Food memory: Popeye's Chicken, Renton, Washington

Let's go back to, oh, March 2010 shall we? (Cue dream chimes).

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I went to a Popeye's Chicken earlier this year in Renton, WA. The closest Popeye's to me are over 150 miles away: one in Troutdale, Oregon, and the aforementioned Renton. No, I don't travel specifically for Popeye's, but both involved traveling. I had to pick up my family from Sea-Tac and they decided on Popeye's for dinner after arrival, so we did.

We walk in, and there was a nice mixture of people there. We felt at home. We ordered simple, just a 2-or-3 piece and a biscuit for each of us. However, the cashier was feeling generous and gave us triple the amount of what we ordered. This means lots of chicken, lots of biscuits, lots of hot sauce and honey packets. All I could think was "this better not having any suspicious shit in here, I don't want the cops coming in here raiding the place and they'll beat me for fricken chicken."

It was more than enough food to feed the four of us, and that was more than enough to take to the hotel and eat the next morning for breakfast (which we did).

I wish I was closer to a Pioneer or Church's. I miss Pioneer's chicken fingers.

VIDEO: making Mini Turkey Meatloaf and Mac & Cheese with Shay Butta

On an online board I frequent (Okayplayer!), someone named Shay Butta decided to make a video of her creating mini turkey meat loaf and her own macaroni & cheese recipe that looks really good. Take a look, and feel free to comment on her YouTube page.

Website of interest: VendrTV

VendrTV is a website that looks into "Curbside Cuisine", so if you're someone who loves those food carts and to support those who make the food, this is a great site to go through. They go across the country to look at what's going on, interviewing the people behind the carts and you get a chance to see people trying out the goods. With summer just around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere, if you have plans on a vacation or two, avoid the Mc and check out these street vendors.

ARTICLE: Travels In Tacoville

The Portland Mercury has just started a series of articles called Travels In Tacoville, which looks at the growing number of taco wagons in Portland, Oregon and picks out some of the best. You can read the first two installments here:

Part 1
Part 2

Dinner @ Cousin's Restaurant & Lounge, Pasco, WA

4605 Road 68
Pasco, WA 99301
(509) 543-9925

If you have ever driven on Oregon Highway I-84 and made a stop in The Dalles, then you will have definitely seen a nice restaurant called Cousin's, which is a laid back place that is dedicated to offering food that makes you feel at home. Unfortunately I've never tried it there, so I was surprised a few years ago when Cousin's opened in Pasco. It had taken over a year for them to build and finish it, but when it did, it was packed. It's just off the highway, so whether you're coming into or heading out of the Tri-Cities, it's the perfect place to unload or stock up. I realize I'm sounding like an ad, but bare with me.

I've visited Cousin's in Pasco a few times before this, all breakfast visits but this was the first time I would be going in for dinner, this time with my mom and nephew. At the same time there was a Fathers/Daughter's event happening at a nearby venue so most of the people in there were dressed up, so it was nice to see.

I decided to try what they call the Knife & Fork Burger, which is described as an open-faced patty topped with sauteed mushrooms, bacon and onions, smothered with swiss cheese. I love hamburgers and cheeseburgers, and this seemed interesting as I could imagine the flavors right there. I should say something though: in the past I've not been fond of onions. I'll be honest, I hated them. I like the flavor but sometimes the texture used to irk me, I don't know if something happened in my childhood where I felt it was too "wormy", or I just hated the crunch. Anyway, I've been wanting to change and evolve with what I eat, and the idea of this burger being open faced with a lot of good things and a semi-good thing (onion) was going to be a semi-challenge.

In truth, it was no challenge. It came to my table and it looked good. I cut a piece and it was so ono! The hamburger tasted good, this definitely wasn't a fast food burger at all. Add to that the smokiness of the bacon and the flavor of the onions, mixed in with the cheese... man, I could have eaten another if my stomach was ready for it. One didn't need to add anything to it. I used to be a ketchup junkie, I didn't flood my foods with it but it would always be on there. In the last few years I've changed my habits as I've wanted to taste the actual food, and I've enjoyed the experience. You want to use a fork and knife on something that isn't steak, this is the best way to go. The thick French fries are also nice.

Atmosphere is cozy, it has a country/western feel but not overly so, and the customer service is excellent, very courteous and welcoming, no stink eyes whatsoever. Breakfast, lunch, and dinners are priced accordingly, so you may want to check their menus (at the website) for prices beforehand. Mine was $10.99 and definitely worth it. Of course you could also go around the block and eat at McDonald's, Taco Bell, Eatsa Pizza, Jack In The Box, and Sonic, but for a good meal to sit down to, Cousin's is definitely worth it for good, home style American food.

Dinner @ Hacienda del Sol, Pasco, Washington

Sunday, January 4, 2009
Hacienda del Sol
5024 North Road 68
Pasco, WA 99301
(509) 547-6392

Here in town, they recently replaced a Chinese buffet place that, to be honest, was a bit lousy. It tasted like Chinese fast food, kind of like Panda Express but worse. It was replaced by a Mexican restaurant called Hacienda del Sol. Pasco has a healthy Mexican population, so there's no shortage of restaurants and great taco wagons. I've wanted to expand on my Mexican cuisine, and it was new so I had to try it.

This visit was my third visit, so obviously I've become a fan. They have dishes that I have not seen anywhere else, and the flavor of the dishes I've had so far have been real ono. They have a combo section, which is good to try out the various dishes on there, so I decided to try the #22, which is a Chalupa and Chile Relleno:



It looks small, but you get a lot of food on the plate, including rice and beans. I tried the chile relleno and the chili pepper inside was nice and sweet, not hot at all. I had mine with ground beef, and when I got to the end I discovered there was some egg with it (it caught me by surprise). Then I tried the chalupa. I could have eaten about two more. I was half way through the chalupa when I realized I couldn't eat anymore, but I did finish it off. The chalupa is crispy and flavorful, far from the variation Taco Bell tries to make. If you have a big stomach, you can probably take this down easy, but if not, you can definitely get a container to bring it home. You're literally getting two meals on one plate, and whether it's the next day or later that night, you'll still have something good to consume.

Next time out I'll try some of their chicken and seafood dishes. Last time I had a burrito with a sweet type of lettuce and tomato salad on the side, which reminded me of what they serve at Tsukenjo in Honolulu. This is perfect when mixed up with the rice and beans.

The atmosphere is very nice, the service very courteous and they make you feel as if you were at home. Highly recommended.

Dinner @ Magill's (Pasco, Washington)

Friday, May 23, 2008
Magill's
3214 N. Road 68
Pasco, Washington
(509) 547-6448

For longtime Pasco residents, the place that now occupies Magill's was known for years as Heidi Haus, a German-looking house that served some of the best German dishes in the Tri-Cities area. It closed down years ago, but in order to get to the Heidi Haus you used to have to take a backroad to find it, it was the only way to get there. Since the Heidi Haus closed, a highway about half a mile away was built, and with that on and off-ramps. No more isolation. Recently, the house was Emmitt's BBQ, which unfortunately I did not get a chance to try (it came and went before any level of promotion was done). Then one day a few months ago, there was some construction. Could it be... something new?

Magill's, promoting themselves as being A Family Tradition, opened a few weeks ago and I had to try it. Breakfast is always packed, sometimes the parking lot is empty only to be filled during dinner. My mom wanted to try Magill's out, along with my sister and nephew so it became the big Book Ohana trip for dinner.

The place reminded me of the house I went to at the winery I visited a few weeks ago, very cozy and "traditional brown". We entered and we were quickly brought to our table. The menu selections looked great, lots of variety and I wasn't sure what to get. Breakfast is served all the time, but it was dinner so I wanted to pick a good, hearty meal. My mom had said her co-workers liked the food and that the servings were huge. Keep in mind her friends are petite, so a petite "huge" might be just "a good meal" for me. I decided to get what was called Mo's Chicken Fried Steak ($12.79), which is described as being "breaded and smothered in Magill's country gravy". I love chicken fried steak, it's a nice basic starter dish and if it was good, I was hopefully the rest of their menu was good too.

It arrived, and was it "huge"? It was "a good meal", not bigger than my head but one that I knew could carry me through the rest of the night (and probably until breakfast the next day). Oddly enough I didn't eat the chicken fried steak first but rather the vegetables. My sister commented that the vegetables were fresh, that it did not taste frozen. A plus. Then I went in. The country gravy was very nice, good flavor. The chicken fried steak was very good too, I had mine with fries (I did have the option to have that, baked, or mashed potatoes) and I'll have to ask next time if the fries are freshly cut or frozen. I could have had some ketchup on my plate, as I like to dip, but it almost seemed like an insult to want to do that to a chicken fried steak that was really good. However, I did have some Tabasco chipotle and Tapatio on the side, which was a nice compliment but I probably didn't need it either.

Service was nice and courteous, and we arrived right before the dinner rush. By the time we left, the place was slowly picking up and yet the staff did not look stresed. Maybe behind the scenes they were, but it didn't show.

I actually had my eye on the chili, which they serve in a cup ($3.25) or a bowl ($4.25), I'll have to try that the next time. They had a number of homemade soups, proudly hyped up their homemade potato salad, and sandwiches such as the Buffalo burger (with bleu cheese crumbles), chili burger, and one called "The Works" which has bacon, ham, fried egg, and cheddar. Hui! Steaks, chicken, Buffalo fettuccini, cod fillet (which my mom had, and it was very good), and on the breakfast side there's Grandma Black's cinnamon roll, buttermilk Belgian waffles, Spud Skillet, Chorizo Skillet, something called "The Rustic Benny", Magill's Big Ole Breakfast Burrito... I could eat here all day everyday, but I'd have to work there in order for me to do that. When I do have breakfast here, I will have a review.

Magill's feels like a home meal, but they also have a number of items on the menu that you'd find at a decent diner. Is Magill's worth taking the off ramp for? Definitely.

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Directions: If you're heading East on the I-182, take the Road 68 exit at Exit 9. Turn right, and you will drive down a hill. Magill's will be at the first stop light, on the corner of Road 68 and W. Argent (entrance and exit is on Argent).

If you're heading West on the I-182, take the Road 68 exit at Exit 9. Turn left, and you'll be on the overpass. Continue until you drive down the hill. Magill's will be at the first stop light, on the corner of Road 68 and W. Argent (entrance and exit is on Argent).