Friday, September 7, 2012

Joey K's Restaurant& Bar


New Orleans, Louisiana

I had a couple of friends come in town for some cajun/creole cuisine the other day. I remember spotting this place on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives so I figured that it had to be pretty good. Little did I know that my hopes were about to be dashed.

We ordered a few things: the Oyster Platter, Red Beans and Rice, and the Trout Tchoupitoulas.

The Oyster Platter consisted of a bunch of deliciously fried oysters and a side of fries. Probably the one highlight of our meal. The Red Beans and Rice wasn't so spectacular. They were quite stingy on the rice and it was a little too thick for my liking. Flavor was decent though. It's pretty hard to mess up either dish.



The one specialty item on the menu that I decided to go for was the Trout Tchoupitoulas. It comes lightly floured and pan fried, then topped with shrimp and crab meat. On the side were mixed vegetables and potatoes. It also comes with a side of salad, but I didn't bother to take a picture, because it clearly came out of a pre-made salad bag.

When the plate got placed in front of me I immediately knew I probably wasn't going to enjoy it, especially not for the amount of money it was worth. The trout was definitely over cooked. It came out very dry and the seasoning was very very conservative at best. Hardly flavorful at all. The toppings on it weren't very appetizing either. The shrimp was very bland and whatever alcohol they tried cooking into the crab meat stuck out like a sore thumb. It almost tasted like a sour beer. The potatoes were pretty plain and the mixed vegetables dwarfed the portion size of the fish. The garnish of scallions on our dishes looked relatively old as well.



Joey K's also added gratuity to our table. I am perfectly fine with adding gratuity to my bill as long as the service can back it up... which it most certainly did not. Our waiter may have visited us twice during our two hour stay (most of the time we spent waiting for our food). It got to the point where we were sipping on our melted ice. I was utterly disappointed with the quality of service and their specialty item, however they can fry a mean oyster.

To be honest, I felt pretty embarrassed on bringing my friends here. And how this place got mentioned on the food channel is beyond me. It will take a ridiculous amount of consideration to give this place another shot.

Joey K's Restaurant & Bar - 3001 Magazine Street, New Orleans, Louisiana
http://www.joeyksrestaurant.com/

Joey K's Restaurant & Bar on Urbanspoon

Pat's King of Steaks





Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Well, I had an early morning flight off to Philly after seeing the one and only parade on my Mardi Gras agenda. Needless to say, I was quite hungover. So, what better way to cure it by filling my stomach with a Philly Cheesesteak! Oddly enough, I just to happened to go to another site that was featured in Food Wars and Food Feuds. The episode of Food Wars that took place in Philadelphia was for the best Philly Cheesesteak. The contestants were Pat's King of Steaks and Tony Luke's. In Food Feuds, it was Pat's vs Geno's, a rival that sits just across the street. This time, I picked the winner of BOTH shows. Pat's has been around since 1930 and is considered as the co-founders of the cheesesteak. You step up to the window and ask for a cheesesteak "wit", meaning you want onions on it. They operate at a super fast pace. So fast that my cheesesteak came out literally in seconds. I ordered the pepper cheesesteak "wit" with an order of fries.(which you order separately a window down)

The difference with this place compared to many other cheesesteaks is the cheese. If you don't specify what type of cheese you want on your sandwich, they automatically load it up with cheese whiz. You can ask for provolone or American too. They use thinly sliced rib eye for their meat and place it on Italian bread, which tends to be a little bit chewier than what I'm used to in the South. (French bread) This cheesesteak was delicious. This place is the definition of "simpler is better". Very tender chopped up rib eye with some grilled onion and cheese whiz, can you really go wrong with that?












Pat's King of Steaks - 1237 East Passyunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
http://www.patskingofsteaks.com/

Pat's King of Steaks on Urbanspoon



Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Crabby Jack's



New Orleans, Louisiana

You're in New Orleans for some Cajun/Creole influenced food, sure you are. But, it's not the etouffee or gumbo that reigns supreme. In this city, it's all about the Po'boy, and the Po'boy will always be king. I haven't tried every place that sells them... yet... but I can tell you that this place is DEFINITELY worth stopping by.

Crabby Jack's doesn't sell just Po'boys, they range from seafood specials such as blackened fish with hollandaise, fried green tomato salad, fried chicken and sides that cover all bases (jambalaya, mac & cheese, potato salad and slaw). I haven't explored much into their full menu, but I would assume it's good. After all, they do belong to the same owner that owns the famous restaurant, Jacques-Imo's on Oak Street.

I ordered both the Calamari and Cochon de Lait Po'boys. And you can order them to be fully dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickle and mayo.

So, for the calamari, it was fried really well. Definitely not over cooked because they can end up hard as rocks if they're fried for too long. I can't say much other than that it was really fresh, and delicious. I added some Crystal hot sauce on it for an additional kick. (As listed on their menu, these things really are overstuffed)

















The cochon de lait on the other hand, needed nothing. It had a good amount of spice to it which was pleasant. The sauce was delicious and the meat was so tender that you have no problem shredding through it with your teeth. This does get a little sloppy but, who cares when you're dealing with something that tastes THIS good.




The bread that they use is also a very good find. The crust is firm enough to not fall apart and the inside is so soft that it could be mistaken for a pillow. I absolutely love this place. The atmosphere, the food, and the people that take your order shows what New Orleans is all about. Making new friends and eating delicious food!

*Note*
Their hours are limited from a lunch time to an early dinner.

Crabby Jack's - 428 Jefferson Highway, New Orleans, Louisiana
http://crabbyjacksnola.com/

Crabby Jack's on Urbanspoon