Thursday, August 24, 2017

Blaze Pizza: Ultimate Custom Pizza Experience


Blaze Pizza, why hadn't I discovered you sooner? If you've never been Blaze Pizza, you owe it to yourself to try it, especially if you're a pizza aficionado. Blaze Pizza is a California-based pizza chain that allows you to customize your pizza with whatever ingredients their restaurants have to offer. You can receive a whole personal pie all to your liking! Doesn't that sound wonderful? Well, it is. I wasn't too fond on the concept of integrating a pizza restaurant with a Subway, but in this case it works. And it works terrifically.

I initially experienced Blaze Pizza after winding down from a long day at Universal Studios Hollywood. I first learned about Blaze Pizza from viewing a video from BuzzFeed's "Worth It" series. When I laid my eyes upon the Blaze Pizza logo burning bright with neon lights, I knew I could not miss my chance to eat there.

Ordering your pizza at Blaze Pizza is a relatively simple affair. First, you can choose the type of crust you want between thin and thick crust. They also offer gluten-free dough. Then, you select any of their signature pizzas, including a build-your-own option. After that, you work your way down the assembly line choosing from the multitude of ingredients they have to offer to add to your pizza (unless you ordered a "Simple Pie", which does not offer extra toppings). You can add as many or as little toppings as you prefer to your pizza for no extra charge!


I had ordered a "Meat Eater" pizza which consisted of pepperoni, meatballs, red onion, mozzarella, and red sauce*. The savory meatballs and pepperoni worked well in cohesion with the rich flavor of the mozzarella cheese. The red onions gave the pizza a very nice snap to the texture. I also topped the pizza with oregano which enhanced the fragrance of the pizza and added an herby note to the flavor of the red sauce. The best part about this pizza was the crust. Pleasantly thin and crispy. I wouldn't have expected a very good crust from a chain pizza restaurant that bakes your pizza in an astonishingly short amount of time.


I enjoyed the pizza at Blaze Pizza so much that I later decided to search up any nearby Blaze Pizza restaurants in San Diego. Luckily, I found one in Clairemont. In that location, I tried a different pizza called the "Link In". This pizza had Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, sauteed onions, mozzarella, and red sauce*. I also added bacon, raw red onions, and oregano. You can't go wrong with adding these ingredients for extra flavor, texture, and fragrance. For this pizza, the crust was marvelously thin and crispy like the other pizza I had. Also, the pizza also had deliciously meaty, herby, and rich flavor.

Blaze Pizza is amazing for what it is. Quality fast personal pizzas at an affordable price. If you're looking for a pizza experience with the most customization, Blaze Pizza will take care of you. They let you have your way. That I can appreciate.

*Ingredients taken from www.blazepizza.com






Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Does Rocky's Crown Pub Have The Best Burger In San Diego?


My old high school teacher once told me of a fabled burger that he heralded as the best burger in all of San Diego. This burger belonged Rocky's Crown Pub in Pacific Beach. The story of that burger was so significant to me that I still remembered it to this day! With every daydream of this burger, the saliva in my mouth quickly accumulated. Back then, there was one caveat that prevented me from eating that burger. Unfortunately, I had to be in the twenty-one-and-up club. Oh, how that fifteen year old anguished over every single realization of that fact. For over six years, I had to wait for the opportunity to try this legendary burger. And after six years, the opportunity had finally arrived.

On one fine evening after one fine beach party, I needed some food to alleviate my buzz. Sometime before the day of the party, I had already planned to go to Rocky's Crown Pub after the party ended. After all, it was only minutes away from the location of the beach party. I couldn't let the chance pass by. Thus, several of my friends and I trekked to Rocky's in order to try their famous burgers. The moment I was granted access to the pub by the doorman, I was barraged by thoughts. This is it. This is the moment of truth. i finally get to taste this burger that has been in my dreams for a very long time. Now, this small dream of mine becomes a reality.

Inside was a casual bar loaded with people. I could tell at first glance that this was a popular spot among the locals. Despite the bar table being completely filled, I was able to order my half-pound hamburger with a surprising amount of ease. After a few minutes of waiting, what came to me was a modest hamburger with tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and mayo with sliced pickles on the side. What I had imagined long ago was a spectacular-looking burger that shined from every angle. However, this burger was a very no-frills burger. No special sauce, no special bun, no special toppings. Just a plain, old hamburger. After fully inspecting the burger, I had assumed that Rocky's must have utmost confidence in their burger.

So was it a good burger? Yes, it was. It was decent portion and the patty had an acceptable amount of juices spewing out. With the addition of some sriracha sauce, the burger gained a little bit of spiciness that complemented the burger well. While I can say that it was satisfying, it left me wanting more. There was nothing striking to me about the burger, like something was missing. It was not as rich with flavor as I had expected it to be. I felt that I could make a similar quality burger myself. As a result of this, I was left slightly disappointed. Perhaps some bacon could have done it some justice.

Now on to the question of the century: does Rocky's Crown Pub have the best burger in San Diego? The answer to that question is an honest no. I feel that I have had at least two or three burgers in San Diego that were better than the one I had at Rocky's Crown Pub. Maybe it wasn't a good day. Maybe it was better way back when. Maybe I should have gotten the cheeseburger instead. Still, I was expecting more. Unfortunately, the burger at Rocky's Crown Pub is not the burger I had dreamed about for so many years.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Beauty Hunan: Oh So Spicy, Oh So Delicious

If you know me, you know that I love spicy foods. You would probably know that if you read my blog post on the Carolina Reaper. When people think of spicy Chinese food, they will typically point to Szechuan cuisine. Szechuan cuisine is known for the pungency of its food offerings, but Hunan cuisine takes that to a whole new level. Hunan cuisine implements higher amounts of chili peppers in comparison to Szechuan. As a lover of spicy foods, Hunan cuisine is hard to ignore.

In celebration of my father's birthday, my family decided to eat out for dinner in an area known as "Convoy" in San Diego. We first decided to go to a Taiwanese hot pot restaurant, only to discover that it was completely packed. The wait for a table could have exceeded an hour. After a few minutes of ponderous decision-making, we departed for a slightly obscure restaurant by the name of "Beauty Hunan."

Entering the restaurant, we were greeted with a massive fish tank filled with a variety of beautiful fishes ranging from goldfishes to silvery arowanas. After admiring the fishes in the tank, we were quickly seated. Unlike the hot pot restaurant, many of the seats in Beauty Hunan were empty by comparison. One reason for this could have been due to its relatively non-busy location. A sign of that was the fact that parking for Beauty Hunan was simple while parking for the Taiwanese hot pot restaurant was problematic. I was a little concerned about the emptiness, but that didn't deter us away from the establishment.

Ordering at Beauty Hunan was very pleasant. The menu was easy to navigate, and was abundant with many different options. The waiter was courteous and well-informed about the menu items. When asked a question about a dish, they answered kindly and accurately.


 Hunan cold dishes. Spicy beef, pork ears, and duck tongues.

The first dish we received was a combination of Hunan cold dishes. The dish consisted of spicy beef, shredded pork ears, and stewed duck tongue. The spicy beef was what I would describe little bits of spicy and oily goodness. The pork ears were a bit chewy and shared a similar flavor profile to the spicy beef. The stewed duck tongues were spicy and oily as well. However, I didn't care too much for the duck tongues because the presence of bone in the tongues was a little unpleasant. Overall, this was a very decent appetizer to begin the course.

Next came the cuttlefish dry pot and fried rice. First and foremost, let's talk about the fried rice. There is not much to say about the fried rice because it was your typical Chinese fried rice. However, it was a good complement to the overall course. The more significant of the two dishes was the cuttlefish dry pot. For those who don't know what a dry pot is, it can be described as a hot pot without the boiling hot broth. A major difference is the fact that all the ingredients come to the table pre-cooked and already in the pot. The dry pot is warmed over a heat source at the table in similar fashion to a traditional hot pot. As for the cuttlefish dry pot, it was placed over a wooden vessel with a cast iron top containing a small flame. This was a visually pleasing enhancement to the presentation aspect of the dish. Inside the cuttlefish dry pot was a wealth of ingredients including broccoli, cauliflower, chili peppers, potatoes, onions, and of course, cuttlefish. Without reserve, my family and I commenced our attack on the dry pot.


Cuttlefish dry pot. A perfect balance of flavors.

The first bite of the cuttlefish was intensely flavorful. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly spicy. The savory and spicy flavors enveloped my tongue in a pleasingly piquant hug. The saltiness and spiciness were in a perfect harmony akin to the two Chinese divers diving in the 2016 Rio Olympics synchronized diving event. The texture was pleasantly tender and similar to squid. All the other ingredients in the dish were delicious as well, but the potatoes in particular stood out. These potatoes were gloriously salty, just slightly crispy on the outside, and moist on the inside. They reminded me a little of the most decadent of potato wedges. It was hard to restrain myself from ignoring basic civility and completely devouring all the potatoes like a Neanderthal.


Boiled fish in spicy broth. An acquired taste.

The final dish served was boiled fish in a spicy broth. The first thing I noticed about this was how fragrant the dish was. The scent of peppercorn completely dominated my olfactory senses. The fish, as one could probably guess, had the strong taste of Szechuan peppercorns. This put a numbing sensation on my tongue that strangely turned sweet once the sensation settled down. The fish was moist to the point where eating it was almost as easy as chewing air. I feel that this dish might have an acquired taste because the flavors stemming from the peppercorns are profoundly intense.

For a person that has never tried Hunan cuisine, it is hard to not recommend this restaurant. It is especially hard not to recommend this restaurant to lovers of pungent and spicy flavors. Not too long ago, I was disappointed to learn that my favorite Chinese restaurant in Convoy had closed down. After learning the unfortunate news, I toiled in my search for another enjoyable Chinese restaurant that could possibly replace my now-closed-down favorite. After coming to Beauty Hunan, it's safe to say that I've found my replacement, and a very good one at that.


Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Crispy Fried Chicken: Best Fried Chicken in San Diego?

One fine early morning at 1:30 AM, I was feeling extremely spontaneous. I suddenly wanted to have a get-together with my old group of friends. We had not hung out with just ourselves in a very long time due to a variety of reasons. So I thought, why not bring my old friends together with some fried chicken? After all, fried chicken is the premiere food to bond over. Everyone loves fried chicken, right?

I picked up my friends and arrived at the fried chicken establishment in the afternoon. The place was called "Crispy Fried Chicken". Now that's some creative naming sense right there! The name made it blatantly obvious what was served there, which I can actually appreciate. It makes life easier when you have less things to think about.


Anyways, my friends and I entered Crispy Fried Chicken and were greeted with a hole-in-the-wall environment. The windows were lined with vertical window bars for security. Being in a less prosperous area of El Cajon Blvd., the bars only made me feel a little more disconcerted than I already was being in the area. One of the friends I brought (let's call him "Habibi") was joking that a person could come into the shop and pull a gun out at any moment. An obvious exaggeration on Habibi's part, but I wasn't overly comfortable with the area myself. One noticeable feature of Crispy Fried Chicken was the viewing window where you can see the fried chicken resting on top of racks. It was honestly a beautiful and glorious sight to see. Other things to note were the addition of gumball and gachapon machines, along with an old-school arcade machine. Overall, Crispy Fried Chicken looked like your typical and understated mom-and-pop shop.


You can see your fried chicken resting on the racks at the viewing station. Neat!
 A closer look at the viewing station.


After checking out the shop, I proceeded to order fried chicken gizzards and five of pieces of fried dark meat chicken from the generous Asian lady at the counter. At first glance, the chicken gizzards looked similar to popcorn chicken. However, the texture was far from it. The chicken gizzards had a tough texture that was reminiscent of the cartilage found on the end of a drumstick. Oddly enough, they worked oddly well deep-fried and were wonderfully salted.

Now for the main course. The five pieces of fried chicken. After finishing the gizzards, I could not wait much longer to dig in. The first morsel of fried chicken I bite into had a crisp superior to that of your normal fried chicken chain restaurant. The moistness of said fried chicken were up to my standards as well, and was pleasantly juicy. The fried chicken shared the same, salty flavor as the fried chicken gizzards. Dipped into some honey mustard, the fried chicken pieces were even more palatable than if eaten plain.

Overall, the fried chicken experience at Crispy Fried Chicken could best be described in one word: CRISPY! Actually, they can be described better with more words. While the fried chicken was definitely crispy (which is good considering the establishment's name), the fried chicken was also well cooked and well seasoned. In addition, I was surprised but how much I enjoyed the chicken gizzards. They were arguably just as tasty as the regular pieces of fried chicken. Even with my positive feelings regarding Crispy Fried Chicken, I couldn't help but feel like something was amiss. I was very satisfied with the fried chicken, but I wasn't particularly blown away by it either. I felt like there needed to be something added to intensify the flavor profile of the chicken. Perhaps adding cayenne or paprika to the batter would do just that. However, that's my just my opinion. It's not quite on the level of the Crack Shack, but it's hard for me not to appreciate another great spot to experience delicious fried chicken here in San Diego.

P.S.

Sorry for the poor quality images! My new phone doesn't take great-looking photos.

P.P.S.

KFC or Popeyes, please sponsor me! I want to eat your fried chicken!

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Devine Pastabilities: Go Here Instead of Olive Garden



Devine Pastabilities is GLORIOUSLY divine. Go there now, or else you'd be missing out on a delightfully carb-filled adventure for your taste buds. That's all for the review...or at least that's what I want to say.

Obviously, I can't end things like that. I am serious about how awesome Devine Pastabilities was! After watching an excellent live wrestling event with two lovely people (Shaheen and Yukari), we were famished from all the energy spent cheering and booing. Because I had not eaten for a large part of the day, my stomach rumbled as if the wrestling event had taken place inside of it! After searching for nearby restaurants on a particular website that shall not be named, I discovered Devine Pastabilities. Rather, I rediscovered Devine Pastabilities. I heard about this establishment a long time ago, but never really remembered to try it. I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to eat there. Luckily, my party allowed me to choose an appropriate restaurant. The excitement within me rose by the minute.

Once there, we were kindly seated by our waitress. The interior of the restaurant could be described as that of your typical diner/small eatery. Nothing too special here. It's conservative style gives it an inviting vibe that welcomes all patrons. The menu was filled with a wide variety of options such as their pastas, salads, and pizzas. Reading the descriptions of some of the pastas made my mouth water.

What I ordered was the Creamy Pesto & Sundried Tomato pasta. I knew I had to jump on that once I saw the alluring combination of words that is "sundried tomato in alfredo". The main highlight of Devine Pastabilities is the fact that they serve their pastas and salads in hollowed-out Italian bread rolls. Unfortunately, I ordered my pasta on a plate so I can't do a review on that concept yet (I'm sorry...). In terms of taste, the pesto alfredo sauce was excellent. The creaminess stemming from the alfredo sauce was an absolute delight. The flavors of parmesan cheese seeped through my taste buds, intensifying the joyous sensation I was feeling. The pesto added a nice herbal touch to the flavor profile. The sundried tomatoes added some much appreciated sweetness and acid to the pasta as well. The farfalle pasta was perfectly al dente. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better pasta on that night.

As for what the others ordered, Shaheen did not order anything, but I let him scavenge the remains of my pasta as the portion was too large for me to finish at that moment. He said, "It's good." He gets to the point when describing food. Yukari ordered a Carbonara pasta. I'm not sure what she really thought of it because I didn't get her input, but I think she enjoyed it if I recall correctly! *Yukari, if you're reading this let me know how you felt about it so I can edit this!* She couldn't finish her pasta as well due to the large portion size. I tried her pasta and thought it was tasty, especially since it had bacon in it. You can't go wrong with bacon in most things. (Edit: she liked the pasta, but got overwhelmed by the ham and the portion size of the carbonara.)

I left Devine Pastabilities extremely satisfied with what I experienced. I hope my friends felt the same way. For me, it was a great place to fill my empty stomach. Devine Pastabilities is the place to go if you're looking for delectable pasta dishes that's very well priced. I will definitely be coming back next time for a proper Torpasta experience!

P.S. Sorry for my long absence. I've been really busy with the events going on in my life. I'll try to post whenever I can! Thanks!


Friday, July 29, 2016

Harry Potter made me hate British food... (Short Review)






Yes, I now hate British food because of Harry Potter... Just kidding! I can't really hate British cuisine after only eating one dish. Honestly, I can't criticize British food because the only British dishes I've tried that comes to mind are fish and chips and shepherd's pie. However, I can safely say that I don't like Three Broomsticks Inn's bangers and mash. I wasn't expecting the food of Harry Potter to be magically good, but I didn't think it be boring and bland. I was excited to try the food at Universal Studios Hollywood's Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but I was completely let down. The bangers and mash consisted of mashed potatoes topped with two sausages and caramelized onions. On the side were green peas and cabbage slaw. The sausages were your average sausages taste-wise, and the mashed potatoes could be compared to stale saltine crackers in terms of flavor. The green peas and cabbage slaw failed to improve the overall dish, unfortunately. The bangers and mash offered by Three Broomsticks Inn was just not worth the $12 (approximately) I spent for it.



Even though the bangers and mash was awful, Harry Potter World's saving grace was the butterbeer. It was a surprisingly refreshing drink! The butterbeer seemed to be a cream soda topped with a butterscotch-flavored cream. I thought the drink would be overly rich and heavy with sweetness, but it is a light and enjoyable drink. Not a bad drink for 90-degree weather! I don't really drink soda, but I could see myself drinking this every so often. It's a little expensive though, being priced at about $6 (if I recall correctly). I would pay that much for an alcoholic version, however.

Honestly, I feel like the food offerings at the Simpsons' Springfield is better than the ones at the Harry Potter World. However, it was my first time visiting the new Harry Potter attraction, so I haven't had a chance to sample all the foods yet. Luckily, I have a season pass so I will definitely have the chance to try what I missed. I just hope to find some people willing to spend the money to come with me next time, haha! Thanks for reading this short review! Please feel free to comment and follow this blog!


Tuesday, July 12, 2016

This Fried Chicken Sandwich is NUCLEAR!








I think I've finally found a fried chicken sanctuary in San Diego. That sanctuary is called "The Crack Shack".

The day I visited this place, my friend Hy and I had to bring our Japanese friend Taka to the airport and say our farewells to him. I was dejected to have to see him leave, but luckily fried chicken turned out to be the saving grace of the day. Taka wanted to eat somewhere before he left for his home country, so we settled on The Crack Shack. Located in Downtown San Diego's Little Italy, this place seemed to be in the perfect location to attract the locals. The outdoor venue permeated with a fresh and inviting atmosphere. This place is as casual as places can be. There are two things unique things to note about the establishment. One is the Beatles mural in the back of the eatery. The heads of the Beatles were replaced with chicken heads in an amusing fashion. Another thing to note is the presence of a bocce ball court inside the restaurant. Just this screams to me how fun and cool this place is. Also, a bar in the back in greatly appreciated for those who want a nice and refreshing drink after work. The Crack Shack definitely seems like a great spot to hang out and eat.

After surveying the excellent environment, my friends and I finally started to order our food. I ordered a fried chicken sandwich called the "Coop Deville". Pretty fancy name, I thought. Why not give it a try? Taka ordered "The Royale" sandwich and chicken lollipops, while Hy ordered five pieces of fried chicken. Unfortunately, I only took a picture of the Coop Deville. After ordering, we seated ourselves near the bocce ball court and waited for our food to arrive.

The Coop Deville sandwich I ordered consisted of a fried chicken breast, nappa cabbage slaw with slices of chili peppers, and lime mayo all on a brioche bun. I'll tell you this now: this is probably the best fried chicken sandwich I've ever had so far in my life. After a delightful crunch from the thin and crispy exterior comes the perfectly moist and succulent interior. You could visually see how moist the chicken was from the clear juices that were seeping out of its pores. It was as if Jesus Christ himself came down from the heavens and bestowed upon me this gift that is a fried chicken sandwich. The nappa cabbage slaw and lime mayo contributed added some much appreciated acidity to sandwich. The overall combination of ingredients used in the Coop Deville produced a maelstrom of flavor I hadn't experienced from a chicken sandwich before. The herby chimichurri sauce and spicy hot sauce served only to enhance the tasteful experience. This single sandwich has got me yearning for even more from this place in the future.

As for what my friends ordered, Taka commented that The Royale sandwich was probably the best sandwich he has ever had. The Royale consisted of a chicken sausage, sunny side-up eggs, and cheddar cheese on an English muffin. The chicken lollipops he ordered were also great as they were well-seasoned with togarashi to give them a spicy kick. Hy felt that the fried chicken he ordered was well worth the $15 he spent on them.

Overall, I wasn't expecting too much from a place specializing in chicken. However, The Crack Shack has successfully won me over, and with flying colors. I had never been through such a scrumptious chicken experience quite like this. Next time I visit this eatery, I will bring even more friends to spread the love for chicken and The Crack Shack.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

An Attractive Sushi Lounge With Average Food



Every time I've gone shopping at the Fashion Valley mall, I come across the Blue Smoke Sushi Lounge. I was intrigued by the name of the establishment, so I always wanted to eat here. However, I never followed through until now.

The interior of the restaurant gives off a modern and chic vibe. The large windows lining the wall between the sushi bar and the entrance allows enough light into the restaurant to give it a more vibrant and dynamic appearance. The lack of customers during the noon didn't really contribute much to the environment, however.

As for the food, all of it seemed reasonably priced. There was no item that was pretentiously expensive, which I was extremely thankful for. I ordered a "Blue Smoke Combo" comprised of steamed white rice, salad, chicken karaage, and nigiri sushi. I was given two pieces of akami tuna ("akami" refers to lean tuna with low-fat content), two pieces of salmon, and one piece of "white fish" (or albacore tuna).

What I noticed from eating the sushi was how thick the cuts of fish were. Now I've never had a truly decent piece of nigiri before, but I felt that the cuts were much thicker than what I'm used to. Is this how thickness of the cuts for nigiri were supposed to be? That I wasn't sure of. I feel that I will only know for sure once I visit a premier sushi bar. Anyways, the akami tuna did not have too much flavor as this type of tuna nigiri had very little fat. Akami tuna has a very delicate and subtle taste to it. Although I can appreciate how akami tuna gives the true flavor essence of tuna, I much prefer the taste of otoro (fatty tuna). The salmon nigiri was my favorite piece with the most fat content, however nothing really stood out from the salmon nigiri. It relatively average in terms of flavor at best. Finally, the white fish tuna, like the akami tuna, also did not have much flavor. However, this seemed to have less flavor and a less desirable taste to it when compared to the akami tuna. Another thing to note for all the nigiri pieces was the rice. The rice broke apart very easily when I tried to pick up the pieces with my chopsticks, and to all the sushi experts out there: yes, I should have used my hands. Even so, the rice shouldn't break apart so easily. I was a bit disappointed by how poorly consolidated the rice was. Overall, I'd say the sushi ranged from a bit above mediocre to average.

As for the chicken karaage, the chicken was cooked well and had a decently moist texture. The batter on the chicken was very light, so the external texture of the karaage was not as crispy as I had hoped for. The best part of the karaage was the sauce that came with it. The sauce seemed to be a Thai-style sweet and sour chili sauce. I was a little disconcerted by the sauce, but as I continued to taste the chicken with the sauce I began to appreciate it more and more. The sauce made the chicken karaage a pleasant tasting experience for me. I would suggest also serving mayo with the karaage to complement the Thai sauce.

In conclusion, I think that the Blue Smoke Sushi Lounge disappointed me with their sushi as nothing really stood out in terms of flavor. However, I did enjoy their chicken karaage. I feel that this sushi lounge definitely has potential to be a hot spot for the locals, especially with the attractive interior. However, the sushi quality needs to be improved quite a bit if the proprietor of Blue Smoke Sushi Lounge wants to attract more people to dine at said restaurant.

Monday, June 27, 2016

A Shrimp Po' Boy and a Refreshing Drink



Recently, I visited Santa Monica Pier along with four of my friends. We took this trip to have some final leisure time before one of my friends leaves for Colombia. Now, I normally find LA County to be an incredibly boring and stale place to visit. However, I've been having a lot of fun in Los Angeles, mainly due to the people I've been hanging out with. Also, I've never been to many places in LA despite living in relatively close proximity to LA (about a two hour drive from my home). Santa Monica Pier was one of those places.

Let me say this. Santa Monica Pier is a beautiful place. Much different from the heart of Los Angeles. The blue skies deeply contrasted the grey smog found in places like Downtown Los Angeles. I can't comment on the actual beach though. I didn't have the chance to even set foot on the beach. Overall though, the pier seemed like really nice place to be.

We were in the mood for some seafood today and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. was the most enticing option. I mean, if you're a fan of the movie Forrest Gump then you have to try the restaurant! My friends and I killed time perusing the gift shop next door to the restaurant. Bubba Gump hats and shirts among other souvenirs were present at every angle of the gift shop. A real treasure for fans of the movie, indeed. We were seated after about 15 minutes in quick fashion by our kind waitress. I ordered a Shrimp Po' Boy sandwich (as if you didn't already know that...) and a Georgia Peach Iced Tea. The Georgia Peach Iced Tea is a concoction made up of gin, vodka, peach schnapps, and iced tea from what I could remember. Eagerly waiting for my order to arrive, I conversed with my friends and played Patapon while my ghrelin levels started to kick in.

The Georgia Peach Iced Tea arrived soon after I had made my order. The first sip made me imagine that I was at beach enjoying the beautiful sight of the ocean waves like in a Corona commercial. Except, I would be drinking the Georgia Peach Iced Tea instead of an awful beer. In essence, the taste of the beverage is that of an amazingly good peach-flavored iced tea with a slight alcoholic kick. This is what I would consider a perfect summer drink.

Now for the entrée, I was pleasantly surprised by the large size of the po' boy I received. It was probably only three or four inches short of being a foot long. The sandwich came with a hefty serving of deep-fried shrimp in a thick piece of bread which is greatly appreciated. After eating this sandwich, I could say that it was the second best po' boy I've had. The shrimp had a great crunch on the outside, complemented by the moist interior. Absolutely delectable. The tomatoes, pickles, and mayo greatly enhanced the flavor of the shrimp. The bread was a slight letdown, however. The thickness of the bread made the sandwich a bit hard to eat, but it was not too bad. Perhaps, a thinner and crispier bread would have been a better choice for the po' boy.

Overall, I'd say Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is my favorite chain restaurant. The gimmick is great and the food is scrumptious. Although I don't have too much experience with po' boys, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Shrimp Po' Boy at this establishment. Also, the Georgia Peach Iced Tea is a sure thirst-quencher that will satisfy your need for an awesome summer refreshment. Just note that the Georgia Peach Iced Tea came out to be about 12 dollars, which was more than I expected (the price was not listed in the menu from what I could tell). The good thing is the drink comes with a nice souvenir pint glass for you to take home, so you don't have to feel so bad about spending 12 dollars on a single drink.

I would like to say thanks for reading my very first blog post. I've been contemplating making this food blog for a while now. Hopefully, I can really get into this blogging business! If there's any questions, recommendations, and/or advice you guys can give me, please let me know by commenting!