in the mood for? So many questions. Ouch. The pain. My head hurts. Deep breath Fat Guy. You can do this. Think buddy think. Great Greenville Restaurant. Priced middle of the road. Wait for it. Its coming. Ahh yes. I've got it. Its time to get Lazy. The Lazy Goat that is. How would you describe the Lazy Goat. I've been there many times, but I'm just feeling too lazy to think of anything. So I check the Lazy Goat's website and they have the perfect description:

The Dining Room

"A dining experience designed around taking your time, and sharing great food and stories, The Lazy Goat is an escape wrapped in succulent flavors from all around the Mediterranean. The Lazy Goat is the ultimate in social dining. Its a chance to slow down, treat your taste buds and take the time to truly enjoy company and conversation."

Moroccan Lamb

Its a great layout. You walk in, there are steps to the left going down to the main dining room. To the right is the bar. Its a great place to hang out while waiting on your party. And since I'm the first one there, I believe a nice cocktail is in order. Once everyone got there, we head down to the dining room. Its very open. There are plenty of windows offering great vies of the Reedy River and Peace Center. . Its just a nice inviting environment. Our waitress drops by an introduces herself. After another drink order and our wine selection, its time to peruse the menu. For those of you who haven't been there, their menu is very different. The have meat and cheese options to start with. Then there is the "Graze & Nibble" Section aka appetizers. Next up the "Share or Not Share" portion of the menu. This is where I usually get greedy and say "Not Share". I start out with the Moroccan Lamb. its a braised lamb shank served with warm pita, cucumber yogurt and plantain chips. Its like heaven in a bowl. I love it. The spices, the flavors. Ok what's next.

Pan Seared Grouper

On to the entree. I've been to the Lazy Goat before and tried many of there dishes. Tonight, I will have the Pan-Seared Grouper. It was perfectly cook, served over a lobster rapini risotto with a saffron vanilla sauce. 3 words: Fa - Bu - Lous. This dish was awesome. And the pairing of the fish with risotto. Let's be honest, I'm a fool for some good risotto.

The Lazy Paella

I've been to the Lazy Goat before as I said. I had the Chief, my boss Paul Constantine, with me at dinner. He was having trouble picking so who does he look to, the fattest guy at the table of course. And since that guy was in the bathroom, I was next up. I directed him to the "Lazy Paella". The Lazy Paella is their take on the classic Spanish dish. It's loaded with calamari, prawns, mussels and chirizo. Its a nice dish. Very flavorful and fun to say. Try it, Paella. It just rolls off the tongue. Fat Guy Note: I know many of you food purists are going to say, "But Fat Guy, this isn't Paella." Well, it's very good and I like is so get over it. Order something else but don't bad mouth the Lazy Paella.

Also joining us in this visit, was my partner in product management crime, Meg. For the life of me, I can't remember what she got. I'm sure it was awesome. I only hope that she will comment later and give us an update on her meal.

Overall, the Lazy Goat is a great place to meet friends and share a drink or a plate. But if you come, don't be in a hurry. It has nothing to do with the service, which is top notch. But the Lazy Goat just makes you want to take a deep breath, let your cares drift away and enjoy some great conversation.

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Restaurant: The Lazy Goat

170 River Place

Greenville, SC 29601

Phone: 864-679-LAZY

Website: http:/www./thelazygoat.typepad.com/

City: Greenville

When in New Jersey, Do as New Jerseyans Do...Go Italian.

2011-08-31T22:37:00.000-04:00

I recently took a trip up to the great state of New Jersey. I was visiting my good friends Frank DeFina and Keith Ridings at Samsung. Keith is a veteran to Fat Guy with a Little Fork. He introduced me to Steve's Sizzling Steaks, a great New Jersey Steakhouse. If I'm meeting up these guys, odds are I'm going to eat at a quality place. So I give Frank a quick call.

Frank: Hello, Frank DeFina

Fat Guy: Hey Frank, its the Fat Guy.

Frank: Fat Guy, how are you?

FG: I'm great buddy. Good news. I'm coming to New Jersey to see you and the good folks at Samsung. You know what this means?

Frank: Is it my turn?

FG: Yes sir. Your up.

Frank: Great. I know the perfect spot. Its a can't miss.

FG: Sounds good. See you soon.

After an uneventful flight from Charlotte to Newark, I meet up with Frank, Keith and Ch. We start driving and I'm thinking, huh, this looks familiar. There's the Teterboro Airport. What a minute. I know where we are. Their Steve's. "Hey Frank. Are you taking me to Steve's. Don't get me wrong, I love Steve's but I thought we were going somewhere new." Frank comes back with "Trust me Fat Guy." Ok. Frank hasn't lead me wrong before. We pass Steve's, grab a quick U turn (which in New Jersey means hit the exit ramp, go up and around, stop at alight, go over a bridge that seems a mile out of the way. Stop at another light. Jump on the entrance ramp back on route 17 then drive back to where we originally wanted to turn around. Who designs these things?) and pull up to Il Villaggio Ristorante. It was an absolutely huge and beautiful building. We walk in the front door and I'm thinking, wow this place is beautiful. Are we in a museum or a restaurant. It looks incredible.But looks aren't everything. We need to get down to business, the food.

We are shown to our table in the dining room. The room is beautiful. Its fancy, but not to the point that I feel like I need to be wearing a coat and tie. First things first, we need a nice bottle of wine. We start with one of my favorite Italian wines, Ruffino's Riserva Ducale Chanti Classico Riserva 2006. I'm not wine connoisseur, but I really like this wine. Its a nice, flavorful middle of the road Italian wine. There's nothing worse than getting a $100 bottle of wine when the $50 bottle is better. This is the $50 bottle that is better.

Stuffed Asparagus

Double Cut Veal Chop

I start looking over the menu and think, this isn't your typical Italian restaurant. What's the story behind this place. Hey Frank, give me the rundown on this place. Il Villaggio has been preparing the best that Northern Italy has to offer since 1979. Zagat has named Il Villaggio as one of the Top 100 Italian restaurants year after year. Well Fat Guy, I think you are in for a treat. I put the menu down, look at our waiter and say, tell me about the items not on the menu. As he goes through the night's special, a appetizer immediately tickles my fancy, A stuffed asparagus. It was perfectly prepared asparagus stuffed with fresh mozzarella and wrapped with prosciutto. Then they heat it in the oven to bring it all together. They serve it with a little tomato sauce and what do you get, heaven on a plate. At this point, I am one happy Fat Guy. As for the entree, again off the night's specials I pick the Veal Chop. It was a double cut veal chop cooked to a perfect medium rare. It is topped with roasted red peppers and assorted sauteed mushrooms. A very simple dish, but done to absolute perfection. The veal was the star of the plate and everything else was a perfect compliment. It came with a side of spaghetti and marinara sauce. I've eaten a lot of marinara sauce in my days, but Il Villaggio might have some of the best around. This is definitely not from a jar. What's in it, tomatoes, spices and lots of love.

Canolli

How do you finish off such a beautiful meal? Why with a traditional canolli and a cappuccino. Il Villaggio has one of the best canolli's around. As everyone knows, a good canolli isn't made until you order it. And that's just how Il Villaggio's does it.

Well Mr DeFina, you are officially in the Fat Guy with a Little Fork Hall of Fame. What an absolutely great Italian restaurant. I thank you for this wonderful find. Next time you are in New Jersey. There is no need to go into New York City for great Italian food. Simply take a short drive down Route 17 to Carlstadt and see my friends at Il Villaggio. You won't be disappointed.

Cuisine: Italian

City: Carlstadt

Restaurant: Il Villaggio Ristorante

651 Route 17 North

Carlstadt, NJ 07072

Ph: 201-935-7733

website: http://www.ilvillaggio.com/

Holy Frijoles!!

2011-08-28T23:09:00.001-04:00

I received my first complaint the other day. I really didn't know how to handle it. A complaint aimed at the Fat Guy. What ever did I do? A complaint? Really? "Hey Fat Guy!" Who's that? "Its your conscious again. You're about to get another complaint if you don't get a move on." You know conscious, you always keep me on track. Thank you. "No problem. Now what was the complaint?" Ah yes, the complaint. A Fan of the Fat Guy, who will remain nameless to protect them from all my other happy fans, said "Hey Fat Guy. You are always jet-setting all over the country. Eating at the best restaurants in the country. What about the locals? Where does the Fat Guy like to dine when he's in town?" An excellent question. Where does the Fat Guy like to eat in and around Greenville, South Carolina? That's a tough question. What is the Fat Guy in the mood for? Well, when the Fat Guy is feeling like margarita and a fiesta of food, there is one place that can satisfy my Mexican pallet, Sabroso Mexican Grille.

Sabroso Mexican Grille has one mission, to create high quality Mexican food. This family owned restaurant doesn't just put out burritos and tacos. Though I have to say, I love their tacos. I get them every time I come here for lunch. But let me tell you, dinner at Sabroso's is where it's at. This particular evening, after dropping the kids off to play with Grandma, the Fat Guy and his wife went out for a night of fine Mexican food. After sitting down and ordering the Sabroso Margarita (on the rocks with salt on the rim, of course) we dive into the homemade salsa. The salsa is outstanding. Its a chunky salsa that is made in house. It packs plenty of flavor. In fact, I could just each chips and salsa for the meal. Fat Guy Note: Looking for something a little more, get the homemade guacamole. You won't be disappointed.

Acapulco Fish Tacos

Now for the meal. I look at the waiter and said, look, I always get the tacos or fajitas. I want something different. He pointed me to the Acapulco Fish Tacos. It's not your typical fish tacos. First of all they are not fried. In fact they take Sushi grade Yellowfin Tuna and season and grill it to perfection. It's served in flour tortillas topped with shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and tartar sauce. Talk about a cornucopia of flavor. Much to the excitement of my wife, I was quiet for a good 10 minutes while devouring these fabulous tacos. Accompanying these fish tacos were Mexican rice and black beans. Let me tell you, these are your mama's black beans. Marcos Nunez, the guy that keeps this place running, will probably kill me if I tell you, but the secret to the black beans is jalapenos. They add just enough fresh jalapenos when they simmer the beans to take it to the next level. For you tenderfoots, don't worry, its not spicy. Its just extremely flavorful. I wonder if Marcos will give me a pot of beans to go? I'll have to put that on the list next time I'm there.

Carnitas Dinner

As for the Fat Guy's wife, she got the Carnitas Dinner or as I like to call it, Mexican BBQ. The Carnitas Dinner is a slow coked pork that is served with grilled onions, rice, black beans and flour tortillas. I snuck a couple pieces while she wasn't looking. It was muy bueno. The tenderness of the pork, the flavor, it worked beautifully. The secret to the Carnitas, oh yes, I know it but I'll never tell. You got to ask Marcos yourself.

But Fat Guy, I don't like fish or pork. Don't worry. I've had the fajitas (best in town in this Fat Guy's opinion), Carne Asada and of course, the tacos. But even better than the food is the staff. Every time you are there they treat you like family. I've never had to ask for refills. Usually it's me that says no mas to the chips. They must get chips by the truck load because my chip basket never runs empty. As for dessert, the Flan is awesome. The kids love the fried ice cream.

Next time you are in Greenville, or for you local Greenvillians, venture down Woodruff Road and stop into a top notch Mexican restaurant. Tell Marcos, the Fat Guy sent you. You won't be disappointed.

Cuisine: Mexican
City: Greenville

Restaurant: Sabroso Mexican Grille
1860 Woodruff Rd Ste H
Greenville, SC 29607
Ph: 864-288-4825
http://www.sabrosomexicangrille.com/

The Perfect Ending

2011-08-20T19:57:00.000-04:00

Its a sad day in the Fat Guy's house. For his Myrtle Beach vacation has come to an end. Gone is the sleeping in, the water slides, the sand between my toes. Back to the cruel, cruel world of distribution. "Hey Fat Guy! It's your conscious again. Pull yourself out of this Debbie Downer moment. How soon you forget the home of the greatest steak in the universe" Thank you sir. How can I forget that? It was phenomenal. It was stupendous. It was dare I say, AWESOME!

Ok, let me set the scene. The wife of the Fat Guy was watching The Championships, Wimbledon on the tele. Sorry about that. We watched way too much tennis while on vacation. The Brits always rub off on me. Anyway, she saw an ad for Angelos Steak and Pasta, Home of the Greatest Steak in the Universe. A couple questions come to mind. There is a title of Greatest Steak in the Universe? Is there a belt for that? Who determines the Greatest in the Universe? Is there a committee? Can the Fat Guy get on that? Are there aliens out there? And if so, are they big steak eaters? I digress.

We hopped in the Fat Mobile and plot a course for Angelos. We arrive and the parking lot is packed. What? A wait! Do they not know who I am? I walk up to the hostess and proudly proclaim, Fat Guy party of 4. Nah, that's not how it happened. Actually my wife got us on the list. 20 minutes later we were seated. The place reminds me of an old school Italian Steakhouse. The waiter steps up and takes are drink orders. I was going to ask him about the Greatest Steak in the Universe Title but he distracted me with salad and garlic bread. You got me this time waiter. After giving us the rundown, It's time to order. I'll start with the she crab soup. Very nice indeed. This bowl of soup had more crab in it then I could imagine. It was just full of flavor. Again, Mr Waiter, stop distracting me from the greatest steak in the universe.

The Greatest Steak
in the Universe

The time has come to order. Before he can ask me what I want, I proudly say, (with echo for effect) "I'll have the GREATEST STEAK IN THE UNIVERSE". Who knew that the greatest steak in the universe is the 10 oz ribeye prepared medium rare. However, the waiter said if you want a medium rare steak, order it rare. Why do you say that sports fan? He then went on to explain that the steaks are served on a sizzling iron skillet. If you order one temperature below what you want, it will cook up to perfection when it comes to your table. Interesting, when in Rome...

The steak came out sizzling. After letting it finish up on the iron skillet for a minute, I dove in. Well let me tell you, this just might be the best steak in the universe. The cut was perfect. If was seasoned perfectly and cooked to perfection. Accompanied by a baked potato, I was one happy fat guy. The Mrs. got the Filet Marsala. It was a perfectly cooked filet smothered in a Marsala sauce. I snuck a little taste. Outstanding. They also have an Italian buffet and chicken and veal dishes. But why, when you have the best steak in the universe.

So next time you are in Myrtle Beach for a vacation or on a golf outing, be sure to make some time for Angelo's Steak and Pasta. You won't be disappointed.

Cuisine: Italian Steakhouse
City: Myrtle Beach

Restaurant: Angelo's Steak and Pasta
2011 South Kings Highway
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Ph: 843-626-2800
website: http://www.angelosteakandpasta.com/

Here Fishy, Fishy

2011-06-25T22:00:00.000-04:00

So while playing at the Splash! water park(located a the Embassay Suites - Kingston Plantation) with my kids, I got to thinking 'you can't go to the beach without eating seafood'. We've been here a few days and I haven't had any of the Atlantic Ocean's best offerings. After doing some research and talking to a couple locals, I was led to a little seafood place named Bimini's Oyster Bar & Seafood Cafe. Bimini's is about 2 miles from my hotel, just off Highway 17 on Lake Arrowhead Road.

Founded in 1985, Bimini's is, how do I describe it? Well, I believe the owners say it best The Desire of the Owners was to bring to Myrtle Beach the taste and feel of the Islands, the laid-back atmosphere quickly brought locals and visitors to sample the freshest shellfish and fish, and to encounter the best service to be found on the beach. Add the sounds of Jimmy Buffet, Island Reggae, and of course live beach music and you have not just a Restaurant, but the Biminis experience. (taken from www.biminisoysterbar.com) Well put.

Blackened Grouper

As you walk in the restaurant it screams relaxing beach setting. From the beach murals on the walls to the plastic patio chairs. Somebody give me a mojito and turn up the Jimmy Buffet. I started with the shrimp & crab rolls while my wife tried the Clam Chowder. Both were great, but that wasn't why we were there. I need a mess of seafood and I need it now. I ordered the catch of the day. It was fresh blackened grouper. It was perfectly prepared with a honey mustard drizzle. It was accompanied with french fries, cole slaw and hushpuppies. I mean, what's a seafood dinner without hushpuppies.

Fried Shrimp Dinner

The wife of the Fat Guy got the Fried Shrimp dinner. Let me tell you, this girl is picky when it comes to fried shrimp. She likes her shrimp fresh and lightly breaded. The frozen stuff won't do.Let's hope Bimini's is up to the challenge or it's going to be a long week for the Fat Guy.The fried shimp dinner came out. It looked good. Tons of shrimp. Plenty of french fries, cole slaw and hushpuppies. Time for the taste test. She grab the first shrimp. And down the hatch. Wait for it. A smile. We are clear. Well done Bimini's. The shrimp was fresh and local. It is lighty breaded and fried to the perfect temperature.

In the end, Bimini's Oyster Bar and Seafood Cafe is the real deal. Great fresh seafood cooked perfectly, a laid back atmosphere, great little bar with all your favorite drinks and priced where you won't have to break the bank to feed family. My only wish is that I was here longer so I can go back. No worries Bimini's. You are a the top of the list on my return trip to Myrtle Beach.

Cuisine: Seafood
City: Myrtle Beach

Restaurant: Bimini's Oyster Bar & Seafood Cafe
930 Lake Arrowhead Rd
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29572
Phone: 843-449-5549
Website: http://www.biminisoysterbar.com/

Surf, Sun and Dim Sum...

2011-06-23T12:11:00.000-04:00

The Fat Guy has been working hard lately. Travelling all over the country, doing trade shows, seeing customers and eatng incredible food. It's time to take a little time off. A vacation if you will. So what did the Fat Guy do, he packed up the family truckster and hit the road. You are probably thinking, where does the Fat Guy vacation, Paris? Vegas? NYC? London? No way! I need a place with action, sand, surf and tons of tourists and traffic. I'm off to Myrtle Beach.

We roll into Mrytle Beach and check into the Embassy Suites at Kingston Plantation. Side Note: This place rocks. Its halfway between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. As the Fat Guy's Family checks out the resort and all its many pools, my mind and stomach are only thinking about one thing, dinner. Where to eat tonight. I want something good. Something different. I'm feeling Asian. But the Fat Guy doesn't want your run of the mill fried rice and sesame chicken from the storefront chinese place. I do a little looking on the internet and one chef, Eddie Kwong and his restaurant E Noodles & Company keep popping up.

Shrimp Dumplings

The reviews look good. Pictures of the food looks good. But the Fat Guy will be the judge of this. We drive a few miles north on Highway 17 to the E Noodles & Co. Here we go again. A storefront chinese place. Surely all these people can't be wrong. We walk in. The place is packed. In fact, we had to wait 10-15 minutes for a table. The place is not at all what I expected. It's a very contemporary restaurant. I think I'm in for a treat. Eddie was working the front that night. He introduces himself as "the E in E Noodles". He seats us in a corner booth. We start out with some Dim Sum. Nothing like a little Dim Sum to get the meal started. We ordered the Crab Ragoon and the Shrimp Dumplings. The Crab Ragoon was good but the Shrimp Dumplings were AWESOME. Steamed to perfection with a nice dipping sauce on the side. This is what a dumpling should be. Now on to the main course.

Pad Thai

The Fat Guy's wife got Eddie's version of Pad Thai, the national dish of Thailand. It consists of of rice noodles with bean sprouts and scallions sauteed in a sweet, tangy sauce, topped with peanuts, cilantro and shrimp. We are not talking little tiny shrimp either. It was loaded with huge, fresh local shrimp. I snuck a little bite of the Pad Thai. The flavors were awesome. A definite must order the next time I go back. The Fat Guy's kids got Lo Mein with Chicken. This was not your typical lo mein. It was loaded with chicken and vegetables. I ate their leftovers the next day for lunch. Very nice indeed. As for the Fat Guy, I had the Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper Sauce. It consisted of perfectly seasoned and cooked beef tenderloin with mixed vegetables in their special black pepper sauce. The flavors mixed so well together. The sauce had just enough heat to say "Hey, it balck pepper. Don't forget about me" but not so much that your average tenderfoot couldn't order this dish. The amazing thing was the ingrediants. The vegetables were extremely fresh and the cuts of meat were great. The beef tenderloin was so incredibly tender and not over cooked. You didn't need a knife to cut it. As for the portion sizes, you won't go away hungry. In fact, my wife and kids each brought home half of their meal.

Beef Tendeloin w/ Black Pepper Sauce

Eddie came over to check on us at the end of the meal. I was a litte upset.

Eddie: How was it?

FG: I'm a little upset.

Eddie: What's wrong my friend?

FG: You ruined if for me.

Eddie: Runined what?

FG: My local Chinese place. I can't go back there. You just raised the bar on them. This meal was insanely good.

Eddie: (laughing and smiling) I'm glad you liked it.

But Fat Guy, what are the prices at E Noodles? You would laugh at me if I told you.Main dishes range between $7.95 and $9.95. Dim Sum ranges from $1.95 to $6.75. It's incredible food that won;t beak the bank.

So if you're in the North Myrle Beach area and are looking for some quality Asain food, go see Eddie at E Noodles and Co. Eat in or get take out. Either way, you are going to love it.

Cusinie: Asain
City: North Myrtle Beach

Restaurant: E Noodles & Company
110 Highway 17 South
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29582
Phone: 843-663-1628
Website: http://www.enoodlesco.com/

I'm Eatin Pasta Over Here!

2011-05-23T09:00:00.001-04:00

You can't come to St Louis without eating Italian food. In fact, I think its a law in St Louis proper that you must have at least one Italian meal. Everyone tells me that the best pasta is on the Hill. I've been to the Hill. And don't get me wrong, the Hill is great. I could get lost there for a month and eat like a champ. But let me tell you about a little place called Bill Gianino's. Located off of Chestnut Park Plaza, Bill and his team have been making traditional Italian dishes since 1975. Side Note: Ahh, 1975. The year of the Fat Guy. Bill isn't about new crazy dishes or contemporary fusion. He's about good hearty dishes whose recipes have been handed down from generations of Gianino's. Their mission, to serve great food in a warm inviting atmosphere that welcomes you back again and again.

So my friend, Don Geders of TL Dowell and Associates, a fellow member of the Fat Guy Brethren picks me up and we plot a course for Bill Gianino's. Nestled in a strip mall off of Chestnut Park Plaza. As we walk in to meet a customer, we are immediately greeted in true Italian fashion. "Hey You! What do you want?" Just kidding. The staff greeted us like we were old friends even though I had never been there before.

We are shown to a table in the back dining room and order some drinks. Of course, what is a nice Italian meal without a good Chianti. So I get a glass of a nice Ruffino. Now to the menu. We start off with a St Louis staple, Toasted Ravioli. For those of you that don't know, its a beef ravioli, lightly breaded and fried. They serve it with a side of marinara sauce. How the good folks came up with this, I will never know. Was a ravioli accidentally dropped in breading, rolled around a little bit and then dropped in hot oil for a few minutes. It's possible. These things are magical. We also got Bill's version of Fried Calamari. It was lightly breaded, fried and served over fried spinach with a garlic marinara sauce. A first for me with this presentation. I usually see calamari served with lemon and just plain marinara. This curveball was a nice change. The garlic marinara sauce combined with the fried spinach just made the whole dish pop.

Next up, the zuppa/insalate course. That's soup and salad for those that don't speak the language of the mother country. They only have one soup, the soup du jour. What's that? It's the soup of the day. Mmmm. That sounds good. Lucky for me, on this day it was a ham and bean soup. I thought, what the heck, let's try it. To say it was heaven in a bowl is an understatement. This soup was everything I like in a soup-thick, seasoned perfectly and huge. It wasn't a cup or a bowl, it was a tub of soup. I am quickly learning that Bill only offers one size, enormous.

Steak Modiga

Now what to have for the entree. Being my first time here, I always like to go with my patented question, "What is the best dish here?" Without hesitation, the waitress said "Beef Modiga". She explained that Beef Modiga is a 8 oz filet lightly breaded and charbroiled. Then it is topped with cheese and a white wine, lemon butter sauce with fresh mushrooms and bacon. Seriously, it has bacon. The candy of meat. I'm in. Prepare it medium rare and let's roll. It also came with a side. My choices were pasta with red or white sauce or green beans. Keep your veggies, I'll take the pasta with red sauce.

After an eternity passed (it was actually only a few minutes but when you know bacon is coming it feels like an eternity) the Steak Modiga arrived. What came next was a little unexpected. I thought I would get a small bowl of pasta. Not at Bill's place. They send out a full entree size of pasta. I'm telling you that you could feed a family of 4 with this side plate of pasta. I would hate to see the entree size. I cut into the filet. It was cooked perfectly, a beautiful medium rare. The flavors of the sauce complemented the steak beautifully. I don't know who invented this dish, but they should win the Nobel Peace Prize for this thing. Want to stop all the fighting in the world, have them sit down for a plate of Steak Modiga at Bill Gianino's. It would wash their problems away. As for the side of pasta, there was so much Steak Modiga that I didn't even get to try it. I wanted to try dessert, but there was no chance. I mean I turned down pasta for crying out loud.

Overall, Bill Gianino's was an awesome restaurant. If you are going to St Louis, make sure to put it on the list. You can thank me later.

Cuisine: Italian
City: St Louis

Restaurant: Bill Gianino's Restaurant

4571 Chestnut Park Plaza
Saint Louis, MO 63129
Phone: 314-892-6326
Website: www.billgianinos.com

All aboard the SS Cohee

2011-05-21T19:40:00.003-04:00

Nippon Tei's Sushi Bar

I've always wanted to own a boat. To be the captain. But lets be honest, I'm a fat guy and would need a pretty big boat. I just keep having that scene form Tommy Boy flashing through my head where Tommy and his girlfriend are on the lake in a little sailboat when the wind stops. Do you see it? Then the punk kids come up and yell "Hey lady. There's a fat whale in your boat". Punk kids yelling at the fat guy in the boat. Can't we all just get along.

"Hey Fat Guy. Its your conscious talking. You are not getting a cotton picking boat. So let's move on. Get to the freakin' story about your latest culinary find."

Fat Guy: Thanks Buddy. Thanks for bringing me down gently.

So I'm in St Louis for a Security event when I meet up with my good friend Don Geders and his bride of 29 years, the lovely Karen. Don hits me with the usual question, "Hey FG. Where do you want to eat?" Like I haven't been thinking about this all day. On a whim I say, "Does St Louis have any good sushi?". I'm thinking, no way. There can't be any good sushi here. I mean we are 0ver 800 miles from the nearest Ocean. Where are the getting fresh fish, the mighty Mississippi? But what does Don come back with, "we got a great place near my house. Quick to the Geder mobile."

Seating Area Inside

We jump in Don's Yukon and after a 20-25 minute ride, we arrive to this little strip mall. I'm thinking, Yeah, this totally says sushi. A strip mall with a gym and some other stores. Sure Don. This is the sushi mecca of St Louis. Reluctantly, I get out of the car and open the solid wood door of the Nippon Tei Restaurant. The place was pretty cool. It had a very trendy bar area to the left and a very simple yet contemporary feel to the dining area.

The waitress came over and took our drink order. When eating sushi, I like to get the Japanese beer of champions, Sapporo. As she brought us our drinks, you get a complimentary bowl of edamame. A nice touch, especially since I love the stuff. I immediately attack the sushi menu. As I made my picks, the waitress recommended tonight special roll, the Lobster Roll. Sounds good. Lets start with that and then all this stuff.

The Lobster Roll

The first thing out was the lobster roll. The presentation was only topped by the taste itself. This was a tempura roll that was stuffed with lobster and other goodies while topped with a special sauce. Awesome. But don't eat too much fat guy, we got more coming. Next out was the sumo roll. The sumo roll was a spider roll (consisting of tempura soft shell crab, asparagus, mayo) topped with tuna, salmon, special sauces and smelt roe. This thing was huge and loaded with flavor.

The SS Cohee

What came next, I was not expecting. First thing I hear is a ship's horn and then off in the distance what do I see, the outline of a ship across the restaurant. Could it be? I believe it is. Its the SS Cohee. A ship of sushi if you will. It was loaded down with yellowtail roll on the bow, nigiri of yellowtail, tuna and salmon down the sides. A spicy tuna roll and red dragon roll down the middle. And the creme of the crop, toro nigiri on the stern. The ship was coming into port and I was ready to unload its cargo.

I feel that you can really judge a sushi restaurant by their spicy tuna rolls. Nippon Tei has a great spicy tuna roll. Great flavor, good consistency and just enough spicy to get you going. The Red Dragon roll was awesome. Its a tempura roll with tuna, special sauce, eel sauce, masago and scallions. All I can say was awesome. As for the toro, who doesn't like fatty tuna from the Blue Fin Tuna. It was incredible.

Overall, this was a great sushi restaurant. They also have some Asian fusion items on the menu I would love to try, but with great sushi, how do you say no. So the next time you are in St Louis, stop by Nippon Tei and get your own sushi boat. You won't be disappointed.

Cuisine: Sushi, Asian Fusion
City: St Louis

Restaurant: Nippon Tei

14025 Manchester Rd
Baldwin, MO 63011
Phone: 636-386-8999
Website: http://www.nippontei-stl.com/

It's Not Easy Being Green

2011-02-18T17:54:00.001-05:00

Unless you are talking about The Green Room Restaurant. Let me set the stage. Valentine's Day is coming up. Love is in the air. The sun is out, the weather is nice. And the Fat Guy wants to take his lady out for dinner. Just as I'm trying to figure out how to do that, who should call, my boy 007, Pierce.

007: Fat Guy. What's up?

Fat Guy: 007. Its just another day in paradise.

007: I'm coming up Monday, the 14th for our meeting on the 15th. You want to do dinner on Monday?

Fat Guy: Dude. Its Valentine's Day. Like I can tell my wife, Hey...It's valentine's day. I'm going to dinner with 007.

Timeout. What do I do here. I'm in a little bit of a quandry. Awesome meal with 007, my vendor partner, but Fat Guy's wife would not be a happy camper, considering its the holiday of love. Think, Fat Guy, Think. I got it. Time In.

Fat Guy: Unless my wife can come to? (Here's an absolute shot in the dark.)

007: Perfect. I'll bring my Bond Girl (Brooke), and we can make it a double.

Fat Guy: Sweet. Good Meal for me and the Mrs. in my favorite small downtown, Greenville, SC. See you Monday.

Now the next issue, getting a reservation 2 days before Valentine's day for 4 people at an awesome restaurant. If anybody is up to this challenge, it's the Fat Guy. Quick to the Fat Phone. Actually it was the Fat Computer, but that just doesn't sound as cool as the Fat Phone. I'm checking out www.OpenTable.com, the official restaurant reservation website of Fat Guy with a Little Fork. The pickins are slim. But what should appear but a 5:30pm opening at The Green Room Restaurant and Bar. What? A restaurant in downtown Greenville that the Fat Guy hasn't seen. You know how serious the Fat Guy is about his food, we must do some recon. After a little time researching the Green Room on the web, I decided to give these guys a shot. Valentine's Day. 5:30pm. I can't remember the last time I ate that early.

The Mrs. picks me up from work. I ask, should we take the fat mobile? Not so fast, Fat Guy. We are taking my car. Rule 1 in the Fat Guy's World, don't argue with the Mrs. We make the short trip downtown, park the car and take the short walk to the Green Room. The anticipation and excitement is building. I love trying out new restaurants. It's GAME TIME BABY.

007, Bond Girl, Fat Guy and His Lady

As we walk in, we are greeted by the hostess. I give her my name, and they seat us immediately. They give us a great table in the front window over looking Main Street. The restaurant is not very large. It's got a nice feel to it. They call it "Upstate Casual", where the casualness of the Low Country meets the sophistication of the Upstate. Fat Guy Like. 007 and his Bond Girl arrive. Introductions are made. Yada Yada. Enough of the small talk, let's get to the menu. For Valentine's Day, a special Couples Menu. You get a 2 glasses of champagne, an appetizer, 2 entrees and a dessert. Perfect. We'll take 2 of those, but first a nice bottle of wine. The owner pointed us to a great bottle of a Northern Italian blend whose name I failed to write down. Oh well, guess I will have to go back. Shucks.

Ahi Tuna Mini Tacos

14oz NY Strip Au Poivre

After the wine, we ordered the Ahi Tuna Mini Tacos and the Calamari. The Tuna Tacos were crowned with a mango salsa, ginger and a side of fresh-made guacamole. The Calamari was served with watercress salad and spicy passion fruit sauce. Both were awesome and flavorful. Next up, the entrees: The Mrs. ordered the NY Strip Au Poivre and instruced me to get the Ravioli d' Aragosta. But Fat Guy, you let you wife pick out your entree? Yes, and see Rule 1 in Fat Guy's World. The NY Strip was a 14oz steak that was peppercorn encrusted and cooked to a beautiful medium rare (the perfect temperature for a steak, in my humble fat opinion). It was served on bleu cheese mashed potatoes, baby carrots and finished with a cabernet reduction. I snuck a piece or 6. It was awesome. The flavor, the presentation, the texture. Fat Guy Likey. Wait a minute, I have an entree too. The Ravioli d' Aragosta was a housemade Lobster and Ricotta filled ravioli with fresh roma tomatoes and tarragon in a vodka tomato cream sauce. First of all, they had me at lobster. The dish was divine. The Ravioli was cooked perfectly. The filling was delicious. I'm usually not a big vodka sauce guy but their vodka sauce was rockin'. The Fat Guy was in food paradise. Oh as for 007 and Bond Girl. Being the trend setting people that they are, ordered the same thing as the Fat Guy and his lady. So much for trying their stuff.

Calamari

Ravioli d' Aragosta

And now sweets with my sweet. For dessert it was maple creme brulee with (I don't remember what he said after that. He had me at creme brulee.) The creme brulee was delightful.

Dinner was over. The Fat Guy was fat and happy. Now I just need to walk a little. Green Room. You have made the Fat Guy happy. I was little disappointed that I hadn't found this place earlier. The Green Room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on the weekends and just lunch and dinner during the week. If you want to have a great meal in a cool little restaurant, head to the Green Room Restaurant and Bar. You too can find out how easy it is to be green.

Restaurant: The Green Room Restaurant and Bar
Cuisine: Southern Contemporary

Address: 116 North Main Street

Greenville, SC 29601

Phone: 864-335-8222

Hours: Monday-Friday 10:30am to 2:00am

Saturday - Sunday 8:00am to 2:00am

Website: www.thegreenroomupstate.com

The Queen Sushi

2011-02-09T22:13:00.000-05:00

The Fat Guy and his posse were in Charlotte, the Queen City. I'm working a trade show when what idea pops in my head, "Fat Guy Hungry". I look at the finger foods at the show and cold chicken fingers and greasy egg rolls just aren't going to cut it. This fat guy wants flavor. This fat guy wants exotic. This fat guy wants Sushi. I gather the newest members of the Fat Guy Posse, Kenny Walker from Panasonic, Pierce "007" McCord and Brad Balkcom of Videolarm.

Fat Guy: Your mission, should you accept, find us some quality Sushi to eat tonight. Fulfill this mission, and you will be permanent members of the Fat Guy Posse. Fail and you will be banished and never allowed to eat with the Fat Guy again. Now make it so.

Kenny: FG. I'm on it. (and like the wind he was gone.)

After several minutes of polling customers and food service employees, Kenny returns.

Kenny: Nikko's. 4 miles away. Food Service manager says its one of the best in town.

007: FG. Checked with some of my sources in the CLT. Nikko's is where its at. Word is, try the Spider Roll.

Fat Guy: Well done Gentlemen. Now only if we could get the OK to tear down our booth. Hmmmm. I got it.

Enter Paul "The Chief" Constantine (A.K.A the Fat Guy's Boss)

Fat Guy: Hey Chief. Fat Guy's hungry.

Chief: Surprise. Surprise.

Fat Guy: We're thinking Sushi. You in?

Chief: Sushi? Yeah. I'm in. When are we going?

Fat Guy: Well, if someone of let's say, Chief status, were to tell us we could tear down the booth, 30 minutes.

Chief: I hereby declare the show over. Tear down the booth.

30 minutes later, the posse is walking into Nikko's. We walk into the place. The atmosphere is energetic. The music is pumping and puts a little pep in your step. Not too loud that you can't hear the people at your table, but loud enough to drown out everyone else. The restaurant is modern and very pleasing to the eye. They seat us at a round booth for 5 in the middle of the restaurant. I didn't have time to open the menu and the waitress is on us taking a drink order. I have an 85 mile drive to the Fat Guy's Lair after dinner, so its hot green tea for me.

The Sushi Plate at Nikko. Photo by the Chief

After checking the menu for a few minutes, I make my decision. Before I can get my order in, Kenny orders the beef tataki. Its a thin sliced, lightly seared beef served in a spicy, citrusy soy sauce. It was delicious. What a great way to wake up the taste buds. Up and at'em boys. We are in for a treat tonight. Next for me, a bowl of their "Clear Soup". The clear soup is a mussel broth with shrimp, shitake mushrooms, scallions and spinach. It was very flavorful. It was a nice way to cleanse the pallet of the beef tataki and prepare for the sushi. For the sushi, I had a spicy tuna roll, tuna nigiri and blue fin tuna nigiri. Fat Guy, why blue fin? Well, actually it the otoro or belly meat. It is a tender, fatty part of the tuna that just melts in your mouth. 3 words, fab-u-lous. The sushi at Nikko's was some of the best sushi I have had. The spicy tuna roll was awesome. It has just enough kick to smack you, but not too hard. And the sushi masters slipped a little wasabi between the rice and the tuna on my tuna nigiri. It was a very nice surprise.

At the end of the night, I hated to leave, but there was no more room at the inn. The Fat Guy is full and happy. Overall the atmosphere, service and food were awesome. Well done new team members. You are all offical members of the Fat Guy Posse.

Fat Guy Hint: We went on a Tuesday night so we were able to walk right in. However, word is they get busy later in the week so you might want to call for reservations. Also, they have complimentary valet. So be like the Fat Guy, drop the car off with the valet and get to your sushi adventure.

Cuisine: Sushi/Japanese

City: Charlotte

Restaurant: Nikko Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar

South End

1300-F South Blvd

Charlotte, NC 28203

Phone: 704-370-0100

Susihology: the science of sushi

2011-01-24T22:09:00.000-05:00

Kamikaze & Tuna California Rolls

I was in Orlando for a trade show this month. I had a couple houis before the next session and needed something to eat. I called my friend, Neil Hellwig from Security Reps. I have travelled with Neil before and he has never led me wrong when it came to food. And since Neil lives in Orlando, you think he would know the good local places.
Quick, to the Fat Phone.

Fat Guy: Hey Brother, Fat Guy here.

Neil: What up Fat Guy?

Fat Guy: Check the clock...you know what time it it.

Neil: What are you feeling today?

Fat Guy: I'm feeling Sushi.

Neil: I've got the perfect hole in the wall.

Time out! Hole in the Wall and Sushi. Those are 2 words I don't usually put together. When I think Sushi. I don't think hole in the wall. I mean, come on. Its raw fish for crying out loud. I'm thinking fancy Japanese restaurant with case of fresh fish. Calm down Fat Guy. Its Neil. He's surprised you with some good stuff before. Deep breath. Settle. Settle. OK. Time In.

Fat Guy: I'm your huckleberry. Where you got.

Neil: My wife (Alice. Side Note: Who rolls a mean sushi roll but doesn't eat sushi. That would make me nervoius, but I met Alice and she is AWESOME! A foodie after my own heart.) knows this great place called Sushiology that's right around the corner from your hotel. I'll met you their in 10 minutes.

Sushiology

I jump in the rental car and head off to Sushiology. I almost missed it. Its off of International Drive in a lighthouse theme strip mall. Its sanwiched between a seafood buffet and a tattoo parlor. Nothing about this strip mall says awesome sushi. I walk up to the place. It is tiny. Can I even fit in this place? I mean you have to walk outside to change your mind. Not really, but close. It has 4 tables (2 hi-tops and 2 low boys) that seat about 8, maybe 10 if they aren't a fat guy. There are also a couple tables outside. As I open the door and walk in, the techno music is booming. I got an instant energy rush. Still, nothing is telling me awesome sushi. Then I start to look around. The place is packed. The tables are full, their is a line at the counter and people are getting takeout orders like it is going out of style. I jump in line and take a look at the menu. They got everything. Sushi, rolls, nigiri, appetizers, combos and a section called gourmetry. This section had large combo plates with 30+ pieces of different kinds of sushi.

Shrimp Shumai

I walk up to the counter and now I am in my zone. Time to order up some food. Step 1: Appetizers, I start out with Shrimp Shumai. This is 6 shrimp dumplings. ($4.50) You can get them fried or steamed. I ask the guys working what they like. Fried with Shrimp, steamed with Pork. Fried it is.

Step 2: The Rolls. I order 2 rolls, each with 8 pieces.

Tuna California: Consisting of Tuna, Cucumber, Avocado and Sesame) ($4.50)

Kamikaze: Consisting of Tuna, Spicy Mayo, Temp bits, Masago and Sesame) ($5.50)

Neil showed up about the same time at the Shrimp Shumai. It was incredible. Crispy, full of shrimp and not at all greasy. I offered some to Neil but he wasn't hungry. What a great guy. Just there so I wouldn't eat alone. Now that's a good friend. Somebody to talk to and I don't have to buy him lunch. Nice. Just about the time I finshed that, the rolls showed up. The presentation was beautiful. The guys at Sushiology are not your typical sushi rollers, they are masters of their trade. For them it is a science, an art form if you will. But I'm missing something. Where is the soy sauce.

Fat Guy: Hey Boss! Where is the Soy Sauce?

Sushi Master: The coffee craffe.

Seriously. But come to think about it, what a great vessel for tons of soy sauce. Ok, I't got my soy, I've got my chopsticks and plenty of wasabi, Let's eat. The sushi was incredible. The fish was fresh and delicious. The vegetables were fresh and crisp. And the rolls were nice and tight. But Fat Guy, why do you want tight rolls? There is nothing I hate more than eating sushi and the rolls just fall apart when you dip them in soy sauce because it wasn't rolled right. For about 16 bucks, this Fat Guy was just that, fat and happy. I washed it all down with a Diet Coke, but they have many types of Japanese beer and Sake if you would rather.

So next time you are going to Orlando, whether it be for business, of you are dragging the family to Sea World or Disney, take a trip down I-Drive, find the lighthouse and get some sushi. Your mouth and more importantly, your wallet will thank you.

Cuisine: Sushi

City: Orlando

Restauarnt: Sushiology

Address: 6400 International Drive Suite 130

Orlando, FL 32819

Phone: 407.345.0245

Hours: Open 7 days a week 11am-11pm/11:30

Website: http://www.sushiology.net/

I have found Tyler's Ultimate

2010-11-10T10:57:00.000-05:00

The first part of any 12 step plan is to admit you have a problem. Hello, I am the Fat Guy and I am Food Network Junkie. My house only gets 2 channels, ESPN and the Food Network. (My wife tells me we get other channels, but I've never seen them.) I had the opportunity to go to San Francisco a few weeks ago to the Alvarion Partner Conference. As grateful as I was to attend the conference, it was only a cover up for my real mission, to eat at my favorite Food Network Star's restaurant. And you might this star be? Well none other than Chef Tyler Florence. Quick story about the Florence Clan. I live in the Upstate of South Carolina and go to church with the head of the Florence Clan, Mr. Winston Florence. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of cooking with Winston at a Wild Game Banquet we were hosting. Let me tell you, the food was awesome. My foodie mind figured that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, so if the father's food was this good, the son's could be nothing but amazing. Hey Fat Guy, Get back on point. We want to know about the food. Sorry about that, where was I.

Inside the Wayfare Tavern

I arrived in San Francisco and after checking in at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, I immediately grabbed a cab to 558 Sacramento Street. This Fat Guy is on east coast time and lunch was 3 hours ago, so lets step on it. We arrive at the Wayfare Tavern. From the outside, I thinking, this is cool. A new twist on the old school Tavern. I'm digging it. We walk inside and immediately, you have the feel of a comfy, cozy lodge. There is a huge deer head over the fireplace. The fire just makes you want to grab a pint and unwind from a busy day. Slow down Fat Guy. Its only lunch, we can't be unwinding yet. For a Monday, the place was hopping. The hostess shows us to our table and the Fat Guy goes to work.

Deviled Eggs

They start us off with this light fluffy bread that looks like cupcakes. I try one and its like heaven on my plate. Easy Fat Guy. Don't get too caught up with the bread. We got the good stuff coming. As I am looking at the menu, the first appetizer that caught my eye was the Deviled Eggs. Why? First, you never see that on the menu and second, I am a sucker for deviled eggs. So naturally, I get an order. The menu described them as "mustard creme fraiche yolks with anchovy, capers and celery". I described the as light, fluffy and probably the best deviled eggs I've ever had (Sorry Mimi).

The Best Fried Chicken Ever!!

Now, on to the main course. I asked our waiter what the best dish on the menu was. Before I could finish my question, he simply said "The Fried Chicken". I've seen the "Tyler's Ultimate" Show on the Food Network when he made his fried chicken. Is it really that good? Really? Well, I'm up for the challenge. I ordered the Fried Chicken just to see for myself. Its Organic Chicken that is marinated in a buttermilk brine. It made it so moist and juicy. The chicken is nicely breaded with crispy woody herbs and roasted garlic. Incredible flavor explosion. That was all that was going through my mind. Its served with lemon. I've put lemon on fried fish but not chicken. Being the adventurous fat guy that I am, I tried it. Very nice indeed. Without question, this is by far, the best Fried Chicken I have ever had.

The Sides Y'all.

For the table, I got Local Foraged Mushrooms that are cooked in olive oil and garlic. Simple, yet delicious. And the Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Its not your Grandma's Mac and Cheese. This stuff was rich and creamy. It consisted of Jack Cheese, garlic bread crumbs, chives and smoked olive oil. Stick a fork in this meatball. I am done.

Spiced Pumpkin Pudding Cake

Next, the waiter temps me with the dessert menu. Really dude. I'm a food junkie and you are showing me dessert. Twist my arm. I ordered the Spice Pumpkin Pudding Cake. It was a beautifully spiced cupcake with warm pudding inside. Its served with Inverness blue cheese, honeycomb from Tyler's backyard and toasted walnuts. I really didn't get to taste much of this. When I cut open the cupcake, Michelle Pampin from Alvarion commented with "Ooh, pudding". I've never seen hands move so fast. Its was like watching a hummingbird. Before I could blink, half of the cake was gone. I don't think she came up for air. I was able to sneak a piece to go with my french press coffee. It was very good. I would of loved to had more. Oh well.

Overall, the atmosphere, service and food at Wayfare Tavern was incredible. If you make it out to San Francisco, you have to put this place on list.

Fat Guy Hint: Wayfare Tavern is busy place. We got reservation just to make sure we didn't have to wait. No worries if you don't have reservations. Grab your favorite pint and a seat a the bar. And let the Wayfare Tavern transport you to another time and place.

Cuisine: American

City: San Francisco

Restaurant: Wayfare Tavern

558 Sacramento Street

San Francisco, CA 94111

Phone: 415.772.9060

Website: http://www.wayfaretavern.com/

I'm on a Burger Mission

2010-07-12T12:11:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but there is nothing better in the summer than juicy cheeseburger with your favorite toppings. As for me, I like bacon on my burger, mmmm bacon. Add a little lettuce, tomato, grilled onions and mayo and this is one happy fat guy. I'm always looking for the best burger in town, and this time I think I found it. And even better, its less than 2 miles from ScanSource. Fat Guy, where can I find this great juicy burger? Well, you won't believe me if I told you. It's at a gas station. What? Are you kidding me Fat Guy? We know you like hole in the wall restaurants, but a gas station? I think we have gone too far. You might have too much bacon on the brain.

Before you pass judgement, here me out. There is a little gas station on South Batesville Road in Greer, South Carolina. It's called "Hall's Food Mart". And in this little gas station is every one's grandma, Mabel. Along with the help of Debbie, Elaine and other family members, they make some of the best burgers you will ever taste.

First and fore most, they start out with good ground beef and they patty them out. Step 2, they put them on a grill. Between you and me, that grill has cooked so many burgers that its infused with flavor. Next, they place it on a bun and top it just the way you want it. Chili, cheese, bacon? Whatever. You can have it your way at Mabel's.

Don't forget the fries. They put seasoned salt on the fries and it it just wonderful. The onion rings are pretty good too.

There is nothing fancy about the place. They got a number of tables and a Mrs. PAC-MAN machine. How many of those do you see? So next time you are in Upstate South Carolina, stop by Mabel's and get you a burger. You won't be disappointed.

Don't have any cash. No worries, Mabel takes just about all forms of credit.
Cuisine: Burgers
City: Greer

Restaurant: Mable's @ Hall's Food Mart
1035 South Batesville Rd
Greer, South Carolina 29650
Phone: 564-848-4915
Hours: Mon-Sat 6am - 5pm

Fat Guy Tip: Not in the mood for a burger, Mabel serves breakfast all day. The pancakes are huge and delicious. The Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich is loaded with bacon. And let me know tell you, Mabel knows how to make a country ham biscuit.

You want to get Crazy with me, Ese? Don't you know I'm Hungry?

2010-06-14T16:35:00.004-04:00

So I’m in Denver for a Panasonic/Extreme Road Show. After the show, I issue a challenge to the Extreme Team who live in Denver.

Fat Guy: I want some dinner. But not just any dinner, I want something that screams Denver Institution.

Extreme Team Leader Jill: No Worries Fat Guy. I got just the place. Be there at 6pm.

Fat Guy: Sweet. Let’s Grub.

The chosen restaurant, Benny’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar. They are the Kings of Mexican Food in Denver. Benny’s is a neighborhood place best known for serving authentic Mexican food. As for being an institution, its been a fixture in Denver’s Midtown/Capital Hill Neighborhood since 1987. An as for being a chain, well their website says it best, “We are not a Chain”. Benny’s is locally owned and operated.

We walk in on a Friday night and this place is hopping. I’ve never seen so many people eating Mexican food or wanting to eat Mexican food at one time. There must be something about this place. Thankfully, Jeremy from Team Extreme has already got us a table. At Benny’s, the attitude is “Reservations, we don’t take no reservations”. As I sit down and look around, the place is really cool. It’s like sitting in a Mexican cabana. The colors are bright. Everybody is in a great mood and having a great time and the aromas coming out of the kitchen smell awesome.

Our waitress comes by and we start out with a couple orders of Queso dip and a pitcher of Benny’s Classic Cuervo Gold Margaritas. Oh, I forgot to mention that that they also give you the bottomless chips and homemade salsa when you sit down. Cheese dip is Cheese dip. You really can’t judge a restaurant on cheese dip. So I asked the waitress what was good. She lead me to the Chimichangas and Crispy Chile Rellenos. Well, when in Rome, or in this case, Mexico.

I order the Chile Relleno Crispy Plate and a Steak Chimichanga. They were awesome. The Chimichanga was smothered in cheese and was crispy and not a bit greasy. The meat was seasoned perfectly and so tender. I can almost taste it as I type. As for the the Chile Relleno Crispy, probably the best Chile Relleno I’ve ever had. In fact, it has officially ruined all Chile Rellenos at any other Mexican Restaurant I go to. Give me your best shot other Mexican Restaurants. I just don’t think you can beat Benny’s Chile Relleno.

After being just totally stuffed, the waitress tempted us with homemade flan. Being the sucker for flan that I am, I bit. The flan did not disappoint. It was some mighty fine flan.

So, next time you are in Denver, you have to take the time to stop by Benny’s Restaurant. And if there is a big line, get on the waiting list, grab a pitcher of margaritas and meet some new friends

Cuisine: Mexican
City: Denver

Benny's Restaurant and Tequilla Bar
301 East Seventh Ave
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: 303-894-0788
Website: www.bennysrestaurant.com

I can feel St. Elmo's Fire burnin' in me...

2010-04-29T13:45:00.002-04:00

I flew into Indianapolis this week to meet with the infamous Monfort Electronics Marketing Team. As soon as I hit the door one of the salesmen, Jason Smith said “Hey Fat Guy, you up for some great food?” Are you serious? I’m a fat guy with a food blog. What do you think? Anyway, I looked at him and said “I’m your Huckleberry.”

So we head off to oldest steakhouse in Indianapolis, St Elmo Steak House (cue the St Elmo’s Fire theme song). St Elmo Steak House has been a landmark in downtown Indianapolis since 1902, still in its original location. It was founded by Joe Stahr and named after the patron saint of sailors, St. Elmo not after the 1985 coming of age film by Joel Schumacher. The restaurant has a classic turn-of-the-century Chicago saloon décor and feel.

After our waiter, Don introduced himself and we ordered a few drinks and wine, I started to take a look at the menu. For appetizers, there is only one, the St Elmo Shrimp Cocktail. We got 2 for the table. Each shrimp cocktail has 5 huge shrimp smothered in their spicy cocktail sauce. They should really call it St Elmo’s Fire because that cocktail sauce has got a serious kick to it. It’s like John Parr had the shrimp cocktail when he wrote the lyrics “I can feel St Elmo’s fire burning in me.” If the rest of the meal is anything like the appetizer, I’m in for a treat.

After the appetizer, I got the classic American salad, the Wedge. Such a simple salad, but so delicious. It was just a big ole chuck of iceberg lettuce topped with homemade vinaigrette, tomatoes and enough blue cheese crumbles to sink a ship. I only ate half of the salad because I was saving room for the entrée, but the half I ate was probably one of the best wedges I’ve ever had.

Next up, the entrée. I decided to order the 24oz Kansas City Bone-In Strip. With the entrée, you get you choice of navy bean soup or tomato juice and a baked potato, cheddar mashed potatoes, house cut fries or green beans. I can understand the veggies, but navy bean soup and tomato juice? Some one has some explaining to do. So I spoke with Don and he said that tomato juice was invented in French Lick, Indiana and that in the old days they felt that it promoted good digestion. Weird, but I can buy that. What about the Navy Bean soup? That was a little tougher. Word is that the original owner liked navy bean soup and that it was the first course at some restaurant that he ate at in Washington, DC. I went with the soup. And let me tell you, it wasn’t Campbell’s. It was a nice navy bean soup. After 100 years, they have mastered the navy bean soup.

After a slight breather, the beautiful piece of Kansas City Bone-In Strip showed up. To say I was excited is an understatement. The steak was seasoned just perfectly and cooked to a beautiful medium rare. I didn’t speak much for the next 15 minutes or so. I couldn’t for I was in my happy place, beef haven. As a treat for the table, I ordered a family style size of King Crab Macaroni and Cheese. What a creamy masterpiece. Just looking at the picture says “look out tummy, here comes some yummy”.

Don teased us with dessert so I got the crème brulee and a cappuccino. Talk about the perfect topping to the perfect meal. So next time you are in Indianapolis, stop by the St Elmo Steak House. And make sure to get the shrimp cocktail. You won’t be disappointed.

Fat Guy Note: This place is so famous for their shrimp cocktail, they go through 2 tons of chilled shrimp a year.

Cuisine: American Steakhouse
City: Indiannapolis

St Elmo Steak House
Address: 127 S Illinois St
Indianapolis, IN 46225
Phone: 317-635-0636
Website: http://www.stelmos.com/

Fat Guy Hint: This place is always hopping. We went on a Wednesday night and definitely needed reservations. So call a head and get reservations, otherwise you will be waiting a while.

The Price is Right!!

2010-04-17T22:58:00.000-04:00

I just landed at Charlotte’s Douglas International Airport after being in San Antonio. I was thinking to myself, ‘self, I am starving. But I don’t want the usual greasy burger. I wanted something different’. A friend of mine, Dale Austin has always told me that if you want the best chicken, you got to go to Price’s Chicken Coop. I plugged it into my GSP. Jackpot, its only 6 or 7 miles form the Airport. Clear a hole people. The fat guy is starving. After cutting off some redneck in an old Dodge ram (he gave me a bird and let me tell you, it wasn’t chicken) I pulled up to the restaurant. I did a once around the block just to see what I had. The restaurant was a storefront in an old brick building. Nothing fancy on the outside. Nothing claiming to be the best chicken. Just a simple sign that said “Price’s Chicken Coop, cooked to go.”

When I walked in it was even more simple. Going the width of the restaurant is a counter. There are 4 registers and at each register the line is 5 deep. The menu boards are mostly written in marker. On the right side, behind the counter is a line of fryers. And let me tell you, the 2 people running those were moving. I have never seen so much chicken being cooked. To the left of the fryers is what I like to call packing central. At packing central, all the orders were being put together. I just wanted to pull up a chair, tuck a napkin in my shirt and dig in. Did I mention that there are no tables in the restaurant? Everything is to go. Alright Fat Guy, you are next in line and you haven’t even decided what you want. You can’t hold up this line. These people got chicken to sell. As I’m looking at the menu deciding what to order, I see a very interesting sign, “No talking on cell phones or 2 way pagers while ordering.” Are you kidding? What are they, the chicken nazi? Don’t mess this order up Fat Guy. Next thing you will hear is “No chicken for you!”

As I step up for my turn, I go with the ½ chicken dinner – White ($8.40) and a tea w/ ice ($0.75), You can get tea without ice but that will cost you a buck. They only offer tea. If you want a soda, they have 2 soda machines inside. I don’t know if they offer un-sweet tea, but you can splurge once. In the ½ chicken dinner – white came 2 breasts, 2 wings, tater rounds, coleslaw, hushpuppies, a soft roll and a handful of napkins all served in a cardboard box. Hot, fresh and fried. What can be better than that? My total bill was $10 even. I hand the gentleman my cash (Don’t try credit card or check. They only take cash.) and head out the door. The next issue, where do I eat this glorious masterpiece of southern cuisine? I look around and see the funniest thing. There are more than 20 people sitting in their cars with the windows down chowing on some chicken. When in Rome, or in this case Charlotte soI hop in the old Dodge Dakota and take my first bite. It was by far, the best, moistest, most perfectly fried chicken I have ever eaten. Unfortunately I didn’t have any more cash or I would have gone back in for another dinner.

Let me tell you that it made the drive back to Greenville, SC very delightful. So, next time you are in Charlotte and you’re in the mood for the best Southern Fried Chicken, stop by Price’s Chicken Coop. But leave your cell phone in the car.

Cuisine: Southern Fried Chicken
City: Charlotte

Restaurant: Price’s Chicken Coop
1614 Camden Road
Charlotte, NC 28203
Phone: (704) 333-9866
Website: http://www.priceschickencoop.com/
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 AM-6:00 PM

Fat Guy Tip: The lines move pretty fast, so don’t let the line scare you. Also, I would get a package of moist towelettes or baby wipes before you go. Otherwise, your steering wheel might be a little greasy.

Brooklyn. I'm convinced. You aren't good, you're Awesome.

2010-04-07T16:03:00.000-04:00

I was in the NYC earlier this year seeing customers with my good friend, Ritz Dreyer of LCA Sales. After hitting all 5 boroughs, I looked at Ritz and said “Yo. Its way past dinner time. This fat guy has to eat.” Ritz came back with “Dude, I’ve got a great place in Brooklyn that we need to go to.” Are you serious? I’m in the greatest city in the world with the greatest restaurants in the world and you want to take me to Brooklyn. Alright Ritz, but this better be good.

We pull up to this little neighborhood place. From the outside, I was skeptical. We walk in and I must say I was surprised. The place was really cool. The colors and people were warm and inviting. The place has an upscale look with a relaxing feel. I slid up to the bar for a pre-dinner cocktail while waiting on the last person in our part. After ordering, I found myself mesmerized by the intricate metal work from Brooklyn Navy Yard artisan sculptors. It the food is anything like the décor, I am in for a treat.

They put us in a cozy table in the dining room. After a nice red wine that our server, we moved on to the appetizers. Here is the list of what we picked:

Pan Roasted Diver Scallops – Salsify, Cauliflower, Bacon & Jerusalem Artichoke This was a very nicely done dish. Extremely flavorful. And it had bacon, I can’t bad mouth anything with bacon.

Veal Sweetbreads – Soubise, Braising Greens, Hedgehog Mushrooms, Roasted Tomatoes & Veal Semiglace The first words that came to mind when I tried this was WICKED AWESOME. There is not much more to say. It was phenomenal.

Fall Squash Raviolini – Butternut Squash, Hen of Woods, Parmesan & Sage Looking at the description, I wasn’t sure what to think on this dish. But it was very light and tasty. It was a very pleasant surprise.

As for the entrée, I had the Grilled Hanger Steak and Braised Short Ribs. It was served with horseradish whipped potatoes, creamed spinach and bordelaise. I got the Hanger Steak cooked rare. Let’s be honest, there is no other way to have hanger steak. You can either have it rare or shoe leather. There is no in between with hanger steak. Chef Polo Dobkin and his team prepared this steak beautifully. It was the perfect temperature and nicely seasoned. As for the Short Ribs, heaven on my plate. They were so tender you didn’t need a knife. If was fall off the bone good.

I had a little crème brulee and a coffee to finish off the night. And what a great night it was. Dressler, you and Brooklyn have convinced me, you are awesome. I will be back.

Now, the boring stuff. As for pricing at Dressler, its not bad. Appetizers range from $7-15 and entrees are $24-32. For those looking for a little less, they over a few small plate selections. They are constantly changing the menu so you won’t get bored with the place. So time you are in the NYC, take the extra time and head to Brooklyn. You will not be disappointed.

City: Brooklyn

Restaurant: Dressler
149 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone: 718-384-6343
Website: www.dresslernyc.com

What up Dog?

2010-02-23T17:03:00.000-05:00

So I'm in New York City hanging with my boy, Ritz Dreyer with LCA Sales. We have some sweet seats at MSG watching the hometown knicks, who are horrible by the way but that is another story. I look to Ritz and say "Yo. This overtime loss with the Kings has made me hungry. You want to grab a hot dog or something?" Ritz looks at me and says, "Hot Dogs? I got your place for hot dogs. Let's hit the subway." After 15 minutes of underground NYC, we appear topside in the lower east side. After a few short blocks, we walk into Crif Dogs.

Little history about Crif Dogs. In 1999, Brian Shebairo and childhood pal Chris Antista hashed out a plan to serve hotdogs in the alley behind Lansky Lounge, a (now closed) speakeasy that Chris operated in Manhattan's Lower East Side. They grew up in New Jersey eating at Johnny & Hanges, Callahan's, Hiram's, Rutt's Hut, Nathan's and Walter's. On October 6, 2001, after two years of research and development (riding their motorcycles throughout the northeast to sample hot dogs as far as the Windmill in South Jersey and the Super Duper Weenie in Fairfield, CN) Brian and Chris opened Crif Dogs, a name they came up with when Brian tried to say his former partner's name with a hot dog in his mouth. (Courtesy of http://www.clifdogs.com/)

So we walk in the joint. This place reeked of coolness. Nothing fancy. Just a cool hot dog joint. We were the only people there, it was like 11:30pm. Anyway, I look at the menu and they had all kinds of cool looking hot dogs. But being the bacon lover that I am, I got - you guessed it - the BLT hot dog. It was their New York hot dog wrapped in bacon and deep fried. It was placed on a bun and topped with mayo, lettuce and tomato. It was awesome. I've had good hot dogs, but this was a whole new level. First of all, I like hot dogs but add the greatest meat in the world, bacon and words just can't describe. I topped off the BLT Dog with a Corn Dog and an Ice Cold Stewart's Root Beer. Not from the bottle, it was on tap. Fat Guy Likey.

On a scale of 1 to 10, this place is off the chart. And to add to it, they have a bar right next door. To gain entrance, you have to go into a speak-easy, tell them the secert password (I want beer) and go through the trap door. Way cool. After a night at the Knicks, or the show or just a night out on the town, grab a cab and go to Crif Dogs. You won't be disappointed.Cuisine: Hot Dogs

City: New York City (Lower East Side)

Restaurant: Crif Dogs
113 St Marks Place
New York, NY 10009
Phone: 212-614-2728
Website: http://www.crifdogs.com/
Hours: Sun - Thurs: Noon - 2am Fri - Sat: Noon - 4am

Yo! This Way to Burger Heaven

2010-02-10T23:37:00.000-05:00

So I'm in the greatest city in the world. Where you ask, the NYC Baby. I'm hanging with Ritz Dreyer from LCA Sales and his British, Welch, Scot girlfriend, Melissa who hails from Scranton, PA. (its a long story) Let me set the scene, its been snowing for hours. There are 6 inches of snow on the ground and 6 more inches on the way. Its cold, my feet are wet and as usual, I'm hungry. I'm not in the mood for fancy food. I want some good old comfort food. Ritz says "Fat Guy, you want to taste the best hambuger in the city?" Like you don't know the answer to that question. Ritz again, "Come on Fat Guy, We are going to The Burger Joint." That was sweet music to me. I figure we are going to some cool greasy spoon/diner somewhere in the city. Boy was I wrong. We walked in the super posh Le Parker Meridian Hotel. We walk in the door and all I can see is columns, marble, granite, beautiful furniture and everyone is wearing suits. 1. I feel under dressed in my jeans and wet shoes and 2. I'm thinking this burger is going to cost $40 and I will have to eat it with a fork. I was skeptical to to say the least.

We walk in the lobby and grab our first left and I see a huge curtain and a neon hamburger sign(see above). OK, stuffy swanky restaurant here I come. I reluctantly walkdown the hallway and follow the sign to the right. Boy was I surprised. There was no swanky here. It had the smell of fresh grease and had wooden booths, old school wood paneling and it just said "Hey Fat Guy, You don't have to use a napkin here." Simly put it was burger heaven.

The menu was simple: Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, cokes, beer and milkshakes. So simple, I love it. So the 3 of us order 6 "the works" burgers, 2 fries, 2 cokes and a vanilla milkshake. "The works" burger was how a burger should be. Lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, mayo, ketchup and cheese. The hand pattied burgers are cooked to your liking. For me, that would be medium. No special buns. Just plain old hamburger buns. Nothing fancy just simple and good. After they grill the burger and assemble your masterpiece, they wrap it in plain white paper. By the time you get it to your table you can see through part of it from the grease. MMMMMMM!

I took a bite. It was absolutely perfect. It was what a burger should be. Simple, fresh meat and fresh topping. The fries were shoestring style and hot and fresh. There was a burger symphony going on in my mouth. After 2 burgers I was seriuosly thinking about about a 3rd burger. Would it be worth hurting for one more taste of that sweet burger. Well, I held off from the extra burger, but it was very tempting. But Fat Guy, what do these burgers cost? Its not bad. The burgers are in the $7-8 range. It was well worth it. And to get you thinking about it, here is a nice picture of the burger.

The Burger Joint is usually packed but we lucked out since the weather was bad. It kept the masses away. But if you go to the Burger Joint and its pack, wait in line. Its totally worth it.

Cuisine: Burgers

City: New York City

Restaurant: The Burger Joint

@ Le Parker Meridien Hotel

118 West 57th St (Between 6th Ave & 7th Ave)

New York, NY 10019

Phone: 212-245-5000

Hours: Sun-Thu 11am - 11:30pm Fri-Sat 11am - 12am

Everything's Bigger at Oregano's

2010-02-01T17:34:00.000-05:00

As everyone knows (and if you don’t, you do know), I usually don’t review chain restaurants. But friends, I had to make an exception for the Gibbilini family and their family owned restaurants, Oregano’s. There are 8 locations, all in Arizona. I had the privilege to visit the North Scottsdale location with John Dobradenka of Open Door. You walk in the joint and you immediately feel happy. The colors or bright, the staff is happy and the smells are incredible. We sat down outside on the patio. It’s a little chilly in Scottsdale in January, but the heaters hanging over head had it nice and toasty. Michael, our waiter greeted us, got us some waters and was in route to get the wine. I think it’s a law that you can’t eat Italian food without an open bottle of wine on the table. (If it’s not a law, well it should be. I believe I will write my congressman about this)

We started the night with an order of wings. Let me tell you, they were the best wings I have ever eaten. First of all, they were all drumettes, a definite plus in my book. And now for the secret, what we ordered wasn’t on the menu. We got the wings with a mix of the Italian Gold (sweet honey) sauce and the medium spicy buffalo sauce. It was awesome, Sweetness with a little kick.

Then I had a side salad, but let’s be honest, a side salad is a side salad. Very rarely is a side salad life changing. But the entrée, now that my friend can be and was life changing. I got “The Lady is a Scampi” ($14.99). It was a plate full of corkscrew noodles with fresh diced tomatoes, garlic, cilantro and a light chipotle sauce all topped with fresh parmesan. I’m getting hungry just writing this. The sauce was very light. The dish was loaded with flavor. Oh and it wasn’t just one or 2 shrimp. That bad boy was loaded with shrimp. And not the little ones, these shrinp were monsters. And the amount of food was crazy. In fact, their dishes are large enough for two people. This fat guy couldn’t finish it all.

Everyone I spoke with in town said you have to get dessert at Orgeano’s. Well with the wings, the salad, wine and a rocking entrée, it sad to say that there was no room for dessert on this night. But there was plenty of room the next night. We stopped by the Old Towne Scottsdale location for the signature dessert, the Pizookie. Now what they do is put cookie dough in the bottom of an individual size deep dish pizza pan, bake it and then top it we 3-4 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Fat Guy Likey. Fat Guy Happy. This Pizookie was awesome. We got half chocolate chip/half macadamia nut. Throw on some ice cream and it’s the perfect ending to an otherwise perfect day. The only things I was missing was a glass of milk and a pillow. Put a fork in this Fat Guy, I am done.

So next time you are in Arizona, stop by the local Oregano’s. You will not be disappointed.

Cusine: Italian
City: Scottsdale

Restaurant: Oregano's
North Scottsdale
7215 East Shea Blvd
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Phone: 480-348-0500
Website: www.orgeanos.com

Fat Guy Tip: If you are looking to grab some grub and watch the game, Oregano’s is not the place for you. All the TVs in the join are constantly playing old school black and white movies. So if you do go on game night, get it to go and take it back to the room.

Hellooo Newman, I mean Deli.

2010-01-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

I was traveling to Albuquerque, New Mexico with John Dobradenka from Open Door Manufacturers Reps. We were going to Albuquerque to meet with on of our customers. I have to be honest with you, the only thing I knew about Albuquerque was that Bugs Bunny should of taken a left there. We met up with our customer Abe one morning. Being the fat guy that I am, I was ready for breakfast. I looked at Abe and said, "Nice to meet you. Where can I get some good breakfast?" Without missing a beat, Abe said "Right here at Hello Deli." Its conveniently located 2 doors down from Abe's office on Candelaria.

Hello Deli was started in 1985. There was a lack of New York Style Deli Sandwiches in New Mexico. So the good folks at Hello Deli stepped up. Their restaurant is a combination of the desire for New York Style Sandwiches and their love for New Mexican Cuisine.

When you walk in, you are transported to an east coast counter deli. There are posters of broadway shows and movies all around the restaurant. The greatest thing about the restaurant is their customer service. You are greeted with a fine "How to you do." I stepped up to the counter and said "First timer here. What is the best thing for breakfast?" Their response, "Are you hungry?" They don't know the fat guy very well, do they? They suggested the breakfast burrito.

Let me tell you about this burrito. IT WAS AWESOME!!! It was a burrito (the size of a small football) stuffed with eggs, potatoes, chirizo sausage, red chilies and then covers with a red sauce and cheese, cheese and more cheese. It was served with homefries and beans. This thing was so big you could feed a small family of 4 with just one plate. In this battle, food won. The fat guy couldn't finish the whole thing.

Prices were great. 2 of us ate breakfast for around $15. The food was great. The atmosphere was great. The service was incredible. This was probably the best restaurant I ate at while I was in Albuquerque. I'm just sad I didn't get to go in there for lunch. So next time you are in town, stop in and say "HELLLOOOO NEWMAN, I mean DELI." Your taste buds will be glad you did.

Cuisine: Deli/New Mexican
City: Albuquerque

Restaurant: Hello Deli
Address: 3401 Candelaria NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107
Phone: 505-889-DELI(3354)
Hours: M-F 6:30am - 2:30pm
Sat 8:00am - 2:00pm

Dude, Let's go see the Burrito Sisters!

2010-01-07T14:22:00.003-05:00

It’s a weekday afternoon and I’m sitting in an airport when I call our Security Team Leader in our Phoenix office, Jason Stoft. The call went something like this:

Stoft: Hello

Fat Guy: Dude, Its Cohee.

Stoft: What’s up brother?

Fat Guy: I’m flying in to Phoenix tonight. Call the boys, we need to go see the Burrito Sisters.

Stoft: I’m on it.

Fat Guy: Meet you there around 8:15am. Later.

Fast forward to the next morning. Phone rings….

Stoft: Where you at?

Fat Guy: 2 minutes away.

Stoft: Step on it. We’re ready for burritos.

I pull up to my favorite little burrito stand in Phoenix, Los Taquitos Grill. Or as I like to call it, the Burrito Sisiters. Why? Let me give you a little history lesson. Los Taquitos was started in 2000. It was a couple sisters who wanted to honor their father and the burrito cart that he had in the early 80’s. They cook everything on site and all the ingredients are fresh.

It’s a tiny little restaurant. It has about 10 tables. It holds less than 40 people. We walked up to the counter to order. I got the Arizona Burrito, marinated pork taco and carne asada taco. The Arizona burrito is stuffed with carne asada, potatoes and fresh made pico de gallo. Fat Guy's mouth was having a flavor party. The tacos were very small, almost like ½ tacos on corn tortillas. They were the perfect size to eat 6 at a time. However, I only had 2. The marinated pork taco was awesome. It was simply marinated pork, pico de gallo and cilantro. Simple, but incredible. As for the carne asada taco, simply replace the pork with beef, roll and eat.

Fat Guy, what does something like this cost? Well that’s the great thing. The Arizona burrito was $3.99 and the tacos were $1.15 each. Great food that doesn’t cost much, I’ll be back. It’s a great concept, fresh ingredients, quality food and a whole lot of love makes for a great burrito.

Cuisine: Mexican
City: Phoenix

Restaurant: Los Taquitos Grill
4747 E Elliott Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85044
Phone: 480-753-4370
Website: www.ltgrill.com
Hours: M-Sat 8am – 9pm, Sun 9am – 8pm

Fat Guy Hint: Los Taquitos was featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on the Food Network. Its made the place popular. Wait times can reach 20 minutes during the lunch hour, but its totally worth it.

I got your Ripper Right Here!

2009-12-11T08:00:00.003-05:00

I was at Panasonic’s North American Headquarters a few weeks ago. I was meeting with John Centofanti when he said, “I’m feeling a ripper.” Yo Man! If your need some personal time I can leave your office. “Funny Fat Guy. Get in the car. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
After about a 15 minute drive from Secaucus, we arrived at the Famous Rutt’s Hut of Clifton, New Jersey. They are known for their “rippers”. For those of you that don’t know, a “ripper” is a deep-fried hot dog. It gets it name because as its deep fried the casing cracks and splits. They cook the hot dogs until the “rip open”. It’s like the hot dogs way of saying “DING! I’m ready.”

The Rutt’s Hut was originally opened in 1928 by Royal “Abe” Rutt and his wife Anna. The family sold the restaurant in 1975 to the current owner, Nicholas Karagiorgis. Let me tell you, they haven’t remodel since 1928. When we pulled up I thought we were at somebody’s house that over the years had been added on to and added on to. Actually, the Rutt’s Hut is 3 buildings under 1. It’s got a restaurant, a bar and a take-out counter.

We walked in and sat in the bar area. We hadn’t sat down 2 minutes and the waitress was on us. She was great. She looked at me and said, “First time here?” What did the saucer sized eyes and mouth wide open while I look all over the place tip you off. She said, “No need to look at the menu, you need some rippers.” So I got 2 rippers and an order of fries with gravy. Because the deep fried hot dogs aren’t enough to clog my arteries, I had to get gravy. John got 2 rippers and an order of onion rings, no gravy; he wanted to be able to drive us back to the office. Me, I didn’t care if I was in a food coma. I figured it would help me get through any afternoon meetings.

The secret to the Ripper is not the way the cook the hot dog. It’s not the nice waitress, the cold beer or the eclectic decorations. It’s the homemade mustard based relish made with cabbage, onions and carrots. I have never had relish like this. I smeared a bunch of relish and some brown mustard on those rippers and went to town. Fat Guy Likely. Fat Guy most happy. I snagged a couple of John’s onion rings. They were great. Nice and crispy and perfectly cooked. As for my fires, they are covered in gravy. Gravy is like bacon, it makes everything better.

One thing did catch our attention on the menu, the fried scallop sandwich. Both of us being scallop fans, we ordered one to split. There were 6 lightly breaded, perfectly fried scallops on a bun, we chucked the bun to the side and went at the scallops. They were great.

Now, you are probably thinking, 4 rippers, fries w/ gravy, onion rings, scallop sandwich and a couple barley pops each, you must have spent a fortune. Actually the final bill was like 20 bucks. The rippers are 2 bucks a piece. Talk about a deal. So, next time you are in the Clifton area, stop by the Rutt’s Hut on River Street. You don’t have to have the rippers, but they were featured on the food network, travel channel and a few other shows. They also serve breakfast, but the Fat Guy doesn’t always get up that early.

Cusine: American
City: Clifton

Restaurant: Rutt's Hutt
417 River Road
Clifton, New Jersey 07014
Phone: 973-779-8615

To Paraphrase Yogi Berra...

2009-12-09T15:02:00.000-05:00

Eating is 90% mental---the other half is physical. You are probably thinking, "Hey Fat Guy! What does Yogi Berra have to do with eating. Well, this next restaurant is from Yogi's home, The Hill in St. Louis. What is “The Hill” you ask? It heaven on earth. Technically, it’s the high ground south of the River des Peres and Interstate 44. It’s an area of St. Louis whose population is predominately of Italian descent. Ahhh, Italian’s. The Fat Guy’s people. And the Hill in St. Louis is the Fat Guy’s kind of place. Why you ask? Maybe because there are over 25 restaurants on the Hill and 90% or more are Italian. Need we say more?

My guide for the evening was Mr. Don Geders, Thomas L Dowell & Associates. He took me Bartolino’s Osteria. Bartolino's Osteria is located in the new Drury Inn and Suites at Forest Park, just two blocks north from the original Bartolino's location. The Osteria which means a gathering place to enjoy delicious food traditionally connected with a hotel. Don went to high school with Bart Saracino, who runs the place.

The restaurant features a Tuscany style dining room. It was decorated very nicely but if you are dressed business casual, you won’t feel out of place. They have a full wine list. I just had a glass of the house cabernet. Started the meal with your typical Italian Dinner Salad. It was very fresh and crisp. As for the entrée, I got the House Special Risotto. It was sweet Italian Sausage, Vidalia onion and saffron prepared with a white wine and a touch of cream. What the menu should read is: House Special Risotto – This dish is incredible, you should order some. The serving was huge. Infact, the Fat Guy couldn’t even finish it. I had to get it to go.

Overall, the food, service and ambiance were awesome. On my next trip to St. Louis, I am definitely stopping by Bartolino’s Osteria.

Bartolino's Family of Restaurants include three St. Louis institutions including Bartolino's South, Chris' Pancake and Dining, and Bartolino's Osteria. They have been serving the St. Louis area since 1961 and are a family owned and operated business. The restaurants are run by John, Bart, Michael and Chris Saracino.

Cuisine: Italian
City: St. Louis

Restaurant: Bartolino’s Osteria
Address: 2103 Sulphur Ave
St Louis, Missouri 63139
Phone: 314-644-2266
Website: www.bartolinosrestaurants.com/bartolinososteria.htm

I'll put a spell on you!!!

2009-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year I was in my favorite restaurant town, Las Vegas. I was with Paul Weintraub and Glen Adair from Panasonic. We were taking down the booth at the BICSI Show in Vegas when what do you know, something started rumbling. That something was me. I was starving. Due to the show hours we didn’t get to grab any lunch. As we finished, I told Paul that we needed to get something to eat, but not just anything. I want to eat something memorable. Paul simply said “ ‘WichCraft.” “Excuse me. Witchcraft? Look a here Harry Potter, I want something to eat, not a magic spell.” “Not Witchcraft you knucklehead. ‘WichCraft. It’s a sandwich place” Paul said. “Ooohhh. My bad. Let’s try it out.”

After doing a little research, I found out that ‘WichCraft is the brain child of Chef Tom Colicchio. You know, the Tom Colicchio of Bravo’s Top Chef. He’s a tough judge on the show so I figure he is just as tough on his restaurants. The restaurant is located in the MGM Grand. He’s taken the old school sandwich shop and put a spell on it creating very upbeat, contemporary restaurant. Its open everyday from 10:00am to 5:00pm. The average check is $10-15. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Fat Guy. It’s in the MGM Grand. We can find it. Now what did you get to eat?

Well my friends, Colicchio’s crew whipped up quite a sandwich for me. I got the meatloaf with cheddar, bacon and tomato relish on a roll (see picture). Let me tell you, this is not your Grandma’s meatloaf sandwich. First of all, it had bacon and as you know, bacon makes everything better. Secondly, the meatloaf was seasoned very nicely and not too moist or too dry. And the tomato relish, well you will just have to try it for yourself. I topped it off with a bottle of root beer. And with that, the fat guy was cast into a world of happy yum-yum. I would tell you that Glen and Paul got something different, but they got the meatloaf sandwich. In fact, they liked it so much that this was the second meatloaf sandwich they have had in as many days.

So, next time you are in Vegas and you need a quick, great tasting an affordable lunch, stop by ‘WichCraft and let Tom Colicchio put a spell on you.

Cuisine: Sandwiches
City: Las Vegas

Restaurant: 'wichcraft
Address: MGM Grand Hotel
3799 Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: 702-891-3166
Website: http://www.mgmgrand.com/restaurants/wichcraft-sandwiches.aspx

They don't have this back home!

2009-12-07T17:16:00.000-05:00

I was recently in Ft Lauderdale, Florida traveling with my good friends Chris Daniels (Alvarion) and Ashley Turner (ScanSource) when they dreaded question came up, “Where do you want to go for dinner?” Their response, “I don’t care.” Are you kidding me? You don’t care? Yeah, right. This is only one of the most important decisions of the day, right next to “where are we eating lunch? and “what’s for breakfast?”. So, instead of explaining to them the importance of quality dinner choice, I decided that my mission was to figure out where we would eat. I wanted to get something that you really can’t get in other parts of the country. Immediately I thought of Cuban food. But after talking to a couple locals, I settled on El Tamarindo Café. When I told Chris and Ashley where we were going, they said “What? Where? How do you pronounce that again?” I responded as any hungry fat guy would, “Ya’ll shut up and get in the car.”

We pull up to the restaurant and it screams authentic. Something’s telling me I’m going to have a great meal here. We walk in and are immediately seated. While looking over the menu, I ask our waiter “So, what kind of Cuban Food do you have here?” He paused and looked at me with a stare that said, “Are you serious?” The waiter then said, “Actually sir, we are a Salvadorian restaurant.” Well I stand corrected. This will be a new experience for me. I have never eaten at a Salvadorian restaurant. In fact, I don’t really know what dishes Salvadorians eat. So I looked at the waiter and said, “You pick it my friend. I am going off your recommendations.”

First, we picked a nice Chilean Cabernet. It was very good and reasonably priced at $28.50 a bottle. In fact, there was one bottle of wine on the wine list that was about $35.00. Then they started us out with the sampler platter ($12.95). It had everything from grilled chicken, to a hard cheese, fried Yucca to grilled steak. If this was any sign of what was coming, I’m going to be a happy fat guy. For the entrée, I asked the waiter what his favorite dish is. He stirred me to the Churrasco ($13.95). Churrasco (see picture) is a thin skirt steak that is marinated and cooked to a perfect medium rare. It was served with rice and fried sweet plantains. The steak melted in my mouth. The plantains were awesome. I didn’t want to stop eating. To close out the meal, we had the special dessert, coconut flan. OMG!!!! This stuff was awesome. I’ve had flan before, but never like this. I topped it off with a cappuccino. Then they rolled me out.

Overall, this restaurant was awesome. The only thing better than the service, which was incredible, was the food. As for the price, nothing on the menu was over $16.95. I spoke with one of the employees at the Hard Rock Seminole Casino and Hotel the next day, who is Salvadorian. After telling her where I ate and what I had, she said that I need to go back and try the seafood. They did have a sea bass special that sounded really good. So, next time you are in the Ft Lauderdale area, stop by and see my friends at El Tamarindo Café. You can thank me later.

Cuisine: Salvadorian
City: Ft Lauderdale

Restaurant: El Tamarindo Cafe
Address: 233 State Road 84
Ft Lauderdale, FL 33315
Phone: 954-467-5115

I've got an offer you can't refuse...

2009-11-22T19:03:00.002-05:00

I was in Dallas at the Seahawks v Cowboys game when I said to my good friend Will Ellis (formally of Alvarion) “We need somewhere good to go to dinner tonight. Nothing fancy. Just good eats at a place with some character.” That’s when will said (in his best godfather voice) “Well…I got an offer that you can’t refuse…Campisi’s Famous Italian Restaurant.” Well, being a sucker for good Italian food, I naturally said “I’m in. But Will, why the godfather accent?” Well…time for a little history lesson. Everyone knows that President John F Kennedy was killed in Dallas on November 22, 1963 by Lee Harvey Oswald. And that Lee Harvey Oswald was killed 2 days later by Jack Ruby (connections to the Mafia). But, do you know where Jack Ruby ate the night before Kennedy was killed? You guessed it, Campisi’s Restaurant. Originally named Campisi’s Egyptian Lounge, it was founded in Papa Joe Campisi in 1946. What makes Papa Joe so special, other than his many wonderful Italian restaurants in Dallas, he was big time connected with the Mafia. Word is that he was the #2 guy in Dallas Mafia hierarchy. I didn’t actually eat where Jack Ruby ate, but I did eat in one of his other locations. I ate at the Lover’s Lane location owned and operated by David Campisi. In all, there are 7 locations that are owned by 3rd and 4th generation Campisi family members.

Hey Encyclopedia Britannica, enough with the history lesson. We came to hear about the food. My bad. As you walk in, you get this old school Italy meets cool, contemporary vibe but still laid back. The restaurant isn’t very big. It probably seats 70-75 people. We sat down and were greeted by food guide Erin. I say food guide because she was more than your run of the mill waitress. She was very knowledgeable about the menu and had tried just about everything there. I couldn’t decide on an appetizer so Erin suggested the sample platter. (At $19.95 it was a great deal and the most expensive thing we got. It easily fed our party of 3.) Let me give you a quick run down of what the sample platter included and my thoughts.

Campisi’s Italian Style Crab Claws
Menu Description: Crab claws sautéed in Campisi’s special butter sauce
My Thoughts: Crab. Special Butter Sauce. Enough said. More please

Campisi’s Famous Shrimp Scampi
Menu Description: Gulf Shrimp baked with homemade Italian bread crumbs with Campisi’s special butter sauce.
My Thoughts: Anything with special butter sauce is going to be awesome. Oh, It was.

Toasted Beef Ravioli
My thoughts: Best this side of St. Louis

Fried Calamari
My Thoughts: Happy Yum-Yum Time

Bruschetta with Olive Tapenade and Tomato Sauté
My Thoughts: “Trust me. You will like this”.

After stuffing my gullet with this wonderful appetizer sampler, I had a nice glass of my favorite Ruffino Chianti. It was a nice break before the main entrée. I went out on a limb and got the Veal Picatta. Not being a huge fan of sauces with a lemon flavor, I was taking a chance, but was insured I would like it. Erin suggested a side of fettuccine alfredo with it. Sounds weird, but it was a great side. Overall, an excellent dish. To finish it off, I had the Italian Crème Cake. Heaven on a plate. It was the perfect ending to an absolutely great meal.

So when in Dallas, stop by Campisi’s Famous Italian Restaurant. You won’t be disappointed, but you might need to get a bigger belt. At least I did.

Cuisine: Italian

City: Dallas

Restaurant: Campisi's Famous Italian Restaurant
Address: 5405 West Lovers Lane
Dallas, Texas 75209
Phone: 214-350.2595
Website: http://www.campisis.us

Ni Hao Shinsei

2009-11-06T16:09:00.002-05:00

Shinsei (pronounced shin-say) means “rebirth” or “new beginning”. To me, it means “new beginning of a culinary flavor party in my mouth.” Owned by Dallas locals Lynae Fearing &Tracy Rathbun, Shinsei is a hip, yet meditative sushi bar & pan Asian kitchen that is a delight to the senses. All your senses. When you walk in you are greeted like an old friend. The décor of the restaurant is very modern yet soothing. When you sit down at the table you let out a big exhale and just feel the stress and tension of the day melt away. The music is low key but just loud enough to give the place a pulse. Anyway, enough about the décor, let’s get to the good stuff, the food.

Looking at the menu, I couldn’t decide where to start. Everything looked and sounded awesome. Thankfully, the only Japanese-Irish guy I know, Patrick Mullins, came to our rescue. To say that Patrick is just a waiter would be the understatement of the year. Patrick was our resident food guide. He took us on a culinary adventure that was nothing short of amazing. He started us off with a fabulous Mettler Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a very smooth wine. A nice start to the evening. Our next stop on the food tour was the starter section of the menu. I couldn’t decide between the Sake Poached Prawn Spring Rolls or the Garlic Pork Potstickers or the 8 other items on the starter menu. Patrick suggested we start with Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I looked at him like “Come on. I’ve had lettuce wraps a hundred times. Like they are that different.” But, being the trusting foodie that I am, I went with his recommendation plus an order of Thai Chili Spiced Edamame. The Chicken Lettuce Wraps came out and just from the presentation, I new I was in for a treat. They had Green Butter Lettuce and Red Radicchio. That was a first for the fat guy. Usually you just get some green iceberg and away you go. Not here. And the chicken was cooked in a Sweet Chili Ponzu that could just be described as heavenly. As for the Thai Chili Spiced Edamame, the spice level was just perfect. It left a nice spicy tingle to the taste buds. It was Shinsei’s way of telling my taste buds, “Hey. Wake up! All hands on deck! The Culinary Adventure is beginning.”

The next stop on our journey was the Sushi menu. Of course we got tuna rolls, that is like the sushi standard. Which these rolls were nice. They were wrapped very tightly so when you set the in the soy sauce bowl, they didn’t fall apart. Patrick insisted that we order the Hawaiian Sashimi and the Temp Spicy Tuna Roll (See photo). The Hawaiian Sashimi was Kona Kampachi topped with Maui Onions and Hibiscus vinegar. And Aloha means goodbye. That Sashimi was not on the table long. I got a hold of that sweet goodness and didn’t look back. It was phenomenal. Now, the Temp Spicy Tuna Roll, I have to say when we ordered it I was a little skeptical. The description was Tempura Fried Spicy Tuna. Come on, fried sushi. Is it still sushi if you cook it? Anyway, it was a lovely array of Big Eye Tuna and Avocado, wrapped ever so nicely and lightly fried. It gave great texture. The outside was crispy but the inside was cool as a cucumber. To top it off, it was drizzled with habanero mayo. Now talk about a party. This spicy mayo, the cool inside, the crispy outside. Fat Guy Likey. Fat Guy want more Spicy.

Next stop, according to Patrick, the life changing, must have dishes. Up first, Thai Fried Rice with Farm Fresh Egg. This dish was cool. It was Thai fried vegetable rice that was piping hot. Just before serving it to us, Patrick cracks a fresh egg on top and mixes it up. I have never had anything like this. It was not a dry fried rice. It was very, very moist. I was most happy. Then this happens:

Patrick: Guys, if you liked that, you are going to love the Crispy Brussels Sprouts.

Fat Guy: Dude? Brussels sprouts? Are you kidding? My dog growing up wouldn’t touch Brussels sprouts. What makes you think I will eat them?

Patrick: Fat Guy, trust me. Have I lead you a stray so far?

Fat Guy: Good Point. The Finest Crispy Brussels Sprouts for me and my compatriots.

Patrick: Oh, and by the way, these Brussels sprouts will be life changing.

Fat Guy: (under my breath) Yeah, whatever!

So with that, Patrick brings out the crispy Brussels sprouts. Now my friends, I wouldn't touch Brussels sprouts with a 10 ft pole when I was a kid. But let me tell you, these aren’t your mom’s Brussels sprouts. The way the flavors were layered on these Brussels sprouts was amazing.

Patrick: How are the Brussels sprouts?

Fat Guy: (while eating) mmmmm good mmmmm yum mmmmmm (not comprehensible) mmmmm.

Patrick: My work here is done.

But Fat Guy, what are in the Brussels sprouts? It’s an ancient Chinese Secret? Actually, I know what is in the Brussels sprouts but you won’t believe me. So, go to Shinsei, order the Brussels sprouts then email me with what you think are in them. I’ll let you know if you’re right.

After all this great food, there can’t be anything better. Wait; here comes the Grilled Duck Breast with Organic Baby Shiitakes and Duck Confit Eggrolls. Simply put, perfectly seasoned, perfectly grilled, perfect temperature. Probably the best piece of duck I have ever had.

There was physically no room for any more food but Patrick talked us in to the seasonal dessert, Pumpkin Bread Pudding. I would give you a description of this dish but I didn’t get any. Christen, Anne and Will who were with me were on that bread putting like a fat guy on a piece of cake. So, I will let them tell you about the Pumpkin Bread Pudding.
In the end, this was a great restaurant. It wasn’t just the food, which was awesome or the décor, which was relaxing but the lynchpin to Shinsei was the staff. Patrick turned our night from just another meal to a culinary experience. So, next time you are in Dallas, stop by Shinsei. Tell Tracy the Fat Guy sent you and ask for
Patrick. You can thank me later.

Fat Guy Hint: Monday nights is half off bottle of wine night. So go, drink and be merry.

Cuisine: Sushi bar/Pan Asian
City: Dallas

Restaurant: Shinsei Restaurant
Address: 7713 Inwood Rd
Dallas, Texas 75209
Hours: Monday - Saturday 5pm - 10:30pm
Phone: 214-352-0005
Website: http://www.shinseirestaurant.com/

Where has this place "BIN"?

2009-10-22T00:15:00.000-04:00

Who would have thought that in the Fat Guy's backyard, would be an absolutely awesome restaurant? Well, not me for one. I thought everything in the south is battered, deep-fried and smothered in gravy. Well let me tell you friends, there is little restaurant has changed this fat guy's mentality. It’s a must try the next time you are in Upstate South Carolina. Fat Guy! Stop teasing us! Where is this restaurant? It’s on a quiet street in the heart of downtown Greer. Friends have told me about this restaurant, but when in town, I always end up in the big city of Greenville. But I had Will Ellis and Michele Pampin from Alvarion in town. So I had my wife drop the kids off at the in-laws and the 4 of us made the short drive to 112 Trade Street. You walk in the restaurant and you immediately think, am I still in Greer. The restaurant has a historic feel with a touch of contemporary. The restaurant is very open with a bar in the back. There is local artist paintings hanging on the wall. It was very relaxed. We grabbed the first booth right inside the door. It didn't feel like your typical booth. It was more like 2 couches loaded with pillows with a big table in the middle. Fat Guy happy, might take nappy. Anyway, the staff was awesome. They were very knowledgeable about the food, never rushed you on to the next course but more importantly, treated you like you were family. Alright already Fat Guy. Enough about the look and feel of the restaurant, let’s get to the food.

The cool thing about this restaurant is that just about every dish has an entree serving and an appetizer serving. So the menu just begs you to try multiple dishes. I started with a nice little wine tasting just to get in the mood. Now, let the feast begin. Jason and Allison Clark are the brother & sister team who created this culinary brain child. He is the executive chef, in his laboratory making creative interpretations of classic southeastern cuisine. Allison has the front of the house running like a fine tuned machine. The great thing is their attitude about food. Just from looking at the menu, you can tell that they love quality food but like to have a little fun with it. Just look at the appetizers we started with BIN Dim Sim and Dippie. The Dim Sum was 3 jumbo lump crab meat, cheese and herb wantons, 2 blue cheese dumplings and 2 goat cheese and herb dumplings. Served with a chili ginger dipper and balsamic glace. Fat guy want Dim Sim More. The Dippie is there version of Spinach-Cheese dip times 10. It was a combination of roasted garden vegetables, baby spinach, boursin cheese and herbs, and then baked golden brown. Served with warm flour tortilla chips. Fat Guy likey. Fat guy want Dippie.

As for the entree, I got not 1, not 2 but 3 appetizer size dishes. I couldn't help myself. I got the Kiss my Grits, Chicken a la,...hmm? and the Candy of the Sea. The Kiss my Grits was Jason's interpretation of the lowcountry classic, Shrimp and grits. He roasts the shrimp with a homemade BBQ sauce and serves it on rich hominy grits that are blended with Chèvre cheese & saffron, pan-fried with a dark beer sauce. Very nicely done. The Chicken a la,...hmm should be named Chicken a la,...OMG! I popped a piece in my mouth and it was an instant chicken party. Pan roasted chicken breast seasoned with crushed fried garlic. Then served over a potato flata and crispy leeks in a Mediterranean sauce with garlic, roasted bell pepper and lobster stock. As great as those 2 dishes were, the Candy of the Sea was...I don't have a word to describe it. In fact, I am getting a little emotional about it. Give me a second...and I'm back. The Candy of the Sea is Jumbo Sea Scallops, marinated in roasted garlic with a hint of coconut and cream. Then they are pan seared and served over sautéed greens with a side of Carolina Gold rice pilaf and drizzled with a sweet basil~chile oil. The flavor was insanely good. The Scallops were cooked to perfection. The waitress asked me how it was. All I could do was delightfully grunt. I couldn't speak. My tongue was soaking in all the flavors, it wouldn't do anything else. Once my tongue regained consciousness, we moved on to desert. I got a homemade rocky road ice cream that was loaded with chocolate and a hint of chiles. The combination of sweet with the spicy undertone was the perfect ending to the meal.

Fellow culinary connoisseurs, BIN112 is a must add to your list of restaurants. Just make sure the Candy of the Sea is on your order. As for Rachel, Will and Michele, I know what they got but I was so in love with my dishes that I could do them justice. So I have asked them to comment on their dishes. Rachel got the Black and Blue. It’s a lightly seared, blackened tuna. I was able to sneak a little piece. Outstanding! Will got the Steak & Eggs. What I saw looked good. I didn't get to try it because he inhaled it. Michele got a pasta dish called Spring In, Spring Out. Check out comments section later to get their thoughts.

So to sum it up, BIN112. I've BIN there. Why haven't you?

Fat Guy Hint: We went on a Tuesday night so we were able to walk right in. Word is they get a little busier towards the weekend. So do yourself a favor and make a reservation.

Cuisine: Southeastern with a twist

City: Greer

Restaurant: BIN112

Address: 112 Trade Stret

Greer, South Carolina 29651

Phone: (864) 848-2112

Website: http://www.bin112.com/

Hail to the Chief...Or at least his house.

2009-10-13T00:31:00.003-04:00

I thought 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was the only White House. However, thanks to the help of Mr. Don Geders of TL Dowell and Associates, a second white house (and to be honest, probably the better of the two) has been found. At this White House there are no politics, just some of the best Italian food in Southern California. As for political fights, the only fight in the house is who will get the last Mushroom Ravioli appetizer. A 1909 historical national landmark jewel that was once nestled quietly among an enormous orange grove in the early 20th century, this restaurant has been going strong for 100 years. It wasn’t always an Italian Restaurant. In 1987, Italian immigrant Bruno Serato moved to Orange County and took over the ownership of the fine dining restaurant, which now features steak and seafood with a Northern Italian cuisine. Now that you know the background of the restaurant, let me tell you how our evening went. We were picked up by the Presidential Motorcade. No really. They have a complementary white limousine pick us up. As we opened the front door, the maitre d’ greeted us.

Maitre d’: “Good Evening Gentlemen. Welcome to the White House. I trust the Presidential Motorcade was acceptable.”

Fat Guy: “It was great thank you.”

Maitre d’: “We have a table set for you in the Ronald Reagan Room (see picture below). This way, please.”

Fat Guy: “Back the presidential limo up. I’m eating in the room named after the Gipper himself. How cool is this.”

But Fat Guy, I’m not a Reagan fan. No worries, they got plenty of rooms. Try the Kennedy Room, the Roosevelt Room, the Carter Room, even the Obama Room. Pick you president, grab a chair and get ready to eat. The have a nice wine list. It was a little pricey, but it’s California and they are proud of their wine. After picking out a couple bottles, which I let Don handle, it was on to my specialty, the food. For the appetizer we started with a Sampler platter. This think was huge. Everyone got 4 tastings of pasta, a bruschetta, sun-dried tomato & fresh mozzarella kabob, salmon and lightly fried mushrooms. The sampler ran about $20 a head, but was worth it. The pasta was a three cheese ravioli, a mushroom ravioli (which was to die for. I could have eaten 15 of these. It was almost like a mushroom puree stuffed into a large ravioli.) Penne in an Alfredo sauce and spaghetti in a spicy sauce. Everything was awesome. We also had the house specialty appetizer, Ahi Tuna Tartare Ferragano. It was fresh Hawaiian Ahi Tuna finely chopped, served with a spicy dressing. It was divine. After appetizer course comes the soup/salad course. I didn’t get the salad, but those that did; it came in an edible bowl. They all loved it. As for the Fat Guy, I had the Pasta Fagioli. You want to judge an Italian Restaurant, get the basics. As for their interpretation of Pasta Fagioli was more like a stew. It was very thick and delicious. After a wine break, it was entrée time. I had the Manzo Brasto Beckham. It was a three hour braised Boneless beef short ribs in a Cabernet reduction with a touch of a horseradish. It was served with mashed potatoes and some green vegetables. That dish made me say “Hail to the Chief, I mean Chef!” There was one thing on the menu that caught my eye, White Chocolate Mashed Potatoes. Are you kidding me? Who comes up with these combinations? Was the chef is the back saying “I got extra white chocolate and potatoes. Oh what the hell, let’s put it together.” Well skeptics, let me tell you, when you come to the Anaheim White House, order it. We finished dinner with the last of the wine and called for the presidential motorcade. If this is what it’s like in the white house, then I’m announcing my candidacy.

Fat Guy with a Little Fork for President in 2012!

As for price, it is not a let’s go here for dinner every night kind of place. But, if you’re going for a special occasion or impressing clients, the Anaheim White House is where it’s at. Entrees run from $25.95 to $45.95.

Cuisine: Italian
City: Anaheim

Restaurant: Anaheim White House Restaurant
Address: 887 S. Anaheim Blvd
Anaheim, CA 92805
Phone: (714) 772-1381
Website: http://www.anaheimwhitehouse.com/

Go Big Blue (Cheese)!!!

2009-09-17T15:46:00.000-04:00

Buckeye fans need not apply here. This is MEE-CHI-GAN territory baby. Go Big Blue. Or for the Fat Guy, Go Big Blue Cheese! I have found the greatest chicken wing flavor. Its called "The Gold Rush". Its a combination of their hot buffalo wing sauce and mustard based BBQ sauce. The place is the "Tavern on the Tracks". Or as Will Brock with One Volt Rep Firm calls it, "the little house away from the big house". This Charlotte watering hole is the home bar for University of Michigan, Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres and New York Yankee fans in Charlotte. Sounds like an interesting mix of fans. How do Michigan fans and Buffalo folks get mixed together? Well the story is that there are 2 guys that own this place, one, a Huge Michigan Fan and the other is a Buffalo Sports Fan. Mix it together and you got one great sports bar. Well, its not really a sports bar, the food is too good. Its more of a Sports Pub. There are TV's all over the place so you won't miss a play. As for the food, they have my absolute favorite wings ($7.25 for 12 wings). Fat Guy Likey, Fat Guy want Wingy!!! The French Fries are hand cut and cooked to order. It’s a basket of sweet perfection. I also tried the Beef on Weck ($7.00). It is a slow cooked roast beef round served on weck roll made with caraway seeds and kosher salt. It is a western New York Favorite and now a Fat Guy w/ a Little Fork favorite. One of the guys with us got the Buffalo Chicken Tender Po' Boy ($6.25). It was a huge sub loaded with chicken tenders smothered in the wing sauce of your choosing. Overall, it is just a laid back pub with great food and even better service. Its blocks from the Bank of America Stadium, home of the Panthers. So park the car, get some wings and then head off to the game. Or pull up a stool and check out what ever game is on. I can tell you this, Tavern on the Tracks is must stop in every time I'm in Charlotte.

Fat Guy Hint: They open early when the Panthers have a home game, but you can't have a cold one until 12 Noon. Some crazy Charlotte law.

Cuisine: Tavern Food
City: Charlotte, NC

Restaurant: Tavern on the Tracks
Address: Historic Southend
Corner of Bland St and S Tryon
Charlotte, NC
Phone: 704-372-0782
Website: www.tavernonthetracks.net

Thai One On!

2009-09-08T12:01:00.000-04:00

I am pleased to announce there is great food in the Atlanta area that isn't breaded, deep fried and smothered in gravy. And that place is none other than Rice Thai Cuisine. I was introduced to this charming little restaurant by Keith Romano (Security Reps) and his lovely wife Stephanie. This was a pretty neat place. An old little house in downtown Roswell was converted to this unique Thai restaurant. The front 2 rooms of the house are dinning rooms and the back half is kitchen. The dining area has very bright walls with original pieces of art by couple restaurant owners Kris and Amy. It really adds a nice quaint characteristic that you don't find in many large restaurants. The staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the restaurant's offering. We started out with a very nice Australian wine that just put everyone in a relaxed state of mind. So relaxed in fact, that I forgot to get the name of the wine. I'm feeling return trip. Keith, get the car. The wine selection was just like the restaurant, small but with a lot of depth and character and wasn't outrageously priced. We started with the waiter's appetizer suggestions of Fresh Basil Rolls (Romaine, cucumber, rice noodles, Thai basil, tofu wrapped in rice paper w/ plum sauce & peanuts, $4.00) and Shrimp & Scallops Grilled Satay ($12.00). The satay was grilled to perfection with an outstanding homemade peanut sauce. Needless to say, I could have stopped the meal right there and gone away happy. For the entree, I went with a Thai standard, Pad Thai w/ Chicken (medium spice). Their twist on Pad Thai was incredible. The ingredients were extremely fresh and the medium spice, well it was a definite medium spice. The nose was running and there was a little bit of a burn, but it was a good burn. The price of the Pad Thai was around $15. I finished the night with warm sticky rice with coconut ice cream. A very tasty way to extinguish those Thai pepper flames. Overall, this was a great meal in a quaint, relaxed setting. I can tell you that this fat guy will be heading back there the next time he is in Atlanta. There is more menu I got to try. Rumor is the lamb is to die for.

Cuisine: Asian
City: Roswell, GA
Restaurant: Rice Thai Cuisine
Address: 1104 Canton St
Roswell, GA 30075
Phone: 770-640-0788

Website: http://www.ricethaicuisine.com/

To Boba or Not to Boba, That is the Question.

2009-09-07T00:18:00.000-04:00

Actually the question should be what in the world is Boba? For those of you wondering, Boba is sweet, chewy tapioca balls found at the bottom of Asian drinks like bubble tea of milk iced tea. Tapioca? In your drink? Ahhh, I think I’ll just take a Coke, thanks. Back to the restaurant, Kiwi Café is this little Cantonese Chinese Restaurant in Southern California. Jordan and Mandy Thomasson of Thomasson Marketing Group introduced me to this placed. It is a neat little family owned and operated establishment. The Mother and Father do all the cooking while their daughter runs the front of the house. Going with the entire Thomasson clan (Jordan & Mandy, sons Jordan and Josh, daughter Andrea and her Mexican Teddy Bear, Rob. What up Big Rob?) have what been there many times before was a nice plus. The folks at Kiwi café rolled out the red carpet for us. There is nothing fancy about this place. It’s just good Chinese food prepared fresh when you order. After a discussion on Boba vs. Non-Boba and what Boba is (see above), the first course came out. We got a plate of egg rolls and fried wantons. Everything was fresh and hot. The egg rolls were stuffed with fresh, green cabbage. Not that brown junk you get in the frozen egg rolls. The wontons were huge. Just that would have been enough. The next course was a warrior soup. It was a cross between a wonton soup and a chicken vegetable. It was awesome. The flavors were great and there was loads of vegetables and chicken. It wasn’t a bowl of broth with 2 mushrooms and some scallions. This soup was a meal on its own. Next up were the entrees. The neat think about all the tables was that they had huge lazy susans on them. You load them up with entrees and spin the wheel. Round and round it goes, where it stops, my stomach will know. The first two spins got me Chicken and Broccoli and Pork Fried Rice. Both standards in your classic storefront Chinese restaurant. To say these were standard dishes would be an understatement. Both dishes were packed with plenty of meat, vegetables and tons of flavors, I could have stopped there. But there were more spins to go and more food to try. Spin three got me more warrior soup. Seeing how I had already had that, I passed and went for Spins four and five. Four was House Special Chow Mein or what I like to Happy Yum-Yum. I think that describes it well. Spin five got me Andrea’s favorite, Shrimp with Cashew Nut. This was a very interesting dish. It was shrimp cooked in a white sauce that had citrus undertones topped with cashew pieces. This was the first time I had anything like this. It was different, but very good. Spin six got me Beef with Crispy Noodles. An interesting dish, but my least favorite. It was beef cooked in Chinese gravy served on top of crispy noodles. I don’t know if it was that I didn’t like the dish or I was just so stuffed at this point that it hurt to move. After dinner, the chefs (Mom and Dad) came out and got our thoughts. Let me tell you, those two can cook. And the price was right. Entrees range from $4.95 to $9.95. Everything was served family style. I think we took home enough leftovers for another meal. Well, there was another meal later that night. I might have had a little late night Chinese food craving. The Chow main was even better reheated. The only down side was that they don’t have fountain drinks. Water, Tea, Thai Tea, Tea with Boba or cans of Coke products, If you are like me and you drink a mess of diet coke while you’re eating, it’s a $1 for every can. Overall, this place was great. It was great little family spot that you can show up dressed how ever you want. You get great food at a great price and by then end of the night you feel like you are part of the family.

Cuisine: Asian
City: Glendora, CA

Restaurant: Kiwi Cafe Cantonese Chinese Restaurant
Address: 657 E. Arrow Hwy #A
Glendora, CA 91740
Phone: 626-335-4433
Website: http://www.geocities.com/kiwichinesefood

Now that's a Burger!!

2009-09-05T09:03:00.002-04:00

For those of you that think a burger is a burger, let me introduce you to the place that is going to change your mind. It's a sweet restaurant called the BLT Burger. They have 2 locations, one in NYC and one in The Mirage Casino in Vegas. I know, you’re thinking “Hey Fat Guy, I thought you don’t like chains?” This is true, but sometimes, exceptions must be made. These guys take burgers to a whole new level. In fact, I would call them Burger Connoisseurs. BLT Burger is the brain child of Chef Laurent Tourondel. They offer beef, American Kobe, Lamb & Turkey Patties cooked to perfection topped with the freshest toppings on a warm, soft bun. Warm, soft bun. I’m getting hungry just typing about it. I started with the BLT Burger. It was a 7oz. beef patty grilled to a beautiful medium rare, topped with double smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and BLT’s special sauce. Got a side of waffle fries (see picture above). Needless to say, I was extremely happy. The burger was hot and juicy. (Insert your own bad joke here). However the piece de resistance was the Chocolate Shake. It transported me to another time and place, another era. The shake was a perfectly designed shake. Chocolate ice cream, chocolate milk and chocolate syrup blended to the perfect thickness and creaminess. They topped it with Chocolate whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. For you chocolate lovers, it was sweet bliss. Hold on, I’m having a moment, talk amongst yourselves…..and I’m back. They also serve soft drinks, beer and wine. Although, I find it hard to drink wine with a burger. For those who like their milkshakes with a kick, they have spiked milkshakes. Burgers range from $11 to $17. Milkshakes are $6 to $7 and they are worth every penny. For those meat lovers, there is a burger that is not on the menu. It is a beef patty stuffed with BBQ beef brisket, topped with bacon and cheese. I’m not brave enough to order that burger or maybe my arteries can’t handle it. Either way, if you’re looking for a great, great burger with an upbeat atmosphere, then hit the BLT Burger while at the Mirage. It will be one of the best burgers you will ever have.

Fat Guy Hint: This place gets busy from 12-2pm. The wait is never more than 15-20 minutes. If you don’t want to wait, take a late lunch after 2 and walk right in.

Cuisine: Burgers
City: Las Vegas

Restaurant: BLT Burger
Address: The Mirage
3400 Las Vegas Blvd, South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: 702-792-7888
Website: http://www.bltburger.com

Fat Guy Likey - Fat Guy Need Nappy

2009-09-04T11:54:00.003-04:00

Don't let the Porsche our front of this fancy looking restaurant fool you? Smitty's Grill is comfort food at its finest. When you walk in the door, you want to loosen your tie, get a goose and tonic and watch the world go by. The Smith Brothers have design this restaurant to be what I call Contemporary Comfort. Its fine dining meets take your shoes off and stay a while. The fine china and stemware says "napkins in the lap and elbows off the table." However, the food says "tuck that napkin in your shirt and get ready to chow down." The menu has all your old time favorites, from pot pies, to meatloaf, to hamburger steak (ground beef steak is what they call it) to a macaroni & cheese that will make you swear you are a little kid back in your southern granny's kitchen. We started the night off with "Baltimore Crab Cakes". Growing up in Maryland, I was skeptical about finding a good crab cake in So Cal. But let me be the first to say that it was one fine crab cake. Tons of lump crab meat with very little bread. It was a sign of what's to come. Next up, the greatest salad in all the land, the wedge. What is better than 1/2 a head of lettuce with bacon, tomato and blue cheese? Why splitting with you neighbor of course. Smitty's Grill will let you split salads for no extra charge. Nice touch. As for the entree, I had the Old-Fashioned Pot Roast with Root Vegetables. The Pot Roast was just like grandma made. Seasoned just right and so tender that you could cut it with a fork. To top things off, I had a nice crème brulee and a decaf cappuccino. Fat Guy Likey. Fat Guy will need nappy.

Overall, this was a great dining experience. As for dress, Business casual is good. Prices are reasonable and the helpings are plentiful. The staff is friendly and very professional. It was a great way to end a hectic day of LA traffic.

Cuisine: American Grill
City: Pasadena

Restaurant: Smitty's Grill
Address: 110 South Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone: 626-792-9999
Website: http://www.smittysgrill.com/

Is this Heaven? No, its Burbank

2009-08-25T09:34:00.002-04:00

I never thought much of Chili. Its just some tomatoes, spices, a little beef and some beans in a pot. However, today I was schooled in the Art of Chili. Brian Karadizian with Open Door introduced me to a little hole in the wall that makes the best chili I've ever had. Chili John's is located in the heart of tinsel town. In the shadows of the Disney and NBC studios, sits this quaint little lunch counter. You walk in and you feel like you have stepped back into a time warp. Old signs of days gone by hang on the wall. The smell of chili spices fill the air and tickle your nose. There are no tables, just a counter that sits about 20 people. When you sit down, they greet you like you an old friend. Their menu is pretty simple, Chili. They have Original beef, Chicken and for the herbivores out there, Vegetarian Chili. (Vegetarian Chili, is that some kind of oxymoron?) Its available in 3 spice settings, mild, medium, and hold on this is going to hurt later. Brian, having eaten here since he was knee high to a grasshopper, handled all the ordering. I ended up with a Super Bowl of Original Beef Chili, medium spice with spaghetti and beans. That is not a typo. You can get it straight up or over noodles. I was skeptical at first, but the chili over noodles was awesome. I topped it with a little sharp cheddar cheese and sour cream. That's when I asked Brian, "Is this heaven?" He said, "No, Its Burbank." Chili John's has been a part of the Burbank restaurant scene since 1946. In fact, they started the restaurant scene here. I think they are using the same chili pot from '46 but I can't confirm that. I asked the good folks at this family owned eatery, "What's the secret? What makes this chili so good?" They said its quality ingredients such as the best chili beans, beef, spices, and chili peppers. But most importantly, its the love that they put in every pot. A regular bowl of chili with spaghetti and beans will cost you $7.50. For you big eaters, step up to the Super Size (1 1/2 servings). It will cost you $11.20.

I guarantee you after a stop at Chili John's, you won't ever eat chili from a can again.

Fat Guy Hint: Its busiest from 11am-1pm. I suggest get there a little after 1pm. You'll be able to walk right in, sit down and start eating.

Cuisine: Genuine Chili
City: Burbank
Restaurant: Chili John's of California
Address: 2018 Burbank Blvd

Burbank, California 91506
Phone: 818-846-3611

The King of Swing, a Fat Guy and a Steak

2009-06-02T09:14:00.000-04:00

Everyone one knows about the House that Ruth built, but do you know the House where Ruth ate? Built in 1936 by Steve Venturini, Steve’s Sizzling Steak’s is an old fashioned, family run steak house. Built in the shadows of Giants stadium, many a sports legend has eaten at Steve’s. From Phil Sims to Lawrence Taylor to the King of Swing himself, Babe Ruth. Believe it or not, Steve and Babe Ruth used to fish together. Steve’s Sizzling Steaks have been serving steaks the same way for the last 70 years. Now run by his daughter Marie and grandson, Blaze, the staff goes out of their way to make you feel like family. We started the night with an ice cold Yuengling and some tossed salads. Then the real food came. I ordered the 12 oz filet ($29.95). It was cooked to a perfect medium rare. If you are looking for baked potatoes, you need not come here. These steaks are served the old school way, with steak fries and mushrooms. Keith Ridings, our host from Panasonic, made a great call by ordering the table extra mushrooms. I was popping those mushrooms like candy. It was like a little piece of heaven. After stuffing my face, I walked around the restaurant just looking at everything on the walls. From the pictures of athletes to the deer head to the marlin on the wall, it was like being in a sportsman club. I was thinking, where are the guns? I looked up and hanging above the bar was an arsenal of rifles. The restaurant had a feeling of eating with family. In fact, we felt so much like family that they put us to working hanging Christmas lights. I have to say it was a first. So if you’re in Jersey and you are looking for a great steak, drop into Steve’s Sizzling Steaks and order the filet. You can thank me later. Sports fans, allow yourself some extra time to check out all the sports memorabilia.

Cuisine: American Steakhouse

City: Carlsbadt, New Jersey

Restaurant: Steve's Sizzling Steaks

Address: 620 Route 17 South

Carlsbadt, New Jersey

Phone: 201-438-9677

Website: http://www.stevessizzlingsteaks.com/

All Roads lead to PASTA MIA WEST!!

2009-06-01T14:19:00.003-04:00

This blog started because of 1 restaurant, Pasta Mia West. It is by far my personal Mecca. I must go to this restaurant at least once a year. It’s like my home away from home. I found this restaurant in 2005 on my first trip to Las Vegas. It is some of the best Italian food this fat guy has ever had. Chef Armando has been at the helm for over 18 years now. Warren and Nick are the masters of the dining room. If it's Italian and it’s good, they got. I usually start off with a sampler of appetizers. The fried calamari is simple and delicious. The grilled eggplant is thinly sliced and marinated in a spicy balsamic dressing. The Pasta Fagoli, the soup they offer is out of this world. Everything is homemade. Nothing comes out of a can or a jar. As for entrees, the signature dish is the Osso Bucco and my personal favorite. It’s a beautiful piece of bone-in veal that is slow roasted for 9+ hours in a wine/tomato sauce. It is so tender. As Warren says, "If you have to use a knife, it’s free." For you seafood lovers, I suggest the”Frutti di Mare (Fruit of the Sea)". It’s a plate of fettuccine in a spicy tomato sauce topped with a 1/2 lb lobster tail, mussels, shrimp and scallops. The rack of lamb is awesome. In fact, I haven't had a bad meal here. If you haven't stuffed yourself at this point and have a little room left, get a cannoli and a cappuccino. They don't fill the cannoli until you order it. The filling smooth and creamy and the casing has a nice crunch. Pasta Mia serves beer and wine. Their wine list is not huge, but it has a number of good domestic and Italian wines. The wines are modestly priced. Entrees range from $12.95 to $38.95(Osso Bucco, its worth it). Entrees include soup or salad and all the fresh bread you can eat. Its a great little place that is off the strip where the locals come ot eat. Sinatra is playing in the back ground and Armando, Warren and Nick treat you like you're family. Drop in and tell them Mark sent you. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.

Cuisine: Italian

City: Las Vegas

Restaurant: Pasta Mia West

Address: 4455 W. Flamingo

Las Vegas, NV 89103

Phone: 702-251-8871