Sep 30

Moxie

2028 H St

Sacramento, CA 95811

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Around the corner of 21st Street on H Street in Midtown and behind two red doors, Moxie serves up a variety American fare not even listed on the menu. As we entered the restaurant, we were quickly greeted by the vibrant owner and brought to our table. A small menu was provided and drinks offered. The restaurant is well decorated with its red walls and low lighting that progressively dimmed as the night went by. After a couple minutes of reviewing the menu, the owner came by to discuss the meal and offer various specials not listed on the menu. He eloquently described each dish with enthusiasm and the variety of items spanned the various meat types and preparations.

Today, after listening to the specials, we decided to order the crab cake appetizer, rib eye steak, sea bass, and the caramel pecan cheesecake. The low light proved a challenge to properly display the food in the photos, but each dish was presented in classy fashion. After ordering, we were provided with complementary fresh warm sourdough bread with a side of softened butter. Each piece had a crunchy crust and soft center. The bread tasted delicious and quickly set a great tone for the meal. The two crab cakes then arrived and appeared fairly large with grill marks across the top. Two sauces sit next to the cakes atop some olive oil. Each crab cake consisted of large amounts of fresh crab and breadcrumbs. Each bite tasted delicious and savory. There was a tartar-flavored cream sauce on top of both cakes, which was extremely delicious with each bite. On the side, there was an orange sauce available, which is similar to the sweet special sauces in sushi restaurants, but a bit spicier. The crab cakes tasted great on their own and with the tartar-cream sauce. Having finished the first basket of bread, the server quickly offered a refill for additional fresh bread.

Soon, both of our entrees arrived. The large rib eye looked to be at least 16 ounces with a hearty sauce, mushrooms, and blue cheese on top. A side of beets, summer squash, carrot, and beans finished off the plate. A side of horseradish mashed potatoes accompanied the dish since there was no more room on the plate. The rib eye was cooked medium-well as requested while still tasting juicy and fresh. The sauce did taste a bit bitter, but that could have possibly come from a red wine reduction. Each piece of beef tasted delicious after getting used to the sauce. The vegetables were all cooked properly and looked very fresh. The horseradish mashed potatoes did taste quite different since we have not had horseradish in my mashed potatoes before. There was a large chip sticking out of the mashed potatoes, which acted as a great looking edible garnish. Next, the sea bass came with a deep orange sauce with the same sides of vegetables and mashed potatoes provided with the rib eye. Each bite of the fresh sea bass tasted juicy and soft, cooked perfectly and not dry at all. The orange sauce was different, and I could not pinpoint the type of sauce used. I would have preferred the fish without the sauce or with a different simple glaze, but the existing sauce did not take away from the fresh fish flavor. After we finished our entrees, the owner came back to check on us and to see if we wanted dessert. We allowed him to vocalize us the specials for desserts, just as he did the rest of the meal. In addition to the two items listed on the paper menu, the owner also listed another ten or so items to finish off the meal. After listening to the menu items, we decided to try out the caramel pecan cheesecake. The cheesecake arrived with a large sugar-art heart atop a slice of twice-sliced cheesecake with a garnish of creme and caramel. Each bite tasted rich from the decadent cheesecake and sweet fresh caramel. There was just enough crust to hold up the fresh cheesecake. Once the check arrived, the owner also brought along a shot of drinkable rich chocolate to complete the meal.

Overall, Moxie served up some fresh delicious cuisine in a very friendly environment. The specials really span the palette where you will definitely find something you will like. The owner is very charismatic and adds some fun to the meal. The server is on point and professional at all times. Even with the slightly different flavors we were not used to, we definitely enjoyed the experience here at Moxie from the service to the food. If you have never tried Moxie before, then you definitely need to give it a try some time.

Sep 27

Pooja Indian Grill

1223 Merkley Ave

West Sacramento, CA 95691

Rating: ★★★★★ 

In an odd location in West Sacramento, Pooja Indian Grill serves up authentic Indian cuisine in a great lunch buffet concept. In addition to the lunch buffet, the restaurant does offer a standard menu as well. Having made a reservation the day prior for our large group, we arrived right at opening time with a table already set for our group. Water was quickly poured for our table as we left to gather food.

Indian Naan bread was provided as part of the meal, which went well with any of the sauces from the meat dishes. We also ordered Garlic Naan, which added an amazing flavor to the bread and also went well with the meat sauces. Of all the items at the buffet, I mainly tried the meat dishes and the rice. The Biryani rice was well seasoned and was flavorful. I could have ate without the rice since the Naan bread went so well with any entree. The bright red Tandoori chicken was plentiful and came in many different types of pieces. Each bite of chicken tasted tender even though it looked dry on the outside. The chicken masala (butter chicken) tasted extremely tender and you can definitely taste the butter in the chicken. The sauce went best smothering the chicken and the naan. The lamb curry also tasted tender and the sauce delicious. There were many pieces that had a lot of meat, but also had chunks of fat, but that did not deter from the fresh aromatic flavors. The goat curry was similar to the lamb, but tasted even fresher and the sauce slightly different. Many of the pieces had a lot of bones, but you can eat around them. The fried fish tasted fresh and the batter was extremely crispy. You can taste a bit of spice in the batter used that also made the outside look redder. For desert, the gulub jamun are basically donught holes swimming in sweet syrup. Each hole tasted soggy on the outside and cake-like on the inside. You can taste a condensed milk flavor in the syrup, which tasted delicious. The mango ice cream soft serve was very light, and you can catch the mango flavor as an aftertaste. The ice cream is very solid and seems to have a lot of water content.

Overall, Pooja serves up some of the best Indian dishes in a very economical way with a $10 lunch buffet. Considering all the different entree options available for such a low price, Pooja offers so much food at such a great value. Having tried other Indian lunch buffets before, Pooja definitely serves up the best in the area. Service was consistent and friendly with multiple water refills performed throughout the lunch service, and naan refills provided when necessary. Most of the curries were not that spicy and were in more of the mild range. If you never tried Indian food, you definitely need to try it here. If you already tried Indian food, then you still must come to Pooja for the best Indian lunch buffet in town.

Sep 23

Chili’s

7410 Laguna Blvd

Elk Grove, CA 95758

Rating: ★½☆☆☆ 

Located in a small strip mall across from busy Target on Laguna Boulevard, Chili’s serves up classic American fare along with Mexican and Texan influences. The restaurant was fairly busy for a Sunday night, but seating only took five minutes or so. After being seated and menus provided, a friendly server came by to take drink orders and answer questions about the menu.

Today, I decided to order the Strawberry Lemonade, Texas Cheese Fries, and half rack of baby back ribs with Dr. Pepper sauce. The strawberry lemonade tasted sweet and was not too sour. There were quite a few seeds in the drink, but no actual strawberries. The server was quite prompt on providing refills without being asked, and I drank at least three of them. The Texas cheese fries had very small bacon bits that fell off easily. The bacon could have easily came out of a container. There was quite a few green onions topping the fries, which seemed quite unbalanced with only a few jalapenos. There was enough cheese on top of the fries, but quite a bit of cheese was sticking to the plate. The Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, and cheddar cheeses added a savory flavor to the appetizer. The appetizer provided a small dish of ranch that was inadequate for the amount of fries provided. The baby back ribs came with a side of corn and regular fries. The corn on a stick definitely tasted soaked for a while because it was juicy; however, there was no flavor in the corn. The fries tasted fresh, but did not have any seasoning. The plate of ribs looked quite small for a half rack. All of the meat fell off of the bone, but there was quite a bit of bone and not a lot of meat. The meat itself tasted a bit dry and there was not a lot of sauce on the ribs themselves. I can taste the Dr. Pepper in the sauce, but I mostly taste and old flavor in the bone itself making me feel that the ribs were not fresh.

I also ordered the Classic 10 oz Sirloin steak with broccoli and mashed potatoes to-go. The steak was ordered medium-well and was received closer to medium-rare. The meat was tender, but lacked flavor unless I added A1 sauce. The broccoli was crunchy and looked fresh. The mashed potatoes had a tasty layer of cheese on top, but the mashed potatoes themselves tasted odd and not fresh.

Overall, Chili’s was more of a disappointment than expected. Chili’s provided great service and has a great strawberry lemonade, but the rest of the food did not really do the restaurant justice, especially with their famous baby back ribs. Most of the prices seemed quite high for what you actually get, and this is especially true if you order the half orders. If you are tired of eating at other American chain restaurants, you may further increase your dissatisfaction by visiting Chili’s. If you are looking to save some money in the future, you can avoid coming here, but if you do want to continue coming, at least sign up for their rewards program to save some money. The restaurant does utilize the kiosks at the table to help you call your server and pay your bill.

Sep 20

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates

1801 L St #60

Sacramento, CA 95811

Rating: ★★★★★ 

In search of an evening snack, we decided to splurge and get some macarons from Ginger Elizabeth. When we first walked in, we were greeted by the cheerful staff behind the counter. A display case housed various chocolates and macarons in the brightly lit area. Additional menu items are listed on the walls and signs.

Today, we decided to try their caramelized milk & coffee macaron ice cream sandwich, salty caramel macaron ice cream sandwich, and nine varieties of their macarons. The milk and coffee ice cream sandwich had a definitely bold coffee flavor and chewy yet crispy macaron shell. The ice cream was dense, but flavors were rich. The salty caramel had an even more crispy, yet chewy macaron shell, but you can definitely taste the salty caramel flavor. The ice cream was actually softer for the salty caramel than the milk & coffee. Both ice cream sandwiches tasted amazing in the hot outdoors. The macaron shells held up well to the ice cream and did not fall apart in either sandwich. The nine macarons were of different flavors: almond vanilla, chocolate ganache, salty caramel, flavor king pluot cobbler, buckwheat boysenberry, salty peanut & caramel, coffee caramel, pistachio, and strawberry. All of the macarons were created with care and the shells came without blemish. Each of the flavors of the fillings were distinct and matched up with the provided identification key. One flavor was not on the key, but was distinctly strawberry flavored.

If you are in the mood for intricate chocolates, macarons, or ice cream, Ginger Elizabeth will fulfill that craving. Be aware of the dreaded street parking if the area is busy. Prices are a bit on the high end, considering each macaron is $1.75 and the ice cream sandwiches were $6 each, but you get what you pay for in terms of quality, taste, and presentation. If you want to get something special, then Ginger Elizabeth will have something for you.

Sep 16

Juicy’s Giant Hamburgers – Reno, NV

301 S Wells Ave

Reno, NV 89502

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

Located around a half mile from the busy casino-lined streets of Reno, Juicy’s Giant Hamburgers serves up a variety of burger joint favorites to the locals. With plenty of parking as well indoor and outdoor seating, this hole-in-the-wall joint will try and satisfy your burger cravings. Upon entering the restaurant, you weave through tables and some arcade games to end up at the counter with their large posted menu of simple items. A cook is busy at work behind the counter on the open grill while the cashier takes orders preps the final product.

Today, we decided to order a cheeseburger, chili cheese fries, and a chocolate milkshake. The burgers are cooked around medium by default, so if you do not want any pink in your burger, be sure to request for well done when ordering. My medium cheeseburger had juicy fresh meat that did not seem like it has ever been frozen before. The burger patty had a consistent texture that was not too dense, but was not seasoned much either. The fresh lettuce, mustard, and mayonnaise went great with the burger by adding additional freshness to the meal. The chili cheese fries consisted of an ample amount of chili and cheese, enough to coat 95% of the provided fries. The chili tasted a bit off, and is quite hard to describe the flavor. There was ample amount of ground meat and beans in the chili and was not too salty. I would say that the chili was border-line burnt. The chocolate milkshake was quite smooth and creamy, and tasted like it was made from chocolate ice cream instead of the vanilla plus chocolate syrup variant. The milkshake was not difficult to sip from the straw and was consistent throughout.

Overall, Juicy’s serves up a good tasting burger and shake. I felt quite disappointed at the taste of their homemade chili on the fries. We had also ordered a hamburger as well, but that meat patty was closer to the medium rare stage, which is a little concerning for ground beef. Out of the items ordered, the cheeseburger and milkshake seem like safe options. Unfortunately, the prices are quite high for what you get in return. Even with the quality meat, this is still a hole-in-the-wall trying to charge table-service restaurant prices. If you wanted to eat a burger away from the casinos, then Juicy’s may be OK, but the value and quality is not all there.

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