Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Fiesta Maya

1178 Baltimore Pike
Springfield, PA 19064
(610) 604-9599
Website

Fiesta Maya recently opened in Springfield near Swarthmore. I had heard of the original in Exton, but never been there. It's a fast-casual type place that is also a BYOB. At least no one said anything when I brought in some Modelo's.

They have the line set up like their corporate competitors. Although there are some significant differences. Most importantly, instead of picking your items as you go, you have to order them from the register. This creates additional stress if you are ordering more than one item (or making any additions to standard offerings) as you have to remember everything from the somewhat extensive menu.


I much prefer the visual approach letting you pick your items based on sight. You are also charged for all "add-ons" over three. Which is a difficult transition to make from the "all-in" approach (minus guacamole) at the chain places.


The carnitas burrito and chicken al pastor nachos were calling me, and it was quite a bit of food.


The nachos were pretty good, with a healthy serving size, and loaded with toppings. I could have used some more meat, but that is almost always the case with me.



The carnitas burrito was also just good, notably the mayo chipotle dressing (as an add-on) gave it a nice smack of rich heat. The rice was well seasoned, the shredded meat was tender. It's too bad that burritos aren't more photogenic, in general...


I liked the salsa served on the side of the chips quite a bit, and the burrito with chips and salsa alone was a very good deal at about $9. Just have your order memorized, and watch out for those "add-ons".



Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Whiskey Business

87 Wood Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
(570) 829-4567
Facebook

This gem of NEPA may not be around for long, judging by the FOR SALE signs out front. But if you get the chance, get in while the getting is good. The wings are incredible, and the smoking not too bad (at least when I was there).


Creepy guy hiding in the mirrored specials wall.


The interior is one giant snaking bar (and snacking), with plenty of room to sidle up. I am sincerely disappointed that this place isn't closer to Philly. It's everything a dive bar should strive to be.


I decided to order a pepperoni and banana-pepper pie, because the bartender told me she loved the pizza. It was thick crust, with a puffy dough, but was surprisingly tasty. The greasy pepperoni and spicy peppers definitely helped build out the flavor.


The cheese wasn't completely mozzarella, it was some kind of blend that added a bit of sharpness. I don't know if it was prov or cheddar, but it was tasty.


The wings were the real star, however. I got an order of half honey hot, half chipotle ranch. They were perfectly rendered, and stayed impossibly crispy even though they were coated in a generous amount of sauce. The honey hot had just enough sweetness, and a well measured dose of heat. Why is it so hard for other places to get this right?



The chipotle ranch were next level delicious though. It was like a ranch gravy boat spilled into a hot pepper plant that was aflame. The perfect combination of cooling ranch, spicy chipotle, and perfectly cooked wings. I hope if they do sell, they don't change a thing.


Monday, May 16, 2016

Savannah Coffee Roasters

215 W Liberty Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 352-2994
Website


A quick stop for some coffee in Savannah led to sausage stuffed in pastry. I am weak of will.


The interior is quite nice, open air, high ceilings, delicious smells. I decided that a french sausage roll would not cut it alone, so I also sampled the scrabbled eggs with cheddar and bacon on an English muffin.


The egg sandwich was buttery and well toasted. The eggs were studded with fresh herbs, and the filling did the trick without being over-stuffed.


The "French sausage roll" was one of the stranger breakfast foods I have tried recently. It is literally a sausage wrapped in puff pastry and baked. I had no idea that they French rolled this was during breakfast hours. While this was a pretty good option for out of the ordinary meats, it would probably be even better as an afternoon snack.


The spicy sausage was juicy and had a crisp skin. There was quite a bit of butter in this roll, and it was quickly devoured. Healthy? Absolutely not. Delicious? You know it.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Poe's Tavern

2210 Middle Street
Sullivan's Island, SC 29482
(843) 883-0083
Website


Among the many places I love in Charleston, Poe's on Sullivan's Island is high on the list. A beer, cocktail, and burger bar it sits near the beach, and is completely filled with Edgar Allen Poe ephemera. He was stationed on the island and wrote "The Gold Bug" while there. So it makes sense there is a tavern dedicated to him.


The fireplace is particularly haunting.


I had already eaten lunch, and had dinner arrangements, but had to try the "Black Cat" burger anyway. Grilled onions, Edgar’s Drunken Chili, applewood bacon & pimiento cheese burger with a healthy serving of fries and some marinated bacon blue cheese slaw. I decided to go light and also get a side of roasted garlic blue cheese spread. I am making myself blush just writing this.


The burger was probably well seasoned (it was perfectly cooked), I wouldn't know because there was so much flavor in the chili topped with pimento cheese. It was a fantastic "fancy burger". Certainly not diet friendly, so we were fast friends.


Look at this thing. Unreal.


The slaw was a bit of a letdown, as it was lacking in flavor, and had no discernible notes of blue cheese nor bacon. It was fine, but not the over the top explosion of flavor I was hoping for. It looked pretty great though. Poe's is certainly a great place to visit on your way to or from Fort Moultrie. Though you may not be hungry for a while.