The Rib Co. - Twentynine Palms, CA

I had read about this BBQ place when I was planning our trip out to Joshua Tree, and it got really good reviews. It was, of course, a hundred degrees when we stopped by this place and there was a guy working the grills with a smile standing outside in the heat. That’s a good sign. Plus the folks working the dining room inside were also very happy to see us.

 

The menu is more expansive than most BBQ places I’ve seen. Tons to look at, so when I saw there was a rib sampler on the menu, I decided to go with that, even though I knew it was going to be way too much food for me. It comes with a half rack of each of the five types of ribs, some sides, and corn muffins (with honey butter) – I got baked beans and mac and cheese. D ordered a combo meal with a half rack of triple threat ribs and pulled pork. She also got fries and mac and cheese for the sides. Well played.

The orders came out and they were massive. The rib sampler was piled high with meat. I’ll show you two photos, so you can get a good perspective. The overhead shot doesn’t do it justice until you see how high the stack is. I know what I read on the menu, but I still assumed it was going to be two or three of each kind of rib, not a half slab. It was, in fact, a half slab of each kind. In order of my favorite style: Triple Threat, Baby Back, Beef, St. Louis, House Rub. And please understand that fifth place on this list is still way better than most ribs I’ve had. These folks know what they’re doing. No wonder that guy working the smokers and grill was so happy. The baked beans were better than average and the mac and cheese also above average. Nothing here was meh, truly.

 D was happy with her Triple Threat half slab and the pulled pork was really flavorful with no gristle or fatty parts at all. And her fries were pretty solid, as well. Nothing out of a bag here. 

 

Tremendous showing all around here. And the best part was we literally had enough food left over for two additional meals. So three meals-worth of food for one visit – the other option might be to bring 6 of your closest friends to help you out. 

 

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes BBQ and I look forward to heading here again the next time I’m in town. It was way better than expected!

 

The Rib Co

72183 Twentynine Palms Hwy.

Twentynine Palms, CA 92277

Hala Khaki Lounge - River Grove, IL

As many of you know, D and I enjoy the Polynesian culture and have found ourselves at more tiki bars than we ever admit to anyone. When we were in the Chicago area recently, I knew we needed to check out Hala Kahiki Lounge. I wasn’t sure what we were getting into, but I’m glad we went. 

 

The lounge is in a relatively residential area along the Des Plaines River and it’s an expansive building. Thankfully, it also has an expansive parking lot. People have commented that there are only two windows and you don’t actually know which door to go in – all of that is true, but do your best to find the entrance (the “front” is off the main road, if you consider the parking lot the back – that might help). The bar owners got out of the funeral business and into the tiki culture accidentally buy buying cheap paneling that looked like bamboo. It all makes sense when you walk in the door.

 

Hala Kahiki doesn’t take reservations, so you may have to wait. But, as I said, it’s huuuuuuuge. It just keeps going back. There’s a back room that apparently is sort of private like an event center, and there’s a heated outdoor space (not open when it’s crazy cold, but that makes sense), so just when you think you’re at the back of the building, it just keeps going a little further. You can peruse the small gift shop at the front if you have to wait, but I’d suggest getting your hands on a menu. It’s the largest list of tiki drinks I’ve ever seen. It’s maybe 25 pages and split into 17 different sections. There’s an impressive selection of non-alcoholic tiki drinks, so please bring your sober friends and family here. There are traditional and old familiar tiki drinks, and then there’s a large number of drinks they’ve either invented or borrowed from other famous places. There’s a number of ice cream drinks. And, to no one’s surprise, they are also known for their Malort cocktails – it’s the Chicago Handshake, if you didn’t know. hahaha

 

While you’re headed back to your table, check out the decorations on the walls and ceiling. There’s an incredible number of unique pieces on the walls (and a ton of Will Farrell Elf cardboard cutouts during the holiday season, which is hilarious). 

 

My wife matches the decor. She rules.

It looks like they have a limited food menu on weekend, and maybe some sort of chips and dip offering during the week, so be ready for that. But hopefully, you had a chance to look at the menu ahead of time. It’s really difficult to narrow down the list, but thankfully, we were able to. Also, make sure you’re familiar with the little icons on the menu. A skull and cross bones means it’s strong. A pineapple logo means it’s sort of a lounge favorite. They also go the extra mile and put other notes on the drinks that indicate if something Is spicy or cinnamon-y or floral. Really considerate. I got the Hala Kahiki – I try to get the namesake when I can – and D got the Kokomo with banana.

 

The Hala Kahiki is a combination of a zombie and a scorpion – two of my favorite drinks. What it actually means is that it’s a bunch of rums and a bunch of tropical juices and then topped with overproofed rum. It’s also got a skull and cross bones next to it on the menu, so it’s reeeeeally strong. The juice cuts the bite of the booze and it really is a fantastic drink. I’d highly recommend this drink if you’re new to tiki drinks. It’s what other drinks hope they become when they grow up. 

 

D got the Kokomo, which is sort of a pina colada style drink. DiSaronno, cocoa rum, coconut cream, and non-dairy cream. And, she got it with banana, so it comes blended up and topped with whipped cream. It’s like a banana coconut milkshake and not like most standard tiki drinks. We keep talking about this one, since it’s so good.

I knew I needed (at least) one more drink before we left. Since D’s blended drink was so darn good, I decided to go against my norm and check out the ice cream section of the drink menu. So many of them are good, and my favorite part is they really don’t steer too far from traditional tiki flavors. I decided to check out the Lava Flo – dark rum, coconut cream, bananas, strawberries, pineapple juice, vanilla ice cream, and topped with whipped cream. It was top-notch! Even better than I expected it to be. It even comes with a giant straw so you can suck up the strawberries and not get all clogged up. All the flavors go well together and it’s one cohesive drink, not 5 different flavors. Super glad I got this one as a finisher. 

 

This tiki bar is absolutely worth a special trip out of your way and I’ll be back here for sure. I know there are other tiki bars in the Chicago area, but this one is my kind of vibe – exactly what I was looking for.

 

http://www.chicagotikibar.com

Hala Kahiki Lounge

2834 River Road

River Grove, IL 60171

Dalles House Restaurant and Lounge – St. Croix Falls, WI

 

D and I were up near Interstate State Park and found this fun looking restaurant – she’s quite good at picking places, so I knew I was in for a treat. It’s got that old school Wisconsin lounge feel from the outside and we were even more happy when we went and saw how fun the inside was! It’s like a magical tiki land behind the bar and there’s a huge outdoor space that would probably be fun in the summer months! There is a fancier dining room, but the bar was definitely more our speed. The bar is the kind of place where you throw some wood on top of the pool table and call it a table (I’m serious).

 

We sat at the bar so we could take in the whole tiki grotto and see what was happening around us. When in Wisconsin, you order a brandy old fashioned. State law, I think. D bucked the trend and got a margarita. 

 

The menu is pretty much Americana through and through, but there are still some really good sounding items on it. We ended up splitting some raspberry chipotle wings and a honey smoked salmon salad. It all came out pretty quickly so we dove in.

The chicken wings were really good. I know it’s hard to do wings in a way that sets them apart, but we’ve also had plenty of wings that were straight trash. These were delicious and meaty and the raspberry chipotle sauce on them was really great. Great way to kick off a meal.

 

The salmon salad was much bigger than we expected. Aside from lettuce, it had candied pecans, blue cheese, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes. This all had a Caesar dressing mixed in, which ruled. We were both expecting a piece of salmon on top but this shredded version was actually much easier to deal with. The salmon had a great sweet honey taste and you could get some with every bite of salad. And despite the tomatoes being sort of out of season, all the veggies were really fresh. We had to fight over who got the buttery garlic toast, but splitting it worked just fine.

 

We liked this place probably more than normal people would, but it’s got that fun kitsch that we’re always looking for. Super friendly servers and good food and drinks just makes it all the more enjoyable. Looking forward to our next trip to the Dalles House!

Pro-Choice Potluck at Hai Hai - Minneapolis, MN

I don’t always post “reviews” (I use that term very loosely) for once in a lifetime experiences that you’ll never get to duplicate, because sometimes it comes off as bragging or something. But, in this case, I’m going to rave about an event that we went to that was pretty amazing.

After Roe v Wade was overturned recently, Hai Hai decided to host an event to raise money for reproductive rights and awareness. They called their closest chef friends and asked then to whip up a potluck-style dish that would bring some folks in for a fundraiser. They has so much interest that they needed to host two separate dates. Both of these dates sold out in under a day and we were lucky enough to buy some tickets.

The putluck brunches were both held at Hai Hai on July 31^st and also August 14. Some chefs made food for both dates, but it was a difficult decision on which date to pick because some of our favorite chefs were only cooking at one of the days. The events raised over $50,000 for Just the Pill and Whole Woman’s Health Alliance. There was also a raffle with multiple really cool prizes from local businesses that also support reproductive rights. Also, great work by DJ Keezy, who really nailed the songlist and got many people up from their chairs and dancing.

 

We started with some fancy cocktails that were also in partnership with some local restaurants like Hai Hai, Hola Arepa, and Meteor. There were also some N/A cocktails from Tres Leches and Hi-Lo Diner, but we were in the mood for some full-alcohol coctails. 

 

When you read this food list, though, you’re going to be very mad that you weren’t there enjoying these delicious dishes. 

 

·      MEKONG SALAD I Chef Christina Nguyen I Hai Hai

Lao sausage, tom yum coconut milk dressing, herbs, peanuts

·      BRAISED CORN I Chef Alex Roberts I Alma

on the cob with whole spice coconut sauce

·      JAHPCHAE I Chef Ann Kim I Pizzeria Lola

sesame-soy dressed sweet potato noodles with marinated vegetables

·      EMPANADAS DE HUMITA I Chef Daniel Del Prado I Martina

creamed corn & provolone with chimichurri

·      BUDIN AZTECA I Chef Gustavo Romero I Nixta

Mexican lasagna with layered corn tortillas, chicken tinga, queso chihuahua, nopales salad

·      SMOKED CHICKEN LARB I Chef James Winberg I Travail

with sweet rice, shiso vinaigrette, herbs

·      SPICY SPINACH PANEER I Chef Janene Holig | Hot Indian Foods

coconut rice, mint-cucumber raita

·      BIRRIA ENCHILADAS I Chef Jon Wipfli I Animales BBQ Co

Braised beef, adobo, cheese, salsa, corn tortillas

·      ALBONDIGAS I Chef Jorge Guzman | Petite Leon

en mole poblano with sesame seeds

·      BORICUA “ARROZ CON POLLO" I Chef Nettie Colon I Red Hen Gastrolab

Puerto Rican rice with chicken, Longaniza sausage & pigeon peas

·      CHICKEN SKEWERS I Chefs Nikki & Brian Podgorski I The Salsa Collaborative

mojo marinated chicken thighs with deep fried plantain

·      PAN-FRIED DUMPLING | Chef Peter Bian | Saturday Dumpling Club

with brisket, carrot & onion, Chinese vinegar chili crisp sauce

·      MINI PRETZEL DOG I Chef Sun Cowles | Create Catering

with kimchi scallion ranch

·      SAVORY DOUGHSCUIT I Chef Tim Niver | Muccis

with tomato tartare and chèvre vinaigrette

·      STRAWBERRY PANNA COTTA | Chef Katie Elsing | Lynhall

with roasted plum & salted white chocolate crumb

·      PASSION FRUIT DIVA CAKE I Chef Zoè Francois | Zoe Bakes

almond jaconde cake, passionfruit buttercream, blackberry, ganache & toasted meringue

 

In the food line, I didn’t tell a single chef “no thank you” – just put them anywhere on my plate that you can find room. It ended up being a really impressive display of food. I felt like it would be MORE rude to tell someone you didn’t want the one thing that they brought to the potluck. Plus, I REALLY love to eat and I didn’t want to miss anything stellar.

It’s basically impossible to rank these in order of my favorite, since I’ve changed my mind about 20 times on what was the best. Just know that ZERO of these dishes were bad. In fact, none of them were even ho-hum or average. They were all fantastic. I can probably narrow it down to the best five dishes that I can determine as of me sitting on my couch right now writing this. So, in no particular order, I’ll list five of my above-and-beyond favorites:

·      Mekong Salad

·      Albondigas

·      Spicy Spinach Paneer

·      Savory Doughscuit

·      Strawberry Panna Cotta

·      (And yes, I’ve already gone back and edited this list – DAMMMIT! They were all so good!)

 

We didn’t end up winning anything in the raffle, but honestly, this was one of the best ways to kick off a Sunday that we’ve had in quite some time. I know the pandemic isn’t over, but it really is nice to ease into social events like this again. Of course, now the bar is set really high and we’ll never be able to assemble quite a lineup like this again, unless it’s at some spectacular event like this one. All the people working the event were having a good time; all the chefs and food servers were having a good time; all the people eating and drinking were having a good time. It just made you feel good!

 

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Abarrotes Carrillo - Davenport, IA

 

I went here with some friends a while back and we had a really outstanding meal, so I knew I needed to take D here to try it for herself. Unfortunately, they had a large fire and had to rebuild for many months, so we had to wait. But now that they’re open, it’s even better than it was. 

 

The place is always hopping, so you may end up waiting for a table, especially evenings and weekends. We got seated right away and scoured the menu. Lots of traditional dishes that you’d recognize and then some specialties that not ever knows. We ended up ordering Costillas de Puerco (short pork ribs) with chili rojo. D got a chorizo taco and a huarache with adobada or marinated steak. 

 

I tried to get her to order a Pambazo, which is a sandwich similar to a traditional torta, but the bread is dipped and fried in enchilada sauce. I’ve only seen it a few restaurants, so I know it’s something special. But every one that I’ve tried has been amazing. Next time. 

 

They bring out chips and salsa to the table, and it’s plenty hot. Which reminded us that we hadn’t ordered anything to drink. At this restaurant you just go the cases along the wall and grab yourself something and tell the server what you got. It works out well for everyone. 

 

The chorizo taco was really flavorful. I’ve had some dud chorizo tacos in my day and this wasn’t one of them. Lots of flavor and it didn’t just taste like rendered fat/grease. Really good. 

The Costillas de Puerco were actually amazing. I never know the right way to eat it but I always de-bone first, and then can just scoop all my ingredients into the tortillas provided without fear of losing a tooth. The meat was ridiculously tender and deeply rich and the chili sauce had a ton of flavor. Homemade corn tortillas really brought the flavor to this dish, as well. Super happy with this dish.

 

D’s huarache was the highlight of the show. We weren’t expecting a quilt-sized tortilla stuff with ingredients, yet here we were. The steak flavor was really amazing (it helps that this restaurant is also a butcher shop and small market), and there was plenty of it in the dish. Again, that homemade tortilla wasn’t just massive, it was also thick and fluffy – borderline pancake. Go get this thing right away. 

 

This restaurant is now one of our go-to places in the Quad Cities. There are so many good Mexican restaurants in the Quad Cities that it takes a lot to stand out above the rest – but this one does. I’d recommend it very highly. 

 

Top five things about Abarrotes Carrillo

1.     Huarache

2.     Costillas de Puerco

3.     Chorizo taco

4.     Homemade tortillas

5.     I haven’t had the Pambazo here, but seeing it on the menu can only be a good thing!

 

https://m.facebook.com/abarrotescarrillo/

BBQ Boys - Eagan, MN

 

A new BBQ place opened up fairly near my house, so of course I had to check it out. It’s not your normal ribs and brisket kind of place, though. It’s much more unique and I went in not only with an open mind, but genuine curiosity and anticipation that this was going to rule. Hard. It’s referred to as “globally-inspired BBQ” – meaning they take all their knowledge of smoking and grilling meats and then combine it with other cuisines from around the world. I overheard a conversation at the counter and someone said they plan to change their menu periodically, which is both good and bad. Good for trying new things, but bad for going back and getting something you really liked over and over again. Hahaha. It’s a small price to pay.

This current menu is curry-centric. Lots of very interesting combinations that include spices and seasonings from India and Southeast Asia. What’s awesome is that if you can’t decide or you don’t know what a certain word/ingredient is, you can ask and the counter folks will explain it to you in simple terms. They were really great. 

 

D and I ordered a paneer pizza, some smoked wings (half with coconut-tamarind glaze and half Tandoori dry rub), and a crispy seared pork belly bowl. There were a couple of sides that we had our eyes on, but we knew this order was already going to be way too much food, so we hit the pause button. 

The paneer pizza is extremely unique. Paneer is a soft fresh cheese (meaning not aged), that melts pretty well, and it’s really mild. The pizza has a shahi sauce on it, which I believe is a tomato-based sauce, additional melty cheese, and also finished with a kachumbar sauce (diced tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers – think of it like an Indian pico de gallo). It’s also got some hints of cardamom throughout, which is a unique flavor for most of the pizzas I’ve eaten in my life. The pizza is personal-sized and has a good crust on it. It doesn’t quite get crisp all the way to the middle, since it’s got so many watery vegetables on it, but it’s still got really awesome flavor. No regrets on this one – it was great.

 

The smoked wings were really great, too. The coconut tamarind glaze was very mild, but the flavor was great – I just wanted more of it. Great pieces of meat and cooked perfectly. The tandoori rubbed wings were also fantastic, even better than the coconut tamarind ones. We ended up dipping these tandoori wings into the togarashi-soy sauce that came with my pork belly bowl. And, it was awesome! Speaking of pork belly…

 

The cirispy seared smoked pork belly bowl was probably my favorite thing. But I’m biased and love me some smoked pork belly. To be fair, the pork belly wasn’t as crispy and seared as I would have liked, but the flavor, both the smoke and the meat, was perfect. Just the right amount of fat and not gristle. So great. It was a really generous portion, as well. It was on a bed of basmati rice and some red cabbage, and served with a chili-infused pear chutney that tasted like a delicious Indian version of apple pie filling. It came with a togarashi soy sauce (sort of a better teriyaki sauce if you had to refer to something more common), and we ended up using that sauce for just about everything. Just an awesome overall dish.

 

While we were eating one of our fellow diners came up to the counter and said he had to order two orders of the smoked curry creamed corn and also a slice of cheesecake, which comes with either mango chutney or something else – all I heard was mango. He said he had never had anything like that creamed corn and just had to have more of it. When D and I finished our dinner, I went up and ordered that smoked curry creamed corn and that cheesecake. I also go the crispy three-chili potatoes. They were just calling to me. We got those to go, and then went home and ate them. Hahaha.

 

The guy was right – that smoked curry creamed corn was delicious. I could eat it with a fork, or a spoon, or as a dip for some chips. Just awesome and I’m glad I caved. Sadly, I ate them b before I took a pic.

The potatoes were like a smashed potato fried crispy and with some awesome sauce on top that had a little zing to it – still not spicy, but just great. 

And the cheesecake was also great – really, the cheesecake was good, but the chutney was great. Seriously, these guys know their way around a chutney. Also, no pic of that, either.

                                                

Also, so people know, the curries used in these dishes were top-notch. They aren’t spicy (I know Minnesotans get a little nervous around unusual flavors), so just get in there and try it out. I know they’re going to change their menu focus soon, so try to get there to check these dishes out and I’ll anxiously be awaiting the newest menu announcement. So worth the trip!

Top 5 things about BBQ Boys

1.     Crispy seared smoked pork belly bowl
2.     Paneer pizza
3.     Smoked curry creamed corn
4.     Smoked wings – tandoori rub
5.     Smoked wings – coconut-tamarind glaze

http://www.bbqboysmn.com

Indian Masala - Maplewood, MN

My friend Fred Garvin (male sex worker) has recommended a few places over the past few years and he’s been right on the mark. It surprised me that he and his family would drive from Minneapolis to Indian Masala just for Indian food, but I found out why – it’s worth it. 

The restaurant is very unassuming from the street view – in fact, we weren’t sure it was even open still. But once you get through the doors, the people are friendly, respectful, and very glad you’re there. We got seated at a booth and handed these very nice shiny menus that were massive. There are so many different dishes on this menu that we had trouble deciding what to get. Usually, when that happens, we just overorder to make sure we didn’t miss anything – this time was no different. I’ll also mention that they have an ever-changing lunch buffet. So you need to check and see which day you want to come. Some days it’s all vegetarian, some days it’s all biryani, some days it’s everything, you just have to figure out which day you want to show up.

I guarantee you that anytime I see Chicken 65 on the menu, I will order it. One of my all-time favorites. This was in appetizer form, which just means a smaller portion. D thinks she has never had a dosa before, so we got the spicy podi masala dosa to split, not knowing how large it was going to be. And order of Chana Masala and Lamb Chettinadu, as well. When asked, we told the server to give us a medium spice level since we weren’t afraid of a little flavor. D also went with a Maharaja pilsner, which seemed to throw off our server just a little bit, but good for her for breaking down gender norms like the champion she is.

The Chicken 65 is really awesome – as it always is everywhere you go. This version isn’t as saucy as some I’ve had and is more of a dry spice rub. I’ve tried to make this at home and I just can’t get it dialed in yet. Covered with onions (optional) and some lemon to squeeze on it. It’s just hard to beat this dish and they nail it here.

The spicy podi masala dosa was much larger than we thought it would be. It’s folded in half and still covers the cookie sheet they serve it on. It comes with a nice dal (sort-of lentil soup) and two dips – one cheese-adjacent and the other tomato-based. It’s sort of a rice flour crepe filled with a spicy potato mixture. It’s a little bit sweet, so the spicy filling really shines, especially when paired with the dips or the dal. I’m glad we tried this, since we’re still talking about it.

The Chana Masala was good – it’s difficult to mess up chickpeas in a rich tomato sauce. It comes with a large serving of basmati rice. The spice level on this was great and we were both really pleased with this dish.

The Lamb Chettinadu was a bit of a gamble, but it paid off. Really flavorful lamb chunks that were tender and not stringy or gritty. The sauce wasn’t something I’ve had before, but I loved it. It’s also served with a large amount of basmati rice.

Everything here was so delicious. We couldn’t finish it all, so we took half of it home in to-go containers for lunch the next day. There’s a dessert case on the way out, so I grabbed some kheer for myself – I’m a big fan. We’ll be back here, without question, so thank you for the recommendation, Fred Garvin.

Top 5 things about Indian Masala

1. Chicken 65

2. Lamb Chettinadu

3. Spicy podi masala dosa

4. Chana Masala

5. seriously thorough menu

 

Bottom 5 things about Indian Masala

1. It’s a bit off the beaten path, being on the south side of I-94 in the southern section of Maplewood

2. Sometimes, it’s difficult to decide what to get with such a vast menu – great problem to have

3. The buffet is going to be on my mind for many days

4. Nothing else is a negative

5. Nothing else is a negative

 

https://indianmasalamn.com