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Thursday, May 25, 2017

Streets on Carson

Wingz
Streets on Carson served our group some of the most unique chicken wings I've had in recent memory. In general, chicken wings are served fried, baked or smoked. (I would even venture to say in that order of prevalence.) Streets on Carson has a unique style, they serve a confit chicken wing that has a remarkable texture and a very original flavor. They only serve one style of wings and they come with roasted garlic, roasted jalapeno puree, fresh lemon juice, scallions, celery and carrot. I found the citrus and garlic to be the most prevalent flavors, I could not taste the jalapeno. In all my chicken wing adventures throughout the lands, I do not believe I've had a wing that featured a citrus profile. It was great! The wings were exploding with flavor, and although the meat was falling off the bone, the skin still maintained a crispiness due to the confit cooking style. 



I cannot remember what this thing was called, I believe it should be called the peasant's egg roll. ( I'm just kidding, it was a pretty standard pork egg roll with cabbage, carrot, scallions, cilantro and sirracha aioli.) Although I called this egg roll standard, you can tell from the photo that great care is taken in the preparation of all of the dishes at Streets on Carson. 

Other favorites included the duck fat poutine and the jerked chicken skewers.  Hit up happy hour from 5 - 7 for discounted small plates and drinks.


Streets On Carson Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Pirata

Smoked Guac
Pirata currently is currently my selection for 2017 sleeper restaurant of the year.  I love the Caribbean theme so much that I went back to visit a week after happy hour. Some of their fantastic menu items include: empenadas, Jamaican curried goat, salt cod fritters and a watermelon honey salad.

The smoked pineapple guacamole wasn't just delicious, it was masterfully presented. The guac came served with a nice little bundle of plantain and taro chips. It was one of the better deals on the happy hour menu for $6. (Pirata is not cheap, and it is worth mentioning that they have the same menu for lunch and dinner. Happy hour and later in the evening (10-12) are the only times you can expect any discount on menu items.)

My other favorite was the jerked chicken. I tried the entree version as well as the tacos. The secret to any good jerk seasoning is the scotch bonnets, the allspice and the smoke. Lots of other flavors are typically added, but I would consider those three elements the most essential base to any proper jerk seasoning.

The jerked chicken at Pirata is true blue. I tend to stray from the jerked chicken on most menus as I find bastardized versions of the dish to be quite awful. The jerked chicken at Pirata has been flavorful, spicy and perfectly moist on both of my visits. It is reassuring that they warn you that the dish has a natural level of spice. A real pirate's booty and the must order dish for the year!

As the Pirata website loves to mention, don't forget to check out the rum.

Pirata Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Friday, May 19, 2017

M&J Bistro - Mad Noodles




Wow, M & J Bistro. Talk about a god damned restaurant nightmare. My friend Phil warned me about this place. but I laughed in the face of destiny and scheduled a happy hour. The establishment was not equipped to handle more than 12 patrons at any one time. Our happy hour was clearly overwhelming for both the bar and the kitchen. The most disappointing part of writing this review is that they seemed like really nice people that are trying to operate a decent restaurant. However, they desperately need some help.

Four weeks after we visited M & J they have already re-branded as Mad Noodles. Even more alarming is that their market research for their re-branding project appeared to be based on a series of questions that were posited to the members of the Facebook group South Side Secrets. (I wouldn't even trust the collective members of this group to give advice on how to make potato salad.)


Who has ever heard of french fries in a bento box? What a great idea! The food at M & J really wasn't bad. I enjoyed my bento box as well as my sushi - I would have no problem stating on the record that the food was better prepared and higher quality than the offerings at Nakama right down the street. I'm quite hopeful that Mad Noodles will also have great food.

I wish the staff and owners of Mad Noodles the best of luck. However, I think it would be in their best interest to hire some type of brand and operational consultant. They are shaping up to be the next Bobby Hendrix aka Wings and Whiskey aka whatever they called it the third time before they closed.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Southern Tier Brewing




I had the pleasure of going to Southern Tier for their groundbreaking last summer. It was truly a momentous event filled with celebration and excitement. The Pittsburgh brew pub is the first location Southern Tier has opened outside of their flagship brewery in New York. Apparently the Pittsburgh market has responded well to their brand.

I actually consider Southern Tier to be one of my favorite breweries. They have one of the best pumpkin beers on the market and, in my opinion, their 2X IPA really set the standard in terms of bringing IPAs to the public. Pictured above with my sandwich is the cherry gose - a delightful cherry flavored sour beer that was available for limited time.

Unfortunately, I do not have anything positive to say about the kitchen at Southern Tier.

It emphatically states on the Southern Tier website, "We take our food as seriously as we do our beer." This statement is a bold lie. The food at Southern Tier is extremely underwhelming - particularly in comparison to their world class beer.

My grilled chicken sandwich was charred, flavorless and covered in a thick blackened crust that did not seem intentional. I barely wolfed the thing down. The salad that accompanied the sandwich consisted of simple greens with some type of vinaigrette. (Can a man get a cucumber or at least one cherry tomato?)

The other dishes on the Southern Tier menu also appear extremely uninspired. (A simple bar man's menu of sandwiches and lackluster entrees.) For a brewery that goes out of their way to serve extraordinary beer, they sure slacked on the kitchen. 



These wings actually weren't too bad! But, I'd still rather eat at a Bojangles or Fuddruckers.

Southern Tier Brewing Company Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato