Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Review - El Zarape

(foreword, this is a review of the El Zarape Taco Shop on Park Blvd, not the sit down restaurant on Adams Ave.)

a few years ago, i asked our pastry chef at Market, James Foran, when he likes to get tacos, he replied with El Zarape. i went there a few weeks later, and now, anytime someone wants my opinion on where to get tacos, i tell them El Zarape. simple put, its amazing mexican food, super cheap, and just all around a good place. they have a HUGE menu, and ive tried maybe 5% of it so far haha. first off, there is a huge discrepancy about where you can get the best fish tacos in san diego. i would say that El Zarape's fish taco is really a top contender. not only is it awesomely simple, but its only 99 cents. all the time.
its perfect. cabbage, sour cream, fried fish, tomatoes. done. and with the plethora of salsas they have there, its amazing. next thing i got, which is what i was origionally reccomended, was the scallop burrito.
the tortillas they use are super soft, the bay scallops are cooked to perfection, and its also super simple, a mayo based sauce, cilantro, rice and lettuce. its amazing.
so good.
now next, allison, my wonderful veggie girlfriend had to get her usual veggie burrito supreme. its essentially a taco bell 7 layer burrito on crack. its really fucking good.
all the veggie fixins, stuffed to the brim. delish.
the fire roasted red sauce is awesome with a nice spicy kick. the green sauce is cool and mellow but my personal favorite. and then the salsa fresca is a step above all usual taco shop salsas.

i HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend El Zarape. its fucking awesome. check it out, im begging you.

El Zarape
4642 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA, 92116

Mall Food Review - Charley's Grilled Subs

i was wondering the mall yesterday, trying to find a 400-400 firewire cord to save all my music and pictures from my broken laptop before getting my OS reinstalled, and around 4 oclock i realized, im fucking starving. so i hit the food court, and the only place that stood out to me was Charley's Grilled Subs. it smelled good, the cheese steaks that other people were eating looked decent, plus they had bacon ranch fries! haha. so i stepped up and ordered myself a 3Cheese Bacon Steak Sandwich. which was steak, bacon, provolone, cheddar and swiss. they they ask if you want lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo. i went with mayo and lettuce.
for around 6 bucks, it was pretty decent. for a Food Court Cheesesteak, it was good. if i worked at the mall, and had to eat there, id be stoked to eat that everyday. now i also ordered one of the Bacon Ranch Fries
ew. i mean, yea, im fat ass for ordering them, but really? i ate 5 fries and was pretty bummed on it. i threw the rest out and realized it was a waste of 3 bucks. i woulda been better off just eatin the sando.

so if youre hungry at the mall and see a Charley's, grab a sando, they all look pretty good. avoid the fries.

www.charleys.com

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

YES.

got my muthafuckin laptop fixed. but i have to go to work, so reviews are to come tonight when i get off. SO STOKED.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Site Update - July, 25th.

Hey everyone, just a heads up, my computer has been broken for about 2 weeks now, and due to working 6 days a week the past month i haven't been able to get it fixed yet. I'm actually at the apple store right now waiting to get it done. so hopefully i can get it done. I've got quite a few things to post once I'm up and running again though, stay posted!

-travis

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Review - Five Guys Burgers and Fries

ah, the eternal struggle continues. burgers and fries. who does them right? who does them wrong? who will reign supreme? 5 guys? in n out? sonic? smashburger? currently, burgers are trendy. they are cool to make. you can do crazy things to them, or you can do them classic, yet perfect them. fries. they can be thin, thick, hand cut, IQF, double fried, russet, kennebec, sweet potato. you name it, someones doing it. so if you live anywhere that has a general population over 5000 people, you probably will have a 5 guys popping up in your hood soon. they are like fucking bunny rabbits right now. after hearing many testimonies from people that enjoy it, hate it, i decided it was time to decide for myself. FOREWARNING, i love in n out.

ok, so, you walk in, and theres quotes all over the walls about where their burgers have been voted the best, nationwide. blah blah blah, oh, whats this? i big ol put of roasted salted peanuts? ill take some!
they are free while you wait. but heres the thing...dont give me peanuts in the shell and expect me to be all tidy and not throw the shells on the ground. i really felt restricted that no one else was doing it and i thought i would be strung up in a tree if i did it...so i opted out. way to take all the fun out of eating peanuts....go talk to Texas Roadhouse about how to serve free peanuts. anyway.

the menu is small. burger. cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger. hot dog. bacon dog. blah. whatevers. we get it, simple menu, focus on quality. im down. just like in n out. slightly bigger menu though. you can order your burger with any of the toppings you want with no extra charge, which i liked. i got mine with hot sauce, jalapenos, mayo, bacon, and grilled onions.
the two patties were cooked decently, nice melty cheese. id say i like the bun better than in n out, and the meat and cheese is comparable. the bacon was thin and crispy, but everything that was on here had absolutely zero salt on it. after eating half way through it seemed as if my patties had dried up. the topping were nice though. it wasnt a bad burger by any means. but it wasnt a great burger though. In n Out - 1, 5 Guys - 0.

since they advertise the fries in the name, you would think they were amazing. well. if you consider soggy bland spears of potato as amazing, they i pity you.
oh, but they give you so many of them! yea, it was alot of fries. alot of SHITTY fries. hooray for mediocrity!!! i had mine hit with the cajun seasoning. it was probably just lowrys seasoning salt. it tasted like it. the fries werent crispy in the slightest bit. the point of frying things is to get them crispy, no? they can advertise them as boiled potato sticks and then i wouldnt be as upset when i ordered them. then i would just be like, what the fuck, travis. why the fuck did you order boiled potato sticks? idiot...  In n Out - 2,  5 Guys - 0.

my judgement stands as this. if you want a decent burger by itself with some decent toppings, go to 5 guys. if you want a great burger, with great french fries, go to in n out. im not gonna tell you how to eat, but thats just how i see it.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Fucking Everywhere
50 States, USA, Earth.

www.fiveguys.com

Review - Azucar

Azucar is a Cuban style Patiserrie in the heart of O.B. its been open for just about 3 years now i believe. i remember being stoked when they opened because there really isnt much for pastries in ocean beach, and god knows i hate leaving the bubble when i dont have to. so when you add in the prospect of a cuban kick to everything, im even more enticed. now ive been coming here once every few months since they opened, and the food hasnt changed, its still delicious. i typically get the same thing every time i go, but not all at once haha. i pick and choose between the same 5 things, so that i dont feel like a fucking fat ass. but today i had to get everything, for the sake of the blog. im doing this for you, the reader! anywho, onto the food.
this little ball of yum is one of their famous Pastelito de Carne. little meat pie, if you will. for a believe a buck fiddy you can sink your teeth into the lil fucker and open up a pouch of sweet, sweet, meat. the meat itself isnt sweet, the meat is actually deliciously spiced ground beef, but the top of the pastry itself if brushed with a nice sugary glaze before being baked. mmm.
siiiiiick.
next is the Pastel de Queso y Guava. a cream cheese and guava paste - pastry. this thing is like a toaster strudel on crack. they have other various pastry of this sort, but the cream cheese and guava paste is other worldly.
this one that i had was actually not stuffed to the brim like they usually are, but i digress. still tasty.
keeping with the guava and cream cheese trend, they have multiple different panini sandwiches, and my favorite is the Havana - Roasted Turkey, Guava Paste, Cream Cheese. grilled to perfection, this combination is like the cuban equivalent of a post thanksgiving left over sandwich. amazing. they give you a choice of a green salad of fried plantain chips. i always get the chips, which on this visit, were slightly stale, i was a little bummed. but good nonetheless, served with a side of mojo sauce, which is filled with garlicky glory. after this i decided to try one of the mini desserts they have in the display, they cinco leches cake.
i brought this home to share with allison tonight, but that didnt change the awesome flavor of it. its their take on the classic tres leches cake. its an almond financier cake soaked with 5 different milks topped with a dulce de leche glaze and candied almonds. it was rich, but very good. i was happy with it.

now as i said earlier that the food hasnt changes in 3 years, there is something i noticed today. i really feel that the upkeep of the store front is really taking a toll. the tables were all pretty dirty, the floor was covered in crumbs, the white drapes on the wall were becoming stained at the bottoms. it was just kind of a bummer seeing that they arent putting much pride in the appearance of the shop. i know its OB and its supposed to be rugged and dirty, but come on. have some pride. keep your shit tight. be proud of what you do in all senses of it. at the end of the day you are supposed to be impressing people, make that happen, or live your life being content with mediocrity.

with that being said, i wont stop coming here. its delicious. and i highly recommend it. check it out!

Azucar
4820 Newport Avenue
San Diego, CA, 92107

www.iloveazucar.com