I recently had the pleasure of watching the "unedited" version of Quentin Tarentino's Death Proof.
Good things:
Zoe Bell on the top of the 1970 Challenger is awesome. I wanted to be a stuntperson back in the day and so I know better than many when it's the stuntperson and what they're hiding or faking. Because Zoe Bell is a stuntperson we got to see all the things we normally don't and it was spectacular. I also like her attitude during the counter-chase scene where she grabs the metal pipe. Use what you can and don't hold back. She was also impressive when she tossed the metal pipe in via the car window and then jumped right after it. Having done something similar with the much easier entry port of an open car door, it is not the easiest thing to avoid that which you have just thrown in before you. Especially after you've made sure not to hit your buddy with the thing you just threw in.
The interaction of the groups of women were great, even if the dialogue made you want them dead. It's the chemistry and the naturalism that works here.
As always, the music was one of the biggest highlights of the movie. I'm a big believer that QT does more for a musicians career than big music studios ever do.
The girl power. Yes, it doesn't seem like it initially, but this is one of the few times that we have seen women(physically) fighting for something other than the standard "browbeaten woman gaining power and beating on the guy in self-defense."
I admit, I love violence in movies and video games and it was a true delight to be taken through what happened to each girl in the crash. We're usually given crashes from one perspective and only the happenings on the whole. If we are given multiple takes, it's usually just different angles. This was a treat.
The visuals. The graininess was fun. The costumes were so 70s even if the time frame was modern. Stuntman Mike's Icy Hot jacket was a hoot.
Bad Things:
The dialogue. I understand the goal of the girl chats is to make you want to see them dead but they just go on too long. Two minutes into the initial scene with the chatting in the car made me ask "Where's the boom?" Unfortunately the dialogue continued, albeit at different locations and times, for another half hour or so.
The distortion of the time it takes to do things. Kim, from the second group of girls, goes into a Circle A for coffee and Red Bull. She's in there long enough to grind her own beans, brew up the coffee, run down the street to the market for cream and sugar, drink the coffee and Red Bull, wash the coffee mug and recycle the Red Bull cans. During the time she's "getting coffee" one of the other girls goes into the same store, gets cash from the ATM, grabs a snack, and has a short chat with yet another girl, who is still outside the store, about that girl's appearance in Allure magazine, find the magazine, show the girl her spread, buy the magazine and snacks, go outside to talk to the other girl about another magazine, and then go back in for the other magazine. I'm sorry, getting coffee and snacks from a convenience store takes all of 4 minutes, MAX. And that's if there's a line at the counter. QT could have shown the foot fetishism and the creepy car appearances in that time. Just cut out the Stuntman Mike considering his latest targets bit that dragged on. If he really wanted the time, he should have had them getting gas.
The fact that the bit set in Texas had everyone going outside to smoke. Last I checked it was ok to smoke in a bar in Texas, why go outside for a smoke? OK, you can argue it's to show the car and set the tension, but really, no. It just makes it seem forced, especially since you have people inside smoking already. Also, Arlene tells Stuntman Mike she's scared of his car, but I don't recall any point before that where she saw him coming out of the car or when he pointed it out as his.
Overall this is a fun movie if you're into exploitation and violence movies. I really enjoyed watching it and I will buy it. I'll just fastforward through most of the dialogue.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
Once More Into the Yaoi
I was at Yaoicon again this year, 4th time attending. But, I'm not here to review the con, obviously I like it, but I must admit I go because it gives me a set time/chance to go into San Francisco.
Anywho, the restaurant reviews from the trip:
California Grill @ Marriot San Mateo - I sat at the bar the three times I stopped in. Hmmm. Well, the booze is standard hotel bar price. Same with the food, no surprises there. The bar staff were mostly absent. Oftentimes myself and/or others at the bar would be looking around for service and the bartender was nowhere to be found. And then we'd often have to wait over 10 minutes for them to show back up. Only one of the bartenders during my stops in was there the whole time. She was on top of things, she was friendly, she was great. The others, when they bothered to be there, were incompetent. My first stop, I ordered a second guinness five times and never got it. Then, I asked for the check for my one guinness, I waited 25 minutes and never got my check. I had to ask another staff member the cost and just left the cash on the bar. My third stop in I ordered onion rings, which were OK but nothing really good and the bartender waited until I was already well into them before bothering to get me a plate for ketchup and a napkin. Almost every bar I've been to gives you these things almost immediately after you order food and all give you them before the food arrives. Again, biggest complaint was the absolute absence of the bartenders.
Miyako in San Francisco Japantown - Don't bother. There are so many good Japanese restaurants in Japantown that I would recommend waiting for a table at one of the others before going to Miyako. I ordered my favourite dish, Katsu don, which is a deep fried breaded pork cutlet with eggs and onions over rice. The rice was kinda cold and rubbery, like it was from before and had been microwaved. The eggs were almost completely uncooked. The pork cutlet was acceptable but had turned soggy from the uncooked eggs. My friend's dish was even worse, she barely touched it. The only reason we tried Miyako was because we wanted to try a new place instead of going to our usual stop and it was open before most of the others. We will not go again, and I recommend you never do.
Anywho, the restaurant reviews from the trip:
California Grill @ Marriot San Mateo - I sat at the bar the three times I stopped in. Hmmm. Well, the booze is standard hotel bar price. Same with the food, no surprises there. The bar staff were mostly absent. Oftentimes myself and/or others at the bar would be looking around for service and the bartender was nowhere to be found. And then we'd often have to wait over 10 minutes for them to show back up. Only one of the bartenders during my stops in was there the whole time. She was on top of things, she was friendly, she was great. The others, when they bothered to be there, were incompetent. My first stop, I ordered a second guinness five times and never got it. Then, I asked for the check for my one guinness, I waited 25 minutes and never got my check. I had to ask another staff member the cost and just left the cash on the bar. My third stop in I ordered onion rings, which were OK but nothing really good and the bartender waited until I was already well into them before bothering to get me a plate for ketchup and a napkin. Almost every bar I've been to gives you these things almost immediately after you order food and all give you them before the food arrives. Again, biggest complaint was the absolute absence of the bartenders.
Miyako in San Francisco Japantown - Don't bother. There are so many good Japanese restaurants in Japantown that I would recommend waiting for a table at one of the others before going to Miyako. I ordered my favourite dish, Katsu don, which is a deep fried breaded pork cutlet with eggs and onions over rice. The rice was kinda cold and rubbery, like it was from before and had been microwaved. The eggs were almost completely uncooked. The pork cutlet was acceptable but had turned soggy from the uncooked eggs. My friend's dish was even worse, she barely touched it. The only reason we tried Miyako was because we wanted to try a new place instead of going to our usual stop and it was open before most of the others. We will not go again, and I recommend you never do.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
A Disparate Confluence of Many Things
OK, this review post is going to cover a range of things so no theme.
First and foremost the matter of Apples. Apple season is starting and we are being blessed/cursed with a sudden explosion of apples in both quantity and variety. This is a curse because that means confusion and sorrow for so many. Different people like different attributes in their apples but there are some apples that just aren't for unadultered consumption that are sold for such. This apple boon is a blessing because it means rarely seen apple varieties are finally available. Stay away, far away, from the mealy apples(average red apple I'm looking at you) during apple season. These are acceptable when they're the only thing that's available all throughout the rest of the year, but now that there are choices, don't waste your money and mouth. For my money the best apple to buy is one that I've only been able to find during apple season. The oft unheard of Jonagold. This is the perfect balance of firm flesh and mealiness. You get the nice snap when you bite into it, but it doesn't feel like a block is in your mouth like a Granny Smith does. It's a sweeter apple so it's perfect for kids. I've gotten bags and bags of Jonagolds as kitchen manager for outdoors events where I've had to appeal to and feed 150+ people and there's always people asking if they can have more while the Granny Smith and Red Delicious apples go to rot. I've had people come up afterwards and say how impressed they were with the apple. As a child I was forced to eat an apple a day and as a result can barely stand the sight of apple products now. I seek out and buy the Jonagolds. The Jonagolds look like Fuji or Gala apples so be sure to read the labels to make sure you're getting the Jonagold. You won't be disappointed.
I just watched the movie "Knocked Up" and must preface this review with the statement that I can't stand most chick flicks, and all comedy aside, this was a chick flick. That being said, I didn't think that much of the movie. Yes, parts were funny, and Heigl is pretty to look at, but really about 30 minutes in I was done. It started as a comedy and devolved into chick flick and I lost interest. I didn't need to watch the movie to know how it was going to end. I didn't need to see the gratuitous "comedic" nudity. Really, they best parts of the movie for me was seeing one of the "Firefly" actors telling Heigl's character to "tighten" with his associated hand movements.
Final review of this post: The Tap House. Another Vegas hole in the wall, it has won awards in years past for both it's Pizza and it's Chicken Wings. So, I tried both. I had the meat lovers pizza which was good but really not outstanding. It was well balanced if a little short of meat for a meat lovers. There was nothing bad about it, it just didn't outshine other pizzas. Now the Twice Baked Cajun Wings were a different story. Wow. I was already full from the pizza but I couldn't stop eating the wings. They were spectacular. They weren't too hot but had a nice heat that lingered for a while. They were meaty not thin, they were just a bit salty and I love salt, they were flavourful, they were just wow. This is what a hot wing should be. Not some poor overly deep fried scrawny little nothing dripping with bottled hot sauce. Because really, most hot wings taste the same because the restaurants are pulling from the same 3 supply companies and buying the same 5 bottles of sauce. As for the restaurant itself, it's a standalone rundown looking building with a darkened interior and a bit of Italian flair to it's standard pub decor. The service is pretty good and the food doesn't take too long to show up. Just remember, order the wings.
First and foremost the matter of Apples. Apple season is starting and we are being blessed/cursed with a sudden explosion of apples in both quantity and variety. This is a curse because that means confusion and sorrow for so many. Different people like different attributes in their apples but there are some apples that just aren't for unadultered consumption that are sold for such. This apple boon is a blessing because it means rarely seen apple varieties are finally available. Stay away, far away, from the mealy apples(average red apple I'm looking at you) during apple season. These are acceptable when they're the only thing that's available all throughout the rest of the year, but now that there are choices, don't waste your money and mouth. For my money the best apple to buy is one that I've only been able to find during apple season. The oft unheard of Jonagold. This is the perfect balance of firm flesh and mealiness. You get the nice snap when you bite into it, but it doesn't feel like a block is in your mouth like a Granny Smith does. It's a sweeter apple so it's perfect for kids. I've gotten bags and bags of Jonagolds as kitchen manager for outdoors events where I've had to appeal to and feed 150+ people and there's always people asking if they can have more while the Granny Smith and Red Delicious apples go to rot. I've had people come up afterwards and say how impressed they were with the apple. As a child I was forced to eat an apple a day and as a result can barely stand the sight of apple products now. I seek out and buy the Jonagolds. The Jonagolds look like Fuji or Gala apples so be sure to read the labels to make sure you're getting the Jonagold. You won't be disappointed.
I just watched the movie "Knocked Up" and must preface this review with the statement that I can't stand most chick flicks, and all comedy aside, this was a chick flick. That being said, I didn't think that much of the movie. Yes, parts were funny, and Heigl is pretty to look at, but really about 30 minutes in I was done. It started as a comedy and devolved into chick flick and I lost interest. I didn't need to watch the movie to know how it was going to end. I didn't need to see the gratuitous "comedic" nudity. Really, they best parts of the movie for me was seeing one of the "Firefly" actors telling Heigl's character to "tighten" with his associated hand movements.
Final review of this post: The Tap House. Another Vegas hole in the wall, it has won awards in years past for both it's Pizza and it's Chicken Wings. So, I tried both. I had the meat lovers pizza which was good but really not outstanding. It was well balanced if a little short of meat for a meat lovers. There was nothing bad about it, it just didn't outshine other pizzas. Now the Twice Baked Cajun Wings were a different story. Wow. I was already full from the pizza but I couldn't stop eating the wings. They were spectacular. They weren't too hot but had a nice heat that lingered for a while. They were meaty not thin, they were just a bit salty and I love salt, they were flavourful, they were just wow. This is what a hot wing should be. Not some poor overly deep fried scrawny little nothing dripping with bottled hot sauce. Because really, most hot wings taste the same because the restaurants are pulling from the same 3 supply companies and buying the same 5 bottles of sauce. As for the restaurant itself, it's a standalone rundown looking building with a darkened interior and a bit of Italian flair to it's standard pub decor. The service is pretty good and the food doesn't take too long to show up. Just remember, order the wings.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Broadway Pizza and Grill
I'm posting this as a standalone because I failed to post about it in my last SoCal Eats review. If you're ever in Long Beach I highly recommend stopping by Broadway Pizza and Grill.
If you've seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" you know what the owner of this place is like. The Greeks invented everything, and his knowledge of Greek history, no matter how wrong, is still more right than yours. But, don't argue with the man, he's a good guy and his food is excellent.
The tatziki is the best I've had outside of the Vegas Greek festival. He does what so many places should, but don't bother to do. He drains some of the moisture out of the cucumber and yogurt via cheesecloth. This makes for a thicker, tangier, more intensly flavoured tatziki.
His meat lovers pizza is greasy but oh so good. He uses real bacon too, which is so incredible it must be experienced. You'll never want Canadian "bacon" on your pizza again. I miss the pizza. I really do.
His pita is not like what you'd get in the local supermarket appearance wise, but it tastes like standard pita, and it's made fresh. Now, when I say standard pita, I mean the fresh stuff not the mass produced shipped across state lines variety that you often find.
The service is minimal, I mean it's a walk up and order, get your drink from the rack of fountains, and sit down with a number on your table kind of place. But, if the owner is around and feels like coming out and hanging out, which he did when I was there, you're in for a treat. If you know your food and he realizes that you truly appreciate his food, he'll start giving small samples of stuff for you to try.
The next time I'm in Long Beach, I'm definitely going back.
If you've seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" you know what the owner of this place is like. The Greeks invented everything, and his knowledge of Greek history, no matter how wrong, is still more right than yours. But, don't argue with the man, he's a good guy and his food is excellent.
The tatziki is the best I've had outside of the Vegas Greek festival. He does what so many places should, but don't bother to do. He drains some of the moisture out of the cucumber and yogurt via cheesecloth. This makes for a thicker, tangier, more intensly flavoured tatziki.
His meat lovers pizza is greasy but oh so good. He uses real bacon too, which is so incredible it must be experienced. You'll never want Canadian "bacon" on your pizza again. I miss the pizza. I really do.
His pita is not like what you'd get in the local supermarket appearance wise, but it tastes like standard pita, and it's made fresh. Now, when I say standard pita, I mean the fresh stuff not the mass produced shipped across state lines variety that you often find.
The service is minimal, I mean it's a walk up and order, get your drink from the rack of fountains, and sit down with a number on your table kind of place. But, if the owner is around and feels like coming out and hanging out, which he did when I was there, you're in for a treat. If you know your food and he realizes that you truly appreciate his food, he'll start giving small samples of stuff for you to try.
The next time I'm in Long Beach, I'm definitely going back.
A Star Hidden in Dust
OK, I have to say, whomever was in charge of creating the trailer for Stardust should be shot. The trailer makes the movie look like utter drek. Trailers usually contain the best parts of a movie so as to better entice consumers into going to the theater. So, when the trailer looks hideous, one can only assume the movie will be as well.
This is not the case for Stardust. I haven't laughed like that in a while. The costuming was good, the acting was good, the dialogue and situations were good, the sets were nice, the effects were good. Pretty much everything was good. Nothing really spectacular, but nowadays you're lucky to get good across the board. There were really only two weak points. The story was a bit thrown together, things seemed to lurch slightly from one act to the other, but not so badly that it threw off everything else. The other weak point was what they did to the looks of the men in the town Wall. The man who played Humphrey is actually quite attractive but in the movie it looked like a drag queen did his hair and make-up. The main character is not at attractive man. Yes he looks better with the long hair later in the movie, but he's still not what most people would call handsome. Really, the movie would have done better if Tristan were played by the actor who played the young version of his father shown in the beginning of the movie.
What's also nice is the movie had a little bit for everyone. There's the romance for the chick flick fanatics, there's sword fighting for the action crew. There's political intrigue, can can, pirates, witches, high speed chases, dropping boobs, there's even a built in peanut gallery.
All that being said, this is really a highly entertaining, see with your friends, underrated movie. I think it was well worth the price of full admission. And I think it's a shame that a good movie like this is doing so poorly when a stinky pile of poo like Eragon did well.
Yeah, if you haven't seen Eragon yet, don't bother. You'll just end up wanting your money and the two hours of your life back. I'd go into detail about how terrible everything in Eragon was, but really, the movie is so bad it's not worth the effort to describe how bad.
This is not the case for Stardust. I haven't laughed like that in a while. The costuming was good, the acting was good, the dialogue and situations were good, the sets were nice, the effects were good. Pretty much everything was good. Nothing really spectacular, but nowadays you're lucky to get good across the board. There were really only two weak points. The story was a bit thrown together, things seemed to lurch slightly from one act to the other, but not so badly that it threw off everything else. The other weak point was what they did to the looks of the men in the town Wall. The man who played Humphrey is actually quite attractive but in the movie it looked like a drag queen did his hair and make-up. The main character is not at attractive man. Yes he looks better with the long hair later in the movie, but he's still not what most people would call handsome. Really, the movie would have done better if Tristan were played by the actor who played the young version of his father shown in the beginning of the movie.
What's also nice is the movie had a little bit for everyone. There's the romance for the chick flick fanatics, there's sword fighting for the action crew. There's political intrigue, can can, pirates, witches, high speed chases, dropping boobs, there's even a built in peanut gallery.
All that being said, this is really a highly entertaining, see with your friends, underrated movie. I think it was well worth the price of full admission. And I think it's a shame that a good movie like this is doing so poorly when a stinky pile of poo like Eragon did well.
Yeah, if you haven't seen Eragon yet, don't bother. You'll just end up wanting your money and the two hours of your life back. I'd go into detail about how terrible everything in Eragon was, but really, the movie is so bad it's not worth the effort to describe how bad.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
SoCal Eats Again
Yes yes, more restaurant reviews, but hey, I like food.
White Harte Pub - Finally, finally, a British pub I can love. They even have an outdoor space for people who want to smoke. Everywhere are TVs playing the current football(soccer) game. Service is friendly and the menu, while limited, is good. The fish and chips were good, and the curry dipping sauce was a very nice surprise. I will definitely go back when I'm in the area.
Miss Peaches - The only Soul Food restaurant I could find in the Burbank area, it has it's regulars but I think it's due more to the atmosphere and lack of competition than the quality of the food. The first thing I have to say about Miss Peaches is stay away from the Mac and Cheese. Don't even think about it, I don't care how much you love it, I don't care if you're used to the box stuff, don't order it. Box mac and cheese is heads and shoulders above the stuff at Miss Peaches. That's how bad it is. The cornbread and hushpuppies are good, and the hushpuppies have a nice heat to them. The collard greens seemed to be popular with the people who were obviously regulars but I don't eat them, so I didn't order them, so I can't speak to the quality. I got the smothered pork chop or rice and they brought out smothered chicken on rice. I took a bite before I realized it wasn't what I ordered and it was good, but again, not what I ordered. Oh, and the rice was cold. They fixed the mistake quickly and I dug into the pork chop. The chop was tough and over cooked. The rice this time was room temperature but still, rice is meant to be warm or hot. The gravy on the rice and pork chop was good, but couldn't save the dish overall. I do have to say one of the big pluses of the place was the service. They weren't the fastest, but everyone was extremely friendly and responsive. They had some of the best service I've had at a restaurant, or anywhere, in quite a while. Ultimately, I'll go back to Aunt Rosalee's for my sould food if I can.
Corrals - This is one of the few 24hr places in Burbank and that's a definite plus. The place looks like an old school diner along the lines of Denny's or IHOP, but the menu was a pleasant surprise. There were the diner standards along with gyros, pizza, and the like. They also had a very posh looking selection of desserts in their dessert case. I'm talking tiramisu and mocha cream cakes and other artery clogging delights normally associated with high end bakeries. Thankfully I only noticed them on the way out, otherwise I would weigh a few more pounds now. The chocolate shake is really, really good. I think they add a little chocolate malted to the mix because there was something else enhancing the shake and not just straight chocolate ice cream. I didn't order any food, but the people I was with all cleaned their plates so I'm guessing it's not too shabby. I will probably be going again in a couple weeks and will have a better report on the food then.
White Harte Pub - Finally, finally, a British pub I can love. They even have an outdoor space for people who want to smoke. Everywhere are TVs playing the current football(soccer) game. Service is friendly and the menu, while limited, is good. The fish and chips were good, and the curry dipping sauce was a very nice surprise. I will definitely go back when I'm in the area.
Miss Peaches - The only Soul Food restaurant I could find in the Burbank area, it has it's regulars but I think it's due more to the atmosphere and lack of competition than the quality of the food. The first thing I have to say about Miss Peaches is stay away from the Mac and Cheese. Don't even think about it, I don't care how much you love it, I don't care if you're used to the box stuff, don't order it. Box mac and cheese is heads and shoulders above the stuff at Miss Peaches. That's how bad it is. The cornbread and hushpuppies are good, and the hushpuppies have a nice heat to them. The collard greens seemed to be popular with the people who were obviously regulars but I don't eat them, so I didn't order them, so I can't speak to the quality. I got the smothered pork chop or rice and they brought out smothered chicken on rice. I took a bite before I realized it wasn't what I ordered and it was good, but again, not what I ordered. Oh, and the rice was cold. They fixed the mistake quickly and I dug into the pork chop. The chop was tough and over cooked. The rice this time was room temperature but still, rice is meant to be warm or hot. The gravy on the rice and pork chop was good, but couldn't save the dish overall. I do have to say one of the big pluses of the place was the service. They weren't the fastest, but everyone was extremely friendly and responsive. They had some of the best service I've had at a restaurant, or anywhere, in quite a while. Ultimately, I'll go back to Aunt Rosalee's for my sould food if I can.
Corrals - This is one of the few 24hr places in Burbank and that's a definite plus. The place looks like an old school diner along the lines of Denny's or IHOP, but the menu was a pleasant surprise. There were the diner standards along with gyros, pizza, and the like. They also had a very posh looking selection of desserts in their dessert case. I'm talking tiramisu and mocha cream cakes and other artery clogging delights normally associated with high end bakeries. Thankfully I only noticed them on the way out, otherwise I would weigh a few more pounds now. The chocolate shake is really, really good. I think they add a little chocolate malted to the mix because there was something else enhancing the shake and not just straight chocolate ice cream. I didn't order any food, but the people I was with all cleaned their plates so I'm guessing it's not too shabby. I will probably be going again in a couple weeks and will have a better report on the food then.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Rte 15
Anyone who has made the drive along I15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas has seen the signs for the "world famous" Mad Greek and Alien Jerky.
Well, after many years of passing by these places without stopping in, I finally gave in.
The Mad Greek - Not at all what I expected. This is really a burger joint with a few Greek items thrown on the menu, cheesy "Greek" decor, and not much else. Honestly, there were more burgers on the menu than Greek dishes. Now, that's not to say the food wasn't good. The Lamb Gyro was pretty good, and they put the tatziki on the side so you could add as much or as little as you wanted rather than smothering the thing with tatziki like a lot of places do. The Calamari was good, nice and lightly battered, and they gave you a lot of it, which made the prices a little more palatable. The rice was pretty good, and the pitas were a nice surprise, a little different than usual. Keep in mind that it cost me over $20 for an appetizer, a soda, and a gyro. Service was a bit iffy, but hey, it's a fancy McDonalds, I wasn't expecting all that much.
Alien Jerky - Wow. All that advertising for what? Maybe 5 variations of Jerky at $8 for 4oz. Talk about a rip off. I swear there were more t-shirts and hats and even pistachios than jerky. The jerky is nothing spectacular. It's not great, but it's not bad. I'd stick to Jack Links or maybe trying to make your own(I'm partial to the Good Eats method), either option would be cheaper and just as tasty. STAY AWAY from the pepperoni flavoured beef sticks. Blech. Blech. Blech. Buy the ones at Costco, you get a whole container for the same price and the quality is far better. The pepperoni flavoured beef sticks are pretty much red colored flavourless squashed together meat crumbs with some chile powder squeezed into plastic tubes. The taste is unappealing, the texture is unappealing, you get weird plastic red flakes on your hand from touching them. Don't waste your time with the Alien Jerky store (unless it's to use the bathroom), don't waste your money buying it, don't even waste the gas taking the exit off I15 for it.
Well, after many years of passing by these places without stopping in, I finally gave in.
The Mad Greek - Not at all what I expected. This is really a burger joint with a few Greek items thrown on the menu, cheesy "Greek" decor, and not much else. Honestly, there were more burgers on the menu than Greek dishes. Now, that's not to say the food wasn't good. The Lamb Gyro was pretty good, and they put the tatziki on the side so you could add as much or as little as you wanted rather than smothering the thing with tatziki like a lot of places do. The Calamari was good, nice and lightly battered, and they gave you a lot of it, which made the prices a little more palatable. The rice was pretty good, and the pitas were a nice surprise, a little different than usual. Keep in mind that it cost me over $20 for an appetizer, a soda, and a gyro. Service was a bit iffy, but hey, it's a fancy McDonalds, I wasn't expecting all that much.
Alien Jerky - Wow. All that advertising for what? Maybe 5 variations of Jerky at $8 for 4oz. Talk about a rip off. I swear there were more t-shirts and hats and even pistachios than jerky. The jerky is nothing spectacular. It's not great, but it's not bad. I'd stick to Jack Links or maybe trying to make your own(I'm partial to the Good Eats method), either option would be cheaper and just as tasty. STAY AWAY from the pepperoni flavoured beef sticks. Blech. Blech. Blech. Buy the ones at Costco, you get a whole container for the same price and the quality is far better. The pepperoni flavoured beef sticks are pretty much red colored flavourless squashed together meat crumbs with some chile powder squeezed into plastic tubes. The taste is unappealing, the texture is unappealing, you get weird plastic red flakes on your hand from touching them. Don't waste your time with the Alien Jerky store (unless it's to use the bathroom), don't waste your money buying it, don't even waste the gas taking the exit off I15 for it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
