Olivia's, Austin TX

You might ask yourself, why does he have so many reviews of Austin restaurants and the answer is simple, Austin has an amazing food scene and Olivia is one of those restaurants making Austin a hot spot in food right now. Chef James Holmes and Max Petty have created an amazing restaurant named one of the Top 10 new restaurants by Bon Appetit magazine, make reservations, because this place is hot and it doesn't disappoint. I was lucky enough to have a reservation for brunch (served on weekends) with my cousin, his wife, and my girl and it was outstanding. We all ordered something different, even different flavored mimosas, and even though everything was excellent and I loved all the food I tried, I'm only reviewing what I ate. With that said, from the four different entrees I tried, I don't think there is a bad dish here.

I ordered the SOS 2011, which is blackened steak tips, on grilled toast, smothered in cream gravy, and served with a fried egg, I have a lot of breakfast food in my day, and this is fantastic.The blackened steak tips not only had amazing flavor and heat, but they were also melt in your mouth tender, like butta'. The cream gravy was a legitimate cream gravy, not any of this powdery, made from a mix, garbage you find at most restaurants, this stuff rocked. Combine everything with the toast, and the egg, and this flavors melted together in perfect harmony. I paired mine with a blood orange mimosa, and yes, I was in heaven.

 My cousin Eric had the Mac Daddy, his wife Carrie, had the Olivia Benedict, and Jessica had the South Austin Omelette, check out the menu, you'll see the food is amazing http://olivia-austin.com/brunch/. I tried all the dishes and they were all outstanding, I especially loved the pork belly in the Mac Daddy. If you like fresh ingredients, they have a farm onsight, friendly staff, great food, and you find yourself in Austin, call and make a reservation you won't be disappointed. Can't wait to go back, and once again Austin didn't disappoint.

No question, I'll go back.
Grade: A+

Olivia
2043 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
http://olivia-austin.com

Front Street Cafe, Juneau, AK

This might be my new favorite restaurant to visit, every time I've been here the food is amazing and it keeps me coming back. With everything homemade, including the sauces, this has become one of my favorite places to eat. Located in the historic Imperial Billiards and Bar and serving what I consider comfort food, and the ultimate high end bar food, I have yet to try anything here that isn't amazing.

The first time I was here, I had the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich. Made with a hand breaded, boneless, skinless chicken thigh, in house, homemade ranch dressing, bacon, Swiss cheese, and red onions, this sandwich is nothing short of amazing. The chicken is breaded and fried in front of you, to order, which makes for a juicy, tender piece of chicken that tastes delicious. Add the bacon, swiss, and homemade dressing, and this could be one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. I recommend getting the fries, which are also made to order, and then hand tossed with seasoning.

Another favorite of mine at Front Street Cafe, is the Fried Chicken Basket. This basket comes with two hand breaded and cooked to order, chicken thighs, the same hand tossed fries, and coleslaw. The chicken and fries are the same delicious ones that come with the sandwich, but the coleslaw that comes with this is fantastic. Not made from your typical mayonnaise based slaw sauce, this slaw is a Carolina style, apple vinegar based sauce. The sauce is homemade and it doesn't sit on the slaw making it mushy, it is added to the cabbage and tossed before serving, making for a crunchy, very flavorful coleslaw.

Front Street Cafe has also recently added a smoker and is currently making ribs, jerk chicken, and their own sausages. If you ever find yourself in Juneau and are tired of Russian Dumplings definitely check them out, they are open late, and have amazing food at good prices.

Grade: A
Will I go back: Yes

Front Street Cafe
241Front Street
Juneau, AK
http://thefrontstreetcafe.com

Garrido's, Austin, TX

Garrido's is an upscale Mexican restaurant deep in the heart of Austin, Texas, run by Chef David Garrido.  Garrido's has phenomenal food, traditional Mexican with just a touch of French technique and a very up beat atmosphere, which leads to a great dining experience.  They also have two things I really love, happy hour and Taco Tuesday.

Taco Tuesday at Garrido's might be the best deal in the city if Austin, two dollar tacos that will blow your taste buds away. I had an amazing coffee crusted, steak taco, with chipotle aoli, pico, spinach, and cheese in a soft corn tortilla. The flavors marry together perfectly and feels like you're eating a five-star meal not a taco. I also had a pork and chicken taco, none of them disappointed.

                                Clockwise from top left: Steak, pork, and chicken.

If you're in the mood for great Mexican food and you're in Austin head to Garrido's, but be prepared to wait, they get really busy at times. Kind of spend and kind of trendy, but I'd definitely go back.

Overall score: B+
Would I go back: YES
Garrido's
360 Nueces & W. 3rd Street
Downtown Austin, Texas   
   512.320.8226

Kihei Caffe, Kihei, Maui, HI

The Kehei Caffe is one of my all time favorite breakfast places in the world. With traditional, homemade island favorites like loco moco, and their island twist on traditional breakfast faves like macadami nut and banana French Toast, as well as tradional breakfast foods, Kihei Caffe has something for everyone. I try to visit this restaurant every time in in Maui so I've sampled a large portion of their menu, and a couple of my favorites are the chicken fried steak and the loco moco.

The Chicken fried steak comes with steak, two eggs (over medium please), home fries and a biscuit, for a little extra you can get gravy on your biscuit as well. The steak is good, but its the gravy and the home fries that make this meal one of my favorites. Large chunks of sausage in  a creamy gravy and the hand slice fried potatoes make this dish the winner that it is. This is a great post surfing meal.

Loco moco is a hawaiian  dish that consists of rice, topped with a hamburger patty, topped with fried eggs, and then smothered in brown gravy. It might not sound appetizing, but trust me it is very, very good, the flavors all seem to blend together perfectly for an amazing, savory breakfast experience.

Kehei Caffe also has some great baked goods as well. If you like french toast they have several different types, some are just daily specials, to choose from. If they have the macadamia nut and banana French toast, I'd recommend that,with coconut syrup. They also have to die for homemade cinnamon rolls available in many different flavors as well.

If you find yourself on the south side of Maui, near Kehei, and your are in the mood for some great food, I'd recommend stopping by the Kehei Caffe. Get here early and bring cash, because they don't accept credit and the lines can get really long.


Overall score: A
Would you go back: definitely
Kihei Caffe  
1945 South Kihei Road 
Kihei, HI 96753 
 (808) 879-2230

Big Ass Sandwich, Portland, OR

Big Ass Sandwich is a food cart located in downtown Portland that offers a unique spin on a old lunch favorite. With fresh, local ingredients put on a canvas of fresh baked artisan bread, delivered to them daily, they create a masterpiece that can only be described as delicious. They have many different options to choose from on their everyday menu, as well as weekly specials, and even a secret menu, but get there early because once they are sold out, they are done for the day.

One of my favorites, is the traditional, Big Ass Sandwich. With your choice of slow roasted beef, turkey, or ham, hand cut french fries, bechamel cheese sauce, and Secret Aardvark hot sauce, this sandwich has enough food in it to feed a small army! You might think "french fries on a sandwich with cheese sauce?" but believe me, it works, the sandwich is amazing. The ingredients here are top shelf, from the soft, fresh baked rolls, to the slow roasted meats, these sandwiches are sure to satisfy.

If you find yourself in Portland and are looking to try something a little different, give Big Ass sandwich a try, you won't be disappointed. If you do you might want to check their Facebook page for the most up to date info on hours and availability, because like I said before once they are sold out they are done.

Overall score: A-
Would you go back: Yes
Big Ass Sandwich
304 SE 2nd Ave
Portland, OR
www.bigasssandwiches.com304 SE 2nd Ave.

Amina Pizzeria Honolulu, Oahu, HI

I stumbled into this little gem purely by accident and was I pleasantly surprised. We were going to another well known bar in the Ala Moana area of the city and it just happened to be closed for Father's Day. We looked across the street and saw Amina Pizzeria and I have to admit, I wasn't sure I wanted to eat there, but we looked it up and saw that it had received great reviews so we decided to go for it! With a large menu of pastas, hot subs, pizza, and calzones and prices starting at $6.50 Amina's has something for everyone, on any budget.

While I was here I decided to try a pepperoni and sausage calzone. I have eaten some great calzones in my life, so I am very critical of the components, mainly the crust and the sauce. Amina's didn't let me down. Their crust was very flaky and the sauce, which comes on the side, had tons of flavor that blended perfectly with the crust and the fillings. All four of us had calzones and all of us raved about how good ours were, but I did get a look at their pizza and it looked amazing as well and I can't wait to try it.

My only complaint about Amina's is they don't serve alcohol, so if you are looking to have a few drinks with your dinner you are out of luck. If you ever find yourself in Honolulu and you don't want to spend a fortune at the tourist trap restaurants of Waikiki, head down the road to Amina's and get some great food at an affordable price.

Would I go again: Yes
Overall score: B
Amina Pizzeria
1694 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96826

808-949-3548

Bingo Burgers, Pueblo, CO

Bingo Burgers is a funky, little burger place in Pueblo, Co that makes one of the best burgers I've ever had! Using fresh, local ingredients, Bingo's gives you the option of building your own or choosing one of their seven masterpieces they have on their menu. First, choose your meat and bun, with grass fed beef, with or with out green chiles (the chiles keep the meat moist), chicken, lamb, and even a portobello mushroom option for the vegetarians out there. Then, you choose your garden, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles, all free of charge. Finally you choose all your other toppings, cheese, bacon, etc. (check out the menu for some great choices) and your burger is complete. Add some hand cut fries or sweet potato fries with a variety of dipping sauces available and then top it off with a hand made shake or malt (made with local ice cream) or a Colorado craft beer (I'd recommend the Milk Stout) and your meal is complete.

I chose one of Bingo's signature burgers, The Boilermaker, when I was there. It's a bingo burger (with green chiles) topped with fried egg, cooked to order, a ton of bacon, and cheddar cheese. I have to say this is truly one of the best burgers I've ever had! The meat is very, juicy and tender and even though they don't skimp on the toppings you can still taste the quality of the meat they use. Their hand cut fries are excellent and the large variety of dipping sauces has something for everyone.

Bingo Burgers is a great place with a friendly staff and for the quality of food you get priced very reasonably. If you ever find yourself in Pueblo, do yourself a favor and GO, and if your a FA reading this pick up the 21st or 28th of April for me so I can go again.

Would I go again: Definitely
Overall score: A
Bingo Burgers
101 Central Plaza
Pueblo, Co
719-225-8363
http://bingoburger.com/