February 4: Woodranch BBQ and Grill

Every girl loves when a guy makes reservations for them and I was just as excited when Chris told me he had made us dinner reservations.  I booked it from the gym even though I was so exhausted I was ready to eat and happy that we had an impromptu nice night planned!  I have long since been telling Chris that Woodranch is one of my favorite restaurants because they have affordable quality food.
https://www.woodranch.com/

It started off as a ritual regular for my mom, brother, and I to eat at when the three of us got food together on the weekends.  So I was perfectly happy with eating Woodranch after long day of work and working out.

Chris ordered CAB Cheeseburger Sliders, a side of Smashed Sweet Potatoes and a small plate of Babyback Ribs for the table.  I ordered WR Burnt Ends which if I recall was a test-item they were offering and is basically what it sounds like which is tiny cuts of brisket served with dipping sauces.  I think I ordered a Habanero peach sauce with mine.

I just realized right now that the photos I took of this meal actually ARE on my dslr which I left at home so pictures will come post-publication of this entry.

The babyback ribs were DELICIOUS!!  We had come once before and the ribs were a tad dry but this time around they were succulent and soft and the perfect amount of saucy.  The meat was easily coming away from the bone and  there was a lot of meat as opposed to fat or cartilage/tendons.  I almost regretted that we only got a small plate!

Chris was not a fan of my WR Burnt Ends because he knows I prefer my meat cooked medium rare but thankfully this dish distinctly reminded me of a meal that my uncle used to prepare for my and my brother and cousins when we were growing up so I actually really liked it!  The sauce added the perfect amount of wet to the meal since the ends were admittedly a little burnt.  I did really like that they kept the fat on because that adds its own soft juicy flavor to the mix!

Even though he didn’t like my meal, I clearly came out on top compared to what Chris ordered.  His CAB Cheeseburger Sliders were not the business.  He got three in the order but only ate one.  I attempted to eat the other two the next day for lunch but couldn’t quite do it.  I’m not sure what CAB stands for but I’m thinking it’s either Cheese and Bacon or Cheese, Avocado, Bacon.  Without the pictures to help supplement and the missing details on the Woodranch website I can’t really say forsure what was in it or what CAB stands for.  It looked good but tasted just a little bit off.

Thankfully the smashed sweet potatoes really made up for Chris’ bad meal and I left him most of the babyback ribs too.  It was a somewhat healthy and hearty meal that was well-received by my belly.  Woodranch continues to do me right and unfortunately, it will be a while until we can dine here again.  Til next year, Woodranch!

February 3: Wendy’s

Tuesdays and Wednesdays have been a little tricky for dinners lately.  I started going to a new gym that’s decently far away and class doesn’t get out until 9:30pm on Tuesdays and 7:45pm on Wednesdays–add a 40 minute drive on top of that on Wednesdays so late dinners are an unfortunate consequence.

This particular Tuesday, class had run a little longer than expected and I found myself making my way back to Chris’ place around 10pm.  I called and asked what he wanted me to pick up for food.  Chick-fil-A is long out of the picture because we’ve maxed out our visits and it closes at 10:05pm so we were forced to resort to Wendy’s.
https://www.wendys.com/
And taking into account that I am a huge fan and advocate for Wendy’s…it is not conducive to my attempts at being healthy and losing weight.  But few local places are open past 10pm that aren’t bars or much more unhealthy.

So I had to pick up some quick food for Chris and I and we resorted to Wendy’s.  In an attempt to be healthy, I ordered a Jr. Baconator (I know it’s not actually healthy but at least it’s small).  I opted to avoid ordering french fries because I didn’t want to be that fat and because I knew that if I really wanted some I could have Chris’.

Chris had ordered a cheeseburger with only lettuce, tomatoes, and ketchup and a medium french fries.  I was supposed to request Wendy’s chili which I did do over the PA box…but they forgot to throw it in and I forgot to check before I drove off.

On my way back I was picking at the fries inside the bag, hoping Chris would be forgiving that I started eating without him and hating myself a little for giving in to the unhealthy temptations of fast food.  When I got to his apartment and unloaded the goods there were our two burger and two orders or french fries.  So much for me being healthy.

Once I found the extra order of fries my restraint went out the window and I chowed down on as many soft, salty fries I could find.  The good or possibly bad thing that this dinner reminded me of was just HOW GOOD Wendy’s fries are.  Although a favorite of mine, I hadn’t actually been to Wendy’s in a good long while.

Chris and I both finished our burgers and I polished off a few more fries before calling it a meal.  I kind of hated myself after it, not because the food didn’t taste good but because I knew that it wasn’t and my body could feeeeeel that it wasn’t good for me.  I also really don’t like to eat late meals if at all possible which is the absolute opposite of my midnight snacking significant other.

All in all, this was a necessary venture that I hope to not have to repeat.  Or if the occasion does call for it, I hope I have the restraint next time to just pick up food for Chris and personally opt for a healthier alternative.

Apologies for the lack of visuals.  The reason there are either no pictures or only iphone quality pictures is because 1) we’re both too hungry to wait, 2) I don’t have my dslr on me, 3) I am just all around too lazy.  The laziness was something I was anticipating on in myself before this venture began and while I haven’t been doing well taking the time and patience to stop and take good photos, I hope to reignite the fire in myself to take pride in my photos and my craft.

Keeping in mind I’m updating this blog on Feb. 17, don’t expect many (great) photos until after then.   Either way, it was a wonderfully nostalgic night of my college days when it didn’t matter when or what I ate.  But I’m all grown up now and I have to be able to say no.  So ’til next year, Wendy’s!

February 1: Mendocino Farms

By far, Mendocino Farms is consistently my favorite sandwich restaurant to eat at ever.
http://www.mendocinofarms.com/
I found out about Mendocino Farms in college when it was catered for an event.  I immediately fell in love with the Steak BLT, but as I started frequenting the restaurant and learning more about their non-catered menu my new favorite became the Kurobuta Pork Belly Bahn Mi.  The quality of ingredients is fresh, healthy and so delicious.  The service is top-notch, fun, friendly, and helpful.

For those of you that are soda drinkers or even beer drinkers, Mendos has their alcohol license.  Many people enjoy a nice beer with their sandwich but if you don’t partake or are not of age, they have their own collection of homemade sodas from black cherry soda to ginger ale!  Definitely worth checking out.

Another major plus about Mendocino Farms is that they have the best side salads ever.  Lemonade, bless them, doesn’t even come close to the quality and taste of the sides they offer here.  They have a moderately sized selection of sides that they rotate throughout the week for variety.  My personal favorites are the Spicy Potato Salad, Potato Salad, and Curried Cous-cous.  Apologies for not snapping a few pictures of the sides.  I ended up eating my samples before I remembered to take pictures.

Fun fact/hack: if you can overcome your shame of being “that person” they give you as many samples as you have the guts to ask for and honestly 2 “samples” of their sides are all you really need to be satisfied.  NOT saying that they aren’t THAT GOOD because they really are, but they’re just so rich and filling that if you have any more than that you might not have room for the sandwich.  So really the only real problem that exists is that there are so many good things here that you need to moderate yourself so you can try them all.

Chris’ personal favorite that he returns to is the Prosciutto and Free-Range Chicken sandwich.  This tasty piece comes chalked full of Creminelli prosciutto, chicken breast, Gioia fresh mozzarella, crushed honey almonds (that add an important sweet contrast), with basil pesto, balsamic vinegar, and tomatoes on a panini grilled chiabatta.  I regret not stealing a bite of his now that I’m thinking about it.

Prosciutto & Free Range Chicken

Next comes MY masterpiece.  Below you will find the most amazing sandwich you have ever had the pleasure of feasting your eyes on.  And those of you who are lucky enough to be in Southern California may one day be able to feast on the sandwich itself.  The Kurobuta Pork Belly Bahn Mi is modeled after a popular Vietnamese sandwich and comes with braised, caramelized Kurobuta pork belly meat, housemade pickled daikon radishes and carrots, cilantro, cucumbers, jalapenos, and chili aioli on a panini grilled chiabatta.

Kurobuta Pork Belly Bahn Mi…yuuum

From bread to veggies to meat to sauce, everything about this sandwich is delicious.  I craaave spice so the there are never too many jalapenos is any bite and the sweetness is such a refreshing change of pace for sandwiches and meals in general that are just too salty.

The servings here are perfectly sized for most guys to eat in one sitting but for girls, you can fill up on half and save the other for lunch the next day.  Even reheated (or cold depending on your sandwich) these sandwiches are still good the next day or two.  But really, with how  good they taste, I’d be surprised if they lasted that long.  Forever one of my favorite restaurants, you will be greatly missed.  But ’til next year Mendocino Farms!

January 31: BJs Restaurant and Brewhous

It was about time we ate here.  This has been one of our favorite and frequent hot-spots and I was honestly a little surprised that it took that long for us to decide to eat at BJs.
http://www.bjsrestaurants.com/
It is one of our favorite food joints and not for their famed deep-dish pizza.  We come here for the small plates and the burgers.  But most of all we come here for the dessert.

Ever since we ordered it on a whim once upon a time, we can’t come to BJs without Chris ordering their Corn Fritters with a spicy mayo and bacon crumbles.  It offers an interesting combination of salty, sweet, and warm bread-y goodness!

Bacon Corn Fritters

Since I’m on a minor health-kick I decided to order something light but healthy which led me to the Ahi Poke Stack appetizer.  I’m not going to lie, I don’t think very highly of BJs raw fish but I just really wanted some poke.  And it’s fairly decent for what it is…just quite a bit overpriced when I saw the receipt.  One of the best parts of this dish however, isn’t the fish or the marinade, it’s the chips they serve with it.

Ahi Tuna Poke

For my entree I stuck to a simple soup-salad combo.  I got Clam Chowder (yes, I KNOW it’s not healthy, get off my back) and a Ceasar Salad.  The chowder was okay.  I do like the size and amount of clam pieces they have but the soup was served barely hot at was reduced to lukewarm and tepid fairly quickly.  The good bites were good while they lasted…so not very long.

Clam Chowder

The salad was better.  Or rather standard. I don’t really expect drop-dead fabulous food when I come to BJs but I expect good food.  And that’s what I get–a consistent standard of better than normal food–if you pick the right items and not the disproportionately overpriced ones.  I thought the salad was yummy and the chicken was well-seasoned but I could be biased because I like my salads drenched in Ceasar dressing.

Ceasar Salad

Chris opted for a burger…I wasn’t paying attention again as to what kind so we get to play deconstruct the burger again!

Burger

Based on the picture it looks like your run-of-the-mill burger, which BJs does a good job of making.  I can see bacon, cheese, tomato, and lettuce which is how Chris likes it.  I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some A1 or other barbecue sauce in there as well.

Arguably the most important part of the meal was the one thing that I forgot to take a picture of…the COOKIES AND CREME PIZZOOKIE.  It was the best part of the meal considering the food was decent and the service was poor.  And since we hadn’t had pizzookies in a good long while it was a great dessert treat.  I want another one now but, not for a while, ’til next year, BJs!

January 28: REPEAT Umaya Ramen

The laziness continued.  Thursday we didn’t feel like going out so I picked up some Umaya Ramen to-go.  As per De Rules, I ordered Fried Chicken (Chicken Karaage) and Chris got the Umaya Ramen, minus mushroom, fishcake, and green onions.  We cheated a little bit and still ordered the Fried Oreos.  Don’t judge us.

The food suited our mood–which was lazy.  It didn’t at all blow me away this time.  It might be because I have a predisposed bias against taking food to go or not eating it in the context and ambiance of the restaurant but it was just ok.

The ramen didn’t taste nearly as good as it did the last time we were here. Maybe it was because Chris had different toppings than I did and I didn’t exactly remember if I got the thick or thin noodles last time but I was just not impressed.  The noodles tasted tough and not at all as well-cooked as I remember them being from before.  I reaffirmed my previous decision to not get ground spicy pork.  I just don’t like the taste of it.

The Chicken Karaage (which is just basically popcorn chicken) was only ok.  It would have been less so if they hadn’t included the dipping sauce that I’m pretty sure was just Thousand Island.  But whatever gave it more flavor was ok in my book!

Thankfully the Oreos were still on point.  They gave much less ice-cream as a result of their to-go packaging so that was a major bummer.  Overall this meal was probably a 2.5 out of 5.  It just didn’t sit right in our stomachs and left a lot wanting.  But I guess that’s what happens when you order out sometimes.  I’m glad I got this bug out of my system because now I have no problem saying with certainty, ’til next year Umaya Ramen!

January 27: REPEAT Chick-fil-A

It was another late Tuesday and I was exhausted from working out.  The only place that would be open and was halfway healthy was Chick-fil-A so we used our first re-run meal to order Chick-fil-A.

I got a Spicy Chicken Sandwich and Chris got a 12-piece Chicken Nuggets.  Glazing over the traffic, getting lost, and all around rushing rage to get to the restaurant before it closed at 10pm, I was sooo stressed out when I got there at 9:56pm and say a huge line both inside and at the drive-thru.  Still being sweaty and under-dressed from coming from the gym, I decided to risk the drive-thru.

I got really agitated when the line was basically going nowhere and some workers came out.  I rolled down my window and asked them if they were closing up and sending the rest of us poor bastards in line home without food.  Thankfully the guy told me that I was the last one that they would serve and they just need to put up some cones behind my car so they know that I’m the last person to serve.  I WAS SO HAPPY/RELIEVED/THANKFUL.  This was a win that I really needed.

I ordered my sandwich, Chris’ chicken and the side of medium fries that he requested.  By the time I got to the pick-up window, I had been told twice how lucky I was to have made it in as the last customer of the night–and I FELT lucky.  Unluckily, the girl at the pick-up window told me that since they did technically close at 10, and it was probably about 10:15 when I got to the window, that they were out of fries.  On the bright side, she said I could have something extra for no charge: an extra sandwich, and extra box of chicken, or even both!  I said then I’ll do that and she ended up giving us two extra boxes of 12 pieces of chicken which was AMAZING!

I took the food home and Chris and I enjoyed our victory.  It was a simple meal but hard-earned.  Too bad now we can’t show our appreciation by our continued patronage.  Such is the way of the challenge.  Truer than before, til next year, Chick-fil-A!