East Side Mario's - Will Always Have a Special Place on the West Side of My Heart

Oh East Side Mario's, how did it take me this long to write about you. I actually forgot about you for awhile but when I was brainstorming ideas for new blog posts you came up again.

For those that do not know, East Side Mario's is an Italian chain restaurant that has a NY, Little Italy theme. The best way to describe it is that it is like the NY, NY casino in Vegas but a restaurant. It is based in Canada and had a few locations in the USA - one was once in Ramsey, NY. It was at that location that I had my first date with HSB (high school boyfriend) and many more after. Looking back now, of course HSB would take me to a chain. He was so smart and somehow knew that one day I would make a career of writing about chain restaurants (ok, maybe not a career but def a hobby.

I vividly remember pulling up to East Side Mario's in that hot white Ford Taurus. Damn that was a sweet ride. From the second I walked inside, I know I was going to love it. It had such a fun, lively atmosphere. Maybe it was not romantic, but who cares, I have Nina when I need romance.

At East Side Mario's you start the meal with delicious hot garlic bread. HSB was so excited for me to try these. I bet he doesn't eat carbs anymore because it would ruin his healthy physique. Obvi, I eat carbs. You also get unlimited soup or salad here. I got the soup because back in HS I did not eat salad. I wish HSB could see me today because I think he would be proud to see me eating my veggies. His mom would be too. For my entree I got the Chicken Parm. It was a huge delicious portion.

This is my favorite part of the story. I guess I did not really know how to cut my food that well back then which is just bizarre, but whatever. Anyway, HSB was so cute and noticed me having problems with my chicken parm so he taught me the proper way to hold a knife and fork. It is a skill I still use today! In fact, I was recently out to lunch with my friend Ted and he complimented me on my table manners. So HSB, thank you for sharing your skills with me.

I can not tell you about the drinks here because back in HS I did not really drink. Yes you read that correctly. Clearly and thankfully that has changed.

Sadly HSB and I broke up when he was in college and I could never go back into an East Side Mario's. It was just too painful. Whenever Brett wanted to tease me he would say, Rori, where should we go to dinner - East Side Mario's - ha ha. That was mean little Bretty. I hope Fordham loses. Ironically, East Side Mario's closed its Ramsey doors a few years after I stopped going. I think that was very symbolic.

Sinigual - Just a Bitter Sweet Memory Now

I am wiping the tears off my keyboard as I write this posting. The only thing that gets me out of bed and into work is the thought of my new brown riding boots (they are very Betty Draper).

My boss, and one of the Chain of Food Board members did an unthinkable thing to me. He quit!

Not cool dude, not cool at all. Who else will leave me sick in a sketchy South Beach Hotel so he can dine in luxury at Nobu or literally kick me out of a car my first time in LA so he doesn't miss a second of the Boston - Lakers Championship game.

Before he deserted me we dined at a chain. A new chain in fact! It is called Sinigual and is located in the heart of mid-town Manhattan.

I have been dying to try this place ever since I saw it being built. Then when I was in LA and I passed one I almost lost control. Sinigual, that restaurant I have been passing everday is a chain I said to myself. No way!!!! What a lucky little duck in brown riding boots I am.

Sinigual is a contemporary mexican restaurant that can easily be compared to Dos Caminos or Rosa Mexicana. The atmosphere is lively and not as dark as Dos Caminos.

To start the meal I of course got a margarita. Princess loves herself some margaritas. The one I got was some sort of grapefruit one. I really liked it. My ex boss was not as happy with his marg. It was small and full of ice and expensive. I did not care about the price.

Then we got guacamole, spicy! It was really good. What I loved the most is that they give you warm soft tortillas as well as chips. Daddy dawg would tell you that the soft tortillas are way more authentic. The chips were also good. Ex boss even let me have the red ones (he equated them to red states - very smart). For my entree I got the Chipotle Barbecue Shrimp and was really happy. It was nice large shrimp with rice and crispy plantains. I enjoyed that they put the plantains. It was a nice touch. Other things on the large menu that caught my eye were the Steak Fajitas, Steak and Shrimp Skewers, Grilled Fajita Salad and a Chicken in an Orange Sauce. The menu was quite good, so I would love to dine here again. I did not get dessert because I figured I would just drink margaritas as my dessert.

This place is lovely and a welcome addition to mid-town east. The only thing that might make it better is if they hire Billy Bingo from Austin, TX to sing in the restaurant.

Good Taste in Men and Food

Happy Monday!

Just a quick post about an article I stumbled upon this morning. It turns out our future first lady hangs out at California Pizza Kitchen with friends. How cool is that?

According to the New York Times, "Michelle has spent most Saturday evenings for the past decade with two friends and their families, most recently at a local California Pizza Kitchen where the group recaps the previous week. "

I wonder what kind of pizza she gets. I hope she is not lame and just gets salad. Oh I bet she starts with the spinach artichoke dip then her and Barry decide on two pizzas to share and fist pump when they pick two they both like. It is probably the Hawaiian (to celebrate BHO's home) and the Thai Chicken Pizza. Oh maybe the Jamaican Jerk Chicken.

Lucky for the first family there is a CPK right near the White House so they can continue to dine on gourmet pizza for the next 4 to 8 years.

Also if they are ever in NY I am more than happy to take them to the CPK near my apt. It would be so bi-partisan of me. That is just the kind of patriot I am. I would also invite Rahm of course. I can see him eating The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza.

Welcome To My Blog Mommy Dawg

So I have a new loyal reader, Mommy Dawg. I am so excited that she decided to join the 21st century and learn how to use the internet. Little did I know that her favorite thing to do would be reading Chain of Food (one would assume it would be online shopping). The first thing she said about the blog was not, Ror, I am concerned, you refer to yourself as an alcoholic a few times or maybe you should not blog so much and focus on selling ads. Nope, she said, "Why don't you write about me more." Well old lady, be careful what you wish for cause you just might get, cause you just might get it.

I would like to highlight some memorable Mommy Dawg chain moments throughout my life (I wish I had some background music for this).

My most favorite is of course watching her drink 3 sips of her sour apple martini at Carmine's a few years ago and getting so drunk from 3 sips that she could hardly walk up the stairs and then giggled her cute Mommy Dawg giggle throughout the whole dinner. She is now forbidden to drink sour apple martinis because I do not like being embarrassed at Carmine's, especially in front of the cute waiter we always have.

Most great chain mommy memories come from TGI Friday's. One summer we actually ate their EVERY single day after camp. It would be 4:30 and we would be the only ones in the restaurant. Even though I was a teenager at the time, I ordered from the kids menu and had to lie and say I was 12. I wonder why I am a chicken finger freak, it is probably because I spent a good portion of my life eating nothing but chicken fingers and french friends from Fridays. Nice way to teach you kids about nutrition mom. Oh and then the Friday's points. Nothing made Mommy Dawg happier than collecting her Friday's points so she could earn things like free appetizers. Getting a free Sesame Jack Chicken Strips would be the highlight of her month. I am pretty sure that if she saved all her points we would totally have earned a free vacation. Collecting the Frequent Friday's Points was always a difficult process for Mommy Dawg because she could never find her card because it was floating around in the great dark abyss also know as her purse. The waiters would have to stand around waiting for her to find her card, "one second I know it is in here somewhere." One second, yeah right, how about 15 minutes. Luckily the Friday's staff has so much flair that they never would get annoyed at her. She was their best customer after all.

See Mommy Dawg, I write about you! I hope this weekend we can create some more chain memories. Jose Tejas baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cracker Barrel - As Addicting As Crack (for some)

Whenever I say or type the word Crack, I think of Whitney Houston. "Crack is cheap. I make too much for me to ever smoke crack. Crack is wack."

Well Miss Houston, Crack may be wack but Cracker Barrel is not.

I had mixed feelings about Cracker Barrel prior to my most recent visit there. I used to go a lot with my family when they would drive me to college. I know I was always excited to stop and have breakfast there but once I was actually eating I never really loved my meal and thought it tasted rather processed. I also always remembered the long wait for a table which is rather annoying, even though they have those fun rocking chairs out front. For me the best part was playing that little wooden triangular peg game when you hop over pieces. I think I stole a few of those games off the table and played them in the car on road trips (editorial note - stealing is bad - do not steal, unless it is a really awesome glass from a bar and you have a big bag).

A week or two ago I was traveling to Philly so we hit some rural towns outside of the city. Cracker Barrel's are pretty much located off major highways in kinda white trash areas of our fine nation. You know, the real America! I am kidding. I was with my girl Roadie and she is big foodie like myself. Anyway it turns our she LOVES Cracker Barrel the same way I love Jose Tejas so when we drove past one I told her I would love to stop at one on the way home. I figured I would give the Cracker another chance.

It was rather early for dinner when we arrived so we dined with the over 90 crowd. The ambiance here is very inviting. The front of the restaurant is a shop with country like things and candy. As a kid I used to always get those flavored candy sticks. Those things totes rock! The actual dining area is very cozy, they even have a huge fire place that warms up the whole restaurant which was nice the day we went because it was cold, rainy and miserable out. It did leave my fro smelling like smoke though.

I figured I was going to eat breakfast for dinner because breakfast is obviously their speciality. I was dying for pancakes because I saw a commercial for pancakes on TV (ummm advertising does work I guess). I ordered two eggs, pancakes and bacon. It was a lot of food but I could handle it. I was really happy with my order. The pancakes were fluffy and the eggs were fresh. The bacon was also delicious, nice and crispy, just the way I like it. Roadie is a real Cracker Barrel expert, she even worked at one in college which I can not get over and knows all about the star system they have for workers there. She gets all country legit and eats the grits, gravy and all that kinda stuff. Girls from the Bronx do not really eat grits.

I looked at their dinner menu and it seemed OK. Real traditional American food, kinda boring, nothing outside the box. What did stand out to me is that you are able to pick your sides and as any fan of this blog may know, I love being able to pick my sides. I need options. From the sides that they have I would pick, Fried Apples, Mac n' Cheese, Mashed Potatoes and Hashbrown Casserole.

So if you are traveling along the east coast and see one of these on the side of the road, stop and treat yourself to a country breakfast. It would be very American of you.