Jun 21

Erawan

6004 Freeport Blvd

Sacramento, CA 95822

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Having noticed that Erawan moved from their former location on South Land Park and 35th Avenue, we decided to make a takeout order from their new location on Freeport Boulevard. By the time we figure out what to order, it was already 30 minutes before closing time, but the staff had no problem taking the order.

Today, we decided to order the Pad Thai, Red Curry with pork, Chicken Larb, and sticky rice. The Pad Thai came with plenty of prawns and chicken and was all flavored to a classic Pad Thai taste. There were plenty of noodles to go along with the meat. The red curry had a variety of vegetables in it including bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and basil. The pork tasted great with my curry-soaked rice. Although I asked for hot, the curry did not taste that hot, so next time I may need to ensure they put enough pepper in the dish. The Chicken Larb Salad tasted ok, but I felt that there were too many shallots, and green onions in the dish. Also the larb had quite a bit of juice in the container, which did not make it as appetizing.

Overall, Erawan serves up great tasting Thai food at fairly affordable prices. However, I would still prefer Siam Restaurant even though it is a bit farther of a drive. With that said, Erawan is a good backup with a large menu to order from. Even with its faults, I will probably try them again, but be more specific in the ingredients I want used in the dishes. If you want to try some fairly authentic Thai cuisine, then Erawan will serve it up.

Jun 17

Eggies

1650 Fulton Ave

Sacramento, CA 95825

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Having seen the Groupon available for Eggies for the longest time, I decided to finally give them a try. Today, we went to Eggies after the main breakfast rush closer to their closing time. We were quickly seated on the side of the restaurant near the restrooms. Upon looking around, I noticed that the restaurant is definitely aging and is quite old fashioned. Upon review of the menus, our server came by to take our orders.

Today, we ordered the Applejack Omelet with toast and hash browns, and the Ultimate Breakfast with chicken fried steak, hash browns, and french toast. The omelet plate was not screaming out delicious by the looks of it, but the omelet did taste good, and you can really taste the apple flavor in the apple sausage. The omelet tasted fresh and had plenty of toppings. The ultimate breakfast was a huge portion of food with a deliciously breaded chicken fried steak with a bowl of country gravy. I ended up using the entire bowl of gravy for the steak, which went very well together. The hash browns from both dishes tasted freshly cut and crispy. The regular toast was basic, but the french toast tasted amazing with the provided butter and syrup.

Overall, Eggies serves up a variety of great tasting breakfast food with some Mexican items available as well. Portion sizes are definitely on the larger size, but so are the prices. With a Groupon, the prices do not seem as bad. Flavor-wise, the highlights were the chicken fried steak and apple sausage. The rest of the meal tasted fairly normal of every breakfast restaurant. If you wanted to try some classic breakfast food with decent prices, then head to Eggies with a Groupon in hand (if available).

Jun 14

Iron Grill

2422 13th St

Sacramento, CA 95818

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Having seen the Living Social deal for Iron grill for a while now, I decided to bite the bullet to give them a try. This evening, we entered a fairly busy restaurant, but there was seating available upon arrival.The hostess quickly seated us at a booth with menus and soon a waiter arrived for our drink orders. Modern rugged decor lined the ceiling and walls.

Today, we decided to order the Battle Burger, Iron Burger, and the Braised Pork. After ordering, we were provided with two pieces of delicious warm fluffy bread that had a slight sweetness to each bite and went well with the provided butter. The Battle Burger came on a clean plate stacked up tall with the pork belly, cheddar, greens, and beef. The sheer height of the burger made eating a challenge. After a few bites, we noticed that the bun became very soggy and fell apart. The sogginess meant both a good and bad thing because the beef and pork belly were extremely juicy and tasty, but eating the burger became challenging and messy. The Iron Burger was equally as juicy, but the bun did not fall apart as easily since it was not as big. Both burgers tasted fresh and delicious. The french fries were delicious and not too crispy. The side spring salad tasted OK, but some leaves seemed like they were already turning. The braised pork came out craftily on top of some delicious jalapeno polenta. I wished the pork had more crispiness, but did taste good with the lime creme. You can taste the jalapeno in the polenta, but it was not too spicy at all. When taken in one bite, the combination of the flavors definitely works together into a cohesive delicious dish.

Overall, Iron Grill served up some delicious tasting food with great service. Without the Living Social voucher, the prices seemed a little on the higher side of what I like to spend, but the food definitely tasted of quality. If you get an opportunity to come to Iron Grill, especially if a Living Social or Groupon offer is available, definitely give this place a try. You will need to try out the Battle Burger at least once!

Jun 10

Pieology

1020 16th St

Sacramento, CA 95814

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

On this excursion to taste a fresh pizza pie cooked in 5 minutes, I ended up having an amazing experience ordering a customized pizza at Pieology. Located off of 16th street in Downtown Sacramento, Pieology serves up a Chipotle style pizza experience with small-sized pizza at affordable prices. You enter a line where you watch your pizza become topped with toppings of your choosing. In addition to the pre-made selections available on the menu you are able to make your own pizza with unlimited types of toppings for $7.95. As you go through each stage of the pizza-creation process, the staff behind the counter obey your command as to what toppings to include.

Today, I used the house-made crust with red sauce and mozzarella cheese. Then, I proceeded to try something different and add spinach and corn. When it came to mean, I asked for all the meat, which included pepperoni, sausage, meatball, chicken, spicy chicken, ham, and bacon. After ordering, the staff bake the pizza in the oven as I pay the cashier. I was given a number tag to bring back to the table. Around 5 minutes later, the manager brought over my delicious-looking pizza. The crust is very thin, which allows for the fast cooking times. There is just enough crust to give the pizza enough body to hold all the toppings together. There was not a ton of oil on the pizza, which I really appreciated and made the pizza taste more healthy. The ingredients tasted fresh and I was not overwhelmed by any one topping. There was some slight burning of the edges, but that did not detract from the flavor much.

Overall, Pieology serves up delicious pizza customized to your liking served in record time. I was very happy with my pizza creation and can’t wait to go back and try it again. If you love pizza and are looking for something completely different from your standard pizza joint, then give Pieology a shot. The people were nice, and the ambiance was relaxing. Make sure you review the available toppings before you get to the counter because you have many choices to choose from.

Jun 07

La Victoria Taqueria – San Jose

1415 N 4th St
San Jose, CA 95112

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

On this trip to San Jose, we decided to try one of the most popular Taquerias in the area, La Victoria. These San Jose taquerias are famous for their orange sauce, which I feel is a more creamier yet less spicier version of red sauce. The menu is fairly limited, but enough to get all the basics down. Also, this location was conveniently located in the same parking lot as the bowling alley.

Today, I decided to order the Carne Asada Taco and Carnitas Taco with orange sauce. The meal not only came with orange sauce but also came with green sauce. I opted to only use the orange sauce to get a good taste. The tacos themselves were huge as was a great value coming in at $3.25 per taco with a variety of meat options. Instead of lettuce and tomatoes, the meat is garnished with a spicy salsa that adds a good amount of kick as well as a dose of freshness. The tacos normally come with beans, but I opted for without the beans. The orange sauce adds even more flavor without much more spice, which makes the taco even more tastier. The carnitas were not very moist, but had a lot of marinated flavor. The carne asada was fresh, but did not have as much flavor as the carnitas. I ended up pouring orange sauce continuously over both tacos while eating them because the sauce was so addicting. In case you were wondering, the restaurant does sell the sauce in bottles for $6 each.

Overall, La Victoria served up delicious tacos with an amazing orange sauce. If you are craving Mexican food and you are in the San Jose area, then definitely give La Victoria a try. Portion sizes are great for the prices paid and the restaurant was very clean with plenty of seating. With multiple locations ready to serve you, La Victoria is victorious in my book.

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