The Grad

We arrived at The Grad at UC Davis in California in time to catch the end of the first period of the Washington Capitals hockey game. The staff was more than happy to put the game on one of the 56" plasma televisions which adorned the bar. Gold star number one. Now came the time to make the two most important decisions of the day: what to eat? and what to chase it down with? Our first round of ordering included an order of twelve buffalo wings with chili cheese fries. Although I'm always a fan of real cheese over nacho cheese, the chili was good and the fries were well cooked. I chose Firestone Oatmeal Stout to chase it down with and was thoroughly impressed, although one was a full meal in itself. The wings, albeit too small to warrant another order, were very tasteful. The buffalo sauce was buttery and spicy, just the way I like it. When drinking a beer satisfies me as well as cools the capican from my lips and palate I call that killing two birds with one stone; and I'm all about efficiency.

By this time it was the middle of the second period. Caps up 1-0. Sweet. The owner of the bar walks up to our table with a portable speaker tuned to the Caps game. I am a huge advocate of hospitality in the food service industry, Gold Star number 2. Now the second most important decision of the night. What do we drink next?? Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA for my friend and a Great White for mysef. Great White was crisp and slightly citrusy. I chose a Dogfish Head as my next beer, and since we were playing quarter hockey I was forced to drink it way too fast. While I am a huge fan of this beer, it is meant to be sipped, not chugged, and after that I needed a quick break from drinking. The time it took to order another beer was enough of a break. I needed to cleanse my palate from the Dogfish Head though, so Modelo it was! Caps up 2-0. Sweeet.

Allow me to quickly explain the rules of quarter hockey. You put your beer on the table in front of you. One person spins the quarter and specifies a player at the table and their task is to knock the quarter into any player's beer at the table. If it hits, the shooter spins the quarter while the owner of the hit beer drinks. If you can somehow stop the quarter standing on it's edge the drinker's beer must be finished. I firmly believe that there is a "best way" to do everything. I was determined to find out how this very difficult feat could be accomplished. 3 minutes later I had it figured out and my quarter-edge-stopping-ratio was around 75%. I showed my friend this and he was elated as he plays the game much more than I do. Now it was time to put our new knowledge to good use. But before we did this...Caps win 3-0! Sweeeeeet. Gold Star number 3. My happiness over the Caps win turned into general happiness with my surroundings. You got lucky Grad. At this point we begin to get hungry again and, not wanting another order of wimpy chicken wings, turn to something more hearty: a 3/4 lb ultimate burger with bacon, bleu cheese, cheddar, and bleu cheese dressing. We split it down the middle and crush it in less than 5 minutes. While it is true at this point I was getting what is referred to as Drunk Munchies, I was still very coherent and can say that although this burger was no different from any other burger I'd had at a bar recently, it did the job and was cooked to the right temp in a very reasonable time frame.

I walk up to the bar and while I wait for the bartender to finish serving another customer I start spinning the quarter on the bar. 4 spins and I just can't do it! My friend walks up to the bar and we devise a plan to get free drinks. I call the bartender over and make a wager. "If I can stop this quarter on it's edge my friend and I get free Irish Car Bombs"..."No. Your friend has to do it too."..."Fine." I spin the quarter aaaand STOP. On it's edge. A smile comes over me. Bartender: You got lucky, now your friend goes. He spin's the quarter aaaand STOP. My smile turns into a shit eating grin as I ask the bartender if she would like an Irish Car Bomb as well. She obliges and we consume. Gold Star numbr 4. It is at this point that my friends girlfriend arrives and it is time to leave. Before we even get back to our seats our table has been cleared and wiped down. Gold Star number five. Congratulations Grad, you have become not only a restaurant but an experience.

As I rolled off the couch the morning after a very hazy St. Patty's Day the first thing that went through my mind was "What deliciously greasy food and I going to get in order to combat my imminent hangover?" Then I remembered the night before my friend had mentioned a restaurant called Crepeville located in Davis, CA. I immediately knew this is what I wanted. Unfortunately, time was not on my side. It was at most 45 degrees outside, the rain was drawing nigh, and I had to bike to the house we had partied at the night before in order to get the car so I could reach my final destination.

The ride was cold and dreary yet quite refreshing as I had arrived in CA from Miami, FL at 9 p.m. the night prior. My friend and I reached the car, locked the bikes up in the backyard to be retrieved later, and made our way to what I can only describe as breakfast heaven. When good eggs die, they are reincarnated and Crepeville is where they go to. The menu was daunting. With so many options, both savory and sweet, I knew I had an important decision to make. Existing menu item or personal creation? I grabbed a piece of paper and began writing all of the ingredients I would like in my crepe. Minutes later I had it figured out: The chicken pesto crepe. With a blueberry muffin.

This muffin, my friends, was unlike any other muffin I had ever eaten. Not only was it fresh out of the oven, it was also whole wheat. Being a fan of whole wheat over white any day the anticipation grew as I drew closer to my first bite. And then, elation. The outside was perfectly crispy while the inside was moist. The flavor was perfect. And then, to top off the morning, my order was carried to my table. Since I had ordered it to-go I knew that getting back to the apartment was of the greatest priority. Hopping curbs, dodging police officers, and causing a 10 ten car pile-up are a few of the things that did not happen on the ride home. It was uneventful, and this made my desire for my crepe grow.

We got home and then for the next ten minutes there was silence. The chicken was tender, the tomatos were flavorful, which is quite rare for tomatos these days. It could have used just a bit more pesto, but alas I was satisfied. The provolone melted in my mouth. And the home fried potatoes? Delicious as well. Seasoned simply with salt, pepper, and thyme. After finishing my crepe, I laid down on the couch, lethargic and blissful, and allowed my stomach to do all the rest.

Mancini's Las Olas Blvd - Terrible Brunch

I accompanied my friend and his grandmother to Mancinis for brunch on Sunday and had a terrible experience. The only good thing I have to say about this restaurant is the location is great, right on Las Olas Blvd, and the bread was good but not memorable. When we were seated we were the only people there, and while receiving prompt service, it was not quick enough for the fact that we were the only customers.

I ordered the eggs benedict. It came with brunch potatoes, proscuitto, and a tomato slice. When the waiter peppered my eggs he put way too much which practically ruined them from the beginning. The food tasted as if none of it had been seasoned with any salt whatsoever. To add to this the salt shakers on the tables poured salt like it was molasses. I had this experience with several shakers. The proscuitto was bland and one egg was overcooked while the other was undercooked.

While the food filled me up I derived no pleasure from eating it as I felt like I was eating cardboard due to the complete lack of flavor. To add insult to injury, the coffee tasted burnt. I would not recommend this restaurant to even an enemy.

Kilwins Las Olas Blvd - Delectable

Walking into this shop you are immediately inundated with the smell of delicious treats waiting for you to try them. This shop has any treat you can imagine, ranging from chocolate covered pretzels to ice cream. I bought one scoop of rocky road ice cream in a homemade waffle cone. The one scoop was so large I couldn't finish it, and the flavor was right on.

They were very accommodating and hospitable; offering samples of all the ice cream flavors as well as a freshly cooked waffle cone. I happen to be a huge fan of the "Choco Taco". When I asked if they could replicate this with their own they said it would be no problem. I will definitely return to this store in the future. It is more than just a confectioner's shop, it is an experience.