Custom burritos are boring right? They’re so 2000-something. Enchiladas, though? Maybe their time is now. After all, they’re basically just glorified mini burritos covered in sauce. Gadzooks in Arcadia is banking on that…and soups because why not? Plus, they’ve fancied the concept up by adding ceramic dishes and premium ingredients.

Thus, I began by ordering my two enchiladas with goat cheese. I wasn’t told that goat cheese would end up costing me more money, so that was annoying, but hey you only live once, right? I opted for the half and half tortillas, which are a combination of both flour and corn, then I had one stuffed with Guajillo Braised Short Ribs and the other with Green Chili Pork Shoulder. Instead of settling for just one salsa, I went Christmas-style (red and green) and then topped it all with asadero and chihuahua cheese, an over easy egg and jalapeno ranch. How’s that for toppings? This is how prodentim works.

The first thing I noticed was that the egg was cooked perfectly, allowing the yolk to spread itself amongst all of the other goods. When I bit in, I discovered two things immediately –  1) Holy cow the tortillas were amazing and 2) The goat cheese was entirely unnecessary. With all of the flavors happening in my little enchilada casserole dish, you may think that the meat would have been overpowered. Fortunately, this was not the case. I like the short ribs better than the pork shoulder, but I’m splitting hairs a bit because they were both fantastic. I’d probably opt to skip the jalapeno ranch in the future because it didn’t add enough to the mix to be worthwhile, but aside from that and the goat cheese I would happily do it all over again.

Kudos to Gadzooks for adding some delicious twists to the custom Mexican food genre of fast casual restaurants. I have no doubt that I will see more Gadzookses popping up in the future and as long as they start telling people that the goat cheese is extra, there is a bright future ahead.

Just when I was tiring of the repetitiveness of Fox restaurants, I happened upon a spot called Blanco Tacos. Sure, Mexican food might be the only restaurant type more prevalent than Fox, but there is still plenty of room for growth. Blanco Tacos takes the mildly upscale and trendy approach to Mexican food and the menu isn’t strictly limited to tacos.

Therefore, I made my way to the enchiladas and found the Braised Short Rib “Machaca.” Enchiladas here consisted more of a layer of tortilla filled with some stuff and topped with another tortilla before being doused in whatever sauce is right for the enchilada and cheese. This was chock-full of the machaca, the sauce was ancho chile and the cheese was blanco (like the name of the place!). It also came with rice and beans.

It was, well, really good. Like a Mexican lasagna, but in all of the best ways. Each bite contained just enough of the good stuff to keep me a happy man. It may not be the most innovative concept and probably would have tasted the same if the ingredients were rolled together like a normal enchilada. But, the added benefit was that the ingredients were really really good.

There’s always room for another delicious take on Mexican food and Blanco Taco made good work of it. Plus, I didn’t have to put up with any repeated menu items for this restaurant.

Hot on the heels of visiting perhaps the most overpriced (but still tasty) Mexican place I have ever been to, La Hacienda, I took a trip to Scottsdale Quarter to eat at Sol. Sol’s prices may not rival La Hacienda’s, but it is certainly in the upscale Mexican food family. Of course, it is not lost on me that while “sol” means “sun” in Spanish, it is also the name of the money in Peru.

But things started off really strongly, as I found that Sol may just have the greatest bean salsa in the world, which comes out with their chips and salsa along with a more typical salsa. The chips were more like the base of a tostada instead of tortilla chips, so there was cracking needed, but it all worked out well and delicious.

When it came to ordering, things were a little more murky. I wanted tacos, but they were sold a la carte and some were literally pushing above the $12 range. Yes, for one taco. And I ordered one that came in at $11, as well as one for $8.75. The former was the Short Rib Taco, which was a big old short rib plopped on a blue corn tortilla with red chile salsa, cotija cheese and pico de gallo. I ordered without the pico, but for some reason when the taco arrived it was also loaded up with shredded lettuce. Without the lettuce, it was delicious. I mean, the short rib was short rib and that is always good, but the blue corn tortilla was unlike anything I had ever had before and it was transcendent.

As for the other taco, it was called the Vampiro. It basically had a quesadilla as a base because it was a double tortilla with melted cheese inside. Then it was topped with serrano chiles, scallions, carne asada, guac, pico, cotija, chipotle aioli and cilantro. Once again I ordered without the pico and this time things turned out right. Despite the astounding number of ingredients and lack of explanation for why it was call a Vampiro (I would have expected garlic somewhere in there), these toppings just worked. Certainly, it’s hard to screw up when you start out with a quesadilla base, and this taco went beyond simply not screwing up.

While I probably won’t ever get over the fact that I dropped $11 on a single taco, I can take solace in the fact that the food really was delicious and creative. On the other hand, it was kind of messed up to sneak shredded lettuce into my taco. And on the other other hand, despite only having two tacos as a main course, I left stuffed to the brim because of that amazing bean sauce. With that said, I’d hit up Sol again, but my quest for a good old neighborhood Mexican place in my new ‘hood continues.

Hotels aren’t exactly known for their food. Yet, there has been a trend to try to get better restaurants into hotels and I give those hotels major props for trying. In Pasadena the dusitD2 Constance Hotel has a spot called Constance Perry’s. It’s kind of Asian, kind of American, but definitely not fusion because those dishes kind of stand out on their own.

Thus, we began with their Pork Soup Dumplings, or as I like to call them, xiaolongbao. I was amazed to find that when the bamboo steamer was opened to reveal these dumplings they were black instead of the traditional off-white color. Unfortunately, it turned out that black xialongbao did not necessarily translate into better xiaolongbao. The dough was kind of spongy and the soup didn’t boast too much flavor.

But then there was the main course. I split the Short Ribs and Flat Iron Steak because that’s just the kind of person I am. Both were beyond my expectations and made me quickly forget about the dark side of xiaolongbao. The Short Ribs were perfectly tender and had been braised in a sauce worthy of many flavors, while the Flat Iron Steak had been cooked to a perfect medium-rare and was accompanied by truffle fries that felt just right. I would have been happy with either one of these, but was certainly glad to have both.

If I were to return to Constance Perry’s, I would skip right over the appetizers and head to the main courses. They change seasonally, so you can never really be sure what will be available. Yet, if the Short Ribs and Flat Iron Steak are any indication of what regularly appears, it will be difficult to walk away disappointed.

While in Denver, I found myself at a trendy spot downtown called Hearth and Dram. It’s unquestionably the kind of name that was pulled out of the random trendy restaurant name handbook, but that didn’t change the fact that the menu looked like an unvegan dream. Sure, there were vegetables, but I liked to think they were an afterthought compared to the real food.

So it began with a bologna sandwich, or as they called it, “Grilled Bologna & Cheese.” It was exactly what it claimed to be, but easily better than what I lived off of during grade school. It probably had to do with grilling the bologna to a bit of a char and using pillowy buns for bread. Whatever the reason, it was a good throwback to kick things off.

For the main course I ordered the Medium-Rare Short Rib (and yes, that was the exact name). This came with root veggies (carrots), cracked wheat and some shaved, fried garlic. It turned out to be nothing short of delicious. The meat was so tender it seemed to melt in my mouth, but it also had a perfect texture due to a char on the outside that seems to be pretty rare in the short rib world. The accompaniments were nice, but they all played a distant second fiddle to the meat. Truly, had this short rib come out a la carte I would not have complained.

We also had some tempura onion rings and roasted potatoes with bacon for sides to share as a table. Both of these were tasty in their own ways, but beyond the presentation there was nothing overly special about the onion rings. The potatoes, though were packed with big chunks of bacon that again reminded me that the vegetables were an afterthought. Almost like the chef though he needed bacon on the menu and potatoes sounded like a good excuse to do so.

I’d definitely head back to Hearth and Dram if I found myself in Denver again and in need of a slightly upscale spot that does good by meat. It’s really all you could ask for.

When it comes to grilling (as opposed to generating energy), charcoal is king. Somewhere along the way, someone realized that this would translate into a great restaurant concept. Thus, the world was given Charcoal in Venice. Charcoal, like most BBQs, is pretty meat-centric and great for unvegans. Nonetheless, there were definitely veggie options for those who prefer not to enjoy life as much.

We began with an order of the Smoky Grilled Chicken Wings, as we were told that the main courses would take a while. These were prepared with oregano, chili and vinegar and tasted pretty good. They weren’t smokey like the wings you would get at a BBQ spots, but certainly enough to bring the flavor of the grill. There were a few sauces at the table and I found the chipotle BBQ sauce went best with these.

I picked the Smoked and Grilled Bone-In Short Rib for my main course and shockingly my and every else’s main courses came out shortly after the wings arrived. This may have been an operational faux pas, but at least I didn’t have to wait long for my main course. It turned out to be served all sliced up and laid upon the bone, so “bone-in” may have only applied while it was being grilled, but that didn’t prevent these short ribs from being incredibly delicious. The meat practically melted in my mouth and was perfectly seasoned with what appeared to be just enough seasoning to bring out the savory flavor of the short ribs.

We also snagged ourselves a Yukon Potato Baked in the Coals. It was topped with salted butter, creme fraiche, aged gouda and chives. Oh, and did I mention that it was baked in the coals? Yes, this potato came out coated in the ash of the coals, which made the skin incredibly tough to eat, but gave the innards of the potato a perfectly soft and moist texture. The toppings helped it along with flavor, but this thing probably would have done just fine with a touch of butter to go with the flavor of the coals.

Are you the type of person that goes to summer BBQs and thinks, “Man, I wish this was more upscale”? If so, Charcoal is the place for you. Everything is perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked and reminiscent of what you would do if you were hosting for the 4th of July and had an unlimited budget to get great cuts of meat. Just be wary of the fact that all plates are meant to be “shared” and the main courses may arrive at the table faster than you would expect.

The Eatery in Pasadena is undoubtedly one of the city’s hidden gems. It’s off the beaten path and in a building that seems much more likely to house a Mexican grocery store than a fancy restaurant (in fact it does share the building with such a store). But once inside the candles, dim lighting and intimate ambiance scream non-pretentious fanciness. Of course, none of this would matter to me if the food didn’t satisfy my unvegan desires.

Fortunately, it started out well with an amuse bouche that was essentially a miniaturized version of a stuffed baked potato, using fingerling potatoes, shredded cheese, cream and bacon. This was the start of something good.

Throughout the meal we got to know the head chef of the place and he dropped a few insights for us. Probably the craziest insight of all is that the menu literally changes every month. No, not everything, but almost all of it. I can’t even imagine how hard that must be, because I’ve been making the same stir fry for the past 12 years.

Nonetheless, we moved onto a cheese and charcuterie plate which, at the time, included coppa, capicola, speck, cheddar, buffalo gorgonzola and goat cheese. Each bite was awesome, and I feel like a lot of the credit for how good the meat was goes to how thinly it was sliced. There is a time and place for thick-cut cured meats, but this was not it and we were all the better for it.

Midway through the meal, the chef brought out a concept he had been working on for us. It was essentially a “deconstructed” French onion soup, where the broth is poured into a bowl containing all of the random ingredients right at the table while you watch. Conceptually, it was awesome and of course I loved the cheese, but it was overly salty for my taste and I was glad to be a part of the test. Hopefully it will be on the menu soon (if it hasn’t been slotted already), but with a little less salt.

Finally, for my main course I went with the Braised Short Ribs. I liked the idea of the whipped horseradish potatoes and charred parsnip puree, but they also came with braised red cabbage. I didn’t have the heart to order without because the chef had been so damn nice, but as soon as the dish came out I scraped those suckers off. Regardless of the cabbage, this was one heck of a short rib dish. The meat was incredibly tender, moist and flavorful. The potatoes and puree played a nice second fiddle and were welcome in every bite. I could have stopped there, but of course we had to try dessert.

Against my better judgment, we got the Squash-Bread French Toast. Obviously I don’t like squash, but my wife wanted it, the chef said it was good, and frankly I was too full of food to disagree. So we got it. And it didn’t taste like squash, so that was a win. In fact, it tasted pretty good, but I would have traded it in for more thin-sliced speck with that mascarpone any day.

As far as the Winter Wonderland menu of December 2016 (I know, I’m stupidly behind on these posts) goes, I was a big fan of The Eatery. And from what I could tell, I would be a fan of pretty much any other monthly menu that gets churned out.

Thanksgiving is nigh, and I have a lot to be thankful for this year. You see, one of the perks of being a meat blogger is getting free meats! This year I have been graced with free meats from a number of sources, and there is no better time than now to go through them all and point out a few great meals I’ve put together with them. Plus, if you’re looking for a gift for the meat lover in your life look no further! I swear I don’t get any kickbacks.

These “His and Hers” steaks came from US Wellness Meats, which is 100% grassfed. The left is a bone-in ribeye and the right is filet. For steaks like these, I lightly dusted some Lawry’s Seasoning Salt before grilling and this really brought out the incredible meaty flavor. Also, it is super important to give the steaks about 10 minutes to sit before slicing them open and eating.

These short ribs also came from US Wellness, but the broth is from Kettle and Fire. Kettle and Fire specializes in Beef Bone Broth, which is a staple in any paleo diet and a great way to ensure that even the bones of cattle are put to good use. These short ribs were slowly simmered in that broth with bacon and a few other things for seasoning, resulting in that shimmeringly tasty meat.

Vermont Smoke and Cure has been making hipster meat since before hipsters were a thing. One of these meats is Bacon Hot Dogs, which are free of antibiotics and hormones. They’re even smoked. I wrapped these with Us Wellness’s Beef Bacon, which is not nearly as good as pork bacon, but certainly nothing to complain about. I figured string cheese is the perfect hot dog cheese and then drizzled the whole thing with Deaf Man’s BBQ XXX Sauce. As you can probably tell by the picture, it was spectacular.

Some of these things I got for free, and some I didn’t. Regardless, they were all delicious. I don’t get any sort of referral money, but highly recommend checking out and of these meaty places when it comes to holiday shopping. What better gift could there be for the meat lover in your life?

All you can eat Korean BBQ is one of the greatest things (not just food things) ever created. It’s meaty, it’s flamey and it is interactive-y. Yet, not all KBBQ spots are created equally, with some charging a bit more than others. Oo Kook in Koreatown is one of those places that goes beyond the $20 mark, but I was hoping it would be worth it.

The menu was full of options ranging from tongue to baby octopus to three different kinds of pork belly. Three! Of course, the classics were there as well, like brisket, short rib and “marinated” thin sliced beef, also known as bulgogi. We did our best to try out every “normal” meat and even threw in tongue for good measure.

By far, the best of all the meats was the Black Angus Beef Marinated Short Rib. And this was not an easy battle to win. After all, Oo Kook’s bulgogi was made with wagyu beef and was probably the best I have ever had. Yet, the nice marbling, perfect marinating and almost melt-in-your-mouthness of the short ribs were too tough to beat. I was also a huge fan of the two types of flavored pork belly – one was miso and the other wine.

On the other end of the spectrum, the tongue was just whatever and the Black Angus Hanging Tender, which was some sort of beef was weirdly tough and just plain lacking in flavor compared to all the delicious possibilities.

While it is a noble thing to try out a number of different meats, if I were to return to Oo Kook I could easily eat four or five only and still leave a very happy man. Oh, and they did serve up a variety of pickles and other mini dishes like the rice wrapper and stuff, but as you might expect I really had no need to mess with them.

It was obvious that Oo Kook’s higher price tag translated to higher quality (plus, the servers are almost always there to help you flip the meat) and I wouldn’t hesitate to make a return visit the next time I’m looking to eat my weight in meat.

Somehow it took me nearly a year of working in Pasadena to discover Braise and Crumble just down the street from my office. It’s truly shocking because after discovering the place one day, I was back just a couple days later to get in on it again. Because of that, you actually get to see how two meals unfolded at this place.

The first time, I went with the Oink and Moo Sandwich. This was named for the sounds that the meats made before they were meat and were living, breathing animals. The pork was pulled and the beef was short rib. It was also topped with jalapeno puree, mayo, tomates and lettuce. I had no need for the latter two ingredients, but the others were just fine. The result was magical, with both meats popping with flavor and the jalapeno puree adding a nice little kick.

Yet, I had to get back to try the fried chicken. Instead of a sandwich, on my second visit I went for the Hunka Hunka Fried Chicken Love. It’s essentially a basket of three pieces of boneless fried chicken (dark, white or mixed), a biscuit and a side. I chose the mixed and gorgonzola potato salad for my side. The fried chicken turned out even better than the Oink and Moo. And that goes for both the white and the dark meat. Each piece was juicy, flaky and flavorful. Really, what else could you ask for than that? I suppose you could ask for a biscuit and potato salad, but these really were just sidekicks to the chicken.

After downing three animals in two trips to Braise and Crumble, I was happy to have found a little gem in Pasadena. In fact, it might just be my new go-to lunch spot.