7/15/2010

5/5 stars

A+++ GRAET SELLER AS ADVERTISED WILL DO BUSINESS AGAN.

(So Yelp will auto-lowercase but not accept angle brackets? sigh.)

Yelp tags: Local Flavor

From a message sent around where I work:

The three-time Hugo award SF writer Vernor Vinge just gave an intriguing talk at AAAI-2010. He believes that by 2030 human history likely will reach a singularity in which four computing technologies […] will create intelligent agencies that will surpass humans in every conceivable creative task. What fun!

Regardless of whether such a technological singularity may come to pass, my gut disagrees with the gushing interpretation.

It's conceivable
creative tasks go cross-eyed
when the spring leaf falls.

7/24/2010

3/5 stars

The tacos and burritos are pretty good. Not amazing, but good and plentiful for the price. The meat's typical. It's across the street from Taco Bell, and that will make *anything* fantastic by comparison (well, almost anything). And bear in mind that I'm comparing Taco Pete with places at least six hours away.

Cilantro, thankfully, is optional. Taco Pete's advertises itself as LA-style, and that kept me from visiting them… I hate cilantro, and it's a "required" ingredient on that coast. And the combo burritos offer beans rather than rice (no, seriously, people *like* rice in burritos?)… or potatoes? That's a new one for me. I probably should have tried it, but I just wanted a burrito fix.

Come fall and more enjoyable temperatures, the rating may go up… The heat makes conversation with the folks there a little difficult.

Yelp tags: Mexican

5/10/2011

4/5 stars

I'm still a fan, but… um. The gluten-free burger's bun seems to have deteriorated in quality. Now it's the kind that crumbles as soon as you look at it. There's been this trend kinda downward. It's not just the shine wearing off. They still serve good meat and follow overall good practices, but the quality seems to be dimming. We've never had a problem with service, and the folks who work there always have been great. Tonight they had a problem with their 420, so they bumped me up to a Left Hand Milk Stout without missing a beat.

But their idea of a shrimp po'boy? It missed on the key, most unifying ingredient: the bread. Yes, it's H&F, but that doesn't mean it's the right bread. No crunch. And I'm a glutenoid, so gimme my damn crunch when I can get it. That crunch is what makes it a po'boy. Sesame seeds? Um. Also, make sure you spice up the shrimp enough, get those sweet succulent Gulf sea-bugs, and provide appropriate hot sauce. The closest I could find were something from Texas and some Jim Beam thingy. I know most folks don't even realize the Mississippi crosses more than one state, but at least pay attention to its outlet before it's washed out to sea a second time.

So we're still fans, but not exactly loyal fans. The GF aspect and the wonderful rice flour coating on their onion rings will have us returning, but they need to step their game back up for their prices. Perhaps fewer on-line deals and more attention to detail? I don't know. Yeah Burger seems like it's losing its momentum.

7/29/2010

0/5 stars

Another gluten-free bonus-giver… I really *like* the GF onion rings. The little bit of rice flavor in the batter is a neat change.

My burger was actually quite juicy and good. It was just to medium. It's a shame they don't let it stay a bit more red. It's grass-fed beef, and we're in a good time of year for it. We'll see how it is in the winter… That's when we might see a difference between purely grass-fed and grain-finished. The tomatoes are in season, too, so that's a nice flavor bump. The grilled Vidalia onion was perfect. The Yeah! sauce was a bit more of am Um? sauce, alas. Sounded like the garlic aioli was more flavorful.

And soft-serve Strauss family ice cream… That's the Yeah! part. Soft-serve with weight. It's not just air.

There seems to be about a dollar premium on the draft beers. Odd.

All the containers are biodegradable, much of the produce is organic, and appropriate bits are locally sourced. A bit more of a bonus. You pay for it, but that's just how it is right now. (Ok, the Strauss creamery milk is from the other coast, but their dairies generate more power than they use. I won't mention how…)

Yelp tags: Burgers