Mongo's Grill

Finally!  I’ve been waiting for a decent Mongolian BBQ place to open up in the Boise area since I moved here 6 years ago.  Everything offered in town has always been so lame, dirty, and not very good.  It’s been very frustrating.  But that all changed this week when I pulled into the new Mongo’s Grill next to Famous Dave’s on Eagle Rd in Meridian.  Halle-freakin-lujah!

Mongo’s Grill is worlds apart from the other Mongolian barbecue joints in the Boise area.  The decor is upbeat and professional, with a bit of a P.F. Chang’s feel to it.  The staff are professional and attentive.  And the actual grill is larger than any I’ve seen before and is a beautiful stainless steel, looking much like a small UFO.  Even the traditional wooden rods used to cook with are updated and replaced with a really cool looking stainless steel version.  I was sold before I even got to the food.  But the food is what really brings Mongo’s to the 10th level.

Mongo’s Grill Has an Incredible Selection of Vegetables, Meats, Seafood and Noodles

Mongo's Grill Bowls and Toppings Counters

Being my first time at Mongo’s Grill, my server offered to give a tour and tell me how things were done.  I was blown away with the selection of things to choose from.  There were two full tables of vegetables to choose from:  snow peas, snap peas, green beans, red peppers, yellow peppers, cabbages, peas, edamame, bamboo, water chestnuts, black beans, garbanzo beans, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, bean sprouts, cilantro, bok choy, asparagus, onions, green onions, broccoli, cauliflower, and more.  It was amazing!  I’m a veggie guy anyway, so this was really exciting.

But the options didn’t end there.  I couldn’t believe my eyes when I got to the protein table.  There were the standard frozen and shaved beef, chicken, and pork, as well as cubed tofu; with the unexpected additions of turkey, ham, and even pepperoni.  But the real surprise came from all the seafood.  During lunch, there was salmon, tilapia, and calamari.  During dinner, there were the additions of mahi mahi, scallops, and shrimp.  Tell me, where else can you get a selection like that?  Happy happy joy joy!

And if that wasn’t enough, Mongo’s also offers up 5 different noodles to choose from.  They offer the standard yakisoba type noodles, but also have wide rice noodles (think pad thai), delicious thick Shanghai noodles, and then penne pasta and rigatoni pasta.  I thought the two Italian pastas were a little odd until I got to the sauce counter.

Mongo's Grill Noodles

Mongo’s Grill Sauces are Diverse and Tasty

Mongo's Grill Sauces

With my heaping bowl of veggies, chicken, fish, and Shanghai noodles, I was ready to sauce.  The secret to any good Mongolian barbeque is the sauce, but Mongo’s takes things further than the rest.  They have the standard ginger, garlic, Mongolian, hot oil, sesame oil, sweet and sour, and curry sauces.  But they also introduce the following:  stir fry sauce; Khan’s favorite sauce; kung pao; BBQ; black bean; honey mustard; orange pineapple; lemon; red wine; spicy szechuan; sweet chili garlic; teriyaki; soy sauce; Thai peanut; and tomato basil.  What the heck?  It was a cook’s dream to sauce the hell out of things with a perfect blend of whatever I felt like.  The sauces also tasted great.  My favorites were the orange pineapple, Mongolian, stir fry, and Khan’s favorite.

But what was up with that tomato basil and the Italian pastas?  It turns out that Mongo’s Grill also offers a hot cheese sauce (not very good and very bland) and hot Alfredo sauce.  For those of you that don’t want Asian deliciousness, you can still enjoy an outing with friends and have some chicken alfredo over penne, or maybe some pepperoni and olives with tomato basil marinara over rigatoni.  Sky’s the limit.  Enjoy.

Mongo’s Grill Spice Counter

Mongo's Grill Seasonings

After the sauce orgy, you take your bowl over to the grill to get it cooked.  But before you hand it over to the cooks, there is a spice counter to add even more flavor to your meal.  With 13 different spices and seasoning salts to choose from, you’re sure to find a flavor you’ll love to add to your sauce bowl of deliciousness.  Personally, I loved the Thai Seasoning, but maybe you’re more of a curry person, or maybe you want some fajita seasoning to go with your chicken and beef.  Whatever you’re out to accomplish, you’re sure to have a good experience at Mongo’s Grill.

Would you Like an Egg with That?

Mongo's Grill Side Options

When you hand the cooks your bowl, they ask if you would like an egg with it, if you would like it all put into a wrap, or if you would like some tortillas.  Cool.  I accepted the egg, which went perfect with my Southwest Asian flavors.  I guess the tortillas would be great if you decided to make chicken and beef fajitas with onions, peppers, cilantro, and black beans, all sprinkled with a little fajita seasoning at the spice counter.  Choices galore at Mongo’s.

Mongo’s Grill Boise has a Soup and Salad Bar

Included with your meal is Mongo’s soup and salad bar.  How nice to offer this.  The salad options were extensive, and all very fresh.  The soup options consisted of two soups, rotating daily between lunch and dinner.  I had the Wicken Chicken Thai Soup, which was a red curry coconut lime chicken soup with rice.  Damn that was some good soup.  Wicked and delightfully evil.

Mongo's Grill Wicked Chicken Thai Soup

All You Can Eat at Mongo’s Grill

Mongo’s is $9 for lunch, putting it about $2 more than other Mongolian options, but everything is included, and they encourage you to go through more than once.  The secret to success at Mongo’s is to make your bowls small, and have more than one.  By keeping the bowls small, you get a better ratio of sauce to food, which provides a better tasting more flavorful bowl.  It also leaves room to have a cup of their delicious soup, and maybe even some peaches and cottage cheese from the salad bar.  This place rocks, and is hands down the best Mongolian Barbeque joint in all of Boise.  It is a small chain restaurant, with franchises in Minnesota and Canada.  I’m very grateful someone brought it here, and I’ll be eating here for lunch regularly.

Mongo's Grill Healthy Mongolian

Mongo's Grill Beef and Noodles

The Bald Gourmet finds the best Mongolian Barbeque in Boise and eats himself silly.

Review of Riu Palace Pacifico’s Main Buffet Restaurant

Riu Palace Pacifico Buffet Restaurant

Riu Palace Pacifico Buffet Restaurant 2

The buffet restaurant at Riu is huge.  They pretty much have everything that you could hope to find.  And most of it is actually pretty decent.  They have themed nights 3 times a week, and on our first night there, they were featuring Asian cuisine.  I didn’t really come to Mexico to eat Asian, so I skipped all of that and went with the random Mexican offerings scattered throughout the buffet.  They had a grilling station on the outside dining patio, which I visited to grab some grilled pork spare ribs and chorizo links.  The chorizo was awesome.  It had a nice Mexican spice mixture in it, with a touch of chili heat, and was grilled to a nice crispy crunch exterior while remaining moist inside.  The pork ribs were really good as well (very moist and full of flavor), but the chorizo was better.

We ate at the buffet everyday at least once or twice while there.  Burgers and such, sandwiches, steaks (Mexican style), salads, pastas, pizzas, seafood, casseroles, fruits, desserts, appetizers, Asian, Mexican, Italian, American….the list goes on and on.  And that’s not even talking about breakfast.  Riu’s buffet is probably the most extensive and well done that I’ve been to.  Like I said, not everything was great or amazing, but for the most part, everything was good and a joy to eat.

Must have items to try at Riu Palace Pacifico’s Buffet:

• Crostini with Sauteed Calabacita Squash – calabacita is a traditional Mexican summer squash, the light green speckled kind you often see at the grocery store along side the zucchini.  The squash was simply sauteed in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper, placed on the crunchy crostini, and topped with shredded Parmesan cheese.  It was awesome!  What a simple and perfect party appetizer.
• Camarones with Algae Soup – Holy crap this soup was good.  It was a chicken based broth, with squash (calabacita again), carrots, onions, chilies, and large shrimp.  The shrimp was very fresh and surprisingly not rubbery.  I always thought that if you boiled shrimp in a soup for to long that tit would become a chewy messes, but instead, this shrimp was very soft.  It was cooked with the shells on, and was just awesome.  I squeezed a little lime juice in my soup to complete it.  Awesome.
• Seafood Soup – this amazing soup was on their lunch menu one day, and it was to die for!  It was filled with white fish, squid, crab, mussels, shrimp, salmon, octopus, and more, and was stewed into tasty perfection in a chili and tomato broth.  A little table-side added lime made it perfect.
• Carne Asada – Nothing fancy, but some of the tastiest carne asada I’ve ever had.  It was on the line every night, but would disappear as fast as they’d put it out.  High demand item for good reason.  Make sure you grab some for your meal, or for chewing on during your walk to your room.  Delicious!
• Baked Guava – Damn this stuff was good!  Quartered guavas, tossed in a brown sugar syrup, and then baked until soft and golden in color.  Tropical, sweet, tangy, goodness.  Can’t wait to make it at home.

Riu Palace Baked Guava

• Breakfast:  Cottage Cheese – I can’t even describe just how good the cottage cheese, and all dairy for that matter, is in Mexico.  This cottage cheese was absolutely amazing, and I found myself eating it every day I was at Riu.  I only ever spotted it during breakfast hours though, so be sure you head down to the buffet before 10:30 during your stay at Riu.  The cottage cheese is very large curd, swimming in a thick milky cream, and has a very good dairy farm taste to it.  I had the impression that it comes from a local dairy in small batches.  It is significantly better than any cottage cheese in the US, and that’s probably because it doesn’t have any added gums, preservatives, and chemicals (just guessing).  Our mass-produced slop is just that, slop, when compared to our southern neighbor’s cottage cheese.

Riu Palace Mexican Cottage Cheese

Riu Palace Mexican Cottage Cheese Large Curds

• Breakfast:  Tacos Beef Birrias – For some stupid reason, I had never thought of the idea of breakfast tacos prior to going to Puerto Vallarta.  We’ve all had breakfast burritos, why are we not all eating breakfast tacos?  They are lower in calories, quicker to make, and more delicious any day.  I’m in love with them now, and it’s all because of the Tacos Beef Birrias at Riu Palace.  These tacos were absolutely outstanding.  Birrias is a traditional festive slow cooked meat stew (historically made with goat or lamb) from the Jalisco region, made with a roasted dried chili sauce.  It is traditionally served with corn tortillas, or with the meat served on the tortillas which are then dipped into the stew broth as you eat them.  Riu’s version skips the tortilla dipping and just serves the meat and broth right on the tortillas.  The broth is a super flavorful combination of dried chilies, allspice, and who knows what else.  To take it up another notch (which I highly recommend you do as well), I had the chef stick a fried egg on each of my birrias tacos.  I then cracked the over-easy yolks and spread them all over my meaty treasure before eating.  Topped with a little pico de gallo and some red chili sauce and delicioso!!!  Complete breakfast happy perfection.

Riu Palace Beef Birrias Breakfast Tacos

• Breakfast:  Birria de cordero (Lamb birria) – Richer and not spiced quite the same as the beef version, this lamb dish was still quite excellent and made for some awesome breakfast tacos (again topped with a fried egg).  I recommend them, even if you think you don’t like lamb.

Riu Palace Lamb Birrias

• Breakfast:  Huevos con machaca – Machaca is another old school traditional dish in Mexico, and was originally made with dried beef or pork which had been reconstituted and then pounded tender.  Now that refrigeration is everywhere, the dried beef has been replaced with fresh meat, which is then cooked long until tender and then shredded.  It is most commonly served with eggs for breakfast, as it is done at Riu Palace.  I again made breadfast tacos with it, and found it to be a very filling and satisfying way to start my day.  Still not as good as the Beef Birrias, but well worth the eat indeed.

Riu Palace Huevos con machaca

Riu Palace Huevos con machaca Breakfast Tacos

• Breakfast:  Tortilla Chips with Salsa and Cheese – I understand that this doesn’t really sound all that impressive, but these things would disappear as fast as they would get placed on the line.  The buffet workers couldn’t seem to keep up with the demand.  I had to shove my way through the crowd just to get a taste, and then piss everyone off as I took several pictures later.  By the way, that crowd was entirely comprised of Mexican natives.  These were good, but not exceptional.  However, they provided for an opportunity to savor the amazing fresh masa flavor of these local corn tortillas, cut into wedges and deep fried to a thick crunch.  Best corn tortillas and chips I’ve ever had.  They were simply smothered in red salsa, as well as salsa verde, topped with some sliced onions, and sprinkled with cotija cheese.  Simple, tasty, and full of Mexico in every bite.  These will be served at my next Mexican themed food party.

Riu Palace Breakfast Chips with Red Salsa

Riu Palace Breakfast Chips with Salsa Verde

Review of Riu Palace Pacifico’s Guacamole Restaurant

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant

Riu also offers several sit down reservation only restaurants.  We tried their only Mexican restaurant, Guacamole, on our second night.  It wasn’t bad, but was definitely Americanized fare.  The wait staff was great though, and the formal meets casual atmosphere was enjoyable.

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Decor

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Appetizer and Salad Bar

Prior to your entrees being served, the staff directs you to the salad and appetizer bar in the center of the restaurant.  It is filled with all sorts of delightful treats, the best being the green mussels (super fresh with a very clean flavor, served simply with diced jalapenos and red bell peppers), pork and chicken nachos (a bit salty, but very tender and packed full of chili goodness), and the tortilla soup.  Damn that soup was amazing.  It had a very cool sheen to it, and was thickened with fresh masa.  That masa added such a depth of flavor to the soup, it was amazing.  With some added avocado, tortilla strips, and sour cream, it was hands down the best tortilla soup I’ve ever had.

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Salad Bar

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Nachos and Mussels

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Tortilla Soup

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Entrees

The Garlic Shrimp was the best entree on the menu.  It was served with a delicious savory corn truffle rice, and a fried spinach leaf for show.  The shrimp was very large, fresh, moist and tender, and was seasoned perfectly with a good non-overpowering garlic flavor.  The truffle rice served with it was fair.

Riu Palace Guacamole Garlic Shrimp

The Beef Fillet was decent.  The tender beef was covered in a tasty chipotle sauce.  The roasted cactus served under it, however, was awesome.  It was grilled, and had a hint of smoke flavor from it.  It was crunchy but soft, and was a delight to eat.

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Beef Fillet

The Stuffed Chicken Breast was moist and flavorful, but was very over salted.  I ordered it primarily because it came with a chili tamale rolled in a banana leaf and served with a mole sauce.  Mine came out without the tamale or the mole.  When we brought it to their attention, they seemed a little put out, but brought me a tamale on a little plate.  Still no mole.  At least the tamale was good.  I wish I would have ordered the Garlic Shrimp though.

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Chicken Breast

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Dessert

Guacamole’s offered a few desserts to choose from.  I went with the delightful sounding “Coconut and papaya mousse with Mexican cajeta caramel and vanilla ice cream.”  It wasn’t bad, but sounded better on paper than it actually was.  The mousse was really just a flan without the caramel.  I had a hard time picking up much coconut flavor, and the papaya only came through as a sour note.  The ice cream was very good, and the little chocolate ball on the plate was amazing, with a perfect cinnamon flavor so typical of Mexican chocolates.

Riu Palace Coconut Papaya Mouse Dessert

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Mayan Coffee

I’m not a coffee drinker.  I just don’t believe in the stuff.  And I normally wouldn’t write about it, but the Mayan Coffee at Guacamole was one hell of a show.  They took some special coffee brew, which I’m guessing was full of spices like cinnamon and maybe nutmeg, and mixed it with a bunch of booze (Kahlua and some tequila) in some metal “gravy” boats.  They then lighted it on fire, and mixed it by hand by pouring it into long strings back and forth with the stream burning bright blue.  This table side show went on for several minutes, and was really cool to watch.  The still burning brew was then poured into sugar rimmed glasses, where the fire caramelized the sugar, and then was topped with some foaming concoction, perhaps cream.  It was awesome, and the table next to us that ordered it said that it was delicious.

Riu Palace Guacamole Restaurant Mayan Coffee

Riu Palace Pacifico Krystal Restaurant Review

Another reservation-only onsite restaurant, this one not allowing children, Krystal clearly tries to appeal to the uppity traveler.  It is a typical Avant-garde molecular gastronomy type place just trying too hard.  Some of their items were really good, most were not.  Here’s what we ate:

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Starters and Appetizers

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Smoked Salmon Starter

This was one of their starter options, and wasn’t all that bad.  It was a spoonful of smoked salmon which was converted into a soft mouse-like texture, and then topped with a runny cream cheese.  Next to it was a little birds nest made from Parmesan cheese strips, which kind of looked cool but only tasted OK.  In the glass behind it all was a very odd concoction of tomato mouse and cubed watermelon.  The two flavors surprisingly worked very well together.  And even though the mousse had a very intense tomato flavor, the whole thing was lacking in total execution.  Perhaps a tomato and watermelon soup would work better.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Pumpkin Soup

We were then brought our selection of soup.  We all went with the Pumpkin Soup.  Great choice.  This was probably the best thing on Krystal’s menu.  It was delivered to us as a bowl with candied sunflower seeds, little sweet drops of something, and a single overcooked scallop.  The scallop was rubbery, dry, and a touch burnt, but the other components were awesome.  Our waiter then came back to the table with little crocks full of the pureed pumpkin soup.  He poured each crock into our bowl and left.  The aroma of the soup was intoxicating, and the flavors were spot on.  The candied seeds were a real treat of crunch and sweetness.  Riu’s chefs are masters at soup.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Pumpkin Soup Pouring

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Pumpkin Soup Presentation

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Entrees Opinions

Well, I guess I can’t complain too much about an all inclusive resort serving attempted gourmet entrees, but some of Krystal’s need some work. However, others were spot on.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Lamb

The lamb entree was beautiful, and was cooked to a perfect medium pink.  It had a nice mild lamb flavor, and was served on a bed of sauteed vegetables, which were also very good.  The mint jelly sauce dabbed around the plate looked cool and was also a perfect flavor pairing with the lamb.  Great dish and great execution.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Beef Steak

Krystal’s beef steak on the other hand was a catastrophe.  The steak itself was not very good or well prepared, and the sauce on top of it didn’t do anything to help.  It could have been much worse though, and still merited eating.  The scalloped potato square was very delicious.  But the real disaster came from the accompanying mushroom mouse.  I don’t know what the hell their chef or management was thinking letting this Frankenstein Fungus be served.  It was freaking disgusting.  First off, the sickening gray color reminded me of something dead I saw once.  Second, the texture was that of over-chewed gum.  Gross.  But most importantly it tasted like hell.  It was very mushroomy, which in itself is not a bad thing, but it wasn’t seasoned well and just tasted of ass.  Horrible.  Truly horrible.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Chilean Sea Bass

The Chilean Sea Bass which I ordered was very good.  Chilean sea bass is one of my favorite fish, and Krystal did it justice.  It was perfectly cooked, with a light brown crust and a super moist and flaky center.  It was drizzled with a balsamic reduction, which worked but I could have done without it.  My only complaint was the accompanying Basil Foam.  It was a super rich pile of creamy goo that was OK, but a total distraction.  It reminded me of a pile of green colored mayonnaise.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Has Excellent Desserts

After enjoying and hating our entree round, it was time for some sugary treats.  Krystal does a good job with their desserts.  We had both the Molten Chocolate Cake and the Passion Fruit Bonbon.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Chocolate Cake

Molten Hot Chocolate Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream.  Do I really need to say anything more?  Delicious, of course.

Riu Palace Krystal Restaurant Passion Fruit Bonbon

Despite this thing looking exactly like an offensive penis on a plate (honestly Riu, what the crap were you thinking?), this thing was incredible.  It was tart, sweet, and provided a very intense passion fruit flavor.  It was a joy to have in your mouth, even if it made you feel oddly gay doing so.

Riu Palace Pacifico Offers Terrific Food for an All Inclusive Resort

I was very pleased with the quality of food at Riu.  So many all inclusive places cut corners on their food, but Riu see’s the vision and serves their guests right.  I had a pleasurable eating experience every day while staying at Riu, and only found a few items that we true disappointments.  If you’re looking for a great hotel, great resort, and great eating experience while in Puerto Vallara, Riu Pacifico is the right place for you.  Thank you Riu!

The Bald Gourmet enjoys his eating experience at Riu Palace Pacifico while in Puerto Vallarta.

Boise Food Truck Rally

I’m a little late to the street foodie party with this review, but I’ve been wanting to write about the Boise Food Truck Rally for a while now.  If you haven’t heard of this event yet, then hopefully this review will inspire to come join me at next month’s rally.  If you have been to a rally already, then I hope this write up will bring a smile to your face as you relive the event through my words.

The Boise Food Truck Rally was modeled after similar events in cities such as Portland and Seattle.  They are absolutely great ideas, and lots of fun.  Basically, it’s just an evening of local food trucks circling their “wagons” together for a fun gluttonous gathering of people who love to eat and experience something a little different.

Boise street food is coming along nicely, and is growing all the time.  There are certainly some gems and some failures in that crowd, but in many ways even the failures are better than going to an $18 a plate brick-and-mortar restaurant.  Some people worry about health concerns and such with food trucks, but they are stringently checked by the food safety police, possibly more than sit down restaurants are.  So don’t worry about non-factual myths of cockroaches or dirt.  Rather, focus on the menus and the fact that the owners are living a little dream of serving their versions of good food to the people of Boise.  Once you do, you’ll likely chase down any taco truck or Asian food bus you land your eyes on.

One word of caution with the Rally though; it is extremely popular and draws a very large crowd in the hundreds.  My first Rally was a complete disappointment because of that crowd, and because the location chosen for the event was way too small to get an adequate number of trucks in to feed that crowd.  All the really good stuff was sold out by the time I was able to make my way through the lines to order anything.  What I did get to taste was enough to make me want to come back though.  And even though I haven’t had the chance to try all of the trucks yet, I’m going to give you my take on what I have had, and encourage you to go to the next Rally (2nd Friday of each month from 5-9 pm at varying locations, listed each month at https://www.facebook.com/FoodTruckRally).

Somehow, I managed to lose all of my personal pictures of my first Rally , so I’m borrowing some shots off of Facebook, namely for Calle 75, Boise Fry Company, B29 Streatery, and Brown Shuga Soul Food (I hope you all don’t mind!).  I had them, now they’re gone.  Much like the tasty Rally treats from my plate I guess.

Calle 75 Street Tacos Review

Calle 75 Street Tacos

This was one of the few treats I got to try at my first Rally, and they were delicious!  Rather on the expensive side, but delicious.  We ordered 4 tacos that night:

• Shrimp with Baja Sauce – damn that was a good taco.  The shrimp was cooked perfectly and seasoned well, and was paired perfectly with cabbage (red and green) and a very tasty Baja sauce.
• Carnitas – even better than the shrimp!  Very moist, tender, and full of Mexican porky flavor.  5 more please!
• Carne Asada – it was good, but not fantastic.  There are much better carne asada tacos to be had elsewhere, but order one or two if you’d like.  They’re worth eating.
• Brisket – I got the feeling that Calle is proud of this taco.  And I guess that if I loved the flavor of beer more than that of beef, I would be too.  They rub a whole brisket in a Mexican spice rub, then marinate the hell out of it in beer.  Sounds great, but unfortunately all I could taste was the beer.  No thanks.  Lose the beer and replace it with a smokey chipotle barbecue sauce or something and this taco would be a winner.

Cale 75 Street Tacos Tacos

Cale 75 Street Tacos Brisket and Shrimp Tacos

Rice Works Asian Food Review

Rice Works Asian Food

If you’re a long-term reader, you know how much I love Asian food.  I’m a total slut for it, spending thousands of dollars on 2 week vacations for the sole purpose of eating it at the source.  It’s a little much perhaps.  But it brings me joy so who cares.  So it was with great anticipation that I finally got to try Rice Works food at the last Rally (they were sold out on my first Rally attempt).  I was told by some friends that their Korean BBQ Beef wasn’t great, but that their Korean Spicy Tacos were awesome.  I ordered accordingly.  Yup, they were great, despite them being completely non-Asian.

Rice Works Spicy Korean Tacos

Rice Works Spicy Korean Tacos Close

What they were, though, was a very clever fusion of super moist and flavorful sweet Korean chicken, pickled Asian vegetables (cucumbers), a spicy Sriracha sauce, and cilantro, all stacked on some white corn tortillas.  They were absolutely awesome, and got my mind racing will all sorts of hybrid taco creations I could do at home for my next dinner party.  My girlfriend thought that they were too spicy and didn’t like them because of it, but I absolutely loved them and can’t wait to have them again.  Great job Rice Works!  Absolutely awesome!

Rice Works has other great sounding creations that I look forward to trying as well, such as rice bowls, Vietnamese and Korean meat sliders, Tonkatsu pork, fresh spring rolls, crispy fried rolls, curries, and more.

Archie’s Place Review

Archie's Place

I’d heard a lot of hype about this place in foodieville, so I was very sad when they were all sold out of their sloppy Joes at my first Rally, but I arrived early my second go around and ordered Archie’s “famous” Joe sliders before anything else.  I ordered  a beef House Joe, and a pork verde Mean Joe Green.  Umm….ya.  These were terrific sloppy Joes.  The beef was actually ground Wagyu beef, some of the best cattle on the planet.  It was cooked in a traditional tomato sauce, with what I think were cloves.  The sauce was good, a bit spicy, and a little sweet (molasses maybe?), but not the best I’ve ever had.  Well worth the $2.50 though.  The Pork Verde was fantastic.  Ground pork cooked in a green tomatillo sauce.  I was expecting more sauce than it came with, but somehow the little bit that clung to the pork was so power punched with flavor that I started to forget that my potato bun was not soaked with sauce.  I’ve never had, nor even heard of a green sloppy Joe before this, but thanks to Archie’s, I think I’m now addicted.

Archie's Place Beef and Pork Sloppy Joe Sliders

Archie’s also has ground turkey Joe, and a Unicorn Joe, which is their funny code for vegan.  These different Joe’s are served up in slider form, taco form, mashed potato bowl form, and grilled cheese sandwich form; all of which I’m sure are equally delicious.  They also have soups and skewers, and offer everything in vegan and gluten free form.

Thanks for bringing sloppy Joe’s back into my life Archie.  I’ll be seeing you again soon.

Saint Lawrence Gridiron Review

Saint Lawrence Gridiron

I don’t know what their name means, but these guys have a beautiful food truck and cook up some fancy meat dishes for street food fare.  “Upscale bar food on wheels” might be an appropriate description, or maybe just “shut up and eat my high calorie deliciousness.”  Whatever their slogan, this place is sure to please anyone that isn’t a vegan.  They take street food to such a new level of “nice” that their serving ware isn’t even plastic, but rather made out of wood.  Very cool.

Saint Lawrence Gridiron Wooden Serving Ware

Their cheese covered meaty fries is what what drew us in, but everything on their menu that I saw coming out of their bright orange truck looked fantastic.  What we had was good, but I look forward to trying one of their sandwiches on my next visit.

Saint Lawrence Gridiron Burnt Ends Poutine

We ordered two items off the menu; the Poutine, and the Fried Mac ‘n Cheese.  The Poutine was a take on the Canadian classic.  Saint Lawrence’s was made with the traditional fries (excellent by the way), then topped with an ale cheddar sauce, some sweet and sticky dark brown reduction sauce, perfectly barbequed brisket ends, and hefty chunks of quality Gorgonzola cheese.  It looked beautifully scrumptious.  On my first bite, I grabbed a fry that had all the toppings on it, and popped it in my mouth.  My first thought was that the fry was perfect.  My next thought was that the ale cheddar sauce tasted far too much of beer.  My third thought was spent wondering where the sweetness was coming from.  And my final thought was that this entire concoction suddenly worked perfectly in my mouth.  The beer disappeared as it suddenly blended with everything else in a perfect cacophony of delight.  Those were some damn good loaded fries.  Definitely worth ordering.

Saint Lawrence Gridiron Fried Mac n Cheese

The Fried Mac ‘n Cheese sounded so great on our brisk November night.  It came out and was perfectly golden brown.  We couldn’t hardly wait to tear into its gooey pasta center.  But to our utter horror, the block of carby goodness was ice cold in the center.  Ugh!  If you’re going to make these ahead and keep them in the freezer, as you need to for an item like this, please have the courtesy to thaw them an hour before you start service for the evening.  Sad.  But we took it home with us, popped it in the toaster oven until pipping hot, and then dove it.  It was delicious!  Very creamy and full of cheese, with a strong herb flavor (rosemary), and the perfect amount of salt.  It was then rolled in panko bread crumbs and fried, then served with a very sweet marinara sauce for dipping.  Good for your body, no.  Good for your soul, absolutely.

Boise Fry Company Food Truck Review

Boise Fry Company Food Truck

It is possible that Boise Fry Company has the best burgers to be found in Boise.  Their exceptionally high quality fresh local grass-fed beef is expertly seasoned.  They use real cheddar cheese, high quality mayo, and fresh locally baked organic potato rolls (which just happen to be delicious too).  They top their burgers with nice thick bacon, organic Spring mix lettuces, and pickled red onions for a nice gourmet touch, all of which accentuate the burger perfectly.  But burgers are not really what Boise Fry Company is known for now is it?  They have staked their marketing claim in the fried potato world, and they do them very well.  A robust selection of potatoes (including purple and Yukon gold), are lovingly prepped (typically with the skins on), and are then fried to a perfect golden crunch in peanut oil.  They are served with a wide selection of house-made ketchups and seasoning salts to appease the flavor desires of the masses (even blueberry lovers).  Boise Fry Company is a master of their art, and it’s very nice to see their Picasso being the same at their brick-and-mortar location as well as on the road.  One taste at either will have you coming back for more.  Perfect gourmet burgers and perfect gourmet fries are a culinary pairing that is hard to beat, so look for the Boise Fry Company truck at the next Rally.

Boise Fry Company Food Truck Burgers

Brown Shuga Soul Food Review

Brown Shuga Soul Food

It is my understanding that Brown Shuga Soul Food has a faithful following of fans here in town, but based on my experience at the Rally, I’m a bit confused as to why.  Maybe because they’re one of the only places in town where you can order soul food quintessentials like black eyed peas, red beans and rice, collard greens, southern barbeque and deserts.  But you need more than nostalgia to win me over.  First in my book is taste, and Brown Shuga is missing the mark here.  Maybe all their good stuff that their fans love was sold out (over half the menu was by the time my place in line got to the counter), but if the flavor and quality of what I got to order is indicative of the rest of their menu, I’ll pass.

Brown Shuga Pork Sandwich Red Beans and Mac

I ordered their pulled pork sandwich, red beans, and mac ‘n cheese.  The pork was litely basted in a vinegar based barbecue sauce, wasn’t overly moist itself, and was under seasoned.  The bun it was served on was more air than bread, and the whole thing only mildly tasted good; OK, but not anything to get excited about.  The red beans were awful, and the mac ‘n cheese was so bad that it went straight in the garbage after only three bites.  Their only redeeming item I got to taste was their bread pudding.  It was actually very delicious, and was served with an awesome Jamaican rum sauce all over it.  The bread pudding was moist, a bit caramelized on the outsides, and had a great flavor.  The only issue that I had with it was that is was served cold.  A quick 30 seconds in the microwave would have been better than cold, but it tasted good anyway.

Brown Shuga Bread Pudding

B29 Streatery Food Truck Review

B29 Streatery

B29 Streatery is a mobile extension of Dustan Bristol’s Brick 29 restaurant in Nampa.  I gave Brick 29 pretty high marks in my review of them, which they deserved by serving up some very excellent food.  And though I haven’t had a chance to try much on their mobile menu, it has many of the same items and flavor components as their restaurant location, including their famous BLT made with their house candied bacon.  One of their mobile stars is their Kobe Patty melt, with caramelized onions, jalapeno aioli, and blue cheese.  It was terrific, especially with some added candied bacon.  Very high quality and great flavor, rivaling the greatness of Boise Fry Company’s burgers.

B29 Streatery Kobe Patty Melt

The Bald Gourmet Recommends Boise Food Truck Rally

If you’re looking for good food in a completely different and fun environment, give next month’s Food Truck Rally a try.  It’s a total blast, and you can take comfort in knowing that the people surrounding you at the event are there solely because they appreciate food.  Family friendly, vegan friendly, fat piggy friendly, and welcoming to everything in between, the Boise Food Truck Rally is a tasty blast.  They have stand heaters and fire pits in the winter, plenty of beverages on tap, and music year round.  I for one will be making it a monthly tradition.  Hope to see you there next time!

Pat's BBQ

Next time you’re in Salt Lake and are hankerin’ for some down home cooking, head on over to Pat’s BBQ.  It was recommended to me by everyone I talked with, including Guy Fieri from Diners Drive-ins and Dives.  The recommendations did not disappoint.  Pat’s serves up some of the best barbeque I’ve had.

There aren’t many frills at Pat’s.  Picnic table seating, paper plates, and loud rockin’ music coming from the live stage (separate seating area if you’d prefer), make Pat’s a country dining experience reminiscent of a State fair.  But I’ve never found anything this delicious at a fair.

Pat's BBQ Separate Seating

Pat's BBQ Menu Board

Pat’s Barbecue Pork Ribs

Pat's BBQ Pork Ribs

So what makes Pat’s so good?  It’s their rub and slow smoking process.  I love me some good barbecue sauce, so much so that I usually don’t consider barbecue, well, barbecue without it.  But Pat’s rub is so flavor intense that you do not need a drop of sauce on their ribs.  Honestly, this is the only barbecue meat I’ve ever had where I did not want to put any sauce on it.  I’m sure there are many barbecue lovers in Texas and elsewhere that would mock me for saying that, but up here in the Northern states, it’s pretty hard to find such quality barbecued ribs as to not need any sauce on them.

In addition to the rub, Pat’s ribs have a very strong smoke flavor.  But it is not overpowering and blends perfectly with the rub.  Pat’s chooses pork spare ribs rather than baby backs.  Spare ribs are more meaty, but are not as tender as baby backs.  But Pat’s manages to keep them very moist so that eating them is a real joy.  These were seriously some of the best pork ribs I’ve ever put in my mouth.  Good good GOOD!

Pat’s BBQ Beef Brisket

Pat's BBQ Brisket Smoke Ring

So smokey!  Just look at the smoke ring on this brisket!  Damn this stuff was good.  It was very very tender, and just like the ribs, needed absolutely no sauce whatsoever.  I could eat this stuff until my colon gave out.  I don’t know what your secret is Pat, but keep up the magical work!

Pat’s Barbecue Best Pulled Pork in Salt Lake City

Pat's BBQ Pulled Pork and Meaty Gravy

Do you remember being a young kid and getting your first taste of bubble gum ice cream?  Well I do.  It was at a small town corner store with a little ice cream stand in the back corner.  For $0.50 you get get a cone with a big fat scoop of 10 different flavors.  My parents used to take me there after swimming at the town pool.  One day, I saw this new flavor of bright bubble gum goodness.  I told Dad that’s what I wanted, and I was soon handed a scoop of childhood bliss.  What I put in my mouth was indescribable!  It was everything that I loved about bubble gum and ice cream and sugar all combined.  It was pure heaven and every little boy’s dream come true.

So it is with Pat’s pulled pork.  An indescribable joy that only perfect pig can provide.  Heaven on a plate and every meat loving man’s dream come true.  It was perfectly salty, juicily savory, and full of great flavor.  I’m guessing that secret rub came into play here again.  Sauce?  Why??  No need.  This was probably the most perfect pulled pork I’ve ever tasted.  Please sir, may I have another?

Pat’s BBQ Serves Up Some Amazing Sides

Now this is where things really get critical.  I know many a fool that can make a pretty mean barbeque, but their side dishes typically fail to deliver on flavor and creativity.  But Pat’s puts as much attention and detail into their sides as they do their main courses.  They call them their “signature side dishes”, and they ain’t lyin’.  With 9 to choose from, you’re sure to find some to pair with your barbeque meat selection.  Here’s the two we chose, and two that I highly recommend:

• Meaty Gravy on Mashed Potatoes – This stuff was stupid good.  The gravy is full of their pulled pork.  That’s right, the same stuff that sent me to foodie la-la land.  They add a bunch of black pepper to it, and fill it up with all sorts of savory goodness.  Somehow, it reminded me of a really good pork verde, but without the verde.  Anyway, it was very good, and was an excellent choice.
• Mustard Greens – These greens were so good that Pat’s could probably rename their sign to “Pat’s Awesome Greens” and still be packed with fans.  The mustard greens were a much better choice than collard greens, and I fell in love with them at Pat’s so much that I plan to grow them in my garden next year.  They were slow cooked with onions, bell pepper, more of that tasty pulled pork, a bit of vinegar, some crushed red pepper, chicken stock, and salt and pepper.  I don’t know how Pat’s crew spends their summers, but they could probably win every side-dish award on the barbeque circuit with these greens.  So freaking good!

Pat's BBQ Pulled Pork and Meaty Gravy

Pat's BBQ Sides – Mustard Greens

Pat’s BBQ Salt Lake City Cornbread

Corn bread is a must have staple with all good barbeque.  Pat’s was good, but not terrific.  It wasn’t all dressed up with corn, cheese, or jalapenos, but was fluffy and delicious with some added honey.  Not the best I’ve add, but it served its purpose well enough at the table.

Pat’s Barbecue Sauces Disappoint

It’s a good thing that Pat’s spice rub makes their meats stand up on their own, because their barbecue sauces are not that great. I think they’re going more for a Carolina type sauce, but they need a little more work.

• Their Honey Mustard was disgusting.  It had way too much vinegar, and had a fibrous something (my guess is some sort of blended fruit) that just didn’t work.  Bad flavor, bad texture, bad everything.
• Their Mild was sweet and tangy, with a strong tomato base.  It was good but not great.
• Their Hot was sweeter than the rest, but also provided a good heat from some chilies and black pepper.  It was fair, but not great.

I found that a mixture of the Mild and the Hot was a better flavor combination than either on their own, and was a tolerable sauce for dipping my brisket in.  But honestly, their meat is so good that adding sauce is a total waste of time.  Maybe it wouldn’t be if Pat’s sauces were as good as their barbeque meats.

The Bald Gourmet Recommends Pat’s Barbeque for the Best Barbeque in Salt Lake City

I can’t compliment Pat’s meat and sides enough.  Absolutely perfect barbeque and southern dining experience.  Anytime you find yourself in Salt Lake, make the quick drive to Pat’s and order up some tasty pig.  You’ll be forever grateful that you did.  And ask for Jacki to be your server.  She was a hoot and had a fun spunky attitude that added to our overall great dining experience.

Crown Burgers Grill Line

Crown Burgers also came highly recommended to me for my Salt Lake eating adventures, so I headed in for lunch between my afternoon shopping destinations. What an odd place Crown Burgers is. It’s a mix of an old time burger diner and a Greek restaurant that belongs on the set of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. That odd mix is carried through everything from the menu to the decor. I wasn’t sure where I was at or what I was about to order, but the joint was packed and the aromas from the open kitchen were intoxicating.

Crown Burgers Interior

Crown Burgers Menu

This is where things really get interesting. Crown Burgers is a burger joint, and they have plenty of delicious burger creations to satisfy any burger enthusiast, but they also serve salads, fish, and Greek items like Chicken Souvlaki (skewered grilled chicken kabobs), gyros, and Greek pita (flat bread) sandwiches. I’m still not really sure how that all works together, but it gave the place a novelty charm that was actually pretty fun.

Best Fast Food Hamburger in Salt Lake at Crown Burger

Crown Burgers Pastrami Crown Burger

All the burgers sounded good, but I went with the house named Crown Burger, which consisted of a flame grilled patty, perfectly melted American cheese slice, lettuce, tomato, onion, sauce, and pastrami! Oh my. How can you go wrong with pastrami?

The pastrami was pretty good. It wasn’t overly salty, which was perfect for the burger. It was moist, and was shaved really thin and piled high on the burger. Yum!  The beef patty was also good, and was definitely better beef quality that what you’d find at Carl’s Jr. It had a wonderful smoke flavor from the flame grilling, and was perfectly seasoned with salt and pepper.  Even the bun was good. It wasn’t some amazing bread or anything, just a standard white sesame seed bun, but it was grilled on the griddle to a perfect golden brown toasty crunch.

This was definitely one tasty burger, and I see what all the hype is about. Next time you’re in Salt Lake, make a stop at Crown Burger and order their signature named burger. It’s on my top list of burgers now.

Crown Burger has Great Fries

Fries can either make or break a burger joint. Crown Burgers’ burgers can stand on their own, but their fries are just as good. They are cut large, somewhere between a steak fry and a regular fry. They are perfectly golden and crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. Great!

Crown Burgers Does Not Have Good Greek Food

Crown Burgers Chicken Souvlaki

I ordered a Chicken Souvlaki just to see how this place does Greek, and maybe I should have tried a gyro instead. I’m hoping that the gyros are good, and if you’ve had them, please leave a comment and let me know how they are, but the Chicken Souvlaki was horrible. I mean just look at this thing.  Gray chicken stuck on a stick.  Bluck!  The chicken was dried out, had no flavor other than some funky herb in the marinade that did nothing to add deliciousness, and was an overpriced mess. I took two bites then threw it away.

The Greek side of their menu is clearly more of a novelty play than anything else, but I’d still recommend eating at Crown Burgers for the experience of it all. Just stick to their burgers.

The Bald Gourmet eats at a well known burger joint in Salt Lake called Crown Burgers and has a delicious pastrami burger there.

Malaysia was incredible, gave me a lifetime of inspirational food memories and ideas, and left me with a longing to go back for more. I was sad to leave, and am just as sad to finish writing about it, but I suppose that is just part of being a food traveler.

Breakfast at Chinese Food Hawkers near Imbi Market in Kuala Lumpur

My travel guide book said that there were some good food hawker stalls in Imbi Market, so my buddy Ian and I headed there for breakfast. But Imbi Market was not what we expected at all. It was more crafts and wares than anything else, which was disappointing because I thought it was more of a food exchange. There were hardly any food stalls to be seen.

But directly across the street was a roofed enclosure of Chinese hawker stands. “Maybe this is what the book was referring to,” we thought, so we headed in. Oh what delicious things we found inside!

Chinese Food Hawkers 1

Chinese Food Hawkers 2

Chinese Food Hawkers 3

Not all the stalls were open yet, but the ones which were had so many tasty offerings that it was nearly impossible to choose what to order. For those inexperienced with Asian breakfast, you should know that there isn’t much differentiation between the food offerings of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Soups, noodles, buns, meats, dumplings, fruits, and vegetables make up the Asian diet no matter what time it is. But there may be different spices and/or levels of sweetness added to the same dish depending on if its use is breakfast or dinner.

So this was my dilemma, what exactly was I in the mood for? There was a guy cutting up all sorts of tropical fruits for sale by the cup. There was a dumpling stand with the most delicious smelling deep fried treats. There were noodle plates and hanging barbeque meats, soups, stir fries, and combinations galore. How to choose? HOW TO CHOOSE?

The barbeque pork eventually won. Oh that pork was good! It was very most, had a great charred Chinese barbeque flavor, and was perfectly sweet. It was served on top of some simple fried noodles with a slightly sweet soy sauce, a bowl of pork wonton soup that had a crazy white pepper broth that was extremely potent (clear your nose good. Ka-pow!), and some incredibly delicious pickled chili peppers. Damn I loved those peppers! I ate all of mine and Ian’s too. They looked like they’d be excruciatingly hot. Rather warm, yes, painfully hot, no. They were served in soy sauce, and were excellent.

Chinese Barbeque Pork and Noodles Breakfast

I found myself wanting more after the noodles and pork, so I ordered some fried shrimp wontons from that great smelling dumpling stand. Oh my gosh these things were great! There wasn’t anything in them except for chopped up shrimp. They were deep fried and served with chilies and soy sauce, but I preferred the pickled peppers that came with the noodles. We should eat this good in the U.S.

Chinese Shrimp Wontons Breakfast

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Common Chinese Food in Kuala Lumpur is MUCH better than P.F. Chang’s

For my last meal in Malaysia, I was a bit pressed for time to get to the airport, so I couldn’t really go anywhere extravagant. But I did have time to go back to the little mall across the street and try out another of their restaurants. I don’t recall the name of the place, but it was on the top floor and was fantastic!

I started off with an order of Lychee juice. I love this stuff. I must have ordered it at least 5 times at different places throughout my trip. So good. I love it! Lychee is a tropical fruit that is very sweet, and has a texture kind of like a cross between a grape and a mango. It has a large pit in the middle (usually removed prior to serving), and a hard peel on the outside (also usually removed). It is commonly served canned, as it was in this drink of Lychee fruit and syrup.

Lychee Juice Drink

Their menu was extensive, but their dish of shredded fried beef with green peppers caught my eye. It was wok fried with green bell peppers, red chilies, shiitake mushrooms (sliced), shredded carrots, onions, and giant slices of fresh ginger, all tossed in a nice soy sauce and served with a plate of rice. Yum! Go to hell P.F. Chang’s, you don’t have anything anywhere near this good on your overpriced shit menu.

Shredded Fried Beef with Peppers

The perfect ending to a perfect food traveling adventure…

The Bald Gourmet finished his 2-week visit to Malaysia with meals of deliciousness, and will forever love Malaysia for it.

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Malaysian Street Burgers

Directly across the street from Ian’s condo is a little hawker market with a couple food hawker stalls.  Ian recommend that I try the street burgers, so I thought it would make for a perfect lunch.  The other hawkers had a great selection of soups, curries, and fried fish dishes, but the burger stand was calling loud and clear.

Malaysian Street Burger Stand

You actually see these little burger stands all over Malaysia.  There was even one at the fireflies park.  They seem to be rather popular.  The menu looked straight forward enough…

Malaysian Street Burger Menu

I went with the 4th burger down option: Burger Lembu Special with Keju.  Basically, burger with egg and cheese.  Umm……ya.

Malaysian Street Burger

Look at this gooey monstrosity!   Buns grilled with mayonnaise, a “beef” patty with all sorts of seasoning in it which made it bright pink in color (the guy swore it was all beef, but I’m not so sure that was accurate), fried egg seasoned with bottled Maggi seasoning sauce (thus the gray color of the egg), sweet pickled vegetables (cucumber and onion), “American” cheese slice, lettuce, tomato, a very thick sweet mayonnaise, and a very sweet mild chili ketchup type sauce that reminded me a little bit of bad sweet and sour sauce with a kick.  Wow, it was good!

Malaysian Street Burger Bite

Mmm….hmmm!!!

I needed 10 napkins plus water just to clean up my hands afterwards.  Carl’s Jr. ain’t got nothing on this thing!!!

Dinner at Bombay Palace, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Well, if I was ever going to type a long list of profanities (positive, not negative) on my blog, this is where it would be.  Bombay Palace, HOLY (insert favorite expletive here)!

This is where my “mouthgasm” description was born.  This is were I first experienced complete sensory overload.  This is where I was incapacitated by the taste of food.  This is where you MUST go if you ever have the chance.

Bombay Palace Malaysia

Only 5 hours from India, I knew this was going to be good.  The meal started with the standard opening chutneys and sauces with crispy bread.  Delicious.

Bombay Palace Chutneys and Crispy Bread

The menu was very extensive.  Pages and pages full of deliciousness.  How to choose?  Ian and Hilary had more Indian dining experience than I, so they knew a few more favorites than I did.  After much deliberation, we settled on several tasty treats and placed our order.  Tasty….. complete understatement.

Bombay Palace Paradise Dinner

Bombay Palace Perfection on a Plate

Clockwise from top:

• Spinach paneer
• Tandoori chicken in a tomato, coconut, and mint curry (Butter Chicken)
• Some kind of tasty meaty sauce
• Lamb in a spicy curry with vegetables
• Biryani rice (spices, fruit, stuff, and basmati rice)
• (center) Cauliflower and potatoes with cumin (they had an awesome smoky flavor that I fell in love with)

So good!  Hands down the best Indian food I’ve ever had period.  My favorites were the spinach, cauliflower, and the chicken. Oh the chicken….

Bombay Palace’s Mouthgasm Butter Chicken

This chicken is indescribable.  A tomato and coconut cream sauce with mint, Indian curry spices, and some LSD to send you on a food trip you’ll never quite recover from!

Here I am scraping the remnants of it up with some naan.

Bombay Palace Butter Chicken Scrape

Yes….put that chicken curry in your mouth……

Bombay Palace Butter Chicken Bite

Bombay Palace Butter Chicken Mouthgasm

Don’t talk to me…..don’t bother me…..I can’t respond anyway.  I’m in complete sensory overload from this chicken curry and am completely unable to focus on anything other than the mouthgasm ecstasy happening.  I have been overwhelmed and consumed by the happy food fairies taking me to uncharted lands of glee…

The Bald Gourmet travels to Malaysia, eats Street Burgers, and has an indescribable mouthgasm at Bombay Palace.

The Geiser Grand Hotel in 1889

The Geiser Grand Hotel was first opened in 1889.  It was the most majestic building in all of Baker City at the time (and still is in my opinion).  Constructed out of brick and native tuff stone quarried at nearby Pleasant Valley, this hotel was built to stand.  It was originally built by the Warshauer brothers, Jake and Harry, in 1889, and went by the name Hotel Warshauer until purchased by the Geiser family in about 1900.  Though I don’t have pictures of the inside from that era, I’m told that most of the wood working, staircases, basement cellar, and glass windows are the same today as they were then. Based on its beauty today, I’m sure that its visitors at that time were as equally impressed as I am now.

Typical of buildings of that era, the hotel had gaslight fixtures.  Marks from those lamps can still be seen on some of the woodwork.  However, Geiser Grand also offered electricity, a complete marvel in its time.  In fact, it was one of the first hotels in Oregon to offer electricity.

The original hotel offered 70 rooms, which had shared bathrooms, as well as some extravagant (even in today’s standards) fine dining.  I’m guessing that the hotel only catered to the rich in its day.

Geiser Grand Hotel in Early 1900s

Geiser Grand Hotel Menu from 1905

The Geiser Grand Hotel Today

The hotel fell into complete disarray after it was closed and abandoned in 1968.  The basement became flooded, the roof fell apart in areas, pigeons filled the top floor with a foot of droppings, and bricks/stones literally fell off the building and onto the street.  It became such a hazard and eye sore that the city nearly demolished it to turn the lot into downtown parking space.  But just 30 days prior to scheduled demolition, a visionary savior name Barbara Sidway stepped in, purchased the property, and began a lofty $7 Million renovation of the hotel.

The renovation was done to exacting historical society standards, and has won numerous awards for such.  Some of the buildings now key features, such as the center stained glass window ceiling, were based on only memories and descriptions of local residents that visited the hotel when they were young.  The amount of work to restore this building into its incredible luster today is truly remarkable.  Thank you Barbara!

Sunset Magazine says the Geiser Grand is “the finest hotel between Salt Lake and Seattle.“  That’s a pretty lofty claim based on all the beautiful hotels throughout the Pacific Northwest, but I may agree with them if they mean it provides the finest air of historical luxury and atmosphere between those cities.  Seriously, my one night stay made me feel like I was living a rich man’s life of the early 1900′s.  The food, the detailed craftsmanship of the era, and the entire feeling of the hotel was something unlike anything I’ve experienced before.  A walk in time from 100 years ago.  What fun.

Geiser Grand Hotel

The Geiser Grand Hotel Features the Best Food in Baker City

As I read through the menu in my room, I was a bit let down by it.  All the dishes just sounded so ordinary and unexciting.  But I picked out a few items that sounded good and went down to the dining room to order.  Sitting under the beautiful stain glassed ceiling was classy for sure, but I was a bit unsure what I was in for with the food.  Well, what I discovered was that the food is exceptional, they just need a little better menu writing to indicate it.

Exceptional Dinner at Geiser Grand Hotel

We started our meal out with their featured appetizer, Wild Mushrooms in Marsala.  The menu says that it has been featured in Bon Appetite magazine, and after tasting it, I believe it.  This dish was terrific.  There were 3 grilled cubes of perfectly seasoned polenta, all topped with a generous serving of wild mushrooms (porcini and portabella I believe).  These were cooked with garlic, rosemary, and green onions, then reduced with a Marsala cream sauce.  It was fantastic.  The mushrooms had a great flavor, and the Marsala cream sauce was surprisingly lite.  The dish needed a touch of salt, but was terrific all the same.  Definitely order this dish during your visit to Geiser Grand Hotel.

Geiser Grand Hotel Wild Mushrooms in Marsala

Our entree selection came with choice of soup or salad, and I went with the New England Clam Chowder soup of the day.  They only serve this traditional cream-based chowder on Fridays.  The rest of the week they serve a Manhattan tomato-based chowder.  It had a strong bacon flavor, and a surprisingly strong potato flavor.  There wasn’t a real prominent clam flavor to the chowder, but it was loaded with the most delightful fresh and soft clams.  It was seasoned well, but was even better with some added fresh cracked pepper.  Good chowder.  Glad I chose it.

For my entree, I ordered their weekend special, Mesquite Smoked Prime Rib.  Oh good heavens!  This was awesome.  Tender, juicy, perfectly smoked (subtle but prominently there at the same time), and so very good.  The aus jus and horseradish sauce that accompanied it were also exceptional.  I’m normally not a big prime rib guy, but I would gladly eat this version again and again.  It was served with some buttered and herbed vegetables, as well as some mashed potatoes.  This surely must be the best steak offering on their menu, as it is the best prime rib I’ve ever had.

Geiser Grand Hotel Smoked Prime Rib

We also tried their Oregon Blue Cheese Steak.  This 10 ounce certified angus beef steak was very tender, juicy, and flavorful.  Taken from the top of the sirloin and then grilled to perfection, it would have been great on its own.  But they covered the entire thing with a wonderful bleu cheese and broiled it until the cheese formed a brown crust.  Talk about tasty!  It wasn’t as good as the prime rib, but was great in it’s own right.

Geiser Grand Hotel Oregon Bleu Cheese Steak

Geiser Grand Hotel Bread Pudding with a Kick

The menu says, “Extraordinary – our signature dessert.”  Whiskey Bread Pudding is what it’s called.  Burn your mouth and get you buzzed is what it does.  Well, not really, but wow!  There must be a whole shot of whiskey put into the whiskey sauce poured all over this stuff.  Delicious, but strong.  The bread pudding itself was exceptional.  It was very moist, but not soggy like so many other bread puddings often are.  It had a wonderful cinnamon custard, loaded with raisins, which I think may have been macerated in some rum.  A few pecans thrown into the mix added a nice crunch and textural balance.  Despite my fear of our candle flame igniting my alcohol ridden dessert, this was probably the best bread pudding I’ve ever had at a restaurant.

Geiser Grand Hotel Whiskey Bread Pudding

Comfortable Night’s Sleep at Geiser Grand Hotel

Full of deliciousness, we headed back to our room to go to sleep.  The king size bed was pretty comfortable, and again, the 100-year old styling was fun.  The 15-feet tall ceiling was one of my favorite features, that and the honeycomb tiled bathroom.  Cozy, beautiful, and ritzy.  I liked it!

Despite the supposed hotel hauntings, no ghostly visitors interrupted our evening.  Maybe next time though.

Freaking Awesome Breakfast at Geiser Grand Hotel

Morning greeted us with a light dusting of snow outside and a beautiful view of the nearby snow-covered mountains.  After lounging around a bit and taking a hot shower, we headed downstairs for breakfast.  We were surprised to find another eating hall that was closed up the night before.  This hotel just keeps going and going.  Anyway, we took our seats and scanned the menu.  So many tasty treats.  Here’s what we ordered:

Geiser Grand Hotel Grand Hot Chocolate

This is their Grand Hot Chocolate.  They make their own cocoa mix in-house.  Do you know how long I’ve been trying to find a place that does this?  Well, this is the first I’ve found and I loved it!  It was very dark and bitter, but sweet and mild as well.  It could have used some more sugar, but was very nice all the same, especially with the whipped cream mixed in.  I’m not sure kids would like it, but us grown ups surely did.

My girlfriend ordered the House Corned Beef Hash.  It was pretty good, though my breakfast choice was better.  The best thing about her dish though was the corned beef.  They put a large helping of it in with the potatoes, onions, and peppers, and it was very tasty.  They marinate it in a Deschutes Black Butte Porter, cube it up, then fry it to a caramelized perfection.  Served with a couple of perfectly poached eggs, it was good, and enough calories to last the rest of the day.

Geiser Grand Hotel House Corned Beef Hash

Best Eggs Rockefeller Ever

I’m a total slut for Eggs Benedict, but thanks to the Geiser Grand, I’ll never be satisfied with it again.  Good heavens.  Their Eggs Rockefeller rocked my world.  Full on mouthgasm.  First off, the eggs were poached perfectly.  Perfectly!  That is hard to find.  Plus those eggs were very high quality, with very vibrant colored yolks.  They rested atop some steamed spinach, on top of grilled Canadian bacon, on top of a fresh tomato slice, sitting on top of a toasted English muffin.  Then the entire thing was covered in a cheesy Mornay sauce made with Swiss Gruyere cheese (awesome by the way).  Heaven heaven heaven!  It’s worth the 2-hour drive from Boise just for this dish!  Geiser Grand, you’ll be seeing me again soon.

Geiser Grand Hotel Eggs Rockefeller

What a wonderful stay at Geiser Grand.  I strongly recommend this place for a little weekend excursion to anyone.  And at around $120 a night, it is well worth the experience.  We packed up our things, sadly said goodbye to our room, and then checked out to explore Baker City.

Historic Buildings Abound in Baker City

We were going to do a little window shopping at all the cute little small town shops in downtown Baker City, but the snowy breeze was too much of a deterrent for us.  Instead, we hopped in the truck and just drove around town to admire all the beautiful historic homes and buildings.  The town is full of awesome craftsman style homes, many of which were built in the 1800′s and early 1900′s.  Most look to have gone through some beautifully done remodels.  A few were for sale, and very reasonably priced, if you want to move to Baker City that is.  This was a great activity which helped us to admire Baker City even more.  But after a while it was time to move on, so we headed off to our main attraction for the day.

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City, Oregon

Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, and being LDS, I know a lot about the Oregon Trail and the pioneers.  But the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center taught me a few things that I didn’t know, as well as refresh my memory on some historical facts I’ve known for a long time.  What a beautifully done exhibit hall.  Everything was so very lifelike and well put together.  It truly makes you appreciate what the early pioneers had to go through and why they did it.

I couldn’t help but leave with a somber air of respect and even gratitude.  Humbling.  We have so much in our life now compared to our forefathers.  It’s kind of ridiculous how we worry so much about getting the next car or material toy when you compare it to the worries of the pioneers:  “Will my child die in the cold tonight?” “Will my oxen make it through another day to get us to the end of our journey?” “Did we pack enough food to survive this grueling journey?” etc.  And all this for the hope of claiming a plot of land to settle and farm, or to escape religious freedom.  It’s amazing.  I encourage anyone traveling along I-84 between Boise and Portland to stop in Baker City to spend an hour or two experiencing the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center Wagons

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center 1

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center 2

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center 3

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center 4

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center 5

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center 6

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center 7

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center 8

The Bald Gourmet travels to Baker City Oregon, eats and stays at The Geiser Grand Hotel, and is humbled by the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

Steak and Arugula Sandwich with Bleu Cheese Spread Camping

Inspiration hit as I was preparing for a scout camp outing this past weekend.  I wanted to show the boys that they could make much more than hot dogs over the fire.  This incredibly delicious sandwich was the result of it.  It rocked their world, and I’m guessing it might yours as well.  I’ve since made it at home on my gas grill, and it was still very good, but lacked the awesome smoke flavor the campfire provided.  Try it anytime, anywhere, but definitely include this sandwich as part of your next camping trip’s meal plans.

Ingredients to Make Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Gorgonzola Spread Over a Campfire

• 2 Ciabatta bread loaves
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, roughly 8 tablespoons
• 1 pound beef bottom round roast, sliced 1/4 inch think (2 slices per sandwich)
• Head of garlic, cloves separated and lightly mashed
• 1/2 onion, quartered at root end
• Gorgonzola Spread (recipe follows)
• 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil
• 1 ounce arugula
• 18 peppadew peppers, cut in half
• kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

How to Grill Bread Over a Campfire

Prep your campfire by burning a good bed of coals.  Once coals are ready, move them to one side of the fire pit ring and move any burning logs to the other side.  Place a wire camp cooking rack (or use the built in metal fire pit grate if present) over the coals and grill the ciabatta on it.  You’ll know when the temperature of the coals is right when you can hold your hand over the coals at rack level for 2 seconds.

To grill the ciabatta, slice the loaves in half lengthwise, drizzle olive oil over the insides (roughly 1 tablespoon per half), and season with salt and pepper.  Place the ciabatta on the grill, olive oil side down first.  Grill for a few minutes, or until the bread is toasted a crunchy golden brown.  Some black burn marks are OK.  You may need to occasionally move the halves around the rack to ensure an even toasting.  Once toasted, flip the halves over and toast the other side.

Grilling Bread Over Campfire

Grilled Bread Over Campfire

How to Pan Fry Steak Over a Campfire

Now that your bread is toasted, it’s time to cook the steak.  Start by placing a cast iron skillet (or a dutch oven) onto the coals to get it very hot.  Once hot, remove from the coals and place on the campfire rack.  Add the remaining olive oil (or enough to completely cover the pan, about 1/8th of an inch deep).  The oil should immediately start to smoke, but if not, heat a little longer until just to the smoking point.

Once your oil is hot, add the onion wedges and the garlic gloves (skin on), and cook until they start to caramelize and brown.  This will season the oil to add flavor to the steak.

Brown Onion and Garlic to Flavor Oil Over Campfire

Move the onions and garlic to the edges of the skillet, and add the steak.  Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper and cook to brown.  Once browned, turn over and brown the other side of the steak, seasoning again with salt and pepper.

Cooking Steak in Cast Iron Skillet Over Campfire

How to Assemble Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Gorgonzola Spread

Start by first spreading the Gorgonzola Spread over each open half of the ciabatta.  There should be just enough spread for all four halves when applied liberally.  You’ll want it all….it’s that good.

Second, place the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil on the bottom half of each ciabatta loaf.  Spread them out evenly across the bread, but they don’t need to be heavily concentrated.  You be the judge.

Third, place the arugula over the sandwiches on top of the sun-dried tomatoes.

Fourth, place two strips of steak on each sandwich.  If the steak isn’t quite long enough to fill the sandwich length, cut another strip in pieces (if you have an extra) to fill to the edge with what you need.

Fifth, add the peppadew halves on top of the steak in pairs, then cover with the second half of the ciabatta.

Steak and Arugula Sandwich with Bleu Cheese Spread Camping Assembly

How to Serve the Campfire Sandwiches

Depending upon how hungry your crowd is, cut the sandwiches in half or in thirds.  Place each serving on your best metal camp plates.  I suppose paper plates would work, but this is no time to go cheap on your camp guests.  These sandwiches deserve your best camping serving ware!

Recipe for Gorgonzola Spread

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 2 pinches of kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix together with a spoon.  You’ll want to press the gorgonzola pieces against the bowl with the back of the spoon so as to break into small pieces.  Think spread, not chunks.  Taste to make sure you have enough salt, pepper, and lemon, adding more to taste if necessary.

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, January 2012

The Bald Gourmet loves his camping, and loves making incredible gourmet meals over a campfire even more, like Steak and Arugula Sandwiches with Gorgonzola Spread.

Killer Burger in Bingen Washington

Killer Burger Kitchen

Killer Burger, Bingen, Washington Menu

Killer Burger Menu

OK, let me first say that any burger joint that includes BACON with all of their burgers can’t be bad. Just saying. But Killer Burger actually put some thought into offering an assortment of fantastic classics, as well as a couple unique show stoppers, like their Peanut Butter Pickle and their Marine.

The Marine is covered with Ghost Peppers, so there’s probably a lot of wisdom in the menu sign saying “Don’t order this!” as I’m sure it will lead to massive heartburn and bad restroom experiences.

It should also be noted that all of their burgers come with unlimited fries. Sometimes this restaurant gimmick results in bad fries, but Killer Burger’s fries are actually really good. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, perfectly salted, beautifully colored, all around great fry. Frozen, not fresh, but tasty all the same.

Killer Burger is open for lunch and dinner. But they also have a later afternoon happy hour featuring their Classic Burger and their Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon Burger for $2 off. Great deal if you can wait until after 2:00. We could, so we ordered one of each.

The Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon Burger at Killer Burger

Killer Burger Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon Burger

Good heavens! What the hell was this thing? It looked like a burger, smelled like a burger, and ate like a burger, but tasted like something that is hard to describe. Don’t get me wrong, it was freaking delicious! But a good ol’ American burger? No. More like a peanut butter and pickle sandwich (which I love by the way) crossed with a cheeseburger with a little added sweet dessert thrown in. Let’s discuss the burger component first:

• Killer Burger really does an exceptional job with their patties. They have a fantastic rich beef flavor, and grill them to a caramelized perfection. They are extremely moist, and are seasoned perfectly with salt and pepper.
• Their buns are pretty good too, though they could be better with a denser dough, but they also grill these to get them nice and toasty. Don’t mind the occasional over-toasting; the extra caramelized crunch just adds to the rest of the burger.
• Killer Burger’s house spread is good too. It looks like it’s going to be a very heavy mayo spread, but it is actually very lite and mild. I’m guessing it is a mixture of mayo and sour cream. Good stuff.
• And then there’s the bacon. That sweet sweet bacon (sweet as in great, not sugary). I’m sorry, but bacon is of the Gods and should be on every burger no matter what. Thank you Killer Burger for understanding this! And thank you for cooking it perfectly crispy yet soft.

Now let’s talk about the Peanut Butter Pickle aspect:

• I’ve heard of peanut butter burgers before, but haven’t had one like this. The concept is rather genius, the execution pretty good. The peanut butter sauce was very thick, and I’m sure added an extra 400 calories I didn’t need, but well worth the adventure.
• Killer Burger’s secret peanut butter sauce is something they hold sacred. I asked the staff if my suspicions about its ingredients were true, but they said they could never tell me. Though the surprised look on their faces led me to believe I was hitting pretty close to home. I’m pretty sure it is made with crunchy peanut butter, honey, a touch of salt, and chipotle peppers. I’ll play around with this in my kitchen and do a post once I have it perfected. The sauce was good, but was a bit too sweet and rich. So much so that I had a hard time finishing the burger. It was this sweetness that turned the burger into, well, not a burger. I left feeling uncertain of what I just ate, but glad I ate it. What an odd conundrum.
• The pickles were nice and crunchy, and blended well with the peanut butter. If you haven’t had peanut butter and dill pickles together before, you really should give it a try. There is this cool salt, vinegar, sweet crunch thing that happens when they combine, which is truly unique. I really enjoyed it on this burger.

Killer Burger Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon Burger Close Up

Killer Burger Classic Burger

So having a crazy over-the-top burger may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but never fear, Killer Burger has plenty of standard burger options for you. My buddy ordered the Classic Burger and gave me a taste. Seriously, this is a perfect burger. They really do do a fantastic job on their patties, buns, sauce, and the rest. Classic bacon cheeseburger at its finest.

My buddy Justin knew what he was doing and I’m grateful he introduced me to Killer Burger. Look how proud he is to be sharing it with me:

Killer Burger Patron Justin Black

Concluding Review of Killer Burger in Bingen, Washington

They named the joint correct…..killer burgers. More please.

The Bald Gourmet explores unique burger offerings at Killer Burger in Bingen, Washington.