Our crack R & D team (Sheri Madsen) has been hitting some new happy hours and her research has led to some updates on the Happy Hour Quick List. Check it out!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Meal of the Week
I've had some good food this week. Marla took me out for my birthday on Tuesday and I took advantage of a free meal and went to 58 Degrees, where I can never afford the food. This is what we ordered and DAMN it was good:
Chicken Misto al Tartufo with prosciutto, white truffle pan sauce, and a warm Lebanese cous cous salad.
I can't even describe it, it was so good. If you're feeling flush, this is the meal to get. Perfect with a glass of Ken Forrester “Petit” Chenin Blanc.
Thanks, Marla!
Chicken Misto al Tartufo with prosciutto, white truffle pan sauce, and a warm Lebanese cous cous salad.
I can't even describe it, it was so good. If you're feeling flush, this is the meal to get. Perfect with a glass of Ken Forrester “Petit” Chenin Blanc.
Thanks, Marla!
Boon Boon Cafe
It's early and I haven't finished my coffee, so sorry for the unoriginal title.
Anyway, it doesn't need anything fancy because this place is GOOD. Jen and I couldn't come up with any remotely interesting dinner ideas the other night when neither of us felt like cooking after too many vodka sodas at the Tallac Lounge, so we decided to try the Boon Boon. I drive by it every day on my to and from work and it's also super close to Jen's house in TP.
What a great, pleasant surprise! The food was so incredibly good and the service was fantastic. Our server/owner (we're not sure, but making an assumption because she kept calling the restaurant "hers" so she either owns it or takes incredible ownership of it, both of which are a good thing) was incredibly knowledgeable about the food. She gave us the picture menu, which I always think is a funny thing about Asian restaurants, but also incredibly appreciated when you can't decide. Jen and I ordered the Chicken Satay appetizer, Chicken Green Curry and Spicy Shrimp. The Chicken Satay was perfectly grilled, the peanut sauce tasting homemade and not at all like peanut butter, the green curry perfectly light and just the right amount of heat, and the spicy shrimp perfectly cooked with all the vegetables. Our ginger tea was delicious and the perfect accompaniment.
I went back for lunch last week when I couldn't think of anything better to eat. I had the Tom Kha Gai (coconut milk soup) and the Yakitori appetizer. I wasn't as impressed by the Yakitori as the Chicken Satay. The chicken tasted a bit like it was on the grill for too long, but the teriyaki sauce was excellent. I usually stay away from teriyaki because I don't like the sticky sweetness of it, but this was a perfect balance of everything. The soup, however, was FABULOUS. I think I've talked about it every day since. It was a perfect balance of spicy and sweet, creamy without being heavy, with perfect little mushrooms, tender strips of chicken, and crunchy onion strips. YUM. I could eat this every day of my life.
The ambiance could use some warming up, but I think that's more because it's been relatively empty every time I've eaten here. The music is always interesting (when I was there for lunch it was some rockin' random jazz that was pretty cool). They're applying for a liquor license, which will probably help with the crowd, but honestly (and I can't believe I'm going to say this) they don't need it. They also have free delivery within 4 miles--hurray for those of us in TP, LP and Midtown!
One thing--there's a lot of talk on the Yelp reviews about it being in the "heart" of Oak Park. Anybody from the center city neighborhoods knows Stockton and Broadway is NOT the heart of Oak Park. It's not the greatest neighborhood, but hardly the worst ghetto either. And the location should not keep you away from the Boon Boon, the food is way too good for that.
Oh--and I almost forgot--it's cheap!! Jen and I spent $25 on dinner and I spent $10 on lunch with tip.
You can find Boon Boon on the south west corner of the Stockton and Broadway intersection, behind the Subway, or on the web at www.boonbooncafe.com. I highly recommend you try it.
Anyway, it doesn't need anything fancy because this place is GOOD. Jen and I couldn't come up with any remotely interesting dinner ideas the other night when neither of us felt like cooking after too many vodka sodas at the Tallac Lounge, so we decided to try the Boon Boon. I drive by it every day on my to and from work and it's also super close to Jen's house in TP.
What a great, pleasant surprise! The food was so incredibly good and the service was fantastic. Our server/owner (we're not sure, but making an assumption because she kept calling the restaurant "hers" so she either owns it or takes incredible ownership of it, both of which are a good thing) was incredibly knowledgeable about the food. She gave us the picture menu, which I always think is a funny thing about Asian restaurants, but also incredibly appreciated when you can't decide. Jen and I ordered the Chicken Satay appetizer, Chicken Green Curry and Spicy Shrimp. The Chicken Satay was perfectly grilled, the peanut sauce tasting homemade and not at all like peanut butter, the green curry perfectly light and just the right amount of heat, and the spicy shrimp perfectly cooked with all the vegetables. Our ginger tea was delicious and the perfect accompaniment.
I went back for lunch last week when I couldn't think of anything better to eat. I had the Tom Kha Gai (coconut milk soup) and the Yakitori appetizer. I wasn't as impressed by the Yakitori as the Chicken Satay. The chicken tasted a bit like it was on the grill for too long, but the teriyaki sauce was excellent. I usually stay away from teriyaki because I don't like the sticky sweetness of it, but this was a perfect balance of everything. The soup, however, was FABULOUS. I think I've talked about it every day since. It was a perfect balance of spicy and sweet, creamy without being heavy, with perfect little mushrooms, tender strips of chicken, and crunchy onion strips. YUM. I could eat this every day of my life.
The ambiance could use some warming up, but I think that's more because it's been relatively empty every time I've eaten here. The music is always interesting (when I was there for lunch it was some rockin' random jazz that was pretty cool). They're applying for a liquor license, which will probably help with the crowd, but honestly (and I can't believe I'm going to say this) they don't need it. They also have free delivery within 4 miles--hurray for those of us in TP, LP and Midtown!
One thing--there's a lot of talk on the Yelp reviews about it being in the "heart" of Oak Park. Anybody from the center city neighborhoods knows Stockton and Broadway is NOT the heart of Oak Park. It's not the greatest neighborhood, but hardly the worst ghetto either. And the location should not keep you away from the Boon Boon, the food is way too good for that.
Oh--and I almost forgot--it's cheap!! Jen and I spent $25 on dinner and I spent $10 on lunch with tip.
You can find Boon Boon on the south west corner of the Stockton and Broadway intersection, behind the Subway, or on the web at www.boonbooncafe.com. I highly recommend you try it.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
More Updates!
Sofia on 11th has some pretty stellar happy hour specials Marla would like me to share:
"Madness Mondays" - $2 draft, wells and sliders
"Two Dollar Tuesdays" - $2 draft hefeweizen
"Wine Wednesdays" - $4 wine & $4 cheese plates
"Three Dollar Thursdays" - $3 martinis
"Fat-Ass Fridays" - 1/2 off all appetizers (begs the question, do they call it that because you eat twice as much?)
I haven't been, but Marla said it's great and the bruschetta is delish!
Bottoms Up!
"Madness Mondays" - $2 draft, wells and sliders
"Two Dollar Tuesdays" - $2 draft hefeweizen
"Wine Wednesdays" - $4 wine & $4 cheese plates
"Three Dollar Thursdays" - $3 martinis
"Fat-Ass Fridays" - 1/2 off all appetizers (begs the question, do they call it that because you eat twice as much?)
I haven't been, but Marla said it's great and the bruschetta is delish!
Bottoms Up!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Bargains from the Bee
This morning's Sacramento Bee had an interesting story about where to find "meal deals" in the Sacramento area, including $1 handrolls, $1 tacos and free filet mignon!
http://www.sacbee.com/172/story/1208617.html
http://www.sacbee.com/172/story/1208617.html
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
A Few Happy Hour Updates
In these tough economic times, happy hour specials are more important than ever!
The 4th Street Grille has happy hour from 11:00am to 7:00pm, Monday through Friday and from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Saturdays. There are a bunch of appetizers for $5.95: potstickers, calamari, seared ahi, grilled artichokes, shrimp quesadilla, pulled pork quesadilla, garlic fries and boneless buffalo wings. Macaroni & cheese, ribs and sliders are $7.95. As for the drinks, there's quite a variety to choose from:
The 4th Street Grille has happy hour from 11:00am to 7:00pm, Monday through Friday and from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Saturdays. There are a bunch of appetizers for $5.95: potstickers, calamari, seared ahi, grilled artichokes, shrimp quesadilla, pulled pork quesadilla, garlic fries and boneless buffalo wings. Macaroni & cheese, ribs and sliders are $7.95. As for the drinks, there's quite a variety to choose from:
- $3 draft beer
- $5 house wine
- $4 well drinks
- $5 cal drinks
- $4 kamikaze shots
- $5 Tuaca shots
- $3 house wine
- $3.15 draft beers
- $3.30 Grid Gulch Sour Squishy
- $3.45 Mojito
- $4 Cosmo
- $4.15 Cherry Surprise
- $4.30 Blue Goose
- $4.45 Martinis
Saturday, August 2, 2008
I Love Small Plates
For some reason it makes me really happy when restaurants offer small plates. I love the change to try a couple of things and share with friends. Maybe it's my Mediterranean blood.
There's always been Tapa the World - the very definition of small plates. It's nice to see that they're catching on at other restaurants.
Earlier this week, Carmen and I stopped into Lucca for a glass of wine. We were both pleased to see that they have Happy Hour every day (yes, that means weekends!) and a small plate menu at the bar. There were lots of yummy sounding options -- beef carpaccio, flatbread with hummus, bruschetta, etc. We opted to split the spicy Greek style shrimp with feta and fresh basil. It was served with grilled olive bread. There was just enough spice to make it exciting, but not hot, and the fresh basil made my tastebuds very happy! The best thing was, it was just the right amount of food -- not too big, not too small. Carmen promises to blog more about the happy hour specials in a future post.
Last week, I went to see Sweeney Todd at the Music Circus. I'd had a rather large, late lunch so when we sat down at Michelangelo for dinner I was worried I'd be too full for one of their delicious dinners. Imagine my glee when the waitress set down their new small plate menu! There were several dishes that sounded great. I had the fresh spinach and ricotta ravioli with sage butter. Carmen had tiger prawns with capers and something else (note to self: take notes). My ravioli were light pillows that oozed freshness. The spinach wasn't wilted and the pasta wasn't the least bit heavy. Paired with a baked goat cheese salad and a glass of wine, this was the perfect light meal for a summer night.
This morning, I was flipping through Sactown's latest issue and came across an ad for Mason's. They're introducing a new small plate menu, which will be served daily from 5:00 to 9:00. Menu items include brushetta, vegetable frito misto, swordfish brochettes, spicy fish tcos, BBQ ribs, crab wontons and mini mac & cheese. I'm definitely going to check this out... especially during their half-price introductory week from August 18 to 24.
There's always been Tapa the World - the very definition of small plates. It's nice to see that they're catching on at other restaurants.
Earlier this week, Carmen and I stopped into Lucca for a glass of wine. We were both pleased to see that they have Happy Hour every day (yes, that means weekends!) and a small plate menu at the bar. There were lots of yummy sounding options -- beef carpaccio, flatbread with hummus, bruschetta, etc. We opted to split the spicy Greek style shrimp with feta and fresh basil. It was served with grilled olive bread. There was just enough spice to make it exciting, but not hot, and the fresh basil made my tastebuds very happy! The best thing was, it was just the right amount of food -- not too big, not too small. Carmen promises to blog more about the happy hour specials in a future post.
Last week, I went to see Sweeney Todd at the Music Circus. I'd had a rather large, late lunch so when we sat down at Michelangelo for dinner I was worried I'd be too full for one of their delicious dinners. Imagine my glee when the waitress set down their new small plate menu! There were several dishes that sounded great. I had the fresh spinach and ricotta ravioli with sage butter. Carmen had tiger prawns with capers and something else (note to self: take notes). My ravioli were light pillows that oozed freshness. The spinach wasn't wilted and the pasta wasn't the least bit heavy. Paired with a baked goat cheese salad and a glass of wine, this was the perfect light meal for a summer night.
This morning, I was flipping through Sactown's latest issue and came across an ad for Mason's. They're introducing a new small plate menu, which will be served daily from 5:00 to 9:00. Menu items include brushetta, vegetable frito misto, swordfish brochettes, spicy fish tcos, BBQ ribs, crab wontons and mini mac & cheese. I'm definitely going to check this out... especially during their half-price introductory week from August 18 to 24.
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