SUPERBOWL SUNDAY FOOD BONANZA

Hello - what an amazing Superbowl we are going to have this year. It will be a showdown between the awesome, shy, awkward Eli Manning and the Hollywood Playboy, babies daddy, flower holding Tom Brady. Giants need to win. We need to show New England they are not the only place in the northeast that can win championships anymore. Do it for the Yankees, Red Sox suck!!
So in honor of this historic game I am giving you my list of best chain sports themed restaurants.

1) ESPN Zone - this is the mecca and the best. I love their salads, spinach artichoke tip and chicken sandwhiches. Their TV's are awesome and I like that the waitstaff has their favorite sportsteam on their name pins.

2) 40/40 Club. Party like a rap star!!! With locations in NY, Atantic City and the fabulous Palazzo in Las Vegas, Mr. Jay Z has created a nice chain for himself and Miss Knowles. I never actually ate here but I have drank here. Drinks are expensive but the atmosphere is awesome and there is a special Arod room, that is hot.

3) Champs - I only went once but I was very impressed. Good food and ambiance for watching sports.

4) Jocks and Jills - Has a neighborhood feel (read my post about it a few entries below).

5) Fox Sports - Hah, you think I need to place this higher because I work for Rup. Umm no, that is what you get for endorsing BHO.

A lot of athletes like Shula & Marino have opened sports bar like chains, I notice a lot of them in Florida. Once I move down there and fulfil my dream of being a gym teacher in Boca I will write all about them.

Famous Dave's BBQ - Back On The Sauce

I randomly found this place last weekend when I was doing my tour de Jersey mall trip. I heard about this place from my brother, the chain of food king so we decided to give it a try.

I must admit, I am not a huge pork eater so BBQ places do not always do it for me.

I love BBQ sauce but the meat, I can do without. Anyway I will get down to business.

I was disappointed that this place did not give you any bread or corn muffins to start your meal. I think a place where the food is so fatty should just start you with some bread, go all out ya know. For my meal I got a simple grilled chicken sandwich. I was very pleased with the size of the sandwich and the chicken was very juicy. What I really liked about this place was that you could pick from a long list what side you wanted. I went with the sweet potato mashed, which were just ok, I had better at many other places. On the sandwich they put what they called hell-fire pickle chips. They were awesome, hot, spicy pickles, amazing!! I also really loved the BBQ sauce here. I could not get enough of it which is important because it is a BBQ place. I was dipping my left over bread in it.

The platters at this place come with two side dishes, corn and corn bread. I think that is awesome because I like a lot of sides. I just could not find a platter I would eat because it was all meat on the bone or brisket and I am not so into that. Other side dish options here are apples, regular mashed potatoes, fries and green beans. They also have this huge family size BBQ plate which is probably fun to share with a big group.

The atmosphere here is very Texas BBQ like. I did not fee like I was in the middle of Jersey at all.

I must say though, I did like this place, loved the BBQ sauce, BUT Texas Roadhouse is 10times better for sure.

Cosi Can Be Cozy

Lately I have been having the majority of my lunches at Cosi. I was never a huge fan of Cosi but after listening to my cousin and trying their veggie and hummus sandwhich I was hooked. This is by far the best veggie and hummus sandwhich in the area. It is served on their delicious homemade flatbread and filled with hummus, cucumbers, basil (for some reason I totally love basil), and tomatoes. I of course HATE tomatoes so I get carrots instead. It is very fulfilling. You also get a choice of chips or carrots. This bothers me. I wish there was more choices like baked lays or sliced apples. That would be awesome.

I first started going to Cosi when I lived in DC. My roommate loved the square bagels. I liked the novelty of them too but now I just kind of think they are Ok and too doughy. I rather get a good NY bagel. The coffee drinks are pretty good there. They have all the standard fun coffee and tea drinks that most chain sandwhich places have. Nothing really stands out in my mind though.

Besides the hummus sandwich other sandwiches I recommend are the Tuscan Pesto Chicken, I love everything pesto so of course I pick that, and the Sesame Ginger Chicken which they claim to be on the healthy side. I get them heated up because I despise cold chicken (which actually is one of the reasons I used to not love Cosi, I did not know you can get them to heat up the chicken). I know a lot of people also really like their TBM, tomatoes basil and mozzarella sandwich but because I don't eat tomatoes it might be weird getting that.

When I am not eating the hummus sandwich I am probably getting their signature salad which is totally awesome and such a Rori salad. What does that mean??? It means it is filled with fruits and nuts and no veggies!!! The signature salad has dried cranberries, pistachio nuts, pears, grapes and gorgonzola cheese (I don't get the cheese). What is awesome about Cosi salads is that you also get a piece of their amazing hot bread in either wheat or plain. This is probably the best part of the salad experience.

Oh I also love having all the little pieces of bread that they keep in the front of the line. It is almost like a little preview of what is to come. My favorite are the people that take 10 pieces. I at least have some self control and only take about 2.

Cosi also has soups that my friend gets a lot. They look pretty good but I never had one. Another cool thing is that they have these flatbread pizzas in variety's like meatball pesto, pan asian chicken and Margarita. Again never had one, but they look really, really good. I will try one soon and let you know how they are.

Some Cosi's are fancier than others. It really depends on the location. The one in DC I used to go to kind of was a hot spot at night. I saw many a dates there. They have a dessert menu and fondue so I guess that is why. I never was taken on a date here. Probably because I am not going on some fondue date, hellz no, maybe if there was wine served too or something.

Puerto Rico The Shining Star of Chains

Santa was good to me this year, or maybe I was just good to myself.

I was fortunate enough to spend my Christmas in my mother's favorite play ground, Puerto Rico, the shining star. I love Puerto Rico. The people are really cool, you don't need a passport to get there, it is always warm, I can wear flip flops 24/7, get a hot tan, etc. The food in Puerto Rico is also outstanding. One thing that really stuck out in my mind was how many chain restaurants were there. It went from the low end of the chain pole all the way up to the high end stuff like Morton's. Below is a list of some of the chains that have a home in Bernie William's and Jorge Posada's hood, Puerto Rico. I think some might surprise you.

1) The Palm

2) Morton's

3) BLT Steak - ummm such a chain for sure now

4) Wendy's

5) Ponderosa

6) Burger King

7) Sizzler - this actually looked nice and was on the water

8) Hard Rock Cafe

9) Denny's - yuck

10) Ruth Chris Steakhouse - yum

11) Starbucks - had it everyday

12) Outback

Benihana is Benny Good!

Alright I am back and what a way to begin. Happy New Year! Here is to a fun, food filled 2008.

Last week I had the pleasure of dining with some of my favorite Mediavest people at a chain I have always been dying to try....................Benihanna. Of course I have been to other hibachi places but I never tried the original mecca before. This is where the chefs cook the food in front of you.

The ambiance of this place is just what you would expect, big rooms with big hibachi tables. Now, I hope I don't seem racist but I was a bit shocked when my cook introduced himself and his name was Pedro. Hmmm, ok.

Anyway I went for lunch and got a chicken and shrimp hibachi lunch special. It was outstanding! It came with a small salad with that yummy ginger dressing. Of course the best part is the actual meal. The chicken was very flavorful and the shrimp was scrumptious. It also came with good veggies like zucchini and onions. Of the 4 veggies I actually eat, those are two of them. My favorite part of the meal was the rice, yum, yum. It was delicious fried rice. Seeing Pedro dump mounds of garlic butter on it is probably why it was so good, but whatever it looked healthy. I did not get dessert here but I did get a fabulous drink. In fact, it was the Benihanna Special Rum Punch. It was awesome and brought me back to Sophomore year of college and the Booze Cruise in the Bahamas. Any drink that can bring you back to that is worth trying.

Booyah, I am back!

Cinnabon

There are some things that are so wonderful, delicious and decadent that they are almost too good to be true. One of those things is a Cinnabon. If Cinnabons weren't probaly 1,000 calories each I would have one every single time I went to the mall and walked by one (which is a lot because I shop a lot). I just read on their website that the cinnamon used to make the treat is actually from Indonesia which is really good news. I mean have you ever seen a fat Indonesian person, maybe these things are good for you?

I like the standard Cinnabon but the Caramel Pecanbon looks outstanding. Truthfully the buns are pretty big so I think getting a mini one is more than enough. They also have great coffee drinks here that are pretty much desserts. I like the Mochalatta Chill, I have not had one in a while but I remember it being awesome.

I think for my birthday next year I want a Cinnabon instead of a cake, not that I even had cake this year.

Happy Thanksgiving - All About The Sides

So I don't like Turkey. I don't like it hot, cold with gravy, without, doesn't matter, I don't like it. I actually don't think most people really like it that much either. They think they do but actually they like all the side dishes and desserts and would rather eat all that. The turkey is the centerpiece that you do not really need.

Since I only eat side dishes on Thanksgiving I am dedicating this post to the best side dishes served at chain restaurants.

1) Nathan's French Fries

2) McDonald's French Fries

3) Houston's Baked Potatoes

4) Cheesecake Factory Mashed Potatoes

5) Texas Roadhouse Baked Sweet Potatoes

Hmm I guess I really like carbs.

Have a great holiday everyone.

Jock's and Jill's Went Up The Hill

To fetch a pint a beer that is!

I just got back from Atlanta where the only restaurant I really got the chance to eat in was a southern sports bar chain called Jock's and Jill's. I have to say the name is really catchy. It makes me laugh at least.

The interior of this place is really your typical chain sports bar. It is pretty big with a decent sized bar and sports memorabilia everywhere. My favorite was the signed Jeter and Arod Yankees Jersey. It was right next to Manny's.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give the food here 7 overall which I think is pretty fair. For appetizers we got a spinach cheese dip and buffalo shrimp. The dip was OK, kinda watery so I would not really recommend it. The buffalo shrimp though was really excellent. You can tell this place really excels in the buffalo realm which it should as it is a sports bar. For my meal I got a burger and fries and I was happy with it. The burger was soft and flavorful and the fries tasted great. It is not a top 10 burger but better than a lot of others I have had recently. Most of the other people at my table got buffalo chicken sandwiches that looked delicious and seemed to be a crowd pleaser. Other items on the menu that stuck out to me where the buffalo chicken sliders,thai lettuce wrap salad and an oriental chicken salad. Next time I am back I would like to try those.

Of course the most important thing here is the beer and they had very nice list. My boss was into trying all the local Atlanta brews. It stuck with the Corona Light. I like when bars have Corona Light, why not ya know?

Anyway, if you are in the south and need a decent sports bar definitely check this place out.

Oh I just read more about this place on their website. It was actually founded by former Atlanta Hawk players. That is pretty cool.

The BIG Marathon Meal

As many of you know I will be running in the ING NYC Marathon. I am so excited, training has been a lot of fun and I was able to raise a lot of money for a very worthy cause. Of course one of the greatest things about training for the marathon is the CARB loading! Yup, the marathon is the greatest excuse to eat all the carbs you want. In honor of the big run I am going to list my choices (not in any particular order) of the best pasta dishes at chain restaurants. Please feel free to add some of your favorites.

1) Romano's Macaroni Grill Pasta Romano

2) California Pizza Kitchen's Chicken Tequilla Fettuccine

3) Grotto's (this is a TX chain) Pasta with Meat Sauce

4) Carmine's Penne with Garlic and Oil

5) Cheesecake Factory's Pad Thai

6) Maggiano's Chicken with Pesto Linguine

7) Bertucci's Shrimp Scampi

CPK For Your Catering Needs

As a professional person living in the Big Apple sometimes I need to cater food for meetings. Usually I go to all those standard city deli places but I had a big meeting so I wanted to try something new. I figured, I should go chain, I mean really if anyone is going to cater food for a big meeting from a chain, it better be me.

I decided on California Pizza Kitchen because I thought it would be perfect. I could get lots of salads and pizzas and everyone could try lots of new and tasty dishes.

They do not really have a catering department so you pretty much have to order the food the day of and pay a delievery fee. That is not such a big deal. I think it was worth it to try something new for my people. The one thing that really shocked me though was that they did not have plates, yup no plates. They had forks and napkins but no plates. CPK, if you are reading this, buy plates please.

Del Frisco's - Now That Is What I Call A Restaurant

I AM BACK!

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to post again but I have been a little busy. It is not an excuse but I promise I will never keep all my loyal readers waiting this long ever again.

Anyway I figure my for my fall debut I better write about something good, something really good.

This weekend I was fortunate enough to dine at Del Frisco's to celebrate my favorite persons birthday. The food is really outstanding. With all of the great steakhouses in NYC, this one really stands out. Lucky for me it is located right next to my office so I could literally go everyday if I wanted to, but that might make me really obese.

The ambiance of this place is outstanding. When you walk in here you know you are at a classy steakhouse and are in for a good meal. Big windows, dark woods and an imposing staircase are what catch your eye. The bread here is average. It is just a hot Italian loaf with butter. I mean it is tasty but for a steak place I usually like those bread baskets with lots of breads to chose from. For starters I had the onion rings. They were those huge onion rings lightly dusted with just the right amount of pepper for perfect flavoring. They also have nice salads to start. The house salad comes with bacon and I think that is pretty cool.

So of course the most important part of the meal here is the steak. I got the 8oz filet and I can not remember a better steak. It was perfect! Cooked the way I like it and with lots of flavor. The sides here were also wonderful. The one that stuck out as one of the greatest things I ever put in my mouth was the sweet potato casserole which was really sweet potato mashed potatoes. Really words do not describe how delicious this side was. It is not on the menu, it is a special, but really it should always be on the menu. We also got the sauteed potatoes and onions. These were like those fresh cut potato chips. I was not expecting that from the description but they were still really good, I think just a bit overshadowed but the goodness of the sweet potatoes though.

Sadly, I did not have room for dessert but I am sure they are delicious.

A great thing about this place is their business lunch. For 30 bucks you can get an appetizer, steak and dessert. That is incredible. I will surely start taking my clients here for special occasions.

Chili's New Menu Items

I was recently watching TV and saw an ad for the new menu options available at Chilis. This one just really stood out in my mind ......Buffalo Chicken Fajitas!!! OMG that sounds amazing!!! Two of my favorite types of food combined into one. I need to go soon and try this.

Who wants to come with me??????????

Red Lobster is Bringing Healthy Back

Besides being the sexiest restaurant in Times Square, Red Lobster will now also be the healthiest!

Read the article below, courtesy of my friend Erica who seems to love a good cheesy biscuit as much as I do. The article is about how Red Lobster is launching a new website to coincide with it's new healthier menus and fresh food choices. There is nothing I love more than healthy options at a stellar chain.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=66424&Nid=33681&p=293105

I can not wait to go back soon!

The Chains of Atlantic City

I love Atlantic City and I am not ashamed to admit it! It really has all the elements I love about a vacation. The beach, boardwalk, gambling (but I wish they had Sports betting), shopping and most importantly excellent chain restaurants. AC is really a chain restaurant meca. Below is my list of the best chains Atlantic City offers.

1) P.F. Chang's - Located in the Quarter at Tropicana Chang's gets my number one vote. I can go on for hours about why I love this place. The lettuce wraps, wonton soup, mongolian beef, double pan fried noodles. It really is a culinary extravaganza!

2) Carmine's -Also located at the Quarter at Tropicana this family style Italian restaurant is a NY gem that standouts in AC. Their chicken parm is my favorite.

3) Ruth's Chris Steakhouse - Located at Caesar's (not the pier) if you are going to have steak in AC I would do it here.

4) Hard Rock Cafe - Located at Trump Taj Mahal this classic chain serves up some of the best burgers and fries any chain has to offer.

5) House of Blues - Located at the Showboat hotel this fun chain serves up great soul food. I recommend the shrimp! It is much better than the new Southern Hospitality that opened here in NY. Sorry JT stick to stealing Jeter's ladies and singing songs about Brit Brit.

Other chains that did not make the top 5

(Applebee's, The Palm, Hooters, Rain Forest Cafe, Morton's)

Also I was unsure if I could count all the Steven Starr restaurants. Yes many of them have multiple locations but are they really national chains???? I guess they are. Next blog posting will just be about how much I love them all.

LC Loves Pinkberry Too!

OMG did you see the Hills last night?????????????????????

LC and Lo love and eat Pinkberry too. They were eating it in last nights episode.

LC if you are reading this, next time you are in NY, Pinkberry is on me!

Bergen County Restaurant Row - Keep Them Coming

The second of the Northern Bergen County Restaurant Row opened last week. I of course ran over to check it out and I was very pleased. PF Changs opened its doors and from what I saw things were going very well. On Saturday night it was packed. I was lucky enough to get a reservation. The food was like always amazing and the staff was very attentive. This is a wonderful addition to Bergen County. I can not wait for the next one to open!

I think if the Sopranos were still on the air there would definitely be an episode about Tony eating at PF Changs. As king of Bergen County I doubt he would have to wait.

Oh How I Wish I Was in Cali

Tonight is a big night in the world of chain restaurants. Restaurants and Institutions is having an awards ceremony at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, California. What a night, three of my favorite things, chain restaurants, Ritz Carlton's and parites all rolled up in one night. I really wish I was in California because I would go to this event.
Below is a list of the winners. You will see some of my favorites are on the list as well as some of my least favorites. Let me know what you think.
BURGERS:
Culver's Platinum Winner
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Gold Winner
In-N-Out Burger Silver Winner
CAFETERIA/BUFFET:
Sweet Tomatoes Platinum Winner
Golden Corral Steak,
Buffet & Bakery Gold Winner
Ryan's Grill, Buffet & Bakery Silver Winner
CASUAL DINING:
P.F. Chang's China Bistro Platinum Winner
The Cheesecake Factory Gold Winner
California Pizza Kitchen Silver Winner
CHICKEN:
Chick-fil-A Platinum Winner
El Pollo Loco Gold Winner
Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits Silver Winner
COFFEE/SNACKS:
Starbucks Coffee Platinum Winner
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Gold Winner
Tim Hortons Silver Winner
FAMILY DINING:
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Platinum Winner
Bob Evan's Gold Winner
Mimi's Cafe Silver Winner
ITALIAN:
Olive Garden Platinum Winner
Carrabba's Italian Grill Gold Winner
Buca di Beppo Silver Winner
MEXICAN:
Baja Fresh Mexican Grill Platinum Winner
On the Border Mexican
Grill & Cantina Gold Winner
Chipotle Mexican Grill Silver Winner
PIZZA:
Papa Murphy's Take 'N Bake Pizza Platinum Winner
Pizza Hut Gold Winner
CiCi's Pizza Silver Winner
SANDWICH:
Panera Bread Platinum Winner
Jason's Deli Gold Winner
Subway Silver Winner
SEAFOOD:
Red Lobster Platinum Winner
Joe's Crab Shack Gold Winner
Captain D's Silver Winner
STEAKHOUSE:
Outback Steakhouse Platinum Winner
LongHorn Steakhouse Gold Winner
Famous Dave's Silver Winner
TREATS:
Cold Stone Creamery Platinum Winner
Haagen-Dazs Gold Winner
Jamba Juice Silver Winner

(Thanks Shirra for this information)

The Palm is not the Bomb but it is still pretty good.

I recently had lunch at the Palm and I have to say, it is good, but it is certainly not the bomb.

The service is really what brings this place down a bit, at least the one I just went to. Our waiter pretty much told us that because a table of 10 is coming soon he is kind of going to have to pay more attention to them. What, who says that.?? Sadly, he did pay more attention to them

Ok, on to the food. To start I must give props to the bread basket. It is everything a steak place bread basket should be. There are lots of choices like garlic rolls, walnut raisin bread, breadsticks, etc.

There are lots of appetizers and salads to start which is nice because I like options. For my most recent visit I ordered a salad off the special summer menu and it was very eh. It was really just lettuce and watermelon in a light dressing. It was good but not outstanding. Next time I would like to try the shrimp appetizer or a house salad. Those looked good. For my entree I got a small Filet which was very good, cooked perfectly so I was happy with that. The annoying part of the entree portion were the sides. I again ordered off of the special summer menu which I think was a mistake. I got this slaw thing because it said it had apples in it. When it came out it was this weird purple thing that did not taste so great. Note to self, just eat apples as apples, you do not need them in your slaw. We also ordered truffle fries. They were essentially fries covered in Parmesan cheese. I liked them because I like fries and I like Parmesan cheese. Next time though I would stick with the staples like homefries (hmm those looked good) and mashed potatoes.
For dessert they bring out this huge tray with all of the options on it. Wow, everything looked so delicious, especially the carrot cake. I did not get any but it looked good!

The Palm is still family owned, probably one of the only chain restaurants around that still is. I think that is pretty cool.

Pinkberry - A Nice Treat

After a long run on Saturday I decided to treat myself to some Pinkberry. For those of you not in the know, Pinkberry is all the rage in California and is not making its imprint here in NY. What it is, is a pure frozen yogurt place, not fake chemical stuff (not that I mind that). They only have two flavors vanilla and green tea. I of course got vanilla. I love vanilla which is kind of ironic because I think my personality is so not vanilla. So because this is actual frozen yogurt it does not really taste like ice cream, instead it is more like actual yogurt and therefore a little sour. I think it takes a while to get used to it but once you do it is very tasty and refreshing. The awesome thing about this place is all the fresh toppings they offer. They pretty much have every fruit plus granola and cereal, yup cereal. I love cereal!

So, here is the annoying thing about Pinkberry, it is kind of expensive. It cost me close to 6 bucks for a small cup with pineapple and granola. Also because there are only a few locations in NY, the line here can be very long. Luckily I went early and did not have to wait in line.

Ruby Tuesday's Great Bar (Salad Of Course)

I recently went to Ruby Tuesday's and I have to say I was quite impressed. I used to love going to this place with my hetero-lifemate back when I was in college but since then I kind of forgot how good it is. Lucky for me, I was reunited last weekend.

No, this is not a Cheesecake Factory, Houston's kind of place, not at all. I would compare it more to a Friday's or an Applebee's.

The best thing about Ruby Tuesday's is definitely its salad bar. It is a vast bar of great options. I am really not a huge vegetable fan and I was still was able to find many things that I like. They had every kind lettuce to choose from. On my salad I got crasins, sunflower seeds, some yummy brown croutons. cous cous, cucumbers and edamame. I love that they had edamame. It was so trendy of them. For my dressing I got a low fat balsamic that was quite tasty. If you are normal and actually eat veggies they have lots of options for you as well as some fun pasta salads. They only thing missing from this salad bar was chocolate pudding and pineapple chunks. Back in the day I am pretty sure both of these things were on the bar.

A great feature of this place is that you can get some food options with your salad bar at a reasonable price. For example you can get the salad bar and then two mini burgers and fries for 9 bucks. That is great! I got a delicious White Bean Soup and the salad bar for around $8.50. I think that is a great deal.

Of course the menu is not just the salad bar. They had lots of great appetizers like Spinach Artichoke Dip, Thai Shrimp, Dumplings and Quesidillas. The that stuck out to me were the shrimp and salmon dishes as well as the multiply hamburger choices. What is most impressive is that they serve whole wheat buns on the burgers. Really, every place should do that, it is very smart.

Overall, I think this is a great chain. One is opening up very soon in Times Square and I hope to go there a lot! If you are lucky, maybe I will take you. We can sing some Rolling Stones songs along the way. Goodbye Ruby Tuesday. Who Could Hang A Name On You? When You Change With Every New Day Still I'm Gonna Miss You.

Tune In Tonight!!!

CNBC is doing an extraordinary special tonight that is not to be missed. It is a behind the scenes looks at my favorite and of course the biggest and best chain of them all.......McDonald's. This is not to be missed.
See below for a link to more information on the special.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/19168312

The Birthday Meal

I am sure many of you have been checking this blog to see where I had the big birthday lunch. I have to say, I am a bit disappointed in the lack of comments on where I should have gone. I thought more people would have voiced their opinion on what would go into my stomach. Whatever.

Anyway, sorry this posting is a bit late. I was kind of out of commission for a few days but I am back and ready to conquer the chain restaurant world.

Drum roll please, on July 18th I had the pleasure of dining at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse with the Food Snob. I was so excited to try this place because I only heard good things about it.

(side note: why is it Ruth's Chris and not just Ruth Chris, Ruth's is a very hard word to say)

I was very impressed and surprised with the atmosphere here. It is much more stuffy and high class than I imagined. You really feel like you are in a very high end restaurant. We did not have a reservation and because it is restaurant week in NY we had to wait a good 20 minutes for a table which was kind of annoying because the hostess was very vague on how long it would take to be seated. Once I was seated though all my annoyances vanished. To start I had a very simple salad with a vinaigrette. It was good, but not anything totally amazing. I was also kind of surprised with the bread here. Yes, it was very good, nice and hot, crusty outside and soft inside but I expect more variety when i go to a steak place, this was kind of plain. The best part of the meal here is definitely the steak. It really is superb. I got a wonderful Filet that was almost perfect. It was so soft and delicious. The steak is cooked in a sizzling butter. I am sure it is very unhealthy but it really is wonderful. I also got mashed potato's with my entree. They were good, but not spectacular. Again, the steak is what really stands out. For dessert I got a delightful chocolate moose pie. It was a very nice way of ending a fine meal.

All and all, a great meal on a great birthday. Rain and subway explosions do not stop me!

That Special Day Is One Day Away

One more day until one of the greatest days of the year, Joe Torre's birthday, oh and mine of course. This special day brings a huge debate to the table, what chain to I go to for my birthday lunch? This might be more simple if I lived in a suburb and had the luxury of almost every chain at my fingertips. Instead, I am stuck on Manhattan Island and must chose from what is offered here. What I am asking for is your help, my loyal readers, in choosing where I dine on the day I officially become kind of old.

Here is a list, in no specific order, of what the island of Manhattan has to offer me on my birthday.

1) California Pizza Kitchen ( I like it a lot)

2) Del Friscos (Can I handle a big steak for lunch, probably)

3) Capital Grill (Always a soft spot in my heart)

4) Apple Bee's (Two things to celebrate, being bought by IHOP and my Bday)

5) Red Lobster (The birth of me and the birth of the blog)

6) Bubba Gump (Been there, done that)

7) Ted's Montana Grill (Been there, done that, but would do it again)

8) McDonald's (Oh what a treat it would be, my favorite restaurant)

9) Wendy's (Very convenient, in my building and all)

10) Carmine's (We all know it is a chain now)

11) Nobu (OMG such a chain)

12) Heartland Brewery (No way jose)

13) McCormick & Schmicks (eh, rather go to Red Lobster)

14) Morton's (Never been, could be nice to try it)

15) Ruth Chris Steak House (Same as Morton's)

16) Pizzera Uno

17) Rosa Mexicana (I would usually pull for this but I am having Mexican for dinner)

18) Houston's (Almost forgot about that one, hmm that is a good one)

I will just put 18 up, for good luck!

Will Applebee's Serve Pancakes?

Good job NYPost.com! I just read that IHOP is buying Applebee's. I hope that does not bring the quality of the food at Applebee's down. I really like Applebee's, it would be sad to see it lose some it's neighborhood appeal.

Below is a link to the article on everyones favorite news website.

http://breakingnews.nypost.com/dynamic/stories/I/IHOP_APPLEBEES?SITE=NYNYP&SECTION=HOME

Stay tuned for more information about this business deal.

Breaking Carmine's News

Did anyone know that there was a Carmine's in some random slot machine casino in Rhode Island?????

I had no idea. I hope I am not off of my chain game.

Even though I love chain restaurants part of me is a bit upset that Carmine's is really turning into a big ol'chain. I can deal with the outposts in the Atlantis and AC but Twin Falls, Rhode Island? Something about it just rubs me the wrong way.

I guess at least I know now that the next time I am in the middle of nowhere Rhode Island I will be able to find awesome Chicken Parm and Ziti with Garlic and Oil (my personal favorite dishes there).