Chili’s
http://www.chilis.com/

I have been lucky enough to travel a good part of the US and eat at some very cool places, but at times I have a relapse.  Looking at chain casual restaurants, Chili’s is my favorite over Applebee’s, TGI Friday’s, Ruby Tuesday, Max & Erma’s and O’Charley’s.

Most of this is due to the southwest flavors on the menu.  I know…I am reaching by calling this southwest food!  However, if you read the blog you know that I have a strong preference for Mexican and even Tex-Mex food.

What I Got:  Crispy Chicken Crisper Tacos  $9.00

Ingredients:  Three extra crispy chicken breast tacos with bacon, pico, cheese, lettuce and honey chipotle ranch dressing.

Eating this dish was a nice reminder that at times, less is more.  With fried chicken, cheese, bacon and ranch, there are too many “fats” in these tacos.   Cheese was a non-factor and I didn’t taste it at all.  I wasn’t offended by the taste of the tacos, but with all the fun ingredients, I thought they would be better.

Would I Buy It Again?  No to these tacos.  I am not going to stomp my feet if some co-workers want to go to Chili’s, but I am probably not going to be the one to recommend it.  I am going to stick to my standard of the Cajun Chicken Sandwich, which is actually pretty good.

I have to say though, I think that Chili’s Ranch Dressing is one of the better ones out there.  I’ve thought about doing lines of it.

Oh yeah, if I am going to get tacos, you just can’t beat these from Taqueria Guanajuato…the best taco in Indy.

-WIBIA

Crispy Potato Soft Taco

It’s no secret that we love Taco Bell around here and make frequent trips there.  When I go, I usually order off of the greatest value menu ever and this is another fairly recent addition.

What I Got:  Crispy Potato Soft Taco 79¢

Taco Bell describes this as “A soft flour tortilla filled with crispy potato bites, Pepper Jack sauce, crisp shredded lettuce and real cheddar cheese.”  What they don’t tell you is that there is nothing crispy about the potato bites at all.  In mine, they were soggy and mushy and it made this item very, very bland and boring.  The Pepper Jack sauce was tasty, but the potato bites ruined it for me.  I will give them credit though because they really did manage to pack a lot of stuff into this small tortilla shell.

Would I Buy It Again?  No, I would not.  I understand that it is cheap and you get what you pay for, but there is so much better stuff available on the value menu that I would order before I ever ordered this again.

-IndianapolisEater

Check it out!   It has been a while since I have been to a Don Pablo’s, but all you can eat tacos for $6.99?!?!   I might have to give this a try (Tuesday nights only).

-WIBIA

Taqueria Guanajuato
Inside of Carniceria Guanajuatoin grocery store.
3110 N. Shadeland Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46226

Not to spoil my review, but this is about my sixth time visiting this place.  I live about 12 miles away and there is nothing close to it that I visit.  But when I am on the Eastside, I have to stop.

I love Mexican grocery stores by themselves and then add a Taqueria?!  Get out…great idea.  It’s like having a burger place attached to a butcher.

Before I start the review, I have to tell you that I know very little Spanish and my first two times here, the lady at the Taqueria didn’t speak English.  I ordered a Diet Coke, but got an orange soda.  My third time going, I fumbled through ordering in Spanish and when I was done she said “I know English” about as clear as if she just came off the Mayflower.  I felt like an asshole.

What I Ate: 2 Chorizo Tacos $1.75 each, 1 Chicken Taco $1.75 each and a Carne Asada Burrito $4.00.

Burrito

I usually stick to eating tacos here, but I tried the burrito.  OH MAMA was this good!  It was huge and loaded with some of the best Asada that I have had.  It had sour cream, cheese and a little bit of lettuce.  I find that Mexican sour cream is very different than at the normal grocery.  Buy some, do a taste test and you will get it.  I added some of the homemade red sauce from the random bottle on the counter and it brought a nice heat and flavor.  This was so good and I am not sure how to describe it.  For $4.00, this was a meal, no need for the tacos but…

Chorizo Tacos

The chorizo tacos here also rock.  Great flavor and the chorizo has a big time kick to it.  Tacos are served with lime, onion and cilantro on a corn tortilla.  I add a little green and red sauce like in the pic and that puts it over the top.

The chicken tacos were a let down compared to the rest of the meal.  They were good, but a touch dry.  The star of the show is the Asada.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes and HALL OF FAME. I love this place.  I always take people  here that I know would freak (like my Mom).  It is out of some people’s comfort zone, but who cares?!  Old school Mexican-Polka music is blasting at 125 decibels, the place is usually packed, the guys behind the taco counter always flirt with my wife, but when you are serving up grub like this, all the other stuff just doesn’t matter.

I know that some of you think that I am full of shit on reviews, but I know my tacos inside and out and I have had them coast to coast and these are some of the best.

-WIBIA

Taco Bell’s Why Pay More value menu is maybe one of the greatest innovations in the fast food industry.  With items varying from 79¢ to 89¢ to 99¢, it’s good, cheap and easy.  I only usually order one other item that’s not on this value menu (Meximelt), so I’m a big fan.  They’ve recently introduced two new items to this menu, so I figured I’d give them a shot.

What I Ate:  Grilled Chicken Soft Taco (89¢) and Grilled Chicken Burrito (89¢)

First, the Grilled Chicken Soft Taco.  As I said, you cannot beat the value on this one.  The taste is pretty damn good too.  I got mine “Fresco Style”, which means that they subtracted cheese and added fiesta salsa.  This will save you quite a few calories.  As for the other toppings, it included the grilled chicken (obviously) and lettuce.  The grilled chicken was obviously seasoned too, so it had a nice little kick.  As you can see from the picture below, Taco Bell is definitely not shy when it comes to adding their toppings on this one.  When coupled with the small tortilla shell, this one overflows with ingredients and taste.  It clocks in at roughly 200 calories when made with cheese, but that is substantially less when you get it Fresco Style (the actual caloric difference is not available on the website).

Grilled Chicken Soft Taco

Next, I had the Grilled Chicken burrito.  I got this one in the regular style, so it included the cheese.  It also included the seasoned grilled chicken (again, obviously), mexican rice and and avocado ranch sauce.  On this one, I have no complaints about the ingredients as they were tasty, but Taco Bell really needs to find a different tortilla to use for this burrito.  As you can see from my picture below where I’ve opened it up to show the insides, the tortilla dwarfs the amount of ingredients that are in the burrito.  When I was eating this, I felt like I was eating a giant tortilla with just a few ingredients sprinkled in to compliment the flavor of the tortilla.  It should be the other way around.   In an ideal world, they’d find a tortilla shell that was somewhere between the size of the one they use for the soft taco and the size of the one that they use for this one.  Also, this baby checks in at 440 calories, so it’s not exactly healthy.

Grilled Chicken Burrito

Would I Buy It Again:  Yes to the Grilled Chicken Soft Taco but probably not to the Grilled Chicken Burrito.  The soft taco is healthy enough and overflows with ingredients, so it is definitely worth another purchase.  As for the burrito, if I wanted to eat a giant tortilla, I’d just go to the grocery store and buy a package of big tortilla shells and munch on those.  Plus, the huge caloric intake on this one does not help my wellness score.

-IndianapolisEater

Guess who went on vacation?! 2 months into this blog and I haven’t had one post about booze.   That just ain’t like me!  I went on vacation and had some hits and misses.

Cocktails:
Gold Dust Lounge
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HWaDvxTdtDMwz6m4-sUf6Q?select=bgV_tFbmVDKBxZni2my7XA
Old school, no frills, cash only, tacky joint.   Down to earth people and a place I can sit at all day.  Would I Buy It Again? Yes.  I would live above this place if I could.

Press Club
http://www.pressclubsf.com/
Never been to anything like this.  It is basically wine tasting in the city.  8 wineries represented.  Yuppie holding tank, but the architecture was fresh and I like the idea.  If I was single in the city, I would be kicking here after I tied one on at the Gold Dust.  Would I Buy It Again? Yes, I would go there when I visit SF, but it is not something I have to do.

Tacos and Burritos:
My favorite kind of food is Mexican.   We have great Mexican grocery stores/food in Indiana, but when in SF, I like to try the local offerings.

Los Compadres Taco Truck
http://www.yelp.com/biz/los-compadres-taco-truck-san-francisco-2
$7.50 for a Super Burrito.  Get the Carne Asada, sit down on the curb and chow down.  A true gut bomb.  Would I Buy It Again?  Yes.  I wouldn’t make a trip for it though because of…

Pancho Villa Taqueria
http://panchovillasf.com/
My first stop when I roll into the Mission District.  This place was packed on a Friday afternoon.  Mariachi singer and all.   Large menu and everything is fresh and clean.  Same format as Chipotle or Qdoba.  I can only assume both of them were designed after this place.  Would I buy It Again?  Yes.  A must have in SF.

Pizza:
Escape From New York Pizza
http://www.escapefromnewyorkpizza.com/
Looking at the list so far, I ate like a pig during this trip.  Pizza by the slice at about all hours.  I hit up the one on Haight St.  Try the garlic pesto with potato.  Potato on a pizza?   Yup, and it was good.  Otherwise, try the mushroom.  They also have one in Portland, OR  (his brother, cool guy but hates the potato pizza.  He told me when I was visiting).  Would I Buy It Again?  Yes. I made 2 trips while I was in SF.

Pizza Place on Noreiga:
http://www.pizzaplacesf.com/
What happens when you combine punk rock and pizza?  This place.  I felt like yuppie scum while there, but cold Anchor Steam on tap, sausage, pepperoni and mushroom pizza and a great house salad.  I really liked this place.  Would I Buy It Again?  Yes.  It is not a must have though.

Dim Sum:
Ton Kiang
http://www.tonkiang.net/
A solid Dim Sum, no doubt about it.   I love Dim Sum, but I eat about everything and walk out with a huge bill.  Would I Buy It Again?  Yes. If we had Dim Sum in Indy, I might pass.

Burmese:
Mandalay Restaurant
http://www.mandalaysf.com/
Basil spicy chicken and hot and sour soup were solid.  The rest was passable.  It is not a bad restaurant, just not good enough for my must haves.   Would I Buy It Again?  No, read the prior sentence.

Vietnamese:
Slanted Door
http://www.slanteddoor.com/
I walked over here after the taco truck.   Oven roasted and manila clams, basil, crispy pork belly, fresh chilies.  $14.  So good, it was awesome.  I had a soup that was out of this world.  Pork, noodles etc…  It was honestly the best soup that I have ever had.  Would I Buy It Again?  Yes and highly recommended.

Sonoma County:
Underwood Bar and Grill.  Graton, CA.
http://www.underwoodgraton.com/
ool place that you can just relax.  Sit at the bar, they have a great bartender.  Have a few drinks and order Coff the small plates menu.  Avoid the harissa fries.  Would  I Buy It Again?  Yes, recommended.

So what didn’t I like?
Mission Bar
26^th and Mission.
Boring hole in the wall with bouncer turned bartender.   Decent jukebox and cheap drinks during happy hour but that is about it.  You are no Gold Dust my friend! Would I Buy It Again?  No.

The Lodge at Cavallo Point
http://www.cavallopoint.com/restaurant_bar.php
I told you that I would review Michelean Star Rated restaurants!   Wow, what a disappointment.  I had three courses, all were underwhelming.   To think the distinguished Michelean guide gave this place one star is a shame.  If you are looking for a Michealean Star rated restaurant, go to Gary Danko and never look back.  Would I Buy It Again?  No

Epic Roasthouse
Happy Hour
http://www.epicroasthousesf.com/pdf/menus/Happy%20Hour.pdf
Overcrowded and lame.  Cheap food was a draw, but the food wasn’t good.  Great location and beautiful restaurant, but it has to be all about the food.   Walk a few blocks to Boulevard.  Would I Buy It Again?  No.

In The End:
An awesome trip and the best part – I have great family to enjoy it all with.  SF is an amazing place to eat your way through.   Great food around every corner.  You have quick and easy access to about every nationality you can image and many of them fused together. If you like to eat, you have to make a trip and try out a few of the above places.

-WIBIA

Roscoe’s Tacos
642 S. Madison Ave
Greenwood, IN 46142

So you are probably seeing a trend. Tacos, pizza, burgers and some nice restaurants in between. No matter how full I am, I always have room for a slice of pie or a taco.

What I Ate: 2 Paul Bunyons and a drink $4.99 Instead of saying small or large tacos, Butch Cassidy is a small, Paul Bunyon is a large. Go figure?

I had to get the ground beef because it was a special. Shredded chicken was my other choice of protein. Ground beef was basically sautéed beef in a mild chili sauce. I didn’t taste notes of cumin, chili powder like I normally would expect. It was very plain. The taco had sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, black olives and onions. No black olives for me, nasty.

By the pickup counter, there is a selection of 6 sauces in squirt bottles, this was a nice touch. I tried mild, Too Darn Hot and Smokin’. I like Smokin’ the best as it was a nice balance of flavor and heat. No green sauce to be found.

Would I Buy It Again? No. I rank it high on a value factor, but was average on taste. It lacked authenticity and originality. They are the tacos that I grew up, the kind a mom used to make, but I have moved on.

Instead: Brush up on your Espanol and head to Taqueria Guanajuato on 31st and Shadeland. Loud music, fresh food and bold flavors that will take you right to the border. Indy is full of great Taqueria’s, feel free to list your favorite

Pictured Above:  A Paul Bunyon

-WIBIA