La Familia Mexican Restaurant-Junction Texas

Today was a day that was a bit difficult for me as we dropped Jared off to spend a few days with his Grandma Paula before school starts for him. We hadn't eaten all day and so on the way back we stopped in at La Familia Mexican Restaurant in Junction. Now you all know if it's up to me that I would love to stop and eat BBQ if it's available but since we had it last week I agreed to a compromise. My wife wanted Mexican food so we decided to stop by and have a bite to eat. I discovered that chicken fried steak is Mexican Food today for the first time in my life. I was thinking that it was Southern cooking but of course my wife proved me wrong! She wanted Mexican food and then ordered a Chicken Fried Steak. WOW! Mexican FOOD! Well I decided to stick to the plan and of course I had 100% authentic TEX MEX food. We entered the building and were greeted promptly and with a great smile. The restaurant was very clean and the smell of Fabuloso filled the air. They took our drink order and brought out fresh, hot chips. Not cold, not lukewarm....HOT....with 2 different salsas. This is what is known as "attention to detail" and goes a long way in my book. Hot chips, 2 salsas delivered promptly with the drinks I was impressed. Of course I was on my last leg because I hadn't had a drink all day long. The song came to mind we are hungry, we are hungry, we are hungry for more of you, we are thirsty, we are thirsty....ENNYWAIS I drank all my tea very quickly and the waitress filled again quickly and then brought more...yes you guessed it HOT CHIPS!!!! I ordered what was known as the Super Mexican Dinner 2 that had a taco, beef enchilada, cheese enchilada, cheese taco (not a quesadilla and by the way different than anything I've ever had before) chalupa, rice and beans. The food was very tasty. The plates were presented very neatly and the food was hot. I put some of the Pico de Gallo style salsa on my chalupa and wow what a combination. I'll bet my tea was empty 5 or 6 times and every time I finished my glass was filled again. I had a bite of Elizabeth's "Mexican Food" ur uh Chicken Fried Steak and it was also very tasty. I asked each of them how they liked their food and they were all satisfied. Food tasted great, service was great, atmosphere was nice, and staff was friendly. Smiles abounded and the food was moderately priced. I highly recommend this restaurant. If you are driving through Junction and want to stop to eat forget about the McDonald's on the Interstate (you can eat their food at home ANYTIME!) keep traveling south on the main road and you will find it on the right side. Be careful you don't miss it.

Kenny Blanek's Village Cafe

Kenny Blanek has been in the restaurant and catering business for many years and his experience with quality and consistency shine through at his Cafe in the Village. I have been here at least 3 times and have been pleasantly surprised. From cheeseburgers to steaks and the well stocked buffet with many homestyle entrees you would do well to give it a try! On our last food adventure we decided that we would go out to Kenny's after church. I decided to give the buffet a try. With turkey and dressing, ham, steak bits, mashed potatoes, squash, a nice salad bar, fresh rolls, and desserts including red velvet cake, peanut butter and sugar cookies, and apple cobbler many choices abounded. So did my belly! Everything I had was extremely good. The prices are fair and our waitress Bobbie had a great sense of humor, was quite attentive, and also had a great attitude. She is a person who truly cares about her customers. Ask for her when you go in. She earned every bit of her tip. There is kid friendly food as well as lots of other favorites. Feel free to pray for you lunch here. They don't mind! This place is open until 2 daily. Go after church Sunday.

Restaurant Review-Paco's Place San Angelo, Texas

I've have eaten at Paco's Place for well over 20 years and I've always enjoyed it. Today was no different. Paco's Place originally started as a regular full service Mexican food restaurant. Current owner Frank Diaz is a second generation restaurateur and has continued his family's tradition of serving great food day after day. Back in the early days Paco's had a full menu but the most sought after food was on the buffet. Nowadays Frank and his staff (mostly family) continue with just the Buffet and catering. Wintertime is great too because Frank's mom makes some of the best Caldo anywhere. Frank's son Josh will be the first to tell you, "It's so good she doesn't allow anyone else to make it but herself!" Must be a secret family recipe! Paco's has a few tried and true dishes on the buffet such as Enchiladas, Tacos, Beans and Rice. You will also find some other tempting foods like Chicken Enchiladas, Picadillo, Salads, and cookies for dessert. They have some really great hot sauce and I will be the first to tell you from the time you come in til the time you leave the service is top notch. What this place lacks in atmosphere it makes up for in food taste and service. Paco's always reminds me of my childhood because usually once a week my Dad would take us there to eat. Buffet and a Tea were the usual and they are still my favorites today. The 3rd generation of my family is now eating there. If you are looking for consistently great, home style food, and friendly service try Paco's. Frank, Josh (when he's home from school), Paco (Frank's Dad) and all the rest will treat you just like family. It's nice to know you can still go "home." Enjoy!

Restaurant Review-The Wharf San Angelo, Texas

The Wharf has long been a quality restaurant serving Seafood and Steaks for well over 20 years. I was only 18 years old the first time I ate at The Wharf and it was where I took my wife on our first date. Tonight we decided to go and treat my mother-in -law to some good fresh seafood that doesn't have that generic chain restaurant spin on it. From fishing nets to cargo boxes as well as many live plants The Wharf is made for a good date and has very soft lighting. It's also a great place to take family for a dining experience that rivals many big city seafood places. Tonight we ordered some fried mushrooms and cheese for appetizers. Our waitress Candace (hope I'm spelling that right) brought extra ranch with the appetizers. Very thoughtful! Shrooms and sticks were fried perfectly with crispy crusts and melt in your mouth insides. These are really some of the best fried mushrooms you'll ever have and not in the least bit greasy. The boys split a burger, while my daughter, wife, and mother -in-law had fish. My little girl had fried catfish with fries along with a salad. Mom and my wife had grilled fish. One was Mahi Mahi and the other Halibut. Both were very tasty according to them. I couldn't resist having my favorite steak again. YES the RIBEYE. It was ordered medium and cooked medium and came with a loaded baked potato and a Caesar salad. The ribeye had some excellent seasoning and fresh cracked black pepper on it. Nice finishing touch. The bread is not the same bread they used to serve here. The NEW bread was actually very soft and very very tasty. Yeast rolls fresh from the oven to be exact. Great with a pat of butter and dipped in steak juices. To finish it all off we had one of their famous desserts. WE SHARED! I first discovered Turtle Pie at The Wharf on or around my 18th birthday. My cousin Anthony took me there and said, "Do you want a whole piece?" Of course I said yes and he challenged me to eat the whole thing which I did. It was one of the best discoveries as far as desserts are concerned that has ever occurred in my life. Whipped cream, over chocolate ice cream, pecans, caramel, and Oreo crust with some chocolate syrup really knocks your socks off. Our waitress was EXTRA attentive and very polite. Needless to say she received an excellent tip for her hard work. I don't recall ever having a bad meal at The Wharf. If you want fresh seafood and steaks with great desserts don't hesitate to spend some money and live a little. This is one place that you won't go wrong, even if you order a burger!

Bonsai Garden-San Angelo, Texas

After my recent trip to another unnamed Tapenyaki restaurant here in town I decided I'd give Bonsai Garden a try. We came in and were seated promptly. There is a lot of etched glass at Bonsai with Far East scenes from days of old. Lots of black tile throughout with TVs at the bar. Except for the TVs this place is very elegant. My sons and I had a guys night out and they love this type of food. The waitress came over and took our orders very quickly and brought out our soup course. The soup was warm and inviting as well as tasty with a few fried onion, chives, and mushrooms scattered throughout. After this the salad came out. This salad had some iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and a specialty of the house: ginger dressing. The dressing also had some underlying onion flavor that I really enjoyed. Before our chef came out I noticed a chef named Bruce who was being very creative. He did the common onion volcano with fire but then he gave the room a little bonus. He moved the volcano around the grill like a locomotive while he played the harmonica. I thought this was a really interesting bit of showmanship. The Japanese chefs here really pride themselves on doing a great presentation and going above and beyond to give the customer an awesome experience. I watched Bruce do this twice during the time we were there and he even played a different song the second time. Chef Tony came out and confirmed our orders and he began his masterful presentation. He did some really great fork and spatula tricks along with catching eggs in his pockets. He cracked the eggs and began making the fried rice. It was perfectly seasoned as he announced each spice he sprinkled on it. It required no extra seasoning we discovered as we began to taste it. Portion size was great too. Plenty of food for me and the boys. After the rice he gave us some shrimp and then cooked my steak to perfection. I asked for it to be cooked medium and it was great. Very juicy and tender. Next he cut up some chicken and it was our turn to be part of the show. He started to flip up the chicken pieces and each of us at the table (who wanted to) had the opportunity to catch the chicken. I was the only one at the table who actually caught it but it was funny watching everyone else get hit on the nose, forehead, and hair. Then came the veggies. Mushrooms, Broccoli, Carrots, and Zucchini, were great right at the end of the meal. Chef Tony cooked everything to perfection and we were all quite satisfied. When you go to Bonsai Chef Bruce is probably the best for showmanship. Chefs Tony and Kevin get the salute for being the best at cooking while still maintaining a great show. Very balanced. I don't think I've had the opportunity to eat Chef Bruce's food so I don't really know about how good it tastes. I do know his showmanship is above and beyond though. Bonsai Garden has now replaced the original Tapenyaki restaurant in town as my favorite. Consistency, showmanship, food quality, waitstaff, and atmosphere are all top notch. You won't be sorry spending your hard earned money here. It is a bit on the expensive side but well worth it. Steak and shrimp or Chicken and Shrimp are our family's favorites. Go early in the week and you usually won't have to wait long to eat. On a side note, they do also beat the Asian drum when there is birthday in the house. Lots of fun for the kids. Enjoy!

Restaurant Review: Fernandez Restaurant San Angelo, Texas

Fernandez Restaurant is on what used to be the most major thoroughfare in San Angelo, Chadbourne Street. Today it would be considered to be a hole in the wall restaurant which means some of the BEST food can be found here. On my most recent food reviewing adventure I came into Fernandez and was promptly greeted by a member of the family that runs the place. My favorite dish there is Gordy's Special named after Los Tejanos lead singer and Fernandez family member Robert Fernandez. Steak, tortillas, beans, rice, and enchilada. The steak was cooked as ordered and was quite juicy. Beans were very flavorful as was the enchilada. Rice was a bit dry but edible. I also had chile con queso, chips, and salsa. WOW. They have salsa like no other place in Texas. Lots of great tomato and jalapeno flavor that gets you right in the throat. Awesome. It's really hard to stop eating it. I will usually mix the queso and the salsa together for some extra heat. Queso on a tortilla with the steak is also another of my favorite ways to eat this dish. An added bonus: This place is kid friendly. Kids get good food that doesn't break the bank and that they love eating. Burgers and chicken strips are also quite tasty. This place is on my list of best places to eat in San Angelo. It doesn't have the glitzy glamour of other restaurants but the FOOD (what matters most) is top notch. You won't go wrong eating here. Leave your diet at home though!

Restaurant Review-Casa Rio San Antonio Texas

Originally Reviewed February 2006

Casa Rio-San Antonio, Texas On the Riverwalk I had read quit a bit about Casa Rio in my Tex-Mex cookbook. It was one of the first restaurants to be on the river and also one of the pioneers of the riverboat business on the river. They used to guide gondolas along the river back in the old days. Casa Rio has plenty of seating indoors as well as right next to the river where all the ducks and people pass by. We arrived early and the restaurant had not opened yet. We waited at their outside tables and then when it opened we were ushered inside. The building is old obviously. A lot of the inside was built from stone and was painted white with other festive colors here and there in the room. There were paintings on the walls of "Mexican" heritage scenes. When we were seated we were greeted promptly by a waiter who must have been at least in his late 40s or early 50s. He was very attentive but spoke very little english. Not a problem for us though. We're Hispanic! WOO HOO! He was dressed in a white Guayabera with black pants. The ladies here dress in festive Mexian dresses. A nice touch if you ask me. He took our drink order and brought out some very good homemade tortilla chips and salsa. From what I had read about Casa Rio I knew I was in for an experience that I wouldn't forget. I wasn't disappointed. For $7.95 I ordered the Deluxe meal. Taco, beans, rice, chile corn carne, enchilada, queso, guacamole and a tamal. It was a lot of food! The taco was thick and meaty in a homemade shell. Chile con Carne was made from pork and was very tender and tasty. Rice was moist and was very delicately flavored. Nothing overbearing here. Beans were great. Chile con Queso was perfect. Guacamole was very very good. Tamal had great flavor but fell apart. The Enchilda was also very tasty. Our server was very very good. Kept my tea filled and was very good with the kids as well. My son was having a cow because there was no yellow cheese on his taco. The server calmly walked into the kitchen and came back with a small bowl of it. He smiled at the children as he served them and made us all feel very comfortable. They do have an odd setup however that I have never seen before. A kitchen worker brings the food out and sets it on the fold away service tray then the waiter removes the stainless steel covers and serves your meal. It seems very classy. If I had to give this restaurant a grade I would have to say 99 out of a possible 100. The only downside was that the Tamal fell apart. Otherwise this meal was perfect! If you are in downtown San Antonio be sure to stop by. You won't be sorry.

Restaurant Review-Ruth's Chris Steak House Downtown San Antonio

Originally written AUGUST 2006.

For our anniversary of 11 years I decided to take my wife to San Antonio. We had accommodations at the lovely Emily Morgan Hotel right across from the Alamo. We had heard about Ruth's Chris Steak House for quite some time and there was really no better time to have tried it. I made reservations a few weeks before and everything was in order. The restaurant provides complimentary shuttle service to most of the upscale hotels in the downtown area. We were picked up promptly at 4:45 right in front of our hotel. It was about a 5 minute ride from where were staying. Ruth's Chris Downtown is situated right across from the train station and is in a very historic part of downtown. I tipped the driver and we walked into the restaurant and it was very elegant to say the least. Wonderful paintings, soft lighting, and lots of wood adorn this eatery. The staff at the door introduced themselves and it was off to our table. We sat in corner by a window that was away from everyone else. Of course at the time we got there we had the whole restaurant to ourselves except for the waitstaff and management. Our waiter greeted us promptly and explained everything about the restaurant to us. Jesse was an excellent waiter and knew exactly what to say and how to say it. They are extremely well trained. We ordered Caesar salad and Julius couldn't have been more proud let me tell u whut! They had fresh Parmesan grated on them along with fresh ground black pepper. On to the steaks. Ruth's Chris' claim to fame is 100% Prime corn fed Midwestern beef cooked in a special broiler that is set at 1800 degrees. The steaks are brought to the table on a plate that has been heated to 500 degrees so that your steak will stay hot throughout your meal. I have always loved Rib eye so that's what I ordered. Elizabeth ("Betty"- to some of you) had some filet medallions and shrimp or Tournedos and Shrimp as they were called. I must say they hit her like a tornado because she was absolutely blown away by the flavor and texture of the meat. Her filet was very tender and smooth although it was cooked medium well. The shrimp were coated with spices and were also very tasty. We also shared some mashed potatoes and they were top notch. I have an affinity for smoked and grilled meats and although I enjoyed my ribeye very much , I missed the extra dimension that grilling over a wood fire adds to almost any cut of meat. The flavor was beefy and it was quite tasty. The texture however was another story. The meat was tender but not because of cooking technique. Apparently the cow that my steak had come from had been suffering from some pain and was seeking help from an acupuncturist. My rib eye was tenderized through and through with a blade tenderizer of some sort. This absolutely changes the texture of the meat. I prefer meat that has not been punctured in this manner. Any prime cut of steak can be made tender if proper cooking techniques are employed. It was a good steak but not particularly something I would singing from the mountaintops about. The steaks we had did stay hot during the entire meal as they had promised. On to the dessert! A good meal just got better when our waiter brought out our anniversary gift from the restaurant. Chocolate Mousse with Creme Fraiche was wonderful. The mousse was put atop a cake like crust that was very soft. This was topped with some Creme Fraiche and a sprig of mint for a eye catching presentation. This came out of the kitchen with a candle. Very thoughtful! We had planned to sample the other desserts way before this had ever come out so my lovely wife ordered Raspberry Sorbet and I had some Creme Broulee which by the way is my favorite dessert. She thoroughly enjoyed every last bite of the sorbet (ask her she'll tell you how good it was). My creme broulee was very tasty. I heard the music ya'll....I FEEL GOOD....I knew that I would now! I FEEL NICE ....like sugar and spice. SO NICE SO NICE I got you! My dessert was garnished with a few strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. The caramelized crust was very nice as was the custard. I could see the vanilla bean that had been put in and it was very delicious.

This meal gets the ever unheard of Zorro snap in Z form....OOPS wrong show. Ambiance gets 5 out of 5 points. Salads 5 out of 5. Steaks get a 4 out of 5 (since mamacita liked hers very very much) Mashed Potatoes 5 out of 5. Desserts and Service had to be like off the chizzain though. I just gots ta give props to my boy Jesse and the pastry chef for some of the best service and dessert I have EVER had. In all seriousness this was one of the best places I have ever been to. Of course it was my anniversary and I got to be with my beautiful wife so as far as the overall rating I would have to say a 4.9