Dos Pesos is not huge food, neither is it all that spectacular a bargain. It is worth a trip though as it is amazingly fresh and tasty.
Dos Pesos has single handedly the best guacamole I have ever tasted. It is served as an appetizer on a big plate with a load of equally excellent pico de gallo and is worth the trip to this place alone. The chips are fresh and neither too oily or too salty. Mmmmm. It is definitely big enough for three or four people.
Another item I am quite hooked on here is the Quesadillas. The cheese variety are nice with their guac accent but the shrimp variety are even better. Not greasy at all. Just perfect. The Wet Burrito is a hugely popular choice, saucy and big. The Chicken Chimi was good but honestly I just can't think past the Quesadillas. All entrees come with nice beans and rice.
The service is efficient yet not friendly and there is just not an air of fun here but it doesn't stop my enjoyment of the food. A word of warning though, you will be nickled and dimed on anything extra here, even lettuce. That makes me a bit sad.
You do need to visit here at least once. Try the guac appetizer and some quesadillas and you will be very happy.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Oslo - Detroit, Michigan
Oslo is a nice place around the corner from where I work. They have a big menu of numerous Asian dishes from various countries of origin as well as a sushi bar. I stopped in with a co-worker to have a peek as she got takeout sushi and returned the very next day to try it myself.
As you know if you read this blog on any type of regular basis, I am a sushi fan. I'm not hugely picky which works for my wallet but I can indeed tell good from the merely mediocre. Oslo is very good indeed but not stellar. The prices are about what you would expect, a bit higher than my bargains in the burbs but not anything too out there by any means.
The sushi chef is very nice and was more than happy to demonstrate for me as he made up my to go box. He works efficiently and tidily, as all good sushi chefs do. I was sad not to see knife work but I enjoyed myself at any rate. His fish was already beautifully sliced and he made quite nice tight rolls.
I had the Oslo sushi combination B which features your choice of roll (spicy tuna, spicy white tuna, california or avocado and cucumber) plus 6 pieces of chef's choice nigiri sushi for 16.00. I added a salmon roll because I was starving. It made quite a lovely array.
The spicy tuna was quite zesty, I liked the heat a lot. The salmon was fresh, rich and buttery and a perfect foil for the spice of the tuna. The nigiri was a solid combination including salmon, tuna and shrimp. I felt quite piggish but happy at any rate.
They gave me plenty of wasabi, soy sauce and ginger with the requisite chopsticks, sending along a little cup for dipping, packing me off on my merry way. Very nice to go I must say.
Now if they had better deals or a coupon I would be here all the time.
As you know if you read this blog on any type of regular basis, I am a sushi fan. I'm not hugely picky which works for my wallet but I can indeed tell good from the merely mediocre. Oslo is very good indeed but not stellar. The prices are about what you would expect, a bit higher than my bargains in the burbs but not anything too out there by any means.
The sushi chef is very nice and was more than happy to demonstrate for me as he made up my to go box. He works efficiently and tidily, as all good sushi chefs do. I was sad not to see knife work but I enjoyed myself at any rate. His fish was already beautifully sliced and he made quite nice tight rolls.
I had the Oslo sushi combination B which features your choice of roll (spicy tuna, spicy white tuna, california or avocado and cucumber) plus 6 pieces of chef's choice nigiri sushi for 16.00. I added a salmon roll because I was starving. It made quite a lovely array.
The spicy tuna was quite zesty, I liked the heat a lot. The salmon was fresh, rich and buttery and a perfect foil for the spice of the tuna. The nigiri was a solid combination including salmon, tuna and shrimp. I felt quite piggish but happy at any rate.
They gave me plenty of wasabi, soy sauce and ginger with the requisite chopsticks, sending along a little cup for dipping, packing me off on my merry way. Very nice to go I must say.
Now if they had better deals or a coupon I would be here all the time.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
BD's Mongolian BBQ - Canton, Michigan
BD's is one of many Mongolian type BBQs in the area. I like places like this in that it can be healthier for you, you can eat as much or as little as you would like and it is a fun and creative way to eat. My husband is not the creative type and hates it here as he feels it is just too much work and not really his style of food at any rate..
Join their club Mongo here: http://www.gomongo.com/experience/joinClubMongo.php . You get periodic coupons for a few dollars off meals and a free entree on your birthday :) .
Basically to make a meal at BDs, you choose your ingredients and make the exact stir fry you would like to eat. They have protein type items of many varieties; beef, chicken, pork and shrimp yes but also lamb, sausage, surimi crab, scallops, calamari, tofu, whole raw eggs and seasonal items like brats or crawfish. They have just about every veggie you can think of as well as pineapple and herbs. You fill a bowl (or two) with a combination of any of these items you would like, as much or as little as you want.
Next it is on to the sauce and spice area. You have a seperate cup you fill up with any combo of sauces, personally I like a lot of sauce so sometimes I take two less filled cups. There are recipes for standard flavor combinations or you can wing it and make something unexpected. I really like the Chili Garlic Sauce, Mongolian Ginger, Peanut Sauce and the Kung Pao personally. You can add any number of dry spices too.
You watch them stir fry your creation. That is part of the experience, I enjoy watching the show personally. Once your collection is finished you bring it back to your table and they bring you brown rice, white rice or tortillas. You can actually ask for all of the above. The brown rice is quite nice with a hint of nutty flavors but I like the tortillas too.
You can go once for one price or do unlimited for a few dollars more. I usually do unlimited and make two smaller creations for variety. It's also insurance in case I muck it all up.
So if you are the creative type or just willing to try it out then BD's may be the place for you.
Join their club Mongo here: http://www.gomongo.com/experience/joinClubMongo.php . You get periodic coupons for a few dollars off meals and a free entree on your birthday :) .
Basically to make a meal at BDs, you choose your ingredients and make the exact stir fry you would like to eat. They have protein type items of many varieties; beef, chicken, pork and shrimp yes but also lamb, sausage, surimi crab, scallops, calamari, tofu, whole raw eggs and seasonal items like brats or crawfish. They have just about every veggie you can think of as well as pineapple and herbs. You fill a bowl (or two) with a combination of any of these items you would like, as much or as little as you want.
Next it is on to the sauce and spice area. You have a seperate cup you fill up with any combo of sauces, personally I like a lot of sauce so sometimes I take two less filled cups. There are recipes for standard flavor combinations or you can wing it and make something unexpected. I really like the Chili Garlic Sauce, Mongolian Ginger, Peanut Sauce and the Kung Pao personally. You can add any number of dry spices too.
You watch them stir fry your creation. That is part of the experience, I enjoy watching the show personally. Once your collection is finished you bring it back to your table and they bring you brown rice, white rice or tortillas. You can actually ask for all of the above. The brown rice is quite nice with a hint of nutty flavors but I like the tortillas too.
You can go once for one price or do unlimited for a few dollars more. I usually do unlimited and make two smaller creations for variety. It's also insurance in case I muck it all up.
So if you are the creative type or just willing to try it out then BD's may be the place for you.
Small Plates - Detroit, Michigan
You need to be very careful in here indeed. It is tasty food but can quickly snowball into a huge tab for you. The reason is it is all appetizer sort of items and it will lull you into getting more than perhaps you realized. Plates can range from four dollars all the way up to seventeen, it adds up.
Small Plates is a cute little cafe on Broadway right around the corner from just about everything, including my work. It has quite a following and with good reason, the food for the most part is really great. The premise is fun as well, little plates of happy food to share. It's romantic. You can even dine al fresco and really feel the spirit.
A must get here is the Hand Cut Fries, served with homemade ketchup. I recommend you request the garlic aioli as well as it is absolutely delicious. I alternate dips myself. Not good for you but mmmmm. At four dollars a bargain for here.
The seafood here just all seems to be primo. The Garlic Shrimp comes with bread for dipping and is just so tasty. The Pan Seared Scallops have a heavenly brown butter sauce and are served over linguine. The Panko Shrimp are delicate with two delicious sauces. The Crispy Calamari are tender and are served with a perfect spicy aioli. You can even get a Garlic Shrimp Pizza or Fish Tacos, happiness indeed.
The other stuff seems a little more hit and miss. The Petite Tenderloin is spendy but quality with a rich sauce and crispy onions. I quite liked the Veggie Spring Rolls with three sauces, you have to love people who remember hot mustard. The Lettuce Wraps are not quite as good as PF Changs though, they need that great dipping mixed sauce to jazz them up. The Almond Chicken was also not impressive, good but not for that price.
The Broadway Baguette was crisp and sinful as were the Sherry Mushrooms in their cream sauce with baguette to dip. Way too much starch and fat but worth it. A bit spendy at eight dollars apiece.
The salads are quite nice and come in two sizes, great if you want to share. I like the Chop Chop but the Maurice is confusing as it has chicken instead of ham and adds tomato and olives. Any native Detroiter knows that a Maurice salad made the famous Hudson's way is shredded iceberg, ham, turkey, swiss, chopped gherkins and the creamy dressing, period. Just odd in a Detroit place where they should get it right. It's good but it is no Maurice.
Bottom line, Small Plates is tasty but spendy for what you get. Watch when ordering and if you are going to splurge do it on the seafood which is all good.
Small Plates is a cute little cafe on Broadway right around the corner from just about everything, including my work. It has quite a following and with good reason, the food for the most part is really great. The premise is fun as well, little plates of happy food to share. It's romantic. You can even dine al fresco and really feel the spirit.
A must get here is the Hand Cut Fries, served with homemade ketchup. I recommend you request the garlic aioli as well as it is absolutely delicious. I alternate dips myself. Not good for you but mmmmm. At four dollars a bargain for here.
The seafood here just all seems to be primo. The Garlic Shrimp comes with bread for dipping and is just so tasty. The Pan Seared Scallops have a heavenly brown butter sauce and are served over linguine. The Panko Shrimp are delicate with two delicious sauces. The Crispy Calamari are tender and are served with a perfect spicy aioli. You can even get a Garlic Shrimp Pizza or Fish Tacos, happiness indeed.
The other stuff seems a little more hit and miss. The Petite Tenderloin is spendy but quality with a rich sauce and crispy onions. I quite liked the Veggie Spring Rolls with three sauces, you have to love people who remember hot mustard. The Lettuce Wraps are not quite as good as PF Changs though, they need that great dipping mixed sauce to jazz them up. The Almond Chicken was also not impressive, good but not for that price.
The Broadway Baguette was crisp and sinful as were the Sherry Mushrooms in their cream sauce with baguette to dip. Way too much starch and fat but worth it. A bit spendy at eight dollars apiece.
The salads are quite nice and come in two sizes, great if you want to share. I like the Chop Chop but the Maurice is confusing as it has chicken instead of ham and adds tomato and olives. Any native Detroiter knows that a Maurice salad made the famous Hudson's way is shredded iceberg, ham, turkey, swiss, chopped gherkins and the creamy dressing, period. Just odd in a Detroit place where they should get it right. It's good but it is no Maurice.
Bottom line, Small Plates is tasty but spendy for what you get. Watch when ordering and if you are going to splurge do it on the seafood which is all good.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Zoup - Ann Arbor, Michigan
I have long been a fan of Zoup. As I used to work across the street, I have eaten here quite a bit. There are numerous locations throughout Michigan, I have also tried the Northville locale and found it quite similar in taste. It is fresh, tasty and reasonably healthy depending on what you get.
Go to http://www.zoup.com/ and give them your email and they will send you a buy one get one free offer for a bowl of soup. You can also find the same coupon here for use anytime: http://myclipper.com/page2.cfm?jsessionid=80302646841167660024437&cid=A561C6F1-E3DB-3D7C-378AB62D778BFB22 .
The soup is definitely the star of the show here. My faves are the Chicken Pot Pie, the Bisques and the Gazpacho. The Chicken Pot Pie is creamy and full of fresh veggies with a bit of crumb topping. The Bisques are creamy and rich, coming in either Lobster, Seafood or Mushroom varieties, very filling. The Gazpacho is seasonal, zippy with lots of fresh veggies, perfect on hot days when a cold soup is just what the doctor ordered. They have a quite nice Lemon Basil Chicken and Double Stuffed Baked Potato variety too.
The panini sandwiches are not huge but are filled with tasty ingredients. My faves are the Tuscan Chicken with pesto, red peppers, onions and provolone and the Turkey Club with swiss.
The grilled Three Cheese is nice as is the Chicken Greek.
The salads are all very nice. The Asian chicken has romaine, chow mein noodles, Asian noodles, sliced almonds, grilled chicken strips, scalions and sesame seeds served with sesame dressing. The Sonoma is romaine, spring mix, gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries and sliced almonds. It's served with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Another good choice is the Baja Chicken with romaine, grilled chicken strips, mozzarella cheese, grape tomatoes, black beans, scallions, cilantro and crushed tortilla chips with salsa ranch dressing.
I recommend this place for a casual fresh lunch, or a light dinner to go. I think the soup and salads are probably the best bets but everything is good.
Go to http://www.zoup.com/ and give them your email and they will send you a buy one get one free offer for a bowl of soup. You can also find the same coupon here for use anytime: http://myclipper.com/page2.cfm?jsessionid=80302646841167660024437&cid=A561C6F1-E3DB-3D7C-378AB62D778BFB22 .
The soup is definitely the star of the show here. My faves are the Chicken Pot Pie, the Bisques and the Gazpacho. The Chicken Pot Pie is creamy and full of fresh veggies with a bit of crumb topping. The Bisques are creamy and rich, coming in either Lobster, Seafood or Mushroom varieties, very filling. The Gazpacho is seasonal, zippy with lots of fresh veggies, perfect on hot days when a cold soup is just what the doctor ordered. They have a quite nice Lemon Basil Chicken and Double Stuffed Baked Potato variety too.
The panini sandwiches are not huge but are filled with tasty ingredients. My faves are the Tuscan Chicken with pesto, red peppers, onions and provolone and the Turkey Club with swiss.
The grilled Three Cheese is nice as is the Chicken Greek.
The salads are all very nice. The Asian chicken has romaine, chow mein noodles, Asian noodles, sliced almonds, grilled chicken strips, scalions and sesame seeds served with sesame dressing. The Sonoma is romaine, spring mix, gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries and sliced almonds. It's served with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Another good choice is the Baja Chicken with romaine, grilled chicken strips, mozzarella cheese, grape tomatoes, black beans, scallions, cilantro and crushed tortilla chips with salsa ranch dressing.
I recommend this place for a casual fresh lunch, or a light dinner to go. I think the soup and salads are probably the best bets but everything is good.
Bailey's - Canton, Michigan
I must confess we started coming here solely because they show WWE pay per views and I am too cheap to pay to watch them at home. My husband is a wrestling fan and so I decided to find a place we both could enjoy watching them, him for the action and me for the food. It is also nice to come here and shoot pool.
You can find several coupons for Bailey's in the entertainment book and also sign up for their e club here http://www.tentcorp.com/ for special deals and a free meal on your birthday. Bailey's features many drink specials and fun special events that mostly revolve around sports.
This place has great appetizers and you can make a meal of many of them. My fave is the Bavarian Pretzels, which are fresh baked to order and served with excellent queso (which rocks with the tortilla chips too). The BBQ Chicken Potato Skins are James' favorite. They have these things called Chicken Billiard Sticks which have a good kick to them and remind me of Chili's southwest eggrolls. Another treat are the great Chinese Chicken Potstickers with the Red Amber Ale soy dip sauce.
I really like the zesty Tortilla Soup here as well as the Newcastle Brown Ale Cheese Soup. Rich and filling. The Napa Valley Spinach Salad is hands down the salad to get here if you are so inclined. Chicken, Bacon, Strawberries, Raisins and Feta, need I say more?
I like the fish a lot at Bailey's. They have great beer battered Newcastle Fish and Chips but also have a healthier option of a Blackened Mahi Mahi over rice that is very tasty as well. The Chicken Fingers are good and quite a big portion. The Grilled Chicken Platter comes with a large variety of basting sauces and rice and is quite happy. If you want to splurge the Campfire Pot Roast is tender and served over delicious mashed potatoes.
One of my fave sandwiches is The Black Forest with smoked turkey and applewood bacon on a pretzel roll. The Philly Chessesteak is really flavorful with the peppers and onions. I also like the Campfire Pot Roast Sliders with the tender beef short rib meat. All sandwiches come with thick square cut fries which are delicious.
The burgers in here are just ok, a bit preformed for my taste. Stick with the much better options above.
There is something for everyone at Bailey's, go ahead and give a coupon a go.
You can find several coupons for Bailey's in the entertainment book and also sign up for their e club here http://www.tentcorp.com/ for special deals and a free meal on your birthday. Bailey's features many drink specials and fun special events that mostly revolve around sports.
This place has great appetizers and you can make a meal of many of them. My fave is the Bavarian Pretzels, which are fresh baked to order and served with excellent queso (which rocks with the tortilla chips too). The BBQ Chicken Potato Skins are James' favorite. They have these things called Chicken Billiard Sticks which have a good kick to them and remind me of Chili's southwest eggrolls. Another treat are the great Chinese Chicken Potstickers with the Red Amber Ale soy dip sauce.
I really like the zesty Tortilla Soup here as well as the Newcastle Brown Ale Cheese Soup. Rich and filling. The Napa Valley Spinach Salad is hands down the salad to get here if you are so inclined. Chicken, Bacon, Strawberries, Raisins and Feta, need I say more?
I like the fish a lot at Bailey's. They have great beer battered Newcastle Fish and Chips but also have a healthier option of a Blackened Mahi Mahi over rice that is very tasty as well. The Chicken Fingers are good and quite a big portion. The Grilled Chicken Platter comes with a large variety of basting sauces and rice and is quite happy. If you want to splurge the Campfire Pot Roast is tender and served over delicious mashed potatoes.
One of my fave sandwiches is The Black Forest with smoked turkey and applewood bacon on a pretzel roll. The Philly Chessesteak is really flavorful with the peppers and onions. I also like the Campfire Pot Roast Sliders with the tender beef short rib meat. All sandwiches come with thick square cut fries which are delicious.
The burgers in here are just ok, a bit preformed for my taste. Stick with the much better options above.
There is something for everyone at Bailey's, go ahead and give a coupon a go.
Chipotle - Ann Arbor, Michigan
We are on a burrito kick lately. Chipotle is another one of the mexican fast food but nicer restaurants that are fairly common everywhere. You order, watch as they make it and take it right to your table, thus avoiding the need to tip. It always makes dining more affordable.
I love Chipotle. The ingredients are top notch and every item is natural and organic. The meat is raised on a vegetarian diet as well as being hormone and cruelty free. It is the kind of place I feel better for eating in as well as enjoying the flavor.
All meats are marinated in an adobo. It makes them tender and juicy. I am a fan of the chicken but my husband loves the barbacoa, which is spicy shredded braised beef. The vegetarian options is black beans and includes guac, with the fajita burrito it also includes sauteed onions and peppers.
You can choose your way to eat Chipotle deliciousness, burrito with beans, fajita burrito with sauteed onions and peppers, plain in a bowl, in hard corn or soft flour tacos or on top of a salad of romaine lettuce. Any way you get it is tasty but I am a fan of the fajita burrito myself. The burrito has a little kick to it even with the mildest salsa, fresh tomato, which is very pleasant.
I highly recommend the guacamole and chips side. The guac is very fresh and chunky. The chips are not greasy and crisp. My husband is annoyed they do not have queso, which is his favorite thing with chips, he settles for the mild fresh tomato salsa (pico de gallo).
I prefer it here while my husband prefers the cheaper with coupons Moe's. He says the sour cream is too soupy here (it is quite thin but I enjoy that) and he likes Moe's cheese (more generic and orange at Moe's- I like Chipotle's) and more different options of toppings better. We both prefer the meat here and we both agree that Moe's burritos are somehow more filling. I think if Chipotle had queso my husband wouldn't be as picky.
So you decide for yourselves. We go to both as we are fans of fast and fresh mex and they are both good cheap options for us.
I love Chipotle. The ingredients are top notch and every item is natural and organic. The meat is raised on a vegetarian diet as well as being hormone and cruelty free. It is the kind of place I feel better for eating in as well as enjoying the flavor.
All meats are marinated in an adobo. It makes them tender and juicy. I am a fan of the chicken but my husband loves the barbacoa, which is spicy shredded braised beef. The vegetarian options is black beans and includes guac, with the fajita burrito it also includes sauteed onions and peppers.
You can choose your way to eat Chipotle deliciousness, burrito with beans, fajita burrito with sauteed onions and peppers, plain in a bowl, in hard corn or soft flour tacos or on top of a salad of romaine lettuce. Any way you get it is tasty but I am a fan of the fajita burrito myself. The burrito has a little kick to it even with the mildest salsa, fresh tomato, which is very pleasant.
I highly recommend the guacamole and chips side. The guac is very fresh and chunky. The chips are not greasy and crisp. My husband is annoyed they do not have queso, which is his favorite thing with chips, he settles for the mild fresh tomato salsa (pico de gallo).
I prefer it here while my husband prefers the cheaper with coupons Moe's. He says the sour cream is too soupy here (it is quite thin but I enjoy that) and he likes Moe's cheese (more generic and orange at Moe's- I like Chipotle's) and more different options of toppings better. We both prefer the meat here and we both agree that Moe's burritos are somehow more filling. I think if Chipotle had queso my husband wouldn't be as picky.
So you decide for yourselves. We go to both as we are fans of fast and fresh mex and they are both good cheap options for us.
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