The best eatin’ in town…
July 2, 2007 at 1:21 pm Filed in:food&drink No Comments
When I was young, my grandmother owned a condo in a retirement hamlet in north central Florida. What is there to do in Winter Haven, FL? Now that Cypress Gardens has closed… absolutely nothing. But when she passed away, the condo stayed in the family. Why? Sure, there was sentimental value… but the real reason: Winter Haven is only a 25 minute drive from the best damn barbecue I’ve ever had at Jimbo’s.
Red’s Java House
May 21, 2007 at 12:36 pm Filed in:food&drink No Comments
It’s a warm sunny day, the boss is out of town. Around noontime, emails start to circulate around the office, the body consisting of only one word: ”Red’s?”
This is one of the office favorites for an extended lunch. Red’s has a view of the bridge and waterfront to rival any of the higher-priced dining establishments along the Embarcadero from a great patio area in back. So what if it’s a converted chunk of parking lot? Just ensure that someone is guarding your meal when you run to grab another pitcher… the seagulls/pigeons/little wren-like-creatures are quite ruthless when it comes to abandoned meals.
But we don’t take the 10 minute trek just to consume the scenery. Although at each visit there’s some renegade who orders the double-decker hot dog, veggie burger, or chili (all deemed tasty, by the way), the fish ‘n chips are what most bring to the table… and for good reason (personally, so far, my favorite in the city). Light, crispy batter, tasty, perfectly moist fish, and enough fries for two or three people to share. And even when the line stretches out the door, you can end up with food-in-hand within 15 minutes.
For those who aren’t on the clock, the full bar out back has beer to pair well with every meal… AND (gratuitous college reference) a bartender from Jupiter’s, one of my favorite bars back in Champaign, Illinois. Unfortunately, as a result, I’ve never moistened my lips with the nectar for which they are named. Some morning, perhaps, if I’m not yet un-hung-over, I’ll drop in for the breakfast and a cup of java.
Oh… did I mention a two-piece fish ‘n chips and a beer is still under $10? Take that, every other overpriced pub in the city without a waterfront view. N’yah.
Pier 30
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 777-5626
The delicious golden standard by which all pizza is judged.
August 31, 2006 at 12:17 pm Filed in:food&drink No Comments
Lou Malnati gave a great gift to the world: A fantastic cornmeal crust, fresh fillings, excellent cheese, zesty yet not overbearing sauce, a good cheese:filling ratio, and high quality tomatoes on tope (a rarity in the Midwest) make this the gold-standard by which I judge all pizza. Case in point:
When I moved to San Francisco, and found a one-room furnished apartment near the ocean, rent-free for one month, in exchange for one medium Lou (spinach, mushroom, tomato).
It’s that good.
While it is possible to have a few kinds of Lou Malnati’s pizza overnight-ed across the country, I’ve discovered that it works just as well to order whatever kind of pizza you want at least two days in advance, pick it up, and pop it in a freezer bag (e.g.. the ones you can find at Trader Joe’s for $2.99). Carry it on (if that’s still ok with the TSA), or pop it in your suitcase and check it. Mine stayed frozen longer than 12 hours, with no evidence of topping loss! Upon arrival at your destination, preheat, bake about 30 min., and it tastes just as good as if it were served to your table at the restaurant.
I’ve been doing this for ~10 years, from the east coast to the west coast… even on an overnight stopover while flying from Japan to Miami. The elaborate mechanism I’ve developed for carting a Lou across the country should tell you something… If you’re a fan of *real* Chicago-style pizza, you *need* to try the Lou.
I’ve tried all the other deep-dish Chicago-style pizzas, and while each brings some desirable quality to the table, Lou Malnati’s is the only one that pulls ‘em all together to make a deep-dish pizza, not a doughball with cheese and tomato sauce. Plus, I’ve tried their pies in the city and the suburbs, and quality has remained pretty consistent across the different locations.
And a note from recent émigrés from the midwest: you can get your fix via mail order at http://www.tastesofchicago.com/ (you can get to it by way of www.loumalnatis.com too). It has to be overnighted on dry ice, and so it costs a pretty penny for one or two, but you can get a 4-pack for $80 (that’s less per pie than I’d pay for the closest substitute by my house!).
Sadly, though, you can’t order the Lou. So… if anyone from Chicago is planning on visiting San Francisco in the near future…
Speaking of ribs: fall off the bone, juicy ribs, cooked overnight in a real smokehouse shack out back. Damn tasty chopped (not pulled) pork sandwiches. Incredible, golden brown hush puppies. Sauces with the perfect blend of spices and tang that tastes good on everything except the desserts. Creamy, delicious cole slaw.
But the real reason I was eager to go to Jimbo’s on family vacations, even during the 13 years I was a vegetarian? The best pickles in the whole world. Smack in the middle of each table is a stainless steel mixing bowl filled with freshly made chunky dill pickle slices that are crunchy as all hell, but still taste like the cucumbers from whence they came. Hush puppies doused in BBQ sauce and pickles made for a happy vegetarian in the midst of the mounds of meat piled on the plates of my family members.
But now that I’ve once again joined the ranks of the omnivores? Jimbo’s is the sole reason I’m looking forward to my next trip to the land of the geriatric set.
Would I take my dad there? Hell, he took me there.
Jimbo’s Pit Bar-B Q
1215 E Memorial Blvd
Lakeland, FL 33801
(863) 683-3777