Restaurant Review: Sammy’s El Pueblo

Normally I like to eat at a restaurant a few times before determining whether I’ll like the place or not.  Tonight was not one of those nights.

Jeff and his mom tried a new restaurant that opened near us called Sammy’s El Pueblo.  Jeff kept going on and on about their food, so tonight when dinnertime rolled around, I suggested we go back so I could sample the grub.  These guys greeted us when we arrived.

With a name involving “El Pueblo”, you’d think the restaurant would be Mexican.  You’d be sort of right.

They have Mexican food, but they also have gourmet burgers!  Yum!  As I’ve said before, I consider myself a burger connoisseur, so when Jeff said the burger was among the best he’d ever had, there was no question what I was going to get.

They had an extensive menu.  The burgers alone took up one page!

I opted for the Bourbon Burger, which had lettuce, tomato, onion straws, swiss cheese, mayo, and bourbon sauce on it.  As I’m not a big fan of mayo, I requested it not be on the sandwich.  Jeff got the Boneless Buffalo Wings with ranch.

While we were waiting for our meals, they brought us a basket of chips with some salsa.  Remember how I said I would take a bath in the salsa at Cazadores?  Well, I’d swim in Sammy’s salsa.  It was perfect!  Not too spicy, not too much cilantro, salty with a hint of sweetness.  And the chips!  I must say they were even better than Cazadores’ chips.  They were just a bit thinner, which produced a crunchier crunch.  Nom nom nom.

The burger was Ah-mazing!  The bourbon sauce and the onion straws were sweet and the beef was nice and juicy.  The flavors melded together perfectly!  The fries that accompanied the burger were so interesting!  They tasted (and kinda looked) like a cross between a fry and a churro.  Jeff even commented they had a hint of cinnamon in them!  I believe they were fabulousness on a plate.

Jeff’s Buffalo Wings were great too!  Again, they weren’t too spicy and they were perfectly cooked and sauced.  I hate when you order wings and it seems like there is more sauce on the plate than chicken!

Being as this restaurant is about three minutes from our house (and across the street from the best ice cream shoppe ever Graeter’s Ice Cream), I predict we will be going here a lot!

UPDATE (9/10/10)

After I posted this early review of Sammy’s, I had a few people ask me about the Mexican food there.  Seeing as Jeff and I both only ordered American food, I didn’t really have much to go on.  That’s changed!

We went to Sammy’s on Friday night with Jeff’s brother (Paul), his brother’s wife (Shannon), and his brother’s stepdad (Kenny).  Kenny treated us to a couple rounds of frozen margaritas, which were DELISH, as well as a great meal.  Thanks, Kenny!

I, being the typical burger connoisseur, could not seem to want Mexican when there were hundreds upon thousands of burgers to choose from.  OK, so maybe there were only twenty, but still!  I ordered the Mushroom burger and it was even better than the Bourbon burger if you can believe it!

Shannon went with the Salmon burger and she said it was fabulous.  If I was a fan of salmon, I might have ordered it, but I like my beef.  Kenny ordered the Hawaiian burger and he said it was spot on.

Paul and Jeff opted for Mexican.  Paul ordered the Barbicoa soft tacos, which Jeff munched on the Chiptole burrito.  Both said the food was great and very flavorful.

I’m thinking I need to try the Mexican fare for myself, but I just can’t get past the first page of the menu!  In time, my friends, in time.

C25k: W4D2

Oh, lordy.  I’m starting to get to that “What the hell are you thinking?” point in my c25k training.  I did this last time too.  I question myself all the time as to whether or not I’m “built” to run. It just seems like it is harder for me than many other people.

Now, I know I shouldn’t compare myself to all the other food bloggers out there that run every day and complete half and full marathons, but shouldn’t running get easier with time, not harder?

Yes, I am going a longer distance now than I was say, three weeks ago, but I also feel like I should be “learning” more about how to run.

I have decided to go back to walking outside and running inside.  If running on the treadmill is easier for me, then that’s what I should do.  Maybe once I am able to fully complete my goal distance (3.1 miles or a 5k) on the treadmill, I can revisit running outside.

Maybe I’m coming at this from the wrong direction.  Maybe not.  But for now I think this is going to be my plan of action.

What exercise limitations do you face?  Have you overcome them?  How did you do it?

Pizza Casserole

I am a huge fan of casseroles.  I work some crazy hours, so being able to make meals ahead of time and leave instructions with Jeff on how to cook them is a big time saver.  (Speaking of, I’m also a huge fan of the slow cooker!)

We both love pizza, so when I saw this recipe on allrecipes.com the other day, I immediately got excited.  The great thing about this recipe is that you can customize it based on your family’s likes and dislikes.

Ingredients for a Yum-tastic meal:

1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 pepper, chopped2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 pound ground turkey
2 cups whole wheat egg noodles
1/2 package turkey pepperoni, quartered (about 4.5 ounces)
1 can pizza sauce (about 14 ounces)
1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup milk

The first thing I did was sautee some chopped onions, peppers, and garlic with a little bit of salt and pepper.  After that cooked down, I added half a pound of ground turkey to the pan and cooked it until the meat was done, breaking up the chunks as I went along.

While the meat mixture was cooking, I boiled 2 cups of whole wheat egg noodles for about 10 minutes and also preheated the oven to 375*.

I drained the egg noodles and added them to the meat mixture.

Then I chopped up 1/2 a package of turkey pepperoni and added it into the mix.

Next, I added a jar of pizza sauce, 3/4 cup of part skim mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup of milk.  (By this time, the ingredients were trying to jump out of the pan, so I dumped everything into the pot I used to cook the egg noodles.)

After giving the ingredients a good mix to incorporate everything, I dumped the contents into a 2 qt glass baking dish I sprayed with a touch of Pam.

Then I sprinkled 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese on top, covered the dish with aluminum foil, and popped it in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.

The casserole came out nice and gooey, but not too cheesy (I hate that).  I served the dish with a Citrus Green Bean recipe I got off the Whole Foods website, though I wasn’t a huge fan, so I’m not going to share (though I think the beans were just undercooked).  If I remake the recipe in the future with some changes, I may post it.

Regardless, Jeff and I both liked the recipe and we WILL make it again!

Stay tuned for my adventures in Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie baking…

Dad’s Spaghetti

Growing up, one of my most memorable dinners is what I warmly refer to as Dad’s Spaghetti.  My dad grew up in a true Italian household.  Well, except for the fact that my grandmother never used garlic.  Wha???? I’m not exactly sure why this was and by the time I was old enough to realize what was missing, she was gone.

Every time we would make the pilgrimage to Cleveland to visit her and Grandpa, she would make us either cavatelli or patches (two homemade Italian pasta dishes).  The minute I stepped through the door into their apartment building, aromas of Italian, Irish, German, and Jewish cooking would rush at me.  To this day, I can still smell it when I think real hard.

Going to their apartment meant two things:  good Italian cooking and bowls of sweets.  I think Grandma had a bowl of candy in every room of her house specifically for those little people in her life.

Dad is the second oldest in a family of five children (typical Catholic Italian family, no?), so helping in the kitchen was a must.  I am forever grateful that Grandma made him help out.  Between he and my mother, my love of food flourished from the time I was able to climb up on a kitchen chair and peer into the mixing bowls.

I have rambled on, but the point is my Dad makes on of my most favorite meals in the world. You know those dinners that don’t take any effort at all?  Yep, this is one of those.  All it takes is a little forethought.  Open a can, boil a pot of water, and throw it all together.  You can tweak it any way you want too.  Like veggies?  Add ‘em in.  Garlic lover?  Add as much as you like.  It’s perfect with a salad, garlic bread, or some italian sausage, if that’s your thing.  Me?  I prefer the traditional way.  Simple, easy, effortless.

Dad’s Spaghetti
1 can diced tomatoes, Italian style (with juices)
1/2 can olive oil (fill the can from the diced tomatoes halfway full)
2 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 pound spaghetti
parmesan cheese (optional)
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 3 hours.  The longer you let the sauce simmer, the sweeter the tomatoes will get and the better the flavors will combine.

Cook your pasta in a big pot of boiling water until al dente.  Drain.  In a large bowl, combine your pasta sauce and your pasta.  I prefer to put the sauce down first and then add the spaghetti on top of it.  Then I toss it together with some tongs.

Tip:  After you’ve cooked your sauce, you can taste it and see if you need salt and pepper, or you can wait and finish the pasta with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

My absolute favorite way to eat this spaghetti is with a couple slices of toast on the side I’ve rubbed with a clove of garlic.  Truth be told, I typically make a sandwich out of the two.

I like serving an easy Italian salad (what I called romaine, olive oil, vinegar, garlic & onion powders, and Italian seasoning when I was younger) with the pasta.  This is a great easy Saturday night meal.  Just combine the sauce on the stove and let cook while you do chores around the house.  It fills the entire home with warm scents of love.  For me, it brings me back to my childhood and reminds me of my Daddy.

Can’t You Hear the Steel Drums Jerk Chicken

Jerk chicken.  I don’t know about you but those words make my mouth fill with saliva.  I’m a tropical girl (at heart) and anything having to do with Hawaii, sand, palm trees, or the ocean makes me happy.  I know, I know…jerk chicken is Jamaican, but it’s tropical nonetheless.

The best thing about this recipe is you make the entire thing in the food processor, pour it over the chicken, and then let it hang out in the fridge until you’re ready to grill it.  Unfortunately, I made this extremely fast before work yesterday, so I forgot to snap pictures until the end.  Eh, oh well.

Can’t You Hear The Steel Drums Jerk Chicken
one bunch green onions
1 onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh if you have it)
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied*

First thing’s first.  You will want all your ingredients to wind up in a food processor.  I’m sure you could use a blender as well, if you don’t possess a food processor.

Before adding them to the food processor, cut the roots off the green onions and then cut them into threes or fours (just to make the blending process easier).  Also, cut the onion into quarters.  Then throw everything else (except for the chicken) in and pulse to combine.  You want the marinade to be as uniform as possible.

Place the chicken in a bowl and cover with the marinade.  Toss the chicken around to make sure it is coated on all sides.  Cover and store in the fridge.  As I stated above, I did this before work yesterday and then cooked it that night (about 12 hours later).  Overnight would work marvelously here as well.

Get your grill nice and hot and cook the chicken until no longer pink (about 6 to 8 minutes).  I like to cover my grates with aluminum foil that I’ve poked holes in so the chicken doesn’t stick.

I also made some grilled asparagus to go alongside.
(Aluminum foil + asparagus + olive oil + salt + pepper + garlic powder = happy campers!)

Even Jeff liked the asparagus!  I was quite pleased.

What are some of your favorite ways to prepare chicken?  Do you have a go to recipe?

Cazadores

To know me is to know I love Mexican food.  I went through a phase in college when that’s ALL I wanted to eat.  Of course that followed shortly after I discovered the wonderment that is the Chicken Chimichanga…

(I ate my chimichanga so fast I didn’t snap a picture!)

When I lived in Lexington, I knew where ALL the best Mexican restaurants were.  In fact, I think Carolyn and I would make a game out of finding the best restaurant (and the best 2 for 1 margarita happy hour) on any given day of the week.  Hello, Rincon!

After moving to Dayton, however, I was lost.  I asked everyone I knew (and even some people I didn’t) where their favorite Mexican restaurant was.  I tried several before discovering Cazadores.  Hands down, this restaurant is my favorite Mexican food in all of Dayton.

You know how you can’t describe what is so good about a restaurant, you just know?  That’s how I feel about Cazadores.  It’s just GOOD!

Of course, they start you out with chips and salsa.  Standard fare at any great Mexican place.  Their salsa is outstanding though.  Not too spicy, not too cilantro-y, just right.  I could probably eat my weight in their chips and salsa.  If you splurge and order the queso blanco as well, then you’re done for.  I love dipping my chips in the queso and then in the salsa.  It gives the dip a more complex flavor.

So, here’s my thing.  When I go out to eat Mexican, I go out to eat Mexican.  I typically don’t order the “better for me” meals.  I stick with cheesy, beany, fried goodness (i.e. the chimichanga).  I have had both the chicken and the shrimp chimichangas here and they are outstanding!  They are served with beans and a tossed salad (which is a YUMMY fried soft taco shell that holds lettuce, tomato, and guacamole).

The other night, however, I decided to be a tad bit healthier and I ordered the chicken fajitas.  I didn’t use the cheese and I ate as many veggies as I could.  OK, so it’s still not healthy per se, but it was a compromise.  I still ate my weight in chips and salsa though…

Jeff has ordered nearly everything on the menu it seems.  Well, maybe not everything as their menu is VAST, but he usually tries something new each time.  Some of his favorites include the chimichanga as well, along with the burritos, the refried beans, and the $4.75 Dos Equis, which is almost as big as me!

I’m sure their desserts are fabulous too, but I am always overstuffed when I leave and the thought of adding sweets on top of everything gets me a little green.

We’ve gone there several times this summer because we like dining al fresco on their expansive patio.  Truth be told, I will be sad when we have to pack it in and dine inside.  Not that I don’t like the inside of the restaurant, mind you, but rather I enjoy the feel of the sun on my back and the cool breeze flowing through my hair as I eat.

Cazadores is a local chain with four locations sprinkled through the Dayton/Cincinnati area.  To find a location near you, visit their website!  Make sure you come hungry, though.  You won’t be disappointed!

Birthday Weekend Part 2

The morning of August 14 (yeah…it’s been 10 days since we celebrated at the lake!  Whoops…) dawned bright and cheerful.  I got up early and ran to the grocery store to stock up on some lake goodies.  I got turkey pepperoni, cheese, crackers, and Double Stuffed Oreos just to name a few things.  Then I went home to prepare some ham sandwiches and gather the rest of the treats so we could meet Chrissy, Michael, and Paul at Jason’s house.

We arrived at the lake around noon and quickly got the boat in the water.The day was spent swimming, tubing, eating, and relaxing.Until….We noticed the sky beginning to get dark, but hoped it would pass so we stayed out on the water.  Mistake number one.It began to rain.  Hard.Finally it passed, and we thought, OK, it’s over now.  So again we stayed on the water.  Mistake number two.

A nice state park official came by and told us the rain from earlier had actually been a tornado passing through and another one was on its way in the next 4o minutes.  We decided it was time to call it a day and started to head back to the dock, which was quite a ways away.  We weren’t quite quick enough.

It rained again.  So hard and so long in fact that I didn’t take any pictures.  At this point everything was getting soaked and I didn’t want my camera to get ruined. I stowed it in the glove compartment and prayed it would be fine.

I stuck my head into this tube:and held on for dear life, while Paul and Jason tried to navigate us to safety.  We finally got back to the dock, but not before we got lost in the downpour because it was too hard to see, flooded the motor to the point that we had to wait several minutes before we could try to get it started again, and had to use oars to free ourselves from some branches in the lake.

By the time we got back to the dock, we were all freezing and miserable.  To top off the day, this poor guy was getting arrested for domestic violence against some chick.All I can say is, thank goodness for the provisions we brought with us.  At least we could laugh about the day!As soon as Jeff and I got home from the lake, we showered and fell into bed, exhausted.  We took a quick cat nap and then proceeded to primp for dinner that night.We tried a new place (to me) called Bullwinkle’s Top Hat Bistro.  My manager at work had been telling me about this place for quite some time and I always forgot to try it when I was thinking of restaurants at which to eat.

They were some of the friendless folk I’ve ever encountered in a restaurant!  As it was my birthday, Chrissy and Jason bought me a glass of wine.  Then Carolyn told the bartender it was my birthday and he said the next glass was on him!  Score!  Then when Carolyn’s dinner was delayed, they offered her a free glass a wine, then me a free glass, then Chrissy a free glass!Bullwinkles is famous for their ribs, so I had to try one!What a great group of kids to celebrate the night with!We were supposed to come back to the house for brownies and presents, but we were all exhausted so we said goodnight at the restaurant and parted ways.  I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know as soon as I got home, I crawled in to bed to dream dreams of lakes, rainfall, and ribs.

Thanks to all my wonderful friends for making 29 a great birthday!

C25k: W4D1

I woke up this morning to a cooler summer morning. It was overcast and about 70*. It was a perfect day for running. Of course, at 8:30a the last thing I wanted to think about was running. Instead, Jeff and I cleaned the kitchen and then I caught up on some blog reading while drinking a cup of coffee.

Everyone in my blogs was talking about running so, instead of making excuses, I made a plan. Eat the leftover half of my Larabar, fold the clothes in the dryer, and then change into running clothes. All I had to do today was W4D1 (run 3 min, walk 1.5, run 5 min, walk 2.5, repeat once).

I set out to complete today’s program and then something funny happened. I got the desire to “go the distance”! There is a bridge near my house I love to run over. I wanted to at least go that far. It’s about 2 miles away though.

I got to the bridge and thought, heck, I might as well go to the furthest point in the neighborhood. (Anyone hear Forrest Gump speaking right now??)

I ended up completing 5 miles in 75 minutes, running about 1/4 of the time. Not great but not bad either!

Funny little side note: when I was about halfway done with my run, the song “Halfway Gone” by Lifehouse came on. Perfect timing, no?

So….what songs motivate you when you’re exercising?

C25k: W3D2 & W3D3

W3D2-Monday, August 16th

The second day of week 3 went really well.  It was a little warm outside, so I opted to run on the treadmill at my gym.  I decided I was going to burn extra calories so I could have some leftover birthday cake.  I started my run at a 1% incline and did the entire w3d2 workout at said incline.  Then I went back and did the workout a second time, increasing my incline with each run.  I think I ended up at 5% or something like that.  I did a total of 45 minutes and 3.2 miles.  I probably could have kept going, but I needed to get home to get ready for work.

W3D3-Thursday, August 19th

I did Zumba two days ago, but took yesterday off, so I knew I needed to get a run in today before work.  I changed from my pajamas into my workout clothes and went outside to test the weather.  It felt OK, so I chose to run outside.  I’m not sure it was the best idea I’ve ever had, but that’s beside the point.

I decided three things on my run:  a. running outside is a lot harder than running on the treadmill, b. 80* is too hot for me to run outside, and c. I need to hydrate better before runs.

I knew running outside was more difficult.  That’s why when the weather gets a little cooler, I run outside…so I get a better workout.  It was a little discouraging to go from running on a steep incline last time I ran to barely finishing the workout this time, but I just kept telling myself I was getting a better workout in the long run.

Several factors contributed to my run not being as good as last time.  One of those factors was weather.  80* doesn’t sound that hot, but when you are outside with the sun beating down on you and barely any wind, 80* is hot! I love summer, but I’m getting more and more excited for fall.  I love when it gets somewhat chilly.  It’s the perfect running weather!

Another factor of my less than fabulous run was hydration.  I didn’t drink enough water before I left and I don’t bring my water bottle with me when I run.  I may need to change this.  Usually I’m alright, but the hot sun left me parched today.  In fact, I need to go get a big glass of water right now.

Regardless, I finished my workout and then walked the rest of the way home.  I ended up doing about 3 miles in 50 minutes.  Not horrible.  Hopefully the next run will be better!

Birthday Weekend, Part 1

Man, it has been such a busy week!  I have had so many things to talk about and so little time to do it.

Rewind to Thursday, August 12th.  Jeff got tickets from his work for a Dayton Dragons baseball game.
We invited our friends, Chrissy and Jason, to join us at the game.
The night was spent chit chatting, cheering on the Dragons, and best of all EATING!  You can’t go to a baseball game and not get at least a little bit of junk food.  I opted for some cotton candy.  Who doesn’t love cotton candy?

We also had a few beers.  Everyone was so shocked when I ordered a beer as I’m not typically a beer drinker.  There’s nothing like an ice cold beer on a hot, summer night, though, right?
Jason also bought Chrissy a funnel cake, which we all shared.  Some of us got a little more sugar than we bargained for though…
It was a great night though.  We all had a lot of fun.

I love these people!
The next day, Chrissy and I met at the Greene to eat lunch at Potbelly Sandwich Works and do a little birthday weekend shopping.
I ordered a Hammie, which is a smoked ham and swiss sandwich on a thin roll, with BBQ chips on the side.  It was pretty tasty, though next time I’m going to skip the hot peppers I asked for.  Too hot!
I was at the Greene that morning to get my hair cut and hilighted.  I love the girl I go to.  She always makes my hair so curly and pretty!
I love the Greene.  It’s such a great place to spend an afternoon.  I am a big fan of the outdoors.  And of shopping.  Put them together and I’m in heaven!
That night, I asked Jeff to take me to Five Guys.  One of my favorite meals is a cheeseburger, and I told him I had to have a good one on my birthday weekend.
I ordered a Little Bacon Cheeseburger (my norm) with lettuce, onions, and A1 sauce.
You can’t have a burger without fries, right?

More to come on this restaurant in a future post.Saturday was spent at the lake.  That is a post in itself though, so stay tuned!Yep…that’s rain.
Hope everyone is having a great week!