Mom's Spareribs

So far I have only blogged about restaurants that I have enjoyed, I feel I need to tell about all my experiences with wonderful food. What better way to start a new category than with my favorite dish ever? This has and most likely will always be my favorite dinner. It is my mom's recipe for spareribs.
I will lay out the recipe word-for-word, but keep in mind that I think part of what makes this dish magical is my mom's eye for picking out the raw ribs. I can't speak for how her experience helps her choose the right ribs, and trust me I have asked her. She doesn't think she has any special gift, but I do. Another key to this dish is the quantity of sauce. I believe the recipe for the sauce must be at least doubled, if not tripled. It is so good, you will want to smother your steamed rice with it! As for the steamed rice, that is key too. As my mom says, "Don't use minute rice. Take the time to do it right."
Here is the recipe verbatim:

3 lbs. country-style ribs
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 cup vinegar (apple)
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup chopped onion (or equivalent in dehydrated onion flakes)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

"Brown ribs in large pan in oven, 425 degrees F for 45 minutes. Drain fat. Meanwhile, make the sauce, cooking until thick and glossy. Salt and pepper the ribs to taste and pour half over the ribs. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn ribs, cover with remaining sauce and bake another 30 minutes. If ribs are thick or very meaty, cover with foil and continue to bake another 30 to 45 minutes for added tenderness. Double the sauce recipe for more than one cake-pan full of ribs. Best served with steamed rice and your favorite vegetable."

Below is a picture of the goodness from my mom's own hand, this last Fathers' Day!

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse

I don't find myself at high-end steakhouses often, but I was introduced to Del Frisco's lunch menu one day for a business meeting. I was told to not even bother looking at the menu, just to "get the burger". On their lunch menu only is the Prime Cheeseburger, which is a 10 oz. Prime Beef Burger with cheddar cheese (you can substitute Swiss or blue cheese), lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and pickles, served with french fries or skillet potato chips. The price is $13. Everything else on the menu is what I would call expensive, and is probably very tasty as well, but I'm here to tell you that this burger is the best tasting burger I have ever eaten! The prime beef itself explodes with juiciness, and has a salty-like taste to it as well, which is right up my alley. For $13 you can't excuse yourself from trying this burger if you find yourself near a Del Frisco's. Although this burger is only on the lunch menu, I have been told that you can get it any time, if you sit at the bar.

It looks like they have 9 locations, all in larger cities: Fort Worth, Houston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Dallas, and Boston. So far I can only speak for the location in Denver. The atmosphere is nice, although higher-end, business / business casual attire., but I don't think they have set rules. I went in today in a polo and jeans and didn't get thrown out.

For the price and the taste of this burger, I give it five solid stars. I don't think it is possible to beat this burger!
Web Site: http://delfriscos.com

Fourleaf Chopped Salads

I have been meaning to review this place for a while, but didn't have any photos until today. I guess you can know that a place is good when I eat my food before taking pictures!
I don't consider myself a big salad buff, but a friend turned me on to Fourleaf about a year ago, and it has become one of my favorite lunch spots when I am home at the office. It is a salad restaurant, where the salad chefs make your salad to order for you. There is a base menu with many different pre-determined recipes for great salads, such as Buffalo Chicken, BBQ Chicken, South Western, Steakhouse, and many others. You can always get creative and build your own creation, though. The one shown in the first photo below is a romaine and spinach mix with avocado, bacon, double steak, cheddar, tomatoes, croutons, and Italian dressing. What I like best about the salads here is that they gather all the ingredients in your bowl, then dump it all out at the end on a cutting board, and chop it all up into bite size pieces, then scoop it all into a mixing bowl and add your dressing. They mix it all up so that when they put it in the serving bowl, every bite you take has dressing on it and is full of flavor. They have a great variety of ingredients and dressings, all of which that I have tried so far are delicious. They have two sizes of bowls, small and large. A small is plenty of food for just about anyone. You always get a free freshly baked bread stick with every salad.
The location itself is a bit hard to find, and not right out in the open for all to see. Word of mouth about their delicious salads and great service has caused this to be a very busy place, though. It is always busy for lunch every day, but you get your salads quickly none the less. Finding a seat is the only hard part. If you're in the Greenwood Village area of South East Denver, you must stop by and check this place out!
Location:  6840 South Dallas Way (near Arapahoe & Clinton) Greenwood Village, CO 80112
Web site: http://fourleafchoppedsalads.blogspot.com/

 

Pho Saigon

Nearby the office in the South-East Denver area, there is a Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Saigon. I love this place. The food is great and the service is quick and friendly. I go for lunch, and make it a point to get there early because this place gets packed around noon, with a line out the door waiting to be seated. They have the usual Vietnamese menu, which has very good prices as well. Entrees are all under $10. I usually get the medium P6, which is Pho noodles in broth with steak and brisket. Sometimes I get an extra side of noodles for $1.50, which I could do without, because even a small Pho bowl is plenty of food. The meats themselves are a little bland in the Pho, but that's where the Hoisin sauce comes in. Theirs is really good, and I just pour a lot of it into the broth until it has the taste I like. They also have real fruit smoothies here, which are excellent as well. You have to specifically ask for them without tapioca if you don't want it in your smoothie, since the default is to add tapioca. The smoothie also might not be a good idea with Pho because the broth is so hot and the smoothie is so cold, my stomach always regrets the combination. I highly recommend this place if you're in the area!
Location: 9555 E Arapahoe Rd # 4, Greenwood Vlg, CO 80112 (720) 873-8899

Jabo's Bar-Be-Q

I was turned on to this barbecue place nearby my office recently and decided to go check it out. The reviews of this place are mostly very good, with people saying this was the best BBQ anywhere. I wouldn't go that far, but it was very, very good.
I have only been here once so far, and had their Jabo's Famous Jabo Link, which is a 1/3 pound Jabo custom Polish hot link, topped with 1/2 pound of your choice of chicken, beef brisket, or pulled pork, as well as your choice of their selection of sauces. They don't have their sauces on the table, so you have to select one. If it is your first time or need help with a sauce selection, they bring out a tray with small samples of each. You pick a choice of flavor and hotness. I tried all their flavors and thought they were all wonderful, but chose the Mango flavor, and Hot for hotness (#3 on a scale of 1 to 5). I thought Hot was a little mild for my tastes, so I will probably go a notch higher next time. I got the beef brisket for the topping meat, and was a bit disappointed. I have had much better brisket before. I will try their pork next time. The sauce on the brisket made it pretty good, but I tried a piece without sauce, and it was less than average. The hot link itself, however, was awesome! It wasn't too hot, but had a really good flavor and was nice and juicy. It left me feeling nice and warm inside for the afternoon!
Between myself and the others that I dined with for lunch, we got a couple of their sides: the baked beans, and their french fries. Both were awesome! The fries were fresh and nicely battered and crisp. The beans had a distinct sweetness to them, almost like brown sugar or molasses. They were very tasty, not as spicy as I usually like, but good nonetheless.
The prices at this place are a bit steep, but average for a BBQ restaurant I suppose. The Jabo Link I got was $9 just for the sandwich, not including sides, which are around $2.50 each. I also thought it a bit odd that they offered a 5% discount if you paid cash, so we did. I won't judge, except for the food, which was worth it in my opinion.
I would not say this is the BEST barbecue ever, but it is close to the best I have had in the Denver area so far. I give it four solid stars, and recommend it if you're in the South East Denver area.
Location: 9862 E. Arapahoe Road, Englewood, CO 80112 Phone: (303) 799-4432

 

Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt

Some of us who remember the late 1980's may remember a wave of frozen yogurt franchises that started up, most of which fizzled out, with maybe the exception of TCBY. It seems that this fad may be making a comeback. So far, none of my friends who live East of Colorado have heard of this yet, but in the Denver metro area, these franchises seem to be popping up as fast as smoothie shops were five years ago. From what I can tell, this started in California a couple of years ago. Many of these frozen yogurt shops now, however, are self-serve to add a new twist on the fun. There are several yogurt dispensers, each a different flavor. They are in pairs, so the paired flavors can be "twisted" together. They all usually have little sample cups you can use to try out the flavors. Once you have decided, you grab a paper bowl and fill it up. You can add toppings on top of the yogurt as well, some including fresh fruit. Some of the yogurts are non-fat, others are premium. Once you are finished making your dream dessert, you take the bowl to the cashier and set it on a scale. You are charged by the ounce usually. Some places are more expensive than others, some offer more flavors.
I haven't found that there is one single franchise. All the yogurt places I have been to are single franchises, but all with the same general idea. Nearby the office and home in Denver, I have been to COYO (Colorado Yogurt, Co.) on Arapahoe and Havana, which charges $0.44 an ounce; Yo Craze on Hampton and Tower in Aurora, which charges $0.39 an ounce; and Crave It on Arapahoe and Peoria, which charges $0.37 an ounce. I'm sure as these franchises continue to open up, competition will increase and we will see a more steady price. My personal favorite is Crave It but like to take the family to Yo Craze too, both of which I love because I like gummy bears with just a sprinkle of Nerds on top, as seen in the picture. Adding the cherries to this dish was a mistake, a little overkill. I recommend checking one of these places out. Just Google "yogurt" for your area and see what comes up.

Beau Jo's Pizza

Beau Jo's pizza is a unique "Colorado Style" pizza, otherwise known as a "Mountain Pie". There are eight locations, seven of them in Colorado. The original one is in Idaho Springs, up the mountains West of Denver off I-70, on the way to the ski resorts up there. I like to make a stop through Idaho Springs when I have the time, to hit Beau Jo's. I admittedly have never had any of their menu items besides the Mountain Pie, which has a very big crust and traditionally you put honey on the crust after you eat the part of the pizza with the topping on it. I'm not really a huge fan of the big crust to be honest. I need to try one of their "Prairie Pies" which supposedly have a thinner crust. The topping part of the Mountain Pie is really good, though. They use premium ingredients, whole milk cheese (which I think makes a great flavor), and a distinct spice combination in their sauce. In the pictures you will see their "Little Sicily" specialty pie, which is pretty good. The prices, however, aren't very good in my opinion. A "medium" (2 pounder) will run you $18 to $20. The Idaho Springs restaurant does have a very cool feel to it, though. It's like a big log ski lodge. I suppose you are paying for the experience. It's a good pizza, but I have had much better for much less money. I recommend this place, but have to give it only 3 stars, maybe 3 1/2 on the taste itself. If you're craving honey on this crust, though, it's really good.
Web site: http://www.beaujos.com/

 

Buffalo Wild Wings (B-Dubs)

Buffalo Wild Wings, or "B-dubs" is my all time favorite FRANCHISE place for wings, hands down. They have about fourteen regular sauce selections and four different dry rubs or seasonings. I'm not a huge fan of the dry rubs but they are pretty good. I usually go for the sauces, my favorite being the Parmesan Garlic, followed closely by Jammin' Jalapeno. After that I love the Mango Habanero (that's about as hot as I can take!) and the Caribbean Jerk. I always go Traditional wings. For some reason they taste so much better than the Boneless. Their potato wedges are awesome too, and I prefer ranch on the side (not a big fan of Bleu Cheese). I tried their ribs once and was not impressed at all. Most BWW have lunch specials where you can get ten Traditional wings plus fries or wedges for about $8. The location nearest where I work (on Chester Street by Park Meadows in Centennial, CO), however, does an "Unlimited Wings" M-F 11 AM to 2 PM, $9.99 for Traditional, $10.99 for Boneless. You get unlimited fries or wedges too. That usually makes for about a two-hour lunch, though, because I usually do either 18 or 24 wings (you order 6 at a time after the initial 12) plus wedges. Some places don't offer this special, and even this location stops it from time to time. When they have it, though, I put a serious dent in their profit margin for that day! The atmosphere is great too, if you like sports. They usually have numerous TVs with multiple games on. If you join their "Buffalo Circle" on their web site, each year on your anniversary of joining they send you a certificate for six free wings! I love this place!
Web site: www.buffalowildwings.com

 

Red Lobster

Everyone loves Red Lobster right? I love Red Lobster, especially when they offer their Endless Shrimp special (which... they just happen to be offering right now!) for $15.99. I haven't had a bad meal here, ever. I would say it is my favorite nationwide-chain seafood restaurant. The prices can hurt a bit, though. That's why I love the Endless Shrimp special. It is what it sounds like, all you can eat. The last time I went, they had five different shrimp entree choices, my favorites in order being 1) Garlic Shrimp Scampi 2) Parmesan Shrimp 3) Hand Breaded Shrimp 4) Shrimp Linguini Alfredo 5) Sweet and Spicy Grilled Shrimp. You start out with two, then order one refill at a time. You can order your first refill when they bring you your initial two. The pictures below (that last picture got distorted somehow) show all five entrees, the scampi making two appearances that night! I also love Red Lobster's garlic cheddar biscuits they serve you while you wait!
Web site: http://www.redlobster.com/

Woody's Pizza

My favorite pizza in Colorado is Woody's Wood Fired Pizza. There are four locations that I know of, but they seem to be not quite the same company. They are all almost the same, though. I used to live in Fort Collins, where there was a Woody's right by CSU campus that I went to a lot. Sadly, I read that this location closed on June 25, 2011 to make space for more student housing :-( What a shame! I have been to the one in Golden, which claims to be the original, and has been voted Best Pizza in Jefferson County. I have also been to the one off Quebec and Evans in Denver. There is another one in Arvada. All of them that I have been to offer an all-day pizza buffet, as well as a salad bar. The cooks are always happy to cook whatever pizza you request. My favorite is the buffalo chicken pizza. The location in Golden, however, usually puts crumbled bleu cheese on it, though, which I don't like. I just ask them to not put that on. I also love their artichoke pizza. The photo below features their California pizza (my second favorite), pepperoni and bacon pizza, and the Buffalo Chicken pizza from the Evans location in Denver. Stop by if you're in the area!
Web site (Arvada and Denver): http://www.restaurantonline.biz/wwwroot/woodys/indexs.php
Web site (Golden): http://www.woodysgolden.com/

Maggie Moo's

I love a good milkshake. Maggie Moo's is one of the frozen-stone-type ice cream places where you can pick your ice cream and have them mix in various toppings. Between Maggie Moo's and Cold Stone, I like Maggie Moo's ice cream better. Unfortunately it's a bit pricey. A large (32 oz) milkshake under normal conditions will set you back almost $8.00. Fortunately, the location near East Arapahoe and Parker Road offers 1/2 price shakes M-F from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. This is the only location I have found that does this (so far). It makes the price reasonable. I love just a straight up root beer or peanut butter shake, but you can mix in toppings if you like with shakes as well. I visit this Aurora location so often that the girl knows my "usual".
Web site: http://www.maggiemoos.com/

Los Dos Potrillos

I'm not sure exactly what a "potrillo" is, but my work friends and I just call this place "The Two Ponies". This is by far my favorite Mexican food restaurant in the Denver area. There are at least two locations that I know of, but for some reason I find the food tastes a little better at the location on Holly and County Line in Highlands Ranch.
I have never had a bad meal here, but my favorite dish, which is actually an appetizer, is their Chili Rellanos Nachos. If you are with someone who doesn't like spice, or by yourself, this dish alone is enough to fill you up. I have had similar dishes elsewhere, but this one is absolute heaven! You can see in the picture that it is so good I had already dug in before I remembered to take a picture!
My second favorite dish is their Carnitas platter, which is fried pork served with rice, beans, and tortillas. This dish is only served Friday through Sunday however.
If you find yourself on the South-Western part of Denver, this restaurant is a must.
Web site: http://www.los2potrillos.com/

South Philly Cheese Steaks

Oh let me tell you about this place! I'm not from Philly but I know these cheese-steaks aren't what Philly natives would call "authentic". I wouldn't call these sandwiches the best "authentic" cheese-steaks I have had, but this is, hands down, the best cheese-steak I have ever had. Specifically, they have what they call the "Chubby". Laugh as you may, that's it's name. It is a cheese-steak with slices of Italian sausage added, as well as sweet peppers and jalapenos. All their sandwiches come in 8" or 12" sizes, and are reasonably priced. I have sampled some of their other sandwiches pictured below, such as the "Gobbler" which is like a Thanksgiving dinner all on one sandwich, and the "Kandy Steak", which is a cheese-steak with cream cheese added. That one was a but too intense for me. I also tried the "Santa Fe" which had green chili on it. I wasn't a big fan of that one. My favorite all time is the Chubby. I always add mustard to mine (as I do with all cheese-steaks). I also like a side of their onion rings, but beware, the only drawback of this (Englewood) location is that you should smell the ketchup before eating it. The manager seems to think that ketchup never goes rancid (he even told me so), which it does. If it smells like vinegar, try another bottle.
Website: http://yosouthphillycheesesteaks.com/