What Are You Eating?

Just a five-year old iPhoneXR and the Snapseed editing app. Not even the light all the time because I've only taken it out of the house a few times.

I almost always have my work phone with me, and most of the time one of the two phones serves as a light for the one being used to make the photo.

Weenies.





Served with curry tots.

Spaghetti squash with fake sausage

New burger place opened up, owned by the same couple that used to run one of the best taco places in the city until they got run out by an excessive rent increase. I used to go to this space for barbecue, but after those owners decided to retire, the new ones opened this place.



The burger was excellent, but the fries were a letdown. With a high quality hamburger I expect hand-cut fries but these were clearly frozen. Not terrible, just not as good as fresh.

I talked to the owner and he says they're hoping to reopen their taco place in the same shopping center where the burger place is now.

You honestly cannot go wrong with a good grilled weenie.

One of the vendors who runs the booth with us at the market came back from their vacation in Amish country. They brought me pickles and they also brought pepper jack cheese, and it is the most delicious cheese I've tasted in a very long time.

Went back to that new burger place today. Cheeseburger with vinegar-soaked fries topped by tomato jam.

Really late lunch because my soul needed carne asada.

I fixed soup beans, fried taters, made cornbread (sweet), sliced up some big tomatoes and Vidalia onions.

Now, I prefer a mixture of Northern and Pintos, but dad only likes Pintos, so it was all Pintos this time, which means it wasn't as creamy and soupy as I like, but still good. I took some over to my neighbor because he's about to have surgery, and I wanted him to get a good hot meal in, and he texted me telling me they were so flavorful and good, and my dad loved them so I did okay. I still prefer the mixture of beans, though.

@Ten Lubak got me all excited about Spanish meats. His San Sebastian meal looked fantastic, but nothing really beats farm-to-table.




My grandmother's chorizos. Mm-mm. So good. My dad actually got on a Federal watch list after he got caught trying up smuggle them into the USA. Hand-crafted from our own pigs.




And if we need anything else? Just walk to El Cort Ingles, of course.

Just got back from a business trip to Spain

Spain, pound for pound, is the best place to eat in the world IMO. Everything is just simple and super good quality ingredients

Started in Murcia:



Ensalata Rusa



Matrimonio - dark anchovy and white anchovy in perfect matrimony



Berberechos



Fish and roasted veg for lunch



Great plate of little tapas



Artichoke heart with truffle a foie gras, one of the best things I ate all trip



Big fuck off steak



Clams



Razor Clams



Some of the sweetest tasting prawns I've ever had



Fresh tuna with avo and ikura

New to me fire pit I brought from my dad's house. Simple smoked Polish sausage from my home county with onions and poblano peppers.














I also brought back an offset smoker that I gave him for Fathers Day (or his birthday--I forget which) a number of years ago that I restored and will be using soon.

Machacado for breakfast again.



Sundays are the only day I regularly eat breakfast. Monday through Friday I usually just have a couple of cups of coffee and I rarely eat breakfast on Saturdays.

Fajitas.







It's the first time in a long time that I've cooked them. Turned out okay.

Besides their burgers being good, one thing I really like about the new place is the lighting in the booth where I always sit.



Big windows behind me and off to the side make it look like I set up lights from my job.

It had been far too long since I'd gone to the deli with the great Reuben sandwiches so I made a point to eat there today.



I recently had one at a different place and as good as it was it just showed how much better these are. On a roll, not sliced bread, and with Russian dressing instead of Thousand Island like most places use.

I could go for another one right now.

I don't feel like starting a Thanksgiving thread, and no one else started one, so this goes here.

I made Thanksgiving dinner for everyone I care about:



It's a Banquet turkey dinner. It was, I don't know if "good" is an accurate description, but it tasted like food. It was adequate.

Damn... That just reminded me of those turkey loaves that come with the gravy. I haven't had one in years.

And I did start one, a few minutes before you posted this.

Working today so I ordered $700 worth of barbecue to feed the staff.



It's picked over, but two trays of meats, assorted sides, and such.

It's from a regional chain, so the barbecue is mid, but it's tasty enough.

This thread is torture.

Anniversary dinner with my wife.





A great little restaurant we tried for the first time tonight. Delicious. My only complaint is that they don't have a liquor license so just beer, wine, and wine-based cocktails.

I'd still go back.

A cool, dreary day calls for cheese enchiladas for lunch.



Truthfully, I've been wanting some for weeks but this place is always so packed that it's hard to get a place to park, much less a table (and the restaurant and parking lot are good-sized--it's just a really popular place).

Treated myself again to some brisket tacos and added a papas a la Mexicana taco as well.



As good as the rest of the food is at this place (it's Michelin-recommended for the second year in a row) their potatoes tend to miss the mark for me. I like them fried a little more crispy than they do it, but they're definitely not the only place in town that makes them a little...softer...than I prefer.

I was working downtown and headed to a smashburger-type restaurant when I realized I was half a block away from a relatively new burger joint (this week marks one year for them as a brick and mortar place).

My daughter took me there for my birthday a couple of months ago and while the burgers are really good, they aren't pretty.



My only complaint was totally my fault: I forgot to tell them to leave off the mayo and use mustard only.

Mexican lunch.



Chinese dinner.

Lamb for Christmas dinner.





It's more done than I'd prefer, but my wife and daughter don't like it cooked as rare as I do.

Is the bottom dish country fried steak?

There's a place by me that has country fried steak on their menu, but the gravy is extra. When you order it, it comes with two sides (veggies, potatoes, mac and cheese, etc). If you want the two regular sides and gravy they charge an extra $2.50 or so. On the breakfast menu you get one side (hash browns, grits, home fries, etc) if you want the side and gravy still an extra $2.50. The owners response is "Nothing is free".

We had Christmas with my best friend's family and since his teenage son is a fiend for the lamb ribs I cook, I made some more to take to dinner.



He likes them so much that I nearly wrapped a package of ribs in Christmas paper to give to him for his gift.

Yes, chicken-friend steak but a better cut of meat than a typical one, which is usually top or bottom round.

My wife made some dish with some sort of cheese, spinach, and cherry tomatoes served with linguini.



It was pretty damn good. My only regret was not opening a bottle of red wine to go with it.