Restaurants

Male fantasy

I’m not shy about admitting it: I don’t get why Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries attracted enough business to expand in the DC area, let alone wander clear over to Hoosier country.

But they’ve been flipping burgers and making fries here on Indianapolis’ south side for more than a year now, so my opinion isn’t the majority one. My husband was dying to go there the other night, and I agreed because I suddenly had visions of those wonderful, salted-in-the-shell peanuts dancing in my head.

And that’s when I stumbled onto Five Guys‘ secret: I was one of only three females in the place.

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Barneys Gourmet Hamburgers Marina Location in SF

We’ve been going to Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers in Noe Valley, in San Francisco for years.  It is the only hamburger joint within walking distance for us, which is important because we I always over eat there, forcing me to roll slowly home as I digest.  Well good news for me, and my arteries, I just discovered that Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers has another location in the Marina neighborhood.

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When my boyfriend David and I are on the Peninsula and craving a tasty burrito, but don’t want to spend a lot of dough, we always go to El Super Burrito in Millbrae.

Located in a converted Arby’s building, El Super Burrito (or ESB) is a well-known Mexican food fave of the locals. There is almost always a line to order at the counter, and for good reason. The ingredients are fresh, the service is friendly and the prices are affordable.

The No Meat Burrito from El Super Burrito in Millbrae.

After an afternoon of running errands, David and I decided that a trip to El Super Burrito was well deserved. When we walked in, we were pleased to discover the line was only two people deep and a mariachi version of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me” by Gael Garcia Bernal from the movie “Rudo y Cursi” was playing over the speakers. Nothing wrong that!

One of the many things I love about El Super Burrito is there are a lot of options, including low calorie and vegetarian dishes. Every time I go in, I tell David that I’m going to order the California Burrito, which features steak or chicken, cheese, avocado, sour cream and, errrr, french fries. Yep, french fries! Of course, I never get it, but today, a teenager in line ahead of was ordering three of them. Apparently, fries on your burrito is more popular than I thought.

The two enchilada plate from El Super Burrito in Millbrae.

I ordered the No Meat burrito, which is pretty self explanatory: black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, rice, sour cream and guacamole. This is my favorite kind of burrito. It’s a perfectly delicious, and I can scoop out the inside with my chips if I’m feeling crazy. David got the two enchilada plate with one beef, one chicken enchilada, refried beans, spanish rice and extra tortillas.

There’s nothing fancy about El Super Burrito. It’s just a great place to get some tasty, well-made Mexican food at a affordable price.

El Super Burrito
780 El Camino Real
Millbrae, CA 94030
(650) 583-0487
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Show choir competition = lunch!

I hope I’ve learned my lesson: Never let tunes from the ’80s go to your head.

My friends and I turned up our noses at buying Subway sandwiches at an inflated price during the show choir competition last Saturday, so we gave up our parking space to drive over to Charleston’s, a regional chain with no rhyme or reason to the states where it’s located. I recalled it from my corporate days as an upscale lunch spot. 

Sure enough, we walked into gas-lit fixtures, leather menu covers, large tables and Men at Work playing over the music system. I’m telling you right now, it’s a dangerous combination for a picky eater who knows she should stick to the script. For instance, I don’t care how much I like pasta, a roasted red pepper cream sauce isn’t going to cut it with me. My friend wanted the West End Chicken, where the havarti cheese sounded great but I wouldn’t eat anything covered in sauteed mushrooms if it would save my life.

So why in the world a chicken salad sandwich, when the menu very clearly says the pecans are coated in spices, appealed to me enough to order that over the prime rib sandwich, I’ll never know. But I told the waitress I’d take that with a cup of soup and an order of French fries on the side as I was humming along to Madonna.

Chicken salad style

First of all, that menu lied — and most of you would have been happy. Those pecans were not only covered in something resembling pepper, but the restaurant forgot to mention it loaded their recipe down with chopped Bermuda onions as well, which rank up there with sauteed mushrooms in my book. I’ve never had a chicken salad that set my mouth on fire before. I tried the finicky eater’s go-to trick of picking through the ingredients to single out the chicken, but it was useless. I wound up eating the whole grain bread covers.

But my meal wasn’t a complete loss, because someone in the kitchen confused the order and sent out an extra basket of fries — and they were the long, crispy kind as opposed to steak fries, so I had plenty to fill my stomach and keep my tongue happy at the same time. I figure that kind person was distracted by trying to play air drums to Sheila E’s Glamorous Life.

Trust me, it still beat the cafeteria at Lawrence Central High School any day.

Charleston’s Restaurant

6815 E. 82nd St.

Indianapolis, IN 46250

(317) 841-0442

Photography credits: Julie Sturgeon, theogeo

1950s Theme Diner

Lori’s Diner is a popular Rock & Roll themed diner that has been in San Francisco for more than 20 years. Their first location was a hit because if you were in Union Square shopping and wanted to grab a burger with a chocolate shake, you could not find a single place – and they were one of the only clean yet cheap places open late at night downtown.

Once Lori’s Diner became well known with locals and travelers alike, people really enjoyed the classic décor, the delicious food and all of the memorabilia they stocked each location with.

If you stop into their 500 Sutter Street store you will experience the nostalgic frills of the other locations but you can also check out a real 1943 Allstate motorcycle, a 1959 Ford Edsel, and a huge collection of vintage radios.

The Powell Street location is the largest and probably the best one to go to if you have kids along. You will need to walk up some stairs but here you will find a pre-war airplane, a Chevy Bel Air, a Chrysler, a vintage Indian motorcycle, and a pinball arcade.

Grilled Cheese and Fries

Lori's Powell Street

They have a great menu for kids and they serve breakfast all day at some locations. If you are a night owl or find yourself downtown after a show – you will find a Lori’s Diner to satisfy those late night hunger pains.

The Mason Street store is the only one still open 24 hours a day, but the Sutter Street store is open on Friday and Saturdays until 3:00am.

And if you are flying out of San Francisco International Airport, don’t forget that Lori’s has opened there in both domestic terminals and you can grab a bite anytime!

Lori’s Diner at Mason
336 Mason St, SF, CA 94102
(415) 392-8646
Hours: Open 24 hours

Lori’s Diner at Sutter
500 Sutter St, SF, CA 94102
(415) 981-1950
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 6:30-11:00pm, Fri & Sat 6:30-3:00am

Lori’s Diner at Ghirardelli Square
900 North Point St, SF, CA 94128
(415) 409-1950
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 8am-9pm, Friday & Saturday 8am-10pm.

Lori’s Diner at Powell
149 Powell St, SF, CA 94102
(415) 677-9999
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 7:00-10:00pm, Friday & Saturday 7:00-11:00pm

Lori’s Diner at SFO, Domestic Terminal 1 and 3
(650) 821-0500
Hours: Open 24 hours

Fresh peach used in Wom Kim

Hyde Park Bar and Grill in Austin, Texas is your perfect neighborhood restaurant. It is located in, you guessed it, Hyde Park. This is a lovely old neighborhodd in north/central Austin with lots of character, charm and beautiful oak trees. The restaurant itself is inside an old house that would fit in with the rest of the neighborhood except for the giant 2 story fork stuck in the front lawn. The fork is always spearing some sort of food. It has changed over the years from a katsup laced french fry to various ripe vegetables.

Inside, the food and ambiance is always the same. It is very casual but with a slight air of sophistication, ever so slight. The walls are painted a buttery yellow with revolving local artwork. There are several small rooms, one with a fireplace and all the tables are covered with white table cloths. It has a warm cozy feeling that the large dark wooden bar, dominating the main room is somewhat responsible for.

The menu has fresh and well prepared dinner table favorites. From blackened fish and garlic mashed potatoes to their tasty burger and peppered french fries that come with the house made secret dipping sauce. But, I didn’t come here to talk about their great dinners. I want to talk about their desserts…one in particular.

Hyde Park Bar and Grill has the distinct honor of preparing my very favorite dessert in Austin, Texas…if not the entire universe! Wom Kim’s Peach Pudding has been on their menu for years, perhaps since they first opened their doors in 1982. At least, I like to think so.

Let me describe it to you: A moist soft cake made with buttermilk and filled with ripe slices of peach and then served warm with a ramakin of cold thick Devonshire cream. You pour the cream over the moist delicious cake and the rivaling temperatures, texture and flavors in your mouth are worthy of a standing ovation. I can hardly stand to write about it without drooling. In fact, I better step away from this keyboard until I have my salivary glands under control!

As much as I dream of this dessert, I would still frequent the restaurant, with or without it. The laid back Austin atmosphere makes you feel like you are dining in a old friend’s house, an old friend who cooks extremely tasty meals and has a fantastic home bar. If ever in Austin, you should try out this culinary gem.

Here are some details:

House Park Bar and Grill
4206 Duvall Street
(512) 458-3168
www.hydeparkbarandgrill.com
Open: Monday-Sunday, 11am to Midnight

Don’t forget to order Wom Kim’s Peach Pudding!

Photo credit to TotalAldo