One of the best burgers ever

After a few days away on vacation I'm feeling somewhat refreshed. I think I can attribute most of that to this delicious dish I tasted:

kobe beef twin burgers

"two mini beef burgers with Vermont cheddar, tart apple slivers, apricot chipotle aioli and tobacco onion tangle, with steak fries"

I don't know what an aioli is but it sure tasted good and apple in a burger?? Yes. and YES. Tasted great but if you're making this at home make sure you slice it up REAL thin. I mean thin enough to read the news through.

Food Dominance

About 2 million years ago man was evolving. There was a daily battle for survival which involved staying safe, hunting and looking after the family. Simple but dangerous and hard times indeed. A lot has happened since then including the way we look at the one of our most basic needs: food. It progressed to a three day meal cycle of breakfast lunch and dinner (although my grandmother insisted on supper too) but even three meals a day is not enough it seems. Now, food seemed to have permeated every aspect of our lives like microwaves into a pot noodle. It has become a constant companion akin to the mobile phone and wallet. No, we aren't carrying around minuscule, space age meals-in-a-pill but we are allowing it into areas of our lives it doesn't rightly belong (In this, I include taking a bottle of water to just about anywhere you go acting as if we are in a third world country without adequate clean tap water). People now eat just about anywhere. In their cars, at their desks at work, in business meetings, in lectures at school, in the classroom, at sporting events, concerts, the movie theater...the list goes on. It is no wonder that the obesity rates are increasing as our availability of food increases and our external restraints on where food is allowed are increasingly removed (I think we all know that we need those external restraints as TV and the Internet destroyed our willpower several years ago). I fear that if food was in the air would we "breathe" it 24/7 until our vast, blubbery bodies gave out on us.

It's a social obligation that we must make eating food more taboo. Fatty foods could be taxed, sure. We could ban food from certain places (although cinemas would go out of business), but I think to have the most impact we need to become revolted by the sight of say, someone eating a burger in a moving vehicle. It needs to become absolutely disgusting for a person to chow down some grub in the doctor's waiting room. Eating food in the classroom should be the pinnacle of bad taste, lame-ness and should be completely wedgie worthy.

Thus I implore you to stop eating all over the place and try and resist that bagel during the meeting today. Your making us all hungry.

Test post with meat and cheese

Nothing says a "test post" like a half pound of lasagna.

The things people do

I visited one of my favourite places yesterday. The Chinese buffet. A fantastic invention if you ask me. It really opened my world to Chinese food, the first time I tried it, as I could go up and try a little of everything (well most things) and then see what I liked. It's far too easy to eat way too much though. At one buffet I saw that they weigh the food if you are taking it out from the buffet to eat at home. They should weigh everyone on the weigh (haha - way) in and then charge them depending on how much food they ate.

Anyway, isn't it annoying when you are settling down to eat a nice meal and you just want peace and quiet when someone decides to start and continue an argument at another table? I mean she was really mad about something. I would be surprised if she even took time to ea her food in between breathing and arguing. I say "arguing" but it was more of an angry monologue than anything. I am old fashioned or is it just best to keep that kinda thing behind closed doors? At least for the sake of the other diners if not yourself? Perhaps she was frustrated at the lack of MSG's.

Hibatchi South Charleston

It's been a while since I wrote a restaurant review but I thought it was worth making the effort to describe my first experience at a Hibachi restaurant. Evil Twin's Wife has blogged that she was heading to a Hibachi for her birthday and that she was happy because she knew she would get some great food. "hmm" I thought to myself "sounds like sea food and a lot of faffing around". I don't know why I had formed an opinion that it would be all sea food and uncomfortableness but that was what I was thinking. And so I had some apprehension when Ms. AllClick suggested we headed there last weekend. I always feel uncomfortable in new restaurants but I had imagined there would be extra uncomfortableness at the thought of a) sharing a table with strangers, b) getting involved in the cooking "show" and c) having to choose my meal while the cooking was going on. As it turned out it was 100 times better than I was expecting! I choose my meal from a menu leisurely, the strangers on our table were actually incredibly quiet and pleasant and the only involvement I had in the "show" was catching some chicken in my mouth. There was a ton of food and I loved it all. So, I am looking forward to going back some time soon. I guess it goes to show that even when you are hesitant about trying something new you shouldn't let it put you off.

Lunch choices and why I dislike change

Well I just got back from having lunch "out" today. It's something I like to do at least once a week as it's a nice break from eating home made sandwiches and a good chance to socialize. I have to say that I don't like change. I'm a creature of habit. And this will even affect my choice of where I like to eat. I choose Husson's pizza today. It's somewhere I'm familiar with but it's not just the actual building and layout that I need to be aware of. It's the whole process. From where you order, what payments they accept, the likely cost, the choice of drinks, how you get your food, and where the restroom is. Knowing all of these things allows me to relax and feel at home in such a place.

I have a real limit sense of taste in that I dislike a lot of food. I've probably mentioned it before but it kinda annoys me when I'm referred to as "a fussy eater". It's not that I CHOOSE not to eat certian foods, it's that the taste is just incredibly unpleasant to me. The worst part about it is I can actually taste the pickle/tomato juice even once it's been removed from a sandwich/plate. Most of the time it's likely to be in my head I'm sure. So my taste in food often has an impact on whether or not I try new places but not more so than the familiarity.

So when I do go to a new restaurant (such as the excellent Thai House in Dunbar) I feel like I can't relax. I'm constantly analyzing the culture of the place. How often are the servers coming over, what condiments are there, where is a good place to sit, what's the lighting like, what the heck will my tip be....the list goes on.

This week I'll be getting a great opportunity to try a lot of new restaurants so that should be pretty fun. It's a good job that even change won't put me off my appetite.

The Wal-Mart Cometh

The day has finally arrived. The Hurricane Wal-mart is apparently open today. Ms Allclick alerted me just now that wsaz.com is reporting it opened this morning at 7:30am. I was pretty sure it was going to open Saturday. Hmm I guess when you are nearly a year late opening that one day doesn't really make much difference. Perhaps we'll go up there this weekend and check it out. I'll give you all the skinny when I get back. I expect it will look, smell, sound and taste like every other Wal-Mart but you never know.

While I'm rambling about Wal-Mart it reminds me to mention that the store is supposed to bring other businesses to the area. Now, the Hurricane/Teays Valley/Scott Depot area has an incredible need for some decent sit-down restaurants. It's like a barren wasteland. So with the new Wal-mart I was hoping for something a steak house, decent burger place, somewhere for ribs or wings. Turns out that the only food place opening is a Rocky top pizza which I've never even heard of. They are also building another car lot up there.

If there is anything Hurricane doesn't need it's more pizza places and more car lots.

Just for my own amusements heres a list of places to get a pizza in the area of the top of my head:

Gino's, Fox's, Monty's, Papa John's, Domino's, Pizza Hut, Graziano, Kali's, Subway, Schlotsky's and probably a few more that I'm forgetting. So, please someone build some restaurants in Putnam. We're starving up here.

Thai House - Dunbar, WV

I had heard of the Thai restaurant in Dunbar a while back. I think it was probably through the old West Virginia Bloggers board. As far as I can remember it had some pretty good reviews, so on a trip back from Charleston a little while ago Ms Allclick and I decided to give it a try. A spur of the moment kind of thing. Our only problem was that we didn't know where the heck it was. Just that it was in Dunbar.

"Well Dunbar isn't that big" I said with a smile "Will we find it easily."
So, we drove through what I presume is the downtown area looking for it. On our first and second pass we found nothing so we pulled over at a hotel. One of those big chain things. I ran in and spoke to the *ahem* charming, older lady at the front desk. She looked like she may have never left the hotel in at least 40 years and had spent most of that time frowning.

"Hi, I'm looking for the Thai restaurant in Dunbar, do you know where it is?" (they surely isn't more than one Thai place in Dunbar so I thought she would know immediately.
"Let me get the phone book out, son" she wheezed in between cigarette pulls.
"Well I"m not sure of the name of it so I don't think the phone book will help." I said.
"You sure you are looking for a Thai place? We have a Chinese buffet just over there. That's it for Asian food."
"I'm certain it's a Thai restaurant."
"Son, there are NO THAI RESTAURANTS IN DUNBAR. We got a Subway, Mcdonalds, Captain D's and that Chinese but there are NO THAI RESTAURANTS IN DUNBAR."
I thanked her for her time and left.

So we ventured out again, driving away from the center of Dunbar. Ms Allclick spotted a gas station and suggested as a last long shot we asked for directions. I hopped out again (a little more slowly this time) and enquired about the elusive Thai restaurant.
"Ohh, sure honey. It's just up the road. Take a right just there" She pointed to a road I could see out of the window. "It's 'bout a mile down there and over the ridge".
Sure enough, there is was. A Thai restaurant in Dunbar.

It looked like a cozy joint from the outside and the inside. We soon discovered two problems. One you really should have a reservation for the place and two you really should have cash to pay for your meal. We waited nearly an hour for the table but it did give me a chance to learn some interesting new songs playing on the TV in there. The food was fantastic. Authentic, tasty and a good portion and price. The service was a little slow as they only have two front staff and one staff in the kitchen. I believe it's a Husband and Wife who own and operate the restaurant. The wife is the chef and the husband handles the phone, seats people, serves food, drinks, takes orders and everything in between. They had some help from a younger kid and I believe they were missing one member of staff that night. But the service wasn't bad enough to deter us going back. With a reservation.

On the way home I considered dropping off a take-away menu at the hotel but I doubt even that would have convinced her.

Arby's is lawless

I'd like to take a moment today and vent in a George Costanza/Ross Geller way about lawlessness. Nope, I'm not talking about Xena Warrior Princess, Lucy Lawless but instead I'm referring to the lack of retribution that Arby's deal out when it comes to sandwich theft. That's right. Theft. Of sandwiches. In Arby's. In particular it was my sandwich, a beef and cheddar thingy. As I stepped up to the counter to collect my food I watched as another guy walked away with it. I wasn't completely sure it was mine...until a minute later when another sandwich was brought out that no-one claimed. A regular beef sandwich. No cheese and about 50 cents cheaper. I was pretty annoyed when I finally had to say that my sandwich had obviously been taken and wait for another to be cook. I was annoyed from waiting but also frustrated that someone would (probably) accidentally collect the wrong food..but then go ahead and eat it anyway. In reality it was only a sandwich and I only had to wait about 8 minutes longer to get my food but it still got me pretty mad. In theory it means that you can order whatever you like from the menu, then wait at the food counter, take whatever food you like and then sit down and eat it safe knowing that Arby's really doesn't care once you have paid for it. Can you imagine the same thing happening at a car dealership? It is really the principle that got me more upset than anything, so next time your in Arby's do not leave that counter and wrestle anyone who thinks their taking your food. It could be my guy.

Small portions

This week I have eaten out at two different restaurants for dinner, so far. Due to a desire to try and eat healthier ( I almost always choose the red-est meatiest option ;-) ) and simply not being that hungry, I thought I'd try for a smaller meal than usual. The first place was an Asian restaurant so I scanned the 200 item menu looking for something small and inexpensive. 10 minutes later I still hadn't found any choices. I was either left with buying a soup, or a small appetizer. Turns out the appetizers actually only cost a dollar less than a full meal but have half the food content in them. So, of course, I ended up choosing a full meal, spending 9 dollars when I wasn't even that hungry and vowing to have something smaller at the next restaurant.

Next restaurant. My thought process was similar and went something like this:
"OK. I'm going to have something small and light. Lets look at the salads."
"Hmm The salads are 9 dollars. Maybe there is a small burger instead"
"Right. The burger is 9 dollars also..but it comes with a side? Well that's better value for my money"
"Maybe the Appetizers have something to fill me up inexpensively"
"Man, these appetizers are pricey, I may as well order a full meal"
(To Waitress) "I'll just take the soup and baked potato"

It was kind of light-ish, it was certainly "carbtastic" and it was only 8 dollars(!).

My Conclusion:

Driving to a restaurant: $5
Parking: $2
Trying to eat healthy and have a smaller portion: Priceless $8