Monday, August 8, 2011

The Saigon Grill

The Saigon Grill is a small out of the way joint that sits inside the strip mall surrounding the Albertson’s on Lemay and Riverside.  Run by a Vietnamese family that travels from Denver every day to make its fresh fair. The Ninja and I got to sit and Chat with their son who runs the front of the house. He gave us the scoop on how everything is made fresh that day including the spring rolls and soup of the day.
Our soup was a Tofu, Bean Sprout, Pineapple, Celery, Tomato, garlic and Celery Leaves concoction, all in a Chicken Broth. The soup was sweet and tangy with a little spice coming from red pepper flakes. I am NOT a big fan of the Bean Sprout but its flavor did not overpower in this soup so I was ok. Trust me I had my concerns when it was one of the ingredients. The pineapple provides a nice tang to the soup but it was not intense making the soup too sweet. I had big doubts about the soup choice but was surprised how much I enjoyed it. The Ninja was wary as well because he is not a fan of fruit in savory dishes, he too liked it and we both agreed if they could make these ingredients come together we would try any of their soups.
We then had a starter of Vietnamese Egg Rolls (up till now my favorite had been from Little Saigon and The Ninja and I try them everywhere to compare to theirs) which they hand roll every morning themselves. You can tell these are not frozen pre-made Cosco spring rolls like you get at chain restaurants. How do I know? The meat inside was pre-seasoned before being put in the rice paper and wrapped. It had a great balance of meat, veggies and rice noodles inside with a crispy outside. The fish sauce could have been spicier but it did have the classic flavor there. They have become the new standard to which all others will be compared.  I did ask for no bean sprouts on the plate but as you can see they appeared there anyway thank goodness no bean sprouts were inside so no bean sprouts had to be harmed in the making of this review.
I had the Lemongrass Beef, one of my favorite dishes so I get it whenever I see it on a menu to see how good theirs is. Saigon Grill’s is spicy. I do mean very spicy. They are happy to adjust the heat to your taste but I didn’t know that until after and so mine was H O T. The flavors are fantastic, well balanced and the lemongrass really shines. It’s savory and the beef is lean and fall apart tender and moist. My rice was hard but The Ninja’s was fine so some kind of rice fluke.
The Ninja got the Garlic Chicken and again tons of flavor here coming not just from the garlic but a great sauce. Beware though it too was hot hot hot. So ask for it adjusted if you are hot ready for something atomic. I love a place that really prepares their meats. The chicken was lean which meant someone took the time to clean it before cutting it up and making our lunch. That is dedication.
Now I am not normally telling you costs of things (because I don’t care, it’s all about the food and the experience) but this place is economical. It really is going to become one of our regular lunchtime haunts. I can’t wait to try the Pho next time. I was told it is their most popular item and once people have it they become addicted. I hope I do. I am already addicted to this great little place. Try it and tell me if you become a convert too.h



Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Mrs. Ninja has a facebook page

Just to let you know you can follow Mrs. Ninja and get real time updates of where the ninjas are. Plus comment and get questions answered and more pictures. Please go on and like us, cause we'd really like you to.

The Great Northern Colorado Burger Debate

I have been told, "If you want the best burger you have to go to......" You can fill in a slew of names. Is there such a thing as "the best burger?" It reminded me if a very funny episode of HIMYM (How I met your mother). If you are not familiar with the show this will not really matter to much the story holds. Marshall a boy from a small town in Minnesota comes to the big city of New York and just when he feels he cannot take it there any longer he finds a door with a Red neon sign above it written Burger. To him it becomes in his mind the greatest hamburger he has ever eaten. Years later the city again had been getting him down and his friends decide it is that burger they need to find again to lift his spirits. (Thus hilarity ensues and a guest spot by Regis Philman.) Will I wreck it for you by telling you if they ever find the elusive burger joint... no. If you've seen it you know and if you haven't you are still looking. Lets look together here in the NoCo area. Here is a list I have accrued as places I have to try the burger "It is the best." In alphabetical order not by preference because none has been made yet,

5 Guys Burger and Fries
Big Al’s
CB & Potts
Coopersmith’s
Fatso’s
JB’s
Jupiter Burger
Larkburger
Lucky Joes
Penelope’s
Poppy’s
Red Robin
Runza
Smashburger
Steakout
Stuft
The Tavern
Washington’s

Here is how the judging will go:
1. All burgers will be a single patty cheeseburger with mustard, onion, pickle and american or if not available cheddar cheese ordered medium untoasted bun. If they have a House Specialty Burger it will also be tasted but not entered in the judging, we will report on it.
2. On a bell curve scale where the middle is ideal and the ends are the extreams we will rate from 1 - 10
          - The Patty alone on moistness 1 as dry as the desert to 10 soggy, falling apart
          - The Patty Doneness 1 cow's a mooing to 10 shoe leather
          - Bun freshness (neg points for toasting bun as i am asking for it untoasted)
          - Ratio of bun to meat (we are looking for a 50/50 ratio)
          - Overall appearance
          - Overall taste
          - Type of Mustard, Pickle, and Onion used
          - Ambiance of place, am I likely to return cause the burger is just that good.
Everything will be entered into a rubric where each burger can be compared side by side by you the reader.

First up was CB&Potts (because we had a coupon). That will be another post though....

Monday, June 13, 2011

Zamperelli's is too good to be cutesy with a title.

Nancy and Jimmy's Zamperelli's (or Z's we call it) restaurant was one of the Ninja families regular haunts when we lived down south. Now anytime we are in a 20 mile radius of the place near a meal time we head back it is just that good.
Place maybe small but not the flavors.

Bread and dipping oil to start
Poached Pear and Gorgonzola Salad
Poached pears (and when in season local ones from Palisade) atop fresh greens lightly coated in a balsamic dressing and Gorgonzola crumbles and candied walnuts to finish. Good as a meal for one or better to split as a starter between two.  







Blood Orangecello Martini
Nancy and Jimmy make their own Blood Orangechello. So good on its own as a aperitif but even better made into a martini. (No longer on the menu but if you ask Nancy really nice like I did she may make you one too and you should ask because it is ssssoooo good. A Cosmo with 100% more flavor and depth.)
Eggplant Parmesan with Papperdelle Noodles and Marinara Sauce
The Eggplant Parmesan (also available in a kick-ass pizza) is my favorite dish on the menu. Not being a fan of Spaghetti noodles I always ask for mine with Paperdelle. (their is an extra cost but I don' care) I did it so often Nancy finally had to put a button on the computers so wait staff could enter it without a big to do. Why you say is theirs so good? 1. Super thin slices of Eggplant lightly breaded. 2. A ricotta cheese mix between the layers adds richness and a whole lot of flavor. 3. The sauce is real Italian marinara it is well I have heard from Italians it really is a gravy that you just put on everything. Perfectly seasoned, not salty or bland and you could put it on everything. 4. Do you see the amount of cheese on top? It can feed 1 very hungry person but I usually get 2 meals out of it.


Carne Pizza with Neuske Bacon
If you have never heard of Neuske Bacon than when you have this pizza you are in for a treat. As they say on their own site "Here's the bacon so good it's won national acclaim from The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Cuisine Magazine and been named Gold Award Winner in the Specialty Food Association's 2010 national competition."  Lean, meaty bacon patiently smoked 24 hours over smoldering Applewood embers. In other words the best. Add that onto a brick oven crust, imported pepperoni, Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese and it's awesome. The Ninja orders it all the time and I take a piece even when I have my own meal to devour. 

Next time you are going in or out of Boulder tack a little side trip to Z's and taste a little New York right here in Colorado. 

Zamparelli's Italian Bistro on Urbanspoon

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Hunter's Chop House having drinks

After friends helped moved another large stereo console took them to drinks on the patio. New Belgium's Summersault for The Ninja, vodka collins for me, ice tea for Marie.

Taking over Beauregard's is Hunter's Chop House

View from under the big tree in the middle of the patio.
Vodka Collins with a splash of Grenadine

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Family Style Feasting at Noodles & Company Pt. 1

A good friend of mine and The Ninja's won one of those fish bowl drawings that restaurants have. You know the ones... drop your business card in here and you could win a lunch for you and four friends or something like it.

Well, months ago she dropped hers in at Noodles & Company and won. She and asked us with another couple to join in a dinner for free. FREE! My favorite word, especially when it comes to eating out.  The catch is you have to eat in off peak times, so our dinner was at 7:45pm. Actually not that late for us because most times Lil Ninja isn't home from activities until then anyway,  so I was cool. We did do something I will regret and agreed to drinks first at Old Chicago's at 6:30 on a friday night... say whaaaayt. Old C's was so packed we agreed to sit on the patio even after the rain and with the little sun peaking out. But a snakebite (for those who don't know what that amazing concoction is, it's hard cider with Guinness floating on top) later and warmed us right up. Then we saw pirates walking down the street, but more on that later.

By 7:40 we were off to our free dinner. I am going to give you some of our realizations of the overall experience before I dive into the dishes and whether they were good or not. First, none of us had ever considered family style dining at a place like Noodles & Company but it is a place where it worked well. Secondly, when you share not only your table but your dishes with other people you have a lot more to say and a lot more that starts to bring you together. I love that about food in general. Lastly, even if a dish had an ingredient in it that someone didn't like "normally," for the sake of the group they worked around it so the others could still have a good time. Pickyness was not an option.

To start with, the manager brought out their Ciabatta and Flat bread with butter and a large serving of the Chicken potstickers. The breads were warm, fresh tasting and chewy. They are a great add-on to a meal there. I didn't know they made potstickers there so I was surprised to see them on the table. Lil Ninja loves Asian dumplings and I bet if she had known she would have been ordering these for years. Watch out if you are sensitive (what we call chez-whitie in our family cause ketchup is too hot for you) the dipping sauce packs a kick. Not like a Asian dumpling per se. They were flat and very crispy. You could taste the chicken and cabbage in the filling with a little seasoning going on but they were much tastier with the sauce.

Round one of the tasting were dishes chosen by us. We chose Penne Rosa with Parmesan Crusted Chicken breast, Pad Thai with Shrimp and the Med Salad.

The Penne Rosa is described as a spicy tomato cream sauce over penne with mushrooms, spinach and a bit o wine. Your choice of feta or parmesan on top.

Spicy, well I guess a bit. It's not going to send you to your glass to cool your mouth off after every bite spicy. It has a little red pepper you can taste in the sauce that it is getting its heat from. It was The Ninja's favorite dish but I have always found it plain. It's noodles and red sauce. You can tell them you want it spicier or less spicy to your taste and maybe more spice is what it needs to wake it up. The parmesan crusted chicken is a great addition to the dish because it has a lot of flavor in the breading, crispy crust and was moist inside thanks to the breading. Everyone at the table agreed it as a real winner.

Rice noodles stir fried with scrambled egg, carrots, cabbage, sweet chili, splash of citrus and topped with crushed peanuts, Asian sprouts (aka bean sprouts) and cilantro make up the Pad Thai. I liked the flavor of noodles; you get the citrus, sweet chili and soy without any one flavor overpowering another. The flavors were balanced and simple and the dish was very enjoyable to everyone at the table. We ordered it with shrimp which were cooked perfectly. Not that barely transparent pink you get a lot of times but meaty and not chewy.

The Med Salad, a choice of mine, had mixed greens, romaine, tomato, cucumber (not peeled which some may not like), red onion, kalamata olives, and cavatappi noodles. All is covered in a spicy yogurt dressing and topped with feta cheese. The dressing is spicy, so be warned but has really great flavor so order it on the side and dip so you can still get the lemon creamy herby and yes spicy goodness that the dressing provides. This is, as one at the table said, "a perfect way to have salad and noodles. You don't have to choose between the two." It isn't a "pasta" salad. It is a green salad with pasta as a topping and it works. 

The second round of dishes was chosen by the manager and included Bangkok Curry, Pasta Fresca with grilled chicken, and Mushroom Stroganoff with braised beef. 

The Bangkok Curry I believe was everyone's most hesitant try, but biggest surprise because of how great it was. If you haven't had it you must try it. The menu describes it as sweet coconut curry, broccoli, carrots, red pepper, onion, mushrooms and a light portion of rice noodles served with cabbage and topped with black sesame seeds. The menu description is like something from a Indian restaurant and you are thinking bowl of stuff swimming in curry sauce. Nothing could be further from so. As the picture shows no swimming ingredients. In fact the flavor seems to come from the ingredients themselves as if they had been marinated in the sweet coconut curry. Also, you think curry you think spicy and here it just not so, it is flavor. The coconut is balanced with so many other things going on that I want to say it is complex but I hate when people say that and then can't start picking out the flavors in what they taste that makes up the complexity so I am not going to say that--just that it is good so you should try it.

The Pasta Fresca with grilled chicken was the disappointment of the night (sorry, it was, and not everything can be good). The chicken was very dry, I used "monstrously dry" at the time but everyone said that was a bit much. They did all agree it was dry and needed seasoning. The pasta was just really tasteless hot pasta salad. A pasta salad no one at the table enjoyed. Noodles & Company describe the dish as Penne with balsamic, olive oil, white wine and roasted garlic, red onion, tomato and spinach. I tasted the vinegar and wine with oil used in the pan to mix everything together but it was not enough to make a vinegrette that would create a tasty dish. Maybe they should amp up the flavors and serve as a cold dish it might be more pleasing? I'd pass as it is now.

Mushroom Stroganoff with braised beef is comfort food for many. I make it at home, or used to before Lil Ninja decided she, like The Ninja, didn't like mushrooms. I had never ordered it because it seemed to be one of those dishes you just made at home, and not ordered out. You might think the same but we would all be wrong. If you see it on a menu and it's cold out and you are in the need of some comfort, try it you may like it. In this case I was torn. The braised beef was fantastic. It has so much flavor and was so moist and fell apart in your mouth. I was wishing I had grabbed more off the communal plate before the boys got to it. I usually steer away from meats because I am wary of fat content and can't see what I will be putting in my mouth (I don't like fat). But this was very lean and I was so happy with it that I will order it again just on something else. Once you finished the great tasting beef you were left with egg noodles in a bland cream sauce with some mushrooms thrown in. Not the strong flavors of a stroganoff you expect like a tang from the sour cream, nutmeg, pepper, onion, and parsley in the sauce. It was noodles in a white blanket. 

We all got to finish our meal with cookies (chocolate chip or snickerdoodle) which were soft and everyone enjoyed. While there, I too threw my business card in the fish bowl so maybe there will be a part two to this where we can try even more. We had hoped to try the "Fancy Pants" adult Mac-n-Cheese with truffle oil and portabellas but they were finishing the promotion when we were there. Also they are now carrying sandwiches which looked pretty good and we thought we'd like to try as well. Maybe next time...

Ooh right the pirates... As we were finishing our meal, the place got crazy busy and we couldn't figure out why. Turned out it was opening weekend for the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. "Aah the pirates," we all said at once. 

So next time you take in a dinner and a movie, and Old C's, Macaroni Grill and Texas Roadhouse all have 45 min waits try Noodles & Company. If you're with a group, try it family style and get a little of a few things instead, you may enjoy it more, like we did.
Noodles & Co on Urbanspoon

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Drink the drinks... The Rio Margaritas

On the rocks or flavored and frozen they always are the start to a great day or night.
Here The Ninja and I with a friend share one over the weekend.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Drinks at Coopersmith's

Love that these guys make their own hard cider. Every year a little different and that's part the fun. Yummy! The Ninja decided to gets a cider too!


Friends joining us gets a Copper but  he misses the Bourbon Stout, he says it was the best. The Copper had a woody taste, like you poured the drink on the bar and slurped it off. Don't ask how I know what that tastes like.  ;)




Decided to eat after all. I had pub fries with the artichoke cheese dip, Sean and Jeff a burger and Fish and Chips for Marie. The food is always good here I don't even think it needs reviewing. If you've never gone go you will like something.
All in all, a much needed after work drink.







Whats with the huge ladle? I don't know. We saw it in the brew room and it was big and we liked it. So I took a picture of it. I think you will like it too.


Friday, May 20, 2011

Gravity Ten Twenty Review


My black and tan that's blacker than tan; they said it was a problem with the nitro.
Place looks good, with 3 big garage doors to open on nice days and a 180 view of FCB bottling line.



Sean liked his burger with blue cheese, of course he would. His side of polenta fries came with marinara sauce which was kinda boring and would have been better with something else.

My fish n chips: Batter was perfect, not super thick and really crispy. Needed more drain time cause they were way to greasy. The fish itself didn't seem seasoned before they battered it either. The fennel orange salad was a complete surprise in how good it was. I am craving more now. Lastly, the potatoes needed salt but for those who know me everything does and the fancier the better. Table salt should be banned, I'll write more on that sometime.

I'll probably go back, so go check Gravity out since new places in Fort Collins have a short life span.
Ladies Room Door