Restaurants

Welcome, Monical's Pizza

I hate it when my brother gets something I don’t.

Never mind that we’re both in our 40s, adults with professional careers, mortgage payments and all those life balance questions middle-age Americans struggle with. He had a Monical’s Pizza on his side of Indianapolis and I didn’t. And he was always waving it in our face, saying things like, “Hey, you guys want to go over to Monical’s for dinner? The kids love that place.”

See what I mean? That kind of superiority from the kid brother eats at you over time.

Well, nana nana boo boo. Guess who just opened their doors in Greenwood? Yep, now I, too, can enjoy their thin and pan crust pizzas whenever I want to, and I don’t even have to drag along kids. But don’t tell my sibling this secret: I failed to notice this new addition to our restaurant families until last week.

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Kosher Goodness @ David's Delicatessen in SF

Touring around Union Square like a tourist is a favorite pastime of mine. I try to do this regularly for a nice review of what is happening in my lovely city, and to take trips down memory lane. My family has been a part of the city for generations and I am the current standard bearer.

One place special for me to walk past, and sometimes eat at, is David’s Delicatessen on the border of the Tenderloin, Nob Hill and the Theater District of San Francisco. It is across the street from the Clift Hotel, so you will see many locals and visitors alike at the deli’s famous counter. Read More »

Louie's before and after the show

We knew the second the sign went up at Louie’s Grill & Pub that we would add this newest Greenwood restaurant to our dinner circuit. It didn’t matter if we liked the food, really — when you open an eatery that isn’t McDonald’s down the street from the high school, adults will drop in on their way to sporting events and musical performances.

Well, at least that’s what first pulled us in. We had one hour before the curtain went up on the Christmas show, and I simply wasn’t in the mood to hit the Golden Arches and then burp along to Here Comes Santa Claus. So I sat down and ordered a club sandwich and fries in one of Louie’s booths instead. It was definitely a quality improvement move on my end.

But now, thanks to the chips and black bean salsa, we make Louie’s a destination even when we have no obligation at Center Grove High School.

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I was out and about town with the family the other day when the hunger struck. You know the kind of hunger that strikes a 5 and a 3 year old all at once. The kind that demands attention, because if you don’t feed it, you’ll hear about it, loudly, until you do. It’s similar to the hunger of a pregnant woman, not nearly as dangerous though, just annoying.

As the shouts for lunch got louder I tried to think of a place to go, that wouldn’t immediately want to kick me and my loud kids out. Jersey Mike’s is the place that came to mind. It’s in an odd place here in Palmdale and easy to forget, unless of course you make BevMo runs often. None of us had ever tried Jersey Mike’s, so we thought we’d give it a try.

So Many Choices

It’s a very unassuming place, very hole-in-the-wallish, but clean. Yay! We like clean. We all perused the menu and decided there was quite a bit to choose from. The boys decided on a mini (yeah right) grilled cheese, Whit chose a Chipotle Cheese Steak and I went with a Pastrami Reuben. I love pastrami and many places don’t offer, so I get it when I can.

First thing the girl did after we placed our order, she actually sliced the meat, you know, like at the deli counter. One point for Jersey Mike’s. Next I noticed the bread, yes it’s made fresh in the store, every morning, she answered when I asked if they made the bread. Another point for them.

As I waited for our sandwiches to be made, I looked around the store to see what other delights I could find. They actually roast the beef in the store for the French Dips, yummy! We love French Dips at our house,  and frankly, I was surprised Whit didn’t order one, he’s a sucker for a good French Dip.

Sliced to Order

My Pastrami Sandwich!

On to the sandwiches, can you say yummy? The bread was soft and the meat was excellent. The Reuben had the perfect amount of sauce, since I asked for light dressing. The boys grilled cheese had, I’m not sure what kind of cheese on it, but it was white and good.

Whit’s Chipotle Cheese Steak was really good too. It was kind of spicy, but not to saucy. The meat was cooked to perfection.

All in all, Jersey Mikes was a hit, we were full of hot sandwiches and the boys were quiet, two birds with one stone and all that.

Jersey Mike’s Subs Click to find one near you! You can also click to check out their community projects to help raise awareness of Autism. What can I say, I’m a sucker for community involvement?

Boccalone in San Francisco

I was walking through the San Francisco Ferry Building recently looking for lunch and discovered something only a true carnivore would appreciate – a society for salumi lovers!  Artisan meat is the new black.

Look up high on the ferry building walls for the shiny profile of a pig and the bright red refrigerator case and you will discover one of my new favorite sandwich shops, Boccalone.

The first thing I noticed standing in front of Boccalone was how clean it was, something I appreciate in a shop selling tasty salted pig parts – then I saw the sandwich list and was in heaven.

Boccalone Salumeria uses sustainably-raised, heritage-breed pork, then incorporating old-world recipes and traditional methods they create cured meats, fresh sausages and cooked specialties like mortadella. Stop by for a sandwich but consider tasting and taking home some of their meats.

I grabbed a sandwich made with salumi, shaved pecorino and marinated fennel – it was to die for. Sitting outside, enjoying the sunshine and San Francisco Bay only made it better. If you plan on getting on the ferry to head over to Sausalito for the day this summer, I definitely recommend taking one of their sandwiches with you.

1 Ferry Bldg
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 433-6500
www.boccalone.com

Mon-Fri. 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Oh BisonWitches, how do I love thee. I have such great memories of you that you’ve become a must visit every time I’m in Tucson.

BisonWitches is located on the very eclectic 4th Avenue, which is just a short trolley ride from the University of Arizona campus. It’s the perfect hangout for college kids as well as the business folk that always seem to be ahead of you on the wait list. You can either wait for one of the few booths inside or you can head out to the back patio which, if you have time, is the place you want to pass a hot summer afternoon with a nice pitcher of Hefeweisen.

The sandwiches are huge, even the half sandwiches are ginormous. Some of the sandwich choices are the: Grilled PB&J, Beef & Brie, Corned Beef, Hawaiian Chicken, Green Turkey and the ever popular Wildcat, you’d have to check out the website for the full rundown of sandwiches.

Photo Courtesy of azstarnet.com

That’s not all that is on the menu though, you can get a half a sandwich and a bread bowl of soup or a salad of your choice. Oh my gosh, it’s so yummy.

The bread is warmed or toasted and all the ingredients are fresh, they also have a full bar for your drinking pleasure. I’ve even had a few Jello shots there in my time. It’s no wonder it’s a Tucson favorite.

Say the name quickly and you’ll hear the origin of the name. Bi-Son Witch-es – Buy-Sand-Wich-Es

BisonWitches

326 N. 4th Ave. Tucson, AZ
[520] 740-1541
Kitchen Open 11am – 12am
Bar Open 11am – 2am
7 DAYS A WEEK