Fat Kid Reviews: Piper Down Irish Pub

I go here a lot. It's one of those places that always feels like it's somebody's favorite bar. The decor embraces this eclectic patchwork of Irish and the aged structure of the building itself into a strange but strangely fun atmosphere. The service is consistent and nice.

But honestly I really don't care as much about all that. Because I go here for the food.

It's an odd menu. American food modified to be more... Irish. A burger with Corned Beef on top, "Irish Corndogs" (fresh dipped bratwurst corndog with a Guiness and mustard sauce for dipping.),"Irish Nachos" (Fresh Potato chips with cheese, pico, guacomole, and small diced corned beef), and other dishes of a similar bent. There's also a good selection of classic British Isles food, the best of those being the Bangers and Mash, and the Scot Eggs.

Now, this is a place that I just keep coming back to. Their Irish Nachos may be one of my favorite things to cram into my facehole. It's high quality, just odd enough to make you want to try one more, and be sad when you eat the very last one.

They use a very delicious corned beef that is perfectly tender and has a nice flavor to it. On a burger? It's just delightful. On it's own? Just as good. Even as I write this I can feel my mouth watering. And their brown gravy is just a work of art. Mmm... just mmm. That's my review of the food. The kind of delicious stick to your ribs stuff that you want to eat after a rough week.

They also have a rather nice selection of vegetarian and gluten free options (little shaky on my memory of the gluten so that might be a lie) that I have not personally tried but given their work with the things I have consumed I'd be surprised if their veggie stuff was not as good as everything else.

Their selection of drinks is quite nice. It's a full bar and they have some really tasty cocktails. I've only tried a handful but they've all be quite good. I'm really quite partial to the Duckfart.

But regardless of what you drink I can't say enough good about this place and it's incredible food. Give it a try.

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See you in the Chow line,
-The Fat Kid

Fat Kid Reviews: El Paisa

This is one of those places that I've been meaning to write about for ages. But I haven't mostly because it's one of my favorite places to go, and well, on my proper favorites I don't always fully trust my judgement.

However! For the benefit of my readers, I shall attempt to temper my deep love of this place to let you know if it's worth your time. (It totally is.)

Off of the 201 State highway next to a tiny bakery and up from "The Great Sandwich Chinese Food" is a well decorated and lively Mexican Restaurant. If you come during the evening you'll likely see the tiny parking lot full and either Latin Karaoke or a live band playing. The atmosphere is always lively and fun, and though the service can be inconsistent at times it's never enough to spoil the experience.

But what this is really about is the food.

The food is just glorious. Authentic and the kind of yummy that makes you want to keep coming back for more. I have tried much of the menu and can bare minimum say that everything is worth a try. Their rice and beans are consistently fantastic and their house made corn tortillas (when you can get them) are just glorious.

My favorites on their menu are the Queso dip with Chorizo (which is extra but totally worth it), the Taquitos (which are far and away my favorite thing to cram into my face hole), the Chili Verde, the Enchiladas, and the just fantastic Tortilla Soup. (My mouth waters and the thought of those... Just so good.)

They also do a Weekday Lunch Taco bar that is well worth the time. Generally between six and ten different meats with a nice little bar with creme, various salsas, and veggies to top off, it's about nine dollars but well worth the time. I've had a number of gluttonous episodes at the taco bar... Just delicious stuff.

I'm not overly a fan of the hot stuff but I can take my spice and all the various sauces they make have not only heat but a great depth of flavor.

The last thing I feel the need to mention is their bar. I haven't tried much there, but I have tried a drink that is a little bizarre but has become my go to "Happy Time Make the World a Better Place" beverage of choice... The Avocado Margarita! A luscious mouth feel from the creamy avocado the flavors of the Tequila, the lime, and the avocado melding and turning into something truly bizarre, but utterly glorious. You're first sip is almost always "this is weird" but by the time you leave you'll be talking about how good it all was.

Not unlike all good things in life.

Like, Comment, and Share if that's your thing.

See you in the Chow line
-The Fat Kid

The Chubby Gnome: A Study of Spirits: Part 1

Ever since I started cooking professionally I've had a strong interest in cooking with alcohol. In fact I prefer to cook it than to drink it (though I enjoy that a great deal too). Over the years I've compiled a working knowledge of booze, what separates liquors from similar forms, what different nationalities and styles of liquor do to a spirit's taste and texture, as well as how they interact with other foods. Over the next several posts I'll be discussing what I've learned, and hope to condense it all into a useful, workable package to give you a working knowledge of your own, as well as spark some new recipe ideas too.