New Neighborhood BBQ spot..Urban BBQ

I went to a pretty cool little spot in Ashburn yesterday, with my kids..Urban BBQ.  It's a bit pricy..we spent over $50 for 2 kids, & 2 adults.. the BBQ is sort of Kansas City style..Sweet & wet.  I got the same thing I get everywhere I go in the world for BBQ..a full rack of ribs.  They came St. Louis style.. with nubs.. and the smoke was mild... overall above average to good...very large in size. I will go there again, because it is close, and they have Lost Rhino Root Beer on tap..that's cool.  Peanuts in a barrell & lots of excellent sauces to smother your ribs with..The Hot style is my favorite...The kids loved it too. ms

p.s.  After going to KC for the weekend all other BBQ gets a 2 star downgrade...sorry Urban...ms

Outstanding.. Capital Grille, Tysons Corner

Ok, like I said in my first blog, I have three categories.  Well this is the top of the list.  Outstanding.  Capital Grille is where I took my fiance, and they did everything right.  Not only did they call me a month ahead of her birthday to remind me, and offer to make a reservation, they had our perfect table ready, and complimentary Champagne chilled.  The French Onion soup was melted with exquisite light cheeses, and the croutons inside were seasoned perfectly, the filet mignon was superb...light, and lean...certainly Prime.  I would go there just to have the cheesecake for dessert, because it is the absolute best dessert I have ever had..anywhere, but I wouldn't because I would have cheated myself out of the other wonderful courses. The quality of the food, and the atmosphere cannot be overstated.  It is the top of the line.  ms

Buffalo Wild Wings...Consistant Crap

Ok, took the kids, which are 5 & 6 years old to Buffalo Wild Wings.  This is definitely one of those spots that I find myself settling for way too much...I go there about once every 6 months.  It has a couple of things which bring me in...and it's kid related, or I would never go there.  It has these cool tabletop ipad type game consoles, which I put $5 in and the kids can play video games while we wait for the "food" to arrive, and I can watch tons of TV's.  Except that every 3rd tv has trivia/poker/buzztime stuff on it...The service, and the staff are always nice, and cordial.  But that is about it for the positive. 

Food is well below average.  This place has "Wings" in the name, but the wings are definitely the smallest of any sports bar anywhere.  They have quite a few recipes for sauces, and the buffalo dry is the only one I enjoy, but because of the size of the wing, and the fact that every item is in a cardboard basket.. it is super-cheap feeling.  Everything is fried, and small sized, especially the Ribs..very bad ribs..

Beer selection, and bar atmosphere is, again standard and boring.  It touts a "craft & specialty" beer section, but hasn't got a single beer that isn't mass produced from a conglomerate brewery.. No microbrews or "crafts" on the list..not one.

I keep going back, for the kids... but I am consistantly reminded that some successful chains are just that..consistant.. even if it's consistanly poor. 

Quick Local Good- Rubino's

I went to a little place in my neighborhood tonight...Rubino's.  It's an Italian Pizza Deli type restaurant.  You order your pizza, which is on display, from the front counter, and they bring it to your table.  It's not full service, so it's a bit quicker, and not too formal.  Perfect place if you want good quality authentic Italian pizza, and get out in less than an hour.  The food is great..not the super processed stuff that most quick order restaurants have.  I suggest it for about a 2 times a month spot.  The desserts are awesome too.

ms

My first blog & why I would even do this...

Ok, I am a restaurant guy.. So I love everything about restaurants..even just going into a new one and checking it out to see how it ranks on my list.. my list is simple:

Best= I will tell people what I like about this place, and put my rep on you going there and being impressed.

Ok= This is 99% of all places.. I will go there when close to the location..or bored...or starving..but I ain't telling you about it.

Crappy Dump= Every now and then I run across a joke of a restaurant..which I will also tell you all about.

Stay tuned.. I'm about to tell you about em...
Mike String