Looking for a good cheeseburger in Sacto...
Help! I am from Texas and here visiting a friend for the next few days... I need a good burger in a bad way. Do they have good burgers here in Sacto? Like the ones in Houston? Surprise me...
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The Ten Most Recent Posts By HoustonJoe
Tapioca Dumpling Help
I am looking for a good way to make tapioca dumplings. Mine are always too thick walled and gummy. Should I keep the filling raw or cooked before I steam them?
Ideas for Duck Breasts
I have a case of duck breasts going south in the walk-in left over from the previous chef. I need ideas on how to utilize these before they go bad. Problem is that the menu consists solely of salads, sandwiches and pizzas.... Any ideas would be great!
The Ten Most Recent Comments By HoustonJoe
How was your school's hot lunch?
They sold It's - It! ice cream bars at my school in Sacramento. I would eat like four a week. I miss those things here in Texas...
Southern Belly: Gilhooley's, in San Leon, Texas
Yeah, Gilhooleys rocks! Plus, check out the Redneck Yacht Club in the same 'hood for some cheap beers... A great way to escape Houston for a day.
What's the Best Mexican Food Town in the U.S.?
It has got to be Houston! From high end (Hugos) to taco trucks (Tierra Caliente on Montrose) and great tex-mex we have it all. Plus, its not a "touristy" town like San Antonio...
Fort Worth, Texas: A Serious Eating Tour
Maybe you should have Mr. Walsh take you around Houston sometime... We have the best burger in Texas! (Lankford Grill) Plus you'll get a chance to eat Ms. Thelmas BBQ and her ethereal Fried Catfish...
Kewpie Mayo: a little disappointing
I like kewpie on grilled corn with lime,chili powder, kraft parm...way better than the elotes you get at the flea markets around here...
Korean Fusion Burger: The Bulgoki Burger
I pass that place all the time... Always wondered what was up. Sounds Gross! Robb Walsh is the man!
Dinner Tonight: Migas, Tex-Mex Style
Add a bit of sour cream or creme fraiche to finish the migas. Real luxuriant!
Come on in 'The Kitchn'
Never let your tates boil! It will bust the cell walls in the starch and make your spuds gummy. Just a nice simmer... Use a ricer, salt after that, you want to season the potato. Then add butter by folding it in. Over mixing will also make them gummy. Finally add a touch of cream and any additional seasoning. Classic
Responses to Comments by HoustonJoe
How was your school's hot lunch?
My high school's food was unfathomably bad--rubbery chicken nuggets and pizza soaked in grease. College food, on the other hand, while tiresome, is much better. We have salmon, flank steak, ribs--all good stuff. :)
What's the Best Mexican Food Town in the U.S.?
I agree with fivrforfun. I live in Bend and the Mexican food at Pepe's rocks. My friend Marcos has a restaurant called La Rosa that is also a locals favorite.
Some really awesome burritos de carne asada can be found at El Grullense in Salem OR. In fact when I'm there I get a cooler and ice and load up before driving home... yes, that good!
How was your school's hot lunch?
I am so the outlier. I can say that most of what everyone describes was totally absent on my high school's lunch menu. I gruadted less than five years ago, so the whole "healthy lunch program" was just going into effect.
We had buffalo chicken sandwiches on Wednesday and chicken tenders on Thursdays. French fries, pizza and wraps too...sounds like standard fair, right? It was all air-fried, low fat and whole wheat. Mostly the least popular too...we had a sushi chef come in on Tuesdays, and we had a daily stir fry station. The salad bar was enormous, and they had a make-you-own smoothie bar. Grilled/roasted veggies were always an option and never soggy. The hamburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches and veggie burgers were also tasty. I do miss the make-your-own nacho bar with fresh salsa and avocado slices!!
I also went to public school, in case anyone was wondering. I've heard that they now accept credit and debit cards in the cafeteria and/or an ID card with stored dining dollars that's controlled online--and subsequently allows parents to SEE what their children are buying. Kinda Big Brother-ish.
How was your school's hot lunch?
I ate hot lunches in grade school and thought they were exotic, since it was stuff I never got at home. Looking back, I can recall canned Chef Boyardee ravioli as the amazing highlight of the lunch menu. In high school, there was a hot lunch, but after eating what they referred to as a hamburger, I gave that up in favor of the "cold lunch" line which offered such delectables as the ubiquitous bologna sandwich with butter globs, and on a good day, Twinkies and Hostess apple pies.
How was your school's hot lunch?
Wednesdays were spaghetti day. Piles of misc. pasta and meat sauce (government surplus ground "beef") were served with totally awesome rolls (referred to as "yeast rolls") make by the lunch ladies. I flashed back to those beloved rolls the first time I had coco bread - tasted exactly the same (minus the beef patty).
How was your school's hot lunch?
Bisbee, I'm glad you posted this!!! As I read through the lunchbox thread (and having NO idea that it would evoke such memories) I thought about Wednesdays, the day that my 'lunchbox' Mom would let me buy lunch. Wednesday was pizza day. The dedicated lunch ladies in my school district made everything from scratch, including the incredible pizza. They served it with spinach, to make sure the dietary rules were adhered to. Anyway, the pizza was FABULOUS and I can still recall with anticipation, the deep-dish, homemade slices that were to come. The lunch ladies also made the best oatmeal/peanutbutter cookies. The cookies were so popular, people in the community would place orders for them on the day they were made! Imagine my surprise when I tasted the dorm food my first year at college, I expected it to be like the Lunch Ladies, NOT!! By the way, the Lunch Ladies made a killer salibury steak and mashed potatoes.
How was your school's hot lunch?
Chicken rings. They were chicken nuggets in the shape of rings, and they haunt me to this day. Best was Fridays, when you could order them with a softball sized buttery roll, mashed potatoes and gravy, separately or as a sandwich. I remember visiting high school during college just to try them again. So good!
Also, the best egg roll I have ever eaten was served by the junk food line in my cafeteria.
From elementary school, I remember the pizza, which came practically cheeseless (loved that) and carrot and raisin "salad."
How was your school's hot lunch?
My high school did hot breakfast in the morning (neon egg sandwiches) followed by hot lunch. Wednesday was always nacho day: ground beef with minimal seasoning on toastios with melted slices of kraft and jarred salsa. yum.
@bonnie: my best friend's favorite late night raid the kitchen snack at sleepovers growing up was toasted bread with margarine and cool ranch doritos. She was from the originally from the south.
Southern Belly: Gilhooley's, in San Leon, Texas
If you're in the New Orleans area, you MUST try Drago's in Metarie. Very similar recipe, incredibly amazing fantastic. They also have a lobster stuffed with alfredo sauce, bacon, oysters, sliced duck breast, and angel hair pasta. It's what my friends call STFU delicious.
What's the Best Mexican Food Town in the U.S.?
Houston? What you have there is Tex-Mex. Chicago? I think not. I have lived in both cities. San Diego, CA which is 15 miles north of the Mexican border by far, has the best Mexican in the US. Old Town is dedicated to offering you one Mexican restaurant after another in addition to all the other Mexican restaurants and taco stands located around the city. Real Mexican food is found there.
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