Archive for the 'Reviews' Category

BJ’s, A Bit Pricey, Quite A Bit Delicious

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

It’s been years since I stopped by BJ’s in La Mesa, but I always knew they had a great happy hour, so we headed out there yesterday to see if it was still around. As luck would have it, the restaurant’s happy hour hasn’t changed a bit. All of their mini pizzas are half price, drinks are a dollar off and appetizers are two dollars off. Of course, the prices for everything are rather pricey, so this just means everything is reasonable instead of inflated.

We went ahead and ordered the piranha nachos as an appetizer and I ordered their Irish Root Beer. The nachos were good, but a few chips were burned and their salsa has always been a bit strange. The smokey chipotle flavor is just a bit off when paired with the sweetness of the rest of the flavors. Unfortunately, you can’t have nachos without salsa, so we just tried to go light on the salsa. While the chili, cheese, olives, sour cream, tomatoes and other toppings were tasty, I think I’d skip this $9.25 appetizer ($7.25 during happy hour) in the future, unless they get a new salsa.

As for my drink, the Irish Root Beer was pure heaven. With the restaurant’s own root beer, Baileys, BOLS butterscotch schnapps and Jameson whiskey, it was the perfect blend of sweet and bitter. Over all, it had a taste of a root beer float, but the sweet bite of the Jameson made it all the more delightful. At $7.75 per glass ($6.75 during happy hour) it’s a little on the pricey side, but the size and flavor made it worth the expense.

For dinner, we went for the mini pizzas. BJ’s specialties are its beers and pizzas, so I knew we’d be in for a treat no matter what we ordered, so we went for the exotic and tried the Mediterranean, with Kalmata olives, grilled chicken, tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, pesto, feta cheese, pepperchinis and garlic, and the bacon cheeseburger, with ground beef, red onions, bacon, pickles, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and thousand island dressing. Both of the pizzas were tasty, but the Mediterranean had quite a few less toppings than appeared on the pizza, although the taste was still an excellent blend of all the ingredients. The cheeseburger pizza was a treat for the tongue as the flavors of the pickles and dressing were unexpected, but entirely pleasant. I would highly recommend either pizza, particularly for the happy hour price of $5 each during the happy hour special.

I ended up with enough left overs to have lunch the next day, which meant I was too stuffed to try the pizzokie, which looked quite tasty. But, to correct that omission in our meal, I’ll be making home made pizzokies later and then sharing the recipe with you all soon. And if you run by a BJ’s, give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Sun Tacos: Changed Name=Changed Quality

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

If you live in La Mesa, you may very well have enjoyed the little taco shop on Baltimore that was once known as Buenos Dias. Unfortunately, although the shop is still owned by the same people, the name change to Sun Tacos, which does not sound nearly as delightful to the ear, reflects a drop in both value and price.

While the menu options are the exact same, even the trademark Buenos Dias burrito with potatoes, beans and eggs, the prices have risen as much as a dollar per item. You can even see the old prices shining through the menu board, mocking you for having spent more than you really should have.

For me though, the real disappointment was the food. While the restaurant was once one of the rare taco shops that wasn’t too greasy and cooked everything to perfection, the food has taken a nosedive. The carne asada was chewy; the beans, flavorless and greasy; the tortillas, stale; and, worst of all the potatoes in my once-beloved Buenos Dias burrito were crunchy and undercooked.

If you had once enjoyed the restaurant, it’s best to leave your memories the way they were and simply avoid the location at all costs.

Marshmallow Delights

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

3219090787_43fd6480ea_mWhen a representative from Plush Puffs got in touch with me about trying their gourmet marshmallows, I must admit, I was skeptical. After all, how great can a marshmallow be, right? Still, being a fan of cheap eats, I certainly enjoy freebies and gladly agreed to test out their products.

In one day, my opinion of marshmallows has changed forever. Prior to trying to Plush Puffs I thought of mallows as merely a tool for making certain desserts, like s’mores and rice squares. With Plush Puffs though, the marshmallow is all you need for dessert.

These light, fluffy bits of heaven are sweet and flavorful. The brand has six standard flavors, including Simply S’mores and Peppi-Mint, and claims they are willing to custom make flavors as well.

I tried the Caramel Swirl, Luscious Lemon Meringue and the Chocolate Chippetta and found each flavor to have its own magical kick. The caramel was bursting with light, sweet caramel, just hovering short of the delicate line of too sweet. The lemon had a delightful tang reminiscent of my mother’s lemon bars. The chocolate was dusted in cocoa powder and fitted with a sprinkling of chocolate chips making it a perfect after dinner snack.

Best of all, these tiny indulgences are incredibly healthy considering how delectable they are. Five mallows will land you only 70 calories and 0 grams of fat. For those of you looking to fight processed foods, they contain no corn syrup or artificial preservatives either.

If you ever get the chance to try these wonderful goodies, don’t pass it up. I assure you, they are worth the price.

For more info: Visit their website.

Fast French Food For About the Same As A Carl’s Jr. Meal

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

I like Mimi’s. While many of the reviews in this blog will be based in one local area or another, Mimi’s is all over the USA. Best of all, if you’re a poor sucker like me, it’s one of the best semi-French places you can afford to eat at.

They have great to go options. Their food is inexpensive and you get a good quantity. So it’s awesome to run over and pick up some Mimi’s on the run rather than hitting a drive thru and it’s way healthier.
Individual Dish Recommendations below