This is yet another fast-food place that we Springfieldians long for. Is it the mini tacos? Is it the fact that everything is available 24 hours a day? Is it the egg rolls? What is it, exactly, that we love about Jack in the Box?
That being said, I had the new taco nachos. They're topped with cheese sauce and sliced jalapenos, and they're fantastic. I also had an order of egg rolls and a jr bacon cheeseburger. Hubby had eggrolls, taco nachos, and their fantastic potato wedges.
Like at White Castle, Jack in the Box was a bit slow, but it was worth it, and I can't wait for my next visit.
$-$$
Saturday, September 19, 2009
White Castle!!!
If you can't tell by the title, I'm excited. This is the first in a mini-series of posts straight from the greater St. Louis area. My husband and I come up here every once in a while to visit his family, and something we always have to do is go to White Castle. This trip was no different.
White Castle is open 24 hours, so you're always going to get your belly bombers fresh. It's a good thing. Is there anything more perfect than a mini-burger, grilled on a bed of onions, and topped off with two little pickle slices? I thought not.
And their pulled BBQ pork sliders aren't too bad, either. And I love their cheese fries. Let's face it. There's not a single thing on the menu that doesn't taste good.
And they're cheap. Even a Crave Case of 30 sliders is less than $20. Perfect for road trips. Or one or two really hungry teen boys. Or one or two really hungry Anderson men. I have witnessed my husband devouring an entire Crave Case by himself.
The service was a little slow, this time, and the Sprite was flavorless, as if there was no syrup, just the soda water. But that's unusual, so I overlooked it.
$, $$ if you're really hungry.
White Castle is open 24 hours, so you're always going to get your belly bombers fresh. It's a good thing. Is there anything more perfect than a mini-burger, grilled on a bed of onions, and topped off with two little pickle slices? I thought not.
And their pulled BBQ pork sliders aren't too bad, either. And I love their cheese fries. Let's face it. There's not a single thing on the menu that doesn't taste good.
And they're cheap. Even a Crave Case of 30 sliders is less than $20. Perfect for road trips. Or one or two really hungry teen boys. Or one or two really hungry Anderson men. I have witnessed my husband devouring an entire Crave Case by himself.
The service was a little slow, this time, and the Sprite was flavorless, as if there was no syrup, just the soda water. But that's unusual, so I overlooked it.
$, $$ if you're really hungry.
Whisler's
Whisler's is a recent addition to downtown Springfield. Long a mainstay in Carthage, their newest location is located less than a block from the current bus terminal, and just a short walk from the square, the Rare Breed (for teens), and Hollywood Theaters, just to name a few excellent places in the downtown area.
The fare at Whisler's is simple. They offer sliders. In other words, they're a rip-off of White Castle, something we in Springfield have long desired. (My grandmother swears there used to be a White Castle on Jefferson. Corporate has no record of one ever being there, and my grandmother is most likely wrong, but I don't argue with her.)
They do offer, however, some interesting twists, such as the sow and cow (burger with bacon) and the pig and bull (bacon with a slice of ham). It's all fantastic. I had a couple of sow and cows, and my husband had a bag of 5 cheeseburgers.
Their cheapest, basic slider is $1.25, and they're slightly larger than the White Castle burger, but that's it. (Come on, seriously. How can anything be better than a fresh White Castle?)
Their shakes are also simple. They come in the basic flavors of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, and are the same thing you can easily make at home for less.
The one good thing is that the place is so small that you can easily see them making your burgers, and thus catch mistakes, as I did, having asked for no mustard or onions. (If they grilled their onions, like White Castle, that'd be fine. But fresh? Icky.) (Hmm.... and can we tell I'm craving White Castle?)
All in all, not bad, but I'm only going when I'm desperate for White Castle and can't afford to either go to St. Louis or to Applebee's, which also has sliders, and can't stand the thought of getting the frozen ones.
$
The fare at Whisler's is simple. They offer sliders. In other words, they're a rip-off of White Castle, something we in Springfield have long desired. (My grandmother swears there used to be a White Castle on Jefferson. Corporate has no record of one ever being there, and my grandmother is most likely wrong, but I don't argue with her.)
They do offer, however, some interesting twists, such as the sow and cow (burger with bacon) and the pig and bull (bacon with a slice of ham). It's all fantastic. I had a couple of sow and cows, and my husband had a bag of 5 cheeseburgers.
Their cheapest, basic slider is $1.25, and they're slightly larger than the White Castle burger, but that's it. (Come on, seriously. How can anything be better than a fresh White Castle?)
Their shakes are also simple. They come in the basic flavors of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, and are the same thing you can easily make at home for less.
The one good thing is that the place is so small that you can easily see them making your burgers, and thus catch mistakes, as I did, having asked for no mustard or onions. (If they grilled their onions, like White Castle, that'd be fine. But fresh? Icky.) (Hmm.... and can we tell I'm craving White Castle?)
All in all, not bad, but I'm only going when I'm desperate for White Castle and can't afford to either go to St. Louis or to Applebee's, which also has sliders, and can't stand the thought of getting the frozen ones.
$
Mexican Villa
I've been craving Mexican Villa for a long time. It's something I grew up with, but it was only recently that I was brave enough to venture away from the simple order of three tacos and try the sancho enchilada style.
The appearance of this wonderful dish is deceptive. It looks like you could easily eat the whole thing by yourself, but do not be fooled! It is bigger than it looks, with a more complicated flavor blend than might be guessed by the unassuming flour tortilla, enchilada sauce, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes on the outside. Inside is perfectly seasoned beef. Though it doesn't look it, it probably weighs a little over a pound.
Something that is a must for anyone who visits Mexican Villa is the sweet sauce. It's a house favorite, and nearly everyone there is eating it. (It could be said that those who aren't eating it simply don't have good taste.)
There are several locations around town. My husband and I favor the one on South Campbel. The food is always good and fresh, the service always friendly, and the atmosphere just right.
$-$$
The appearance of this wonderful dish is deceptive. It looks like you could easily eat the whole thing by yourself, but do not be fooled! It is bigger than it looks, with a more complicated flavor blend than might be guessed by the unassuming flour tortilla, enchilada sauce, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes on the outside. Inside is perfectly seasoned beef. Though it doesn't look it, it probably weighs a little over a pound.
Something that is a must for anyone who visits Mexican Villa is the sweet sauce. It's a house favorite, and nearly everyone there is eating it. (It could be said that those who aren't eating it simply don't have good taste.)
There are several locations around town. My husband and I favor the one on South Campbel. The food is always good and fresh, the service always friendly, and the atmosphere just right.
$-$$
Bambu
Bambu is the local Vietnamese restaurant. It is located on Battlefield, near the intersection with Republic, in the same shopping center as Just for Him and Catherine's. If you have not been there, yet, I strongly suggest that you go. It is a truly unique experience in Springfield.
First, Bambu is the only place in town that you can get anything this authentic as far as foreign food goes. Second, it's the only place in town, that I know of, where you can get boba tea, which is kind of like a smoothie with large tapioca pearls. It really is awesome.
They have several different types of pho, or noodle soup. My husband's favorite is the P6, which happens to have tripe in it. There's a reason it's labled "for the adventurous." I, myself, got the lemongrass chicken, medium in spicyness (though it also comes in mild and hot). The pho is served with a pile of greens: jalapeno slices, mint sprigs, and sprouts. The other dishes come with a pickled carrot medly that could make a great appetizer on its own.
They also have some great deserts. Mike had the chocolate flan, and I had the bananas foster cheesecake skewer. It is little deep-fried bites of bananas foster cheesecake alternating on the skewer with slices of strawberry.
The service is friendly, with just the right amount of attention from the waitress. The only potential problem with the atmosphere is the fact that there are two tvs in close proximity, neither on mute, and on different stations.
$$
First, Bambu is the only place in town that you can get anything this authentic as far as foreign food goes. Second, it's the only place in town, that I know of, where you can get boba tea, which is kind of like a smoothie with large tapioca pearls. It really is awesome.
They have several different types of pho, or noodle soup. My husband's favorite is the P6, which happens to have tripe in it. There's a reason it's labled "for the adventurous." I, myself, got the lemongrass chicken, medium in spicyness (though it also comes in mild and hot). The pho is served with a pile of greens: jalapeno slices, mint sprigs, and sprouts. The other dishes come with a pickled carrot medly that could make a great appetizer on its own.
They also have some great deserts. Mike had the chocolate flan, and I had the bananas foster cheesecake skewer. It is little deep-fried bites of bananas foster cheesecake alternating on the skewer with slices of strawberry.
The service is friendly, with just the right amount of attention from the waitress. The only potential problem with the atmosphere is the fact that there are two tvs in close proximity, neither on mute, and on different stations.
$$
Ziggies
Again, this was a trip with the step-daughter.
We stopped in at the location attached to the Price Cutter on South National, right there at National and Republic. It's the smallest of the Ziggies locations, and generally just as busy as any of the others.
Like at IHOP, I had an omelette. Their version of "create-your-own" is called the cafe omelette, and you get to choose three toppings. I picked ham, gyros meat, and tomatoes. It was sort of a compromise between my craving for breakfast and my craving for a gyro.
Fantastic food and service as usual.
$-$$.
We stopped in at the location attached to the Price Cutter on South National, right there at National and Republic. It's the smallest of the Ziggies locations, and generally just as busy as any of the others.
Like at IHOP, I had an omelette. Their version of "create-your-own" is called the cafe omelette, and you get to choose three toppings. I picked ham, gyros meat, and tomatoes. It was sort of a compromise between my craving for breakfast and my craving for a gyro.
Fantastic food and service as usual.
$-$$.
IHOP
It's not often that Mike and I go to IHOP. We generally go to the one on South Glenstone, right there across from the Wal*Mart on Independence, and we generally only go when we're seriously craving pancakes.
Well, we were seriously craving pancakes, recently, and so we took the step-daughter (who was with us for a full week) to IHOP for breakfast. They're doing the NFL theme stuff, right now, but that didn't seem interesting to us.
My pancakes tasted a little undercooked, but it was a first offense, so I didn't say anything. But the whole thing was really good. I had the create your own omelette with bacon, ham, and tomatoes. Yum! It was cooked just right. At IHOP. they understand what I mean when I ask them to cook my eggs scrambled, dry.
The waitress was attentive, as usual, and earned a nice tip.
$-$$.
Well, we were seriously craving pancakes, recently, and so we took the step-daughter (who was with us for a full week) to IHOP for breakfast. They're doing the NFL theme stuff, right now, but that didn't seem interesting to us.
My pancakes tasted a little undercooked, but it was a first offense, so I didn't say anything. But the whole thing was really good. I had the create your own omelette with bacon, ham, and tomatoes. Yum! It was cooked just right. At IHOP. they understand what I mean when I ask them to cook my eggs scrambled, dry.
The waitress was attentive, as usual, and earned a nice tip.
$-$$.
Jade Dynasty
Jade Dynasty is in the buidling that used to house the Hard Wok Cafe. Like its predecessory, Jade Dynasty is a Chinese buffet, and it has a great deal of selection. On this visit, they also happened to have some pho, which is a Vietnamese beef soup with thin broth. It was alright, but the chunks of beef were extremely fatty and tough, making the large pieces difficult to chew and swallow.
It's standard buffet fare, otherwise, but definitely of higher quality than, say, New China Buffet (where I have gotten food poisoning, before.) It is, however, the only buffet in town where the macoroni in cheese is not just good, but good enough to go up for seconds.
The service is so-so, with the waitress only coming around occasionally to refill drinks, and the guy at the Mongolian BBQ is way too chatty. To be honest, I'm not all that impressed. I've also stopped getting the soft-serve ice cream since I overheard the manager tell one of the employees that he needed to clean the softserve machine, that it should have been cleaned two days before.
$-$$, depending on if you go for lunch or dinner. Does not include alcohol.
It's standard buffet fare, otherwise, but definitely of higher quality than, say, New China Buffet (where I have gotten food poisoning, before.) It is, however, the only buffet in town where the macoroni in cheese is not just good, but good enough to go up for seconds.
The service is so-so, with the waitress only coming around occasionally to refill drinks, and the guy at the Mongolian BBQ is way too chatty. To be honest, I'm not all that impressed. I've also stopped getting the soft-serve ice cream since I overheard the manager tell one of the employees that he needed to clean the softserve machine, that it should have been cleaned two days before.
$-$$, depending on if you go for lunch or dinner. Does not include alcohol.
Gem of India
With the same bit of extra money that took us to Hemingway's, Mike took us to Gem of India, and we enjoyed their lunch buffet.
Gem of India is the only Indian restaurant in town, and the food is always good. I've yet to have a bad experience there. The service is good, too.
The buffet is a little on the high side as buffets go (around $10/person), but it's totally worth it when you realize some of the spices that go into traditional Indian cooking. We're talking a hint of saffron in the rice, folks, and saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. Thankfully, it takes very little to get a great deal of that wonderful, subtle flavor that saffron is famous for.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The basmati rice at Gem of India is the only rice that I have ever had that I can eat without adding anything to it. When I make plain rice at home, I have to have milk and sugar in it. When I have rice at a Chinese restaurant, I have to have sweet and sour or cashew sauce on it. But at Gem of India, the rice is so perfect, so lightly flavoried, so tenderly cooked, that it needs nothing to make it better. (To be honest, though, I have been known to mix it with curry or whatever other sauce I've got on my plate, just to add that perfect texture to the sauce and help get more of that delicious sauce into my mouth where it belongs, tantalizingly teasing my tongue.)
Whether you go for lunch or dinner, I strongly suggest getting some gulab jamun (mill/wheat balls soaked in syrup) for desert. And, if you're wanting something a bit more exotic to drink, the mango lassi is always worth it.
We also went a second time this past week with my step-daughter, and not only did we get the buffet, we also got an order of goat curry to share, since the goat is not available on the buffet. It's something I recommend to anyone who wants a bit of an adventure.
$$-$$$, depending on when you go, and what you order. (The goat is a bit on the expensive side, since it's considered an exotic meat, here.)
Gem of India is the only Indian restaurant in town, and the food is always good. I've yet to have a bad experience there. The service is good, too.
The buffet is a little on the high side as buffets go (around $10/person), but it's totally worth it when you realize some of the spices that go into traditional Indian cooking. We're talking a hint of saffron in the rice, folks, and saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. Thankfully, it takes very little to get a great deal of that wonderful, subtle flavor that saffron is famous for.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The basmati rice at Gem of India is the only rice that I have ever had that I can eat without adding anything to it. When I make plain rice at home, I have to have milk and sugar in it. When I have rice at a Chinese restaurant, I have to have sweet and sour or cashew sauce on it. But at Gem of India, the rice is so perfect, so lightly flavoried, so tenderly cooked, that it needs nothing to make it better. (To be honest, though, I have been known to mix it with curry or whatever other sauce I've got on my plate, just to add that perfect texture to the sauce and help get more of that delicious sauce into my mouth where it belongs, tantalizingly teasing my tongue.)
Whether you go for lunch or dinner, I strongly suggest getting some gulab jamun (mill/wheat balls soaked in syrup) for desert. And, if you're wanting something a bit more exotic to drink, the mango lassi is always worth it.
We also went a second time this past week with my step-daughter, and not only did we get the buffet, we also got an order of goat curry to share, since the goat is not available on the buffet. It's something I recommend to anyone who wants a bit of an adventure.
$$-$$$, depending on when you go, and what you order. (The goat is a bit on the expensive side, since it's considered an exotic meat, here.)
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Hemmingway's
Well, after Mike re-upped our mobile phone contract with Sprint, they gave us a $100 credit, which paid off entirely this month's bill and will also pay off part of next month's. (And if you're wondering how two people can share a cell phone plan and have a bill under $100, the answer is simple. We have all texting blocked on our phone, which means there are never any texting charges, nor do we have internet on our phones.)
So, with some extra money, we chose to treat ourselves, and on Thursday, this meant breakfast buffet at Hemmingway's.
For those who are reading this and are new to the area, Hemmingway's is this lovely seafood restaurant up on the fourth floor of Bass Pro. Dinner can be a little on the expensive side, but breakfast and lunch are both nicely priced, and the breakfast buffet is the best deal they've got, at under $10 a person, including drinks. It's named for the author, and most of the decoration is the heads of various animals. (Like the rest of Bass Pro, definitely NOT Vegan friendly, which is just fine with me. Nothing against Vegans, but some of the tactics of organizations like PETA just REALLY piss me off.)
Anyway, as I said, the buffet is well priced, and most of the food on it is standard fare. There's ham, sausage, bacon, sausage gravy, biscuits, eggs, potatoes, pancakes, and french toast. There's even fried catfish, in keeping with the seafood theme. On the cold bar, this time, there was mini-muffins, fruit, and strawberry yogurt.
While most of the food was still fresh, the pancakes were not. There were only two left in the container when I got to them, and they were tough. While yes, it was at the end of breakfast (we were there around 10:00), it doesn't seem to me like much of an excuse when everything else was kept full and fresh at that point.
The service was a bit slow, and she only showed up once after taking our drink orders, to refill our sodas, but I know that's not normal at Hemmingway's, so I brushed it off.
$-$$$, depending on appetite and when you go, as well as whether or not you get any alcoholic drinks, like their fantastic pina colada.
So, with some extra money, we chose to treat ourselves, and on Thursday, this meant breakfast buffet at Hemmingway's.
For those who are reading this and are new to the area, Hemmingway's is this lovely seafood restaurant up on the fourth floor of Bass Pro. Dinner can be a little on the expensive side, but breakfast and lunch are both nicely priced, and the breakfast buffet is the best deal they've got, at under $10 a person, including drinks. It's named for the author, and most of the decoration is the heads of various animals. (Like the rest of Bass Pro, definitely NOT Vegan friendly, which is just fine with me. Nothing against Vegans, but some of the tactics of organizations like PETA just REALLY piss me off.)
Anyway, as I said, the buffet is well priced, and most of the food on it is standard fare. There's ham, sausage, bacon, sausage gravy, biscuits, eggs, potatoes, pancakes, and french toast. There's even fried catfish, in keeping with the seafood theme. On the cold bar, this time, there was mini-muffins, fruit, and strawberry yogurt.
While most of the food was still fresh, the pancakes were not. There were only two left in the container when I got to them, and they were tough. While yes, it was at the end of breakfast (we were there around 10:00), it doesn't seem to me like much of an excuse when everything else was kept full and fresh at that point.
The service was a bit slow, and she only showed up once after taking our drink orders, to refill our sodas, but I know that's not normal at Hemmingway's, so I brushed it off.
$-$$$, depending on appetite and when you go, as well as whether or not you get any alcoholic drinks, like their fantastic pina colada.
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