Charley's Steak House - Tampa, FL

Charley's is an expensive steakhouse that falls into the special occasion or expense account category.   When the company foots the bill, I'm all for visiting but I had to be careful to keep expenses within the guidelines. That can be tough when the lowest cost steak starts at $30 plus.


I ordered the Kansas City Strip medium rare.  The steak arrived with the desirable brown seared crust and perfect red center.  The steak itself wasn't as flavorful lacking intense beefiness. It also was nowhere near the fork tender level I had anticipated.  It was up to this point a top twenty steak for me but definitely not near the top of the heap of the best of the best.   I also ordered a side of asparagus that was capable if not memorable.

A restaurant asking these prices has to be spot on every time.  I would certainly return on someone else's dime but I can't see shelling out my personal money for a steak here.


Est 3/1/7:  Pickwick - Duluth, MN

A colleague had recommended Pickwick. He said it had great food.  I should have known better than to trust in his opinion. He said he knew how to make great chili being from Texas.  He brought some in and it was nursing home food bland.

The same could be said of Pickwick. It's a nice looking restaurant decorated with a lot of wood. Unfortunately the food wasn't up to par. The salmon was dry, flavorless, and expensive. The customers were old and creaky and a little too stuffy and the waitresses had seen better days.

Pickwick is probably right for the old school Midwestern palate.


Est 8/28/07:  Hardees - Eau Claire, WI

Hardee's was once a thriving burger chain that saw its numbers severely depleted during the 90's.  Given the choice of McDonald's, BK, or Hardee's then, I usually chose Hardee's because their burgers tasted better and I had a thing for their Curly Fries.

While traveling through Eau Claire, I stopped in at the Hardee's haven't not eaten at one for years.  This one was different with decor comprising signed photographs and albums of celebrities.  I had ordered a Charbroiled 1/3rd pound Thickburger. I was told to find and table and that it would be brought out to me when ready.

After a few minutes it came to my table, not fully wrapped in paper like other fastfood burgers but it came neatly wrapped, half wrapped for hand holding and half exposed ready to bite into.   And with one bite, it became the best fast food burger I had up to that point.  Unbelievably good. Thick, juicy, beefy, flavorful.  It tasted like it was made for me rather than made for the masses.  I hadn't had a Hardee's burger in years. What a change they had made and for the better.  I could only hope that this was the standard and not an anomaly.

I had returned to this Hardee's and while it was good, it wasn't quite as fantastic as the first time.  Also I've tried other Hardee's in nearby cities and they pale in comparison to this Eau Claire location.


Est 2/8/08:  La Fiesta Mexicana - Hudson, WI

There's no second chance to make a first impression as the saying goes and in the restaurant business which depends on return customers, the first impression is of utmost importance. The restaurant needs to bring its A-Game to every single customer every single time.

After our first visit here, I pretty much decided that I wouldn't be back but the SO with coupons was insistent that we return. Five dollars off! Half off one entree with the purchase of another entree! Buy one entree, get one free.

The SO ordered the Carne Asada ($10.25) - skirt steak charbroiled with onions, Pico de Gallo, and guacamole. The steak was a tad on the dry side but otherwise offering a nice charbroiled flavor. The guacamole and Pico de Gallo were bright and tasty.

I ordered the Picadillo Combination Grandes ($8.50) with Enchilada, Tostada, and Tamale. The Enchilada was the best of three with a slight overdosing of cheese. The tamale was average with the corn masa undercooked or underheated, with a texture like leftover cold rice that hasn't been reheated through to undo the crystallization.

Overall, the food was decent but nondescript. It was better than food served from the old Chi-Chi's chain but just a tad below the quality offered by the local Mexican chain Acapulco. I'll leave it at that.


Est 3/5/08:  Pappadeaux Seafood - Beaumont, TX

Even though Pappadeaux is a chain restaurant, it is a restaurant I would add to my regular eating circuit if I one were located in my neck of the woods.  It's probably one of my favorite if not favorite chain restaurants.

The Shrimp Etouffee was great but their Texas Redfish Ponchartrain was heavenly and memorable after all this time.  They also prepared some of the best Creme Brulee I've had.


Est 4/27/08:  Grandma's Saloon - Duluth, MN

Grandma's is for the tourist crowd but it's still a serves decent tried and true food even if the prices elevated.  Everything I've had and all members of our party were unanimous in being satisfied with our orders.


Est 4/29/08:  Old Chicago - Duluth, MN

Old Chicago serves respectable pizzas and calzones. Nothing extraordinary but for Duluth, it hits the spot of an otherwise hungry stomach. On a weeknight, it was about half full.


Est 8/13/08  Axel's - Woodbury, MN (CLOSED)

CLOSED MARCH (?) 2012

Let me start off by saying this place ain't cheap! So it was nice when someone else picked up the bill. We didn't have a full meal but the group ordered the three different appetizer sampler options which included their full gamut of Axel's appetizers.

The one I zoned in on was the Fresh Catch appetizer plate consisting of 5 pieces of Seared Ahi Tuna, 5 large Tiger Prawn Shrimp cocktail, and Fried Calamari. Total cost: $27. Like I said, it's not cheap.

The most important thing about boiling shrimp is the timing. Most often shrimp is overcooked and a dry stringy texture sets in. When shrimp is cooked right, the texture is firm, velvety, and has a snap to the bite. The Shrimp in this case was just about right.

The Seared Ahi (aka yellowfin tuna) had a sesame and black pepper crust, seared to give the tuna an even light brown pink perimeter leaving the center purple red. The pepper gave it a nice kick. I love raw tuna and this appetizer only served to increase my desire for more. Unfortunately, the wallet can't support that habit.

The Calamari was just an average version, invoking little lust for more.

Based solely on this appetizer, my perception is that Axel's does a competent but not spectacular job.


Est  11/18/08:  Las Margaritas - Cottage Grove, MN

I believe tamales are the acid test of how good a Mexican restaurant may potentially be. If they can do tamales good, their other offerings may heavenly. Is that a bad assumption or a fair representation?

With that belief in mind, I ordered Tamale ($6.25) covered with a ground beef sauce and served with rice and beans.

Let's start with the good. The rice and beans were quite good with a light texture but I suspect it would not please the hardcore Mexican cuisine crowd.

The bad. The food was lukewarm. Did it sit under the warming lamp too long or possibly not at all? The tamale was not heated through thoroughly and had the starchy crystalline rice texture. The tamale was Midwestern palate bland. The tamale was small and lost under the sauce. When the plate was set before me, the first thing that came to mind was "I'm paying what for this?"

Las Margaritas is a nice airy restaurant with a pleasant and inviting atmosphere. It reminds me of the old Chi-Chi's restaurant but only more lively and friendly. In that sense I enjoyed Las Margaritas but in terms of the food, I was disappointed.