Friday, October 20, 2006
P.F. Chang's (Oct. 20th)
5915 Sky Pond Drive
Loveland, CO 80538
****4 out of 5 stars****
Not your typical Chinese restaurant, PF Changs has established itself on its prompt service and American Bistro style Chinese cuisine. Located in the new Centerra Shopping Center along I-25 and Loveland exit - PF Changs is always busy and it is a good idea to call ahead and make reservations. It is so good that people will wait hours for a table.
An always polite and efficient staff is waiting to help. They are friendly from the front to the buser. Come with a big appetite as they serve "family style" portions that are too large for one person to consume. On this visit, I had the Shrimp in Lobster sauce, and boy was it awesome. I love shrimp and the lobster sauce was great company. I started the meal out with some very good Hot and Spicy soup, and finished with a 6 layer triple chocolate cake (which is big enough for a group of 6). The meals are all served with brown or white rice. Because it is family style servings, I was also able to try their spicy scallops and honey chicken. Both were very good, and very different. The menus are a bit intimidating, but the servers are a good source of knowledge so don't be afraid to ask questions. They encouraged us to all try something different so that we can share amoungst the group.
Lunch is much cheaper than dinner, so if you are on a budget -go during the day. This was you can go shopping. I also feel that PF Changs gets more dressier and classier at night and creates a totally different atmosphere. Casual dress for the day, and more formal for night...
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Wendy's (Oct. 19th)
1519 W Eisenhower Blvd
Loveland, CO
***3 out of 5 stars***
Do you ever have those days when you crave some fast food? I had one of those days today, as my hangover fueled my desire for a greasy burger and fries. So you can see why I choose Wendy's.
I enjoy Wendy's on occasion. They are known for their square burgers, and steak style french fries. It has an old American tradion feeling, and is always busy when I do. I ate in today, and can say it was enjoyable. The staff was very friendly, and they will bus your tray at this location.
I had a new burger today, that has jalapenos and nacho cheese. It was soo good and very rich, but undoubtly bad for you. I would recommend trying it, although go with the 1/4 lb and not the 1/2 lb. Also had a good side of fries with it - I splurged for the dreaded but loved combo meal deal.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Big City Burrito (Oct.16th)
510 S College Ave
Fort Collins, CO 80524
bigcityburrito.com
*****5 out of 5 stars*****
Infamous for its messy, over stuffed burritos - Big City Burritos is an infamous munchie stop for college students and foodies alike. Located on the corner of Mulberry and College in Fort Collins, would be easily missed if it were not for the line hanging out the door. It's a sight for sore eyes, with outdated furniture and shabby paint on the walls. But the burritos are so good, people come from miles just to have one.
When you go, expect a line. The line will usually make its way out the door and around the corner. It will literally help you identify the restaurant. The line will display an array of humanity - college students, senior citizens, kids to creeps. Most people get the burritos to go, as the dinning area is small, crowded and easily filled up.
The menu is not extensive at Big City. Almost everyone who goes will get some kind of burrito. They have a few choices including "The Potatoe" and "Chicken Mole". For the daring, their is "The Gutbuster". The name explains it as it is the all inclusive HUGE burrito with everything imaginable. They have a ton of fun and novelty salsa's that can be put into the burrito during construction. Everyone orders their unique creation, as if we were line at Starbucks.
For this visit, I had a pototoe burrito. These are so good, but so bad for you. Start with a flavored tortilla, then add melted cheese and sauted onions. The comes in ranch style potatoes, sour cream, ranch, guacomole, and some more salsa. They wrap the burrito in foil and drop it in a plastic bag. The burrito hit the spot, and before I knew it I can scarfed the whole thing. I was the last one to receive my food, but the first to finish.
I'd be surprised to find someone who has not been to Big City Burrito because it is that popular in Fort Collins! But if you have never been before, don't judge this book by its cover.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Qdoba (Oct. 16th)
233 E 29th St
Loveland, CO 80538
www.qdoba.com
***3 out of 5 stars***
Always good and quick, I love to stop by at Qdoba for lunch. If you have never been to Qdoba before its quick Mexican food, but not "fast food". You basically line up as if in a buffet line, and they will make burritos, tacos, and nachos to order. The price is average, and the dishes are made to order
My favirote thing to get at Qdoba is a "Naked" burrito, which is one where there is no tortilla (get it?). All of the fillings are put into a bowl, and it makes it much easier to eat since their burritos are huge. I'm always afraid of stains on clothes while working, and this brings the burrito flavor to an easier to eat meal.
Qdoba has a frequent user card, and after the eighth visit - your meal is free! If you go, go on Wednesday as it a double-punch day on your frequent user card.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Coopersmith's (Oct. 13th)
5 Old Town Sq
Fort Collins, CO 80524
www.coopersmithspub.com
****4 out of 5 stars****
Coopersmith's plays a pivotal role in the downtown Fort Collin's scene. For this visit, we were on the Pool Hall side of Coopersmith's celebrating a friends birthday. Coop's was very busy for a Friday afternoon and had the staff scrambling to serve the patrons. They could have used more staff to accomodate everyone.
However, they have great beer. If you have never been to Coopersmith's they only sell their own on site produced mico-beers. And they all kinds from darks to wheats to nutty and fruit flavors - they have a beer for everyone. They do not carry any other brands of beer, although they do have a lot of spirits on hand. We ordered some nachos which were good. Others had pizza which looked very good.
They have lots of pool tables and Coopersmiths is a lot of fun. Make sure to stop by next time you are downtown.
Pizza Street (Formally Pizza Pipeline) (Oct. 12th)
(970) 482-1999
1128 W Elizabeth St
Fort Collins, CO
**2 out of 5 stars**
A friend of mine was coming over, so we decided to have a pizza delivered. I had received my 6th new phone book this day, and looked up Pizza Pipeline's number. I called, never noticing that the name had changed, and was surprised when Pizza Street showed up.
I'm only assuming that Pizza Street must have purchased Pizza Pipeline or that the name changed. The pizza from Pizza Street was quite different from Pizza Pipeline. We ordered breaksticks (the old Tricky Sticks from Pipeline) and a pie with pinneapple and pepperoni. The breaksticks were short and mishapen and were just okay. The pizza, although strange in its choice of topppings, wasn't too bad - but was not similar to Pipeline's old style.
Although I would recommend trying Pizza Street, do not expect a similiar Pizza Pipeline style pie.
Bennigan's (Oct 10th)
2203 S College Ave
Fort Collins, CO 80525
www.bennigans.com
***3 out of 5 stars***
A typical "Crap up on the Wall" sytle restaurant, Bennigan's plays off of its Irish style pub providing drinks and fare. I go to Bennigan's maybe four times a year - because its always decent food, good service, and good drinks.
My visit the other day was a bit dissapointing. I ordered a Cajun Seafood platter, which came with shrimp, two crab cakes, and a salmon fillet. The shrimp were somewhat dry, as if the plate had been sitting under a heat lamp for some time. The salmon did not have enough flavor, and the crab cakes were not crispy as I would have preferred. The dish was served with rice, some bland cole slaw, and cajun sauce. It was okay, but could have been better.