Saturday, November 20, 2010

McDonald's McRib


You'd have to be housed on the International Space Station to not know the McRib is back. The word seems to spread quickly among those that patiently await these announcements and sightings throughout the year and country. If you don't think the McRib is serious business, checkout this link http://www.kleincast.com/maps/mcrib.php. This will show you all of the locations across North America that currently offer the McRib sandwich and is updated constantly by McRibphiles from all over.

If you remember when the Chilean miners got trapped in that mine back in July, they originally said they wouldn't be able to get them out until Christmas. What most people don't know is when they began communicating with them through that small hole they dug, the miners told them you have to get us out before December. The McRib is coming back! I was watching the news yesterday and they showed all the miners attending an event in New York City. Do you really think it is a coincidence that they are here in our country at the same time the McRib is in market? I don't think so.

When it comes to the McRib, there are three kinds of people. Those that love it, those that hate it and those that have never tried it. I actually spoke to my buddy Jeff last night over dinner and he told me he had never tried one before. I told him he had to get one today! Hopefully he has heeded my advice and is now one of the lovers of the best tasting pieces of gelatinous, fatty, pressed, pork products in the world. As you can tell, I am fit into the category of those that love the McRib. Over the years I have developed to the point where I cannot eat most of the food at McDonald's without it upsetting my stomach. The only thing I can eat is what I like to call the Poor Man's Surf-N-Turf, which is a double cheese burger and a filet of fish. The McRib is the other thing I can eat and do so whenever it appears. In fact, I am five deep on the McRib sandwich for this year's appearance. Something I am not overly proud of, but it is what it is.

For me the attraction of the McRib is two-fold. First, this sandwich comes on what has to be the softest bun served in any quick service restaurant and the marriage of the tangy sauce, pickles and onions just works incredibly well. Yes, I said pickles. Most know I have this thing about pickles, but I can eat them on the McRib. (You can look back through this blog and find "The Pickle Story" for the inside scoop.) The second thing I like about the McRib is the genius in which McDonald's uses the sandwich. They built a cult following for this sandwich and use it strategically to boost profits at various times. They don't leave it in the market for too long allowing those to get tired of it, but bring it back in a mysterious way to create demand. I really thought KFC was going to use the Double Down in this manner, but it has remained on their menu and you don't even hear people talking about it anymore.

My guess is the McRib will only be around for a couple of more weeks, so you need to get out there and get all you can, while you can. If you have never tried one, go find out what all the hype is about. Everyone that loves the McRib knows they are not good for us, but it won't kill you to try it. The only problem is that you might like it and then you have another thing to worry about and that is when the McRib might be back next.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Mama Mia's Pizzeria


Mama Mia's Pizzeria
1345 W. Granada Blvd.
Ormond Beach, FL 32174
(386)673-4663

If you like authentic New York style pizza, your search is over in the Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach area. I was craving a good pizza the other day and tried to call Joe's New York style pizza in Ormond Beach. The operator kindly told me the number was no longer in service. This was hard for me to believe since they really made a good pie. My taste buds were looking forward to something different and didn't want to settle for one of the chain pizza joints. I remembered my buddy Bob telling me about a place called Luigi's in Ormond Beach that had opened not long ago and decided to ride up there to order my pie. Nothing could have prepared me for what I found.

When I got to the Luigi's location, I found that it too had closed and was now named Mama Mia's Pizzeria. This location previously housed the Krispy Kreme location in Ormond Beach. Since I wanted a pizza this turned out to be a perfect opportunity to try a new location. Upon entering the first thing that struck me was the decor. They have done a really nice job of giving the place an authentic pizzeria feel. There are a number of tables with plenty of seating and an open kitchen where you can watch them make your pie. My order was a large pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and extra cheese. As I stood at the counter waiting for the server to grab me a beer I ordered, someone said hello to me from the kitchen. It was the same guy that used to make the pies at Joe's New York Pizza. I asked him what happened down at Joe's and he told me he really didn't know. They came into work one day and the place was closed. I told him that was too bad as I felt they made the best pizza around.

The restaurant was not really busy that night, but there were a few tables that were taken. I perused the menu while waiting for my pizza and noticed they serve just about everything you would expect to find in a pizzeria. Pasta dishes, sandwiches, calzones and what has to be one of the biggest strombolis I have ever seen in my life. A table for two ordered one near me and they seemed quite surprised when the server brought it to the table. This thing was the size of a small pillow. It was baked to a delicious looking golden brown and was clearly filled with mounds of goodness.

My pizza was boxed up and brought out to me and I got a surprise of my own. When the large was ordered, I hadn't really looked at the size. It turns out it was much bigger than I needed for my small family. After arriving home we dug into the pizza right away and it was incredible. The crust was baked perfectly, the sauce had a wonderful flavor and the toppings were all deliciously fresh. It is also clear Mama Mia's uses a good quality mozzarella cheese on their pizzas. It had a wonderful consistency and great flavor. The three of us were only able to eat half of the pizza. Good thing pizza is one of those foods that also tastes great the second time around.

My hopes are that Mama Mia's can make things work for them at this location as I plan on this being my go-to spot for pizza from now on. Of course there is also a plan to get in there one night to see what that stromboli is all about. For my first visit to Mama Mia's, I have to give them four Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Lumpy's - Downtown


Lumpy's Downtown
145 Pierpont Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801)938-3070
www.lumpysdowntown.com

On our last day in Salt Lake City, a Sunday no less, we found ourselves standing outside a bar at 10:00AM waiting for the doors to open so we could watch some NFL football before heading to the airport. I knew Lumpy's had food, but was quite surprised when we sat down at the bar and the bartender asked if we were going to eat breakfast. This really excited me as breakfast is really my most favorite meal of the day. She gave us menus to review along with some really large mugs of beer, which would have been huge to me even if it was at 10:00PM.

We start to peruse the menu and I see a couple of things that pique my interest. First, they have an Eggs Benedict, which happens to be my all-time favorite breakfast offering. However, given that we are in a pub type atmosphere, I figure this is probably not the place for me to go that route. I have had my share of bad Hollandaise sauce. The next thing I notice is the Bubba's Benedict menu item. Bubba's Benedict consists of a biscuit split open and topped with two sausage patties, scrambled eggs, cheese and smothered in sausage gravy. I want to order this so bad, but feel it is not going to be a good accompaniment with the breakfast beverage I have chosen. In the end, I decide to play it safe and go with the three egg omelet stuffed with chirizo sausage, onions and peppers, cheese and potatoes with wheat toast. James played it safe and just got a two-egg breakfast with bacon and toast.

As we waited for our food we began to notice the place filling up quick as it got closer to kick-off. Both of us were amazed at the variety of teams being represented out there in Salt Lake. We probably saw jerseys for close to half of the league. Our food showed up pretty quickly and we started to dig in. My omelet was stuffed with sausage, potatoes, peppers and onions. The only issue I did have with it was how thin the egg was surrounding the stuffing. This is indicative of an omelet being made on a griddle versus in a pan. It is my belief that omelets should be fluffy, not thin.

We finished our breakfast and watched my Vikings stink up the place until I couldn't watch anymore. Plus, it was time to head out to the airport for our flights home. If I find myself back in Salt Lake City, I would return to Lumpy's as it is a great place to watch a game and I would try the Bubba's Benedict. For this visit, I have to give Lumpy's three Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry