Archive for the ‘Stuffed’ Category
Two weekends ago we had to privilege of taking a little weekend get-away to visit some great friends of ours, Dario and Jaclyn, at their home in downtown Austin. Admittedly, this trip had an ulterior motive, in that we wanted to spend time with them, but we also knew we could easily squeeze in 3 – 4 PCC-worthy restaurants during the trip. ;) In fact, I don’t think Adam and I can go anywhere anymore without thinking about what fun and famous restaurant we’re going to try on the trip. I know…it’s a disease! 🙂
Well on this trip, the first place on our list was the Hula Hut, an old favorite of Adam’s he would always try to squeeze in when passing through Austin during his work travels. We were recently watching an old episode of Travel Channel’s "Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels" and were pleasantly surprised to see that she visited Hula Hut during her trip; and because we knew we were heading to Austin in the near future and Adam is a big fan, we thought it only appropriate to add it to the Pop Culture Cuisine menu.
Now if you are from the Austin or Dallas areas, you are sure to be familiar with Chuy’s, the uber – popular chain of tex-mex joints scattered throughout both cities. Well…Chuy’s owners (Mike Young , John Zapp and Andy Norton) also created the extremely popular Hula Hut in 1993. Located on beautiful Lake Austin, they decided this joint needed a jolt of life, rather than another typical tex-mex place that are scattered around every corner in the state. So why not mix it up a bit and pretend we are in the tropics? Thus, Hula Hut and the term “Mexonesian” was born. Yes I said it…“Mexonesian,” or in other words a fusion of Mexican favorites with a Polynesian/island flair, complete with palm trees, grass hutch tops, and tiki torches. In other words, it feels as if you stepped off onto a tropical island when you step inside.
Hula Hut is a massive establishment, but one that is packed to the gills on a Friday or Saturday night, especially when the weather is nice. Patrons love to be able to sit outside on the two back patios and watch the sun set over the lake while enjoying a drink. Also, free chips…and you know how much people love those! 🙂 Dario and Jaclyn arrived shortly before us and were able to put our name in for an outdoor table. In the meantime we were lucky enough to score an outside table by the bar and enjoy that same scene I described earlier. Unfortunately, right after placing our drink order, we realized our waitress was “feelin’ a little good” and was likely not going to be of much service. Yes…she was drunk!, but we didn’t let that ruin the evening, and by the time we were seated, it had all become quite comical. If fact, when asked if she was ok, she openly admitted how "wasted" she was from other patrons buying her shots, and we all had to laugh and tip our hats at her candor. 🙂
After being seated, I decided to order one of their fun lemonade type drinks as a fun start to the evening…
It was cool and refreshing and not too sweet, but as drinks like this go, because it was so smooth, it could be very easy to drink far too many. ;) So, I just had the one and that was good enough for me!
While we continued to chat, I took some time to peruse the menu, since I was the only one of us who had never eaten here. Unfortunately, while we were waiting that hour or so, I had managed to eat my weight in chips and salsa and was no longer all that hungry. Therefore, I decided I would order an appetizer and then take bites of Adam’s dish, which turned out to be ginormous! So, I ordered a stuffed avocado that sounded tasty and Adam got his standard Roasted Chicken Pipeline Enchilada.
*I want to take a brief moment right now and mention that I can’t find the stuffed avocado on their online menu, nor must I have read the menu that closely. Being that it is an appetizer, what I am about to show you, I totally did not expect…
I read "fried" somewhere in the description, but I guess I didn’t fully grasp that the entire thing was literally fried! Oh well, it still looked darn good and I dug right in; and that was about as far as I got…one bite in. I must have missed the part in the item description that mentioned some ingredient that literally lit my mouth on fire on the first bite (that’s cause it wasn’t there!!! L). I know I have mentioned before that I am a major wimp when it comes to spicy foods, and this was not just spicy…it was downright hot! So hot in fact that I didn’t really eat any more bites past that. If feel that if something has this much kick, the menu ought to say something…you know…for wimps like me. What…am I just supposed to know that it is fireball avocado without any mention on the menu about it? Perhaps it is a new type of avocado from South America that I’d yet to experience. I mean, it’s possible…right? 😉 Well, let’s just say that it was a good think for those chips and salsa, or it might have ruined my overall experience. But, Adam’s dish was so big and one of the Hula Hut’s most popular items, that having some of it completely made up for my dish’s failure…
I mean let’s be real…this is the enchilada mother-load! It could give birth to like 5 normal enchiladas! Truthfully, I think we should just call it what it really is…a burrito. J Needless to say, Adam could not finish the whole plate and I was able to get in a few bites, which were great. It is a huge corn tortilla stuffed with chicken and cheese and then topped with a cheesy sauce that has a nice zing (a NICE zing…not a light your mouth on fire zing!). It’s a simple dish, but prepared well and with flavors that go very well together. Adam felt it was not as “awesome” as he had remembered, but we chalked that up to the fact that we now live in Dallas and he has had similar dishes since living here, where as when he used to visit the Hula Hut it was a very unique dish to him. Still, nostalgia aside, he thought it was just ok, although he admitted it did hit the spot and he managed to put a nice dent into that pipeline (and Dario ordered the same thing and must have really liked it, because he completely finished his…way to go Dario!).
Hula Hut is a fun, hopping, joint that fits in an area that loves to be unique, laid back, and eccentric. I mentioned above that it is very popular around Austin, especially on peak nights, so it would be wise to get there early or plan to wait. In truth, waiting can be a nice time to enjoy the boats coming in, watching the sun set, and sharing drinks and conversation with friends. Still, if that is not your style, be prepared, because it is not a quick ‘in-and-out’ sort of place. As I alluded to above, the ambiance is really fun and festive. One could say that they really took the Island and Polynesian theme and ran with it. But, it truly complements the laid-back atmosphere, and as they say “Undeniably different…undeniably Austin!”
Our service (once we were seated for dinner) was excellent (good job Leon)! We rarely had to wait on anything, including our food; and given how busy they were, I thought they did a fantastic job. As far as a signature dish for Hula Hut…I’d say they don’t really have one in particular, but their pipeline enchiladas and tubular tacos, aside from being unique in their naming, seemed to be the most popular and most ordered items. As far as taste goes, although it may not have lived up to the expectations (and memories), I enjoyed everything I tried, and even think that had my avocado not been so spicy, it would have been delicious. In short…the food was all prepared well, quickly, and hit the spot, not to mention that their prices are very reasonable, as well, ranging from $7 – $15 for most of their typical dishes, which for the amount of food they give you, I think is a good deal. Overall, we truly enjoyed our experience at the Hula Hut, but would likely only return in the future to take in the scenery and grab a few cocktails with friends; and with that, I give the Hula Hut 3 1/2 Little Piggies.
Back in Chicago for this week’s restaurant; and I think by now you all know I have a special love for Chicago and will likely go back at any chance I can get, not only to visit the places I know and love, but also to find new gems to experience for the first time. This next spot is the later, and it is definitely a gem…or priceless antique to be sure. This week’s PCC review is of Chicago’s rustic hot spot, The Silver Palm. This hot spot that feels like a classic beatnik local hangout with the mood to match is truly a must see, and I am so glad Adam stumbled upon it while watching Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” on The Travel Channel; and like he often does, he insisted we go there! :). Lucky for him, we learned about this place only weeks before going back up north for the holidays, and we already had a weekend stop-over planned on our ‘ol stomping grounds. Well, he was on to something, because these “little piggies” definitely made me go “Wee, wee, wee” (That will make sense soon. I recommend watching Anthony down below explain). 😉
No Reservations Chicago [Video]. (2009). Retrieved March 9, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL9mx8haGFo
Well, after watching that clip the first time, I was very intrigued, and for a couple of reasons. One, I had never heard of this place while living there. Two, it is LITERALLY an old train car that you are dining in (I mean cool!); and Three, the food looked amazing on TV, so holding with the bottom line of PCC, I had to check it out for myself and see if it was just a little creative television and lens work.
So, the day after New Year’s, a big group of us ventured to out into the bitter Chicago cold to see if Anthony was telling the truth. Well, it is definitely a real train car, a 1947 dining car from an original train to be exact. You can read about the bio of the train here. Opened in 2003, the Silver Palm is adjacent to the Matchbox (same owners), a bar whose name is very fitting and quite popular in the River West section of Chicago. But back to the restaurant,…the train car itself is attached to a two story brick building that holds another bar and small seating area at the front; and as you move to the back, into the car itself, this is the view…
Image source:http://www.thesilverpalmrestaurant.com/AboutUs.html
After reading up on this spot, we thought making a reservation was likely going to be our best option, due to the size (notice from above :)), it being the weekend, and seeing as it had just been featured on a very popular show, we knew it would be buzzing with other foodies. Also, we were meeting a few friends there (Aaron, Cassie, and her boyfriend Eric), which made it more imperative to make a reservation; and it is a good thing that we did, because this place was packed!!! And so much so (which is the funniest part), that we couldn’t even all sit together! Although we knew it was literally a train car, we had not taken into account that it was just that…A TRAIN CAR!!!…meaning small stationary tables that only can seat four to a table. This is not good news for you larger parties/families out there; and needless to say, we had to split our party. It all worked out, however, because they just sat us across from one another. The boys on one side; and I was able to catch up with my girlfriend from college at the other table (Hey Cassie! ;)).
If I’m being honest, Adam was looking forward to this spot a lot more than I was. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited to check it out, but he was REALLY excited to try the infamous “Three Little Piggies” sandwich he saw Anthony Bourdain devour. I, on the other hand, was more excited to get together with our friends and dine in a train car parked on the city streets of Chicago. I mean…cool!!!
I know…I know, right about now you are all probably wondering if this is the same girl who has raved about dish after crazy dish on here. However (and I feel bad admitting to this), we happened to visit this spot the same day we had eaten Giordano’s, and the day after eating at Lucky’s Sandwich Co., so needless to say I was already feeling a bit stuffed! I had the best intentions of ordering something decadent, but my stomach just was not going to have it. So, I went with one of my standard fall-back orders, the French onion soup with a side of roasted veggies. I know…boring, but hey….it was all I could handle.
The soup was not out of this world, but still tasty. It’s hard to impress me with French-onion, but it’s a bit like pizza…even when it’s not that good, it’s still good and I’ll always have some :). The veggies, on the other hand, outta this world good! I realize that is something very difficult to say about something as simple as vegetables, but these carrots, parsnips, and potatoes were all caramelized in their own sweetness and salted to perfection. Ummm…yummy!
Adam, as I mentioned earlier, had his heart set on that “Three Little Piggies,” sandwich. In fact, all of the guys did. However, Adam and Aaron had a hard time making up their mind, because the minute they saw the menu, there was one other item that they both wanted, a favorite of theirs….the duck sandwich (fried in duck fat no less ;)). Their solution, they decided to order both and split the “Piggies” and Duck Club Sandwich. In their minds…the best of both worlds…Pig and Duck…perfect 🙂 (That is the “Three Little Piggies” below).
Image source:http://www.thesilverpalmrestaurant.com/AboutUs.html
Unfortunately I don’t have a pic of the duck club sandwich to show you (it did look really good), but if that “Piggy” above does not entice you to want to take a bite, I don’t know what does; and the boys certainly seemed to enjoy it!
Of course, being the loving husband that he is ;), he was nice enough to share a bite of his half of the sandwich with me; and I will also contest, it was pretty dang good! If we are ever lucky enough to visit the The Silver Palm again and I am not uber stuffed, I hope to order that lovely heart attack on a plate for myself . 🙂
Following dinner we were able to hang out in the lovely bar area up front and then moved down to the Matchbox (and definitely a deserving name. The door even bumped into bar-stool it was so small! :)) It was just such a fun and laid back environment, accompanied by a never ending loop of Fleetwood Mac (I love them!) and one bottle of wine too many, that we did not want to leave. Heck even another friend, BJ, met us later and joined in on the fun!
Being so freaking cold that night in Chicago and not wanting to venture out anywhere else, this place turned out to be the perfect spot to hole up, enjoy one another’s company, some wine, and our last night in Chicago. Like almost every restaurant featured on Pop Culture Cuisine, The Silver Palm is no different in that it has a signature dish, which 9 times out of 10, is the main reason why we visit. In this instance that dish was the “Three Little Piggies” Sandwich, and in all of our opinions (all us had at least a bite) it was a real winner and tasted delicious. The ambiance was unique, original, and oh so cool. I mean seriously…eating in a train dining car parked on the streets of Chicago is pretty unreal. The only draw-backs were actually as a result of this place being an actual dining car. It was very cramped and on a cold winter night, the lack of insulation made it really cold. Additionally, we really enjoyed talking with our waitress throughout the entire night and she was very attentive.
This restaurant and its kitchen are very narrow, which made the food service very slow. Remember…, think train car, which does not leave tons and tons of space for easy or quick preparation. But, although it was very slow getting the food, no one seemed to mind. We were all enjoying the experience and conversation so much it did not seem to bother anyone. Just know, if you are hoping to grab a “quick bite,” this is not the spot. Finally, the cost of everything was pretty reasonable, especially considering we were dining in downtown Chicago. Entrees range from $12-25 and sandwiches from $7-12; and I felt a lot of dishes seemed more high-end than just regular ol’ diner sandwiches, so I’d say they are worth a bit more. The only bad spot (and this is Adam speaking ;)) was that there were no free re-fills on Diet Coke; and he had to pay for a bunch! That all being said…, I give The Silver Palm 4 Little Piggies.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the city of Chicago holds a very special place in my heart. It will always be the city I got to visit when we went to see my mom’s side of the family; and I love all the memories I have of visiting the iconic windows at Marshall Fields during Christmas time. It was also where I moved after graduating from college and was “starting out” all on my own. And finally, it was where Adam and I cemented our relationship and started this crazy journey together. What I’m saying is that Chicago holds many memorable and fun experiences for me.
Now, if you would had asked either Adam or I two years ago, we may not have had such nice things to say about “The Windy City.” At that time, we were going through a lot of life transitions and let’s just say that the hassles of living in Chi-Town were taking their toll (especially in winter!); and as we started out on our life together, it was just not the lifestyle we were after. However, now that we’ve been removed from the daily chaos that comes with living in the nation’s 3rd largest city, we look back at that time in our lives very fondly, and have even started to miss many of the things that we took for granted while we lived there and now can’t have. For starters, the bar and restaurant scene is amazing! Chicago is world famous for its cuisine and the variety of restaurants that adorn each little neighborhood; and perhaps the most notable culinary feature that has put Chicago’s food scene on the map (and that we miss O’ SOOOOO much!) is without a doubt deep-dish pizza, or as it is more commonly (and appropriately) referred…,“Chicago Style.”
Deep-Dish is king in the 2nd City and you would be hard pressed to find any pizza places in town that don’t serve this hearty masterpiece; and because it’s so popular, it goes without saying that, of course, everyone has their own opinion on who’s pie is best, me included (but we’ll get to that much later). Well, I thought I’d try to uncover the truth once and for all…who makes the best “Chicago Style” pizza? Therefore, I’ve taken upon myself (with some help from my husband, of course) to finally figure out who’s deep-dish pizza reigns supreme! (I know…I have it rough, huh?:)). First up… Giordano’s, a Chicago landmark.
I have been eating Giordano’s for years, longer than I can even remember. However, that being said, I have a confession to make. Until very recently, I lumped Giordano’s in with all of the other deep-dish pizza joints. But, I’ve been mistaken. A few months back, Adam and I were watching Travel Channel’s “Pizza Wars” (from their series “Food Wars”) where we were informed that Giordano’s is not standard “Chicago Style” pizza, but rather is in fact “stuffed pizza,” a slight variation from your typical deep-dish. You should have seen the look of shock on our faces. It was as if you had told us our cat Lola was a boy after years of thinking she was a girl. I mean SHOCKED! However, after I gathered myself, I realized it really didn’t make much of a difference to me. I still love it just the same; and now I have a fun fact to share with others when we eat it, as I’m sure if you even asked many Chicagoans, I doubt many of them would know the difference either, which is why I still lump it in with its deep-dish cousins.
Now, for those of you who are completely lost and have no idea what I’ve been talking about up ‘til now…deep-dish pizza (or “Chicago Style”) is a “backwards” or “reverse” pizza. Let me explain. Your typical Chicago deep-dish features a deep, almost pie like crust. Next, the bottom is layered with cheese and the toppings are piled on top. FINALLY…LASTLY…THE SAUCE, which is layered over the top. This “reverse” order of ingredients is usually what throws people off, but it is the signature style for deep-dish pizza; and if you ask anyone looking for REAL “Chicago-Style” pizza, that sauce better be on top!
All that said (as I mentioned earlier), Giordano’s is actually considered a “stuffed pizza.” The reason is that there is another layer of dough placed on top of the toppings before the sauce is added. So if you can imagine, it is almost a mix of calzone and pizza. It’s hard to imagine that I went 26 years without ever noticing it. I must have been too busy stuffing my face with all that cheesy goodness! 😉
Well, I have comfort in knowing that I’m probably not the only one who was in the dark, and probably not by a long shot. Giordano’s has been feeding hungry Chicagoans their unique spin on deep-dish since 1974. They are known throughout the pizza eating world, and have been featured on a number of television shows. I already mentioned how we saw them on “Food Wars,” and they were recently ranked #88 in Travel Channel’s “Chowdown Countdown.” Also, they’ve been written up in many publications throughout the years, way too many to mention…just Google it!
One of the things I have always loved about going to Giordano’s is the fun experience that is associated with it. When we lived in Chicago, we’d have it delivered from time to time, but I must admit, I always enjoyed it a lot better when we were with a group at one of their locations and savoring our evening together over a couple of pies. It really is an event!; and unlike other pizza joints, it’s a meal you can savor, a slice of pizza that gets better with each bite and often requires a knife and fork to tackle.
When the pizza comes out there is always the Ooo’s and Ahh’s of amazement when they place it on the table. Then people are taken aback as to the size of the pie and utter astonishment sets into everyone’s face as they anticipate how they’re going to attack their slice, and if they’re hungry enough for two slices (yes…I said ‘two’ slice, as it is not uncommon for someone to only be able to finish one slice). Finally there is the drooling that comes when they pull out that first slice and all that gooey cheese pulls with it. Geez, just thinking about it is making my mouth water!:)
We were lucky enough to have a few extra days to add on to our trip up north over Christmas, and we thought it would be fun to spend them with friends in Chicago. Originally, we had not planned to stop in at Giordano’s at all. Because we had a lengthy list of other restaurants we had never been to that we wanted to try, we figured we didn’t need to have pizza (let’s just say that it’s something we’ve had more than a few times :)). However, one spot we were hoping to hit (Hot Doug’s) was closed over the Holidays, which gave us an opening in our eating extravaganza. So, where did we end up?…you guessed it!
We settled in on that cold day and were able to fill our bellies with some awesome stuffed sausage & pepperoni deep-dish pizza (and a greek salad for us girls to share). It was everything I wanted it to be…and more!
The minute they brought this lovely pie out, I knew I was happy we had the chance to stop in. With each bite I was reminded of the love I have for their thick doughy crust, soft cheesy center, and sweet sauce on top. However, as good as it was, I was only able to tackle one slice (Adam managed to put down two :)).
I mean come on!…I don’t care who you are…that gooey pile of dough, cheese, meat and sauce makes you happy, doesn’t it? It sure does me! One caveat, though. While living there, I must admit, deep-dish in general was starting to get a little old (I know…the horror!). But when the only real option for ordering or going out for pizza on a Friday night are Chicago’s hearty, thick deep-dish, your taste buds begin to scream, “Bring on the generic…(fill in the blank)…delivery place. Living in Dallas now, I might make a different statement on that, but I’m glad I am once again at a place in my life where I can appreciate the deep-dish once more.
As far as ratings go, this one is a bit more difficult. Giordano’s has become a franchise in Chicago-Land and your pizza experience can vary completely depending on location, time of day, whether or not you are eating in., etc. So, I will stick to rating it on our lunch experience over Christmas break. We went at lunch time, which helped both the service we got, as well as the wait time. Actually, I would say every time I’ve gone to Giordano’s I’ve had good service; and ours was just as good on this visit (Keep in mind that these pizzas take at least 45 minutes to bake. So if you are in a rush I would not recommend eating here).
The ambiance is always fine, typical of a pizza place, but nothing out of the ordinary. As far as a signature dish, I’m sure you can guess that they pass with flying colors on that one :). In fact, I can’t think of another place that serves a “stuffed” “Chicago-Style” deep-dish pizza. I’m not saying there isn’t any, but I don’t know of them if there are. If pizza isn’t your thing, they do have a full menu of other things (mainly Italian fare), but I can’t really speak to any of those items, as I always get the pizza. The pizzas start at around $15 for a small and tops off at $20-25 for a large. This may seem a bit pricey, but when you figure in how many toppings are being jammed into each pizza and that a large usually feeding 4-5, I don’t feel that it’s exorbitant by any means. Overall, I think Giordano’s is a must visit if you are in the Chicago-land area, and definitely a place I will continue to visit over my lifetime (hopefully take my children there someday ;). In conclusion, I give Giordano’s 4 1/2 Little Piggies.
…And stay tuned to see how they stack up against the other “Chicago Style” legends!