Dinner with Carrie: Pecan Penny's BBQ

Carrie and I finally made it to a BBQ spot we've been meaning to try a few blocks away from our apartment, and the weather decided to cooperate tonight. 

I decided to try as much as I could for this review, so I ordered the "Downtown Sampler", which for $21.99 gives you generous portions of brisket, pulled pork, and a 1/4 chicken plus two sides. For my sides I chose to go for the carbs, adding hush puppies and mac & cheese.

The meat arrived unsauced but perfectly prepared, giving me the opportunity to try all five sauces on the table. The Carolina vinegar sauce was almost straight vinegar instead of  the spicy vinegar sauce I was expecting. The Memphis tomato sauce was good, but a little sweeter than I prefer. The Daddy-G, their house BBQ sauce was good but didn't have enough spice to rise above the tomatoes and brown sugar. The spicy grandpa, a spicy version of their house sauce was better at rising above the tomatoes but still wasn't great.  Surprising me was the eastern Carolina mustard sauce, which gave me everything I was looking for on all three meats.

Turning to the sides, the mac & cheese was good but not great because the cheese broke during preparation leaving clumps of cheddar and oil. The hush puppies were perfectly cooked, served light and fluffy as they should be but rarely are.

In all it was a good meal with better company, but I'm still looking for perfect BBQ in Columbus. You can try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

Pecan Penny's

Food truck Thursday

This Food truck Thursday I decided to give Fetty's Street Food a try. Specializing in asian and Indian cuisine they are a permanent fixture on the commons during the Thursday food truck roundup this summer. 

I decided to try the "Bunny Chow", African butter chicken curry with chickpeas in a bread bowl.  It was amazing, with good flavor and a great blend of spices without the spice of other currys. The dollop of dill infused greek yogurt helped cut what little spice crept in.

It was a great quick meal that I could eat every week if there weren't so many other great choices.

Fathers day brunch: The Market: Italian Village

Carrie took me to brunch for Father's day since the kids aren't with us. I decided on a restaurant we've been wanting to try for months, The Market: Italian Village.

They were fairly full when we arrived for our one o'clock reservations but we were quickly seated.  The Market is a classic small market/bottle shop, with coolers and shelves of wine along the outer walls, and a deli counter in back by the kitchen.  They atmosphere was friendly and warm, and we'll likely be back soon.

We started with bacon wrapped dates, today filled with blue cheese and plated on top of an espresso creme and maple syrup.  Damn they were good. I could have eaten 20-30 and called it good but there were other temptations on the menu.

My main course was Biscuits and gravy, which today was lamb sausage gravy over za'atar seasoned savory biscuits. Amazing flavor and seasoning in the gravy, and nice crunchy biscuits with great flavor and soft centers. Maybe the best gravy I've ever had over biscuits.

In all it was a great meal with my beautiful wife, and a new favorite restaurant to add to our go-to list here in Columbus. 

Wake up with the Commons: Buckeye Donuts

Wanted breakfast this morning so I headed down to the Wake Up With The Commons event on Columbus Commons to see what the vendors had available. Crimson Cup was serving coffee off of their truck, but I had coffee waiting for me in the apartment. I walked over to Buckeye Donuts' truck after finding that Nate's Steamed Bagels didn't sell just bagels with cream cheese.

Buckeye Donuts was offering a beautiful sandwich they call "The Buckeye Royale", bacon, egg, and cheddar served between two deep fried glazed donuts. Where has this been all my life?!? 

The sweet of the donut glaze contrasts perfectly with the savory of the bacon, egg, and cheddar to make an amazing sandwich that will be my go-to on Tuesday mornings this summer.

If you are looking for one another day you can find details on their website

Continuing quest for Columbus' best burger: The Ringside

On my continued quest to find the best burger in Columbus I finally had a chance to grab a burger from Ringside Cafe, and I am impressed.

Down what on first look is an alley off Broad Street is the Ringside Cafe, an elusive but much lauded burger joint serving the downtown lunch rush and doing it well.  The boxing theme carries through it's menu, with a large variety of burgers named after famous boxing greats.

I had the The Duran Cajun Bleu Burger A 1/2 lb patty with bleu cheese crumbles, grilled red onions & smoked bacon. My burger was perfectly cooked, with strong if a bit salty seasoning and that signature crust you look for on a well cooked burger. The onion rings were perfectly fried, with the onions cooked through but holding together well.

Overall it was great, but the extra salt puts it behind Preston's for me.  We'll see if I can find someplace to beat either of them soon.

Preston's Food Truck

The Columbus Commons weekly food truck festival includes quite a few great tastes from the Columbus food scene, with a rotating roster of trucks. 

​Today I gave Preston's a try, and am glad I did. I ordered a Preston double with salt and vinegar fries.

The fries were perfectly double fried giving them a great crisp. The vinegar was a bit heavy, but they were good. The highlight though was the burger. Well seasoned, with perfect temp and a great crunch. It was traditionally dressed with shredded lettuce, pickles, ketchup and mayo.

This was probably the best burger I've had in Columbus, and it won't be the last time I grab one from them this summer.​

Dirty Oscars brings bar brunch to a new level

Having brunch at Dirty Oscars, and if you like food you gotta check these guys out.Rich, silky chorizo broth with shrimp and grits that were pefectly prepared.

This old street side bar in West Tacoma is bringing its A game when it comes to brunch, and I'm happy to say it's best id's far better than anything else I've had in the area.  The grits were perfectly cooked, soft and creamy.  The velvety smooth broth was crafted with just the right amount of butter to enhance the texture.  Mixing chorizo and bacon into a traditionally southern recipe like this was a gamble that paid off big.

If you wake up in Tacoma looking for brunch after a long night on the town or a concert asst the dome, head west and find parking.

9 Dang Fine Thai

  After recording the video this afternoon for Old World Whiskey Society I needed some food so  I headed to my favorite spot for a quick lunch, 9Dang at Orenco Station in Hillsboro.

Thai iced tea is a beautiful thing

  The crab and cheese puffs are great as an appetizer

Spicy Drunken noodles with Beef are always a great choice for good meal

Potlatch - indigenous culture as card game

I recently came across a new game that was seeking funding on Kickstarter with a unique concept.  Educating people about the values and economy of a local indigenous people   by playing a game. Potlatch, the game,  was developed as a community effort with local elders and language experts. The game is written in both English and Lushootseed, the indigenous language of the Pacific Northwest. Game mechanics are based on sharing resources to meet other players’ needs for food, materials, technology, and knowledge.

Your goal is share your Resource Cards as Gifts to other players’ House Card needs so that each player meets all of their needs. Each House Card represents a human house that needs resources for everyone in their community to survive over time. A unique dynamic to try and achieve in a card game to be sure.

You can find  Potlatch - The Game on Kickstarter, and learn more. 

I'm a backer now, and I hope you'll consider helping this group bring Potlatch and other native population games to market. 

The Original Dineraunt is also a classic

The Original at 300 SW 6th Ave. in downtown Portland is rich in hometown diner nostalgia, with more modern takes on some old favorites combining with traditional diner fare to round out a great menu.
We were there for Sunday brunch, and sampled a variety of there menu.  Overall it was great, with just one low point out of four meals.

Polenta cakes with candied bacon were tremendous

I had the grilled polenta cakes with candied bacon.  The preparation was great, with big thick slices of polenta that had obviously been cooked and formed in a loaf pan then sliced and grilled for service.  The flavor was bold and wonderful, with lots of sharp cheddar cheese and milk giving it a smooth and rich texture.  Served with 3 slices of candied bacon and then drizzled with real maple syrup it was a wonderful take on the old fashioned Johnny cakes my grandmother would make for Sunday breakfast when I was young.  A definite hit.

Carrie's Red Flannel Hash looked fabulous, but she reported the potatoes undercooked and seasoning in short supply

My wife had the "Red Flannel Hash" and wasn't as impressed.  The potatoes were undercooked and seasoning was non existent.  For a dressed up corned beef hash with beets, red peppers, and potato it should have had flavor to spare but clearly something was missing. It was the one low point for the table.

The signature Chicken & Waffles takes things to a new level with chicken confit in place of fried chicken

Our niece Megan ordered their house chicken& waffles, taken up a notch with chicken confite instead of fried chicken, and the combination of a great malty waffle and the chicken was scrumptious.

Jeff created his own chicken and waffle combo by pairing a bacon cornbread waffle with a fried chicken breast.  Truly a heavenly combo that had me hooked at bacon....

Her husband Jeff had the bacon cornmeal waffle topped with a boneless fried chicken breast.  I'll have to take his word for how amazing it was because he inhaled it, but it looked fabulous.  He said the waffle was full of flavor and the chicken cooked perfectly.
If you are looking for a terrific brunch and great character, forget Mother's next weekend and give The Original a try.

Portland's "Iron Chef" raises the bar again, this time for Seafood

Being named runner-up in a newspaper's "readers poll" of new restaurants may not seem very prestigious, but when the paper is Willamette Week and the city is PDX it's really saying something special.  Portland has more than it's share of amazing chefs and fabulous dining experiences opening every year.  One of those chefs is Vitally Paley, and when he opens a new joint people will always show up.  To keep them raving and coming back takes skill that few chefs possess, but Chef Paley has been doing it for years, and his 4th restaurant is truly something special.

When the Heathman shut down their lobby restaurant in 2016 there was a lot of attention, and it went up a few notches when it was announced that Chef Paley and his wife and business partner Kimberly Paley would be opening a seafood restaurant there.

I finally had a chance to visit this week, and it definitely lived up to it's reputation.  Featuring a few staples like fresh clams and mussels, an amazing seafood tower, and an amazing 14oz steak would be enough to keep people coming back.  Adding amazing catch-of-the-day specials and live crab and lobster along side a "Russian Tea Experience" on Sunday afternoons makes it a must visit.  Chef Paley has another winner and the city is better for it.

When you do it perfectly, a steak can stand by itself on any dinner plate

I had the amazing 14oz ribeye from Brandt Farms, served simply rubbed with roasted garlic before being grilled to a perfect medium rare and accompanied by a wonderfully creamy Sauce Bernaise.  The steak was perfectly cooked and not choosing to clutter the plate with a lot of side dishes or garnish shows the understanding of the ingredients that the staff has in the kitchen.  It's surprising how few chefs in this city are willing to let a gorgeous steak be a steak without dressing it up too much.

I ordered the braised market greens and sweet corn grits as side dishes, and both were great if not what I expected.  The greens had a decidedly asian flavor with the combination of coconut milk and chilies.  The sweet corn grits I expected to be ground sweet corn grits, but ended up being whole kernel corn prepared the way grits would be.  It was a surprise but perfect in it's flavor profile and simple presentation.

The braised market greens were soft and creamy

The sweet corn grits were a pleasant surprise

Overall it was a great dining experience, and one I will have again soon.  Headwaters is definitely "Fat Boy Approved"

One pen to rule them all

I get a lot of products to review here at Fatboy HQ, but pens are fairly rare.  This one is rarer than most in quality and design. 

Ian Schon at SCHONDSGN has been making these for a few years, but just launched a version with a pocket clip for the first time and it makes it much more useful than his earlier design for me. 

As you can see, packaging is pretty well done, with the pen arriving in a nice folding box secured to a card with your ownership information and a custom fold-flat pocket notebook. 

The pen has a great weight and feel, with a Fisher space pen refill providing exceptional writing on any surface and at any angle. 

the SCHONDSGN CLIP looks just as great in black as it does in aluminum

Ian sent me two pens, one anodized black and the other polished aluminum.  Both are exceptional pens that would fit anyone's EDC needs.

You can find them online now at the SCHONDSGN website. 

One more price of Freedom

Many hours of news coverage and commentary by "experts" was spent this weekend discussing the comments made by President Trump regarding fact that a few athletes decided to take a knee rather than salute the flag during a football game. 

While I understand the initial reaction, and personally would never even consider this level of disregard for the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform I'm finding myself forced to admit to some hard truths that make me wonder what the President was thinking.

This kind of protest and more importantly the right to exercise it is exactly what so many of our friends and family members sacrificed so much to defend.  Just off the top of my head I can name more than 30 people who I grew up with that went into the service after high school, at least two of whom are still on active duty more than 20 years later.  My father, two cousins, two uncles, a great uncle, and now two nephews have made the same sacrifice.

I am forced to consider that sacrifice in acknowledgment of a deeper truth: that the ability to do stupid and disrespectful things like insulting our Nation, it's flag, and even it's Commander in chief is one of the fundamental freedoms that set America apart from the other nations of the world, and exactly what they all gave so much to defend.

My personal opinion, and even that of the President can't change that any more than it can stop the disgust I feel as the descendant of Jewish immigrants when seeing a Nazi flag carried down the street by teenage idiots with no concept or concern for the visceral response it provokes not only in people who share my heritage but from the Veterans who were in Europe during the 2nd World War fighting to make sure that symbol of hatred never flew over any nation again.

While I will continue to salute the flag when appropriate, and certainly have raised my children to do the same, we as citizens need to realize that one of the costs of Freedom; that the people who we disagree with have just as much right to exercise freedom of speech and expression as you, I, and yes even the President.  For better or worse that right does not carry with it a requirement to be thoughtful, considerate, or intelligent.  

Burger mecca launches first franchise in Happy Valley

Saturday the first franchise in the Killer Burger chain had their "Friends and Family" night, and my wife and I were on the guest list. Located at 147th and Sunnyside Rd. in Happy Valley this newest location is sure to bring local diners to the Killer Burger bandwagon.

With a Killer new design esthetic and a full bar this is my kind of burger joint! 

A fresh faced young crew works the main food counter, but grizzled veterans run the bar and keep the peace.  With a great selection of punch drinks and beer on the menu and a full bar for those over 21 it's a burger joint concept for a new generation.

Fast food burger joints with full bars? Bye bye McDonald's  

With burgers ranging from the basic "Purist" (with just onions, pickles, lettuce, mayo, and ketchup adorning the 1/3rd pound patty) to the "Barnyard" (which adds bacon, ham, egg, and a second patty along with Smokey house sauce in place of mayo)  these burgers are built to appeal to every craving.  Every sandwich includes unlimited fries as well.

" The Lineup" 

I went with the above mentioned Barnyard, and overall was impressed.  The burger itself was juicy and full of flavor, with plenty of fat to deliver the flavor you would expect from a premium burger.  Constructed with a great balance of toppings  there wasn't too much lettuce or too little sauce, and the tomatoes were firm and flavorful. I would have preferred a fuller flavored pickle, but no burger is perfect.  In my opinion, an egg on a burger should be runny so that the yolk creates a sauce for the burger and this was served over medium and firm, again a matter of preference not a deal breaker.

" The Barnyard Burger" 

The fries were crisp and delicious, cooked all the way through in the center without being too starchy. 

Overall it was a great dining experience in a great new venue that will spell a great new future for a PDX favorite.  Franchisees Wes and Coral Welterman can be proud of their new project.  If what I saw tonight it's any indication they have a hit on their hands.

Coral and Wes Welterman pose in front of the kitchen at Killer Burger - Sunnyside  

Fat Boy Summer Road Trip, part 2

Day 5

We left St. Louis after a great time catching up with the Golden family and headed south to Memphis.  Alongthe way we stopped at Stonie's Sausage Shop for some road snacks.  They had a great selection of fresh made smoked meats and sausages, great homemade jerky, and a wide selection of local area products from pickles to pork rinds, wine, and sodas.  It was a great find.  We picked up some cheese, some snack sticks, and some bologna and sausage to thow in the cooler for the drive to Memphis.

Even on a Monday evening Beale Street was busy.

After a long drive we made it to Memphis around 8pm and headed straight to Beale St., starting at the West end at the Hard Rock Cafe.  If you have never been to Memphis, TN it really is a trip every music lover should take.  The sights and sounds even on a Monday night were spectacular, with live music coming from every juke joint on Beale.  We walked "with our boots ten feet off of Beale" taking in the sights and sounds until we reached the end of the entertainment district and were waived into Coyote Ugly by their manager T.  It was quiet on a Monday night, but we ended up having a ton of fun and closing the place down with Morgan and Evee.

In this job attitude is everything, and the Memphis Coyotes had it.  Evee was fiesty and up for a challenge.

Morgan was pure attitude, running the bartop like it was a circus tent at times to try and get tips from a small crowd while drawing people in off of the street.

Some customers relucktently dance on the bar for a photo....

Other customers are much more enthusiastic!

What's a guy to do when his buddy wanders away and the next round comes?

This fat boy drinks them both and hopes his boy comes back before the next round hits the bar....

And then your bartenders steal your phone off the bar to take a selfie!

Day 6

Left Memphis for Shreveport, LA.  The long night had us so tired we forgot to set the alarm and were woken up by the guy at the front desk telling us it was checkout time.  Fortunately he gave us a late checkout without a hassle.  We had a huge breakfast at Cracker Barrel and were on our way.

It was a long drive, but we made it into Shreveport and got checked into our hotel.  It was right next to the Louisiana Downs racetrack and casino, so we walked over there to find dinner.

Fuddruckers was the only restaurant in the casino still open, but they have always made an amazing burger so we had a nice meal.  We played the slots for a few minutes after dinner then called it an early night.

Day 7

After an early night we got up and packed after a decent breakfast buffet at the hotel.  After a long drive made it to Austin, TX.

Stubbs BBQ has quickly become one of the premiere music venues in Austin, and they proudly have decorated with concert posters from previous shows.

I had the 3-meat combo with spare ribs, brisket, and classic sausage.  On the side I had Serrano Cheese spinach and mashed sweet potatoes.  

No trip to Austin is complete for me without a trip to Stubbs BBQ.  Stubbs Legendary BBQ has been doing pit style BBQ right since Mr. Stubblefield opened the original (and now closed) joint in Lubbock in 1968.  He was instrumental in breaking musical talent like Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughn back then and ever since live music has been almost as important as the food to Stubbs' customers and fans worldwide.

After a great dinner at Stubbs we headed for 6th Street to find a party.  We walked the North side of the block then crossed to come back to Chuggin' Monkey to get a look at the band that we could hear from across the street.

The Blues Posse were tearing it up! Their lead guitar, Jack Edery was pulling blues licks from all over the spectrum and doing them well.  Vocals from Mr. Jamie van Beek were tight and accurate.  A great show.  On to the next spot.

Blues Posse blew the roof off of The Chuggin' Monkey during their first set

We left the Chuggin' Monkey and wandered into Pete's Dueling Piano Bar.  It was packed, with hundreds of people all singing along and shouting requests spanning the decades.

Another music town, another Coyote Ugly! Rosalyn, Morgan, and Ashley were fun but didn't match the energy or fun of the great ladies we met a couple of days ago in Memphis. 

We closed Coyote Ugly down again, and headed back to the hotel.

Day 8

We got up and moving planning on heading for Amarillo, but plans to see a friend fell through so we changed our routing a bit, heading to Roswell, NM instead. It was a long drive, but we made Roswell about 7:30 local time.  We had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant recommended by the girl at the front desk called Los Cerritos.

I had a great stuffed sopapilla with all the trimmings.  The recommendation if anything undersold the food.  I love New Mexican food, with the great use of hatch green chiles and a unique addition of fried dough.

Fat Boy Summer Road Trip

Day One

The Fat Boy Summer Road Trip started out with a day of flight from PDX to Kansas City. 

After my arrival we went to dinner at a local spot called Nick & Nino's Pub. I Continued celebrating the #OldFashionedFortnight with a strong but decent Old Fashioned made with Makers 46. For an appetizer we had the Fried Trio, a combination of fried pickles, fried zucchini, and fried green beans. Dinner was a 16oz Rib eye, served with mashed potatoes and fresh sauteed veggies. The rib eye was perfectly cooked and seasoned, in addition to being tender enough that I didn't realize I was using my butter knife until the second bite.

The atmosphere at Nick & Nino's was great, with friendly staff and live music from a decent band.  Not a bad start to the adventure. 

Day Two

Our second day started on base at Ft. Leavenworth for Maj. Michael Cooper's graduation from the United States Army's Command and General Staff College.  It was great to be able to be here and see Coop reach another milestone in his military career.

The keynote address was provided by Gen. Abrams, Commanding General, U.S Army Forces Command.  His address focused on the bonds forged by graduates with each other and with graduates from the 93 nations represented in this year's class, the threats they will face in a faster paced global environment than his generation of staff officers had to deal with, and the relationships that would change to the organizations graduates would return to or be joining.

After graduation breakfast was in order, so we headed to downtown Leavenworth to a restaurant that opened just a couple years ago in the old railroad depot, appropriately named The Depot. 

​My breakfast special included a biscuit with gravy, crispy and perfectly fried hashbrowns, two eggs, and two slices of crispy bacon.  The biscuits were flaky and amazing, gravy was peppery beauty.  One of the best classically dine breakfast Atos I've had in a long time.  Definitely worth a stop if you find yourself in Leavenworth, KS.

That evening we went out to celebrate before leaving town, and spent must of our​ evening at DraftCade in Kansas City's Zona Rosa mall.  Featuring 60 taps of craft brew goodness, classic pinball and arcade games, and a decent bar menu it was a fun place to hang out.

  From there we headed out to local dive Arthur's for karaoke and drinks with some old friends to end the night.

Day Three

Day Three dawned with a delay after finding that the Uhaul had been stolen from the parking lot over night.  After a three hour delay to file the police report and track down a replacement trailer we were finally on the road to St. Louis and a home cooked meal with the Golden family.  Bob worked for Coop in New York, and I met them on our last trip West three years ago.  Since then they have become good friends.

 We arrived to advance amazing meal and great time catching up with the whole family. We stayed up until after 3am laughing and talking around the fire out back.  It was the perfect end to a day that started out so crazy.

Day Four​

We woke up and had a light breakfast before heading out to see a little bit of the city.  We stayed at Anheiser-Busch's Grants Farm.  The historic home if general US Grant's in-laws it became the country home of the Busch family in the early 1900's.

 We expected to see the Clydesdale horses so famous for pulling the beer wagons.  We didn't expect to find camels, elephants, buffalo, and exotic birds.

 From Grants Farm we headed downtown to visit the Arch.​

 the old courthouse in St Louis

We were all hot and tired so headed back to Bob and Rinku's house for dinner.  On the way we grabbed pizza from local favorite Imo's.  Featuring a cracker thin crust and light sauce it is unique but a nice might take on a take out staple.

Day Five

We left St. Louis after a great time catching up with the Golden family and headed south to Memphis.  Along  the way we stopped at Stonie's Sausage.

Snack stix and sweet bologna were my favorite finds, but a great selection of meat and sausage aft decent prices.

A Spokane legend

I had breakfast with Stephanie and little Koa at a Spokane landmark today, Little Euro. Featuring old fashioned European staples from Hungarian breakfast goulash to potato pancakes and ableschivers  

At 517 N Pines in Spokane Valley, Washington little Euro has such a local following that we were waiting more than 30 minutes to be seated at 10:30 on Sunday when most customers would still be in church.  I hate to speculate on brunch crowds. 

Their Goulash starts with scrambled eggs, hash browns and cheese.  To this is added any number of customized combinations.  I went traditional with ham, sausage, bacon, pepper, onions and tomatoes.  All of the ingredients were cooked perfectly and the combination made for an amazingly filling and flavorful breakfast.  Served with a short stack of pancakes for $13.99 it is one of the best breakfasts I've had in a very long time.

If you find yourself in Spokane, do yourself a favor and stop in.  You can thank me later.

Rockstar Burgers named right

For dinner tonight we stopped in at Rockstar Burgers in KC'S West Bottoms.  A funky place that seems to be constantly expanding, they serve diner food up right with flair to spare.  In an old store front in the Stock Yards, with a pole dancing school called WORX upstairs this 24/7 burger joint has attitude to spare both from it's decor and it's employees.

Rockstar burger with egg over easy is the best burger I've had in KC.  Great staff, great atmosphere, and quick service made it one of the best meals I've had in town.  Hand formed patties, seasoned perfectly and cooked to order on the flattop.  Topped with cheddar, BBQ Sauce, Onion Straws, and an egg cooked to order this is a well constructed burger that will keep locals and visitors coming back for more.

Brian and his team have put together a winning combination at Rockstar, from the atmosphere to the neighborhood to the food this place is doing it right.  You can find Rockstar Burgers at 1611 Genessee St. in Kansas City.