Better Than Crack

Chicken tenders are awesome.  There's no pesky bone getting all that goodness.  Cheesecake Factory serves up a heck of a tender or "littles" as they call them. Take a look at this plate you get.  A crapload of chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and three dipping sauces.  You probably can't tell by looking at the picture, but this is a massive plate of food.  There's so much chicken, you almost can't see the mashed potatoes.  Seriously, this is a two-person serving.  In other words, don't let the price scare you, because you'll be getting your money's worth. The chicken is juicy and crispy.  The texture is good.  It's good enough to eat without the sauce, but should you be interested, you'll be dealing with ketchup, barbeque, and honey mustard. Then, you have the sides.  The mashed potatoes are what you'd expect.  Potatoes that are mashed.  The corn, on the other hand, is something unexpected.  It's peppered, but there's a str...

There's nothing quite like a good beef entrée.  This is especially true of Chinese or pseudo-Chinese food.  Enter Panda Express' Beijing beef. Beijing Beef is a spicy concoction on the Panda Express.  Notice I said SPICY, not HOT.  It won't set your mouth on fire, which was kind of disappointing, considering my tendency to lean toward such foods.  The taste, however, was quite nice.  There are peppers and onion in there, which don't seem to do much for the flavor, but definitely give the dish a better aesthetic. The major player here is the beef.  It's deep-fried, which was a pleasant surprise.  It's crunchy, giving the dish a nice texture.  As mentioned before, the taste isn't bad.  It more than does it's job of carrying whatever side you pair it with. Finally, the portion size is pretty good for the price.  I got the bowl, which is what passes for "small", and felt like I was eating for an eternity, far from a bad th...

There's a lot of things I haven't done a lot of things in life.  One of them is goes to a place called City Barbecue, a restaurant chain that's been around for a while.  Another of those things I've never done is eat a brisket sandwich.  So when a City Barbecue opened in my area, my curiosity was piqued.  And when I saw they had a brisket sandwich on the menu, my interest was piqued even more. The sandwich is a rather simple creation.  It's big pieces of beef brisket and a bun.  You get the option of whether or not you want sauce, which I passed on this trip so I could appreciate the taste of the meat.  And appreciate it I did. The brisket had a number of facets.  First, there's the texture was good.  Texture is something I tend to be finicky about and this sandwich got it right.  Also, it's so tender that it falls apart to the touch.  It really is a thing of beauty. Then there's the thick layer of fat that lines the t...

So, you're looking for a nice, rewarding treat after work or for the big game.  Nothing hits the spot quite like nachos.  But simple chips and cheese can be lame.  Well guess what?  Pulled chicken makes everything better. Now, when it comes to deli meats, like pulled chicken and roast beef, I used the LSEDI method.  LSEDI is short for Let Someone Else Do It.  Anyway, here's what you need: A pack of pulled chicken.  A half pound pack will do.  Try to avoid national brands because they suck.  The store brand is best. Taco cheese.  Make sure it's taco cheese, because it tastes best with the next ingredient... Tortilla chips.  Try not to get lame or overpowering one.  You'll want them just a little salty. First, you want to heat up the chicken.  While that's happening, set your chips up on a plate.  Then, pull out the chicken, put it on the chips, top it with cheese, and throw it in the microwave for...

So, you're looking for a Valentine's Day gift, but don't want to get the same old stuff.  Cards, flowers, and jewelry are the path of losers with no imagination.  If you really want your significant other to smile, slide them a Russell Stover Heart. These babies are made of a thick layer of chocolate covering whatever they feel like making it cover.  It could be caramel.  It could be cherry filling.  Heck, it could be even more chocolate.  You can even play a game with them.  Simply unwrap a bunch of them, put them in a box, and give it to your loved one.  They'll never know what's inside, but they'll always know it's good. Instead of getting that special someone a dozen rose or a card, give them a dozen of these.  They'll appreciate it more.  You may even get laid.  Chocolate is better than stuff you can't eat.  It's also better than crack.

Do you like steak?  Do you like hot stuff?  Well, Wok & Mortar has the meal for you. Wok & Mortar is one of those restaurants following the popular trend of building your meal from the base up, kind of like Chipotle's.  You pick a protein, a base, a grain, and maybe some extras.  Then you watch the chefs cook it up and serve it piping hot in a big bowl.  This give you the ability to put together some fairly creative meals.  There's one combination in particular that stands out to me.  That is the grilled steak with a kung pao base and compound rice. Lots of good stuff in here. First, let's start off with the beef.  For me, the texture of meat is everything.  The beef has good texture and is cut into big, hearty pieces filled with flavor.  There's a lot, too, so your carnivorous urges won't go unsatisfied. This bowl is deep and loaded. The kung pao base is pretty good, loaded with zucchini, edamame, peanuts, and ...

Chocolate milk is good.  But not everyone can drink it because they are lactose intolerant.  For those who are, you now have a savior; Fairlife and their lactose-free line of milk. Look out!  It's a stampede of win! What Fairlife has done is create nothing less than a masterpiece with their chocolate milk.  It has less sugar and more protein than its competitors, while not sacrificing taste and not sending you running to the toilet shortly after drinking it.  How?  Just how? That's a pretty impressive stat line for chocolate milk. So there you have it.  Fairlife chocolate milk is where it's at.  Isn't it funny what removing lactose can do to milk?  It changes it from a guilty pleasure to a mealtime staple.  And of course, it makes it better than crack.