Eating through Chains - AZ

Scott and I hit the road late Monday night for Arizona for a 5 day horse show. While he drove I curled up as best as I could and napped during our drive into the desert. As soon as Scott decided to pull off the highway for a break, I instantly woke up and jumped out of the truck.

He pulled into a McDonald's and I was starting to configure what I was going to order before I even got out of the truck. I knew for sure I would grab one of their delicious Coca Cola fountain sodas. What made them extra delicious anyway? The hash browns are a salty treat, so I definitely would grab one of those but what else...

I had never had a Bacon McGriddle so I decided to go for it. It was sweet and salty with the bites of egg, cheese and bacon. I was throughly impressed with this breakfast sandwich! I am not much of a breakfast lover so this made our stop pretty much a success. Have you tried a McGriddle?

In Arizona where we are staying, it is like chain restaurant city and there is nothing wrong with that. As much as I enjoy fine dining, I also like to eat at everyday type of restaurants. They aim to please and are affordable. I hadn't been to an Applebee's in awhile so I was actually looking forward to it.

Ah, the good old Oriental Chicken Salad with extra dressing. This salad has ben on their menu for as long as I can remember and it always has been good. The dressing is creamy, but totally unique. They could bottle it and probably survive off the profits of the dressing alone. The crispy chicken with bites of shredded carrot, sliced almonds and crunchy rice noodles are just to die for.

Who doesn't love Texas Roadhouse? Have you been to one? They are the restaurant responsible for teaching your children to just throw their used peanut shells on the floor. I never understood the concept but maybe it made people feel like they were at home? Who throws peanut shells just on the floor? Ok. I am done ranting about the peanut shells, but I enjoy the salty snack waiting for me at the table as soon as we are seated. 

I was in the mood for a frosty beverage and thought a frozen margarita was just the ticket. The margarita itself was blended perfectly smooth but the mix itself was much too tart. A couple sips of the frosty concoction would leave you puckering your cheeks up tight.

My meal at the roadhouse was a very simple one. Grilled Salmon, buttered corn and loaded mash potatoes not pictured. The salmon itself was nicely cooked, maybe a little touch over done to my taste but it was nicely seasoned so it made eating it very enjoyable. The bites of corn and mashed potato were great sides and I couldn't have left more satisfied.

What chain restaurant do you just love? 

Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro - Santa Barbara, CA

Today was a really beautiful day in Santa Barbara, almost to the point of being too warm. Dana and I tried to shop but felt that the heat was really wiping us out so we decided to break for lunch sooner than later. I had never been to Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro so when she suggested it I was game on. The seat outside was worth the price of admission, the people watching was totally entertaining.

I am sure something was amusing me at this point... 

Like I said above I was hungry, a little lunch salad was not going to quite cut the mustard for me. I settled on the Roasted Beet and Farro Salad complete with arugula and goat cheese and the addition of Salmon. It was plenty and did the job right. I left feeling satisfied but not too full. This would for sure be something I would like again. 

Dana went for the Cobb Salad and I am not going to lie it was something that caught my eye. Chocked full of chicken, bacon, tomato, avocado, egg and olive it certainly ate like a meal. I knew it looked good but I was happy to have my salmon.

What a pretty place to sit and have a meal with a wonderful friend. I have walked passed it a bunch of times and was glad to have had the opportunity to have dined there today. It gets a "yes" from me.

Pacific Table - Fort Worth, TX

Scott and I loved our lunch at Pacific Table so much that we decided to go back for dinner. We each ordered a glass of wine and enjoyed the Texas evening. Can you believe it was actually cooler in Texas than it was in Ojai?! We lucked out! I had a glass of my favorite, Turley Zinfandel. I loved every sip. 

True to its name Pacific Table offered up all kinds of West Coast goodies, one being: Grilled Artichokes. I sometimes forget how simple it is to grill artichokes and served them with mayonnaise. That is my favorite way to eat them. I like how they also grilled the lemon to be squeezed over the entire dish.

I opted for the Trout Almondine grilled simply and topped with herbs, almonds and brown butter. It was served with sauteed vegetables but I saw a plate of their mashed potatoes pass by and I could not resist. I am a sucker! It was perfectly cooked and a truly heavenly meal. I left feeling full and happy.

Scott went for a special of the evening and it was Texas Red Fish served in a lemon butter sauce and topped with flash fried rock shrimp. It sounded delicious and I was really torn on ordering it or not. I was glad I stuck with my order because I think I found a fish that I am not a fan of. What a shocker! I did think the sauce was lovely though. The cucumber salad that came with Scott's fish was quite refreshing!

My dinner at Pacific Table was just as stunning as the lunch. It is my new "go-to" restaurant in Fort Worth. Just put on blinders when walking through the parking lot... There are too many fun places to shop in its location!

Bravo! - Fort Worth, TX

As much as I love going to fancy restaurants in Fort Worth, which is really easy to do as there are a lot of them, the real challenge is to find good eats for not a lot of money. That is where we stumbled upon Bravo! An upscale chain Italian restaurant is just what I had in in mind and that is just what it was.

Warm bread sticks were brought to the table and replenished whenever the basket got low. The dipping oil was nice but I personally just prefer balsamic and oil.

The waitress sold this Shrimp Napoli pretty hard to us. I could tell from her description and energy that managers must have encouraged every waiter to get an order from every table. She did well though, obviously we ordered it. The fried shrimp were nicely done and the roasted tomato sauce took on almost a sweet taste so a salty cheese would have been nice to counter the taste spectrum.

Scott was such a healthy eater that night and requested Tilapia and vegetables only. I don't blame him. Fish and vegetables is exactly what I was craving too. Too many days of eating out will do that to you. He really liked him plate of food and said he would be happy to return.

I went for the Salmon topped with sauteed spinach, tomato, asparagus and basil pesto. I subbed out the pasta for mashed potato and felt like I could not have ordered any better. The bites of rich salmon, sauteed spinach and smooth potato was just like heaven to me. I crave meals like this, they make me feel happy. 

Scott and I skipped dessert or a glass of wine with our dinner this trip and didn't feel like we missed out on anything. The experience was such a good one we would for sure recommend it for another meal. Think of it as an upscale Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill or Johnny Carino's...

Chicken Express - Amarillo, TX

 

We left for Texas in the wee hours of Sunday morning and did a pretty great job of steadily moving our way East until we hit Moriarity, New Mexico on Sunday evening. We put up the horses, got a room and woke up and hit the road again. By about 11 we both were hungry and in Amarillo. A stop for fuel and horse watering, gave me my one and only shot for lunch... Chicken Express!

I have not only never heard of Chicken Express but never had the opportunity to dine at one either. It is obviously filled with menu choices of all things chicken but fish fillets as well! You now I loved that! I opted for the extra crunchy pieces of chicken tenders, a side of corn nuggets, biscuit and gravy and a little dessert of apple pie to go. The chicken was fried to order and totally moist. What a winner! The corn nuggets were also a fun little snack, all I needed was maybe a dipping sauce of ranch and they would have been solid. The biscuit was tasty and didn't even need to be dipped in the gravy, eaten alone was fine. The apple pie, was good enough for hankering a sweet tooth craving.

Back on the road, I felt satisfied and enthusiastic for having tried a new fast food option while in Texas. With Chicken Express under my belt, what other "chain" should I tackle next?

Chicken Express - Amarillo, TX

 

We left for Texas in the wee hours of Sunday morning and did a pretty great job of steadily moving our way East until we hit Moriarity, New Mexico on Sunday evening. We put up the horses, got a room and woke up and hit the road again. By about 11 we both were hungry and in Amarillo. A stop for fuel and horse watering, gave me my one and only shot for lunch... Chicken Express!

I have not only never heard of Chicken Express but never had the opportunity to dine at one either. It is obviously filled with menu choices of all things chicken but fish fillets as well! You now I loved that! I opted for the extra crunchy pieces of chicken tenders, a side of corn nuggets, biscuit and gravy and a little dessert of apple pie to go. The chicken was fried to order and totally moist. What a winner! The corn nuggets were also a fun little snack, all I needed was maybe a dipping sauce of ranch and they would have been solid. The biscuit was tasty and didn't even need to be dipped in the gravy, eaten alone was fine. The apple pie, was good enough for hankering a sweet tooth craving.

Back on the road, I felt satisfied and enthusiastic for having tried a new fast food option while in Texas. With Chicken Express under my belt, what other "chain" should I tackle next?

Vegan Mario - Oak View, CA

 

I have been running around crazy with errands with the horses, everyday chores and my own restaurant work. It has been quite warm so my appetite has been not too hearty. I usually get in my speedster and whiz down the hill with a cold drink and not think about sitting down for a big meal.

The temperature almost hit triple digits and I have a picture to prove it! Holy smokes!! I knew I wanted something in my tummy but I couldn't think of anything that paired well with the high temperatures. But, then an idea finally struck! Vegan Mario just opened in Oak View so I decided to give them a go.

Upon walking in the new building I noticed just how clean, cool and maybe a little bare everything was. I know they are a new business so I didn't judge. I saw a refrigerator with Ball jars of a variety of juices and vegan options. I was in the mood for drinking my vitamins so I ordered their Green Juice with kale, cucumbers, celery and apples. It was very refreshing, and a very large portion. The cost was $10 and if I brought back the jar it would cost me $9 to have it refilled.

I had my eye on their pizza menu, in fact this one with veggies, basil and cashew cheese caught my eye. I am not normally such a healthy eater but it had the right look for a perfect pizza.

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With juice in hand, I zoomed off to my next location happily sipping in between sing sessions with the radio. I am happy I went in to get a cold pressed juice and support a new restaurant within our community. Go and support Vegan Mario's and see if they have anything you might just fancy!

Vegan Mario - Oak View, CA

 

I have been running around crazy with errands with the horses, everyday chores and my own restaurant work. It has been quite warm so my appetite has been not too hearty. I usually get in my speedster and whiz down the hill with a cold drink and not think about sitting down for a big meal.

The temperature almost hit triple digits and I have a picture to prove it! Holy smokes!! I knew I wanted something in my tummy but I couldn't think of anything that paired well with the high temperatures. But, then an idea finally struck! Vegan Mario just opened in Oak View so I decided to give them a go.

Upon walking in the new building I noticed just how clean, cool and maybe a little bare everything was. I know they are a new business so I didn't judge. I saw a refrigerator with Ball jars of a variety of juices and vegan options. I was in the mood for drinking my vitamins so I ordered their Green Juice with kale, cucumbers, celery and apples. It was very refreshing, and a very large portion. The cost was $10 and if I brought back the jar it would cost me $9 to have it refilled.

I had my eye on their pizza menu, in fact this one with veggies, basil and cashew cheese caught my eye. I am not normally such a healthy eater but it had the right look for a perfect pizza.

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With juice in hand, I zoomed off to my next location happily sipping in between sing sessions with the radio. I am happy I went in to get a cold pressed juice and support a new restaurant within our community. Go and support Vegan Mario's and see if they have anything you might just fancy!

Zenshin - Las Vegas, NV

We have been to Zenshin many times before during our stays at the South Point Casino. Our dining experiences here, have always been enjoyable so we looked forward to another great meal. To kick things off we ordered the Chili Garlic Edamame and happily devoured it within minutes.

Eggplant Fries shouldn't be so delicious but believe me, they are! The tempura batter is so light and crisp, these bad boys are addicting. The mayonnaise they serve with it is fine, but really not needed.

We decided to order a few rolls to share: Baked Alaska, Hawaiian, Ultimate Shrimp and Tiger. I usually a big fan of baked rolls at sushi joints because they are so decadent but I was truly disappointed in these because they taste like the fuel from their torch. Instead of truly being broiled in an oven they hand flame it and that is all you taste. The two other rolls were fine but the chunks of cucumber could have been smaller, the seafood to vegetable ratio was off.

We were craving something more after our lack luster meals so we decided to go hard on the dessert menu. Bananas Foster Wonton's served with vanilla ice cream were nice to share amongst the table, eat these quickly while the shells are still crunchy. The Mini Malassadas are like little cinnamon donuts and served with custard and chocolate. I liked these the best.

I knew this meal was not going to be our favorite dining experience while at the South Point but I wanted to give it an additional try. The following day I went in for a Happy Hour lunch and had an order of Hoisin Pork Belly Bao Buns. These little babies were great! I guess you just have to know what to order! Maybe stick with the appetizer's and the entree's and you will be a happy diner.

Arizona Cutting Horse Association - Queen Creek, AZ

The Horseshoe Park in Queen Creek, AZ is a beautiful event space. I took this shot of Scott loping Scamper during an early morning session. 

Between the two of us we were very excellent help to each other. Husband and wife, and coworkers... Oh my!

One of my favorite places during the show was the snack bar, of course. The people running it were extremely friendly and willing to please.

I ordered many different things from the snack bar but my most favorite item was the Fried Green Beans. They came out piping hot, salted and perfectly breaded. The cool Ranch dressing was delicious with each dip. They had really great iced tea that quenched my thirst in between rides.

The Arizona Cutting Horse Assion put on a very nice show for us. Scott Weis on Rubys CD was the Open Derby Circuit Champion - taking home a nice check and a really cool travel bag for owner, Ron Malone. Hip Hip Roo Rey won two checks in a really tough Open Classic Challenge. Torpedo Rey won two checks in the 1500 Novice, winning it last night with a 73! The rest of the horses all did well and we were extremely proud of their performances!

Hip Vegan Cafe - Ojai, CA

This restaurant has been in Ojai for at least 3 years and for 3 years I have drove right by. There has been no desire to stop in and try it, which is weird for me - I like food! I like trying new restaurants, I just never stopped. Then one day after being stumped for Christmas gift ideas, I finally did. I got gift certificates for family members who prefer vegan food. I thought while I was there why not try this food and the hippies are raving about...

 I ordered the Spring Rolls which was supposed to be filled with ginger tofu, shiso thai basil, mint, onions and cilantro. However all I tasted in this over wrapped rice paper wrap was spring mix. It was complicated to eat and just flat did not taste good. I dipped it in the sauce hoping for improvement and it was just not my thing. 

I also was served a bowl of soup. I love soup! The vegetables were cooked nicely, not mushy but this too lacked flavor. It for sure was lacking salt, spice and anything naughty for you that makes food taste good. 

I know this food is good for you, but it sure did not make my taste buds happy. To all you people out there that do enjoy it, I am happy for you! Keep eating what you love! I gave it my best shot, it is just not my thing.

The French Bulldog - Camarillo, CA

I have read a lot about this new restaurant in Camarillo but never had a chance or occasion to visit it for myself. That was until my friends Deb, Kat and I decided to meet for a nice lunch to celebrate Christmas time before we all got bogged down with family plans. 

The restaurant was hosting two different company parties during our visit so we did not get the service attention that I am sure we would have received had the large reservations were not there. I was too busy admiring the restaurants beauty and fun conversation to even care if we were not getting served promptly.

We were seated in the back bar area and it gave us a good view of the restaurant. The dining area is just to the right of this photo.

Cute martini glasses that don the French Bulldog and house a pretty, sweet drink. 

Deb and I got there early so we split an order of fries dusted with parmesan to share. Good choice for snacking and chatting!

Right when i saw the lunch entree BBQ Salmon served with mashed potatoes sauteed spinach I knew that was what I wanted. The crunchy topping was texturally pleasing as well. I loved this dish and even loved that it was only $15. A bargain for a lot of well cooked food.

Deb went for the Vegetable Panini and a side of greens. What a good little herbivore! She genuinely said it was delicious and there was so much food she took most to go.

Kat was also a good, healthy eater and went for the Ahi Salad. I would have went home hungry if it was my lunch but she seemed pleased and happily munched away at her salad.

I was happy with our lunch at The french Bulldog and cannot wait to return for another girl's luncheon or a trip with Scott. I know he would love the panini selection as well as the beautiful setting.