Category: Food

Pancake Circus – Gut Budget

On the corner of 21st and Broadway lies a special treat for those in the know, an establishment with high family values, understated elegance and waitresses name Phyllis and Flo. It is, of course, the Pancake Circus, or as I like to call it, “Le Cirque de Crepe.” This is greasy-spoon eating at its best. Silver dollar pancakes, mounds of bacon, cereal and milk that come out of giant machines, men with high, conical chef’s hats slinging hash and gum chewing waitresses who call you “dear” and “honey” and “sweetie.” It’s a blast from the past with all the modern conveniences. You can get pigs in a blanket with a side of egg beaters and pay for it with your ATM card.
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Weekend Observation

Arby's Roast Beef is Yummy?

I had occasion to drive by the same Arby’s on Walnut and Marconi yesterday no fewer than 3 times. As you can tell from the blurry photo the parking lot was empty…every time! I’ve sort of paid attention to this observation recently and I’ve found that yesterday was no anomaly. So I ask, who eats at Arby’s?

I know the Simpsons have taken several shots at the restaurant over the years. I used to frequent a RAX roast beef restaurant in Arizona, but they seem to have moved east.

For those who need an excuse to drink

SacTicket.com offers up 9 places to visit tonight to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The Mikuni one was pretty good:

OK, so Mikuni isn’t really doing anything big for St. Patrick’s Day (hello, it’s a sushi place), but we thought the one thing they are doing was so cute, it deserved a mention. Apparently, people are always thinking it is an Irish pub when they hear the name out of context, so the folks at Mikuni have made up T-shirts that spell the name as if it were a Celtic watering hole, selling a McCooney’s tee for $20; the staff will be sporting them today.

If I were to enjoy this sort of tomfoolery, I’d be stopping by the Bonn Lair. I have reason to believe that the corned beef and cabbage will be second to none.

Local Bites: Sushi Dominates the Landscape

Perhaps, long ago, in a land far away, there was a time and place where you could drive a block and not see a sushi restaurant. What a cold, barren, ludicrous place that must have been. I knew that sushi had completely taken over when I saw them popping up in Fresno. Once you’ve penetrated the heartland of California, you know you’ve arrived. So, since there are so many sushi restaurants in the are, I thought it wise to separate out a few as standouts or flops. Feel free to pitch in your own reco’s as well:

Taka’s Sushi
1730 S St, Sacramento
Food *** Ambience*** Service****

I usually hit Taka for lunch, so I don’t normally have the dinner fare there, but the fish is always wonderful and the service is on top of things. The only odd thing is that the head sushi chef resembles 49’s fullback Tom Rathman. I’m not sure if this is offputting or if it adds to the charm. Is this a factor of globalization, or are we still too narrow minded to not trust sushi from a guy named “Buck?”
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Fish & Chips- Foxy & Goosey

Next stop on the battered and fried tour, Fox & Goose. I’ve always heard that the Goose’s food is great, and they constantly win awards for their brunch, so I’ve been looking forward to this one. To tell you the truth, I was a bit disappointed, not as disappointed as I was to learn that Jaime Lee Curtis was born with a penis, but disappointed none the less.

The meal started out well with the authentic pub tradition of ordering food at the bar along with a pint of John Courage. The first bite was like biting into a soggy towel; the flavor was fine but the fish was, there’ no other word for it, mushy. It kind of squirted out between cracks in the puffy, tempura-like breading. The tartar sauce, seemingly a mix of 111 parts mayo 1 part relish, was dangerously warm and starting to separate. The chips were overly crispy and a little light on flavor. Overall, I was bummed. The textures were off-putting and the risky tartar sauce was disconcerting, even for a mayonnaise hound like me. I love F&G for their good prices, great service and wide selection of British brews, but fish & chips is not something I’d recommend there.

Fox & Goose
10th & R, Downtown Sacramento
Food** Ambience**** Service****

Fish & Chips-Streets of London

OK, so I’m not exactly a “regular” at Streets of London, but I do go there about once a week, especially for the Sunday Night Pub Quiz. I’ve never been a huge fan of the food, but would be remiss if I didn’t at least give their Fish & Chips a try on my latest food hunt for the best Fish & Chips in Sacramento.

Well, I’ll have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The fish was excellent, very flaky and tasty, breaded just right and fried to perfection. The tartar sauce was good by me, being a mix of mayonnaise mixed with mayonnaise mixed with stone ground mustard mixed with more mayonnaise. The chips, however, were a disappointment, a bit soggy, a bit burnt, a bit unappealing. Oh yeah, and did I mention that we also destroyed Edie Lambert and her trivia group there last week. Looks like I’m branching out from trouncing sports personalities to just demeaning local media personalities. Paul & Jen, want to get back in the spotlight? BRING IT ON!

Streets of London, 18th & J Sacramento
Food*** Ambience**** Service***

What the frijole is going on at Taco Loco?

I know I’m not the only one who loves Taco Loco. But am I the only one who doesn’t love it as much anymore? (I’m speaking specifically of the Jay street location–I haven’t tried either of the others.) There seems to have been an ownership change–web searches of all the usual suspects are turning up nothing. The wacky decor is gone, the menu is the same, the bar is the same, some of the wait staff are the same, and there is this cocky young manager/chef type who seems to be above taking orders or not have time for it or something.

This is all acceptable. The new hip decor is well done, and the few familiar faces make it easy to stomach the new ones. But the burrito I just had (the Al Pastor) was not as good as it should have been/used to be. Same basic recipe, but a little cooler and a little milder, and most importantly about 60% the size of an Al Pastor of yesteryear or, more precisely, yester-October. What’s going on? And then to add insult to injury they seem to have managed to keep the franchise name, recipes and menu but they’ve lost the branded soda cups! This is more than I can take!! At least they are still a Coca-Cola shop…