Crave Real Burgers, Colorado Springs, CO

The first thing I did upon learning I would be moving to Colorado Springs was research the food.  Well, that and how much sales tax would be (2.9% in case anybody is wondering).  In my first barrage of asking friends, relatives, random people at running events, and good ol' Google I came across a little burger joint know as Crave Real Burger.  A few minutes later I was searching for a website and what I found filled me with a warm feeling inside both my heart and my gut.  Images of large messy, and quite creative burgers.  It may sound strange but at that moment I knew that after moving to Colorado everything would be all right.

My wife and I finally managed to make it to Crave a few days after landing in Colorado Springs.  It was a sunny Saturday afternoon when we parked at the strip mall that Crave was located.  Walking in we were met by a pleasant server that quickly directed us to our seat.  After sitting down I took a look around.  The place had a nice feel to it, not upscale but also not fast food.  It leaned more the towards the diner experience.  Clean booths lined the walls, menus stacked against the wall at each booth, a la Islands.  We could see the kitchen off in the distance and hear the rattle and shake of cooks flipping burgers and preparing food.  The sound was actually quite soothing.

Our server appeared quickly and greeted us with a smile.  We ordered our drinks and took a long look at the menu.  The beauty of Crave is in the creation of the burgers.  Of course you can design your own burger, but I find the creations on the menu to be so alluring that it makes you want to try them.  For example there is one burger called the Popper, which I cam very close to getting.  It has beer battered cream cheese and jalapenos, lettuce, tomato, onion, chipotle may and avocado.  Something about the combination pushes beyond the whole novelty factor of "let's see what we can get people to eat" and enters the territory of a well thought out burger.    That is probably what attracted me to Crave in the first place, the burgers aren't aimed at the hipster, new sensation, experimental crowd but you can't call them the "average" burger.  They are not burgers a person dares to eat, they are burgers a person actually wants to eat.

After much consideration my wife settled on an Italian themed burger named the Wise Guy with a side order of Garlic Parmesan Fries (with roasted garlic mayo), and I ordered the Love Stinks with a side of Das Fries (beer cheese, cheddar, bacon and jalapenos).  Then we sat back and passed the time examining the list of milkshakes.  Some had a few interesting ingredients, such as cheesecake, and Reese's Pieces, but all of them sounded pretty good.  Then there was another section of "Adult Shakes" with various alcoholic additions, such as Kahlua and Vodka just to name a few.  These too sounded pretty tasty but today I was there for the burger.

Less than twenty minutes later our burgers showed up.  I looked down with glee upon the Love Stinks.  It contained pretty much everything I loved to put on a burger (garlic cream cheese, crispy onion strings, candied bacon, roasted red pepper, onion, garlic mayo and red pepper aioli).  To say the least it was delicious.  The flavors really melded well together, and the burger was cooked perfectly.  The only drawback was that it didn't feel, for lack of better words, "Stinky."  It felt like a burger with  bunch of ingredients that were designed to give bad breath.  I've had burgers before where you felt the onion and garlic as you ate it and you knew that your breath would fairly reek afterwards.  It just didn't get that feeling from this burger.  Not a bad burger at all, but not the intense flavor I was expecting.  The Das Fries on the other hand were exactly what I was expecting.  The beer cheese had tons of flavor and the bacon and jalapenos added just the right kick to the fries.  It was so good that I ended up stealing a few fries from my wife so that I could sop up some of the beer cheese sauce.

My wife did let me steal a few bites from her burger.  Now when my wife asked our server about the burger the server told her that it tasted very Italian.  In the first bite I knew exactly what she meant.  My wife's burger had crispy mozzarella (a flat chunk of it that managed to be both crispy and gooey), prosciutto, fresh basil, tomato and onion drizzled with balsamic, olive oil and pesto.  It was exquisitely Italian.  You could taste every ingredient in it and they all just worked together perfectly.  I've had Italian themed burgers before, usually brought about by adding deep fried mozzarella sticks and a heaping amount of red sauce, this was nothing like that.  This is what an Italian burger should taste like.  I also tried the Garlic Parmesan Fries.  At first I thought they were not bad, but then I dipped one into the roasted garlic mayo, and then the flavor hit me.  It was a great addition to the Italian burger.

Would I go back to Crave Real Burgers?  I'm already planning on going back there this weekend.  Not only that, I am aiming to try every burger they have on the menu, and not just because they give you a free T-Shirt when you have had one of each.  Everything on the menu looks delicious.  There is pretty much nothing I would not eat there.  A burger, maybe with an "Adult Shake", and I'm a happy man.

Big Bad Wolf Challange, Winners Board

Crave Real Burger
7465 N. Academy Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
(719) 264-7919
http://craverealburgers.com/

Las Cuatro Milpas, Barrio Logan, San Diego, California

You will notice there is only one picture in this blog.  That is because there only needs to be one picture.  You are looking at five rolled tacos (okay I might have eaten one) covered in cheese, crema (not sour cream), filled with the best tasting pork you will ever eat (I added diced onions to mine).  This is not your average burnt piece of carnita, those have their place but not here.  These are more like steamed chunks of meat.  You can taste the hours that went into their production, though not for long.  These chunks of pork will last just long enough for you to cram them into your mouth.  The price for these, you ask, one dollar each, and that is a steal.

But I am jumping ahead.  A friend of mine was coming down to visit and suggested a certain Luchador themed restaurant that will not be named.  I noted that while the place certainly has flare it was lacking in flavor, and I was speaking specifically of their food.  Instead I remembered a happier time three years ago when my co-worker would get a nod from the boss to go out and bring back food from a place only spoken of in a whisper, Las Cuatros Milpas.  They would arrive back an hour later with some of the best pork I'd ever put into my mouth.  Ah, those were the days.

So we decided to meet up at Las Cuatros Milpas, and after searching around the area I snagged a parking spot a block away.  Barrio Logan is not the easiest place to park in general, but finding a parking spot in front of this place is nearly impossible.  The first thing you see is a line of people coming out the front door.  The people span the rainbow of skin colors and ethnicities, but what they do have in common is a love of great Mexican food.

Entering the front door you see two older Mexican ladies working behind the counter dropping rolled tacos into a big, wide bowl filled with oil.  At the same time they are shoveling in pieces of meat into small greasy corn tortillas.  The operation is simple:  grab food, quickly prep, drop on plate, and pay.  The whole operation takes a minute or so.  You can ask a question, but make it fast as there are a lot of hungry people behind you.  The best part, as far as I can tell there is only one type of meat, pork.  No confusion or questions, just let me have that.  There are other foods there.  The beans and rice are pretty good.  On Saturdays they have menudo.  But what people go there for is the pork, and most people go for the rolled tacos, lots of people, pretty much every day of the week (except Sunday, they are closed Sunday).

There is only one picture in this blog.  What you are not seeing are the women behind the counter hard at work putting a meal together.  What you do not see are the other women further on in the restaurant working with large industrial sized machines making all the food from scratch.  What you do not see are the smiling faces, full stomachs, and sighs of contentment from the people who have just finished their food, or their grimace as they realize they will have to get back in line to get more.  There is only one picture in this this blog, and it is the only picture you need to see.

Las Cuatros Milpas

1875 Loan Ave

San Diego, CA 92113

http://www.yelp.com/biz/las-cuatro-milpas-san-diego-2

The Huddle, Mission Hills, San Diego, California

When people say Mission Hills down here in San Diego, they think classy houses and rich people, but buried right off Washington is a little hole in the wall diner.  I actually discovered it by accident when I first made the long drive down to court my wife (wow that sounds old, like I had to offer her father a couple of oxen for her hand in marriage).  Here is my little review of one of the best little places to grab a quick bite in Mission Hills, the Huddle.

Never has the term hole in the wall been more apply applied.  Across the street from Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria , and a few doors down from Brooklyn Girl, is a small glass window next to a small door with a metal screen.  Surrounded by expensive eateries you had to wonder what this place was doing here, but once you taste the food you'll realize that every city needs a Huddle.

The first time we, my wife and I, had gone to the Huddle was when we were taking her ring back to be re-sized.  I had gotten up early for a long run and was starving at this point.  Not wanting to hunt down a fancy restaurant after dropping off the ring we stopped in my wife's old neighborhood, actually a few blocks down from it.  We considered grabbing some pizza but Lefty's wasn't going to open for at least an hour.  Instead we made our way into the Huddle.

Once inside we were greeted with a smile by a giant of a man who I believe was the owner, or at least the manager.  With a big smile he pointed us to a table.  We quickly met our server, and feeling the need to gorge I ordered a Chili Omelette with a side of hash browns and an English Muffin.  My wife got a cheese omelette, country potatoes, and wheat toast.  Then we sat back and examined the decor in more detail as we waited for our food.

Quaint would be a nice way of putting it.  The interior reminded me of the a home converted into a greasy spoon.  Wallpaper covered one wall, and behind the counter stood a large refrigerator that looked like it had been around since the early 50's.  To the right of it was a large flat grill where everything from flapjacks to burgers, to my omelette was produced.  Against the far wall was a single bathroom, and a good two feet away from that door was what appeared to be the pantry.

Our food arrived in less than 15 minutes, and this was on a busy Saturday morning.  The chili was placed in a small container to the left of my omelette which was a bit of a surprise but after distributing it evenly between my eggs and the hash browns I proceeded to wolf it down without a second thought.  Everything I had ordered was delicious and comforting in a way that only the best greasy spoon can deliver.  I even managed to snag a little of my wife's toast and gave their in-house perseveres a try, strawberry, apple, and marmalade.  They were so good that I bought a jar of the marmalade for my dad as he has a weakness for it.

Our waitress and the owner were polite and attentive.  The food was hot and fresh.  The environment was welcoming.  Overall I highly recommend giving this place a chance.  Also if you do go, and have a hankering for something sweet I'd ask for the Shake of the Month.  They made me one of the best chocolate and peanut butter milkshakes I've ever had.

The Huddle
4023 Goldfinch Street
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 291-5950

Main Street Waffle, Huntington Beach, CA UPDATE (Now Closed)

So what's the first thing you eat after getting out of the dentist?  When I was a kid I remember my mom would take my sister and I to a little bakery around the corner from the dentist where she would buy us each a cookie.  Of course this was back when you had to wait a good 30 minutes after leaving the dentist to eat anything.  In addition to that  the cookies weren't all that great.  Dry, and bit overly sugary if I remember correctly.  I always got a chocolate chip cookie, but it tasted a bit more like a sugar cookie someone had put food coloring in to look like a chocolate chip cookie.  Still to this day I always feel the need for something sweet after I get out of the dentist's office.

Fast forward many years later and I still am lucky enough to have the same amazing dentist that works Saturdays, only he's moved locations.  "Hurray" was my first thought, as that meant I would no longer have to eat disgusting overly sugary chocolate chip cookies, but what would I have after sitting in a chair and having my teeth worked on for a good half hour to an hour.  Taking a little walk while my wife was getting her teeth cleaned I crossed the street and found myself wandering through a strip mall.  It was there that I found what I was looking for, something sweet but filling, and bit more grown up tasting.  That is how I found myself over at Main Street Waffle in Huntington Beach.

Now the idea isn't new.  Waffles are the new bread, and can put a nice twist on quite a few traditional sandwich combinations.  I'd had one or two before coming here.  The last time being a bit over the top in my opinion (giant chunk of chicken on top of egg on top of ham on top...).  I wasn't expecting anything amazing, but I was hoping for good, just a good waffle sandwich.  So my wife joins me and after taking a quick look at the menu I grab the special, your basic chicken and waffle sandwich, and my wife got the breakfast waffle sandwich.

After ordering at the counter my wife and I take a look around the place.  It's nice, clean, and the atmosphere is relaxed.  The servers are quick to grab me some ice so I don't have to wait for the archaic drink dispenser to deliver it.  My wife and I grab a seat in the middle of the room and chat while we wait.  I don't think ten minutes passed before our food was served.

I was delighted to see a more normal sized piece of chicken between the waffles.  The chicken wasn't anything to write home about but it was definitely good, not over-seasoned, and cooked perfectly.  On top of the chicken was a medley of pinkish cabbage that went well with the chicken.  On the side was a small container of chipotle mayo, and it was the best thing, better than syrup, that you could put in my sandwich.  The waffles weren't anything special but they were cooked just long enough to be sturdy but not rigid.  By themselves the ingredients to my waffle sandwich were not all that great, but together, with dash of chipotle mayo, everything worked.

I, of course, stole a bite of my wife's breakfast waffle sandwich and it was exactly what I was expecting, breakfast you can eat with your hands.  Unlike my sandwich it needed a bit of syrup to bring out its full potential, but again it seemed spot on as far as waffle sandwiches go.

While it won't win any awards Main Street Waffle has a decent staff with good, filling food.  I'd go there again if only to try a few of the other sandwiches.

Farm House Cafe, University Heights, San Diego, CA

If you haven't guessed by now I don't usually have relaxing Sunday mornings very often, but I'm trying to change that.  So when a friend at work told me about a little place down the way from Adam's Avenue Grill that I just had to try, I did.  Which is how my wife and I ended up at the lovely Farm House Cafe sipping creative mimosas and having one of our best breakfasts experiences ever.

As usual it wasn't so much of a plan to go there as a recollection of a recommendation and just enough energy to drag myself and my wife out of bed.  We arrived relatively early for a Sunday, around 9:30 or 10 and snagged some seats outside.  The wait staff was super friendly, and after a bit of morning banter I threw caution to the wind and ordered a mimosa.  Never have I understood the appeal of ruining perfectly good or bad champagne with O.J., or vice versa, I was happy to see there were other options on the menu.  I settled on an amazing concoction with cucumber, basil, and champagne.  It was the perfect blend of flavors.  It had been forever since I'd had cucumber juice, and the basil added the right amount of complexity to my drink.  My wife ordered a similar concoction but hers came with a somewhat fruitier peach strawberry combination.  Still good but we both agreed that the cucumber/basil was the way to go.

A little after we had gotten our mimosas I was feeling pleasantly relaxed we ordered brunch.  I decided to get an omlet, which came with braised beef and red pepper puree, as well as a blue cheese Bechamel (a blue cheese cream sauce) Grilled Cheese.  My wife ordered the Frnech Toast, petit, so only three slices with a side of bacon, also three slices.  The my wife and I sipped our mimosas and pretended we were in France overlooking the Rein, complete with my feeble attempts at a French accent.  Hey, you can do what you want during your Sunday brunch, my wife and I will do what we want.

A short time later our food came out.  At first glance my omlet was not what I had been expecting.  It was more of a hodgepodge of egg and meat, next to a beautiful looking piece of crusted bread.  Then I took a bite.  It was one of the best things I've ever put into my mouth.  Even the meat, which I usually say I could make at home, well I probably could but I didn't and it tasted amazing.  The "omelet" was cooked to my favorite consistency of not overdone, and there was a delicious sauce you can barely see in the picture that added amazing flavor to everything.  The grilled cheese, at which I had been hesitant as I was not a die hard blue cheese fan, blew my mind.  It worked perfectly with the omelet.  By the time I was done I was sopping up the sauce with the remnants of the bread, and I had to resist the urge to lick the plate clean.

My wife said her dish was amazing as well, though a bit smaller than she expected.  I managed to snag a bite, small bite, of the French Toast and bacon.  The French Toast was sweet, but not too sweet.  The bacon had been cooked prefectly, not too crispy but not too limp either, though it wasn't the best I've ever had.  Just good filling bacon, and a good filling meal.  My wife took a bite of my food, and said I had won this round on what to order.

So we finished our meal, but I was feeling like I just needed a little more.  So we splurged on the selection of chocolates.  Apparently the Farm House Cafe has an in-house choclateer.  As you can see in the picture I couldn't wait for my wife to snap a pic before I tried one.  The chocolates ranged from white to dark, and the dark had a variety of flavors.  The most memorable, surprisingly, was a mint flavored dark chocolate, and it was so amazing because they used real mint, not some mint infused cream to flavor it.  If you are going I highly recommend you get some of their chocolate if it is available.

So with a smile on our faces, not to meniton a bit of chocolate at the corner of mine.  My wife and I left the Farm House Cafe.  Already planning the next time we would come back, and I promising not to speak in my terrible French accent.  Adieu.

Farm House Cafe
2121 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 269-9662
http://www.farmhousecafesd.com/

Bud's Louisiana Cafe, Kearny Mesa, San Diego, CA

My wife and I were heartbroken after the Gulf Coast Grill was shut down.  I took a break from Cajun food for a while, but there is something about that spicy flavorful stuff that I just ignore.  A quick glance through The Reader brought to my attention a little Cajun place hidden in an industrial park in Kearny Mesa.  I sweet talked my wife into making our way out there, and am I ever glad I did.

Bud's is everything that comes to mind when I think about what a Cajun/Creole restaurant should be, well minus the location.  My wife and I showed up for a late lunch, expecting it to have settled down some, but Bud's was still plenty busy when we got there.  We were quickly shown to a seat outside, and settled down to look over the menu.  It took a fair bit of restraint but I resisted the urge to order pretty much everything on it.

Side of Jambalaya

I saw they had pretty much every one of my favorite dishes: gumbo, jambalaya, po boys, soft-shelled crab.  Just looking over the menu made my mouth water.  After much contemplation I decided on a cup of jambalaya, and a po boy... but which one?  I turned to our server and sought advice, he gave a couple of recommendations, mostly what was popular, but then he mentioned his personal favorite, fried catfish.  Which is one of my most favorite Cajun dishes, but not always the easiest to cook.  I don't know if it is just me but it seems near impossible to find good catfish.  I've had it overcooked, and under-seasoned, but rarely have I had it just right.  I guess I could have gone for something easy but I wanted to see just how good Bud could cook.  My wife settled on the Louisiana Chicken, and surprised me by ordering a Caesar Salad then we sat back to enjoy the atmosphere.

Awesome Caesar Salad

 We didn't wait very long, but as we did our waiter was quick to refill water and tea without having to be flagged down, one way to ensure a good tip from me.  Finally our first dishes arrived.  I looked over my jambalaya, noticing the chunks of sausage, smoke ham, and what i believe was some type of fish, and smiled.  The rice was cooked perfectly, spicy but not too hot, the meat was warm and filling.  My wife quickly noted I had a stupid happy grin on my face the whole time I was eating.  I couldn't help it, it's been too long since I had really good jambalaya.  My wife's Caesar salad came out at the same time.  I don't know if it was the atmosphere or my good mood, but even the bite of my wife's Caesar salad tasted better than any Caesar I'd ever had, and Caesar is my go to salad. 

 

Gigantic Catfish Po Boy

Just as we finished the first dish our main dishes came out.  The first thing I thought upon seeing my Fried Catfish Po Boy was, how am I going to finish all this.  It looked like they used an entire catfish in the thing.  My first bite was perfect, it was an amazing type of crunchy, smooth, hot, and just the right amount of spicy that I remember Catfish is supposed to be.  The bread was firm but giving.  The fries were flavored, and came with a side of this spicy ketchup that I wanted to add to everything.  My wife's food was also pretty impressive looking.  I stole a few bites of it, even tried the mushrooms which I usually avoid, and it tasted great.  Definitely the right amount of spice for my wife.  I probably would have eaten more but like I said that Catfish Po Boy was gigantic.

Louisiana Chicken

 So ended a memorable and very enjoyable lunch at Bud's Louisiana Cafe.  I already have plans to return on a Wednesday or Thursday for dinner as that is the only time they serve beignets.  Which if I remember from my youth, at Disneyland, are little puffy pieces of doughy goodness that you got if you were a good boy, so at Disneyland I was always a very good boy.  See y'all there.

Bud's Louisiana Cafe
4320 Viewridge Ave, "A"
(In the Balboa Business Center)
San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 573-2837

http://www.budscafe.com/

Adams Avenue Grill, University Heights, San Diego, CA

Adam's Avenue Grill

Picture a beautiful Sunday Morning.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing, a faint breeze gently brushes the trees outside my window, and I'm fast asleep.  Let me just say this is not my regular Sunday Morning.  I'm not sure why but for the last couple of years I've been driven to rise at the crack of dawn and get things done, weekday or not.  So it came as a surprise when the clock struck 10 and I found myself still in bed.  My wife on the other hand had no trouble sleeping in, and awoke with a beautiful smile on her face.  Distracting me for a few moments from the fact that it was at least 2 to 3 hours past the time I should have eaten, but only for a few moments.  Dragging my bedraggled body out of bed I threw on some clothes and with my wife started on a journey to one of the best restaurants in San Diego, Adams Avenue Grill.

Tasteful Interior

Of course that didn't start off as my destination, but somehow I found my way over to University Heights.  Once there I considered stopping at a little Mexican place, or for some Southern far with a side of bluegrass, but somehow I made it over to Adams' Avenue and once there I saw it.  Encased in white it fairly growled on the4 warm Sunday pre-lunch hour.  My wife had been here before, and returned with stories of just how great it had been. I saw a parking place conveniently around the corner from the place, a sure sign I was meant to eat there, as parking in the area is not that great, and pulled to the curb.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Dessert

Upon entering my eyes instantly went to the deserts in a small counter at the front of the store.  then they wandered on to the rest of the interior.  Adam's Avenue Grill was clean but colorful.  Every table encased in white linen, offsetting the hints of color from a variety of art that decorated the walls.  We were quickly greeted by a staff member, and a few moments later by the chef: Jim Klepis.  I didn't know that at the time, but h greeted us with a big smile and led us to our table.  Our waitress, who I actually feel a bit bad about not remembering her name, approached and recited the specials of the day.  Which reminds me, if I don't get anything else across in this review I want to make sure that my readers understand, the service was amazing.  From the busboys to the waiters everyone had a smile on their face and really made my wife and I feel welcome.  After hearing the specials I looked over the menu, and I had a lot to look over as both breakfast and lunch were available.  After a lot of perusing I settled on the Chipotle Marinated Steak and Enchiladas, because isn't that what everyone wants to eat in the morning.  My wife decided to get the Bacon Stuffed Waffle, and Cheesy Grits Stack.  Seriously how did they come up with these combinations?

Chipotle Marinated Steak & Enchiladas (you can glimpse the Enchiladas beneath the egg)

Somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes later they brought out our food, and my first thought was, "This is too pretty to eat."  ow I usually don't go on about the presentation but I could tell somebody had given some serious thought as to how they wanted our meal to look.  Not to much mind you, it didn't look like modern art; it shined just enough for me to tell the chef in the back really cared about the food and what his customers thought of it.  Soon after we dug into what was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had.

Bacon Stuffed Waffle & Cheesy Grits Stack

The steak was marinated perfectly, not burn you moth off spicy, just hot enough to add some flavor, and the cheddar cheese enchiladas were just the right amount of cheesy gooey delicious.  Together they created this amazing pallet of flavors that made the whole dish greater than what was around it.  Needless to say my egg, sunny side up, was perfect.  I glanced over about halfway through my meal to see my wife smile as she took another bit of the cheesy grits.  Now I'm no grit person, so I trust all confer all grit related dishes to my wife for commentary, and the smile on her face said it all.  I snaked a bit before she finished, and found the hollandase sauce combined with the grits and the waffle were another amazing combination of flavors I had not expected.  Seriously how do they come up with this stuff?

That was my first visit to Adams Avenue Grill, but not my last.  I've gone there many times since with friends and family, even for my wife's birthday.  I've left a few pictures below of what I and others have gotten there, including what my sister has described as the best Turkey Burger ever.  I have only one critique, and that is about the Lavender infused Crème Brule.  I didn't think it was possible to over infuse a desert to the point that it taste like soap, but that is what they did.  I will say it was a very novel experience to eat something that taste like shampoo but without the bubbles or soapy aftertaste, but not one I want to repeat.  So avoid that one dish, you can't go wrong with everything else on the menu.

Adams Avenue Grill
2201 Adams Avenue
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 298-8440

http://www.adamsavenuegrille.com/

One of the Specials but if I remember correctly - Flat Iron Steak with a Burgundy Red Sauce Reduction, Horseradish Gorgonzola Mac and Cheese, and Veggies

 

Carolina Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf & Maple Spiked Sweet Potatoes

Slice of Pie on my Wife's Birthday

Best Turkey Burger Ever!