Phil's BBQ

Brief post since my head is all fuzzy from studying. Went to the new Phil's BBQ location on Sports Arena just to see if the food had changed since my last visit a year ago at the original Mission Hills location.

I'm sad to say that the ribs from the new Phil's does not measure up to the original. Not even close. Preparation lacks care and professionalism. Though the sauce is still wonderful, it cannot make up for dinky sized CHARRED ribs with less meat than the original version. I had more than one rib that was completely charred and inedible. My two friends also had similar problems with their orders. Seems like mass producing ribs for the line that circles around the building has significantly brought down the quality (and size) of Phil's BBQ ribs. I won't be coming back.

If you still decide to go, don't forget to order the onion rings. They are fantastic. Also, you can skip the side orders. They are pretty standard and not worth mentioning. Baked beans were okay, though. Skip the BBQ chicken. It's just chicken brushed with BBQ sauce. You can make it at home.

Wow I sound pretty grumpy and disorganized in this post...my apologies. But seriously though, Phil's has gone downhill. Way way downhill.



Phil's BBQ
3750 Sports Arena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
619.226.6333

Agora Churrascaria

I'm starting to think I should buy myself a small point-and-shoot to carry around. Why? 'Cuz. A lot of my food adventures are spur-of-the-moment while I'm driving, shopping, or visiting friends. I've failed to document a buttload of great eats!

Example 1: Agora Churrascaria in Irvine.
The family and I were only supposed to compare prices/window shop at South Coast Plaza for a bit before heading home for lunch, but we ended up having Brazilian BBQ instead.


WARNING! Pictureless post ahead. I'll try to scan some pictures off their brochure next week since I left it in LA.

Agora's salad bar covers more than just basic salads. The list is extensive and can be viewed on their website. I didn't bother with the vegetables since all that fiber would just take up precious space I reserved for wholesome and nutritious beef. I did, however, pick up quite a few of the meat/dairy items such as gravlax, tomatoes+fresh mozzarella, the cold cuts, and cheeses. They were all good enough to be eaten as my lunch. I wasn't too enthused about the tomato/mozzarella since nothing will ever beat the bufala mozzarella I had at Antonello, but it was good nonetheless.

Plenty of hot dishes are also available to distract patrons from the skewers of seared beef being paraded around the room. Again, the list is quite large and you can see them on Agora's website. These were really uneventful and I have to say...I've made better stroganoff and mashed potatoes. Clams were so-so. The black bean stew bland and unremarkable. But seriously, who the hell cares? People are here for grilled meat!

There are a total of 11 types of meat offered at Agora. For lunch, however, the list is significantly truncated but still hits some awesome cuts: top sirloin, filet mignon, sausage, coracao (chicken heart), beef skirt steak, pork tenderloin w/ Parmesan, chicken, and some other(s) that I've forgotten. Hey. YOU try remembering everything when being assaulted with skewers and skewers of the juiciest, tenderest, sweetest meats you've ever had.

Chicken, sausage, and pork tenderloin were very good, but the beef was GREAT. I still cannot wrap my head around how Agora grills their beef. How is it possible to perfectly sear hunks of meat so that the interior is a uniform perfect medium rare? I kid you not, the actual thickness of the seared surface was no thicker than 3mm. No real seasoning other than salt was necessary. These cuts of beef were so full of that beefy "sweetness" that I think they could give good steakhouses a run for their money. Honestly, I don't know how to describe the sensation of chewing on a perfect bite of beef, so I'll just say that I had a mouthgasm with each bite.

Here's a preview of what I'm raving about:

This picture doesn't even do the meats justice. They look far moister and pinker in person.

With lunch only $23, this place is totally a steal of a meal considering the amount of quality meats available for you to gorge on. I love a nice juicy steak just like any other dude and I'm willing to blow some cash at Porterhouse Bistro, Donovans, Ruth's Chris, or my SD favorite The Butcher Shop, but you know what? I'll happily settle with lunch at Agora. To hell with those steakhouses! It's always awkward and rude when I have to loosen my belt in those formal/stuffy restaurants anyway. Believe me guys, you're gonna want to wear some oversized jeans to allow for major stomach expansion after lunch here.

Oh yeah. Don't forget to order flan for dessert. It comes out as a huge mound enough for four people to share! Totally hits the spot.



Agora Churrascaria
1830 Main St.
Irvine, CA 92614
949.222.9910

Las Vegas - Ellis Island BBQ & Nora's Cuisine + ew a buffet

Wow I totally forgot to make this post last year. Long story short: Vegas trip(#1 of 2) with high school pals at the end of summer and I was responsible for choosing where to eat! There was no way in hell I'd fall into some of the tourist traps on the strip...plus we didn't exactly have that much cash to blow at places like ::drool:: Bouchon, so I had to do some research. So much pressure...but I think I did a pretty good job.

On a second trip to Vegas that same week with another group of friends, I didn't have the power to sway the group to eat at good restaurants. I don't mean to bad-mouth, but this particular group can't tell good food from crap. I'm not going to go into details, because it doesn't really matter + who the hell cares anyway? Alright so we ate at the Planet Hollywood Casino's buffet, which somehow won "Best Buffet in Las Vegas" last year. The place blew chunks. That award should have gone to someone else.

Now on to food that actually tastes good:

Dinner #1: Nora's Cuisine
I forgot where I read about or saw Nora's Cuisine. Supposedly, it's one of the many well kept secrets of Las Vegas. (To tourists anyway.) Nora's serves up some damned good authentic Italian food. Of a party of four, I was the only one who didn't order a pasta dish. Why the hell was I counting carbs on a trip... Anyway, my pals ordered a seafood linguine (Frutti di Mare), Baked Zitti, and _________. Damnit, I forgot what Flynn ordered. I went with one of Nora's Dinner Favorites--Pork Tenderloin alla Siciliana. I also split a pizza (Rustica)

I made a reservation for an early dinner (to beat the crowds!) but my blood glucose levels were dangerously low when it was time to head out the hotel...so I forgot to bring my camera.

Pork Tenderloin alla Siciliana

Breaded and roasted, accompanied by roasted baby red potatoes, breaded and roasted tomatoes served with arugula in a lemon vinaigrette.

My pork tenderloin was only so-so. I really wanted to like it, but just couldn't. How could I? The meat was overcooked, something I predicted the moment I cut my first bite. The giveaway was the hard, chunky breading on the bottom of the tenderloin. Someone must have forgotten that my order was cooking on the pan...son of a b*tch.... I suppose the generous serving of pork is enough to redeem a few points,though. On the other hand, the rest of the items on my plate were top-notch. I especially enjoyed the beautifully roasted potatoes. The last time I've had such great 'taters was at Pascal Epicerie.

Baked Ziti (Pasta a Forno)

Meat sauce, ziti, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.

As the name suggests, this is pretty much a casserole. ("A Forno" means "from the oven"). Out of all items we ordered, this was my favorite. It's not hard to see why. The pasta was a perfect al dente with a nice crust of cheese on top. Each bite was filled with gooey cheesy goodness complemented by the slightly acidic meat sauce. Nora's did not skimp on the cheeses at all. I swear it was like eating Mac'n'Cheese. Lactose intolerant folks probably should avoid this pasta dish. Cheese lovers like me, on the other hand, will definitely enjoy this.

Pizza Rustica (12")

Pizza sauce, fresh fried tomato, garlic, basil, olive oil, and romano.

The Rustica was okay. Nothing special. I think for this particular type of pizza, the sauce makes or breaks it. In this case, the sauce was just average. There's nothing really note-worthy to talk about. In retrospect, I should have gone with my original choice: Pizza al Prosciutto. The prosciutto would have made it a more interesting pizza.

Frutti di Mare
A perfect blend of clams, Shrimp, Mussels, and Calamari in an exquisite red sauce over linguine.

The red sauce in this case, was damned good. Much richer than the one found on the pizza. I only took a bite from Kyle's plate and almost wished I had ordered this pasta instead of my tenderloin. If red seafood pasta is your thing, give this a shot. You won't be disappointed.

The Nora
Baby mixed greens with roasted bell peppers in a balsamic vinaigrette.

Kyle ordered this as his appetizer and couldn't finish (I think?) It's a pretty large salad, but Kyle only had a few bites before passing it over to me. I liked this salad very much. The vinaigrette wasn't too acidic for my tastes and the roasted bell peppers were great! Maybe Kyle enjoyed his salad so much that he felt a need to share with me? Probably! Keegan and I finished off the plate in a matter of minutes. Such a simple salad, but the bell peppers and vinaigrette really stand out.


All in all, a good restaurant off the strip. There's also another kick-ass Italian restaurant just south of Vegas where Kyle's family treated me out way back in high school. I'll have to get details on the place and make a comparison.



Dinner #2: Ellis Island's BBQ and brewery


Ellis Island is a small casino about a 14 minute walk off the strip. Pal's complained about the walk, but I guess that's what happens when you go to UCI and don't have to make those 13 minute cross-campus trips just to get to class like we do at UCSD (Go TRITONS!). There are two dining locations on the ground floor, so it's really easy to get confused and wait in the wrong line. And believe me, there WILL be a line. If you turn right immediately upon entering the casino, you'll find yourself at the Brewery (and BBQ) Patio. Prices are hella cheap, as you can see from their website menu. The patio is open only from 4pm-10pm, by the way.

Full rack of ribs:

Let me just say that these are better than Burrell's (on my visit, anyway), Claim Jumper, and Lucielle's but at half the price! WHAT A BARGAIN. Ellis Island's dark lager is also steal at $2. You can see how much beer you get by looking at the corner of the picture above. I didn't care for the sides even though the baked beans were pretty decent. The ribs totally stole the show. Meat fell of the bone with only some gentle encouragement, and the sweet, smoky BBQ sauce was just great! This is enough to last two meals, unless your name is Cpt. Jack.



Nora's Cuisine
6020 W. Flamingo Rd. #10
Las Vegas, NV 89103
702.873.8990


Ellis Island Casino and Brewery
4178 Koval Lane
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702.733.8901

Burrell's BBQ Pit

After reading about Burrell's BBQ Pit at Elmo's Monster Munching, I decided to make a big detour on my way home from San Diego. The joint is a small shack in a residential neighborhood and has a dining area out in the back. Inside, there is a wall adorned with numerous newspaper and magazine clippings all praising Burrell for the great BBQ he churns out. Hmm...we'll be the judge of that!

I made my stop at around 1:30pm on Saturday. Kinda late, I know. Traffic was god awful on the 5 and I was really worried about getting served dried up leftovers from the lunch rush. Burrell's lunch plates are moderately priced, ranging from $8-10. With the lunch plates you get meat (ribs, chicken, sausage, tri-tip, etc), one side dish of your choice, and one cube of cornbread. Dinner is two to three bucks more and you get an additional side. I bought three lunch plates:


Beef Ribs with Potato Salad:
I was really disappointed with the beef ribs. The meat was a bit too dry and tough. Furthermore, it lacked flavor. No offense, but I've made better ribs at home...I hope these ribs were just a fluke. On the other hand, the cornbread and potato salad were awesome.


Pork Ribs with Baked Beans:
These were much better than the beef ribs, although I do wish the meat was more tender. I guess they just sat under the heat lamp for too long--my fault for coming late. The pork had some good meaty flavor, but some more BBQ sauce would have been nice (to make up for the dryness). Baked beans were very enjoyable, striking a perfect balance between savory and sweet. I've had baked beans at quite a few BBQ joints and I have to say, Burrell's is totally kickass.


Baby-back Ribs with Candied Yams:
These ribs were just fantastic. The meat was tender, flavorful, and fell right off the bone. I don't understand how there can be such a discrepancy between the baby-back ribs and the others. I really don't. My only beef is that the ribs were sitting in a really watery sauce. Monster Munching's Elmo raised a similar complaint. It could have been condensation, though. After all, I did not open the take-out boxes until I arrived home half an hour later. Regardless, the ribs were pretty damn good, though I've had better at Phil's BBQ in San Diego.

Oh yeah. The yams were good too.


To be honest, I don't share the same enthusiasm for Burrells' BBQ Pit as all those journalists who wrote the articles posted on Burrell's wall. The ribs weren't awful, but they weren't great either. I've had better ribs at Chile's, Claim Jumper, Lucille's, Phil's, and a ton of other places I don't remember. Sure the prices are great at Burrell's, but they are the same (roughly) as Phil's. And Phil totally kicks Burrell's ass. While it was fun exploring Santa Ana, (I got lost finding Burrell's...) but I won't be making a second trip.


**EDIT 4/6/08: Guess I'll give this place another shot. I dig Charlie's tastes, so I'm going to trust him on his comment below.



Burrell's BBQ Pit
(714) 547-7441
305 N Hesperian St
Santa Ana, CA 92703